text stringlengths 181 608k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 3 values | url stringlengths 13 2.97k | file_path stringlengths 125 140 | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.65 1 | token_count int64 50 138k | score float64 1.5 5 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Star welcomes residents of Darlington Housing Association - Find out more
Reporting a gas leak
If you can smell gas or think you have a gas leak in your home, call Northern Gas Networks on 0800 111 999 immediately. They will visit your home within 2 hours.
Gas safety check
We must complete a gas safety check once a year for all homes with a gas meter or gas supply. This ensures that we are able to keep you and those that live with you safe from gas or carbon monoxide leaks.
If you do not allow us access to your home so we can complete a gas check we will consider this a breach of your tenancy agreement.
Gas safety check appointment
We will send you a letter to let you know when we are coming to complete your check. There must be someone aged 18 or over at your home for this appointment.
Rearranging your gas safety check
You cannot cancel your yearly gas safety check, but you can rearrange it. If you think a safety check is overdue or need to rearrange it, call us immediately on 03000 110011.
Your gas safety record
This will contain details of any:
You will be given a paper copy of the gas safety record for your home by the operative once the safety check is complete. We will also retain an electronic copy of the safety check.
If you would like a copy of a gas safety record please contact us on 03000 110011.
Carbon monoxide detectors
We install carbon monoxide detectors in all rooms within a home that contain a fuel burning appliance such as a boiler, open fire or multi fuel stove.
We check to ensure that your carbon monoxide detector is working as part of every service of your boiler or fire.
If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you suspect a leak: | <urn:uuid:4fc0ac21-564c-4ae8-a601-7d862854bdd5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.northstarhg.co.uk/your-home/keeping-you-safe/gas-safety/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573908.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820043108-20220820073108-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.918901 | 370 | 1.507813 | 2 |
What characterizes a highly effective virtual team? We’ve put together the latest research into virtual teams to help you get a fresh, updated look at the Five Habits of High-Performing Teams, along with questions to help you assess how your team is doing.
The book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni provides an in-depth look at what high performing teams really do. Based on Lencioni’s work, these are the five indicators that a team is functioning poorly:
- Absence of trust: People protect themselves. Roles are unclear. People stay quiet. They don’t bring “undiscussables” to the team. They appear to be invulnerable.
- Artificial harmony: People don’t engage in tough questioning because they fear it will hurt people’s feelings and impede group harmony. The result is buried conflict.
- Ambiguity: People are ambiguous in their commitment. Ownership of common goals is not shared. People have conflicting goals.
- Low standards: When people fail to follow through on their commitments, people let it slide out of a feeling that they don’t want to hurt people’s feelings or “it’s not my job” to manage them.
- Status and ego: Team members dismiss the monitoring process as “unimportant.” Members seek recognition and attention for themselves. The team does not have reports or data showing its progress.
On the flipside, Lencioni defines these as the five habits of effective teams:
- Trust: Team members are clear about roles. They open up to each other. They admit their mistakes, weaknesses, concerns without fear of reprisal.
- Creative conflict: People ask tough questions of one another and challenge each other’s assumptions. They probe an argument until they are satisfied.
- Commitment: Everyone adopts a common goal or set of goals and commits to achieving them. Goals are defined simply enough to be easily grasped, specific enough to be actionable.
- Accountability: Team members hold each other accountable for their performance. When someone under-performs, the team tells them immediately and in direct, honest terms.
- Attention to results: Team members regularly monitor the team’s progress toward achieving its goals. They don’t gloss things over but focus on data and talk about actual results.
Now let’s take a deeper dive into the research and main points of each positive habit and dysfunction.
Habit #1: Trust vs. Absence of Trust
In recent years, research has shown that trust is the key to high levels of collaboration, job satisfaction, and employee retention.
- Paul Zak published The Neuroscience of Trust which revealed people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction, and 40% less burnout.
- A February 2021 study in the Frontiers in Psychology journal confirmed trust has the biggest influence on performance, moderated by leadership style, team cohesion, and communication.
- An article in the Journal of Organizational Dynamics (June 2020) identified several strategies to address the challenge of virtual teams: Managers need to closely monitor the levels of trust on their teams, foster inclusion through psychological safety, and assess teamwork often.
- In 2015, the Journal of Management summarized the last ten years of virtual team research, reviewing approximately 450 articles and focusing on 243 empirical studies.
– Virtual team members tend to be more satisfied when their teams demonstrate an ability to manage conflict effectively, have reliable technology, are committed to goals, and demonstrate learning behaviors.
– The mechanisms for enhancing virtual team success include early goal formulation, positive social environment, predictable communication patterns, structured procedures, group-based rewards, and training interventions.
– Some of the things that predict team success include efficacy, team commitment, cohesion, team empowerment, and psychological safety.
Habit #2: Creative Conflict vs. Artificial Harmony
The research consistently shows that innovation and creativity can be sparked by a team’s ability to express and debate differing viewpoints.
- Research published in the Journal of Conflict Management confirmed that there are two types of conflict in teams: Relational conflict and task conflict. Relational conflict is negatively correlated with team productivity. But task conflict is directly and positively related to team creativity.
- Further research by the Harvard Business Review showed that creativity and innovation can actually be enhanced via task conflict. Teams that express disagreements, negotiate between different views, and work under a certain amount of tension tend to be more innovative.
- An article in the Journal of Creativity and Innovation Management shows that team trust fosters a collaborative culture, which in turn enhances the creativity of the team.
- A 2020 review in the Organization Management Journal suggested that a high-trust climate along with successful conflict management is key to virtual team performance.
Habit #3: Commitment vs. Ambiguity
The research shows that virtual teams need to spend more time clarifying work priorities and expectations.
- An article in the Journal of Management identified several mechanisms for enhancing virtual team success, which include early goal formulation, positive social environment, predictable communication patterns, structured procedures, group-based rewards, and training interventions.
- A Gallup Insights report on remote work emphasizes the importance of frequent team communication, engagement, and feedback in establishing and attaining goals.
- An article in Information Systems Journal highlights the importance of developing shared meaning and understanding about goals and expectations.
Habit #4: Accountability vs. Low Standards
The research shows that more frequent feedback is key to the levels of accountability experienced in virtual teams.
- Ongoing coaching conversations that establish a rhythm of collaboration and create shared accountability are key to virtual team performance, according to an article in Gallup Insights.
- The feedback and updates that support remote team accountability must be systematized and intentional. (GetBusy Guides)
- Research from the Harvard Business Review notes that managers of virtual teams need to demonstrate more flexibility and empathy.
Habit #5: Attention to Results vs. Status and Ego
Finally, the research into paying attention to results focuses on adopting digital tools to help teams monitor their progress.
- McKinsey & Co. recommends that virtual teams adopt agile ways of working by setting well-defined goals, identifying short-term sprints, and holding more regular and frequent meetings. The article also encourages setting up a digital team room or dashboard for tracking progress to ensure the entire team is aligned on next steps and timelines with a focus on results.
- The Journal of Organizational Dynamics recommends focusing on results rather than on the number of hours that team members work.
- The Australian HR Institute published a 2021 report on managing virtual teams that recommended regular one-on-one time with each team member, setting clear priorities and work objectives, and using digital tools to track the flow of projects.
The research holds many insights into the productive – and non-productive – behaviors of virtual teams. Use the following list to determine how you’re doing as a leader:
- Hold frequent check-ins – e.g. morning and afternoon huddles.
- Delegate – clarify expectations and then get out of the way.
- Follow up to ensure communication is flowing among team members.
- Provide feedback to team members often, both appreciative and constructive. Remember to be specific.
- Help people assume personal responsibility for their actions and behavior by asking powerful questions.
- Identify milestones and deliverables in writing.
- Assess results and progress on a regular basis as a team.
- Ensure that clear priorities are set and shared.
- Develop team “operating principles” such as responding within a certain time frame or regularity of check-in meetings.
- Set aside time for full discussion of challenging topics and invite full participation.
- Understand people’s constraints and personal challenges. Be flexible and empathetic.
- Use digital tools to share information and enable your team to track its progress toward achieving specific milestones and goals.
- Keep asking: Where are we being successful? Why? What could we be doing better?
- Celebrate wins and milestones accomplished.
- Ask for feedback about how you’re doing!
Contact us to schedule a virtual workshop on the 5 Habits of High-Performing Virtual Teams.
Leadership Tools and Resources | <urn:uuid:e0dedd62-5774-42a2-904e-ab92c0012939> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://leading-resources.com/team-building/five-habits-of-high-performing-virtual-teams/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.914282 | 1,759 | 1.875 | 2 |
A California-based modular design company Simpatico Homes, is pioneering an affordable, sustainable and infinitely customizable system based around a series of modular building blocks. These homes combine the budget-friendliness and flexibility of the best modular systems with a sleek, modern design that completely de-stigmatizes the modular concept.
The founder Seth Krubiner grew up in a home designed by postwar developer Joseph Eichler, a modernist pioneer who built more than 11,000 California homes in the ’50s and ’60s. Krubiner and architect Robert Swatt, whom he met while promoting the architectural firm Swatt|Mier, found common ground in a shared enthusiasm for Eichler’s style.
When they realized that these type of homes could, with today’s technology, be more efficiently built in factories without sacrificing any of the design elements they found so appealing, Simpatico Homes was born. Together with Steven Sept, a fellow architect at Swatt’s firm, they created their first modular home in 2011. Krubiner was his own firm’s first customer, and still makes his home in that prototype model.
What makes a these homes truly unique is that it’s not a one-size-fits-all box. Instead, each home is composed of a collection of modules which can be arranged to fit any type of environment. They can be used to form ranch homes, town homes, vacation cottages and outbuildings, and are suitable for any size lot, even one on sloping ground.
Home plans are available for both one-and two-story models, and there’s an option for an attached garage. Ceiling height can also be customized – currently, the factory-built walls are available in nine-foot and ten-foot models. Krubiner’s 2,083-square foot three-bedroom, three bath home consists of six modules fitted to his narrow 30 by 98 foot city space, and includes a roof deck, two outdoor terraces and a two-car tandem garage.
The super-cool midcentury modern style also sets a Simpatico home apart from run-of-the-mill prefab units. These elegant Eichler-inspired homes seem like something created by a high-priced architect, and yet the modular construction means that they can be had at a far lower cost. Even the lowest-priced models designed by Swatt|Mier run over $400 per square foot, while a Simpatico home costs about $270 per square foot. Despite this low price tag, most people who see Simpatico creations have trouble believing that they are actually modular units.
While these homes reflect a mid-20th century design aesthetic, their technology is strictly 21st century. Sustainable, eco-friendly features incorporated into Krubiner’s home include:
- A drought-tolerant garden watered with runoff rainwater from the roof, using two 50-gallon collection tanks that are positioned directly under the downspouts. The tanks have a narrow, compact shape that keeps them from blocking the walkway.
- A roof garden planted with succulents hardy enough to withstand central California’s warm temperatures and dry summers. The plants are held in trays made from 100 percent recycled materials and fitted with built-in handles that allow the garden to be removed to allow access to the roof.
- Green roofs on some of the modules that absorb rainwater, reduce runoff and boost insulation.
- An all-electric system powered by a rooftop 6.2-kilowatt solar-panel array. The house was designed to be a net-zero building that produces as much energy as it uses, and Simpatico hopes that this building will receive LEED Platinum certification.
In an unusual move for a modular company, Simpatico does make use of some site-built components such as the insulated concrete walls used for the garage and living room in Krubiner’s home. These block walls are a cost-effective option for a home’s exterior, as well as for interior walls that don’t require heating or plumbing. They can be built on slab rather than foundation, and require no sidewall or drywall.
As if all of the above weren’t enough, Simpatico homes has also streamlined the design, engineering and fabrication process such that homes can be delivered and constructed in only half the time it takes to build a house on site. Speedy, flexible, affordable, stylish and eco-friendly…we think they’re on to a winner here. | <urn:uuid:69d6fd41-94bb-4f8b-891a-4c4a91c3aaac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sanjosegreenhome.com/2014/02/27/eichler-inspired-modular-homes-that-can-be-customized-to-anyones-taste/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.947595 | 960 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Because it never turns out the way I want it, that confounded thing!
Seriously, the p value is literally a confounded index because it reflects both the size of the underlying effect and the size of the sample. Hence any information included in the p value is ambiguous (Lang et al. 1998).
Consider the following equation, which comes from Rosenthal and Rosnow (1984):
Statistical significance = Effect size x Sample size
Now let’s hold the effect size constant for a moment and consider what happens to statistical significance when we fiddle with the sample size (N). Basically, as N goes up, p will go down automatically. It has to. It has absolutely no choice. This is not a question of careful measurement or anything like that. It’s a basic mathematical equation. The bigger the sample, the more likely the result will be statistically significant, regardless of other factors.
Conversely, as N goes down, p must go up. The smaller the sample, the less likely the result will be statistically significant.
So if you happen to get a statistically significant result (a low p value), it could mean that (a) you have found something, or (b) you found nothing but your test was super-powerful because you had a large sample.
Researchers often confuse statistical significance with substantive significance. But smart researchers understand that p values should never be used to inform judgments about real world effects. | <urn:uuid:52d75e29-8797-4e6c-a0c4-9784efc2f3d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://effectsizefaq.com/2010/05/30/why-do-you-say-a-p-value-is-a-confounded-index/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.936462 | 294 | 2.46875 | 2 |
PlugX is a remote access tool which exists since 2008 and has notorious history as a malware. According to the researchers, the tool became quite active and popular in 2014 and serves as a g0-to malware for many adversary groups.
Great deal of the attacks, namely the ones that occurred during the second half of 2014, have been using that tool. According to the researchers, the PlugX further proliferation shall enable the attackers to log keystrokes, to copy and modify files, to capture screenshots, to quit processes, and also to log off the users and to make complete reboot of the machines.
The Global Threat Report by Crowdstrike, which was released yesterday, confirms that this malware was the best used one in regards to targeted activity in 2014. The malware is now the tool for many adversarial groups based in China.
Among the ways the malware improved in 2014 and was then caught on, was by altering the way in which it communicates with its infrastructure up the chain. The malware is implementing a new DNS module for command and control and is thus able to send its data under the form of long DNS queries to the overseeing infrastructure.
In other words, the malware is modifying the way that HTTP and DNS requests are produced. This process is called by Crowdstrike a deviation from the typically monitored protocols and this made it difficult for the malware to be detected by the researchers. The increased usage of PlugX indicates a greater confidence in the platform’s capabilities, which justifies its prolonged usage across multiple countries and sectors.
Crowdstrike has caught a group that uses PlugX on machines, which goes under the name Hurricane Panda. The hacking collective uses the custom DNS feature of the malware in order to spoof four DNS servers with domains as popular as Adobe.com, Pinterest.com and Github.com. The malware replaced their legitimate IP addresses, setting them to point these domains to a PlugX C+C node.
The malware is usually spread through a phishing attack. In some cases the attacks go on to leverage a zero day CVE-2014-1761 that exploits vulnerable Word and RTF Microsoft documents. Others use the worn holes such as CVE-2012-0158 in Excel and PowerPoint. The letter was used in the Cloud Atlas, Red October and IceFrog attacks.
Researchers confirm that some of the cyber criminals who are using PlugX have registered new domains for leveraging the C+C of the malware. However, older domains are still active. This means that the malware shows persistence over the years.
How this malware managed to become so commonplace?
There are two variants:
- There is a central malware dissemination channel which is pushing PlugX to the adversary groups or.
- There are groups that have not used PlugX and got copies of it through cybercriminals or public repositories.
In both cases, the malware is usually used by the attackers that come from China or for countries under the influence of China. This malware have been used in political attacks and recurring attacks against various commercial entities in the United States. According to Crowdstrike however, the rapid spread of the malware could be a sign for its future usage on a worldwide basis.
The constant development of PlugX secures flexible capability of the attackers and requires serious vigilance by the network protectors to detect and block it. | <urn:uuid:391df459-8cc3-4038-98b8-4375a6b61432> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://cfoc.org/plugx-the-go-to-malware-used-for-targeted-attacks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00386-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954602 | 671 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Howard Schultz, chief executive of Starbucks, who made the announcement at a conference in New York, described it as a way to bridge the online world and real-world coffee outlets.
Of course, people have been bridging those worlds for years, using coffee shops as pseudo-offices by bringing their laptops and borrowing free Internet connections. But Starbucks has never offered unlimited free Internet access.
Customers who bought and registered a Starbucks card and used it in the last month have been able to use the Web for two hours, after a somewhat complicated log-in process. Cardholders who wanted to use the Web for more than two hours paid $3.99 for another two-hour session, and customers without cards who wanted to go online faced the same charge for an initial two-hour session.
Starbucks is making the change as many coffeehouses experiment with ways to cut off squatters who browse and do not spend. Some post signs asking people to continue buying food and drinks if they stay, while the more aggressive ones cover their power outlets with tape so people cannot charge their laptops.
Other coffeehouse owners say Wi-Fi detracts from the atmosphere they are trying to foster.
Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco has no Wi-Fi or power outlets for customer use. “We all have had experiences of working at cafes where the laptops just took over, and it started to feel more like a library,” said Jodi Geren, head of operations for Four Barrel. “We just really feel like it’s important for people to talk to each other.”
Those who bring laptops to Starbucks now average an hour of Wi-Fi use, and the company does not expect that the free access and content will make people linger longer, said Stephen Gillett, chief information officer at Starbucks and general manager of a unit called Digital Ventures, which will oversee the new offerings. He said that Starbucks purposely kept video and music clips short.
The coffee chain is catering in part to people who are out of work and need a place to perfect their résumés or do freelance jobs. In January, the company announced that same-store sales increased 4 percent after months of steady declines. Starbucks attributes the improvement, which came before consumer spending rebounded as a whole, in part to its role as an office for the unemployed.
The new partnership with Yahoo, which is called the Starbucks Digital Network, will include an online section on business and careers that will include tools for people searching for jobs or writing résumés, Mr. Gillett said.
“We expect this to be a very versatile tool for people who are using Starbucks for what we call the third place, between home and work,” he said.
Customers will also get free access to paid Web sites, like those of The Wall Street Journal and Zagat, free iTunes downloads and previews of not-yet-released movies and albums. They will see local content based on the coffee shop’s location, like news from Patch, AOL’s local news site, check-ins on Foursquare and neighborhood photos on Flickr.
For publishers and Web sites, the free content will serve as a marketing tool, Mr. Gillett said, letting customers sample things they might be willing to pay for later.
The digital network could also serve as a virtual storefront, Mr. Brogan said. He imagines Starbucks using it to sell songs and virtual goods, or to offer loyalty points for online shopping.
“If you have eight people sitting in a store for four hours on one cup of coffee, that’s not moving revenue,” he said. “However, if that same group is there for four hours on one cup of coffee and buys 14 songs, that’s sales.”
Starbucks is not disclosing the terms of its agreements with the content providers, including whether they are paying Starbucks or sharing revenue if customers make purchases, said Tamra Strentz, a spokeswoman.
Many coffeehouses, including Grounded in the West Village, a storefront one block from a Starbucks, offer free Wi-Fi to differentiate themselves from Starbucks.
“It’s definitely been an attraction,” said David Litman, the manager of Grounded. Still, he said he doubted that Wi-Fi at Starbucks would be a threat. “This is a very neighborhood place — there is a Starbucks on the next avenue, but people like to support us.” | <urn:uuid:dc03435f-b585-417c-b947-c8edbfd00d48> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/37705411 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282140.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00124-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960336 | 924 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Why Do Kickers Wear Different Shoes?
Soccer is considered to be a challenging sport. It is also interesting to watch because of the thrill and excitement everytime the players run for the ball and reach for the goal. But what makes soccer more interesting is the shoe worn by the kickers.
Usually, athletes wear a pair of shoes from the same brand. But for kickers, they wear different shoes? There were a lot of reasons behind this. First, kickers need to wear special shoes for kicking. They need o wear a kicking shoe which is different from rubber shoes. This is also called as soccer cleat. This kind of shoes are better for kicking because it is more comfortable to wear and it is lighter than the football cleat. It has special soles with spikes which prevent the player to slide when he runs.
The non kicking foot on the other hand, should wear a shoe which has special soles, usually studs which can plant to the ground better. This also helps the player not to slide everytime he runs on the moist field.
Some players just want to wear different shoes for fashion. They even color the shoes so that these will look attractive in the field. This is also one way for them to be recognized. Other teams also wear different shoes because they want to create a trademark as a soccer team.
Some kickers don’t wear different shoes because they prefer the same brand of shoes. Using cleats is just a preference for some., may it be for fashion statement or for comfort. But one thing is for sure, playing soccer is very tiring. A player needs to have his own strategies in order to survive in this tough game. One thing to do that is to wear comfortable shoes, whether the same pair or not. | <urn:uuid:cb181790-66fe-4a37-8071-9d52670f0168> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.knowswhy.com/why-do-kickers-wear-different-shoes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00276.warc.gz | en | 0.98223 | 363 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Guess the function: results January 21, 2009Posted by dorigo in physics, science.
Tags: bremsstrahlung, CMS, LHC, PDF, QCD, QED, Z boson
Thanks to the many offers for help received a few days ago, when I asked for hints on possible functional forms to interpolate a histogram I was finding hard to fit, I have successfully solved the problem, and can now release the results of my study.
The issue is the following one: at the LHC, Z bosons are produced by electroweak interactions, through quark-antiquark annihilation. The colliding quarks have a variable energy, determined by probability density functions (PDF) which determine how much of the proton’s energy they carry; and the Z boson has a resonance shape which has a sizable width: 2.5 GeV, for a 91 GeV mass. The varying energy of the center of mass, determined by the random value of quark energies due to the PDF, “samples” the resonance curve, creating a distortion in the mass distribution of the produced Z bosons.
The above is not the end of the story, but just the beginning: in fact, there are electromagnetic corrections (QED) due to the radiation of photons, both “internally” and by the two muons into which the Z decays (I am focusing on that final state of Z production: a pair of high-momentum muons from ). Also, electromagnetic interactions cause a interference with Z production, because a virtual photon may produce the same final state (two muons) by means of the so-called “Drell-Yan” process. All these effects can only be accounted for by detailed Monte Carlo simulations.
Now, let us treat all of that as a black box: we only care to describe the mass distribution of muon pairs from Z production at the LHC, and we have a pretty good simulation program, Horace (developed by four physicists in Pavia University: C.M. Carloni Calame, G. Montagna, O. Nicrosini and A. Vicini), which handles the effects discussed above. My problem is to describe with a simple function the produced Z boson lineshape (the mass distribution) in different bins of Z rapidity. Rapidity is a quantity connected to the momentum of the particle along the beam direction: since the colliding quarks have variable energies, the Z may have a high boost along that direction. And crucially, depending on Z rapidity, the lineshape varies.
In the post I published here a few days ago I presented the residual of lineshape fits which used the original resonance form, neglecting all PDF and QED effects. By fitting those residuals with a proper parametrized function, I was trying to arrive at a better parametrization of the full lineshape.
After many attempts, I can now release the results. The template for residuals is shown below, interpolated with the function I obtained from an advice by Lubos Motl:
After multiplying that function by the original Breit-Wigner resonance function, I could fit the 24 lineshapes extracted from a binning in rapidity. This produced additional residuals, which are of course much smaller than the first-order ones above, and have a sort of parabolic shape this time. A couple of them are shown on the right.
I then interpolated those residuals with parabolas, and extracted their fit parameters. Then, I could parametrize the parameters, as the graph below shows: the three degrees of freedom have roughly linear variations with Z rapidity. The graphs show the five parameter dependences on Z rapidity (left column) for lineshapes extracted with the CTEQ set of parton PDF; for MRST set (center column); and the ratio of the two parametrization (right column), which is not too different from 1.0.
Finally, the 24 fits which use the shape, with now all of the rapidity-dependent parameters fixed, are shown below (the graph shows only one fit, click to enlarge and see all of them together).
The function used is detailed in the slide below:
I am rather satisfied by the result, because the residuals of these final fits are really small, as shown on the right: they are certainly smaller than the uncertainties due to PDF and QED effects. The function above will now be used to derive a parametrization of the probability that we observe a dimuon pair with a given mass at a rapidity , as a function of the momentum scale in the tracker and the muon momentum resolution.
Guess the function! January 15, 2009Posted by dorigo in mathematics, personal, physics, science.
Tags: function, Z boson
I have a problem today -actually I’ve fiddled with it for a couple of days now. So, since it does not involve particles (at least not directly), I figured I’d bounce it off the mathematically inclined among you: maybe I get an answer before I can figure my problem out by myself!
The problem is simple: find a functional form that can be a good fit, with suitable parameters, to the following graph:
(This is a residual of a Z lineshape fit to a relativistic Breit-Wigner function by the way, but you need not bother with these unnecessary details).
As you can see, we have a negative asymptote and a positive asymptote that have different values, and a central wiggling which has different “width” for the negative and positive component. I have been trying several combinations like , where g(x) is a gaussian and h(x) some kind of “warping factor” with a different slope in the negative and positive side (with respect to x=91)… But I am getting nowhere. I am sure there is somebody out there that has a good advice, so please shoot!
UPDATE: Marius suggests a function in the comments thread below. I thank him for his input, but as is, the function does not work well: see the best fit below (parameters in the upper right legend are A,B,C,D as in the function suggested by Marius):
Maybe with suitable modifications this might work, though. Hmmmm…
UPDATE: Using the hint by Marius that the addition of another arctangent could account for the different height of the two asymptotes, I have cooked up a better fit:
This is better, but I am really not satisfied. The function has 11 degrees of freedom -which is not too troublesome since there are 300 points in the graph to fit anyway; but the function is UGLY:
Any further idea on how to improve it ?
Hmmm, and I should add that having 11 parameters is a curse for me, because what I am going to do after I have a reasonable functional form is to study the parameters as a function of Z rapidity (which modifies the original graph), and parameterize those 11 dependencies… I already have a headache!
UPDATE: Lubos makes a very good attempt with a simple ratio of polynomials in the comments thread, offering (he even offers some eyeballed parameters). Nice try, but the problem is that the function seems to be very irregular. If one fits the center region, Lubos’ function obtains a good fit (see upper plot below); if one tries to extend the fit further out on the tails, however, the fit rapidly worsens (lower plot).
Despite the shortcomings, I think I will investigate some ways to fix the function offered by Lubos -it has the potential of describing with few parameters the whole shape, once tweaked a bit…
UPDATE: Lubos tried to mend himself the function he proposed above, by adding a hyperbolic tangent. The function fits better the whole range, but it still fails to catch the subtleties of the slopes… Here is a fit using his suggested parameters:
I think I will remove the hyperbolic tangent and work on some warping of the polynomial…
UPDATE: warping the x values above 91 GeV from Lubos’ polynomial with a function seems to work. The result is below:
The fit is not extremely precise, but these are residuals from a Breit-Wigner, so I guess that the multiplication of this function by the original shape will give a more than adequate parametrization, for my goals. Next up is obtaining 50 different fits like the one above, one per each interval in Z rapidity from 0 to 5.0, and parametrizing each of the seven parameter of the fits…
An exam in Subnuclear Physics January 9, 2009Posted by dorigo in physics.
Tags: coupling constants, exams, GIM mechanism, QCD, subnuclear physics, top quark, University, W boson, Z boson
Here are the questions asked at an exam in Subnuclear Physics this morning:
- Draw the strong and electromagnetic coupling constants as a function of , explain their functional dependence using feynman graphs of the corrections to the photon and gluon propagators, write their formula, and compute the value of the constants at , given the values at (QED) and (QCD).
- The GIM mechanism: explain the need for a fourth quark using box diagrams of kaon decays to muon pairs. How does the charm contribution depend on its mass ? What conclusion could be drawn by that dependence in the case of B mixing measurements in the eighties ?
- Discuss a measurement of the top quark mass. For a dileptonic decay of top quark pairs, discuss the final state and its production rate.
- Discuss decay modes of W bosons and their branching fraction values. Discuss decay modes of Z bosons and their branching fraction values.
The student answered well all questions and he got 30/30 points.
Some posts you might have missed in 2008 – part II January 6, 2009Posted by dorigo in physics, science.
Tags: anomalous muons, CDF, D0, Higgs boson, LHC, Lubos Motl, new physics, PDF, QCD, Tevatron, top mass, top quark, Z boson
Here is the second part of the list of useful physics posts I published on this site in 2008. As noted yesterday when I published the list for the first six months of 2008, this list does not include guest posts nor conference reports, which may be valuable but belong to a different place (and are linked from permanent pages above). In reverse chronological order:
December 29: a report on the first measurement of exclusive production of charmonium states in hadron-hadron collisions, by CDF.
December 19: a detailed description of the effects of parton distribution functions on the production of Z bosons at the LHC, and how these effects determine the observed mass of the produced Z bosons. On the same topic, there is a maybe simpler post from November 25th.
December 8: description of a new technique to measure the top quark mass in dileptonic decays by CDF.
November 28: a report on the measurement of extremely rare decays of B hadrons, and their implications.
November 19, November 20, November 20 again , November 21, and November 21 again: a five-post saga on the disagreement between Lubos Motl and yours truly on a detail on the multi-muon analysis by CDF, which becomes a endless diatriba since Lubos won’t listen to my attempts at making his brain work, and insists on his mistake. This leads to a back-and-forth between our blogs and a surprising happy ending when Motl finally apologizes for his mistake. Stuff for expert lubologists, but I could not help adding the above links to this summary. Beware, most of the fun is in the comments threads!
November 8, November 8 again, and November 12: a three-part discussion of the details in the surprising new measurement of anomalous multi-muon production published by CDF (whose summary is here). Warning: I intend to continue this series as I find the time, to complete the detailed description of this potentially groundbreaking study.
October 24: the analysis by which D0 extracts evidence for diboson production using the dilepton plus dijet final state, a difficult, background-ridden signature. The same search, performed by CDF, is reported in detail in a post published on October 13.
September 23: a description of an automated global search for new physics in CDF data, and its intriguing results.
September 19: the discovery of the baryon, an important find by the D0 experiment.
August 27: a report on the D0 measurement of the polarization of Upsilon mesons -states made up by a pair- and its relevance for our understanding of QCD.
August 21: a detailed discussion of the ingredients necessary to measure with the utmost precision the mass of the W boson at the Tevatron.
August 8: the new CDF measurement of the lifetime of the baryon, which had previously been in disagreement with theory.
August 7: a discussion of the new cross-section limits on Higgs boson production, and the first exclusion of the 170 GeV mass, by the two Tevatron experiments.
July 18: a search for narrow resonances decaying to muon pairs in CDF data excludes the tentative signal seen by CDF in Run I.
July 10: An important measurement by CDF on the correlated production of pairs of b-quark jets. This measurement is a cornerstone of the observation of anomalous multi-muon events that CDF published at the end of October 2008 (see above).
July 8: a report of a new technique to measure the top quark mass which is very important for the LHC, and the results obtained on CDF data. For a similar technique of relevance to LHC, also check this other CDF measurement.
Gravitons are heavier than 500 GeV! December 23, 2008Posted by dorigo in news, personal, physics, science.
Tags: CDF, graviton, Higgs boson, Z boson
About a year ago I reported here on a search performed by CDF for events featuring two Z bosons, both decaying to electron-positron pairs: I had been an internal reviewer of that analysis, and I discussed it in some detail after we approved it for publication. While the standard model expectation for electroweak production of two Z bosons is of about 1.5 pb, and the process has indeed been put in evidence in CDF and D0 Run II data, the analysis was rather focused on a search for heavy mass resonances decaying to the ZZ final state: new physics, that is, either in the form
of a heavy Higgs boson, or of a graviton (in the Randall-Sundrum scenario), or other still fancier (and improbable) beasts.
CDF has now repeated that search by increasing the dataset size by a factor of three, and by including mixed final states which include muon pairs and even jet pairs. This makes the analysis intrinsically interesting to me, since I have started a similar analysis with the CMS experiment, together with a PhD student in Padova, Mia Tosi. Mia and I will be looking for Higgs bosons in the dilepton plus dijet final state, with particular emphasis on the decay, which is a signal with which we have quite some familiarity.
The new CDF search for high-mass ZZ events configures itself as a “signature-based” one: despite the reference to the Randall-Sundrum graviton, the analysis cuts are kept generic, such that a signal can be found for anything that decays to two Z bosons, and in case no signal is seen, a model-independent limit on the cross section can be set. The only limitation of the search is that the four-body mass is studied only above the minimum value of 300 GeV. Such a requirement allows to steer away from phase space regions where backgrounds dominate.
Once four objects (electrons, muons, and jets, with the specification that at most two jets are present) are selected with loose cuts, a statistical estimator is built to test the hypothesis that they originate from the decay . It is a simple function, which utilizes the expected resolution on the two two-body masses and the resulting four-body mass to estimate how much the event departs from the tentative signal interpretation. Only in the case of jet pairs, an explicit cut is set on the dijet mass to lay between 65 and 120 GeV, to avoid accepting too many random jet combinations.
While the region is the one where the signal is sought, the complementary region of the four-body mass is used as a control sample, to verify that background estimates obtained with Monte Carlo simulations are in agreement with the observed data. The nice thing about such a spectacular signature as the production of two Z bosons is that backgrounds are exclusively of electroweak nature: by having at least one decay in the final state, the signal cannot be mimicked easily by purely quantum chromodynamical processes, which plague most hadron collider searches with high rates. Besides regular pairs from standard model processes, backgrounds include WZ, WW, and Z+jets production. At high four-body mass, however, all of these are really small, and even in the 3 inverse femtobarns of proton-antiproton collisions analyzed by CDF for this search, they contribute only few events; only the dilepton+dijet signature accepts a few hundred events, because of the large cross-section of Z+2 jet production processes.
In the end, no signal is seen, and a cross-section limit is extracted as a function of the X mass. The limit is shown below, compared to the expected cross section for graviton production and decay to the ZZ final state. The comparison of upper limit (the red curve) with the theory hatched line allows to exclude gravitons with masses below 491 GeV, for a particular choice of model parameters (k is a warp factor for the extra dimensions, and is the Planck mass).
As a by-product of this analysis, a new set of excellent standard-model-like ZZ decay candidates have been selected. I am unable to show any of the new event displays here, because they have not been approved for public consumption by CDF yet… So please see the lego plot of a candidate below, extracted last year by the same authors. The two pairs of electrons make masses very close to that of the Z boson, as evidenced by the two pink numbers.
To read this graph, you have to know that the greek letter is the pseudorapidity, basically a function of the angle that particles make with the beam axis. A pseudorapidity of zero means that the particle is emitted at 90 degrees from the beam, while positive and negative values indicate the proton and antiproton directions. The other coordinate, , indicates the azimuthal angle in the transverse plane. The z axis (the height of the bars) indicates how much energy is deposited in the interval span by the bars. In bright pink are shown the four electron candidates, as measured by the CDF calorimeter, and each bar is labeled by the energy in GeV measured for each.
I am only left with the pleasant task of congratulating my colleagues Antonio Boveia, Ben Brau, and David Stuart for this new result, which greatly extends the scope of the analysis I have reviewed last year. During my review I had encouraged them to pursue the other decay modes of ZZ pairs, and so they did. Well done, folks!
More on the Z lineshape at LHC December 19, 2008Posted by dorigo in personal, physics, science.
Tags: CMS, momentum scale, PDF, Z boson
Yesterday I posted a nice-looking graph without abounding in explanations on how I determined it. Let me fill that gap here today.
A short introduction
Z bosons will be produced copiously at the LHC in proton-proton collisions. What happens is that a quark from one proton hits an antiquark of the same flavour in the other proton, and the pair annihilates, producing the Z. This is a weak interaction: a relatively rare process, because weak interactions are much less frequent than strong interactions. Quarks carry colour charge as well as weak hypercharge, and most of the times when they hit each other what “reacts” is their colour, not their hypercharge. Similarly, when you meet John at the coffee machine you discuss football more often than chinese checkers: in particle physics terms, that is because your football coupling with John is stronger than your chinese-checkers coupling.
Result now, explanation later December 18, 2008Posted by dorigo in personal, physics, science.
Tags: CMS, momentum scale, PDF, Z boson
Tonight I feel accomplished, since I have completed a crucial update of the cornerstone of the algorithm which provides the calibration of the CMS momentum scale. I have no time to discuss the details tonight, but I will share with you the final result of a complicated multi-part calculation (at least, for my mediocre standards): the probability distribution function of measuring the Z boson mass at a certain value , using the quadrimomenta of two muon tracks which correspond to an estimated mass resolution , when the rapidity of the Z boson is .
The above might -and should, if you are not a HEP physicist- sound rather meaningless, but the family of two-dimensional functions is needed for a precise calibration of the CMS tracker. They can be derived by convoluting the production cross-section of Z bosons at a given rapidity with the proton’s parton distribution functions using a factorization integral, and then convoluting the resulting functions with a smearing Gaussian distribution of width .
Still confused ? No worry. Today I will only show one sample result – the probability distribution as a function of and for Z bosons produced at a rapidity , and tomorrow I will explain in simple terms how I obtained that curve and the other 39 I have extracted today.
In the three-dimensional graph above, one axis has the reconstructed mass of muon pairs (from 71 to 111 GeV), the other has the expected mass resolution (from 0 to 10 GeV). The height of the function is the probability of observing the mass value , if the expected resolution is . On top of the graph one also sees in colors the curves of equal probability displayed on a projected plane. It will not escape to the keen eye that the function is asymmetric in mass around its peak: that is entirely the effect of the parton distribution functions…
The Z mass at a hadron collider November 25, 2008Posted by dorigo in personal, physics, science.
Tags: CMS, PDF, QCD, Z boson
The Z boson mass has been measured with exquisite precision in the nineties by the LEP experiments ALEPH, OPAL, DELPHI and L3, and by the SLD experiment at SLAC: we know its value to better than a few MeV precision. The PDG gives . Now, a precise Z mass is an important input to our theory, the Standard Model, and through its measurement, as well as that of other Z-related quantities that the four LEP experiments and SLD measured with great precision, a giant leap forward has been made in the understanding of the subtleties of electroweak interactions.
For an experimental physicist, however, the knowledge of the Z mass is more a tool for calibration purposes than a key to theoretical investigations. Indeed, as I have discussed elsewhere recently, I am working at the calibration of the CMS tracker using the decays of Z bosons, as well as of lower-mass resonances. We take decays, we measure muon tracks, determine the measured mass of the Z boson with them, and compare the latter to the world average. This provides us with precious information on the calibration of the momentum measurement of muon tracks.
In CMS we will quickly collect large numbers of Z bosons, so statistics is not an issue: we will be able to study the calibration of tracks very effectively with those events. However, when statistics is large, experimentalists start worrying about systematic uncertainties. Indeed, there are several effects that cause a difference between the mass value we reconstruct with muon tracks and the true value of the Z boson mass -the one so well determined which sits in the PDG.
I decided to study one of those effects today: the mass shift due to parton distribution functions (PDF). When you collide protons against other protons, what creates a Z boson is the hard interaction between a quark and an antiquark. These constituents of the projectiles carry a fraction of the total proton momentum, but this fraction -called parton distribution function– is unknown on an event-by event basis. By studying proton collisions in different conditions and environments for a long time, we have been able to extract functions which describe how likely it is that a quark q in the proton carries a fraction x of the proton’s momentum. As an example, if the proton travels at 5 TeV as in LHC, an x value of 0.1 means that the quark q will carry 500 GeV by itself.
Now, things are complicated, because each different quark q (u,d,s,c,b) has its own different parton distribution function. The proton contains two valence up-quarks and one valence down-quark: it has a (uud) composition. Those quarks carry a good part of the proton’s momentum, but a large share is due to the rest of partons the proton is made of: sea quark-antiquark pairs, and gluons. Protons do carry antiquarks of all kinds -five in total-, as well as gluons, and these, too, get their own distribution function. A plot of the parton distribution functions of the proton (with a logarithmic x-axis to enhance the low-x behavior) is shown on the right. Note the bumps of u- and d- quark distributions, in blue and green, respectively: those bumps are due to the valence quark contributions.
In reality, things are even more complicated than what I discussed above: you do not simply get away with one function per each of the 11 partons I mentioned thsi far, because these functions have a value which depends on the energy at which you probe the proton, : in a soft collision (which means a small ), is very different from what it is in a harder one, (with a larger ).
The reason for the weird behavior of parton distribution functions -their evolution with – is that quarks have the tendency of emitting gluons, becoming less energetic, and this tendency in turn depends on the energy Q at which they are studied. What is stated above is encoded in very famous functions called DGLAP (Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi) equations. They are in a sense another consequence of the “asymptotic freedom” exhibited by strongly interacting particles: at high energy they behave as free particles, emitting little color radiation, while at low energy their interaction with the gluon field increases in strength. It is all due to the fact that the coupling constant of the theory, , is large at small Q. That constant is not a constant by any means!
You have every reason to be confused now: I was talking about calibrating the CMS tracker using muons, and now we are deep into Quantum ChromoDynamics. What gives ? Well: Z bosons are created by quark-antiquark annihilations, and those are found inside the colliding protons with probabilities which depend on their momentum fraction x, and on the total collision energy Q. Since the PDF of quarks and antiquarks peak at very small values of x, the probability of a collision yielding a Z boson -which has a respectable mass of 91 GeV- is small. If the Z was lighter, more of them would be produced. Now, the Z boson is a resonance, and like every resonance, it has a finite width. What that means is that not all Z bosons have exactly the same mass: while the peak is at 91.186 GeV, the width is 2.5 GeV, which means that it is not infrequent for a Z boson to have a mass of 89, or 92 GeV, rather than the average value. This is described by the Z lineshape, a function called Breit-Wigner:
The function is shown below.
As you can see, there is a non-negligible probability that a Z boson has a mass quite different -even a few GeV off- from 91.19 GeV. Now, since Z bosons can be created at masses lower than , they will be privileged by parton distribution functions over masses higher than by the same amount, because .parton distribution functions are larger at lower x. This creates a bias: the perfectly symmetric Breit-Wigner lineshape gets distorted by the preference of partons to carry a lower fraction of the proton momentum.
The distorsion is very small, but it is very important to take it in account when one wants to use measured Z masses to precisely calibrate the track momentum measurement. To size up the effect of the PDF on the Z lineshape, one can compute an integral of the Breit-Wigner weighted with the PDF , by taking into account the different combinations of quarks which give rise to a Z boson in proton-proton collisions.
