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Located between Unadilla and Pinehurst, this tiny vernacular chapel sits at the rear of a pecan orchard and in front of a cotton field. There’s a cemetery beside it, as well as wooden dinner-on-the-grounds tables. This congregation apparently still meets the third Sunday of each month.
This tiny vernacular chapel was one of the most interesting structures in Unadilla.
Thanks to Andrew Wood for the identification. I initially thought it to be railroad-related; it’s one of the most elaborate agricultural warehouses I have seen. | <urn:uuid:f3f27f4b-88c9-4add-9201-e55741aeb1f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/category/dooly-county-ga/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949883 | 120 | 1.75 | 2 |
This Round Wooden Knitting Loom is great for teaching children how to knit. A round loom can be used to knit just about anything - a dish cloth, a scarf, a pot holder, and more. Just start threading through the first hole, tying a knot at the end. Then begin weaving - that's all there is to it! The loom comes with hand-dyed wool yarn. Made in Germany.
Round loom for knitting Comes with one finishing needle Includes enough hand-dyed wool yarn for one project Creations make great gifts | <urn:uuid:a788f8b9-b452-45ed-bd7f-c55cd3963ad6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.magiccabin.com/craft-kits/round-wooden-knitting-loom.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931806 | 114 | 1.820313 | 2 |
As the first commercially successful rap artist, Kurtis Blow is a towering figure in hip-hop history. His popularity and charisma helped prove that rap music was something more than a flash-in-the-pan novelty, paving the way for the even greater advances of Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. Blow was the first rapper to sign with (and release an album for) a major label; the first to have a single certified gold (1980's landmark "The Breaks"); the first to embark on a national (and international) concert tour; and the first to cement rap's mainstream marketability by signing an endorsement deal. For that matter, he was really the first significant solo rapper on record, and as such he was a natural focal point for many aspiring young MCs in the early days of hip-hop. For all his immense importance and influence, many of Blow's records haven't dated all that well; his rapping technique, limber for its time, simply wasn't as evolved as the more advanced MCs who built upon his style and followed him up the charts. But at his very best, Blow epitomizes the virtues of the old school: ingratiating, strutting party music that captures the exuberance of an art form still in its youth.
Kurtis Blow was born Kurtis Walker in Harlem in 1959. He was in on the earliest stages of hip-hop culture in the '70s -- first as a breakdancer, then as a block-party and club DJ performing under the name Kool DJ Kurt; after enrolling at CCNY in 1976, he also served as program director for the college radio station. He became an MC in his own right around 1977, and changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future Def Jam founder and rap mogul Russell Simmons. Blow performed with legendary DJs like Grandmaster Flash, and for a time his regular DJ was Simmons' teenage brother Joseph -- who, after changing his stage name from "Son of Kurtis Blow," would go on to become the first half of Run-D.M.C. Over 1977-1978, Blow's club gigs around Harlem and the Bronx made him an underground sensation, and Billboard magazine writer Robert Ford approached Simmons about making a record. Blow cut a song co-written by Ford and financier J.B. Moore called "Christmas Rappin'," and it helped him get a deal with Mercury once the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" had climbed into the R&B Top Five.
Blow's second single, "The Breaks," was an out-of-the-box smash, following "Rapper's Delight" into the Top Five of the R&B charts in 1980 and eventually going gold; it still ranks as one of old school rap's greatest and most enduring moments. The full-length album Kurtis Blow was also released in 1980, and made the R&B Top Ten in spite of many assumptions that the Sugarhill Gang's success was a one-time fluke. Although the album's attempts at soul crooning and rock covers haven't dated well, the poverty-themed "Hard Times" marked perhaps the first instance of hip-hop's social consciousness, and was later covered by Run-D.M.C. Blow initially found it hard to follow up "The Breaks," despite releasing nearly an album a year for most of the '80s. 1981's Deuce and 1982's Tough weren't huge sellers, and 1983's Party Time EP brought D.C. go-go funksters E.U. on board for a stylistic update. Around this time, Blow was also making his mark as a producer, working with a variety of hip-hop and R&B artists; most notably, he helmed most of the Fat Boys' records after helping them get a record deal. 1984's Ego Trip sold respectably well on the strength of cuts like the DJ tribute "AJ Scratch," the agreeably lightweight "Basketball," and the Run-D.M.C. duet "8 Million Stories." Blow followed it with an appearance in the cult hip-hop film Krush Groove, in which he performed "If I Ruled the World," his biggest hit since "The Breaks."
"If I Ruled the World" proved to be the last gasp of Blow's popularity, as hip-hop's rapid growth made his style seem increasingly outdated. 1985's America was largely ignored, and 1986's Kingdom Blow was afforded an icy reception despite producing a final chart hit, "I'm Chillin'." Critics savaged his final comeback attempt, 1988's Back by Popular Demand, almost invariably pointing out that the title, at that point, was not true. In its wake, Blow gave up the ghost of his recording career, but found other ways to keep the spirit of the old school alive. In the early '90s, he contributed rap material to the TV soap opera One Life to Live, and later spent several years hosting an old-school hip-hop show on Los Angeles radio station Power 106. In 1997, Rhino Records took advantage of his status as a hip-hop elder statesmen by hiring him to produce, compile, and write liner notes for the three-volume series Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap. The same year, he was a significant presence in the rap documentary Rhyme and Reason. Blow's music has also been revived by younger artists seeking to pay tribute; Nas covered "If I Rule the World" on 1996's It Was Written, and R&B group Next sampled "Christmas Rappin'" for their 1998 smash "Too Close." ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Jul 20 SaturdayNew York, NY, US B.B. King Blues Club and Grill | <urn:uuid:1458f532-610c-4925-bcf2-00c9ad0bea4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mtv.com/artists/kurtis-blow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979961 | 1,202 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Rugby belongs to all South Africans
Donald Lee, DA Spokesperson on Sport and Recreation
12 April 2009
The demands placed on SA Rugby by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Butana Komphela for hosting a British and Irish Lions match in Port Elizabeth on 16 June are wholly unacceptable. The game of rugby, as well as any other national sport belongs to all the people of South Africa and is not the preserve of the ANC.
This kind of political meddling runs contrary to internationally accepted best practise and left unchecked could well endanger our membership of international sporting federations. In the build up to the 2010 World Cup we need to be sending the message that we are aware of our international commitments and responsibilities and that politics has no role to play in sport.
The demands made by the ANC include:
- Immediate payment of R 2.5 Million for rugby development in the Eastern Cape;
- Displaying and audio-visual presentation in the stadium on the meaning of Youth Day;
- Dictating the starting time of the match so as not to disturb Youth Day celebrations; and
- Insisting that the launch of a new Eastern Cape Franchise be announced at the match.
It is wholly inappropriate for the ANC to dictate to sporting codes how, when and on what conditions sporting events must be hosted, especially when attempting to solicit money from sporting bodies, money which should be provided by national government.
The DA will for its part continue to stand up for the independence of all sporting federations and to resist at all costs the ANC's unacceptable interference. | <urn:uuid:847a63d5-9b14-4c61-a32e-d5e6c9a42ed0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.da.org.za/newsroom.htm?action=view-news-item&id=6611 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932843 | 323 | 1.507813 | 2 |
US 4681570 A
A body-implantable catheter which can be employed for peritoneal dialysis and the like includes a flexible, elongated, perforated tube, together with means for urging at least a portion of the tube into a tightly wound cylindrical helix configuration.
1. A body-implantable catheter especially suited for percutaneous communication with the peritoneal cavity which comprises
a flexible, elongated tube with perforations in the wall thereof to pass fluid to or from the lumen of said tube, and protrusions within said lumen to prevent collapse of said tube under a negative pressure gradient; together with
means acting on said tube for urging at least a central portion of said tube into a tightly wound cylindrical helix configuration with closely spaced windings, providing a secondary fluid channel enclosed by said helix;
whereby pressure in said tube, impelling said helix to unwind, tends to free said perforations from occluding organic deposits, and said secondary fluid channel, created upon restoration of the tightly wound helix, serves as a sump for spent fluid.
2. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the distal terminus of said tube is closed.
3. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said protrusions comprise a plurality of longitudinal ribs affixed to said wall.
4. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said tube is produced with a restoring set, providing said means for urging said tube into a helix configuration.
5. The catheter of claim 1 wherein a biocompatible spring with a helical restoring set is passed through a longitudinal passage in said tube, providing said means for urging said tube into a helix configuration.
6. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said tube is constructed from silicone or polyurethane thermoformable elastomer.
7. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said tube has an oval-shaped cross section with relatively flat surfaces.
8. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the distal portion of said tube is configured as a substantially straight tail.
9. The catheter of claim 1 further comprising means adjacent the proximal end of said tube for anchoring said catheter in the body.
10. The catheter of claim 9 wherein said anchoring means includes a cuff on said tube to encourage tissue ingrowth.
With reference first to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, catheter 10 includes tube 20, a portion of which is urged into a tightly wound cylindrical helix configuration, providing secondary channel 40. Tube 20 may be open at distal terminus 27, but is preferably restricted or entirely closed to force the flow of fluid into or from lumen 22 primarily through perforations 23 in tube wall 21. Protrusions, which may be present in the form of longitudinal ribs 24, prevent collapse of the tube if a negative pressure gradient is established across wall 21; e.g., by applying suction to the tube to withdraw spent fluid.
A substantially straight tail 25 is optionally provided between the helix portion and the distal terminus. This section is intended to reach an area of limited access away from the pelvic gutter of peritoneal cavity 50 as shown in FIG. 3. Such an area of limited access may arise, for example, from loculation which can occur in oncology patients. The proximal end 26 of the tube is preferably adapted to mate with a percutaneous fitting near the surface of the body or to connect to a subcutaneous reservoir of the type disclosed in U.S. Pats. No. 4,464,178 or 4,490,137. A number of suitable percutaneous fittings have been described; e.g., in the cited prior art which provides for catheter replacement. Cuff 30, made of polyester, for example, is optionally provided to foster tissue ingrowth and anchorage.
Tube 20 can be constructed of any of several commercially available, flexible, biocompatible materials, such as silicone or polyurethane thermoformable elastomer. Although the cross-section of the tube is not critical; e.g., it may be circular in cross-section, it is preferably of oval cross-section with relatively flat surfaces; e.g., 0.5 cm wide and 0.25 cm deep with a wall thickness of about 0.06 cm. In any case, it is necessary to provide means for urging at least a portion of the tube into a tightly wound, cylindrical helix configuration. For example, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, an elastomeric tube can be produced as a straight extrusion, then wound into the desired cylindrical helix configuration, and urged to remain in that configuration by vulcanizing the wound tube.
In a typical catheter of this invention the helical section is about 15-20 cm long, with a helix diameter of about 1.0 cm and about 0.06 cm between windings; tail 25 is about 10 cm in length, and proximal end 26 is about 10-15 cm long, all dimensions depending, of course, on the size of the patient. The windings of the helix are closely spaced to prevent invasion of secondary channel 40 by omentum. Although the catheter is long enough to extend through the pelvic gutter as shown in FIG. 3, it should be be as short as possible, consistent with that objective, in order to avoid knotting on itself and strangling an organ or part of the intestine.
The size, number and location of perforations 23 will vary with tubing size and elasticity. Operationally, the perforations must be sufficiently large to provide good flow, but small enough to prevent omentum and adhesions from invading the catheter. In general, there will be perforations both within the secondary fluid channel and on the outside of the helix. The perforations can range in diameter from about 0.01 to 2.0 mm, depending on their number. Perforations about 0.8 mm in diameter, staggered about the longitudinal center line of the tube on the inside and outside of the helix and spaced apart about 1.3 cm, are satisfactory. Preferably, the perforations are closer together approaching the distal end of the helix.
FIGS. 4, 5 and 5A illustrate embodiments in which alternate means for urging tube 20 into a helix configuration are provided. In these embodiments biocompatible, helical spring wire 35 is threaded through longitudinal passage 28 which is provided in tube 20. The restoring spring force urges tube 20 into a tightly wound helical configuration. Other means for urging the tube into a helix configuration will be evident to those skilled in the art.
In the event it becomes necessary to remove the catheter of this invention from the patient, it can simply be withdrawn, since the helix readily unwinds. In embodiments which incorporate a helical spring wire, the wire can be withdrawn prior to removing the catheter from the patient.
It will be evident that other variations, not specifically illustrated, are within the contemplation of this invention and the scope of the following claims:
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of one embodiment of the catheter of this invention, including certain optional features.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the catheter of FIG. 1 taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a partially cut away ventral view of the human abdomen showing placement therein of a catheter of this invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tube employed in another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tube employed in yet another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view like FIG. 2, but showing the embodiment of FIG. 5.
This invention is in the field of body-inserted catheter structures; specifically, the invention relates to catheters having integral anticlogging means and, more specifically, to such catheters which are especially suitable for insertion into the peritoneal cavity for peritoneal dialysis and the like.
Hemodialysis has been employed for many years in the treatment of advanced renal disease, but the technique is not without difficulties. More recently, peritoneal dialysis has gained favor in the management of renal failure. In its simplest terms, the latter treatment requires flooding the peritoneal cavity with a sterile dialyzing fluid, allowing the fluid to absorb toxins from the blood stream by osmosis through the abdominal capillaries, and then draining the spent fluid from the cavity. The procedure is repeated until dialysis is complete. A catheter left in the cavity, to which percutaneous connection can be made periodically, allows dialysis to be carried out as often as necessary with minimal patient discomfort.
The desirability of maintaining a catheter in the peritoneal cavity is manifested in other situations as well. For example, the treatment of certain abdominal cancers is facilitated by employing a catheter to introduce a fluid containing a chemotherapeutic agent into the peritoneal cavity. After a time, the fluid is withdrawn through the catheter. This procedure may be repeated periodically for some time. An indwelling catheter left in the cavity simplifies the procedure.
The use of a peritoneal catheter carries its own set of problems. The peritoneum and peritoneal cavity can easily become the site for infection introduced by the catheter. Further, even if the catheter delivers the fluid efficiently into the peritoneal cavity, it may not be effective in draining the spent fluid from the body. This type of failure is most often encountered when the catheter is left in the body for a prolonged period of time. When the catheter fails to deliver fluid to or from the cavity after a period of time, it is often due to the fact the catheter has become clogged by membranous adhesions, scar tissue, or omentum. This problem has been recognized in the prior art for some time.
For example, after acknowledging the problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,092 advises it be side-stepped by simply providing for replacement of the clogged catheter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,737 addresses this type of catheter obstruction by providing a disc-like structure at the distal end of the catheter which is placed in the abdomen against the peritoneum so as to avoid contact with the bowel and associated omentum. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,276, the clogging problem can be solved by masking fluid delivery holes in the catheter with protrusions which tend to keep tissue away from the openings.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,856 the clogging problem is attributed to close contact between the catheter and intestine; an expansible balloon-like catheter terminus is accordingly provided. U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,877 addresses the problem by designing the catheter to remain near the peritoneum wall, effected by giving the catheter a coiled configuration, and by making the catheter easy to replace if it becomes clogged.
None of the aforesaid approaches to the problem has been satisfactory, and the peritoneal catheter usually selected in clinical practice is the standard Tenckhoff catheter, in which no attempt is made by design to avoid clogging with tissue. The catheters which are intended to remain near the peritoneum, avoiding the intestines and pelvic gutter, are generally unsatisfactory because drainage from the peritoneal cavity is inefficient.
Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a catheter which is suitable for implantation and long-term use in the peritoneal cavity and which tends to avoid the problem of clogging with tissue. It is another objective to provide a peritoneal catheter which is effective for the drainage of spent dialysate.
These objectives are attained in a catheter which includes a flexible, elongated tube with perforations in the wall of the tube to pass fluid to or from the tube's lumen and protrusions within the lumen to prevent collapse of the tube under a pressure gradient, together with means for urging at least a portion of the tube into a tightly wound cylindrical helix configuration.
In operation, the helix core provides a secondary fluid channel which acts as a sump for spent fluid, while pressure in the tube, impelling the helix to unwind, tends to free the tube perforations from organic deposits.
This invention, including the manner of making and using it, will be clarified by reference to the drawings which accompany this specification and to the detailed description which follows.
Citat från patent
Hänvisningar finns i följande patent | <urn:uuid:e94e5937-ad58-45d3-91a9-e74f523e03c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.se/patents/US4681570?hl=sv | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935107 | 2,719 | 1.5 | 2 |
A 19th Century painting by William turner goes for $6 million
If you are still trying to recoil from the gloomy spell following the news of the Batmobile crashing at the auctions, then this good news will help you bounce back to your more jovial self. A 19th century painting by British painter William Turner has commanded a staggering $6,000,000 at a recent auction at the Sotheby’s. ‘Le Chateau de Bamborough’, a watercolor on canvas, depicts a castle perched on the heights of the Bamborough hill located in England. The painting was out of circulation for more than a century owing to its acquisition in the United States by the Vanderbilt family. An anonymous buyer walked away with the painting after outbidding his rivals in a fierce bidding battle.
Via: Le blog luxe | <urn:uuid:fe1073d3-4088-46e1-91ef-43641df2f13a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bornrich.com/a-19th-century-painting-by-william-turner-goes-for-6-million.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9707 | 173 | 1.75 | 2 |
As our economy continues to fail I would think that it should be intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that modern mainstream economics is a miserable failure.Mainstream economics poster boy is John Menard Keynes and the resultant School of Keynesian Economics.One of his biggest turnoffs for me was he blamed recessions/depressions on “animal spirits” overtaking those who were in business.If I were to say the reaction between two inductors were caused by something akin to “animal spirits” no one could possibly take me serious.Well then again perhaps someone in government may!The strongly competitive economics is the AustrianSchool who explain econ in terms of human action (see the writings of von Mises).Humans do not respond like atoms or electrons in a perfectly foreseeable way, thus the math of physics cannot be applied.All engineers should be able to understand this.
But Keynesian economics is favored by government as Keynes preached only government could fix problems by injection of money.He did so in 1930 and our government followed his prescription.The Great Depression followed.Oops, not enough spending!!!!Fast forward 80 years.Huge spending programs, yet terrible employment numbers and soon to pass terrible price inflation.We as a society have pushed everyone into universities to get a any type of degree.A lady in Occupy Wall Street complained she had a Masters in Lesbian Studies, yet could not get a job!!! I couldn’t make stuff up like this even if I tried!
I believe engineers and scientists cannot be trained.The “gift” is within us, probably since birth, and it is not blocked by racial, nor economic reasons.Most of us have worked with EEs who really knew their stuff in math and electronics, but who could not come up with a new design or product if their lives depended on it.Educated; yes, intelligent; not very.With others, the vision is clear.
The last thing we need is more politicians, or lawyers making more decisions, such as Congressmen trying to design cars and mandating flush toilets.The free market works while central planning has a very long history of failure.
You are totally right, I am a volunteer at local public school and caused a huge interest into science and engineering since we built a solar powered water fall, a noise meter for classrooms, and now building a wind turbine 3 phase electrical generator..I work with 4 to 8 grade kids, I can tell you, we can make a huge difference and I am doing it.
My self I am not from the US, but I have to pay back to it since I love this country, we need more American kids into STEM, many of them just dream of been a football player, lawyer, hip hop star or to work at mcdonals, also is part culture as mentioned too.
The money is not the problem, there is everything in some schools but no one knows or is afraid to use, I this specific school I was amazed to see an entire cnc wood workshop machinery hidden in storage, new!!!, no ones know how to operate..so here I am, I know part of it and we are working to get that out and create some handy kids...
We all know the lack of good skilled tech workers, I mean one that handles electrical, instrumentation, control, electro-mecanical and more..how will we create those if not many encourage their students into.
Clearly the country needs the highly technical skilled workforce, as well engineers, but also great teachers..who of us wants our kids to be teachers?? none...but we want the best teachers...
Unfortunately for many people, this is a mix of things including hate against immigrants, instead of taking advantage... many say we educate them here then they go abroad to manufacture and sell chinese goods to the US, but, are your Ipads or Ipods made in the US? why not? you know the answer to it...it is all about productivity, do we have it here? train those thousands into tech jobs and will see...but are they willing to go into tech complexities?
At the end, we all need to contribute to this cause, please, volunteer, go to career days, you can change the future for good of many kids, families and this country...
This may be a short term benefit to the US, but is likely to have bad long term consequences to the countries of origin of the students. Returning graduates are needed for the economic development of poorer countries and are also valuable on seeding the leadership of these countries with young adults who have seen the benefits of an open, democratic society. That is portent for US, too.
In one sense, it's really economics that's under attack by physics. Economics is supposed to be a hard science, yet it can't make a correct risk-reward assessment vis a vis the dollars versus cutting STEM-related programs. So how hard of a science can it really be? These economist might as well be anthropologists; not to denegrate that latter, which as far as I can tell have made more positive contributions to the world in the past decade that those vaunted economics, who before the got around to cutting these STEM programs had a big hand in wrecking the U.S. economy.
The silver lining to this dark cloud would be if the state looked at the paltry number of graduates and said: "Let's re-direct the funds to the elementary and high school levels in an effort to spur interest in physics among younger students, so we can later drive up the number of collegians who want to get undergrad degrees in physics. Then we can expand the college physics programs when we see more genuine interest in the subject." Somehow, though, I doubt this is happening.
I agree completely, Dave. But I'm concerned about our ability to change our education system to produce students who are both capable and motivated to succeed in hard science. We've looked at everything to improve our education system -- more spending per student, cracking the teacher unions so we can improve teachers, uniforms, standardized testing, and on and on.
I no longer think there's a key. I'm coming to think it's the culture, not the education system -- or, difficulties in the education system can't be corrected until there are changes in the culture.
By drawing on international students, we're drawing on the results of cultures that are more focused on the importance of education excellence.
@Rob Spiegel: Giving permanent resident status to international students who complete an advanced degree in the U.S. would certainly be a short term solution to increase the supply of science and engineering talent available to private industry in the U.S. However, I suspect it would have a dirsuptive effect on university research.
Right now, many academic departments rely heavily on an essentially captive labor force of international students and postdocs to provide teaching assistants, research assistants, etc. Many of these students would not be doing this work -- which is poorly paid, underappreciated, and often demands superhuman hours -- if they had the opportunity to work in private industry.
Of course, it could be argued that maybe universities ought to pay graduate research and teaching assistants at rates which are more competitive with private industry. This is probably true, but seems that it would require major changes to the ways universities do things.
In any case, relying on developing countries to provide us with a science and engineering workforce is only a short term solution at best. At some point, we need to train our own people.
There are some many problems to solve in our education system that would drive up the number of students on physics, that the quickest road to more Ph.D.s in the field might be Tom Friedman's suggestion. Take each science diploma earned by an international student and stable a green card to it.
This is especially important at a time when an increasing percentage of our bright international students are returning home with their degrees rather than making a life in the United States.
A better title for this article might be "Laws of Physics Under Attack by Political Science." The economics of supporting STEM education are clear.
Since the early 2000s, the majority of physics PhD's granted by U.S. universities have been to students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This is true even despite an overall decline in the number of international students in the post-September 11, 2001 era.
The majority of engineering PhD's granted by U.S. universities also go to students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Arguably, however, this has to do with the fact that engineers who are citizens or permanent residents can get jobs in industry with a bachellor's or master's degree, and only rarely stick around to get doctorates. International students have a harder time getting jobs in industry - many employers don't want to go through the paperwork and bureaucratic hassles required to sponsor a visa - so they tend to stay in academia and get doctorates, do post-doctoral research, etc.
Personally, I'm glad that so many international students come to the U.S. to study. Having classmates from many different countries made my educational experience better.
That being said, there are a lot of potentially talented kids in the U.S. who aren't getting the chance to develop their abilities. We like to believe that anyone can be successful in the U.S. with hard work, creativity, and talent. That statement is probably more true in the U.S. than it is in just about any other country - but there are still a lot of kids who have the cards stacked against them.
The fact is that many students, especially low-income and minority students, receive a sub-standard primary and secondary education which doesn't prepare them well for college. And as this article points out, for those who do manage to make it to college, the community colleges and universities which serve low-income and minority students are often the first to face budget cuts. This is the reality we live in.
The causes of this are complex, but the consequences are clear: an erosion of scientific and engineering talent, with troubling implications for economic growth and national security.
I would encourage any and all engineering professionals who are concerned about this to get involved in tutoring and mentoring programs. If you don't have time to tutor students every week, volunteer to give a career day presentation, judge a science fair, or speak to a science class. All of us are very fortunate to have benefited from an engineering education. Now is the time to pay it forward.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is | <urn:uuid:02935d56-fb62-472f-b76c-3593fdf6341f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designnews.com/messages.asp?piddl_msgthreadid=243741&piddl_msgid=508850 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969633 | 2,353 | 1.5 | 2 |
Its latest move, however, goes far beyond the pale of common sense. It has passed a resolution outlawing "defamation" of religion. That means that wherever U.N. writ runs, neither a person nor an organization nor a representative of the press may say anything negative about a religion, part of a religion, an offshoot of a religion or a representative or member of a religion.
This resolution was "proposed by Pakistan on behalf of Islamic states, with a vote of 23 states in favor and 11 against, with 13 abstentions."
If you believe, as the United Nations allegedly does, that free speech is not a political right but a human right, you will be horrified by this.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
If you're all for limits on speech that you dislike, you would do well to remember that this type of resolution is a textbook case of "slippery slope." If you can do it to someone you hate, it takes only a slight tip of the scale for them to do it to you.
Pakistan has shut off the web out of fear it will see a picture of Mohammed. Either out of fear of Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, or using that event as an excuse, the Pakistani government has blocked the following at least: Facebook, Flickr, Wikipedia, and YouTube. Apparently Twitter is still partially functional, but blocked in certain parts of the country. I imagine it will be banned everywhere in short order. Everybody Draw Mohammed day started as a joke in a cartoon, which the cartoonist backed down from, but others went forward with. It is supposedly a celebration of free speech. It has purportedly drawn a lot of outright racist crap, but I suppose that's what makes it free speech as opposed to sanctioned speech. Many Pakistanis are outraged more at the censorship than at any possible blasphemy. I guess they figure that they, and their faith, are proof against the deadly power of amateur cartooning. Maybe the government should take a page from their book instead of tear pages out of the Koran to cover themselves with.
Tunisian citizens protest online crackdown. Thousands of Tunisians joined an online anti-censorship campaign, posting on Facebook, Twitter and blogs and posting photos and videos on the topic. "Even some radio and TV shows slipped a word about it, which is a first: The silent crowd is not so silent anymore." Tomorrow, organizers are taking the protest offline in cities around the world, including Tunis.
Tunisia blocks Skype. (This from an email from ReadWriteWeb France editor, Fabrice Epelboin.) Possibly in relationship to the anti-censorship activities above, Tunisia has blocked the VOIP site, though not others.
Facebook refuses to remove Holocaust denial groups. Facebook has refused to ban holocaust denier groups from using its service. That seems odd and a breaking of its terms of service, but is a private company and has the right to decide what it does. It can also be boycotted by users if they do not respond to what those users want. If people can force Facebook's hand, good I suppose. Talk of suing Facebook seems off-base though.
Thailand attacks protesters. Thailand sent in the army to break up the camp of the Red Shirt protesters, many of whom use electronic media to present their case against the current government. Several of the leaders surrendered to avoid more bloodshed.
Internet unblocked in Uighur area but webmasters and bloggers remain in jail. After being shut down or blocked for almost a year, China has apparently unblocked Internet access in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The webmasters, bloggers and journalists arrested in the crackdown of July 2009, however, remain jailed. These include "Memet Turghun Abdulla, a photographer who published an article online about an attack on Uyghur factory workers believed to have sparked the July 2009 unrest; Gheyret Niyaz, a journalist who was detained after talking to foreign media about the unrest; Dilshat Parhat, who co-founded the Uyghur-run website Diyarim; Obulkasim, an employee of Diyarim; Nureli, who founded the Uyghur website Selkin; and website supervisor Muhemmet."
Vietnam upholds sentences against blogger, other dissidents. Nguyen Tien Trung, a blogger and computer technician, did not appeal his sentence. He's jailed for speaking out against the regime. The court upheld attorney and businessman Le Cong Dinh's five-year sentence and businessman Tran Huynh Duy Thuc's 16-year sentence. The five-year term of Le Thang Long was reduce to three-and-a-half after he "admitted" his guilt.
Top photo by Arthit Suriyawongkul. | <urn:uuid:c918ff46-8ada-4e09-9ef1-a2b6f67bb2aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://readwrite.com/2010/05/21/un_passes_religious_defamation_resolution_this_wee | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960992 | 1,031 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Durant has a total population of 13,549 and a student population of 4,330. Of these students, 4,229 are enrolled in schools that offer teaching programs.
The largest teaching school in Durant, by student population, is Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In 2010, Southeastern Oklahoma State University graduated approximately 78 students with credentials in teaching.
A total of 135 students graduated with credentials in teaching from teaching schools in Durant in 2010. If you decide to join their ranks, you can expect to pay an average of $13,923 per year in tuition if you are eligible for instate tuition. Out of state tuition for all Durant teaching schools was an average of $20,294 per year in 2009.
You should also anticipate spending about $1,000 for teaching related books and supplies every year. And if you live on campus, you will face an additional expense of $4,900 per year, on average, for room and board at Durant-based teaching schools. Students who live at home can cut this cost down to approximately $0.
