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Alumni & Foundation
Encouraging Play Amongst All
The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) students at Central Community College were challenged to come up with a community project that would impact individuals who are unable to fully participate in activities of daily life due to physical or psychological limitations. The OTA students collaborated, coming up with an idea that will leave a lasting impact on the Grand Island community, an inclusive playground. The design includes a variety of active opportunities from imaginative play to adventure play to musical play.
It is anticipated this project will create a space where future programs, summer camps, and activities can take place. This also provides opportunities for future CCC OTA students to work with individuals in a space that is both fun and educational for everyone.
This playground will be an asset for the community of Grand Island for years to come. The playground will be located in Ryder Park, which is centrally located in Grand Island off the Highway 281-corridor making it an easy destination for family fun.
The location was chosen after consideration of several locations throughout Grand Island. Ryder Park offers several amenities currently, including multiple baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, and picnic shelters. The park’s central location is within walking and biking distance for many who may not have access to transportation. The park is in a diverse area that includes single-family homes, multi-family dwellings, business and industry, Head Start, and Mosaic.
A committee of community members, area leaders, members from Central Community College, and city officials was formed to move this project forward. The committee’s goal is to raise $1.5 million dollars for the construction of the playground and a maintenance endowment. The CCC Foundation is working with the committee to raise funds and pledges by the end of 2022 to complete this community project. The estimate for the playground equipment and construction is $1,146,997. The $250,000 endowment will be held with the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation for use by Grand Island Parks and Recreation to assist in playground maintenance.
Thanks to the generosity of Grand Island business owners Tom and Sue Pirnie, the 27,000-square-foot facility will be known as the “Pirnie Inclusive Playground.”
“We are excited to support a project created by CCC students for children of all abilities within Grand Island,” said Tom Pirnie, a member of the CCC Board of Governors since 1994. “Opportunities for area youth and families are vital for the betterment of the community.”
Owners of Grand Island Express and GIX Logistics, the Pirnie family is well known as strong supporters of many community efforts.
“We truly appreciate Tom and Sue Pirnie and others who have pledged their support of this project,” said Cheri Beda, CCC alumni director and community group co-chair. “We are also proud of the OTA students, whose passion drove the inclusive design and led to approval from community leaders and the Grand Island City Council. We are confident that the community will step up to support this inclusive playground and make it a reality for Grand Island.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than three million children under the age of 18 have some type of disability (physical, auditory, visual, cognitive or ambulatory), meaning nearly one out of every 25 children face some challenge as they learn, play, and interact with others.
“Playgrounds are so important because they offer opportunities for children to benefit from the physical and social developments of play,” said Todd McCoy, Grand Island Parks and Recreation director. “Because of its central location and design that accommodates children with a wide variety of abilities, the new inclusive playground at Ryder Park will no doubt be a popular family destination.”
Fifteen percent of the funds have been raised and the hope is to have the goal met by year’s end. It is anticipated that playground construction will commence in spring 2023. | <urn:uuid:d4e9b5b5-7ab2-411c-bbf9-743b7090ca66> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cccneb.edu/alumni-foundation/alumni/community-connection/spring22communityconnection/inclusive-playground/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.960045 | 824 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Background The key role played by research nurses in coordinating clinical trials in a paediatric setting has developed in line with increasing complexities of trial design. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to investigate the training of research nurses involved in paediatric trials across Europe, to identify potential training needs and compare roles across specialties and countries.
Methods A structured, cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used, with the aim of describing and quantifying research nurse experiences. The questionnaire was designed to cover four main areas of interest: demographics, training, clinical trial experience and research nurse roles/activities.
Results The questionnaire was completed by 341 respondents across 45 different specialties in 20 European countries. A higher percentage of research nurses within 3 years of taking up post were dissatisfied with the level of training received (16%), as compared with those in post for 3–6 years (8%) and >6 years (6%). There was a trend towards a higher percentage of respondents receiving self-funded training in mainland Europe, with reported values of 15%–20%, as compared with <5% in the UK and Ireland. Only 3% of research nurses prescribed investigational medicinal products in a clinical trial setting, with contrasting roles observed between countries.
Conclusions While high levels of training satisfaction were observed, 67% of respondents felt they would benefit from additional training in line with frequently changing practices. Currently, low levels of nurse prescribing are observed in a paediatric clinical trial setting across Europe. Appropriate research nurse training programmes should be promoted through national networks across Europe.
- research nurse
- clinical trials
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What is already known on this topic?
Research nurses are increasingly involved in all stages of the development of complex clinical trials conducted across paediatric specialties.
It is important that research nurses are appropriately trained for the various regulatory, methodological, ethical and administrative aspects of clinical trial design.
Few studies have been published focusing on the level of training and roles played by research nurses working in paediatric specialties across Europe.
What this study hopes to add?
Approximately two-thirds of research nurses felt that they would benefit from additional training in specific areas, with a clear relationship observed between length of time in post and level of training satisfaction.
An increased level of nurse prescribing may be beneficial in paediatric specialties, with only 3% of participants prescribed investigational medicinal products in a clinical trial setting.
Sharing of the information generated through national research nurse networks should be used to encourage the development of paediatric research nurse training programmes.
There is a clear need to accelerate the development of drugs across a wide range of childhood disease specialties.1 In order for this to be achieved, high-quality ethical research on the safety and efficacy of medicines in children is needed. In this respect, the research nurse plays an increasingly pivotal role in the successful conduct of paediatric clinical trials.2
Clinical trials in children have an inherent default level of complexity relating to regulatory, methodological, ethical and administrative issues, with additional burdens commonly introduced for multinational studies.3 The role of the research nurse has developed in line with increasing numbers of often complicated research studies commonly built into trial design, to generate as much information as possible relating to the new treatment. Outside of the collection of blood samples for routine clinical analysis, samples are frequently requested for a range of substudies including clinical pharmacology and biomarker studies, pharmacogenomics, biobanking and cytogenetics.4 Clinical samples will commonly be requested at multiple time points and require the collection and recording of data and completion of clinical trial visit-associated case report forms (CRFs), often via trial-specific electronic data capture (EDC) systems. These studies are carried out alongside more routine research nurse responsibilities, including day-to-day study management, patient screening, provision of patient information sheets, appropriate collection of consent/assent and collaboration with other members of the multidisciplinary team required to ensure a positive experience for study patients.5
The European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency (Enpr-EMA) consists of a consortium of research networks, investigators and centres with expertise in performing clinical trials in children and adolescents.6 A working group was established by Enpr-EMA to investigate potential needs and gaps in research nurse training across specialties and countries. A questionnaire-based survey was carefully planned to compare experiences and seek the views of research nurses working in paediatric settings across Europe, in addition to generating information on the extent of involvement in clinical trial activities and the specific roles carried out by research nurses in different countries and specialties. Such an approach may allow the identification of potentially desirable training models for recommendation by Enpr-EMA at a European level.
Materials and methods
Questionnaire design and preparation
A structured, cross-sectional questionnaire survey, informed by previous research on nurse training and questionnaire development,7–9 was designed to cover four main areas of interest. The first section covered basic demographic information, including disease specialties, age of children being cared for and length of time as a research nurse. The second section focused on the level, frequency and method of training received. The third area focused on clinical trials experience with regards to involvement in different types of trials and various aspects of developing and running studies. Finally, paediatric research nurse roles and activities were investigated, from patient consent, prescribing and administration of investigational medicinal products (IMPs), through to sample collection, processing and transport.
The design incorporated fixed choice and open-ended questions and was piloted on an initial cohort of 20 paediatric research nurses to check for usability. Following minor alterations and additions to the questionnaire at this point, a final version was approved for dissemination. box 1 summarises the questions incorporated in the final questionnaire and the full questionnaire is provided as an online supplementary figure 1.
Summary of questions in final questionnaire (response required and follow-up questions)
Across what specialties do you work in paediatrics? (select all that apply; if ‘other’, please provide details)
What age of children do you work with? (select all that apply)
How long have you worked as a research nurse?
How many phase I, II, III or IV clinical trials have you participated in?
Do you feel that you have received appropriate training for the role(s) you carry out in your position?
Do you feel that you would benefit from additional training in some aspects of your job? (if ‘yes’, please comment)
How would you best describe describe the training that you received for your role? (select one)
If you have received Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, has this been generic GCP training or paediatric-specific GCP training?
If you have received additional training, please provide further information with regards to the type of training.
How frequently do you receive training in your current job?
How frequently do you receive GCP certified training within your role?
How would you best describe the training that you received when you first started in post? (select all that apply)
How would you best describe the training updates that you receive? (select all that apply)
Which of the following activities do you have experience of actively participating in?
Within your role, do you participate in CTIMP (Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product) studies?
If ‘yes’, which of the following roles do you perform?
If ‘yes’ to any of the above, have you received specific training for this?
Are you involved in the following types of paediatric clinical trials? (tick all that apply)
Supplementary file 1
Participants and data collection
The final questionnaire was made available via an electronic link through the internet-based survey tool provider Google Forms. National and disease specialty networks of paediatric research nurses were identified through Enpr-EMA networks and the identification of appropriate European groups through internet searches. A link to the Google Forms questionnaire was sent to lead network contacts alongside a letter from Enpr-EMA, explaining the purpose and aims of the survey, for dissemination to research nurses within individual networks or groups. The questionnaire was translated into French and Spanish as requested by specific networks and was made available for a 9 month period between April and December, 2016.
Data analysis and statistical analysis
Data entry and initial analysis were carried out using Microsoft Excel 2013 and Qlik Sense V.3.1 (Qlik International AB). Statistical analysis was carried out using the χ2 test as appropriate using SPSS statistical software.
Demographics of respondents
The questionnaire was completed by 341 research nurses from 20 European countries. The respondents worked across 45 different disease specialties, with 34% working with children in a single specialty, 21% in two specialties, 14% across three or four specialties and the remaining respondents (31%) working across at least five specialties. The most common specialty areas were respiratory diseases, oncology and diabetes. Respondents spanned a wide range of experience levels, with approximately 1/3 of participants (31%) having worked as research nurses for <3 years and 38% having >6 years of experience. Table 1 provides a summary of the demographics of the research nurses who participated in the study.
Training received and satisfaction with level of training
Data collected on frequency of training suggested that research nurses received regular training, with 53% receiving formal training at 6 monthly, annual or 2 yearly intervals, and 38% being trained ‘as needed’. Less than 10% of respondents received training at intervals of >2 years.
A total of 147 research nurses (43%) were fully satisfied with the level of training received, with 32 (9%) respondents not satisfied and a further 145 (43%) satisfied that they were appropriately trained for the majority of tasks that they carried out; the remaining 17 (5%) participants failed to respond to this question. Further analysis suggested that a significantly higher percentage of research nurses within the first 3 years of taking up their post were dissatisfied with their level of training (16%) as compared with those with 3–6 years (8%) and >6 years (6%) of experience (p<0.001). Overall, there was a clear trend towards a relationship between length of time in post and level of training satisfaction (see figure 1). Looking at the results obtained geographically, for those countries with at least 10 respondents, higher percentages of nurses dissatisfied with the level of training received were observed in Norway (25%) and Denmark (20%). In contrast, 100% of respondents from Spain and the Netherlands were either fully satisfied or satisfied with the level of training received for the majority of tasks carried out. In response to the direct question as to whether they would benefit from extra training in some aspects of their job, 67% of all respondents indicated that this would be beneficial.
With regards to the type of training received, in terms of whether this was carried out online or in person, organised internally or run by an external organisation, institution or self-funded, there were no clear trends observed in terms of the level of training satisfaction (p>0.05). Similarly, there was no relationship between the frequency of training received and the level of satisfaction reported (p>0.05). Interestingly, 68% of research nurses received training updates online and this value was also high (54%) in terms of the initial method of training received when first in post. While there were no particularly striking findings observed when these data were analysed by country, there appeared to be a higher percentage of respondents who received self-funded training in mainland Europe, with reported values of 15%–20% in Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands, as compared with <1% in the UK and <4% in Ireland.
Specific questions were included in the questionnaire relating to the provision of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, with overall 96.5% (329/341) of research nurses having received GCP training, with 40% of these respondents (132/329) having received paediatric-specific GCP training and 60% (197/329) generic GCP training. These figures were comparable across specialties and countries.
Additional training needs
Information relating to areas of additional training that research nurses would benefit from could be categorised into the following general areas of training: regulatory issues (21% of respondents who indicated that additional training would be beneficial), clinical trial coordination/GCP-related (20%), nursing procedures (19%), information technology (IT) based (10%), data analysis (8%) and communications skills training (6%). In the area of clinical trials in particular, a wide range of training needs were identified including areas such as research governance, trial set-up, design and coordination, costing and finance. Similarly, requests for training in a wide range of nursing procedures and laboratory skills highlight the increasing requirement for research nurses to possess a wide range of skill sets consummate with complex clinical trial designs.
Clinical trial experience
The questionnaire explored the role of the research nurse in various aspects of developing and running paediatric clinical trials. Approximately 1/3 of respondents (36%) were involved in the development of consent forms, 27% had experience of trial submission and 32% in the development of trial CRFs. Approximately half of participants (46%) had experience of developing patient information sheets. These data were consistent across countries and specialties.
Research nurse roles and activities
In terms of the activities in which participants are commonly involved, over 70% of research nurses actively participated in the collection and processing of blood samples (252 respondents) and the shipment/transport of clinical samples (242 respondents), with approximately 60% of respondents involved in the training and education of patients in terms of the administration of new medicines or procedures (207 respondents), and the administration of IMPs (205 respondents). Approximately 1/3 of research nurses who responded to the survey were involved in taking consent and/or assent from patients (126 respondents) and only 3% (11 respondents) prescribed IMPs in a clinical trial setting (see figure 2).
Further analysis of these data by country identified wide ranges in percentages of research nurses actively involved in the defined roles and activities described above. While percentages were high across all countries for routine roles such as the collection, processing and transport of clinical samples, marked differences were seen in the percentage of respondents taking patient consent for clinical trial participation. For those countries with at least 10 respondents, less than 10% of research nurses in Germany and Spain took consent, whereas approximately half of UK research nurses (49%) and 80% of respondents from the Netherlands carried out this role. Percentages of research nurses who administered IMPs ranged from 15% in Switzerland to 87% in Spain, with small numbers of respondents (≤10%) responsible for prescribing IMPs in all countries except for Norway (13%) and Switzerland (23%). In terms of analysis of research nurse roles and activities by specialty area, there were no clear trends or differences observed.
The current study was carried out to gather information relating to the training and roles of research nurses who conduct paediatric clinical trials across Europe. A questionnaire-based survey was proposed and executed by Enpr-EMA, with responses gathered from 341 respondents, encompassing 45 different disease specialties and 20 European countries. As there was no explicit sampling frame, in terms of a defined list of numbers of research nurses in the networks and centres who received the questionnaire to complete, it was not possible to address the extent of non-response bias and this represents an accepted limitation of the study. Similarly, while national and disease specialty networks of paediatric research nurses were identified through Enpr-EMA networks and the identification of appropriate European groups through internet searches, many lead network contacts were not research nurses and wider circulation of the study information and link to the survey may not always have been prioritised.
Results generated from the questionnaire were generally encouraging, with 86% of respondents either fully satisfied with the level of training received, or satisfied that they were appropriately trained for the majority of tasks that they carried out. Indeed, a healthy percentage of respondents had either completed formal postbachelor education or training programmes or obtained more focused training in key areas, commonly provided by sponsors or pharmaceutical companies. However, 67% of respondents also felt that they would benefit from additional training, with a wide range of areas highlighted where training would be most beneficial. The most common areas for additional training reflected the increased complexities of modern day clinical trials and increasing requirement for research nurses to possess a wide range of skill sets.2 3 These included clinical trial set-up and management, IT skills, pharmacovigilance, CRF data entry and laboratory skills training. A number of respondents highlighted the challenges of keeping up to date with frequent changes to clinical trial practices relating to ever increasing GCP regulations.
In terms of how research nurses obtain training, 54% of respondents received their initial training online, when they first took up post, and 68% received training updates online. These figures highlight marked increases in online nurse training observed over the past 20 years, largely due to its convenience and flexibility. Online training can help to avoid problems relating to intensive workloads and working shifts, which could provide barriers to research nurses attending scheduled training sessions. In this respect, many studies have reported positive outcomes from online nurse training, with learning outcomes comparable or even improved as compared with face-to-face training events.8
One interesting point raised by several participants, related to the expectation that they would gain relevant experience through ‘on the job’ training. This theory appears to be supported by the findings of the current study, with a clear relationship observed between length of time in post and level of training satisfaction reported. Several respondents highlighted the fact that they would have benefited from more training when they first started in post, at which time they were unaware of the training opportunities available. This may be particularly relevant to countries where higher levels of dissatisfaction were reported in terms of training received. For example, in some Nordic countries, more accessible research nurse training programmes have only relatively recently been developed, following studies highlighting a need for more relevant training to be made available.10 11 This represents an area that could be improved, through advertising and promotion of research nurse training events. The availability of induction packs for new research nurses, containing relevant information and useful links to networks where training is available, is commonplace in some countries and should be encouraged more widely. It is accepted that the role of the research nurse may differ significantly between countries and that the current survey, while relatively expansive in terms of the number of respondents and countries involved, did not include respondents from many other European countries.
Data generated from the current study highlight the integral role that research nurses play in the running of clinical trials in paediatric specialties,2 3 with significant numbers of participants being involved in various wide-ranging tasks. In terms of the practicalities of working in a clinical trial setting, high percentages of respondents were involved in taking patient consent, collection and processing of samples, patient training and the administration of IMPs. Despite relatively small numbers of respondents from individual countries, apparent differences were observed in the level of involvement in activities including administration of IMPs and taking consent. Such differences may reflect guidelines and philosophies within countries, with the role of taking consent being actively encouraged in the UK, but not being seen as an appropriate research nurse role in some European countries. Indeed, it is entirely feasible that while research nurses may feel comfortable in explaining clinical trials to patients and families, they may be less amenable to being responsible for the signing of consent forms. In this respect, it is important to understand that the appropriateness of research nurses taking on this responsibility may be related to the complexity of the particular clinical trial and the IMP involved. For research nurses working in environments where roles such as the taking of consent are encouraged, competency tools are commonly available to promote patient safety and may be included in research nurse induction packs referred to above.12
A key role absent from the activities of the vast majority of respondents related to the prescribing of IMPs, with only 3% of research nurses performing this role. For research nurses to prescribe medicines, including unlicensed and clinical trial drugs, they are required to have the appropriate qualifications.13 In the UK, registered nurses with a minimum of 3 years of clinical experience must undertake a recognised ‘Nursing and Midwife Council’ accredited prescribing course through a UK university. Other countries have their own research nurse qualifications, which may contrast in terms of the level of training involved and the prescribing responsibilities of the research nurse.14 15
While nurse prescribing in the UK and Europe has developed significantly over the past decade, with an estimated 19 000 nurse prescribers registered in the UK in 2014,16 this remains a remarkably underdeveloped area. Indeed, experience in the UK indicates that differences exist between individual centres and health authorities, in terms of whether or not research nurses are able to prescribe IMPs, even if the appropriate level of training is in place. Therefore, the reported low numbers of research nurses responsible for prescribing IMPs may reflect local legislation, as opposed to a lack of desire for nurses to be involved in this area. Benefits of research nurse prescribing in the UK have been widely reported,17 18 and may represent an area where improvements could be made to the efficiency of running paediatric clinical trials. An increase in level of nurse prescribing would seem to represent a sensible way to optimise the skills and expertise of all health professionals working in increasingly stretched healthcare systems.19 It is unclear whether or not the observed increased research nurse prescribing rates in countries such as Norway and Switzerland reflects a real difference, possibly related to more accessible training and accreditation in these countries, as the numbers of respondents from the majority of countries was small. Similarly, differences highlighted between countries in the percentages of research nurses actively involved in taking patient consent and the administration of IMPs should be interpreted with caution.
In summary, the study provides a useful overview of the current training status of research nurses working in paediatric medicine, highlighting potential training needs and summarising the roles and activities of research nurses across Europe. As higher percentages of respondents received self-funded training and/or were not satisfied with the level of training in some European countries, this would suggest that different training opportunities and historical working cultures may currently exist. While the level of training and general satisfaction levels expressed by research nurses is encouraging, approximately two-thirds of respondents felt that they would benefit from additional training, with commonly requested areas for further training highlighted. Increased availability and provision of research nurse training in these areas may facilitate an increased efficiency in the running of clinical trials in a paediatric setting. Sharing of the information generated in the current study through Enpr-EMA and national research nurse networks will be strongly encouraged, with a view to supporting, facilitating and developing new research training programme for paediatric research nurses across Europe. In this respect, Enpr-EMA should look to enhance the design of the European paediatric research nurse core curriculum, together with relevant European Nursing Associations, which could be then adopted across EU countries. Increased collaboration and discussion between key stakeholders will help to harmonise approaches to training and standardise the way that paediatric clinical trials are conducted across Europe, promoting improved ethical and clinical standards and the generation of robust results from clinical trials.
We thank the research nurses from centres across Europe for participating in the survey and the paediatric networks for their enthusiastic dissemination of the survey. We would also like to thank Professor Elaine McColl for her insightful comments on the manuscript and for input into the statistical analysis of study data generated.
Contributors GJV, SM, ML, SMF, PL, MC and AC conceived the study and were responsible for the design of the study and appropriate dissemination of the final questionnaire across European centres. GV, CB, CL, AO, MR and PB were responsible for the collation and analysis of data obtained from the study. GV was responsible for writing of the manuscript. All authors provided input into manuscript review and approved the final version for submission.
Funding This research was supported by Cancer Research UK and the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. | <urn:uuid:e3819917-adce-4a44-ab09-429da7b670ff> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000170.full | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.964509 | 5,094 | 1.789063 | 2 |
On Being Proud of Uniqueness
Everybody grows up inside a particular, almost invariably small world. Everybody, without exception. Very early in our lives we learn the "banking system" of that world: family, small town, neighborhood, church, community. At the same time, ideas begin to come to us from outside this small particular world. These ideas are often alien to those values we are being taught in our particular world. We learn to behave and act in a certain way from our fathers, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles. We learn if we behave incorrectly, certain things follow from that incorrect behavior. We turn on the television set and someone is behaving incorrectly. Nothing happens as a result. It's a joke. It's a laugh. It's accepted. When we experience this sort of thing in an ongoing way, we develop a certain method of handling this constant clash of values.
What I'm trying to explore in my books is one kind of such confrontation of ideas. Of cultures in tension with one another. A kind of tension that I experienced as I grew up and made my way into this world. All of us have one kind or another of ongoing culture confrontation almost every day of our lives. We don't think about it often because by the time we're out of our teens we learn to handle these confrontations almost in the same way as we walk and breathe. It's a kind of choreography that we develop without thinking about it too much. Then along comes the novelist and looks at it, opening it up so that we can more or less see what it is we are really doing without thinking about it. The novelist forces us, if we read the novels, to look at what it is we are doing and urges us to think about it, to see if something can be learned or understood about ourselves and our species by observing this confrontation.
One of the things we are taught very early is that each of us is a unique creature. We need that sense of uniqueness to take us through the travail of existence. We are taught that we count as individuals, that the group we belong to is a unique group, and that this group counts in the spectrum of the broader community in which all of us live. That uniqueness is then challenged by ideas that inevitably impinge upon us from other kinds of uniqueness.
When individuals are brought up in the heart of such a community or culture, they learn and commit themselves to its values. They usually understand the problems inside that community and are willing to cope with those problems. They see the world through the systems of values of that unique community. At the same time however, they experience important ideas or values that come to them from the general world outside their community. These ideas come to them from the core, the heart of that general world. When a person finds his or her own inherited values to be in conflict with those of the general culture, he or she experiences what I have come to call "core-core culture confrontation." All of my books are an attempt to explore the dimensions of this kind of confrontation.
One thing absolutely fundamental to an appreciation of the core of one's community is a sense of identity with its core, a sense of the uniqueness of that community. This sense of identity is born out of the following elements:
(1) You learn early on in your life the stable values of your particular community. (2) You learn early on in your life that your life makes sense, that it's important, it counts. (3) You learn that human actions are meaningful. They resonate. One cannot act without in one way or another affecting. (4) You learn early on in your life that action and value ought to be in harmony. You cannot have a viable sense of self worth if you value one thing and act contrary to what it is that you value. When this happens, a dichotomy or split in the self is established. Finally it seems to me that fundamental to an awareness of the nature of a core of both a tradition and an individual in that tradition is (5) that the individual be made aware of what is right and what is wrong, as far as the community is concerned, and that the individual be able to choose between the two. These are the components that go into the making of a healthy, well-adjusted individual. With this firm sense of identity an individual finds his or her place in the core of the tradition of a commmunity and, out of it, establishes a sense of his or her particular uniqueness as an individual..
Sooner or later, if that individual is a thinking person, if that individual ends up in a college somewhere, that individual is going to come across alien elements from the general civilization in which all of us live. These elements are referred to as Western Humanism, Western Secularism or Western Secular Humanism. It is a civilization born about two to three hundred years ago in western-central Europe out of what we call the Enlightenment. A civilization whose founding fathers are people like Voltaire, and Diderot, Kant, Hume, Darwin, Marx, and, closer to our time, people like Kafka, Joyce, Stravinsky, Picasso. Ideas from this secular world inevitably impinge upon an individual born in a church community or a synagogue community, especially when that individual embarks on a college experience. And then tension is generated. He or she begins to look at those, alien ideas and wonder whether they speak in a meaningful way.
With this dynamic in mind, I would like to now show how the books that I've written explore this confrontation of cores of cultures and how in some instances a resolution is reached, and in other instances point out that the resolution may well be impossible to achieve.
The Chosen is essentially about the core of my own tradition. At the very heart of any living tradition there are at least two elements of ongoing tension. One element says, "I don't need the outside world to solve my problems. It is disgusting and creates only ugliness. Why do I need the noise, the music, the pornography, and the heathenism therein. Using my own inner resources I can solve all my problems from inside my own tradition." The second element insists on an openness toward the outside world. "There are some really beautiful things in the world beyond us," it points out. "There are really things that we can learn from that world. Not everything about the outside world is ugly. Let's borrow the good things, and, by integrating them withour tradition, enrich ourselves as a result." These two elements are an ongoing conflict in any viable religious tradition.
In The Chosen those two elements are brought into confrontation with one of the fundamental gifts to us from the very heart of the general civilization that we call Western Humanism. The gift to us we call Freudian psychoanalytic theory.
When the religious person encounters Freud for the first time he or she is struck dumb by what Freud has done to the human being. For Freud has no supernatural, no priest, no rabbi. With no supernatural, religion is a kind of mask, an infantile delusion of the species which we all ought to outgrow. Everything is tightly linked in a causal chain to the origin of this or that pathology. Understand the origin and you can more or less deal with the pathology. There is no intrinsic meaningfulness in the universe, no intrinsic sense to human actions. Most of our actions come from a kind of oceanic, unconsciousness inside ourselves about which most of us are only dimly aware.
How do you relate this kind of a system to a religious world? Most religious people, upon encountering Freud, walk away and will have nothing to do with him. But what if you sense in his body of thought some element that resonates inside of you? That speaks to you? That you can absorb for whatever reason? Danny Saunders comes to this realization in ironic fashion in The Chosen. Caught in the throes of a strange method by which his father is teaching him compassion for human suffering, Danny finds in Freud the instrumentality for handling this pain and suffering. It is in the nature of things that once you are inside an alien system of thought, no matter what the door that brings you in, you slowly begin to wander around inside that system in ever widening circles until more and more of the system becomes hospitable to you. That is precisely what happens to Danny Saunders in The Chosen. Danny eventually makes his peace with Freud by absorbing and utilizing Freudian psychoanalysis and its instrumentality for the healing of human pain and suffering, and for research into the same. But he will have absolutely nothing to do with Freud's view of man. When Reuven Malters asks him what he thinks about Freud's view of man, Danny will simply not respond. He takes his own view of man and uses that as the basis upon which he places this powerful instrumentality for research into the healing of human suffering.
That's how Danny Saunders tries to resolve his encounter with Freud. I know that many of you are thinking that this is hardly a viable intellectual solution to this problem, and I'll come to that in just one moment.
In The Promise the confrontation is between a fundamentalist religion and another gift to us from our general civilization. A gift right from the very heart of that civilization developed in the Universities of western Europe in the last century. A methodology we call scientific text criticism. It's a methodology that uses all the modern findings of archeology, philology, ancient languages, and the new things that we know about the cultures of the ancient world and their interactions to explore the developement of ancient texts.. It brings all this powerful instrumentality to bear upon the central and sacred texts of the western tradition. The texts of the Bible. For fundamentalists, these texts are in one way or another divinely revealed. They are the word of God to man. We touch and tamper with those texts at our great peril.
Indeed for the Jew the problem is considerably exacerbating, in that for the religious Jew all of Jewish law is predicated upon the idea that the first book of the Jewish Bible, the Torah, is literally word for word revealed by God to Moses at Sinai and may not be touched. The entire legal religious tradition of Judaism is founded upon the infallibility of that text. You are forbidden to touch that text, especially its legal portion, for once you begin to tamper with the text and alter the words all the laws predicated upon those words begin to totter. It's quite as if we discovered one day that there was another version of the American Constitution and that the one we've been working with all along isn't quite the one that they were supposed to have agreed on at that meeting in Philadelphia. To tamper with the sacred text is to do violence to the core of a tradition.
Yet what do you do with the truths that seem to come to us from the discipline we call Scientific Text Criticism? What do you do with the windows that it opens up for us on the development of species?. Do you throw out truths in order to maintain your uniqueness, your allegiance to your particular core? Is that the price that is being exacted from us? That's the tension that an individual like Reuven Malter is caught up in in The Promise. A tension felt by many of the people with whom I grew up, that of a core-core confrontation of ideas.
Reuven Malter resolves this particular tension in the following way. He will take this methodology and apply it only to the text of the Talmud. This is a vast work which took about 800 years to develop and create, and whose earliest texts are concurrent with the latest texts of the Bible. Now you will say to Reuven Malter, "What kind of sense does this make?" If you're going to apply this kind of methodology in order to understand the Talmud, why not apply it as well to the last books of the Bible? "Well," Reuven Malter will say to you, "if you want me to apply it to the last books of the Bible, I will. But then then you'll say to me, "Why not apply it to the books that are adjacent to the last books, after all aren't they also concurrent?" And I'll do that. And you'll say to me, "Why not apply it to those books that are adjacent to those books that are adjacent to those adjacent books?" And before you know it we're inside the first of the three volumes of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah, in which the legal portion is supposed to be inviolate. Then we begin to tamper with the legal portion and all Jewish law begins to totter. Therefore, I will simply make a hard and fast rule. The Talmud, yes. I will alter text, change things around, maneuver and manipulate pages in an attempt to understand what is in the Talmud's order, but I will not apply this method to the Bible." Thus Reuven resolves this particular confrontation.
Now I would like to ask if this really an honest way to proceed? Danny Saunders chops up Freud, and Reuven Malter chops up the Bible and the Talmud, each for his own convenience. Is this an intellectually honest way to proceed? And the answer is probably yes. It is certainly the case that many do this kind of thing. And it is absolutely the case that the very founding fathers of Western Secular Humanism did precisely this as they went about creating this super-sophisticated secular civilization in which all of us live today. People like Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, and others reached back into the civilization of the classical world of Greece and Rome and took from them what they regarded as it's loveliest aspects, it's cool and rational thoughts. They took its art, its eclectics, its stoics and thought that they were going to create a new world, a thinking world not locked into throes of religious thought. Those aspects were the ones they made the paradigms of this new civilization. They totally ignored the ugliness and brutality of this ancient world, its orgiastic elements, its lust for power, and its crude religion. They very carefully selected out of classical Rome and Greek culture those elements toward which they felt a significant affinity. They performed the same act of selective affinity that all of us do when we encounter an alien culture. We pick and choose those elements of that alien culture toward which we feel a measure of affinity. Then, adopting those elements, we reject the others, precisely as Danny Saunders does with Freud and Reuven Malter does with scientific text criticism.
The Chosen and The Promise, although dealing with how people feel on a daily basis when locked in this kind of confrontation, are essentially exercises in intellectual confrontation. Individuals caught up in that kind of confrontation compartmentalize rather than fuse reality. They section off their life and apply this methodology only to parts of it, but not to their faith system, or its core. The problem is thus by and large intellectually resolved.
When I finished The Promise I wasn't satisfied in terms of the extent of this kind of confrontation. I remember asking myself for a long time, "This is an intellectual problem that I've handled in The Chosen and The Promise, but what about an aesthetic problem? What about a problem that you can't compartmentalize? A problem that seeps into all areas of your life because it involves your feelings, the deepest kinds of emotions that you have. Intellectual problems can be sectioned off. Aesthetic problems have a way of seeping through the doors and closed windows of your being and affecting everything that you love."
That's when I began to think of painting as a serious problem in my own tradition. The Jewish tradition is essentially an anti-iconographic tradition for the most part. Certainly it opposes the making of any human image. Mosaic monotheism, on which Judaism is based, offers a powerful counter statement to paganism and pagan worship. Anything having to do with pagan worship is anathema to monotheism, and fundamental to pagan worship was idolatry, the representation of God in human form. Therefore Jews have never participated in art of any kind that was connected to worship.
All through the middle ages, as far as Jewish law is concerned, Christianity was essentially an idolatrous religion because of it's iconography. Because of this, religious Jews never participated in the art of that civilization, which was intimately connected to that form of worship. So we have a situation of two thousand years of Jewish wandering throughout the western side of our planet, contributing to everything except art. There has not been a single instance, until the modern age, of any religious Jew who has participated in any significant way at all in this extraordinary adventure we call modern art. Here is where Asher Lev appears. Born into the heart of a Jewish pietous group, the Hasidism of Brooklyn, this boy is gifted or cursed, depending upon your point of view, with a hunger to enter the mainstream of Western art. Because Jews did not participate in the mainstream of Western art, there are no Jewish motifs in Western art. All the motifs in Western art are either pagan, that is to say, Greek, Roman, African, or Egyptian, or they're Christian, or they're empty of salvationist tones altogether and are landscapes, still lifes and so on. Secular in nature. There are no Jewish motifs in western art.
Into this stream of Western art enters Asher Lev, right from the core of the Jewish world. There comes a time when Asher Lev is compelled to paint his feelings for his mother's long, solitary suffering. His search for a motif reveals none powerful enough in his own tradition, and so he turns to the central theme of suffering in the Christian tradition: crucifixion.
In the eyes of most Jews, crucifixion instantaneously triggers images of rivers of Jewish blood because of the thousands upon thousands of Jews who died all down through the centuries on account of the charge that they participated in the slaying of Jesus. Asher Lev knows no other symbol can give full expression to the feelings that he has about his mother's long torment. Other artists who were not Christians had long used the symbol of crucifixion in their works. In his mid-20's, when his first mistress was beginning to die from tuberculosis, Picasso went periodically to visit her in a sanitarium outside of Paris. One day when he returned he drew a crucifixion. We have the drawing. Later, when his own life was a shambles, Picasso painted another crucifixion. Though the shapes are Picassoid shapes, the theme, the motif, is crucifixion. He poured into that scene his feelings about the life he was living at that point in time.
That's precisely what Asher Lev does. He takes the aesthetic mold, the crucifixion, a central theme in Western art, and into it he pours his feelings for what he, and his mother, are experiencing. Out of this comes his two Brooklyn crucifixions. Shago by the way, does the same thing when he depicted the suffering of Russian Jews. There is simply no other equally poignant theme in Western art that an artist can use to depict torment. Asher Lev knows how his community will react to those crucifixions. If he doesn't paint because he's woried about what the community will say, sooner or later he will be confronted with another, similar choice. The next thing he knows, the community will begin to dictate in subtle ways what he may or may not paint. For an artist who must relentlessly pursue his or her own vision of the world, that is the beginning of the end. Art becomes public relations, and that is not what art is all about.
Please understand this. Asher Lev remains an observant Jew. He has not broken any Jewish law by painting that crucifixion. According to Jewish law you can paint all the crucifixions you want as long as you don't paint them for purposes of worship. Asher Lev has crossed an invisible aesthetic line, as he well knows. His community just simply cannot come to terms with one of its members involved in this kind of activity, and Asher Lev pays the price and is asked by the leader of that community to leave. This book, therefore, addresses the aesthetic problem, another form of core-to-core confrontation of cultures not capable of easy resolution.
After My Name is Asher Lev, I asked myself, "Is there an intellectual confrontation that is not capable of resolution?" It was then that I began to think about writing the book that ultimately became In The Beginning.
The central text of western civilization, the most sacred text, is the Bible. Scientific Bible Criticism, a gift to us from the heart of Western Secular Humanism, is the most powerful instrumentality brought to bear upon that text. Biblical criticism opens up the layers of Biblical tradition. It reveals to us the contradictions inside the Biblical text. It shows us the extent to which the Bible is locked in a cultural context that is enormously broad in space and time. It shows us the extent to which the Bible participates in a vast world of cultures. It questions immediately the fundamental tenets with which most religions have always approached the Bible. That is to say, it's uniqueness. By placing the Bible within the ancient Near East, biblical criticism causes one to ask what is really unique about it. Eventually, of course, the biblical critic discovers dimensions of uniqueness he or she was never taught before, but only after many cherished ideas are broken down.
In the last century and in the early decades of this century, this instrumentality we call Bible criticism came to be a part of institutionalized anti-Semitism, especially in the universities of Western Europe. Biblical criticism was used time and time again to attack the Jewish text, thus denigrating its significance, and the significance of those who reverenced it.
These two elements contained for me the core components of In The Beginning. A story evolved of a boy growing up on the streets of New York and encountering the Anti-Semitism that prevailed there at a certain period of time. At the same time he becomes caught up in this scientific way of looking at the Bible. Though he understands fully the Anti-Semitism involved in this scientific method, he is faced with an extraordinary dilemma when he suddenly realizes that imbedded inside this instrumentality are powerful truths. What do you do with the truths? He is faced with the same sort of situation that confronted Danny Saunders when he faced Freud. Truths may be imbedded in muck, but the muck doesn't alter the essential nature of the truths. David Lurie in In The Beginning makes the intellectual decision to commit himself to this instrumentality, though unlike Asher Lev, David doesn't wait to be asked to leave his community. He knows full well that no fundamentalist community can countenance at this point in time an alliance with Bible criticism, and so he leaves his world.
Indeed when I attended parochial school this whole discipline called Bible criticism quite literally didn't exist. You would not find its books in our libraries. Its authors were not in the indexes. Nothing of that discipline existed anywhere on any shelf in my school and no student would have thought to bring any book in that came from the discipline we call Scientific Bible Criticism
How painful it is to leave one's friends who will never talk to you again. Ones teachers, one's schools, the warmth and tribal embrace of one's past for an idea, an intellectual goal. A high price indeed for a core-core confrontation on an intellectual level which is virtually impossible to resolve.
What about a confrontation where the end result is no answers at all, but only questions? That's what The Book of Lights is all about. Admittedly a rather difficult book, deliberately so because of the difficult problems it deals with. I spent fifteen and a half months of my life in Korea and a little bit of that in Japan, courtesy of the United States military in which I became a chaplain. I came into that experience with a very neat coherent picture of what I was as an American and what I was as a Jew. All that neat, antique coherence came undone in the fifteen and a half months that I spent in that part of the world. I remember when I was very, very young, being taught by my father and my teachers that paganism was intrinsically an abomination. I came to Japan and to Korea and saw pagan loveliness I never dreamed I could see. The sheer beauty of that pagan world overwhelmed me. Although it was manmade loveliness, its beauty was created by the human hand for the purposes of worship. I learned to appreciate the loveliness of God's world in a pagan land. I had never really seen beauty as such before I came to that part of the planet. How about that for a confrontation of cultures?
I was also taught by my father and by teachers that Jewish suffering makes some kind of sense. Jews are the "moral reconnaissance" troops for our species. My father had served three and a half years in a Polish troop of the Austrian army in the first World War and often talked in military terms. He would say Jews are the recognizance troop in terms of the moral vision of mankind, and that recognizance troops always take the highest casualties. So Jews take the highest casualties with some kind of bizarre rational for Jewish suffering. I saw suffering over in the Far East I had never imagined possible before, and suffering for no purpose whatsoever. People destroyed, mauled, slaughtered, simply because they were in the paths of empires. What's the point to that kind of suffering? Why do Asiatics suffer? I have no answer to that question.
I remember walking the streets of Kyoto one evening and suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of freedom and openness. Asking myself why I felt this way, I suddenly realized that I was inside a world where there was no anti-Semitism. I cannot begin to even describe to you what it means to find yourself in a world where anti-Semitism at least in that point of time was simply not a category of thought. Nobody hated you for what you were, for what you had no control over, and this was a pagan world. A world that I had been taught to abominate. How about that for a question? I remember being taught over and over again by parent and teachers how fundamental a component to Western civilization my own tradition was. You cannot think Western civilization without its Jewish component because you would have to strip it of its Christian component as well and you would have no civilization at all. I spent fifteen and a half months of my life where Jews and Judaism constituted no part of civilization or culture whatsoever. They got along without Jews and Judaism with no difficulty at all. How about that for relativising the tradition.
Walking through a Japanese market in Tokyo one afternoon, I came into a Shinto shrine where an old man with a long, white beard was praying to an idol. Dressed in a tattered grayish suit, unadorned, with a book in his hands, swaying back and forth he reminded me of the old Jews in the synagogue I used to pray in when I was a child. The intensity of the prayers in that synagogue was no more intense than that of this old man as he prayed to the idol. For a moment, I stepped outside myself, and looking down at what I was seeing, I asked myself, "What's going on here? Is the God that I pray to listening to this old man's prayers? Why not? Where are you going to have greater intensity of devotion in an act of prayer than at this moment with this old man in front of this idol? If the God I pray to is listening to this old man's prayers, what are Christianity and Judaism all about anyway?" There I experienced a dramatic confrontation of cultures.
I have no answers to these questions, and The Book of Lights is about culture confrontations that eventually lead us in the world of ambiguity. In a world where nothing is hard facts. It is a fluid world where things constantly shape and value systems move in and out. You try and live your life as best you can without any hard and fast answers.
Davita's Harp is a confrontation between two fundamentalisms I would say. The secular fundamentalism represented by Marxism, Stalinism, and communism, and the religious fundamentalism of the extreme right in my own tradition, and how those two fundamentalisms deeply hurt individuals pro-foundly committed to them, and what those individuals do in the wake of that pain.
To me these are profoundly rich confrontations. As we go about trying to fuse these cultures together, very often, gold is created. We are all of us made richer as a result. I don't advocate this kind of confrontation. I don't have to advocate it. We live these confrontations all the time. I'm only trying to understand them and to track them and to explore the possibilities of resolution that might come from them. I know there are other kinds of confrontations that we experience, more than confrontations from the hearts of cultures.
I'm writing about people caught up in some of the central events of our century. How does one hold onto one's own world, a world one deeply loves, while navigating the wider world beyond our own? In one way or another, whether through ourselves, our children, our friends, or our relatives, it's a problem all of us confront sooner or later. That's the problem, the human adventure that constitutes the heart of the stories I write.
Chaim Potok lecture, March 20, 1986
Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists
Collegedale, Tennessee U.S.A.
Edited by Dr. Jerry Gladson | <urn:uuid:82197876-e2fe-4c30-80c9-afe7fd55f609> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://potok.lasierra.edu/Potok.unique.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00477-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971118 | 6,121 | 1.929688 | 2 |
What's the biggest determinant of successful retirement planning? One might guess it's asset allocation because of the famous paper published in 1986 concluding that asset allocation is the primary determinant of a portfolio's return variability. But a recent paper by the Putnam Institute suggests asset allocation plays a relatively minor role in the scheme of things when it comes to saving enough for retirement. So does rebalancing a portfolio on a quarterly basis.
So what else could it be, then? You might guess fund performance. But that's not the case either, according to the paper titled "Defined contribution plans: Missing the forest for the trees?"
Individual fund performance would be the trees blocking the view of the metaphorical forest.
I can't help but wonder if the Putnam Institute is trying to minimize the importance of fund performance because it so happens that many Putnam funds have lagged their peer groups. At best, Putnam funds perform at the middle of the pack for one-year returns, landing in the 51st percentile on average, according to Morningstar. Long-term performance is even worse: For five-, 10- and 15-year returns, Putnam funds rank in the 60th, 63rd and 68th percentile, respectively, on average (1=best and 100=worst).
Looking in the weeds of the study
The base case in the study uses funds that have been around for at least 29 years, and that ranked in the bottom quartile for performance. Translation: They stunk in 1982.
Someone -- let's call her Sally -- who deferred 3 percent of her pay since 1982 into a conservative mix of stock and bond funds would have had a 401(k) balance of $136,400 at the end of 2011, according to the study. Assumptions: Sally started out with a salary of $25,000, received 3 percent annual pay raises, never rebalanced the portfolio or changed the asset allocation and just coasted along for 29 years in a portfolio consisting of 30 percent stocks, 60 percent bonds and 10 percent cash, allocated among six funds of various styles and market capitalizations.