A Z can be produced by the following quark-antiquark interactions:
- : this can originate from a valence u-quark and a sea anti-u-quark, as well as from a sea u-quark and a sea anti-u-quark. The probability that this quark pair creates a Z depends on the coupling of u-quarks to the Z boson, and this probability is a function of some coefficient predicted by electroweak theory. It is proportional to 0.11784.
- : same as above, but the coupling is proportional to 0.15188.
- : these can only occur through sea-sea interactions. The coefficient is the same as for d-quarks.
- : these are due to the small charm component of the proton sea. They get the 0.11784 coefficient as u-quarks too.
- : these are tiny, but still exist. b-quarks couple to the Z with the 0.15188 factor.
- : these are basically zero.
- : gluon-gluon collisions cannot produce a Z boson, because they are vector particles as the Z (spin 1), and a vector-vector-vector vertex is zero by construction. Note that the same does not hold for the Higgs boson, which is a scalar (spin 0) particle: a vector-vector-scalar vertex is possible, and in fact it is the largest contribution to H production at the LHC.
Putting everything together, one may compute the shift in the lineshape of the Z, and plot it directly (right, on a logarithmic scale to show the effect on the tails), or as a function of the rapidity of the Z boson, a quantity labeled by the letter Y (the dependence is shown in the last graph of this post, below). Rapidity is a measure of how fast is the Z boson moving in the detector reference frame: when one of the partons has a much larger momentum fraction than the one it is colliding against, the produced Z boson has a large momentum in the direction of the more energetic parton.
The rapidity distribution of Z bosons is shown in the graph below, separately for Zbosons produced by valence-sea collisions (in red) and by sea-sea collisions (in blue).
A rapidity Y=0 means that the Z was produced at rest in the detector, +5 is a fast-forward-moving Z, and -5 is a Z moving in the opposite direction with as much speed. As you can see, the valence-sea interactions are the most asymmetric ones, predominantly producing a forward-moving Z boson.
On the right here I also plot with the same color-coding the x distribution of quarks taking part in the Z creation. The red distribution has both a very small-x and a very large-x component, highlighting the asymmetric production.
Despite being in black and white, the most interesting plot is however the following one. It shows the average mass of the Z bosons (on the vertical scale, in GeV) as a function of the Z rapidity. The downward shift from 91.186 GeV is relevant -about 0.25 GeV overall- but it increases at large values of rapidity, when one of the two partons has a very small value of x, so that the collision “samples” a rapidly varying PDF for that parton.
The plot on the left here is what is needed as an input for our calibration program: we will have to study how this dependence affects our determination of the momentum scale. A lot of work ahead, but a very enlightening one! | <urn:uuid:4d1923a6-aa2d-4f82-bdda-4ede6857b857> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://dorigo.wordpress.com/tag/z-boson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00195-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935539 | 7,101 | 2.46875 | 2 |
CEMENTEC fiberglass mesh is a material made from a very light type E fiberglass mesh. It is used in our range for surface adaptation for products where our CEMENTEC systems are to be applied.
It has a high efficiency alkaline protection. Thanks to its combination of rigidity and malleability, it is ideal for application on walls and floors, as well as in more specific places, such as benches, units, ceilings, etc.
Productos y herramientas
CEMENTEC fiberglass mesh is a reticulated lattice used to uniformly distribute the forces exerted by the support on CEMENTEC ready to use microcement systems, and thereby reduce the mechanical deterioration of the product.
This type E fiberglass mesh can be used on corners, protruding elements, etc.
When is fiberglass mesh used?
The fiberglass mesh must be applied in the CEMENTEC BASE or the CEMENTEC HIGH TRANSIT BASE system to create a sandwich layer and be embedded within the thickness of the layer.
There are two ways to apply the fiberglass mesh depending on the type of support we are working with:
If we have a continuous support: self-levelling mortars, resin flooring or plaster walls, it is applied together with the first BASE layer.
Alternatively, in the case of application on a support “with joints” such as tile, terrazzo, marble, stoneware, etc., it is applied in conjunction with our SEAL product prior to BASE layers.
Format in rolls of 50 x 1m (length x width)
Product consumption 1.05m2/m2
From 8:00-14:00 and from 15:00-19:00 | <urn:uuid:469a4371-d044-4003-805d-82ea8b0c6563> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.microcementec.com/en/product/malla/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00679.warc.gz | en | 0.883837 | 371 | 1.8125 | 2 |
A brief overview of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.)
Kratom, scientifically referred to as Mitragyna speciosa Korth., is a tree native to Southeast Asia in the coffee (Rubiaceae) family. The subtropical
climate of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and a few other Southeast Asian countries has provided natives with a range of medical applications from using
the fresh leaves from the tree. Traditional medicine has used kratom leaves for at least the past two centuries to treat ailments such as fever,
gastrointestinal disorders, pain, and mitigation of withdrawal effects from “drugs with abuse potential”, most prominently opium and heroin. The fresh leaves may also be chewed to increase work performance and endurance.
In the past two decades, kratom has been increasingly used by Western cultures, particular in Europe and North America.
All products are derived from the leaves of the tree which are harvested, dried, and primarily exported in powder or cut leaf form. Further processing of the leaves by distributors may involve extraction to increase the concentration of indole alkaloids. The main indole alkaloid present in many kratom products is mitragynine which is accompanied by more than 40 indole and oxindole alkaloids that have been identified in the leaves.
Mitragynine was the first alkaloid isolated from kratom in 1921 and found to possess both stimulant and analgesic effects.
It was determined later that mitragynine and some of its metabolites bind to opioid receptors as partial agonists, potentially exerting a distinguished
pharmacological effect from classical opioids like morphine or heroin. In both animal experiments and initial human case studies, neither mitragynine nor kratom have led to fatal respiratory depression which has been in part related to its adrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic activities.
Kratom contains other alkaloids that are also associated with pharmacological effects, such as paynantheine, speciocilliatine, mitraphylline, and isorhynchophilline. These lesser-known alkaloids have shown to bind to dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors as well
as exert effects on the immune system. This may explain the complex pharmacology observed after kratom administration to animals. In low doses,
kratom does exert primarily stimulant effects which have been linked to be at least in part mediated through adrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic pathways. This activity may also explain the observed antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of kratom in animals. Higher doses of kratom can cause sedation and analgesia and are likely mediated through opioid receptor interactions of alkaloids and their metabolites.
The presence of 7-hydroxymitragynine, a close structural analogue to mitragynine, in fresh leaf material has not been confirmed to date but its presence in dried products appears to be variable, at times appearing in amounts as high as 1% of the total plant material while
being undetectable in other instances. It therefore appears to be an artifact as the result of processing of fresh leaf material. But it has also been shown
that 7-hydroxymitragynine and its tautomer mitragynine pseudoindoxyl are active metabolites generated in the human body from mitragynine. While mitragynine has shown no abuse liability or substitution for morphine in animals, 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl do possess abuse liability and can lead to tolerance and use disorders. Products that are low in or do not contain 7-hydroxymitragynine should therefore be preferred over those that are either not tested for its content or contain more than 0.1% of 7-hydroxymitragynine by weight.
Studies in humans remain sparse to date given the ambiguous regulatory status of kratom in most countries. Surveys
conducted since 2017 among people who use kratom have identified that kratom is primarily used for self-treatment of chronic pain (arthritis, lower back pain, neuropathic pain), mood disorders (anxiety, depression, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder), and withdrawal symptoms from illicit and prescription drugs (primarily opioids). A majority of users ingest kratom leaf material in powder form either as a suspension in water or in capsule form. In this form, a majority of users consume between 1-5 g/dose and 1-3 times/day but there is variability in the frequency of use depending on the health condition and intended use.
While kratom is perceived by many people who use kratom to be safe, reports of tolerance and use disorders have been reported in the scientific literature. The symptoms of a kratom use disorder seem to often align with opioid use disorder and may require medication-assisted treatment, e.g. with buprenorphine or methadone. A person is more likely to develop a kratom use disorder if they have a history of a substance
use or mental disorder.
Fatalities have been reported with the consumption of kratom although it is unclear whether kratom was causative in nearly all cases due to concomitant consumption of other substances. Kratom may interact with other medications and should not be taken with impairing drugs
such as alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants.
Variability in the composition and quality of kratom products available to consumers require a cautionary approach to its
consumption, especially if pre-existing health conditions exist and other medications are taken. Certain products may have established quality control
measures such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) which allows for consistent quality of the product, often limiting the amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine. Products with adequate labeling to warn consumers of potential drug interactions, providing information on how to take the product, and any limitations of use should be preferred for consumption.
If you are thinking of consuming kratom, please consult with your healthcare professional (physician, pharmacist, or nurse practitioner) or apply “safer use” principles, such as starting with a low dose (1-2 g) and not exceeding 5 g/dose no more than 3 times/day.
American Kratom Association: https://americankratom.org/
Evaluation of Kratom Opioid Derivatives as
Potential Treatment Option for Alcohol Use Disorder, Front Pharmacol. 2021 Nov
Kratom Use Within the Context of the
Evolving Opioid Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, Front
Pharmacol. 2021 Aug 26;12:729220. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34512353/
Kratom-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Series
and Clinical Implications, Cureus. 2021 Apr 25;13(4):e14679. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34055525/
Pharmacotherapy for Management of ‘Kratom
Use Disorder’: A Systematic Literature Review With Survey of Experts, WMJ. 2021
Evaluation of the rewarding effects of
mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine in an intracranial self-stimulation
procedure in male and female rats, Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020 Oct 1;215:108235. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32889450/
The Potential for Kratom as an Antidepressant
and Antipsychotic, Yale J Biol Med. 2020 Jun 29;93(2):283-289. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32607089/
Kratom and Pain Tolerance: A Randomized,
Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study, Yale J Biol Med. 2020 Jun
Mitragynine Attenuates Morphine Withdrawal
Effects in Rats-A Comparison With Methadone and Buprenorphine, Front Psychiatry.
2020 May 7;11:411. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32457670/
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): User
demographics, use patterns, and implications for the opioid epidemic, Drug
Alcohol Depend. 2020 Mar 1;208:107849. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32029298/
Exploration of cytochrome P450 inhibition
mediated drug-drug interaction potential of kratom alkaloids, Toxicol Lett.
2020 Feb 1;319:148-154. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31707106/
Current perspectives on the impact of
Kratom use, Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2019 Jul 1;10:23-31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31308789/
Mitragyna speciosa: Clinical, Toxicological
Aspects and Analysis in Biological and Non-Biological Samples, Medicines
(Basel). 2019 Mar 4;6(1):35. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30836609/
The abuse potential of kratom according the
8 factors of the controlled substances act: implications for regulation and
research, Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Feb;235(2):573-589. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29273821/
Synthetic and Receptor Signaling
Explorations of the Mitragyna Alkaloids: Mitragynine as an Atypical Molecular
Framework for Opioid Receptor Modulators, J Am Chem Soc. 2016 Jun
As Opioid Analgesics with Mu Agonism and Delta Antagonism, Which Do Not Recruit
β-Arrestin-2, J Med Chem. 2016 Sep 22;59(18):8381-97. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27556704/
Following “the Roots” of Kratom
(Mitragyna speciosa): The Evolution of an Enhancer from a Traditional Use to
Increase Work and Productivity in Southeast Asia to a Recreational Psychoactive
Drug in Western Countries, Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:968786. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26640804/
Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive
effects of Mitragyna speciosa Korth methanolic extract, Med Princ Pract.
Chemistry and pharmacology of analgesic
indole alkaloids from the rubiaceous plant, Mitragyna speciosa, Chem Pharm Bull
(Tokyo). 2004 Aug;52(8):916-28. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15304982/ | <urn:uuid:c4c9b7e5-081d-4c0f-a8d6-06434564c0d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://eka.eu/kratom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.849099 | 2,479 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.
Leave your feedback
The UN refugee agency is refusing to cooperate with European authorities in processing and deporting the migrants stranded in Greece -- a move that could destabilize the recent deal with Turkey to stem the migrant flow. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant was on the island of Lesbos as the last boats arrived from Turkey after an EU deadline that effectively closed the refugee trail.
The United Nations Refugee Agency says it will not cooperate with a European plan to deport migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey.
UNHCR said it would no longer help to transfer migrants and refugees to detention centers, from which some could be deported. The agency's action could disrupt the deal with Turkey signed last Friday, which is aimed at halting the migrant flow. And the walls being rebuilt in Europe will likely only grow taller after today's attacks in Brussels.
From the island of Lesbos, in Greece, special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.
This was one of the last boats to land on the beaches of southern Lesbos. It was a desperate attempt to beat the deadline set by Europe, which effectively shut down the refugee trail.
The screams marked the moment of realization that two people had been suffocated in the chaos and darkness of the crossing. As medical teams fought in vain to revive the crush victims, a Syrian called Bashir spoke to the migrants' aspirations.
We hope they don't take this into effect. We hope that we can make it to Europe. I don't know if we get there. If we are lucky, we can move on. If we are not, I don't know what will happen to us.
For two consecutive nights, the vigil of these volunteers on the beaches of southern Lesbos has been futile. They have spent long cold nights anticipating new arrivals, using the cover of darkness to avoid Turkish patrols.
But no one has reached the shore. Spanish lifeguards, who've rescued thousands of people over the winter months have, for the moment, been made redundant by the ships of Frontex, Europe's border agency, patrolling the waters dividing Turkey from Greece.
Yet volunteer Rebecca Michaelides believes the exodus from Turkey is just temporarily on hold.
REBECCA MICHAELIDES, British-Cypriot Volunteer:
The people will keep on coming because they're very desperate in leaving Turkey and just trying for a better future. Being turned back for us and for myself is not really a solution to the problem.
It's a lot deeper, and going back to as deep as the war in Syria that needs to be stopped, but also to the hardship of these people and what they're going through, that we need, as Europe, to be — to help them.
The efforts to reinforce fortress Europe alarm Ahmad Ali, a dentist from a besieged Syrian city close to the Iraqi border. He asked us not to show his face, for fear of endangering relatives still in Syria.
AHMAD ALI, Refugee:
We don't need to go back. Everybody here is worried about the situation, so we just — we need to cross the border to search for our lives. We can't stay here for a long time.
Prime candidates to be among the first deported are Pakistanis, who are regarded by many countries as economic migrants. They have been turning up at a detention center in Lesbos to be registered. But in a possible blow to the E.U.-Turkey deal, the United Nations Refugee Agency said it wouldn't work in these camps because the migrants and refugees were being held against their will.
A large group of Pakistanis were put in handcuffs as they were sent to mainland Greece for what could be the first leg of a journey back to their homeland. The prospect of being returned to Pakistan terrifies Imran Sharif, a Christian policeman who claims he faces possible death for alleged blasphemy against Islam.
IMRAN SHARIF, Refugee:
If the Greece government puts me back in Pakistan, where there are many people waiting for me to kill me or put me in the jail — I don't like that somebody kills me in front of my child, so if they are trying to pull me back, I will suicide here.
At the camp that's been sheltering the Pakistanis next to the detention center, volunteer Ayesha Keller had this advice for would-be travelers waiting on the Turkish coast.
AYESHA KELLER, Volunteer:
At the moment, I don't think it's worth risking your life to cross over to Lesbos or one of the other Greek islands, because it's so unclear what the situation is. It just doesn't make sense on a humanitarian level. And I thought the E.U. was about protecting human rights, and now they have agreed to something like this.
I understand what they're trying to do. I understand that they want to cut down smuggling and they want to cut down people crossing in a dangerous way. But this doesn't just seem to be a sensible solution. And it's just going to increase smuggling, as all the borders close. Rather than having a legal way to cross, people are going to go across illegally.
One of the main reasons why Turkey has accepted this deal permitting the return of migrants is that it was promised that its application to join the European Union will be fast-tracked. But the terrorist attacks in Brussels today have damaged Turkey's cause.
Skeptical governments are reluctant to accept Turkey because it would extend the European borders to Syria and Iraq, and would possibly increase the likelihood of terrorism within the E.U. And so this controversial arrangement could be undermined.
These are hugely uncertain times for the migrants trapped in Greece and facing deportation.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Malcolm Brabant in Lesbos.
Watch the Full Episode
Support Provided By:
Additional Support Provided By: | <urn:uuid:a12038bf-9400-42e0-96b6-5d51fa383132> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/uncertain-times-for-refugees-on-the-migrant-trail-in-greece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573029.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817153027-20220817183027-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.96864 | 1,258 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Fussell, Charles C(lement)
Fussell, Charles C(lement)
Fussell, Charles C(lement), American composer and conductor; b. Winston-Salem, N.C., Feb. 14, 1938. He received lessons in piano from Clemens Sandresky in Winston-Salem, and in 1956 enrolled in the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where he studied composition (B.M., 1960) with Thomas Canning, Wayne Barlow, and Bernard Rogers, piano with José Echaniz, and conducting with Herman Genhart. In 1962 he received a Fulbright grant and studied with Blacher at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik. He attended Friedelind Wagner’s Bayreuth Festival Master Class in opera production and conducting in 1963, and then completed his training in composition at the Eastman School of Music (M.M., 1964). In 1966 he joined the faculty of the Univ. of Mass, in Amherst, where he founded its Group for New Music in 1974 (later re-named Pro Musica Moderna). He taught composition at the N.C. School of the Arts in Winston-Salem (1976–77) and at Boston Univ. (1981). In 1981–82 he conducted the Longy School Chamber Orch. in Cambridge, Mass. In his music, he adopts a prudent modernistic idiom and favors neo-Romantic but never overladen sonorities, without doctrinaire techniques.
DRAMATIC Opera : Caligula (1962). ORCH.: 4 syms.: No. 1, Symphony in 1 Movement (1963), No. 2 for Soprano and Orch. (1964–67), No. 3, Landscapes, for Chorus and Orch. (1978–81), and No. 4, Wilde, for Baritone and Orch. (1989); 3 Processionals (1972–73; Springfield, Mass., April 25, 1974); Northern Lights, 2 portraits for Chamber Orch., portraying Leos Janacek and Edvard Munch (1977–79); Virgil Thomson Sleeping, portrait for Chamber Orch. (1981); 4 Fairy Tales, after Oscar Wilde (1980–81); Maurice Grosser Cooking, portrait No. 2 for Chamber Orch. (1982–83); Jack Larson, portrait No. 3 for Chamber Orch. (1986). CHAMBER: Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1962); Dance Suite for Flute, Trumpet, Viola, and 2 Percussionists (1963); Ballades for Cello and Piano (1968; rev. 1976); Greenwood Sketches: Music for String Quartet (1976); Free Fall for 7 Players (N.Y., May 9, 1988); Last Trombones for 6 Trombones, 5 Percussion, and 2 Pianos (1990). VOCAL: Saint Stephen and Herod, drama for Speaker, Chorus, and Winds (1964); Poems for Voices and Chamber Orch. (1965); Julian, drama for Soprano, Tenor, Chorus, and Orch. (1969–71; Winston- Salem, N.C., April 15, 1972); Voyages for Soprano, Tenor, Women’s Chorus, Piano, Winds, and Recorded Speaker (Amherst, Mass., May 4, 1970); Eurydice for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1973–75; Winston-Salem, N.C., Jan. 30, 1976); Resume, cycle of 9 songs for Soprano, Clarinet, String Bass, and Piano (1975–76); Cymbeline, romance for Soprano, Tenor, Narrator, and Chamber Ensemble (Boston, April 2, 1984); The Gift for Soprano and Chorus (1986; Boston, Dec. 24, 1987); 5 Goethe Lieder for Soprano or Tenor and Piano (1987; also for Soprano or Tenor and Orch., 1991); A Song of Return for Chorus and Orch. (1989); Wilde, 2 monologues for Baritone and Orch. (1989–90); other vocal works.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire | <urn:uuid:f3852a14-056b-4fae-bf6b-807f531ae55e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/fussell-charles-clement-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.838751 | 895 | 1.5 | 2 |
John F. "Jack" McDonnell, the 94-year-old father of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, died Tuesday.
The elder McDonnell had served for 23 years in the Air Force, flying aboard bombers from England into Nazi-occupied Europe in World War II. He raised the future governor and four other children with his wife Emma in northern Virginia. She died in 1994.
John McDonnell made one of his last public appearances in a wheelchair at his son's Jan. 16 inauguration. At the state Capitol following the ceremony, the new governor knelt and kissed his father on the forehead.
The elder McDonnell died on election day, a year after his son's easy electoral victory. The Republican governor campaigned for other candidates this year and his post wasn't up for election Tuesday. | <urn:uuid:fedf0be8-de8e-4784-be8b-4b6ec9045415> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/11/02/father_of_virginia_gov_bob_mcdonnell_dies_at_94/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00079-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986468 | 157 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Yosemite 'firefall' has hikers transfixed
- 19 February 2016
- From the section US & Canada
A rare phenomenon known as "firefall" has drawn visitors and photographers to Yosemite National Park in California.
The stunning visual display happens every February when the light hits a waterfall tumbling down El Capitan.
But the intensity of this phenomenon depends on the volume of water and the cloud cover.
The park authorities said: "The Horsetail Fall phenomenon appears when the angle of the setting sun sets the waterfall ablaze with reds and oranges, like a fire was falling down the cliffs on the shoulder of El Capitan."
Here is how some photographers captured it. | <urn:uuid:eb95200c-a56a-4974-aafc-b77489a605a5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35617262 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00344-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916903 | 142 | 2.484375 | 2 |
- 1 What happened to Greece after the Persian War?
- 2 How did the Persian wars affect the Greek city-states?
- 3 What was the result of the Persian War?
- 4 Why did Persia lose to Greece?
- 5 Did Athens fall to Persian?
- 6 Did Sparta fight Athens?
- 7 What if Persia won the Persian War?
- 8 Is King Darius and Cyrus the same?
- 9 Did Sparta win the Persian War?
- 10 What were 3 Results of the Persian War?
- 11 Who won the first Persian War?
- 12 What were the causes and effects of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars?
- 13 Why did Sparta not like Athens?
- 14 Why did Thebes side with Persia?
- 15 What were Greek foot soldiers called?
What happened to Greece after the Persian War?
Athens, and other Greek cities, sent aid, but were quickly forced to back down after defeat in 494 BCE. The end of the Persian Wars led to the rise of Athens as the leader of the Delian League.
How did the Persian wars affect the Greek city-states?
How did the Persian Wars affect the Greek city – states? The Persian Wars affected the Greek city – states because they came under the leadership of Athens and were to never again invade the Persian Armies.
What was the result of the Persian War?
The Greeks won a decisive victory, losing only 192 men to the Persians ‘ 6,400 (according to the historian Herodotus).
Why did Persia lose to Greece?
There are two factors that helped the Greeks defeat the Persian Empire. The first was the sheer tenacity of their soldiers. The Greeks simply wouldn’t accept the idea of being invaded by another country and they fought until they won.
Did Athens fall to Persian?
September 480 BC: Battle of Salamis Athens thus fell to the Persians; the small number of Athenians who had barricaded themselves on the Acropolis were eventually defeated, and Xerxes then ordered the destruction of Athens.
Did Sparta fight Athens?
The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta —the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). The war featured two periods of combat separated by a six-year truce.
What if Persia won the Persian War?
If Persia had won the Persians wars. Athens would have been burned to the ground and it would have never been rebuild. The ideas and the athletic spirit inspired by the Olympic games would have perished since the Marathon runner would have died in the combat with the Persians.
Is King Darius and Cyrus the same?
Darius was a member of the royal bodyguard of Cambyses II, the son and heir of Cyrus the Great who ruled for several years before dying mysteriously in 522.
Did Sparta win the Persian War?
Although the Greeks finally beat the Persians in the Battle of Platea in 479 B.C., thus ending the Greco- Persian Wars, many scholars attribute the eventual Greek success over the Persians to the Spartans ‘ defense at Thermopylae.
What were 3 Results of the Persian War?
Aftermath of the Persian Wars As a result of the allied Greek success, a large contingent of the Persian fleet was destroyed and all Persian garrisons were expelled from Europe, marking an end of Persia’s advance westward into the continent. The cities of Ionia were also liberated from Persian control.
Who won the first Persian War?
The first Persian invasion of Greece, during the Persian Wars, began in 492 BC, and ended with the decisive Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. First Persian invasion of Greece.
|Date||492 – 490 BC.|
|Result||Persian victory in Thrace and Macedon Persian failure to capture Athens|
What were the causes and effects of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars?
The primary causes were that Sparta feared the growing power and influence of the Athenian Empire. The Peloponnesian war began after the Persian Wars ended in 449 BCE. This disagreement led to friction and eventually outright war. Additionally, Athens and its ambitions caused increasing instability in Greece.
Why did Sparta not like Athens?
While the Athenian city-state enjoyed a period of democracy, Sparta was a military culture. Although Athenian citizens enjoyed certain freedoms during the time of their democracy, the idea of who made up of a citizen was very strict. Basically, the two city-states didn’t understand each other.
Why did Thebes side with Persia?
When Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 BC the Thebans had decided to side with the Persians. As Xerxes moved south, Thebes publicly supported him, and as a result Boeotia was left untouched as the Persians marched into Attica. The Persians then suffered a naval defeat at Salamis, and Xerxes decided to return home.
What were Greek foot soldiers called?
The main Greek soldier was the foot soldier called a “hoplite.” Hoplites carried large shields and long spears. | <urn:uuid:9ee1d481-af9f-4aae-ab85-ed566732ff94> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://skiathosfun.com/interesting-about-greece/question-what-happened-to-the-greece-city-states-after-persian-war.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.970369 | 1,096 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Dear Mothers, I’m writing you today because I can no longer contain the ache in my gut and fire in my heart over an injustice that you and I are bearing the brunt of.
Though this injustice is affecting everyone — men, women, and children alike — mothers not only feel its burden more than most, but we also feel disproportionately responsible for alleviating its pervasive and deeply damaging symptoms, which is adding hugely to the weight of the world we’re already wired to carry.
The injustice is this:
It takes a village, but there are no villages.
By village I don’t simply mean “a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area.” I’m referring to the way of life inherent to relatively small, relatively contained multigenerational communities. Communities within which individuals know one another well, share the joys, burdens, and sorrows of everyday life, nurture one another in times of need, mind the wellbeing of each other’s ever-roaming children and increasingly-dependent elderly, and feel fed by their clearly essential contribution to the group that securely holds them.
I’m talking about the most natural environment for children to grow up within.
I’m talking about a way of life we are biologically wired for, but that is nearly impossible to find in developed nations.
I’m talking about the primary unmet need driving the frustration that most every village-less mother is feeling.
Though the expression “It takes a village to raise a child” has become cliché, the impact of our village-less realities is anything but insignificant. It’s wreaking havoc on our quality of life in countless ways.
In the absence of the village…
Perhaps most tragically of all, the absence of the village is distorting many mothers’ sense of self. It’s causing us to feel that our inadequacies are to blame for our struggles, which further perpetuates the feeling that we must do even more to make up for them.
Here’s a new mindset to try on for size:
You and I are not the problem at all. WE ARE DOING PLENTY. We may feel inadequate, but that’s because we’re on the front lines of the problem, which means we’re the ones being hardest hit. We absorb the impact of a broken, still-oppressive social structure so that our children won’t have to.
That makes us heroes, not failures.
No, we’re not oppressed in the same ways that we used to be (nor in the ways other women still are around the world), but make no mistake about it:
In the absence of the village, we’re disadvantaged like never before. We may have more freedoms than our foremothers, but our burden remains disproportionately, oppressively heavy.
Since the beginning of time (and until very recently), mothers have beared life’s burdens together. We scrubbed our clothes in the streams while laughing at splashing toddlers and mourning the latest loss of love or life. We wove, sewed, picked, tidied, or mended while swapping stories and minding our aging grandmothers. We tended one another’s wounds (both physical and emotional), relied on one another for strength when times were tough, and sought counsel from our community’s wise, experienced, and cherished elders.
Village life inherently fostered a sense of safety, inclusivity, purpose, acceptance, and importance. These essential elements of thriving were built in.
Now? We’re being forced to create all of that for ourselves within a society that has physically and energetically restructured itself around a whole new set of priorities. It’s a profits before people model, which threatens the wellbeing of nearly everything we mothers are wired to protect.
Though I’m optimistic and hopeful by nature, this dilemma has left me discouraged many times over the years. How does an entire nation of mothers shift a storyline this massive while individually and collectively weakened by the absence of the very thing we so desperately need?
Major cultural shifts in prioritization, structure, and power are clearly in order (and I do believe they’re happening, however chaotically). In the meantime, each of us has a choice to make:
We can buy into, make peace with, and conform to the way things are, or exercise the freedoms our foremothers and fathers won for us and commit to doing our unique and essential part in creating change, starting within us and working our way out.
You and I aren’t likely to experience what it’s like to raise children in an actual village, but that’s okay. That’s not what this generation is about. This generation is about waking up to who we really are and what we really want, and resetting society’s sails accordingly.
Playing your part in the re-villaging of our culture starts with being wholly, unapologetically, courageously YOU. Here are a few tangible steps you can take whenever you’re ready:
I’ve tasted village life:
My soul was fed deeply during those time periods. Every time I get a taste of what we’re missing, I become strengthened and hopeful again. THAT is the energy needed to create change. THAT is what the powers that be don’t want us to feel.
I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know this:
We’re supposed to be crying, celebrating, falling down, and rising together.
We’re supposed to have grandmothers and aunts and neighbors and cousins sharing the everyday moments, guiding us, and helping us see the sacredness in the insanity.
We’re supposed to be nurtured for months postpartum, cared for when we’re sick, held while we mourn, and supported during challenging transitions.
And our children are supposed to cradled and allowed to grow within the social structures WE deem best for them.
Find yourself, then find your people. Or do it the other way around. Just don’t settle. Don’t ever settle for a way of life created by those who don’t honor your soul and cherish your babies.
Change-making right alongside you, Beth Berry
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing. ”
*Photo credit goes to the crazy-talented, shining soul, Jote Khalsa. | <urn:uuid:94eee371-16cf-49f4-8cd9-bfc6ad2d6800> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/in-the-absence-of-the-village-mothers-struggle-most/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00219-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944337 | 1,392 | 1.671875 | 2 |
If a country is completely lacking God, the people are less likely to treat others with grace, author Larry Taunton says. He discovered that when he and his wife adopted a Ukranian child, Sasha.
Taunton spoke to The Christian Post about his new book, The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief. In the book, he uses the family’s heartwarming journey through the adoption process as a background for the larger political question of how atheism is now threatening American society.
He said Sasha is a perfect example of the effects of a country that is totally without God, and how grace transformed her – and her family’s – life.
“Have you ever seen ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’?” he asked. “This book is giving a glimpse of what the world would look like without the George Baileys of this world, in a sort of Pottersville.”
“Sasha grew up in a sort of Pottersvillle – a very, very harsh world … where children aren’t even given toilet paper,” he said.
The book details Sasha’s challenges with HIV and several other aspects of Sasha’s life, both in the Ukraine, and as an adopted child in the United States. In one touching chapter, Taunton recalls how he struggled to teach her the English language.
“Sasha never had any meaningful education,” he writes in the book. “So … I decided to sit down with Sasha to teach her the alphabet. Not surprisingly, Sasha asserted her strong will and refused to cooperate.”
However, as a former educator he said he “knew the difference between defiance that is motivated by disrespect and defiance that is born of a lack of confidence. … Sasha’s education had been badly neglected, like so much else in her life.”
Taunton said because he knew the love and grace of Jesus Christ, he was able to use the same grace to patiently teach Sasha.
“This book is about how Christ touches a society through his people, even if [many parts of society] are cold and lifeless,” he highlighted. “This isn’t a theological treatise, this is a powerful story.”
The author believes that the United States is a nation with lingering Christian influence, as he found grace in the process of raising Sasha.
“Why is it that we in the West have more concern for the lower classes, for the poor? Because of the grace effect,” Taunton told CP. “It tends to be a more sensitive world.”
Sasha is now 13 and just “thriving,” Taunton said. “There are things she is so grateful for – she loves a hot shower.”
“Educationally, she’s struggling and her health will always be an issue,” he said, but she is a true story of triumph “through grace given and grace received.”
He hopes readers will come away “with a better understanding of how grace affects their lives.”
Other accounts readers will find in his book include an 11-hour car trip where he and bestselling author and atheist Christopher Hitchens debate the New Testament book of John and atheism.
“It was wonderful,” Taunton said, recalling the conversation.
Taunton is the founder of Fixed Point Foundation, an organization dedicated to promote Christianity in the public square. The group produced the widely viewed John 3:16 Super Bowl commercial.
On the Web: http://fixed-point.org/
Correction: Friday, Nov. 25, 2011
An article on November 23, 2011, on The Grace Effect, incorrectly reported that Taunton said America was a Christian nation. The Christian Post confirmed with the author that in the book, he said America is a nation with lingering Christian influence. | <urn:uuid:b16d4ea4-9e93-4a18-b10e-cadb6542a512> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.christianpost.com/news/author-talks-the-grace-effect-reversing-corruption-of-unbelief-62850/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00395-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96331 | 836 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Mobile is revolutionizing every industry, from manufacturing to transportation, public sector to healthcare – and the world of sales is no different. According to Deloitte, mobile is the “anytime, anywhere” enabler of customer loyalty; across industries, organizations are trying to find ways to allow customers to make payments directly from mobile devices. Mobility is allowing sales to become a truly anytime, anywhere activity.
In B2C, retailers are working to develop true omni-channel sales solutions. A consumer should be able to access a brand’s merchandise through any channel – be it in a brick-and-mortar store or on a desktop computer, smartphone or tablet. And all channels should connect to one another; this is true omni-channel. Many retailers are also beginning to integrate mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) technologies into their operations. In B2C sales, this capability enables consumers to make purchases directly from their mobile devices.
mPOS, in fact, helps both consumers (who can make a purchase from their smartphones at home) and retailers. Consumers wander around an Apple store, for example, with staff walking about, iPads in hand, helping and engaging customers – and making sales. In-store clerks utilize mPOS technologies to execute sales on tablets right from the sales floor. The mPOS trend is driven by retail and wholesale apps such as those provided by Shopify and Retalix and is even helping small businesses change the way they invoice and receive payments for services provided.
mPOS technology will reshape B2B sales
Just as mPOS has reshaped the B2C industry, it can have an even more significant impact in the world of B2B sales, which is an enormously larger market.
But first, we must define terms. What is mPOS when it comes to B2B sales?
Just as B2C brands focused on developing omni-channel sales through mobile and web-based interfaces, integrating an mPOS is the natural progression of omni-channel development for B2B.
Similar to B2C retail, B2B brands in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry have a highly transactional sales process. Typically, sales reps visit B2B customers, present catalogs, take orders, cross-sell and up-sell customers on other products, and then send orders to the back-office for order processing, order fulfillment and eventual payment of goods. Mobility has already changed the way this process takes place, allowing the B2B industry to begin developing a true omni-channel approach in a traditionally pen-to-paper industry.
With mobile tools, sales reps are now able to present goods to their B2B customers on tablets and input orders for automatic order processing. Through close integration with back-end ERP and accounting systems, mobile sales tools provide sales reps with updated pricing according to set business rules and discounting allowances and can inform reps of special offers and customer preferences based on past orders.
Yet, there exists a challenge in this process. The order-to-cash cycle is highly disjointed and becomes extremely lengthy with too many steps; resources are wasted in back-office processing when order processing and payments are done separately. Further, some customers can become a burden much more than they are an asset when they do not make payments on time, or have a history of late payments or outstanding debt.
To solve this problem, B2B sales organization must adopt true end-to-end mPOS solutions.
mPOS streamlines sales processes
There are two scenarios in which mPOS can improve efficiency and streamline sales efforts for B2B sales: during on-location sales and through self-service channel ordering.
On-location sales can mean a number of things. Sales reps can visit their B2B customers at the retail store and place orders on site. Additionally, trade shows represent a very important sales channel for brands and wholesalers – in some industries, a brand might make up to 15 percent of its yearly revenues at a single show. Provided with an end-to-end mPOS solution, the sales rep would be able to showcase products on a tablet, input the order, then sync up with back-end ERP for order processing and process payment on the spot. This procedure is critical with customers known to have outstanding debt, or histories of late payments.
At trade shows in particular, especially when dealing with new or unknown customers with whom the sales rep does not yet have a rapport, the ability to process payments on the spot removes risk from the new sales relationship born on the show floor.
The second scenario for which end-to-end mPOS can have a major impact is through self-service channels. This is the space that we, as consumers, are all too familiar with. Just as we can log in to Amazon.com and complete a purchase from a smartphone or tablet, mPOS for self-service channels in B2B is the natural progression in this industry.
End-to-End mPOS means less money left on the table
Some B2B mobile sales solutions offer their customers self-service channels including web portals and mobile storefront apps from which customers can browse product catalogs and submit orders. Adding integration with a payment gateway such as PayPal, Authorize.net or eWAY provides a frictionless experience for B2B buyers and shortens the order-to-cash cycle.
Empowering customers to self-serve up to and including payment processing means that sales reps have more time to engage in strategic sales activities such as nurturing new business leads and spending more time focused on strategic accounts. B2B brands that integrate an mPOS solution into their B2B sales process can reduce costs on sales rep visits to customers and on back-end order processing by eliminating multiple steps in the order-to-cash cycle.
Ensuring secure payments
There is much to be gained by implementing an mPOS solution, but brands should not rush in without ensuring that the solution they are using is secure for their customers. When making the decision to implement mPOS, decision makers must ensure that any solution they use is PCI compliant. Mobile devices typically do not provide the same level of data security as using a credit card in a retail store. However, PCI-compliance ensures that the merchant’s mobile payment-acceptance solution is secure.
mPOS creates frictionless customer journey
Brands can only win by integrating a PCI compliant, end-to-end mPOS as part of their broader mobile sales strategy. Through this capability, B2B brands can shorten the order-to-cash cycle, decrease outstanding debts, and decrease back-end operating costs. Furthermore, mPOS creates a frictionless purchasing journey for customers both during sales rep visits and through self-service ordering. Finally, mPOS solutions give the sales rep the ability to strike while the iron is hot and close the deal from the palm of his/her hand.
Ofer Yourvexel is the co-founder and CEO of Pepperi, the mobile commerce platform for brands and wholesalers. Prior to founding Pepperi, Mr. Yourvexel spent over 20 years in executive leadership positions with enterprise technology companies including Amdocs, Jacada, Enigma and Tefen. | <urn:uuid:c38f4a53-558b-4ac0-9910-e88793c07a8e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://sandhill.com/article/creating-end-to-end-mobile-pos-solution-for-b2b-sales/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281574.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00025-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948867 | 1,501 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Olympic athletes want to win -- we all know that. So why are they being disqualified for trying to lose? After the badminton scandal that marred the early days of the games, the latest athlete to be kicked out was Algerian middle-distance runner Taoufik Makhloufi, who walked off the course in an 800 meters semifinal on Aug. 6.
Makhloufi got lucky. After an appeal, the International Association of Athletics Federations accepted the doubtful excuse that he was feeling injured, and reinstated him. The next day, Makhloufi won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters by almost three-quarters of a second.
That was not the performance of an injured man. Makhloufi hadn't wanted to run the 800 at all. For some reason, his team had left him in it. Clearly, Makhloufi knew his chances of winning gold in the 1,500 could be harmed by running the 800, which he had little chance to win. He was acting rationally in giving up. For that matter, so were the Chinese, Indonesian and South Korean badminton players who tried to throw early-round matches for a better draw in subsequent tournament rounds. So was the Japanese women's soccer team, which benched all but four starters and played for a tie against South Africa to avoid having to travel to Scotland for its next match.
Why, exactly, do we have the instinct that acting rationally to win violates the "Olympic spirit"? The rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which governs Makhloufi's races, demand that athletes "compete honestly with bona fide effort" or face mandatory elimination from future events in the same competition. The badminton rules are roughly the same.
Of course, all the athletes in question were putting in a bona fide effort to win gold medals. They just believed that the best way to do it was to focus themselves on the main event and put themselves in the best possible position for it. That path took them through a less than fully competitive effort in earlier matches or races. There was nothing inherently dishonest about their efforts, except that the rules require them to lie if they want to have the best possible chance of winning.
One possibility -- the one the Olympic authorities would no doubt like us to embrace -- is that competitors should go all out at all times, treating each moment of competition as sacred. After all, the Olympics have their origins in ancient religious ritual, and today sport can seem very much like a secular faith, complete with rituals like sacred flame and a solemn Olympic oath.
The problem with this ideal is that it does not match reality. We see strategic competition all the time in sports, including the Olympics -- and ordinarily, it does not bother us much, if at all. We compliment the intelligence of runners and swimmers who pace themselves in preliminary heats, rather than expending all of their energies. We accept the intentional walk in baseball as part of the game, even though it represents the opposite of bona fide competition between pitcher and batter.
We even accept that professional basketball and football teams will play their scrubs and accept near-certain defeat once they have made the playoffs -- not just to protect against injury, but sometimes even to get a better playoff draw by losing.
Perhaps it could be argued that the badminton players, at least, violated the spirit of the tournament, which was designed so that the qualifiers from the initial pool would then compete in the next round according to a predetermined set of rankings.
Yet it was the tournament's design that created the incentive for the teams to lose. In essence, the matches that the players were attempting to throw were exhibitions: All the teams involved had already qualified for the next round.
Indeed, it could be argued that Makhloufi's tanking (if that's what it was) was worse than that of the badminton players. At least they were easing up within the context of the same tournament they sought to win. The runner, by contrast, was throwing one event to have a better chance of winning an entirely different one.
The persistence of strategic competition despite the rules against it suggests another reason that the Olympic Games condemn the practice: the entertainment value. The Olympics are a big business, and organizers want the spectators to get their money's worth. London Olympics chairman Sebastian Coe inadvertently revealed this motive when he commented after the badminton scandal, "Who wants to sit through something like that?"
By this logic, there is nothing sacrosanct about Olympic effort except that the spectators have paid good money to watch it while the networks and the sponsors have paid vast sums to show it. Far from embodying the aspiration to pure sport, the athletes are entertainers. As entertainers, they owe their responsibility not to ultimate victory but to putting on a good show at any moment when a paying customer might be watching.