After graduating with your credentials in teaching, if you decide to work as a teacher in Durant, your job prospects are good. In 2010, 1 out of every 19 teachers in Oklahoma were working in the greater Durant area. Durant's teacher workforce is projected to increase by 17% by the year 2018. This anticipated change is faster than the projected nationwide trend for teachers.
The average salary you can expect to earn as a teacher in Durant is $38,970 per year. This is lower than the state-wide average salary for teachers. | <urn:uuid:0e3fbd39-ef96-4ea0-a217-7e2f0199be21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hackcollege.com/school-finder/schools/oklahoma/durant/teaching/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975045 | 325 | 1.765625 | 2 |
US Home Construction Dips, But Signs Point Up
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. builders slowed their pace of housing construction slightly in July. But in a hopeful sign for future construction, applications for building permits rose to their highest level since August 2008.
The Commerce Department says construction of single-family homes and apartments dipped 1.1 percent in July compared with June, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 746,000. In June, the pace had been the fastest since October 2008.
The weakness in July came from a 6.5 percent drop in the building of single-family homes, which represent about 70 percent of the market. They fell to an annual rate of 502,000. By contrast, construction of apartments rose 12.4 percent to an annual rate of 244,000 units.
Even with the slight setback in July, housing remains on an upward trend, said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG in New York. Greenhaus noted that construction of single-family homes is up 17 percent from a year ago.
For July, total home construction rose in the Midwest but fell in all other parts of the country.
Even with the gains made this year, the rate of construction and the level of permits remain only about half the 1.5 million annual rate considered healthy.
In June, single-family housing starts, which account for more than 70 percent of residential construction, rose for the fourth straight month to a two-year high.
The housing boom drove construction to record levels in the middle of last decade, peaking in January 2006 at a rate of nearly 2.3 million. But the bubble burst in late 2006 and 2007, and construction ceased in most parts of the country. Starts plunged to just 478,000 homes in April 2009, the low point during the housing bust.
Building increased in early 2010 as temporary government tax credits for home buyers lifted sales, the fizzled again when the support ended. Construction picked up again last fall, coinciding with growing optimism among builders, and it has been rising gradually since.
Homebuilder confidence grew this month to a five-year high, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo sentiment index. The index rose to 37 from 35 in July. And many builders reported seeing their best sales since February 2007.
Still, any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn’t been in positive territory since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.
Homebuilders have enjoyed improved sales trends this year, aided by record low mortgage rates and a decline in the inventory of unsold homes.
Still, the nascent housing recovery has been subject to fits and starts. Sales of new homes fell 8.4 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 350,000 - the biggest decline since February 2011. That was down from a two-year high of 382,000 in May.
Most economists say a healthy market has annual sales of new homes closer to 700,000. And the home sales could stumble further if economic growth and employment stay weak.
Employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful indication that hiring could pick up after three weak months of job creation. The economy created an average of just 73,000 jobs a month from April through June.
While newly constructed homes represent less than 20 percent of the housing sales market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to data from the builders’ association. | <urn:uuid:c690e60c-544f-4296-af25-910b847abb8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edgeprovidence.com/index.php?ch=business_finance&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=136119 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966287 | 741 | 1.648438 | 2 |
'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie' by Ayana Mathis / NONE NONE
NEW YORK - Oprah Winfrey likes to surprise authors.
So Ayana Mathis was purposely misled. She was told that the book editor of O: The Oprah Magazine wanted to talk to her briefly about Mathis' debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, about a troubled black family between 1923 and 1980.
Mathis, 39, says she was thrilled: "I thought a mention in O would be great."
Instead, the phone call came from a woman who introduced herself: "This is Oprah Winfrey."
Mathis recalls that she replied, "No. It isn't."
"And she says, 'No, no, it is. It's Oprah Winfrey.' "
It took several minutes to convince Mathis, who remains "permanently stunned" that her novel is the second selection of Oprah's Book Club 2.0. The revived club features online discussions and videos, and Winfrey's hour-long interview with Mathis airs Sunday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN, Winfrey's cable network.
Winfrey, on the phone from her home in Santa Barbara, says she wanted to share the novel with her fans because "its characters are so real. There were so many other black women like Hattie, who struggled and survived and did the best they could, and made a better life for the people who followed - people like me. And that shouldn't be forgotten."
After Winfrey's announcement on Dec. 5, Mathis' publisher, Knopf, moved up the novel's release by six weeks and increased the first printing from 50,000 to 125,000 copies.
In all the publicity that followed, the book was invariably described as a novel about the Great Migration of 6 million blacks from the South to the North between 1915 and 1970.
But in an interview in the book-filled living room of her one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment, Mathis sees the migration, which included her own grandparents, as a mere backdrop to the more personal and less political story she wanted to tell.
"My novel is not about the Great Migration," she says, although "it certainly informs the lives and worldview of the characters."
She's not one for simple labels: "Human beings are an amalgam of identities - race and economic status, etc, etc. We don't live our lives as demographics or as political statements. We simply live. I wanted my characters to reflect that as naturally as possible."
Her novel is built around a memorable but flawed character, Hattie Shepherd.At 15, Hattie moves from Georgia to Philadelphia with her two sisters and mother, after her father, a blacksmith, is killed by whites who apparently want to take over his business.
Two years later, on the 11th page of the novel, Hattie's twin babies,
Philadelphia and Jubilee, "names of promise and of hope," die of pneumonia.
Their deaths haunt the rest of the story, as Hattie, stuck in an unhappy marriage, has nine more children. They, along with a grandchild she's raising in the last chapter, are her 12 tribes, as in the 12 tribes of Israel, searching for the promised land.
One son becomes a womanizing preacher. A daughter, who hears voices in her head, is sent to a mental hospital. Another son, a traveling trumpet player, is gay but has no name for what to call himself in 1948. Mathis, who lives with her female partner, painter Nikki Terry, says, "In a family so large, not having a gay character would seem ridiculous."
She says that like all novelists, she's drawn on parts of her life. But, she adds, "It's dangerous to attempt to draw one-to-one parallels between any writer's personal experience and what we might find in her novels. My book is fiction, and I think its power - if there is any - lies in the fact that is an act of imagination. I also think that the people in the novel are far more interesting, and far more important, than my personal life or story."
Until the last few years, Mathis didn't consider herself a writer.
"Not as a career," she says. But her urge to write, which began at the Philadelphia High School for Girls - "which my mom wisely insisted I go to'' - wouldn't go away "even when I stopped writing. It keep reappearing and became more urgent. It became stupid to ignore it."
She grew up an only child in Philadelphia with a single mom, "a remarkable woman" who went to college when she was 30 to become a teacher. But her mother, Norma, suffered from depression and mental illness and heard what she called "The Voice." Mathis was raised in part by her maternal grandparents. (Her mother, now 79, recovered, and cried when she heard the news about Winfrey's endorsement.)
Mathis' father left when she was a toddler. Of him, Mathis says, "there's no relationship to speak about. There never was."
She dropped out of three colleges - "I was confused," she says - and worked as a waitress and magazine fact-checker in New York and traveled a lot. She lived in Florence, Italy, for five years.
Back in New York in 2006, she took a writing class. One of her classmates got her interested in the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop. It was there she abandoned a memoir - "snippets of my life that never jelled" - and began writing what became her novel.
Hattie appeared in her imagination almost fully formed: "afraid and wounded and prone to fits of rage. She doesn't necessarily understand how to raise her children, but you can't deny that she's strong."
Mathis was halfway through her novel when she read Isabel Wilkerson's 2010 history: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration. She says it helped with "historic context, a way to ground the novel in the social and political world that was happening off-page, so to speak."
Mathis' only agenda was "to write a novel about a family first and foremost. Of course, this family is black, and living in the time period in which they do, the social and political (aspects) are very important, but they are not the driving force behind the book."
Nearly all of her characters are African Americans, but in the novel, they're never described as black, but more descriptively by their skin tones: a "milky tea" and "nutmeg" and "almond."
"That's the natural, organic way that black people talking to black people describe each other," she says.
The novel is as much about economic and social class as it is about race. "Americans like to think we're above class. That's why we love shows like Downton Abbey (the hit public TV drama) that let us look down on the British. But we're not above it."
Thanks to Winfrey's endorsement, Mathis' novel has been as high as No. 41 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list. (It's currently No. 86.) It also has swelled the crowds at her appearances, including a standing-room-only event earlier this month at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn.
Among the readers there, Nieema Foster, 22, says she bought the novel as soon as she read about it in O, and "got lost in the book. It's like being on a train and you can't get off. My grandfather came from Georgia so I could relate."
At the bookstore, Mathis is asked about her favorite writers. She names four.
She begins with Toni Morrison, who "changed the ways in which black people in general, and black women in particular, are represented in our literature. She shifted the literary conversation. Her characters are so deeply explored, in all ways, not merely seen or understood through the prism of race, but as full human beings."
William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor, she notes, are Southerners, saying she's jealous of the rhythm and cadence of their prose.
All three also are white. Later, after the bookstore event, she's asked if that's relevant.
"I don't understand the expectation or assumption that black readers and/or writers only read black writers," she replies. "I read literature of all sorts, because its highest aim is to describe some aspect of the human condition. It would be nonsensical to only read or appreciate books by black authors, in the same way that it would be nonsensical to only read books by white men, or only read books by Latina women."
Mathis is at work on a second novel but offers no details. "It seems fragile," she says. "If I expose it to air, it might crumble or shrivel up."
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Oprah's latest book pick: debut novelist Ayana Mathis | <urn:uuid:da7d5429-0205-4a9c-ab90-d927f244f44b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lohud.com/usatoday/article/1873845 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983397 | 1,898 | 1.734375 | 2 |
What Happens When You Select the Wrong ERP System
of the myriad of appalling consequences that result from fitting an engineer-to-order
(ETO) environment with a repetitive-oriented ERP system, which does not have,
in the very least, a product configurator facility with generic items (encapsulating
options, variants, and constraints), generic bill of materials (BOM),
generic routings, or pricing functionality, is that the sales order capturing
clerk has to contact the engineering department for a product code or for the
price or cost of a product, sometimes waiting days for a response. Needless
to say the standard master data becomes bloated because each product variant
has to have a separate stock item code, BOM, and routing as if it was a standard
stock item and not a once-off made customized product (for example, a special
color or gauge thickness). As a result, the ill-fated user company would have
to literally close down operations so that the entire place can participate
in a dreaded stock-taking exercise with an item master printout as thick as
encyclopedia and with less than 10 percent of listed items expected to be really
stocked. This is without considering the likelihood of identical products having
a number of different item codes as different people created new codes unbeknownst
to each other.
As for the production planning aspect, the differences do not come only from days- or weeks-long lead times for repetitive items versus months- or years-long lead times for an individual project. Further, as mentioned earlier, a simple count and addition of the purchasing and manufacturing lead times will not determine the overall lead-time or time-to-deliver a project, since projects often have numerous product definition activities and commissioning and installation to arrange before and after manufacturing respectively. Also, it is not a mere scope of the planning that differs in repetitive and project manufacturing, since there are other major differences in the way that these environments approach planning.
project manufacturers tend not think in elapsed time, given they calculate effort.
For example, if a project is estimated to have one hundred hours worth of installation,
it could mean one person deployed for one hundred hours, or that it could be
deployed much quicker with a larger crew. Establishing and managing a critical
path is the "motherhood and apple pie" of project management. Critical path
is that set of activities that defines the duration of a project, and these
activities have very little float or slack, usually zero, and thus a delay in
any critical path activity will delay an entire project. Still, losses in one
area may be made up in another. For example, if design is budgeted to take a
team of five people, and one falls ill and cannot be replaced, the design time
overrun will be inevitable. However a project organization may decide to make
up the time by increasing the applied effort in downstream manufacturing /or
installation activities in order to hit the overall deadline.
Secondly, project manufacturers know that they cannot always be in control of the lead-time even if this project is nearly a repetition of the previous one. All sorts of issues can impact the plan to deliver even a simple project. Customer late with the design approval? Subcontractor late with the delivery due to a strike in its plant? Cannot get access to the site on the day we need it? Wide load needs a police escort? Welding can't be inspected on time? All of these have an impact on delivering the plan. Although some may not be controlled, all must be accounted for since they can profoundly affect the overall plan.
traditional MRP based systems work without priorities, but rather with time-phased,
back-loaded scheduling and with the "oldest order first" principle. Advanced
planning and scheduling (APS) and some other job dispatching techniques
may use more advanced algorithms (e.g., critical ratio), but they do not really
recognize a "rush job" logic (see Advanced
Planning and Scheduling: A Critical Part of Customer Fulfillment).
In other words, it is often difficult to see why any one job on the
factory floor is needed or where it is going to go. Since their business
is often more cyclic, project manufacturers want clarity and simplicity to be
able to juggle priorities within the network of remaining activities. They demand
that everyone knows what the critical path is within the plan today.
This is not to imply that in repetitive manufacturing planning and re-planning are simple activities, given one has to take the maximum or optimal utilization of plant, equipment and absorption of overheads into account. It is to say that project manufacturers have just as complex albeit an entirely different planning problem. As such they need a system that thinks in terms of applied effort, can plan for items and activities outside the bounds of the company, is clear to understand, and is flexible enough to cope with rapidly changing priorities and circumstances.
is Part Three of a three-part tutorial.
One defined the terms and provided background information.
Two discussed ETO versus Repetitive Differences.
Project Cost Accounting
When it comes to accounting, project-based manufacturers are more concerned with the profitability and cash flow of the project than of the departmental or organizational accounts. These organizations are looking for systems to support the project manager, who is responsible for sharing and tracking the revenue, expense, and profitability of a project. Yet, most enterprise-wide business systems sold by software vendors are general purpose in design and, without significant tweaking, they do not address many of the unique requirements of businesses engaged primarily in providing products and services under project-specific contracts and engagements.
key difference here is project cost accounting versus standard
cost accounting. According to APICS Dictionary, project costing
is "an accounting method of assigning valuations that is generally used in industries
where services are performed on a project basis. Each assignment is unique and
priced without regard to other assignments. Examples are shipbuilding, construction
projects, and public accounting firms. Project costing is opposed to process
costing, where products to be valued are homogeneous." Conversely, standard
cost accounting" is a cost accounting system that uses cost units determined
before production for estimating the cost of an order or product. For management
control purposes, the standards are compared to actual costs, and variances
Project-oriented organizations have many project-specific business and accounting requirements including the need to track costs and profitability on a project-by-project basis; to provide timely project information to managers and customers; and to submit accurate and detailed bills and invoices, often in compliance with complex industry-specific and regulatory requirements. In fact, project managers tend to be obsessed with analyzing actual spend versus achievement. For each separate project, and at any point in time, they need to know exactly what they have committed in terms of purchases, WIP, billable hours, material etc. They want to be proactively alerted as soon as a job goes outside predefined parameters, so that the causes can be identified and the situation rectified. Equally important, they need to know how much work remains and "cost to complete", as well as what is left to spend in order to deliver the project, as an anticipation of profit or loss before the project is complete.
They have to be able to report revenues on the percentage-completed basis, which is more complicated than reporting on a basic completed product. Yet, traditional generic general ledger-oriented (GL) accounting systems have not been designed with project phases, work breakdowns or detailed time capturing in mind, and thus, they merely can report how much it has been spent or collected, but not why certain project is losing or winning money.
In project manufacturing, the received payments may be spread out over the life of the project—including retention for acceptance of the job a long time after its completion. These receipts, also known as "stage payments", may happen at any time in the project, and depending on the contract, may be based on committed purchases or major events in manufacturing. One should note that the effect of stage payments on cash flow may even drive the priorities in the production sequence. So once more, project manufacturers have subtly different needs which can make all the difference in the pursuit of "world class". At least, the ETO amenable ERP system should include project costing, which is kept separate from the ERP system's general ledger.
in terms of the scope, those companies who recognize that they are project manufacturers
have to seek out ERP systems that will plan and account for activities before
and after the "factory" activity. Thus, through the Program Cost Accounting,
Project Accounting, Project Definition and Project Resource Planning sub-modules,
to name only some, an ETO focused vendor should take a holistic approach to
the needs of project-driven manufacturers. This should address the entire process
life cycle, beginning with the bid and estimating processes, all the way to
installation and service management, and thereby connecting project status tracking
with back-office processes. The system should also have a bidirectional interface
to CAD design and project management tools such as Microsoft Project.
Many customers require weekly progress reports and are comfortable with the
MS Project format, but the product on its own cannot give the visibility and
scheduling over a great number of concurrent products. That is where products
like Encompix, Lilly Software, Jobscope,
Made2Manage, Epicor, Visibility
and so on come into picture within the lower of the mid-market.
many of the these functionalities sound ordinary and appear to be "supported"
by many vendors responding to requests for information (RFIs), the
subsequent product demonstration often reveals the need for some tweaking or
even for a major modification in order to satisfy stringent customer requirements.
As the old adage goes, "the devil is always in details". For example, Encompix
allows users to estimate and quote an overall project using "buckets" of time
or dollars, which concept enables enterprises to perform actual rollups. In
other words, companies can track orders and projects and compare their progress
to the original estimate, as well as to previous iterative changes, all in the
"bucket" form, such as total engineering hours or total dollars. Many other
systems that are even ETO-oriented can only track the current iteration.
However, while a company's focus allows it to keep pace with trends in technology and customer requirements in its target niche, too narrow a focus comes with its liabilities as well. Namely, in addition to its small size, which may imply negative viability perception these days when many believe "the bigger, the better", limited financial resources; low visibility and brand recognition; and limited global capabilities of a product are the challenges such companies have to overcome. It remains a good practice for manufacturers that are selecting solutions to factor costs, the financial viability of a vendor, local support, and many other criteria, which might not go towards a small company's favor.
On a more general note, companies that are project manufacturers, ETO, build-to-order, jobbing shops or contract manufacturers should think carefully when selecting an ERP system. Given the maturity of the ERP market, its ongoing consolidation, and that competitive advantages are hard enough for manufacturers to find, they should not compromise on their requirements. In particular, small and mid-size enterprises should ask hard questions about the scope of an ERP system, and how it supports project-based idiosyncrasies. After all, a new system should always be about improving the business and not a mere technology initiative.
The vendor that listens to your needs instead of telling you what "cool things" its software can do, and that speaks your language and uses your terminology and vernacular is a good candidate as a vendor that understands your business. Still, as a sort of a litmus test, prod each vendor to tell you what percentage of its sales would belong to your industry. Vertical focus indicates that software contains industry-specific features and that ERP vendors have certain industry expertise. Also, in implementing an industry-specific application, it is important to ensure that the application provider's implementation team includes members with in-depth knowledge and experience in that industry. Vendors geared toward certain industries should have solid integration skills or strong relationships with systems integrators that have industry-related expertise. This should significantly streamline implementation time by eliminating a lengthy vendor or integrator learning curve.
buying a completely integrated solution is not an option when the companies
have either an accounting or project-management system in place, which is one
that they will not simply "rip-and-replace." Thus, prospects should assess the
contesting vendors' flexibility to integrate to legacy and other third-party
applications, and to keep up with new versions or upgrades to both solutions.
Vendors offering built-in interfaces to commonly used third-party products like
Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office, AutoCAD,
Crystal Reports, etc., should be questioned during software
demonstrations if possible. | <urn:uuid:5e4d9a90-fc64-4294-b705-6fcbadf9127b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.technologyevaluation.com/research/articles/printer-friendly/erp-systems-and-the-eto-manufacturing-marketpart-three-user-recommendations-17265/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945097 | 2,725 | 1.6875 | 2 |
“Technology has an exponential path in front of it, meaning it has the ability to propel science, medicine, business, social issues and personal interactions in ways that are increasingly important to society and our own everyday lives.”
-Cloud Computing, March 4, 2010
Updated: Jan. 4, 2013
Steve Ballmer is CEO of Microsoft Corp., headquartered in Redmond, Washington. He joined Microsoft in 1980 and was the company’s first business manager. Before becoming CEO in 2000, his roles at Microsoft included senior vice president of sales and support, senior vice president of systems software, and vice president of marketing.
Ballmer and the company's business and technical leaders focus on delivering devices and services that people love and businesses need. Under his leadership, Microsoft has more than tripled revenue and doubled profits since 2000.
Ballmer was born in March 1956, and he grew up near Detroit, where his father worked as a manager at Ford Motor Co. Ballmer lived down the hall from fellow sophomore Bill Gates at Harvard University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics. He worked for two years at Procter & Gamble Co. as an assistant product manager and attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business before joining Microsoft. | <urn:uuid:4d060d18-b28a-4106-b189-5f7ef0cabce3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/exec/steve/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97754 | 255 | 1.71875 | 2 |
March 29, 2008
Now For Something Completely Different
US News ranks law schools, other professional schools, and undergraduate universities. The ranking system is, rightly or wrongly, taken by students -- customers -- to be important. Thus, rightly or wrongly (and many, including Brian Leiter think wrongly), it affects what those institutions do: there is a famous story, for example, of Nancy Rapoport's deanship at University of Houston Law Center ending in large part because of UH's "fall" in the rankings.
Mercer, my institution, has hovered between 100 and 90 for the past five years. I obviously think we deserve a better place in the system, but what I want to point out is the critical distortion that the rankings system creates at the 100th place: the top 100 schools are ranked one to one hundred by "score," but after 100... they get ranked in two groups in "tiers" by name only, without a score. So, a school that falls only from 100 to 101 may fall 50 "places."
So, you know that schools just "below" 100 are doing everything they can to affect their score upward, while those in the 90's are doing everything they can to distort their score, too. No one wants to fall from the top, ranked tier to the bottom, unranked, two tiers.
Anyhow, the whole thing is odd to me, since I don't believe that a school can be distilled down to a number, but the distortion that the system causes -- what US News includes that a school can affect will matter more than it perhaps should to the school -- is particularly amplified by the 1-100 then "two tier" system.
And now we return to your regularly scheduled broadcast...
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Ed. Note: Sincere apologies for the delay in posting this. These blogs were written during the production/filming of TAPESTRIES OF HOPE in Zimbabwe. Between sporadic electricity in Africa and getting to blogs back in California, we lost a couple of days. Afterwards, the crew was arrested and interrogated by the Zimbabwe Police, and the blogs were temporarily taken down out of concern for their safety.
Sleep had eluded me in this barren beauty of a God-forsaken place. My mind rocks back and forth with the intensity of an animal caged. I am imprisoned, myself.
Last night in the comfort of a bed, I vacillated between feeling grateful and ashamed. How was I lucky enough to be born in a place where the very basics of survival come easy? Why me? Why not someone else?
I am grateful that my life has been less about these hardships, these difficulties that my parents faced. Both of my parents have scars from the Great Depression. My father started selling newspapers on the street corners at five years old. There were nine children in his house, every penny counted. My mother's father died in a gas explosion at Chrysler Corporation. Her mother became a widow with three children and no job. So I understand and grew up with some understanding of hardship and suffering. But nothing compares to the suffering I see here.
My feelings of personal shame run deeper. That shame has to do with the country I was born in: America. It is my country, and my next-door neighbors', and the people who live across the street from us. We have a serious disease that is more ravaging than the illness and poverty I see here: apathy. I despair, even in Zimbabwe, of the world's opinion of us. The voices of Zimbabweans are strangled by persecution and poverty. Our voices are forgotten behind a fascination and celebrity adulation, by drug-induced athletes who are poor role models and our ever elusive thirst to make money and buy things.
I cannot comprehend why the world continues to fight against the equality of women and making personal choices about our bodies. In America, the majority supports the right to choose - yet, a small portion of people continue to force their opinions on us all. Their arrogance makes them blind.
A woman yesterday in Harare took her newborn, placed it in a plastic bag and put it in the garbage to die. When arrested, she was asked why she killed her child. She said that it was impossible to feed the child. The Magistrate is sending her for a mental evaluation and he will not address the complexity of the issues; in this way, his response is very American. Issues are not black and white but with many shades of grey. The woman did not want her child to suffer from starvation - I understand that. What a horrible decision to have to consider at all!
We can send spaceships into space and have Rovers land on Mars but we can't stop the rape and sexual abuse of women on this planet. And because I mention this, someone will insist that I am a feminist, like the word is a slur and the request is unimaginable. I am confused.
We were in Chitungwiza yesterday. I saw this precious little five year old. She came in the Girl Child Network white van with "Mr. Rescue". That is the nickname his fellow GCN people call him. The girl was tentative. She had a light brown dress and limped noticeably as she walked towards us from the car. If you look into her eyes, you could not help but feel the pain. She had these knowing brown eyes that were shell-shocked. Her stepfather had raped her. She is being tested for HIV and has genital warts on her vagina that are so bad that it has forced her to limp. I wanted to weep and hold her in my arms and take her home with me. I wanted to promise her the world was going to change, that we adults were smart and that we could stop these acts and educate people so that this never happens again. I had to stop the words from tumbling from my mouth unheeded. I can't promise what I cannot deliver.
"Practice what you preach", I tell my boys. So, I stayed silent and held my grief. | <urn:uuid:5a38365c-02a5-4f97-973d-d003fc96a78e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://savehope.blogspot.com/2007/08/postcards-from-africa-6-of-michealene.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986103 | 879 | 1.65625 | 2 |
What is in this article?:
- Jousting continues over Renewable Fuel Standard mandate
- Quick, vigorous push-back
- USDA’s downward revision of the drought-hit U.S. corn crop (from 10.73 billion bushels to 10.71 billion bushels) was followed by an unsurprising rise in the market price for the commodity, which hit over $7.74 per bushel.
- Tug-of-war between the livestock/poultry sectors and ethanol industry over dwindling corn supply shows no sign that either side is about to give ground.
Quick, vigorous push-back
Push-back against efforts to waive the RFS has been quick and vigorous. Rejecting the connection between the mandate/ethanol and high corn/feed prices, renewable fuel and farm groups formed a coalition in late September. Fuels America counts the National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, 25x25, Abengoa Bioenergy, ACORE, Advanced Ethanol Council, American Coalition for Ethanol, American Security Project, Biotechnology Industry Organization, DuPont, Growth Energy, Novozymes, POET and the Renewable Fuels Association among its members.
“In joining Fuels America, NCGA joins a broad spectrum of renewable fuel stakeholders to increase the effectiveness of our efforts in the defense of ethanol and other biofuels,” said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer, a farmer from Auburn, Ill., in a statement. “Corn farmers support ethanol and other biofuels not only because they are essential to the continued growth of rural economies but also because they play an essential role in ensuring the future of our nation. Domestically produced, renewable fuels create American jobs and increase national energy independence. Renewable fuels are a win-win solution to many of the energy problems facing our nation, and we believe that it is our duty to bring this truth to our representatives in Washington and to citizens across the country.”
In a letter to Jackson supporting the RFS, ASA president Steve Wellman said that “waiving the biomass-based diesel portion of the RFS will not in any way alleviate the impacts of the drought. Increased biodiesel use helps to grow diversity in our nation’s fuel supply, which in turn, reduces our vulnerability to inflated global oil prices which are the real drivers behind increased food costs because of higher food processing and transport costs.”
The coalition is now pointing to studies showing claims that lessening corn use for ethanol will lead to better conditions for the livestock sector are overblown. A report by the well-respected Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) concludes that a full waiver of the RFS “would result in an insignificant decrease in corn prices -- only about 4 cents per bushel,” according to Ron Smith, editor of Southwest Farm Press.“The study also found that the waiver ‘might’ cause corn ethanol production to slip by just 1.3 percent, while corn available for livestock ‘might’ increase 0.6 percent.”
For more FAPRI coverage, see here.
Smith says the FAPRI report “indicated that a waiver for 2012/13 would have ‘no effect on retail beef prices in 2013, and might shave 1 cent per pound off retail pork prices.’”
Read Smith’s story here.
A second study, conducted by Cardno-ENTRIX and commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), concludes an RFS waiver resulting in lower fuel output would mean only “trivial corn price reductions … partially or fully offset by increased prices for other feed ingredients like distillers grains (DDGS) and soybean meal,” according to an RFA statement.
“Distillers grains, corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal are co-products of ethanol production that are fed to livestock and poultry across the country,” the RFA statement continued. “Every bushel of corn processed by an ethanol plant produces 2.7-2.8 gallons of ethanol and approximately 16-17 pounds of animal feed. The U.S. ethanol industry produced some 40-42 million tons of animal feed in 2011, including 37-38 million tons of distillers grains.”
To read the study, see here.
Meanwhile, waiver-supporting Oxfam America has analysis of its own that “shows that while fundamental supply and demand factors will continue to buoy food prices, waiving the ethanol mandate will lead to a reduction in the price of corn with knock-on effects for other raw commodities and processed foods such as meat, eggs and dairy. … Estimates suggest that waiving the biofuel mandate will lead to a 7.4 percent drop in corn prices, from $7.82 per bushel under a status quo scenario to $7.24 per bushel if a waiver is implemented. This represents a small but important decline in prices that will reduce food price pressures generally and contribute to a more stable global environment for trade in agricultural commodities.” | <urn:uuid:989bf2b9-6ec2-4516-99b8-1d3d47fcc3ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://southwestfarmpress.com/government/jousting-continues-over-renewable-fuel-standard-mandate?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935881 | 1,071 | 1.742188 | 2 |
THE GENTLE BROTHER
by White Eagle
A master is not necessarily a very exalted personality materially. A master may be very humble, kind, good and helpful to his companions. How many stories have been written about the disguise of the holy man who has been mistaken for a beggar? That is an illustration of the truth, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.’
‘Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ When you mourn you become very humble, and God blesses you and fills your heart with light and comfort. When Mary sought her Master at the sepulchre she cried: ‘They have taken away my Lord and I know not where he is.’ This is what happens to all who appear to be robbed of their loved one by death.