The study also looked at four other fund scenarios. What would have happened if Sally had invested in top-quartile funds back in 1982 and held for the long term? What if the plan sponsor switched the lineup every three years so that Sally could invest in the top-quartile funds at three-year intervals? What if Sally only invested in index funds? And four: What if the plan sponsor could accurately predict the top quartile funds in advance every three years, and Sally invested in these at three-year intervals? That last scenario, dubbed "crystal ball," obviously is not accessible to anyone without the benefit of hindsight.
Surprisingly, the portfolio values didn't deviate that much from the base case. In fact, only the crystal ball scenario resulted in a portfolio that was larger, by about $30,000, than the base case. All the other scenarios yielded results that were lower by anywhere from $5,000 to about $10,000 -- including the index fund strategy.
So what determines success?
OK, so if asset allocation, rebalancing and individual fund performance are not the main determinants of retirement success, what is? According to the study, it turns out that the amount deferred in the retirement plan by the plan participant makes the most difference. If Sally had deferred 4 percent, 6 percent or 8 percent instead of 3 percent, she'd have a much fatter nest egg after 29 years. Here's what she'd have:
- 3 percent deferral: $136,400
- 4 percent deferral: $181,800
- 6 percent deferral: $272,700
- 8 percent deferral: $334,000
This is something over which plan participants -- you and me -- have control. The study's author suggests that plan sponsors adopt a more aggressive auto-escalation feature in their plans, hiking deferral rates automatically by a percentage point each year until participants are contributing 10 percent.
But don't wait for your employer to make this decision for you. Start contributing 10 percent -- or as much as you can -- from the get-go.
Follow me on Twitter: BWhelehan | <urn:uuid:d4276455-5051-41dd-8ac2-26fb3e7918d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.bankrate.com/financing/retirement/key-retirement-success-strategy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719041.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00169-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955792 | 872 | 1.507813 | 2 |
A Honda hybrid car is not an unusually popular investment. Over the years, Honda has developed a reputation of producing some of the most reliable cars on the road. Year after year, the Accord and Civic are consistently some of the best sellers in their respective classes. Models such as the CR-V, Pilot, and Odyssey have all made strong statements, too. In recent years, Honda has put a lot of money into the research and development of hybrid technology. Backed by their strong reputation in the auto industry, Honda offers the following hybrid vehicles for model year 2010:
- Insight - This car has been labeled by many in the auto industry as a game-changer. Offering hybrid technology at a lower price than most of the competition, anyone in the market for a hybrid vehicle should give the Insight a strong consideration. It is powered by a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor that is driven by a nickel-metal hydride battery. Paired with the continuously variable transmission, the Insight offers EPA-estimated mileage of 40/city and 43/highway. Its base price of $19,800 includes such safety features as ABS, dual front-and side-airbags, and active front head restraints, while also offering amenities like an MP3/auxiliary input jack and automatic climate control. It even allows you to drive 100,000 miles before the first scheduled tune-up.
- Civic Hybrid - First introduced for the 2003 model year, the Civic Hybrid was the first hybrid sedan offered by Honda. It underwent a complete redesign in 2006 and has seen only slight changes since. Using similar technology to that of the Insight, the EPA estimates the Civic Hybrid will attain mileage of 40/city and 45/highway. At a base price of $23,800, it offers a few more standard features than the Insight, but costs a bit more, too.
In addition to the Insight and Civic Hybrid, Honda also offers 2 cars they call "alternative fuel vehicles." The FCX Clarity is a hydrogen-powered car that produces zero emissions. Unfortunately, it is only available through a very limited, expensive lease program that was primarily made available to Southern California residents. The other vehicle, the Civic GX, runs on compressed natural gas.
With a solid reputation, strong product offering, and competitive pricing, any hybrid shopper would be wise to add Honda to the list of purchase possibilities. Consumers can learn more at http://automobiles.honda.com. | <urn:uuid:c26f47e9-e031-4e7c-bd02-70c5d8f16ac3> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.carsdirect.com/green-cars/hybrid-cars-made-by-honda | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719646.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00128-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960107 | 513 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Reduces stress, anger and guilt. Peridot opens our hearts to joy and new relationships. It enhances confidence and assertion, motivating growth and change. Sharpens and opens the mind to new levels of awareness.
Peridot, the bright green color of nature, is associated with harmony, good health, restful sleep, and peacefulness. Known as the stone of compassion, peridot calms anger by giving renewal to all things. | <urn:uuid:f7e2f861-b24d-4294-b75a-4dad08c1cde6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://amethystonline.ca/products/peridot-rough-crystals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.934043 | 91 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Last week an article written by Tom Pick appeared on the Webbiquity | B2B Marketing Blog site that was called 87 More Vital Social Media Marketing Facts and Stats for 2012. The title is an immediate attention getter because it is obviously not somebody’s condensation of data into the usual David Letterman sized list. Also, the word “more” implies that the list may be a continuation from another list or lists. It also suggests that the list probably won’t end here. Such is the dilemma facing leaders who must decide on a company’s use of social media in a business setting. We concoct all kinds of methodologies to analyze data, consider the possibility of unknowns, and arrive at a business savvy direction. The problem with social media data is not so much that it is new, but because it is so changeable that it is difficult to measure in the first place. Ironically, this dynamic also creates a sense of urgency… maybe even panic… because the latecomers to the game will lose their competitive edge if someone else finds the secret.
The value of this list is immeasurable because it gives a very complete insight into the data that we need to make intelligent decisions. Every day there is some kind of addition to the public consciousness of social media blasted at us through social media. Learning which to accept and which to reject requires a sophisticated degree of crap detection and this has to evolve from a realistic view of the variables and an objective analysis.
Unfounded skepticism – The temptation is to look with bias toward data that we don’t understand. Most executives would balk at the term “We never did it that way before” because they have been conditioned by up-the-ladder mentality and training to be open to change. From the facts and stats reported we see that 71% of consumers say that CEO participation in social media leads to improved brand image. 70% of CEOs have no presence on any social network. The individual driving the company does not necessarily have to have hands-on experience in all aspects of the business, but must have a receptive understanding of everything or decisions will be uninformed and ineffective.
Unrealistic optimism – Rabid advocates of social media are often proponents without reality. Jumping to a positive conclusion based on personal bias is just as harmful as a negative one. It takes social media missionaries to move things forward, but inertia is a hard thing to overcome. The data shows that about 27% of consumer-facing Fortune 500 corporations do not list social media channels on their Web site home page, 89% do not list an e-mail address on their site, and 13% don’t list a phone number on their Contact Us page.
Underestimated complexity – A consistent problem in filtering information is the self-professed “expert” that has only a shallow knowledge of social media. One repeated theme is that somehow there is an age related capacity for understanding because younger generations have grown up with new technology. From the data, 56% of Americans have a profile on at least one social networking site. And it’s not just millenials; 55% of those aged 45-54 have at least one social network profile. The in-depth analysis must conclude that it is not merely use of social media but translating these skills to expertise in marketing, communications, human resources and other aspects of managing the business. I found it particularly interesting that 65% of Facebook users are over 35. This demographic is older than the perception that it is a college based medium… and is older than the founder and CEO of Facebook.
Unanticipated results – Plans are the definition of the paths to reach objectives. Variance from those intended goals may be favorable, unfavorable or just plain different. Marketers report that less than half of all the analytics data they collect is actually useful for decision-making and 34% say analytics are not integrated at all with their business plans. This could be a matter of perception, but it also indicates that calculating the return on investment in social media programs can be difficult to forecast and probably even more difficult to report.
Unparalleled potential – The importance of compiling and analyzing all of this information on social media is necessary because of the impact that it will have now and in the future. Marrying the skepticism of naysayers and optimism of advocates, the report shows that social media accounts for only 16% of customer engagement today, but is expected to increase to 57%—the second-most used channel, behind only face to face interaction—within five years. Recent trends in niche areas verify these successes and predict areas where impact is almost certain. 92% of recruiters use social media to find new candidates, up from 82% in 2010. And 73% now say they have successfully hired through social media, up significantly from just 58% two years ago.
Compiling and filtering data, projecting trends and forecasting the results are all easy to understand conceptually but not easy to execute because of the variability of… everything! Just as the quarterback must throw the ball to the location where he anticipates the receiver will be, it is important to look beyond today’s hot trends and anticipate all the new ones that are possible. As innovators, we must not only advocate the use of social media for business but also explore unlikely and non-traditional methods of communication. YouTube is the third-most-visited site on the web, with two billion views per day. YouTube use accounts for 10% of all traffic on the Internet. Are we open to the use of video for business? Do we know how? It may become a question moving from “Can we afford it” toward one of “Can we afford not to?”
Reference: I have provided a trackback to the Webbiquity site. Italicized portions of this article are excerpted from that site, but I would highly recommend subscribing to this and others as an RSS feed in order to make comments add to the dialog and public use of the data.
Image credit: Puzzle of Social Media nasirkhan / 123RF Stock Photo | <urn:uuid:385e2d94-19db-46ff-ba33-886b00e7f75c> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://leute.com/wordpress/2012/10/22/social-media-too-dynamic-to-grasp-too-powerful-to-ignore/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722951.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00211-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951131 | 1,248 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Dog and Cat Adoptions
If you are interested in adopting, please call 435-259-0199 for an appointment. Humane Society of Moab Valley and Moab Animal Shelter are located at 956 Sand Flats Rd.
RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP
Owning a pet is a privilege, but the benefits of pet ownership come with responsibilities.
- Avoid impulsive decisions when choosing a pet.
- Choose a pet that is suited to your home and lifestyle.
- Keep only the type and number of pets for which you can provide appropriate food, water, shelter, health care and companionship.
- Commit to the relationship for the life of your pet(s).
- Provide appropriate exercise and mental stimulation.
- Properly socialize and train your pet.
- Don’t contribute to our nation’s pet overpopulation problem: limit your pet’s reproduction through spay/neuter.
- Recognize that pet ownership requires an investment of time and money.
- Make sure your pet receives preventive health care (vaccinations, parasite control, etc.) as well as care for any illnesses or injuries.
- Budget for potential emergencies.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR PET & BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS
- Clean up after your pet.
- Obey all local ordinances, including licensing, leash requirements and noise control.
- Don’t allow your pet to stray or become feral.
- Make sure your pet is properly identified (i.e., tags, microchips, or tattoos) and keep its registration up to date.
- For the health and safety of your cat we recommend that they should be kept indoors.
- Prepare for an emergency or disaster, including assembling an evacuation kit.
- Make alternative arrangements if you can no longer care for your pet such as contacting your local rescue. Plan ahead, the average adoption placement may take up to 6 weeks or longer.
- Recognize any decline in your pet’s quality of life and make timely decisions in consultation with a veterinarian. | <urn:uuid:31edb052-5141-4fc5-a9c2-e87c21462b46> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://moabpets.org/adopt/overview.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.883589 | 440 | 1.523438 | 2 |
For review: PEP 308 - If-then-else expression
dale at riverhall.NOTHANKS.co.uk
Sat Feb 8 16:04:38 CET 2003
I am quite surprised at the number of people who have missed important
points in this proposal and at the amount of prejudice against
suggestions that have already appeared in other languages.
The important points are:
1. This is a proposal to extend expressions with a test to return one
of two values (as apposed to an alternative to program flow logic).
2. It is desirable to evaluate only the result expression and not the
There is also an implicit requirement to by "Pythonic" -- something
which I'm happy to ignore as it obviously means whatever the user of
the term wants it to mean. It is a smokescreen for appearing
pro-Python while really just being anti-change. I don't think anyone
would describe list comprehension as Pythonic, yet this is perhaps the
most useful recent addition to the language.
The other consideration often raised and used as an excuse for an
objection or a standpoint are thoughts for the poor beginners.
The widespread use of C++, Perl and TCL (to pick a few at random) is
proof that beginners will persevere with anything that is of interest
or benefit to them. It is arbitrary and self-defeating to unnaturally
constrict the enhancement of the language -- especially a feature you
can take or leave -- because someone may not understand it. The people
that like or want these syntactic frills will figure them out.
That said, I am as pro-ellegance as the next guy. I hate kludges.
As far as I can see, there are still only two serious contenders:
a) special characters: cond ? exp1 : exp2
b) textual: cond if exp1 else exp2
The others suggestions offered in response are ethier pointless (they
offer nothing not already in the proposal) or have missed the point.
a) has been criticised for being C-like and b) for being Perl like.
Good. So we know they both work. The fact that they have been used
elsewhere is surely a point in their favour. To invent a construct to
meet a well understood need that hasn't appeared anywhere else is
surely an argument against it's use. I don't see anyone objecting to
using '*' as the multiply operator in spite of it being nothing like
'x' which most beginners seem to prefer.
I think we can ignore those who simply flatly vote against this
proposal. They obviously don't use the language as much as the rest of
us or have a problem with change.
I also think we should disregard the form
cond ? exp1 ! exp2
simply because it hasn't been used before. It is difference for its
My vote goes for ?: because it is concise, unambiguous and would look
better in an expression.
However, I would vote for if/else if that was the only option left.
Riverhall Systems Ltd
More information about the Python-list | <urn:uuid:ed0fbc23-1670-4af9-8c89-fc5f3824ddb6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2003-February/233651.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284405.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00036-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969749 | 663 | 1.96875 | 2 |
.NET ORM Dapper released as open source
Dapper, a simple SQL object relational mapper (ORM) for SQL Server and .NET, has been released as open source. It allows a developer to execute a query and map the results to either a strongly typed list or a list of dynamic objects. Dapper is designed to be almost as fast as hand-tuned code using SqlDataReader and benchmarks within milliseconds of that goal.
Sam Saffron, a hacker at developer Q&A site Stack Overflow, announced the open sourcing of Dapper on Twitter. Stack Overflow now use Dapper in their production systems. In a previous blog posting, Saffron explained that the Stack Overflow developers created Dapper in response to the load that Google's web-spidering processes put upon the site. Because the site changes rapidly as users ask and answer questions, Google's web spider can process ten pages a second.
Hosted on Google Code, Dapper is released under version 2.0 of the Apache License. | <urn:uuid:f5478aca-c3d1-4c09-be7a-560b777d406e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/NET-ORM-Dapper-released-as-open-source-1222342.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00530-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906254 | 214 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Office 2013 For Dummies is the key to your brand new Office!
Packed with straightforward, friendly instruction, this update to one of the bestselling Office books of all time gets you thoroughly up to speed and helps you learn how to take full advantage of the new features in Office 2013. After coverage of the fundamentals, you'll discover how to spice up your Word documents, edit Excel spreadsheets and create formulas, add pizazz to your PowerPoint presentation, and much more.Helps you harness the power of all five Office 2013 applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and AccessDiscusses typing and formatting text in Word and easy ways to dress up your documents with color, graphics, and moreDemonstrates navigating and editing an Excel spreadsheet, creating formulas, and charting and analyzing Excel dataWalks you through creating a PowerPoint presentation and adding some punch with color, sound, pictures, and videosExplores Outlook, including configuring e-mail, storing contacts, organizing tasks, scheduling your time, and setting appointmentsDelves into designing Access databases, including editing, modifying, searching, sorting, and querying; also covers viewing and printing reports, and more
The fun and friendly approach of Office 2013 For Dummies makes doing Office work easy and efficient!
About Wallace WangSee more books from this Author
An aggregated and normalized score based on 21 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes | <urn:uuid:5775a2f3-32f1-4156-90dd-997ddf04b545> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://idreambooks.com/Office-2013-For-Dummies-by-Wallace-Wang/reviews/82393 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00217-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.891178 | 284 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, 2008
On July 21, 2008, Governor Timothy M. Kaine officially unveiled the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol at an event attended by more than 4,000 people. The sculpture by artist Stanley Bleifeld portrays Barbara Johns, who, when she was sixteen years old, led a student walkout from the woefully inadequate high school for African Americans in Farmville, Virginia. In addition to Johns, the sculpture depicts other students, community members, and the lawyers who championed their case. The memorial is located near the entrance to the Executive Mansion in Capitol Square.
The student strike at Robert Russa Moton High School in Prince Edward County played an important role in ending racial segregation in United States public schools. The school was designed to house 180 students and was a simple, one-story brick building. The school's enrollment quickly outgrew the original building, reaching 450 students by 1950. The white school board's response to repeated petitions for a new school was the construction of three large plywood buildings covered with tarpaper. Unsatisfied with the buildings, Barbara Johns and other students began a strike on April 23, 1951, keeping nearly 400 students out of school for two weeks.
Also portrayed on the sculpture is the Reverend L. Francis Griffin, a Prince Edward County civil rights activist, who supported and encouraged the students and their parents. The students asked Richmond civil rights attorneys Oliver W. Hill and Spottswood W. Robinson III to sue for equal facilities, but instead they decided to bring suit to end segregation. On May 23, 1951, Robinson filed Dorothy Davis et al. v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which was later incorporated into the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court of the United States case.
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision banned “separate but equal” schools for blacks. Despite the ruling, Prince Edward County remained segregated as state government officials in Virginia attempted to avoided desegregation at all costs. White leaders in Virginia led a “massive resistance” movement, threatening to close public schools rather than desegregate. In 1959, the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors refused to provide money for any school protesting segregation. Without appropriate funds for public schools, many of the county schools closed that year. African American students had to attend schools in surrounding counties, leave the state to obtain an education elsewhere, or miss out on education altogether. Many white students attended private schools that opened in order to avoid desegregation. Five years later, Prince Edward County reopened its public schools following a court order. Sadly, many African American residents lost five years of education.
The memorial's creator, Stanley Bleifeld, won the commission for the sculpture through a competitive process. An internationally famous artist, Bleifeld was raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Temple University in Pennsylvania. Although trained in painting, early in his career he turned to sculpture. Bleifeld received numerous public commissions, most notably for the The Prophets, at Vatican Pavilion, for the New York World's Fair in 1964 and for the Lone Soldier a larger-than-life sculpture that is a part of the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Bleifeld died in 2011.
1. Who is depicted on the Virginia Civil Rights Monument and what roles did they play in Virginia's civil rights movement?
2. What conditions did Barbara Johns and her classmates protest at their school in Prince Edward County?
3. How did Virginia evade and delay school integration?
Barbara Johns was sixteen years old when she initiated the boycott at Moton School. Who are some of the other young people who led the civil rights movement?
Stokes, John A. Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me: A Memoir. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008. | <urn:uuid:8d832ffb-0c80-45dc-aefd-eebdcf7c2816> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://edu.lva.virginia.gov/online_classroom/shaping_the_constitution/doc/virginia_civil_rights_memorial | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721558.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00044-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966623 | 800 | 3.609375 | 4 |
By Isabella Kaminski
Conergy has completed the solar power plant in Hawton, Nottinghamshire, which it claims is the biggest in the UK. The 5 MW free-field park was built together with Conergy’s local partner Lark Energy just 6 weeks after receiving planning permission. The Hawton project is owned and has been developed by Lightsource Renewable Energy Ltd with funding from Octopus Investments.
The installation covers an area of 14.6 hectares. 21,600 Conergy PowerPlus modules were installed on approximately 40 km of Conergy SolarLinea mounting systems. Annually, the premium modules will produce 4860 MWh of electricity – enough to supply 1300 homes.
Robert Goss, Head of Conergy UK, says: “The project was clearly a race against time to meet the deadline of 31 July 2011 – but we made it. The deadline was imposed by the recent review of the feed-in tariff incentive payments for large-scale solar projects that are to be slashed by 72%.”
According to Conergy, local residents supported the project from the beginning. Community research conducted prior to the installation showed that 100% of the respondents generally favoured the idea of solar energy as a clean, renewable energy solution with no emissions. 92% of those who came to an open event in March 2011 supported the Hawton solar park.
Goss says: “Our solar experts have shown that we are able to build large-scale projects also in the UK, even though our core business and focus is and will be on roof-top installations. This is due to the [feed-in tariff] cuts on the one hand and due to our product portfolio and our experience ‘on the roof’ throughout Europe on the other hand.” | <urn:uuid:2aead2d7-4005-435d-9ac1-5456833e2c86> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/19404/conergy-completes-5-mw-uk-solar-plant/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00537-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968206 | 361 | 2.046875 | 2 |
A poll of more than 9,000 people reveals that half of those over 50 struggle to see their general practitioner (GP) on the same day they fall ill.
The government wants GP practices to team up to offer services over seven days of the week in their local area, saying it will reduce pressure on A&E. But doctors' leaders say the move is not the best use of NHS resources.
‘Weekend working is a flagship policy of the UK government. By 2020 people will have access to GPs seven days a week, some argue that it will reduce pressure on hospitals, while others say that it is unaffordable and mismatched with what patients need.’
AdvertisementThe research, carried out by a team from the University of East Anglia and the University of Oxford, used data from the 2014 General Practice Patient Survey. GP leaders said the study underlined their view that seven-day GP surgery opening was unnecessary and a luxury that the cash-strapped NHS could not afford.
The research showed that 81% of patients do not find current GP opening times inconvenient. Just 15% said weekend opening would make it easier for them to see a doctor, while only 2% said they would be able to attend Sunday appointments.
When those patients who said they were interested in weekend opening were asked to rate their preferences, 74% preferred a Saturday opening.
An official review released by NHS England of seven-day services has also found "very low" demand for Sunday appointments, although evening opening during the week is popular with patients.
Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Our patients have better things to do on a Sunday afternoon than have their ears syringed. We hope this research will quell the government's obsession with seven-day working once and for all."
She said a better use of the NHS's scant resources would be to invest in thousands more GPs, a "robust, routine five-day service" and existing GP out-of-hours services. | <urn:uuid:a3cfff4e-b90f-48e2-a38f-cbfac0eb966e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.medindia.net/news/patient-survey-finds-sunday-gp-appointments-not-in-demand-155284-1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00115-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970295 | 416 | 1.929688 | 2 |
NAMI Oshkosh to hold 5th Annual Chester Marcol 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Awareness
Has suicide impacted your life? Do you know someone struggling to live with mental illness? Or do you just want to get out and run for a good cause? Well, NAMI Oshkosh has an opportunity for you to banish your cabin fever and help us continue our mission.
On Saturday, April 25, we are sponsoring the 5th Annual Chester Marcol 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Awareness and we hope you will join us. This will take place at Oshkosh North High School, 1100 W. Smith Ave. The registration/check in begins at 7:30 a.m. and the run/walk starts at 9 a.m. Pre-registration by April 11 saves you $5.00 (and guarantees you’ll get a dry wick t-shirt). Registration fees after April 11 are: $35 for adults (13 or older), $30 for ages 12 and younger, and $25 for students with a valid school ID. Please visit our website at namioshkoshsuicideawareness.com.
Informational booths and presentations will begin at 8 a.m. and our Memory Wall will again be available for posting photos of your loved one. There will be food and beverages for purchase, silent auctions, raffles and speakers.
Our featured speaker, Chester Marcol, a former Green Bay Packer, will talk about his experiences with mental illness. He will have his latest book, “Alive and Kicking: My Journey Through Football, Addiction and Life“ available for purchase and will sign books after the presentations.
We will also have speakers from Rise Together, a recovery advocacy group. They will talk about the battle against! heroine.
Wisconsin author L.J. Capobianco will be available for a book signing for his “Email From Heaven.”
After the color presentation and National Anthem, a memory balloon release will take place and the race will begin. Awards will go to three places in Male, Female, and Youth categories.
Your participation will help fund our mission of education, support and advocacy for people whose lives have been touched by mental illness. An example is our current Family to Family Class — a 12 week education program. We also offer a support group for family/caregivers and a support group for peers (those dealing with mental illness). We can help arrange a QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training to help recognize signs of an impending suicide.
Please help us make this a success so we can continue our journey. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States among ages 15 through 24 and Winnebago County has had alarming numbers in recent years: 32 deaths in 2012, and 29 deaths in 2013. In 2014, however the rate was cut to 15 and we want this to continue dropping. One death is one too many and we are counting on your support to reach zero.
If you won’t be taking part in the run/walk, we need lots of volunteers to help. For more information please call our office at (920) 651-1148 or visit our website. | <urn:uuid:68c53cb7-4b42-4e7c-863d-24b0803821bc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/local/community/2015/03/20/nami-oshkosh-hold-th-annual-chester-marcol-runwalk-suicide-awareness/25105595/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.948161 | 664 | 1.515625 | 2 |
After a decade of legal negotiation, an Aboriginal group and the state of New South Wales are about to sign off on a massive native title deal. The Githabul people have negotiated an Indigenous Land Use Agreement which will cover a 6,000 square kilometre area in the northeast of the state near Mount Lindsay. The Githabul will gain joint managerial control of World Heritage Listed national parks and control over future development on the land. It is the biggest native title deal in NSW and will create jobs for the 250 Githabul, as well as giving them the right to traditional activities in the forests, including hunting protected native animals.
The land claim is not yet fully complete. The Githabul lands straddle the state border between NSW and Queensland and negotiations are continuing with the Queensland Government. The claim will be extremely significant for native title as it is the first one to cross state borders. But Queensland is holding out saying they are still examining the claim. The Australian newspaper did a front page feature on the Githabul land claim on Wednesday. In their story they focussed on the disappointment of the Aboriginal people’s failure to secure the 15% of their land in Queensland and thus the peak of Mount Lindsay itself. They quoted Queensland Acting Premier Anna Bligh who said the Government was waiting for more information from the claimants. The Githabul claim that the Queensland government are dragging their heels.
Furthermore the Australian claims the Queensland Government has failed to act because of a rival claim from the Yugambeh people who live near the Gold Coast. Then they quote a Yugambeh spokesman Wesley Aird who says there is no overlap between the claims. Aird said "All our information was that the NSW claim was going really well, but the Queensland side was dragging the chain, and that's typical of their dealings with indigenous people." ALP president Warren Mundine is also chief executive of the NSW Native Title Services group, which funded the claim. He said that if the Queensland Government could approve the claim it would set a precedent for other cross-border situations, such as those around the Mildura area of northwest Victoria. He hopes a deal can be hammered out before the end of 2007.
The NSW decision is the latest in along round of land rights negotiations that stretch back to the Mabo decision of 1992. In that case, the Australian High Court rejected the doctrine of terra nullius, the idea that the continent belonged to no one when the British arrived in 1788. Native title now describes the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in land and waters, according to their traditional laws and customs that are recognised under Australian law. The law was further refined by the Wik decision which recognised that native title could co-exist with pastoral leases though pastoral rights would prevail.
The Noongar people of Perth in Western Australia won another landmark case in September 2006. The Federal Court judge found the Noongar people had proved their claim to more than 6,000 sq km of land in WA including the state capital, Perth. It was the first time a metropolitan area was ruled to belong to indigenous people. Alarmists in the white community expressed concern that public access to urban open spaces and national parks could be at risk. However the Noongar did not claim any freehold or leasehold land and instead are entitled to whatever lands are left over in Perth, which is very little indeed.
The National Native Title Tribunal was set up to examine these claims on an Australia-wide basis. They adjudicate on three types of applications. A claimant application asks for a determination that native title exists in a particular area. A non-claimant application is made by someone who does not claim to have native title but who seeks a determination that native title exists in that area. The third type is compensation application which is made by those seeking compensation for loss or damage to their native title.
The Githabul made a claimant application for their lands on both sides of the state border. They call the rainforest their supermarket. Once the deal is signed, the Githabul will no longer risk being prosecuted and fined for hunting turtles and echidnas in the rainforest. Trevor Close, who led the Githabul claim, said it was lodged because "our boys were sick of being pulled up for doing what they had always done". He continued, "We are all people of the rainforest. It is a supermarket of food." | <urn:uuid:609e7c86-de9d-480b-a9b5-6ec89d61390a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://nebuchadnezzarwoollyd.blogspot.com/2007/01/githabul-land-claim.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00329-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975328 | 897 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Google Earth is adding an ocean feature, allowing people to dive into the deep blue right from their desktop, CBS News Correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports.
John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, said, "Vast parts of it are largely unexplored and we don't really know what's down there."
While the visibility in the water has been cleaned up, everything you see is based on actual data. It's not quite swimming with the fishes, but it will let you see where they live.
Hanke showed Sieberg some impressive images that can be found with the new feature. "This is really an undersea canyon that is quite dramatic," Hanke said. "It's imilar in scale to the Grand Canyon."
You can also click on icons to see photos and sometimes video of endangered species, like the Goliath Grouper, or even an odd-looking type of shrimp off the coast of Spain.
There's even a fish GPS -- you can follow creatures that have been tagged, from above the water or below it.
A worldwide network of scientists will be constantly adding video, photos, and underwater topography.
"Just as Google Earth has connected people to far off places and made them real, this is going to connect people to the ocean, and make it a much more real and accessible place," said Marine Biologist Stephanie Wear, from the Nature Conservancy.
The good news is you don't need to be a computer whiz or a marine biologist.
Once you download Google Earth, it's just a matter of double-clicking on the ocean to get more detail. Then scroll your mouse over different icons to see what lies beneath, or on the surface.
Hanke said the possibilities are vast, with the ability to see things like "the best surf spots in the world, with photographs of the waves, the best kite surfing spots, the best wind surfing spots."
For tourists, students, and landlubbers alike, it's a unique underwater adventure.
And, it's one that doesn't mean getting all wet.
Click here for more stories, and images, on Google Earth 5.0. | <urn:uuid:f3e3b782-a041-4b07-b07d-f927632bb92d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.cnet.com/news/video-google-earth-dives-into-the-sea/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719273.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00065-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951914 | 446 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Plant life can be very enticing. It is visual, tactile, aromatic, and mysterious. Plant foods range from jewel-like beans with their stripes and patterns, to subtle grains, strangely beautiful seaweeds, the aromas of herbs and spices, and of course fruits and vegetables, with their many forms and colors. No less amazing is the ingenuity of man-made foods: coils of pasta, cheeses of all manner, the lustrous hues and fragrances of oils. It was this edible circus that started me cooking, and it’s still there to suggest a recipe, a meal, a menu, or an excuse for a gathering.
But the idea for Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone came to me after teaching a weeklong cooking class at Esalen Institute in California many years ago. When it ended, I realized that it would be so helpful to have a big book, like the Joy of Cooking, that included all kinds of plant foods between its covers, a real soup-to-nuts kind of book. At that time, vegetarian cooking was something from the fringe, and some foods, like soy milk, for example, were downright obscure and could be purchased only at tiny health food stores. I wondered why some foods had to be hidden—couldn’t they be brought forward and included as ingredients, along with other foods, in one place? As it turned out, they could. For some time now, once-obscure foods have filled our supermarkets’ shelves—they’re even found at gas stations and convenience stores. Today, in terms of food, the world looks very different than it did when I began writing Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.
More than 17 years have passed since Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone first came out, and those foods that were once scarcely known are now everyday items, and new ones have appeared. In addition, our knowledge about what makes up the foods we eat has deepened, and some foods that were once viewed in such a positive way are now regarded more dubiously. Soy, for example, is not quite the star we once thought it was, and today the emphasis has shifted to fermented soy, not the more common forms, as important.
More people today feel that organically grown foods are better for one’s health, and indeed, many foods we never thought would be grown and produced without pesticides, like sugar, are available as organics. Butter isn’t always bad. Olive oil is mostly good but still not really regulated; canola oil not so much. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a bigger problem for us today, as they have proliferated and are still unlabeled. We were not eating kale salads at all during the seven years when I was writing Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone; now they’re everywhere. Coconut oil was still considered a harmful saturated fat. Now it’s considered a good fat, and a very delicious one, too. Plus we are now cooking with coconut water, curry leaves, and kefir lime leaves. Multiple types of seasoning salts were not on our radar; now they’re part of our pantries. The pressure cooker was more feared then than appreciated; today pressure cookers are safe, popular, and used with ease. Changes in the culture of food have indeed taken place and many new ingredients are ours for the using. In this edition of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, you will find nearly all of the recipes you have come to love. But you will also find over 200 new ones and information on new ingredients we have come to know.
Another inspiration for writing Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone came from the questions my students asked, questions that revealed when they were at a loss in the kitchen. They helped me understand that acquiring food sense and knowledge of how food works is what allows a person to move about the kitchen free of anxiety and full of happy anticipation. The recipes are there to articulate that know-how, give confidence, and provide a structure for intuitive cooking. Today hundreds of emails from readers tell me that this has proven to be a friendly, useable guide for those learning to cook as well as those who already know their way around the kitchen, whether or not the user is vegetarian. (Many readers have begun letters and emails to me by saying, “I’m not vegetarian, but . . .”) Copies of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone have been given as wedding and graduation gifts and hauled off to foreign lands by people on extended trips. I have seen utterly destroyed copies in restaurants and monasteries, books with stained, swollen, and warped pages. Young people have learned to cook from it, and so have their parents who have found themselves at a loss as to how to cook for a child who suddenly will not eat meat. To thousands, it has introduced new flavors, techniques, and the pleasure of being able to cook one’s own food with good results. I still use it myself.
As its title suggests, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone was not intended only for vegetarians, although they would be happy to know that all of these recipes require no adjustments. I’ve always seen this as a book for anyone who wants to include more vegetables and other plant-based foods in their meals (isn’t that everyone?), as a resource for those who wish to have meatless meals as a change from their usual diet—“meatless Mondays” have since become popular—and I wanted it to serve as a guide for those cooking for another who, for whatever reason, has needed to assume a more plant-based diet. In this edition of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, I have also flagged the many vegan recipes so that they would stand out clearly for vegan cooks.
Most vegetarians include eggs and dairy among the foods they eat. Vegans do not. There are Jewish vegetarians who apply Talmudic questioning to eating meat in regard to the inhumane treatment of most livestock animals, a question raised by many others as well, and more so today than ever. There are also those who call themselves vegetarians but eat fish and chicken, which is something I’ve never quite understood. There are full-time and part-time vegetarians, occasional vegetarians (sometimes called “flexitarians”), and lapsed vegetarians. And there are honest omnivores who happen to like a lot of vegetables and other plant foods in their lives, including plenty of vegetarian meals. And there are “locavores.” I place myself in the last two groups. Most of the time, I happily make a meal from what others place on the side of their plate without even thinking of it as vegetarian. The reason I place myself among the omnivore/locavores is because my food concerns are based on such issues as the variety of the plant or animal I’m eating, how it is raised, where it comes from, if it’s a GMO product, did it live in a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), or was it free to range. I live in the American West. My neighbors are ranchers; I grow vegetables. We trade with one another, thereby mostly eating foods that come from within a few miles of our homes.
Local and organic-driven cooking and eating speak to a world where food and politics collide on a daily basis and where political action, such as voicing protest when the standards for organics are threatened, or fighting for the labeling of GMOs, is as necessary as breathing if we want to make sound, informed choices about the foods we eat. Regardless of what we cook, nothing is more important than starting with ingredients that are of the best quality we can manage, both for the way they nourish us and our environment, and because our results in the kitchen will never be better than the ingredients we start with. The advantage of using good ingredients is that they allow us to cook simply and eat well. And because our efforts in the kitchen today are so hard won, we want to be sure that the meals we make will add enjoyment to our lives and nourish us well.
Vegetarians have often used the phrase “I don’t eat anything with a face” to describe their food choices as plant based. But there is another interpretation of that phrase “food with a face.” The Japanese have a word for it, teikkai, which refers to the provenance of a food—where it comes from, how it was raised, who grew it. It is the opposite of “general foods,” those faceless foods that come to us anonymously from a vague somewhere: foods without soul. During the past 17 years, we have continued to reconnect with our foods through shopping at farmers’ markets, participating in CSAs, and cultivating our own gardens. Connecting to our foods directly enriches our lives by linking us to the place where we live and to those with whom we share a landscape, a culture, and a history, often over dinner, regardless of what’s in the center of the plate. All good foodstuffs have their own stories and histories, which are the stories of our human history. They continue to grow and change as the patterns of culture shift. Even in the mere 17 years that Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone has been in print, big changes have occurred. Today it’s not so necessary for one to defend his or her choice to be a vegetarian or a vegan; it doesn’t raise eyebrows among friends if a carnivore decides to have the vegetarian dish in a restaurant—it’s just another choice on the menu—nor is it strange if someone announces that their family eats vegetarian one (or more) days a week. There’s much more openness and enthusiasm about plant-based foods than there was a decade ago. Originally, I thought that maybe this book should be called “Plant Foods for Everyone” since vegetables are only one of several kinds of plant foods, but it really didn’t have the right ring. It still doesn’t, but if the book were called that, it wouldn’t seem so strange today. We know that plant foods are the ideal ones to eat.
Regardless of your own proclivities when it comes to what you eat—choices that may well change during the course of your life—it is my hope that Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone inspires you, nourishes you, and fills your table with pleasure.
Warm Feta Cheese with Sesame Seeds
Covered with toasted sesame seeds, this cheese makes a crunchy, succulent first course or addition to a salad. Serve with fresh bread to mop up the juices. Serves 4 to 6
8 ounces feta, in two chunks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
Freshly milled pepper
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoons chopped marjoram
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
If the feta tastes too salty, soak it in water for 20 minutes, then drain. Slice into slabs 3/8 inch thick. Thicker, it won’t warm through; thinner, it’ll fall apart. Warm the butter and olive oil with the bay leaves in a wide skillet over medium heat until the bay releases its aroma. Add the cheese in a single layer, season with pepper, and heat until it softens and begins to bubble. Turn it over and cook the second side for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and let it sizzle for a few seconds, then transfer the cheese to a plate. Scrape up any golden, crisp bits of cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the pan and include them, too. Sprinkle with the marjoram and sesame seeds and serve. | <urn:uuid:154a8692-67c7-4109-9d63-da8b2112b3c7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-new-vegetarian-cooking-for-everyone-deborah-madison/1116529913 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00485-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974451 | 2,437 | 2.171875 | 2 |
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Saudi Arabia's war and blockade has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine and caused the worst cholera outbreak on record, with a million malnourished children at risk from cholera. Every 10 minutes a child in Yemen dies of preventable causes like malnutrition and diarrhea. When UNICEF's director was asked how to end Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe, he simply said: "Stop the war."
Your Representatives in Congress can provide crucial leadership to end Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe. Tell them to vote yes on the Khanna-Massie-Pocan-Jones bipartisan resolution calling for an end to the unauthorized U.S. participation in this war.
Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Walter Jones (R-NC) have introduced a bipartisan bill invoking the War Powers Resolution. Representatives Lieu, Capuano, Ellison, Conyers, Raskin, Jayapal, Gabbard, Lee, Bass, Pallone, DeFazio, Nolan, McGovern, Lofgren all signed on as co-sponsors. A vote on ending U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia's famine-producing war will go to the floor.
The U.S. has been a direct participant in Saudi Arabia's war. The Saudi regime could not pursue this war without U.S. weapons, planes, refueling of those planes and technical support. Yet Congress never authorized this U.S. military intervention.
Tell your Representative in Congress to vote yes on the Khanna-Massie-Pocan-Jones resolution to end the illegal U.S. participation in the Saudi-led bombing of Yemen.
Towards a peaceful world,
Ann, Ariel, Brienne, Haley, Jodie, Katie, Mariana, Mark, Mary, Medea, Nancy, Paki, Paula, Taylor and Tighe
PS. The devastation of the war economy plays into the apocalyptic catastrophe in Puerto Rico. For those who want to help, the best place to donate to ensure funds go directly to the most vulnerable communities, including communities historically overlooked (low-income, Afro-Puerto Rican, etc.), is The Maria Fund.
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William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry has led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". Although he lived in London his entire life except for three years spent in Felpham he produced a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself"
Birthday: November 28, 1757
Enter your birth day and find out who you are.
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Funny but it's all true
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Notwithstanding Moore's Law, that the powers of all computer chips will double every eighteen months, if not less, the very fact remains that computers are changing the world faster than they can change themselves.
Yet, Kevin Kelly noted, computers, or, internet, were around in 1991. In fact, they were created in the mid 1960s, to prevent the possibility of a nuclear meltdown, which invariably led to the shut down of the whole communication infrastructure. Thus, computers would remain the viable object of communication.
More surprisingly, commercialization has been chafed at since the very dawn of internet. Many attempts were made to prevent commercialization of the Internet, especially by the coders and programmers themselves. But by 2000, all the taboos and prohibitions on commerce and trade have gone.
The Internet now is a ubiqituous trading machine, with the apps running as a parallel universe to support each other, creating a seamless experience on the computers and the hand held smart phones. According to Kevin Kelin, the first rule to understand the impact of computer is that the process will not change. In fact, it will head not to utopia or protopia. In the latter, tomorrow is always marginally better than the day before.
A computer world, with or without the aid of artificial intelligence, or, robotics, or, wifi, or any other devices, is built to create a protopia. Of course due the high probability of hacking and counter hacking, this protopia can be a dysfunctional dystopia too. Using a series of verbs, such as becoming, or, beginning, Kevin Kelly was able to explain why a world driven by computers are always evolving to be better, and there are always people around to maintain and make them better, hence, the perpetual upgrade. An average app, indeed, does not last more than a month, before the codes begin to degrade and the performance begin to erode.
All of that point to a world that will change beyond redemption. Anyone who doesn't read this book from page to page will find themselves struggling in a vastly difficult, challenging, in many cases, dangerous world. US was the pivotal democracy. Yet, its presidential election was mired in a hacking controversy to rival Watergates many times over. This alone is a warning sign that not all things are quiet on the Western front. | <urn:uuid:6169e46b-79b9-4f95-9a18-e9ad9dde6564> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://asiabookreviews.com/456-the | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.962757 | 477 | 2.984375 | 3 |
The best way to prepare for a mortgage-sized financial commitment is to know exactly how much you’ll need to repay, over the life of your loan. To enable you to do this, there are many EMI home loan calculators online that help you set up a realistic repayment plan, allowing you to prepare financially for your future with foresight.
The online calculator tools are designed for maximum usability and even allow you to switch between your desired interest rate, loan amount and term – showing you many possible repayment schedules, depending on what you want. choose.
EMI for different mortgage loan amounts
There are many attractive home loan options available in the market today, including the one offered by Bajaj Housing Finance Limited, where interest rates start at 6.70% * per annum for salaried professionals, with a term loan of up to 30 years. In addition to having access to a large loan amount of Rs.5 Crore * and even more, IMEs start from Rs.645 / Lakh * for applicants who meet the eligibility criteria. If you are interested in applying for this loan and want to check out the EMI interim forecast, all you need to do is use their home loan EMI calculator.
To give you a better idea, the following table shows different amounts of EMI, depending on the evolution of the principal amount and the duration of the loan. The interest rate considered here is 6.8% pa
|Details||Repayment content of the mortgage|
|5 years||10 years||15 years old||20 years|
|NDE by lakh on home loan||Rs. 1,971||1 151 rupees||888 rupees||Rs. 763|
|Total interest payable||Rs.18,241||38,087 rupees||59 737 rupees||83,298 rupees|
|Total amount to pay||Rs. 1,18,241||Rs. 1,38,087||1 509 737 rupees||Rs. 1,83,298|
Benefits of using the online home loan EMI calculator
We strongly recommend that you use the online EMI mortgage calculator before you start making formal mortgage applications. Here are the benefits of using this handy tool.
1. Realistic EMI forecasts
The most important feature of the online home loan EMI calculator is that it gives you an accurate representation of the IMEs you will need to pay, depending on the loan amount, interest rate and the length of the loan you choose. to seize.
It also offers a breakdown of your loan amount – telling you how much you will need to pay as the principal amount of the loan and how much you will need to repay as interest on your loan.
2. Error free calculations
When we do our own calculations manually, there is always room for human error. Why leave it to chance, when you can take advantage of the free online mortgage EMI calculator services to provide you with accurate and error-free data based on the information you provided. This approach also gives you an idea of how you should plan your finances if you plan to apply for a home loan in the future.
How to calculate the EMI of a mortgage
Using an online mortgage calculator:
The online home loan EMI calculator also uses the same formula to display your EMI schedule, saving you the effort of manual calculations. While this provides an overview of the mortgage repayment plan, it is essential to remember that the actual numbers change in case a borrower opts for a partial prepayment.
Partial mortgage payments and changes to the EMI
A borrower can make partial repayments as many times as he wants, within the term of his loan and his EMI will change accordingly. The amount paid serves to reduce the amount of the outstanding home loan, thereby reducing the net mortgage interest payable. In such case, you can use Bajaj Housing Finance Partial Payment Calculator for EMI and tenor savings estimate.
Applicants can access a range of benefits with the Bajaj Housing Finance home loan, including personalized repayment facilities, fast processing and approval, and loans linked to external referrals (repo rates). Home loans are designed for ultimate convenience; a user can complete the process while taking calls or responding to emails. The only time a user is required to meet someone is at the last step of the process, where they have to sign the mortgage contract and the mandatory registration formalities. With a plethora of benefits, a user can now make their dream home a reality.