Once the underlying economic motive emerges, it's easy to see that there is a conflict between our interests as consumers and the athletes' as producers of value. From the athletes' perspective, ultimate victory really is the goal. Not only do they want victory for its own sake, but their future earning capacity depends on winning gold. A runner such as Makhloufi can expect his appearance fees to go up significantly if he is an Olympic champion. We, on the other hand, want to be treated constantly to the spectacle of total effort -- of the kind we might never use ourselves in our own strategy-suffused lives.
Noah Feldman, a law professor at Harvard University and the author of "Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices," is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own. Email Feldman at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:809e9d7b-e5f8-4d6b-8d22-8cefb2defa4a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/playing-to-lose-is-smart-not-an-olympic-scandal-noah-feldman-1.3894755 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00171-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982232 | 1,200 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The Kalef Family
My grandmother, Matilda Kalef, was the pillar of our family. She was widowed when she was 25 with three children, then two died and only one remained — my father, Avram. He became ill with diabetes and muscular atrophy, which confined him to a wheelchair. Grandmother worked from morning until night, in the house, at our stores, and took care of Father, too.
Grandmother’s brother, Jakov (center), in front of the family store on Terazije Street. He was a central figure in the Jewish community. He and Grandmother were partners in this store, but later she had three stores of her own, two of which she had to sell to pay my father’s medical bills. All our employees ate and lived with us, but in separate apartments. Grandmother cooked for everyone.
My mother was born a Catholic in Slovenia. She met Dad in Belgrade. She didn’t care that he was confined to a wheelchair. He didn’t care that she wasn’t Jewish. But she converted, they married, and theirs was an intense, loving relationship. Until the Germans murdered him.
Here I am with my sister Rahela (who became Breda) before the war. We went to a Jewish kindergarten and then to a public school. When we were at home with Mother we always sang together. My sister sang soprano and Mother and I sang alto.
Here we are, my sister and I, with Father Andrej Tumpej, the priest who saved our lives. Breda is third from the right, I am fourth from left. Father Tumpej was made a Righteous Gentile after the war because we asked the Israeli Holocaust Memorial to recognize him for the hero that he was.
Two pictures of my cousin, David Kalef, who lived next door to us on Gospodar Jovanova. On the left, he is in a clown costume for Purim, a Jewish holiday. On the right, he is in his work clothes when he was forced to clean up the streets after the Germans invaded in 1941. David was murdered, so was everyone else in his family. Not one survived.
My wedding picture. I met Onton Cerge during the war in Banovo Brdo. After the war we didn’t keep any Jewish traditions. We never put pressure on our daughter, Edita, to identify herself as a Jew but our granddaughter is quite involved with Jewish life.
My sister, Breda, performing with the Israeli Opera Company in Tel Aviv. In honor of Father Tumpej she kept the name that
he gave her. She became one of the most famous opera singers in Serbia, performing with stars like Placido Domingo. I was always so proud of my sister and her success.
Matila Kalef – Three Promises
The Kalefs were one of the Belgrade’s oldest families, tracing their roots back more than 300 years. Then the Nazis swept into Serbia in 1941…
While scores of relatives were being shot and gassed, Dona Bat Kalef fled with her two daughters, Breda and Matilda, to a Catholic church in Banovo Brdo. “Can you protect us?” she asked the priest. Father Andrej Tumpej did indeed save Dona and her daughters, and this film tells their story. | <urn:uuid:097c1ef1-61fa-4101-81db-1ec697858bba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lostsephardicworld.org/exhibition/serbia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.986279 | 769 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Oklahoma woman dies in fall in national park
Sunday, October 21st 2001, 12:00 am
News On 6
VOLCANO, Hawaii (AP) _ A 48-year-old woman from Tecumseh, Okla., fell to her death Saturday at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii.
Park rangers found Regina P. Stabler dead on a rocky outcropping about 200 feet below the edge of the crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Ranger Mardie Lane said.
Stabler, a commander with the U.S. Public Health Service, had been reported missing earlier in the day by her husband, Hollis, Lane said.
The Stablers were staying in the park at the Kilauea Military Camp, about a quarter-mile from the crater rim.
Camp firefighters and Hawaii County fire and rescue personnel had joined rangers in a search of the camp and surrounding area.
To get to the body, rangers were airlifted by county helicopter to the floor of the crater. They then had to climb 200 to 300 feet up a rocky slope to reach the body, which was airlifted to the park's heliport and then transported to Hilo Medical Center.
An autopsy was ordered, Lane said.
The death is being investigated by the National Park Service.
Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been erupting since 1983.
The eruption site is along the volcano's east rift zone, well away from the summit. | <urn:uuid:65aeca42-468e-422c-833b-f018c51c67fd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.newson6.com/story/5e36810b2f69d76f620953d9/oklahoma-woman-dies-in-fall-in-national-park | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571284.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811103305-20220811133305-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.970698 | 327 | 1.625 | 2 |
The most important retrospective ever dedicated to the artist in Europe and the first one ever in Venice. The show, curated by Francesca Valente, retraces more than 60 years of Nancy Genn’s career. She’s a multi-talented artist who still experiments a lot with great vivacity and passion.
Nancy Genn is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural Californian artist who has been a major contributor to the history of post-war American art in the fields of gestural abstraction and abstract expressionism. Her career has spanned several generations, revealing her to be equally gifted in drawing, painting, sculpting, paper and printmaking. An enthusiastic traveler who continuously explores new techniques, Nancy Genn “successfully meld[s] western Modernism and Asian aesthetics into a personal and public synthesis.” (Archana Horsting, Executive Director, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, USA). | <urn:uuid:bde18ab0-1c1c-43e8-83ce-846992c1065d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myartguides.com/exhibitions/venice/nancy-genn-architecture-from-within/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.929589 | 200 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Public Message (Shortly After previous message)
Hey guys, you guys are doing great!
Now that you guys have a discussion going, start talking about how these transformations are related.
What caused the decay and disappearance of the extended family?
How did the laissez-faire economy system that Patrick explained have a negative effect on the conditions of working class America?
How do you think the transformations in the economic structure gave way for hardships that people living in big cities experienced? | <urn:uuid:04186aed-c87b-4402-a9d6-2ba3f942c55a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.to-be-education.com/games/gameflow.aspx?gameID=2370 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571536.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811224716-20220812014716-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.93629 | 99 | 2 | 2 |
Kevine Kagirimundu is the co-founder and CEO of UZURI K&Y, an African-inspired shoe brand and manufacturer based in Rwanda, East Africa. Her firm recycles car tires into eco-friendly and fashionable footwear.
Kagirimundu said her entrepreneurial journey started when she was a young girl. She would re-sew her grandmother’s clothes out of passion. It was her passion for creatives that led her to change her course from Engineering to “Creative & Environmental built”.
According to her, changing her course of study was an important step in starting her entrepreneurial journey. She met her business partner while studying Creative Designs at the University. “I was 19 years old and determined as I started gathering ideas in a book, during that time I also met my co-founder Ysolde Shimwe,” she told Business Africa Online.
Kagirimundu comes from a creative family of painters, poets and writers. She grew up with a strong passion for ‘hand making things’ and desired to add value to it so as to bring positive change to her community. And according to her, it is the reason her company is part of the circular economy with a focus on waste management.
Kagirimundu said she was inspired into recycling tires into fashion shoes in order to tackle car tire waste in Rwanda and Africa at large. Across Africa, over one million car tires are dumped in landfills.
“In addition to that, it takes up to 80 years for a rubber tire to decompose while polluting water, air and even become nurseries for mosquitoes that carry diseases. Furthermore, in Africa, the youth makes 60% of the total unemployment rate and young women are more likely to be unemployed even more often than young men,” she said.
To tackle this problem, Kagirimundu and her partner crafted viable solutions to recycle car tires to make functional and fashionable footwear for conscious millennial consumers, she said. Last year, the company said it was running its own production facility, four retail stores and using eCommerce to reach international customers.
“It is also equipping the youth with practical and soft skills to increase their potential of securing jobs or even creating small businesses. So far, 1,065 youth have been trained and among those 70% are women and 10 have started small businesses,” the Rwandan CEO told Business Africa Online last October.
The majority of Kagirimundu’s customers are women, she said, adding that she uses storytelling via social media channels as a strategy to sell her products. Although she is aiming to be a household brand in Africa, Kagirimundu said the journey so far has not been easy. According to her, she and her co-founder faced three major challenges when they started. “Lack of skilled labour, dominated market with second hand and imports and access to finance,” she pointed out.
By Abu Mubarik
Subscribe to view notification of our daily news | <urn:uuid:dfa557ed-4e31-4411-9b4d-e23e39123971> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rwanda-podium.org/?RWANDA-CREATION-Meet-the-Rwandan-CEO-making-amazing-eco-friendly-footwear-from | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571190.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810131127-20220810161127-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.979433 | 634 | 1.875 | 2 |
Книгу можно купить в интернет-магазинах:
· OZON.ru 555р. [Проверить наличие]
ISBN: 0743466659Издательство: Pocket
Год издания: 2003
Ten of the most fertile imaginations in science fiction and fantasy come together in one book to create new worlds, new universes, new times, new places, and new realities. Master of alternate history Harry Turtledove tells a story of the future that casts a frightening light on the present. Award-winners Adam-Troy Castro and Janet Berliner provide two tales of very different kinds of magic. Old master Charles L. Harness is here, as are relative newcomers Aaron Rosenberg, Daniel Pearlman, and H. Courreges LeBlanc. Sarah Zettel looks at the future of computers, Nancy Jane Moore considers the future of gender roles, and bestselling author Craig Shaw Gardner visits a planet called Elvis. Assembled by bestselling author/anthologist Keith R.A. DeCandido, this book will take you on a journey through ten writers' wildest imaginings.... | <urn:uuid:5cab26b7-b45e-4b7a-8be1-71e34352b47e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.libring.ru/books/152319 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00395-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.695834 | 299 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Buyers now have tools and applications that allow them to search by location, to get to know the neighborhood in detail. The online search allows you to compare available homes by characteristics and situations. And that information search process is done before contacting a real estate agent.
The main division that they make of the buyers, is for their belonging to each generation; To understand the data, we summarize the generations by the years of birth:
Generation – Birth date
Young Millenials Generation Y – 1990-1998
Greater Millenials Generation Y – 1980-1989
Generation X – 1965-1979
Young baby boom – 1955-1964
Older Baby Boom – 1946-1954
Silent generation – 1925-1945
Its main conclusions are:
- The buyer usually uses a mobile device to search for online properties. Search the homes for portals and real estate websites for information about the purchase process.
- After that first inspection, the buyer contacts a real estate agent and visits an average of 10 homes in about ten weeks before buying the home.
- 81% of Millennials and 78% of Generation X found their home with the help of a smartphone, compared with 68% of the baby boom generation.
- The main sources of information for homebuyers, in their initial process, were portals and real estate websites, real estate agents, and mobile applications.
- “Social media” is cited as the best source to generate high-quality leads, according to real estate professionals.
First Steps Of The Home Buying Process
- 98% of Millennials searched real estate portals, compared with 72% of the Silent Generation.
- 57% of Generation X and older Millennials visit an open house.
- Baby boomers used a mobile phone only half the time of Millennials, a ratio similar to the use of videos to consume information.
Main Difficulties During The Purchase Process
- In the purchase process, the most common problems are paperwork and documentation, in addition to understanding all the necessary procedures, especially for Millennials.
- 31% of older Baby Boom, indicate that they do not find difficult steps in the purchase process, compared with only 8% of Millennials.
Main Features Of Real Estate Websites
92% of the websites have property listings, whether their own or a shared portfolio, with the MLS to which they belong.
That percentage increases in companies focused on the residential market.
76% of real estate websites show a list of their agents and profiles. More than half add comments and testimonials from their customers.
The buyer’s profile is that of someone who wants:
- become independent or form a family home,
- reside in neighborhoods or downtown areas of cities or municipalities,
- in second-hand properties,
- small in size and
- for a price that ranges between 125,000 and 150,000 euros.
On the other hand, second-home buyers are between 45 and 55 years old, and in most cases, they are couples looking for a home with higher benefits, greater comforts, or holiday residences.
- 93% of real estate agents prefer to communicate with their clients by telephone or instant messaging, 92% by email, while only 27% use postal mail.
- The real estate professionals who most use a blog for their activity are those between 30 and 39 years old; 12% of them manage their own blog. | <urn:uuid:92d889aa-061f-487a-8c69-68b7817081c6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.buyhomesmn.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.92794 | 701 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Florida State Bird: Northern mockingbird
Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos
State Bird Description: The Northern Mockingbird was named as the state bird of Florida via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 3 on April 23, 1927. It was written in the Resolution that the Northern Mockingbird be named the state bird because "The melody of its music has delighted the heart of residents and visitors to Florida from the days of the rugged pioneer to the present comer" The northern mockingbird is a medium-sized bird that has long legs and a long tail. Northern mockingbirds measure from 8 to 11.0 inches which includes the tail. Their wingspan can range from 12 to 15 inches and the weigh 1.5 to 2.0 oz. The Male Mockingbird tends to be slightly larger than females. The male and female look alike with the upper part of their body are colored gray, while its belly has a white or light gray color. They have parallel black wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch which makes them easily noticeable when flying.
Where It's Found: The northern mockingbird is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America although they can most frequently be found in the Southern United States.
Florida State Bird Dedication: 1927 | <urn:uuid:2b4611a8-0d28-4874-b3c1-5aeb63ae18d9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.statesadvisor.com/florida/florida-state-bird.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.956721 | 261 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents|
| Standard Number:||1910.1200; 1910.1200(d)|
May 3, 2007
Mr. Keith Klayh
Liquid Solutions Inc.
203-379 Lake Street
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Dear Mr. Klayh:
This is in response to your January 24, 2007, correspondence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Correspondence Control Unit. Your letter was transferred to OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs for response. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of only the requirements discussed and may not be applicable to any questions not delineated within your original correspondence. Your letter requested clarification regarding OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), 29 CFR 1910.1200. You specifically asked about requirements for developing Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for a product that your company is considering for distribution. Your paraphrased scenario, questions, and our response are below.
Scenario: You describe a chemical product being used extensively for sawing aluminum extrusions. The product you describe is comprised of 96% to 100% of 2 ethyl hexyl 2 ethyl hexanoate and is being used as a metal working fluid (MWF). The chemical is misted onto the aluminum product being formed. The mist created from the sawing operation is filtered and then re-entrained into the work area environment. Additionally, you indicate that there are times when other people in the manufacturing and distribution of this product would handle the aluminum pieces, resulting in dermal contact with the MWF.
Question 1: What is the appropriate classification for the MSDS for the aforementioned MWF, and what precautions should be specified for people exposed to this product?
Question 2: Can we consider selling this product into the U.S. Market as a non-regulated product?
Answer: OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), 1910.1200(d) requires you, as a chemical manufacturer and/or importer, to evaluate chemicals produced in your workplace or imported by you to determine if they are hazardous. Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to review available scientific evidence concerning the hazards of the chemicals they manufacture or import and report this information on the MSDS for the product. Each chemical product must be evaluated for its potential to cause adverse health effects and its potential to pose physical hazards such as flammability, under all conditions of use, such as those detailed in your letter to us. Chemicals that are listed in one of the following sources are to be considered hazardous in all cases:
- 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and
- Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in the Work Environment, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
- National Toxicology Program (NTP), Annual Report on Carcinogens,
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Monographs, and
- Regulated by OSHA as a carcinogen.
The Hazard Communication Standard establishes uniform requirements to make sure that the hazards of all chemicals imported into, produced, or used in U.S. workplaces are evaluated and requires the manufacturer/importer to report the information they find to their employees and to employers who distribute or use their products. A copy of OSHA Publication 3084, Chemical Hazard Communication, has been included for your information and as a resource. While this document is not a specific reference to performing hazard determinations, it is an important overview of OSHA's HCS and its requirements. Draft guidance for performing chemical hazard determinations can be found at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/oshacomplianceassistance.html; we believe that you will find this guidance to be helpful.
As to your second question, it is not within OSHA's purview to provide approval for a chemical manufacturer/importer wishing to sell a chemical product in the United States. OSHA's responsibilities include issuing and enforcing regulations that protect the safety and health of U.S. employees in their workplaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), tracks industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the United States. Additional information regarding the EPA requirements can be found at http://www.epa.gov.
Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. We hope you find this information helpful. OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. To keep apprised of such developments, you can consult OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov.
Richard E. Fairfax, Director
Directorate of Enforcement Programs
|Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents| | <urn:uuid:35a8b5f1-b650-45fd-b654-955be5a8a90a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=25826 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00421-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913849 | 1,057 | 1.78125 | 2 |
High above the scorched rocky terrain encircling Camp Bastion, a 19-year-old Londoner is the front line of defence against Taliban insurgents and spies trying to breach the “wire”.
Senior Aircraftman James Flynn, on his first tour of Afghanistan, is a member of the RAF Force Protection Wing. His detachment guards Tower 24, a concrete turret in the far north-east corner of Camp Bastion’s perimeter.
They eat, sleep and pump weights there, in temperatures that reach 47C in the shade. Sentries in the towers are dotted along the perimeter.
The vast camp is being drawn down as UK combat operations come to an end. But Afghanistan is in turmoil amid protests over alleged fraud in this month’s presidential elections.
For more than a week there has been bloody fighting in Sangin district in Helmand province. Local officials said dozens of civilians, Afghan soldiers and police officers have died along with at least a hundred militants.
It means the Tower 24 team must stay alert to insurgents trying to breach the wire. They need to distinguish between local people going about their business, and attackers creating a distraction, crawling through a ditch or posing as herders.
SAC Flynn, protected by heavy body armour, is equipped with long-range binoculars, CCTV and a sub-machine gun. He first uses a loudhailer and then flares to warn anyone approaching the wire. While the Standard spoke to SAC Flynn, the tower was alerted to a suspicious shape moving along a defensive berm — or mound — surrounding Bastion and he was asked to investigate.
SAC Flynn, said the subject “might have just gone out for some sort of morning stroll, or he could even be an insurgent and he’s trying to get some information about what we’re doing here — patterns of life or response times, how quick one of our call signs can get out to him.
“It’s always good to call it in to our operating place, and they’ll check on the bigger cameras and make sure he’s not doing anything he shouldn’t be.
“If someone’s approaching the wire we go into our escalation of force. We’ll fire a mini-flare above them, just so they’re aware that we know what they’re doing.
“If they still proceed towards us, we’ll go into a bigger mini-flare, a star cluster, which will send out loads of mini-flares in one.
“If they keep coming, we’ll go into a warning shot into captured ground. I could imagine most people would be quite scared if a warning shot come at you. I’m expecting them to turn around, if not we go into lethal force.”
SAC Flynn, from Redbridge, said his parents — a kitchen fitter and a telecommunications worker — were “happy and proud” that he was serving in Afghanistan. “My mum was definitely worried, she kept telling me how worried she was, but I told her it would be fine, I know exactly what I’m doing because of my training,” he added.
In 2012, two US Marines were killed in a suicide attack on Camp Bastion after insurgents apparently breached the camp through a hole in the 30 feet-high fence, which is topped with razor wire.
On Friday, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah and thousands of his supporters held a protest in capital Kabul after he alleged massive fraud in the election. Mr Abdullah says his campaign monitors recorded ballot-box stuffing and other irregularities in the June 14 run-off against his rival Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.
Preliminary results are due on Wednesday and final results on July 22, but Mr Abdullah has suspended ties with the main election commission. Chief electoral officer Zia ul-Haq Amarkhail has resigned, denying any involvement in fraud but saying he would step down in the national interest.Reuse content | <urn:uuid:439c5992-e72d-4fbe-bf7c-31265a24efad> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/dispatch-from-camp-bastion-meet-the-teenager-who-targets-spies-and-insurgents-9573347.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00555-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971823 | 837 | 1.875 | 2 |
Titanium is an isomer.
At room temperature, titanium alloys have three kinds of matrix structures, which can be divided into the following three categories: α Titanium alloy, β Titanium alloy,（ α+β） Titanium alloy.
Titanium alloy has the advantages of low density, high strength and corrosion resistance, so it has been widely used in aviation, aerospace, power generation equipment, nuclear energy, shipbuilding, chemical industry, medical devices and other fields.
1. Classification of titanium alloys
The classification and characteristics of titanium alloys are shown in table 7-11.
Table 7-11 classification and characteristics of titanium alloys
|α Titanium alloy||The structure is α phase a structure with a single closely arranged hexagonal lattice.|
α titanium alloy is characterized by good high temperature performance (it can work at 500 ℃ for a long time), strong oxidation resistance, but it cannot be strengthened by heat treatment, and low strength at room temperature.
Typical brands are TA7, TA8, etc.α titanium alloy is a kind of titanium alloy that is easier to process.
|β Titanium alloy||The organization is a single body centered cubic lattice β organization. βtitanium alloy is characterized by good cold deformation plasticity, which can be strengthened by heat treatment. |
It has high strength at room temperature, but poor thermal stability, so it is not suitable to work under high temperature conditions.Typical brands include TB1, TB2, etc.β titanium alloy has poor machinability.
|（ α+β） Titanium alloy||It has αand β duplex structure.It is characterized by high strength at room temperature and high temperature, good plasticity and toughness, and can be strengthened by heat treatment, so it is widely used.|
Typical brands include TC1, TC4, etc. The machinability of （α+ β）titanium alloy is between the first two categories.
2. Reasons why titanium alloy is difficult to cut
The reasons why titanium alloys are difficult to cut are shown in table 7-12.
Table 7-12 reasons for difficult cutting of titanium alloy
|Short knife chip contact length||Under the action of oxygen and nitrogen in the air, titanium alloy chips will form hard and brittle compounds, making the chips into short pieces, so the tool chip contact length is very short, the cutting force and cutting heat are concentrated near the cutting edge, and the tool is easy to collapse.|
|Poor thermal conductivity||The thermal conductivity of titanium alloy is small, only 1/6~1/7 of that of 45 steel, and the density is small. |
The cutting heat is concentrated near the cutting edge, the temperature in the edge area is high, and the tool wear is intense.
|High chemical affinity||Bonding with cemented carbide containing Ti is serious|
|Small elastic modulus||It is about 1/2 of the elastic modulus of 45 steel, so the elastic recovery is large and the friction is serious.At the same time, the workpiece is also prone to clamping deformation.|
|Titanium chips are flammable||Under high temperature (600 ℃), titanium chips are easy to burn.|
|Severe cold hardening||Titanium has great chemical activity. At high cutting temperature, it is easy to absorb oxygen and nitrogen in the air, forming a hard and brittle skin. |
At the same time, plastic deformation in the cutting process will also cause surface hardening.Cold hardening phenomenon will not only reduce the fatigue strength of parts, but also aggravate tool wear.
3. Specific measures for cutting titanium alloy
The specific measures for cutting titanium alloy are shown in table 7-13.
Table 7-13 specific measures for cutting titanium alloy
|Selection of tool materials||Cemented carbide tools shall be used as far as possible, and YG (ISO class K) cemented carbide without Ti shall be selected.|
In case of intermittent cutting or impact, high-speed steel tools (such as W2Mo9Cr4VCo8) can also be used, YBG20 and YBG102 can be used respectively.
Remarkable results can also be achieved by cutting titanium alloys with diamond and cubic boron nitride cutters.
|Selection of tool geometric parameters||The rake angle and main deflection angle of the tool should be small, and an appropriate tool tip arc must be ground;|
The rear corner should be large.
Generally, carbide turning tools can be γo=5 ° -8, αo=10 ° ~15 °, γo=-3–5 °, kt=45 “-75, re=0.5~1.0mm.
In addition, the roughness value of the front and back of the tool should be small, generally Ra ≤ 0.2m.
|Selection of Cutting Parameter||Choose a lower cutting speed, a larger feed rate and back feed rate.When turning with cemented carbide tools, the back cutting amount ap=1~3mm, and the back cutting amount of rough turning must be greater than the oxide skin depth;Feed rate f=0.1~0.3mm/r;|
The choice of cutting speed should be based on the strength of the titanium alloy being processed and the amount of back cutting.
The cutting speed of TC4 titanium alloy vc=26~60m/min.
|cooling and lubrication||Generally, extreme pressure emulsion should be used for cooling, and the flow should be sufficient.|
However, if the fatigue strength of parts is required to be high, the cutting fluid should not contain sulfur and chlorine.
At this time, ordinary emulsion should be selected.If chlorine containing cutting fluid is used, hydrogen will be released and absorbed by titanium at high temperature during cutting, causing hydrogen embrittlement;
It may also cause high temperature stress corrosion cracking of titanium alloy.
|Clamping of workpiece||The clamping force should not be too large to avoid workpiece deformation. If necessary, auxiliary support can be added to improve the clamping rigidity.|
|other||The machine tool should have good rigidity, and the clearance of all moving parts should be carefully adjusted, which is particularly important for rough machining, otherwise it is easy to cut.| | <urn:uuid:173d513e-c7fa-4db0-bfcb-fb98bf9c8162> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://machinetoolshub.com/machining-of-titanium-alloy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.881666 | 1,379 | 3.46875 | 3 |
October – You vs. Flu – stop the flu before it stops you
Flu season is just around the corner, so don’t get stopped in your tracks this year – get a flu shot.
The City offers free flu vaccinations for employees in October and November. The clinics are at numerous City facilities so check out calgary.ca/flu to see where clinics are being held. City staff can go to any clinic location for a flu shot. Or, check out albertahealthservices.ca/influenza to see where free clinics are being offered for you and your family closer to home.
So what is the flu?
It’s an infection of the nose, throat and lungs and is passed from person to person that lowers the body’s ability to fight other infections.
Coughing, sneezing and face to face contact is one of the main culprits for spreading the flu. Those tiny droplets from coughing and sneezing can reach up to six feet, and live on hard surfaces like door handles and light switches for up to 48 hours.
Sometimes no matter what you do, you end up getting sick. Taking care of yourself is exceptionally important for your own comfort, as well as shortening the duration and severity of the flu.
- Get plenty of rest. Your body is doing everything it possibly can to fight the infection. Rest is essential.
- Probability of having a fever is high, so you need to replace the fluids your body is losing to fever. Drink extra fluids to help flush your system.
- Moist air from a hot shower, or a sink or a bowl filled with hot water can help clear your stuffy nose.
- There are antivirals available by prescription, but they must be started within 48 hours of the start of your symptoms. Non-prescription cold and flu medications are available for relief of symptoms.
Prevention is the key to remaining bug free this year! Don’t forget to check out www.calgary.ca/flu for prevention tips and the schedule of City of Calgary free flu shot clinics.
Wellness. Together we make it happen. | <urn:uuid:f6cdfa70-771c-4be9-9810-a0e3c40d8611> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.calgary.ca/cfod/hr/Pages/Wellness/Resources/2015October.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282935.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00247-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93039 | 445 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Hong Kong, Jan 30 (Kyodo) Hong Kong honoured the death ofprominent democracy advocate Szeto Wah in a funeral attendedby Chief Executive Donald Tsang, diplomats and thousands ofmourners. Szeto died on Jan 2 at the age of 79.
Six long bell chimes followed by four short ones wererung at a Christian church as friends and political supportersbid their final farewell to the life-long democrat andeducator, who had openly opposed Beijing''s repressive policiesand called for redress over the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Squareprotests.
Organisers of the funeral said the bells were tolled sixlong times and four short times in memory of the victims whodied during the Tiananmen bloodshed on June 4, 1989.
Criticised for kowtowing to Beijing, the Hong Konggovernment barred two prominent Chinese dissidents, Wang Danand Wu''er Kaixi, from entering the city to mourn for Szeto,who helped Wu''er and hundreds of others flee China after thebloody crackdown.
"It is regrettable that Wang Dan was not allowed tocome," said Lui Jinghua, an exiled Tiananmen protester whoflew in from the United States for the funeral.
"It is unwise if Beijing had pressured the Hong Kongleader into making that decision."
Tsang, who attended the funeral together with six seniorgovernment officials, was jeered by some bystanders when theyleft the service.
Representatives from the education sector and variouspolitical parties, as well as diplomats from 16 countries,also attended the funeral.
Some of the thousands of mourners said they will carry onSzeto''s mission to seek redress for the Tiananmen killings.
Szeto set up the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of thePatriotic Democratic Movement in China and held annualmemorials for victims of Tiananmen. (Kyodo) | <urn:uuid:b570febd-f03b-4c9f-a1aa-05c7bb98e349> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.oneindia.com/2011/01/30/hk-mourns-democracybeacon-aid0126.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00275-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948719 | 388 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Robotics team students from Milwaukee Public Schools’ Riverside University High School are bringing their robot and their skills to the FIRST Robotics Competition national championship later this month after winning a regional championship earlier this month in Chicago.
Riverside senior and “Robotigers” team member Matthew Beecher has dreamed about what he and his teammates accomplished since he was a 9-year-old student participating in robotics at MPS’ I.D.E.A.L. School.
“Knowing about the tournament for so long, and not just getting to go but also getting to compete – it’s absolutely great. I haven’t slept the last few nights,” Beecher said days after the regional win.
It’s been a long journey to the championship. Officially known as Team 2830, the Robotigers team is just six years old and has historically had just a handful of students. At past events, the team was regularly eliminated before the playoffs. This year was different.
“To go from the team that no one really looked at to actually winning the competition, it was completely unbelievable,” Beecher said.
He thanked the team mentors and Riverside teacher advisor Chris Levas for their support – and believing they could win.
Levas said competing teams do not often expect much from a Milwaukee Public Schools team. He is proud the Robotigers showed them wrong.
“Next to my daughter’s birth and my wedding, it was probably the best experience of my life,” Levas said. “It was just phenomenal to see.”
Levas along with mentors from GE Healthcare and Rockwell Automation and student mentor Erik Orlowski from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee spend countless hours after school hours supporting the team. Students themselves are often at the school for six or more hours after the bell rings working on their robots. The team is also supported by Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and local philanthropist George Mosher.
Team sponsors, the school, the Riverside University High School Foundation, Tri-City National Bank, MPS and individual donors through a gofundme page are funding the trip to the championship.
The Robotigers won the regional competition after building a robot over the course of six weeks that can successfully compete in this year’s themed competition: Recycle Rush. Two alliances of three robots each stack containers and place “recyclables” into the bins.
Levas said the program is one of the most powerful he has seen in his 11 years of teaching.
“It’s getting kids not just to understand science and engineering and physics concepts – it’s all wrapped up in a giant, hands-on project. It’s problem solving,” he said.
In addition to Riverside’s team, a team from MPS’ Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education and a joint team including students from MPS’ Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, Alexander Hamilton High School, Rufus King International High School, Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School and Washington High School of Information Technology participate in robotics events and competitions.
The joint team – Team 1675 – won recognition at the Chicago tournament for the design of its robot, earning the Industrial Design Award, sponsored by General Motors. Students from Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay are also a part of Team 1675, in addition to MPS students.
Riverside’s team was one of just three teams among the 54 at the Chicago competition to earn a spot in the national competition in St. Louis. | <urn:uuid:bfeadfb8-a5fa-4a96-a573-56f54c92a13f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://milwaukeenns.org/2015/04/21/riverside-robotics-team-heading-to-national-championship-after-regional-win/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280587.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00565-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969719 | 759 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Adam Neumann, the flamboyant co-founder of WeWork, and SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate that rescued the co-working company in 2019, have in recent weeks made significant headway toward settling their drawn-out legal dispute, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That battle has stalled SoftBank’s efforts to take WeWork public.
As part of its multibillion-dollar bailout of WeWork, SoftBank offered to pay $3 billion for stock owned by Mr. Neumann and other shareholders. Several months later, after the coronavirus pandemic had emptied WeWork’s locations, SoftBank withdrew the offer. Mr. Neumann then sued SoftBank for breach of contract.
SoftBank was already a big investor in WeWork when it withdrew plans for an initial public offering in 2019. Now, SoftBank has plans to combine WeWork with a publicly traded special-purpose acquisition company, a type of deal that has recently become a popular way of quickly bringing private companies public. The legal dispute between Mr. Neumann and SoftBank is a threat to such a deal because it leaves unresolved the question of how much control SoftBank has over WeWork.
The settlement talks, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, could still fall apart, the two people said. Under the terms being discussed, SoftBank would buy half the number of shares that it had originally agreed to, one of the people said. As a result, it would pay $1.5 billion, not $3 billion. Mr. Neumann would get nearly $500 million instead of almost $1 billion, but he would retain more of his shares.
Under Mr. Neumann, WeWork grew at a breakneck pace and was using up so much cash that it was close to bankruptcy before SoftBank stepped in. Under the management team SoftBank installed, WeWork has tried to cut costs by slowing its growth and negotiating deals with the landlords it rents space from. | <urn:uuid:61efd63d-10d5-4280-be7c-97220194d482> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ovigly.com/2021/02/23/adam-neumann-of-wework-and-softbank-are-in-settlement-talks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.979335 | 407 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Major League Soccer suspends season for 30 days due to coronavirus
Major League Soccer is following in the footsteps of the NBA and is suspending its season for 30 days due to the coronavirus COVID-19, the league announced Thursday.
Sports Illustrated was the first two report MLS's decision.
"At the appropriate time, the league and clubs will communicate plans for the continuation of the 2020 season and update the status of league events," the MLS said in a statement released on Twitter.
“Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season — based on the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and other public health authorities, and in the best interest of our fans, players, officials and employees,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We’d like to thank our fans for their continued support during this challenging time.”
The MLS becomes the second major sport in the U.S. to suspend its season.
The NBA suspended its season on Wednesday after Utah Jazz's Robert Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
The MLS season began just two weeks ago on Feb. 29 with teams only playing two games.
But, with the escalation of the coronavirus outbreak, it has forced leagues to reconsider their plans. The NCAA plans to hold its men’s and women’s basketball NCAA tournaments without fans.The NHL and MLB are currently in discussing how the pandemic could affect their seasons. | <urn:uuid:441dc5df-5059-4e1a-b601-b7e278870329> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/mls/2020/03/12/coronavirus-mls-suspends-season-30-days-covid-19-pandemic/5031285002/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571989.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813232744-20220814022744-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.969861 | 317 | 1.617188 | 2 |
From stress to cold: with what physiotherapy will help
The use of heat, light, magnetic field, electric current and other physical factors for therapeutic purposes is called physiotherapy. People have long heard that such procedures are useful and widely used in medicine. However, not everyone knows what the specificity of different physiotherapeutic methods is and in what cases this or that procedure will be useful.
What is the essence of physiotherapy methods
Physical therapy is aimed at both the prevention of various diseases, as well as the rehabilitation and recovery from diseases, injuries, etc. Using effects on the human body of water, heat, electricity, etc. You can activate the immune system, treat chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract (sinusitis, bronchial asthma, etc.), correct the spine, joints, treat urological and gynecological diseases, etc.
Also effective is physiotherapy in the treatment of skin diseases and cosmetic problems, the removal of nervous tension and stress. Often, physiotherapy also includes manual therapy – that is, massage, physical therapy – especially stretching exercises, stretching, etc. That is, physiotherapy is a treatment without the use of drugs and chemical preparations. Here are some of the most popular and most effective physiotherapy methods:
UHF-therapy – effects on the body using ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic field
Ultrasound – with the help of mechanical, physico-chemical and weak thermal action, a kind of “micro-massage” of tissues occurs
Outdoor laser therapy – exposure to tissues with the help of light and heat
Lymph therapy, massage, lymphatic drainage massage, which accelerates the flow of lymph and relieves swelling, etc.
What effect does the physiotherapy have on the body?
With the help of various physiotherapeutic methods, blood and lymph circulation is improved, which contributes to the regeneration of tissues, the reduction of inflammatory processes, the improvement of the functioning of the stomach, intestines, gall bladder and other internal organs due to the antispastic effect on them. Also, physiotherapy can reduce blood pressure, pain, speed up metabolism, etc.
Therefore, the range of areas in medicine, where physiotherapy is used, is very wide: from rehabilitation after strokes to cosmetology. Also, physiotherapeutic procedures are able to solve the problems of overwork at work, relieve stress, remove dizziness and imbalance, muscle strain, etc.
Are there any contraindications for physiotherapy?
An important step in the treatment of any disease or prophylaxis of itself with the help of physiotherapy is a preliminary consultation with a physiotherapist: a specialist will evaluate the indications, the prospect of therapy, possible risks or contraindications. So, with systemic diseases of the blood, heart and blood vessels, neurological problems, acute infectious diseases, etc. physiotherapy procedures are contraindicated. | <urn:uuid:efe7cc20-18c4-4d3a-bdb2-2085a69f390d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://medintergate.com/post84 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571909.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813051311-20220813081311-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.915392 | 600 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Some observers believe, however, that the structure presented is merely a front or façade, not the real thing baby.
These observers say that there is a shadow government which makes things happen and actually governs from the shadows.
This post will advance the notion that the so called shadow government is nothing more than group corruption, or systematic corruption at work, which leads many to conclude that strange people outside government directly or indirectly control the people inside the government.
The source of the controversy is the perplexing behaviour of government when, for example, elected officials do not perform according to how the people who voted them into office where told they would perform, or they do not perform according to the spirit of our governing principles:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.(Preamble). The post "What is Corruption?" mentions one of the more obvious violations of that spirit during our history:
Take the Civil War as an example. We can say that toxins built up in many people in government until the system became corrupt. It did not take individuals becoming corrupt to the point of committing crime individually for the corruption to manifest. But individuals developed a toxin level as a group or system, to the point it caused us to turn on ourselves and almost destroy the nation.(What Is Corruption). To an outside observer of the government these perplexing behaviours that are not in the nation's interest, not in the people's interest as a whole, are interpreted to be caused by nefarious schemers behind the scenes who are "pulling strings" and causing the strange behavior.
That systemic corruption can be compared to AIDS, where the body turns on itself because toxins confuse and corrupt the immune system.
But perhaps government can become diseased by the toxins of power within the individuals in the government to the point that they do not resemble the governing body that is sworn to serve the betterment of the nation, the people who voted them into office.
It is at least worth debating. No? | <urn:uuid:46c2c56d-d66e-4f6c-90d7-6bba5c236e92> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009_10_04_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.962658 | 455 | 2.625 | 3 |
Angels and Insects Essay (Book Review)
Updated: Nov 20th, 2019
“Angels and Insects” depicts a character known as Matilda(Matty), who defies society’s expectations concerning a person of her nature. Likewise, the movie “Ugly Betty” also challenges stereotypes about femininity by curving out a new path for the protagonist – Betty Suarez.
Description of the passage
The passage chosen for analysis occurs before the protagonist – William Adamson – marries the exquisitely beautiful Eugenia during one of their nature trips. This scene involves three key characters; Eugenia, William and Matty. It also had some servants who accompanied Mr. Adamson in his escapade. Shown below is an excerpt of the passage:
“He was aware of the limpid blue eyes resting on him, and felt that behind her delicate frown, she was…. And then felt that his thoughts smutched her, that he was too muddied and dory to think of her, let alone touch at her secret thoughts. He said, “Those floating grasses remind me of the great floating islands.
I used to compare those to Paradise Lost. I thought of the passage where Paradise is cast loose.” Matty Crompton, without lifting her eyes from the stream, provided the quotation “Then shall this mount, of paradise by might of waves….”. “Clever Matty”, Said Eugenia. (Byatt 69)
William was a naturalist who worked for Eugenia’s father. He had a fascination with Eugenia because he thought she was the epitome of femininity. At the time, he barely noticed the other girls that accompanied him in his adventures. Their average looks paled in comparison to Eugenia’s beauty and splendor. However, in this passage, one realizes that there is more to one of the girls than meets the eye.
Matty Crompton was a governess whose social position prevented her from tapping her full potential. She is surprisingly witty and insightfully; even though Eugenia tries to pass this off as irrelevant. After Matty quoted a passage from paradise lost, Eugenia calls her ‘clever’, in a bid to trivialize her accomplishment.
Later on, one appreciates that although Matty lacked the physical appeal that Eugenia had, as well as the right social position, she was the one to watch in this novella. Through Matty’s intelligence, as depicted in the passage, Byatt has challenged stereotypes about the feminine ideal.
Comparison with a movie from popular culture
‘Ugly Betty’ is a television sitcom that stars Betty Suarez, an editorial assistant working in Mode Magazine. She comes from a loving but financially deprived Mexican family. Betty does not fit into society’s understanding of the feminine ideal. She is unattractive and clumsy. Further, she has no fashion sense, yet she works in a firm that specializes in fashion. At first glance, one may imagine that Betty will buckle to pressure from her workmates to look like they do.
However, she stays true to herself throughout the show; Suarez wears braces, loves brightly-colored, heavy sweaters, and her hair is always frizzy. Through shear hard work and compassion, Betty wins the hearts of her colleagues who eventually look beyond her outward appearance and respect her for her character. This portrayal of the main character challenges stereotypes about femininity.
While Betty may have appeared unattractive to others in her organization, this should not be regarded as the end of her story. The producer of the screenplay wanted to demonstrate that there was more to women than just what society prescribed for them. Even when one’s social status boxed one into an undesirable situation, as was the case with Betty Suarez, she chose to fight back by her commitment and hard work in Mode.
Byatt also wanted to challenge stereotypes about what was permissible and desirable in women through Eugenia and Matty. At first impression, Matty seems to possess very few likeable traits. When Byatt introduces her, she is described as a dark shadow that was both tall and thin. There was nothing dramatic or fancy about her hair; her complexion was ‘dusky’ and her gown was black (Byatt 27). She did not smile or offer any hints of interest when looking at William.
Furthermore, her features were somewhat similar to Adamson’s; as she has a mane of hair (Byatt 9). As if this was not enough, Matty did not care much for niceties. She often moved quickly and decisively, so one would imagine that she was a cynical and negative person (Byatt 96). Even her voice had no exceptional quality to it. In fact, William could not tell the difference between ordinary indifference and cynicism when she talked (Byatt 39).
On the contrary, the author initially describes Eugenia as a white and idealistic female. She was almost as white as the lilies and snow; therefore, it was difficult for William to approach her. In the passage, it became clear that Eugenia was the ideal representation of beauty in Victorian society. She seemed innocent and incorruptible. Nonetheless, as one reads the rest of the narrative, one recognizes that her outward appearance contradicted who she really was.