But the Master appeared to Mary, saying: ‘Do you not recognize me, Mary?’ And when she saw him she was filled with light. She was comforted. Truly, the one who mourns is blessed when there is love in the heart and when they are ready to listen to the voice of the Master. We are not speaking now of the Master Jesus, but of the third aspect of the Trinity, the Son, the Love aspect that comes into the heart to comfort those who mourn. It comes also into the heart to comfort those who are persecuted and who suffer injustice.
Leave all confusion, all fear, and raise your heart into the world of spirit, and immediately all is well. As you rise above the earth you will receive into your earthly life a spiritual life. He who is the embodiment of love, the Cosmic Christ, takes form when he comes close to his younger brethren on earth. And so his blessing flows from his heart to you. It is flowing now…….a great stream of pure sunlight into your being, your soul.
We are so glad to be able to share this teaching with you. If you would like a copy of ‘Drumbeat’ – let us know . . . we would be glad to send one out to you.
from all of us at the Ontario Daughter Lodge | <urn:uuid:df1b9d55-650c-485e-ad16-8ab2bf414c9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whiteagle.ca/gentle_brother.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977563 | 455 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Local toy stores can be fun and exciting to visit, especially if they carry a wide selection of toys and games. Good local toy stores will also carry a wide range of products for children in every age category. This includes toys for babies, toddlers, young children, adolescents, and teens. Some of the stores will even carry toys for adults as well. The store should also carry many categories of fun items. All local toy stores should carry an educational products section. The products housed in this particular section will help children learn. Examples of these products include games that promote reading comprehension, story teller books that read orally to children, or fun games that help kids learn to count. The products are fun to play, but they also engage kids in thinking activities. Along with the many educational products local toy stores carry, they also stock many different types of books. Some are picture books for babies, soft cover books for toddlers, and easy readers for elementary school age children. Some stores will even carry chapter books for adolescents. Another exciting category that many local toy stores will have is a section of outdoor play materials. Swing sets, slides, and sand boxes all fall into this category. Other outdoor play things include pool toys such as floats, water slides, bubble machines, and bikes to ride. Many of these items are geared toward active children. These promote physical activity. Most local toy stores will have a separate section for electronics. Video games and all of the corresponding hardware usually have an entire section to themselves. These items are usually expensive and include such systems as the Xbox or PlayStation. Accessories for these systems include games, controllers, racing wheels, as well as additional items. | <urn:uuid:66cd70cf-b548-417a-a6ba-90bfd57a756c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pointcom.com/NV/Reno/business-search/Toy%20Stores/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962356 | 334 | 1.6875 | 2 |
I was going to leave the big non-troversy over the so-called global warming scandal but The Times article in which it mischievously takes the words of Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit and frames it as if relevant and "damning" data was supposedly destroyed requires correction.
NO data was destroyed. Check this link where the scientists fire back - no data was destroyed.
Oddly enough The Times' article just happens to leave out that part of the explanation. Here's what actually happened:
What? The data is still there?!
According to CRU’s Web site, “Data storage availability in the 1980s meant that we were not able to keep the multiple sources for some sites, only the station series after adjustment for homogeneity issues. We, therefore, do not hold the original raw data but only the value-added (i.e. quality controlled and homogenized) data.”
Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit, said that the vast majority of the station data was not altered at all, and the small amount that was changed was adjusted for consistency.
The research unit has deleted less than 5 percent of its original station data from its database because the stations had several discontinuities or were affected by urbanization trends, Jones said.
“When you’re looking at climate data, you don’t want stations that are showing urban warming trends,” Jones said, “so we’ve taken them out.” Most of the stations for which data was removed are located in areas where there were already dense monitoring networks, he added. “We rarely removed a station in a data-sparse region of the world.”
Refuting CEI’s claims of data-destruction, Jones said, “We haven’t destroyed anything. The data is still there — you can still get these stations from the [NOAA] National Climatic Data Center.”
And again, read who is funding the sceptics and in particular the group spreading the “destroyed data” claim: Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Again, the connection to energy industries and big tobacco. Ding a ling people, someone is yanking your chain..
CEI is a think tank funded by donations from individuals, foundations and corporations. CEI does not accept government funding. Past and present funders include the Scaife Foundations, Exxon Mobil, the Ford Motor Company Fund, Pfizer, and the Earhart Foundation. …
CEI is also active in the legal aspects of antitrust and government regulation. As part of its “Control Abuse of Power” (CAP) project, CEI launched lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), respectively.
Almost every one of the main anti-AGW front groups is connected to either big energy or big tobacco, and often both.
Houston, we have a problem.
Climate change is real and unfortunately both ends of the loon fringe are controlling the debate while moderates like us are being confused with the issues. Meanwhile, possibly, climate change is becoming irreversible so in a few years it won't matter anyway.
Like I've said before, we can see it, we can feel it, we KNOW the climate is changing and to deny that 6 500 000 000 beings had no part in it is denialism of the highest order.
What must happen is that you engage your representatives to get their take on the subject and then vote accordingly. Changes to the way we live will come, of that you can be certain. What kind of change is up to us. Get involved. | <urn:uuid:7570e065-2e4b-4d83-814d-b1e1b571cd69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://iluvsa.blogspot.com/2009/11/climate-change-data-not-dumped.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968307 | 769 | 1.664063 | 2 |
By Naomi Abraham
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Historic job protections begin next month for domestic workers in New York. Overtime, paid leave and anti-discrimination provisions are part of a package that could start setting new standards for what some call the most vulnerable job market in every part of the world.
NEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)--Two years after leaving her job caring for a little girl who lived in an expensive apartment here, Patricia Francois, a 51-year-old Trinidadian, struggles to pay her bills with what she earns from odd jobs.
But she finds time for volunteer work dear to her heart. Every day she leaves her apartment with her bag stuffed with pamphlets and newsletters in case she runs into women who look like they could be nannies.
"I could be at the laundry or on the train," she said. "I need them to know they don't need to have fear in their heart."
On a recent afternoon around the time children get out from school, Francois was looking for nannies in a Central Park playground. Her mission: to tell them about a historic law that will provide basic employment protections to domestic workers in New York.
On Nov. 29 New York will be the first state in the United States to extend to domestic workers basic rights such as overtime pay, paid leave and protection from workplace discrimination.
All of the state's roughly 200,000 such workers, regardless of their immigration status, will be protected under the new law.
California--with twice as many domestic workers--is widely expected to be the next state to follow suit. While domestic workers are difficult to count, there could be as many as 2.5 million in the United States, according to estimates from the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency that sets international standards on labor.
Francois credits a newsletter by Domestic Workers United, a New York based group, for changing the course of her life.
"I do not feel alone anymore," she said. After finding the publication on a park bench, she attended a meeting with the group and was immediately hooked.
A couple years ago, Francois could have been among those she was looking for in the playground. In those days she was watching over a little girl she had cared for since she was 18 months old.
But in December 2008, she quit her job after what she claims was a physical altercation with the girl's father, her employer of six years.
While she says her previous employer was only physically abusive once, that was enough. She was afraid to speak up against the father, who she says was often rude and emotionally abusive not only to her but also to the little girl who she had grown to love.
"We get caught up in dysfunctional families and sometimes we (domestic workers) have to bear the brunt of that," she said.
On top of that, no matter how many hours she worked, which typically averaged more than 50 hours a week, she received the same weekly pay of $500.
Francois' story is retold around the world in versions occasionally so horrifying they capture global interest. | <urn:uuid:a1d256df-2865-4690-adc1-ceb8df89c56e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://womensenews.org/story/equal-payfair-wage/101026/new-york-nannies-prepare-historic-job-protections?page=0,0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985161 | 642 | 1.710938 | 2 |
After an early February drought, multiple days of fresh snow livened up the slopes again across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rocky Mountains. The sound of snowboards scraping against hard pack gave way to soft swishes through powder.
Here’s a few of the highlights in the snowfall books:
In Alaska, Alyeska Resort may never see spring at the rate it is accumulating snow. The resort has already surpassed last year’s total snowfall and its annual average snowfall at mid-mountain. The forecast heralds even more snow.
In British Columbia, Mount Washington reached a base of 300 centimeters (118 inches). The resort pronounced its season snowfall bountiful enough to extend its season by a week and now plans to operate for skiing and snowboarding until April 22, 2012. At Whistler Blackcomb snowfall for the season hit the 25 feet with more in the forecast.
Face shots, anyone? Last weekend at Whistler Blackcomb featured powder. Photo by Photo by Emmanuel Mendes Dos Santos/www.coastphoto.com. Courtesy of Whistler Blackcomb.
In Washington and Oregon, the Cascade Mountains amassed several feet of snow over the past week. Mt. Baker piled up 50 inches of new snow in 72 hours, pushing its Pan Dome base to within a pinkie finger of the 200-inch depth. Many of the resorts across the region are now on par or near average snowfall for the season.
In Wyoming, heavy snowfall this week pushed Grand Targhee toward 22 feet of snowfall for the season. Jackson Hole trailed a bit behind, but crested the 20-foot mark for the season.
What’s in the forecast for the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies? More snow. | <urn:uuid:256de20f-8ecc-4408-891f-582cbc83025c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/106275/fresh-snowfall-across-pacific-northwest-and-northern-rockies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936522 | 360 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The display of Britain’s Crown Jewels has had a vital update.
This comes just in time for the increased interest that is certain to occur at the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics.
The UK has not had such a prolific year in recent history and all eyes will be firmly on our greatest landmarks and artefacts and how we welcome the influx of tourists and spectators that we will receive at this time.
This is why it couldn’t be more important to make sure the UK is putting its most stylish foot forward at all times.
A makeover fit for the 21st Century
What the curators of the Crown Jewels want to emphasise to visitors from all over the world is that this collection of jewels is a living collection. They are very much still in use and not just an old collection of gold and jewels.
The jewels, which will continue to be kept in the Tower of London – a highly popular tourist attraction in its own right – have been displayed and lit in a way that accentuates their unique beauty.
Music and film will be played as well, which will highlight the huge symbolic importance each jewel has and why it was created.
The Crown Jewels have pieces that date way back to the reign of King Charles II. King Charles II is well known by historians as the first king to ascend the throne after the monarchy was abolished and his father Charles I executed. Cromwell spent time trying to sell gold jewellery owned by the deposed royals and decimated the rest of the collection.
Because of the violence of the time, only one piece of the collection – a 12th Century Coronation Spoon – exists today.
Find out where to sell gold by ordering your gold selling pack from our site now. Selling gold for cash couldn’t be easier or quicker when you use our service. We can’t promise it’ll be worth the same as the Queen’s Crown but high gold prices make it likely you will get a better deal than you would have done before the recession.
Want to find out more? Contact the author. | <urn:uuid:67d83470-e3da-4329-9e4b-d1823b55ff66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uksellinggold.co.uk/feeds/gold-news/crown-jewels-get-updated-in-time-for-the-jubilee-and-olympics.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96083 | 438 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Letter | Head-on collision on West Mercer Way
August 28, 2011 · 1:25 PM
As I write this the Mercer Island Police and Fire Departments are cleaning up after a head on car collision in front of my house on West Mercer Way. No one was hurt and that is a miracle. The young driver who caused the accident was headed north in the southbound lane when he came around the curve and hit a young mother head-on in her lane. Moments earlier we heard another car nearly lose control on the next curve clearly going much too fast. This is common behavior at night. Often it is two or more cars or motorcycles in a chase as if West and East Mercer Ways were their own private tactical driving course.
Outlandishly dangerous driving practices are not limited to night time. I have seen drivers slowing for cyclists and impatient drivers behind pass with on coming traffic. Cars have missed this same curve more than once and veered across the road nearly hitting my neighbor's house. It is truly crazy. I shudder to think if a child were walking on the shoulder, as mine often does, when one of these mishaps occur.
Please City Council, something needs to be done to modify this behavior. Enforcement, traffic calming, shutting down the road...whatever it takes. And drivers please make more thoughtful decisions when you are behind the wheel. I'm afraid the next time we may not be so lucky to come away without an injury or worse. | <urn:uuid:912a1165-679d-4aa8-9c9f-6aa2fb3d92a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mi-reporter.com/opinion/letters/128562363.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969769 | 296 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The notion that all of us possess leadership potential may be true, but the question whether we are going to be effective leaders depend on a lot of factors. Appropriate and adequate leadership training is essential in nurturing the leadership potentials of everyone, which is why in a business setting, giving your employees the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and capabilities help them to realize their role in the company. More importantly, leadership training and development when delivered effectively transforms your employees into productive assets.
Whether or not you are in the top level management, your mere recognition of the value of leadership development to your company and your effort to incorporate it to your business culture opens a lot of opportunities. Jeffrey Immelt, GE’s CEO and one of the big names in the business world said that leadership training and development is an important business strategy that has kept GE as one of the most successful companies in the world. He also said that investing on the leadership training of your employees is a two-way investment. Firstly, your company benefits from the newly acquired skills of your employees. Consequently, your employees grow and improve from the fresh perspectives they get on their leadership trainings.
When you cultivate your employees leadership skills, they develop their communication skills, they start to have initiatives and their morale are boosted. An enhanced communication skill, increased initiatives and boosted morale all help shape organizational behavior, and therefore, assists in directing the company into a single and unified goal. It is not just about training people to perform best at what they do. More importantly, leadership development improves the over-all quality of service you provide to your customers.
Companies that value their employees should give them space to grow. And the best way for them to achieve growth is to emerge them into activities that will realise their leadership potentials. Successful companies all over the globe got to where they are now because they recognised the potentials of their employees and allocated resources for trainings to make them the best that they can be.
Self Leadership International is a provider of leadership development and leadership training programs for companies based in Singapore and other countries in Asia. Andrew Bryant, one of their resource speakers, is a recognised authority in leadership training and development. SLI Singapore also have an impressive line up of motivational speakers or inspirational speakers to cater to your company’s needs. If you are a company committed to explore all possible means to develop your employees on all levels, then a leadership training and development can help jump start your business
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/how-companies-benefit-from-leadership-development-3724131.html#ixzz16rBuI28L
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution | <urn:uuid:f31a5c45-4c4f-4242-860f-bf4f42ec348b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.quadconsultancy.com/2010/12/01/how-companies-benefit-from-leadership-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9609 | 549 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Correct, Beautiful, Fast (In That Order)
One of the books I am occasionally grazing on is Beautiful Code. The title of this post is the title of Chapter 6. I’ll be honest, I only skimmed the chapter as one can only digest so much Java, but the title is spot on.
Step 1: Correct (With Tests)
I have been thinking exactly this as of late, though I will admit in no way as succinctly. First, you get it working. It does not matter if it is dirty. Rather, what matters is that it functions and is well tested.
If it works and it is not tested, you can never make it beautiful with confidence, so testing is very important to this step.
Step 2: Beautiful
Once your program is working and testing, make it beautiful. Leave the tests alone and head back into the code. Branch out and try new idioms that you have not tried before. Ensure that someone with no prior knowledge could jump in and know what is going on (without ridiculous comments all over).
Note that this step is not optional. Once your code is functional and well tested, you still have an obligation to make it beautiful. I think a lot of people skip this step. They think once it works and is tested, that is the end. Wrong.
Not only is this step the most fun, it also forces you to think through the code more. I often find edge cases during this step that I would never find if I stopped and correct and tested.
Step 3: Fast (optional)
If you pass these first two steps and you run into slowness at an unacceptable level, make it fast. The author puts it best in the summary at the end of the chapter, so I will quote them:
If there’s a moral to this story, it is this: do not let performance considerations stop you from doing what is right. You can always make the code faster with a little cleverness. You can rarely recover so easily from a bad design.
So true. I have never focused on speed in MongoMapper. No benchmarks to wow the noobs. No dramatic statements about performance. I have focused on cleaning up the code and making it easier for myself to maintain and others to contribute.
Not long ago, one of those contributors sent me a tiny patch (~30 lines) that improved overall performance by at least two, maybe three times what it was in 0.6.10. I do not think that it would have been that simple to to find and fix the performance issues if the code had been a mess.
- Correct: make it work and test it.
- Beautiful: refactor original code in a manner that others (and yourself down the road) can easily understand.
- Fast: often the first two steps leave code fast enough, but if they do not, make it faster. | <urn:uuid:a23bba3c-3709-453a-b855-f8f3b4941f96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.railstips.org/blog/archives/2010/01/26/correct-beautiful-fast-in-that-order/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963892 | 598 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Name: Zebanine Female (Named after the Zebanine Riverbed that flows through the southern portion of the reserve)
Territory: This female is found in the western part of Tanda Tula, south into Umlani, a bit further north towards King’s property and centres her activities on the dry Zebanine Riverbed tha winds through the area.
Cubs: Xinopi Male
Neighbours: Uncertain as little is known of the leopards so far south of the lodge.
Story: Just like her son, the Motswari guides seldom (if ever) see this female due to the distance away from the lodge, as well as her only mildly relaxed disposition – it is not normally worth an hour-and-a-half trip down south to see a leopard that might run away! As a result of this, very little is known of this leopard to us, besides the fact that she is the resident female and has a semi-relaxed son that is just about independent of her. Maybe in future she will provide us with more frequent viewings, but with the best leopard viewing being found in the north, it is unlikely that she will ever be a regular leopard in the sightings blog. | <urn:uuid:b11fc6fc-8a0a-4e45-b55d-406392bfa641> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://motswariblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/zebanine-female-leopard.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967794 | 265 | 1.726563 | 2 |
At the end of 2010, Wordstock offered to match your Willamette Week’s Give!Guide donations, dollar for dollar, in Powell’s Books gift cards for public schools participating in The Right Brain Initiative.
Check out what we were able to do with your generous contributions at The Right Brain Initiative’s blog.
On this final day of Teacher Appreciation Week, and on the eve of Mothers’ Day, I want to take a moment thank my mother, Margo Sokolow, a creative force of music and arts education who lent her talents to the West Orange School system for more than 25 years. She taught me about schools, about how important it is to be passionate about your art, and about how important it is to share that passion with young people. And she also taught me, unconsciously, about being an advocate for educators – a lesson that has permanently influenced the shape of my life and professional career.
Growing up in the New Jersey public schools as the child of a public school educator has allowed me to see myself (the student’s perspective) and my mother (the teacher’s perspective) in just about everything I read or consider in regards to the US educational system. And I try to consider both lenses in every aspect of my job as the Education Director for Wordstock. What is best for our teachers? Our students? Our community? Why is it that the act of learning to articulately express oneself, of finding one’s voice as a writer, is treated like a privilege and not the foundation from which every school experience is measured?
When I read this piece in the New York Times last Sunday, I thought again about my mother and her fellow educators. Having just moved to Portland after several years of work with the NYC Public Schools, I am just getting to know the particular struggles faced by Oregon’s teachers and principals, students and parents. But the one universal commonality in all schools is that teachers need better resources if they are going to challenge their students to exceed their self-imposed limits. So when we were trading ideas about how to honor teachers during this special week, our thoughts turned to the materials that we can provide to teachers. In our case, it’s books: a grand prize of $1,000 in Powell’s Books gift cards to be spent at the discretion of the five winning teachers, for the purpose of enhancing their classroom libraries.
We’ve had a terrific time giving away three of our five grand prizes so far, getting to see the obvious excitement from our prize winners and their students upon our arrival with balloons in tow. Next time, we’ll share more details about how we spent our Teacher Appreciation Week, and you’ll get to see and hear from our winners. | <urn:uuid:679c9fd5-a4ba-4c0a-b30f-cebf3fb2e9de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordstockfestival.com/2011/05/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973001 | 573 | 1.710938 | 2 |
United States flags are normally lowered to half staff when one of the country's leaders dies, but a Venezuela-based company lowered it when Hugo Chavez died.
On Wednesday, all of the flags outside Citgo's United States headquarters in Houston were at half staff. That included the United States and Texas flags.
The company said the flags were lowered to honor Chavez, who died on Tuesday.
"We at CITGO Petroleum Corporation are deeply saddened by the news of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the people of Venezuela in this time of grief," a statement from the company read.
Some residents said they were appalled by the action.
"Since Chavez was not an American diplomat, the American flag should be at the regular stage," Peter Patel said.
Chavez, who was the president of Venezuela, was not a friend to the United States.
Some people said they weren't bothered by the American flag being lowered for Chavez.
"They are their own country and we really should think that we're superior in any way, even if we don't have a good relationship with them," Houstonian Elvis Escobar said.
Chavez's inner circle has long claimed the United States was behind a failed 2002 attempt to overthrow him, and he frequently played the anti-American card to stir up support. Venezuela has been without a U.S. ambassador since July 2010 and expelled another U.S. military officer in 2006.
In a 2006 speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Chavez called President George W. Bush the devil, saying the podium reeked of sulfur after Bush's address.
A state funeral will be held for Chavez on Friday. Elections to choose a new president will be held within 30 days. | <urn:uuid:a2cd84fa-d2cd-4ff5-bd47-37f24102d150> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.local10.com/news/US-flag-at-half-staff-to-honor-Chavez-at-Citgo-headquarters/-/1717324/19218730/-/gy718k/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987693 | 358 | 1.59375 | 2 |
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles back surgeon, Dr. Rezaian of the California Orthopedic Medical Clinic, has pioneered a less invasive method for treating Spinal Stenosis.
Open back surgery used to be the only way to eliminate the bulging discs that were pinching nerves, however, recent medical advances have given patients requiring Spinal Stenosis Treatment a new glimmer of hope. Doctors have pioneered a new laser Spinal Stenosis treatment option that has tremendous benefits over the old method of open back surgery that has exciting new implications for the safety and effectiveness of the surgery.
Spinal Stenosis encompasses any narrowing of the pine that causes pinched nerves or pinched spinal column. The recommended Spinal Stenosis Treatment depends on the severity of the pain, which can range from mild to debilitating. Severe cases of Spinal Stenosis usually requires surgical intervention to remove the part of the bulging or herniated disc pressing into the delicate nerves.
Traditional open back surgery to treat Spinal Stenosis requires risky general anesthesia, has a long recovery time, and results in a large visible scar. Additionally, many patients who underwent the open back surgery Spinal Stenosis treatment actually felt worse after the procedure than they did before treatment was rendered. Knowing that there was a better way to surgically treat Spinal Stenosis,
Los Angeles-based California Orthopedic Medical Clinic, Dr. Rezaian helped pioneer a new method for removing the piece of herniated disc. Known as Universal Endoscopic Laser Discectomy, the new Spinal Stenosis Treatment enabled doctors to be as minimally invasive as possible while still treating the issue.
Over time, the laser Spinal Stenosis Treatment has shown to be less risky, quicker and more effective than the traditional open back surgery method. Unlike open back surgery Spinal Stenosis treatment, the laser surgery does not require the patient to go under general anesthesia. With only local anesthesia administered, the laser Spinal Stenosis treatment can be performed quickly and painlessly, enabling patients to recover more than twice as fast as they would from traditional open back surgery.
Patients seeking the top experts in this cutting edge new Spinal Stenosis treatment choose Dr. Rezaian for his knowledge, experience and success with the laser procedure. | <urn:uuid:2fd326ca-f7b7-425e-bd10-320e9efc9c56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.surgicalproductsmag.com/news/2009/10/california-surgeon-pioneers-alternative-traditional-spinal-stenosis-treatment?qt-recent_content=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93184 | 486 | 1.617188 | 2 |
NuShape consists of the amino acid leucine, found in foods like fish, soybeans, beef and lentils, and vitamin B6, found in foods such as bread, meat, poultry, eggs, and bananas. The vitamin inhibits fat storage. When combined with leucine, it stimulates fat oxidation in the muscle. The specific ratio of the two allows for fat to be transferred to the muscle to be burned.
The second supplement, NuControl, helps promote healthy blood sugar levels. It works by converging on the same metabolic pathway as the anti-aging nutrient resveratrol. Zemel explained the challenge with resveratrol is that you need an exorbitant amount to reap the benefits. By performing molecular, cellular, and animal studies, as well as human clinical trials, Zemel discovered a design that unlocks resveratrol's benefits by adding other nutrients, which lowers the needed concentration.
"Insulin is, of course, a very important hormone, but you would like to operate at low levels of insulin," said Zemel. "As you gain weight, you become less insulin sensitive, and it takes more insulin to produce normal blood sugar control. NuControl helps address this issue by promoting the body's natural ability to metabolize sugar more effectively. In fact, initial in vivo research showed the NuControl blend of leucine and resveratrol improved insulin sensitivity levels in mice by 40 to 50 percent."
Zemel said he aims to shape the future of pharmaceuticals through natural therapies that are based on sound science and are just as effective as traditional solutions, with no side effects. These two products are the first in a line to be released. The next product will tackle cardiovascular health.
NuShape and NuControl can be purchased over the counter by visiting www.NuSirt.com.
|SOURCE University of Tennessee, Knoxville|
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:c452b86a-9e18-4a78-9005-ed07e0823b74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-technology-1/Professor-Releases-Weight-Management-and-Healthy-Blood-Sugar-Control-Products-28329-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948465 | 403 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Like writing, lean manufacturing requires people to be comfortable in their own skin while checking any ego issues at the door.
Modern Machine Shop, Derek Korn,
Click Image to Enlarge
There’s inherent nakedness involved in writing for a magazine (stay with me on this). The articles and columns my fellow editors and I write for Modern end up in print and online, bare and unprotected for the world to see. This requires us to be comfortable in our own skin, warts and all, as we transform our thoughts, ideas and premises into words, sentences and paragraphs for the manufacturing community’s consideration.
We also can’t have such big heads that we’re not able to accept constructive criticism from fellow editors who proof our articles looking for grammar goofs, subpar sentence structure and the like. Their suggestions invariably result in a better read, and the cumulative effect is a better overall magazine.
There are aspects of lean manufacturing that call for a similar degree of ease, honesty and humility from both employees and management. For instance, the only way a lean culture can take root is for everyone—not just owners or managers—to be engaged and on board with continually identifying waste and establishing ways to become more efficient (this is the case with Pro CNC, the shop profiled in this story). Lean plateaus or stalls when only a company’s higher-ups drive change initiatives. Total involvement requires that employees are comfortable suggesting changes with no fear that their ideas might be thought of as inane. Therefore, management must work to establish an environment that fosters openness and conveys to employees that all suggestions will be thoughtfully considered. Plus, it should be clear that even suggestions for small changes are welcome, as those accrue over time.
In turn, good lean managers and owners must table any ego issues when employees point out supervisors’ mistakes. Management also must be able to recognize that the company has process limitations and, in instances in which a lean consultant is hired, accept constructive (possibly blunt) criticism when shortcomings and inefficiencies are highlighted.
Paul Akers, a lean guru and owner of a successful product development company called FastCap, touches on that concept in his book “2 Second Lean.” This supports his notion that there’s one additional form of waste that should be added to lean’s traditional seven: underutilized employee know-how and brain power.
Operations are either lean or they’re not. There’s no half way. That’s why it’s critical to mind the people part of lean. True lean can only be achieved when all are on board, focused on the same goal and comfortable with their role in helping the company become more efficient and successful. | <urn:uuid:075e6f18-1f2c-4cb9-8e9c-c04c7bac43da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mmsonline.com/columns/being-comfortable-being-naked | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94565 | 569 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A federal judge in Denver has ruled that a bank-fraud suspect must unlock her computer for prosecutors, in a ruling that civil liberties advocates say undermines constitutional protections in a digital age.
In an order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn said requiring Ramona Fricosu to provide an unencrypted version of her laptop's hard drive to prosecutors does not violate her rights against self-incrimination. Instead, Blackburn ruled that providing the unlocked laptop wouldn't be self-incriminatory because it wouldn't prove anything that the government doesn't already know.
"[I]t is more likely than not that the computer belonged to and was used by Ms. Fricosu," Blackburn wrote. "Accordingly, I find and conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the ... laptop."
Fricosu and her ex-husband, Scott Whatcott, were indicted in 2010 on charges of bank fraud related to a complex mortgage scam. While serving a search warrant at Fricosu's house in Peyton, investigators seized a Toshiba laptop that they later discovered was encrypted. After hearing Fricosu and Whatcott talk about an encrypted laptop during a tape-recorded jailhouse phone call, prosecutors sought an order forcing Fricosu to cough up her password so that they could fulfill the search warrant.
Fricosu said ordering a defendant to disclose something from memory violated Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. Prosecutors said allowing suspects to defeat a search warrant by simply encrypting their computer threatened their ability to collect evidence in the future.
Blackburn leaned on a ruling by a federal judge in Vermont who found that, when the existence of the information sought is a foregone conclusion, the Fifth Amendment doesn't apply.
"That fact that (the government) does not know the specific content of any specific documents is not a barrier to production," Blackburn wrote, in summarizing the takeaway from the Vermont case.
Fricosu's attorney, Philip Dubois, said he intended to ask for a stay in the case to appeal Blackburn's ruling.
"I don't think this is the appropriate time to give up on the issue" Dubois said. "It is one of national importance."
Indeed, civil liberties groups had closely watched the case, saying it presented a novel question over how the Fifth Amendment applies to new technology. Prosecutors had sought to avoid such a debate by allowing Fricosu to unlock her laptop privately, meaning they wouldn't actually learn her password.
But Hanni Fakhoury, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the organization believes that doesn't matter. He said the foundation would file a supporting brief with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals when the case gets there.