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Building Blocks Quilt Pattern
Build skills for quilt piecing AND machine quilting block by block!
Introducing the Building Blocks Quilt Pattern, a huge 104 page pattern designed to help you build skills for both piecing and free motion quilting on your home sewing machine.
Finished Size 48" x 56"
Why is it so important to learn piecing and quilting at the same time?
The fact is that most quilters get started only focusing on piecing, and this creates a lot of pretty quilt tops, but unfortunately not many finished quilts! To finish a quilt, you have to quilt it, and it's time to learn how to build these skills at the same time.
Within this pattern you will learn how to piece 12 unique quilt blocks. You'll get plenty of practice piecing each block three to four times to create a total of 42 blocks for your quilt.
After piecing a block, you'll then mark the surface with a corresponding free motion quilting design, and quilt on the marked lines. Quilting on marked lines this way is perfect for beginning quilters because you can focus your attention on moving the block and matching that movement with the speed of your machine.
The best part about this pattern is it includes both piecing AND quilting designs!
The quilting for this sampler quilt been carefully designed using simple shapes like straight lines, spirals, and circles. While these quilting designs might be simple in nature, we will learn many ways to use them and watch as they transform your pieced blocks completely.
One thing is for sure, you’re definitely not going to read “Quilt as desired” in this quilt pattern!
All 42 quilting designs are provided in full size 8 inch quilting guides, which you can use to mark your blocks and make the free motion quilting process easier. If you'd prefer not to mark your blocks, use the guides for tracing on paper so you can get even more practice!
The best part about this quilt pattern is you're not alone!
All of the blocks of this pattern have already been pieced and quilted by Leah and Josh Day and you can find videos detailing every step of this process right here.
Note: You will need a high speed internet connection to watch the videos on YouTube.
Of course, you will already have all the piecing and quilting information within the pattern and you can work at your own pace, but if you're needing to see a visual guide, make sure to check out each videos so you see how Leah and Josh quilted each block in this quilt.
The videos will remain online forever so you can begin your Building Blocks Quilt anytime!
Material and Supply list for the Building Blocks Quilt
- 2 ¾ yards feature fabric – Fabric A
- 3 ½ yards background fabric – Fabric B
- 3 ¼ yard backing fabric - or - 42 precut (10”) squares
- 1 ¾ yard binding (for connecting the blocks and binding the edges)
- Batting - 62” x 72” minimum
- Piecing Thread that matches Fabric A
- Quilting Thread that contrasts with fabric like Isacord
- Marking Pencil / Pen
- 1/6 yard of lightweight fusible interfacing like French Fuse
- Freezer Paper
- Spray starch
The Building Blocks Sampler Quilt Pattern is available in two formats:
Loose Leaf Print Edition - This printed pattern is a loose leaf, shrink wrapped stack of 104 pages. We've included extra copies of the special template pages so you will have all the pages you need to get started.
This pattern is printed in black and white, with full size 8 inch quilting guides perfect for marking your blocks. Because of the black and white color, some of the smaller photographs within the pattern will appear darker and/or in lower resolution.
Please note: Because this is a loose leaf pattern, we cannot accept returns if the wrapping is broken.
Downloadable Ebook Edition - This downloadable edition will save you money on shipping and it will arrive immediately via a download link in your email. This format is great for quilters on the go who prefer to purchase downloadable patterns that can be opened and read on a tablet, or printed out as needed.
Worried about downloading? Click Here to find tips about downloading files. | <urn:uuid:df53d4a1-ac87-40fd-9a0a-e2177cc0f4c0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://leahday.com/products/building-blocks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00410-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927569 | 932 | 2.25 | 2 |
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Swift judgment and punishment mark the action in Exodus 8. Plagues II, III, and IV fall in rapid succession; Pharaoh's heart progressively hardens, and God's ultimate victory through Moses and Aaron begins to appear:
- in the recognition by Pharaoh of Moses and Aaron as God's spokesmen, not as the malcontent slaves that he at first took them to be,
- in Pharaoh's growing acquaintance with Jehovah whom he at first professed not to know, and
- in the first of a series of compromises in which Pharaoh sought to avoid the inevitable.
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me."
Bishop Usher who developed the well-known chronology dated all of the Ten Plagues within the space of a month, and, although that appears to be inaccurate, nevertheless, the impression prevails that they did occur in quick succession. "With Pharaoh scorning the first demonstration, Moses and Aaron bring, in swift succession, a series of disasters upon Egypt." The contest in these overwhelming demonstrations was clearly a war between the true God Jehovah and Pharaoh himself a pagan deity and acknowledged head of the complex paganism of ancient Egypt. God's people had been serving Pharaoh, but now God demanded that His people serve Jehovah! "Let my people go, that they may serve me."
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt."
"Frogs shall go up ... shall come up ... cause frogs to come up ... and brought up frogs ..." These expressions indicate that it was not the mere existence of frogs which constituted the wonder here, but it was what the frogs did. Their numbers also exceeded anything that might have been referred to natural causes. Also, this judgment followed immediately upon its being threatened and the stretching out of the rod of God.
"Let my people go ...!" This is the second occurrence in a sequence of these dramatic demands. See under Exodus 7:16.
"Frogs ..." Why frogs? As many of the older commentators discerned, "How easy is it, both to the justice and mercy of God, to destroy or to save by the most despicable and insignificant of instruments." God did not call forth lions, tigers, deadly serpents, or any of the creatures that men fear. He did not even need a quaternion of soldiers! He did it with frogs, common, harmless, despicable frogs! Furthermore, the frog was the symbol of the goddess of fertility in Egypt; "She was called Hekt," represented in statues as "a female deity with a frog's head," and supposed to symbolize, "the renewal of life." That such a respected element of Egyptian paganism should suddenly become a curse instead of a blessing was evidently incorporated into the basic design of this miracle. We must agree with Fields that, "The popularity of the goddess Hekt must have dropped to near zero after this plague!" Not only was the frog a symbol of the goddess, but, "The frog itself was often worshipped as a symbol of Hekt, a form of the goddess Hathor."
"And the Egyptians did in like manner ..." Of what earthly help was this action of Pharaoh's servants? The last thing they needed was more frogs! It shows that even the efforts of God's enemies aid God's purpose. If those magicians had been able to remove the frogs, that would have helped. Their enchantments to produce more frogs was a self-defeating act. It also raises a question of how they did it. One cannot resist the conclusion that their act was nothing but a pretense, for it certainly would have been no miracle to produce a few frogs anywhere from the abundance of frogs everywhere! "The king would never have applied to Moses and Aaron for help if his charmers could have charmed the plague away."
"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat Jehovah, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto Jehovah. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have thou this glory over me: against what time shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only? And he said, Against tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto Jehovah our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only."
"Entreat Jehovah ..." This is the first sign of surrender on Pharaoh's part. He, by his actions, demonstrated that he considered his magicians powerless to cope with the situation, that he acknowledged Moses and Aaron as the spokesman for Jehovah, and that he would consent for the Israelites to sacrifice to Jehovah. This indication by Pharaoh stopped short of promising permission for the Israelites to leave the country, but it definitely showed signs of his cracking under the pressure being applied.
"In asking Moses to entreat the Lord, Pharaoh recognizes him as the spokesman of an actual deity. He no longer scorns Yahweh."
"Have thou this glory over me ..." These words are considered difficult by some, but the obvious meaning is that suggested by Harford:
"When Pharaoh prays for relief, Moses concedes him the "glory" or advantage of naming the time when the pests should be removed, that the Divine control of the visitation might be the more conspicuous."
"Thy houses ..." The plural is used in Exodus 8:9,11, and, despite this being usually interpreted as reference to the houses of both Pharaoh and his servants, there remains the possibility that the houses (plural) of Pharaoh himself are meant, and that the reference is to the twin capitals of Pharaoh, one in the south of Egypt, and the other northward in the Delta. The plagues were visited upon the whole of Egypt. "I will smite all thy borders" (Exodus 8:2). This would have prevented Pharaoh's merely moving to his other residence to escape the plague. Rawlinson accepted this view: "It would seem that the frogs had invaded more than one palace of Pharaoh. He had perhaps quitted Tanis and gone to Memphis when the plague came, but the frogs pursued him there."
"That the frogs be destroyed ..." Pharaoh might have felt that he had out maneuvered Moses and Aaron in the first confrontation, as some have alleged that he did, but all that was wiped out completely by Pharaoh's being outmaneuvered here. Moses said, in effect, "You have the honor of telling WHEN the frogs will be destroyed! Destroyed? Pharaoh might have thought that meant they would vanish. But NO, it meant they would all die! And is a dead frog any less a plague than a live one! Pharaoh soon found out. "The removal of the plague in a manner intensified it."
"And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto Jehovah concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them,' as Jehovah had spoken."
These verses recount the removal of the plague. The frogs did not merely vanish, they died! What a smell of death must have gone up from all Egypt! Heaps upon heaps of dead frogs everywhere! No one could deny that the plague had occurred, for the evidence remained afterward, and what a clean up that must have been!
Now Pharaoh had specifically promised that he would let the people go; "But he was more impressed by his own relief than by the power of God, and he forgot his promise."
"But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite ..." This literally means "a taking of breath," or "a breathing place." But Keil captured the full implications of the passage thus: "As soon as he `got air' he hardened his heart." Keil has frequently been quoted by others in this rendition.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon many, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the Egyptians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken."
This plague was preceded by no warning, and was therefore more easily related by Pharaoh to his welching on his promise to let the people go. In this quality of being without warning, this plague corresponds to Plagues VI (the boils) and IX (the darkness).
"All the dust of the earth ..." This expression, like many others in the Bible, is hyperbole for the sake of emphasis. No one who endured the plague could possibly have found any fault with this statement of the extent of it.
"And there were lice ..." The term rendered "lice" in our version is actually uncertain in meaning and has been rendered in various ways, as follows:
It is rendered as "gnats" in the RSV, the Catholic New American Bible, and the Berkley version.
It is given as "maggots" in the New English Bible.
It is translated "mosquitoes" in the Jerusalem Bible.
It appears in a word meaning "fleas" in the Septuagint (LXX).
"Adam Clarke was certain that it means the tick, basing his conclusion on (1) their being said to be in man and beast (the tick buries its head in the victim), and (2) the meaning of the root word here, which is to make firm, fix or establish (which ticks most assuredly do). It is interesting that some very recent scholars also favor this view. Ellison also understood the term to mean ticks."
Apparently, one may take his choice as to the meaning of the word here given as lice. Whatever they were, the plague they caused was devastating. The Egyptians did not like it; the magicians could not duplicate it; and it could not possibly be attributed to anything in heaven or on earth except to "the finger of God."
"The finger of God ..." "This need not imply that the magicians recognized Jehovah as the God who wrought the marvel." "This is confirmed by the fact that they speak of [~'ªlohiym], a god, not of Jehovah the God of Israel." Of course, the use of a capital letter for God is misleading. The magicians were merely admitting that the plague was supernatural and beyond their power of imitation.
"Pharaoh's heart was hardened ..." For discussion of this, see under Exodus 4:21, above.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up, early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which roy people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: by tomorrow shall this sign be. And Jehovah did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies."
There is a discernible and reasonable progress in these wonders. Two significant developments distinguish this sign. (1) Moses in Plague III had been courteous to Pharaoh, even offering him the choice and honor of saying when the frogs would be destroyed, but in the announcement of this Plague, the formal obeisance which all men customarily made when appearing before a mighty ruler was forbidden by the Lord. It is not stated in the text that Moses had usually honored such a custom, but the tenor of these words would seem to indicate a change. God said, "Stand before Pharaoh!" Or Ha-Hayyim, a Jewish writer, has this to say:
"Being a man of great humility, Moses was accustomed to bow to all men in greeting. Therefore the Lord found it necessary to command him `to stand before Pharaoh.' `When thou goest before Pharaoh,' the Lord told Moses, `Stand erect before him and do not bow to him in greeting, for thou art not to show him even the slightest sign of respect.'"
A second development (2) appears to have been in response to the statement of the magicians, "This is the finger of God (a god)." Very well, God would make it clear that it was not a god at all who did such wonders, but that it was Jehovah, the God of Israel (Exodus 8:22)!
Observe also that the mention of the "houses" of Pharaoh and the "houses" of the Egyptians (Exodus 8:21) confirms the view expressed above that more than one house of Pharaoh suffered the visitations.
"Lo, he cometh forth to the water (Exodus 8:20) ..." It seems unquestionable that these repeated visits of Pharaoh to the Nile were due to his worship of that river as a god, whose help he sought in the extremity that confronted him. It is especially important that all of these plagues were leveled squarely against the pagan deities of Egypt.
PLAGUE I was against the deified river Nile. "The river was personified and deified, Hapi being the name of the river as a god." Several authors have published drawings of this deity, depicted on the monuments as a man with huge, elongated breasts, in a sitting position, holding a table, or altar, on which were vases for libations, lotus flowers, and fruits, symbolizing the productivity of the Nile. The change of its waters into blood was a forceful attack upon this Egyptian deity.
PLAGUE II, as we have already noted, was a devastating blow delivered against Hekt, the frog-headed goddess of fertility!
PLAGUE III, caused by striking the dust of the earth, was of course a contradiction and discrediting of Osiris, an "agricultural god."
PLAGUE IV, which brought swarms of insects upon the people, was an effective challenge and defeat of a whole host of sacred insects, especially the beetle, especially, "the large, black, dung beetle, held sacred in ancient Egypt, as a symbol of resurrection and fertility."
"Swarms of flies ..." As in the case of the lice in Plague III, it is by no means certain what these swarms were. "The Hebrew word for swarms means a mixture and may signify the increase of all kinds of verminous scourges." Since the Egyptian pantheon included literally dozens of animals, birds, and insects, any increase of living creatures of such dimensions as appeared in the plagues would have been a disgrace to some of their pagan deities. Cook pointed out that this plague was also connected with the atmosphere, in which the swarms appeared, "The atmosphere also being an object of worship." In spite of the general opinion that beetles, especially, were meant here, we are inclined to accept the rendition of the Septuagint (LXX) which translated the swarms as dog-flies, a sharp-biting fly actually capable of killing animals when attacked by sufficient numbers, and which also inflicts very painful bites upon human beings. The ordinary stock-fly in Texas is a species of it. Our preference is based upon the fact that the Septuagint (LXX) was translated in the very part of the world where this plague occurred. That the true meaning of the passage is probably something like, "all kinds of flying insects," appears to be supported by Psalms 78:45, which says, "He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them."
"I will set apart ... the land of Goshen ..." The big thing in this passage, of course, is the distinction which in this plague, for the first time, marks the exemption of Israel from the general suffering. One should read the dissertations of the critics who attempt to tell how this happened. As Ellison said, "Various naturalistic explanations of how Goshen was spared have been offered, but since none carry conviction, they can be ignored."
"And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land, And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall command us. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me."
"Go sacrifice to your God in the land ..." Here is the first of four compromises suggested by Pharaoh as a means of hindering the will of God. The second is in Exodus 8:28, "Ye shall not go very far away." The third is in Exodus 10:11, "Only the men must go." The fourth is in Exodus 10:24, "The flocks and the herds must be left behind." Moses' ultimate answer to these was the stern declaration: "There shall not a hoof be left behind!" (Exodus 10:26). The marvel of these writings is their correspondence with spiritual truth in all ages. Many have pointed out that these compromises are exactly the same as those which Satan and his servants propose to believers who would follow the Lord Jesus Christ in these present times, or in all times. We may paraphrase them thus:
- If you must serve Christ, do so in the world. Why bother with belonging to the church? Of course, this is as impossible now as it was when Pharaoh suggested it. The Christian must sacrifice what the world adores!
- If you must be religious, then don't be a fanatic. Do not go very far! This is the motto of all lukewarm, indifferent Christians, who fancy that they are serving Christ, but they have not gone very far!
- Only the males must go! Leave your families out of it. If you must be a Christian, do not attempt to take others with you. Let everyone make up his own mind. Keep your religion to yourself!
- Let the flocks and herds stay behind. If you must be a Christian, go ahead, but don't invest any money in it. Use your wealth for yourself. Of this class of Christians are those whose pocketbooks were never baptized!
Concerning such applications of the Sacred Scriptures here recorded, Unger said:
"In these compromises we read Satan's attempt to keep God's people ensnared by the world, and thus to hold them under his control and power. In this strategy he has highly succeeded in Christendom."
"We shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians ..." Scholars usually interpret this as meaning that the Hebrews would sacrifice cows which were considered sacred in Egypt, but Keil objected to this on the grounds that "cows were not an abomination to them." However, the clause could mean that "the sacrificing of cows" was the abomination spoken of. Fields thought that the best explanation is, "The abomination involved the use of sheep for sacrifice. Every shepherd was an abomination to the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34)." We still favor the common view, because it is illuminated by the spiritual derivative of it, that Christians must sacrifice that which the world worships! Rylaarsdam also preferred this understanding of it, pointing out that:
"The Elephantine Papyri show that Egyptians of a later era actually did react violently to Israel's worship. Most of Israel's animal sacrifices would have offended Egyptians."
"And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat Jehovah that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow: only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Jehovah. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Jehovah. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses, and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go."
"And he (Jehovah) removed the swarms of flies ..." Dobson accurately discerned the significance of this:
"As we read the story we see that again, and again, the writer emphasizes the fact that it was not Moses or Aaron who either caused or removed the plagues, but the Lord himself. See Exodus 8:28-33; 9:27-33; 10:15-19; 8:30-31; 9:5,6; and 10:13,33."
The skillful development of this narrative of the Ten Plagues, with its successive gradations, and delicate sensitivity to changing scenes, make it absolutely impossible to suppose that the sacred history here is a hodge-podge scissors-and-paste job of putting together prior documents. Such theories are no explanation whatever of what we see revealed here.
Coffman's Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Exodus 8". "Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible". https://studylight.org/
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19 | <urn:uuid:2002bc6f-c7fc-4096-bbaa-7764fc5a8748> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/exodus-8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.975986 | 5,037 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Chiloe Island lies in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Chile. It is the largest of the group of islands in the area. The capital of the island is Castro and it is located on the eastern part of the island. One of the more notable changes is the infrastructure found here - you can see colourful houses along the coast of the island, built on wooden stilts. You’ll also find lush landscapes, with forests, hills, and national parks. There are lots of great things to do in Chiloe Island, such as visiting the Parque Nacional de Chile, or taking a trip to Chepu to name a couple.
Due to the arrival of Jesuit Missionaries in the 17th century, there are several churches and chapels on the island. Some of the chapels are now considered World Heritage Sights by UNESCO. This island was originally inhabited by local tribes up until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. Today the residents are known to be superstitious, some still believe in old myths and legends. Below is our Chiloe Island travel guide with information on all the best things to do, places to go and what not to miss.
IGLESIA DE SAN FRANCISCO DE CASTRO – This building (built in 1912 by Eduardo Povasoli) is the third version constructed. There were two others, both of which burnt down. Slightly different in design, this church has a much more vibrant feel to it: the yellow colour shines brightly in the sunlight, and the beautiful interior is worth a look.
CHEPU – Chepu is the northern part of the National Park on Chiloe Island. This part of the island offers a spot of peace and beauty. Mostly untouched by major tourism, here you can see the beautiful water that has flooded part of the forest and is now a sunken forest. Here you can also enjoy the abundance of bird species, take a kayak tour in the beautiful park area, or see one of the most self-sustaining lodges in the world. There are buses that can take you into this part of the National Park.
PARQUE NACIONAL DE CHILOE – This is the National Park of Chiloe: it stretches from the Pacific coastline of the Island inward and covers 430 square kilometres. Here you can find an abundance of bird species, foxes and a small type of deer called pudu. There are also indigenous groups of Huilliche living in the national park who are involved in the park’s management.
MONUMENTO NATURAL ISLOTES DE PUÑIHUIL – This group of three islands off the coast of Puñihuil have an abundance of penguins and blue whales. It is a protected monument and a no-fishing zone. Here you can take boat trips out into the area to spot some wildlife. You can also walk and see the beautiful beach.
PARQUE TANTAUCO - This park encompasses about 1180 square kilometres, lying west of Quellon on the island of Chiloe. One of the most biodiverse areas in the world, this park contains an abundance of animals. It is home to otters, foxes, blue whales and mountain monkeys. There are also beautiful hiking trails. This park offers an escape and a chance to be isolated with the nature in the area. This park is owned by former President of Chile Sebastian Pinera.
*** WHAT NOT TO MISS ***
You will have a good chance to see penguins, and even blue whales at the Monumento Natural Islotes de Puñihuil. This is the one adventure here that cannot be missed.
The main type of food that you are going to find here on the island is seafood. Curantos (meat/seafood stew, traditionally cooked) and parrilladas (grilled meat) are also offered. You can get a great taste for the local culture here on the island. There are many good restaurants on the island, such as El Meson Chilote (near Ancud) which offers fresh seafood and generous portions. If you’re after something lighter try La Ventana de Elisa, for great soup, sandwiches, coffee, and cake.
Here on Chiloe Island, you’re more likely to find good places to enjoy the night in the bigger towns on the island. In Castro, you can find the club Universo Discotheque, and Almud bar, which has a relaxed atmosphere and delicious cocktails.
Chiloe Island has a more temperate climate and is humid. The west side of the island is rainy and windy while the eastern side of the island is drier. The average temperature is about 14 – 15 degrees Celsius. The rainy season is from April to September, but it does rain all year round.
By plane, there are flights offered from Santiago to Castro, a city on Chiloe island. There are also flights from Santiago to Puerto Montt, a port city in southern Chile - from here it’s around an hour to get to Pargua. Near Pargua there is the option of taking the ferry across the Chacao Channel, which separates mainland Chile from Chiloe Island. The ferry takes cars and people across regularly from 6:30am to 12pm, and takes 25-40 minutes.
There are also bus trips offered from Santiago to Ancud, a city at the very north of the island. It takes approximately 14 hours.
Castro is the main city of the island and is one of the better places to stay as a starting point to explore the Island. One option is Palafito Hostel in Castro, which is cosy, has friendly staff, and a great view of the waterfront. The best part is the breakfast, which includes homemade Chilean bread! There are other places on the island that offer accommodation, such as in Ancud (northern Chiloe) or Quellon (southern Chiloe), and you can also find camping grounds to stay at.
Be careful when eating the seafood as sometimes you can get sick from the algae that can leave toxins on some of the shellfish. | <urn:uuid:d82acd04-048d-44d6-bcb7-528568aff537> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.findlocaltrips.com/city-travel-guide/chile/chiloe-island | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.951883 | 1,284 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Students are NOT allowed to bring any of the items listed below to school.
- MP3, MP4 players, or any type of musical player.
- Mobile phones (in the exceptional case when parents require a student to have a mobile phone, it must not be used or even visible at any time on the school premises and must be switched off).
- Valuable personal items. (The school will take no responsibility for these items if they are damaged or misplaced).
- Personal footballs (football is only played as part of the PE curriculum). | <urn:uuid:8d3f5e02-81cc-4d0f-81b5-59d62161aee0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.sbis.edu.eg/26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00076.warc.gz | en | 0.939424 | 113 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Just like every other top-level professional sports player, it is vital that Tatiana Calderon is fit and healthy when she enters the rink. But Calderon, 23, doesn’t just run and pull-ups to keep fit, her athletic skill set is equally important.
“A lot of the hockey games I play, I compete in a way that I’m not a very high-volume goal scorer,” she told Yahoo Sports when asked about her approach to the sport.
“I have to be smart and rely on my knowledge of the game, my position, the positions and I have to adapt. Sometimes, I’m playing against men’s hockey and other times I’m playing against players who are still in school. So it’s about finding that balance in a sport that can be so technical and demanding.”
The woman leading her team through practices and in tests is just one example of what is possible for female athletes in sports without gender inequality. Seven years ago, Calderon was among the first woman to play as a professional hockey player, and she’s accomplished more in her short time as a professional than any other hockey player. Her story has been profiled twice by Yahoo.
“I knew that there was an all-female league,” Calderon told Yahoo Sports. “I read about the women’s league and wanted to play there. I watched the Women’s World Cup and the Olympics and wanted to experience a hockey tournament with women, just like the men’s tournaments. I also started doing research about how it is possible for me to make it to the NHL and realized that there is a lot that can be done if a female player in hockey is to have an opportunity to play at the highest level.” | <urn:uuid:352e2758-c5b6-40bf-94aa-0f1ab79e6faa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://openwordnews.com/the-nhls-hottest-most-spirited-female-player/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.980703 | 380 | 1.78125 | 2 |
CIBC undertakes $100 Million to accelerate climate action in tech
A Brief Summary
CIBC to invest $100 Million in investments to promote low carbon targets. The move will help achieve sustainability when investments target the acceleration of climate action through the development of new climate innovations.
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CIBC, the world's largest bank, has pledged $100 million in low-carbon and climate-tech initiatives, which will aid in the development of new climate solutions. Limited Partnership investments, which focus on cooperating with other firms, are being used to distribute the funds.
"With new and rising environmental problems, we believe our bank has a critical role to play in accelerating climate action via innovation across North America," said Harry Culham, group head of CIBC Capital Markets. "These investments are another way we're fostering long-term sustainability while driving growth into new areas of the economy." According to a news release announcing the development, specific specifics about the investment aren't accessible at this time. | <urn:uuid:40264720-5507-4c0f-baaa-a31bf00cf15d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.knowesg.com/companies/cibc-undertakes-usd100-million-to-accelerate-climate-action-in-tech-22122021 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.940101 | 202 | 2.015625 | 2 |
A Constitution of Many Minds: Why the Founding Document Doesn't Mean What it Meant Before
By: Cass R. Sunstein (author)Paperback
1 - 2 weeks availability
The future of the U.S. Supreme Court hangs in the balance like never before. Will conservatives or liberals succeed in remaking the court in their own image? In A Constitution of Many Minds, acclaimed law scholar Cass Sunstein proposes a bold new way of interpreting the Constitution, one that respects the Constitution's text and history but also refuses to view the document as frozen in time. Exploring hot-button issues ranging from presidential power to same-sex relations to gun rights, Sunstein shows how the meaning of the Constitution is reestablished in every generation as new social commitments and ideas compel us to reassess our fundamental beliefs. He focuses on three approaches to the Constitution--traditionalism, which grounds the document's meaning in long-standing social practices, not necessarily in the views of the founding generation; populism, which insists that judges should respect contemporary public opinion; and cosmopolitanism, which looks at how foreign courts address constitutional questions, and which suggests that the meaning of the Constitution turns on what other nations do.
Sunstein demonstrates that in all three contexts a "many minds" argument is at work--put simply, better decisions result when many points of view are considered. He makes sense of the intense debates surrounding these approaches, revealing their strengths and weaknesses, and sketches the contexts in which each provides a legitimate basis for interpreting the Constitution today. This book illuminates the underpinnings of constitutionalism itself, and shows that ours is indeed a Constitution, not of any particular generation, but of many minds.
Cass R. Sunstein is currently on leave from his position as the Felix Frankfurter Professor at Harvard Law School to serve as Administrator of the Office of Regulation and Information Policy in the Obama administration. His many books include "Republic.com 2.0" (Princeton), "Worst-Case Scenarios", and "Nudge".
Preface ix Introduction: Jefferson's Revenge 1 Part I. Preliminaries 17 Chapter 1. There Is Nothing That Interpretation Just Is 19 Part II. Traditionalism 33 Chapter 2. Burkean Minimalism 35 Chapter 3. Rationalists vs. Burkeans 60 Chapter 4. Due Process Traditionalism 93 Part III. Populism 123 Chapter 5. Backlash's Travels 125 Chapter 6. Public Opinion and Social Consequences 140 Chapter 7. Public Opinion and Judicial Humility 165 Part IV. Cosmopolitanism 185 Chapter 8. What Other Nations Do 187 Afterword 210 Acknowledgments 217 Index 219
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- ID: 9780691152424
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... and he has plenty of jobs to keep you occupied outside and away from the turkey
Q: Can you tell me what these white roots are called. I have taken over an allotment which was overgrown and there are masses of these roots all along one side of the plot. HD, Fareham.
A: Thank you for sending the sample in dry newspaper. These roots are underground stems of bindweed and you are very wise in digging out every little piece. During mid-spring you will see rapidly growing green climbing weeds growing from the bits of stem you didn’t dig out. Concentrate on digging all of these out or spray the new growth with Roundup.
Q: I bought a bundle of autumn-fruiting raspberries called Polka and the label said not to grow them where raspberries were grown before. I have got a place but wonder why this information was on the label. PF, Reading.
A: Thanks for reading The News in Reading. These new raspberries are very prone to virus diseases which may be in the ground where raspberries were grown in previous years. Follow the advice!
Q: This may seem a silly question, but after picking the best crop of runner beans ever and following your advice on how to freeze them (we froze 20lb), I was digging out the roots and found huge lumps as big as a potato on the base of the stems. Should I burn them? I’ve never had this problem before. FPL, Portchester.
A: Good news. The lumps are natural. Chop them up and dig the pieces into the ground during winter digging. These lumps are full of nitrogen – an excellent plant food.
JOBS TO BE GETTING ON WITH
For instant colour try winter-flowering heathers in pots. They’re already in flower and if planted now will give your garden a glow. No heather likes chalk, so plant in a raised area or container of acid compost. The best is John Innes ericaceous mix. Ordinary John Innes composts are not suitable.
Plan ahead. After digging an area where the cabbage family will be planted, scatter a thick dressing of garden lime. Don’t apply it where other crops will be grown.
Buy a packet of exhibition onions to be sown on Boxing Day in your greenhouse. My dad always did this to get away from children for an hour.
If you buy a Christmas tree with roots, pot it up in garden centre potting compost. It’s easier to handle and is more likely to survive. Remember too, if you buy a small one already in a pot with moss on the compost’s surface, it’s more likely to survive Christmas. Many people think it’s a pity to buy a tree with no roots because the poor thing has been sacrificed. If you feel that way, buy an artificial one, like I do. If you do buy a tree without roots, buy a water retainer so the tree’s stem can absorb water. Cut an inch off the bottom of the stem first. This reduces needle drop. Top up the water retainer before going to bed, but please, turn off the fairy lights first. I want you all here to enjoy your gardens in 2016.
Blackbirds are eating the holly berries as if there is no tomorrow. Pick some ASAP if you want berries for indoor displays, otherwise you will need to buy some of those which are on wires and they have to be twisted onto the indoor decorations. I don’t mind having to do this because the
berries are natural food for the lovely blackbirds.
Are you going to make a holly wreath with a red ribbon to go onto your front door? This job is made easier if you buy a circle of Oasis at the garden centre. Simply soak the Oasis circle for an hour and then thrust in the fresh holly, ivy and mistletoe with baubles and the ribbon and everyone will feel welcome into your home.
On the mundane side, try to get some more digging done on the vegetable patch. Leave it rough so frosts will break down the clods.
This is a good time to undertake fruit tree pruning, particularly apple trees. Buy a good pruning saw and secateurs and remove all branches which are crossing and scraping.
Got a question for Brian/ E-mail him via firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:27684c54-f7a9-474a-a190-4f6e48060fca> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/brian-kidd-reveals-the-mystery-behind-strange-lumps-on-runner-bean-plants-1-7120629 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00253-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955733 | 924 | 2.03125 | 2 |
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Walk towards the centre of town and wander through the many winding alleys that lead to charming houses bedecked with traditional Egyptian characteristics. In the Northern parts of Africa, Egypt is considered as the hub of education, technology and civilization. Rumfa's elderly son Yakufu let the Katsinawa ravage the country while he devoted himself to religion; he was deposed in 1573. The tomb in the Dra Abu Naga necropolis dates back to the 11th Dynasty, roughly 2125 to 1991 B.
Publisher: Routledge; First Edition edition (August 28, 2002)
The Earliest Known Coptic Psalter: The Text, In The Dialect Of Upper Egypt, Edited From The Unique Papyrus Codex Oriental 5000 In The British Museum
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Narrative of a Voyage to Madeira, Teneriffe and Along the Shores of the Mediterranean: Including a Visit to Algiers, Egypt, Palestine, Tyre, Rhodes, ... State and Prospects of Egypt and Palestine
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Elgon to Malindi and down the Rift Valley into Tanzania. The Samburu are in an early settlement area of the Maa group. Those who moved on south, however (called Maasai), have retained a more purely nomadic lifestyle until recently when they have also begun farming A Dissertation on the Mysteries of the Cabiri, Or, the Great Gods of Phenicia, Samothrace, Egypt, Troas, Greece, Italy, and Crete: Being an Attempt A Dissertation on the Mysteries of the. Incidents involving Egyptian and Palestinian guerrillas (fadayin ) and Israeli border patrols multiplied Abusir VII: Greek Imports in read online read online. Latin American urbanization in the years of the crisis. Conway. 2001. “Project Quest: A case study of sectoral employment development approach.” Economic Opportunities Program, The Aspen Institute. World Development Report 1995: Workers in an Integrating World. We know only too well that it is precisely the world of work that holds the key for solid, progressive, and long-lasting eradication of poverty ref.: Veiled mysteries of Egypt and the religion of Islam Veiled mysteries of Egypt and the. The only Arab-African conference was held in 1977, during Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat�s term of office Life in Ancient Egypt and Assyria read online. Kerma was both a political and religious capital pdf. The research was conducted primarily during the second half of 2003 and the first half of 2004. During the second half of 2004, there was a series of “dissemination meetings” held in the capital of each of the participating countries. Representatives of government, trade unions, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations met to review the data and discuss the policy implications of the research , e.g. Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs http://projectsforpreschoolers.com/books/baganda-an-account-of-their-native-customs-and-beliefs. Many authorities however, agree that it is the Itsekiri of Warri that served in the Navy that attacked Lagos epub. Kufa falls in 749 and in November the same year Abu al-Abbas is recognised as caliph. The Umayyads are overthrown and massacred in the revolution, with the survivors fleeing to Spain where they rule independently pdf. At times it seems like a storybook, filled with famous places, colorful characters and vicious and strange action online. It should be noted that, depending on the strictness of the definition of informality, this theory borders on tautology , source: Recollections of an Egyptian Princess embklitzke.com.
Broken pieces of clay pottery have revealed the names of dozens of Egyptian priests who served at the temple of a crocodile god, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) announced , cited: Moses In Ancient Egypt & The download pdf Moses In Ancient Egypt & The Hidden
. Examine the region’s contributions to both eastern and western civilizations through culture and technology. From prehistoric Egypt to the time of Ptolemaic rule, the gallery showcases rare and exceptional objects from the ROM's Egyptian collection – the most important Egyptian collection in Canada The Ancient History Of The Egyptians: Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes And Persians, Macedonians, And Grecians. By Mr. Rollin, ... ... Seven Volumes. ... - Primary Source Edition download pdf
. Based on their physical characteristics--they are among the tallest people in Africa--and their aristocratic demeanor, the Tutsi were assumed by early 20th-century Westerners to be the most "advanced" African peoples in the now-denounced evolutionary scheme promulgated at the time. Their appearance and elaborate court rituals made them perfect photographic subjects The Heir of Redclyffe http://projectsforpreschoolers.com/books/the-heir-of-redclyffe
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. Bronze that arrived in China originated in the Babylonia -dominated Middle East or ancient Egypt. Some of the wilder theories have put this down to an epic migration from Egypt to China, seemingly during the Hyksos period when long-distance seaborne travel was a definite possibility, although the distances involved in this case may have been far too great. A more prosaic consensus is that bronze was transmitted into China from Central Asia by a slow process of cultural exchange (trade, tribute, dowry) across the northern frontier, mediated by Eurasian steppe pastoralists who had contacts with indigenous groups in both regions Nasser (Profiles in Power) download epub Nasser (Profiles in Power)
. Solomon Ayele Dersso, a legal academic and analyst of African affairs who regularly writes on African Union issues, is a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Addis Ababa office. Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrives in Algiers, his first trip abroad since being elected in May [AFP] Dr Solomon Ayele Dersso is a legal scholar and analyst of African affairs epub
. The current labor laws make it difficult for employers to dismiss workers. Despite the protection offered by unions and the labor laws, however, working conditions are not ideal. Workers do not have the right to strike, and although strikes occur, they are considered illegal. The abundance of available labor has meant that workers are generally underpaid and are usually forced to work in overcrowded and often unsafe conditions Gaza: A History (Comparative download for free http://nagura.infoster.biz/library/gaza-a-history-comparative-politics-and-international-studies
. And east of central Africa's equatorial rain forest cattle raising was being extended, with cattle raising favored in the drier areas free of the tsetse fly A guide to the Egyptian read for free http://projectsforpreschoolers.com/books/a-guide-to-the-egyptian-collections-in-the-british-museum-with-53-plates-and-180-illustrations-in
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Egyptian Tales, Translated from the Papyri First Series, Ivth to Xiith Dynasty
The Stela of Sebek-khu, the Earliest Record of an Egyptian Campaign in Asia
Letters from Egypt: Lady Duff Gordon's letters from Egypt
Egypt and Syria: Their Physical Features in Relation to Bible History / By J. William Dawson
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. In Africa, Boko Haram is forcing more kidnapped children into 'suicide' bombings, UNICEF says They’re called “suicide” bombers, but the children sent by Nigerian terror group Boko Haram to detonate bombs and kill people are not given a choice Egypt: Lower Egypt, With The read online Egypt: Lower Egypt, With The Fayûm And
. Cairo's streets exploded in joy when Mubarak stepped down after three-decades of autocratic rule and handed power to a junta of senior military commanders. (Marco Longari / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation Anti-government protesters celebrate inside Tahrir Square after the announcement of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in Cairo on Friday. (Dylan Martinez / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation Egyptians celebrate the news of Mubarak's resignation in Tahrir Square on Friday. (Tara Todras-whitehill / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation An Egyptian woman cries as she celebrates the news of the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who handed control of the country to the military, Friday night, in Tahrir Square, Cairo. (Tara Todras-whitehill / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation Egyptian anti-government protesters celebrate minutes after the announcement on television of the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday The Ancient History of the download epub download epub
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. Their quest to overthrow the government includes demands for restrictions on freedom of expression, liberal education, and secular laws. These groups have resorted to violent means to overthrow the government, and have mostly targeted government installations and the tourism sector. The government has cracked down hard on the Islamists since 1994 but, although the threat from many of these groups has abated since 1998, they nevertheless have continued to be a source of much concern to the government and a serious impediment to foreign investment , source: The American Egypt http://ipp.webtt.ru/lib/the-american-egypt
. On the other hand, ante-bellum Southern writers used Ancient Greece and Athens to demonstrate the political and cultural benefits of slavery.4 And today, extreme conservatives with whom -- as we shall see -- Mary Lefkowitz is intimately connected, are using images of ancient Greece for their own political agendas download. Yes, African economies face economic headwinds from the significant decline in the price of commodities, be it oil, minerals and metals or agricultural commodities Media, Revolution and Politics in Egypt: The Story of an Uprising (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism) projectsforpreschoolers.com
. This leaves many displaced individuals and families without options, and often, without the hope of any certainty in their future. Students at AHLC eagerly waiting to start the school day , source: Niebuhr in Egypt download here
. It's a great place to see some of the differences between the haves and have-nots and to learn about apartheid and Nelson Mandela Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile in the Years 1768, 1769,1770,1771,1772, and 1773. 5 volume set http://projectsforpreschoolers.com/books/travels-to-discover-the-source-of-the-nile-in-the-years-1768-1769-1770-1771-1772-and-1773-5 | <urn:uuid:d3d66bb0-9768-445c-8cd8-ea7b44ba58c4> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://projectsforpreschoolers.com/books/studies-on-the-history-of-late-antique-and-christian-nubia-variorum-collected-studies-series | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721141.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00415-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910152 | 2,747 | 2.3125 | 2 |
When Working-Age People Consume Less Medical Care, Medicare Beneficiaries Consume More — but They Get Little, If Any Benefit
There has been a lot of discussion recently about how people who lost health insurance as a result of the post-2008 recession reduced their use of medical services. But when working-age people consume fewer medical services, Medicare patients take up the slack:
Reductions in the demand for medical services among adults below age 65 are not associated with reductions in the total quantity of physician services supplied. The increased Medicare utilization that accompanies lower demand among those under 65 has few, if any, benefits for Medicare patients. | <urn:uuid:67a99918-cd3c-40ae-b1b9-6a98270b61cb> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://healthblog.ncpa.org/when-working-age-people-consume-less-medical-care-medicare-beneficiaries-consume-more-but-they-get-little-if-any-benefit-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719468.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00530-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955291 | 128 | 1.835938 | 2 |
This series of characters and letters is "a word" used by youths to fill time and space, a time waster. For example: "Hey, did you know Jake ;alskdjfed his whole paper?" "Nah, he was just wasting time, he just wanted to use up space so the teacher wouldn't notice he didn't do anything." "Wow, that was a good idea, I think I'll ;alskdjf my next paper in class!"
Often seen on social networking sites as: WTF!??/;alskdjf it is nothing more than an expression about wasting time. It's also become a pseudonym in forums and on social networking sites much in the same way Silas Rupert was once used.
NetLingo Classification: Online Jargon | <urn:uuid:d8627b6d-ab37-470b-8c88-e9c77d97837d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.netlingo.com/word/alskdjf.php | 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 | 0.976554 | 161 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Politics is the science of always using the most convenient means in accord with one's own interests. In order to act in conformity with one's interests, one must know what these interests are, and in order to gain this knowledge, one must study their history and application . . . One must attempt, above all, to know the special genius of the people which one wants to govern in order to know if one must treat them leniently or severely, if they are inclined to revolt . . . to intrigue . . .
[The Prussian nobility] has sacrificed its life and goods for the service of the state; its loyalty and merit have earned it the protection of all its rulers, and it is one of the duties [of the ruler] to aid those noble families which have become impoverished in order to keep them in possession of their lands; for they are to be regarded as the pedestals and the pillars of the state. In such a state no factions or rebellions need be feared . . . it is one goal of the policy of this state to preserve the nobility.
A well conducted government must have an underlying concept so well integrated that it could be likened to a system of philosophy. All actions taken must be well reasoned, and all financial, political and military matters must flow towards one goal, which is the strengthening of the state and the furthering of its power. However, such a system can flow but from a single brain, and this must be that of the sovereign. Laziness, hedonism and imbecility, these are the causes which restrain princes in working at the noble task of bringing happiness to their subjects . . . A sovereign is not elevated to his high position, supreme power has not been confined to him in order that he may live in lazy luxury, enriching himself by the labor of the people, being happy while everyone else suffers. The sovereign is the first servant of the state. He is well paid in order that he may sustain the dignity of his office, but one demands that he work efficiently for the good of the state, and that he, at the very least, pay personal attention to the most important problems . . .
You can see, without doubt, how important it is that the King of Prussia govern personally. Just as it would have been impossible for Newton to arrive at his system of attractions if he had worked in harness with Leibnitz and Descartes, so a system of politics cannot be arrived at and continued if it has not sprung from a single brain . . . All parts of the government are inexorably linked with each other. Finance, politics and military affairs are inseparable; it does not suffice that one will be well administered; they must all be . . . a Prince who governs personally, who has formed his [own] political system, will not be handicapped when occasions arise where he has to act swiftly, for he can guide all matters towards the end which he has set for himself . . .
Catholics, Lutherans, Reformed, Jews and other Christian sects live in this state, and live together in peace. If the sovereign, actuated by a mistaken zeal, declares himself for one religion or another, parties spring up, heated disputes ensue, little by little persecutions will commence and, in the end, the religion persecuted will leave the fatherland, and millions of subjects will enrich our neighbors by their skill and industry.
It is of no concern in politics whether the ruler has a religion or whether he has none. All religions, if one examines them, are founded on superstitious systems, more or less absurd. It is impossible for a man of good sense, who dissects their contents, not to see their error; but these prejudices, these errors and mysteries, were made for men, and one must know enough to respect the public and not to outrage its faith, whatever religion be involved.
From: "Frederick II, Political Testament," in Europe in Review, eds. George L. Mosse et al. (Chicago: Rand MacNally, 1957), pp. 110-112. Reprinted in Dennis Sherman, ed., Western Civilization: Sources, Images, and Interpretations, Vol. II, (New York; McGraw-Hill, 1995) pp. 41-42
Copyright 2005-2016 by ThenAgain All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:6c2fe87e-10e8-432c-8a0a-ffab578d2ba6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Frederick%20the%20Great.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00121-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970827 | 889 | 2.671875 | 3 |
DEFINITION of 'Adjusted Gross Estate'
The net worth of the deceased's estate after deducting the cost of any outstanding debts and admistrative costs associated with the individual. The adjusted gross estate is also the value in which estate taxes are levied upon.