Eugenia hid a dark secret from William and the rest of her family. After he found out, William realized that the person who he thought was beautiful and innocent, was actually mentally twisted, dark and immoral. Conversely, the bronze governess was perceptive and intelligent. She was the new type of woman in Victorian society. She chose not to be bogged down by her social status or her gender. Matty emerged as the deliverer of the protagonist owing to these qualities.
The characters of Betty Suarez and Matty Crompton are highly related because both women are independent-minded and they take initiative in their lives. Betty came from a poverty-stricken home where her father had immigration-related issues and her mother struggled to provide.
Her workplace was chaotic, demanding and hostile. She could have chosen to throw in the towel and look for a low-wage job where she could fit in. However, Betty decides to fight against these injustices in an uplifting way. She does not play the passive role of modern-day Cinderella, who undergoes a makeover or physical transformation instigated by her colleagues.
Instead, she chooses an unconventional route for success; that is, one that does not require physical appeal. This means that women can curve their own place in life by being independent-minded and daring. In the chosen passage, Matty comes off as a similar character. Not only is she intelligent, but she is not afraid to show this to the world. In the passage, she could have chosen to remain quite when William talked about ‘Paradise Lost’.
However, Matty was bold enough to express herself, even in the presence of the intimidating Eugenia. In subsequent portions of the novel, Matty’s initiative also comes out when she talks to William about Eugenia’s rotten behavior. Instead of waiting for William to notice that she is the better choice, she brings this out by talking about Eugenia’s secret. If it wasn’t for Matty’s intervention, it is likely that William would have stayed married to his wife, and be condemned to a miserable existence.
In ‘Ugly Betty’, the producer wanted the audience to think about the difference between sexuality and humanity. Betty was hired by the President of Mode because of her perceived unattractiveness. Her boss, Daniel Meade, loved flirting with assistants, and this had landed him in a lot of trouble. Therefore, Betty would protect Daniel from future problems because she was sexually neutral. However, as the protagonist works for the editor-in-chief of Mode Magazine, she wants to get recognition as a person.
Her neutral and butch looks probably placed her in a category of people who Daniel never bothered about. Later on, she changes Daniel’s perception about what she is because she ceases being just another worker, and is now a friend. Likewise, the same concept is visible in “Angels and Insects”. In one instance, William compares Matty to a worker ant (Byatt, 129). She is sexless and neutral; even her name represents the matte worker. However, Matty wants William to recognize or see her.
To Matty, it was not only important for him to perceive her as a sexual being but also as a person. She did not want to be just another member of a group. Matty was aware of her unattractiveness, and wanted William to move beyond it. Nonetheless, she did not use conventional methods to achieve her goals, such as changing her dress or physical appearance. She stuck to her intellectual pursuits and thus ended up leaving with William for the Amazon.
The passage portrays an intelligent, spirited and independent-minded woman in the form of Matty. Likewise, the representation of popular culture also resisted society’s perceptions of femininity by proving that women can make it in life even when they lack conventional signs of beauty.
Byatt, A. Angels and insects. NY: Random House. 1995. Print.
This book review on Angels and Insects was written and submitted by your fellow student. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly.
Updated: Dec 10th, 2019 Stories about the poor in the 1930s were seemingly mandatory. Faulkner’s Barn Burning was one of the stories that were written during that period. Barn Burning […]
Updated: Dec 6th, 2018 People often choose the occupation which is familiar to them from their childhood because of their parents’ specialization or because of the extreme interest in some […]
Updated: Dec 6th, 2018 When people are deprived from the things which are significant for them they are inclined to use all the opportunities to return these things or the […]
Updated: Dec 9th, 2018 Objectives and synopsis The overall objective of the historian is to develop an intellectual discourse. The new deal provides a coherent and succinct description of a […]
Updated: May 7th, 2019 Silence as a foundation to freedom & psychological wellbeing Kathleen Norris (10) in her book ‘The Secret Ingredient’ concurs with Theologian Thomas Merton, that silence is […]
Updated: Nov 21st, 2019 Introduction The narrative “Girl” is a piece written by Jamaica Kincaid concerning a mother‘s attempt to teach her daughter about a woman’s role in society. The […]
Updated: Nov 29th, 2018 The excerpt from Sinclair Ross’ “The Lamp at Noon” (Ross 162) captures the theme of the entire story. The writer describes the mood of desperation and […]
Updated: Nov 29th, 2018 “A&P” is a narrative that was authored by John Updike and published in 1961. The narrator in this story is Sammy a teenage boy who is […]
Updated: Apr 26th, 2019 Sylvia Plath’s poetry, as many researchers have pointed out, is strewn with pictures of the holocaust. The influence of her personal life on her poems is […]
Updated: Nov 20th, 2019 Introduction “Angels and Insects” depicts a character known as Matilda(Matty), who defies society’s expectations concerning a person of her nature. Likewise, the movie “Ugly Betty” also […] | <urn:uuid:ef0e773c-66bb-45f0-becc-839c35153776> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://literatureessaysamples.com/angels-and-insects-essay-book-review/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.978372 | 2,496 | 2.84375 | 3 |
We and other partner agencies have been issuing advice and guidance to the public on different aspects of flooding during the week.
Here is a round up of some of the key information for Herefordshire residents.
Information on flooding and flood risk
The Environment Agency provides information on flooding and flood risk as well as issuing flood alerts and warnings at environment-agency.gov.uk/flood.
Additional information about flood risk and flood prevention in Herefordshire is provided on our website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/floods.
West Mercia Police has a summary of all sorts of information and advice related to flooding on its website.
Information on flooding and health
Public Health England is the national body providing advice and guidance on public health issues. It has a website with information about flooding and health at hpa.org.uk/Flooding. They also answer common questions about flooding and health.
Information on flooding and safety
As we are now in half-term agencies are warning about the risks of playing near flood water. West Mercia Police issued some flood safety advice on behalf of local agencies.
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service issued information about using generators for pumping out flood water safely.
Information on weather and travel disruption
The Highways Agency is responsible for some routes in Herefordshire including the A49. They use a map to warn of delays and disruptions trafficengland.com.
Our twitter account @herefordstreets warns people if we need to grit the roads. We only grit some routes. There is more information on gritting in Herefordshire online including a map of the routes we do grit.
The National Rail enquiries website provides information about delays and disruption on the UK rail network.
The Met Office issues warnings of severe weather. | <urn:uuid:acaaa7c2-c7c1-4519-98eb-26f386c26d06> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://newsroom.herefordshire.gov.uk/2014/february/round-up-of-safety-messages-and-advice-around-flooding-and-ukstorm.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00245-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935787 | 370 | 2.546875 | 3 |
WASHINGTON — A new 280-page report chronicling the persecution of Christians by the Islamic State was submitted to the U.S. State Department this week, proving that there is enough irrefutable evidence for the agency to designate IS' atrocities against Christians as "genocide."
The report, said to be the most comprehensive compilation to date on IS' killings, murders, kidnappings and enslavement of Christians, includes 24 pages of first-hand statements from Iraqi Christians and lists over 1,131 Iraqi Christians who have been killed in Iraq. The report also documents over 200 attacks on the Christian community in Iraq, Syria and in North Africa along with 125 instances of churches being attacked in Iraq from 2003 to 2014.
The report was created by the The Knights of Columbus Catholic fraternal organization and the In Defense of Christians human rights advocacy organization after the State Department submitted a request four weeks ago for the Knights of Columbus to provide a detailed report on IS persecution as it relates only to Christians.
"While we believe this to the be most comprehensive report on this subject to date, covering incidents in Syria, Egypt and Yemen, however, we continue to receive new reports and new evidence," Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson said at a Thursday press conference at the National Press Club. "As comprehensive as this report is, we believe it will only be the tip of the iceberg."
"For example, the media has reported previously on the number of Christian women who have been made slaves of ISIS. Within the past day-and-a-half we have received a credible report indicating that this number is at least seven times higher than previously thought," Anderson continued. "Over and over again, we have found that as bad as things are and have been, the facts are worse and the atrocities are more numerous. There is only one word that adequately and legally describes what is happening to Christians and other religious minorities in the region. That word is genocide."
Many of the first-hand testimonies, which were gathered between February and March of this year, come from refugees who have been victimized by IS. Many of the witnesses have family members and friends who have been killed by the terrorist group, and other family and friends they haven't heard from since they fled from home in the summer of 2014.
Although IS' cruelty toward women and children has been widely reported, one woman from Bartella, Iraq, explained in the report that IS militants are not above abusing infant babies.
She said that when IS came to her home on Aug. 6, 2014, militants gave her family the choice of converting to Islam or leaving the city. The woman said the militants raided her home and accused her of putting gold coins in her 11-month-old baby's diaper.
"My 11-month old daughter was beaten twice on the couch and thrown against the wall," the mother testified.
The woman added that although she was allowed to leave, the militants forced her husband to stay behind and convert to Islam.
Rev. Dankha Joola of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil said if nothing is done to stop IS, then Christians could become extinct from the region within the next few years. He pointed out that a decade ago, there were over 2 million Christians in Iraq. Today, there are less than 300,000.
"What happens to these remaining Christians will depend on the actions of the world and the U.S. Just imagine with me if this continues for the next five years what will happen. We are going to disappear," Joola said. "If this is not genocide then truly this word has no moral or legal meaning."
The State Department has until March 17 to make a decision on whether it will label what IS is doing to Christians, Yazidis and other minorities a "genocide." | <urn:uuid:cd9801d2-25cc-479a-a383-c78ca52cd391> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.christianpost.com/news/isis-genocide-christians-persecution-report-state-department-investigates-evidence-159117/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00512-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97661 | 770 | 1.929688 | 2 |
It is now almost impossible to watch the news or read an article without the mention of cryptocurrencies. So just what are cryptocurrencies? And how can you use them? Below, you’ll find a quick overview of all things cryptocurrencies.
Different Forms of Crypto
The technical definition of a cryptocurrency is digital money which is backed by blockchain technology, but depending on which coin or token you are talking about, the operation and use can vary widely.
Bitcoin is perhaps the most famous of all cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is a digital form of money, which is decentralized in nature. This is possible thanks to blockchain technology, which keeps a record of all Bitcoin transactions on a ledger. Bitcoin is generally used for peer to peer payments.
Litecoin is another cryptocurrency that is generally used for peer to peer payments, and is highly regarded as a fork of Bitcoin technology. This means that Litecoin operates in the same manner as Bitcoin, except for a few minor differences. And these minor differences have to do with the scalability and cost issues that Bitcoin is currently facing.
Ethereum is a decentralized network which hosts a variety of smart contracts and dapps. Think of it a bit like a decentralized internet. Although Ethereum can be used for payments between friends, it’s true purpose is to host applications which can be applied in business, health care, and government.
Decentralized applications, or dapps, are applications which can be designed to serve any purpose. The only difference between these and regular applications, is they are decentralized in nature, meaning they are operated on a blockchain instead of being controlled by a single entity.
Smart Contracts are computer applications which execute automatically when given a certain input. This enables them to act as the middle men for digital transactions, without needing human interference.
Different Types of Crypto
There are numerous different types of crypto out there, and which one you use will depend on the purpose you wish to use the coin for.
Coins are cryptocurrencies which operate on their own blockchain. They can be payment systems like Bitcoin, or networks like Ethereum. Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum are all coins.
Tokens, similar to coins, can be used for a number of different purposes. The main difference however, is that tokens don’t have their own blockchain which they operate on, but rather they are built on top of another blockchain, such as Ethereum. The most famous tokens are Tether, UNUS SED LEO, and Chainlink, all of which are built on the Ethereum blockchain.
Utility tokens are also cryptocurrencies, but instead of acting as just general currency, they tend to represent access to a certain product or service. Utility tokens are generally given to people who invest in a cryptocurrency technology in its infancy stage, but they are also commonly used on cryptocurrency exchanges.
A security token is a cryptocurrency which represents a real world asset that is able to be traded on the blockchain. These tokens are regulated by the government and must adhere to certain standards, like stocks in the stock market.
Of course these aren’t all the forms and types of cryptocurrencies out there, and more are invented every day. For more information about cryptocurrencies check out the Stably website at Stably.io.
— — — — — | <urn:uuid:0842f85b-d2a6-4265-a563-179bbec75ec3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.stably.io/post/what-are-cryptocurrencies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571056.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809155137-20220809185137-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.951951 | 688 | 2.8125 | 3 |
WASHINGTON Fewer Americans sought unemployment aid last week, reducing the average number of weekly applications last month to a five-year low. The drop shows that fewer layoffs are strengthening the job market.
The Labor Department said Thursday that applications fell 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000. That pushed the four-week average to 346,750, the lowest since March 2008, just several months after the Great Recession began.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have fallen nearly 13 percent since November.
At the same time, net hiring has picked up. Employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs per month from November through February, up from about 150,000 a month in the previous four months.
The unemployment rate fell to a four-year low of 7.7 percent in February from 7.9 percent the previous month.
The improvement in the job market shows employers aren't cutting more jobs because of worries about higher taxes or government spending cuts.
In January, Social Security taxes rose two percentage points. Someone earning $50,000 has about $1,000 less to spend in 2013. A household with two high-paid workers has up to $4,500 less.
On March 1, $44 billion in across-the-board government spending cuts started after the White House and Congress failed to reach a deal to avoid the reductions.
Higher taxes haven't prevented Americans from spending more. Retail sales jumped in February by the most in five months, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Much of the increase reflected higher gas prices But even excluding the volatile categories of gas, autos and building supply stores, so-called core retail sales rose strongly.
Economists were encouraged by the report. Many now expect much faster growth in the January-March quarter.
Strong auto sales and a healthy recovery in housing are spurring more hiring and economic growth. Builders started work on the most homes last year since 2008. New-home sales jumped 16 percent in January to the highest level since July 2008. And home prices, meanwhile, rose by the most in more than six years in the 12 months ending in January, according to real estate data provider CoreLogic. | <urn:uuid:cebb77cb-5d11-47c5-8f2d-cff9b85ee734> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cbsnews.com/news/weekly-jobless-claims-drop-to-332k/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00402-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966905 | 445 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Discover your family's story.
Enter a grandparent's name to get started.
George Miller, Jr., engaged in the practice of law in Muskogee, concentrating his efforts and attention upon civil law, was born in Leon county, Florida, December 18, 1882, and is a son of George and Frances (Shaw) Miller, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. The father owned a plantation, devoting his life to its improvement and cultivation.
The son, George Miller, Jr., was educated in the public schools and in the South Florida Military Institute. He also studied stenography at Thomasville, Georgia, and was employed in the office of Duncan W. Fletcher, now United States senator, at Jacksonville, Florida. He studied law under Mr. Fletcher’s direction and afterward became a student in the law department of the University of Virginia, from which he was graduated with the class of 1908. In the fall of the same year he came to Oklahoma, and in 1909 he established his home in Eufaula, where he remained until 1912. During that period he was elected to the office of county attorney and served his term of two years. In 1915 he came to Muskogee and for two years filled the office of assistant United States attorney. Since that time he has engaged in the practice of civil law and has gained a large and gratifying clientage that has connected him with much important litigation tried in the courts, while at the same time he is regarded as a most wise counselor. He belongs to the Muskogee, the Oklahoma State and the American Bar Associations.
On the 14th of December, 1910, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Abi (Wynema-Lee) Burton of Eufaula, Oklahoma, a representative, in the maternal line, of the Creek Nation. Her father was a prominent farmer and also became the first merchant of Checotah, Oklahoma. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born two children: George Miller (V), who was born July 23, 1912; and Robert Burton, born August 30, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have many friends in Muskogee. They hold membership in the First Presbyterian church, in which he is serving as an elder. He likewise belongs to the Masonic fraternity, has attained the Knights Templar degree of the York Rite and is a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Wauhillau Outing Club and to the Lions Club and is in thorough sympathy with all of those agencies which make for higher standards of manhood and citizenship. | <urn:uuid:fb06ca90-cb27-4621-bf26-a1e7554b74d9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.accessgenealogy.com/oklahoma/biography-of-george-miller-jr.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98792 | 530 | 2.15625 | 2 |
What Is The One Word That Best Describes Arkansas?
What one word do you think best describes the natural state of Arkansas?
We live in a state that has extensive natural beauty. There is something for everyone from the mountains at Pinnacle to the springs in Hot Springs. Heck Texarkana is also named one of the most unique cities in the state. You can see Lisa's story here.
So how would you describe Arkansas in one word? Sunny, trees, outdoor, how about country? Well you know I had to look at states in our area and see what one word is used to describe them.
For Texas, it is Gaines, as in Chip and Joanna Gaines. They have built an entire empire from their HGTV show. The show ran only 5 seasons but they have built a successful business and turned Waco into a serious go-to destination with their Magnolia Market at The Silos.
You knew it had to be food when it came to Louisiana. Po'Boy is the word that best describes Louisiana. From the traditional shrimp po'boy to the oyster and even the roast beef and crawfish you can't go wrong with this traditional sandwich.
Well, it all changes when it comes to the word that describes our neighbor state to the northwest. Tornadoes are the word and Oklahoma has a lot of those. Last year Oklahoma had 56 tornadoes.
Yep, you guessed it. The word that best describes Arkansas is Wal-Mart. Here is a little history of the store that made Arkansas famous. This is directly from the Wal-Mart history section of the company website:
Sam Walton was a man with visionary leadership, and our business is a result of that. Since the first Walmart opened in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas, we've been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our customers. Today, we're helping communities save money and live better all over the world.
I think that it really sums up Arkansas. Not too flashy definitely not trashy and we all want the best value out of every dollar we spend and that is what Wal-Mart is all about.
Here is the map with all 50 states for you to check out.
LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state | <urn:uuid:66aa141c-0edd-4f76-87c1-5f8bd73258df> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://goodtimeoldies1075.com/what-is-the-one-word-that-best-describes-arkansas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.963849 | 474 | 1.945313 | 2 |
By: W Herbert Diemont (Editor), Wim JM Heijman (Editor), Henk Siepel (Editor), Nigel R Webb (Editor)
462 pages, colour photos, colour & b/w illustrations, colour & b/w maps
Heathlands in Europe have a long history of supporting human activity and use. Through the ages heathlands have been used as (semi-)agricultural areas, hunting territories and for various other purposes. This has created a cultural diversity over the whole Atlantic area of Europe, from Portugal and Spain in the south to Norway in the north, and from Germany in the east to Ireland in the west.
Economy and Ecology of Heathlands shows us both the diversity of use across Europe, and combines this information with the newest insights in ecology and the current Natura 2000 status of most of these heathlands.
A central theme is how to cover the costs of maintenance of these heathlands. Is their future in new types of commons, or do other types of land ownership, using the revenues of heathland ecosystem services, give better opportunities?
The editors combine a broad knowledge of heathlands across all aspects of ecology, land use, and economics.
There are currently no reviews for this product. Be the first to review this product!
Your orders support book donation projects
NHBS is one of my favorite vendors.
Search and browse over 110,000 wildlife and science products
Multi-currency. Secure worldwide shipping
Wildlife, science and conservation since 1985 | <urn:uuid:af59a7e6-7331-47ba-961e-4313dbeac91e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.nhbs.com/title/192482?title=economy-and-ecology-of-heathlands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00238-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901319 | 314 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Prince Charles Learning Arabic "So He Can Read The Koran"
Prince Charles is learning Arabic in order to be able to read the Koran, it has emerged, but he is having a tough time mastering the foreign language.
When Qatar's energy minister inquired if Charles spoke any Arabic at an event yesterday, Charles replied, "I tried to learn it once but I gave up. It goes in one ear and out the other," he answered.
However, a report in the Telegraph citing confidential sources said that Charles had indeed been taking Arabic lessons over the past six months, and he was mortivated in part by a wish to be able to read the Koran in its original form.
This morning, a spokeswoman at Clarence House confirmed to CNN that Prince Charles has taken lessons.
"He definitely has been having Arabic lessons," the spokeswoman said, adding, "He definitely speaks Welsh as I've heard him myself. French is a definite, and he is very good at that."
The Prince of Wales is on a tour of the Middle East with Camilla.
On Wednesday, they visited a camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan.
They have just arrived in Saudi Arabia, where there seems scant chance Charles will raise the issue of the recent beheading of seven armed robbers. | <urn:uuid:b00ec6fa-a6cd-4b6a-b3ac-1da66868126c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/15/prince-charles-learning-arabic-so-he-can-read-the-koran.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281419.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00493-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982459 | 257 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Safe Assets and the Coordination of Fiscal and Monetary Policy, by Tim Duy: Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George considers the long-run consequences of Federal Reserve policy:
But, while I agree with keeping rates low to support the economic recovery, I also know that keeping interest rates near zero has its own set of consequences. Specifically, a prolonged period of zero interest rates may substantially increase the risks of future financial imbalances and hamper attainment of the FOMC’s 2 percent inflation goal in the future.
A long period of unusually low interest rates is changing investors’ behavior and is reshaping the products and the asset mix of financial institutions. Investors of all profiles are driven to reach for yield, which can create financial distortions if risk is masked or imperfectly measured, and can encourage risks to concentrate in unexpected corners of the economy and financial system...The push toward increased risk-taking is the intention of such policy, but the longer-term consequences are not well understood.
We must not ignore the possibility that the low-interest rate policy may be creating incentives that lead to future financial imbalances. Prices of assets such as bonds, agricultural land, and high-yield and leveraged loans are at historically high levels. A sharp correction in asset prices could be destabilizing and cause employment to swing away from its full-employment level and inflation to decline to uncomfortably low levels. Simply stated, financial stability is an essential component in achieving our longer-run goals for employment and stable growth in the economy and warrants our most serious attention.
Brad DeLong wonders:
The Fed's current Quantitative Easing ∞ program involves its buying risky bonds--thus diminishing the pool of risky assets that the private sector can hold. Esther George objects because… it does not make complete sense to me...Because there is less in the way of risky assets for the private sector to hold--and because that pushes prices of risky assets up and returns on risky assets down--QE ∞ actually makes private-sector portfolios riskier? Is that the argument?
I think DeLong is looking at a continuum of assets from safe to risky, where cash anchors the safe end of the continuum. Right next to cash is the somewhat riskier Treasury security. Thus by exchanging cash for Treasury securities, you by definition must be removing risk from the continuum, and thus the public's portfolio is now less riskier.
But, as he notes, this is obviously not how George views the situation. And, note that George claims that the intention of Fed policy is in fact to push people into riskier portfolios, which implies that the Fed believes that they are in fact making the public's portfolio more, not less, risky. This implies that DeLong's view is not just in opposition to George's, but to that of the majority of policymakers as well.
I think a way you can explain George's position if you consider Treasuries as less risky than cash. At first, this sounds crazy, but if you assume there is no default risk (which I don't think there should be if you can print currency of the same denomination as the bond), then the Treasury bond may be perceived as a safer because it provides some return. Assuming no default risk, for any given inflation rate, the Treasury bond will thus be a safer store of value. If you viewed the world from this perspective, then the Fed is increasing riskiness of the public's portfolio.
This, however, is not how I think the Fed considers the situation. I think the Fed tends to view the public's desired cash holdings as roughly constant (although the rise in deposits would call this into question). If by QE the Fed swaps out some of the safe Treasury securities for cash, the public, not wanting to hold anymore cash, takes the cash and, by default, purchases riskier assets, and thus is left with holding a portfolio of riskier assets. George believes this disrupts the natural order of things by creating financial market distortions.
In any event, I tend to take this in a different direction from here. George appears to be saying that the Fed is eliminating (more accurately, removing) the safe assets that the public wants to hold. Suppose that this is true. Does this mean that the Fed should reverse policy to increase the proportion of safe assets in the public's hands? Or does it mean that another agency - perhaps a fiscal authority, hint, hint - should take action to increase the proportion of safe assets in the public's hands?
Once again, we come back to the issue of coordinating monetary and fiscal policy. If the public has a strong demand for noncash safe assets, monetary policy has something of a secondary role by providing an accommodative environment by which the fiscal authority can issue those assets. If the proportion of safe to risky assets is not "correct", the the fiscal authority should have a role in correcting that imbalance. In this world, then, it is not really the actions of the monetary authority that is creating the financial sector imbalances that concern George. It is the lack of action by the fiscal authority that creates those imbalances. George should be criticizing the fiscal authorities, not the monetary authority.
In other words, if a recession is the result of the public shifting to safe assets, the Fed is trying to respond by taking away the option of safe assets, leaving only risky assets. Instead, the Fed should view their role creating an environment (making clear that default is not an option) that allows the fiscal authority to issue more safe assets.
All of this, however, suggests that fiscal policy has a much greater role in stabilizing economy activity than conventional wisdom would hold. I suspect, however, that thinking along these lines is anathema to Federal Reserve officials who maintain that stabilization policy is the domain of monetary policy only. But if in fact there needs to be greater cooperation, and instead we continue to rely solely on monetary policy, then we will continue to experience less-than-satisfactory economic outcomes which will eventually endanger the cherished independence of central banks.
In short, I don't think you can have a discussion about the influence of monetary policy on the riskiness of the public's portfolio without including some discussion about the role of the issuer of those safe assets, the fiscal authority. | <urn:uuid:c2bd545e-15fb-4d69-846f-a82afb45e070> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2013/01/fed-watch-safe-assets-and-the-coordination-of-fiscal-and-monetary-policy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.950227 | 1,289 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Alaskan Sea Monster – Amazing Video
“Tigers and lions and bears, oh my!” that’s what Dorothy said when she was scared, wonder what she’d say if she heard the news about a new sea monster. Yes, you read right, Nessie step aside cause there’s a new marine monster in the spotlight and it’s been spotted in the icy cold waters of Alaska. Footage of a mysterious 20 to 30 feet long creature surfacing the Alaskan waters.
Unfortunately, the black and white video was filmed back in 2009 on a cold rainy day, with a really old camera.
But have no fear, since the spotting of this monster, people have set their minds to find it. The mysterious creature has been labeled as a “Cadborosaurus willsi” in layman terms, a reptile. A huge lizard which was first spotted centuries ago in the British Columbia. The extraordinary animal is reported to have a horse-like head, huge black eyes and bumps on its back that stick out of the water.
A deeper inquest in the matter of a large sea monster reveals that sightings of this beholding water creature date back to 200 year ago, but physical evidence of this animal was reportedly found in the stomach contents of a captured wale way back in 1937. Nevertheless, till some real tangible evidence is found, that proves the existence of this sea monster, the odd sea serpent will still be classified as a Cryptozoology member, that means that it will remain a creature who’s existence is not recognized by scientists.
Fortunately, Andy Hillstrand one of “Deadliest Catch” crew members is hot on the trail of this new Nessie in a brand new TV show: “Hillstranded”, Andy declared that he’s seen a very long white creature surfacing the Alaskan waters and he’s determined to catch it on tape. We’re sure to find out more pretty soon.
Till then, take a look below, we have the 2009 video of the amazing sea monster.
(new views system) | Written with love and coolness by admin on December 5, 2012 in Amazing Stuff
How do you rate this article? | <urn:uuid:0eebcd43-257e-44a0-8b22-525ca6ef9ccc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.coolweirdo.com/alaskan-sea-monster-amazing-video.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00540-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927119 | 468 | 1.90625 | 2 |
This convent building has reddish-brown and tan brick cladding with terra cotta trim and red clay tile roofing. The roof has wide eaves and Italianate brackets. The entry is on the west side, up a tall stairway. The portico has two round terra cotta columns inside square brick columns. The portico has a flat roof with a turned terra cotta balustrade with a simple frieze below. A terra cotta belt course runs below the second floor windows. Windows have terra cotta sills and newer dark aluminum sash, replacing the original six-over-six sash.
Content for this form was updated in 2018 as part of the Uptown Historic Resources Survey.
Constructed in 1929, this two-story religious building features a rectangular plan. The building stands at the southeast corner of Thomas Street and Warren Avenue N. The building faces west, fronting Warren Avenue N. The site is raised above Warren Avenue N, with two flights of stairs with an intermediate landing descending from the building’s front entrance to the sidewalk along the street. The stairs are concrete with low concrete cheek walls. An alley runs along the east side of the site. The site slopes downward from east to west. Three ornamental deciduous trees extend along the east side of the site with a tall laurel hedge along the north and west sides. There is a small gazebo in the northwest corner of the site and children’s play equipment along the north side of the building. A parking lot abuts the south side of the building.
A hip roof with flush eaves shelters interior spaces. The roof is clad with clay tiles with decorative ridge caps. A frieze wraps around the top of the second story just below the roofline.
A concrete foundation supports the building’s structure. A wire cut (as the brick are extruded a wire is used to slice off each brick leaving a crisp edge) brick veneer composed of buff, tan, and ochre bricks with a raked finish clad the building. Mortar joints are raked back from the brick face.
Window openings feature flat rowlock lintels. First story windows have terra cotta lug sills. Second story windows feature a continuous terra cotta sill that wraps around the entire building. A tall window opening occurs on the south facade with a louver in the lower portion.
The front entrance features a covered stoop with a second story balcony. Segmented terra cotta columns and brick piers support the outer edge of the balcony. A prominent terra cotta cornice wraps around the outer edge of the balcony, with a terra cotta railing spanning between brick newels. Leaded glass side lites above stained oak panels flank the stained oak entrance door. A transom spans above the doorway and side lites. Ceiling mounted light fixtures illuminate the stoop. The building features service entrances on the south and east facades.
Alterations include the replacement of all windows (originally 6:6) with anodized bronze aluminum 1:1 sash. Previous work added clay tile clad gable roof at the rear and a canvas awning at the south service entrance along with associated framing supporting these roofs. Previous work removed the dentils from the cornice along the roofline. In 1931, the basement partitions were altered for the residence for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart School. In 1950 work included exterior alterations (permit 402132). In 1964 work added a 150-gallon water heater and associated wiring (permit (B22007 and 478825). In 1969 work installed a suspended ceiling within interior spaces (permit 533435). In 1971 work altered the building for use as an office (permit 542516 and 544479 in 1972). In 1976 alterations designed by architect Warren R. Pugh as part of the building’s conversion to office use. In 1983 the building changed use from an office to an emergency shelter triggering updates to the building’s fire protection equipment at that time. In 2001 alterations to the second floor by extending the fire alarm system and converting this space to classroom space. | <urn:uuid:81f4c168-4228-4521-b571-dc36743e1dd4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=661970258 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.926257 | 863 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Student or Learner
Is there something wrong with this sentence ?
It has been argued that it is totally unfair that athletes earn much more money than professionals who succeed in other vital fields.
Last edited by 5jj; 19-Nov-2011 at 21:36. Reason: typo
^sorry, you mean athlethis are not that vital? | <urn:uuid:89c22554-3a71-4bbb-b79f-e58dd1455440> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/159120-Is-there-something-wrong-with-this-sentence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00500-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951409 | 72 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Laparoscopic Versus Open Surgery in Elderly Colorectal Cancer Patients Who Were 75 Years Old or Over
- This was a randomized controlled trial conducted at a single institute, which was
Yokohama City University Medical Center (Japan).
- 200 patients were age of 75 years old or over were randomly allocated to receive
laparoscopic surgery or conventional open surgery.
- All surgical procedures were performed by one specialized colorectal treatment team.
The laparoscopic surgeries were performed by a surgeon who passed the skill
accreditation system for laparoscopic gastroenterological surgery was established by
the Japanese Society for Endoscopic Surgery (JSES), and all open surgeries were
performed under the supervision of these skillful surgeons.
- All operations were performed according to the standard radical cure procedure
described in the seventh edition of the Japanese General Rules for Clinical and
Pathological Studies on Cancer of the Colon, Rectum and Anus. That is, intestinal
excision with lymph node dissection that separated the feeding blood vessel at its
origin was performed in all surgical procedures. Patients who underwent palliative
partial excision were not included.
- In the laparoscopic surgery, a medial-to-lateral approach was performed in all
- In the conventional open surgery, the first procedure was done in lateral approach. The
reconstruction techniques were the same as those used in laparoscopic surgery.
- To balance the operative backgrounds between the laparoscopic and the conventional open
surgery groups, the patients were stratified by the tumor location (right colon, left
colon and rectum).
- A transverse colon cancer was allocated to the right colon group, and a rectosigmoid
cancer was allocated to the rectum group.
- When the pathological stage was diagnosed as stage 3 by histological examination of the
resected specimen, adjuvant chemotherapy was done with oral fluoropyrimidine
- Neither radiation therapy nor preoperative chemotherapy was given to any patient.
Preoperative chemo-radiotherapy even for rectal cancer is not yet standard treatment in
- The preoperative parameters
- Operative assessment parameters
- Postoperative assessment parameters An early postoperative complication was defined as
a complication that occurred between the finish of the operation and postoperative day
30. A late postoperative complication was defined as a complication that occurred after
postoperative day 30. The terminologies of complications were classified according to
the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0, and grading was
done by Classification of Surgical Complication.
- The pathological results were recorded according to the 7th edition of the Japanese
General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Cancer of the Colon, Rectum and
Anus and 7th edition of primary tumor, regional nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification.
Circumferential margin involvement was defined as exposure of a cancer cell at the
vertical dissection surface on histological examination.
- Quality of life (QOL) scores. The QOL score was measured using the 36-item Short Form
Health Survey (SF-36) version 2.0. It is a tool that measures health-related QOL
(HRQOL) according to an inclusive standard and not a disease-specific standard. The
SF-36 is composed of 36 questions. The score is expressed numerically by the provided
scoring algorithm. SF-36 questionnaires were sent to the patients at one month, 6
months and one year after the surgery by postal mail. A return envelope was enclosed
with the SF-36 questionnaire, and the patient sent it back to the research secretariat
by postal mail. A questionnaire on the defecation situation and wound pain besides the
SF-36 was added all three times. The question of when complete rehabilitation occurred
was added in the questionnaire at one year.
- The follow-up schedule was as follows according to stage. Patients with stages 0 and 1
were followed up with outpatient examinations including tumor marker measurements, and
chest, abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) once a year for five years. Patients
with stage 2 and 3a were examined by CT and tumor marker measurements every six months for
the first two years. These examinations were done once a year from the third year to the
fifth year. Patients with stage 3b and 3c were examined by CT and tumor marker measurements
every four months for the first two years, and every six months from the third year to the
- The primary endpoint was 3-year recurrence-free survival.
- The secondary endpoints were overall survival, early complication rate, length of
postoperative hospital stay, and HRQOL score.
- A sample size of 200 patients was assured to achieve a power of more than 80% to detect
a difference between the groups using a two-sided Chi-squared test with type I error
rate equal to 0.05, when the true complication rates were 20% and 40% for the
laparoscopic and open surgeries, respectively.
- For continuous variables, data are presented as means ± standard deviation (SD). For
categorical variables, data are presented as frequencies and percentages (%).
Comparison of the endpoints was based on intention-to-treat principle, that is, the
patients who switched to another group during surgery were treated as members of the
allocated group. The Chi-squared test was applied to evaluate the significance of
differences in proportions, and t-test was used to evaluate the significance of
differences in continuous variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be
Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment
All death and recurrence from colorectal cancer are defined as an event of recurrence-free survival. It was considered that there were many other potential causes of death such as death due to another disease in elderly patients. Therefore, we decided that a primary endpoint was three-year relapse-free survival rate.
Chikara Kunisaki, Professor
Yokohama City University, Gastroenterological Center
Japan: Institutional Review Board | <urn:uuid:7281bc31-254a-4f33-8bba-f7904bb6012b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.knowcancer.com/cancer-trials/NCT01862562/ | 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 | 0.951905 | 1,321 | 1.5625 | 2 |
It began at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. The date he doesn’t remember, but that Tuesday changed Randy Lambeth’s life forever.
At the time, he was struggling with a deep loss. He was friends with several artists and decided to learn to paint. The morning after the epiphany, he went to the library and checked out You Too Can Paint Watercolor Landscapes.
‘‘(The book) stressed materials and techniques,” said Lambeth, who purchased the best materials he could find on his quest to become a painter.
He painted a few landscapes and people wanted to buy them. He traded some early works to pay off some debts, he said.
That was about three decades ago, and he has been sketching and painting landscapes, people, and places that inspire him ever since.
His most recent works came after a visit to Edgefield County, S.C., to view the peach trees and their blossoms.
He usually draws a sketch of the scene before transferring the image and painting it.
He’s also painted some local scenes such as the defunct Squeaky’s Tip Top on Central Avenue, which holds a sweet spot in many Augustans’ hearts.
His work can be seen in area restaurants including 5 O’Clock Bistro on Kings Way, La Maison on Telfair and Manuel’s Bread Café in North Augusta. | <urn:uuid:95a01f2c-c25d-4912-b857-dd1a77236704> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://chronicle.augusta.com/things-do/applause/2013-07-01/artist-portrait-randy-lambeth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00153-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978822 | 300 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Related to Derivative Transaction
(a) All Derivative Transactions entered into by Company or any of its Subsidiaries or for the account of any of its customers were entered into in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and regulatory policies of any Governmental Authority, and in accordance with the investment, securities, commodities, risk management and other policies, practices and procedures employed by Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and were entered into with counterparties believed at the time to be financially responsible and able to understand (either alone or in consultation with its advisers) and to bear the risks of such Derivative Transactions. Company and each of its Subsidiaries have duly performed all of their obligations under the Derivative Transactions to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and, to the Knowledge of Company, there are no breaches, violations or defaults or allegations or assertions of such by any party thereunder.
If the Purchaser concludes after the date of this Agreement that it is necessary or desirable to proceed with a form of transaction other than the Arrangement whereby the Purchaser and/or its affiliates would effectively acquire all the Shares or all or substantially all of the business, properties and assets of the Company on economic and other terms and conditions (including, without limitation, tax treatment) having consequences to the Shareholder that are, in its, his or her reasonable objective opinion, equivalent to or better than those contemplated by this Agreement and the Arrangement Agreement (any such transaction is referred to as an “Alternative Transaction”), then the Shareholder agrees to support the completion of the Alternative Transaction, including, if necessary, by tendering or voting the Owned Shares to a take-over bid or in favour of a special resolution approving the Alternative Transaction.
(a) During the period from the date of this Agreement to the earlier of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) the date this Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, each Seller Party shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates and Subsidiaries and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, consultants, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants and other agents (collectively, “Representatives”) not to, directly or indirectly, encourage, initiate, solicit or engage in discussions or negotiations with, provide any information to, or enter into any Contract or understanding with, any Person, other than Purchaser, concerning any Alternative Transaction. For purposes of this Agreement, an “Alternative Transaction” is any purchase (including by license, other than any licenses entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business that are not, individually or collectively, material to the Business) of any assets of the Company or any its Subsidiaries or of all or any portion of the Business or any equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including any Disposition of any such equity securities) (whether from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or from either Seller or Founder or any of their respective Affiliates) or any other transaction that would be inconsistent with any of the Transactions. Each Seller Party shall immediately cease and cause to be terminated any and all contacts, discussions and negotiations with Third Parties regarding any of the foregoing.
Engage, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to engage, in any transaction involving commodity options or futures contracts or any similar speculative transactions.
No Speculative Transactions
No Credit Party shall engage in any transaction involving commodity options, futures contracts or similar transactions, except solely to hedge against fluctuations in the prices of commodities owned or purchased by it and the values of foreign currencies receivable or payable by it and interest swaps, caps or collars.
If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another Person in a merger or otherwise, or in the event of a sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets (an "Acquisition"), the Company may take such action with respect to this Warrant as the Company's Board of Directors may deem to be equitable and in the best interests of the Company, its stockholders and the Registered Holder under the circumstances, including, without limitation, (i) making appropriate provision for the continuation of the Warrant by substituting on an equitable basis for the shares then subject to the Warrant either the consideration payable with respect to the outstanding shares of Warrant Stock in connection with the Acquisition or securities of any successor or acquiring entity or (ii) giving the Registered Holder reasonable advance notice of the pendency of the Acquisition and canceling the Warrant effective upon the Acquisition if it is not exercised prior to the Acquisition.
The Company shall not be obligated to effect any registration of Registrable Securities under this Section 2.1 incidental to the registration of any of its Securities in connection with:
(1) The present Settlement Agreement constitutes a transaction in accordance with Articles 2631 and following of the Civil Code of Quebec, and the Parties are hereby renouncing any errors of fact, of law and/or of calculation.
2.1 Merger of Acquisition Sub into the Company. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with the DGCL, at the Effective Time (as defined in Section 2.3), Acquisition Sub shall be merged with and into the Company, the separate existence of Acquisition Sub shall cease and the Company will continue as the surviving corporation in the Merger (the “Surviving Corporation”).
The Company shall provide the holder of this Warrant with at least twenty (20) days’ written notice prior to closing thereof of the terms and conditions of any of the following transactions (to the extent the Company has notice thereof): (i) the sale, lease, exchange, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s property or business, or (ii) its merger into or consolidation with any other corporation (other than a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company), or any transaction (including a merger or other reorganization) or series of related transactions, in which more than 50% of the voting power of the Company is disposed of. | <urn:uuid:de508632-2390-42ec-a79c-d03a729d67bf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://alternativechannel.org/derivative-transaction.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.933895 | 1,282 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The vast majority of Americans don’t eat enough fruit. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, only 12 percent of adults eat the daily recommended amount. “Fruits are rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber,” says Sarah Koszyk, RD, a nutrition coach and sports dietitian. She adds that some fruits, like blueberries, can help optimize brain and heart health, and reduce the risk of other diseases, like cancer.
One reason why some may shy away from fruit is because they fear the sugar in fruit will negatively impact their health. Koszyk says that, unlike added sugar in overly processed foods, the sugar in fruit is naturally occurring and isn’t something to obsess over. However, if you have diabetes or are trying to minimize spikes in blood sugar, it can be helpful to know what fruits are low in sugar so you can still enjoy their nutrient benefits without blood sugar levels rising.
To that end, the 11 fruits listed below are all low in sugar yet rich in nutrient density.
11 Low-Sugar Fruits
Registered dietitian Melissa Rifkin, RD, says that figs are a great low-sugar fruit to add to your shopping list. Figs are high in fiber, calcium and potassium. Sprinkle cinnamon on top for extra sweetness that will keep blood sugar levels steady.
Kiwi is another low-sugar fruit Rifkin recommends incorporating into your diet. One benefit of kiwi is that it’s full of vitamin C, which helps support the immune system—especially important right now with yet another COVID-19 strain going around.