"We still think the Fifth Amendment protects the compelled disclosure of the password or the decrypted contents of the computer," he wrote in an e-mail.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Denver did not have a comment on the ruling.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or email@example.com | <urn:uuid:02f836d3-1952-47e6-8a76-07f6b58fcfdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_19808444?obref=obnetwork | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971897 | 642 | 1.695313 | 2 |
In part one of this piece, I discuss the various ways that nonprofit organizations can benefit from sharing relationships with each other and with their supporters. But how can we foster a sharing revolution among nonprofits? My suggestions:
- Identify organizations’ shareable assets and capabilities: We live in a world filled with underused resources. Nonprofits often have closets full of unused equipment, office spaces that aren’t in use, or staff whose talents are not fully used or appreciated. Doing an inventory of these assets – perhaps through a group brainstorm – is a good place to start.
- Identify areas of need and come up with shareable ways to meet those needs: Many organizations have the same general need right now – the need to cut costs and do more with less. A good way to identify needs is to look at items the nonprofit is spending the most money on, and strategize on ways to share down those costs.
- Find sharing partners: Here’s the hard part. In the example above, it’s hard to say how a crisis hotline and environmental group would have a) found each other, b) communicated their needs to each other, and c) figured out that they could meet them through sharing.
Nonprofits could use help with all of these tasks, especially the third. That’s why I think nonprofits could greatly benefit from websites, organizations, and events that are organized specifically to make sharing connections. This could happen online, through websites similar to VCS Collaborate (a UK-based online community that connects organizations to one another and facilitates the sharing process), or a similar site in India, KarmaYog, which allows nonprofits to post needs and offerings in order to find and collaborate with each other.
As far as I know, there aren’t any comparable websites in wide use in the US, but I would to have them brought to my attention (i.e. leave a comment below please!)
Off the internet, there could be events that are organized specifically to bring nonprofits together to discuss needs and ways to help each other – something akin to a gift circle. It makes most sense to make such events regionally focused, since proximity is a practical and powerful catalyst for sharing. Anyone up for a Berkeley nonprofit sharing conference?
In addition, nonprofit capacity-building and infrastructure organizations (such as the Council of Nonprofits or the Nonprofit Technology Network, to name a couple) could facilitate sharing by connecting member organizations to each other, helping them draft written agreements, providing help administrating sharing arrangements, and so on.
In some cases, the sharing that takes place between nonprofits will call for the formation of a separate entity, such as a joint venture, a co-op, or a nonprofit mutual benefit organization. Typically, this should happen if there is significant value or liability at stake, or if organizations stand to be seriously put out if another organization bails.
One example of a separate entity is the The Milwaukee Environmental Consortium, a membership organization comprised of 15-20 environmental nonprofits. The Consortium “provides communal office services and is a conduit for communal benefits to its members.” The Consortium was formed so that organizations could jointly build a shared office space. Now that the space has been constructed, the Consortium continues to facilitate sharing arrangements of all kinds.
Six Things to Think About When Sharing
For a nonprofit ready to start sharing, here are a few things to think about:
1. Due diligence: Before entering into a sharing agreement, a nonprofit should conduct due diligence, especially making sure that the other party has the resources and capacity to uphold their end of the deal.
2. The sharing agreement: Getting a sharing agreement in writing is crucial for nonprofits, and will help to ensure that everyone remains accountable to a sharing plan, even if there is turnover in staff. There are many things to include in the agreement about how to share, but a very important one is how to un-share – in other words, the exit plan. To the extent that sharing fills a gap, un-sharing will create a gap, unless parties plan for it.
3. Managing sharing relationships: It’s also important to manage sharing relationships, especially if an organization has lots of them. Coming up with a system for tracking what is shared, ensuring that it is accounted for in the books, keeping records of transactions, and checking in with sharing partners are all important tasks that must come with sharing.
4. Tax-exempt purposes: The sharing arrangement must not result in activities that deviate significantly from the organization’s corporate and tax-exempt purposes (the purposes stated in governing documents and on which basis the IRS granted tax exemption). If a sharing activity does deviate and also results in “income” for the nonprofit, it’s important to determine whether any unrelated business income tax could be due on that income.
5. Avoiding private benefit: When sharing with private individuals or businesses, a nonprofit should be careful to avoid improper private benefits. The sharing arrangement may benefit private parties, but the nonprofit’s main purpose in sharing should be to further the tax-exempt purposes, and any benefits to private parties must be incidental. In addition, the sharing arrangement should be a fair deal for the nonprofit and bargained for at arm’s length, or it could be seen as an improper excess benefit transaction. Thus, it’s a good idea to make sure that the cost of a sharing arrangement for a nonprofit is either equivalent to or less than market rates. In the case of the theater company asking people to donate their garage space, it’s conceivable that the nonprofit could offer to pay a small amount of rent for the space, but preferably at a rate far lower than what they’d pay for a commercial storage unit.
6. Tax-benefits?: In case you are wondering whether there are any tax-benefits for private individuals or businesses who share by lending space or goods, the answer is: probably not. There may be some exceptions I’m not aware of, but in general any in-kind donation that is either partial or temporary cannot be written off as a charitable contribution. Thus, in the case of the theater company above, the homeowners could not write off the value of the garage space they lend. (But the warm fuzzies that come from the homeowner’s generosity are priceless to everyone!)
A Note to New Nonprofits
While “strategic restructuring” can be difficult for existing organizations, new nonprofits have an opportunity to have strategic and smart structuring from the outset. A great way to launch a new nonprofit on a shoestring is to share another organization’s tax-exemption, either by becoming a fiscally sponsored program of that nonprofit, or by becoming a chapter organization and thereby falling under a parent organization’s group tax exemption.
Also, anyone forming a new nonprofit organization should contact existing nonprofits or for profit business, and inquire about sharing space. It might be a cost saver to everyone involved and provide all kinds of added resources for the new organization.
Other Creative Sharing Possibilities?
Do you have examples of creative ways that nonprofits can or do share with businesses, with individuals, or with other nonprofits? We’d love it if you’d leave a comment below and share that idea! The more ideas we collect, and the more everyone in the nonprofit world starts murmuring about sharing, the less we have to speculate about the frightening fate of nonprofits in this economy. The nonprofit sector is not going to crash and burn – it’s going to share.
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This piece is part of Shareable's "Everyday Sharing Solutions" series, by Janelle Orsi with Emily Doskow, attorneys who are co-authors of The Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Build Community. Do you have a question about how to share something in your life? Please send it to jeremy (at) shareable.net.
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- The Sharing Economy Back to School Survival Guide | <urn:uuid:937cb4a0-2e65-4785-8019-f3c812d3def1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-nonprofits-can-share-down-their-costs-part-ii | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945074 | 1,754 | 1.679688 | 2 |
One fifth of homebuyers today are single women. Investment in real estate is no longer an exclusive male province. Prodipta Sen of Alpha G: Corp says that around 30% of the property buyers in urban areas are now women, and over the coming years, this figure will only continue to increase as globalization continues.
Sen says: "A record numbers of single women are buying their own houses. Real estate provides better security, as property, unlike stocks, doesn't lose value overnight. We have been seeing more women going for property purchases in the last few years - owning a home is the single biggest tax break for most consumers and a single homeowner gets all the tax advantages that married couples, who own a home, receive collectively. Owning a home in a good market ensures appreciation."
A senior woman executive of a real estate firm says that, today, a woman wants to buy a house even before a car. The reasons being: she wants to secure her future as she has the means to do it now owing to financial independence, greater access to information about projects and developers, and also the wisdom to form an opinion after doing all research. Also, a woman has far greater exposure to the value of real estate and it is an important purchase in her life.
According to Omaxe's Rohtas Goel: "From the initial idea, throughout the search for a suitable property, to acquisition or building work - women work in concert with their partners in reaching a decision on acquiring an apartment or a house. Women are no longer restricted to home duties and are increasingly playing a significant role in investment decisions like buying homes. We have also seen that women are well versed in the latest trends in housing, best locations and even best construction materials."
He adds that it is exhilarating to see women developing the skills of house purchase, and more important, the confidence to make life-changing decisions like buying a home. Women investors form a small percentage of the total pie but it is a growing figure and one to reckon with. Nowadays, a woman, married or unmarried, is taking a keen interest in buying property - more than ever before. With greater social acceptance of young adults moving out of joint families and into their own apartments, now women are also moving out of their parental properties to pursue higher education in other cities, securing jobs, and property investment has become a way of building longterm security and stability for themselves and their family.
Sangeeta Kapur, 36, a telecom professional, is a welltravelled single woman earning a handsome salary. She travels the world over but needs a pad - one which is only hers! She says real estate investment is the most important investment for a single woman now, as there is an intangible value of 'security' attached to it. So what are the specific requirements of women clientele and are they distinct from those of men.
Prodipta Sen says: "Women are more discerning and have a better eye for detail. Their priorities include a thorough research on the developers' projects details, their market equity, price, security, aesthetics, location, facilities, et al."
Manoj Goyal, VP of Raheja Developers Limited, says that women play it safer and make investments in quality projects alone. He adds that women have a different kind of requirement when compared to men. "They focus on the surroundings and the ambience of the project and how effectively living and dining space is planned. They focus more on reputation of the builder, rather than just pricing."
Women, today, are far more educated than before and earn handsome salaries which they want to invest wisely in a long-term asset like real estate. Women have become financially independent and are focused on careers and building long-term security. They want to provide stability for themselves and their families, hence, many working women who are also self-reliant are direct purchasers of property.
Getamber Anand, MD of ATS Group and VP of Credai, says: "A higher real estate tax rebate and cheaper loans for women in some parts of India is increasingly attracting the fair sex to invest in property. With a growing number of women homebuyers and homeowners, the real estate industry, bankers, and builders are now designing new projects that address the concerns of women - primarily security, convenience, energy efficiency, and storage and aesthetics."
Leading players in the Indian housing finance sector have been announcing a special offer for all women home loan seekers. They offer a concession on the rate of interest by 0.25% on the applicable card rates as well as concessions on processing fees to women working in the corporate sector. | <urn:uuid:f3ab28b6-88bd-42f2-91f2-42253e6ee2df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-04/news/31572839_1_single-women-real-estate-property-investment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972376 | 949 | 1.625 | 2 |
|New International Version (© 2011)|
The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
King James Bible
The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
American Standard Version
The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him.
Young's Literal Translation
The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers that they may take him;
John 7:32 Additional TranslationsClarke's Commentary on the Bible
The people murmured such things - The people began to be convinced that he was the Messiah; and this being generally whispered about, the Pharisees, etc., thought it high time to put him to death, lest the people should believe on him; therefore they sent officers to take him.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
John 7:47-53 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also deceived...
John 11:47,48 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles...
John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive you how you prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
Matthew 12:23,24 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David...
Matthew 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves...
John 7:45,46 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought him...
John 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees...
Luke 22:52,53 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be you come out...
Acts 5:26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people...
John 7:32 Parallel CommentariesApprehend Arrest Chief Crowd Doubts Ears Expressing Heard High Multitude Murmured Murmuring Muttering Officers Pharisees Priests Seize Servants Temple Various WhisperingApprehend Arrest Chief Crowd Doubts Ears Expressing Heard High Multitude Murmured Murmuring Muttering Officers Pharisees Priests Seize Servants Temple Various WhisperingTHE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.
John 7:32 Mobile Bible
John 7:32 Bible Suite
John 7:32 Biblia Paralela
John 7:32 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 19:20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they also prophesied.
Matthew 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Matthew 26:58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
John 7:30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
John 7:45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
John 7:46 "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards replied.
John 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. | <urn:uuid:4200f0c0-df89-4035-b8a7-474d33a473e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biblehub.com/niv/john/7-32.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938507 | 855 | 1.601563 | 2 |
During the retail panel of “Increasing Consumption at Retail: Defining Supply Chain Success,” Michael O’Brien, Vice President of Produce at Schnuck Markets, made an interesting point.
O’Brien brought up the importance of adapting each store's produce department to its shopper demographic in order to retain customers in the department and the store.
“The key is understanding your customer in each individual store and in each individual demographic because they’re different.”
O’Brien said Schnuck Markets has 100 stores but each store has totally different dynamics.
“If you’ve got a store where you’ve got a lot of Hispanics you need to understand those customers. You need to merchandize and market that store to that segment.”
He gave the example of making sure to have smaller packages for store with a large senior citizen segment, and larger size packages and convenience packages for store with customers with large families.
“The key is not having 100 stores that are merchandised and that are exactly the same.”
Save Mart Director of Produce and Floral Greg Calistro agreed. “For demographics, I think it’s interesting. You could have store two miles apart from eachother and the demographic is totally different, so that’s been one of the challenges for us.”
Calistro said an acquisition led to Save Mart working in an area they hadn’t before, including one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. He said the company worked with its suppliers on this challenge. | <urn:uuid:b2dd3e01-9d30-4c67-a9ac-5ecb923a790d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supermarketnews.com/print/blog/stores-should-be-unique-people | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958304 | 334 | 1.742188 | 2 |
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. - Dr. Kim Bateman, dean of Sierra College, Tahoe-Truckee invites community members to Sierra College Insights, an educational and interactive evening event series designed for inquisitive adults and teens. On Friday, Nov. 9 Claudio Bravo will facilitate an engaging session on electric circuits including a hands-on LED flashlight project for all attendees.
"As an invisible, yet incredibly powerful force, electricity is a mystery for many people. This presentation will provide a back stage pass into the secrets of electricity through simple to understand concepts and a hands-on project where the attendees will build their own LED flashlight. Curiosity is the only prerequisite for this lecture," said Bravo, a Mechatronics instructor on the Tahoe-Truckee campus.
Bravo came to Tahoe from Chile in 1978 for the skiing, and as many other transplants, never left. He studied electrical engineering at Sierra College and University of California,s Berkeley, and worked in the Bay Area as an aircraft electrical systems engineer. Returning to Tahoe with his wife in 1995 to raise their two daughters, he now works as an electrical contractor, lighting designer in addition to educator. One of his biggest joys is teaching the magic of electricity to Sierra College students.
Sierra College Insights begins with socializing and complimentary refreshments at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by the program at 7 p.m. The programs are offered at no cost however donations are welcome. Space is limited to the first 30 people who RSVP to 530-550-2290 and leaving a message with your name, phone number and the number in your party.
• Feb. 8, "Emotional Intelligence: The other kind of Smart" with Christopher Old, LMFT
• March 8, "The Use of Icons of American History in Modern America" with Taylor Tiraterra
• April 12, "It's Against the Law! The Political Power of Dance" with Jennie Pitts-Knipe
• May 10, "The Red Shoes: Addiction from a Depth Psychological Perspective" with Kim Bateman, Ph.D.
About Sierra College Insights
Sierra College Insights is an interactive educational event series designed for inquisitive community members from teens to seniors. Each month an academic expert will facilitate an out-of-the-ordinary presentation on the Sierra College, Tahoe-Truckee campus located at 11001 College Trail in Truckee. Students, residents and visitors are welcome to attend. Complimentary refreshments and time for socializing precedes each event. For more information, visit sierracollege.edu or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:23f0d35a-197a-4c5b-bfb6-7e55c3efcef5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20121105/COMMUNITY/121109966 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935996 | 566 | 1.789063 | 2 |
- Lead Lap's NASCAR News - http://lead-lap.com -
Likelihood Of Electric Cars In NASCAR Increasing
Posted By Michael J Smith On June 23, 2011 @ 2:20 pm In Featured,Gallery,Other,Sprint Cup | 7 Comments
AC Propulsion, an electric drive-train designer and manufacturer, announced that one of its drive-trains will again power the current electric-vehicle holder in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Last year, an electric racer, which was powered by an ACP system, won the competition’s Exhibition Class and set a new electric vehicle record.
This year, ACP has improved the cooling system of its drive system, which the company predicts will help the car climb the hill in the 12-minute range. Last year’s time was 13 minutes and 17.575 seconds.
The vehicle is a rear-wheel drive, open-wheel car with lithium-ion batteries from Sanyo Electric Co. It will use Yokohama BluEarth tires, which are designed to conserve fuel. It will be driven by Ikuo Hanawa, who also drove the car that won the Exhibition Class last year.
This news, coupled with the news of an London-based, electric-vehicle racing series called EV Cup that is launching this year , makes the possibility of an electric Sprint Cup car more realistic than it once was.
Two years ago, I wrote an article about this very idea. I still maintain that a move to electric cars is not that ridiculous. With that said, we’re decades away from that I think. But with the development and refinement of hybrid and electric race car technology, the likelihood continues to increase, even if ever so slightly.
The EV Cup will run two races this season, one at Mazda Laguna Seca in November and one at Auto Club Speedway in December. A full season is set to run in 2012, though tracks have not yet been publicized.
Still, a move to electric cars would not be well received by the current crop of NASCAR fans. For example, few things match the sound of a pushrod, V8 circling the track. Sure it’s loud, but that’s the point. Electric vehicles cannot match that sound.
Last year, Mike Monticello of Road & Track called the ACP car his “least favorite” car at Pikes Peak. He wrote:
I know, I know, I’m supposed to be embracing all this ‘green’ technology, but the car I liked the least at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was the electric EV Sports Concept HER-02 buggy piloted by Ikuo Hanawa. Nothing against Hanawa, but if you need to have chimes ringing on your car, as Hanawa did, so that onlookers know to skedaddle off the road as you drive up the hill, then there’s something wrong with your race car. … A proper racing car should be loud, like the Super Stock class cars of Layne Schranz (a full-on Chevy Monte Carlo NASCAR stocker) and Steve Goeglein (Chevy Camaro), the bellowing V8s of which raised the hairs on the back of your neck whenever they thundered by.
That will make a switch to electric cars in NASCAR virtually impossible any time soon because, simply put, the fans won’t like it and they are what drives the sport, monetarily.
For comparison purposes, the motor in this year’s car, the AC-180, will be similar to ACP’s AC-150 motor, which is used in BMW’s Mini E. The AC-180 produces 268 HP at 6,000 – 7,000 RPM and 258 ft/lb of torque from zero to 5,000 RPM. A Sprint Cup pushrod V8 produces 850 HP at 9,000 RPM and 550 ft/lb of torque at 7,500 RPM.
Electric technology has a long way to go to produce that kind of power, which means it’s a long way off.
What do you think? Would you be opposed to electric cars in NASCAR?
Article printed from Lead Lap's NASCAR News: http://lead-lap.com
URL to article: http://lead-lap.com/2011/06/23/likelihood-of-electric-cars-in-nascar-increasing/
URLs in this post:
Image: http://lead-lap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/acpropulsion1.jpg
announced: http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/06/21/electric-race-car-seeks-new-pikes-peak-record/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_autoIndustry_Driversseat
EV Cup: http://www.evcup.com/
launching this year: http://www.plugincars.com/think-city-will-serve-racing-car-new-electric-racing-series-106684.html
article: http://lead-lap.com/2009/04/15/nascar-to-electric-cars-not-that-ridiculous/
Road & Track: http://blog.roadandtrack.com/tags/ikuo-hanawa/
Copyright © 2009 mikejsmith.net. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:49242b04-0e49-4591-a3de-82b3ec3882bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lead-lap.com/2011/06/23/likelihood-of-electric-cars-in-nascar-increasing/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931561 | 1,147 | 1.65625 | 2 |
To the editor:
Israel tried Gun Free Zones for schools and quickly experienced several atrocities.
They then permitted teachers who cared to, to carry concealed. The jihadist switched to more public, less protected places, like cafes and bus stops.
What we need is a right to carry concealed by teachers. How far would the Sandy Hook shooter have gone if one or two faculty or staff had been armed? Would he have attempted this at all if he thought there were an unknown number of people prepared to stop him?
Allowing armed staff is the only solution that is practical and will work but sorry to say it is not politically correct. The Liberal/Statist mentality denies individual's right to self-protection. They think we should relinquish our right to self-protection to some government agency.
No one should be so foolish as to expect some government agency or police department to protect them. The police are reactionary in nature. They generally investigate and fill out reports after you have been beaten, robbed, raped or murdered.
Each person is ultimately responsible for protecting themselves, their families and faculty is responsible for our children's safety while at school. In fact the powers that be in ANY GFZ should be held responsible when something like Sandy Hook happens and people were denied the right to self-protection because defensive weapons were banned.
GFZ's don't keep evil people out; they only supply a venue of helpless targets for a madman with a gun.
The Supreme Court has ruled multiple times that they are under no obligation to protect the citizens.
Warren v. District of Columbia (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981) is a U.S. Court of Appeals case in which three rape victims sued the District of Columbia because of negligence on the part of the police. Two of three female roommates were upstairs when they heard men break in and attack the third. After repeated calls to the police over half an hour, the roommate's screams stopped, and they assumed the police had arrived. They went downstairs and were held captive, raped, robbed, beaten, and forced to commit sexual acts upon one another and to submit to the attackers' sexual demands for 14 hours. The police had lost track of the repeated calls for assistance. DC's highest court ruled that the police do not have a legal responsibility to provide personal protection to individuals, and absolved the police and the city of any liability
The Supreme Court ruling in Town of Castle Rock -V- Gonzales effectively ruled that the police are not legally obligated to provide protection, and that restraining orders create no special relationship with victims entitling them to protection. | <urn:uuid:bc8f1a49-389d-4287-8779-1524916db883> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/533389/Gun-Free-Zones-don-t-work.html?nav=5008 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974959 | 539 | 1.6875 | 2 |
October 4, 2011 | 6
My co-networker at Science Sushi, Christie Wilcox, wrote a heartfelt post about why she believes scientists need to jump away the lab bench and proclaim unto the world, SCIENCE! Naturally, I concur with her assessment, but her reply – that scientists must take to social media – is naïve on several levels and misses at least one key point that is often overlooked. To be clear, I am not singling her out, these ideas are have been around for a long time and come naturally to scientist communicators who have been paying attention for a while. Yet, her post is timely as I am thinking and writing about these things elsewhere at the moment with other colleagues, which I can’t discuss yet. (See also her second Part 2: You Do Have the Time before reading on.)
This naïveté is fundamental, yet driven by a general lack of understanding how to measure social media influence and true reach. In another critique of Christie’s post, Steven Hamblin notes on an example of shoddy journalism by a media professional,
“Brian Anderson writes for msnbc.com, which gets millions of hits a month. When Brian Anderson writes a crap piece, a lot of people see it. When I write a crap piece on this tiny little blog – according to my site stats - 3 people see it.”
And this leads to biggest overlooked point science communications evangelism. Its the reach, not the medium, which matters. There is much to agree with in Christie’s (and Steven’s) article and I am looking forward to Part 3 because this is a dialogue we need to have in science. While Christie does a great job describing social media as a set of tools to aide scientists’ communication reach, she makes a common, but unfounded, assumption that equates online presence with access.
57% of Americans say they talk to people more online than they do in real life. Scientists need to be on social media because everyone else is already, talking about their thoughts and feelings, having discussions about things they care about, and generally, well, being social.
I deeply care about the public’s view and support of science, and am not being critical of Christie individually as this is a most common error among many people who are excited about the possibilities of social media to reach large chunks of the population. Let’s break this into several points, of which I am certain there are more that I am overlooking.
For the sake of illustration, let’s take Dr. X who just read Christie’s post and perhaps several others’ over the last few months and felt so inspired he is now going to jump the bench and dive full-speed-ahead into science communication. To begin, Dr. X will start a blog on the lab’s research interest. After writing an intro post introducing Dr. X and the lab’s exciting research interest, a few new posts are written about new papers in their field and Dr. X’s opinion on a perplexing problem for the field. Naturally, Dr. X proudly creates his first insider LOLcat that pokes fun at a vanquishing paradigm that colleagues often snicker at.
Dr. X is ready for the world to read the new blog and decides to create a Facebook page and twitter account to share the content with the world, hoping for intelligent dialogue with other scientists and questions from interested laity. Let’s follow Dr. X on this journey that many, including my colleague Christie, many other Sci-Am bloggers and myself have undertaken.
What is the solution? At the most basic, philosophical level, everyone actively participating in social media outreach, or who is broadly interested in it (perhaps even as only a consumer), need to encourage a university community that values science outreach. The online and social aspect of this is merely a tool to reach out and maximize the number of individuals or audiences. Faculty, especially tenured faculty, should create an environment that encourages and rewards activities that reach out to local communities. The support of tenured faculty, in particular, is vital to success of untenured faculties’ outreach programs. Many researchers get their grants funded by NSF and NIH; and at least NSF includes a mandate for broader impacts that they do take seriously. In fact, many universities have mission statements which enshrine a belief to improve the local community that supports the university. For many researchers, your online outreach activities become justifiable after spending a considerable effort selling the idea.
Providing incentives for outreach activities, online or not, will go a long ways towards increasing participation of scientists and bridging the scientist-public divide. Perhaps too much incentivizing might result in poorly done efforts undertaken in order to game the system for the tenure package, but I doubt it. As either John Hawks or Greg Gbur said at Science Online 2011 in a panel about blogging as academics, online outreach is icing on the cake if you already have a good tenure/promotion package. If you are lacking in teaching or research, your online activities could be a detriment. Incentives, though, legitimatize the efforts and online outreach has the advantage of being able to be quantified in some respect by various metrics. With web statistics, many often available for free, one can now pinpoint many details about how their blog and website are used. For instance, if Dr. X uses StatCounter (only 1 among several free webstats applications), they will be able to
So, I agree with the general consensus that more scientists online talking science is a good thing, but lets not expect it of them. Some are better and more motivated to communicate than others. I have seen way too many talented communicators enter the fray naïvely with a “build it and they will come” attitude, which sounds a bit like what Christie’s post was suggesting. To be fair, when scientists like myself and Christie were starting out blogging, the stage was much less crowded and it was far easier to get noticed. These days, many scientists are filling in a wide variety of niches on the internet and communicating to audiences small and large for a variety of reasons. For many scientists, it can be uphill battle trying to sell your outreach activities to your employers and mentors. Going about it smartly though there are a variety tools and arguments to make on how your efforts affect people, even in your university’s, government lab’s, company’s community.
Having been in the game for a long time, it is sad watching talented new communicators succumb to naïveté. Anything worth doing isn’t going to be easy, likely never to pay you and might surround you with controversy. Yet, these are worth doing. Many scientists tell me they feel personally rewarded doing outreach and engaging in social media. The majority of these individuals do it in the “spare time” and it affects their research and teaching productivity very little. The key, in my opinion, is creating a culture of outreach encouragement at institutions. This can only be done by those who have any power in the institution and if you ever believed that we needed to engage the public more, now is the time to support those faculty, students and staff who want to make a difference. | <urn:uuid:4ef8b871-44fc-459d-b121-c7058fffec9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/evo-eco-lab/2011/10/04/on-naivete-among-scientists-who-wish-to-communicate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96012 | 1,502 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Friday, May 28, 2010
Boating and booze--stupid, stupid, stupid
You know who they are—you see them walking down the dock with two cases of beer, headed for a day on the water.
Arizona is in a desert, but has many lakes and the country’s worst boating fatality record—mostly due to our old friend, alcohol.
Operating a boat while impaired can get you in as much trouble as a car.
But our state does not require you to take a safety course—does yours?
Sometimes you can take these online.
Children under 12 must wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket.
Know the boating laws in your state. (Yes, there are boating laws.)
Check the weather…even a lake can get dicey.
Have electronic devices—cells, beacons, personal locators,
AND DON'T PARTY and operate the boat.
Have a designated captain.
Also—out here they warn to be careful of swimming under pontoon boats where carbon monoxide can collect and deep-six ya. You can be dead before you even feel sick or confused. | <urn:uuid:fd45c845-d2fd-427d-97ea-08d3d05748b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthsass.blogspot.com/2010/05/boating-and-booze-stupid-stupid-stupid.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951024 | 239 | 1.710938 | 2 |
- Posted: 9:49 AM, August 10, 2012
In the liberal magazine The New Republic, Warren's efforts were branded unispiring as writer Alec MacGillis discusses the myriad reasons for the former shoe-in's failures.
One of Warren's clear disadvantages is likeability. Whereas incumbent Republican Sen. Scott Brown is liked and embraced by both Republicans and Democrats, Warren just doesn't have the personality to win hearts.
So Warren's daughter Amelia Tyagi is coming to her rescue.
No, not by promoting her mother as some warm and fuzzy-type.
Tyagi is chairman of the board of a group called Demos which by dint of expensive litigation threats has pressured Massachusetts to register 500,000 welfare recipients to vote. And there is plenty of evidence that those on public assistance tend to vote for Democrats.
The problem with Demos' methods is that their registration drive is so clearly geared toward the election rather than any civic sense of responsibility for educating all citizens about the rights and responsibilities of voting.
Massachussetts, after all, had agreed that in compliance with the moter voter law it would provide voter registration materials in all public assistance offices so that when people would come to collect their checks, they could find out about voting and register.
Not good enough for Warren's daughter Tyagi, though. Demos threatened litigation against Massachusetts claiming that the registration forms had to be sent directly to everyone on welfare because otherwise they might not go pick up their checks and register in time to vote in November. Demos started the trouble just three months after Warren got into the Senate race and ramped up their threats in May, just when Warren's fortunes were crashing on the shores of her multi-culti claims of Indian ancestry.
As bad as this naked partisan ploy is, it isn't the only controversy.
As the Boston Herald editorial page points out , one of the problems with this effort to 'just sign 'em all up' is that the welfare eligibility rules don't distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. So that means that of the 500,000 people Massachusetts will contact about registering to vote, many may not be citizens. "[A]s the state Department of Transitional Assistance letter to recipients put it, 'DTA does not verify whether or not public assistance applicants or clients are currently registered to vote or eligible to register to vote'," explain the Herald editors. "But, hey, what’s citizenship have to do with it — as long as they vote the right way."