BREAKING DOWN 'Adjusted Gross Estate'
For example, assets that are considered to be part of the gross estate would include any property, cash or investments owned by the deceased. However, if a mortgage is owed on the property, the value of the mortgage would be deducted from the value of the estate. Therefore no estate taxes would be calculated on assets that the deceased does not own. | <urn:uuid:5bb5923e-dd52-411c-8532-390ca493c845> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/adjusted-gross-estate.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00423-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973683 | 134 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Puff and Fluff, the baby owls that Forest Service firefighters saved during the Carstens Fire in June, are finally home. Terri Williams of the Fresno Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Service released the Western Screech-Owls on July 24 near where they were found over a month ago in a downed tree in the Sierra National Forest.
The birds were weak and dehydrated when Williams first received them from the Forest Service on June 20. But under her care, Puff and Fluff tripled in weight, enjoying a steady diet of mice, day-old chicks and crickets. They grew strong and healthy and soon began showing signs that they were ready for release into the wild. According to Williams, the owls were tearing their own food, eating a whole mouse in one gulp, catching crickets, flying easily, finding hiding places in their enclosure during the day, and showing appropriate defensive actions towards humans, such as beak-clacking and hissing.
Another tell-tale sign that the owls had matured was their recent drop in weight. As babies, owls beef up quickly for rapid growth. When it is time for fledging, they are often too heavy for easy flight – sometimes even heavier than an adult. According to Williams, they put on extra weight so they can survive the “thin” times when they are perfecting their hunting skills. The drop in appetite and weight corresponds with the time they leave the nest site, and when food from their parents is less reliable. The weight loss also helps them fly better.
“For me, (the release back into the wild) is like a graduation and a return to freedom,” Williams said. “There is nothing like watching a bird really fly free when it has been limited to an enclosed flight area.
“When they have had a second chance at survival it is especially exciting,” she said. “These two were initially cautious about leaving the carrier, but once they did they flew confidently and landed perfectly on a branch in the same beautiful coniferous forest they had come from.” | <urn:uuid:dfa28079-c8c4-4d72-af54-583570924b8d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/08/19/puff-and-fluff-the-owls-return-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00162-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987167 | 433 | 2.921875 | 3 |
In 1964 director Stanely Kubrick sent Arthur C. Clarke a letter asking to meet with him to discuss a potential film adaptation of his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is the letter that got everything rolling on the film project. Four years later in 1968 the classic sci-fi movie was released.
SOLARIS PRODUCTIONS, INC
March 31, 1964
Mr. Arthur C. Clarke
Dear Mr Clarke:
It's a very interesting coincidence that our mutual friend Caras mentioned you in a conversation we were having about a Questar telescope. I had been a great admirer of your books for quite a time and had always wanted to discuss with you the possibility of doing the proverbial "really good" science-fiction movie.
My main interest lies along these broad areas, naturally assuming great plot and character:
- The reasons for believing in the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life.
- The impact (and perhaps even lack of impact in some quarters) such discovery would have on Earth in the near future.
- A space probe with a landing and exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Roger tells me you are planning to come to New York this summer. Do you have an inflexible schedule? If not, would you consider coming sooner with a view to a meeting, the purpose of which would be to determine whether an idea might exist or arise which could sufficiently interest both of us enough to want to collaborate on a screenplay?
Incidentally, "Sky & Telescope" advertise a number of scopes. If one has the room for a medium size scope on a pedestal, say the size of a camera tripod, is there any particular model in a class by itself, as the Questar is for small portable scopes?
Clarke ended up meeting Kubrick few weeks later in New York. Clarke ended up offering up his short story The Sentinel as source material for a new film, and the rest is history. If you haven't seen 2001: A Space Odyssey yet, what's your problem? You must watch it now! | <urn:uuid:aa57444b-898a-4d73-85b1-1071fef8bfc6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://geektyrant.com/news/2012/7/28/stanley-kubricks-letter-to-arthur-c-clarke-asking-about-2001.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00437-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963054 | 419 | 2.171875 | 2 |
"TELL OBAMA WE WANT GUNS!"
There is a certain grim symmetry to the joke about the US getting an ethnic Luo president before Kenya does. The nearer Barack Obama (whose father was a Kenyan Luo) gets to the White House, the greater his potential impact as a mediator in his homeland. But the longer it takes, the more harm his countrymen will impose on themselves. As the proverb of his Luo kinfolk puts it: “When the village is on fire, its sons in the city must help put it out.”
In Kenya, a worst-case scenario is conceivable as the violence sustains weak leaders; that is why Africa cannot immediately help and nor can the Kikuyu-dominated middle class, save for a brave few speaking out under threat to their lives. Mr Obama has the “awe” factor to make a difference. . . .
In the US, Mr Obama is riding a favourable tide. At his other home his people are busy doing horrible things. He does not have to come himself. But he needs to engage with a ghost that is sweeping over his father’s grave leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Actually, it seems that Obama would have loved to demonstrate his supposed influence:
Obama, who was given a triumphant welcome when he visited Kenya in 2006, has repeatedly called on both leaders to set aside their differences in the face of spiraling violence.
"Kenya's hard-won democracy and precious national unity can be salvaged. Now is the time for all parties to renounce violence," he wrote in a commentary this month in the Daily Nation, Kenya's top newspaper.
Joe Klein reported that he has given the matter the good college try.
On January 1, two days before the Iowa caucuses, Obama left a message for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. According to Robert Gibbs, Obama's Communications Director, Rice called back"as we were driving from Sioux City to Council Bluffs on January 1. They talked about the situation and Rice asked Obama to tape a Voice of America message calling for calm." Obama taped the message on January 2, after a rally in Davenport, Iowa. . . .
On January 3, the day of the caucuses, he had a conversation with Bishop Desmond Tutu, who had flown to Nairobi to see if he could begin negotiations with the factions. In the days since his Iowa victory, Obama has had near-daily conversations with the U.S. Ambassador in Kenya or with opposition leader Raila Odinga. As of late this afternoon, before his rally in Rochester, N.H., Obama was trying to reach Kenyan President Kibaki.
I haven't been able to talk to Obama directly about this--he is sort of busy right now--but it does seem noteworthy that, in the midst of the most amazing week of his life, Barack Obama has found the time to do a some diplomatic scut-work. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot of this sort of thing if he wins the nomination and is elected President.
If so, he and his believers will discover how ineffective such exhortations are. Moreover, many of his enthusiastic followers want or expect. Some argue that Obama must tame America for the continent of his ancestors while his fellow tribe members hope for something more specific:
The ethnic clashes have fueled Obama fever, with members of the Luo ethnic group rallying behind Obama, whose father was a Luo.
"Obama!" a group of Luo men shouted in unison, as they stood guard at a makeshift roadblock near the entrance of Kibera, Kenya's biggest shantytown outside Nairobi.
"We are supporting him here. We want him to win the election," said Mohammed Noor, 27.
"Did you know that Obama's father is also Luo?" he added.
Behind Noor, young men yelled,"Tell Obama we want guns!"
The grandson son of Sarah Hussein Obama may"insists on the freedom of a collective American Messiah who has come to mobilize all disillusioned children of American democracy to open up a new frontier in politics" but Kenya is unlikely to provide him with a stage to demonstrate his powers.
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Mitigation Proposed for Consent to Demolish Black Orphanage
Under the draft proposals, the board will erect a memorial and interpretive sign outside the new school, create a permanent exhibit commemorating the orphanage within the new school, add the history of the orphanage to the Eighth Grade WV Studies curriculum, create an on line digital text book, and implement a historical survey of past African American historic sites in Huntington.
Prior to demolition, the school board would “document photographically” that which is historically significant including photos of the interior, exterior and a floor plan.
Public comments on the draft proposals are due February 14, 2011 , according to a letter from Lexington, Ky. based consultant, Cultural Resource Analysts. They can be emailed to Dr. Karen E. Hudson, firstname.lastname@example.org . | <urn:uuid:8c02c304-d5e7-4b06-88a0-e59aa1b5b0d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.huntingtonnews.net/884 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719784.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00425-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.887328 | 323 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A Guest Post by Rafi G.
(cross posted from LII)
About a week ago the story broke that the Chief Rabbi of the IDF had supposedly desecrated the holiday of Pesach (the story actually said he desecrated the shabbos, but alert readers pointed out that the timing means it was really the holiday), and the Haredi press had written about it very critically demanding an explanation and his resignation, as they claimed there was no need for him to be there and therefore no need for him to get in the car.
For some reason, Rabbi Ronsky, the Chief Rabbi of the IDF, felt it necessary to try to clear his name and provide an explanation. Yesterday he sent a letter to various Rabbis of the IDF in which he provided an explanation for his actions.
He wrote, "The IDF rabbi is an an inseparable part from the fighting unit. Just as he puts himself in danger when he goes out with the unit to the front lines, so too if the unit has to be mobilized on Shabbos, the Rabbi must join the unit."
Ronsky compared the IDF Rabbi to the way the Torah describes the Kohein who was appointed to go out with the people to battle. He writes, "The Kohein would meet the soldiers before they went out to battle, and he would lift their spirits. He would then go out with them to the battle.
The main job of the Unit Rabbi is to raise the morale of the soldiers. Strengthening them in this way is an important job in ensuring their success in battle, for, as is known, assault before an enemy is not natural for a person, and definitely not for our young soldiers. Therefore a Rav who is integrated thoroughly with his unit, who participates and is present during their exercises and their operations, can help them overcome their distress and crises that are charachteristic in these situations."
"The soldier is comparable to a choleh she'yesh bo sakana - a sick man whose life is in danger. Such a person we even bring his family to his bed, because it can help his situation. We find that even Torah decrees would eb waived to bring his family in this situation. How much more so, in this situation, to strengthen the morale of the sodliers - something that will directly affect the success of the operation, that is of invaluable importance."
I guess his classification of the Rabbis role would be a point of debate, but at least he has a reasonable explanation (as I wrote before, that I did not doubt from the start). Even if others do not agree with his opinion, it is not necessarily their place to instruct him how to behave, when he is fully qualified to make such decisions. | <urn:uuid:38a37cb7-db3d-4901-a27a-5c144bf9740c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2008/05/idf-chief-rabbi-responds-to-allegations.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00059-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989751 | 568 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Something for Everyone!
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Getting the heart rate up and getting sweaty is the aim of our SHRED classes! Mixing it up to keep it fun!
SHRED classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and are a longer workout, either with a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) focus, or an aerobic workout designed to build our engine. They differ to FIT in that they don't start with a strength piece, and usually involve less technical elements (e.g. kettlebell swings as opposed to Olympic lifts).
Enjoy the endorphin rush after these workouts!!
No cardio here! STRONG is about just that: Lifting and making gaiinnnzzzz!!
Whether we're working in a specific cycle or block to increase strength or size, or having fun and mixing it up, STRONG is a great way to increase your gains or for beginners to improve technique.
For ages 12-18, TeenFit combines strength and conditioning, perfect to complement other sports or on its own!
All classes are fully coached, your child will learn proper technique and get their heart rate up. We make sure proper mechanics are learned first before adding load, giving the teens confidence and strength. | <urn:uuid:579cd9ff-8f79-4115-9a7b-a0886c0557f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.groundupfitness.com.au/classes-timetable | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.930958 | 395 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Is inequality inevitable? Is freedom just a choice? Two materialist critiques of a widely-praised book.
Climate and Capitalism | December 17, 2021
It’s not often that a book by radical authors gets reviewed — let alone favorably reviewed — in the mainstream press. The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow, is an exception. Published just two months ago, it has already received accolades from many of the world’s most influential English-language newspapers and magazines.
Even reviewers who question the author’s arguments for anarchism have hailed it as “a brilliant new account upends bedrock assumptions about 30,000 years of change,” (Atlantic) and “a dazzling array of stories about civilizations across many continents and thousands of years, all of which are grappling with what it means to be free” (Washington Post). We’ve also seen positive comments — raves in some cases! — from left-wing posters on social media.
It is certainly an enthralling book, but the two reviews published below, both from materialist anthropologists, argue that its account of human history ignores masses of contrary evidence, and that its political argument is idealist and voluntarist. Both reviews are particularly critical of the book’s failure to consider the causes of the oppression of women.
Chris Knight is a senior research fellow in anthropology at University College London, where he forms part of a team researching the origins of our species in Africa. His books include Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture and Decoding Chomsky: Science and Revolutionary Politics. His review of The Dawn of Everything was first published in Times Higher Education.
Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale both trained as anthropologists and are finishing a book about human evolution, class society and sexual violence. Nancy’s most recent book, with Richard Tapper, is Afghan Village Voices: Stories from a Tribal Community, 2020. Jonathan’s is Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs. Their review of The Dawn of Everything was published in The Ecologist, and in their blog, Anne Bonny Pirate.
Both reviews are republished with the kind permission of the authors.Read More » | <urn:uuid:a685ecc9-768c-45b0-a9cd-c212b5e96803> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://journalworker.wordpress.com/tag/david-wengrow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572127.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815024523-20220815054523-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.943039 | 465 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Q&A with David Gerard on mining, liability, and the Animas River spill.
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A 30th Anniversary Celebration ofPERC—Property and Environment Research Center
Under the name of environmental policy, the British government robs the rights of landowners.
The 1872 Mining Law, which governs the transfer of rights to mine gold, silver, copper, uranium and other hardrock minerals from federal lands, is the subject of continuing and sometimes rancorous controversy. | <urn:uuid:c796e687-1dde-48c6-b5d5-838fba23a304> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.perc.org/articles/author/4116/author/4138 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280410.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00456-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.879189 | 197 | 1.859375 | 2 |
From International Socialism (1st series), No.99, June 1977, pp.29-30.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
Considerations on Western Marxism
THE aim of this short and pricey book is ambitious: nothing less than a general overview of ‘Western Marxism’, by which Anderson means the collection of intellectuals widely influential on the European left since the Second World War, and particularly since the revival of anti-Stalinist Marxism in the 1960s. In this group he includes such diverse figures as Lukacs, Gramsci, Korsch, Benjamin, the Frankfurt school, Della Volpe, Colletti, Lefebvre, Sartre, Goldmann and Althusser.
Anderson argues that despite their diversity all these thinkers represent a common response to the failure of the Russian revolution to spread to the West after the First World War, and the consequent suffociation of Marxism by Stalinists, fascism, and social-democracy. The ‘Western Marxists’ reacted by flying from active involvement in the class struggle to a preoccupation with philosophy, and indeed with idealist philosophy divorced from practice in a way that the classical Marxists, from Marx himself to Lenin, Luxemburg and Trotsky, would have violently rejected. Only today, Anderson concludes, with the revival of workers’ struggles and of the revolutionary movement in the advanced capitalist countries, can Marxist theory be integrated into the class struggle again.
In these very general and bald terms; there is a lot to be said for this interpretation of ‘Western Marxism’. And certainly the erudition that Anderson deploys in its support is impressive. However, one suspects that, just because of its generality, the argument would be a lot less impressive when confronted with the detail of any particular ‘Western Marxist’s’ thought (this suspicion is confirmed in the case of the ‘Western Marxist’ whose work I know best, Louis Althusser – Anderson quite simply gets some of his central theses wrong.)
A more serious problem is that the essay seems as much as anything else to be a self-criticism, although this is never made explicit. After all, Anderson, as editor of New Left Review, has more than anyone else been responsible for making these ideas and the works of the ‘Western Marxists’ available to English readers. Moreover, Anderson himself in many ways fits the description of a ‘Western Marxist’. On taking over NLR in the early 1960s Anderson and his associates launched an ambitious new reinterpretation of British history since the Civil War based on some of the ideas of Lukacs, Gramsci and Sartre and avowedly idealist (see his article Socialism and Pseudo-Empiricism, NLR 35). This interpretation was demolished by E.P. Thompson in a celebrated article, The Peculiarities of the English (The Socialist Register 1965). Undaunted, Anderson has since widened his sights even further, launching into an ambitious study of the historical genealogy of the capitalist state. Two volumes have already appeared, Passages from Antiquity to Feudalism and Lineages of the Absolutist State, which seem to owe more to Max Weber than to Karl Marx.
Considerations on Western Marxism cannot, therefore, be assessed without keeping in mind who wrote it. If anything, Anderson seems to overreact against his ‘Western Marxist’ alter ego, concluding: ‘When the masses themselves speak, theoreticians – of the sort the West has produced for fifty years – will necessarily be silent’ (p.106). This position leads naturally to the abandonment of any attempt to confront Marxist theory critically. Yet such an attempt is indispensable if theory is no longer to be divorced from the class struggle.
Anderson’s conclusion is closely linked to his enthusiastic discovery of an alternative tradition to that of ‘Western Marxism’ – orthodox Trotskyism. Yet if ever there were a theory, whatever its undoubted strengths, that was in need of critical examination, it is the one. Of the three figure’s selected as representatives of the Trotskyist tradition, Roman Rosdolsky is remembered chiefly for his commentary on Marx’s economic writings, which concentrates on explicating and defending Marx’s concepts rather than applying them; Ernest Mandel has consistently failed to use these concepts to locate the dynamic of international capitalism in its present phase, instead preferring to try and fit the world willy nilly into the concepts; and Isaac Deutscher concluded that the Stalinist bureaucracy that Trotsky fought for so many years could deliver the goods.
There is a certain logic in all this. Anderson’s work has been conducted at such a high level of abstraction that rather arbitrary what political line you opt for on the basis of the theory. So Anderson switched from support for left reformism in the Labour Party and elsewhere in the early 1960s to advocacy of student Red Bases as the way to smash capitalism in the late 1960s to Trotskyism today. The loose fit between abstract and concrete has also meant that it is as easy to switch theory around as it is practice (or the lack of it) because it is under no empirical control provided by the need to relate the theory to the class struggle: so the political shifts have been matched by largely unexplained philosophical shifts, from Sartre to Althusser to Colletti. Sloppy theory matches lousy or nonexistent practice. Even the rejection of ‘Western Marxism’ and the enthusiastic and uncritical adoption of revolutionary practice in the somewhat dubious form of Trotskyism à la Mandel involves the same divorce between theory and the class struggle that Anderson is attacking in ‘Western Marxism’.
To his credit, Anderson steps back from his worst excesses. In a Postscript to the main part of the book, he notes that there are in fact problems with the ‘classical tradition’ of Marx, Lenin and Trotsky. Some of the difficulties he points to (especially those relating to ‘the economic architecture of Capital itself’) seem to me to be pseudo-problems based on a failure to understand the thinkers in question. But others – and particularly those problems arising from the attempt of Mandel, etc., to apply Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution and his analysis of bureaucratic workers’ states to the world today – are very real.
Fred Halliday’s interesting review of Livio Maitan’s book on the Chinese cultural revolution in NLR 100 (although his position is very different from ours) suggests that Anderson and his collaborators may be embarking on what could be a fruitful attempts to explore these problems. Anderson’s article in the same issue on the greatest of the ‘Western Marxists’ and the one who fits his schema least, Gramsci, is perhaps the best thing he has written. For once Anderson abandons global theorising to consider a specific problem; the answers he comes up with explode the Eurocommunist distortions of Gramsci, while by no means sparing the latter from criticism. Let us hope that these welcome trends in NLR continue in the future.
Last updated: 23.3.2008 | <urn:uuid:34b8a4a8-173f-42a1-b6a4-5b2e0c3cbbc7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/callinicos/1977/06/westmarx.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00358-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956295 | 1,510 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Here’s an odd observation that I don’t advise you to act upon in any way: In 2010, you would have gotten an extraordinary return on your investment if you’d put money in the stock market only on the first two days of each month—and then pulled your money out every other day.
The NY Post mentions this curiosity:
If you invested on the first two days of each month from January through September, you would have had a 10.40 percent return on your investment in Standard & Poor’s 500 stocks. If you invested on just the first day of each month, your return wouldn’t have been too shabby either: 7.78 percent.
To put it into perspective, if you had placed money in the S&P at the beginning of the year and held firm, you would be up only about 2.48 percent at this point. | <urn:uuid:e9fd28e3-c1d4-4485-88bf-666e68e1b05f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://business.time.com/2010/09/21/the-two-day-a-month-investment-road-to-riches/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282140.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00135-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962927 | 185 | 1.84375 | 2 |
- The difference between Disabled user, Deleted Exchange mailbox and Deleted user
- Disabling a user
- Deleting a mailbox
- Deleting a user
- If you disable a user, the Active Directory object remains untouched together with the mailbox data and properties, but you will not be able to access any mailbox data. To disable the user: go to HostPilot > Users > click on user > User Info > Disable User.
- If an Exchange mailbox is deleted, the user loses all data and attributes associated with Exchange mailbox, though the Active Directory object and the email address still remain in the system. To delete Exchange mailbox: HostPilot > Users > click on user > Exchange > Delete Exchange mailbox.
- If you delete a user, the Active Directory object is removed together with all data and properties of the user.
Please note that in either case, it can take several hours after re-enabling a mailbox for the status change of the mailbox to propagate throughout Active Directory and allow the mailbox to be available again.
- Mailboxes disabled in HostPilot
When a mailbox is disabled through HostPilot, you will no longer be able to access any data associated with it. The data will remain on the server indefinitely and can be accessed again by enabling the mailbox. Disabled email accounts are able to receive email. The mailbox will continue to be counted in the total number of mailboxes on your account, and the space used by that mailbox will still be included in the total disk space for your account.
Note: Once the user is disabled active sessions via Outlook and mobile devices remain active until the connection is reset by switching network connection or power-cycling.
- To disable or enable a mailbox, navigate to HostPilot > Users . Click on the user's display name, then click Disable User.
- Mailboxes disabled automatically because of size
If a mailbox is disabled due to exceeding the set Storage Management Limit for the mailbox, it will be enabled again automatically when you do one of the following:
- Increase the allowed
diskspacefor that mailbox through Storage Management.
- Reduce the contents of the mailbox to be within the established size limit
For information about setting the Storage Management Limit, see one of the following articles:
How to use Storage Management on Exchange account
This feature availability may depend on your plan.
- Increase the allowed
If an Exchange mailbox is deleted, the user loses all data and attributes associated with Exchange mailbox, though the Active Directory object and the email address still remain in the system. To delete an Exchange mailbox, navigate to HostPilot > Services > Mailboxes > Exchange Mailboxes, uncheck the box next to the mailbox under Exchange Mailbox and click Proceed.
Note: For 30 days, the mailbox with all the data in it is still stored on the server. During these 30 days, the mailbox can be reconnected to another user object and all the functionality of the mailbox can be restored (client access, management through HostPilot, etc.). To reconnect a mailbox, submit an Extended Service request by navigating to HostPilot > Support > Extended Services and select Undelete a mailbox from the drop down list.
After 30 days, if the mailbox has not been reconnected, it is purged.
If you delete a user, the Active Directory object is removed together with all data and properties of the user. To delete a user, navigate to HostPilot > Users check the box next to the user and click Delete Selected Users and then Confirm.
Note: if a user had Exchange service enabled, Exchange data can be restored during the next 30 days. Read the Deleting a mailbox section for more information. | <urn:uuid:1c146ee8-ceec-4729-83c2-5d908f3e0db3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://kb.intermedia.net/article/1270 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280587.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00564-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88455 | 755 | 1.617188 | 2 |
The successful reintroduction of gray wolves to parts of the northern Rocky Mountains has boosted the ecological health of Yellowstone National Park, William Ripple, an ecologist at Oregon State University, reported last January.
The wolves' rebound has also led to expanded opportunities to hunt them, though, raising concerns about how the recovery is being managed. In the fall of 2012, Wyoming issued hunting licenses to kill about 16 percent of its wolf population.
The federal government wiped out Yellowstone’s wolves in the 1920s, and elk soon browsed trees and shrubs down to short, stubby forms. Now that wolves are culling elk, many aspens and willows are taller and fuller, and birds are repopulating them. Beavers expanded from one colony in 1996 to 12 in 2009. In the recovered regions, Ripple says, the restoration of the ecosystem is "spectacular." Spreading those benefits across the northern Rockies would take 17,000 wolves, according to Brad Bergstrom, an ecologist at Valdosta State University. As of late 2011, the area had only about 1,770. Bergstrom contends that the decision to remove the wolves’ federal protections and open the door to hunting comes down to "politics, not science." | <urn:uuid:a69eb339-4a71-45c2-82c4-3c9c5382ae3b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://discovermagazine.com/2013/jan-feb/47-recovered-wolves-under-the-gun | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00191-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94875 | 253 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Archeologist leads excavation at Stewart
August 2, 2013
An archeological dig is under way at the 110-acre Stewart Indian School, located in southern Carson City.
“It is important to consider the Stewart Indian School’s complicated history through a collaborative effort,” said Sarah Cowie, a University of Nevada, Reno, assistant professor of anthropology. “Working at this site is a wonderful opportunity for us all to learn from each other, since we all bring something different to the project. As a non-native archaeologist, myself, I know I will learn a lot about indigenous heritage from native colleagues and students.”
The university’s Department of Anthropology, in partnership with the Nevada Indian Commission and the Washoe Tribal Historic Preservation Office, is conducting the excavation at the site, which is home to 50 historic buildings.
The excavation also serves as a summer field school that teaches students about archaeology and historic preservation. This collaborative project combines the efforts of professional archaeologists, Native American specialists in heritage, and students from diverse backgrounds.
“The district is on the National Register of Historic Places and is deteriorating rapidly,” Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission, said. “Many of the historic buildings were built in the early 1900s and sit unoccupied, adding the urgency to protect these buildings.”
The Stewart Indian School was open from 1890-1980 with a federal mandate to educate American Indian children, initially from the Great Basin Tribes (Washoe, Northern and Southern Paiute, and Western Shoshone), but eventually accepting children from tribal nations of the region. The intent of the Indian boarding school was not to prepare the American Indian children for higher education, but to educate them enough so they could work in the dominant society, away from their culture and traditions.
Stewart alumni have told Washoe Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Darrel Cruz that in early years, young native children were forcibly removed from their homes to live on the Stewart Indian School campus. This practice was well-documented at other Indian schools around the country and resulted in a traumatic time for both the children and their parents. However, in later years attendance at Stewart was optional, and alumni from that period say it was good for some. It provided an avenue for the native population to learn a skill that would allow gainful employment.
The Nevada Indian Commission, a state agency, has been the lead on efforts to preserve the history and legacy of the school. The commission has worked with stakeholders, including the school’s alumni, to identify potential cultural tourism use of the buildings and campus. A cultural center and museum are planned, with future plans for a destination experience. The project is in the planning and fundraising phase.
“We are extremely pleased that the University of Nevada, Reno, has chosen the site of the historic Stewart Indian School for their field school,” Rupert said. “It is refreshing to see a change in the way new archaeologists are being taught, with the culture and people in mind. The university students, both native and non-native are learning about the school and its importance to Nevada’s history and future.”
Although the Stewart Indian School site is now owned by the state, it is located on the traditional homelands of the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada.
The project is taking place at the State of Nevada Stewart facility, 5500 Snyder Way, in Carson City. The public is welcome to visit the site while the team is working there, Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. They expect to conclude their work Aug.13.
For questions on the Stewart Indian School or preservation and fundraising efforts, call the Nevada Indian Commission at 775-687-8333. | <urn:uuid:df688429-052a-48fa-b2bd-c77d9b30f3d6> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.recordcourier.com/news/local/archeologist-leads-excavation-at-stewart/ | 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 | 0.969226 | 779 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Who doesn’t think about saving more money? Not only are there many clever ways of saving that odd cent here and there, but there are ways of actually ‘making’ money from what you buy. Read on for one of our Papa’s tips.
1. Affiliate Cards
There are many affiliate cards out there which give you discounts on things you purchase. The Village Card is a great example for parents, thanks to the list of impressive family-friendly businesses it hosts. The card usually pays for itself within the first few uses. Always remember when shopping to ask the retailer if they are affiliated with any discount cards. You will be surprised where and how you can save money! A colleague of mine got her first physiotherapy session for free last month via the Village Card, a value of €35.
2. Shop Online, Get Cash Back
There are many websites that offer you ‘cashback’ if you go through them for your final shopping destination. That’s right, cold cash goes back into your bank account, just because of an extra click on that browser. Buy children toys, reserve hotels or flights, order a book– the choices are limitless. Don’t worry, it’s safe and legal! A few examples: ShopBuddie, Lyoness and CashbackDeals. Recently, I received €28 cash back on hotels.
3. Discount Codes
Look out for korting/discount codes and special offers on your shopping items. Whether it’s tickets to an amusement park, buying pampers online or ordering a new bed for your little one. A quick search can save you money. Try these websites: Kortingscode, Acties, and ActiePagina Last month I saved €3.50 on tickets for an amusement park.
4. Points for Purchases
Many websites have point programs, where you accumulate points on purchases. An example is ippies.nl. You simply register with them, and each time you shop online, you go to the online store via ippies. Each purchase you make earns you points, which translate to direct cash, or credit to spend on ippies. You would be surprised how quickly these points accumulate for things you buy on a regular basis. You can even earn points while ordering a pizza! Also don’t forget to sign up to each store’s savings or spaarkart! Another tip: you can switch to a credit card which gives you points each time you use it. CreditCard-Vergelijk gives you a good overview of what is available. Last month’s pizza order accumulated €0.68 cents worth of points!
5. Comparison Websites
Before you buy anything, whether it’s for the kids of yourself, make use of comparison websites. These websites do the virtual ‘running around’ to find you the cheapest option. Whatever you are looking for, HAS a lowest price; It’s just a matter of finding it. There are a number of comparison apps and websites. Some apps have a built in code scanner, so you simply scan the barcode of the item you see, and voila!, the app gives you a list of stores nearby who are selling the same item for less. Try Vergelijk and Kelcoo. Last month, on purchasing an Air cooler, I saved €19 via a comparison website at the last minute.
6. Samples and Coupons
By signing up with websites such as Testmama, Gratisvoorvrouwen, and Proefmonsters, you can receive free sample products and coupons, everything from skin care products to Formula milk. Tip: create a separate email address specifically for this. It helps keep your personal email…well…personal. Also, keep an eye out for coupons in baby magazines you can sign up for. Last month we received 3 samples worth €18.50.
7. Children’s Savings Accounts
Open up a savings account for your child! A lot of parents don’t think about doing this early enough, but it is a great way to save, and earn, money for your child. The four major banks in the Netherlands (ABN/ING/SNS/RABO) all provide different types of saving accounts for children. Let it sit for a few years with regular, small deposits and see how much you save without even realising. Try Consumentenbond for a comparison between different spaarrekening/bank accounts for children. On average I put in €10-15 in my kids Spaarrekkening account. He is 2.5 yrs old now. You do the math!
8. Toy Libraries
Recently, we bought a toy for our little one. He absolutely loved it; he was laughing, jumping, making cute baby faces and noises. He and the €20 caterpillar xylophone were inseparable… for a whole 3 minutes till he moved on to the next toy. Save money by borrowing toys and books at Speelotheeks! You can check out your local toy library or use their website to search for a speelotheek near you.
9. Buy, Sell, Share and Repeat
If you have your financial belt tightened, you can save a bundle by shopping second hand. Guess what? Kids don’t really care about the packaging, as long as it’s new to them. Try Marktplaats and Tweedehands. You can also swap amongst your community, friends and colleagues who have children. Last month, our friend donated their child’s hardly worn shoes to us. Retailing at €35, it was a no brainer.
10. Read the fine print
When doing your grocery shopping, don’t just look at the overall price of the item. Supermarkets are obliged to print the price per unit at the bottom of each price. This information tells you the actual cost of what you are going to buy. Also, almost all products come with a refund policy, so if you don’t like something you just bought, get a refund instead of throwing it in the bin. A refund may only cost you the price of a stamp! Put your bank account on a diet, and like most diets, the process will leave you better off and financially ‘healthier’. And remember, don’t shop cheaper, shop smarter. Happy saving! | <urn:uuid:1bc95f53-9791-4cc4-a656-f0861e230715> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://amsterdam-mamas.nl/articles/10-ways-to-shop-smart-and-save-money/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.922881 | 1,333 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Public Service Act 103 of 1994, (English);
Protected Disclosures Act 26 of 2000, (English);
Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004, (English);
Public Service Amendment Act 30 of 2007, (English);
Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests for Assembly and Permanent Council Members, (English).
Liability of Legal Persons for Criminal Offences Act
(Zakon o odgovornosti pravnih oseb za kazniva dejanja), (Slovene); | <urn:uuid:112bc531-6521-4b2e-8f21-7410f080c516> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://anticor.hse.ru/en/main/country_compare/South_Africa?with_country=Slovenia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.854134 | 122 | 1.648438 | 2 |
What are the health effects related to consumption of nuts? (DGAC 2010)
There is moderate evidence that consumption of unsalted peanuts and tree nuts, specifically walnuts, almonds and pistachios, in the context of a nutritionally adequate diet and when total calorie intake is held constant, has a favorable impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly serum lipid levels.
Conduct randomized controlled trials comparing different types of nuts on intermediate markers, such as serum lipids, and classify each specific type of nut as more or less associated with CVD risk reduction.
Search Plan and Results
What were the search parameters and selection criteria used to identify literature to answer this question? For more information, click on the Search Plan and Results link below.
Nuts and Health | <urn:uuid:a55cfacb-08b6-412a-b26f-a6750cc10bf7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.nel.gov/conclusion.cfm?conclusion_statement_id=250285 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00216-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915542 | 157 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Global Issues.org reported on War, Propaganda and the Media: “When it comes to propaganda for purposes of war, for example, professional public relations firms can often be involved to help sell a war… Media management may also be used to promote certain political policies and ideologies. Where this is problematic for the citizenry is when media reports on various issues to not attribute their sources properly.”
For example, to sell the Gulf War in Iraq in 1991, John Rendon, the founder of a Washington PR firm, told the cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996, “I am a politician, and a person who uses communication to meet public policy or corporate policy objectives. In fact, I am an information warrior and a perception manager…”
In varied ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover, and deception, and psyops [psychological operations].
“In March 2005”, Global Issues said, “the New York Times revealed that there has been a large amount of fake and prepackaged news created by US government departments, such as the Pentagon, the State Department and others, and disseminated through the mainstream media.”
In addition, smear tactics often used to discredit, stain or destroy the reputation of someone are increasing in sophistication. With the increasing popularity of the Internet, and search engines such as Google, smearing is taking on additional forms and techniques.
In fact, negative campaigning through the media in America was launched by two lifelong friends, John Adams (second US president–1797-1801) and Thomas Jefferson (third US president–1801-1809), when they ran against each other for the office of President of the United States.
CNN.com says, “Things got ugly fast. Jefferson’s camp accused President Adams of having a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”
“In return, Adams’ men called Vice President Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.
“As the slurs piled on, Adams was labeled a fool, a hypocrite, a criminal, and a tyrant, while Jefferson was branded a weakling, an atheist, a libertine, and a coward.
“But the key difference between the two politicians was that Jefferson hired a hatchet man named James Callendar to do his smearing for him. Adams, on the other hand, considered himself above such tactics.”
Jefferson’s tactics won him the White House but his hatchet man, Callendar, went to prison for slandering John Adams.
Fast forward to December/January 2005, and a piece in the American Journalism Review, which said this of Dirty Politics, “These political campaigns are corroding our electoral process. Who wants to participate in character assassination, Orwellian “doublethink,” dreamland oratory, and outright lies and inflated claims?… The news outlets that used to educate voters are no longer independent (and presumably neutral) sources of impartial information.”
I close this series of posts with the following questions—comparing the media in China and in America, how much of a difference is there in how the people get their news? Either way, can you trust what you read and hear? Is there a difference between a politician, a government official or corporate employee?
In China, the government owns the media and sensitive news is censored. In the US, politicians and the government-manipulate news fed to the media, which in turn manipulates the news to support the political beliefs of the corporate bosses that control the corporations that own the media.
In both countries, the Internet Blogosphere is a free-wheeling madhouse of opinions and news, which may be correct but there is no guarantee. In the end, American and Chinese citizens will believe whatever they want no matter what they read or hear from the media/government.
Return to The meaning of Democracy’s Freedoms and the Nature of the Western Media Beast – Part 4 or start with Part 1
Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.
Subscribe to “iLook China”
Sign up for an E-mail Subscription at the top of this page. | <urn:uuid:c0340d8a-8335-477d-bcfa-7dfbabad7784> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://ilookchina.net/tag/united-state/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00162-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949899 | 965 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Keen to drop a few pounds? Losing weight is all about burning more calories than you consume, but this can leave you feeling hungry and liable to reach for the nearest chocolate bar, undoing all your good work.
Eating extra-filling low-calorie foods will help you stave off the hunger pangs and resist temptation. “If you’re increasing the portions of low calorie, high volume foods, then you will be left feeling fuller but without the added calories,” says registered dietitian Nichola Whitehead.
The Satiety Index, which was devised in the '90s, ranks 38 common foods in terms of their ability to hit the spot and satisfy hunger – foods that boast scores over 100% are most filling. These foods tend to be high in protein, fibre, resistant starch, volume and/or low in energy density. Here are the 10 most filling low calorie foods to stock up on, according to the index.
Want to talk to a GP today? With Saga Health Insurance, you have unlimited access to a qualified GP 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Find out more about our GP phone service.
Lentils – Satiety Index = 133%
Wonderfully hearty and filling, lentils are loaded with fibre, which provides bulk without the calories and expands in the stomach to leave you feeling full. These wholesome pulses are rich in satisfying protein to boot – protein triggers hormones in the brain that let it know you've eaten enough.
Recipe: warm lentil salad
Recipe: lentil and potato salad with salmon
Boiled egg – Satiety Index = 150%
A large boiled egg contains around 78 calories but its high protein content will keep you feeling fuller for longer than say, a hefty slice of carby white toast, which contains around 80 calories. Needless to say, you'll be less likely to snack on rubbish mid-morning if you eat eggs rather than white toast for breakfast.
10 healthy reasons to eat more eggs
Wholemeal bread – Satiety Index = 157%
In fact, if you can, ditch the white loaf, which scores only 100% on the Satiety Index, and opt for filling wholemeal bread instead. Not just healthier for you all round, wholemeal bread is packed with satisfying fibre. Just try to go easy on the butter or jam.
How much fibre do you need?
Grapes – Satiety Index = 162%
Fruit and veg that have a high water content on top of plenty of fibre are especially filling. Grapes tick both boxes and make for the perfect sustaining, low calorie snack – nibbling on a mere handful should keep you going between meals, without adding pounds to your waistline.
Eight ways to boost your metabolism
Wholemeal pasta – Satiety Index = 188%
Next time your rustle up a spaghetti bolognese or carbonara, try it with wholemeal pasta. Not only is it better for you than regular refined wheat pasta, the wholemeal version is far more filling, scoring 188% on the Satiety Index, compared to white pasta's 118%.
Find all our pasta recipes
Apples – Satiety Index = 197%
Apples are particularly satisfying. For starters, they contain loads of water, which increases their volume. Apples are also high in filling insoluble fibre and most interestingly, they contain pectin, a form of soluble fibre that slows digestion and boosts feelings of satiety.
Oranges – Satiety Index = 202%
The orange is the most filling of the fruits listed in the Satiety Index, almost twice as satisfying as a banana, weight for weight. Experts put this down to the citrus fruit's relatively low glycaemic index (GI), combined with its high water and fibre content.
Oatmeal – Satiety Index = 209%
If eggs for breakfast don't take your fancy, eat porridge instead. Oatmeal scores an impressive 209% on the Satiety Index. The healthy grain is jam-packed with fibre that balloons in the stomach to fill you up, and it has a low GI, too.
Recipe: heart-friendly oatmeal and pear smoothie
Steamed cod fillet – Satiety Index = 225%
Protein is of course extra-filling but many animal-based sources are high in saturated fat, which won't do your waistline any favours. Instead, opt for steamed white fish such as cod, which is low in fat and scores very high on the Satiety Index.
Boiled potatoes – Satiety Index = 323%
Believe it or not, the humble boiled spud is the most filling food of them all, according to the index, scoring a whopping 323%. Replete with resistant starch and fibre, boiled potatoes are exceptionally satisfying, and healthier than many people think, providing a good source of B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium and copper. What's more, allowing your potatoes to cool before eating them, and either eating them as a salad or reheating, creates even more resistant starch (starch that takes longer to digest, slowing down glucose absorption and feeding your gut bacteria). Storing them in the fridge overnight triples their resistant starch levels.
Subscribe today for just £29 for 12 issues... | <urn:uuid:95b707a0-6dd5-446f-8de0-761963721b6b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-wellbeing/diet-nutrition/weight-loss/most-filling-low-calorie-foods | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.922653 | 1,085 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Step 5: The BIG panel!!!!
After a few months of toying with solar, I decided to get serious. One of the top loads I wanted the system to run was a backup sump pump which ran off of 12v. This, of course, can easily draw over 100 watts at a time. The system wouldn't be able to keep up with the pump and would eventually stop altogether, flooding the basement. The solution to all my problems was to get a bigger panel. This one is made by UL Solar and is rated for 100 watts.
Mounting the panel proved to be difficult. Instead of on the ground where I could easily monitor and maintain the panels, I decided to install this one on the roof for better solar exposure. As you can see in the third pic, it is conveniently right on the edge of the roof, reducing my wire run and potential losses. The 12 gauge wire is specifically made for low (10 - 30) voltage, so my 12 volt system fit right into that, even with the panel producing 23 volts open circuit. | <urn:uuid:73a6627a-7a47-40b1-837a-1854ab062897> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.instructables.com/id/Home-built-solar-power-system/step5/The-BIG-panel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00148-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971777 | 215 | 1.789063 | 2 |
for increasing society’s commitment in ICT
The project „Conceptual framework for increasing society’s commitment in ICT: approaches in general and higher education for motivating ICT-related career choices and improving competences for applying and developing ICT“ is supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the programme for supporting research & development in information and communication technology.
The main goal of the research project is to find interventions that should be applied in general schools and higher education institutions to positively influence students’ ICT-related attitudes, knowledge, and skills (which are all needed to increase the number of citizens who relate their professional career to the ICT sector).
This study is a joint project of the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology and the Estonian Information Technology College. The project also involves the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications as a representative of enterprises, as well as foreign partners from Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and Finland as scientific advisors. | <urn:uuid:deaf6ccc-4919-4b2a-9e46-4e1ec124adb5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sisu.ut.ee/ict/avaleht | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00470.warc.gz | en | 0.939186 | 209 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Bill Aims to Lift Ban on Texas Energy Exports
Congressman Michael McCaul introduced H.R. 4349, the Crude Oil Export Act, which lifts the 1970s era prohibition on the export of American crude oil and would remove the major remaining barrier that keeps the U.S. from being competitive with other oil exporting nations.
McCaul said, "Most of America's crude oil production is taking place underneath the feet of Texans in the Eagle Ford Shale and the Permian Basin. Lifting the outdated ban on crude oil exports will result in more production, create new jobs at home and boost America's energy security while providing countries like Ukraine with a dependable supply alternative to energy imports from countries like Russia."
According to McCaul, the Crude Oil Export Act will repeal the 1970s era ban on crude oil exports; maintain a ban on crude oil exports to any country that is subject to U.S. trade restrictions, sanctions or that the President or Congress has designated as subject to exclusion for national security reasons; and allow the President to impose a ban on the export of crude oil for up to 90 days during a period of national emergency unless Congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval.
Major advancements in drilling and extraction technologies have spurred crude oil production in recent years in the Unites States. This, combined with similar advancements in the development of other domestic energy resources, such as natural gas, is allowing the U.S. to reclaim its position as a net energy exporter for the first time since 1949. Currently the U.S. is on pace to outstrip Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world's top exporter of oil and natural gas. | <urn:uuid:7c819cc4-8729-4978-8510-5987135beabd> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.marinelink.com/news/exports-energy-texas366332.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719468.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00528-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946141 | 340 | 1.929688 | 2 |
So, here we are again. Last night here in Dallas someone ambushed police officers who were providing security at a peaceful demonstration, killing five and wounding seven more.
This is a predictable reaction to repeated instances of police killing black men on what, at best, seems to often be the flimsiest of pretexts. It was inevitable that, at some point, some black people would decide to hit back. Predictable, but unfortunate. Shooting random police officers is definitely counter-productive if you want to try and reduce the violence in America’s cities.
The news media is full now of stories with the traditional ‘who, what, where, and how.’ Who shot who with what and when. The hard question, though, the question that must be asked if we want to break this cycle of violence, is ‘why.’ As with any seemingly senseless act of violence, you can’t prevent future acts if you don’t understand why they’re happening.
Let us be clear that the problem starts with policing. Not the police necessarily, the individual men and women wearing the uniform. I’m certainly not saying that the officers shot last night had it coming, or anything like that. I mean the institution of policing in the United States, how we do it, and what it’s for.
There are basically ways of looking at policing. First, policing can be about protecting the people in the area being policed, preventing crime, making those people’s lives safer and better. This is what policing is in many countries, and what we say it is here in the US–‘Protect and Serve’–but in many communities it really isn’t. It’s the other kind of policing: Police as an occupying force, which sees the people being policed not as a group to be protected, but as a group that other people must be protected from.