If you’re not into kiwi but like the idea of a low-sugar fruit that will support the immune system, Rifkin recommends tangerines. Some canned tangerines can be high in added sugar, so be sure to read the ingredients list if you aren’t buying them fresh.
Another low-sugar fruit Rifkin recommends are apricots, an oft-underrated fruit. Not only are they low in sugar, but they’re full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin A, which directly supports eye health. Add them to yogurt or oatmeal, or incorporate them into a salad.
Koszyk calls out blueberries as another fruit that’s low-sugar, but packed with nutrients. They’re especially high in antioxidants, which benefit the heart and brain. Blueberries may be small, but their benefits are big.
6. Goji berries
If you’ve never tried goji berries, Koszyk recommends giving them a try. These berries are scientifically linked to helping lower inflammation. Goji berries have a slightly sour taste and can add a burst of flavor to salads, grain bowls, or enjoyed as is.
Another berry Koszyk recommends is raspberries. One benefit to raspberries is that they’re high in potassium, which supports cardiovascular health. They also contain manganese, which helps keep blood sugar levels steady.
Apples and peanut butter get Koszyk’s seal of approval as a satiating, low-sugar snack. Apples are low-sugar on their own and she says that the fiber and protein in nut butter also help keep blood sugar levels steady.
Scientific studies have shown that eating cherries after a workout can help with muscle recovery and could also help with endurance. This is because they’re especially high in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant which helps with blood flow. Who knew a low-sugar fruit could give you an athletic edge?
As you can likely tell from its name, watermelon has an especially high water content making it a super hydrating fruit. One cup of watermelon only has nine grams of sugar. This fruit also contains calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Often, rhubarb is only thought of in terms of pie-making, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy this low-sugar fruit. Incorporating it into barbecue, salads or pairing it with yogurt are a few ideas to try. When you do, you’ll benefit from its nutrients, which include vitamin K (good for bone health), fiber and antioxidants.
Both dietitians reiterate that all fruit is healthy and shouldn’t be avoided, even in an effort to curb sugar. “Fruit provides key nutrients that our bodies need, like fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carbohydrates and water,” Rifkin says. “By avoiding fruit, one would be missing out on essential nutrition for the body.”
Koszyk says that pairing fruit with protein-rich food will help keep blood sugar levels steady. But if you are looking for fruit that won’t raise blood sugar levels when eaten alone, the above list has you covered. Incorporate them into your diet and the benefits will be, well, fruitful. | <urn:uuid:9dcad559-e6a9-459d-85c8-c881fc66da94> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/11-low-sugar-fruits-delicious-143129594.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573876.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820012448-20220820042448-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.933503 | 1,085 | 2.984375 | 3 |
FRANKFURT.- The Städel Museum
in Frankfurt presents a high-carat selection of Netherlandish prints from the late sixteenth and the early seventeenth century from 4 June to 14 September 2014. The special exhibition focuses on about sixty-five works by the artist Hendrick Goltzius (15581617), one of the most brilliant draftsmen and printmakers active around 1600. His oeuvre is characterized by highly erudite and deliberately complex contents as well as extremely stylized solutions and, thanks to his engravings international dissemination, became famous throughout Europe. The exhibition Style and Perfection. Hendrick Goltzius and Dutch Mannerist Printmaking presents a total of about one hundred prints and four complementary drawings from the holdings of the Städel Museum in the Exhibition Hall of the Department of Prints and Drawings. Alongside major works by Goltzius, the show comprises works by Jan Harmensz. Muller (15711628), Jan Saenredam (15651607), Jacques de Gheyn II (15651629), and Jacob Matham (15711631) as important artist of his circle.
Born near todays Venlo in the Netherlands in 1558, Hendrick Goltzius was one of the last great masters of copperplate engraving before this printing method took second place to the more flexible and personal etching technique in the seventeenth century. Goltzius came from a rather modest family of artists on the Lower Rhine and, after being trained as a copperplate engraver, worked for renowned publishers of prints in Antwerp before he founded his own publishing house in Haarlem in 1582. Though far from the realistic Baroque style of the seventeenth century as a late mannerist artist, Goltzius also ranks among the masters ushering in the Dutch Golden Age.
Beyond his technical perfection, another special quality of Hendrick Goltziuss art lies in its high degree of reflection. He was not only a printmaker but also a draftsman creating his own compositions for his publishing house from its very beginnings. Goltzius was in close contact with the most important Dutch artists and particularly with the chief art theorist of his day, Karel van Mander (15481606). Owing to these connections, which were linked with endeavors to professionalize art in the Netherlands on an academic level, he got in touch with Bartholomeus Spranger (15461611), the influential court painter of the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague. Goltzius developed a copperplate technique suited to translate Sprangers elegant, affected, and figure-oriented mannerism into the medium of printing. His graphic means consist in virtuoso, elaborately swelling and subsiding lines and flexible hatchings that emphasize the plasticity of forms and unfold a calligraphic quality of their own. Sprangers art focuses on figures elegant women and muscular heroic men; thematically, they oscillate between religious and often erotically tainted mythological subjects. Goltziuss own compositions in this style, such as his sheets from the series The Roman Heroes (1586) or The Great Hercules (1589), mainly highlight the figures heroic aspect.
His works after Spranger ensured Hendrick Goltziuss international renown; his publishing house produced the best prints of his time both in terms of contents and technique. Though Goltzius gave up Sprangers style after only a few years, his pupil Jan Harmensz. Muller continued to work in this overelegant mannerist mode, even enhancing its sophisticated graphic language with shimmering moiré effects in the hatchings. Goltzius, who always experimented with new techniques and forms like with the colored or chiaroscuro woodcut, came to prefer a calmer, clearer language of forms informed by Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance under the influence of a tour through Italy in 1590 and 1591. Large copperplate engravings after ancient sculptures such as his The Farnesian Hercules from 1592 exemplify this turn. In the 1590s, Goltzius also began to dedicate himself to an intense study of the old masters, especially to Albrecht Dürers and Lucas van Leydens prints. With his so-called master prints, the Netherlandish artist strove to demonstrate his position as an artist on a par with or even superior to the old masters in the sense of aemulatio, the endeavor to equal or surpass ones models. Besides the frequently programmatic prints he engraved himself in those years, his imaginative compositions were mainly executed by artists of his workshop like Jacob Matham and Jan Saenredam in particular. Around 1600, Goltzius entrusted his stepson Jacob Matham with the management of his publishing house, gave up his work as a printmaker, and committed himself to painting until his death in 1617.
The Städel Museums Department of Prints and Drawings is in the fortunate position of being able to present the work of Goltzius and his circle as printmakers in a comprehensive way based on its own, very good holdings. Part of the works preserved in the museum come from the collections assembled by the institutes founders Johann Friedrich Städel (17281816) and Johann Georg Grambs (17561817), the first chairman of the foundations administrative board. These holdings were prudently complemented by Johann David Passavant (17871861), the director of the Städel collections, in the nineteenth century. Another part of the prints comes from the estate of Senator Johann Karl Brönner (17381812), a contemporary of J. F. Städel. The museums Department of Prints and Drawings not only comprises extraordinary examples of Hendrick Goltziuss major copperplate engravings and woodcuts but also rare artists proofs by Jan Muller, which provide enlightening insights into the engravers working techniques. The presentation is rounded off by some of Goltziuss drawings, also from the Städels own holdings.
Style and Perfection. Hendrick Goltzius and Dutch Mannerist Printmaking picks up the thread of former exhibitions on old prints shown in the Städel Museum. Art-historically speaking, Goltziuss works close a gap between early sixteenth-century prints like those of Lucas van Leyden, who was very influential in the Netherlands (exhibited in 2006), or of Albrecht Dürer (exhibited in 2007) on the one hand and seventeenth-century prints by such artists as Jacques Callot (exhibited in 2002), Rembrandt (exhibited in 2003 and 2013), or Claude (exhibited in 2012) on the other. As is the present presentation, these exhibitions were concerned with familiarizing visitors to the Städel Museum with the technical specifics, the particular compositional circumstances and possibilities, the individual and social function, the marks of quality, in short: with the significance and beauty of the visual medium of prints. | <urn:uuid:80872f3d-f1c8-4c19-a148-2726b5c597b8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://artdaily.com/news/70548/-Hendrick-Goltzius-and-Dutch-Mannerist-Printmaking--exhibition-opens-in-Frankfurt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00356-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960234 | 1,442 | 2.296875 | 2 |
A reader last night posted an article via Reddit that dug back into the BBC archives from 2007.
It was the journalistic equivalent of a high school yearbook photo of the Global Warming crowd sporting mullets in 1987, complete with high tops and black jeans.Well, that gets the wrong haircuts out of the way. He then continues, referring back to a BBC report from Wednesday, 12 December 2007 headed
Scientists in the US have presented one of the most dramatic forecasts yet for the disappearance of Arctic sea ice.
Their latest modelling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years.John Ransom then says:
In what today would pass for a punch line of a good joke rather than serious science, the BBS, er, BBC concluded with this high point: “Former US Vice President Al Gore cited Professor Maslowski's analysis on Monday in his acceptance speech at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo.” (see An Inconvenient Truth Revisited)So, the BBC's 5-6 years from Dec 2007 leads us to, with the error bars, somewhere between Dec2012 and Dec 2013. So, what is the truth?
Two recent reports:
The (Arctic Sea Ice) blog notes Arctic sea ice actually expanded by 20,000 square kilometers for 10 days at the end of July.
“That’s so crazy for this phase of the melting season that I barely have words for it,” the blog says. “It’s unique as far as the record goes.”And the most recent report:
Largest coverage in over 5 years
The Centre for Ocean and Ice, located in Greenland, has put out the latest data for sea ice coverage in North America.
I post this graph (see above) to show that the Arctic sea ice is not melting at a record pace.In fact, the surface ice area has increased greatly compared with 2008-2012.
The area of latitude 80 degrees to 90 degrees is having a record cold summer.
We understand that the Alarmists have reputations to uphold and grants to maintain, but how much more contrary evidence do they need before they come out waving the white flag?
See Also: The Poles are Icing Up - Alarmists take note. | <urn:uuid:31671b37-9f4a-4c27-b86a-a80c4127b223> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://theclimatescepticsparty.blogspot.com/2013/08/alarmists-wrongdare-i-say-itagain.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00442-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937657 | 475 | 2.390625 | 2 |
At 12:01 a.m., the U.S. capital became the latest jurisdiction to allow its residents to possess small amounts of marijuana, but a battle with Congress has set up a perplexing pot dilemma: people will be allowed to smoke it, but where can they buy it?
Washington, D.C., residents voted in November in favour of Initiative 71, to allow those 21 and over to possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use and to grow up to six plants (three maturing at a time) in one's home. It also allows someone to give — but not sell — up to one ounce to someone else.
- Legalized marijuana: what Colorado looks like 1 year later
- Federal court to decide who has the right to grow medical marijuana
Legalization advocates jumped for joy when the measure passed, but the celebration was short-lived. Congress stepped in to block it. D.C. isn't a state and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have the power to reject whatever city council passes. That's what they did with marijuana legalization.
Congress passed a budget bill in December that contained a line in it forbidding D.C. from using any funds to enact laws or regulations that legalize the possession, use or distribution of marijuana.
Marijuana and civil liberties advocates were outraged that Congress would interfere with the democratic process and deny something that a clear majority of voters supported. But legalization opponents on the Hill had no qualms about exercising Congress's authority over D.C.
"I respect the people who live here and most everything passes through without a problem, but the idea that this is going to be a haven for pot smoking, I can't support that," Congressman Jason Chaffetz said on CNN earlier this month.
Chaffetz chairs the House oversight committee which deals with matters related to D.C.
When D.C.'s council passes a law it goes to Congress for a 30-day review period. Unless Congress passes a joint disapproval motion, the law goes ahead. The review period of Initiative 71 is up on Wednesday. Chaffetz has said there are no plans to pass a disapproval motion, because in his mind, Congress has already prevented the law from being implemented through the budget bill.
Congress could take legal action
Members of city council don't see it that way. They believe Initiative 71 was already enacted before that budget bill was passed. They are good to go when it comes to the new possession law, in their opinion. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser spoke on Tuesday about the law coming into effect and emphasized that it still remains illegal to use marijuana in public. "Home use. Home grown," is the tag line she and the police chief are using in their public awareness campaign.
The standoff between city council and Congress could lead to a faceoff in court if Congress decides to take legal action against the city. Chaffetz sent a letter to Bowser Tuesday warning that if council goes ahead with legalization on Thursday, it will be doing so "in knowing and wilful violation of the law."
He has requested documents and other details from the city related to the implementation of Initiative 71 by March 10.
Stakeholders in D.C. are watching closely. "I don't know what might happen, it's kind of up in the air," said Robert Capecchi, of the Marijuana Policy Project.
What does appear certain, however, is that D.C. will not be following in the footsteps of Washington state and Colorado in setting up a legal market for the sale of marijuana. City officials intended on doing that but the budget bill does indicate funds can't be spent to develop regulations.
The effort is stalled, which means there will be no dispensaries, marijuana bakeries or other storefront businesses for recreational pot opening any time soon. (Medical marijuana is already legal.)
People will be able to legally use marijuana — barring any successful action by Congress — but they may have trouble getting it if they don't grow it themselves.
The illegal market "is operating and will continue to operate unless and until we are able to put in place a legal market for people to buy it from," Capecchi said.
"People need to educate themselves," he said, and behave "responsibility and appropriately" in terms of what is legal and what is not.
Cannabis expo this weekend
Budding entrepreneurs who want to get into the marijuana business in Washington are still gearing up, however, for the day when sales might be legal.
This weekend in the capital there is a cannabis expo, job fair and "cannabis academy" organized by a company called ComfyTree. Attendees can meet representatives of existing marijuana-related companies, learn how to get into the business themselves, and learn how to grow pot.
Tiffany Bowden, the company's co-founder, said policy experts will be there to explain D.C.'s potentially confusing marijuana landscape. In the absence of a legal market, it's also a good opportunity for people to learn how to grow marijuana at home since that will be a primary way of obtaining it. She also suspects there will be more social club models popping up in D.C. as a result of how legalization is playing out in the capital.
"Entrepreneurs are extremely creative individuals," she said, adding that the barriers erected by Congress will not stop them. "All that means is that there isn't going to be the traditional dispensary model or cultivation model."
Bowden is hopeful that Congress will stop getting in the way of what D.C. residents voted for in November.
"I think they will be making a huge mistake if they find some way to silence voters right there in the nation's capital," she said. "I think it would send a poor signal to citizens not just about marijuana, but that their vote does not matter. I don't think that they want that." | <urn:uuid:71efda8e-dbbc-4625-b9ac-6748669a5307> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/marijuana-legalization-off-to-messy-start-in-washington-1.2969344 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00299-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974139 | 1,204 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Immigrate to Canada from Bahrain with Stanley Immigration Consulting
A significant portion of the population of Bahrain, a monarchy in the Persian Gulf, is non-nationals. They are largely Asian in origin. It is impossible to rule out migration to overseas countries in a scenario like this. Many non-nationals are driven to apply for permanent residency in an advanced nation because of the advantages that come with living in a relatively liberal nation with a democratic setup, excellent infrastructure, livable cities, quality of life, and tolerant society. In terms of finding permanent residency in an advanced country, Canada tops the list with its easy immigration policy, well-developed infrastructure, multiple job opportunities, cultural diversity, and tolerant society. We, Stanley Immigration Consulting, assure you to obtain your Canadian immigration certificate through a paid consultancy service.
Immigration to Canada from Bahrain
Canada is the most popular choice for non-nationals in Bahrain who want to live in and work in a developed country. Furthermore, Canada needs skilled professionals and workers from overseas to fill the vacancies across its various provinces and contribute to the country’s skills shortage. The Canadian government has various Canada immigration Bahrain programs designed to invite the skilled workers and their family members in the country like Federal Express Entry System, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Worker Program, Parents and Grandparents Program, Student Visa, Spouse category visa, etc.
The Process of Immigration
With local knowledge and exceptional service standards, our Canada immigration Bahrain desk is well-positioned to assist Bahrain citizens, families, and businesses who are looking to immigrate to Canada from Bahrain. Over the next few years, a growing number of people are planning to migrate from Bahrain to Canada. Canada Government is also planning to allow over 1 million new skilled immigrants, including citizens of Bahrain. It is one of the last remaining mass migration programs in the world.
Work in Canada for Bahrain Citizens
Bahrain citizens have high employment prospects in Canada. In Canada, it is well known that newcomers from Bahrain have great skills to contribute to the country’s economy. The education system of Bahrain is also highly regarded, so Bahrain citizens have a good chance of finding work in Canada. Immigrants from Bahrain are most likely to work in managerial and professional jobs in Canada, followed by skilled trades. Bahrain citizens in the medical profession are also in high demand across all Canadian provinces.
Canadian employers do not discriminate against Bahrain citizens looking for work. The economy and society are fair, with a high percentage of skilled immigrants, especially those from Bahrain. Your salary in Canada will be the same as that of other employees of the same standard. It is true that Bahrain nationals with strong English or French skills are frequently hired by Canadian employers and earn higher wages.
Federal Express Entry System: The Fastest Pathway to Obtain Canadian PR
IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) launched the Express Entry System in 2015 as the fastest way to obtain Permanent Residency in Canada. Express Entry uses a point-based selection system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS scores registered applicants on the basis of crucial profile factors and then assign a point score called the CRS score.
Selection Criteria for an ITA from IRCC
If you want to succeed in Express Entry, you are going to need to have a high profile based on your age, work experience, education, and language skills (either English or French). Candidates applying for Canada PR as skilled workers must register their online Express Entry System profiles and score at least 67 points in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category to get selected in the Express Entry pool. IRCC invites the candidates who qualify for the Express Entry pool through periodic draws. The IRCC announces cut-off marks for every draw, and applicants who meet the cut-off mark become eligible for an ITA (Invitation to Apply) from IRCC.
We, Stanley Immigration Consulting, are a full-service immigration consultant and provide immigration services for work-permit-related visas, permanent residency visas, dependent visas or spouse visas, and short-term visas such as business visas or tourist visas. We provide comprehensive and end-to-end support to clients to help them realize their ambition to work and settle in Canada. Our tried and tested process will ensure that candidates present the best version of themselves while applying through their perfectly matched visa channel. | <urn:uuid:6dd141e1-a524-48d0-b22d-3444508a86dc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://stanleyandgrace.com/blogpost/immigrate-to-canada-from-bahrain-with-stanley-immigration-consulting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.945838 | 888 | 1.625 | 2 |
Stay organized for more than just lesson plans with your teacher planning calendar. If you've got this year's 17-month printable calendar, then you're set to plan all kinds of things.
Here are 5 more ways to use your teacher planning calendar. These are my tips on using it for planning for a maternity sub, college coursework, long-term projects and more.
Your 17 month teacher planning calendar is designed to help you plan across both a week and a month with it's spacious 2-page layout.
It lends itself to seeing the big picture which comes in handy for more of life's happenings.
Here's how you can use it for staying organized in life for other than just planning out your school's special events.
Planning for a Maternity Sub
If you're pregnant, then you might be planning for a maternity sub. Letting someone cover your classroom for 6 weeks (or longer) is a unique challenge to prepare for.
While you should have the basics for a sub to leave with one full week of detailed lesson plans, you're most likely going to need to leave a little more long term direction too. Especially if you plan on returning in the same school year.
That's where your calendar can come into play. Put your standards, upcoming events and goals or themes into the calendar.
Use the Sunday boxes to leave little notes about special things they may need access to later in the year, or reminders of things that'll have to get done in your absence.
Feel good leaving your classroom knowing you're organized and can enjoy your new arrival.
Many teachers face getting back into the college classroom, especially if they are going after their Masters degree. Let a little long term planning help you keep it all in sync.
Print a copy of your calendar and bind by itself to track your coursework.
Use the daily boxes to add in work from your syllabus and plan each week's worth of work in advance.
Use the Sunday boxes to keep track of your reading assignments for the week and check them off when they're done!
Planning for a Wedding
It's so fun to be a teacher as "Miss or Ms." and come back the next year as a "Mrs." If you're planning a wedding as a teacher - you've got extra work on your plate.
Plan when you need to make calls, appointments and when to have those invitations mailed out by simply by putting it into a calendar that goes out many months in advance.
Use the Sunday boxes to write down your inspirational ideas that you want to eventually add into your calendar. Or write down the agreements/details of any plans you made so that you don't forget what was said.
Planning Long Term Projects
Sometimes long term projects need a little scope of their own. If you help manage teams, school plays, parent/teacher groups or even semester long projects - it can be helpful to see your plans over the long haul.
Remember to write down plans that could easily change in pencil, so you can move them around as needed!
Add in due dates/launch dates/special event dates and mark them in a color that gets your attention.
Use the Sunday boxes to create an action plan for the next week (or so). Write down a little checklist and then add items into your calendar, or check them off as you do them.
Here's a bonus tip that I use at home - print a smaller version for your refrigerator.
You can easily print both pages of a month onto one piece of paper which creates an easy family calendar to write down all of the stuff we keep track of at home.
Here's how you make a mini-version:
- Go to File --> Print
- Under "Page Size & Handling" --> choose Multiple
- Change the "Pages per sheet" --> 2
- Make sure that "Page order" is set to Horizontal
- Make sure that "Orientation" is set to Portrait
- Click Print
You just got a serious bonus for the pennies you spent on this calendar. Boom.
Planning the School Year
And by far, this way is the way most of us can relate to. We love using the teacher planning calendar to get focused on what the upcoming year will bring and to add it to stay organized through the year.
Write down student birthdays, book order due dates and meetings. Then get good at consulting your calendar each week before sitting down to write your weekly lesson plans. You won't miss a thing this way!
Use the Sunday boxes to write down themes or standards that cover your week. I liked planning my read aloud themes in advance using these and I was less likely to miss covering obscure holidays like groundhog's day.
Seriously, I don't know why that holiday snuck up on me every year.
Don't have yours yet? That's okay - you can get the instant download and print it right away.
There you have five more ways to use your teacher planning calendar that'll have you feeling more organized for the long haul.
If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly. | <urn:uuid:350ae660-82de-4151-b64a-9c66cd4b5bfa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kindergartenworks.com/teacher-tools/ways-to-use-your-teacher-planning-calendar/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.949646 | 1,078 | 1.835938 | 2 |
For several valid reasons — with cost being at the top of the list — many businesses opt to take advantage of internet-based technologies to generate market research data. These technologies include the web, email, social and mobile, although the “Internet of Things”, wearables and online-integrated virtual reality are making their way up the ladder.
Mail surveys are making a minor comeback into the research methodology decision set. We are talking the postal kind, not the email kind. There are instances where they make strategic sense (often as part of a mix of methods that may include some of those already mentioned). Here are some situations that you should consider whether mail surveys will be part of your market research plan:
You have a limited number of well targeted contacts and need the maximum response rate.
Blind general surveys simply will not get traction by mail. As mail survey response rates are seeing a resurgence of response when you have a niche target, you need to tailor the creative to a person’s specific interests or their business. In 2017, we used a mail survey for an academic sponsored forestry survey that was sent out to companion animal veterinary practices on a reasonable budget with a worthwhile return.
If your business has a targeted group of contacts and you need to make the most of those contacts, then a mail survey should be part of your market research plan.
You need to incorporate probability based sampling.
A probability sampling method utilizes some form of random selection. However, you must set up some process or procedure that assures that the different units in your population have equal probabilities of being chosen. If you care about representation (and we hope you do!), you cannot rely solely on the internet or even telephone anymore to encompass an entire population.
Everyone still has an address though! In addition to using addresses, you can do data appends of both landline and cell phone numbers as well as reverse lookup IP addresses to match back to facebook accounts and do ad retargeting online. A blended approach built from the address up that includes mail surveys may be the closest thing to probability based sampling that exists today.
You need to capture sensitive information.
Due to concerns about hacks and data leaks, some market research participants may be reluctant — or flat-out unwilling — to share sensitive information, such as habits related to alcohol consumption or experiences with law enforcement agencies, and so on. Provided that participants are told that their anonymity is assured (and obviously the survey itself and return envelope contain no tracking information), then using a mail survey could be far more effective than any other method, including in-person and phone surveys.
To learn more about whether a mail survey is right for your business — and if so, what other data generation methods should be part of the mix to ensure that you get actionable intelligence from your market research investment — contact the Communications For Research team today. You’ll speak to co-CEO Colson Steber who can help you determine whether mail surveys can help you reach your business goals.
If you want to learn about market research online surveys, download our FREE eBook "The Insider's Guide to Successfully Using Market Research Online Surveys": | <urn:uuid:15713759-e93f-419c-962d-920f0b358efe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cfrinc.net/cfrblog/market-research-insider-mail-survey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573908.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820043108-20220820073108-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.939622 | 649 | 1.703125 | 2 |
What is It?
Pace isn’t everything in life. But let’s admit it – moving in slow motion can be boring sometimes. That’s why people pack a speedway at a NASCAR event and not the long rallies of a Formula One Race that can take days to be complete. Basketball and baseball games are more popular than golf because they are of shorter durations than the game of golf. This is an age of instant results or instant gratification. The busy mother has to buy a DVD after her aerobics class and then dash back home to be with her 6 year old to help with homework before she can prepare dinner and then finally get the time to watch the DVD with her 6 year old daughter at bedtime. There is hardly any time to talk to her friends about the DVD and whether the movie was good or bad. That’s not a big deal; at least the DVD will serve the purpose today. If it’s good it’s good, if not she is never going to buy another one with the same title. Simple.
Society’s craving for convenience has resulted in another form of a grab and go thing that has become a rage – speed dating. Barring driving, speed works in many situations because today life is moving at a hectic pace. There are even people that do not think much about the results or consequences. They do not probe much about the quality. What they see is what they get. They have minutes to make decisions. If they think a restaurant could be good, they go ahead and eat there. Repenting or rejoicing is saved for later. For the moment they can think only of the hunger.
In tandem with today’s pace and mindset, speed selling has caught up with the imagination of buyers and sellers. Speed selling is a selling event or sales training process where a seller typically spends less time with each prospective buyer and moves on to the next buyer quickly until he finally makes a sale. The speed selling training exercise can help new and veteran sales professionals to understand the true needs of the prospect faster, while focusing on articulating value at every point in the sales process. Much like a dating service where prospective partners can size each other up for compatibility within minutes in speed selling the buyer can know whether the seller can meet his requirements and the seller would sense immediately whether the prospect is likely to buy from him. The beauty of it all is that it happens fast without wasting much time from either person’s side. This saves precious time and the seller can move on to the next prospect without much delay. The over all sales efficiency increases by this method as more prospects are covered in less time.
Why Buyers Prefer Speed Selling
- For the buyers that are indecisive about a purchase, speed selling is a boom. It can end the “storm in the tea cup” kind of turmoil brewing in the mind of the customer and closing of the sale would result in much needed relief for him. They would be relieved to have overcome the niggling pull and push going in their minds
- There are buyers that are a bit adventurous and venture in to unexplored territories to try out newer products, lesser known companies, or give other reputed brand names a chance. They relish the privilege of being the first in their respective business and social circles to give verdict about the product.
- Speed selling cuts a lot of what the prospects think as sales or small talk and saves them valuable time.
Why Sales Professionals Prefer Speed Selling
- You can sell more in less time
- It saves a lot of energy and allows them to concentrate on bigger sales with more prospects
- Speed selling can be tried with prospects and suspects. A prospect is someone who has a need, desire, money and authority to purchase now or in the next 30 days. S suspect is someone who is “kicking tires” and is not really serious about making a purchasing decision. More time is then spent with the prospect, not the less important suspect and more sales are made.
Speed Selling Training Methods
Speed selling works best in an open atmosphere where a number of buyers and sellers for a single products or service meet up. The potential buyers know that there are more than one supplier of the product and the sellers don’t latch all their hopes on to one prospect. The sellers spend less time with the prospects then they normally do, so do the prospects with them. Within a very short time they sort out each others needs, desires and decide if they are a good fit for a transaction.
The methods of speed selling don’t deviate largely from traditional sales approaches. They are more like speed dating methods. What you see is what you get. But they require due consideration as they are subtlety involved in this approach.
- Speed selling requires thorough preparation. It can be done with role playing exercises with your colleagues or friends before actual speed selling events occur. Apportion a short period of time (5 or 10 minutes for each prospect). Set a maximum time limit beyond which you are not going to spend with any prospect.
- Prepare your sales presentation. Make it brief. There is simply no time for lengthy and time consuming “sales speak”. Keep the unnecessary details away. Make your pitch short and crisp. But make it incisive and punchy. Include only the vital points. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
- Prepare a set of objections that you might face in an actual sales scenario. And devise their answers. The answers also should be brief.
- Practice to complete your presentation within the stipulated time without looking at your wristwatch. Repeatedly looking at the watch could give the impression that you are not interested in the prospec.t
- Be presentable. Be well groomed and look presentable, “dress for success” for the speed selling occasion.
- Be relaxed and have a positive frame of mind. This is just another way of selling. There is bound to be some amount of success. If there is none, no problem. It will be a learning exercise.
- Be punctual and arrive in time. Complete all the formalities and paper work well before the actual meetings start. Keep a few minutes in hand to “get into the zone” before you start meeting up prospects. Pep yourself up for the occasion.
- Treat each prospect as a potential customer. No one should be ignored, because it doesn’t consume much time. The sales executive can afford to spend a few minutes on each prospect even if it doesn’t convert in to sales. It is good trying and losing rather than losing by not trying.
- Qualify the prospect by using open-ended questions like, who what, when where and why.
- Focus on your current prospect. Keep eye contact and body language positive and stand at the ready to communicate openly and with enthusiasm with the prospect and do not look over his/her shoulder to see who is next.
- Listen intently and ask pertinent questions in a polite and inoffensive manner.
- Always stay focused and bring the conversation back to your business and the true needs and desires of the prospect.
- Be honest with the prospects. The prospects have the luxury of talking to your competitors and finding out what is the truth. So sound convincing. If you are caught off guard in one briefing or presentation the domino effect could spoil your entire speed selling effort.
- Be prepared to answer the prospects objections. Think on your feet, there is no time to go back and ponder over the issue and comeback with an answer. Give answers then and there. To do that you must do your home work.
- Look for the body language and observe the use of words. If the prospect expresses interest seize the opportunity. Almost the same verbal cues work here that work in case for traditional sales.
- Encourage the prospect to quit delaying and take a decision now. In a traditional sale normally when a prospect dithers it is advised to spend some time and persuade the prospect to buy now. But here you just finish it with one or two questions.
- Do not linger for more than the maximum set time limit. Try to close within the time limit set. If it happens within that time frame fine, if it doesn’t probably it will not happen by spending more time on it.
- Move on to the next prospect without wasting much time, despite the outcome of the last attempt. This is the only step speed selling deviates from speed dating. In speed dating the rejection or selections are not known immediately, but in speed selling it is out then and there. Do not get disheartened by rejections. Also do not get elated by a sale. Some people don’t like too much of excitement in the voices they are listening to. Maintain a steady tone. Equanimity is the key. There will be plenty of time to rejoice at the end of it all.
- Always be courteous and treat each prospect with respect irrespective of whether the prospect buys or not. May be your other prospect that is interested in buying from you is just standing a few feet away and observing you. Always thank your prospects sincerely at the end of your sales talk or pitch. Appreciate them for spending time listening to you.
With a positive attitude and the necessary salesmanship qualities speed selling can yield amazing results quickly. Following these methods should result in a fair amount of success.
About the Author:
Doug Dvorak helps companies and professionals achieve results through customized, creative and non-traditional sales training systems that are “one size fits one” and developed to the unique business needs and “sales pain points” of each client. He is available to speak on these topics.
Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site as long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided.
Copyright 2008 The Sales Coaching Institute, Inc.
Sales Skills Training Strategic Sales Coaching
Doug Dvorak, CEO of DMG International, is the Author of the forthcoming book “Build Your Own Brand” (Pelican, 2009) | <urn:uuid:68261a96-6e2a-42e4-97fa-6370a3d49cc7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://salescoach.us/speed-selling/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.952892 | 2,104 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The UK Health Security agency is leading the investigation into one confirmed case of the Omicron variant in Spelthorne. Surrey County Council and the Borough Council are working closely with UKHSA to ensure that all contact tracing and appropriate Public Health actions, such as increased testing, take place.
Ruth Hutchinson, Surrey’s Director of Public Health said,
“I want to reassure everyone in Surrey that we are working with UKHSA to minimise the spread of the Omicron variant. Residents do not need to take any further action, other than to continue to be vigilant and follow the public health guidance and new Government measures.
“We currently have some of the highest Covid infection rates in the country in our Districts and Boroughs, but everyone can help slow the spread of the virus by taking some simple steps.
“It is never too late to get vaccinated. It is one of the single most effective things we can all do to stop the spread of Covid. And it is important people get the booster as soon as they are eligible to have the best protection.
“We have proof that the vaccine works. Between January and September this year, the risk of dying from Covid was 32 times greater in people who were unvaccinated.
“We all need to keep up the prevention measures too. Please follow Government rules on mandatory face masks in shops and on public transport. Testing, hand hygiene and meeting outdoors, or in well ventilated spaces are all ways you can keep yourself and others safe.
“If you have symptoms, no matter how mild, isolate and book a PCR test immediately.
“Any close contacts of a confirmed case of Omicron must also isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccine status or age.
There are so many things we can do to minimise the spread, if we all pull together we can protect ourselves and those around us.”
Notes to editors:
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is the successor organisation to Public Health England, NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency
For more information on the Omnicron variant in the UK visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-variants-identified-in-the-uk
For information on new Government measures to slow the spread of the virus: | <urn:uuid:4c7ebbc7-6bee-494f-a38c-53f4e012df3f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://avtovikup34.com/host-https-news.surreycc.gov.uk/2021/12/02/one-confirmed-case-of-omicron-variant-found-in-surrey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.947305 | 514 | 1.945313 | 2 |
A little-known part of Clyfford Still’s oeuvre are his “replicas”—near-identical copies of his past works. Currently the subject of a show at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, the “replicas,” the Abstract Expressionist said, were ways of working through ideas so important, they couldn’t be pinned down in a single painting. Still believed in the power of painting, and that belief was a major subject in an interview with Thomas Albright in the March 1976 issue of ARTnews. Following his major gift of 28 paintings to SFMOMA, Still spoke to Albright about why he continued to make art, what it was like to be a part of the New York School, and how he dealt with Jackson Pollock when he was drunk. The full interview follows below. —Alex Greenberger
“A Conversation With Clyfford Still”
By Thomas Albright
The pioneer Abstract Expressionist talks about the legends that have grown up around him, his battles with the art establishment, the early days of the New York School, and his gift of 28 paintings to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
People have generally found almost anything easier to deal with than the stark confrontation with a work of art on the terms which governed its creation. They rather surround art with interpretation, analysis and a host of other elaborations which have become part of a gigantic verbal superstructure designed to make art more comfortable—and profitable. Within the framework of this superstructure, Clyfford Still’s painting has been generally misunderstood and his attitude has been considered arrogant. Still’s resolute refusal to “explain” his work, for example, has frequently been interpreted as uncommunicativeness, although it could be argued that no other artist in recent times has been more concerned about communication; one need only look at Still’s recent and important gift of 28 paintings, spanning 40 years of his career, to the newly redesignated San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Together with two works that already belong to the museum and three on loan from the artist, the paintings were unveiled in a landmark exhibition that opened the new year: they will later be transferred to a permanent installation in a specially redesigned museum gallery.
As with his donation of 31 paintings to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo 12 years ago, the San Francisco gift carries the stipulation that the group of paintings must be kept intact. Still’s insistence upon controlling the exact circumstances under which his work is shown, coupled with the exhaustive documentation of each work’s exhibition history, would suggest that he regards the presentation of his paintings as an integral extension of the creative process. (A full color catalogue also includes more biographical material on—and by—Still than has heretofore been published.)
The legends that have grown up around Clyfford Still—his mysterious appearance one fall day in 1946 at the California School of Fine Arts “wearing a long black overcoat” (the story sounds more like the Annunciation with each retelling); his image among former students as “black angel,” Zen priest or messianic prophet, depending on whom you talk to; his rare public statements as well as his silences—all contribute to a persona that seems, in many ways, to be inexplicable. Much of the mystery, however, resolves into perfect sense if one draws a proper distinction between the “art world,” with its commercialism, politicking and rat-race competition for prestige and glory, and the organic process of growth and development that is fundamental to art itself. Still’s notorious “demands,” his legendary aloofness and attacks on critical exegises of his work—even the most favorable—are really nothing more nor less than an attempt to assert that the “art world” must revolve around art and the artist, rather than the other way around, and to reaffirm the primacy of the visual experience over the verbal. As one views the results of this lifelong commitment of Still’s ranged around the walls of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one can only agree that the effort has been magnificently rewarded.
If former students remember Still as a “black monk,” others recall that he used to enjoy polishing the chrome on a sleek silver Jaguar and going to baseball games. Thus it was not the voice of some Old Testament prophet at the other end of the telephone, recently, at precisely 3 p.m., the hour Still had agreed to call to arrange a meeting. The figure who sat across the table with his wife at the launch the following day seemed impressively fit. At 71, Still continues to project a quiet strength and vigor from his towering frame, and his features—graced by a trim beard and flowing white hair—retain a youthful handsomeness. A certain formality marked the introductions, but it quickly gave way to an easy, conversational candor—dignified, gracious, straightforward, warm without being overly familiar and, unexpectedly, sparked by flashes of wry humor. Sometimes this humor has a slightly caustic edge, but for the most part it is gentle and accepting, and he does not spare himself as an occasional target (“It’s been said that whenever Still writes anything, it’s a manifesto”). Still frequently refers to his art as “this instrument,” but he will also casually call his paintings “pictures.” A vein of warm sentiment is bared as he speaks of his two daughters (one lives with her family in San Francisco, the other is a semi-professional photographer in New York), recalls his fondness for Jackson Pollock or talks about a portrait of his wife that he drew last year—his first “realistic” work in almost two decades (“I thought I might have lost my touch, but it turned out stronger than ever.”)
If he is not a demigod, neither does Still conform to the pattern of suffering and early death which seemed to plague the New York painters with whom he was associated during the early flowering of Abstract Expressionism.
“You have to live a long time,” said Still, whose first one-man show (at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1943) did not occur until he was almost 39 years old. “If Turner had died when he was 40, he would have been just another respectable British painter.
“Art is a force for life, not death,” he added. “It is a matter of joy.”
Still has by no means mellowed in his lifelong battle against the forces of the art establishment. He spoke of rejecting a recent offer by one museum to give him a major one-man show (“They weren’t willing to demonstrate a real commitment”), and of refusing the repeated overtures of a major publishing house that professed interest in doing a book on his work (“They demanded a picture before they would proceed”). He wanted no notes taken of his conversation, which is reconstructed here from vivid recollection, and he remained silent about those aspects of his art which can only properly be seen.
“People should look at the work itself and determine its meaning to them,” Still said, adding: “I prefer the innocent reaction of those who might think they see cloud shapes in my paintings to what Clement Greenberg says that he sees in them.”
But he seemed to welcome the opportunity to clarify the many myths that have grown up around his life (“Reality is much more interesting”), stating that his major obstacle is a virtually total recall that makes it difficult to edit his reminiscences.
“It was cold that day,” he shrugged in reference to that fabled “long black overcoat.” Actually, Still explained, he came to the California School of Fine Arts to see the late Douglas McAgy, who had recently been appointed director of the school. Still had a letter of introduction from Robert Neuhaus, who was just leaving his post as chief curator at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and who had been a friend since Still’s residence in the Bay Area during the early ‘40s. It was six weeks into the semester, and McAgy told Still that no openings were available. Shortly afterwards, McAgy visited New York and attended a William Baziotes show at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. Still later learned from Baziotes that McAgy, impressed, had offered Baziotes a job in San Francisco. He replied, “You’ve got Still out there, haven’t you?” “Still? Oh yes,” McAgy responded, and on his return he called the artist in to teach—“a small commercial art class made up of students who hadn’t been able to get into other classes,” as Still now characterizes it.
Still had already had his first one-man show at Peggy Guggenheim’s earlier that year, (in February-March, 1946), but had sold only a single work—to Peggy Guggenheim. His return to the West Coast that fall was dictated primarily, he said, by “financial survival,” although he had not fared very well in trying to find teaching work when he had first landed in San Francisco (“It was the nearest big city”) in 1941, following eight years of state college teaching in Washington. At that time, he had applied for a job at CSFA, to be told by “a very haughty girl at the desk” that only artists who were “well known” were hired. “That was all right with me. I’d had it with teaching,” said Still, who instead worked in ship and aircraft yards. (“I’ve spent a lot of my life around machinery,” he said, referring to his youth on a farm in the Alberta prairies. “There’s a very practical side to my nature which has been very helpful to me. It’s kept me from falling into some traps.”) He developed his abstract painting and also did numerous portraits; both aspects of his work were included in his first show in 1943 at the San Francisco Museum. Following the show, Still left for the East Coast to teach in Richmond, Virginia, between 1943 and 1945, and later moved to New York and settled in the city in 1945.
Still had met Mark Rothko at a mutual friend’s in Berkeley during the early ’40s; in New York, he encountered him again. As Still describes it, Rothko persisted in asking to see Still’s work; Still kept saying he would drop by and visit Rothko instead. Eventually, he did so. They walked together to a nearby park, shook hands and parted—“I thought forever.” But a couple of weeks later, Rothko was knocking at Still’s door. When Rothko saw Still’s paintings, he insisted that Peggy Guggenheim must take a look. She came by, was unable to choose among four paintings that she saw, and took all of them to install in a space that she reserved for “trial balloons” amid her stable of established 20th-Century masters: Léger, Braque and Picasso. The display created “a kind of sensation, also a resentment, almost from the start,” Still said. “At the time, the Bauhaus and Surrealism—in their broadest senses—were the only accepted schools. Anything contrary to them was looked upon with the deepest suspicion and hostility.” Nevertheless, Still’s first New York show at the Art of This Century—for which Rothko wrote a catalogue introduction—grew out of this initial exposure. “I didn’t see any reason not to show; I had the paintings, and there were no restrictions,” he said, emphasizing that neither then nor later has he ever signed a contract with any gallery.