Demos denies that its efforts have anything to do with their chairman, or Warren. | <urn:uuid:5f806b5a-723e-4009-95d4-70a453afb981> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nypost.com/f/print/blogs/capitol/warren_kid_gets_dirty_to_save_mom_ik4CZj9KjNgKlE8ME9688H | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974178 | 531 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Iraqi Chicken Farms Continue Growth, Face Challenges
By 1st Lt. William Perdue, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, March 17, 2008 Chicken farming in Iraq is moving toward pre-war levels, as coalition forces work with farmers to overcome challenges.
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, are working with Iraqi chicken farmers to help them improve their farms’ capabilities. Courtesy photo
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Dialogue has begun on how to increase production with the owners of seven chicken houses in the region where the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, operates.
The community of Abu Lukah, one of the first areas where soldiers discovered chicken houses, has four chicken houses, three of which are functioning. The first visit by the unit was at the end of January, during which the owner, Abdul Sataar, had just begun a new cycle. Recently the unit revisited Chicken House No. 1 to check on the status of operations. It had been about 35 days since the arrival of the first batch of chicks, and in about 10 days the chickens would be ready for sale.
Of the initial 7,500 chicks, only 210 died during this cycle, a 2.8 percent loss for Abdul Sataar. He will sell the chickens to the highest bidder from the Baghdad, Karbala or Hilla markets.
“This is an absolute success story,” said Capt. David Stewart, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-7th Infantry Regiment. “Abdul conducts his business without coalition assistance and is able to maintain profitability.”
Recently, four other chicken houses were discovered in the Abu Jasim area. Two had about 2,000 chickens and were able to produce seven crates filled with 350 eggs each. The farm is operating at about 50 percent of capacity due to limited electricity and fuel to run the generators. Profit from the eggs is being used to buy fuel and to keep the farm running, Stewart said.
The other two chicken houses face the same challenges, Stewart added. They have 24,000 white chickens and 18,000 red chickens, and are able to produce 77 crates of eggs daily.
Because limited electricity affects their capacity, the farmers are unable to sell chickens and to produce feed to sell at the market, Stewart said. The short-term solution is to replace the generators. The famers now have three generators, two of which need repairs.
The long-term solution, the captain said, is to get off the generators and use industrial power. Efforts are going to be focused on fixing the power to greatly impact the community, Stewart added.
(Army 1st Lt. William Perdue serves in the public affairs office of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.) | <urn:uuid:37287227-9620-4da6-975e-4c6c0ba07873> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=49294 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968939 | 630 | 1.578125 | 2 |
With the sharp increase in ethanol plants throughout the Midwest, some producers scratch their heads about why basis levels aren't better. While some areas such as central Illinois are running basis levels better than average, other areas such as northern Iowa and southern Minnesota have corn basis levels significantly worse than the five-year average. How can that possibly be?
This year basis levels did not improve as well as many expected, and thus the use of the Hedge-To-Arrive contract (HTA) turned out to be a detriment, not an advantage.
Basis levels are going to be better than they were five years ago (overall) but not nearly as good as producers seem to expect. The answer lies in how ethanol plants lock in their corn needs.
Ethanol plants can't risk running out of corn. As a result, these plants bid for corn 3-6 months in advance and sometimes even further out. Many plants cover 90% or more of their corn needs at least this much in advance. Consequently, the cash bids and basis bids for corn to be delivered in the future are much better than what we have experienced in recent history.
However, because so much of the need is covered as nearby time approaches, there's no need for an ethanol plant to bid up the basis to get corn immediately. As a norm, sharp rises in basis will only occur if and when someone needs corn very badly and right now. If the need is already covered, this doesn't occur.
This diminishes the usefulness of HTA contracts. Particularly in Iowa and Minnesota, many producers will need to look ahead at locking in basis contracts or merely flat price contracts (if they like the price) several months in advance. If using a basis contract, set the futures price later. Remember, in marketing there are always two key decisions to be made — setting the futures price and setting the basis. We've developed a habit over the years of setting the futures price first (HTA) and the basis later. That methodology is now being reversed.
The expanding capacities of ethanol plants create tremendous opportunities for producers but also will result in changing marketing methodologies. Marketing is more complex — not simpler. When looking at nearby basis levels, many will be disappointed. However, if you look at basis levels being offered 2, 3, 4 or even 5 months in advance, the opportunities can be very good. We just all need to adjust to the changing times.
Remember The HTA?
Has the Hedge-To-Arrive (HTA) contract lost its usefulness? Let's roll the calendar back to the mid-1990s, when the HTA was a very popular contract throughout the Midwest. Then came the bull market of 1996 where many producers, particularly in the eastern Corn Belt, hedged corn for fall delivery of 1996 in the July 1996 futures contract anticipating to roll it over into the December at a discount. That never happened, and in fact July corn went to over a $1.80 premium to the December resulting in extraordinary hedge losses and lawsuits. That seemed to end the HTA contract.
However, HTAs are now used almost everywhere again. They have traditionally been used by producers who like the futures price but think basis will get better so they lock in the futures without locking in the basis.
Richard A. Brock is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report. For a trial subscription and information on Brock services, call 800-558-3431 or visit www.brockreport.com. | <urn:uuid:9dbf8beb-dbf9-4b3a-9841-979622db3206> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/why-ethanol-hasnt-improved-basis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971643 | 719 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Lawrence Lucier/Getty Images
Former Letterman stand-up booker, Eddie Brill.
Earlier this week, Dave Letterman’s long-time show booker Eddie Brill lost his job. His offense? In an interview with the New York Times he responded to the question about why he had only booked one female comedian in all of 2011 by saying that female stand-up comics are less “authentic” and act like men on stage to please the audience. This created an uproar in comedy circles and beyond.
But Brill may not be alone in thinking that there’s something less than authentic about female comics. Look in the writers rooms at most sitcoms and practically all late night talk shows, not to mention comedy clubs and you’ll see a shocking lack of women. People are STILL talking about Christopher Hitchens’ 2007 Vanity Fair takedown of women in comedy that essentially posited that women didn’t need to be funny because they have other qualities that appeal to the opposite sex.
It’s been several years since then, but how much has changed for women in the business? There are certainly many more recognizable women in comedy now than ever before, like Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, Ellen Degeneres and Kathy Griffin. Is parity right around the corner? Does the industry still favor men over women, and perhaps more importantly do audiences? Are men given more opportunities for exposure, and if so, how do women in the business combat this? Is there something inauthentic about women on stage? And, at the heart of it all, are women funny?
Larry Getlen, Editor, Mirth Magazine | <urn:uuid:e3bedd06-a188-4a77-8c50-736c375b27a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2012/01/18/22162/letterman-stand-up-booker-fired-for-saying-women-a/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959726 | 341 | 1.71875 | 2 |
HOMER B. PERCY.
Homer B. Percy, a veteran of the World war, manager of the Solano County Adjustment Company of Vallejo and one
of the best known young men in this county, an active figure in local commercial circles, was born in the village
of Sandstone on the line of the Great Northern Railroad in Pine county, eastern Minnesota, July 3, 1900, and was
seven years of age when in 1907 he came with his parents to California, the family locating at Santa Rosa. He thus
finished his public schooling in the Santa Rosa schools, supplementing this by a year in the College of the Pacific
at Santa Clara, and then became engaged in the operations of the state engineer's department, a member of the survey
staff, and was thus engaged when this country entered the World war in 1917. In the next year, at the age of eighteen,
he enlisted his services in behalf of the nation's arms and was entered in the officers training school at Camp
Fremont, where he was in service for six months or until after the close of the war.
Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Percy was for some time engaged as a salesman in San Francisco
and then, in May 1922. he organized the Solano County Adjustment Company of Vallejo and has since been quite successfully
thus engaged, in general charge of that company's affairs. This company makes a specialty of commercial collections
and the adjustment of credits, its field of operations being confined to Solano and Napa counties, and has become
well established along that line, not only filling a distinct field but a "long felt want;" creating
a service that has come to be recognized as of special value in the local commercial world.
On Nov. 27, 1924, at Vallejo, Homer B. Percy was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Paulson, who was born in
that city, and they have a pleasant home at Vallejo. Mr. Percy is a member of the local post of the American Legion
and is also an active member of the locally influential Vallejo Rotary Club, one of the most enthusiastic town
"boosters" in that useful and representative organization.
History of Solano County, California
BY: Marguerite Hune
Napa County, California
BY: Harry Lawrence Gunn
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Solano County, CA
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium | <urn:uuid:a376d3ed-452f-4fa9-bad0-0b27421ec6e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onlinebiographies.info/ca/solano/percy-hb.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961898 | 517 | 1.554688 | 2 |
A word that comes up over and over in our work is community. I’ve been reflecting on various physical and virtual communities here at PAN, and the ways in which our lives and aspirations are woven together around our shared goals.
Looking at PAN’s accomplishments over the past year, I’m feeling deeply grateful to each and every person in these communities — including you. Be they a handful of people or hundreds of thousands with common concerns, these overlapping communities provide the inspiration and the muscle we need to transform corporate and government systems.
Earlier this year, we helped stop the sale of methyl iodide, a cancer-causing fumigant commonly used in strawberry fields. It would have been pretty difficult to sustain a five-year fight against a multi-national pesticide company — let alone to win it — without working closely with nonprofit litigators, grassroots coalitions and unionized farmworkers. The collaboration was effective because the participating groups are good team players, consciously building a campaigning community so strong that Arysta, the manufacturer, pulled methyl iodide from the U.S. market.
Families across the country put themselves on the map at PAN’s online Honey Bee Haven site, helping us create a network of people concerned about declining bee populations. Thousands of people, in practically every state (and from other countries, too) helped PAN make the case that it's time to save bees and other pollinators from the effects of dangerous pesticides. Additionally, over a million signatures in support of pollinator protection have been delivered to EPA, and we’re petitioning Congress to get involved, too.
From San Diego to the north coast, more than 6 million California voters supported labeling foods that are genetically engineered. PAN worked with a core group of partners, supported by businesses and countless volunteers, to undertake a massive voter education campaign — while the opposition was fueled by over $46 million from the Big 6 pesticide companies. We lost the ballot initiative, but our collective efforts drew national attention to corporate control of the food system, and highlighted the link between GE seeds and increased pesticide use.
People stepping up to do their bit, in large ways and in small ways this past year, included:
Public health experts and scientists contributed their time and know-how to our recent report on the impact of pesticides on children's health.
PAN partner organizations shared tools, strategies and information through PAN’s new online community forum.
More than 80,000 PAN activists engaged online, responding regularly to our calls to action.
Nearly 2,000 individuals, along with institutions, donated to help us keep the work going.
And don’t get me started on PAN’s volunteer board of directors and amazing staff, who manage all the activities above, and more, with grace, professionalism and heart. Every week I’m grateful all over again to be part of this very special little community of dedicated and skillful people who support, oversee and do PAN’s day-to-day work.
Thank you for being part of one — or more — of PAN’s various communities. Together we’re going to have an amazing 2013! | <urn:uuid:a480a18e-fcd1-462e-99f0-b7a24ee9af92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.panna.org/print/2495?quicktabs_1=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947564 | 650 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Ok, Google Books has been around for a while and I have neglected using it until I got into my Administrators program. I was able to find my School Law book, a book that costs around $100 bucks on Amazon for free. I can also find tons of other books there that the authors have either agreed to have them hosted for free or they are out of print books that I wouldn't find any other place. Besides books there are tons of magazines, both new and older and if you are an English teacher (or just lover of literature) they have some classics written by Dickens, Longfellow, Defoe and others that you can view online or download in the ePub format. Besides the book search you can create a bookshelf and share books from your bookshelf with other users so if you are a teacher you can create a custom book list and share it with your students.
Google Blog Search
I absolutely love blogs. I get up early in the morning just to catch up on my reader in an attempt to get the pulse of the world of education. If I get a free moment during the day I try to read a post or two. But one of my favorite things to do is find new blogs to read. Just doing a general Google search can be difficult at times to find what I am looking for. So I turn to Google Blog search. No matter how obscure the topic someone out there has a blog on it that you might want to read. Just put in your search term in the box and you are returned just blogs related to that topic. Great for kids doing projects so they can find current events or, better yet, opinions on current event topics, I encourage teachers to have students do a quick blog search when doing a project. I also like blog search to find new education bloggers and get an idea on new and exciting things that are going on in the world of education.
As a graduate student I got to know Google Scholar very well. I could search 1000's of peer-reviewed, scholarly articles from the comfort of, really anywhere. Looking for legal opinions, recent research or journal articles, I was hardly ever let down with the content and actually found stuff there I couldn't find anywhere else. The advanced search is very powerful so get to know it well. Have kids (especially middle and high school) look here too when doing research, especially when stressing primary sources.
I admit, this might not be one you use a lot. But if you are a science or technology teacher this is a great search engine to try out with your kids. There are over 7 million available patents for search. Once you find what you are looking for you get what the applicant says the device does, drawings, any associated patents and detailed descriptions. For students learning design or mechanics this can be a cool place to look for ideas. Start by looking at this awesome skillet for cooking just bacon!
Those are just 4 of many others that you can check out here. So go forth! Harness the power of Google Search. Be more productive, help kids search effectively and efficiently and find really cool stuff! | <urn:uuid:de888a30-9c72-4a39-b9a2-233a5363c362> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.web20classroom.org/2010/04/some-helpful-google-search-engines-you.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961314 | 633 | 1.765625 | 2 |
PlantFiles: Hercules' Club, Devil's Walking Stick, Angelica Tree Aralia spinosa
It's time to read and vote for your favorite article in the 2013 Write-Off Contest! The four finalist's articles are featured in the May 13 newsletter and can be found through this link. Hurry! Voting ends May 18.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Danger: Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
Bloom Color: White/Near White
Bloom Time: Mid Summer
Foliage: Grown for foliage Deciduous
Other details: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets) From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall From seed; stratify if sowing indoors
Seed Collecting: Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
This plant self seeded in an overgrown area of my acre yard. It grows fast, suckers exorbitantly and because of the thorns it is a pain (literally!) to remove. Last year in Hurricane Irene the largest specimen (25 feet tall) was bowed in half since its branches are very weak. I detest it. Since I'm not very big at 5 ft. 3 in. and do not have garden help it is not a welcome intruder at my shoreline CT home.
Our location: Southern Robertson Co., TX .. very sandy soil.
I agree with all who admire the beauty of this plant. We have one near the house that's 20-25 ft tall and has a beautiful canopy.
With that said, I absolutely hate the d*** things! Drive your tractor near one while mowing and your shirt (or skin!) will be in shreds. They sprout up from bird droppings along fences and, if not eliminated right away, are a real pain to control later, especially if kudzu or the like get mixed in with them.
Personally, I'd never plant one on purpose. Too many other attractive choices.
On Sep 12, 2006, sallyg from Anne Arundel,, MD (Zone 7a) wrote:
I got one self planted a few years ago, and have moved it to a permanent home. 2 feet tall, in mostly shade near a maple and already bloomed this year. It's the only one I've had in 17 yrs here, though there are many in woods around here. I am in the coastal plain region so I'm guessing my geography is a lot like NJ.
I think it's very interesting to the kids as long as you have a look but don't touch place for it. Triple- compound leaves. I would say if you will have one, be sure to place it while little and not have to try to touch it ever!
I have edited my original comment above and gone from positive to neutral. After having it in my garden for about five years from seedling, I guess it matured enough to invade. Dozens of root suckers sprouted up, around the tree in an area about five by five feet. I pulled all of them in midsummer. A few more have come up by fall. This would surely take some dedication to control, and since my sprouts are going into a nice neighbor's yard, I'll have to take the tree out of there.
Still, its an absolute haven to insects while it blooms. I'll be a little sorry if I can't figure out a place for it, as I know dozens of them got bulldozed behind us for housing.
On Jun 1, 2006, Tonilock from Berkeley Heights, NJ wrote:
I live in New Jersey. I am trying to figure out if I have a Devil's Walking Stick in my yard. It did not exist when we bought our house in 2003. It appeared the following year in the wooded area behind us all on it's own. It is a tall "stick" (over 5 ft tall) which has thorns on the trunk. In the winter, there are no leaves or branches at all. In the spring, a bud type thing grows at the top of the stick which then becomes branchy. Now it looks like a small tree. The branches all grow from the top of the stick and the leaves off the branches grow in pairs all along the branch. The leaves look like elongated hearts. It sort of looks "ferny" Someone told me that if this is indeed what I have, I should get rid of it by putting Round Up on it as this will spread and take over. I'd be interested in what you all think. I am new on this site and I enjoy reading your comments. I like gardening, but am a novice and most times have success by accident! Thanks!
On Feb 3, 2006, raisedbedbob from Walkerton, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:
This plant may have all sorts of positive qualities; but until you have grabbed onto one while climbing up a hillside; you have not experienced pain. I have eliminated all of them on my land wherever a might walk.
On Aug 5, 2005, melody from Benton, KY (Zone 7a) wrote:
This unique shrub or small tree has aromatic foliage and spiny stems.
It is found in moist soils, near streams and as an understory plant in hardwood forests. Often, large thickets form from the root sprouts.
It's range is from NJ and NY south to central FL. West to east TX and north to SE MO. It is naturalized north to New England, southern Ontario and into WI.
Used in Victorian gardens as a grotesque ornamental, the aromatic roots and fruit were used by settlers as home remedies...mainly for toothache.
The plants that I've photographed are at the edges of a very old cemetary, in the understory of an elderly forest. The gravestones have many deaths recorded before 1900. I'm speculating that they might have originally been planted there during a time when the place was visited frequently and used often.
On Jul 19, 2005, oliverbutthead from Plantersville, TX wrote:
devils walking stick is found growing in the woods about 30 miles north of Houston in the Conroe area. I have only seen one stand of it around but has been since probably dozed out since the last time seen due to urban sprawl. A "thicket" of it is a very beautiful sight. Very interesting plant!
On Mar 26, 2005, freebird12479 from Grantsboro, NC wrote:
I have always seen this plant in the woods behind my house, but never knew anything about it. Then a friend from school moved in across the street from my house and told me that some of her family was Korean and that they eat part of the plant. So i looked into it and picked the little green bud that starts in spring. She told me to wait until it was a few inches tall and pull the stalk down(without breaking it) and pop the top off. Then she blanches it in boiling water and soaks it for a few hours, changing the water often. She eats it with hot sauce, i only eat it with hot sauce and some kind of meat, chopped up and mixed. Her family calls it "too doops" or tree-tops. It grows everywhere behind the house, but mainly on the north edge of the woods line. Any questions email me(email@example.com).
On Aug 19, 2004, hoosierfarmboy from Franklinton, LA (Zone 8b) wrote:
I recently found this plant growing in the wild near Cannelton, Indiana (on the banks of the Ohio River). It was seen in a forest setting, interestingly only, or mostly, on the west slopes of dry ridgetops. This is in zone 6A.
On Jun 11, 2004, patp from Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) wrote:
We discovered Devil's Walking Stick when we bought this property in 1989 but didn't fully appreciate it's unique beauty until we saw it growing at Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC. In our Zone 8a region, the plant is very easy to control and not at all invasive. It thrives in deep shade but also tolerates direct sunlight, is drought tolerant and deer resistant, and is a conversation piece. It looks like something that would have survived from prehistoric times.
On Sep 3, 2001, mystic from Ewing, KY (Zone 6a) wrote:
This spiny shrub when mature may grow to 20 feet or more and develop a few branches, but younger plants have just a single naked stem with all the leaves clustered at the top. Its thick,thorny stems and dense branching will make it a good choice as a barrier plant.This viciously spiny thing could be used as a living fence in place of barbed wire. The large, flat clusters of small white flowers are produced in late summer. These are followed by the purple to nearly black fruit that matures in August or September. The fruit are eaten by the birds and other wildlife and the flowers attract honeybees.The large,compound leaves will turn yellow in the fall.The raw berries are mildly toxic if ingested.Contact with the bark or roots can cause brief skin irritation.Will grow in full sun or light shade, but it prefers semishade.
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Mobile, Alabama Stockton, Alabama Morrilton, Arkansas Madison, Connecticut Ocean View, Delaware Apopka, Florida South Daytona, Florida Tampa, Florida Elizabeth, Indiana Georgetown, Indiana Tell City, Indiana Benton, Kentucky Clermont, Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky Georgetown, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Mandeville, Louisiana Cresaptown-bel Air, Maryland Crofton, Maryland Millersville, Maryland Leakesville, Mississippi Madison, Mississippi Marietta, Mississippi , New Jersey Cayuga Heights, New York Grantsboro, North Carolina Laflin, Pennsylvania Bluffton, South Carolina Conway, South Carolina Summerville, South Carolina Dickson, Tennessee Stewart, Tennessee Austin, Texas Sunset Valley, Texas Todd Mission, Texas Lexington, Virginia Buckley, Washington | <urn:uuid:41c880d6-deef-47df-94bb-9cd78f0322a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1658/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9572 | 2,396 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The winner of Carnegie Mellon's first Smiley Award is "One Cold Hand" — a website designed to reunite lost gloves with their mates. Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc., the $500 prize will be presented annually to recognize clever contributions in the spirit of the original smiley symbol.
The award is named in honor of the ubiquitous emoticon, :-), created at the university 25 years ago by Professor Scott Fahlman. The symbol was an early — and still widely used — convention allowing people to indicate humor and happiness via text.
"Receiving the Smiley Award is a real honor," said site co-creator Jennifer Gooch, a graduate student in Carnegie Mellon's School of Art. "A lot of my current work and research looks at how people use technology in order to connect."
Gooch shares the prize with Turadg Aleahmad, a doctoral student in the School of Computer Science's Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII). Their names will be engraved on a plaque kept on permanent display at the university.
Honorable mention awards went to "MoodJam," created by HCII doctoral student Ian Li, and "Buxfer," created by computer science doctoral students Ashwin Bharambe, Amit Manjhi and Shashank Pandit.
"MoodJam" is an online diary that allows people to express their moods and feelings on a website using patterns of color. Buxfer is a free, web-based application that allows its users to easily keep track of shared expenses and to figure out who owes money to whom, which has proven handy for roommates, student social groups and many others.
The winning student projects were chosen by a panel of faculty and student judges. All winners were recently honored at a special Yahoo-sponsored celebration in the Newell-Simon Hall Atrium.
The Smiley Award is open to all students at Carnegie Mellon and was established last fall at the urging of Fahlman. Fahlman hopes it will encourage development of more student projects that enhance person-to-person communication via computer, as the Smiley did back in 1982. | <urn:uuid:1707e916-adcc-4f9f-9c0a-65a714d6919f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/innovation/2008/winter/inaugural-smiley-award.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960383 | 435 | 1.679688 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Socks, who reigned as first cat in former President Clinton’s White House, was put to sleep on Friday morning.
After suffering from mouth cancer, Socks was euthanized at Three Notch Veterinary Clinic in Hollywood, Maryland. Betty Currie, Clinton’s former personal secretary, had been taking care of the cat since her boss left the White House.
Socks was born in 1989 and would have turned 20 this spring.
Currie told the Southern Maryland News that Socks hadn’t eaten for two days and that she thought his condition was deteriorating. Socks was under the care of Dr. David Langford at the clinic.
"Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere," the Clintons said in a statement. "We're grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years."
Socks had to share the stage as first pet in the White House after the Clintons adopted Buddy, a Labrador retriever.
An 11-year-old Chelsea Clinton adopted Socks in 1991 after she saw the stray kitten at her piano teacher’s home in Little Rock, Arkansas. The cat moved into the governor’s mansion with the family and later to the White House. | <urn:uuid:097242ed-2bbd-436e-b30a-981d6820ec90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/20/clinton%E2%80%99s-cat-socks-dies/comment-page-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980477 | 288 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Left to right: Angie Overton, Sherri Murphy, Brandeis Armour.
University graduate student Sherri Murphy was astonished to learn about the pervasive horror of human trafficking in the United States, one of the many informative topics covered by the Tennessee State Victim Assistance Academy. The University partnered with the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, the State Treasurer’s Office, the Office of Criminal Justice Programs and the Victims of Crime State Coordinating Office to bring the academy to campus for the second consecutive year.
“I have studied abroad in Slavic countries, and I never realized how big the problem is there and here,” Murphy said.
Murphy was among a group of UTC criminal justice students who attended. They heard from presenters who covered a variety of topics including the criminal justice system, victims’ compensation, domestic violence, sexual assault, child victimization, elder abuse, rural victims, hate crimes, collaboration, and cultural competency.
Attendees of the Victim Assistance Academy can earn college credits according to Angie Overton, who will begin her second year of the Masters in Criminal Justice program at the University. Overton hopes to pursue the Ph.D. in criminal justice and to teach.
“This academy is teaching me to be aware of victim’s rights as a professional and as a woman,” Overton said. “Sexual assault, rape, identity theft…there are so many crimes that go unreported. Women can learn a lot at the academy, and men would also benefit by attending.”
Overton said the academy did not solely focus on academics, but also offered practical information. “Dr. Nancy Badger from UTC spoke about people with disabilities, and she was great. She talked about when to offer help. Another presenter talked about how we can better relate to our peers, because we do not come from the same backgrounds with the same history. We learned not to be ethnocentric.”
UTC criminal justice student Brandeis Armour, who will soon begin her second year in the master’s program, wanted to know more about career possibilities offered in her field.
“I have learned about juvenile justice, sexual abuse, female victimization,” Armour said. “This is a good chance to network with a variety of people who work in the field.”
The Academy provided basic training for individuals working in victim advocacy programs, prosecutor’s offices, law enforcement, probation, corrections, domestic and sexual violence programs, child advocacy centers, and other victim service agencies. | <urn:uuid:9605f71c-86ea-4f50-847f-4555c155165d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.utc.edu/news/2007/07/utc-hosts-tennessee-state-victim-assistance-academy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955874 | 530 | 1.609375 | 2 |
What did it take to turn the Earth's richest man, who rarely gave a cent to those in need, into the world's most copious donor? It took, evidently, two typically fertile conditions: love and commitment.
I'm talking about Bill Gates, the scruffy, scrappy founder of Microsoft, who didn't begin truly sharing his monumental wealth until he hooked up with Melinda French, a bright Microsoft employee with an MBA from Duke.
More from YourTango: Limitless Love: A Mother Of Eleven Tells Her Extraordinary Tale
Only after marrying her (under pressure from his aging mother), did Bill start donating billions to causes such as treating people with AIDS and malaria. Turns out, Bill isn't so different from the rest of us.
While we don't have personal foundations with 11-figure endowments (Bill and Melinda's boasts $28.8 billion), Americans do give away lots of money: about two percent of their yearly income. About 75 percent give to at least one charitable cause, according to the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, most often to churches and schools; oddly enough, the poorer they are, the more they tend to donate.
Bill is like the rest of us in another regard also. Americans generally give away very little money when we're young, becoming regular charitable donors only as we settle down and find a home, a community, and a spouse. (Not incidentally, this is when charities tend to find us, at our finally steady addresses; being asked is a huge factor in why people give money.)
More from YourTango: When Food Is Love: 7 Expert Ways to Combat Emotional Eating
More Juicy Content From YourTango: | <urn:uuid:af924fcf-a624-4698-a46b-78540033b633> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yourtango.com/200625/charitable-giving | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959974 | 350 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Raja Aziz Addruse and Ding Jo-Ann
THE recent arrests of Teresa Kok, Sin Chew journalist Tan Hoon Cheng and well-known blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) caused concern that the government could so readily use the draconian law of preventive detention without trial to silence criticisms made against it.
According to the home minister, the journalist had been arrested because her life had been threatened and the police wanted to conduct a comprehensive investigation. She was, it would seem, arrested under the act for her own safety.
On that basis, the arrest of the journalistwas clearly an abuse by the police of their power under the ISA.
Since he is the minister responsible for the police, the home minister is answerable for the wrongdoing of the police.
Kok, too, was released a few days after being detained without any plausible reason being given for her arrest. Raja Petra was ordered to be released by the court on Nov 7.
After the initial arrest under section 73(1) of the ISA, the minister had subsequently made an order under section 8 of the act for him to be detained for two years. This order has now been declared unconstitutional and ultra vires by the court.
The question that needs to be asked is how it is that such powers are now being exercised with what appears to be scant regard for the fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.
Should those conferred with such drastic powers not be advised as to the limits of their power and of their responsibility in the exercise of such power s? The person who is constitutionally entrusted with the function of advising the government and ministers of government on such matters is the attor ney-general. It is his constitutional duty to uphold the Federal Constitution and citizens’ fundamen - tal liberties as guaranteed under Part II of the Federal Constitution.
It would have been the attorneygeneral’s duty to advise the police and the home minister that the reasons they gave for arresting Tan and Kok under the ISA did not warrant the exercise of power under section 73(1) of the ISA.
He should also have advised the police and the minister that there are specific prerequisites which need to be satisfied before the power of arrest and detention under the act can be lawfully invoked.
As is apparent from its preamble, the ISAwas passed by Parliament for the specific purpose of combating “a substantial body of persons” intent on overthrowing the lawful government of this nation by unlawful or unconstitutional means.
The attorney-general should have, in relation to the two-year detention of Raja Petra, also advised the minister that Raja Petra, outspoken though he may be, cannot by himself be considered to be “a substantial body of per sons” and that the order made by the minister for Raja Petra’s detention was, therefore, beyond his power s.