This is a huge difference in attitude, and it touches on every interaction between police and policed. And, unfortunately, for a variety of reasons going back decades, most of the people in the areas most conspicuously ‘occupied’ (vs. ‘protected’) have dark skin. Dark skin thus becomes a marker, an indicator that that person is a ‘them,’ one of the people who is not to be protected, but protected against. The cop on the street is likely to see a white person with a gun as an ‘us.’ Probably not a threat, and maybe even a potential ally (especially if the white person is well-dressed, driving a nice car or truck, or shows other signs of the proper tribal allegiance). A white concealed handgun license holder who is pulled over in a traffic stop is much more likely to be let off with a warning than to find himself face-down on the pavement with guns pointed at him.
A black person with a gun, though, is very likely to be classed on sight as a ‘them,’ an outsider, a threat. If the black person also doesn’t show the ‘proper’ middle class symbols in terms of clothes, car, and speech, that likelihood goes way up. A white person with a gun might be seen as a possible ally, but a black person with a gun will almost certainly be seen as an immediate threat, and treated accordingly. Recent shootings by police have highlighted this dramatically.
The black person, of course, knows all this, and knows how police have treated black people for, well, as long as there have been police in this country. He or she is also going to be nervous and fearful. Both sides, then, are coming into the encounter with fear and mistrust of the other. It doesn’t take much to escalate such a situation to violence.
This article is an excellent look at the problem of racism within police forces. The problem isn’t that all police are out to immediately shoot all minorities they encounter. The problem is that they are much more likely to treat a minority person as a threat, an other, and that they are likely to get away with mistreating that person. The presumption is that any minority person killed or injured by the police had it coming somehow. White America, protected and served by its police, sees them as heroes who wouldn’t hurt anyone without a really good reason. Occupied, brown, America, sees it differently.
As Hudson says in the above-linked article, the problem is institutional. He says that about 15% of police will always do the right thing, about 15% will abuse their authority whenever possible, and about 70% will go along with the environment they find themselves in. We can quibble over the exact proportions, but I see little to argue with in the general idea. Some cops are good, some are bad, and most are just people trying to get through a crappy day at work, like everyone else.
A good system could handle that, weed out the bad officers and encourage the good ones. Unfortunately, the system we have, the us-vs-them mentality of many police departments, protects the abusive cops. Police departments are tasked with policing themselves, and almost always find that they did nothing wrong. Even if the cops really did behave properly (not every shooting is a bad shooting), the questionable impartiality of the oversight process makes it hard for outsiders to trust it.
In short, then, the problem seems to be an ‘occupying force’ mentality that permeates many police departments, at least regarding certain areas of their city, which creates an atmosphere of racism, fear, and hostility. (You could argue that the racism came first, and I wouldn’t disagree.) Poor oversight, and a general attitude that the police are usually, if not always, in the right keeps bad cops from being punished, for the most part, which leads naturally to incredible frustration on the part of the people in Occupied America, who feel that the rest of the country doesn’t care what happens to them. (There is, unfortunately, some truth to this. White America doesn’t care about violence as long as it stays in ‘those’ neighborhoods. Only when white people in ‘good’ parts of town are killed do people get upset and start demanding that Something Be Done.) This leads to the sort of thing we had in Dallas last night, which will lead to even more fear and violence from the police, and so on.
Now that we have, I hope, some insight into the root of the problem, what can we do about it?
The obvious long-term solution is to fix the poverty and crime that keeps Occupied America occupied. That’s a difficult problem, though (particularly since White America doesn’t want those people in the workforce, competing for a piece of an ever-shrinking economic pie, but that’s another topic) and outside the scope of this particular essay.
In the more immediate term, we need some sort of impartial body–a group that can be seen as impartial–to investigate complaints against the police. I see this as an absolutely critical step. I think that people could handle a police officer being cleared of wrongdoing in a questionable shooting if the body that clears him is seen as trustworthy. Each state should set up its own review commission, with any current or former law enforcement officers barred from serving on it. The UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission would make a good model.
An impartial review process, besides its primary goal of ensuring fair treatment by the police, would also be more fair for the police. It is unreasonable to expect them to impartially oversee themselves.
In addition to independent oversight, police departments themselves need an overhaul. The attitude that they are an occupying force there to contain certain neighborhoods, and protect the surrounding areas from those people, must be weeded out. The idea must be impressed on the police that they are there to protect and serve everyone.
Doing that will take time and money. The average police officer in the United States receives about 19 weeks of training. Police officers in Germany receive at least 130 weeks of training. That is a huge investment of time, effort, and money in each police officer, but it pays off for the Germans. The police there are highly trusted, even by minorities. They also shoot people at about only 1% the rate that US policemen do.
Of course, it wouldn’t do to take those new, highly trained, more thoughtful and understanding, police and throw them in dribs and drabs into the existing police culture. They would quickly be overwhelmed, absorbed into the prevailing culture or quitting in disgust. This is where it gets hard. While this new generation of police officers is being trained we must work on breaking up the culture of the existing departments, weeding out the bad officers and encouraging a less confrontational style of policing. It would probably be worthwhile to send some current officers through the new training process. (Or at least an abbreviated version.) This could be the first task of the new police oversight commissions; sifting through the officers’ records and recommending terminations, promotions, demotions, and retraining.
Even with that, it would probably be best to clump the new officers together as much as possible, to build a new culture. Reassign officers in existing precincts to free up space so that the new officers make up a majority in that neighborhood. We could even take the radical step of recruiting promising high school kids from occupied neighborhoods and on graduation sending them to a police academy and then back to serve and protect their old neighborhood. Who better to understand and help the people there? It might be necessary in some cases to completely disband a department and rebuild it from the ground up.
All of this, of course, would be met with absolutely ferocious resistance from the police. It would also cost a lot of money, and getting the new generation of highly trained police into the field would take years. (It would probably take years just to set up the training process, much less complete more than two years of training.) The oversight commissions, at least, would provide relatively immediate relief, if they could be created in the face of police resistance.
If we really want things to change, though, that’s what it’s going to take.
The question is, do we want things to change? | <urn:uuid:434bca26-8757-4d7f-bb1e-9d459f80af0f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.grumpypundit.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00174-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974548 | 2,151 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Lieutenant Darrell Duggins
Lt Darrell Duggins was born in High Point, NC. He was in the Marine Corp during the Korean War. He came on the Dept in 1955. He went to TAC about the time our agency was starting QRT [SWAT]. He had a rappelling and scuba background. He was a no-nonsense guy when you were working but let his hair down when he was off duty. "Eight hours of work for eight hours of pay" was his mantra. He was one of the first Lieutenants with QRT as a TAC Shift Platoon Commander. He carried a "Claw" in his rear pocket. He always made good police decisions. He reminded those that knew him of an old Dutch uncle. In 1980 various members of the agency went on a dive trip with him where he showed them all more about scuba diving than they had ever known before, and they were all seasoned divers. He was diving in the harbor before there was a dive team, so he set a team up and ran it. The Department was happy to give the diver responsibility to the Fire Department who were also happy for the equipment we ended up giving them. Lt. Duggins was good buddies with Commissioner Bishop Robinson. He retired in the early 90's. He died of complications from a stroke in 2000. There was a picture of him outside the QRT office in the annex calling him "The Grandfather of QRT." Those that worked with him often remarked to one another that when they were faced with a difficult decision as a LT, they would say, WWDHD "What Would Darrell Have Done". And then they did it. He was shot in a police incident in the Eastern District as a Sergeant. He wore his Citation of Valor, but no one ever asked him about the incident. We are unsure of what happened either, but we know it was awarded to him for an incident that took place in 1972. When he and Ed Boston were wearing their uniform summer blouses, perfect pressed pants, white hats, gold badges etc. they were the most professional sight one could have ever seen...
Copies of: Your Baltimore Police Department Class Photo, Pictures of our Officers, Vehicles, Equipment, Newspaper Articles relating to our department and or officers, Old Departmental Newsletters, Lookouts, Wanted Posters, and or Brochures. Information on Deceased Officers and anything that may help Preserve the History and Proud Traditions of this agency. Please contact Retired Detective Kenny Driscoll.
How to Dispose of Old Police Items
Please contact Det. Ret. Kenny Driscoll if you have any pictures of you or your family members and wish them remembered here on this tribute site to Honor the fine men and women who have served with Honor and Distinction at the Baltimore Police Department.
Copyright © 2002 Baltimore City Police History - Ret Det Kenny Driscoll | <urn:uuid:696ed417-09ee-431e-bea1-06176443a038> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://baltimorepolicemuseum.com/en/item/640-lieutenant-darrell-duggins.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.989113 | 699 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Media Technical: Career and Education Opportunities in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Media Technical: Media Technicians work to help in the development of broadcast and other media production. Employing strong technical skills, they support the creation of the media experiences that enrich our lives.
Las Cruces is situated in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. It has a population of over 91,865, which has grown by 23.7% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Las Cruces, 89, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Las Cruces are valued at $133,900 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, six hundred thirty-two new homes were built in Las Cruces, down from nine hundred eighty the previous year.
The top three industries for women in Las Cruces are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is educational services, public administration, and construction. The average commute to work is about 18 minutes. More than 28.4% of Las Cruces residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 12.1%, is higher than the state average.
The unemployment rate in Las Cruces is 5.6%, which is less than New Mexico's average of 7.5%.
The percentage of Las Cruces residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 77.3%, is more than both the national and state average. Mesilla Park Baptist Church, Greater Saint John Church of God in Christ and Valley View Baptist Church are among the churches located in Las Cruces. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church.
Las Cruces is home to the Mesquite Street Original Townsite Historic District and the Walden Hall as well as Frenger Park and Preciado Park. Visitors to Las Cruces can choose from Scoggin Blue LLC, SpringHill Suites Las Cruces and Villa Del Telshor Apartments & Corporate Suites for temporary stays in the area.
Featured Online Colleges
CAREERS WITHIN: Media Technical
Audio Visual Technicians set up or set up and operate audio and video equipment including microphones, sound speakers, video screens, projectors, video monitors, recording equipment, connecting wires and cables, sound and mixing boards, and related electronic equipment for concerts, sports events, meetings and conventions, presentations, and news conferences. Audio Visual Technicians need to read and understand what has been read. They also need to listen well to others and take in their information and issues.
Photographers photograph persons, subjects, or other commercial products. Photographers need to talk through and persuade others when needed. They also need to actively seek out need information and learn from it. | <urn:uuid:e324b490-c8c1-4af5-878b-00d0444d95ff> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.careeroverview.com/usa/new-mexico/las-cruces/art-design-entertainment-and-sports/media-technical/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00202-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952276 | 583 | 1.609375 | 2 |
When the Commonwealth Games begin today, the pursuit of sporting excellence will be top of the agenda.
And yet, there is a giant elephant - and not exactly shyly hiding in the corner of the room either - hovering over the games, at least in the eyes of its hosts.
On September 18, Scottish people will take part in a one-question referendum: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" Six words which, depending on the outcome, could re-shape the future of Britain.
Whichever option has the most votes will win the referendum, regardless of how many vote.
There is a strongly contestable view of whether the Games should be linked with the referendum.
Let's assume the event is a roaring success, both on and off the field for the hosts.
Imagine how that would bolster the self-esteem of the nation. Your country has had a cracking time of it, feelgood is thick in the air.
Now extrapolate. How much would that do to sway the fence sitters, in the sense of the country having proved its capability to stand alone and oversee a winning event.
Or, should the Games be totally left out of the equation and be of little bearing on the vote?
The bullish First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, has insisted the Games will have an impact reverberating around the country "for generations to come".
The expectation is that those leading the pro and con arguments over independence will tread lightly while competition is on, not wanting to be seen to be blatantly chasing political capital out of the Games.
Then again, ever seen a politician reluctant to sit out a chance to spruik his case with a captive audience?
One senior Liberal Democrat put it this way: "I don't think people, while they're really enjoying watching the sport, particularly want to have that debate thrust in their face."
However Salmond has form for grabbing any opportunity. He was slammed for holding a saltire aloft in the Royal Box when Andy Murray won Wimbledon last year.
Murray, cyclist Chris Hoy and rower Katherine Grainger, all proud Scots, were important parts of the British team during the London Olympics two years ago.
"It was a reminder that we have got two identities," Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said. "For most of us who are not nationalists, we were quite happy having at least two identities."
Sport and politics don't mix. Don't you believe it. | <urn:uuid:d10c5b56-ac4d-4494-bb2f-67f0b4f1550e> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11298060 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718285.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00107-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968086 | 502 | 1.515625 | 2 |
By Daphne du Maurier. New York Review Books; 336 pgs., $15.95.
As pointed out in the perceptive introduction by Patrick McGrath (author of disturbing suspense novels that owe much to Dame Daphne’s legacy), the foundation of the woman’s reputation is historical novels (“Rebecca,” “Jamaica Inn”). Also odd: Some of the best of the nine stories here turn on the frisson of clairvoyance, which has faded from interest in recent decades. So why wade through page after page where English people live modestly and almost always speak carefully and politely?
The answer lies in the little exceptions and unexpected turns. They may start out small, but watch out: du Maurier wrote from a crossroads of old and new — and if you can settle yourself in with these stories, they’ll grab you in gentle places but shake you, too. The ultimate trip here is surely “The Birds,” much more potent on the page than in Hitchcock’s film version. This author was unique in how she set people’s attempts to be civilized and fair against the ravages of nature and the deceptions of intimacy — both of which can attack from within as well as without. | <urn:uuid:cb06d6a1-c1b7-4fb2-b704-2128e2768076> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.leoweekly.com/2008/11/book-smart-forgotten-classics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00244-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953091 | 269 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Jinx, a word that perfectly fits the political situation of Pakistan. But it’s not the politics but the chair of the Prime Minister that is unfortunate. We have yet to see any PM completing the 5-year tenure. Game of Thrones plot is close to what’s happening in Pakistan but it still can’t beat us. Prime Minister Imran Khan took oath in 2018 and was the chosen Prime Minister of Pakistan for the next 5 years. However, Imran Khan was forcefully removed from office through a no-confidence vote. The only person for whom the NA session and courts convened till the 11th hour. Certainly, Imran Khan’s achievements had an impact. Today we will talk about the 3 years performance of the PTI government and PM Imran Khan.
Imran Khan’s Government’s Achievements
As the PM Imran Khan’s 5 years of government only reigned for 3 years. However, in these 3 years of the PTI government, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s performance is worth all the praise. What if Imran Khan didn’t get to complete his 5 years of the premiership, he made a huge impact on not only the nation but the world. Even India couldn’t help but air Imran Khan’s speeches and addresses. So, if our rivals closely tracked PM Imran Khan’s words and actions, just imagine what would have been the opposition going through. Anyhow, if just considered Pakistan and PM Imran Khan then know that the nation was more than contented with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government performance.
Know that these are not just claims, everything said and written is based on facts. One can’t deny the facts no matter how strongly you oppose them. Let’s take a ride back and admire the 3 years performance of the PTI government.
We have made a list of areas that PM Imran Khan revolutionized during his 3 years of government.
The 3 years of the PTI government benefited the whole nation equally. PM Imran Khan tried to uplift all the factions of society with a special focus on the poor and vulnerable people of the country.
An initiative that resonates perfectly with the vision of Imran Khan i.e., to turn Pakistan into a welfare state. This program was introduced in 2019 with the sole purpose to ensure social safety and poverty alleviation. Ehsaas is an umbrella program constituting around 288 policies and initiatives and the list continues to grow. It is the biggest initiative taken in the history of Pakistan.
When people were struggling because of over-burdening medical expenses at that time, PM Imran Khan launched Sehat Card. The Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card was introduced in different areas such as Punjab, Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Tharparkar, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Single National Curriculum (SNC)
In the 3 years of the PTI government, the education system has undergone a major change and that’s the introduction of a single national curriculum. For the first time, the poor and rich were deemed equal by ensuring equal educational opportunities for all.
The list goes on. There are other many significant initiatives introduced like Koi Bhooka Na Soye Program, Zarat se Khuraak Tak program, Panagahs, Women Empowerment Centers, etc.
During the three years of Imran Khan’s government, Pakistan has maintained, for the most part, peaceful foreign relations with the countries. The relations were carried out with mutual respect for each other.
- Bi-lateral and trade relations with the Eurasian states i.e., Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, etc.
- Economic and trade relations with China and Russia saw a new height in the 3 years of the PTI government.
- Pakistan hosted the 48th OIC conference.
- PM Imran Khan on behalf of OIC countries presented a resolution against Islamophobia in the United Nations.
- Raising voice and extended to aid to crisis-ridden countries Afghanistan, Kashmir, Ukraine, Palestine, etc.
- Giving befitting answers to India’s tactics in a way that avoided escalation and retained peace in the region.
One of Imran Khan’s government achievements is the advancements made in the development sector. Despite the pandemic, the government continued to keep the textile, manufacturing, and textile sector on track. Several projects have been launched to upgrade the development sector. Some of them are mentioned below:
Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project(RRUDP)
It was initiated in 2020 with the purpose to turn Ravi into an everlasting freshwater body. The project after completion is expected to be the world’s largest riverfront. The proposed city is to be constructed on 41,308-hectare.
Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Project
The project is aimed at conserving wildlife, and forestry, creating jobs and fostering eco-tourism. 125.1843 billion have been allocated for this project. This initiative also aims to protect nature and keep the climate from deteriorating.
Lowest Unemployment Rate
The 3 years of the PTI government have seen many crises may it be the political or economic etc. The biggest challenge was the Covid and with that the rise in the unemployment rate. The whole world faced a decline in the employment rate. However, in a recent survey, Pakistan was reported to have the lowest unemployment rate in the region.
Imran Khan’s government’s other achievements in this sector are freight trains, Karachi nuclear power plant 2, heritage trail inauguration, Naya Pakistan housing, etc.
The vision of Imran Khan is to make a welfare state involved in the contribution of overseas Pakistanis. PM Imran Khan wants to give the overseas Pakistanis a chance to play a bigger role in the progress of the country by granting them the right to vote. This step showed the overseas Pakistani’s importance to the country. Moreover, in the three years of the PTI government, the highest record of remittances collection was achieved.
Economic and Technological Sector
PTI’s 3 years of performance can be assessed on the basis of the progress made in the economic and technological sectors. The PTI government put a special focus on making technologically self-sufficient. Some of the important initiatives, programs, and projects are:
- Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA)
- Pakistan’s first stent production facility
- Roshan Digital Account
- Software zones
- Semiconductor zones
- Launch of first Green Bond
- E-voting machines
- Creating a conducive environment to boost the start-up ecosystem.
All this in 3 years of PTI government, just imagine what would the Prime Minister Imran Khan would have achieved if he had been given the chance to complete 5 years of government. PTI government’s achievements in these 3 years felt like 30 years. There are many other great things that the PTI government did and one of them is staying a ‘corruption-free’ government. We thank the PM Imran Khan and the PTI government for staying loyal to the country and making efforts to turn Pakistan into a progressive state. | <urn:uuid:43016a68-94c3-4e72-b6d4-036ea168de06> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://neemopani.com/3-years-of-pti-government-lets-admire-the-past/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.941084 | 1,535 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Calendar of Events
AIANY COTE | Ed Mazria - Architecture: On the Brink, *special location: held at the Cooper Union's Great Hall*
AIA CES LUs 1.5; HSW 1.5; SD 1.5
When: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
Where: At the Cooper Union
*In the Great Hall, Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street*
As part of Earth Week, and to launch AIANY’s new educational program on the 2030 Commitment, Ed Mazria will speak at Cooper Union’s Great Hall. For over a century, architects, planners and designers have been taught they can transform the world. With the 2030 Challenge and AIA’s 2030 Commitment on how to get there, we now have the opportunity to make a tangible difference.
We are at the crossroads of the most significant crisis and the greatest opportunity in modern times. Three profound, world-altering events are converging to create this crisis and opportunity – the warming of the earth’s atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels, the rapid depletion of global petroleum and natural gas reserves and the current long recession. As these events unfold, and are combined with the increasing frequency of of major environmental disasters, they will dramatically change how we live, build and relate to the natural world.
Internationally recognized architect, author, educator and founder of Architecture 2030, Edward Mazria, has translated the unfathomable complexities of man-made climate change, today's multifaceted energy issues and the U.S. economy, into actionable issues that relate directly to us all. This presentation illustrates the powerful role of the Building Sector in both creating and alleviating many of the crises facing America and the world today. His presentation will provide a deep understanding of the historic development of the Modern Movement, present status of architecture and planning, the 2030 Challenge, the historic transformation of the Building Sector currently underway, and the magnitude of the opportunities before us.
Edward Mazria - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Architecture 2030
Edward Mazria is an internationally recognized architect, energy expert, educator and author with a distinguished and successful career spanning 45 years. He is the CEO of Architecture 2030, a non-profit, non-partisan, solution-oriented organization. His comprehensive knowledge of design, planning, climate change and alternative energy sources are focused on a dramatic reduction of fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions generated by the Building Sector, as well as building and regional adaptation strategies for projected climactic and environmental changes.
Mr. Mazria lectures extensively and meets personally with key decision makers and stakeholders at the local, regional, national and international levels.
Location: *The Great Hall, Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street*
Free for AIA members and Cooper Union students with RSVP and Membership ID at the door. Please use the Event Registration form on the right-hand side of this page.
Other students, $5 at the door.
$15 for all others. Please purchase tickets here. | <urn:uuid:05ccec71-973b-4a75-a78f-44e4b5a0819e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://cfa.aiany.org/index.php?section=calendar&evtid=2711 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283301.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00503-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91062 | 633 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Click the following link for a description of our testing methodology, the equipment we use, and a brief explanation of what the specified and tested parameters of power supplies mean. The article is called X-bit Labs Presents: Power Supply Unit Testing Methodology In-Depth. If you feel overwhelmed with the numbers and terms this article abounds in, check out an appropriate section of the mentioned article for an explanation.
You can also check Cooling/PSU section on our site for a complete list of PSU models we have tested in our labs.
BFG ES Series BFGR800WESPSU (800W)
BFG Technologies is a large retailer who is mostly active on the American market. We have reviewed this company’s graphics cards and now it’s time for us to check out its PSUs as well. It looks like a strong trend for graphics card, memory and cooler makers to begin to produce power supplies in addition to their main, traditional products.
This 800W ES series power supply is a senior PSU model from BFG. The manufacturer claims this series to have high efficiency. While the efficiency of most PSUs drops quickly at low loads, the ES series models ensure an 80% or higher efficiency even at a load of 10%.
The exterior of this power supply is quite traditional: a black glossy case with BFG logos pressed out in the side panels, and a large fan. The small vent grid in the side panel may catch your eye. Why is it there if a perforated external panel of the PSU is near?
Looking into the case, you can see an active PFC card near that grid. The card is photographed with the solder facing up. So, the additional ventilation is necessary to cool the PFC card more efficiently.
The real manufacturer of this power supply is Andyson. This name may be familiar to you by Hiper power supplies, for example. By the way, Hiper has changed its supplier recently and switched to Channel Well.
Andyson PSUs had raised my criticism for their low quality of soldering before. Fortunately, I didn’t find any problems on examining the ES-800. | <urn:uuid:4f536d23-b20d-49e8-b35b-cd093e3aab4e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cases/display/atx-psu10.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00184-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948033 | 442 | 1.898438 | 2 |
How American Unions Helped Solidarity Win
Twenty-five years ago, a group of shipyard workers launched a strike that united Poland and, eventually, toppled the Communist government. The Polish people had lived under Soviet rule since the end of World War II; by 1980, they had endured decades of corrupt officials and economic decline—they were ready for drastic action. Solidarity, the independent trade union that was born during the strike, grew into an irrepressible national movement. During the years of harsh government repression following the imposition of martial law in December 1981, the Solidarity movement survived—thanks, in part, to support from the American labor movement. The AFL-CIO, under then-President Lane Kirkland, was one of the few institutions in America (or anywhere) that believed Solidarity could win and that communism could be defeated. After seven years of underground activity that included bold protests and strikes by Solidarity members, the Polish government finally agreed to partially-free elections. Solidarity won in a landslide, inspiring people across Eastern Europe to bring down their own Communist regimes. We celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gdansk strike with a photo essay documenting Solidarity's birth, survival, and victory and with this excerpt from the biography of Lane Kirkland, who was president of the AFL-CIO throughout this extraordinary period and oversaw American labor's extraordinary contribution to this cause.
It all began on August 14, 1980, when workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, a Baltic port city, launched a strike against the management of the state-owned enterprise. On one level, the strike was a response to the Communist regime's announcement of major increases in the price of basic foods and the dismissal of several popular workers. But in a broader sense, the strike's target was Communism itself: Communism's elaborate system of control; its endemic corruption and favoritism; its identification with Poland's historic enemy, Russia; its atheism; the lies of its press; and, ultimately, its denial of basic worker rights, a denial that the authorities justified in the name of the working class.
Lane Kirkland, president of America's labor federation, the AFL-CIO, was among the first to grasp the significance of the burgeoning strike movement in August 1980. As the strike spread from Gdansk to other Baltic port cities and then to steel mills, tractor factories, and textile enterprises, he noted the high degree of organization, the shrewd tactical instincts, and the self-discipline of the workers. Where in the past Polish workers had given vent to their anger through indiscriminate protests and riots, they now acted like veteran trade unionists in a developed capitalist society, occupying factories, mobilizing the support of the broader community, selecting leaders and negotiating committees through democratic processes, and putting forward demands that ranged from issues of workplace safety to broader questions of civil rights for the entire Polish population. This was the beginning of Solidarity, the independent Polish trade union that would—after a nine-year struggle—topple Poland's Communist regime, and put into motion the dynamic that toppled communism virtually everywhere.
Kirkland was intrigued with descriptions of Lech Walesa. An electrician who had been fired for his labor activism at the Lenin yard, Walesa seemed the epitome of the charismatic working-class hero, a man with little formal education and lacking in strong ideological passions, outside of a devotion to the Catholic Church and an instinctive love of freedom. Under his leadership, Solidarity advanced a series of 21 demands in talks with the regime, ranging from such fundamental workplace issues as the right to join independent unions and an increase in the minimum wage to broader issues like an end to censorship, the broadcasts of Sunday masses on state television, and union representation on the self-governing committees of state-owned enterprises. A number of the demands were related to the rights of religious belief. From the outset, the Solidarity leadership regarded the Polish-born pope, John Paul II, as a kind of spiritual father to their cause. The pope's pilgrimage to Poland in June of 1979 is widely recognized as the spark that led to Solidarity as a massive, but nonviolent, movement to speak the truth in the face of the Communist government's lies. The pope's steadfast support, even in the darkest moments, remained an inspiration throughout the periods of conflict and crisis during the 1980s.
Finally, Kirkland took especially careful note during the Gdansk strike of the Communist regime's seeming impotence in the face of what was fast becoming a movement for worker rights, free expression, and civil liberties that embraced practically the entire Polish nation. The authorities carefully refrained from violence, there were few arrests, and when it became clear that the strike leadership intended to ignore the regime's pleadings and bluster, the government did the unthinkable: Eight days after the strike began, the Polish government sat down and bargained with its workers and, in the end, agreed to most of the strikers' demands.
I. Kirkland and the AFL-CIO vs. the Establishment
One week into the strike, Kirkland made clear the American labor federation's intention to provide assistance to the Polish workers—a position that put him at odds with the U.S. foreign policy establishment, including high officials in then-President Carter's administration. In U.S. diplomatic circles, a consensus view prevailed that the Soviets were determined to thwart all challenges to their domination of Eastern Europe and that anti-Communist movements like Solidarity were doomed to fail. In Europe, diplomats seemed to resent the Polish workers for complicating relations with the Kremlin.
The U.S. foreign policy establishment also believed that the West should refrain from giving assistance to forces that posed a threat to the East European status quo, on the grounds that Western "intervention" would provide Moscow with a pretext for military response. Kirkland, however, flatly rejected the proposition that aid from Western trade unions would provoke official repression or a Soviet invasion. His credo in such matters was summarized in his answer to the press:
I believe that the Soviet Union and its vassal Polish government will take such actions as it deems in its interests. I believe that the main deterrent to such action would be (a) the hope they might have that the strike would simply collapse and the workers revert to a condition of servitude and exploitation; (b) that such action would not be cost-free.
Every spokesman for freedom in Iron Curtain countries with whom we have had contact ... has strongly asserted the proposition that their survival and inspiration depend very heavily on support and attention and publicity from the Free World. I have never heard one of them ... suggest that the strongest possible expressions of support, publicity, and attention did them harm.... I'm unable to convince myself that better deeds are going to be done in the dark than will be done in the broad daylight of attention and vocal and public support.1
Earlier, Teddy Gleason, president of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), announced that his union, which represented 110,000 dockworkers at ports on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, would launch a boycott of Polish shipments. Kirkland, meanwhile, dispatched letters to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Transport Workers' Federation, requesting support for the ILA action.2
On August 31, 1980, Kirkland told Meet the Press that the international labor movement would impose a massive transportation blockade on Polish goods if matters were not soon resolved. He also announced that the AFL-CIO would be providing Solidarity with cash and other assistance. But Kirkland already saw the Polish developments as having the potential to set off a long and arduous struggle to liberate East Europeans from the Soviet maw. "For the first time a pluralistic institution has been accepted within a Communist regime," he noted, "with consequences that could be quite far-reaching."3 Few others could claim to share Kirkland's prescience.
From the very outset, then, Kirkland regarded the Polish workers' movement—soon to be formally constituted as a union and given the name Solidarnosc, or Solidarity—as a phenomenon altogether different in character and potential from the samizdat (underground) manifestoes and dissident protests that had emerged throughout the Soviet bloc during the 1970s. Intellectual dissidents wrote brilliant polemics and displayed remarkable personal courage in the face of Communist brutality. But until Solidarity, the authorities had shown themselves fully capable of smothering what had always been small, atomized, and factionalized attempts at opposition. When Soviet dissidents, like Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Vladimir Bukovsky were deemed dangerous to the regime, they could be packed off to prison camp or forced into exile. Poland's Communists, however, did not have the option of exiling or jailing an entire working class.
Kirkland's embrace of Solidarity brought him into immediate conflict with the Carter administration. Despite the administration's avowed commitment to human rights, Edmund Muskie, secretary of state, decided that quiet diplomacy was the most prudent course to follow in the Polish crisis. He summoned Kirkland to his office for lunch on September 3, 1980, during which he gave a "negative assessment" of the Polish aid fund that the AFL-CIO had just launched and declared that the federation's open support for Solidarity could be "deliberately misinterpreted" by the Kremlin in order to justify military intervention. Muskie was not alone in deploring labor's Polish initiative. In a New York Times column, Flora Lewis called the Workers Aid Fund "most unfortunate."4
* * *
Solidarity did not share the State Department's apprehensions about American labor's involvement in Polish developments. On September 12, Walesa said that outside assistance was welcomed, given the union's lack of resources inside Poland. He pointedly added, "Help can never be politically embarrassing. That of the AFL-CIO, for example. We are grateful to them. It was a very good thing that they helped us. Whenever we can, we will help them, too."5
Although Kirkland and Walesa were not to meet until 1989, there was, from the beginning, a strong bond between the two leaders that transcended their inability to speak to one another directly. Both were committed trade unionists; both believed that international labor solidarity was a powerful force against dictatorship and that Communism, despite its brutal and totalitarian character, was vulnerable to opposition movements that enjoyed mass popular support. Kirkland admired Walesa's audacity—his willingness to ignore the threats of Polish Communists, the rantings of Soviet leaders, and for that matter, the polite advice that emerged from the American embassy in Warsaw. Although Kirkland was unaware at the time, Communist officials had gone to Walesa and urged that Solidarity avoid ties to the AFL-CIO on the grounds that the federation was an instrument of the CIA. "I simply ignored them," Walesa said years later.6 Kirkland's resolve was reinforced by Walesa's expressions of gratitude. Kirkland told U.S. News and World Report that labor would help the Poles "in any way we can, including financially." He again dismissed the proposition that the delivery of aid to the Poles would trigger a Soviet invasion. "I don't believe that the cause of trade unionism was ever advanced on little cat feet. We are a movement of free trade unions, and freedom of expression is the only way we know to conduct our affairs." Besides, he added, the Soviet Union "will act on the basis of its own appraisal of its own interests, not on the basis of anything we might say."7
Kirkland was also aware that in taking on the role of Solidarity's chief Western backer, the AFL-CIO was assuming a unique set of responsibilities. While Kirkland was rock-like in his support for the Polish union, he was never reckless in his comments or actions. He and his aides scrupulously refrained from issuing commentaries on the evolving political situation in Poland. Kirkland also made it a foundation of AFL-CIO policy that in relations with Solidarity, the Americans would adhere to the wishes of Walesa and his advisers and avoid efforts to impose anything that could be construed as an American agenda. "Our policies will be guided by Solidarity's needs," he declared.8
Among Carter's top officials, the most sympathetic to Kirkland's stance on Poland was National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. In December, Brzezinski told Kirkland that American intelligence believed that a Soviet invasion of Poland was imminent; to forestall a catastrophe, Brzezinski was putting together a list of retaliatory measures the United States would take, with the intention of sending it along to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev as a reminder that intervention would not be without consequences. Kirkland told Brzezinski that should the Soviets intervene, a worldwide boycott of the shipment of Polish and Soviet goods—by air, sea, or rail—could be organized, given Solidarity's popularity with unions around the globe. Brzezinski subsequently added the boycott threat to his list.9
By mid-January 1981, the AFL-CIO had raised $160,000 for Solidarity, the money coming from contributions from individual unions, collections at plant gates, and the sale of T-shirts and other Solidarity paraphernalia organized by a youth organization established specifically to raise money for Solidarity and to mobilize pro-Solidarity events on college campuses. The AFL-CIO was not alone in supporting Solidarity; unions from West Germany, France, Japan, and other countries were helping the Polish union with material contributions; the bulk of the money was used to purchase printing equipment and other instruments of communication.10
By the summer of 1981, Kirkland was recognized as Solidarity's most resolute supporter in the Free World. Poland's Communist authorities gave recognition to Kirkland's role by making him one of the few foreigners barred from attending Solidarity's first convention in September 1981, a fact that did not escape the Solidarity delegates. "We figured that if the Communists prohibited Lane Kirkland from attending our congress, he must be our best friend," noted former biology teacher Wiktor Kulerski, a union leader from Warsaw.11 Kirkland's speech was smuggled in and read by a Solidarity leader. The delegates gave the speech a stormy ovation.
Martial Law Declared
It had always been clear that Polish authorities had tolerated the existence of Solidarity because of their own weakened condition, and not from genuine commitment to change. The new Polish leader, General Jaruzelski (who had put down a worker rebellion in 1970), was under intense pressure from the Soviets, who, although unwilling to launch an invasion of Poland, were privately demanding that the Polish party take measures to restore order and eliminate Solidarity. 1981 was marked by clashes between Solidarity and the regime; as the year drew to a close, American intelligence officials received urgent warnings that a major act of repression was imminent.
On December 13, 1981, the regime gave its answer. That night, members of the ZOMO, a special security unit formed to put down manifestations of political opposition, arrested the bulk of the union leadership, including Walesa, as they left a conference in Gdansk. Jaruzelski imposed a series of martial law measures and banned Solidarity. The ZOMO and other security units scoured the country, breaking into apartments and stopping travelers in a nationwide dragnet for union leaders who had eluded arrest in Gdansk.
When martial law was declared, Kirkland pronounced that "[Solidarity's] battle is ours, and we shall not let them down." He also called on Western governments and the ICFTU to immediately plan measures to punish the regime.12
On December 15, Kirkland was summoned to the White House to discuss the Polish crisis with then-President Reagan. Kirkland told Reagan that the administration's response to martial law was inadequate. Asked how he would have the government respond, Kirkland went directly to what he saw as the heart of the matter: the billions in outstanding loans from Western governments and banks that had been extended to Poland over the years in support of unsound development schemes. Kirkland urged, "You should declare them formally in default." Such action, Kirkland added, should be taken with the goal of destroying Poland's credit and making it impossible for the regime to receive further loans. Kirkland also told Reagan that the AFL-CIO intended to get material into the hands of Solidarity's surviving structures through the networks it had developed over the previous year. "We have the contacts ... to do it, and we'll use whatever resources we can, but whatever resources could be provided would be [helpful]." Reagan said he would take Kirkland's views into consideration, and the meeting ended.13
For the duration of the Polish crisis, Kirkland remained critical of the Reagan administration for what he regarded as a consistently inadequate policy toward the Jaruzelski regime. Kirkland believed that the administration's Poland policy was dictated in large means by the Republican party's ties to the world of finance, which vigorously opposed calling in the debt and forcing the Polish government into default.
To be sure, the Reagan administration did adopt sanctions against the Polish regime. But these measures were largely symbolic: the cancellation of landing rights for Lot, the Polish national airline; the denial of commercial fishing permits in American waters; the cancellation of Export-Import Bank insurance for deals with Poland. Reagan took no steps against the Soviets and refused to call in the debt and declare Poland in bankruptcy.
Nonetheless, despite the lack of consistency in its Polish policies, Reagan was not committed to a status quo that forever ceded domination over Eastern Europe to the Soviets. Reagan, in fact, actually believed that Communism was destined to collapse, and his policies were designed to move that process along. Within the State Department, however, expectations of change were decidedly less ambitious. Kirkland believed that neither the administration nor the State Department cared whether Solidarity reemerged as a legal trade union. He claimed that the undersecretary of state asked him to recognize the government-created and government-controlled trade union that had been set up to supplant Solidarity. Kirkland replied: "No democracy without Solidarity."14
About one year into martial law, General Jaruzelski announced that all restrictions on Polish society would be lifted—except for the ban on Solidarity, which would remain. Further, when martial law was lifted, about 2,000 political prisoners remained behind bars and the authorities were about to place 11 activists on trial for treason. Within four months, the Reagan administration, despite the continued Solidarity ban, the imprisonments, and the trials, formally eased some of its sanctions.15 Then, in early 1987, the Reagan administration lifted the remaining sanctions. Solidarity was left to struggle forward on its own underground.
II. How the AFL-CIO Smuggled Aid to Solidarity
Immediately upon the declaration of martial law in December 1981, Kirkland began putting in place the structure of a secret distribution network linking American unions to the Solidarity underground. The most important channel ran through a Solidarity office in Brussels, Belgium, that had been established, at Walesa's direction, to represent the union's interest during martial law. Jerzy Milewski, a Solidarity activist who had left Poland for a visit to the West two days before martial law was imposed, was selected to direct the office. Another veteran of the democratic opposition, Miroslaw Chojecki, took on the responsibility of developing routes into Poland by which money, printing presses, computers, and other materials could be shipped to underground sources.
To administer the federation's Poland project, Kirkland relied on a small cadre of dedicated assistants who shared his passion for the Solidarity cause. Tom Kahn, an assistant to Kirkland and former aide to civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, coordinated the undertaking. Joining Kahn in the mid-1980s was Adrian Karatnycky, an American of Ukrainian descent who was fluent in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian and who had been involved in various anti-Soviet protest campaigns. For reliable information from inside martial-law Poland, Kirkland relied heavily on the Committee in Support of Solidarity, whose principal figures—Irena Lasota, a Polish émigré who came to the United States after meeting with persecution for antiregime involvement as a university student, and Eric Chenoweth, a young political activist formerly on the staff of the AFL-CIO—had developed a wide range of contacts within the Solidarity structure.
Solidarity's principal needs were threefold: money to support the families of imprisoned activists and sustain the underground structure, printing presses and other equipment for an underground press, and financial aid to enable the union to conduct strikes and other nonviolent actions meant to weaken the regime's grip.
Getting money through the border control to Solidarity presented few problems since it was relatively simple to conceal cash in clothing or luggage or to squirrel it away in automobiles. But getting shipments of printing equipment into the country posed a number of tricky problems. To begin with, there was always the risk that ultra-diligent officials in Western Europe might complicate matters, since the methods of shipment often violated the laws of the country of origin, as well as those of Poland. A more serious challenge was getting the shipments past Polish border control. To outwit the authorities, Chojecki developed transport networks originating from a number of European countries—principally, Sweden and France.16 But while most shipments reached their intended destination, there were some notable failures as well. The Brussels office was sometimes criticized for sending large shipments into Poland on big, over-the-road trucks with false cargo documents. On one occasion, three trucks were stopped in Gdansk; authorities confiscated 14 duplicating machines, 5 copying machines, 9,500 duplicating machine matrices, 17 sets of light-sensitive matrices, a radiotelephone, and printed material. The equipment was unloaded, laid out in a sports stadium, and then shown on television news as evidence of the subversive maneuverings of the enemies of Polish socialism. While these failures were dismaying at the time, the seizure of some of the material was inevitable.17
Irving Brown, the AFL-CIO's director of international affairs based in Paris, came to believe that additional lines in and out of Poland were needed. He reasoned that given the decentralized nature of the underground, the more channels of distribution, the better. To run a second distribution route, Brown chose Miroslaw Dominczyk, a Solidarity activist from Kielce who had been forced into exile after a year of martial law internment. After his arrival in the United States, Dominczyk was asked to take responsibility for a smuggling operation and was given the code name "Coleslaw."18
Dominczyk's principal mission was to get into the hands of the underground printing equipment similar to that which had been seized during the first weeks of martial law. He soon moved his operation to London, England, because of the availability of used and therefore inexpensive printing equipment that was compatible with the technology available to Poles. His initial success came when he persuaded a Polish bus driver to smuggle in printing equipment during his monthly trips to Warsaw (the passengers were elderly Poles returning to the homeland for a visit). The driver did not deliver the equipment to its destination; instead, he left his keys at a prearranged spot. The shipment would then be off-loaded by members of the underground, and the keys returned to the driver's room. Dominczyk arranged alternative routes as well, using trucks and automobiles. He even concealed printing equipment in a shipment of refrigerators.
Dominczyk then hit on an idea that greatly simplified his work. He arranged for members of the underground who were responsible for printing operations to visit London as tourists. There, he taught them how to take apart and reassemble a printing press. Afterward, he began shipping the equipment part by part, a much less risky smuggling method than trying to get an entire press past the border. He also persuaded yachtsmen from Denmark and Sweden to take equipment on trips around the Baltic coast; the equipment would be transferred to boats manned by Solidarity members, who would then bring it to shore.
There were failures as well. Dominczyk once cried in frustration after a shipment of offset machines was returned; apparently, underground activists feared that the authorities were watching the shipment and decided against claiming it. His worst calamity occurred in 1987, when a large shipment, encompassing seven offset machines, plates, ink, and spare parts, was confiscated in East Germany.
Although the AFL-CIO was by far Solidarity's largest supplier of material aid, it was not the only source of assistance. Trade union federations from all over Europe were sending equipment to the underground. The most generous of the European unions according to Solidarity veterans were the French, including the Communist-led Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT, or General Confederation of Labor). Likewise, both Communist and non-Communist unions from Italy made contributions.
The Indispensable Underground Press
For Solidarity, contributions from abroad meant, above all else, the ability to maintain an underground press. In the vivid description of Wiktor Kulerski, a Solidarity union activist, "The printing presses we got from the West during martial law might be compared to machine guns or tanks during a war."19 The publications ranged from mimeographed factory newsletters to intellectual journals to newspapers with a wide popular audience. Western assistance financed the entire publications structure, from the printing presses to the people who operated the presses, to the journalists who wrote articles, and on down to those who distributed the publications.
The importance of the press cannot be overemphasized. With Solidarity declared illegal, its activists could not perform their functions as union officials or as members of the democratic opposition, except through periodic strikes and protests, the impact of which diminished considerably as Polish society sank into a state of exhaustion. The press thus was the sole means of communication with Polish society, really the only way Solidarity could keep hope for the future alive and remind the authorities that no peace was possible as long as Solidarity was illegal.
To a certain extent, the press functioned as a surrogate trade union, taking on the responsibilities that Solidarity would have shouldered had it been legal. The press reported instances of workplace injuries and management corruption and told of families who had suffered through tragedy or official repression and were thus in need of help. The impact of its reports was magnified when selections were read over international broadcast services sponsored by Western governments, particularly Radio Free Europe.
Among the publications issued by the underground press were books long banned by the Communists, such as George Orwell's antitotalitarian classic Animal Farm and treatises by philosophers such as Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers. There were also journals that targeted those involved in the apparatus of repression. Czeslaw Bielecki, director of an underground publishing consortium, published a journal entitled Dignity, which criticized the police and included militia members among its writers. Another of Bielecki's publications, Redoubt, was meant for members of the military; most of the writing was done by three lieutenant colonels.20
As is often the case with opposition movements that challenge the authorities in totalitarian settings, Solidarity was awash in rumors of spies, double agents, and infiltrations by internal security. But years later when Bogdan Borusewicz, one of the early Solidarity leaders from Gdansk, served on a parliamentary commission that investigated the tactics employed by the state security against Solidarity, he concluded that while the regime had recorded some success in infiltrating the underground structures, the authorities had not succeeded in preventing the delivery of money and equipment from Western sources. Borusewicz believes that virtually all of the money sent to the underground got through the border control.21
* * *
By 1988, the struggle between Solidarity and the regime had reached a stalemate. On one level, the regime had clearly gained the upper hand in the political realm. Jaruzelski felt sufficiently confident of his power to lift martial law, release political prisoners, and ease restrictions on foreign travel. These measures had burnished his international stature; increasingly, he was regarded as a patriotic Pole who had reluctantly adopted a course of repression in order to prevent a Soviet invasion. (This charitable view of Jaruzelski has proved unwarranted; documents uncovered during the 1990s showed that Jaruzelski was actively seeking Soviet intervention and not, as was widely believed, arguing against invasion with Moscow.) But though Jaruzelski could claim to have gained dominance over Solidarity, he continued to preside over a critically ill economy, a condition that was not likely to improve until the government enjoyed the support of the people.