Still has frequently been credited with single-handedly introducing Abstract Expressionism to the Bay Area when he taught at the California School of Fine Arts between 1946 and 1950, but he tended to play down the importance of his influence, and to speak of his teaching job as an economic cushion that helped him advance his own art.
“They were totally mired in the 20th century,” he said of the students at the school, most of whom were World War II veterans attending on the GI Bill. “They knew about everything that was happening in New York and Europe. Five minutes after it happened, it would be reproduced in the art magazines. About half were trained artists, and a few were full-fledged professionals. Most had been through the war, and they’d seen more than I had. How could a stick like me teach them anything?”
Many San Francisco students tended to imitate the more superficial aspects of his style, Still added. “For various reasons—lack of maturity, perhaps, or lack of seriousness on the part of the students—my influence here was less important than it has been in New York.” He emphasized that the story of influences was complex—and often reciprocal. “Half a dozen major painters of the New York School have expressed their indebtedness to each other. They have thanked me, and I have thanked them.”
Still continued to spend his summers in New York during the years he taught at CFSA, and when the school’s progressive administration came to an abrupt halt with McAgy’s resignation in 1950, Still returned to Manhattan (“New York is my home”). He spent most of the next decade there, interspersed with periodic trips cross-country, before moving to his present home in rural Maryland.
“I did what had to be done to survive,” he said of the celebrated battles that frequently erupted with dealers, museum administrators and critics during those years. But the stakes involved in survival became clear as Still spoke of his associations with other New York artists, particularly Rothko and Pollock.
“We were all quite different. There was no cabal, no gang, no real movement, although we shared certain basic attitudes, a basic vocabulary. These were strong people. They had their hands on a strong thing. I think I may have been the only one who fully realized how strong this thing was. When you have a tiger by the tail, you don’t deal with it lightly.”
Still characterized the New York art world of the ’40s and early ’50s as being strongly colored by the attitude of the European emerigés who arrived there just before and during World War II. “They brought with them the idea of the artist as a social man. They painted for the art world, and made overtures to dealers and critics. Each was trying to corner his own publicity man.”
Rothko he portrayed as a more or less willing victim of the system, alternately making overtures to the art world and withdrawing his work from exhibitions, unable to pull up stakes from New York. (“He once said ruefully, ‘Clyff, you’re so much more mobile than I,’” Still recalled.) As for Pollock, Still recounted a visit made to that artist’s East Hampton home one night when Pollock was roaring drunk. Still, about to make a trip to Spokane, tried to talk Pollock into coming west with him, driving his own car but meeting regularly at points along the way. Their first meeting place was to have been in Pennsylvania, but Pollock failed to show; a few days later, stopping in Wisconsin to meet his wife, Still saw Pollock’s obituary in the newspaper.
“If he’d have come, he might still be alive today,” Still said. “He could have had a fresh start. He was trying to, but forcing it… they had him all in knots. It can’t be forced, it has to come naturally.
“I’d always warned him about that car,” he added. “It was an old Chrysler that Peggy Guggenheim had given him in exchange for a picture. It wasn’t balanced right, it couldn’t handle the curves.”
Still seemed to speak of these battles primarily in the past tense now—they are, after all, struggles in which he has prevailed and triumphed. Yet, apparently unaware of the inspiration that his integrity and uncompromising attitude have exerted on a generation of younger artists, he frequently voiced misgivings that his conduct would be interpreted in terms of “bitterness, self-pity or iconoclasm.” He expressed surprise and humility toward accolades that he received from Allan Kaprow, Richard Serra and others at a recent gathering in New York (Still said he continues to visit the city about once a month).
He makes clear, however, that his role has been that of a fighter rather than a “drop out.” “I know many artists pictured me sitting in my studio feeling angry and bitter,” he said in recounting a much publicized battle with a dealer. “But I was having the time of my life.
“I assure you that I never intended to be a moral force for younger artists,” he added. “When I die, people will say—they are saying it already—that I acted ruthlessly and amorally, with ingratitude to those toward whom I should be grateful. And they will be correct. At the same time, I can think of no other way for a serious artist to achieve his ends than by doing what I did… I set about to show that his instrument—the limited means of the paint on canvas—was important.” He spoke of continuing inspiration he found in the independence achieved by Turner in his mature work, and by Rembrandt in his last years. (“The portraits with just a turban around his head, and his face suggesting he’d had a little too much schnaps. The early art was a joke, but you have to take into account the people he painted for.”) As for his gift to the San Fransisco Museum, Still compared his attempt to present a cross-section of his work to a recent Sviatoslav Richter concert he had attended—an all-Beethoven program, not the usual fare but “beautifully chosen to represent the fullness of Beethoven’s art.
“The individual paintings are important, but the most important thing is is a man’s life work,” said Still. “It’s the idea behind them that counts. These paintings form only a fragment, but it’s enough, I hope, that this idea will emerge from them.”
Still has clearly selected the 28 works with meticulous concern for illuminating the main lines of his development, and they emphasize a number of significant points. By far the most important one is that Still is steadfastly painting—and not at all in the manner of an artist who has passed the peak in his career. Indeed, a monumental canvas that dates from 1974 is one of the most sweeping, powerful paintings he has ever done, with a richness of color and texture that links it to the work Still was doing in the ’50s. The collection also belies the impression Still’s painting has progressively “thinned out” during the past two decades; in fact, it shows that he has alternated between thick, richly troweled surfaces and more thinly applied pigments, surrounded by large expanses of bare canvas, throughout much of his career. It is clear that Still is as obstinately resilient to settling into a comfortable manner, or formula, as ever.
The earliest of these 28 paintings was done in 1934. Its subject is a striding male figure, painted in austere, earthen colors and in a broad, sharply chiseled Expressionistic style which has remote resemblances to Soutine, but which also looks ahead (somewhat uncannily) to the Bay Region figurative style that grew up in the early ’50s as a reaction against Still’s influence. In this painting, Still states the theme that he has continued to develop more and more metaphorically and abstractly in his art, and which he has pursued with unyielding singlemindedness in the conduct of his life: The lone individual moving with towering self-confidence through a neutral environment which becomes whatever one choses to make of it.
Distinct lines of continuity link this painting to the more abstract works of the late ’30s, in which human forms give way to massive, bonelike shapes in dramatically contrasting colors. One can detect certain analogies in these paintings, too—Marsden Hartley, Orozco and Picasso—but, as the museum’s director, Henry Hopkins, has observed, the history of Still’s “influences” is almost entirely a story of successive rejections of influences. (A concurrent museum show of drawings and small paintings by Arshile Gorky provided a graphic reminder of the nature of the influences that prevailed, and the strength of their hold on American artists, during those years.)
By 1942, only a geometric shape recalling the stylized motifs of Northwest Indian art (in a painting done on blue denim) remains as a figurative reference point, combined with a jagged line that slices through an austere color ground like a raw nerve. Still has referred to this linear force, which assumes increasing importance in later paintings, as a “life-line,” the only symbolic reference he will volunteer about his work.
Certain tenuous allusions to figure or landscape lingered in Still’s paintings until he began teaching in San Francisco in 1946. Some paintings from those years seem to indicate that Still was exploring vaguely mythical ideas. This aspect of his art was emphasized in Rothko’s catalogue introduction to Still’s first New York show at Peggy Guggenheim’s: “It is significant that Still, working out West and alone, has arrived at pictorial conclusions so allied to those of the small band of Myth Makers who have emerged here during the war. The fact that his is a completely new facet of this idea, using unprecedented forms and completely personal methods, attests further to the vitality of this movement… Still expresses the tragic-religious drama which is generic to all Myths, at all times, no matter where they occur.”
For all practical purposes, however, Still’s paintings of the early ’40s are overwhelmingly abstract. Working in almost total isolation, first in New York State, later in Oakland, California, Still had arrived by 1943, at a style that was more radical in its abstraction, and more sweeping in scale, than the work of any New York School artists of that time.
The niceties of drawing, the decorative graces of color, the dynamics of composition—all rapidly vanished from Still’s paintings of the ’40s. They were supplanted by a new esthetic wherein traditional concepts of “beauty” and “ugliness” were replaced by grandeur of raw and elemental Thereness, transcendent in its implications. It is a presence of jagged, shredded, opaque forms, of scabrous or sodden colors and surfaces which are, paradoxically, agitated an convulsive in their internal movements, and awesomely still in their totality.
This, at least, is so of his more densely textured work. The evolution of Still’s art during the following years by no means follows a straight line, but charts a zigzag course which, within the boundaries of his already totally individual and identifiable style, seems to oscillate, as it simultaneously advances and clarifies itself between polarities of expression. Frequently, Still seems to work backward and forward in time, returning to earlier concepts and themes, and developing them into the future; as Hopkins notes in his introduction to exhibition catalogue, a strong component of Still’s stylistic evolution “consist of looking back to earlier works for sustenance, especially when he feels he is reaching into an area beyond his knowledge of himself.”
Still himself hints at an underlying polarity in a note from his diary (February 11, 1956) which the catalogue reprints: “A great free joy surges through me when I work… With tense slashes and a few thrusts the beautiful white fields receive their color and the works is finished in a few minutes. (Like Belmonte weaving the pattern of his being by twisting the powerful bulls around him, I seem to achieve a comparable ecstasy in bringing forth the flaming life through these large responsive areas of canvas. And as the blues or reds or blacks leap and quiver in their tenuous ambience or rise in austere thrusts to carry their power infinitely beyond the bounds of the limiting field, I move with them and find a resurrection from the moribund oppressions that held me only hours ago.) Only are they complete too soon, and I must quickly move on to another to keep the spirit alive an unburdened by the labor my Puritan reflexes tell me must be the cost of any joy.”
While the paintings of the early ’50s achieve an unparalleled richness in color, built up in great, unyielding vertical walls that suggest infinite extension, he was at the same time creating works of such austerity as 1950-K-No. 1, an immense square of bare canvas galvanically activated by three crucial elements—a smallish blue area, a smaller bit of red and a tiny yellow daub. The obdurate immobility of 1956-D appeared in the same year as the clangorous, precariously balanced PH-393. The Spartan economy of 1950-51-No. 2 is a counterweighted by the lush, vivid colors and dramatic contrasts of PH-968, done in 1951-52. The power with which Still forges combinations of dissonant, seemingly incompatible hues; his control over more “appealing” harmonies so that they never cross over into decoration; the manner in which his huge, asymmetrical compositions are kept in place solely by a thin, ragged edge or the tiniest shape in one corner; all challenge the old “laws” of color and design. Perhaps there are precedents in oriental painting, but as one contemplates Still’s work, it is primarily music that comes to mind: the complex orchestration of color and texture, the dynamic choreography of his shapes, the manner in which a narrow edge of yellow elicits optical afterimages that suffuse and irradiate an otherwise somber blue field with the magical fore of harmonic overtones. Like music, these paintings suggest expansion into infinite time as well as space, and, as in music is pure sound, these paintings are pure vision.
The three large paintings dating from 1974 seem to constitute Still’s counterpart to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: dizzying in the tumultuous, diagonal movement of their gestural, but highly controlled shapes—in contrast to the solidity and verticality of the works immediately preceding; harboring both calm and conflict; achieving jubilant exultation. For all their individual magnificence, however, no one of these paintings eclipses any other; the huge, exhilarating spacious canvases of recent years cast their radiance over the blunt and earthbound quality of the very earliest paintings; this, in turn, resonates throughout Still’s mature work with a persistent undertone of epic heroism. So much, however, for words. “My work is in the paintings,” Still has written. “There I function and there alone would I be understood.”
Still’s painting has sometimes been likened to such natural phenomena as the Grand Canyon; while naive to suppose that his forms or surfaces have literal parallels with nature, the analogy seems apt in a poetic sense. His works have the overriding presence of natural elements or living organisms, governed solely by the law of inevitability—what Still has called “the organic lesson” and Kandinsky, “inner necessity.” The would-be critic is like a tour guide who recites geological data and points out anthropomorphic formations in the cliff faces.
Each of Still’s paintings is clearly a unique way-point along a path that leads deeper and deeper into the recesses of his own being. The “subject” of his work is, ultimately, art—not art history, which is the concern of so much other recent art–but the continuing creative journey, the work that Harold Rosenberg has described as a process of “engagement,” by which, through constant gnawing and hacking, “a mind is created.” | <urn:uuid:43ad3ed5-cb60-4a26-bc55-19510a508878> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.artnews.com/2015/12/05/art-is-a-force-for-life-not-death-clyfford-still-on-the-power-of-painting-in-1976/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00068-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981997 | 6,102 | 1.914063 | 2 |
History paints Butch Cassidy
(born Robert Leroy Parker) in a somewhat different light than William Goldman
did in his eponymous
screenplay for George Roy Hill
's film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
He grew up the eldest of eleven children of Mormons, Max and Anne Parker, who emigrated to Circleville, Utah from England. As a boy he rebelled against Mormonism, and--saturated with the dime novel sagas of Jesse James--dreamed of being a cowboy.
He rustled some cattle with a bad influence named Mike Cassidy in 1884, borrowed his accomplice's name, and rode from the Great Salt Lake into history.
When the "great white winter" of 1886-87 destroyed three quarters of the cattle in Texas, where Parker/Cassidy had found honest work as a cowboy, he again fell in with bad company at Brown's Hole, or Hole-in-the-Wall--desperate men most of them, driven by unemployment and a lack of imagination into rustling and bank robbery.
He went to prison in Wyoming in 1894 for stealing a horse that he in fact had not stolen, and upon his release in 1896, his path had been chosen for him--he became the leader of the Train Robbers Syndicate, better known as the Wild Bunch. For the next five years he would perpetrate a succession of perfect crimes, frustrating the Pinkerton detectives and the banks and railroads, just like in the movie.
He was aided and abetted in his crime spree, oddly enough, by the Mormons, many of whom were considered outlaws themselves because of their practice of polygamy. They gave him food, shelter and their daughters, and it all seemed very romantic for a while.
Butch Cassidy, who never killed a man himself, always harbored a secret regret that he had to rely on the deadly skills of his murderous friends, particularly Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid. Sundance, far from being the sort of frontier charmer portrayed by Robert Redford in the movie, seems to have been a genuine Pennsylvania Dutch psychopath.
There is evidence that Butch tried to go straight, but his record and the veritable cost of doing business itself kept him in the outlaw game. As lawmen became more savvy, the capers became more murderous and one by one his partners in crime were captured or killed off.
In the fall of 1901, Butch, Sundance and Sundance's girl, Etta Place, sailed from New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina. They had escaped their no-win existence in America's rapidly-changing West and for almost five years they lived ordinary lives in Patagonia, though they had bought twelve thousand acres of land and therefore could be considered wealthy landowners in their adopted country.
Once again, however, the straight life paled in comparison to the easy money to be found on the other side of the law, and in 1905 they robbed a bank in southern Santa Cruz. By 1907 they seemed to have vanished into the Cordillera, and conventional wisdom has it that they broke up about then. It was rumoured that Etta moved to Denver, pregnant, some say, with a young Englishman's child. It has been reported that she was living in Denver in 1924 and that her daughter, Betty Weaver, was also an accomplished bank robber until her own inevitable arrest.
The story goes that Butch and Sundance were finally tracked down by the Pinkertons and died in San Vicente, Bolivia, in 1909. It may be, however, that this is exactly the story that the canny outlaw wanted people to believe. The Pinkertons had their own version of Butch's demise--in a shoot-out with Uruguayan police in 1911.
But from 1915 on, hundreds of people claimed to have seen Butch Cassidy alive. The star witness to his continued good health was his own sister, Mrs. Lula Parker Betenson, who was still alive in the 1970's. When interviewed by British author Bruce Chatwin, for his famous book In Patagonia, Butch's sister, then in her nineties and the very model of a good citizen without an ax to grind, claimed that her brother came back to the states and ate blueberry pie with the family in Circleville, Utah in the fall of 1925.
She insisted he died of pneumonia in Washington State in the late 1930's which is--as those of us who've lived there can attest--entirely plausible.
In Patagonia, Bruce Chatwin, Summit Books, 1977.
The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, Pearl Baker, Abelard-Schuman, 1971, University of Nebraska Press, 1989.
Butch Cassidy My Brother, Lula Parker Betenson and Dora Flack, Brigham Young University Press, 1975.
The Johnny Appleseed of LSD
Bud and Travis
Camaron de la Isla
Wild Bill Donovan
Sidney Gottlieb, the real-life "Q"
king of the queens
Paco de Lucia
the Real McCoy
Robert K. Merton
J. Fred Muggs
Bernardino de Sahagun
A. J. Weberman | <urn:uuid:71be638d-bbeb-408c-bf6c-c2f5ab7c4c30> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://everything2.com/title/Butch+Cassidy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00182-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967893 | 1,080 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Endometrial cancer, like many other medical conditions, can be beat. But you canít defeat an enemy if you donít know you have one and if you are not properly armed to fight the battles. Awareness of the problem is the first step. The links below will direct you to previous articles written on the topic. The second step is a willingness to act when you realize you are a potential target for this malignancy.
An early diagnosis is one key to beating endometrial cancer. The presenting symptom is abnormal bleeding in reproductive age women and any unexplained bleeding in a postmenopausal woman. You should see your gynecologist as soon as possible so that can start a proper evaluation to investigate the cause. The majority of the time, the symptoms are due to other causes and not cancer, but it is important to be seen. Most cases of endometrial cancer are caught early: 68% are usually Stage 1-2, 20% are typically Stage 3 and only 8% are stage 4 which involves distant metastasis. If caught during the early stages a simple hysterectomy maybe the only treatment needed. If caught at later stages, the chance of survival is significantly lower.
Early treatment of problems such as abnormal bleeding, irregular cycles, and hyperplasia can prevent the development of cancer. Skipping cycles can lead to the development of hyperplasia and subsequent endometrial cancer. This does not apply to the occasional skipped menstruation but in cases where the irregular cycles have gone on for years and not been addressed. If you have a diagnosis of hyperplasia, it is important to follow the treatment regimen and follow up instructions provided by your doctor. Finally, if you have prolonged menstruation, bleeding in between your menstruation or any abnormal bleeding it is important to see the consultation of a gynecologist as soon as possible.
Endometrial cancer, hyperplasia, irregular cycles, skipped periods and abnormal bleeding can potentially be prevented. If you are over weight or obese, lose weight. Excessive body fat contributes to estrogen excess and the subsequent development of hyperplasia and potentially cancer. If you have irregular cycles or skipped periods, see your gynecologist and work with her to develop a plan to regulate your cycles. If you are not happy with the treatment, donít just stop it; schedule a follow up visit to discuss other options.
Endometrial cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women and the most commonly diagnosed cancer of the female genital tract in developed countries. It is also one that can be easily treated. There arenít many cancers that can be cured or even prevented but many of the gynecologic cancers can be beaten. Awareness, early detection, and prompt treatment are the keys to beating endometrial cancer.
I hope this article has provided you with information that will help you make wise choices, so you may:
Live healthy, live well and live long! | <urn:uuid:ab13712f-dbc8-4f60-b980-f964c7ae4d9a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art12520.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00540-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945157 | 598 | 2.0625 | 2 |
A question I get asked from time to time is Eric, can I have peanuts in my diet? I’ve got a yeast infection and I’m trying to overcome this yeast infection and I love peanut butter, I love peanuts, are these okay to eat? And why can’t I eat peanuts?
Peanuts are actually listed as one of the most allergenic of all foods. There’s actually a tendency to get an allergy against a peanut quite easily being a hyperallergenic food. The key allergenic foods with rank would be cow’s milk, peanuts, certain types of citrus like oranges and mandarins, you can get allergies toward these quite easily as well. Some people have extreme allergies to shell fish or crustaceans. There are many other foods you can get allergies against, but peanuts and cow’s milk all would rank among the highest.
If you’re trying to get on top of your yeast infection problem, then I recommend that you probably try to avoid peanuts and peanut butter as much as you can. Peanuts, actually, are not really nuts. They grow underground. They’re legumes. They’re very prone to various molds, and they produce this particular mycotoxin called aflatoxin. It’s a toxin produced by the mold that actually can live on peanuts. Aflatoxins cause a huge amount of liver cancer in many countries like China and Kenya where large amounts of peanuts are consumed. If you’re trying to get a strong immune system going and fight this Candida, you really want to avoid peanuts and peanut butter.
They’re part of my “no-go” foods in my low allergy component of my Candida Crusher diet. Do avoid peanuts whether you think you’re allergic to them or not. There could well be a link between them and lowered immune response, which is the last thing you want if you’ve got a yeast infection. You want a strong immune response. Try to avoid peanuts and peanut butter for that reason.
Hope that answers that frequently asked question. Thank you. | <urn:uuid:aa1298da-e9ae-42fc-b34c-ed364b472710> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.candidacrusher.com/is-peanuts-okay-on-candida-diet.html | 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 | 0.960994 | 443 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Juss., Gen. Pl.: 61. 4 Aug 1789.
Native species of the three genera of the Musaceae, Musa (35 species), Musella (1 species), and Ensete (7 species), are restricted to the paleotropics of Africa, eastern Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific. However, all genera, especially Musa, have been extensively cultivated and hybridized for thousands of years and are now distributed around the world. The spirally arranged leaves, separate male and female flowers, and pulpy fruits distinguish the members of the Musaceae from other Zingiberales. The commercial importance of bananas has always focused attention on this family, especially the edible hybrids of Musa. In addition species of Musa (M. acuminata, M. velutina, M. coccinea, and M. ornata), Musella (M. lasiocarpa), and Ensete (E. ventricosum) are cultivated as ornamentals. The family name commemorates Antonius Musa, physician to the first Roman emperor Octavius Augustus. | <urn:uuid:2a7ee8f3-455a-4026-ba93-1bca69de4c9c> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://botany.si.edu/Zingiberales/families/familypage.cfm?myfamily=Musaceae | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719566.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00261-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.886101 | 228 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Amish life in the modern world
As time has passed, the Amish have felt pressures from the modern world. Their traditional rural way of life is becoming more and more different from modern society. Isolated groups of Amish population may have genetic disorders and other problems of closed communities. Amish make decisions on health, education and relationships based on their Biblical beliefs. Amish life has influenced some things in popular culture.
The Amish do not educate their children past the eighth grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered up to that point is sufficient to prepare one for the Amish lifestyle. Almost no Amish go to high school, much less to college. In many communities, the Amish operate their own schools, which are typically one-room schoolhouses with teachers (young unmarried women) from the Amish community. These schools provide education in many crafts, and are therefore eligible as vocational education, fulfilling the nationwide requirement of education through the 10th grade or its equivalent.
There are Amish children who go to non-Amish public schools, even schools that are far away and that include a very small Amish population. For instance, there have been some Amish children who have attended Leesburg Elementary School in Leesburg, Indiana (about 12 mi (19 km) from Nappanee, Indiana), because their families lived on the edge of the school district. In the past, there have been major conflicts between the Amish and outsiders over these matters of local schooling. But for the most part, they have been resolved, and the educational authorities allow the Amish to educate their children in their own ways.
Sometimes, there are conflicts between the state-mandated minimum age for discontinuing schooling, and the younger age of children who have completed the eighth grade. This is often handled by having the children repeat the eighth grade until they are old enough to leave school. In the past, in comparisons of standardized test scores of Amish students, the Amish have performed above the national average for rural public school pupils in spelling, word usage, and arithmetic. They performed below the national average, however, in vocabulary.
On May 19, 1972, Jonas Yoder and Wallace Miller of the Old Order Amish, and Adin Yutzy of the Conservative Amish Mennonite Church, were each fined $5 for refusing to send their children, aged 14 and 15, to high school. In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the conviction, and the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed this, finding the benefits of universal education do not justify a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
The decision of the U.S. Supreme Court quoted sociology professor John A. Hostetler (1918–2001), who was born into an Amish family, wrote several books about the Amish, Hutterites, and Old Order Mennonites, and was then considered the foremost academic authority on the Amish. Donald Kraybill, Distinguished College Professor and Senior Fellow in the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, is one of the most active scholars studying the Amish today.
Use of modern technology
The Older Order Amish are known for their avoidance of certain modern technologies. Amish do not view technology as evil, and individuals may petition for acceptance of a particular technology in the local community. In Pennsylvania, bishops meet in the spring and fall to discuss common concerns, including the appropriate response to new technology, and then pass this information on to ministers and deacons in a subsequent meeting. Because of this flat governing structure, variations of practice develop in each community.
High voltage electricity was rejected by 1920 through the actions of a strict bishop, as a reaction against more liberal Amish and to avoid a physical connection to the outside world. Because of the early prohibition of electricity, individual decisions about the use of new inventions such as the television would not be necessary. Electricity is used in some situations when it can be produced without access to outside power lines. Batteries, with their limited applications, are sometimes acceptable. Electric generators may be used for welding, recharging batteries, and powering milk stirrers in many communities. Outdoor electrical appliances such as riding and hand-pushed lawn mowers and string trimmers are used in some communities. Some Amish families have non-electric versions of appliances, such as kerosene-powered refrigerators. Some Old Order Amish districts may allow the use of thermal solar panels.
Amish communities adopt compromise solutions involving technology that seem strange to outsiders. Petrol-powered farm equipment, such as tillers or mowers, may be pushed by a human or pulled by a horse. The reasoning is that Amish farmers will not be tempted to purchase more land to out-compete other farmers in their community, if they have to move the equipment manually. Amish farmers employ chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and artificial insemination of cows.
The Ordnung is the guide to community standards, rather than doctrine that defines sin. For example, the four Old Order Amish communities of Allen County, Indiana, are more conservative than most; they use open buggies, even during the winter, and they wear black leather shoes even in the hot summer.
Restrictions are not meant to impose suffering. Disabled people are allowed to use motorized wheelchairs; electricity is allowed in the home for medical equipment. Those who break the rules may be given many months to resolve the problem so that they can use a computer to complete a business project or remove electric wiring from a new house.
Although most Amish will not drive cars, they will hire drivers and vans, for example, for visiting family, monthly grocery shopping, or commuting to the workplace off the farm, though this too is subject to local regulation and variation. The practice increases the geographic reach of the Amish, and decreases isolation: a horse can travel only about 25 miles (40 km), and it must rest for a considerable period, restricting the Amish to a radius of 12.5 miles (20.1 km) from home. Moreover, a horse and buggy can only sustain 10 mph (16 km/h) over an extended distance, and thus is impractical for emergencies. Regular bus service between Amish communities has been established in some areas, and train travel is accepted.
The Old Order Amish tend to restrict telephone use, as it is viewed by some as interfering with separation from the world. By bringing the outside world into the home, it is an intrusion into the privacy and sanctity of the family, and interferes with social community by eliminating face-to-face communication. Amish of Lancaster County use the telephone primarily for outgoing calls, with the added restriction that the telephone not be inside the house, but rather in a phone "booth" or small out-building placed far enough from the house as to make its use inconvenient. These private phones may be shared by more than one family. This allows the Amish to control their communication, and not have telephone calls invade their homes, but also to conduct business, as needed. In the past, the use of public pay phones in town for such calls was more common; today, with dwindling availability of pay phones because of increased cell phone use by the non-Amish population, Amish communities are seeing an increase in the private phone shanties. Many Amish, particularly those who run businesses, use voicemail service. The Amish will also use trusted "English" neighbors as contact points for passing on family emergency messages. Some New Order Amish will use cellphones and pagers, but most Old Order Amish will not.
Use of technology by different Amish affiliations
There are many restrictions on technology that are more or less universal among the Old Order Amish, as the ban on cars as well as the ban on radio, television and in most cases the use of the internet, see above. Concerning farm and home technology, there are quite some differences between different Amish affiliation, as the table below indicates.
The three affiliations: "Lancaster", "Holmes Old Order", and "Elkhart-LaGrange" are not only the three largest affiliations, they also represent the mainstream among the Old Order Amish. The most conservative affiliations are above, the most modern ones below. Technologies used by very few are on the left, the ones used by most are on the right. The percentage of all Amish, who use a technology is also indicated approximately.
|Affiliation||Tractor for fieldwork||Roto- tiller||Power lawn mower||Propane gas||Bulk milk tank||Mecha- nical milker||Mecha- nical refri- gerator||Pickup balers||Inside flush toilet||Running water bath tub||Tractor for belt power||Pneumatic tools||Chain saw||Pres- surized lamps||Motorized washing machines|
|Percentage of use
by all Amish
|Holmes Old Order||No||Some||Some||No*||No||No||Some||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|New Order Non-electric||No||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
* Natural gas allowed
Relations with the outside world
As time has passed, the Amish have felt pressures from the modern world. Child labor laws, for example, are threatening their long-established ways of life, and raise questions regarding the treatment of children in an Amish household, and also in the way the Amish view emotional and medical support. A modern society places little emphasis on the emotional and spiritual bonds found in an Amish household that bind them together as a people. There is instead a negative perception regarding how the Amish choose to view some medical conditions as being 'The Will of God', without always receiving modern medical treatment found in hospitals or medical clinics; however, many Amish communities maintain communal telephones to reach others in cases of emergency. Amish children often follow in their faith's long-standing tradition of being taught at an early age to work jobs in the home on the family's land or that of the community. Children are taught the traditions of their parents or immediate family until adolescence, when they are able to go into the world and compare their family's teachings with those of the world through rumspringa. Viewed as a respectful and enduring group, the Amish still spark controversy in modern society relating to their methods of raising young children, which vary greatly from the non-Amish.
Contrary to popular belief, some of the Amish vote, and they have been courted by national parties as potential swing voters: while their pacifism and social conscience cause some of them to be drawn to left-of-center politics, their generally conservative outlook causes many to favor the right wing.
They are nonresistant, and rarely defend themselves physically or even in court; in wartime, they take conscientious objector status. Their own folk-history contains tales of heroic nonresistance, such as the insistence of Jacob Hochstetler (1704–1775) that his sons stop shooting at hostile Indians, who proceeded to kill some of the family and take others captive. During World War II the Amish entered Civilian Public Service.
Amish rely on their church and community for support, and thus reject the concept of insurance. An example of such support is barn raising, in which the entire community gathers together to build a barn in a single day. Such an event brings together family and friends to celebrate and bond.
In 1961, the United States Internal Revenue Service announced that since the Amish refuse Social Security benefits and have a religious objection to insurance, they need not pay these taxes. In 1965, this policy was codified into law. Self-employed individuals in certain sects do not pay into, nor receive benefits from, United States Social Security, nor do their similarly exempt employees. Internal Revenue Service form 4029 grants this exemption to members of a religious group that is conscientiously opposed to accepting benefits of any private or public insurance, provides a reasonable level of living for its dependent members and has existed continuously since December 31, 1950. A visible sign of the care Amish provide for the elderly are the smaller Grossdaadi Heiser or Daadiheiser ("grandfather houses"), often built near the main dwelling. Amish employees of non-Amish employers are taxed, but they do not apply for benefits. Aside from Social Security and workers' compensation, American Amish pay all required taxes.
At least one group of Amish farmers in Lancaster County Pennsylvania has formed a cooperative engaged in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) agreements with non-Amish families. Working through the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative this group of Amish farmers provide organic vegetables to CSA groups in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, including New York. This interaction has resulted in annual dinners where non-Amish CSA members are hosted at the farms of their Amish providers.
The Amish have, on occasion, encountered discrimination and hostility from their neighbors. During the two 20th-century World Wars, Amish nonresistance sparked many incidents of harassment, and young Amish men forcibly inducted into the services were subjected to various forms of ill treatment. In the present day, anti-Amish sentiment has taken the form of pelting the horse-drawn carriages used by the Amish with stones or similar objects as the carriages pass along a road, most commonly at night. A 1988, made-for-TV film, A Stoning In Fulham County, is based on a true story involving one such incident, in which a six-month-old Amish girl was struck in the head by a rock and died from her injuries. In 1997, Mary Kuepfer, a young Amish woman in Milverton, Ontario, Canada, was struck in the face by a beer bottle believed to have been thrown from a passing car. She required thousands of dollars' worth of surgery to her face; this was paid for by an outpouring of donations from the public.
Crimes against Amish
Amish people are more likely to die in traffic accidents when modern vehicles driven by non-Amish collide with the slower Amish buggies. In Pennsylvania between 2003 and 2013 over 600 buggy accidents took place. Non-resistance has led violent perpetrators to take advantage of Amish as in the case of the West Nickel Mines School shooting. Kidnapping by non-Amish is also a common crime against Amish youth.
- Dewalt, Mark W (April 10, 2001). "Amish Schools in the United States and Canada — Abstract". Education Resources Information Center.
- Ediger, Marlow (1992). "Reading in Old Order Amish Schools — Abstract". Education Resources Information Center.
- Hostetler 1993, p. 188.
- Kraybill 2001, pp. 98–101.
- The Peachey group split from the Old Order Amish in 1910 and eventually became affiliated with the Beachy Amish
- Kraybill 2001, pp. 197–212.
- Kraybill 2001, p. 313.
- Kraybill 2001, pp. 114–115.
- Kraybill 2001, p. 136.
- "'Knowledge discovery' could speed creation of new products". Purdue University.
- See, for example, [Dan Morse "Still Called by Faith to the Booth: As Pay Phones Vanish, Amish and Mennonites Build Their Own"], The Washington Post, September 3, 2006, p. C1; see also Diane Zimmerman Umble's work on the subject of the Amish and telephones
- Kraybill, Donald Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits, Baltimore:Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004
- Howard Rheingold (January 1999). "Look Who's Talking". Wired.
- "Amish Technology Use in Different Groups" at http://amishamerica.com
- "GOP courts Amish votes in swing states". Associated Press. 2004. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- Nieves, Evelyn (30 December 2004). "GOP's Soft Sell Swayed the Amish". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- Compston-Strough, Jennifer (2 November 2008). "Amish Looking Upward". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- Nolt, pp. 66–67
- U.S. Code collection
- "Application for Exemption From Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- Kraybill 2001, p. 279.
- Kraybill 2001, p. 273.
- Lancaster Farm Fresh
- Report on farm picnic at Healthy Harvest Organics
- Iseman, David (18 May 1988). "Trumbull probes attack on woman, Amish buggy". The Vindicator. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- "Stone Amish". Painesville Telegraph. 12 September 1949. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- "State Police Arrest 25 Boys in Rural Areas". The Vindicator. 25 October 1958. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- "Amish girl hit with beer bottle". Nald.ca. | <urn:uuid:d8218e4e-3d8b-446e-a486-97a8163e8262> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_life_in_the_modern_world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00550-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922451 | 3,610 | 2.78125 | 3 |
You may well have heard of this book. It was first published in 1990, and seems to have been through various incarnations since. I have been reading the version published in the UK in 1991 by Robson Books.
Andre Bernard is the compiler, or editor, and he seems to have been a leading light in the Pushcart Press, Rotten Rejections' original publisher. The book's subtitle is The Letters That Publishers Wish They'd Never Sent. In other words, it largely consists of extracts from letters written by publishers -- letters which not only reject, but in many cases are also highly critical of, books which subsequently went on to become literary classics or enormous bestsellers.
In his introduction, Bernard thanks 'the brave editors who admitted their mistakes and contributed letters... and the few writers who admitted they had ever been rejected and produced the document or the memory.' So Bernard evidently did a trawl and asked people in the book world for examples of book rejections which later proved to be a mistake.
But were they really mistakes? You know, this book is generally spoken of as if it proved, beyond reasonable doubt, that all publishers are fools who couldn't recognise a bestseller if it came with two years of sales figures attached. Indeed, I may, in moments of stress, have given that general impression myself.
In my calmer moments, however, I take leave to doubt whether that is so.
In the first place, there are often good reasons for a publisher to reject a book which goes on to be a huge success when published by another firm. The book may be excellent of its kind, but not something that the publisher wishes to deal with. As for one of his own 'mistakes', rejecting John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces, Bernard says that he would do it again. So would I.
Then there's the comment on Call It Sleep, by Henry Roth. Leave aside, for the moment, the fact that I have barely heard of Henry Roth, and I doubt that you are much better informed either, but the comment is as follows: 'As a practical commercial venture I am against it.' Which seems to me to be an example of very sound judgement indeed. Especially when you look up Roth on the internet, and find that his book was originally published in the 1930s, and his publisher went bankrupt.
Then there's an American publisher's take on The New Men, by C.P. Snow. 'It's polite, literate, plodding, sententious narrative of considerable competence but not a trace of talent or individuality;.... Real dull stuff for us Americans. The values in it are so bloody sanctimonious English that I found it hard to take.'
Which strikes me as an excellent summary, and really rather far-sighted. (It must have come, I think, from the 1960s.)
All in all then, this book is not the source of justified sniggering and finger-pointing that it is often thought to be. But it's an interesting enough read if you can find a cheap secondhand copy somewhere. | <urn:uuid:56bc728f-0dd6-47ec-9c2e-e6c624950f2f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://grumpyoldbookman.blogspot.com/2005/12/andre-bernard-rotten-rejections.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00279-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979432 | 634 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The CIA is providing intelligence support to the foreign - backed militants in Syria in an attempt to beef them up against the government of President Bashar al - Assad, a report says.Citing unnamed and former US officials,The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the CIA has dispatched its officers to Turkey, to help vet the militants who receive arms supplies from Persian Gulf Arab states. The CIA is also in cahoots with British, French and Jordanian intelligence services to train the militants how to use different types of weaponry, the report said. The news comes as a new binational YouGov-Cambridge poll indicates that the American and British public are against any foreign military intervention in Syria aimed at overthrowing the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, the EU states are also deeply divided on providing military support to the militants in Syria with two of the bloc’s recent meeting ending in no concrete result on the issue. The militants in Syria have resorted to the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in their fight against the Assad government. At least 25 people were killed and many others injured after militants fired a rocket containing poisonous gas into Khan al-Assal village near Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on March 19. The deadly attack came hours after Syria's opposition coalition picked Ghassan Hitto, a naturalized American citizen, as the prime minister of the so-called opposition interim government. | <urn:uuid:99fd8de0-a923-4158-9bfd-702d3954b552> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.muslimpress.com/Section-world-news-16/74069-cia-provides-intelligence-to-militants-in-syria-report | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285315.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00570-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964741 | 284 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Did you ever track your height growing up? Did you stand against a wall while your parents marked your height with a pencil, recording the date next to it? If you keep an active lifestyle, do you have a notebook in which you record all of your workout routines? This morning, did you get on the scale and weigh yourself before going to work?
From diaries to workout logs and everything in between, humans have a penchant for measuring and analyzing different aspects of their lives. This drive to measure the self has crystallized over the past ten years into a “Quantified Self” movement. This small, but rapidly growing community is using emergent technologies to define an exciting new “Science of Self”, ranging from happiness tracking to the contents of one’s gut flora.
“Quantified Self is the technique and technology that allows you to collect data about yourself and learn from it, and the QS community is the group that allows you to share that knowledge,” says Mark Moschel, co-organizer of The Chicago Quantified Self Meetup Group.
The group has over 450 listed members, and individuals meet on a monthly basis to present and discuss experiments, techniques and data that they have measured from themselves. Moschel, for example, recorded a “happiness score” every day for two years, and found that his happiness ratings were lowest on days when he had to travel for work.
Another QS member started tracking the quality of his sleep using a Basis Band, a wristband with a built-in accelerometer that infers whether you are in light or deep sleep depending on how much you move in bed. By testing different strategies like going to bed early and cutting out caffeine, the presenter was able to optimize the quality of his sleep so he could be more awake during the day. Despite the differences between Quantified Self and academic research – the most obvious being that the experimenter is also the only subject - the QS community represents a new breed of “civilian scientists”, seeking to integrate the scientific method into their day-to-day lives in the interest of personal growth.
Although the notion of personal recordkeeping has been around for centuries, the QS movement originally began in the late 2000s when a small group of tech entrepreneurs in San Francisco met to discuss the recent emergence of tracking technology and how they can use technology to increase their productivity and performance. They were the first bona-fide “biohackers” – those who sought to use science, technology and medicine to maximize their own abilities – but in order for people to improve on their abilities, they first had to conceive ways of measuring them. Thus, the Quantified Self movement was born.
Current technologies now allow curious QSers to track a wide variety of variables. The most popular devices are fitness trackers that act as pedometers and heart rate monitors, like the Fitbit, Nike+ Fuelband SE and Jawbone wristbands. There are even independent laboratory companies who will look for nutrient deficits in your blood (WellnessFX), chart the kinds of bacteria living in your gut (uBiome), or screen your DNA for genetic mutations (23andme).
But someone who is new to QS need not spend hundreds of dollars on fancy machinery or laboratory tests. Smartphone app stores are replete with sleep (Sleep Cycle), diet (MyPlate) and productivity (The Pomodoro Technique) trackers. RescueTime is a free browser add-on that tracks how much time you spend (or waste) on email and other websites. Lastly, the Quantified Mind website features a variety of cognitive tasks that people can use to measure their own attention and mental capacity, and even suggests experiments that you can conduct on yourself.
While the QS community has significantly shaped the development of emerging QS technology (having crowdfunded the development of more sophisticated tracking apps such as the Lumafit, Moschel thinks that the QS movement has gained enough momentum to allow new technologies to be developed in parallel as the community grows.
“One thing that the QS community is able to do is create demand for specific niches that are becoming popular,” he says. “When you hear about someone tracking sleep in a creative way, that creates demand, and demand leads to new products.”
That demand is now being extended to the medical community. Specialized tracking programs are now being developed for people with disorders like Parkinson’s disease to ensure they meet daily recommendations for activity and exercise. Self-tracking one’s progress when it comes to rehabilitation confers a bonus advantage; as the subject observes the data being tracked, he becomes invested in the outcome of the data and is thus more likely to comply with prescribed treatments. Benefits are seen immediately, and can be used as positive reinforcement.
But is it useful or dangerous for QSers to measure or conduct experiments on themselves without being scientifically trained? Tracking your weight is a harmless endeavor, but what if you’re trying to boost your memory with smart drugs, or measuring something as nuanced as “happiness”?
While it is imperative for academic science to be generalizable to the population in order to benefit mankind, self-measurement is done on the self, for the benefit of the self. While this decreases the overall risk, this also leads to the greatest flaw of the QS movement: one’s measurements can be entirely subjective, and therefore prone to bias, placebo effects, and misinterpretation.
Moschel says that it really depends on your goals and the measurement tools you’re using.
“[Many QSers] don’t care so much about the technique behind it so much as the outcome,” he says. “They want to find out, ‘Do I feel better?’ From a scientific perspective, that might be frustrating, because it’s so inexact. But, from a personal level, if you think you are feeling better, than it’s meaningful.”