The attorney-general is essentially responsible for overseeing the legality of all government actions and ensuring that they are in accordance with the Federal Constitution, international law and domestic law. It is a heavy responsibility with potentially serious and far-reaching conseq u e n c e s.
In the United Kingdom, for example, the opinion of Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith in 2003 that there was legal basis for an invasion of Iraq heavily influenced the British Parliament’s decision to go to war.
As the attorney-general’s office is also responsible for the drafting of all federal legislation, it is also his duty to ensure that in the drafting of such legislation the fundamental liberties enshrined in the Constitution are upheld.
It would be part of his duty to point out any laws which are inconsistent with those fundamental rights and to recommend that the offending laws be amended or repealed.
For example, the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 made it illegal to possess or use a printing press without a licence and to publish newspapers without a permit from the home minister.
The dissemination of information via the printed media was essentially placed under the complete control of the home minister. Further, from 1987, the minister’s decision on the granting, suspension and revocation of permits was removed from the review of the courts.
This negates the media’s freedom of speech, as enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution, since the home minister has the power to revoke a newspaper’s permit should it publish articles critical of the government and that newspaper would be left with no legal recourse.
Another example is the Official Secrets Act 1972 which makes it an offence to disseminate information classified as an official secret. Any government document may be classified as an official secret by any minister, chief minister or any public officer authorised to do so.
These decisions to classify a document secret are also exempt from review by the courts. Although restrictions on the freedom of speech can be made for reasons of public order or morality, there is again no check and balance or recourse to the courts should any government document be declared an official secret merely because the disclosure of its contents would prove detrimental or embarrassing to the government.
Yet another example is the Police Act 1967 that places restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly by requiring any gathering of three or more persons to obtain a police permit, failing which the gathering could be held to be an “unlawful assembly”.
In 1988, major amendments came into force, making it an offence not only for persons to take part in an unlawful assembly but also to “at t e n d ” and even more onerously, “to be found at” such assemblies.
Innocent passers-by can, therefore, be charged with an offence merely by being present.
The attorney-general should have called the government’s attention to the potential injustice that could be caused by these provisions and even recommended the amendment of the Police Act to bring it more in line with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
The Police Act should be amended as in essence, it is in conflict with the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.
This was the recommendation of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia in its report on “Freedom of Assembly” published in 2001.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers appears not to have acted on this recommendation to ensure that the provisions of the Police Act are consistent with this right.
The attorney-general, as the chief legal adviser of the government, obviously wields enormous influence in the country. He can influence government actions by providing advice on their legality and is also responsible for the drafting of laws by which the country is governed.
At the moment, there is no adequate check and balance on the exercise of these vast powers granted to him under the Federal Constitution.
It is most desirable that such an important position be open to scrutiny to ensure proper accountability in the exercise of its functions.
It is perhaps time for the attorneygeneral once again to be a member of the cabinet so that his advice is listened to and heeded by his cabinet colleagues and in order that he be made answerable to Parliament, just like any other minister. This is the case in many other Commonwealth countr ies.
In the United Kingdom, for example, Goldsmith was made to answer to Parliament in 2007 on his constitutional role and his legal advice to the government. Such a practice is beneficial as it would encourage the government to think carefully before enacting laws of dubious constitutional consistency or carrying out potentially unlawful acts.
This is the second of a two-part series. Part One appeared on Nov 9. Raja Aziz Addruse is a former Bar Council president and former president of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam). Ding Jo- Ann is a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer. This article was previously published in the New Straits Times on 16 November 2008. | <urn:uuid:8862de06-6f60-41a5-ab89-b3773b6648a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aqvoice.blogspot.com/2009/01/g-must-oversee-legality-of-actions_11.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969087 | 1,604 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Made In Britain
by Gavin James Bower
I know I'm just an arty-lefty-ponce but I'm sure I wasn't the only person to wrinkle their nose when Kenneth Clarke talked about a 'feral underclass' in the wake of the riots and looting that appeared across the country this summer. I won't get into any kind of analysis of those events (we get on so well here talking about books, let's leave politics out of it) but Gavin James Bower has written, with the kind of prescience that novelists probably dream of, a novel that gives us direct access to the lives of three teenagers who are exactly the kind of person that Mr Clarke would like to put in a box and forget about.
I live on Every Street, in a town that's so common it might as well be called Every Town.
The town remains unnamed throughout this novel and that of course is the point. It could one of many towns in the north of England, the kind of place where old industrial buildings aren't turned into fancy flats but are left to fall into ruin. In this town we meet three teenagers, all on that frightening cusp of early adulthood; the period of exam cramming, raging hormones and dangerous experimenting with the world of the adult. Russell Crackle lives with his mother who suffers from depression, his father no longer living with them. As well as a curious surname Russell is saddled with another disadvantage amongst his bullying and brutish peers: intelligence. There is one glimmer of hope in the form of his cousin who lives in Leeds and where Russell might be able to realise his potential if only he can slip the bonds at home. His sections are addressed to a friend of his who commited suicide although we sense that Russell has always struggled to make real friendships with those around him and his sense of alienation is palpable when he considers their drug-taking, drinking and sexual exploits, 'When did enough stop being enough?'
Hayley is also living with a single parent, but it is her mother who is absent having died of cancer, her father combining work and care. Like many of her friends she dreams of being famous without any clear idea of what she'd like to be famous for. In her struggles to keep up with the bragging of other girls in the school she begins an ill-advised relationship with a teacher, something which threatens to distract her from those upcoming exams. She also has the hots for Charlie who could be said to be the novel's linchpin. Charlie still has both his parents at home but his father is drunken and abusive to both wife and son and his mother is understandably a shell of her former self. Charlie is the classic example of a kid far cleverer than he realises but who doesn't have the right outlet for that intelligence He also articulates the hopelessness felt by many children growing up in a society where the usual standards of work and reward seem to be leap-frogged by others.
...nobody from round 'ere ever amounts to owt, unless they become a Premiership footballer or win the lottery. I'm only OK at football and don't play the lottery - so basically I'm fucked.
It is from a Pakistani drug dealer that he gets respect and encouragement and Charlie becomes the acceptable (white) face of that operation amongst the non-Pakistani community. Will he manage to use that opportunity to build up the stash of cash he wants to give his mother to allow her escape or will he be another life absorbed into the violence of drug gang culture?
That theme of escape is very important. All three of the teenagers in this triangle have notions of escape from their circumstances, no one wants to remain trapped in this Every Town, and our teenage years are in themselves all about escape from childhood into adulthood (and sometimes even back again when things become too much). But there is another subtler way in which these children are trapped which whilst not a modern phenomenon certainly seems at odds with our concept of parental care today. Each of them is in some ways trapped by their parents and the demands they make for care from their own children when it should surely be the other way round. Russell is most obviously prevented from making his escape by the suicidal threats of his mother, Charlie by his duty to earn enough money to finance his mother's escape from domestic abuse and even Hayley is paralysed slightly by the remorse that comes from her mother's death and the impact that has on her widowed father. It is possible it seems in our attempts to make all roads open to our children to leave them with little choice to make at all.
Whilst reading this book I wondered what sort of classification it fell into, it seems to straddle some kind of line between YA and adult fiction. There are some fantastic observations about the lives of school children, the strict code of school coach seating arrangements being just one (hint: if you're anywhere near the front then you are very low in the food chain) but it's possible that some adult readers might find a want of complexity in the teenage narrators. I personally struggled to remain much more than an observer having experience a childhood so far removed from that described but that lead me to wonder whether this book might usefully straddle that invisible line between age groups, providing a useful insight into the worries and occupations of today's youth whilst also speaking directly to at least some of the very varied people who found themselves caught up in a wave of disaffection that could only find expression in broken windows and stolen merchandise. It is those that feel frustrated enough to take direct action like that who might most benefit from reading this novel, proving once again that art has the ability to speak to and influence young people in a way that politics never has. | <urn:uuid:11b24cc4-a85a-404c-9a98-fc9d52de06c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://justwilliamsluck.blogspot.com/2011/10/fuck-em.html?m=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984773 | 1,171 | 1.546875 | 2 |
I have been collecting patchwork quilts for twenty-four years. Buying and
acquiring them in all kinds of conditions from various and interesting
sources, encouraging my passion for the study of Irish patchwork, the
needlework and the social history which surrounds them, all of which
fascinate me. These quilts are historical documents, telling a story of a
past life and the families who made them.
Exhibition at Lisburn Linen Museum,
blocks - 1895 Dble. Irish chain, 1880 Star, 1930
I come from a strong needlework background, my grandmothers and great
grandmothers made patchwork quilts. My maternal grandmother Millar worked in
service where the lady of the house taught her many needlework skills, which
she in turn passed on to her daughter, my mother who was the village
dressmaker. She is extremely gifted and talented having also made many
beautiful wedding dresses in her lifetime.
In the 1950’s she kept the famous ragbag of clippings for the women of the
village who gathered the scraps to make their patchwork quilts. Receiving
the scraps gave them the opportunity to express their hidden talent, being
artists in their own right and most importantly, providing a little extra
luxury and colour in their homes when in some cases only a coat or a blanket
would have covered the bed.
|Coverlett, Hexagon patchwork, c.1895
made to brighten bedroom & look "posh" County (Co.) Tyrone,
North Ireland (N. I.)
My mother tells me that her grandmother Campbell, my great grandmother, made
red and white patchworks. She also made sacks from ticking, material used to
cover a mattress, which she filled with chaff, worthless husks of corn.
Another example of thrift and nothing wasted. The family slept on these
covered with patchwork quilts.
Irish Chain, c. 1895 Co. Tyrone, N.
|Embroidered Medallion Quilt All hand-made by
Author in 1995 4 Irish Provinces across top, harp & shamrocks in
corners,, Tower & Irish wolfhound in center. Tied with old linen
buttons, green linen & cotton
When I was a small child, my grandmother Millar thought my time spent
reading Enid Blyton books was wasteful. Grandmother taught me to embroider
and knit. She was born in an era when young girls were encouraged to learn
needlework as a form of security for the future starting with providing for
the girls bottom drawer in preparation for marriage. Being able to create or
make do and mend, having needlework skills was an asset to a young girl if
she wanted to go into service in the big house. An example of her influence,
a hand embroidered patchwork with Celtic patterns; the Irish wolfhound, an
Irish Tower in the centre and the four provinces of Ireland are along the
My keen interest in folk art and social history combined with my needlework
background has been the foundation and inspiration for my collection and the
study of Irish Patchwork Quilts.
Ireland has a long tradition of making patchwork quilts. During the 18th
century patchwork and quilting was introduced to Ireland by the English
gentry. These ladies of high society, living on their Irish country estates,
were known to
have taught many needlework skills, including patchwork and
quilting to those working in service, in time this craft spread to
surrounding cottages, villages and towns. Ireland’s tradition of patchwork
and quilting thrived and grew rapidly out of thrift and necessity.
Traditionally, Irish patchwork comprise of two layers the top and the
backing stitched together with wave or chevron patterns. The early patchwork
introduced in Ireland were similar, it seems the Irish carried on this
tradition, handing it down from generation to generation. The Irish lived in
small communities on an island with little opportunity for travel. These
factors helped to keep the tradition as it was. It is also thought they
could not afford to line a quilt the wool would have been needed for another
|"Thrift patchwork" in wool, crazy style, c.
1900 Patched in 1950s with the blue checked cotton Belfast, N.I.
|Log Cabin, wool & flannel, c. 1885 Island
Magee, Co. Antrim, N. I.
In mountainous, bleak and rural areas of Ireland, an old worn blanket or
sheet could have been added to a patchwork giving it extra weight and
warmth, looking very rough and primitive these patchworks were purely
functional made from hand woven fabrics, tweeds and old suiting, they were
usually tie quilted with carded sheep’s wool or roughly quilted with linen
The types of patchwork quilts made in Ireland were log cabin, crazy, Irish
chain, signature, mosaic, frame, block, and many examples of appliqué.
Turkey red and white patchwork quilts were very common in Ulster, and were
often referred to as an Ulster patchwork quilt. It looked bright and
cheerful in the dark cottages with the flickering lights of the turf fires.
Quite often these patchworks were hand pieced, then machine quilted, it
seems the finished quilt with it’s patterns and colour were more important
than the hand quilting which would have been time consuming when many other
household tasks needed to be done. As not many owned a sewing machine it was
prestigious to show of machine quilting, giving the impression that she was
better of than she really was.
|Baskets, c. 1900, wedding gift as baskets
denote plenty for prosperity Hand quilted in Waves pattern, C. Down,
In the case of families who were too poor to cut up their clothes for
patchwork, they would get pieces from sources such as dressmakers,
travellers, shop samples, factories and linen mills. Some linen merchants
had a day in the week, when they sold pieces of linen to their workers, for
the purpose of making patchwork quilts. These linen pieces were often made
into frame patchworks quilts that were very fashionable in Northern Ireland.
There are many examples of black material appearing in Ulster frame quilts.
The black material was originally used for mourning, but also during the
second world war black material was used to put over windows to prevent the
light getting out during the blitz, hence the name black out material, when
it was no longer needed it was put to a good use.
From the late 1800s, Belfast and Londonderry had many shirt making
factories, these shirts going all over the world as far away as Australia.
As orders increased, the factories developed a system for out workers around
the countryside. Due to this industry, many shirt scraps were available
which were purchased at the factory shops in bags according to weight. The
workers made the patchworks in their spare time and then sold them.
|Frame patchwork, c.1940 blackout material &
furnishing prints Belfast, N.I.
Stories are told about men picking up the patchwork quilts on their bicycles
and selling them for the out workers around the doors, they were very
popular and often referred to as The Derry Quilts, The Shirt Quilts, and The
Belfast Patchwork. In Northern Ireland, it appears patchwork quilts were
labelled according to their source and material rather than the patterns.
These utility patchwork quilts along with scraps from linen handkerchiefs
table cloths and pyjama factories, provide a great insight into the Northern
Ireland textile Industry reminding us of a by gone era. Flour bags were
saved, washed and bleached to use as a back to the patchwork. During the
Second World War the American army was stationed in Northern Ireland, they
had their own bakery in Crumlin, Co. Antrim. The flour was shipped from
America. The bags from this flour are often found on the back of Co. Antrim
patchworks made in this time.
Shirtings in log cabin, c. 1890,
Co. Derry, N. I.
Wool suiting samples patchwork,
Banbridge, Co. Down, N. I., on the hills above the Antrim Coast on
the Irish Sea
Many of the patterns found in Irish patchwork are very similar to American
patterns. Nostalgic emigrants whose thoughts lay in the green fields of
Ireland stitched their Irish patterns in the new world. They also sent ideas
back to their homeland.
|Photo left: Tulips,
machine appliqué and quilted, no filler, Common pattern in Ire. ,
ancestors immigrated to PA and sent pattern home; called American quilt
Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, N.I., late 1800s
In the 18th century, many waves of Scots Irish Presbyterians emigrated from
Ulster to America. They sailed out of the ports of Belfast, Londonderry, Portrush, Newry and Larne travelling in simple wooden ships bound for many
destinations in America. Pennsylvania was their favourite colony. They left
an indelible mark in the society of Eastern and Western Pennsylvania. In
time they experienced the cross culture of European folk art often seen on
painted furniture. The European folk symbols of hearts, birds and tulips are
very often found on early Ulster appliquéd quilts. On occasions, I have
spoken to different families in Co. Antrim especially in the town of
Ballymena, where there is a very strong descent from the Ulster Scots. They
often talk about their family connections in Pennsylvania who sent quilt
patterns to their grandparents.
Snowflake or Joined Hearts quilt, hand pieced
& app., machine quilted, typical pattern in Ulster, co. late 1800s
When the pattern was followed and the quilt made in Ireland it was always
referred to with great pride as “The American Quilt” even though their
grandmother made the quilt in Ireland, . When people left Ireland and made
good in America they sent money to their families back home. There was a
well-known saying in Ireland if someone did a job that was easy, they would
say it was money from America. Because of
this strong connection, America was very important to the Irish especially
to families with Irish/American quilts. They were treasured because of the connection so far away. The quilts were kept as the “Good Quilt” to be used
only on special occasions.
Floral applique, c. 1890, Cullybacky, Co. Antrim, N. I.
The period of the potato famine (1845-1849) was a turning point in Irish
history when mass emigration took place taking their traditions with them.
This exodus made it very difficult to leave families behind, in most cases
forever. The last night at home was often referred to as the American Wake.
Many emigrants carried their belongings tied in a patchwork, using it on the
long journey, while others made patchworks on route. Some letters reveal
that when they arrived on the beaches their quilts were washed and laid on
the rocks to dry. Other letters tell that patchwork quilts were sent from
Londonderry to America for wedding presents and others to the young
immigrants who had just settled in the new world.
coverlett, c. 1900, hand applique, no quilting, edged in Turkey Red,
Scotish/irish maker Ballymena, Co. Antrim, N.I.
The older generation in Ireland think it very strange to show interest in
old patchwork quilts because they were made during hard times, it reminded
them of doom and gloom. When people became better of and could afford to buy
other bedding including the candlewick, they often burnt the old patchworks
to forget about the hard times. When they look back, they think of it as
being shameful to have had to cut up their cloths for patchwork quilts.
I like to try and identify where the fabrics have come from. I have on
occasions come across tattered, dirty and worn quilts, which most people
would look upon with distain. I like them in any condition because I have
always seen beyond that. They are examples in their own right. I think of
the person who made the patchwork quilt, the limited availability of fabric,
the pattern used, be it naïve or artistic, the hidden talent, what motivated
the maker to put it together, the admiration of how something was produced
from very little or what was recycled and of course the pleasure in admiring
a another persons work from days gone by.
Rectangles on the
Run, c. 1900, made from many different fibers, "thrift patchwork",
Roselind is a quilt maker and
historian, living in Belfast, N.I. with her husband. They have three grown
sons, living in the UK. We met when she took my quilt history tour. We share
similar interests and intrigue in the history of sewing techniques and
quilts in the US and the UK. Thank you Roselind for sharing your knowledge and photos
of your collection of Irish quilts. She can be reached a
The Irish Chain Quilt ~ Irish or Not? | <urn:uuid:1d6c069e-de43-48a3-bd98-4f2c512e76d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://antiquequiltdating.com/Early_Irish_Patchwork_Quilts_and_Traditions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970064 | 2,905 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Fat grafting, also known as fat injection or fat transfer, is a cosmetic procedure in which fat is transferred from one part of the body where there is an excess to another area that is deficient. Fat grafting can effectively restore volume to areas of the body where volume is deficient or has diminished. Results are natural and long-lasting. Fat grafting is also a very safe procedure and does not carry the inherent risks associated with fillers derived from animals or cadavers.
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Fat grafting is commonly performed with local (twilight) anesthesia or general anesthesia. Fat is harvested from a donor area, often the abdomen or thighs, using a special suction cannula. The removed fat is then purified which often involves the use of a centrifuge to spin the fat and remove impurities. The prepared fat is then carefully re-injected into the desired areas. Following injection, the treatment area may be massaged and a bandage applied.
Some swelling is common after fat grafting procedures and this typically resolves within two to three weeks. Other temporary side effects may include bruising, numbness, asymmetry, or under- or overcorrection. Most patients find that they can resume work and other normal activities within ten days, though some residual swelling may still be present.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation. | <urn:uuid:77e03676-51dd-48bb-97cb-579c963d4617> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wenigerplasticsurgery.com/procedures/fat-grafting.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955872 | 340 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Leon E. Panetta has been many things during his long career. Congressman. President’s right-hand man. Think tank founder. Professor. But none of his roles has ever taken him deep into the realm of intelligence work, which is why many inside and outside of Washington, DC, questioned his ability to take over the embattled Central Intelligence Agency. Nonetheless, he served as director of the CIA from February 13, 2009, until June 30, 2011. President Barack Obama then appointed him Secretary of Defense, a position he took over on July 1, 2011. | <urn:uuid:02eb4de2-476f-4416-9a0c-fe3cac421137> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allgov.com/officials/panetta-leon?officialid=28872 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990709 | 114 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Coming soon… to a Second Screen near you!
The marvels – of film, radio, and television – are marvels of one-way communication, which is not communication at all. ~Milton Mayer
For many decades, this statement held true. However with the recent advent of smartphone & tablet computing technology, coupled with the proliferation of social media, this is now no longer the case.
Consumption of the traditional forms of broadcasting is now being supplemented, enhanced and re-defined by 21st century technology, creating a whole new interactive experience for audiences, and creating a myriad of opportunities for broadcasters and their commercial partners.
For example, UK viewers are now well accustomed to seeing hashtags displayed at the start of television broadcasts e.g. #bbcqt for BBC’s Question Time, allowing audiences to use microblogging sites such as Twitter to provide near instantaneous feedback and commentary on the programme’s hot topics. Suddenly members of the public, outside of the studio audience, are able to take part and even influence the on-screen debate using their second screen device.
In the US, an iPad app was recently launched to be used in conjunction with viewing of the television drama Grey’s Anatomy. This provides a whole suite of second screen functionality, like polls, trivia, behind the scenes insights, production details and character bios. The app syncs to particular moments of an episode through the use of audio watermarks, providing the most appropriate content at the right time, and even allows users to check into “virtual environments” with key characters. The app launch has been sponsored by a well-known car manufacturer, demonstrating the attraction to commercial partners.
Google, Samsung and others are in the process of launching internet TV’s which they believe will totally revolutionize the television market, bringing tv, apps, search and the web together. Whilst this is clearly an important development, it must not be forgotten that TV viewing is very much a communal experience and having a member of your family playing around with different on-screen features, either alongside or over the top of the main picture will quickly result in huge arguments and a detrimental viewing experience. Second screen devices have the potential to take all of this aggro away, allowing each family member to take control of their own interactive experience, or just watch the main screen undisturbed.
From a commercial perspective this could also mean much more effective, targeted advertising direct to the second screen device, meaning less guys being subjected to “bodyform” adverts and less girls watching, or more likely ignoring, online betting ads.
Second screen devices also offer huge potential for improving on today’s red button interactive coverage for Sport. For example, say I’ve sat down to watch a Formula 1 race with my sister in the living room. I want to re-watch the big crash at the start but my sister wants to experience the race via the in-car camera from Button’s McLaren and monitor his split times. Neither of us though wants to miss any of the live action. By each using our own second screen devices, a range of different viewing experiences are then possible, whilst leaving the main broadcast untouched on the home tv screen.
Gamification is another area that crosses neatly into this space. Already, game shows such as The Million Pound Drop are encouraging viewers to register online and play along at home, with real time analytics being used to assess the relative performance of girls vs boys or the north vs the south. It may only be a matter of time before the on-screen contestants competing for the money are replaced by the home tv audience playing along on their second screen devices, giving everyone the chance of winning big!
By using effective analytics on the viewing habits of the second screen devices, and monitoring the use of related social channels, broadcasters and advertisers suddenly have a much more effective understanding of their audience and can adapt and improve their future shows and campaigns accordingly.
Second screen is the future but the technology is here today! | <urn:uuid:033b488c-26a5-4612-ae33-ab14c4871c8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fluxx.uk.com/tag/internet-tv/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950238 | 818 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Governments Put WHO’s Independence At Heart Of Reform DebatePublished on 25 January 2013 @ 3:28 pm
By Rachel Marusak Hermann for Intellectual Property Watch
Any employee who has been through a company reform knows that it can be an anxious and stressful period. The experience is no different for the 194 members of the World Health Organization representing their respective countries and the public health interests of their constituents. As the WHO Executive Board digs deep into the fundamental principles of organisational change, preserving the holy member-driven nature of the global public health authority has emerged as the most pressing priority.
Although there is long list of urgent global public health issues before the 132nd WHO Executive Board meeting this week, advancing the reform agenda has dominated discussions that began 21 January.
US Executive Board Member Nils Daulaire emphasised this during an intervention this week: “The most important thing that we are doing here is the reform agenda. This is fundamental to everything we do here. So, we should take the time – evenings, the weekend – to work through this.”
And they will. Members worked through the evening yesterday and will also meet in an informal session Saturday afternoon to focus on reform action items. The WHO secretariat will prepare a list of decisions that need to be taken related to programmes and priority setting, governance, and management with clear indication of where there is consensus or divergence among member states.
Major Funding Changes
One of the major aspects of the reform is the new financing model, which changes the scope of the budget approved by WHO members during their annual assembly.
Until now, members only approve assessed contributions, obligatory payments made by member states, and note the voluntary contributions, left to the discretion of countries and non-governmental entities. Under the new model, members will review an integrated budget, covering both types of contributions.
Gaudenz Silberschmidt, senior advisor to WHO director general, explained the change during a media briefing last week. “In a biennial budget of roughly four billion, this meant adopting one billion and noting three billion, which means the organisation couldn’t control the full four billion, rather it was very decentralised which programme raised the money,” he said.
“So, it’s a fundamental change in the way the organisation is funded to come out of that dilemma of having three-quarters of voluntary contribution, which we can’t change as such, but where we don’t want to be donor driven, but the member states who decide on priorities,” Silberschmidt said.
Member states reviewed yesterday a draft of the twelfth general programme of work, which provides the strategic vision of work of the WHO from 2014-2020, and amendments to financial rules and regulations required to accommodate the new financial model.
Financial “Dialogue” in 2013?
WHO Director General Margaret Chan a highlighted a key new phase in the funding process, outlined in paragraph 125 of the programme of work, described as a “financing dialogue”.
The concept is that following the approval of an integrated budget and programme priorities during the World Health Assembly (WHA), a dialogue would be orchestrated between the member states and “historic” donors, including UN agencies, the Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation, according to Chan.
According to the programme of work, “Progress in financing all parts of the budget is made available in as transparent a way as possible, using web technology, indicating who has funded what, and the degrees of specification and/or flexibility. This dialogue ends prior to the beginning of the financial year.”
As discussions moved toward the logistics of the financing dialogue meetings, the delegation from Brazil cautioned the board not to move too quickly, reminding members that the WHA is the “most important” decision-making authority. Assuming it would “stamp” the recommendations made by the Executive Board would be a “dangerous precedent”.
Outside of the session, a delegate from an EU country said that while there seemed to be consensus around the idea of a financing dialogue, “We just want to ensure that the reform is member-driven throughout the entire process.”
Frequenting with Partners
In a discussion zeroing in on WHO’s relationship with external partners, the sanctity of the organisation’s independence was also highlighted. On 25 January, members discussed arrangements for hosting health partnerships and a policy paper on engagement with non-governmental organisations.
During last year’s WHA, the modalities of improving the organisation’s involvement with WHO partnerships, including Roll Back Malaria and Stop TB partnerships, was discussed as part of the reform agenda. According the partnerships report, “Member States have suggested that the governing bodies define and play a stronger oversight role in this regard.”
Proposed actions for board consideration are related to strengthening the WHO’s role in the evaluation of partnerships and the ability to modify elements of these relationships.
While countries emphasised the importance of recognising “the excellent and important work by partnerships to public health,” many agreed that strengthening surveillance of the relationships was key.
The delegation from Brazil called the report a “sound proposal” and said “hosted partnerships must be looked at carefully to steer clear of conflicts of interest” and that there was a need to examine “interests within institutions”.
In an intervention [doc] made on behalf of the EU, the delegate from Lithuania underlined risks related to potential financial liabilities, seeking the confirmation that “all eight partnerships are no longer included in the Programme Budget 2014-2015”.
Policy on NGOs, Private Sector
Also requested by the 65th WHA, the policy paper looks at “key issues for the development of a policy on engagement with NGOs”. It was also requested that a draft policy paper be developed on “WHO’s relationships with private commercial entities.” This paper will be presented to the Executive Board in May.
One notion presented in the paper proved particularly divisive: the question on “how best to proceed with the process of consultation for the development of WHO’s policy of engagement with non-governmental organizations, including the best means of harmonizing this policy with the development of WHO’s policy on relationships with private commercial entities.
Countries were divided as to whether or not the WHO should have a single policy governing relationships with external partners or if the there should be distinct policies to govern NGOs and companies separately.
The delegate from the UK was for a single policy, saying in an intervention, “We need an agreed and common state of principles, regardless of which sector they come from,” the official said. “We suggest synthesising the NGO and private sector papers, which could be a policy paper that could be applied to all actors.”
Industry was also supportive of an overarching approach. During an intervention [pdf], the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) said, “We encourage Member States to take pragmatic approaches that reflect in equitable manner the value to global health that each of the NGOs, broadly speaking, non-state actors, brings – be it a patient or consumer group, an industry association, a disease-specific NGO, or a professional association.”
However, several countries, especially from the Latin American region, voiced their strong concerns about a single policy.
“We are quite clear that the WHO has to be very careful and have a very clear policy and separate quite clearly which are the NGOs which are for profit and which are the NGOs not for profit and other enterprises,” commented the delegate from Ecuador following the session.
“There is a fundamental difference between non-profit NGOs working in public health and the private for profit sector,” said Germán Velásquez of the intergovernmental South Centre in an interview with Intellectual Property Watch. He is attending this Executive Board as an advisor to some Latin American countries.
“For example, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors without Borders) could contribute its field expertise to a WHO expert committee developing policy guidelines addressing HIV/AIDS issues, however, a pharmaceutical company who produces antiretroviral drugs could not be part of an expert committee developing policy guidance,” Velásquez said.
Medicus Mundi, an international network of organisations working in the field of health advocacy, asked during its intervention why “references to policies aimed at dealing with the ‘private not-for-profit sector’ are no longer present in the documents dealing with the WHO reform.”