Solidarity then called a series of strikes in a determined effort to revive its fortunes and convince the regime that social peace required a settlement that included Solidarity. Foreign assistance, particularly from the AFL-CIO and the National Endowment for Democracy, was critical; without a strike fund, miners and other workers would not have agreed to make the financial sacrifices demanded by a work stoppage. Although the strikes did not succeed in crippling the government, they served an important purpose by convincing the regime to open talks with the opposition toward some sort of national accord. The result was an agreement to hold national elections in which the opposition, though unable to run as a Solidarity party, could put forward candidates for Parliament and the regime would accept the election results.
This was a settlement of historic proportions. Nonetheless, many observers reckoned that it was the regime and not Solidarity that had gotten the better part of the bargain. Some doubted that Communists would ever permit a fair election, while others predicted that Poles would opt for the strong leadership of Jaruzelski rather than gamble on the undisciplined forces of Solidarity. Kirkland, however, was confident that unless the regime falsified the returns, Solidarity would easily triumph. He reasoned that given the option of voting for oppression or freedom, Poles—indeed, any people—would choose freedom.
Years later, he explained his faith in Solidarity's eventual victory:
I still believe and I believed then that history moves when civil society reaches a critical point. It is not decided in the foreign ministries or the palaces of power but in the streets and the work places. And when critical mass is reached, there is nothing you can do unless you are willing to kill and slaughter and put the whole country in chains.22
Whatever his crimes, Jaruzelski was not inclined to kill thousands of his own countrymen to retain power. But like any autocrat, he enjoyed immense advantages over his adversaries, which he exploited to the hilt. The official press trumpeted the achievements of Communist candidates and studiously ignored the opposition. The party made liberal use of its patronage power. The police hovered over Solidarity rallies, checking identification papers and recording the names of those on hand. American government officials expressed pessimism about Solidarity's prospects, while Communists were certain they would win.
To help ensure a more level playing field, the AFL-CIO and the Polish-American community gave Bronislaw Geremek (an adviser to Walesa who later became Poland's foreign minister), who was traveling in the United States, $100,000 for Solidarity's election campaign. The money was in cash, and when Poland's future foreign minister went through customs in Warsaw, he was searched, and the money was taken, laid out, and photographed. The result that the media were full of accounts of the attempts by foreign interests to influence the Polish elections. But Geremek was allowed to keep the money, a sign, Geremek believes, that the authorities were confident of victory.23
The regime's confidence could not have been more misplaced. When the elections were held in June, Solidarity's candidates scored an overwhelming victory, winning all of the contested seats in the lower house of Parliament and 99 out of 100 in the upper house. While the accord with Jaruzelski had called for a power-sharing arrangement with the Communists, even in the event of a Solidarity electoral triumph, the results meant the effective end of Communist rule in Poland. By the end of the year, Communist dictatorships had been routed in every Soviet bloc country of Eastern Europe.
In the end, the AFL-CIO was responsible for channeling over $4 million to Solidarity. Prior to martial law and during martial law's initial period, some $500,000 was raised for the AFL-CIO Polish Workers Aid Fund. But with the establishment of the National Endowment for Democracy in 1984, the amount of money available to the AFL-CIO for Poland purposes rose dramatically. In all, $1.7 million was given to Solidarity by the Free Trade Union Institute (which was created by the AFL-CIO in 1977) using NED grants. Money for Poland rose yet again when Congress approved special $1 million allocations to the AFL-CIO for use on behalf of Solidarity in 1988 and 1989.
The Solidarity leadership respected Kirkland as their most loyal friend and as a man of power in Washington, D.C. As Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Solidarity's principal spokesman, put it: "We understood Kirkland's position in American politics. We knew that presidents come and go, but Kirkland would still be there."24
For Andrzej Celinski, a key Solidarity official, Kirkland's significance derived from his grasp of European politics, his belief in the possibility of radical change in Communist Europe, and the power he wielded as leader of American labor. Celinski actually met Kirkland prior to martial law, during a visit in which he sought to convince influential Americans "that there was a chance to achieve democratic change in Central Europe." Celinski added:
We believed that this would require the active participation of the United States, since political leaders in Europe were comfortable with the division of Europe that had been reached in the agreements at Yalta and Potsdam [at the end of World War II]. But I also had to convince Americans that policy towards Central Europe need not be viewed through the prism of relations with Moscow.
In April 1990, Kirkland, his wife, and a delegation from the AFL-CIO traveled to Warsaw and Gdansk to attend the second Solidarity congress—a triumphal gathering of those who had forged the democratic revolution from inside Poland and those who had sustained the revolution from abroad. During the visit, the Kirklands stopped at the grave of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest murdered by the secret police for his uncompromising support for Solidarity. They placed flowers at the gravestone; as they turned to leave, a church caretaker approached. "You should know something," he said. "At each mass during martial law, Father Popieluszko included the name of Lane Kirkland in his prayers."
"I could not reply," Kirkland wrote later. "On Judgment Day, I would be willing to settle for that account in my book of life."26
Arch Puddington is director of research at Freedom House. He is author of Failed Utopias, a study of the techniques of Communist control, and Freedom's Voice: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. This article is adapted with permission of the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., from Lane Kirkland: Champion of American Labor by Arch Puddington. Copyright © 2005 by Arch Puddington. This book is available at bookstores, online booksellers, and from the Wiley Web site at www.wiley.com, or call 1-800-225-5945.
1. "Press Questions Kirkland on AFL-CIO Support for Polish Workers," Free Trade Union News, September 1980.
2. William Serrin, "AFL-CIO Names a Woman to Its Executive Board," New York Times, August 22, 1980.
3. Fred Barbash, "Unions in West Helped Poles, UAW President says," Washington Post, September 1, 1980; "Union Sent Money to Striking Polish Workers," Associated Press, September 1, 1980.
4. Flora Lewis, "Let the Poles Do It," New York Times, September 5, 1980.
5. "Polish Strike Leader Thanks U.S. Labor," Associated Press, September 12, 1980.
6. Author interview with Lech Walesa.
7. "There's a Good Fighting Chance They Can Make It Work," U.S. News and World Report, September 15, 1980.
8. Daniel Southerland, "AFL-CIO Sending Aid to Polish Unionists," Christian Science Monitor, December 8, 1980; author interviews with Adrian Karatnycky and Lech Walesa.
9. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Power and Principle, New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1982, p. 467.
10. Charles J. Hanley, "U.S., Other Unions Pour Aid into Poland," Associated Press, January 14, 1981.
11. Author interview with Wiktor Kulerski.
12. AFL-CIO press release, December 15, 1981; United Press International, December 14, 1981.
13. Shea and Kienzle, "An Interview with Lane Kirkland."
14. Jonathan Kwitney, Man of the Century, New York: Holt, 1997, p. 472.
15. Bernard Gwertzman, "U.S. Intends to Ease Polish Curbs; AFL-CIO Vows Opposition," New York Times, November 1, 1983.
16. Author interview with Joanna Pilarska.
17. Author interview with Bronislaw Geremek.
18. Richard Wilson, "In Solidarity: The AFL-CIO and Solidarnosc, 1980-1990," unpublished manuscript.
19. Author interview with Wiktor Kulerski.
20. Author interview with Czeslaw Bielecki.
21. Author interview with Bogdan Borusewicz.
22. Shea and Kienzle, "An Interview with Lane Kirkland."
23. Author interview with Bronislaw Geremek.
24. Author interview with Janusz Onyszkiewicz.
25. Author interview with Andrzej Celinski.
26. Lane Kirkland memoirs.
Surviving the Underground
How American Unions Helped Solidarity Win
By Arch Puddington
Vote Solidarity (PDF)
The Election Art of 1989 | <urn:uuid:b49dbeb1-1ade-426f-87ff-ce32fb281d8b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2005/surviving-underground | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.973661 | 8,001 | 3.375 | 3 |
Frederick Herrick was born in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire and studied at Leicester School of Art and the Royal College. He served in the Grenadier Guards during the First World War and was severely injured at Hulluch in 1915. Herrick was Head of the Studio at the Baynard Press, a printing company that pioneered the use of photolithography. He taught for a time at the Royal College of Art as Instructor in Drawing and later at Brighton School of Art., where his classes included mural painting. Herrick’s work had a wry charm that combined image and text in elegant and graceful balance, perhaps his best known work was the Lion he designed as a symbol for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. | <urn:uuid:29983266-3ee7-4392-bc2c-82301cff81a1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/collection/artists/herrick-frederic-charles-1887/initial/h/page/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.989693 | 148 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The Confocal and Multiphoton Facility, Image Analysis Facility, Microscopy and NanoImaging Facility, and the Roy J. Carver Laboratory for Ultrahigh Resolution Biological Microscopy (part of the Institute for Combinatorial Discovery) have merged into the Roy J. Carver High Resolution Microscopy Facility (HRMF). Margie Carter, Tracey Stewart and Curtis Mosher co-manage the new facility, which is administered by the Office of Biotechnology. The HRMF is located in the basement of the Molecular Biology Building. More information about the facility’s services is online.
Please note: The new name, Roy J. Carver High Resolution Microscopy Facility, should be used in future grants proposals or acknowledgements. | <urn:uuid:05cd4d0f-6521-4729-b3e4-698a10f18f5b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://archive.las.iastate.edu/2018/07/09/merger-creates-roy-j-carver-high-resolution-microscopy-facility/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.886738 | 155 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Understanding and Avoiding the Oil Curse in Resource-rich Arab Economies
by Ibrahim Elbadawi and Hoda Selim
English | 2016 | ISBN: 1107141729 | 497 Pages | True PDF | 6.5 MB
The 'oil curse' is a common phrase used to describe how oil-rich Arab countries often fall behind others in terms of economic growth. In this book, leading economists provide fresh insight into how resource-dependent Arab countries can best exploit their oil revenues through macroeconomic management, industrial policy and political reforms. | <urn:uuid:f7ae4cee-97a5-41d2-b871-89b23b88b593> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://soek.pro/oil-motor/news-467474/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00054-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.866204 | 110 | 1.8125 | 2 |
1.1 What is it?
Lyme arthritis is one of the diseases caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme borreliosis) which is transmitted by the bite of hard ticks, including Ixodes ricinus.
1.2 How common is it?
While the skin, the central nervous system, the heart, the eye and other organs may be the target of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, joints are the exclusive target in most cases of Lyme arthritis. However, there may be a history of skin involvement in the form of erythema migrans, an expanding red skin rash at the site of the tick bite.
In rare instances, untreated cases of Lyme arthritis may progress to central nervous system involvement.
Only a minority of children with arthritis have Lyme arthritis. However, Lyme arthritis is probably the most frequent arthritis occurring after bacterial infection in children and adolescents in Europe. It rarely occurs before the age of 4 years and is therefore primarily a disease of school children.
1.3 What are the causes of the disease?
It occurs in all areas of Europe but is prevalent in Middle Europe and southern Scandinavia around the Baltic Sea. Although transmission depends on the bite of infected ticks, which are active from April to October (depending on environmental temperature and humidity), Lyme arthritis may start at any time during the year due to the long and variable time between the infecting tick bite and the onset of joint swelling.
The cause of the disease is the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted via the bite of the tick Ixodes ricinus. Most ticks are not infected and hence most tick-bites do not result in infection and most infections, if apparent as erythema migrans, do not progress to later stages of the disease including Lyme arthritis.
1.4 Is it inherited?
This is the case especially if early stages, including erythema migrans, have been treated with antibiotics. Thus, although Lyme borreliosis, in the form of erythema migrans, may occur in up to 1 in 1000 children each year, the occurrence of Lyme arthritis, the late manifestation of the disease, is a rare event.
Lyme arthritis is an infectious disease and is not inherited. In addition, Lyme arthritis resistant to antibiotic treatment has been associated with certain genetic markers but the precise mechanisms of this predisposition are not known.
1.5 Why does my child have this disease? Can it be prevented?
In European regions where ticks are found, it is difficult to prevent children from acquiring a tick. However, most of the time the causative organism Borrelia burgdorferi is not transmitted immediately after the tick bite, but only several hours and up to one day later, when the bacterium has reached the salivary glands of the tick and is excreted with saliva into the host (i.e. the human body). Ticks attach to their hosts for 3 to 5 days, feeding on the host’s blood. If children are screened every evening in the summer for attached ticks and if these ticks are removed immediately, transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi is very unlikely. Preventive treatment with antibiotics after a tick bite is not recommended.
1.6 Is it contagious?
However, when the early manifestation of erythema migrans occurs, it should be treated by antibiotics. This treatment will stop further proliferation of the bacterium and prevent Lyme arthritis. In the USA, a vaccine against a single strain of Borrelia burgdoferi had been developed, but it was withdrawn from the market for economic reasons. This vaccine is not useful in Europe due to strain variations.
Although it is an infectious disease, it is not contagious (i.e. it cannot spread from one human to another), since the bacterium must be transported by the tick.
1.7 What are the main symptoms?
The main symptoms of Lyme arthritis are joint swelling with effusion and limitation of movement in the affected joint(s). Large swelling(s) are often accompanied by little or no joint pain. The most frequently affected joint is the knee, although other large joints and even small joints may be affected. It is rare for the knee to be not involved at all: 2/3 of cases present as monoarthritis of the knee joint. More than 95% of cases take an oligoarticular (4 or fewer joints) course often with a knee joint as the only remaining inflamed joint after some time. Lyme arthritis occurs as episodic arthritis in 2/3 of the cases (i.e. arthritis disappears on its own after several days to a few weeks and, after an interval without any symptoms, arthritis returns in the same joints).
1.8 Is the disease the same in every child?
The frequency and duration of episodes of joint inflammation usually decreases with time but in some cases the inflammation may increase and arthritis may ultimately become chronic. There are also rare cases with long-lasting arthritis from the beginning (duration of arthritis for 3 months or longer).
No. The disease may be acute (i.e. there is a single episode of arthritis), episodic or chronic. The arthritis appears to be more acute in younger children and more chronic in adolescents.
1.9 Is the disease in children different from the disease in adults?
The disease in adults and children is similar. However, children may have a higher frequency of arthritis than adults. In contrast, the younger the child, the more rapid the course and the better the chance of successful antibiotic treatment.
2.1 How is it diagnosed?
Whenever there is newly appearing arthritis without a known cause, Lyme arthritis should be considered for differential diagnosis. The clinical suspicion is confirmed by laboratory investigation including blood tests and, in some instances, tests on synovial fluid (fluid from swollen joints).
2.2 What is the importance of tests?
In blood, antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi are found by a test called Enzyme Immuno Assay. If there are IgM-antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi found by Enzyme Immuno Assay, a confirmatory test called Immunoblot or Western blot must be performed.
If there is arthritis of unknown cause and if there are IgM-antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi detected by Enzyme Immuno Assay and confirmed by Western blot, the diagnosis is Lyme arthritis. The diagnosis may be confirmed by analysis of synovial fluid, in which the gene of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi can be found using a technique called polymerase chain reaction. However, this laboratory test is less reliable than serology measuring antibodies. In particular, the test may fail to indicate infection in the presence of infection and it may indicate infection when there is none. Lyme arthritis should be diagnosed by the paediatrician or in a paediatric hospital. However, if antibiotic treatment fails, a specialist in paediatric rheumatology should be involved in the further management of the disease.
Apart from serological values, usually inflammatory markers and blood chemistry are carried out. In addition, other infectious causes of arthritis may be considered and tested using appropriate laboratory assays.
2.3 Can it be treated/cured?
Once Lyme arthritis has been confirmed by laboratory values including enzyme immunoassay and immunoblot, it is not useful to repeat these tests since they do not indicate response to antibiotic treatment. In contrast, these tests may remain highly positive for years in spite of successful treatment.
Since Lyme arthritis is an infectious bacterial disease, treatment is by administration of antibiotics. More than 80% of patients with Lyme arthritis are cured after one or two courses of treatment with antibiotics. In the remaining 10–20%, further antibiotic treatment usually does not cure the disease and anti-rheumatic treatment is necessary.
2.4 What are the treatments?
Lyme arthritis may be treated by oral antibiotics for 4 weeks or intravenous antibiotics for at least 2 weeks. If compliance is problematic with amoxicillin or with doxycycline (only to be given in children over 8 years of age), intravenous treatment with ceftriaxon (or with cefotaxime) may be more advantageous.
2.5 What are the side effects of drug therapy?
Side effects may occur including diarrhoea, with oral antibiotics, or allergic reactions. However, most side effects are rare and minor.
2.6 How long should treatment last?
2.7 What kind of periodic check-ups are necessary?
After antibiotic treatment has been completed, it is recommended to wait 6 weeks before concluding that treatment might not have cured the disease in the presence of ongoing arthritis.
If this is the case, another antibiotic treatment may be administered. When there is still arthritis 6 weeks after the completion of the second antibiotic treatment, anti-rheumatic drugs should be commenced. Usually, non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs are prescribed and corticosteroids
are injected into the affected joints, most often the knee joint.
The only useful check-up is examination of the joints. The longer the period since the disappearance of arthritis, the less probable is a relapse.
2.8 How long will the disease last?
More than 80% of cases disappear after one or two antibiotic treatments. In the remaining cases, arthritis will disappear over a course of months to years. Eventually, the disease will stop altogether.
2.9 What is the long-term evolution (prognosis) of the disease?
After treatment with antibiotics, in most cases the disease will go away without leaving any consequence. There are individual cases where definite joint damage has occurred, including limited range of motion and premature osteoarthritis.
2.10 Is it possible to recover completely?
Yes. More than 95% of cases will recover completely.
3.1 How might the disease affect the child and the family’s daily life?
Due to pain and limitation of motion, the child may experience limitations in sport activities, for example not being able to run as fast as before. In most patients, the disease is mild and most problems are minor and transient.
3.2 What about school?
For a limited period of time, it may be necessary to stop participation in school sports; the student may be able to decide on her/his own in which activities she/he would like to take part.
3.3 What about sports?
The child/adolescent should decide by herself/himself on this matter. If the child takes part in a regular planned programme in a sports club, it might be advantageous to diminish the requirements of this programme or to adapt the requirements to the patient’s wishes.
3.4 What about diet?
The diet should be balanced and contain adequate protein, calcium and vitamins for a growing child. Dietary changes do not affect the course of the disease.
3.5 Can climate influence the course of the disease?
Although ticks need a warm and humid climate, once the infection has reached the joints, the subsequent course of the disease is not influenced by climatic variations.
3.6 Can the child be vaccinated?
There are no restrictions concerning vaccinations. The success of vaccination is not affected by the disease or by antibiotic treatment and there are no additional side effects to be expected due to the presence of the disease or treatment. There is currently no vaccine against Lyme borreliosis.
3.7 What about sexual life, pregnancy, birth control?
There are no restrictions on sexual activity or pregnancy due to the disease. | <urn:uuid:c2992885-8f68-4fcf-af0d-cf577e3f300b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.printo.it/pediatric-rheumatology/GB/info/13/Lyme-Arthritis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.944554 | 2,402 | 3.5 | 4 |
In these days of intensive farming, you can’t live without it. Despite that, fertiliser prices go largely overlooked as economic indicators. They do, however, provide a very useful insight into what you can expect on the supply side in soft commodities - in grains in particular.
Moreover, because nitrogen-based fertilisers are derived from chemicals taken from natural gas, the price of energy commodities can also highly influence fertiliser price - with a lagged effect. For example, the American Farm Bureau estimates natural gas typically accounts for 80 percent to 90 percent of all input costs in the making of fertilisers.
Accordingly, the world’s biggest agri company Cargill reported the following on Tuesday (our emphasis):CHICAGO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. agribusiness and trading giant Cargill Inc reported a 25 percent jump in quarterly earnings on Tuesday thanks to its investment in the fertilizer industry through its holdings in Mosaic Co. Excluding earnings from that investment, Cargill’s results were moderately below a year ago.......As Saxo Bank explained last week (our emphasis):
The month long rally in Grains and Soybeans products paused for a bit this week as lower crude prices and weather forecasts promising rain in large parts of Brazil and Argentina resulted in some profit taking. Also aiding the sell off were poor macroeconomic data, struggling equities and rebalancing. Corn also saw some selling early on ahead of the rebalance but also on reports that fertilizer prices have declined significantly in recent weeks, which will add to 2009 US planted corn acreage.
The American Farm Bureau’s confirms the above mentioned fall in fertiliser prices in its latest report. After contending with rising prices for the last six years, farmers will undoubtedly be relieved. As the bureau’s economist Terry Francl explains, up until very recently fertiliser prices were becoming almost prohibitively expensive, ‘astronomical’ at both the wholesale and retail level due to the corresponding commodities boom....MUCH MORE
That first sentence has been uttered by many a forensic accountant. | <urn:uuid:5e4bc8a5-b958-4b89-b1bb-9ff7160aaa56> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://climateerinvest.blogspot.com/2009/01/fertilising-profits-mos.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718285.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00107-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946151 | 433 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Rise of the robots: 600k construction jobs could be lost to automation
More than half a million jobs in the construction industry could be lost as a result of the rise of robots.
The so-called fourth industrial bringing with it technology such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, which could replace jobs done by humans.
Consultancy and construction firm Mace has crunched the numbers and projects the effect on the industry of 600,000 jobs at risk of being replaced over the the next two decades.
The firms warns that the workforce must be re-skilled to adapt to new technology to embrace the productivity gains it brings. And it estimates doing so would add an extra £25bn to the UK economy by 2040 as well as having a knock-on effect on infrastructure projects and the housing shortage.
“Everyone now acknowledges the current skills shortages need to be addressed," said Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds.
"The industry, our training bodies and government need to work together to take full advantage of everything that industry 4.0 can offer.”
Separate estimates suggest four in five jobs could "vanish" due to technology in the retail industry, while further research indicates that 30 per cent of all jobs across the UK could be replaced by 2030.
While some industries are more susceptible to job losses from automation, many economists believe new and some as-yet unknown jobs will spring up in their place. | <urn:uuid:23d808e6-9c4d-47d3-8198-2457d55f5ee4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://editiononline.co.uk/index.php/2017/10/31/rise-of-the-robots-600k-construction-jobs-could-be-lost-to-automation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.952204 | 296 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Jan 10, 2014 ... A frozen fuel line will stop an engine dead in its tracks. ... engine dead in its tracks
, preventing it from getting the essential fuel it needs to fire up.
A frozen fuel line can be the result of extremely low temperatures that cause the
... for hybrid fuel tanks and can help significantly reduce build up in the engine.
Symptoms of a Fuel Line Freeze Up. In the winter, your car's fuel line can freeze
up very easily. This usually happens when the gas level is below half a tank.
www.ask.com/youtube?q=Fuel Line Freeze up&v=gHtU9SC_tfQ
Jan 13, 2015 ... Buy you heat gun here -- http://amzn.to/1AXiIwy Originally I thought this video
was going to be a simple cold start video with temperatures that ...
Mar 19, 2015 ... This normally happens when the vehivle is sitting for a few hours in the cold, but
the fuel line can freeze while you are driving if the conditions ...
When outdoor temperatures dip below freezing levels and water vapor gets into
your car's fuel lines, your fuel lines can easily freeze. Fixing a frozen line is ...
Feb 19, 2016 ... As the water vapor freezes, it prevents the gasoline in the fuel line from reaching
the engine. This means that you end up with a vehicle that is ...
Feb 16, 2016 ... This usually means that the fuel lines are only partially frozen. ... Allowing the
engine to run for a while to warm up while revving the engine a ...
Jan 10, 2011 ... I've heard of fuel lines freezing but never specifically the fuel filter. ... both water in
your gasoline and managed to clog up your inline fuel filter.
i drove my pick up (78 GMC)home one night, ran fine, parked it and went ... i have
heard of frozen fuel lines, but only when it gets hella cold like ... | <urn:uuid:85416fa7-335d-4333-b067-838fdb3aa54a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=6&o=102140&oo=102140&l=dir&gc=1&qo=contentPageRelatedSearch&ad=null&q=Fuel+Line+Freeze+up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00317-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.87169 | 411 | 1.734375 | 2 |
A naturally occurring compound called beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) has already been reported to help open up chromatin. For the new study, the Johns Hopkins researchers tested whether two weeks of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, which causes the body to naturally produce high levels of BHB, could alleviate symptoms in mice genetically engineered to have a Kabuki-like condition. The diet has long been known to have an impact on brain activity, particularly as a treatment for severe seizure disorders.
In their experiments, the researchers compared mice given the ketogenic diet to mice fed a normal diet and to those injected with BHB. Compared with their untreated counterparts, both groups of treated mice grew more new brain cells in an area called the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, which is associated with the ability to learn and form new memories. They also performed nearly as well as non-Kabuki mice on a test known as the Morris water maze, which assesses the rodents' ability to remember the location of an underwater platform on which to rest during a maze exercise.
Physicians generally consider the intellectual disability that accompanies disorders like Kabuki syndrome to be irreversible, Bjornsson notes. "But we now know that new brain cells continue to form throughout our lives. If Kabuki syndrome and related disorders cause fewer neurons to be made in adulthood, stimulating neuronal growth may be an effective strategy for treating intellectual disability," he says.
Full text: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219161854.htm | <urn:uuid:47e20383-01c9-4aa0-b022-518398472ca4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/ketotic-diet-stimulates-brain-growth.5148/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.954839 | 326 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Apple Mail makes it easy to set up an IMAP account alongside your POP account. And once that is set up, you can drag and drop your email into the IMAP account and it will be imported.
IMAP works differently than POP because it is constantly in contact with the mail server and all your mail stays on the server unless you explicitly delete it from Apple Mail. That means you can keep all your email in sync between Gmail and several different laptops.
Some of the steps below may not be exact, because they may vary slightly between different versions of Mail. But generally speaking, this is the way it goes:
First, get ready to set up a new IMAP account in Apple mail. The first thing you need to do is go to Gmail and disable POP and enable IMAP. Those settings are in “Settings” under the gear symbol at the upper right hand part of the Gmail screen. Inside Settings is a tab labeled Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and in that tab you can disable POP Download and enable IMAP Access.
Once you’ve enabled IMAP, go back to Apple Mail and start a new account. Under the “File” menu, go to “Add new account…” or go to Preferences and in the Account tab click on the plus sign. This will open a window with a drop down for the type of account, so select IMAP.
You’ll need to enter the full account email, full account name and password. Apple Mail will check the connection to Gmail and let you know if anything is amiss. Once the connection is good, Mail will show the new account as a new box in your Inbox, as well as new boxes in Drafts, Trash, etc.
You can go back to Gmail and go to the Labels tab and select the different boxes you want to appear further down the list.
If you have a lot of mail, it wil take a while for Gmail to sync everything up. And when that is done, you can drag your sent POP mail into the Sent mail folder for Gmail and those messages will be uploaded into Gmail.
Once you’re done with moving mail from POP to IMAP, you can either delete the POP account or simply make it inactive. | <urn:uuid:170f200b-1f83-44bb-95fc-6fe22dbbde3f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://markratledge.com/2013/01/switching-to-imap-in-apple-mail/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.91529 | 468 | 1.53125 | 2 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
“I can shout very loud, just listen: ’Mr. Castle-Steward’!”
“No, I won’t do it,” said Lippo again, after scrutinizing the unusual performance.
She went with folded hands from one bed to the other.
Before following her brother she wanted to see exactly what the Knight looked like.
He shook the little girl’s hand with all his might.
“Can you guess why I am taking you up there?”
A head was raised up and two sharp eyes were directed towards her.
It seemed to crown all the preceding pleasures to roam without restraint in the woods and meadows.
For nearly twenty years the fine old castle had stood silent and deserted on the mountain-side. In its neighborhood not a sound could be heard except the twittering of the birds and the soughing of the old pine-trees. On bright summer evenings the swallows whizzed as before about the corner gables, but no more merry eyes looked down from the balconies to the green meadows and richly laden apple trees in the valley.
But just now two merry eyes were searchingly raised to the castle from the meadow below, as if they might discover something extraordinary behind the fast-closed shutters.
“Mea, come quick,” the young spy exclaimed excitedly, “look! Now it’s opening.” Mea, who was sitting on the bench under the large apple tree, with a book, put aside the volume and came running.
“Look, look! Now it’s moving,” her brother continued with growing suspense. “It’s the arm of a black coat; wait, soon the whole shutter will be opened.”
At this moment a black object lifted itself and soared up to the tower.
“It was only a bird, a large black-bird,” said the disappointed Mea. “You have called me at least twenty times already; every time you think that the shutters will open, and they never do. You can call as often as you please from now on, I shall certainly not come again.”
“I know they will open some day,” the boy asserted firmly, “only we can’t tell just when; but it might be any time. If only stiff old Trius would answer the questions we ask him! He knows everything that is going on up there. But the old crosspatch never says a word when one comes near him to talk; all he does is to come along with his big stick. He naturally doesn’t want anybody to know what is happening up there, but everybody in school knows that a ghost wanders about and sighs through the pine trees.”
“Mother has said more than once that nothing is going on there at all. She doesn’t want you to talk about the ghost with the school-children, and she has asked you not to try to find out what they know about it. You know, too, that mother wants you to call the castle watchman Mr. Trius and not just Trius.” | <urn:uuid:6384c83b-dc3f-4d40-a41c-fe294994dd7a> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/10142/1.html | 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 | 0.979448 | 685 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Renewable energy sources and natural gas should be considered as complements and not rivals. A hybrid gas-electric clean energy provides a workable engineering solution while 100% Renewables models based heavily on wind, solar and efficiency fall short of the meeting the functional needs of a modern technology intensive society.
Natural gas and renewables are already functional partners on the grid. Because wind and solar are intermittent sources of electricity, some form of backup power is required to fill the down times. By and large this backup power has been provided by natural gas because gas is the most flexible in its deployment. Gas turbines can be turned on and off quickly to meet fluctuating power demands. Large boiler based systems such as coal and nuclear are not so flexible in their operations, they can take hours to turn up and efficiency is lost. Big boilers work best when they are operating consistently which makes it more challenging to integrate with the intermittent wind and solar power sources.
Secondly, natural gas is primarily methane and methane is itself renewable. Methane can be manufactured in vast quantities and is indistinguishable from fossil sources. Renewable methane can be made from biomass, garbage, sewage, farm waste and is given a variety of names; biomethane, renewable natural gas, substitute natural gas, biogas and others. Many of the best resources for biomethane are waste products today and are treated as liabilities but could be converted into assets. Biomethane can be produced in greater quantities than other biofuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.
Third, power-to-gas offers the potential to convert excess electricity into methane and store it in the pipeline infrastructure. Electrolysis uses electricity to separate water (H2O) molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This hydrogen can be used directly for a variety of industrial purposes and powering fuel cells, but can also be used in the manufacture of biomethane which is CH4. In Germany experiments are being run to determine how much methane can be injected directly into the natural gas pipelines. While power-to-gas is not being implemented in commercial scales today, the technology is all completely proven. As solar and wind deployments ramp up the need for storage becomes more pronounced and gas production has advantages over batteries because gas can be stored indefinitely while batteries lose their power over time. Gas can also be easily transported in pipelines and tankers and converted into other products.
The natural gas infrastructure enables the use of fuel cells to produce emissions free electricity. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells use pure hydrogen as fuel and are being developed for vehicles. Solid Oxide fuel cells can use methane as fuel but are best for stationary power production. There is great promise in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles but there is a fundamental challenge in distributing and storing pure hydrogen. Hydrogen is tiny and extremely volatile, it both leaks out of conventional steel pipes and reacts with steel making it brittle. Hydrogen distribution requires the use of stainless steel (or other specialty material) pipes with high test welds at all joints and special valves. This is a very expensive and complex engineering proposition compared to the existing natural gas infrastructure that uses common galvanized steel pipe. The practical and economic answer is to connect hydrogen fueling stations to natural gas distribution and steam reform and pressurize the hydrogen on site where it is sold. Industry generally produces hydrogen from natural gas as it is far cheaper than producing hydrogen from electrolysis. In this way natural gas enables the widespread use of hydrogen and fuel cells.
As the cleanest burning of all hydrocarbons methane is naturally a friend to the environment when used to replace coal and petroleum. Renewable electricity solutions can replace many uses of coal for power but are challenged at replacing petroleum for vehicles, big ships and high horsepower machines such as mining equipment, freight trains and airplanes. Natural gas is a direct replacement for diesel, gasoline and bunker fuel and can be converted into high quality liquid fuels such as jet fuel. Dirty fuels such as coal and diesel are loaded with particulates, heavy metals, sulfur and other contaminants that cause toxic pollution and kill hundreds of thousands of people every year globally. Methane is clean enough to burn indoors and cook food on, its widespread adoption to replace dirty fossil fuels would create significant air quality improvements and save many lives. Methane also has the lowest carbon content of any hydrocarbon so when used to replace coal and petroleum it reduces carbon pollution.
Methane is the most abundant and versatile of all hydrocarbons. It can be used to produce heat, power and transportation. Methane can be converted into ultra clean diesel and jet fuel through Fischer-Tropsch processes. Methane is also a critical raw material for the production of plastics, chemicals and fertilizers. Recycling plastics back into methane can help facilitate zero-waste goals. Natural gas resources are broad and deep and found all over the world. The shale gas revolution has already overturned global energy markets and there appears to be vast resources to be tapped. If the methane hydrate resources in the ocean can be brought to market that would further tilt the energy landscape towards natural gas as those reserves are massive and dwarf all coal and petroleum known to exist.
Natural gas has an excellent safety record, though it is often thought of as very dangerous. LNG in transport is very safe. LNG has been shipped in huge quantities by ship for decades and there has never been a disaster (knock on wood). When used for a vehicle fuel it has distinct safety advantages over gasoline, diesel and propane because methane is the only one that is lighter than air and dissipates quickly if released while the others pool on the ground awaiting ignition. Methane has a very narrow range for ignition making harder to combust accidently. Also the tanks used for CNG and LNG are very robust by nature, whereas liquid fuels are often carried in thin walled tanks.
Methane combustion does produce carbon emissions but far fewer than other fossil fuels, and methane is itself a greenhouse gas, so its use does need to optimized to mitigate any global warming effects. Capturing leaking methane is important, and has the benefit of increasing fuel supplies. Natural gas is easily deployed as fuel for power production and can be deployed nearer to where the electricity is used minimizing line losses and improving efficiency. Combined heat and power is part of this efficiency playbook that natural gas enables.
In conclusion methane, aka natural gas, is a clean, high performance and versatile fuel that complements the roll out of renewable electricity technologies. In practice, intermittent power sources such as wind and solar require stored fuel to be available at all times to keep the grid online. Electrical sources are also not proven to power high horsepower vehicles while gas can. Natural gas is the most abundant, clean and safe of all hydrocarbons and fulfills a critical role in our energy infrastructure. Renewables advocates should recognize this fundamental harmony between these energy sources.
Photo Credit: Renewables and Gas/shutterstock | <urn:uuid:a8115768-44dc-42a7-8748-4fc5c1cc35c7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.theenergycollective.com/ed-dodge/308406/renewables-and-natural-gas-are-partners-not-opponents | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00029-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944589 | 1,403 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Constructed between 1868 and 1870, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest in the nation and famous symbol of North Carolina. The beacon from the light is visible every 7.5 seconds and can be seen some 20-miles out to sea and has warned sailors for more than 100 years of the treacherous Diamond Shoals, the shallow sandbars which extend some 14 miles out into the ocean off Cape Hatteras. It was built with 1,250,000 bricks baked in kilns along the James River in Virginia and brought in scows into Cape Creek where it was hauled by oxen one mile to the building site in Buxton. Its walls at the base are 14 feet of solid masonry and narrow to eight feet at the top. Weighing 6,250 tons, the lighthouse was built with no pilings under it - just a foundation built of heart pine. Towering 196 feet from the base to the top brick and then topped with an iron superstructure it became the tallest brick lighthouse on the American coast at 208 feet. The last keeper was UnakaJennette who closed the lighthouse due to erosion in 1936. The light was housed in a skeletal tower in Buxton Woods until the striped tower was relit in 1950. In the summer of 1999, as the ever-encroaching waters of the Atlantic Ocean threaten this stalwart structure, the Cape Hatteras Light was moved from its original location! It was moved to safer ground 2,870 feet inland. The lighthouse is open to the public from early April until mid-October.The National Park Service permits climbing the 268 steps for a spectacular view of the national seashore. The climb is very strenuous as it is similar to climbing 12 stories. Near the lighthouse, the frame buildings that served as quarters to the keepers of the light are still standing. One such building has been restored by the U. S. Park Service and has served as a visitor center and museum. Exhibits include history, maritime heritage and natural history of the Outer Banks and the lighthouse. Not too far from the visitor center is a picnic area and a nature trail, winding through fresh water marshes and wooded dunes of Buxton Woods. In the summer months, the visitor center hosts an excellent program of activities ranging from history talks on storms and shipwrecks and pirates to discussions of the ecology, geology, and wildlife of the island. Participation programs such as snorkeling in the sound, bird walks, campfires and art activities for children are also offered. | <urn:uuid:8ab1c900-d2f0-43ae-9f46-0b0e7e935695> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.elanvacations.com/post/cape-hatteras-lighthouse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00345-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968141 | 523 | 3.359375 | 3 |
With Russia’s recent annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine, relations with the United States have deteriorated to lows not seen in decades.
But every coin has two sides, and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is seeking to examine them both, with a two-day conference Friday and Saturday featuring U.S. experts in military affairs, business, and diplomacy as well as three Russian thinkers who specialize in Russia-U.S. relations. The visitors will outline their views Thursday during a panel at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum.
The Gazette sat down with Sergey Rogov, director of the Institute for the U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Science, one of Moscow’s most prominent think tanks, to discuss the tension between the Kremlin and Washington. Rogov, whose study of the relationship dates to the Soviet era, warned that U.S. efforts to isolate Russia could push the nation into the arms of China.
GAZETTE: How would you describe U.S.-Russia relations at this point?
ROGOV: Unfortunately, we are in a very deep, deep crisis. I think the relationship has not been as bad as it is now, not since the end of the Cold War, but since the Cold War. Sometimes it looks like we are in the early ’80s, when the Soviet and American relationship was extremely bad, before perestroika and [Mikhail] Gorbachev.
I think it’s maybe premature to say we’re in a new Cold War, but we’re sliding down and have not yet reached the bottom.
GAZETTE: What do you see as being the main steps in the deterioration? Clearly Crimea and eastern Ukraine have been important in the short term, but have there been other steps along the way?
ROGOV: The long story is that since the end of the Cold War, neither the United States nor Russia developed a strategy of integration for Russia. There were many nice words, many declarations, many smiles, but in practical terms, the relationship was not very stable. We still have … some built-in problems, like mutually assured destruction. Russia and America are able to destroy each other within 30 minutes. Somehow, that’s not good for a partnership. Normally you don’t prepare to destroy your partner with thousands of nuclear warheads.
Another problem is … there is no economic interdependence between Russia and America — that makes the relationship rather fragile. And the Ukraine crisis, which started a year ago, very quickly became a zero-sum game. We saw the United States deciding to punish Russia, to isolate Russia.
GAZETTE: What is your sense of Russia’s intentions in eastern Ukraine now?
ROGOV: The situation has been evolving and the Russian position has been changing. But last month [President Vladimir] Putin pushed a cease-fire, which stopped the offensive of the rebels. If it were not stopped, they would have probably taken control of half of Ukraine because the Ukrainian army collapsed.
Putin said the problem of Ukraine should be resolved by negotiations between Kiev and Donetsk, that’s the rebel region. So it is possible, and most of the experts — Russian, American — agree that the Ukrainian problem can be resolved if the Ukrainian leadership agrees to decentralization. For some reason they’re terribly afraid of federalization, which is difficult to understand because the United States is a federation, Germany is a federation.
If you take the bigger picture, what’s happening right now is that the United States is not recognizing Russian interests. … Russia is a regional power with vital interests in three regions: in Europe, the Middle East, and what we call the Far East. And that should be recognized. That doesn’t mean that Russia doesn’t make mistakes and blunders, and there are some people in Russia who hate America, like there are some people in America who hate Russia. But … Russia is not trying to restore the Soviet Empire.
Russia responded to the Ukrainian crisis, but didn’t originate it. The crisis was originated by the European Union … which wanted to have an agreement with Ukraine and some other Soviet Republics, which have very close economic connections with Russia, because we’ve been a single market for so long.
So Russia a year ago requested trilateral negotiations between the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia, about the economic consequences of this association, since we have free trade between Russia and Ukraine. It’s like what you have with Canada. Imagine Canada joining the European Union. Would that be of concern to the United States? Of course it would. And the European Union refused. And [Viktor] Yanukovych, who was president at the time, asked to delay implementation of this agreement so these problems could be resolved. Again the European Union refused.
Now, two months ago, with [current Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko, the European Union agreed to trilateral negotiations, and we have such negotiations and they’re very serious, and the European Union agreed to delay the implementation of the association agreement with Ukraine until the very end of 2015.
What’s most important right now is that the cease-fire should be maintained. There is still some shooting and some people are being killed, but the number of casualties has dropped dramatically and the bombardment of the eastern cities, which was like it was in Gaza, has practically stopped.
So, if we have this cease-fire and we have negotiations between Kiev and the rebels, we might see the beginning of a process, which in several years may produce a settlement.
GAZETTE: What is most important for the American public to know about Russia today, whether about the Ukrainian crisis or something else?
ROGOV: Russia is a country in a transition. It’s 23 years, in December, since the Soviet Union collapsed and we are still facing key challenges, which have not been resolved: the transition to a market economy, building political democracy, and the Russian relationship with the world. The most difficult problem is the problem of the new Russian identity. This is a problem that all post-communist countries encountered. The communist period, it was proletariat internationalism, class identity, not ethnic identity.
So Poland is today the land of Poles. Czechoslovakia collapsed, it’s the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Should Russia be the state of Russians? Or Ukraine be the state of Ukrainians? I mentioned ethnic Russians in Ukraine. There are not only Russians, there are others: Poles, Hungarians, many Greeks. And in Russia, 20 percent of the citizenship is ethnically non-Russian. On the other hand, 20 percent of ethnic Russians live outside Russia. …
Unfortunately, this transition Russia is in cannot happen overnight. There have been several ethnic civil wars in the former Soviet Union, in Georgia, in Armenia, in Azerbaijan, in Moldova. What’s happening in Ukraine is the most dangerous, since that became a Russian-American confrontation and, [though] Russia is not a superpower, we are a nuclear superpower, we still maintain parity with the United States in nuclear weapons.
And when the United States cuts normal political intercourse, cuts economic relations, cuts military cooperation, that’s very dangerous. Do you want Russia to become an ally of China? [The] United States is pushing Russia toward China and that might have very serious consequences not only for our two countries, but for the entire international system.
GAZETTE: Is an improvement in U.S.-Russian relations possible in the short term, and if so how do we get there?
ROGOV: The official American position is no business as usual unless Russia does this, does that, etc. — a whole list of American demands, and Russia is not going to accept those demands.
Right now, we’ve almost forgotten that we have many common interests, like nonproliferation, terrorism — the Islamic State is a common enemy of Russia and America. [There’s] Iran, Afghanistan, the climate. … We should think how to build the relationship while recognizing disagreements, and recognize that there will be differences, and build relationships on common interests.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, when I was talking about solutions, like decentralization, linguistic protection, economic assistance, and nonmembership in NATO, the United States’ interests are not against [those things], in my reading. Actually, as far as the solution of the Ukrainian problem is concerned, Russia and America agree on many things. What we disagree about is Crimea.
The greatest danger today is that both sides seem to believe their own propaganda.
This interview was edited for length and clarity. | <urn:uuid:835bc485-ad56-4869-9cce-8413ef6e3be6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/10/from-bad-to-worse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.963758 | 1,812 | 2.078125 | 2 |
In the Crimea is concentrated self-sufficient military group that is able to repel attempts to capture the Peninsula. The corresponding statement on the ground Opuk did the speaker comment on the climactic stage of the strategic command and staff exercises (SCSU) “the Caucasus in 2016.”
At the site also said that the latest anti-aircraft missile air defense system s-400 “Triumph” amazed the educational purpose.
The speaker noted that the system of production of the concern “Almaz-Antey” able to withstand “any types of modern means of air attack in heavy jamming and perform combat tasks in various weather conditions at ranges up to 400 kilometers.”