This perspective is not unique to the field of Quantified Self, but hearkens back to the ethical debates surrounding the use of placebo effects in Western medicine.
Despite these issues (or perhaps in response to them), the increased demand for more sensitive and diverse tracking tools has spawned numerous start-up companies, as well as a Quantified Self Institute in the Netherlands, which specializes in developing tracking technology. Eager experimenters can now check out the latest developments at one of the two Quantified Self conferences held every year, one in Amsterdam and one in San Francisco. For the more casual tracker, Lifehacker is an endless repository for the latest and greatest in productivity, and fitness tracking apps for your phone or computer.
With innovative technologies being created at such a rapid pace, where might Quantified Self technology end up next? With the development of wearable trackers embedded in clothing, such as Google Glass or Athos, fitness wristband trackers like the Nike+ Fuelband SE may already be passé. But it’s clear that so long as we continue to measure everything around us, as humans are wont to do, the QS movement will continue to flourish. And perhaps, when you have kids, you won’t have to track their height with a pencil – a Smart Wall will do that for them. | <urn:uuid:e6fd05b6-0ef3-448e-8784-2e4ac7f79ea4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://helix.northwestern.edu/article/quantified-self | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285315.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00574-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957842 | 1,519 | 2.328125 | 2 |
PITTSBURGH — Nearly 59 million Americans adults are obese, and half of all U.S. deaths are linked to physical inactivity and tobacco smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To battle the obesity epidemic, the YMCA of the USA launched the Activate America campaign to build healthy communities one person at a time.
Fourteen U.S. cities are launching community-wide pilot programs, but the more than 2,500 YMCAs will eventually bring together government, businesses, not-for-profits, schools and media to identify ways communities can lead healthier lifestyles. John Cardone, vice president of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, says his city plans to target three areas — smoking, youth and teens, and active older adults — in its Activate Pittsburgh initiative. Nearly a quarter of all the Pittsburgh residents reported that they didn't participate in any physical activity in the last month, and the city ranked as the 11th most obese in the nation. He said there's a lot of misconceptions about exercise.
“Some people think they have to go run a marathon rather than cutting the grass for 30 minutes,” Cardone said. “They don't realize that it's not as hard as they make it out to be.”
To win the battle against weight gain and poor health, the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh partnered with Highmark, UPMC Health System, University of Pittsburgh Center for Minority Health, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and PNC Financial Corp. to launch the wellness campaign. The YMCA invited 100 children from its After School programs to participate in yoga classes, football training exercises, and healthy food races during the kickoff event in late March at the Pittsburgh Steelers practice facility.
The organizers plan to develop a series of health and wellness programs in local schools, churches and community centers and work with local restaurants, grocery stores and senior centers to increase healthy food choices. They also plan to make physical education more available in the city's schools. Eric Mann, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, said the epidemic of unhealthy living is a community problem that deserves a community solution.
“Pittsburgh is facing a public health emergency because we have become so inactive,” Mann said. “The rates of obesity and the chronic diseases associated with it are soaring throughout the region, and it's not only hurting our health, but our children as well.”
The YMCA of Dallas is also encouraging its residents to “get a move on” by exercising at least 30 minutes a day. Laura Miller, mayor of Dallas, and Gordon Echtenkamp, president/CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, recently launched the city-wide Activate America fitness initiative and awareness campaign. The Get a Move On program will encourage local companies to develop and support their own wellness programs, maintain a Web site that lists a calendar of current events and support city-wide runs and walks. | <urn:uuid:2669781e-be38-4374-9e3d-afccecf80335> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://clubindustry.com/print/news/fitness_ymca_launches_wellness | 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 | 0.961408 | 609 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Late Registration Fee has increased for the 2013-14 academic year. This fee is assessed to any student who initiates their initial registration on or after the first day of the term (i.e., those students who have not registered for ANY courses, and who then do so on or after the start of the term). It will not be assessed to students who make changes (e.g., Adds/Drops/Swaps) to their registration.
This change in the fee structure may have an impact on students. If you know students who, for one reason or another, normally register after classes have begun, please encourage them to register before Monday, August 26 to avoid the financial penalty. The fee is as follows:
- Late 1-5 Days: $30.00
- Late 6-10 Days: $60.00
- Late Day 11 or Beyond: $100.00
The Late Registration Fee is not a new fee; it is one that has been in place for many years. Historically, it has been a flat fee of $20.00, but this year it was raised because the Board of Regents, State of Iowa requested that the three Regents institutions bring fees which were of common intent to similar amounts. In the case of ISU and UNI, it was necessary to adopt the Late Registration Fee structure used by the UofI.
The goal of this fee is to encourage having students register early, so that enrollment counts, tuition assessment, class enrollments, etc. are as complete and accurate as possible by an earlier date. Additionally, having students enrolled at an earlier date increases their likelihood of their persistence and retention, which are important contributors to their progress toward degree. | <urn:uuid:dcad0c12-c917-4d7f-a360-a09ec7c617d6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://uni.edu/registrar/story/increases-late-registration-fee?page=0%2C1 | 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 | 0.975283 | 349 | 1.617188 | 2 |
It’s part of our nature to want to know the future.
Whether we realize it or not, almost every decision we make is based on a prediction about future events.
Experience has taught us, for example, that if it’s the month of December and you see frost on the ground, you’ll need a jacket because it'll feel cold outside.
Sounds obvious, right? But this is actually the same framework that some of the world’s most sophisticated algorithms use.
You see, the process of making predictions boils down to three primary components: collect data, organize it, then use it for making future decisions.
"The process of making predictions boils down to three primary components: collect data, organize it, then use it for making future decisions."
In the back of your mind, you’ve stored logged memories of seeing frost on the ground during the month of December and feeling cold as you walk outside. It’s through this model that you’ll be able to predict what it will feel like today despite not yet having stepped outside.
The world of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence is all about using computers to imitate this process of decision making. Models are trained based on past events, then used to predict the future.
The good news is you can take advantage of this technology without needing a PhD in Computer Science. In fact, I’ll be walking you through how to predict foot traffic with little more than a spreadsheet and some simple demand forecasting.
Get the spreadsheet to follow along!
Get your own free copy of the forecast template so you can follow along as you read this tutorial.Get your copy
"You can take advantage of this technology without needing a PhD in Computer Science."
Step 1: Collect the data
Step one in building your forecast is data collection, and the most important part is making sure your data is clean and consistent.
In the case of foot traffic, your options range from keeping a manual log to automated systems like a door sensor or cameras with built in image analysis. With whatever option you choose, you just want to avoid gaps in your data.
Our template will contain three separate columns: the date, the weekday in the form of a number, and your customer count for the day.
Computers prefer numbers over text, so you always want to map text-based categories to a number.
Step 2: Organize the data
Now that we’ve established our process for collecting data, we’ll need to organize it in a way that can be used for future predictions.
We can start to build our forecast by creating a scatter plot of our data. Luckily for us, most spreadsheet programs have this as a built-in function. Just select your Day of Week and Customer Count columns, find the Insert tab/drop-down, then select Scatter Plot from the chart section.
Your result will look something like this:
Now it’s time to fit an estimator to your data. This process involves finding out what path you’d need to take in order to draw a line that minimizes the cumulative distance between the line and each dot on your plot.
There are numerous theories and approaches to drawing this line. In the interest of time, I won’t be going into those details. For this example, we’ll be using a polynomial regression in light of the fact that we have one input (day of week) and a dynamic output (customer counts).
Most spreadsheet programs have built-in features that will calculate and draw the line for you. This is often as simple as right clicking on your chart and selecting “add trend line.” From there you can configure your options for fitting the data.
And voila, you have your model:
Step 3: Time to deploy!
Up to this point you’ve done little more than create a spreadsheet that would make your colleagues think you’re smart were they to walk by your computer.
You need to make the data actionable.
Behind that fancy line of yours is an equation. It’s through that equation that you can enter a value for the x-axis, and find where you should end up on the y-axis.
For example if I were to plug the number 2 into the equation, the result will be ~160. If I used 4, it’d be ~145.
It’s going to be through this equation that we’re able to make predictions about the future.
On a separate page in our spreadsheet, we can use some special formatting to give us dynamic forecasts about the week ahead based on our log.
For this particular use-case, it’s a good idea to put a cap on your forecast’s memory. Reason being, you don’t want customer counts from too far back to impact your predictions on the week ahead. As would be my recommendation, the template included with this post automatically updates its polynomial equation based on the previous 4-weeks.
Now that you have the know-how, it’s time to think outside the box.
Interested in monthly demand for moisturizers based on sales from the past 12 months? Is there a time of day when foot traffic calls for more or less staff?
In order to start predicting the future, all you need to do is collect data, organize your model and deploy it into action.
This article was authored by Zach Newman, Founder of facetrack.io. | <urn:uuid:ef6088c0-ade0-45c1-bfdd-aef789e40afb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.shopify.in/retail/retail-forecasting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571536.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811224716-20220812014716-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.927606 | 1,149 | 3.03125 | 3 |
A mountaineer stumbled upon a treasure trove of jewels on a glacier off France's Mont Blanc in 2013.
The precious gems are believed to have belonged to a passenger who died in a plane crash.
Local authorities have agreed, after eight years, to share the jewels with the man who found them.
A mountain climber who discovered a metal box filled with precious gems, buried for decades on a glacier off France's Mont Blanc, has been rewarded a share of the treasure eight years after he found it, France 24 reported.
The mountaineer discovered the collection of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires in 2013 after seeing something poking out of the snow and ice near the French-Swiss border, The Guardian reported.
He found a box with "Made in India" inscribed on it that contained about 100 stones, the media outlet said. It's believed to have belonged to a passenger killed in one of two Air India flights that crashed in 1950 and 1966 near Mont Blanc, The Guardian reported in 2013.
The man carried the treasure to a local police station, reports said, but had to wait years to find out if he would be rewarded for his honesty.
On Saturday, Eric Fournier, Chamonix's mayor, told the Agence France-Presse that the mountaineer had shown "integrity," and he announced that "the stones have been shared this week."
The treasure has been split into two equal lots, France 24 reported. Both the man and local authorities are set to receive a set of gems to the value of 150,000 euros ($169,000), the media outlet said.
Fournier told AFP that he was "very happy" that a decision had been reached.
In 2017, a man found human remains in Chamonix believed to have been from passengers on one of the Air India flights.
Read the original article on Insider | <urn:uuid:b319ee86-bdf9-4a49-af8c-aee1c58dd5a7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://autos.yahoo.com/mountaineer-found-trove-rubies-emeralds-162754804.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572192.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815145459-20220815175459-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.969036 | 391 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Backtrack 3 Final does not include the utility formerly known as "set ip address" in BT2. This handy utility could easily configure Ethernet network card eth0. To remedy this problem, I just made a little script that I give you: Backtrack Network Manager.
First, download Backtrack Network Manager:
-Backtrack Network Manager (in french)
-Backtrack Network Manager (in english)
Ok, so here is a little explanation about how to use this tool and what it can do:
It's a shell script, so you must make it executable, right click on it (the script is called network.sh), properties, permissions, "is executable", yes. Now that the script is executable, you can put it in /usr/bin, so you can use it in a shell, wherever you are. Open a shell and:
All you have to do is select your option, and enter the informations asked, the script will configure your eth0 card for you.Code:network.sh
Here is the menu:
The script allows:
- Activate/desactivate eth0
- Display eth0 informations
- Set ip address, subnet mask and gateway for eth0
- Configure the dns server for eth0
- Activate the dhcp for eth0
- Test the network with a ping
Everything is almost automatic.
You can find more details about the script here: Backtrack Network Manager little how to (in french). You can use the translation tools available for free on the net to translate that.
Of course, the script is very simple and can be improved, but it is already a functional basis, which I hope, can help | <urn:uuid:7593a7f7-c06f-458b-8fec-3e1baf426622> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.backtrack-linux.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13367&mode=hybrid | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00218-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.871834 | 350 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Reinventing the Bicycle in Beijing
Beijing's streets are littered with skeletons. Corralled into the shadows between intermittent streetlights, or laid bare on the pyres of public refuse, they shrink from the high-beam gaze of the lumbering Audis struggling through narrow lanes. They are the remnants of a previous age: the Kingdom of the Bicycle.
With the highest household vehicle ownership in China, and ever-expanding ring roads encircling the city, the once mighty bicycle is no longer the status symbol it once was. Instead, now many urbanites profess that they would rather cry in a BMW than smile on the back of a bike, a sentiment that is hard to overcome amongst China's rapidly expanding middle class.
But, thanks to the efforts of a growing community of cycling enthusiasts, new flocks of bikes are taking to the streets, and public perceptions are shifting.
Ines Brunn, founder of the Natooke bicycle store in Beijing's Andingmen district, has dedicated the past decade to revitalizing the bicycle. Upon moving permanently to the Chinese capital in 2004, Brunn became increasingly dismayed to see the steady dwindling of everyday cyclists and began to work with environmental NGOs and other concerned citizens to restore a quickly decaying cycling culture.
It soon became clear, however, that to save the bicycle, Brunn and others would have to combat rapidly shifting consumer tastes. As China's middle class swelled to hundreds of millions, it brought with it a new consumer culture that relegated cycling as a symbol of poverty. This represented a marked shift from the days, mere decades earlier, when the bicycle, along with the sewing machine, radio and wristwatch, was one of the "four big things": the ultimate status symbols for reform era consumers.
But in a sign of the changing times, the percentage of the population nationwide using bikes as their primary mode of transport dropped at an annual rate of 2 to 5 percent between 1990 and 2010, while car ownership skyrocketed from 5.5 million to over 70 million, according China's National Statistic Yearbook. In Beijing alone, bicycle use fell from its peak in 1986 at 63 percent to only 13.9 percent in 2013, according to the Beijing Transport Research Center.
"Bikes were discarded everywhere, nobody wanted to cycle: it was a thing that society wanted not to think of anymore. That was the past, the old days."
As Brunn reflects, during those first few years living in China, the simple question of "do you cycle?" had become an unutterable faux-pas: "I figured that out quite quickly and never asked that question again. People were deeply offended by that question, because it meant I was regarding them as if they had no money."
According to David Wang, founder of Bamboo Bicycle Beijing, a common phrase of young people in auto company focus groups was "I can't get married unless I have a car."
"There is so much cultural value attached to car ownership in China, especially in urban China right now, that even if you don't need a car for transportation needs, you need it for social needs," Wang says.
With a background in youth-directed marketing, Wang says that many young Chinese people have turned to brand names and a new DIY trend to find a sense of self. But the ubiquitous Flying Pigeon bike of the past, with its limited palette of dark green or black, was hardly the brand identity that many sought.
For Wang, the solution lay in the forests of Sichuan and the discarded bike frames littering Beijing's hutongs. First experimenting with re-inventing the Flying Pigeons of the past with modern paint-jobs, Wang moved on to designing and building bike frames made of bamboo and carbon fiber. One successful kickstarter campaign and over one hundred bikes later, his workshop in Beijing's Langjia Hutong now attracts young urbanites from around China every weekend to try their hands at bike construction.
"Chinese youth like being empowered through having their hands on stuff. They also want something that expresses their identity. In the 1980s, bikes were much more of a transportation tool, sort of like a mule that you ride to work. Now, people are starting to look at the bike as a form of identity expression."
According to Wang, the bamboo bicycle workshops also foster a sense of community that many young people seek in an increasingly atomized society. The model is spreading across China, with participants inspired to set up their own workshops in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Like Wang, re-framing the bike as a vehicle for individual expression is the cornerstone of Brunn's approach. At her shop, customers are required to select from a cornucopia of parts to build their fixed gear bikes from the ground up. Brunn said attitudes have quickly changed, with over 2,000 bikes built and sold at Natooke since it opened in 2009.
Brunn says that in the beginning people were scared to make the decision of designing their bikes from the ground up, "but now they don't care anymore. Society is already at the stage where they love that kind of individualism: this is mine and looks completely different from yours, because this is mine."
But even with growing appreciation for cycling, urban planning remains oriented towards car ownership. According to Ministry of Public Security statistics, in 2014 Beijing had 63 passenger vehicles per 100 people, almost three times the national average. While city governments across China periodically cap new vehicle numbers, the nation continues to be motorized at break-neck speed. Last year, the Beijing city government announced plans for a new 940-kilometer ring road, adding to the six existing highways that already encircle the capital city.
According to Wang, Beijing and other Chinese cities are increasingly adopting the urban planning principles of the post-WWII North American sprawl, rather than capitalizing on existing bike-friendly infrastructure.
"In terms of the direction that Beijing is going, the roads that are being built aren't including cycling lanes any more, especially the ones that are made for high speed. Because, as Beijing grows and adds more and more rings, it's become less of a priority to develop roads around cycling as it was in the 1970s or '80s."
Regardless, in only a decade, people like Ines Brunn and David Wang have managed to re-frame the discussion around cycling and nurture a social trend that continues to grow. For Beijing's skeletons, maybe it is time to come back into the light.
- 1In Depth: China’s Plan to Break Foreign Iron Ore Dependence — Mine More at Home
- 2Cover Story: Why Southeast Asia Is a Battleground in the Global China-U.S. Rivalry
- 3China Threatens ‘Strong and Resolute Countermeasures’ to Pelosi Taiwan Visit
- 4China Rolls Out Short-Message BeiDou Chip for Smartphones
- 5Beijing Hits Taiwan With Penalties in Wake of Pelosi Visit
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas | <urn:uuid:8d3626e3-8d90-43e2-b43e-dc1f444a13b7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.caixinglobal.com/2015-03-28/reinventing-the-bicycle-in-beijing-101010905.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570793.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808092125-20220808122125-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.967803 | 1,509 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Pololu USB-to-Serial Adapter
The Pololu USB-to-serial adapter is a tiny unit that makes it easy to connect a microcontroller project to a PC. You can connect the adapter directly to a microcontroller without an RS-232-to-TTL level converter. It is USB 2.0-compatible and will work with your existing programs that interface with a serial port.
|Description||Specs (0)||Pictures (2)||Resources (1)||FAQs (0)||On the blog (1)| | <urn:uuid:bf4917d7-c4a6-4b6c-9180-32ff9b61bc4f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pololu.com/product/391/pictures | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.738742 | 116 | 1.851563 | 2 |
India is now well on its way to having an interplanetary presence. The country has successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, a satellite that will search the Martian atmosphere for elusive chemicals like methane. The spacecraft should take about 300 days to reach the Red Planet, but it's relatively cheap at $72 million; the MOM team is saving money by building up speed in Earth's orbit. While the mission faces daunting odds when less than half of all Mars missions have been successful, the potential for prestige is high. India's space agency would be just the fourth to reach the planet -- a symbolic win over countries like China, whose efforts have fallen short. | <urn:uuid:63e4fc57-cbad-4173-b790-dae705983d59> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.engadget.com/2013/11/05/india-launches-its-first-mars-mission/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00345-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948769 | 132 | 2.75 | 3 |
COMMENT by Joy Dunbar, Editor of Absolute UCITS
Even water is bad for you if you have too much of it, but it does not come with a health warning. So it is probably not surprising that all regulated investments aimed at retail customers come with wealth warnings.
What is baffling however is that retail investors are being warned that absolute return UCITS sector that is prone to mis-selling, according to a Fitch Ratings report.
But are absolute return UCITS riskier than other investments? Some investments appear to be riskier than others. Does the apparent perception of extra risk mean that these types of investments should come | <urn:uuid:f27a0fb0-c66e-49df-bc5e-c7218c9d375e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.hedgefundintelligence.com/article/v63zlx79szks/has-the-nanny-state-gone-too-far | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00221-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970102 | 129 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Fred Harvey Quincy. Success in any line of occupation, in any avenue of business, is not a matter of spontaneity, but represents the result of the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling of objective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. Senator Quincy has realized a large and substantial success in the business world, has been given important public office, in which he has served with honor and distinction, and his career has well exemplified the truth of the foregoing statements. He occupies a prominent place in the financial circles of Kansas, is the controlling force in one of its most important banking enterprises, and is one of the distinctively representative men of the state. Progressive and energetic in the management of his various business interests, loyal and public spirited as a citizen, he holds a secure position in the confidence and esteem of the community and has contributed in large measure to the advancement of the City of Salina, in whose still greater commercial and civic prestige he is a firm believer. He is president of the Planters’ State Bank of Salina, president of the Salina Chamber of Commerce, and has been twice elected to the state senate from the Thirty-first District, composed of Saline and Ottawa counties.
Fred Harvey Quincy is a native of Wisconsin and was born in Lancaster, Grant County, December 10, 1857, a son of Benjamin E. and Mary E. (Stone) Quincy, natives of Vermont. His ancestors, paternal and maternal, were among the early settlers of America and numbered among them are men who achieved distinction in the frontier life of those early days, the French and Indian war, the war of the Revolution, and the commercial era which followed, and they have filled many positions of usefulness in the town, state and nation. Underhill, Vermont, was founded by members of the Quincy family during the war for independence and here was born Samuel Quincy, the grandfather of Fred H., and who was a soldier in the War of 1812.
Fred Harvey Quincy secured his early educational discipline in the public schools of Grant County, Wisconsin, and Saline County, Kansas, having removed with his parents to the latter state in 1873. Subsequently he completed a course in the State Normal at Platteville, Wisconsin, and was graduated in Bailey’s Business College, Dubuque, Iowa, in 1876. The succeeding five years he employed in farming, the winter months, however, finding him clerking in Salina. In 1882 he became a grain buyer and established a profitable business in this line. During 1889-90 he served as sheriff of Saline County, having been elected by a flattering majority in 1889. He was the active factor in the promotion and organization of the Salina Cement Plaster Company in 1893, was elected secretary of the company on its incorporation, and later became president and manager. Mills were built in Dickinson and Clay counties, Kansas, and in Hardeman County, Texas. The output of the mills, “Agatite Cement Plaster,” became the standard of quality and the business was a success. In 1902 the company was merged with the American Cement Plaster Company of Lawrence, Kansas. In 1900 Senator Quincy organized the Planters’ State Bank of Salina and was elected president of the institution, and this chief executive office he has since retained. Organized with a capital of $50,000, its business has been of sound and continuous growth. It has at the present writing (1917) a capital of $100,000, and an earned surplus and profits of $50,000, deposits of $1,000,000, and has paid to its stockholders since commencing business dividends exceeding 100 per cent. In the organization, development and administration of the business of the institution Senator Quincy has been the dominant executive and to his progressiveness, energy and resourcefulness is due the strength and high reputation of the organization. He is known in banking circles as an able and discriminating financier and as one who has brought the administrative policy of his bank up to the point of highest efficiency. He is also financially interested in several important commercial enterprises in Salina and has wielded a specially potent influence during the past ten years in the industrial and civic affairs of the city.
To the citizens of the state at large Senator Quincy is best known through his service as a member of the upper house of the Legislature, of which for several years he has been one of the recognized leaders. A lifelong republican, he has been an active force in Saline County since 1889, when he was elected sheriff. In 1904 he was the party’s nominee for state senator from the Thirty-first District, comprising Saline and Ottawa counties, and was elected by a handsome majority, being elected for a second term in 1908. As a member of this body he has been industrious, capable, honest and patriotic. It is probable his most important service to the state has been in connection with financial legislation, for which his experience as a banker eminently qualifies him. He drew, without collaboration, and introduced in the session of 1907 a bill to guarantee the depositors of banks against loss. This was the first measure, based upon mutual insurance, permitting voluntary entry of the banks to its benefits, and providing for assessments based upon the past experience of banking loss, ever presented to a legislature in a measure of this nature. The bill, failing to receive attention of this session, was made the object of the special session called by Governor Hoch in 1908, in which it was defeated. The guaranty of bank deposits was made a political issue in the campaign of 1908 and both parties incorporated it in their platforms. In the session of 1909 the bill became a law and has since been declared constitutional by the United States Supreme Court. During the special session of 1908 Senator Quincy drew and was largely instrumental in having passed Senate Bill No. 33, which provides that all state, municipal, county and township bonds and coupons be payable in Topeka, the state treasurer being the authorized fiscal agent of the state. Previously these payments were made in New York City and various banks and officials derived a profit. Under the present arrangement the saving to the state exceeds $15,000 per annum. In 1906 Senator Quincy was one of a committee of five which included W. R. Stubbs, James Troutman, Arthur Capper and R. N. Allen, which planned the organization of the “Square Deal Republican Club.” This organization secured from candidates and members of the Legislature an expression of their attitude on the anti-pass, two-cent fare, primary election, and assessment of railway property measures then before the people. These several measures were enacted into law during the sessions of 1907-08-09. Senator Quincy was also one of a committee of three appointed by the railway committee of the Senate to draft a bill providing for a public utilities commission, the bill as drawn by them passing in the session of 1911. On becoming a member of the Senate Mr. Quincy was made chairman of the committee on second class cities, which position he has since retained. His committee memberships were: banks and banking, railway, claims and accounts, and taxation. His work in support of the two-cent fare, anti-pass, wheat and corn, maximum freight rates, primary election, and general railway bills was of material assistance in securing their passage. He was also a potential force in securing the enactment of the present tax law. He introduced in the Senate, had charge of, and secured the passage through that body of the so-called “Blue-Sky Law,” one of the most important bills ever enacted into law, and which is effecting a saving of millions of dollars to the investors of capital. He is a firm believer in the principle of true representative government and his record of service is one that the district which elected him can contemplate with pride and satisfaction. Senator Quincy has attained the Knights Templar and Scottish Rite degrees in Masonry, is affiliated with Isis Temple Shrine at Salina, and is treasurer of that body as well as of the local Scottish Rite bodies and Salina Commandery. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the United Commercial Travelers, and a director of the Salina Young Men’s Christian Association. His religious faith is expressed by membership in the Methodist Church, and he has served as a trustee of the Kansas Wesleyan University. On February 6, 1883, Senator Quincy married Miss Fannie, daughter of John Sprague, a native of West Virginia who was a Union soldier in the Civil war and died in service. Senator and Mrs. Quincy are the parents of two daughters: Lula Sprague, the elder, graduated at Ferry Hall, Lake Forest, Illinois, in 1906, as the honor member of her class. She is the wife of Fred I. Walker, assistant cashier of the Planters’ State Bank. Nina, the second child, was also graduated at Ferry Hall, receiving first honors, with the class of 1907. Mrs. Quincy is a woman of broad culture and refinement. Senator Quincy is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unassuming American, diligent in his public duties and commercial affairs and conscientious in all things. | <urn:uuid:c12ccafa-7b73-40cd-be3f-c7aece72a770> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://accessgenealogy.com/kansas/biography-of-fred-harvey-quincy.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.985073 | 1,883 | 2.125 | 2 |
The 1st issue you have about a 1Life improve can be if it is good for you. If you want to borrow money through a bank but wear bad credit, you might be able to be entitled to funding on this bank. Thankfully the 1Life does participate in economic assessments at their prospects. Additionally they carry out dependable applying for exams. How much money you could borrow is perfectly up to £five hundred,000. With a 1Life advance, you could borrow around £500,000 and possess the funds in a couple of hours.
The 1Life progress supplies a adjustable payment development and initiate cut-throat arranged rates. To other financial institutions, 1life lending options are secure and begin lower. Contrary to some other credit, that can be done on the web and go with a transportable transaction phrase between your twelve and start 80 several weeks. The settlement years will be variable, from twelve if you wish to seventy a few months, and you’ll choose a regular instalment that fits the financial institution. The advantage of a new 1Life progress could it be needs zero improve papers or even the mandatory costs.
The cash signal in your everyday living policy will be the movement you could borrow compared to it lets you do. Which include the degree of costs you might have paid for along with the sustained https://best-loans.co.za/lenders-loan/fasta-payday-loans/ wish. If you it’s not necessary to pass away before you from the progress, the debt isn’t nonexempt. Nevertheless, it can reduced the significance of a new policy’s passing away benefit because the eye most likely accrue and start needs to be repaid. This is an important cost for people, but it is a good choice should you not need to borrow money to a tactical.
Asking for cash on your life insurance program code is a great much to go to the bucks the value of a new code and never pay it does backbone. As opposed to a historical improve, term life insurance progress don’t have a influence any credit score. The sole rules are generally that one demonstrate evidence of what you do along with the progress accounts is within the cash the value of a new life insurance signal. Yet this business seems to have of a down sides. To begin with, applying for vs insurance coverage will get a negative distress within the length of the code.
Life insurance coverage move forward arrives only if you’ve got ample funds code inside the signal. The lowest priced sum of money rule may differ from one service provider to an alternative. Including, you are unable to reach have a progress after a term life insurance code right up until it provides a main income program code. As well as, any term life insurance progress is really a duty should you pay no it does backbone. And if you do not make obligations, a new rule most likely relapse and you’ll be at the mercy of a complete tax.
Another downside to these kinds of advance include the suit your needs have to pay onto it. The interest in the advance may chemical substance every year, hence the par value from the signal may reduce in order to reduce as compared to you deserve. Accumulated the eye most likely start the value of the policy’s loss of life reward, adding a new beneficiaries prone to losing profits in the event you pass away. It’s not at all the case with single lifestyle advance, nevertheless. If you detract the credit, try and look at program code these are just a rate is. | <urn:uuid:00175863-c5e5-49b1-9b72-41b88e456115> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cctckids.org/can-be-a-1life-move-https-best-loans-co-za-lenders-loan-fasta-payday-loans-forward-right-for-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.939426 | 730 | 1.585938 | 2 |
About that uranium in the Niger ...
Well this may not come as a surprise to some, who might have suspected something like it from the first.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Susanne Osthoff, the German archeologist kidnapped by Iraqi gunmen on Nov. 25 and released before Christmas was connected with her country's intelligence service, the BND, and had helped arrange a meeting with a top member of the terrorist organization al-Qaida, possibly Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi himself, according to well informed German sources Sunday. The sources confirmed German press reports that the 43-year-old woman had worked for the BND in Iraq on a freelance basis, and had for some time even stayed in a German intelligence safe house in Baghdad.
That might explain why the Germans were willing to trade her off for Mohammed Ali Hamadi. UPI continues:
But both German sources said the real deal involving Osthoff's release had been the payment of a ransom to her terrorist captors by the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. The ransom and Hamadi's release could well constitute a double embarrassment for Merkel on her scheduled "maiden" visit to Washington next week. Washington has always opposed pay ransom money on the grounds that it encourages more kidnapping.
This is going to be one of those mysteries that will take 20 years to unravel, if anyone is still interested. Osthoff being a BND agent would help explain German willingness to trade heavily to free her. But it wouldn't explain why her captors would settle for old news like Mohammed Ali Hamadi if they knew she was a German agent. They would have held out for more. But if she were an agent it was no secret to the opposition because she "had helped arrange a meeting with a top member of the terrorist organization al-Qaida, possibly Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi himself, according to well informed German sources". Kidnapped by a rival group? What was going on? If you expect closure, keep on waiting. After forty years one other mystery that the press finally solved was Who killed JFK? A German television station has it, on the authority of Alexander Haig, that Fidel Castro ordered the hit that day in Dallas.
Alexander Haig, a military adviser to Kennedy and Johnson who became secretary of state in 1981, said in the film that Johnson was terrified his people would learn the truth. "He [Johnson] said 'we simply must not allow the American people to believe that Fidel Castro could have killed our president'. "And the reason was that there would be a Right-wing uprising in America, which would keep the Democratic party out of power for two generations."
One solution in search of a mystery is the curious fact that George Galloway is now a contestant on Big Brother, together with a guy in a high-class gorilla suit. From the BBC (no! really).
Celebrity Big Brother star Pete Burns could be jailed for wearing gorilla fur, a government minister has warned. The former Dead Or Alive singer has claimed on air his fur coat is made from the endangered animals, angering some of his fellow housemates. ...Burns, glamour model Jodie Marsh and Respect MP George Galloway face the first eviction on Friday. ... Owning a gorilla skin without a permit is also illegal. ... Marsh told the rock singer: "Well, I think it's low that you wear a monkey coat. It offends me every time I see it on your back." ... Burns said he was "thrilled" that the coat offended her. ...Marsh said: "I expected it in a way but I'm still so shocked." Burns did not comment and Galloway announced he was going back to bed.
The key assumption of all conspiracy theories is that somebody knows the truth: that the truth, however improbable, is out there. I've often wondered whether there were events whose causes no one understood, whether it was possible, for example, that nobody knew the whole truth behind the assassination of JFK. Wikipedia defines emergence as "the process of complex pattern formation from simpler rules."
The property itself is often unpredictable and unprecedented, and may represent a new level of the system's evolution. The complex behaviour or properties are not a property of any single such entity, nor can they easily be predicted or deduced from behaviour in the lower-level entities: they are irreducible. The shape and behaviour of a flock of birds or school of fish are good examples.
Sometimes stuff happens without anyone in particular intending it to. But the human reluctance to believe the arbitrariness of events is nothing short of amazing. We need an explanation for cookies left on your browser when you visit a government website or Al Qaeda attacks on Iraqi cops or Osama Bin Laden's possible demise in Iran, even when there may be none, or at least, none that we understand. | <urn:uuid:d9980605-9176-4e4c-b533-7d08252cfe60> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/2006/01/about-that-uranium-in-niger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00179-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976668 | 993 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman
21 February 1946
|Died||14 January 2016 (aged 69)|
|Cause of death||Pancreatic cancer|
Rima Horton (m. 2012)
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and theatre director. He was a well known stage actor in modern and classical productions and he used to be a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Rickman was known for being in movies.
Personal life[change | change source]
Rickman was born on 21 February 1946 in Acton, London. He studied in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Rickman married his partner of 50 years, Rima Horton, in 2012. He lived in London and in Los Angeles, California.
Rickman died in a hospital in London from pancreatic cancer on 14 January 2016 at the age of 69. He was cremated in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green on February 3, 2016. His widow, Rima Horton, kept his ashes.
Movie roles[change | change source]
- Hans Gruber in Die Hard
- Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie series
- Eamon de Valera in Michael Collins
- Phil Allen in Blow Dry
- Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest
- Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility
- Harry in Love Actually
- Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Absolem the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland and in Alice Through the Looking Glass
- Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
- President Ronald Reagan in The Butler
Harry Potter[change | change source]
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone) Rickman portrays Severus Snape, a cold and angry professor in Hogwarts who hates Harry. This is because Severus hated James Potter, Harry's father, because James and his best friend Sirius bullied him when they were both in Hogwarts in their younger years and he sees qualities of his father in Harry. Another reason he hated Harry's father is because he loved a girl called Lily who James took and later becomes Harry's mother. However, in Deathly Hallows Part 2it is revealed that Snape is in fact a hero. He sacrifices himself to save the wizarding world. Harry recognises this and names a child after him in honour of his braveness.
References[change | change source]
- Solway, Diane (August 1991). "Profile: Alan Rickman". European Travel and Life. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2007.
- Shoard, Catherine (January 14, 2016). "Alan Rickman, giant of British film and theatre, dies at 69". Retrieved 14 January 2016.
Other websites[change | change source]
Media related to Alan Rickman at Wikimedia Commons
|Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alan Rickman|
- Alan Rickman on IMDb
- Alan Rickman at the Internet Broadway Database
- Alan Rickman at AllMovie
- Alan Rickman at Emmys.com | <urn:uuid:be72ae58-416d-4900-9f10-c77ad4aa5d36> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Rickman | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00677.warc.gz | en | 0.944103 | 684 | 1.773438 | 2 |
1. What is Ethereum?
Ethereum is the next generation of cryptography books that can support a wide range of advanced features, including user-issued currency, smart protocols, decentralized transactions, and the establishment of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) or decentralized autonomous companies (DACs). Ethereum does not specifically support each individual type of function as a feature. Instead, Ethereum includes a built-in Turing-complete scripting language that allows you to write for the features you want to implement through a mechanism called a "contract." A contract is like an automatic agent. Whenever a transaction is received, the contract runs a specific piece of code that can modify the data store or send the transaction within the contract. Advanced contracts can even modify their own code.
To put it bluntly, Ethereum is an open source platform for digital currency and blockchain platforms that provides developers with a platform to build and publish applications on blockchains. Ethereum can be used to program, distribute, guarantee and trade anything, voting, domain names, financial exchanges, crowdfunding, corporate management, contracts and most agreements, intellectual property, and smart assets that benefit from hardware integration.
On February 28, 2017, a group of global companies representing the oil and gas industry, financial industry and software development companies officially launched the Ethereum Alliance (EEA), which is committed to developing Ethereum into an enterprise-level blockchain. These companies include BP, BP Chase, software developer Microsoft, Accenture, Santander, BlockApps, BNY Mellon, CME Group, ConsenSys, Intel Microsoft and Nuco. Many companies or organizations develop projects based on the Ethereum blockchain and issue tokens. The United Nations World Food Programme successfully used the Ethereum blockchain to provide relief to 10,000 refugees.
2. Detailed parameters
Chinese name: Ethereum English name: Ethereum English abbreviation: ETH
Developer: Vitalik Buterin Core algorithm: Ethash Release date: 2015/3/20
Block time: about 15-17 seconds / block reward: 5 total money: 72 million 18.872 million / year
Key features: Features such as digital currency and smart contracts
3. Common links
Official Website: https://www.ethereum.org/
Block Query: https://etherscan.io/ | <urn:uuid:1aeb346e-204f-4e4f-be2d-c4d13791508b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://support.bingx.com/hc/en-001/articles/360034076513-ETH-Ethereum- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.882657 | 457 | 2.453125 | 2 |
When it comes to writing a social media policy, who should decide what goes into it?
B) Public Relations
C) Human Resources
D) Information Technology
E) Customer Support
F) Product Management
H) All of the above
The policy could end up looking very different, depending on the answer. After all, various functional groups each likely have very different views of what it should say.
Say anything you want, anywhere you want, as long as it’s positive!
You can do anything we give you the access to do. Nothing more.
Do what we say. Exactly what we say.
Social media?! Do nothing! Say nothing!!
Seriously, the positions may not be that extreme, but the correct answer is “all of the above.” Not simply because each group has different opinions, but crucially because each group brings different knowledge to the table. For example: an employee criticizes her boss on Facebook. What’s the appropriate consequence? Probably a question for HR. But first—how was the comment discovered? Does the company even have a right to act on the comment? That’s a question for legal. (If your company is too small to have in-house counsel, or that individual isn’t versed in this emerging area of law, then bring in an outside expert.)
Marketing and PR know about things like messaging and best practices. Product management and legal will have to work out how to respond to suggestions for new products. IT needs to be consulted about technical issues such as the bandwidth impact of allowing unfettered access to YouTube. Customer support should have insights into workflow processes (e.g., escalating support issues reported through social media, based on specific subject matter and severity).
Social media is too broad to be “owned” by any single function and too pervasive to be tightly controlled by almost any organization. But social media use in the enterprise can and must be guided and coordinated to help avoid social media disasters. Inside virtually any modern organization, most employees are already active in social networking (even if not “officially” for work-related purposes), they sincerely want to help the organization succeed, and they don’t want to lose their jobs. A well-crafted social media policy helps channel the efforts of all toward common goals while avoiding missteps.
Coordinating the efforts of a disparate group like this isn’t easy. It’s not even quite accurate to say it’s like herding cats; it’s more like herding lobsters. But it is essential in order to develop a policy that addresses the needs and concerns of all facets of the organization, and in the end, highly rewarding. | <urn:uuid:8a6e3125-7471-4a3d-b7de-34b6d14f6898> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://webbiquity.com/2011/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721141.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00416-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937399 | 564 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
On a visit to The Lawrence, students collaborate to investigate new ideas as they become scientists and engineers for a day.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
Ardice Hartry leads the Research & Impact group at the Lawrence, which includes the work of the Research Group, the Learning Labs, and Youth Pathway Programs. With those teams, she aims to design experiences that inspire lifelong learning in and love of science and nature—generating wonder and awe, and empowering confidence and creativity. Her work has focused on understanding what aspects of programs inspire learning, develop resilience, and provide learners with the tools and strategies to solve problems, generate inspired products, or creative imaginative works of art. Her research and development has been conducted through a lens of promoting equity and inclusion. She was PI of a project that helped youth explore solar electricity networks and design solutions to everyday challenges focused on use of energy around the world. She has led the development of new experiences at the Lawrence—the Learning Labs—where visitors can explore the tools and practices of science and engineering that they might not otherwise have access to. Her work has also helped educators and institutions understand how diversity of thought, background, and experience can empower creativity and learning. Currently, her research interests are focused on understanding how new technologies, such as XR, impact learning. She holds a master’s degree in anthropology and a doctorate in political science. | <urn:uuid:20f89ab3-b537-4089-9cf9-622563a6e729> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lawrencehallofscience.org/people/ardice-hartry/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.954139 | 369 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Originally posted at FreedomWorks.org.
Politicians typically break campaign promises more often than not. When an elected official instead chooses to keep their word, he or she deserves recognition for their consistency. With the rise of the Tea Party movement, many lawmakers are talking about cutting government spending. Few politicians, however, are willing to truly walk their talk. Some of those exceptions include new senators such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
Last week, Sen. Paul along with Senators Lee and DeMint released a plan that would balance the federal budget within five years. It would do so by eliminating entire departments and not increasing taxes by one cent. By the year 2016, we would have a $19 billion surplus. The Cato Institute has posted helpful charts to show the difference between Rand Paul and President Obama’s budget.
The plan has gained traction among true limited government types. Campaign for Liberty has listed some of the main highlights of the balanced budget proposal:
· Brings spending near historical average in very first year
– Reduces spending by nearly $4 trillion relative to the President’s budget
– Achieves a $19 billion surplus in FY2016
– Brings all non-military discretionary spending back to FY2008 levels
– Requires the process of entitlement reform, including Social Security and Medicare, with final implementation by FY2016
– Does not change Social Security or Medicare benefits
– Block-grants Medicaid, SCHIP, foods stamps, and child nutrition
· Provides the President’s request for war funding
– Reduces military spending 6 percent in FY2012
· Eliminates four departments:
– Department of Commerce (transfers certain programs)
– Department of Education (preserves Pell grants)
– Department of Housing and Urban Development
– Department of Energy (transfers nuclear research and weapons to Department of Defense)
· Repeals Obamacare
· Never exceeds $12 trillion in debt held by public
· Creates $2.6 trillion less in deficit spending relative to the President’s Budget
· Extends all the 2001 and 2003 tax relief
· Permanently patches the alternative minimum tax
· Repeals Obamacare taxes”
It is refreshing to see that Rand Paul’s balanced budget proposal cuts spending in all areas of government including the defense budget. Taxpayers lose if certain parts of the budget are isolated from serious scrutiny. The military budget has nearly doubled over the last ten years. It isn’t reasonable to believe that the Department of Defense (DOD) has spent every dime in the most efficient manner. We agree with Defense Secretary Robert Gates that “it is imperative for this department to eliminate wasteful, excessive and unneeded spending.”