The 132nd Executive Board will continue deliberating on reform action points through 29 January to make recommendations for the World Health Assembly’s decision next May.
NGO Applicant Under Fire
Separately, the Standing Committee on NGOs met in a closed-door meeting this week to review the applications of organisations requesting NGO official status with WHO.
The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) issued a “stark warning” about one of the applicants called the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). According to IBFAN’s press release, “GAIN is a new type of public private entity which works to open up markets for its 600 partner companies (including Danone the world’s largest baby food company, Mars, Pepsi, and Coca Cola).”
“IBFAN is concerned and has evidence that GAIN is actively undermining governments’ attempts to implement WHA Resolutions on infant and young child feeding,” the press release stated.
For the network, this application exemplifies the need for the WHO to develop “a comprehensive policy on conflicts of interest with criteria that distinguishes between bodies with a commercial interest in WHO policies and those who do not.”
A representative from GAIN could not be reached to comment at the time of publication.
According to sources, the Standing Committee’s decision on GAIN’s status is still pending.
The WHO Executive Board is meeting from 21-29 January (IPW, WHO, 21 January 2013).
Rachel Marusak Hermann may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:58131546-1227-4fa7-ab21-5d143d0c1bca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ip-watch.org/2013/01/25/governments-put-whos-independence-at-heart-of-reform-debate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951235 | 2,126 | 1.5 | 2 |
With 20 small children dead, anger is an expected and understandable emotion. Unfortunately, many of the angry have let rage take over and are trying to push an agenda rather than attempting to reach out to those who are hurting in the massacre’s aftermath.
Social media websites have been a sounding board for hot topics, such as gun control, violent video games, mental health funding and prayer in schools.
All those issues are worthy of debate, but in the early days following this kind of tragedy, we should all forget our own agendas and think about others.
How can we help those who are mourning in Newton, Conn.?
Signs around the town on Saturday read, “Please pray for Newtown” and “Love will get us through.”
If you believe in prayer, take time over the next few days to include the people of Newtown when you talk to God. If you don’t pray, keep the folks who have lost loved ones in your thoughts.
Love will get Newton through, and we can help by loving right here at home. If you have children, give them a hug and a kiss. Let them know how much they mean to you, because you may not have that opportunity again.
When tragedy strikes, we all go through a range of emotions, but all of us will be better served if we can remember to love and share that love with others.
- Daily Mountain Eagle | <urn:uuid:b4ef9673-518c-41e6-8e78-d96fae5670a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mountaineagle.com/view/full_story/21147517/article-OUR%E2%80%88VIEW--Newtown%E2%80%99s-aftermath | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962876 | 292 | 1.828125 | 2 |
You are viewing the New Calendar Readings. View the Old Calendar
Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture
O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2
Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Gospel Reading: Luke 6:17-23
At that time, Jesus stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven."
Saints and Feasts
Ephraim the Syrian; Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Ninevah; James the Righteous; Palladios the Hermit of Antioch; Saint Theodosius of Totma
The New Calendar readings are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. | <urn:uuid:ba26a638-2ad3-4885-8a57-267032a20eea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://acrod.org/prayercorner/todaysreadings?acrod_pc_cal=new&date=1/28/2013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945644 | 580 | 1.515625 | 2 |
bestups was designed to monitor Best Power UPS hardware like the Fortress, Fortress Telecom, and Patriot Pro. It also recognizes and supports SOLA units such as the 520 and 620.
Other UPS hardware using the Phoenixtec protocol should also work, but they will generate a warning since their battery information is not known.
The battery percentage is derived from the voltage data that the UPS returns, since the UPS doesn't return that value directly. On some hardware, the charge will remain at 100% for a long time and then drops quickly shortly before the battery runs out. You can confirm from the BATTVOLT readings that this is a problem with the UPS and not this driver.
Similarly, the float from the charger in some models forces the battery charge percentage back up to 100% immedately after the UPS goes back on-line, so you can't tell when it is really recharged.
The core driver:
The NUT (Network UPS Tools) home page: http://www.exploits.org/nut/ | <urn:uuid:061b3c73-1044-4ae8-a41a-3cc92406df42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlug.org.nz/bestups(8) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951829 | 211 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Soon, however, the road veers away from the course of the Biblical river and rises up and out of the valley, heading northwest, into drier, dustier terrain dotted with old-fashioned “nodding donkeys” bobbing slowly but ceaselessly up and down to wrest some of Turkey’s valuable oil reserves from beneath the badlands of upper Mesopotamia.
From Batman to Diyarbakır
Few visitors would agree with the assertion of one of my fellow passengers that “Batman is beautiful,” but I know what he meant. By the standards of the generally impoverished southeast of the country, oil-rich Batman is emerging as a shiny, prosperous city, with all the trappings of the “new” Turkey, from shopping malls and office blocks to private hospitals and schools. It’s a far cry from the drab, ramshackle Batman I remember back in the 1990s when, at the height of the conflict between the government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the local governor was alleged to have removed the city’s sole set of traffic lights as the green, amber and red colors of the lamps were the same as those on the outlawed group’s flag. But although Batman has indeed grown beyond recognition in the last couple of decades, its “ilçe otogar” (local minibus garage) remains its old, scruffy self. I gathered the information I needed for the guide book for independent travelers I was researching from a friendly and vocal cast of mustachioed dolmuş drivers, with many pats of the tops of low stools and invitations to join them for a glass of çay. The one-and-a-half-hour dolmuş journey between Batman and Diyarbakır is, after the picturesqueness of the Tur Abdin and the Tigris valley at Hasankeyf, flat and dull, with only the legions of storks nesting atop the pylons and telegraph poles striding across the flood plain of the Tigris worthy of much attention.
Dark but never dull
Many adjectives have been used to describe the great walled city of Diyarbakır, dramatically set on a bluff above a lazy loop of the Tigris, from black and dark to grim and forbidding. But never dull. Back in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries cosmopolitan Diyarbakır was known (perhaps optimistically) as the “Paris of the East,” a sophisticated city with a population of Moslem Turks, Kurds and Arabs, mixed with Christian Armenians, Chaldeans and Orthodox Syrians. It produced distinguished writers like Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı and ideologues such as Ziya Gökalp. They lived in wonderful, rambling courtyard houses made of black basalt, their somberness enlivened with bold white limestone trim and motifs. Today the narrow streets these houses line, tightly packed within the nearly six-kilometer circumference medieval city walls, simply teem with life -- albeit of a rather different kind. Grubby-faced urchins ply the cobbled allies behind the superb Ulu Camii (currently under restoration), in front of the equally impressive Syrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, and elsewhere throughout the thirteen old quarters that make up the city within the walls. Many are the offspring of families forced into Diyarbakır by the conflict in the rural areas of the southeast in the 1980s and 1990s and, understandably, treat the backstreets of the city like it were one big village -- though unfortunately traditional village structures have broken down and many of these kids are running wild, victims of dislocation and poverty.
Traditional breakfast, Kurdish coffee
Settling down for a wonderful traditional breakfast spread in the beautifully restored, black-and-white striped Ottoman-era wonder that is the Hasan Pasha Han, it’s hard to imagine that just a few meters away in the backstreets you have to watch your pockets and fend off ragged kids. For this is the “new” Turkey, with local teachers, office workers and a smattering of domestic tourists taking their pleasures as they would in İstanbul, İzmir or Ankara. There’s fried egg with tender slices of lamb topped with pepper flakes, six varieties of local cheese, yoghurt and jam, cucumber and tomato, honey and butter topped with almond flakes, olives, sliced fresh fruit in syrup, clotted cream and even something I’d only ever had in Georgia, “acar,” a fiery walnut, bread and hot pepper paste – plus as much tea as you could drink.
Once, crossing to the Greek island of Meis, or Kastellorizo, from Kaş, I’d settled down at a cafe. “Turkish coffee, please” I asked of the friendly-looking waiters. He looked at me quizzically. I asked again. Then again and again. Finally it clicked, and I said “Greek coffee, please.” The waiter smiled knowingly and went off quite happily to get my drink. Nationalism in coffee has now stretched to Diyarbakır, where a local Kurdish brew has appeared on the menu of many establishments. It’s a little different from standard Turkish/Greek coffee, as it’s made with a touch of milk and crushed pistachio. “Actually, it’s not really Kurdish. It’s Arabic,” admitted one cafe owner. “But it’s definitely not Turkish.”
Human bones and a church
The İç Kale, an inner castle situated in the northeast corner of the old walled quarter, started to open to visitors when the Turkish military pulled out a few years ago. It’s still a work in progress, with the recently restored Byzantine Church of St. George (later a Selçuk hamam) closed to visitors for reasons unknown, law courts, stables and a prison still awaiting restoration. In fact I’d half expected to find the whole place cordoned off and littered with white-coated forensic scientists combing the grounds for body parts, as the restoration work here accidentally brought to light bones said to belong to Kurdish victims of JİTEM, a clandestine wing of the gendarmerie responsible for extrajudicial murders back in the 1990s. Instead it was full of teenagers smoking in the rafters of the roofless late-nineteenth century prison, and courting couples admiring the view of the Tigris from the outer walls.
Of all the changes I noted in Diyarbakır, the biggest was the total transformation of the Armenian Church of Surp Giragos. Tucked away in the backstreets of the southwest quarter, this church had been a roofless and empty shell for decades, home only to nesting swallows. On my last visit it had been closed for restoration and I couldn’t gain entry, not even through the backyard of the Kurdish family whose house backed onto the churchyard, which was my usual “doorway” to what is reputed to be the largest church in the Middle East. Now here it was, traditional flat roof back in place supported by rows of black basalt arches decorated with white limestone trim. The altars, all five of them just a couple of years ago a rotting mess of wood and plaster, were gleaming with gilt. Turkish rugs lay on the black basalt floor and, the fact that it was facing east and not south apart, it looked more like a mosque than a church -- hardly surprising, I suppose, in an area where the two faiths lived side by side for over a millennium.
Passage to Ararat
For the first time on my trip I used an inter-city bus to get to my next destination, Doğubeyazıt, in the shadow of Mt. Ararat on the distant Iranian border. It was a night bus too, so I didn’t get to see much of the scenery on a route which took me back through my starting point of Bitlis, along the northern shores of lake Van, then due north through the mountains to Ağrı and along the valley of the Murat River to my goal. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that, were it not for the presence of 5,167-meter Mt. Ararat looming across the plain from the town, the wondrous fantasy palace of İshak Paşa on a nearby hilltop and its proximity to the main border post with Iran, few people would come to Doğubeyazıt unless they absolutely had to. But these are compelling reasons. Despite a new(ish) glass and steel roof that has visitors putting their cameras away in disappointment, İshak Paşa is one of the most compelling sites in Turkey; perched high above the Ararat plain, it is a riot of architectural styles more than worthy of the late-eighteenth century Kurdish chieftain who ordered its construction. Everyone from fervent Christians and Ark-hunters to climbers and skiiers is obsessed with one of the world’s most famous mountains -- and border trade is big business the world over. The accommodation and eating scene in the town was less than inspiring. Given what’s happening in not so far off Mardin, I thought a boutique hotel or two would have sprung up since my last visit, but no such luck. And the best eating place, a female-run Women’s Consultation and Solidarity Center (or KAMER, an organization fighting against the abuse of women in Turkey) cafe had closed down. There are plenty of passable places, though, and no one with an iota of romanticism can fail to be inspired by the stunning views of Ararat and the crumbling folly of İshak Paşa.
I was given a lift to Van by a friendly local travel agent on his way to pick up a Japanese client from the provincial capital’s airport. We crossed the spectacular Tendürek Pass (2,644 meters) in cloud, snow still semi-smothering the contorted lava flows of this Mordor-like volcanic landscape. On the far side of the pass the weather lifted and we stopped for a welcome glass of tea at the Muradiye Falls, raging with spring snowmelt water and embellished with a vivid rainbow arcing across the spray.
Last up. In the wake of the quake: Van. | <urn:uuid:11612056-ecb7-40c3-9dc8-f9adb74ed3f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.todayszaman.com/news-279964-from-the-tigris-to-diyarbakir-and-dogubeyazit.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959224 | 2,210 | 1.609375 | 2 |
In Darkness is based on the true story of survival chronicled in the novel,
Sewers of Lvov, by Robert Marshall. Faced with the threat of being slaughtered or
moved to the concentration camps, a large group of Jews seek refuge in the dank
sewers of Lvov, Poland. Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckeiwicz), a sewer inspector and
petty thief, runs across the Jews in the sewer and agrees to help them survive for
Turning them in at that time would be a much more profitable choice. However, Socha
decides to do the right thing and protect the Jews while charging for his services.
This side-business quickly loses its profitability as food prices soar and the Jews'
money stash runs dry. The risk Socha faces by helping the Jewish refugees quickly
becomes life-threatening to himself, his family, and his friends.
Director Agnieszka Holland presents a very frank and brutal look at Jewish ghettos
and concentration camps during World War II. The movie contains gory murders, but
never glamorizes or over-dramatizes any of these scenes. Where other movies might
switch to slow-motion or crank up the dramatic music, In Darkness just presents
these atrocities as matter of fact. The effect is surreal. You can almost vicariously
sense the weight of hopelessness felt by the prisoners as the German soldiers held
absolute disregard their lives. The group of 11 Jews desperately endures the unimaginable
filth of living in the sewers for 14 months. I've watched countless movies and documentaries
on the Holocaust--Ieven took a class in college devoted to the subject. Yet through
the entire movie I still had to constantly remind myself that this story actually
happened. It's simply unconscionable.
Robert Wieckiewicz's portrayal of Leopold Socha is nothing short of phenomenal.
It's not a powerful or heroic performance, but it's not supposed to be. Socha is
a struggling commoner who agonizes over the choice of what's profitable, what's
safe, and what's right. Even with his entire world crumbling around him and his
family's livelihood threatened, he eventually risks everything to save "his Jews."
Socha didn't instantly come around to being one of only 6,000 Poles honored by Israel
as "The Righteous Among The Nations." His motivations slowly evolved from arunning
an opportunistic side-hobby to championing a righteous cause--more than once he nearly
chooses the easier, safer path of turning in the Jews to the authorities. Wieckiewicz
pulls off this transformation and maintains Socha's likeability throughout the entire
In Darkness' cast is enormous. The story is a bit unfocused at times and it's easy
to lose track of the characters. This movie is a challenge to fully absorb with
one sitting--probably even for native Polish speakers. The story bounces fleetingly
between side story threads such as secondary characters committing adultery or losing
their siblings in the sewers. While each of these side stories are compelling in
their own right, the characters involved are not fleshed out, which diminished the
intended impact of the storylines. More than once I confused different characters
and didn't realize it until much later. Still, I appreciate the ambition that this
film exhibited by highlighting that the Jews in this story didn't just suffer in
the sewers for 14 months, but were still living life and fully capable of love,
laughter, learning, and compassion.
Along with Holocaust films such as Schindler's List and the BBC version of Diary
of Anne Frank, In Darkness should be required viewing for every high school age
kid in the nation. Holocaust education is necessary to remind us that normal people
can easily become radicalized into cold murderers of innocent men, women, and children.
The stories are horrific, but it's vital that we never forget.
Audio: The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital with Polish as the main language.
The subtitles are clear and easy to read. The surrounds are expertly implemented
to immerse viewers in the dank rat infested sewers.
Video: The video is presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. As inferred by the
title and subject matter, this movie is dark, but not as dark as you'd expect. Holland
sacrificed realism of absolute darkness for some ambient lighting in the sewers.
You still sense the damp darkness of the sewers, but the blacks aren't as tangible
as you'd expect from the sewers. The image of the DVD is soft with a subdued color
palate. The image is gray, cold, and bleak.
Extras: In Darkness packs two featurettes. The first, "An Evening with Agnieszka
Holland," is a 29 minute English interview with the director. The second, "In Light,"
features Holland interviewing Krystyna Chiger one of the real life survivors of
this true story. Chiger is the little girl in the sewers, also featured on the DVD
cover. What's absolutely amazing is that Holland didn't know Chiger was still alive
until after she filmed this movie. This interview is a fascinating discussion about
Chiger's survival tale that, alone, is easily worth the price of the DVD itself.
Theatrical trailers also included.
Bottom Line:In Darkness is one of the better ones out there. It's not the artistic achievement that Schindler's
List was, but it doesn't try to be either. In Darkness unflinchingly presents the
atrocities that Jews faced as they were herded into ghettos and then systematically
slaughtered or worked to death in concentration camps. This miraculous story is
somber and inspiring all at once. Highly Recommended. | <urn:uuid:f0b4afb5-a177-46d2-a74b-41c8b6fe1eeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/55843/in-darkness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952404 | 1,235 | 1.75 | 2 |
Despite the fact that the 45 nm Quad-core Opteron was the best server CPU at launch, a few months later AMD’s success was washed away by a tsunami called “Nehalem”. The Nehalem architecture combined subtle tweaks to an already superior integer engine with brute force tactics such as a triple channel integrated memory controller. The IMC delivered low latency and massive amounts of bandwidth thanks to the highest clocked DDR-3 DIMMs. But it was not enough for the ambitious Intel engineers. They added Simultaneous MultiThreading (SMT), and this was the final blow to any competition left standing in the server market. SMT or Hyperthreading as Intel calls it, boosted performance by 30% and more in key applications such as SAP, Oracle and MS SQL Server. The end result is that the current Xeon outperforms AMD’s best CPU’s by 60 to 85%! Historic, as Intel never had such a commanding lead since AMD entered the market with it’s Athlon MP.
One could start debating about some of the details of these benchmarks, but that would mostly be splitting hairs. Yes, these scores were obtained with DDR3-1333, while the vast majority of X55xx servers are equipped with DDR3-1066. And yes, power consumption of the fastest Xeons is about 20W higher per CPU than on the “Shanghai” Opterons. So in order to compare in the same power range, you should compare with the E5540 at 2.53 GHz. But even with DDR3-1066 and at 2.53 GHz, the latest Xeon would - roughly estimated – outperform the best quad-cores of AMD with 40 to 70%. The lead is even higher in bandwidth intensive applications. Only in the pretty rare dense matrix applications, with Linpack being the most popular benchmark, AMD could still make a point. AMD can deliver the same amount of Gigaflops at lower power consumption and a lower price. Nice, but we are talking about the 1% of the applications on the market. The other ray of hope for AMD was the competitive performance that the Opteron 2389 2.9 GHz delivered on ESX 3.5 on our virtualized benchmark vApus Mark I. But with ESX 4.0, the new Xeon “Nehalem” should widen the gap again thanks to better hyperthreading support and the fact that EPT is fully supported in the latest ESX hypervisor. AMD’s next generation CPU is scheduled to appear in 2012, so it looks like AMD will have to leave the high-end and midrange server CPU market to Intel. Unless…
Ever since the introduction of the 45 nm CPUs, AMD has been executing very well. So well, even, that it reminds us of the K75 times. You might remember how in October 1999, AMD introduced the “K75” in 250 nm and sped up the “x86-Alpha” to 1 GHz in March 2000, only 5 months later. It has indeed been 10 years since AMD has executed so well. Only six months after the successful launch of their 45 nm quad-core, AMD rolls out their hex-core “Istanbul” at 2.6 GHz well ahead of schedule. It is basically a “Shanghai” Opteron with 2 extra cores and a slightly tweaked memory controller. What is more impressive, though, is that AMD is capable of launching a hex-core at 2.6 GHz today, a CPU that consumes only a few watt more than the six month older quad-core at 2.7 GHz. Well done, AMD. But should the IT professional care about the new six-core of AMD? In which applications does it make sense to consider an “Istanbul” based server? Are two extra cores enough to bring back AMD’s Opteron on the specsheet of your next high performance server?
Do Six Cores Make Sense?
The question is not theoretical. When Intel launched their hex-core “Dunnington”, quite a few applications did not make good use of it. The quad-socket “Istanbul”-based servers will face the same problems as “Dunnington”: some server applications prefer “2n cores”, a few will not scale above eight cores and many will not get past 16 very successfully. Yes, even in the server world, quite many applications do not scale well beyond 8-16 cores. Mailservers, webservers and even some databases may be in that situation. If your database gets a lot of locks on the same amount of data, locking contention will kill off your performance once you get beyond a certain number of cores. Rendering applications are another group that start to show diminishing returns with more than 8 cores. It is pretty likely that clustering dual-socket quad-cores makes more sense that adding more cores to the same machine.
But the six-core “Istanbul” CPU has advantages too. The Nehalem Xeon offers 8 logical cores, but the two threads on each core have to share the 32 KB L1 and the tiny 256 KB L2. Istanbul can work with “only” 6 threads, but each thread gets a 64 KB L1 and an in comparison copious amount of 512 KB of L2. In a nutshell, It is clear that the new AMD “Istanbul” Opteron targets a specific market: a few compute intensive HPC applications, large databases and most importantly: “heavy” virtualized workload. The reason why we say “heavy” is that the six-core is a drop-in replacement for the current quad-core Opterons. That means that the memory capacity of the servers based on the new six-core will probably be the same. If you are consolidating lots of light loads together, you are likely to run into memory limits before you run into processing power limits. | <urn:uuid:0e0223aa-7806-4d4f-a851-a191837da673> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://it.anandtech.com/show/2774 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9443 | 1,253 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Obviously a cross-generational project, one that will be going on long after I’m dead…
Just thinking about it is enough to overwhelm my mind.
The elephant in the community… the thing that is so big no one dares address it.
This is probably unfair comment, because there are people working to improve Irish mental health services all the time. There are people whose only job is to improve the quality and quantity of such services. I’ve met them.
I’m not entirely sure whether that’s how they see their job.
The traditional picture of medical services that people carry round with them
is one in which they, the patient, is directed by a powerful doctor. The doctor has all the expertise. The patient is vulnerable, clueless, unwise, thick, unsure, uneducated, fragile… in comparison with a highly skilled and well-connected expert.
That’s a bit strong, but I’m using vibrant paint to decorate the canvas.
On the other hand, the latest research suggests that patients get better quicker when they are involved in diagnosing themselves. When they cooperate with doctors as equal partners…
Patients do best when they feel themselves to be the equal of the doctor. This is what the latest evidence suggest. Doctors don’t know best.
Doctors have expertise, education, qualifications, experience and each of these is valuable…
but each of these can be a disability for the doctor. Doctors can be seduced into believing that they know best how to treat this patient. Doctors can forget that each patient is unique. Generalisations from other patients, and from learning gleaned from treating other patients, can mislead doctors into thinking that they know best.
The patient is the one with the issue, the one with the relevant personal experience… absolutely vital to the process of diagnosing what to do next.
This is why I support the development of the National Service Users Executive (NSUE). | <urn:uuid:3ce594d3-2a8c-431f-9a8f-3060ac4b4c48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://omaniblog.blogs.ie/2009/04/29/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947242 | 407 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Hi all. Be gentle as this is my first attempt at mead or brewing anything for that matter. My first mistake was to put five gallons of water in the fermenter and then add the honey. I had gotten 12 lbs of clover honey from a local source and had to keep adding some BJ's stuff until I got it to 1.116. That was as high as I could go because the bucket was full. ( I had already drained some out to make room.) I checked out the PH then and it was under 3 but I wasn't sure because I hadn't calibrated it in a while. Well 8 days after we started the SG was 1.030, the bubbles were down to 20 a minute and the PH was 2.7. I decided to add baking soda to raise the PH to between 3.7 and 4.0. I guestimated the 2 TBS would do the trick. Thinking that there might me some CO2 in the must I stirred it up a little then added the first tbs of baking soda. Some foam I thought was good as the base neutralized the acid. The second tbs was immediately pitched and all hell broke loose. Foam was everywhere, over the top, on the kitchen floor. What a mess. I didn't even stop to stir the must again. I just put the top back on and stuck the bubbler back on. Later when I drew a sample out of the bottom, very slowly to keep the bubble from getting drawn down into the fermenter, the PH it was 4.0. Beginners luck. I used DV10 for a yeast which is supposed to be low PH tolerant and low N tolerant. Anyone have thoughts as to how this might turn out? | <urn:uuid:e4c483ed-203d-4c1e-b18c-e43ef4790ddf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?207992-New-Meader-Mistakes&p=306086 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990506 | 351 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Creu Prydain Decach
27 May 2010
On the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has called on organisations to do more to close the pay gap between male and female employees.
21 May 2010
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has welcomed proposals from the Government for a judicial inquiry into allegations that the British security services knew about the torture of terrorism suspects.
17 May 2010
The Commission has today written to Chief Constables and the Chairs of Local Criminal Justice Boards, Community Safety Partnerships and Primary Care Trusts, providing them with guidance on how they can play their part in tackling homophobic crimes and abuse. | <urn:uuid:3915c163-fd49-4bee-b55c-78ed4901dbec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waleshelpline@equalityhumanrights.com/hafan/canolfan-cyfryngau/2010/mai/?size=425 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953732 | 134 | 1.703125 | 2 |
I popped in for a break from tagging things for a garage sale - what an interesting thread! I really think Bookworm hit the nail on the head when she said that while CM and Classical share methods/books/techniques the underlying philosophies are not at all the same. At least not from what I've read! Just glancing over CM's 20 principles (inside her books in the preface, also online at Ambleside here) there are some big differences. The first one "children are born persons" not blank slates or empty boxes with the potential to become a person - they already are one. I wonder if that came from her work with very young children including babies? And from #11 "But we believing that the normal child has powers of mind which fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, give him a full and generous curriculum; taking care only that all knowledge offered him is vital, that is facts are not presented without the informing ideas..." Memorizing is important and but with CM we're memorizing scripture verses and poetry, in other words and idea - not a list of just facts. I think we underestimate and short change a child by assuming they are incapable of reason, logic, or forming their own thoughts even when young.
I'm really not trying to knock Classical education at all, it ran neck in neck with CM while my husband and I considered which approach to take. I think it has some great things about it and produces some amazing results, but for our family we'd rather achive those results by educating using CM's ideas. The other thing that bothers me about Classical education is it seems it is can easily squash the love of learning, just as textbooks can. What are textbooks but a collection of facts anyway? A CM education, in my own opinion, is much much more likely to keep that spark, joy, and love of learning that ALL CHILDREN already have! I have never met a preschooler, kindergartener or even a first grader who wasn't curious and eager to learn. By second grade....well it's fading. And then it's gone. I want to keep my children's desire to learn intact so they leave home with ability to educate themselves.
Sometimes I wonder if Charlotte Mason is a current craze, it almost seems that homeschooling companies like to stick the CM label on things just because they "narrate" or do "nature" or "book of centuries". "It's CM friendly!" after all right? But it's really so much more than that. I also think the many CM blogs and websites are incredibly nice and helpful, but it's like looking at a landscape painting and not the landscape yourself in person. It is these dear people's sincere application of Charlotte Mason. Hence the famous word to end all words on anything Charlotte Mason - "gentle". And I have to agree with everyone who already said it's so much easier to understand Charlotte Mason when you read HER words yourself. I love SCM and all they do! I wouldn't trade my SCM books for anything, I might have missed out on CM entirely if I hadn't stumbled across an article by Sonya - she and the SCM team have truly blessed myself and my family. But reading CM in her own words, I've had many an "ah-ha!" moment! There really is no subsitute! | <urn:uuid:6d956fe0-43e8-4346-a3ef-a9f6e3cb89b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/was-charlotte-mason-in-fact-a-classical-educator | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978564 | 689 | 1.523438 | 2 |
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For months, America's energy debate seemed like little more than a sparring match pitting conservatives against liberals. Republicans rallied around President Bush's call for a dramatic boost in production. Democrats asserted with equal fervor that White House plans to drill in wilderness areas would pillage the environment and provide a windfall for oil companies. The answer, they insisted, is conservation.
Now the dialogue is being transformed by the September 11 attacks on the U.S. and by Bush's declaration of a long and unrelenting war against global terror networks. The country still relies on OPEC for 51% of its imported crude. But Saudi Arabia and other Middle East oil-producing nations may be destabilized as a byproduct of U.S. military intervention and the backlash it sows in the form of Islamic fundamentalism."A VERY TALL ORDER." Indeed, what to do about U.S. reliance on Saudi oil is suddenly an issue that's front and center in Congress and at the White House. "Our country needs greater energy independence," said Bush, pushing his stalled energy plan in an Oct. 17 speech to Sacramento business leaders. "This issue is a matter of national security and I hope the Senate acts quickly."
But with the energy conundrum now tougher then ever, the Administration--along with the country at large--may need to rethink long-held positions. If the events of September 11 suddenly infused the energy debate with a new importance, they also deepened the economic slowdown against which that debate is occurring. Reeling from 12 straight months of declining industrial production and the psychological blow of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax scare, the ailing economy can't tolerate short-run solutions that would dramatically raise energy costs or further weaken consumers. An energy policy that takes economic weakness into account "is a very tall order," says David M. Nemtzow, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a broad-based Washington group that promotes energy efficiency. "If it was free and good for the economy, it would have happened already."
Even amid the slowdown, energy markets are fragile. While the global economic downturn has depressed demand and kept oil prices at a modest $22 a barrel, the U.S. is more vulnerable to an oil-shock than it was during the 1990 Gulf War, when prices soared to $40 a barrel. Back then, there were 5 million barrels a day of excess capacity worldwide. Now, that figure is about 50% lower due to U.S. curbs on energy investments in Libya and Iran and tight national budgets in oil-producing nations. "If something were to happen today, it would be more serious," warns Amy Myers Jaffe, senior energy advisor at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy in Houston.