Exercises “Caucasus-2016” held in the southern military district and the Black and Caspian seas from 5 to 10 September. They involved more than 12 thousand military, and also aircraft, military equipment and ships.
The maneuvers are closely watching the United States. American planes and then closer to the Russian borders in the Black sea.
Read the details in the article “MK”: the United States is already the third day arrange air provocations on the borders of Crimea | <urn:uuid:26b5e9e9-daac-4c49-80c6-b0987919b950> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://the-newspapers.com/2016/09/10/the-russian-military-reported-readiness-to-repel-the-invaders-of-the-crimea | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285315.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00573-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9394 | 250 | 1.523438 | 2 |
How to Miss What You Were Made For
Listen to Audio (right click to save)
It really wasn't that my wife and I were eavesdropping. Honest. It's just that the four well-dressed, older ladies at the restaurant table next to ours were so close we couldn't help but hear part of their conversation. One lady was recounting the beginning of her day. She said she was following her usual routine of getting up, taking care of some personal maintenance, and then turning on the TV for her morning Oprah fix - watching Oprah Winfrey's Show, that is. No Oprah. She began pushing buttons on her remote, increasingly more frustrated by her inability to find her morning TV companion. At that point, her daughter happened to call on the telephone. Mom began venting her frustration over how technology was failing her and soliciting her daughter's help. Finally she just sputtered, "Where's Oprah?" When her daughter could finally get a word in, she said, "Mom, it's Sunday! Oprah's not on, but church is!" Mom suddenly went into fast-forward mode - not with her TV, but with her getting ready for church; which she came very close to missing entirely.
Poor lady! She didn't know what day it was. So she didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. It's possible for many of us to make that same mistake - not about church, but about God Himself. It's possible for God to come your way and for you to totally miss what day it is - the day that God comes to touch your life and become more personal and more powerful to you than you ever dreamed.
It's been happening for 2,000 years, and it's happening today. There's an incident in the life of Jesus that reveals the awesome possibility of an unforgettable God-day in your life, and the awful danger of missing it with consequences that will last for all eternity. The account is in Luke 19, beginning with verse 41, our word for today from the Word of God. It says: "As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace.'" He had just entered Jerusalem on what we know today as Palm Sunday, with multitudes welcoming Him with a royal celebration. Many of whom were, only five days later, perhaps in the same crowd that was screaming, "Crucify Him!" Now Jesus predicts disaster for them because, in His words, "...you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
That's a mistake God really doesn't want you to make because He really, really loves you. There comes this day in your life when Jesus goes by, offering Himself to you to be your personal Savior from your personal sin. There comes this day when He moves your heart to care about the sin in your life, to see that it will cost you heaven, and to understand that His dying on that cross was to pay the awful price for your sin.
He gives you a chance to put your trust in Him to have every sin forgiven; to trade the hell you deserve for the heaven you could never deserve. But you need to grab Him while He's close. The Bible says, "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:7). You may think you'll come to Jesus when you're ready. That's wrong. Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father draws Him" (John 6:44).
You come to Jesus when He's ready - when He gets your heart ready for Him. And if you feel a tug in His direction today, He's ready now. This is your opportunity to belong to Jesus. Today is your chance. If you have never given yourself to this Man who died for you, you need to grab Him while He's close. You can do that right where you are - just by telling Him from your heart something like this: "Jesus, my only hope with God is what You did for me on that cross when You died to pay for my junk. I'm dropping the junk to grab You with both hands. I'm Yours."
If that's what you want, I want to invite you to check out our website today, because there's some great information there to make sure you have begun your relationship with Jesus. The website is YoursForLife.net. I hope you'll go there as soon as you can today.
As your life closes and your eternity begins, I pray Jesus will not have to say to you, "You did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." If that time is now, don't miss Him.
Distributed by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. | <urn:uuid:ec3ec8b6-714b-42f8-9ad6-eb30f156eb42> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/a-word-with-you/a-word-with-you-mar-9-2010-11627226.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280587.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00561-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984921 | 993 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Pulse oximetry is a very useful diagnostic and monitoring tool that has become commonplace in veterinary clinics. It measures the percentage of haemoglobin saturated with oxygen, and is an indirect measure of arterial oxygen levels.
However, here are several important points to help you understand the limitations of pulse oximetry.
Causes for false readings
Falsely low readings:
- motion artefact
- peripheral vasoconstriction/low tissue perfusion from hypothermia or shock
- pigmentation of mucous membranes
- thick hair coat
Falsely high readings:
- haemoglobin abnormalities (carboxyhaemoglobin and methaemoglobin, for example)
False sense of security
Pulse oximetry can give us a false sense of security. We hold on to the adage “95% and above means everything is going along swimmingly”, but that couldn’t be further from the truth:
- It does not detect hypoventilation or apnoea: it can take several minutes for apnoea to result in hypoxaemia that is detected on pulse oximetry; therefore, it cannot be used as a sole measure of respiratory adequacy. This is best measured by capnography.
- A common misconception is the oxygen saturation will drop with patients with anaemia. This is incorrect. The haemoglobin present in the decreased number of red blood cells will still be saturated to normal levels. However, this cannot be interpreted as the patient having adequate oxygen delivery to its tissues.
- One last point: due to the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve, any drop below 94-95% is significant and warrants investigation. At 95% SpO2 the partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood is 80mmHg (normal), but at 90% SpO2 the partial pressure is 60mmHg (severe hypoxaemia) – for only a small percentage decrease, there is an exponential reduction in arterial oxygen content. This is even more important when patients are receiving oxygen therapy as the patient’s SpO2 should be 99-100% normally. So when a patient has an SpO2 of 95%, but is on high rates of oxygen, then significant respiratory compromise/disease must be present for an SpO2 of 95% or lower to occur. | <urn:uuid:06e6d6ee-fc45-4ca5-9f3a-ead3e186294c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.vettimes.co.uk/pulse-oximetry-is-great-but-know-its-limitations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00423-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931196 | 487 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Whether it is clinical or situational, having a relationship with a loved one who is depressed is frustrating, difficult and can leave you feeling alone in the world. Does this characterize you? It is challenging enough when your loved one is your sibling, parent or distant relative. Making a lifelong commitment to someone who is depressed to whom you have promised to love in sickness and in health is a much different scenario.
Although the focus is generally speaking on your partner, there are things you can do that will ease things between you both and ultimately allow you to not lose yourself in the process of caring for him or her.
Difficult as it has to be living with someone who is depressed, perhaps even manic or bipolar, arguing really gets neither of you anywhere. As your mother probably told you on more than one occasion, “honey, pick your battles.” If something is exceedingly important to be right about: issues to do with safety, health, raising the kids, money, arguing is not the way to get this point across. When you find yourself tempted to argue, stop! Think of another more logical, less emotional means of articulating this. It takes practice; believe me. But you will find your partner responding more positively to you. He or she no more wants to be yelled at than he or she wants to yell at you. Everything else? Let it go! Don’t sweat the small stuff, it “ain’t” worth it!
Although you may not be depressed, you can certainly understand not wanting to socialize when you have a cold, the flu, or a stomach bug. You aren’t yourself when you feel under-the-weather and neither is your partner when he or she is in a depressive state. Celebrate the days when he or she wants to socialize and find alternative forms of happiness when he or she isn’t in the mood. This doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. Although you may want to stay home sometimes during those moments your spouse wants to hibernate, you shouldn’t have to hibernate along with him or her all the time. Get out, have fun and don’t suffer. Go visit friends, family, catch a movie and be good to yourself.
Certainly on an intellectual level you get this, but in the heat of the moment, when you both are in the thick of his or her depression, it is easier said than done. One thing that is important to understand is that this isn’t about you. If it’s chemical depression your partner suffers from, it’s all internal and unique to him or her. There is nothing you did, or for that matter nothing your partner did to deserve this. It just is what it is. When, and there will be those moments, your partner goes off the deep end – maybe forgot a dose of his or her meds, or they need to be adjusted again – two things will you be of help to your partner. Be there, but don’t get sucked in. Try to be objective; this will help you both focus better. Don’t be overly dramatic; this helps no one. Be there for him or her, but don’t allow the behavior to be all consuming. It is a very tough balance to strike – not unlike walking a tightrope.
When you agreed to love your partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, this didn’t include abuse – be it emotional, verbal and especially not physical. This is the case whether your partner is depressed or isn’t. It is not uncommon for depressed people, especially those who are manic, bipolar and schizophrenic, to become violent and abusive. You didn’t sign up for this and you should never have to put up with this. At this point you want to ask yourself two tough questions: Can this be solved with therapy, either couple’s counseling or individual? Chances are good if your partner is depressed, he or she is already in therapy. Offer to go to sessions with your partner and let him or her know that you are in it for the long haul, assuming the abuse abates immediately.
If it is physical, your home is no longer safe and you must consider staying with a friend, finding a shelter and getting therapy yourself. If there are kids in the picture, you must put their needs ahead of both your partner’s and yours. Living with someone with depression doesn’t have to lead its way to abuse and you shouldn’t put up with it.
Although it is easy to allow your life to become all too consumed with your partner and lose yourself, you mustn’t allow this. Remember that you can’t care for your spouse properly if you are no longer functioning correctly. Even if this is your only impetus to stay strong, to remain an individual and to stay sane, that is fine. However, it ought to be more than that. You are still a separate person from your partner with separate interests. This would be the case whether he or she is depressed or not.
If it weren’t clearly stated above, get out, have fun and do things that make you happy. Yes you are married or in a long-term relationship with someone who is depressed, but your world doesn’t have to stop. Call friends, pamper yourself. Go to a spa, go to the movies, get out and enjoy your life. You may need someone to talk to: a therapist, clergy member, sibling, parent, just make sure it is someone who is supportive. Given that you are in this relationship, the last thing you need is people advising you to leave.
Living with someone who is depressed isn’t easy. It takes a very special person to do this and not lose him or herself. If you aren’t already that person, you can, with patience, work and growing pains, become that person.
The Health Local Staff is a team of writers and experts dedicated to bringing you the latest health, nutrition and lifestyle information at www.healthlocal.ca. | <urn:uuid:49617877-8377-468f-9bab-d802267f8a1d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.health-local.com/articles/774/how-to-cope-with-a-partner-s-depression | 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 | 0.972746 | 1,273 | 1.984375 | 2 |
15. Accident Analyses
AP1000 Design Control Document
and for which the peak primary coolant activity is reached at the time the accident is assumed to occur. These isotopic concentrations are also defined as 60 µCi/g dose equivalent I-131. The probability of this adverse timing of the iodine spike and accident is small.
Although it is unlikely for an accident to occur at the same time that an iodine spike is at its maximum reactor coolant concentration, for many accidents it is expected that an iodine spike would be initiated by the accident or by the reactor trip associated with the accident. Table 15A-2 lists the iodine appearance rates (rates at which the various iodine isotopes are transferred from the core to the primary coolant by way of the assumed cladding defects) for normal operation. The iodine spike appearance rates are assumed to be as much as 500 times the normal appearance rates.
15A.3.1.2 Secondary Coolant Source Term
The secondary coolant source term used in the radiological consequences analyses is conservatively assumed to be 10 percent of the primary coolant equilibrium source term. This is more conservative than using the design basis secondary coolant source terms listed in Table 11.1-5.
Because the iodine spiking phenomenon is short-lived and there is a high level of conservatism for the assumed secondary coolant iodine concentrations, the effect of iodine spiking on the secondary coolant iodine source terms is not modeled.
There is assumed to be no secondary coolant noble gas source term because the noble gases entering the secondary side due to primary-to-secondary leakage enter the steam phase and are discharged via the condenser air removal system.
Core Source Term
Table 15A-3 lists the core source terms at shutdown for an assumed three-region equilibrium cycle at end of life after continuous operation at 2 percent above full core thermal power. In addition to iodines and noble gases, the source terms listed include nuclides that are identified as potentially significant dose contributors in the event of a degraded core accident. The design basis loss-of- coolant accident analysis is not expected to result in significant core damage, but the radiological consequences analysis assumes severe core degradation.
The radiological consequence analyses consider radioactive decay of the subject nuclides prior to their release, but no additional decay is assumed after the activity is released to the environment. Table 15A-4 lists the decay constants for the nuclides of concern.
Table 15A-4 also lists the dose conversion factors for calculation of the CEDE doses due to inhalation of iodines and other nuclides and EDE dose conversion factors for calculation of the dose due to immersion in a cloud of activity. The CEDE dose conversion factors are from EPA Federal Guidance Report No. 11 (Reference 2) and the EDE dose conversion factors are from EPA Federal Guidance Report No. 12 (Reference 3).
Tier 2 Material | <urn:uuid:71c5a98d-4411-41ef-abe3-85e927c5c597> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.hitpages.com/doc/4505436531195904/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721008.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00116-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916853 | 599 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Antioxidant depletion and lipid peroxidation have been correlated with disease severity and associated with poor outcomes.
Antioxidant depletion and lipid peroxidation have been correlated with disease severity and associated with poor outcomes.
Supplementing dogs with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) during the first 48 hours of hospitalization will increase cysteine, normalize glutathione concentrations, and decrease the degree of lipid peroxidation associated with illness.
Sixty systemically ill hospitalized client-owned dogs and 14 healthy control dogs.
Randomized investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled prospective study. Dogs were randomized to treatment with NAC (n = 30) versus placebo (n = 30). Antioxidants, urine 8-isoprostane/creatinine (IP/Cr), and clinical score were determined before and after treatment with NAC. Glutathione, cysteine, and vitamin E concentrations were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Atomic absorption spectroscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to quantify selenium and isoprostane concentrations, respectively.
Ill dogs had significantly lower vitamin E concentrations (27 versus 55 μg/mL; P = .0005) as well as elevated IP/Cr ratios (872 versus 399 pg/mg; P = .0007) versus healthy dogs. NAC supplementation significantly increased plasma cysteine (8.67 versus 15.1 μM; P < .0001) while maintaining glutathione concentrations. Dogs in the placebo group experienced a statistically significant decrease in glutathione concentrations (1.49 versus 1.44 mM; P = .0463). Illness severity and survival were unchanged after short duration NAC supplementation.
Ill dogs experience systemic oxidative stress. Supplementation with NAC during the first 48 hours of hospitalization stabilized erythrocyte glutathione concentrations. The clinical impact of this supplementation and glutathione concentration stabilization was undetermined.
survival prediction index score
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a by-product of oxidative metabolism and are highly reactive molecules that damage lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA. When ROS are produced in excess of the capacity of the endogenous antioxidant network, increased cellular oxidative products are produced, resulting in a state of oxidative stress.[1, 2] Increasing evidence supports the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of many systemic diseases in humans.[2, 3]
Multiple biomarkers are used to assess systemic oxidative stress, in part, owing to the transient nature of the ROS and the lack of consensus about which biomarker is the most specific, sensitive, and selective. Biomarkers of oxidative stress include endogenous antioxidants (enzymatic, nonenzymatic, or micronutrients) and oxidation products of cellular components including lipids, proteins, or DNA.
By-products of lipid peroxidation are used as biomarkers of in vivo oxidative stress. Isoprostanes (or 8-isoprostanes) are produced by ROS-catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid and are considered a specific marker of lipid peroxidation. Urine or plasma 8-isoprostane concentrations correlate with disease severity in humans,[5, 6] are increased in animal models of oxidative injury, and are modulated by antioxidants.
By comparison, little is known about oxidative stress in veterinary patients. In dogs, GSH and selenium depletion are thought to play a role in aging.[8, 9] Decreased GSH levels are reported in dogs with liver disease, acute acetaminophen toxicity, and cardiac disease. There are limited reports about vitamin E and selenium levels in ill dogs. Significantly, lower blood (plasma or serum) vitamin E concentrations have been documented in ill dogs with IMHA, lymphoma, and cardiac disease. The use of isoprostanes is emerging in veterinary medicine as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Increased urinary 8-isoprostane concentrations are reported in dogs with intervertebral disk disease, dogs in congestive heart failure, and sled dogs after exercise.
Critically ill dogs have decreased RBC GSH concentrations. Erythrocyte glutathione (RBC GSH) concentrations correlated with illness severity and mortality, suggesting a population that would benefit from antioxidant therapy. However, little is published or known about the use of antioxidant supplementation during illness in dogs.[11, 18] In humans, therapeutic antioxidant supplementation has been used with varying degrees of success.[19, 20] While most antioxidants do not directly replenish a sulfhydryl deficiency, NAC is converted to L-cysteine, an essential amino acid for intracellular GSH synthesis. Critically ill human patients treated with NAC have shown an increase in intracellular GSH levels, with many studies indicating a clinical benefit.[21-24]
The purpose of this study is to objectively evaluate if supplementation with NAC in a heterogeneous population of ill dogs with low RBC GSH concentrations affects (1) antioxidant status (ie, RBC GSH, plasma cysteine [CYS], plasma vitamin E, and whole blood selenium [Se]); (2) degree of oxidative stress (ie, urine isoprostane/creatinine ratio [IP/Cr]); (3) illness severity scores (ie, SPI2); and (4) outcome (ie, survival to discharge).
Hospitalized ill dogs were recruited from the referral population admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from September 2008 through October 2009 by a single investigator (KV). In addition, blood from the 14 clinically healthy dogs was collected to establish a normal reference interval for plasma vitamin E, whole blood selenium, and urine 8-isoprostane concentrations. In our laboratory, we have previously established RBC GSH and plasma CYS in healthy dogs (n = 33). An a priori power calculation was used to determine the target enrollment of healthy dogs to provide >90% power to detect a difference in urinary isoprostane concentrations in healthy versus ill dogs. The healthy dogs were recruited from the VMTH primary care population and from pets belonging to VMTH employees, residents, and students.
All healthy and ill dogs with the following characteristics were considered eligible for the study: dogs of adequate size to safely remove 4 mL of blood, no clinical or biochemical evidence of significant anemia (no pallor, referral PCV > 20%), and a complete medical history including previous treatment history for the 2 weeks before sampling. Dogs previously receiving S-adenosylmethionine, NAC, total parenteral nutrition, or fluids containing vitamin supplementation during the 2 weeks before sampling, or having received a blood transfusion within 3 months of presentation to the VMTH were excluded. All study protocols were reviewed, approved, and conducted in accordance with the University of Wisconsin Animal Care and Use Committee. Informed consent was provided by all dog owners before enrollment into the study.
A randomized, investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled study design was used to allocate recruited dogs into one of 2 treatment groups to receive either parenteral NAC or placebo. A computerized random number generator was used to construct a treatment allocation table. Each randomized dog was dispensed the appropriate treatment directly by the pharmacy to the critical care unit technician for administration. The NAC dosing protocol was chosen based on reported supplementation protocols used in sepsis (animal models and human clinical trials), which reflect the administration protocol used in humans and animals for the treatment of paracetamol poisoning. NAC was administered as an initial 140 mg/kg loading dose (a 5% solution diluted with 5% dextrose) given over 60 minutes, with subsequent doses of 70 mg/kg every 6 hours for a total of 7 additional doses. NAC was given through an intravenous (IV) catheter using an inline 0.2 μm Millipore filter. The placebo group was treated similarly with an identical volume of 5% dextrose. Treatment was started within 24 hours of admission to the VMTH. Additional therapies as determined by the primary clinician were administered and recorded. Dogs were censored from after treatment data analysis if they received a transfusion (whole blood, packed RBC, or plasma) during the observation period.
Canine data collected at the time of recruitment included age, breed, sex, neutered/spayed status, body weight, current therapies, and duration of illness. Additional data recorded included final diagnosis, treatments administered, days of hospitalization, and clinical outcome (survival to discharge, death, or euthanasia because of deteriorating condition).
The survival prediction index clinical score (SPI2) was determined for each dog at the time of recruitment into the study and after antioxidant therapy by 1 clinician (KV). Parameters assessed in generation of the SPI2 score included age, packed cell volume, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, plasma creatinine and albumin, and medical versus surgical case. Plasma creatinine and albumin concentrations were determined through the VMTH clinical pathology laboratory and blood pressure measurements were attained using noninvasive oscillometry.
Blood and urine samples were collected from all ill dogs before and after the 48-hour treatment period. Before treatment samples were collected after a minimum of 12-hour fast and before any treatment at the VMTH. After treatment samples were collected 2 hours after the final infusion. This after treatment sampling time was chosen based on peak plasma concentrations and time for intracellular distribution of GSH observed in humans after IV NAC administration.[23, 30] This may not represent peak antioxidant concentrations in dogs, but the sampling time was uniform for group comparisons.
RBC GSH, and plasma CYS were measured in all dogs before and after treatment. Two milliliters of venous blood was immediately added to a heparinized blood tube. Monobromobimane was added to the heparinized blood within 1 minute of venipuncture and placed on ice. Within 30 minutes of phlebotomy plasma and packed RBC were separated, harvested, and frozen at −80°C. All assays were completed within 7 days of sample collection. RBC GSH and plasma CYS were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography as previously reported.[17, 31]
Additional antioxidants measured before and after the 48-hour treatment period included plasma vitamin E and whole blood selenium concentrations. Two milliliters of venous blood was immediately aliquoted into an EDTA blood tube and protected from light. Commercially available analytical methods were used to quantify blood vitamin E and selenium concentrations. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to quantify plasma vitamin E. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to quantify whole blood selenium. Samples were stored frozen before analysis and both assays were completed within 7 days of sample collection.
Urine 8-isoprostane concentrations were measured in all dogs before and after treatment. Urine samples were collected via midstream free catch, aseptic catheterization, or cystocentesis and immediately centrifuged and frozen at −80°C until analysis. Urine 8-isoprostane concentrations were quantified using a commercially available competitive enzyme immunoassay validated in dogs.a Each urine sample was initially passed through an isoprostane affinity column before quantification. Urine 8-isoprostane concentrations were normalized to urine creatinine concentrations to account for variation in glomerular filtration rate and urine concentration. Urine creatinine concentrations were determined through the VMTH clinical pathology laboratory.b
An a priori power calculation based on previously reported data was used to determine our target enrollment of 30 dogs recruited into each group (treatment and placebo). The enrollment of 60 dogs provided >90% power to show normalization of RBC GSH, a 50% decrease in urine isoprostane concentrations, and a 10% increase in SPI2 score in the NAC treated group. For survival analysis, our power calculations were based on the mortality rate of the severely ill dogs in our clinically ill versus healthy dog study to give 70% power to show a reduction in death rate by 30%.
At the time of enrollment, continuous variables (median age, body weight, RBC GSH, plasma CYS, plasma vitamin E, whole blood selenium, urine 8-isoprostane, and SPI2 scores) were compared between the NAC and placebo groups using a Mann–Whitney U-test. Categorical data (breed and sex) were compared at enrollment between NAC and placebo groups using a Fisher's exact test. Plasma vitamin E, whole blood selenium, and urine 8-isoprotane concentrations were compared between the clinically healthy dogs and ill dogs using a Mann–Whitney U-test. Antioxidant concentrations (RBC GSH, plasma CYS, plasma vitamin E, and whole blood selenium), urine 8-isoprostane concentrations, and SPI2 scores were compared before and after treatment using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RBC GSH concentrations were evaluated for correlation with urine 8-isoprostane concentrations and SPI2 score before or after treatment using a Spearman correlation. Ill dogs that died or were euthanized because of declining clinical status after antioxidant infusion were compared between the NAC and placebo groups to those that survived to discharge using a Fisher's exact test. Dogs discharged from the hospital against medical advice, euthanized for financial reasons, or given a transfusion (blood or plasma) after initial sampling but before completion of antioxidant infusion were censored from analyses. Statistical calculations were performed with a commercial software package.c All values are reported as median and ranges. The level for determination of significance was .05.
A total of 72 dogs were enrolled into the study. Twelve of the 72 dogs did not complete the study owing to discharge from the hospital before completion of antioxidant therapy. Sixty of the 72 ill dogs that were randomized to either NAC (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) successfully completed the study. The baseline descriptive characteristics of the ill dogs recruited into the NAC versus placebo groups and healthy dog groups are summarized in Table 1. Disease categories or primary organ dysfunction making up the ill dog population included neoplasia (6), systemic infection (6), kidney (5), gastrointestinal (5), respiratory (2), endocrine (2), trauma (2), neurological (1), and liver/biliary/pancreas (1) in the NAC treatment group, and neoplasia (10), systemic infection (3), kidney (4), gastrointestinal (2), endocrine (1), neurological (7), and liver/biliary/pancreas (3) in the placebo group.
|Number||Ill||Ill (Placebo)||Ill (NAC)||Healthy|
|Age (years)||8 (0.5–15)||5 (0.5–13)a||9 (2–15)a||6 (1–12)|
|Male (N/I)||35 (29/6)||18 (14/4)||17 (15/2)||4 (4/0)|
|Female (S/I)||25 (19/6)||12 (9/3)||13 (10/3)||10 (7/3)|
|Weight (kg)||26 (4.8–48)||27 (4.8–48)||23 (5.7–48)||28 (19–43)|
|Breeds (top 3)||LR (12)||LR (8)||LR (4)||RR (4)|
|GR (7)||GR (4)||GR (3)||LR (3)|
|SS (4)||SS (4)||Sheltie (3)||GR (2)|
The dogs randomized to the NAC treatment group (median age 9 years, range 2–15 years) were significantly older than the dogs randomized to the placebo group (median age 5 years, range 6 months to 13 years), P = .0162. However, sex, breed distribution, and body weight of each population of ill dogs were similar.
Table 2 compares the biomarkers of oxidative stress (RBC GSH, plasma CYS, plasma vitamin E, whole blood selenium, and urine IP/Cr ratios) and illness severity scores (SPI2) at enrollment for the ill dogs randomized to treatment with NAC versus placebo. With the exception of whole blood selenium concentrations, no significant differences in illness severity or biomarkers of oxidative stress were reported between these 2 groups of ill dogs. The whole blood selenium concentrations were significantly lower in the dogs randomized to the placebo group versus those treated with NAC (P = .0307).
|Biomarker||Ill (Placebo)||Ill (NAC)||P-Value|
|RBC GSH (mM)||1.49 (0.36–2.09)||1.55 (1.13–1.99)||.0927|
|Plasma CYS (μM)||8.88 (3.68–16.6)||9.07 (3.25–13.9)||.3994|
|Plasma Vitamin E (μg/mL)||26 (5.4–61)||30 (13–120)||.2392|
|Whole blood Se (μg/mL)||0.34 (0.14–1.00)||0.40 (0.25–1.20)||.0307|
|Urine IP/Cr (pg/mg)||975 (147–4152)||804 (183–4581)||.7800|
|SPI2||0.76 (0.41–0.92)||0.73 (0.17–0.93)||.5336|
The healthy dog populations consisted of more mixed-breed dogs than purebred dogs relative to the group of clinically ill dogs (Table 1). There was no significant difference in age, sex, or body weight between the healthy and the ill dog populations.
Ill dogs had significantly lower plasma vitamin E concentrations (median 27 μg/mL, range 5.4–120 μg/mL versus median 55 μg/mL, range 18–88 μg/mL; P = .0005; Fig 1) and elevated urine IP/Cr ratios (median 872 pg/mg, range 147–4581 pg/mg versus median 399 pg/mg, range 184–1267 pg/mg; P = .0007; Fig 2) in comparison with healthy dogs. No significant differences in whole blood selenium (median 0.51 μg/mL, range 0.25–1.0 μg/mL in healthy dogs versus 0.37 μg/mL, range 0.14–1.2 μg/mL in ill dogs; P = .0830) were found when ill dogs were compared with healthy dogs.
Dogs in the placebo group showed a statistically significant decrease in RBC GSH concentrations over the 48-hour observation period (median before 1.49 mM, range 0.36–1.86 mM versus median after 1.44 mM, range 0.30–1.94; P = .0463; Table 3) with no significant change in plasma CYS concentrations (median before 9.13 μM, range 3.68–16.69 μM versus median after 8.39 μM, range 4.80–13.16 μM; P = .5905; Table 3). NAC supplementation significantly increased plasma CYS levels (median before 8.67 μM, range 3.25–13.95 μM to median after 15.1 μM, range 7.31–59.01; P < .0001; Fig 3) with no significant change in RBC GSH concentrations (median before 1.55 mM, range 1.23–1.99 mM to median after 1.60 mM, range 1.01–1.99 mM; P = .2478; Table 3). However, plasma vitamin E, whole blood selenium, urine IP/Cr ratios, and illness severity (SPI2) were not significantly different before and after treatment for either the NAC or placebo treatment groups; Table 3. RBC GSH concentrations were not correlated with urine 8-isoprostane concentrations or illness severity (SPI2).
|RBC GSH (mM)||1.49 (0.36–1.86)||1.44 (0.30–1.94)||.0463||1.55 (1.23–1.99)||1.60 (1.01–1.99)||.2478|
|Plasma CYS (μM)||9.13 (3.68–16.7)||8.39 (4.80–13.2)||.5905||8.67 (3.25–14.0)||15.1 (7.31–59.0)||<.0001|
|Plasma Vitamin E (μg/mL)||25 (16–61)||26 (0.66–60)||.5809||30 (13–120)||30 (11–64)||.1745|
|Whole blood Se (μg/mL)||0.32 (0.14–0.77)||0.35 (0.15–0.85)||.2470||0.40 (0.25–1.20)||0.39 (0.26–0.96)||.5772|
|Urine IP/Cr (pg/mg)||975 (147–4152)||777 (270–4833)||.6171||804 (183–4581)||946 (265–2837)||.3380|
|SPI2||0.76 (0.41–0.92)||0.78 (0.47–0.93)||.6473||0.73 (0.17–0.93)||0.77 (0.17–0.90)||.8077|
Twenty-three of the 30 dogs in the placebo group (77%) and 25 of the 30 dogs treated with NAC (83%) survived to discharge. There was no significant differences in outcome (survival to discharge) between the NAC and placebo groups after treatment (P = .740).
This study evaluated the impact of illness and treatment on endogenous antioxidant concentrations, lipid peroxidation, clinical score, and outcome in ill dogs supplemented with either NAC versus placebo within the first 48 hours of hospitalization. The results of this study further support that hospitalized ill dogs experience systemic oxidative stress including depletion of endogenous antioxidants and increased lipid peroxidation. Illness in dogs is associated with decreased RBC GSH concentrations (median RBC GSH ill dogs 1.22 mM, range 0.55–3.61 versus healthy dogs 1.91 mM, range 0.87–3.51; P = .0004). In addition, compared with healthy dogs, ill dogs have lower plasma vitamin E plasma concentrations and experience excessive production of urine isoprostanes, a biomarker for systemic lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant supplementation with NAC within the first 48 hours of hospitalization significantly increased plasma CYS concentrations and modulated the degree of oxidative stress by preventing further RBC GSH depletion in ill dogs. Plasma vitamin E, urinary 8-isoprostanes, illness severity, and survival to discharge were unchanged after short duration NAC supplementation.
Illness in humans is associated with increased cellular oxidative injury and lipid peroxidation in part owing to a reduction in antioxidant potential. Decreased antioxidants including RBC GSH,[33, 34] vitamin E,[35, 36] and selenium[19, 37] have been reported in association with illness including critically ill human patients. Factors influencing circulating antioxidant concentrations during illness include inflammatory-mediated antioxidant redistribution, increased antioxidant utilization, loss, or both, decreased vitamin intake, or decreased antioxidant synthesis, redox recycling or both.
Increasing evidence supports that oxidative stress plays a role the pathogenesis of many systemic diseases. The interplay between ROS and antioxidants maintains cellular redox balance. For example, endogenous antioxidants function independently and synergistically within a highly interconnected cellular antioxidant network to modulate or quench endogenous ROS produced as a by-product of aerobic metabolism. Glutathione, the main intracellular antioxidant, is intimately linked to other antioxidants including cysteine, vitamin E, and selenium. Glutathione functions as a direct antioxidant but also an essential cofactor for enzymes like glutathione peroxidase and functions synergistically with vitamins E and C as well as selenium to maintain cellular redox homeostasis. Vitamin E is a lipid soluble vitamin that functions as a free radical scavenger that prevents lipid peroxidation and is recycled in part by glutathione and vitamin C. Selenium is an essential cofactor for the function of the antioxidant selenoenzyme, glutathione peroxidase, which is necessary for the reduction of lipid peroxides to hydroxyl acids. The GSH peroxidase-Se enzyme complex plays a significant role in the detoxification of lipid peroxides especially in absence of vitamin E. Selenium via GSH peroxidase has a sparing effect on vitamin E.
Similar to hospitalized human patients, we previously reported decreased low RBC GSH concentrations during illness in dogs and decreased glutathione concentrations has been associated with canine liver disease and acetaminophen toxicity. The results of this study support that illness in dogs is associated with a cellular redox imbalance. Ill dogs have decreased RBC GSH and plasma vitamin E concentrations without a concurrent deficiency in whole blood Se. Others have reported decreased blood (plasma or serum) vitamin E concentrations in association with both pathological conditions in dogs, including immune-mediate hemolytic anemia, cardiac disease, and physiological conditions including pregnancy and endurance exercise.[16, 44] During illness, decreased dietary intake may contribute to the decreased circulating vitamin E concentrations in ill dogs, as most mammals cannot synthesize vitamin E. Much less is known about selenium concentrations during illness in dogs. Decreased selenium levels have been reported in association with canine aging.
The results of this study do not provide a mechanistic understanding of the complex interplay between endogenous antioxidants during disease-induced oxidative stress, but support that illness in dogs is associated with oxidative stress. Excessive lipid peroxidation occurs concurrently with decreases in RBC GSH and plasma vitamin E. Interestingly, in dogs, whole blood selenium levels were not decreased during illness. These findings may suggest that ill dogs have sufficient Se for continued GSH peroxidase activity but are limited in available GSH and vitamin E for adequate lipid peroxide detoxification.
Systemic oxidative stress triggers a series of progressive cellular adaptive responses involving not only alterations in endogenous antioxidants but also the production of lipid peroxidation products. Urinary isoprostanes are nonenzymatic products of lipid peroxidation, more specifically stable eicosanoids used as an in vivo biomarker of oxidative damage.[46-48] In humans, urinary or plasma 8-isoprostanes concentrations or both have been correlated with illness severity and modulated after antioxidant supplementation.[5-7] Animal models of oxidative injury are associated with increased isoprostanes concentrations. There is increased urinary 8-isoprostane concentrations in healthy dogs after exercise and in dogs in congestive heart failure and acute intervertebral disk disease. In our heterogeneous group of systemically ill dogs, urinary isoprostanes concentrations were significantly increased relative to healthy dogs. Increased urinary isoprostanes occurred in association with decreased endogenous antioxidant concentrations. The clinical utility of urinary isoprostane concentrations during illness in dogs needs further investigation. However, its use as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation further supports a state of redox imbalance during illness in dogs.
A variety of antioxidants for the modulation of disease-associated oxidative stress have been studied in humans. Mixed results are reported, limited by the lack of standardization of methodologies, doses, and routes of administration.[50, 51] Many clinical studies in critically ill humans have evaluated antioxidant supplementation during illness to target blocking the formation of ROS, scavenging ROS, and augmenting endogenous antioxidants. A recent meta-analysis of clinical studies evaluating antioxidant supplementation during illness concluded that trace element and vitamin supplementation in critically ill humans not only supports antioxidant function but may reduce mortality. The combination of antioxidants and doses used vary between studies, making it difficult to standardize the combination, doses, or both of antioxidants or micronutrients needed during illness.
The rationale for the use and success of NAC in patients with low GSH concentrations is that it provides a source of L-cysteine needed for GSH synthesis and replenishment of intracellular GSH. The majority of circulating GSH is synthesized in the liver and subsequently undergoes secretion into circulation. NAC also functions as a free radical scavenger of hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid as well as having anti-inflammatory properties via attenuation of neutrophil and macrophage activation, cytokine release, leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion, and capillary leakage.[54, 55] In animal models, treatment with NAC was considered protective against experimentally induced endotoxemia, toxic gas inhalation, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. In humans, many studies indicate a clinical benefit associated with NAC therapy.[22, 23] For example, NAC attenuated ischemia reperfusion associated with cardiac catheterization and has demonstrated benefits in treating sepsis, acute respiratory distress, and contrast-induced nephropathy. However, in at least 1 human study, early NAC supplementation in critically ill septic patients is reported to not affect cytokine concentrations, gastric pH, patient hemodynamics, or outcome.
In this study, supplementing dogs with NAC within 48 hours of hospitalization resulted in a significant increase in plasma CYS concentrations and the maintenance of RBC GSH concentrations. Plasma vitamin E, urinary 8-isoprostanes, illness severity, and survival to discharge were unchanged after short duration supplementation. These results support the maintenance of intracellular GSH in ill dogs with short-term NAC supplementation. However, the resolution of systemic oxidative stress or repletion of RBC GSH was incomplete during the first 48 hours of hospitalization.
Reasons for the lack in resolution of systemic oxidative stress after supplementation with NAC may include the time NAC was supplemented during the course of illness, the relatively short duration of therapy, the NAC dosage administered, or the need for combination antioxidant therapy. Experimental and clinical studies evaluating the use of NAC in sepsis or septic shock report early supplementation (during the first hours of disease) to be beneficial[23, 60] versus the lack of benefit reported in studies in which supplementation was delayed.[61, 62] The NAC dosage used in this study was extrapolated from protocols used to treat acetaminophen toxicosis. Prospective trials support the safety and efficacy of this dosage protocol,[27, 30] but no randomized controlled trials are available to support optimal dose and duration of NAC supplementation. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of NAC have not been adequately studied to support an alternative dosing regimen in dogs. The use of a different NAC dosage, supplementation beyond 48 hours, or NAC supplementation in combination with vitamin E may have improved the outcome of these ill hospitalized dogs. Further studies are necessary in clinically ill dogs to investigate if longer duration or combination antioxidant supplementation is needed to normalize endogenous antioxidant levels, resolve systemic oxidative stress, and impact long-term outcome.
The strength of this study is the randomized, investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled study design to reduce treatment bias. However, this study is not without limitations. A major limitation of this study was the heterogeneity of this population of ill dogs. Dogs in this study were diagnosed with a variety of underlying diseases with varying degrees of illness severities and durations (median 7 days, range 0.5–90 days) at the time of presentation. This heterogeneity may have confounded the degree of improvement to NAC supplementation, limited our ability to provide statistical comparisons of endogenous antioxidants, the degree of oxidative stress between specific disease states, or identify disease states that maybe more or less responsive to NAC supplementation.
In spite of these limitations, this study used multiple biomarkers to further characterize oxidative stress during illness in hospitalized dogs and provided an initial assessment of targeted single agent antioxidant supplementation in GSH depleted dogs. In summary, clinically ill dogs have decreased endogenous antioxidant concentrations (ie, RBC GSH and plasma vitamin E) and increased systemic lipid peroxidation as determined by urinary 8-isoprostane concentrations. Supplementation with NAC within the first 48 hours of hospitalization significantly increased plasma CYS concentrations and stabilized RBC GSH concentrations. Plasma vitamin E, urinary 8-isoprostanes, illness severity, and survival to discharge were unchanged after short-duration NAC supplementation. Further studies are necessary to investigate whether longer duration or combined antioxidant supplementation in clinically ill dogs normalizes their redox state and impacts long-term outcome.
The authors thank Dr Lauren Trepanier, Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, for her collaboration and the use of her laboratory. In addition, the authors thank Nicholas Keuler, Department of Computing and Biometry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, for assistance with statistical analysis and randomization, University of Wisconsin, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital's pharmacy and critical care unit technical staff for their assistance in conducting this trial.
Grant Support: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Companion Animal Grant and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Melton Mowbray, England.
Conflict of Interest: Authors disclose no conflict of interest.
Cayman Chemical Co, Ann Arbor, MI
Vitros 5,1 FS Chemistry analyzer by Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Rochester, NY
Graphpad Prism 5, La Jolla, CA | <urn:uuid:426de67b-5a53-4e27-93fd-35190d1b3313> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvim.12048/full?globalMessage=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718278.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00241-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920224 | 7,180 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The Cylinder Presservation and Digitization Project has placed online amazing collection of over 5000 recordings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unrestored digitizations available as large .wav files are in the public domain, while restored mp3s are licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial, as described in the project’s note on copyright.
Browse the collection. Listen to a 1902 track by Geroge W. Johnson, the first African-American phonograph star, and one from 1914 by Henry Burr, the biggest Canadian star of the era. Needless to say there are some remix possibilities here. | <urn:uuid:0aabd940-e98d-46f7-90c3-834e668b41ef> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://creativecommons.org/2005/11/19/music100yearsagotoday/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282935.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00239-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943177 | 127 | 1.789063 | 2 |
I am reading the "Tor directory protocol, version 3" and there are some points that I cannot clearly understand, please help!
there are 4 paragraphs as follows:
Clients, directory caches, and directory authorities all use consensus documents to find out when their list of routers is out-of-date. (Directory authorities also use vote statuses.) If it is, they download any missing server descriptors. Clients download missing descriptors from caches; caches and authorities download from authorities. Descriptors are downloaded by the hash of the descriptor, not by the relay's identity key: this prevents directory servers from attacking clients by giving them descriptors nobody else uses.
Periodically (currently, every 10 seconds), directory caches check whether there are any specific descriptors that they do not have and that they are not currently trying to download. Caches identify these descriptors by hash in the recent network-status consensus documents. If so, the directory cache launches requests to the authorities for these descriptors.
Clients try to have the best descriptor for each router. A descriptor is "best" if: * It is listed in the consensus network-status document. Periodically (currently every 10 seconds) clients check whether there are any "downloadable" descriptors. A descriptor is downloadable if: - It is the "best" descriptor for some router. - The descriptor was published at least 10 minutes in the past. (This prevents clients from trying to fetch descriptors that the mirrors have probably not yet retrieved and cached.) - The client does not currently have it. - The client is not currently trying to download it. - The client would not discard it immediately upon receiving it. - The client thinks it is running and valid (see section 5.4.1 below).
Each client maintains a list of directory authorities. Insofar as possible, clients SHOULD all use the same list. Clients try to have a live consensus network-status document at all times. A network-status document is "live" if the time in its valid-until field has not passed.
By reading 1st, 2nd and 3rd, what I understand is that all descriptors in the consensus will be checked and updated every 10 seconds basing on their hash values.
But in the last paragraph, what I figure out is that the client download the new consensus every one hour because of the fact that Directory Authorities recently publish the new consensus every one hour. In addition, when I check the "cached-microdesc-consensus" file in my Tor Browser Bundle, the following lines seem to be changed every one hour if I keep my Tor Browser alive for many hours.
network-status-version 3 microdesc vote-status consensus consensus-method 18 valid-after 2015-03-17 08:00:00 fresh-until 2015-03-17 09:00:00 valid-until 2015-03-17 11:00:00 voting-delay 300 300 client-versions
Thank you so much for reading my long question. Best Regards! | <urn:uuid:ce21b813-c9e6-4ca0-a70e-b75dbd7b34f8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tor.stackexchange.com/questions/6489/do-tor-clients-and-caches-download-the-whole-totally-new-consensus-file-every-on | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.919196 | 633 | 2 | 2 |
As a small addition, I think one of the things that separates the really good developers from the mediocre things is the ability to (consciously or un-) plan for things like this. (IMHO) It's important, when working on the pieces to solve a problem, to think about how they're going to be able to be (mis-)used later.
If you've got an idea of how something will be used in the future, as well as in the present, you're on your way to thinking about the bigger picture and the evolution of a (module | program | system | whatever). The best programs are those that can change over time without needing substantial rework provided that none of the base assumptions changed. And from there it's a short-ish step to making sure that the assumptions that are made are as few as possible.
I know that I try my best to make things as flexible / extensible as possible. For me, that means making as few assumptions as possible and figuring out where things are likely to change. Sure, I don't get it right all the time, but being right even 50% of the time can make an enormous amount of difference. That's 50% of the project that doesn't need to be revisited when you're ready for the next release.
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|Yellowstone Super Volcano|
Understanding the complex geological processes that form supervolcanoes could ultimately help geologists determine what triggers their eruptions. A new study using an advanced computer model casts doubt on previously held theories about the Yellowstone supervolcano's origins, adding to the mystery of Yellowstone's formation.
"Our model covered the entire history of Yellowstone volcanic activities," said Lijun Liu, a geology professor at the University of Illinois. Liu's computer model accounted for the last 40 million years, prior to even the earliest signs of Yellowstone's volcanism.
Yellowstone is one of the largest remaining active supervolcanoes. True to its name, a supervolcano is capable of erupting on a much larger scale than an ordinary volcano. The origins of Yellowstone are still under much debate. One of the most prevalent views is that Yellowstone's supervolcano was formed by a vertical column of hot rocks rising from the top of the earth's core, known as a mantle plume.
"The majority of previous studies have relied on conceptual, idealized models, which are not physically and geologically accurate," Liu said. Some recent studies reproduced key geophysical factors in a laboratory setting, including a rising plume and a sinking oceanic plate. However, these studies failed to account for the comprehensive set of geological variables that change over time, influencing the volcanic history.