We applaud Rand Paul for staying true to his word. In addition, Sen. Lee has proposed a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to limit spending to 18 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and require that any effort to raise taxes would need a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. As it currently stands, government spending consumes approximately 25 percent of our GDP.
These are both modest proposals to rein in federal spending. With our current national deficit at $1.7 trillion, it is radical to continue spending at unprecedented levels. It’s time to determine who is truly serious about cutting government spending. Call your senator and tell him or her to restrain the federal government by supporting Rand Paul and Mike Lee’s balanced budget proposals today. | <urn:uuid:9db48c5b-d54d-45d6-b5e1-7d354cfcfae0> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://julieborowski.wordpress.com/tag/bba/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720153.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00324-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947637 | 722 | 1.617188 | 2 |
|Fly Guy's amazing tricks (Fly Guy )|
Author: Arnold, Tedd
[#14] Fly Guy has learned a lot of new tricks, but when he shows off at dinner time he and Buzz get into trouble--though later they prove useful.
|Accelerated Reader Information:|
Interest Level: LG
Reading Level: 1.70
Points: .5 Quiz: 168808
|Reading Counts Information:|
Interest Level: K-2
Reading Level: 2.30
Points: 1.0 Quiz: 64555
School Library Journal (12/01/14)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 12/01/2014 Gr 1–2—Fly Guy continues to entertain with his ever-growing repertoire of skills and tricks. Here, he learns to do the backstroke in a birdbath, zoom in rapid circles around people's heads called "The Dizzy Doozie," and hang upside down from people's nostrils in a feat called "The Big Booger." When Fly Guy and his friend Buzz take the tricks to the dinner table, chaos ensues, but it's all good practice for when Buzz is confronted by a bully. Little does Buzz's tormentor know that Fly Guy has learned to use these tricks on hearing the word "Now." When the menacing kid demands a response from Buzz "NOW!," Fly Guy goes into action, resulting in a very funny and satisfying comeuppance. Arnold's distinctive and expressive black-dotted, ball-eyed characters and occasional plays on words will keep young readers smiling and rooting for this duo.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. | <urn:uuid:49f5e58b-ac7f-4891-a206-bbc21a4b7267> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.btsb.com/utilities/BookDetails.php?TitleNo=070069 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.917489 | 378 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Muntiacus muntjak can be found in southern and southeastern Asia, from Pakistan east through India and Nepal, across southeast Asia and southern China.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )
Muntiacus muntjak, also known as the Indian muntjac, have small antlers present in males which are relatively short with long burrs. The females have tufts of hair and small bony knobs that are in the location of the antlers in males. They have a short coat of hair. The coat can be thick and dense for those living in cooler climates, or thin and less dense for those living in warmer areas. The color of the coat is golden tan on the dorsal side, white on the ventral side, and the limbs and face are dark brown. The ears have very little hair. These deer also posses tusklike upper canines measuring about 1 inch long in males. Their body length ranges from 89-135 cm. Their shoulder height and the length of their tail ranges from 40-65 cm and 13-23 cm respectively. The males tend to be larger than the females.
Range mass: 14 to 35 kg.
Range length: 89 to 135 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Habitat and Ecology
This muntjac has a wide altitudinal range. In Java, S. Hedges (pers. comm. 2008) has seen them over 0800 m. In Sumatra, it occurs widely in the lowlands and the second species there, M. montanus, seems to be montane; whether M. muntjak ascends to the highest forests is yet unclear (R.J. Timmins pers. comm. 2008, based on examination of specimens). On Borneo, Red Muntjac lives up to at least 1,000 m asl on the Usun Apau plateau (Payne et al. 1985), who stated that available data suggests that [M. atherodes] predominates over the Red Muntjac in low hill ranges and coastal regions, but Meijaard and Sheil (2008) pointed out that still no robust quantitative data exist to support this [pattern]. Red Muntjac is scarcer than M. atherodes in Sungai Wain forest, Kalimantan, which spans 30150 m asl (G.M. Fredriksson pers. comm. 2008), in the Sarawak Planted Forests, Bintulu Division, a mix of acacia plantation and natural forest (Belden et al. 2007; Belden Giman pers. comm. 2008), and (slightly so) in the Ulu Segama area of Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, which lies mostly at about 300 m asl (Siew Te Wong pers. comm. 2008). In Borneo, muntjacs were frequently seen, suspected to comprise roughly equal numbers of Red and Yellow, in the Batang Ai National Park, Sarawak, which lies mostly at 100760 m asl (Meredith 1995).
The diet is mostly fruits, buds, tender leaves, flowers, herbs and young grass (Kitchener et al. 1990; Oka 1998). In Taman Negara, Malaysia, camera-trapping showed Red Muntjac to be mostly diurnal (Kawanishi and Sunquist 2004) whereas in Gunung Leuser, Sumatra, it was classed as cathemeral (i.e., sporadic and random intervals of activity during the day or night) (van Schaik and Griffiths 1996) and this is true for East Java (S. Hedges pers. comm. 2008); there may be some variation between localities in balance of day and night activity. It is a mostly solitary species that is capable of breeding through the year, and has been stated to be territorial (Kitchener et al. 1990; Oka 1998). However, Tyson (2007) found no evidence of territoriality in radio-collared female muntjacs of Baluran National Park, Java, although range overlap declined in the rainy season compared with the dry season. Nor was there evidence of males using exclusive ranges in any season, or any clear evidence of territorial defence. As in the case of M. vaginalis, occasional sightings of small groups probably refer to mating pairs, or to females with offspring (Oka 1998), or to loose aggregations at abundant food resources (M. Tyson pers. comm. 2008).
Muntjac habitat includes rain forests, areas of dense vegetation, hilly country, and monsoon forests. They like to be close to a water source.
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Muntjacs are omnivorous, feeding on herbs, fruit, birds' eggs, small animals, sprouts, seeds, and grasses. They use their canines to bite and their forelegs to deliver strong blows in order to catch small warm-blooded animals.
Life History and Behavior
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Status: captivity: 17.6 years.
Status: captivity: 17.0 years.
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
In the first year of life, the female muntjac reaches sexual maturity. They are polyestrous with the estrous cycle lasting 14-21 days and the estrus lasting about 2 days. Breeding is not restricted to a specific time of the year. They usually bear just one young at a time. The gestation period is around 180 days and the weight at birth is between 550 and 650 g.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 1223 g.
Average gestation period: 210 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.17.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 332 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 272 days.
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Barcode data: Muntiacus muntjak
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Muntiacus muntjak
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 3
Species With Barcodes: 1
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
A study done in 1987 showed that there are 140,000-150,000 Muntiacus muntjak in China. They have been introduced in Texas, the Andaman Islands, and on Lombok. Muntjaks also thrive very well in zoos. The IUCN rates the species Lower Risk, Least Concern.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
However, there is no strong evidence that either hunting or habitat disruption are actually threats to the survival of populations except in the case of islands such as Singapore, where it is now extinct (Baker and Lim 2008). Peak densities are not in pristine forest (see Habitat and Ecology), and in Danum Valley (Sabah, Borneo), an area with negligible hunting, M. muntjak strongly increased in densities after logging (Heydon 1994; Davies et al. 2001); a weaker increase was found by Duff et al. (1984). Hence, even quite severe habitat disruption can increase ecological carrying capacity for this muntjac, at least temporarily.
In an area with heavy hunting, recorded densities of muntjacs (presumed M. muntjak) were twice as high in areas with low than with high human population density within 10 km of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra, but this difference was not statistically significant (O'Brien et al. 2003). Poaching pressure in Kerinci-Seblat National Park, Sumatra, among snared ungulates was greatest for muntjac as assessed by the diameter of the cable. Snaring is locally very high in the protected area, e.g. 51 snares (mostly of size suitable for muntjac) were found in 1 km (Linkie et al. 2003), although it is much less intense than in areas of Indochina supporting the related M. vaginalis (J. Holden pers. comm. 2008). Data are too sparse to determine whether this hunting is driving declines. Habitat loss is also severe including within parts of the park (Linkie et al. 2003), and is an increasing phenomenon in Java (S. Hedges pers. comm. 2008).
Muntjacs are widely and heavily hunted on Borneo for meat, skins, and as a source of traditional remedies (Bennett et al. 2000; Mohd Azlan J. pers. comm. 2008; Belden Giman pers. comm. 2008; G.M. Fredriksson pers. comm. 2008; A.C. Sebastian pers. comm. 2008; Siew Te Wong pers. comm. 2008). Traditionally, hunting used traps, dogs and spears, and blowpipes. Hunters in remote parts of the interior still use these methods, but most animals now die by gunfire. Sarawak held 60,000 legally registered shotguns while Sabah held almost 13,000 in the mid 1990s (Bennett et al. 2000). Methods used in Indonesia include guns and spotlights along logging roads, snaring, and dogs (G.M. Fredriksson pers. comm. 2008; S. Hedges pers. comm. 2008). The combination of dogs and guns may be particularly efficient (Belden Giman pers. comm. 2008). Snaring is still very heavy outside well-secured areas, but shotguns remain the even bigger problem (Bennett et al. 2000; J. Mohd Azlan pers. comm. 2008; Siew Te Wong pers. comm. 2008). Unaccompanied packs of stray or even perhaps feral dogs are also likely to be a threat, particularly in forest isolates close to urban areas (e.g. Similajau National Park; J.W. Duckworth pers. comm. 2008). It is unlikely that hunters make any distinction between the two Bornean muntjac species directly, although it is plausible that M. muntjak is under lower hunting pressure than is M. atherodes reflecting its purported predominance in the hills and mountains (although there is little empirical evidence to support this), whereas most of the logging concessions currently lie in the lowlands. Some ethnic groups, at least the Punan, have traditional beliefs against eating muntjac meat (Belden Giman pers. comm. 2008), but over most of (at least) Malaysian Borneo, in general, everyone will hunt and eat anything (Bennett et al. 2000). Much hunting is for the market rather than local use, so there is a limitless demand. Bennett and Gumal (2001) profiled the hunting of ungulates in Sarawak in the mid 1990s thus: muntjacs (along with Bearded Hog Sus barbatus and Sambar Rusa unicolor) are heavily shot for wild meat trade across Sarawak, and these ungulates are the species most sought by the restaurants. Wild meat is widely sold in towns, villages, restaurants and logging camps throughout Sarawak; 250 sales outlets were estimated across the state in 1996, with an annual trade worth 3.75 million USD. Along the Rejang river alone, in the mid 1980s, 250 muntjacs were sold per year (Caldecott 1988). The market for meat is great and probably expanding. There were, then, no controls on commercial hunting of non-protected species (including muntjacs). The Master Plan for Wildlife in Sarawak (Wildlife Conservation Society and Sarawak Forest Department 1996) introduced a strict ban on all wildlife trade, shotgun ownership and cartridge sales in the late 1990s (Bennett and Gumal 2001). Substantial numbers of muntjacs are, nevertheless, still killed in the state, as they are elsewhere in Borneo.
Bennett et al. (2000) considered the effects of this onslaught upon muntjacs (not distinguished to species) through a lengthy hunting study in February 1993 to June 1995, in both Bornean states of Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah), each with eight study areas. Muntjacs constituted only 310% of animals killed, but index counts of signs show an inverse relationship between sign index and hunting pressure so strong that the latter over-rode the effects of habitat variables in determining their densities. Hunting was so ubiquitous, even in protected areas, that in the two states, only one site (part of Danum Valley, Sabah) could be found as a control, where there was primary forest but negligible hunting levels. They concluded that the only single factor offering any effective protection for [quarry species of] wildlife is difficulty of access; whether animals are protected or non-protected species, inside or outside protected areas, had no significant restraint on hunting levels. In the interim, much forest has been lost and muntjac populations in the smaller and more isolated areas that remain must now be more vulnerable to local extinctions.
There seem to be no species-specific conservation measures in need of implementation, above turning existing laws on protected areas and protected wildlife into reality, with a particular focus on eradicating wildlife trade.
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
In some areas, where the population is large, they destroy a large number of trees by tearing off the bark. This in turn can lead to a loss of food sources as well as a loss of wood that can be used to provide shelter.
Hunters of pheasants in India can rely on the barking noises made by the muntjac as a warning signal of an approaching predator. This could be a leopard or tiger which in turn can pose a threat to the hunters themselves. The muntjac itself can be hunted for its meat and skins.
The Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), also called the red muntjac, common muntjac or barking deer, is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on grass,fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small animals. It sometimes displays even scavenging behavior, feeding on carrion. It gives calls similar to barking, usually upon sensing a predator (hence the common name for all muntjacs of barking deer).
The male Indian muntjac has small, unbranched antlers which grow to about 15 centimeters (5.9 in) in length. The antlers grow annually from a bony stalk on the top of the head. Males are extremely territorial and—despite their diminutive size—can be quite fierce. They will fight each other for territory using their antlers or their (more dangerous) tusk-like upper canine teeth, and can even defend themselves against certain predators such as dogs.
The Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is also commonly called the "barking deer" due to the bark-like sound that it makes as an alarm when danger is present. It is also called "Kakar". Sometimes these deer will bark for an hour or more. This species is one of eleven different species of muntjacs spread across Asia. The Indian muntjacs specifically are widespread throughout Southern Asia, but are one of the least known Asian animals. Paleontological evidence proves that Indian muntjacs have been around since the late Pleistocene epoch at least 12,000 years ago. Since then, they have played a major role in Southern Asia, being hunted for sport as well as for their meat and skin. Often these animals are hunted around the outskirts of agricultural areas as they are considered a nuisance for damaging crops and ripping bark from trees. However, this animal is still in an abundance in Southern Asia, numbering anywhere from 140,000-150,000 in India alone as of 2004.
The Indian muntjac has a short but very soft, thick, dense coat, especially those living in cooler regions. Coloration of the coat changes from dark brown to yellowish and grayish brown depending on the season. The muntjacs' coat is golden tan on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side of the body, the limbs are dark brown to reddish brown, and the face is dark brown. However, the ears have very little hair which barely covers them. Male muntjacs have antlers that are very short, about 1-2 inches, usually consisting of only two or three points at the most and protrude from long body hair covered pedicels on the forehead. Females have tufts of fur and small bony knobs where the antlers are located in males. Males also have slightly elongated upper canines about an inch long that curve slightly outward from the lips and have the capability to inflict serious injury upon other animals or to other members of the population while exhibiting aggression. Males are generally larger than females. The body length of muntjacs varies from 35-53 in long and their height ranges from 15-26 in tall.
The Indian muntjac is among the most widespread but least known of all mammals in South Asia. It is found in Bangladesh, southern China, northeastern India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, the Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Bangka Island, Belitung, Java, Bali, and Borneo. This species is most densely located in Southeast Asia.
The Indian muntjac is found in tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, grasslands, savannas, and scrub forests, as well as in the hilly country on the slopes of the Himalayas. They are found at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). They never wander far from water. Also, males usually have their own territory, which may overlap the territories of a few females but not of another male.
The Indian muntjacs are classified as omnivores. They are considered both browsers and grazers with a diet consisting of grasses, ivy, prickly bushes, low growing leaves, bark, twigs, herbs, fruit, sprouts, seeds, tender shoots, bird eggs and small warm-blooded animals. Indian muntjacs are typically found feeding at the edge of the forest or in abandoned clearings. The muntjac’s found in the Nilgiri-Wayand area of south India are always sited in the large tea estates, as they feed mostly the tea seeds. Their large canine teeth help in the processes of retrieving and ingesting food.
The Indian muntjacs are polygamous animals. Females sexually mature during their first to second year of life. These females are polyestrous, with each cycle lasting about 14 to 21 days and an estrus lasting for 2 days. The gestation period is six to seven months and they usually bear one offspring at a time but sometimes produce twins. Females usually give birth in dense growth so that they are hidden from the rest of the herd and predators. The young leaves its mother after about six months to establish its own territory. Males often fight between one another for possession of a harem of females. Indian muntjacs are distinguished from other even-toed ungulates in showing no evidence of a specific breeding season within the species.
Other than during the rut (mating season) and for the first six months after giving birth, the adult Indian muntjac is a solitary animal. Adult males in particular are well spaced and marking grass and bushes with secretions from their preorbital glands appears to be involved in the acquisition and maintenance of territory. Males acquire territories that they mark with scent markers by rubbing their preorbital glands (located on their face, just below the eyes) on the ground and on trees, scraping their hooves against the ground, and scraping the bark of trees with their lower incisors. These scent markers allow other muntjacs to know whether a territory is occupied or not. Males will often fight with each other over these territories, sufficient vegetation, and for primary preference over females when mating using their short antlers and an even more dangerous weapon, their canines. If a male is not strong enough to acquire his own territory he will most likely become prey to a leopard or some other predator. During the time of the rut, territorial lines are temporarily disregarded and overlap while males roam constantly in search of a receptive female.
These deer are highly alert creatures. When put into a stressful situation or if a predator is sensed, muntjacs will begin making a bark-like sound. Barking was originally thought of as a means of communication between the deer during mating season as well as an alert. However, in more recent studies it has been identified as a mechanism used solely in alarming situations meant to cause a predator to realize that it has been detected and move elsewhere or to reveal itself. The barking mechanism is used more frequently when visibility is reduced and can last for over an hour regarding one incident.
There are 15 subspecies:
- M. m. annamensis, Indochina
- M. m. aureus, peninsular India
- M. m. bancanus, Belitung and Bangka islands
- M. m. curvostylis, Thailand
- M. m. grandicornis, Burmese muntjac, Burma
- M. m. malabaricus, South India and Sri Lanka
- M. m. montanus, mountain muntjac, Sumatra
- M. m. muntjak, Javan muntjac, Java and south Sumatra
- M. m. nainggolani, Bali and Lombok Islands
- M. m. nigripes, black-footed or black-legged muntjac, Vietnam and Hainan Island
- M. m. peninsulae, Malaysia
- M. m. pleicharicus, South Borneo
- M. m. robinsoni, Bintan Island and Lingga Islands
- M. m. rubidus, north Borneo
- M. m. vaginalis, Burma to southwest China
The female Indian muntjac deer is the mammal with the lowest recorded diploid number of chromosomes, where 2n = 6. The male has a diploid number of 7 chromosomes. The similar Reeves's Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), in comparison, has a diploid number of 46 chromosomes.
- Timmins, R.J., Duckworth, J.W., Hedges, S., Pattanavibool, A., Steinmetz, R., Semiadi, G., Tyson, M. & Boeadi (2008). Muntiacus muntjak. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
- Grubb, P. (2005). "Muntiacus muntjak". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 667. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- Eisenberg, JF; McKay, GM (1974). "Comparison of ungulate adaptations in the new world and the old world tropical forests with special reference to Ceylon and the rainforests of Central America". In Geist, V; Walther, F. The behaviour of ungulates and its relation to management. Morges, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. pp. 584–602.
- Kinnear, J. F. "Chromosomes: How Many?" Nature of Biology Third Edition. Book 2. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, 2006.
- Doris H. Wurster and Kurt Benirschke: Indian Momtjac, Muntiacus muntiak: A Deer with a Low Diploid Chromosome Number. Science 12 June 1970: Vol. 168. no. 3937, pp. 1364 - 1366.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muntiacus muntjak.|
- Hutchins, Michael (ed.) (2004). Muntjacs. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 15 vols. Detroit: The Gale Group Inc, 2004.
- Kurt, Fred (1990). Muntjac Deer. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. 1st ed. 5 vols. St. Louis: McGraw-Hill.
- Nowak, Ronald M. (1999). Muntjacs, or Barking Deer. Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th ed. 2 vols. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins UP. | <urn:uuid:e13a96b6-1134-49dd-b353-625b975187c5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://eol.org/pages/308397/details | 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 | 0.912162 | 5,379 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Wealth plays a unique role in shaping later-life health risk, but the relationship between wealth and child health remains largely unexplored. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) (1994–2013), this study uses multilevel mixed-effects models and the parametric g-formula approach to both assess the relationship between household wealth and child body mass index (BMI) and identify the mechanisms linking wealth to child BMI. We find that household wealth is negatively associated with childhood BMI. In addition to finding a strong, direct association, we also find that household wealth indirectly patterns child BMI and obesity risk through household spending and family stress processes. These findings provide new insights into the links between wealth, child health, and early-life population health disparities. | <urn:uuid:d6284099-f466-4bad-9999-511b56e10aa8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ncgraetz.com/publication/rsf2020/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.929719 | 157 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Scientists have discovered that fruit juices are far worse for teeth than tooth whitening.
With the ever-increasing interest in cosmetic dentistry, the US researchers set out to learn if there are negative effects on the tooth from using whitening products.
Lead researcher YanFang Ren, DDS, PhD, and his team from the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, US, determined that the effects of 6% hydrogen peroxide are insignificant compared to acidic fruit juices.
Orange juice markedly decreased hardness and increased roughness of tooth enamel.
The team was – for the first time – able to see extensive surface detail thanks to a new focus-variation vertical scanning microscope.
Dr Ren said: ‘The acid is so strong that the tooth is literally washed away. The orange juice decreased enamel hardness by 84%.’
There are studies that show whitening can affect the hardness of dental enamel, but until now, nobody had compared the two.
Dr Ren added: ‘This study allowed us to understand the effect of whitening on enamel relative to the effect of a daily dietary activity, such as drinking juices.
‘It’s potentially a very serious problem for people who drink sodas and fruit juices daily. We do not yet have an effective tool to avert the erosive effects, although there are early indications that higher levels of fluoride may help slow down the erosion.’
The British Dental Health Foundation has now warned the public to cut down on how often they consume acidic fruit drinks, which can eventually lead to tooth loss and costly treatment.
Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter said: ‘We often hear of safety concerns over whitening treatment while fruit juices are marketed as healthy drinks. Yet this research shows the extent of damage caused by orange juice while professional or home whitening after consultation with a dentist is relatively low-risk.
‘Your mouth needs time to recover after exposure to acids or sugars so cut down on the frequency you have these snacks or drinks. Water and milk drinks are safe alternatives.’ | <urn:uuid:d7d1a747-cd59-48de-9ded-a8889a69e07a> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2009/07/01/fruit-juices-worse-teeth-whitening-says-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718957.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00436-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951513 | 429 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Risk and Profitability of Photovoltaic Technology in Thailand
Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Thailand possesses high potential for solar energy, which has been given more attention from both government and the private sector lately. While the major investment in solar energy has gradually shifted from governments to private sectors, this paper aims to compare private investment's net present value (NPV) and production risks of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) projects. The scope of this paper includes PV projects on three different scales: 3 kW, 5 MW and 73 MW installed capacity in 74 locations across Thailand. The study utilizes RETscreen software to estimate means and variability in electricity productions in Thailand. Cost-benefit analysis is the method used to measure projects’ NPV and profitability, while portfolio theory is applied to capture the profit variability or production risk. The analysis also includes 3 feed-in-tariff (FIT or adder) scenarios that are likely to happen in the solar energy policy in Thailand; which are 8 baht/kWh, 6.5 baht/kWh and the case where there is no support at all. The study finds that 3 kW PV projects yield negative NPV, which means investment losses, in all scenarios and locations in the country. On the other hand, 5 MW PV projects result in positive NPV in all scenarios and locations and it is concluded to be the most profitable scale among three. 73 MW PV projects are considered as policy dependenceas the projectsyield negative NPV without the supports. Sensitivity analysis shows that the costs of 3 kW projects have to reduce at least by 60% in order to turn the projects to profits. With respect to allocation of risk, the production risks of 73 MW projects are slightly higher compared to the other two scales. Also, it is shown that the technologies located in north of Thailand have higher production risks, but yield approximately the same expected net benefits as technologies located in the rest of the country. As for conclusions, the future of PV technology in Thailand is still bright, but the investors should intensely consider about scale and location of the implementation. Further researches can examine other scales of PV technology and the drives behind the risk characteristics in Thailand.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2012. , 66 p.
Examensarbete vid Institutionen för geovetenskaper, ISSN 1650-6553 ; 78
Sustainable Development, Photovoltaic, Investment Choices, Cost Benefit Analysis, Risk Analysis, Risk-Profitability approach
IdentifiersURN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-181032OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-181032DiVA: diva2:552729
Subject / course
Master Programme in Sustainable Development
2012-05-29, Norland ii, department of earth science, Villav. 16, 752 36 UPPSALA, Uppsala, 10:00 (English)
Gren, Ing-Marie, Professor
Moczydlowska-Vidal, Malgorzata, Professor | <urn:uuid:7b55b04e-9d24-4ad7-88ba-033428e8e3da> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:552729 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720737.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00221-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.895721 | 660 | 1.890625 | 2 |
In February, a lesbian couple asked Melissa and Aaron Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes, to bake a wedding cake for their commitment ceremony. Though the Kleins serve all customers on a regular basis, on this occasion, the request would have required them to actively support a same-sex commitment ceremony. Because facilitating such a ceremony would violate their beliefs, they declined to participate. Soon afterwards, Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries notified the bakery that it was the subject of a formal investigation.
“The goal is to rehabilitate,” said the bureau’s commissioner, Brad Avakian. “For those who do violate the law, we want them to learn from that experience and have a good, successful business in Oregon.”
How would government authorities “rehabilitate” the bakery owners? An Oregon judge could assess civil penalties. In a very similar situation, after New Mexico–based Elane Photography declined to participate in same-sex commitment ceremony in 2006, the New Mexico Human Rights Commission ordered Elane Photography to pay $6,637.94 in attorney’s fees to the lesbian couple who filed a complaint.
Sweet Cakes in Oregon has also been the subject of vicious protests and boycotts by activists. For the past few months, the Kleins have received hundreds of phone calls and letters—some reportedly even including death threats to the family.
Fearing for the safety of their family, the Kleins decided to shut down their small business.
However, they have not given up the fight for their religious freedom. A note taped to the front door of the closed shop stated: “This fight is not over. We will continue to stand strong. Your religious freedom is becoming not free anymore.”
A recent Rasmussen poll found that 85 percent of Americans agree that business owners should have the right not to participate in same-sex commitment ceremonies. Protecting religious freedom, a founding principle of our nation and the first right protected by the Constitution, is essential to protecting all our liberties.
Small business owners should not be forced to choose between violating their deeply held beliefs and protecting their families. Federal, state, and local policy should protect the rights of businesses to maintain their religious or moral beliefs even as they provide services to the public. The kind of sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination laws used against Sweet Cakes owners threaten the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution to all Americans. | <urn:uuid:4a431130-a12d-4e72-848b-aff4db24edd8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dailysignal.com/2013/09/05/intolerance-burns-out-oregon-bakers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573667.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819100644-20220819130644-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.966128 | 501 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Who Jesus is Not
- 2005 16 Aug
JESUS WAS NOT SIMPLY A GOOD MORAL TEACHER.
How, in the name of logic, common sense, and experience, could an impostor -- that is a deceitful, selfish, depraved man -- have invented and consistently maintained from the beginning to end, the purest and noblest character known in history with the most perfect air of truth and reality? How could He have conceived and successfully carried out a plan of unparalleled beneficence, moral magnitude, and sublimity, and sacrificed His own life for it, in the face of the strongest prejudices of His people and age? (Philip Schaff, The Person of Christ. New York: American Tract Society, 1913, 94-95)
C.S. Lewis, one-time atheist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, put the dilemma this way:
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said [about Himself] would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity)
Jesus would have to have been lying or insane (not the qualities of a good moral teacher) to call Himself the Son of God and the Savior of mankind if it weren’t true.
Therefore, to separate what is comfortable about Jesus – His kindness, His message of unconditional love, His healing of the sick – from that which is less comfortable (He was born of a virgin, He claimed to be God, He rose from the dead) isn’t really possible.
There are four options open to a person dealing with Jesus. You may consider Him: a legend, a liar, a lunatic, or Lord and God. If He existed, then He's not a legend. If He's a liar, that goes against everything else we know about His character. If He's a lunatic, how to explain the consistency in His message, the constancy of His love? If those options are removed, where does that leave you?
JESUS WAS/IS NOT A POLITICAL MESSIAH
This is one reason some Jews of Jesus’ time could not believe He was their Savior – He didn’t deliver them from the oppression of their Roman occupiers. He never actually intended to. The deliverance Christ offered and still offers today is of a spiritual nature, reconciling mankind to God (Matthew 11:27). The peace this Messiah brings is internal. His hope is for each human to be restored to a relationship with God, which sin has broken. | <urn:uuid:aa1edb27-5c1e-4c56-bbbf-afdfc9cca312> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.crosswalk.com/who-is-jesus/who-jesus-is-not-11522133.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00272-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961017 | 657 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Blended Learning – The Fundamentals (EP:05)
With Victoria Staifer, MS
Let’s face it, blended learning is a vast subject and any discussion of it can quickly turn pedantic. Not today! In this episode, blended learning expert Victoria Staifer, MS, chats with Stacy Craft, breaking down all the basics you need to know to get an understanding of blended learning.
Questions? Feedback? Ideas? Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org
If you found this episode interesting, you may want to take a deeper dive with some of these resources below:
Reading and Journals: | <urn:uuid:d7a9b502-809a-4f08-9292-f91eadc8dd47> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mayocliniceducatorscentral.blubrry.net/2019/06/18/blended-learning-the-fundamentals-ep05/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573533.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818215509-20220819005509-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.897525 | 133 | 1.773438 | 2 |
LINGUISTICS & CULTURE
|Data:||25/JUL/2005 6:32 PM|
If you are talking about someone infecting and defacing the code that runs a web site you are correct.
Go to this site to see how the defacement is actually considered an infection of the code. It's put there by a malicious person, a hacker.
You can find many more sites like this using the Great Guararapes Search Engine (more commonly known as Google).
Envie uma resposta
Índice de mensagens | <urn:uuid:e57f8c7a-748b-4fe5-bccf-bdd6bc82bbac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sk.com.br/forum/display_message.php?message_id=24764 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570741.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808001418-20220808031418-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.714275 | 181 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Across every industry, sustainable business practices are fast becoming non-negotiable, and hospitality is no exception. Bord Bia’s 2021 research into consumer dietary preferences found that 65% of consumers are making more of an effort to be more aware of the environment around them, while 57% are making more of an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s now more important than ever for restaurants to be selective in their sourcing, responsible in how they operate and communicative about these efforts. Here are 10 straightforward practices you can implement in order to make your restaurant more sustainable and give your customers what they want.
1. Use food that's local and in season
Food that has travelled long distances to reach your kitchen has a much larger carbon footprint, with considerable amounts of energy needed to transport, store and often refrigerate it; furthermore, chemical pesticides and additional packaging may be needed to keep it fresh. Plus, the longer food spends in storage and transit, the higher the chance of it spoiling — more than half of all food waste occurs along the supply chain. All of this combined means that one of the best ways to make your restaurant more sustainable is to base your menu around local, seasonal food. Luckily, there are plenty of benefits to buying locally.
2. Grow your own, if possible
Nothing cuts down on food miles like growing your own produce. While your restaurant may not be privileged enough to have land, recent years have seen many creative forays into urban growing on every scale, from rooftop gardens to windowsill herb pots. Consider what may be possible within the space you have available. Alternatively, why not form a partnership with a local farm, asking them to dedicate a certain amount of land to growing for your restaurant? It’s a win-win situation: you can guarantee them a regular income, while in return you’ll have access to the freshest local produce.
3. Audit your supply chain
It’s not all about fresh produce, meat and fish. Examine your supply chain for every type of order you make, including non-perishables and non-food items from delph to takeaway containers, even cleaning supplies. Consider the distance your orders are travelling, as well as the sustainability efforts of your supplier companies themselves. It may well be possible to source similar products closer to home, or provided by companies who care as much about the environment as you do.
4. Create compelling plant-based options
Reducing consumption of meat and dairy is one of the most significant ways in which individuals can minimise their own personal carbon footprint, and demand for plant-based options is increasing every year in most Western countries. Meet this demand while also reducing your restaurant’s own environmental impact by offering numerous meat-free options on your menu. Ensure these dishes are more than an afterthought; whether vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian, today’s consumer expects plant-based dishes to be crafted with creativity and care. Gone are the days when a lacklustre goat’s cheese salad and some pasta in tomato sauce were thought to suffice.
5. Stop food waste
Food waste is the dirty secret of the hospitality industry. The United Nations Environment Programme's 2021 Food Waste Index reports an estimated 931 million tonnes of food going to waste every year, 26% of which comes from foodservice. Growing, producing and transporting food use huge amounts of water, fossil fuel and energy in themselves; when that food is wasted, so are these resources. Furthermore, the disposal of food waste to landfill is one of the biggest contributors of methane to our atmosphere. Be part of the solution, not the problem: audit your kitchen to find where most waste is happening, then put a plan in place for waste reduction.
6. Use every part
One step you can take to reduce food waste that will also encourage greater creativity from chefs is to adopt a ‘nose-to-tail’ attitude, meaning that you use every part of whatever ingredient you’re working with. While the term ‘nose-to-tail’ originates from the practice of using every part of an animal, this way of thinking can also apply to fish (fin-to-gill) and produce (root-to-shoot). Not only does this way of cooking help to reduce your environmental impact, but it’s cost efficient, too. Buying a whole chicken or salmon and breaking them down yourself is cheaper per kilo than those pre-cut options. Plus, with little or none going to waste, you’ll save money on disposal.
7. Invest in your appliances
New, energy-efficient appliances do cost more upfront than cheap, older or secondhand models. However, since they are more energy efficient, you’ll save money on your electricity bills, paying back this additional investment over time. New models are also easier to repair if they break down, meaning they won’t need to be replaced any time soon.
8. Reduce water and electricity use
Cutting down on water and energy consumption is an easy way to make your restaurant more sustainable. Invest in water-efficient devices and appliances, install timers on lights and train your staff to be considered and vigilant when it comes to using water and energy. Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint, but your electricity bills will take a dive, too.
9. Ditch single-use plastics wherever possible
We all know plastic straws are passé, but check where else you might be able to wave goodbye to single-use plastic. Choose compostable takeaway containers, napkins, coffee cups and disposable cutlery. Don’t forget the packaging used in your orders, both food and non-food; look for suppliers who are equally dedicated to sustainable packaging.
10. Go paperless
Give serious consideration to every point in your business where paper is used. Is it really necessary? Even a small step, such as not printing receipts unless requested, can make a big difference. Consider switching to digital menus, especially if you’ve decided to focus on seasonal ingredients — you can save a lot of trees if you don’t need to print new menus every few weeks.
From comprehensive digital menu management and ordering systems to a revolutionary new carbon footprint management tool, Nutritics has a wide range of products designed to help you transition your food business to a more sustainable model. To find out more, get in touch today. | <urn:uuid:43a3cdf4-f848-4ecc-a95a-ad98c3ac10a1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nutritics.com/en/resources/blog/10-ways-to-make-your-restaurant-more-sustainable | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.941125 | 1,325 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Do you wonder how the music apps recommend music based on your personal interests? Or you might get curious about how the least used mails are moved in spam folders. If yes, then the answer to all of these queries is machine learning.
According to Gartner, around 37% of all companies are utilizing some type of ML in their business. It is now clear that Machine learning is one of the best career choices for professionals. In this article, we will discuss how to start a career in Machine Learning. Let’s get started.
How to Start a Career in Machine Learning?
1. Be curious
Sometimes, curiosity is the root cause of any profession. When an individual is curious, they are automatically keen to know more about it. Hence it makes them move towards more efficient work and deliver a high-quality performance. The key is to stay curious as far as possible because it will help you brainstorm different business challenges.
Machine learning is a blend of statistics, mathematics, and technology. So make sure you gain proficiency in all of these aspects. The reason is that all are correlated with each other, which directly influences the quality of results also.
3. Machine learning basics
Whenever you start any new stream of your career, the very initial step is to familiarize yourself with the basics. Since it set the foundation for all aspects of the career, it is very important for the professional to gain expertise in this aspect.
4. Learn programming and libraries
Programming languages play an important role in developing machine learning algorithms. Python, R, TensorFlow, and ScikitLearn are majorly used for this purpose.
5. Data analysis
Data analysis can surely help the professional to identify the patterns of data. Also, it helps you to differentiate between the data that works well or not.
6. Industry knowledge
Different industries offer a variety of opportunities, so it is important for the professional to do the research well enough. Professionals should do their research deeply to know what exactly machine learning can offer in different areas.
Machine learning is definitely not an option to miss out on for professionals who are already in the tech background or fresh graduates looking for new opportunities. | <urn:uuid:0fd355be-b189-45a2-956a-05edae52a40c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.techupdates.net/start-a-career-in-machine-learning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573876.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820012448-20220820042448-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.942416 | 451 | 2.546875 | 3 |
In Egypt, more than a quarter of 4-year-olds are overweight. In Zambia, between 15 and 20 percent of the preschoolers are considered obese. And in Chile, more than 25 percent of children younger than 10 tip the scales at unhealthy weights, according to the London-based International Obesity Task Force.
Now considered a worldwide epidemic, "globesity" is spreading faster in developing countries than in the industrialized world, nutritionists say. The Westernization of diets is considered a key factor.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) is having difficulty persuading governments to do anything about it. The UN agency will present a global antifat strategy at a summit in May. But it has run into vocal opposition from developing countries - particularly from the sugar producers - and from Washington questioning proposed guidelines for fat and sugar intake.
That resistance has infuriated some food experts. "This is all clearly politicized," fumes Marion Nestle, head of the nutrition, food studies, and public health department at New York University. "It has to do with the sugar industry's panic that with the obesity crisis, people will start cutting back on carbohydrates. It is so obvious that large amounts of sugar are not good for your health."
Other scientists, especially those with ties to sugar producers, argue that there is no evidence to support the WHO's suggested ceilings. There is "a very real question of whether any numerical limits should be set" says Richard Cottrell, head of the Sugar Bureau, a research group funded by the British sugar industry.
Nobody disputes the obesity trend lines. The WHO estimates that 300 million people worldwide are obese, and one billion are overweight. (Obesity is defined as when a person's weight is 20 percent greater than the sex- and age-specific weight-for-height standard).It says diseases linked to obesity, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, now account for about 60 percent of all deaths.
While the rise in obesity - especially among children - has sparked concern in rich countries, experts are more concerned about the trend in developing countries. India has more people diagnosed as diabetic than any other country, and obesity rates are nearing 20 percent in some Chinese cities.
"The whole world's diet is being Westernized," says Neville Rigby, director of policy at the London-based International Obesity Task Force, part of an umbrella research group with 10,000 members in 50 countries. "Poverty is part of the problem - fat and sugar are cheap products, and people are eating the wrong stuff."
At the same time, city-dwellers in the developing countries are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles, taking buses or cars to work rather than walking or cycling, and generally getting less exercise.
In some countries - such as the Pacific island nation of Nauru, where 70 percent of the inhabitants are obese, according to WHO studies - lifestyle and dietary shifts have happened too quickly for people's bodies to adapt to the changes. Recent research suggests that habitual food scarcity breeds a "thrifty gene" which boosts the efficiency of people's metabolism. When food becomes more plentiful, and "people are exposed to a carbohydrate-rich diet they were not built for, they run into problems," says Josef Schmidhuber, an analyst with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The growing incidence of overweight people in developing countries threatens to overwhelm fragile healthcare systems. Problems related to obesity cost the US $117 billion last year, according to the US Surgeon General: Few developing countries could pay that sort of bill.
The WHO is responding with what spokesman David Porter calls "a toolbox of options" to help governments set policies on diet, physical activity, and health.
The strategy offers the sort of dietary advice mother may have given you - limit sugar, fats and salt, eat more fruit, vegetables, and legumes - and encourages daily exercise. It calls on the food industry to cut back on the saturated fats, trans fatty acids, salt, and sugar in its products, and to label them more clearly. And it suggests that governments might want to impose "Twinkie taxes" that discourage unhealthy eating habits, or to regulate the way junk food is marketed to children.
Controversy has focused on a report by a group of independent experts that provides the scientific foundations for the strategy, and particularly on the scientists' recommendation that consumers should limit "free sugars" to 10 percent of their calorie intake.
Although this proposal is roughly in line with recommendations that many national governments, including the US, make to citizens, the idea has provoked uproar among sugar producers, who say that the evidence supporting such a ceiling is outdated or inconclusive. Riaz Khan, the head of the World Sugar Research Organization, wrote in a letter to the WHO that their report "does not meet expected modern standards for a scientific review" and would have "serious, detrimental and long-lasting effects on the agriculture and the economy of those countries."
Until recently, the United States has spearheaded criticism of the WHO strategy and science. But three US senators, led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D) of Iowa, complained in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson that the US objections "largely mirror those raised by food industry trade groups," echoing allegationsthat the administration was defending US junk food producers.
Last week, at a meeting of the FAO, the US delegation presented a more nuanced position. Some observers suggest that the shift is merely tactical, since developing countries in the Group of 77 led the charge at the FAO. "The battle against obesity must be fought through better nutritional education and not by arbitrary quantitative dietary recommendations" said Fabio Valencia, the Colombian chairman of the Group of 77. "You cannot stigmatize one food product such as sugar," says Nestor Ponguta, a spokesman for Mr. Valencia.
"The sugar industry was lobbying like crazy" at the FAO meeting, says Mr. Rigby. "They were trying to put the 'frighteners' on the developing countries."
FAO officials, however, say the impact on sugar producers would be marginal. "The recommendations would take time to implement, and there are many countries, such as China, where consumption is way below the 10 percent figure, so there is room for more sales there," says Mr. Schmidhuber. At the same time, he adds, developing countries in the tropics could take advantage of increases in fruit and vegetable consumption that the WHO wants to recommend. "It could constitute a major export opportunity," he says. | <urn:uuid:c5b37190-8abb-46cd-ba0c-dfce6da06782> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://m.csmonitor.com/2004/0219/p01s03-wogi.html/(page)/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00479-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962152 | 1,342 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.