"Our physical model is more sophisticated and realistic than previous studies, because we simultaneously consider many more relevant dynamic processes," Liu said.
Using the Blue Waters supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the U. of I., one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, Liu's team created a computer model that replicated both the plate tectonic history of the surface and the geophysical image of the Earth's interior. This study is the first to use a high-performance supercomputer to interpret the layers of complicated geophysical data underlying Yellowstone, Liu said.
The main goal of the study was to examine whether the initiation and subsequent development of the Yellowstone volcanic system was driven by a mantle plume. The simulated data showed that the plume was blocked from traveling upward toward the surface by ancient tectonic plates, meaning that the plume could not have played a significant role in forming Yellowstone, Liu said.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The researchers also examined many other factors that could have played a role in forming Yellowstone. These simulations discounted most of the other theories of Yellowstone's origins, Liu said. As a result, formation of the Yellowstone volcanic system remains mysterious.
Supervolcanoes are hazardous natural phenomena that evoke public concern, partly because their formation is not well understood. While this area of research is still far from predicting eruptions, Liu said, improving the fundamental understanding of the underlying dynamics of supervolcano formation is key to many future applications of relevant geophysical knowledge.
"This research indicates that we need a multidisciplinary approach to understand complicated natural processes like Yellowstone," Liu said. "I know people like simple models, but the Earth is not simple." | <urn:uuid:92f9d610-bdf4-4a47-8c17-257603af3275> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.geologyin.com/2016/02/study-challenges-widely-accepted-theory.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00084-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950139 | 634 | 3.984375 | 4 |
No other narrative from within the corridors of power has offered as frank and intimate an account of the making of the modern Chinese nation as Ji Chaozhu’s The Man on Mao’s Right. Having served Chairman Mao Zedong and the Communist leadership for two decades, and having become a key figure in China’s foreign policy, Ji now provides an honest, detailed account of the personalities and events that shaped today’s People’s Republic.
Ji’s mastery of the English language and American culture launched his improbable career, eventually winning him the role of English interpreter for China’s two top leaders: Premier Zhou Enlai and Party Chairman Mao Zedong. With a unique blend of Chinese insight and American candor, Ji paints insightful portraits of the architects of modern China: the urbane, practical, and avuncular Zhou, the conscience of the People’s Republic; and the messianic, charismatic Mao, student of China’s ancient past—his country’s stern father figure.
After the Mao years, Ji moved on to hold top diplomatic posts in the United States and the United Kingdom and then served as under-secretary-general of the United Nations. Today, he says, “The Chinese know America better than the Americans know China. The risk is that we misperceive each other.” This highly accessible insider’s chronicle of a struggling people within a developing powerhouse nation is also Ji Chaozhu’s dramatic personal story, certain to fascinate and enlighten Western audiences. Download and start listening now! | <urn:uuid:28afd031-0f8a-428c-b6ac-7d97aa6bcaf6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/the-man-on-maos-right-1.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00341-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926121 | 330 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Three thousand supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched on the U.S. and French embassies on Friday, shouting their anger at his ouster. A seven-member council met for the first time to help form a transitional government.
The protesters, a few with pistols tucked into their belts, charged past embassies and the presidential National Palace, chanting "Long live Aristide!" and "Down with George Bush!"
U.S. troops watched impassively as the protesters passed.
Outside the U.S. Embassy, one young man screamed epithets and then mooned the Marines.
"If it comes to that, we will confront the U.S. Marines," said demonstrator Pierre Paul, 35. "We will do the same thing that they are doing in Iraq."
It was the first large protest in favor of Aristide since the ousted president fled Sunday to Africa as rebels prepared for a final push on Port-au-Prince and the United States and France pressed the former priest to bow out.
Rebel leader Guy Philippe said he might meet with opposition leaders to talk about re-establishing the army that was disbanded in 1995. Haitian armies have fomented 32 coups in the country's 200 years of independence.
U.S. Gen. James Hill of the Southern Command opposed the idea, saying "there is no need for a Haitian army."
He said earlier that U.S. Light Armored Vehicles were placed at the presidential palace to stop looting that had erupted in recent days and prevent opposition forces from taking over.
The Marines arrived the day Aristide left, followed by French and Chilean troops, forming the vanguard of a U.N.-sponsored peacekeeping force expected to number about 5,000. Canada said it was sending 450 soldiers within days.
The Marines so far have met no resistance, though there has been none of the jubilation that accompanied their last intervention in Haiti -- in 1994, when 20,000 troops ousted a brutal military dictatorship, halted an exodus of boat people to Florida and restored Aristide to power.
A spokesman said U.S. troops had expanded their presence in Haiti beyond the capital and into rebel strongholds. Special teams from the U.S. Southern Command in Florida arrived at rebel bases of Cap-Haitien, on Haiti's north coast; the western city of Gonaives; and possibly other locations across the country, said Army Maj. Richard Crusan, spokesman for the interim international force.
The teams are in addition to the 1,100 Marines in Port-au-Prince, Crusan said.
Witnesses in Cap-Haitien said police were disarming rebels who took that city Feb. 22.
Radio Metropole said there has been some resistance to disarming, particularly in Gonaives, but no fighting was reported.
Paul Arcelin, an adviser to Philippe, told The Associated Press on Friday the rebels would keep their weapons as long as Aristide militants were armed because "tomorrow they'll come here and kill us."
Asked where the rebel guns were, he said: "We hide them." | <urn:uuid:b3e123e1-06a3-43a2-8f15-03538dfdc45b> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/mar/06/thousands_march_in/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719468.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00530-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967767 | 649 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The COVID-19 crisis: A digital policy overview
COVID-19 has streamlined digitalisation in the work of international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), but also in the work of governments and national agencies (primarily in regard to administering public services) and other actors.
Even when the pandemic finally reaches its end, digitalisation in health remains in focus. Stories on accelerated digital transformation, the uses of digital technology for COVID-19 contact tracing and vaccine passports, and vaccine distribution feature prominently in news outlets and social media. While the speed of information exchange has been staggering, online platforms have also been used to spread fake news and misinformation.
For a comprehensive outlook on the digital policy aspects of the pandemic, take a look at our mapping as per the GIP Digital Watch taxonomy.
Putting our faith in AI
A number of tech companies and medical and scientific institutions worldwide have put their faith into digital technologies – particularly artificial intelligence (AI) – in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. When the pandemic first broke out, China’s top tech giants opened their AI and cloud computing solutions to researchers for free to unlock the full potential of these technologies in order to predict the course of the development of the disease and to find a vaccine.
Similarly, days before the WHO issued an alert on the COVID-19 outbreak, Canadian AI company BlueDot had already published warnings regarding the disease. BlueDot’s AI-powered algorithms process an enormous amount of unstructured data from 100 000 news articles in 65 languages on a daily basis. Its massive pool of data includes animal disease, temperature, and climate information, as well as flight records that all help to predict viral spread patterns.
There have been examples of AI being deployed in the form of tiny robots serving food and providing medical help to quarantined people in China, or as chatbots that screen individuals and tell them whether they should be evaluated in case of possible infection.
AI has also joined the quest for a vaccine. According to media reports, the potential uses of AI to help in vaccine distribution is being explored. AI is expected to play a significant role in the following areas: triage and impact modelling, demand forecasting, supply-chain management, and post-vaccination surveillance. However, the risks of deploying poorly designed AI for vaccine allocation was demonstrated in December 2020, when Stanford Medicine relied on an algorithm to develop a vaccine distribution plan that failed to include health staff that had direct contact with COVID-19 patents, and instead included ‘more established doctors who carried a lower risk of patient transmission’.
Other limits of AI have been shown by, for instance, an AI-powered simulation that predicted that COVID-19 could infect 2.5 billion people and kill as many as 52.9 million on the basis of publicly available data released by China. However, the model does not know every factor, and many conditions, such as the mortality rate, tend to continuously change and thus hamper the credibility of the prediction.
Cybercriminals exploit fear
The Coronavirus has also caused quite a stir in terms of cybersecurity. Betting their chips on fear, cybercriminals are said to exploit the situation and spread malicious content with misleading information about the coronavirus.
Some of the factors that have contributed to the increase in cyberattacks are higher security risks due to remote working or learning, delays in cyberattack detection and response, exposed physical security by working from public spaces and using free internet, and the like.
As COVID-19 vaccines started being approved and administered, multiple authorities have warned about cybercriminals exploiting the situation, including Interpol, Europol, and the FBI. According to the warnings, cybercriminals have taken to advertising and selling fake vaccines in exchange for money and data.
Additionally, nation-states going after other countries’ vaccine supply chains has become a concern. In September 2020, hackers began a phishing campaign targeted at organisations associated with a COVID-19 cold chain (a temperature-controlled supply chain necessary to keep vaccines from spoiling in high temperatures). In 2021, US adversaries have been trying to interfere with Operation Warp Speed, the US government operation distributing the vaccines.
COVID-19 and human rights online
With more than half of the world’s population using social media, the platforms have proved useful in tackling suppression of information in the media. From exchanges of information on situations in hospitals to the dissemination of knowledge, networking platforms have become the go-to-source for many. Nevertheless, measures to prevent the spread of what some actors have dubbed as ‘rumors’ on social media have been widespread and as such have affected the right to freedom of expression of many. According to several sources, activists have been detained, harassed, and intimidated by the authorities for pandemic-related content they posted online.
The pandemic has also given way to concerns of violations of the right to privacy and data protection. In 2020, a heated debate regarding contact tracing apps took place with much attention being paid to privacy issues pertaining to collection and storage of data through the previously mentioned apps.
The increase in social media-based human trafficking and exploitation has also been observed. To illustrate, according to a recent study from Europol, child predators are said to be developing approaches on online platforms as to how to exploit children during lockdown. In order to combat such practices, tech companies have been encouraged by UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to employ AI and big data tools to prevent and combat trafficking of girls and women.
Data to the rescue?
The role of data in the Coronavirus crisis cannot be highlighted enough. From the risk assessment and monitoring of the pandemic to keeping records of infected people, data collection has been central.
Much of the attention is accorded to data collection that enabled the prediction and identification of the pandemic. As noted above, on the basis of data collected by BlueDot, early warning of the virus was communicated to the WHO. Similarly, data collected by medical centres on patients’ geographic location and infection status was entered into a government database known as the ‘National Infectious Disease Monitoring Information System Database’ ultimately helped Chinese authorities identify where the initial COVID-19 outbreak had started.
Data visualisation has also been put to use. Online data platforms have been created to track the spread of the Coronavirus worldwide. Data on the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, number of tests, vaccines and many other related metrics are available on numerous platforms, presented in the form of a table or an interactive map, which are updated regularly.
In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, other calls for and initiatives regarding data sharing have surfaced. The Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus invited health ministers of member states to improve data-sharing measures related to COVID-19. Academia and the private sector are for their part involved in data sharing. Data has been shared through Github by Harvard Medical School, the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Metabiota, a risk analysis company.
More data, however, does not mean more balanced and evidence-based policies. Very often, especially in dealing with risks, we miss context and reference. For example, are current actions of cancelling flights or in some cases boycotting Chinese goods proportional to the risk level? The answer is no. The Coronavirus death rate is estimated at around 2% which is significantly lower in comparison to 14–15% in the case of SARS, 50% for ebola, or 35% during the MERS epidemics. There is not enough data to make informed and reasonable policies in proportion to current and potential risks. That said, AI may help us put data in the right context of risks and societal priorities and in turn facilitate evidence-informed policy-making.
Impact on digital economy
Despite initial predictions that the effects of the coronavirus on the global economy would be worse than those of SARS, the digital economy is showing no sign of a slowdown.
One of the most obvious trends following the outbreak of the Coronavirus is the surge in teleworking. Fearing the spread of the virus, companies have requested employees to work from home in what has been dubbed the ‘world’s largest teleworking experiment’.
E-commerce is also thriving. Due to the shutdown of cities, people have resorted to purchasing their groceries and other necessities online. Some reports mention an increase in the business activity of e-commerce companies in China.
One of the human development issues most prominently associated with the coronavirus crisis is access. Access to the internet is equivalent to access to information, including that on the spread of disease, as well as access to education and work.
A number of schools experienced difficulty in providing online learning to their students for several reasons, ranging from a lack of necessary infrastructure and appropriate training for educators, as well as the general absence of digitalised teaching content. Furthermore, students lacking access to broadband have been deprived from joining and participating in the new learning environment.
Data shows that many more children worldwide were kept out of the education system in 2020 compared to previous years. It is estimated that half of the total number of learners affected by school closures do not have access to a household computer, and 43% have no internet access at home.
Capacity development is another noteworthy issue. In an effort to improve the response to health emergencies, the WHO has created OpenWHO, an interactive platform offering online courses that provide their users with the newest scientific and practical know-how.
Fake news on the rise
For the very start of the crisis, misinformation about the outbreak has been on the rise, thus leading to the so-called ‘infodemic’. In the early stages, the WHO, for instance, established a ‘myth busters’ page intended to address mis- and disinformation related to the spread of the disease.
Tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google also joined efforts to address fake news. Through the activation of an ‘SOS alert’ for searches linked to Coronavirus outbreak, Google has provided users with the latest tweets, advisory information, and other relevant resources provided by the WHO.
The growth in online acts of hate speech have also contributed to the ‘Coronaracism’ phenomenon, as well as the rise of stigmatisation on social media. In order to study such negative developments, Twitter has recently announced that it will be providing researchers with free access to data (i.e. public tweets that contain such content).
Shedding light on the digital divide
In response to the spread of COVID-19, authorities have taken a set of measures ranging from travel restrictions to city shut downs. Education is another area of social life that has been affected by the outbreak.
Schools and universities across the world are resorting to online learning. In Italy, a number of schools have closed down since the outbreak and the authorities have resorted to different digital tools and platforms, such as Skype, Google Suite for Education and Office 365 Education to keep the classes going. The Ministry of Education has called on school directors to activate, for the duration of the suspension of teaching activities in schools, distance teaching methods, with particular attention to the specific needs of students with disabilities.
In China, telecom carriers developed online learning solutions to enable students to continue their studies from home while regular classes have been suspended at schools.
However, a number of schools are experiencing difficulty in providing online learning to their students for several reasons ranging from lack of necessary infrastructure, appropriate training for educators and general absence of digitalised teaching content. Furthermore, students lacking access to the broadband will not be able to join and participate in the new learning environment.
Gatherings went virtual
The spread of the Coronavirus has also caused a stir in summit and conference circles.
Events and conferences have either been cancelled or postponed to a later date or held online. Major international organisations, countries, and other stakeholders have resorted to making the most of online conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Webex, and others. For instance, the 15th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was held entirely on Zoom. On the other hand, the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) applied a hybrid approach – heads of states and governments, as well as foreign affairs ministers, delivered pre-recorded statements from their respective capitals while representatives of national missions to the UN were physically present at the UN.
The pandemic has sharply highlighted the differences between countries and their access to vaccines. The majority of vaccines are administered in Europe and North America, while many developing countries struggle to vaccinate their populations. One of the main challenges is to ensure the ability for all countries to produce, allocate, and distribute affordable vaccines for their populations.
In the course of the past months, there were several developments in this regard, with the main debate around the temporary waiver of intellectual rights under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS waiver) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In October 2020, a total of 60 WTO members, led by South Africa and India, called for a waiver for all WTO members of certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement in relation to the ‘prevention, containment, or treatment’ of COVID-19. Countries proposed temporarily lifting the copyright, patent, industrial rights, and other intellectual property rights protections of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. This was proposed to allow for scaled up manufacturing and to ease access to treatments and vaccines. According to the proposal, the limited time waiver would be in place until widespread vaccination is in place globally and the majority of the world's population is immune. This would be reviewed annually.
The USA, the EU, the UK, Switzerland, and Japan – as well as pharmaceutical companies – immediately criticized the TRIPS waiver proposal, while developing and less developed countries were more welcoming. In March 2021, the proposal did not pass as a WTO resolution. With the next regular WTO TRIPS Council meeting scheduled for 8–9 June 2021, the USA has now announced support for the TRIPS waiver, a big departure from its prior stance.
This reversal revived the global debate about the main issue - what are the obstacles to providing effective access to COVID-19 treatments and vaccines and how can they be mitigated?
Intellectual property rights
Treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 are patented by pharmaceutical companies (Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and others) and in some cases are developed based on patents by governments. Other exclusive rights and information – like clinical trial data, data collected for regulatory approval, and trade secrets also play a role in the manufacturing of treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. Pharmaceutical companies have greatly benefited from government funding for research and development, as well as advance purchase commitments (US$2.2 billion by the USA and US$4.1 billion by Germany, the UK, and EU) and now hold intellectual rights protections and licenses for manufacturing. This set-up creates legal barriers for equitable access and fair allocation of treatment and vaccines. Opinions differ on how to go about alleviating these barriers.
The TRIPS waiver would exempt countries from TRIPS provisions that require them to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, such as copyright, trade secrets, designs, and patents. COVID-19 treatments and vaccines are governed by a multitude of patents owned by different entities. The TRIPS waiver would therefore ease manufacturing.
When looking at both the proposal for the TRIPS waiver and the US announcement supporting it, additional complexities come to light. The proposal for the TRIPS waiver calls for an intellectual property rights waiver in a broad sense – for all technologies related to the detection, prevention, treatment, and response to COVID-19. The US statement limits the support for the TRIPS waiver to vaccines only, leaving other technologies – like COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments, ventilators, respirators, syringes, and refrigerators maintaining low temperatures during storage and transport of doses – aside. The USA also keeps export restrictions on raw materials necessary for vaccine production in place, thus hindering manufacturing in other countries.
Germany and France argue that the TRIPS waiver would not be sufficient to ensure manufacturing of treatments and vaccines. The issue is production itself, as vaccines use mRNA, a relatively new technology, and according to German Health Minister Jens Spahn, ‘can't simply be produced anywhere at any factory awarded a license’. More effective measures would be the increase of production in current facilities, export, and improvements to supply chains.
Pharmaceutical companies and their investors also argue that the TRIPS waiver will undermine their ability to respond to future pandemics by changing the incentive structure and jeopardising funding for future research.
Additional arguments against the TRIPS waiver is the length of time WTO members would require to negotiate and approve it by unanimous consent.
Those opposing the TRIPS waiver also point out that there is another, more accessible way to resolve the intellectual property rights issues. Governments can force pharmaceutical companies to share their licenses through compulsory licencing.
Under the TRIPS Agreement governments may license – manufacture, use, sell, or import – inventions under patent without the consent of the patent holder. Certain conditions are attached, such as individual evaluation, attempts to obtain authorisation (waived In situations of national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency), time limitation, non-exclusive use, and others.
Since the adoption of the TRIPS Agreement, developing countries have pointed out that they would not be able to take advantage of compulsory licensing to access pharmaceuticals for treatment and prevention of diseases with public health implications (HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria). In 2001, The WTO adopted the Doha Declaration, which recognised that ‘WTO members with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector, could face difficulties in making effective use of compulsory licensing under the TRIPS Agreement.’
The Doha Declaration took 16 years to turn into the only formal amendment of the TRIPS Agreement. It added Art. 31bis, which specifically addresses compulsory licensing under TRIPS Agreement to ensure access to affordable medicines for populations in developing countries. It allows them to circumvent the TRIPS Agreement regulations and issue compulsory licences for public health reasons and import drugs from other countries.
While this solution would not require consensus of all WTO member states, it would be a less effective case-by-case, country-by-country approach.
Another initiative to share the patents for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines takes place at the World Health Organization. Based on the proposal from Costa Rica, the WHO created a COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) platform to promote the voluntary transfer of intellectual property rights and the pooling of all forms of knowledge. The idea is for pharmaceutical companies to provide free access or licensing to the treatment and vaccine technologies on reasonable and affordable terms for all countries. While this initiative is designed for global cooperation and exchange, none of the current vaccine manufacturers have contributed so far. The initiative, however, received support of the G20 in the Rome Declaration on 21 May 2021 and was discussed at the World Health Assembly from 24 May to 1 June 2021 without concluding strategy or resolution. | <urn:uuid:00fdbae1-3a1e-413a-9194-75ea319a9767> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dig.watch/trends/covid-19-crisis-digital-policy-overview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.953141 | 4,021 | 2.875 | 3 |
The special relationship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia have continuously developed in all fields in recent times.
The statement was made by Cambodian Consul General in HCM City, Sam Samouth, at a meeting with President of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in HCM City, Truong Minh Nhut, to mark the 58 th anniversary of Cambodia’s Independence Day on November 8.
Sam Samouth said trade ties between the two countries have increased sharply this year, with the value amounting to US$2 billion at present. Vietnam has also invested in major fields in Cambodia such as transportation, banking, trade, tourism, agriculture, power, rubber, aviation, health, oil and gas. Cambodia has welcomed around 550,000 Vietnamese tourists since the beginning of the year.
At the meeting, Mr Nhut noted that cooperation between localities in HCM City and Cambodia has also been promoted especially in trade, education, training, health and tourism.
The cooperative project with Vietnam to build Cho Ray – Phnom Penh Hospital has made important contributions to improving the health of the Cambodian people. | <urn:uuid:2e45ff50-41fa-4e37-ae69-8601b22bce11> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://en.baomoi.com/Info/VietnamCambodia-trade-ties-develop-well/5/201463.epi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00033-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966886 | 231 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Hi, new to this forum.
For 20 years I have run fridges in my campers and 4wd with battery and chargers of various types and it all seems pretty easy. In a rash moment I ordered from China 32x 320AH 3.2v batteries to make a big battery for my home. I already have 6.6kw panels and 5Kw inverter so I figured I was part way to going off grid.
I then started researching inverter/chargers, batteries and BMS and all the other bits required and I can see now why people buy a whole system.
Nevertheless I have the batteries arriving in four months and I can’t find much info on DIY systems. Have searched this forum but nothing turns. Has anybody built their own and can give some advice or should I employ an engineer to design it all.
Third option is flog off the batteries when they arrive and go back to the drawing board. The whole reason for doing it myself was to save money and have a challenge.
Hi, new to this forum.
That is certainly a challenge if you haven’t worked with Lithium batteries before. The key to success here is the BMS system which you can purchase separately but can be very complex. Although, with all the quality lithium batteries now available I’d recommend you sell the cells and purchase something prebuilt with a warranty. It will save you a lot of time and energy (pardon the pun) and more importantly it will be much safer.
Also, you will need a compatible inverter/charger, MPPT, and other equipment. Building a system can be enough of a challenge for most people. Victron is probably the best option.
I’d suggest, with either path you take, definitely go with a 48V battery voltage. It will be much more efficient and less costly.
Sparky. Thanks for your advice. The problem is I can’t afford a prebuilt system, hence the purchase of batteries as a starter. If the batteries are all they are advertised as, I will have 32Kw of battery and with say $5000 for a Victron inverter and a decent BMS I should have most of what is required for a four day reserve of power which should enable us to go off grid, which is the ultimate aim. Our use is 7Khw per day and after looking at solar production for the last 8 years, the longest without much sun has been 3 days until last month when we had four days with only about 6Kwh input. I also have a small generator which we have run on previously when the grid has been down for short periods.
The costs I envisage are way below what a prebuilt one would cost for equivalent storage, unless I am missing something. Even with no warranty on the batteries, I could replace them and still be way in front.
I was planning 16s2p battery for 48volt, Victron Inverter/charger and other stuff not decided on yet. Is there somewhere I can see system designs or get some help with the design. Obviously I will get an electrician in to do the hookup and be sure it is all safe and legal. Should I start with the electrician. I wont be buying anything else until that is all sorted.
Any comments appreciated thanks.
Here’s a simple line diagram for a basic off-grid DC-coupled system… This is a Victron system using pylontech batteries, but the basic layout is the same. The only difference is that you may not need CANbus comms to the battery (depending on what type of BMS you use).
Also, if you haven’t seen this article before, then it could also help with the overall system design and has another line diagram. Solar battery system types - AC Vs DC coupled — Clean Energy Reviews
The Victron Lynx distributor would be a great way to connect a DIY battery system safely. It contains 4 fused inputs in a nicely enclosed modular unit.
As a solar off-grid newbie, I’ve been a member of his site for several months. Jason and Sparky are very knowledgeable and have been super helpful.
Been reading your msg thread and I get the impression that you have budget constraints and want more info on building your own 48V (LFP) battery pack(?). If I have misunderstood, then you can ignore the rest of this msg.
Before taking the plunge and installing my own off-grid system, I watched a ton of Youtube videos of other DIY’ers building packs from individual cells. If you are intent on building your own LFP pack and can accept the inherent risks, I found the earlier vids by “Will Prowse” and “David Poz” very informative and instructional.
However to avoid any misrepresentation, in the end, I did opt to buy pre-built 48V 200AH LFP packs, as I had sufficient budget and more importantly was fully preoccupied with building my retirement house.
FYI the packs are from “Blue Carbon Tech”. They were not too expensive (approx USD1500/battery), use BYD LFP cells and have worked without any problems for the past 3+ months. Also bought an ‘all-in-one’ 5KW hybrid charger-inverter from MPP Solar for USD1K. Growatt also offers an almost identical (rip-off?) version. They are really nifty, relatively simple and quick to install. I don’t know how long they will operate but at this low price one can afford to buy a second unit as a stand-by/spare for less than the price of one Victron.
Note that the BCT batteries do NOT have any comms port on their BMS, so cannot be connected to the charger-inverter or monitored remotely. I just check the battery pack voltages a couple of times each day to get a rough indication of their SOC. Not technically elegant nor a state-of-the-art design, but good enough for a retired pensioner like myself with time on his hands. Not sure if this is helpful but throwing it out there in the spirit of sharing with other fellow solar newbies.
Good luck and apologies to Sparky for barging into this thread uninvited…
Thank you Svarky for the additional info and thanks Chewface for your input. You have read correctly that my constraint is money, being retired and having time to spare and liking a challenge.
I had looked at the MPP inverters and was impressed but not much feedback available on them. Your idea of having two I like, for much less than the Victron.
The Victron, much as I like the specs and reputed quality was getting a bit expensive by the time I added charger, and other bits for monitoring.
It seems to me that one of the most important things is the BMS and two in my case with 16s2p batteries, with the ability to talk to the charger and inverter. Any suggestions on that front? Do two BMSs talk to each other as well? Should I instead go 2p16s and one BMS? I know two would be better so that’s every battery is protected separately but how do two talk to the charger?
Thanks for the feedback. | <urn:uuid:e2e4a244-4682-4dcb-acdc-3e96076c7017> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/t/diy-lithium-battery-system/2220 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.96433 | 1,540 | 1.5625 | 2 |
We are building a healthy, connected community that empowers people and strengthens families by confronting the root causes of crisis and instability.
Hope for the future, help when you need it. This sums up our philosophy. We believe in strengthening multiple generations through prevention-focused integrated services: getting the right mix of supports – as early as possible – to each person in the family who needs them. We are also committed to ensuring every one of our neighbors has equal access to the supports they need – and deserve – to thrive.
Primary focus areas for us today are investing in early childhood well-being and education, greatly expanding access to affordable and decent housing in our community, and integrating the services we deliver and our data systems so we can provide every neighbor who seeks our help the full range of supports they need.
Learn more about the structure and leadership of Boulder County Housing and Human Services.
- Read our Building a Community of Hope report, which features our participants talking about what we do and how it is helping them and their families. We also have an Executive Summary that provides a general overview of our work.
- Here is a quick-reading two-pager about Boulder County Housing and Human Services. | <urn:uuid:c3760eb2-ebbc-45ed-a751-083e948263e1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bouldercounty.gov/departments/housing-and-human-services/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.963641 | 243 | 1.625 | 2 |
Years ago there was less understanding of how dumping or
improper management of chemical wastes might adversely affect public health and
the environment. The result of such practices was that hazardous substances
contaminated thousands of properties across the nation. Congress passed
legislation in 1980 that established the Superfund Program in order to locate,
investigate and cleanup these sites. The federal Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) administers the Superfund Program in cooperation with the individual
States and tribal governments.
The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is the principal mechanism that
EPA uses to evaluate sites for the National Priorities List (NPL). It is a
numerically based screening system that uses information from initial, limited
assessment and the site inspection" to assess the potential of sites to
pose a threat to human health or the environment. Sites are listed on the NPL
upon completion of Hazard Ranking System screening, public solicitation of
comments about the proposed site, and after all comments have been addressed.
The responsible parties may clean up the Superfund site under an agreement with
EPA; or, EPA may clean up the site under a cost-share agreement using federal
and state funds.
Complete information on the federal Superfund Program and
individual Florida Superfund sites is available on the
EPA Superfund Sites Website.
A list of Florida National Priority List Superfund sites is
available in the "Quick Look" Summary. | <urn:uuid:552e1c3e-9475-4028-9ab3-574043f7f532> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/wc/pages/cleanup/pages/nplsites.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00384-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.899151 | 295 | 3.234375 | 3 |
According to the American Pet Products Association, 70% of U.S. households have a pet. And while most of those are cats and dogs, even small pets like hamsters and rabbits shed fur and dander that can wreak havoc on your HVAC system. It can make air quality uncomfortable for people with allergies, too. But we love them just the same!
Here are five simple ways to manage all that fuzz to keep everyone more comfortable, ensure your HVAC performs at peak efficiency and prevent inconvenient issues or breakdowns.
1. Groom Your Pets Often
Brushing your furry pet regularly is the best way to keep fur and hair out of your HVAC system. When you brush your pet, the fur gets caught in the brush or falls to the floor, where it’s easy to sweep up and put in the trash. Conversely, when your dog shakes its fur, it goes flying into the air—and into your ducts.
Grooming in an area with a hard floor makes it even easier to clean up hair and dander—and if you can do it outside, even better.
2. Clean Your Filters Regularly
With a furry pet in your home, you may need to replace or clean your HVAC system filters more often than they are rated for. For example, if your filters are rated to last three months, you may need to replace them every two months.
Match the frequency to your pet’s shedding habits. So, when your dog is shedding winter fur in the spring, you should replace or clean filters more often. If allergies are a concern, upgrading to a higher-quality filter will reduce allergens. Look for a higher MERV rating—most residential air filters have a MERV 5-8. A MERV 10-12 filter will trap smaller particles, including pet dander and prevent them from clogging your HVAC unit or coming back into your home through the vents.
3. Add a Fence or Barrier Around Outdoor Units
If your pets spend time outdoors, you may have a fence around the edge of your property to protect them from traffic and keep them from straying. But be sure to build a fence around the outdoor unit for your AC system, too. If your pets mark their territory by peeing, the urine will damage your equipment. And if they rub up against it, their fur will get directly into the unit, and into your HVAC system.
4. Vacuum Frequently
More frequent vacuuming will help your filters last longer. The indoor air intake in your system is designed to suction hair and dander in to trap it in the filter, but the more hair and dander it takes in, the more often you need to replace or clean the filters. Be sure to use your vacuum cleaners’ tools to get in corners and behind and under furniture. Using the upholstery tool to get fur off couches and chairs and even draperies will help, too.
5. Don’t Skip Regular Maintenance!
Regular maintenance is important even for homes without pets. For homes with fur babies, it’s imperative. All that fur puts extra stress on your system, even when you’re conscientious about changing filters and thorough with vacuuming. Every time your pet rolls on the carpet, they’ll shed hair and dander, and every time you walk around or sit on the couch, you send that fur and dander into your HVAC system. That’s why homes with furry pets should be sure to have a system tune-up twice a year—and you should be sure to let the technician know you have pets so he can check all the places where hair and fur can hide in your system.
Regular maintenance is the best way to keep your HVAC system running at peak efficiency and prevent breakdowns.
Don’t let things get hairy. Contact us today to get on a regular maintenance schedule. Plus, ask us about our available HVAC service protection plans! We offer plans for central air and heating systems that include seasonal maintenance and can take the bite out of unexpected repairs if you do have a breakdown.
Located in Newburgh, NY, Depew Energy has been the Hudson Valley’s go-to heat comfort specialist since 1998. We are a family-owned and operated business that prides ourselves on putting the customer first, using increased technology, providing easy-to-access options, and presenting an ever-growing selection of products and home comfort services. | <urn:uuid:c3074634-09eb-4d3f-b1e4-17ea1b88d85f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.depewoil.com/pet-owner-hvac-tips/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.937562 | 936 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Our group finds the origin of a type of thrombocytopenia caused by an oncogene
- This work has allowed to understand, through the study of MASTL protein, the molecular origin of inherited thrombocytopenia in some patients and to successfully explore therapeutic options on a mouse model
- MASTL controls the cytoskeleton, the structure that gives cells their shape and governs their mobility and capacity for grouping
- Abnormalities in the cytoskeleton of tumour cells facilitate their spreading throughout the body of cancer patients, which is why studying MASTL might have important implications on how to block metastasis
The Cell Division and Cancer Group of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has discovered that MASTL, the protein whose function in the organism has not yet been sufficiently investigated, plays an important role in controlling the cytoskeleton, the structure that gives shape to the cells, and enables their mobility and capacity for grouping. The researchers have managed to link the protein to the origin of an inherited thrombocytopeniaand they point out that this discovery might have implications in the fight against cancer metastasis. The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Until now we have known that MASTL plays a role in the regulation of cell division, but not much else. In 2003, a team of American researchers identified a group of patients with inherited thrombocytopenia that had a mutation on the MASTL gene. Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterised by low levels of platelets, so the patients’ bodies cannot form clots and their symptoms include uncontrollable bleeding that can lead to hematomas and haemorrhages. The thrombocytopenia found in these patients, caused by the mutation on MASTL is known as autosomal dominant thrombocytopenia or thrombocytopenia-2.
CNIO researchers decided to study this particular mutation in the hope that it might lead them to discover more about the functions of the protein. “There were no previous connections that would tell us how a protein that regulates cell division could regulate the number of platelets”, says Begoña Hurtado, lead author of the paper together with Marianna Trakala.
To study this relationship they generated a line of genetically modified mice that were carriers of the same mutation found in the patients with thrombocytopenia-2. Together with the CNIO Proteomics Core Unit, led by Javier Muñoz, they discovered that the mutating platelets have a different morphology and different protein content that resulted in an altered cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton gives stability and shape to the cell, apart from determining its mobility, playing the role of a muscle cell. It also governs cell interaction and grouping. The study has discovered that the mutation on MASTL causes defects on this muscle, which, in the case of platelets, is fundamental in forming the clots that protect us from bleeding out.
Blocking the escapist ability of metastatic cells
The observations have allowed us to identify the molecular bases of the mutation that causes the thrombocytopenia-2 in patients, which not only broaden our knowledge of the factors that participate in the origin of the disease, but also allow us to try out different therapies. The CNIO researchers were able to avoid the defect caused by the mutation by manipulating other enzymes of the cytoskeleton with chemical inhibitors that were already available at the clinic.
But the discovery that MASTL controls the cytoskeleton can have applications in cancer metastasis research. “The cytoskeleton is crucial for many cellular functions, but the cell signalling and adhesion to the medium properties (i.e. those associated with cellular migration and invasion) are the most important ones”, explains Marcos Malumbres, the Group leader and project manager.
Metastatic cells go through a special process of breaking away from their usual environment, they are able to modify their cell shape to escape through the bloodstream and end up attaching themselves to new tissues starting the process of metastasis.
Malumbres’s Group has already discovered that MASTL could be a therapeutic target and that its inhibition could slow down the growth of breast tumours: recently they published their findings in the journal Cell Death & Differentiation where they describe how the levels of the protein are increased in some patients, and how its inhibition in experimental mouse models slowed down tumour development.
The next step in our investigation would be to analyse to what extent the expression of MASTL in tumours modulates its invasive or metastatic ability”, says Malumbres. The continuation of this work could open up new avenues for potential applications of MASTL inhibitors in cancer therapies.
The study published in Journal of Clinical Investigation has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Fundació La Caixa, Fundació la Marató of TV3, the Community of Madrid and the Worldwide Cancer Research. | <urn:uuid:8d743ade-7b5a-45ad-98d0-475c673ff899> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://malumbreslab.org/2018/12/21/our-group-finds-the-origin-of-a-type-of-thrombocytopenia-caused-by-an-oncogene/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.942496 | 1,057 | 2.359375 | 2 |
GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- Inside each of Goodwill's 27 stores, job training is a job of its own.
People who go through Goodwill's work skills training program learn skills ranging from pricing, merchandising, customer service, digital skills, or cashier training. Vickie Basar, manager of business and partnership development, said the training targets those who may have barriers to employment. Goodwill helps them create an employment plan and goal, build skills, and get some experience on a resume.
“We partner with local agencies to create individual, customized job training programs that focus on building their skills and confidence so they can be successful in the workplace," Basar said.
The numbers show that it works. Basar said 83% of people who go through the skills training program are then able to find and maintain employment.
“It’s the best feeling ever to be able to wake up and have a job, be a part of a person’s life making that difference in that individual’s life and helping them to achieve their highest potential," she said. "It’s just the greatest feeling to see that person succeed and be successful.”
More information can be found here. | <urn:uuid:500ce815-147f-4fa2-8b72-e5ffc6a077f0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nbc26.com/rebound/goodwill-program-offers-skills-training-and-a-paycheck | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570921.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809094531-20220809124531-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.963705 | 255 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Unpitted , as name suggests contain pit inside, it has seed inside naturally like other fruits. Pitted Dates are seedless dates manufactured hygienically under controlled food safety program in our Dates Factory.. Un-pitted Dates are whole dates comes in natural form with cap and stuffed hard seed inside.. Pitted Dates are consumed as easy on-the-go snack and also used for making paste or date syrup, which onward mixed as sweetener or vital … Trading Office: Karachi – Pakistan Each Date piece contain fiber and potassium, making them quite delightful healthy snack. Medjool is mainly produced in Jordan, Morocco and California USA. English can be a sneaky language! These are easy to munch like snacks and filled with natural nutritious contents. Easy to dice or chop up and include or spread like raisins or dried fruit on different types of dishes. Aseel Dates is the best variety of Pakistani Dates. The dates are unique in sweet taste and used in many food recipes for baking or making delightful dishes. Home | Pitted Date Versus Unpitted Dates|Pitted VS Whole Dates|Pakistan Aseel Dates. After cleaning, grading, pitting, the dates are packed in boxes for export or local sales. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Medjool Dates variety is regarded as premium quality in Date-palm fruit. Still a little confusing right? Date Paste is considered as a healthier substitute for sugar in cereals, puddings, baked goods, energy bars, ice cream and confections. Pitted versus whole dates. Diced Dates: Aseel Dates variety has a thick flesh that makes for a delightful dried fruit. Pitted Dates: When seed is removed from the Date it is called pitted or seedless Date. Is Date Seed Edible ?- it is very hard can not be consumed by humans however is widely used in animal feed after being crushed. The dates are harvested as whole dates in unpitted form. Fennel Seeds – Fennel seeds are an aromatic herb belonging to the parsley family. For Pakistani Date Paste we use high quality Pitted Dates. Un- means “not”. Pitted Dates (Seedless) – Pitted dates Aseel are semi-dried, fleshy and sweet date suited for fresh consumption and taste like all-natural candy. Pitted (verb) simple past tense and past participle of pit. Produces Banana Powder from best quality Bananas at own Banana manufacturing facility. Dry dates powder is the best sweetener for all types of sweet dishes and delightful taste, with added health benefits. When seed is removed from the Date it is called pitted or seedless Date. Date Pit is removed by hand, knife or through machines in large Date factories whereas Unpitted Date also called whole Date ( What is unpitted Date?). Pakistani Dates Powder-Date sugar is manufactured from, dehydrated dry Dates often referred to us Chuara –Chuhara, Nuts Stuffed Dates, Pitted Dates, Fresh Dates, Soft Dates Stuffed With Nuts, Industrial Aseel Dates, Diced Aseel Dates. Unpitted Dates: Date in a whole shape with seed inside is called un-pitted or whole Date. Though there is not much difference in terms of nutrition contents but Medjool fetches a good price for growers and for consumers it is the most expensive date after Ajwa. Dates are rich with nutritious contents, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and other essential vitamins. Dates Exporters and Suppliers to India, United States, USA, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, UK, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Bangladesh, Australia, Philippines, Iran, Switzerland, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea, Egypt, Spain, Germany, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, France, Argentina, Qatar, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nepal, Oman, Colombia, Morocco, Kuwait, Iraq, Poland, Tunisia, Romania, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Belarus, Algeria, Bahrain, Norway, Nigeria, Venezuela, Greece, Hong Kong, Peru, Lithuania, Afghanistan, Denmark, Czechia, Yemen, Portugal, New Zealand, Cambodia, Austria, Bulgaria, Ireland, Lebanon, Serbia, Libya, Chile, Azerbaijan, China, Maldives, Moldova, Laos, Kenya, Ecuador, Uganda, Myanmar (Burma), El Salvador, Slovenia, Armenia, Finland, Aruba, Brunei, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, Latvia, Georgia, Mongolia, Bolivia, Slovakia, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Honduras, Palestine and Jordan. Email: [email protected], Hours Dates are rich with nutritious contents, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and other essential vitamins. Medjool dates are a FRESH FRUIT. Medjool Dates are bigger in size as compared to Aseel or Deglet Dates. To help you remember, imagine your kind mother has offered you some dates. Yellow dry Dates are commonly known as Rangkhat (Rangkaat) is local language in Paksitan and India. Dried Banana – Our natural dried bananas contain no added sugar, preservatives or flavors. These dried banana coins / Banana slices/Banana figs are moist, chewy and very delicious. Factory Site: Therhi, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan When seed is removed either through manual or machine, it turns into a Pitted Medjool Date. When we are talking about fruit, especially dates, prunes and olives, you will hear the words, pitted and unpitted. Date paste is also added in multiple dishes for flavor and sweetness to salad dressings, marinades, glazes and smoothies. In the first phase dates are pitted and then these dates are chopped or diced in small pieces so you can enjoy them in blended drinks, baked goods, salads and more. Aseel Dates are famous for their sweetness, softness, rich nutrition value and long shelf life. Dates are advised to be placed in cool and dry place preferably in cold storage to maintain taste, quality and Dates texture. When seed is removed the date become more soft and easy to munch as a delightful sweet snack. Date Pit is removed by hand, knife or through machines in large Date factories whereas Unpitted Date also called whole Date ( What is unpitted Date?). If you are interested to know more about dates, please let us know through email at [email protected] Phone: +92 213 5869565 Dried Banana – Our natural dried bananas contain no added sugar, preservatives or flavors. When the produce is transferred from the growers to processors there its seed is removed and further processed and packed according to market requirements. Pitted Dates are consumed as easy on-the-go snack and also used for making paste or date syrup, which onward mixed as sweetener or vital ingredient in multiple dishes and cooking recipes. It does not contain Date Seed or Date pit inside. We pick Dates from our Aseel Dates Farm and Process at our Factory / Processing Plant located at Therhi Town (Habibabad) of District Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. We offer our Aseel Dates for export in different forms and shapes like Pitted Dates, Chopped Dates, Diced Dates and Block Pressed Dates. Medjool Dates are famous for their chewy sweet taste. Date Paste is considered as a healthier substitute for sugar in cereals, puddings, baked goods, energy bars, ice cream and confections. © 2017 Asia Foods International. We supply dates all over the world including USA, EU, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries. Diced Dates or Chopped Dates are packed under hygienic and food safety program. GNS Pakistan Dates | Aseel Dates Farms | Union Dates Processing Factory | Aseel Dates Produce | GNS Food Marketing Pakistan | Aseel Food Factory Pakistan | Union Food Products | Organic Dates Fruit | Natural Commodities LLC | Dried Fruit & Nuts | Khairpur Dates Traders, Aseel Dates of Pakistan | Aseel Dates Farms, Therhi, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan | Best Quality Aseel Dates | Pakistani Aseel Dates Exporters | Aseel Organic Dates Suppliers | Health Benefits of Aseel Dates | Bulk Supply of Aseel Dates | Best Exporters of Aseel Dates | Leading Suppliers of Aseel Dates | F.A.Q. Block Pressed Dates -Block Dates is a block of dried dates which lasts longer on shelf than other lose Dates. We pick Dates from our Aseel Dates Farm and Process at our Factory / Processing Plant located at Therhi Town (Habibabad) of District Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. Pitted Dates Vs Un-Pitted Dates. EurLex-2 (a) “whole fruit” means the whole fruit, unpitted; Giga-fren . Date paste is also added in multiple dishes for flavor and sweetness to salad dressings, marinades, glazes and smoothies. You can ask, “Have you pitted them?” and she can say: Sign me up to be notified of the freshest weekly specials. GNS Pakistan is active in Global Sourcing & Dealing in FAQ, GAQ, Industrial, High, A B C Grade, Fresh, Dry, Wet, Processed Aseel Dates. Published: 16 May, 2020. Our natural dried bananas contain no added sugar, preservatives or flavors. Your email address will not be published. Pitted Dates are seedless dates manufactured hygienically under controlled food safety program in our Dates Factory.
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