The high-wire balancing act of weighing long-run energy policy against the current needs of the economy is putting pressure on policymakers to tone down the rhetoric. Moreover, it's shifting the focus. While an overall rethinking of energy policy that goes beyond oil to encompass a re-evaluation of nuclear energy, coal, natural gas, and alternative energy sources--along with broader conservation moves--remains important, the critical emphasis now is on oil. In part, that's because the aftermath of the terrorist attacks has made clear that the risks of destabilization in the Middle East will remain sharply higher for the foreseeable future. And U.S. vulnerability to an oil shock is increased by the fact that oil accounts for 40% of the nation's energy needs, is critical to transportation, and, for most uses, can't be substituted for with other types of energy.
What should Washington do? A simple energy-use tax would raise the price of oil, penalize inefficiency, and work to drive down demand. But a new energy levy that would sock already-strapped consumers is a political non-starter with the economy heading downhill.
That doesn't mean lawmakers are powerless to address the problem. Among the ideas to consider: dramatically expanding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a hedge against future supply disruptions, moving aggressively to diversify sources of oil imports, boosting domestic production, and promoting new technologies. While these steps may be incremental, "small changes can be important in terms of affecting the pricing power of OPEC," notes Ronald B. Gold, vice-president of the Petroleum Industry Research Foundation. Indeed, a wide range of options are now under consideration:*Up The Strategic Reserve The reserve now holds about 544 million barrels of oil--a 60-day supply. That's well shy of its 700-million-barrel maximum, and some lawmakers, such as Representative Joe Barton (R-Tex.), want to expand it to one billion barrels. Although it could cost up to $6 billion to reach that level, with oil prices relatively low, now would be a good time to fork over the cash. "The more oil you have access to, the more leverage you have in a global market," says Red Cavaney, president of the American Petroleum Institute.*Diversifying Imports Although it could be expensive, the U.S. needs to move rapidly to forge closer ties with oil producers outside the Middle East to diminish dependence on the unstable region. And in truth, America already has made substantial progress. Today, the U.S. imports 51.6% of its oil needs and relies on OPEC for about half of that--roughly 26% of total consumption. That's down from 33.6% in 1977, but more than double what it was in the mid-1980s. Today, Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela each supply the U.S. with roughly as much crude as Saudi Arabia, the world's top producer. And over the long term even Russia could help. There are also vast pools of as-yet-untapped oil in Angola, Nigeria, and Chad, says H.J. Longwell, executive vice-president of Exxon Mobil Corp. However, "bringing these projects to fruition will require huge new investments," he says.
Moreover, drumming up new sources of oil is made vastly more complicated by the sometimes-conflicting goals of the U.S. government and U.S. oil companies. The government wants stable sources above all else. Oil companies want to go wherever crude can be gotten relatively cheaply, despite political risk. The energy plan Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney unfurled this spring, for instance, calls for reinvigorating multilateral U.S.-African panels to promote investment in the region's energy resources. But the major oil companies prefer places with low extraction costs, such as Iran, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. That clashes with any drive to reduce reliance on the region.*Boost Domestic Drilling The U.S. is the most reliable oil source of all, of course. But as energy demand surged 17% during the 1990s, domestic oil production rose by just 2%, forcing America to rely more heavily on imports. Oil experts believe there are 6 billion to 16 billion barrels of untapped oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge of Alaska, and another 4 billion in the lower 48 states. And with advanced technology, 59 billion barrels of oil may be available off U.S shores. But environmental restrictions and local opposition have barred such development. Says Robert J. Allison Jr., chairman of Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum: "We are shooting ourselves in the foot."
The tensions unleashed by September 11 and the ensuing Afghanistan war are giving new urgency to decades-old domestic squabbles. "No amount of domestic production will keep us free of foreign sources of oil," insists Tyson Slocum, energy research director for Public Citizen, a consumer group founded by activist Ralph Nader. Even Bush's brother Jeb, the conservative governor of Florida, has fought offshore drilling, though he may soften that position.
One way around the environmental debate could be the advent of new drilling technology that's far less invasive. "We're not talking about raping the environment," says Allison. The public may be receptive to such moves. According to a poll conducted Sept. 15-17 by Wirthlin Worldwide, a GOP polling firm, 38% of Americans say "protecting our national security" is the most important reason for a comprehensive energy plan, up from 19% in July.*Improve Auto Fuel Efficiency It's a lot easier to get consumers to curtail energy consumption when they're faced with high energy prices, as in the 1970s and in California during its recent electricity crisis. With energy prices relatively low, consumers have little incentive to change their habits. Still, the new environment appears to have increased the willingness of the Administration and Congress to support a phasing in of tougher fuel-efficiency standards for passenger vehicles, which account for nearly half of oil consumption. And by spreading out any increases over a number years, Washington could minimize the negative impact on the economy.
Such a move would reverse a serious erosion in fuel-efficiency wrought by the huge popularity of SUVs. A new Environmental Protection Agency report shows that cars and SUVs last year had the lowest average gas mileage since 1980. The average mileage in 2000 was just 24.2 mpg for cars and 17.3 mpg for trucks. That's far below the standards vehicles are currently supposed to meet: 27.5 mpg for cars and 20.7 mpg for light trucks. If light trucks, which include SUVs, had to meet the required level for cars, that would save a million barrels of oil a day, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
Federal intervention may be needed if there is little market incentive to make or buy less-thirsty vehicles. The Feds could help kickstart a market by encouraging use of hybrid cars, which combine gas engines and electric motors and can cut fuel consumption by as much as 40%. Indeed, the House-passed energy bill includes tax credits for buying hybrid autos. Such incentives would give a much-needed boost to the nascent hybrid market. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. already sell hybrids that get 48 mpg and 56 mpg, respectively. General Motors Corp. and Ford Motors Co. plan to launch their models in 2004, but they are expected to be less efficient.
One day, many experts believe, the auto industry could virtually wean itself completely from fossil fuels with so-called fuel cells that use hydrogen. But that day is at least 20 years away. To speed the process, some would like Washington to embark on a crash R&D program on alternative energy technologies. Says David Orr, chief economist for Wachovia Corp. in Charlotte, N.C.: "So far, fuel cells and other technologies haven't gotten the emergency allocation that a war might bring about."
Will any of this come to pass? Much depends on whether politicians can lay aside ideological differences and forge a consensus to bolster security by reducing dependence on foreign oil. It will be a test for both the White House and Congress to see whether the current collegiality extends to something as contentious as a national energy policy. But as the bombing campaign rages on in Afghanistan and the specter of instability in the Middle East grows, Washington has little choice but to try. By Laura Cohn and Stan Crock in Washington, with Peter Coy in New York, Stephanie Anderson Forest in Dallas, David Welch in Detroit, and Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles | <urn:uuid:6fd97c3c-a63c-44e8-8b3f-30d7221d6c68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2001-10-28/what-to-do-about-oil | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95507 | 2,326 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Apart from the complete works of Monty Python and Annie Hall, “Jerry Maguire” may be my favorite movie of all time. It’s a sports story; it’s a love story; but it’s also a story of employment. To me, the scene where Jerry leaves his agency for the last time might just be the most amazing scene in the history of Hollywood. You don’t know whether to laugh, cry or cheer. If I remember right, the above scene comes from just before he exits. The catchphrase with which I titled this post has worn thin by now, but if you do click play you’ll see that Jerry screams it out of desperation to keep Rod Tidwell as a client because he needs some money himself.
Are major universities that desperate for money too? Aaron Barlow, comparing the coming obsolescence of journalists to the potential obsolescence of professors, doesn’t think it matters:
Beyond that, education has one thing journalism does not have:…Certification. The success of American journalism is based on lack of a certification process. This allowed the profession to grow on its own as the country grew, and to develop its own methodologies without interference. The ‘self learning’ movements grew (and shrank, and grew again) in much the same way. But, along the way, people started realizing something else was also needed. It wasn’t enough just to study, one had to prove one had learned something. All sorts of processes for certification grew—the bar exam for lawyers, college degrees, licensing exams, apprenticeships. Only journalism could not impose its own–or even allow one to be imposed on it.
I sure hope he’s right. However, what if the academic certification process gets so corrupted by the need to show someone (venture capitalists, taxpayers, Rod Tidwell, etc.) the money that universities become willing to give just about anyone credit for just about anything? After all, plenty of for-profit universities claim to be certified and that hasn’t stopped them from offering a terrible education at an outrageous cost.
Now read this and tell me it’s not a bad omen:
The new generation of online courses features interactive technology, open admissions, high-caliber curriculum and the ability to teach tens of thousands of students at once. The universities say the online courses are as rigorous as their campus counterparts.
Some schools, including the University of Washington and University of Helsinki, say they will offer college credit for Coursera courses.
Rigorous? Really? The Coursera history course from Princeton that I’m about to take has no required reading. I suspect that’s because reading is unpopular, and since the customer is always right then the reading had to go.
Perhaps the best thing about Jerry Maguire is to see him grow a conscience as he gets increasingly humiliated so that he eventually does the right thing by everybody. Do universities have consciences? [I won't even bother to ask if venture capitalists do.] Faculty need to play the Renée Zellweger role in this movie and shame Jerry into doing the right thing.
Our students can be the little kid who keeps asking, “Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?” | <urn:uuid:338aec53-0b53-4e3b-911c-4f5136bcb399> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://moreorlessbunk.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/show-me-the-money/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961495 | 685 | 1.53125 | 2 |
dieting with my dog, you might think I keep my dog away from cookies too. What the woof?! There's nothing wrong with a few treats on occasion, even on a diet. (I just can't eat a whole sleeve of Oreos. Darn!) The trick is choosing more nutritious treats. That's why I was happy to receive a copy of Dog Cookies; healthy, allergen-free treat recipes for your dog, by Martina Schops.
Nutrition expert Martina says, "Treats contribute to a dog's well-being." I agree.
Here are some reasons for making your own dog treats:
1. You know exactly what ingredients they contain.
2. No artificial flavors and preservatives
3. You can adjust recipes for your dog's taste, allergies, or nutritional needs
The book includes recipes for high value treats for agility training, and birthday cake, waffles and doggie ice cream. If you're looking for good recipes to bake some healthy treats for your dog, I recommend this book. You can find Dog Cookies on Amazon or on Hubble and Hattie website.
Check out more food and fun for your dog on Tasty Tuesday, hosted by Kol's Notes and Sugar the Golden Retriever.
*I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. | <urn:uuid:572564b8-5765-4ae7-a2aa-8182942e3ce3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.jp/2011/11/c-is-for-cookie.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950195 | 278 | 1.71875 | 2 |
VATICAN CITY — Uncertainty quickly gave way to elation among the faithful that thronged St. Peter’s Square as the name of Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was announced from the loggia of the basilica.
Few of the 100,000-strong crowd who had gathered to welcome the successor to Benedict XVI were expecting the 76-year-old Argentine cardinal to become Pope in this election.
Delight seemed initially to mix with some bewilderment as people took in the name.
But, quickly, shouts of “Fran-ce-sco” from the Roman-heavy international crowd signaled the Italians had already taken him to their hearts, helped by the fact that he has Italian ancestry.
Many Vatican watchers were predicting a younger candidate than Cardinal Bergoglio, who lives with one lung (although it's a condition he has had for many years). It was reported the Argentine cardinal allegedly came in second in the conclave of 2005 that elevated Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the papacy. But the history of the popes is rife with vital elder statesmen. Pope John XXIII, who convened the Second Vatican Council, was elected right before he turned 76, and Benedict XVI was elected at 78.
One of those surprised by the result was the Vatican’s Jesuit spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, who knows Pope Francis, though not well. “I’m in shock,” he told reporters shortly after the election. “I’m shocked that he [the new Pope] is from Latin America and by his name.”
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit to be elected Pope in the order’s history, the first Pope from the Americas and the first ever pontiff to take the name Francis. Members of the Society of Jesus are called to be servants of the servants of the Church, but, until now, not to be in such authoritative positions. For this reason, Father Lombardi said he found it “a little strange to have a Jesuit as pope,” but he was clearly moved and delighted by the news.
He also thought the name appropriate — after St. Francis of Assisi. “The choice of the name Francis is very meaningful,” he said. “It is a name that has never been chosen before and evokes simplicity and an evangelical witness.”
Father Lombardi also noted it was “beautiful that he asked the people to pray for him and bowed to receive their blessing before blessing them.”
“This is an extraordinary election,” said Alejandro Bermudez, editor in chief of Latin America’s largest online Catholic news service, ACI Prensa, and founder of the U.S.-based Catholic News Agency. “He is absolutely comfortable in his own skin. He’s incredibly minimalistic. He showed up without the mozetta (when he appeared at the loggia). He came out wearing plain white. And his choice of the name Francis is completely humble.”
Pope Francis telephoned Benedict XVI this evening and will visit him soon. The new Pope will celebrate the Angelus on Sunday and will have an audience with journalists at the Vatican on Saturday morning.
Tomorrow, he will celebrate his first Mass with cardinals, and his inauguration Mass is expected to take place on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, in St. Peter’s.
A man of deep simplicity and humility, Pope Francis used to cook for himself, ride buses to work and cared for a disabled priest, in addition to all of his other duties as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
But he also made a point of never wanting to live in the Vatican and resisted invitations from John Paul II to work in the Curia, saying he would “die there” if he was sent to Rome.
“He’s incredibly learned and a serious theologian,” said Bermudez. “He’s known for being critical of the Curia.”
“If we thought Benedict was an introvert, we all need to be prepared for the real thing now,” said Roger McCaffrey, an American Catholic publisher who was familiar with the Holy Father when he served as a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
But as head of the Jesuit province in Argentina from 1973 to 1979, he acquired a reputation for being a tough administrator and for “cleaning house” — something the cardinal electors are likely to have noted in their deliberations, in light of the need to reform the Roman Curia.
Speaking to the Register in St. Peter’s Square just after the white smoke appeared, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, one of the three cardinals to head the commission of enquiry into Vatileaks, made the point that it is Christ who ultimately guides the Church, but it was his “great hope” that the new Vicar of Christ will set about reforming the Curia.
Pro-Life, Pro-Family and Pro-Poor
Cardinal Bergoglio was known to be vibrantly pro-life, describing the pro-abortion movement as a “culture of death,” using the term coined by the man who made him a cardinal in 2001, Pope John Paul II. He opposed the free distribution of contraceptives in Argentina, staunchly defended the rights of the poor and chastised material inequality — he would frequently visit the slums in Buenos Aires — and spoke out strongly against same-sex “marriage.”
In 2010, he firmly opposed a bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children, saying it will “seriously damage the family” should it be approved. He made the statement in a letter addressed to each of the four monasteries in Argentina, asking the contemplatives to pray “fervently” that legislators be strengthened to do the right thing.
“At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children,” he wrote. “At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”
The new Pope will face many competing concerns when he takes up residence in the Apostolic Palace, not least increasing secularism. He will also have to confront the sexual-abuse crisis and the possibility that more cases will come to light in countries that have so far escaped notice.
Pope Francis will also have to face a host of other challenges, such as protecting and promoting religious freedom in the Middle East, India and China, not to mention conscience rights in the United States and Europe.
In his own Latin America, he will have to contend with the loss of Church members to Pentecostal sects. In Africa and Asia, where the Church is expanding rapidly, he will face the challenges of the effects of poverty, globalization and inculturation.
On the ecumenical front, the new Pope can be expected to continue work on improving relations with the Orthodox, Anglicans and Jews, while continuing Benedict XVI's work in interreligious dialogue, particularly with Islam, all the while bolstered by prayers of hundreds of millions of the faithful.
Given all the challenges that lay ahead, it is perhaps fitting he chose the name of the saint whom Christ urged, “Rebuild my Church.”
Edward Pentin is the Register’s Rome correspondent. | <urn:uuid:c2c6e524-fcc8-4190-b586-3531cce985ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-a-welcome-surprise-to-the-faithful/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974091 | 1,581 | 1.835938 | 2 |
This question is somewhat of a tie in to my previous one "Should objectivists feel any sense of responsibility to their ancestors or descendants?" but is more specifically concerned with the rights of animals. If raping/murdering/cannibalizing etc. another human is a violation of their rights, does the same hold true for animals? Is bestiality acceptable to objectivists? Or, because animals are "lesser life forms" they do not deserve the same treatment? Is it wrong to treat animals without respect or dignity? Or is abuse acceptable?
While I agree with the answer by Javert, I don't believe it really gets to the heart of the matter, which is the nature of beings. Human nature is different from animal nature, which is why humans don't have the right to eat other humans (man's rights) but we can justify eating animals.
It's a pretty complex issue, covered in Objectivist literature, but consider some illustrative examples that may provide "food" for thought.
If you were walking in the jungle and a lion ate you, should the lion be prosecuted for violating a right? No, the lion is outside this context: man's rights and their protection through the political system he creates for his survival in a society of men.
If the lion eats a zebra, should the lion be prosecuted for violating a right? No, the zebra has no right (remember, a man made political concept) not to be eaten by the lion. The nature of animals requires that they survive by killing and eating other animals. Nature is tough.
Human nature however requires a different means of survival. We need to use our minds, and we need other humans to divide the labor required for survival as humans. Our nature is what justifies our right to be free to use our minds to survive (which included, once upon a time, the absolute need to eat animals to survive- whether this is required today is debatable. It is not a need nutritionally in America, but it may be in poorer 3rd world countries).
When we humans take an animal as a pet, and provide for its survival, then I believe that pet becomes our property, and is protected by our property rights, from other humans.
"Animal rights" is an invalid concept. Animals do not have rights.
The concept of rights relies on the concept of value. A right protects values (to humans) in a social context. In particular, expropriating the possessions of other humans (via force or fraud) does not create values; it destroys values. A right is the political instantiation of this moral fact.
However, expropriating the "possessions" of animals (their bodies, their labor, etc.) CAN create value; there is nothing immoral in using animals in this way (in fact, doing so IS moral, excluding edge cases such as bestiality, which does not provide value for the human engaging therein). In other words, there is no moral principle that would give us reason to grant rights to animals; rather, it is IMMORAL to grant rights to animals.
Hope this is helpful.
Further references: Ayn Rand Lexicon article on "rights" (can be found via Google); "The Objectivist Ethics" essay in "The Virtue of Selfishness"
answered Jan 26 '11 at 00:30 | <urn:uuid:b70febc0-45d9-4a81-8bc5-fb9c054b2c8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://objectivistanswers.com/questions/2180/should-objectivists-care-about-animal-rights?sort=votes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950163 | 693 | 1.742188 | 2 |
I have studs on my snowmobile and still want to enjoy Minnesota's snowmobile trails. How does the metal traction device (stud) law affect me?
Snowmobiles equipped with studs are welcome in Minnesota. However, you may not operate a snowmobile with metal traction devices on paved public trails, except when allowed by local government on trails under these jurisdictions or any portion of a paved state trail designated not allowed for such use by the commissioner. Metal traction devices are not allowed on these state trails.
A person operating a snowmobile with metal traction devices on any paved trail is guilty of a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine of no more than $50 for the first offense, no more than $300 for the second offense, and no more than $600 for the third and subsequent offenses.
The law restricting metal studs on paved trails was passed in response to concern about damage to roads, bridge decks, paved trails and private driveways crossed by snowmobiles with studs. Public paved trails account for less than two percent of Minnesota's extensive snowmobile trail system. However, groomed, signed routes have been developed for snowmobiles with studs near many paved trails. | <urn:uuid:beb3400e-9ebe-4279-8ef6-9c641a630a94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mnsnowmobiler.org/index.php?pageid=100 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955029 | 241 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Friends, the Diwali-week is almost over. We celebrated each day in simple, artful, fun ways and created dozens of memories with family and friends.
What struck to me about this Diwali was that I got to read and know about Diwali celebrations from different geographies and cultures. Isn’t it heartwarming to know people across the globe connecting with each other by trying to understand and celebrate other cultures and festivals.
Some of my blog readers/friends shared pictures of their Diwali rangolis. Some folks from outside India were eager to know more about the festival and how it’s celebrated through the week.
I’m sharing rangoli contributions from some Mommy Labs readers/friends, including a few that we made since I shared that floating rangoli of ours. Also, reflecting on what I’m thankful for this moment…
Artful Diwali from Friends of Mommy Labs
This lovely Leaf Rangoli was shared by my dear friend – Liz of ’Small Hands in the Big World‘. She wrote to me:
We are “adopting” Diwali, India’s magnificent Festival of Lights, into our traditional North American celebrations. Honoring other cultures and enjoying their lovely rituals helps children feel more connected to the rest of the world and part of a global community.
This pretty rangoli is made by Pari’s “best friend” Ananya (in the pic above) and her mom Kaajal. Pari and Ananya are really close to each other and share a sister-like bond! They often do art together at our place.
And, this abstract mixed-media rangoli is made by a friend’s wife, Payal Gupta – from Balasore in Orissa (Eastern part of India). My friend, Harsh Gupta, told me this was inspired by our Nature Table.
A lovely blog reader, who’s in India for the past one year, sent me this paper rangoli. She made with her son by drawing out the design on paper over which she lined glue and then sprinkled coloured sand. Much like how we made the rangolis for Holi.
She sent another rangoli picture – in a French School.
And this delightful rangoli was made by Anitha – my sis-in-law in Bangalore. So neat and the colours I loved – especially the two hues of green…
I made this on Diwali evening – outside our entrance.
Made this spiral rangoli today afternoon – just before our meditation at the Nature Table.
And this paper rangoli – Pari and I made it – at the beginning of the Diwali week.
I drew it out with pencil and then lined with white glue. Pari sprinkled colourful glitters over it.
Laying the path to welcome Goddess Laxmi…
Pari making rangoli with coloured sand. Doing this out of small bottles is easy and fun.
A Rangoli Every Day of the Year?!
You know what, I’ve made at least one rangoli this whole week. The way a simple rangoli can light up the home environment and invite good vibes and positive energy, I feel I should make a rangoli every day of the year. Not a big deal, really. All I need is some rangoli powders or flower petals or even leaves. Hey, even tempera paints will do. Don’t you think so?
Diwali truly lighted up our lives by inspiring us to spend a lot of time in each other’s company…
With Thanksgiving less than a week away – on Nov. 22 – I’d like to reflect on what I’m thankful for right now…
And, I know – it has to be these two beautiful souls, who are ever so loving, patient, joyful, funny…
And, NEVER complaining.
I actually want to write my thankfulness list, like I did last year. Need to find some quiet time to think and reflect.
What are you thankful for today….?
Subscribe now and share in your circle. | <urn:uuid:39b654f1-9342-4129-9b8c-2061ccd4490c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mommy-labs.com/creative-kids/art_craft_projects_kids/rangolis-around-the-world-celebrating-mommy-labs-community/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938595 | 867 | 1.703125 | 2 |
By Keefa Kaweesa
H.E the Presidents’ speech at the 27th anniversary at Kaseese had a host of achievements but it touched one major point of concern in the society.
The president stated that he was perplexed by their lordships act of indiscrinately allowing bail application for those who had committed murder, rape, defilement, corruption and embezzlement of huge sums of money. He cited article23 (6) (a) (b) and (c) of the constitutionary provisions, which provide discretionary powers to the judges to grant bail.
He said their lordships should help people and exercise those powers judiciously and has proposed an amendment to the relevant laws in this respect. I concur on this point.
Of late, there are many happenings that the citizenry are almost loosing confidence in the judiciary. To cite an example, at Bulika village in Mukono, one Musoke, a local defense, was waylaid on the way home and slaughtered nearby a witchdoctor’s palace.
The police discovered body parts and blood at this place and made arrests of two owners. Two weeks later, these two were released on bail. The community mobilised, and lynched one. When the Police tried to retrieve the body, people collected firewood and burnt it.
The relatives of the deceased witchdoctor later appeared and pleaded for the remains to be buried as per custom. The community refused and demonstrated their anger and frustration by colleting more firewood and burnt the remaining few bones to ashes.
Such is the anger and frustration which the President is talking about whereby their lordships should help society. A person embezzles sh260b and is given bail and in most cases the file gets lost or the state loses interest in the case, what signal does it send to the society?
What is more angering and frustrating in the society is that even after the president had talked about it, the next day the anti corruption court granted bail to officials who have whisked off pensioners money. Is it because the recipients are old people that they cannot show their anger?
A guy is found fragranto dilcto on a three year old girl and the law talks about absence of penetration. Why can’t we have a statutory provision to protect young girls and facilitation to the victim’s parents to avoid being compromised?
The President lamented that he had tried to push for amendments to these laws but Parliament was not responsive.
Article 126 (1) of the Constitution provides that judicial power is derived from the people, in the name of the people and in conformity with law and values and aspirations of the people. In the case of the State v Kato Kajubi, where he was accused of murder, the first verdict had gone in favour of the accused and the money magnets celebrated but the society’s uproar demanded a retrial.
Former DPC of Mukono, James Aurien, was first acquitted of murder of his wife but the anger and frustration by the women activist provided results. It is my submission that the president is pushing for amendments to address the anger and frustration of the society and should be supported by every member of the legal fraternity.
Parliament is empowered to make laws but how many a law has it made in this regard? If a diligent audit on the passed laws, time and money spent were conducted, what would the Parliament score on the above five stated issues? It is a high time the Penal Code Act is also reviewed because some of the penal provisions are not only obnoxious and obsolete but inapplicable for instance section 154 on adultery was declared unconstitutional.
Then there are cases where the very legislators and politicians rush to the Police and judiciary to plead for their voters. Why do you want to influence judicial decisions? Why don’t you allow them to exercise their work judiciously? At the outmost, it is the very politicians who have committed the crimes.
We have within the society MPs and senior Police officers, who have been tried and convicted of murder. It is on record that the chairman LCV, Mayuge was convicted of murder while on bail and vanished. We have ministers, MPs and government officials who have been tried for corruption and embezzlement of public funds.
Then you hear them trekking and soliciting every influential office, holy places and shrines for redress, what is the hullabaloo about? Which member of society has condemned the team which went to State House to plead pardon for their son of the soil?
Writer is a lawyer | <urn:uuid:165a6fc2-d89b-443b-a06a-94aa28bb1140> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/639524-exercise-bail-application-judiciously.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978104 | 939 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Photo by Jim Wrinn.
ROANOKE, Va. – Let the record show that on June 24, 2012, at approximately 4:03 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings time, an operating mainline steam locomotive rolled into the city once known as the Alamo of Steam. Over a radio, I heard Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 call the approach diverging signal for Norfolk Avenue and then roll into view. It was a most unlikely liberation by an everyday, turn-of-the-century Southern Railway K-class Consolidation in this, the headquarters of the Norfolk & Western, maker of some of the largest, most sophisticated steam locomotives in the land. And it occurred roughly six months shy of 18 years when N&W 4-8-4 No. 611 tied up for the last time, on Dec. 7, 1994, thus ending the original Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern steam program.
So, there were many smiles on the faces of those assembled on the footbridge just west of the N&W passenger station (now the O. Winston Link Museum) and near the old N&W general office building as 630 arrived with a short consist (six coaches, one tool car, a commissary, a canteen, and a GP40/slug set for helpers). For those who have been around Southern, N&W, NS, and their excursions, the word “vindication” was often spoken aloud as they watched as 630 discharged her 250 or so passengers. They came from Winston-Salem, N.C., traveling over a line with so many twists and turns it has earned the nickname “the Punkin’ Vine.” A lot of skeptics had said this day, when steam returned to Roanoke, would never happen, but it did, and several of us among the faithful were there to witness it in person. In a testimony to the love of steam in Roanoke, the swarm of passengers who filed off the engine didn’t bolt for their automobiles upon arrival: they went forward for a better look at the iron horse that had brought them to town this sultry summer day.
This is a fine moment for those who enjoy seeing NS openly enjoy being a railroad. NS announced its re-entry into the steam excursion business in 2010 and followed up in 2011 with a few trips in Tennessee. But this is the first full summer of NS’s so-called 21st Century Steam program.
It’s also a fine moment for 630, a relatively small freight hog, which has so far turned in an excellent performance on the main line, running from Chattanooga to Atlanta and then northward on the Southern main line in fine fashion, trouble-free and no longer suffering the axle problems that it experienced in 2011. The engine rolls along at 40 mph, looking for all the world like a runner with another man in hot pursuit right behind, going all out with her flailing Southern valve gear. And she is a clean runner at that. Those who tried to keep up with the excursion train found that her stack is clean with little or no soot, thanks to a high grade of metallurgical grade coal that she is burning on this outing.
Allow me a few additional observations: 630 never traveled to Roanoke during her Southern Railway excursion career, 1968-1977. She mostly stuck to the Birmingham-Atlanta-Charlotte-Alexandria main line, while big sister 2-8-2 No. 4501 visited on neighboring and accommodating N&W from time to time. But she has been to Roanoke before: in 1967, she visited to help celebrate the opening of the Roanoke Transportation Museum. At the time, she was an East Tennessee & Western North Carolina 2-8-0, No. 207, and she pulled brief excursions on the Roanoke Belt Line.
In addition to revisiting Roanoke, 630’s 21st Century Steam tour this year is very much of a homecoming for the engine. She spent the last three weeks in North Carolina, where she once was a Murphy Branch locomotive, working the mountainous line west of Asheville in the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains. She’s also returned to Virginia, where she was built in Richmond in 1904. And next month, she will roll through Johnson City, where she was an ET&WNC engine in the 1950s and 1960s. After employee trips next weekend out of Roanoke, she makes her way home in July to Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Now, a personal aside: At my request, the good offices of Tim Andrews, president at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, allowed No. 630 to perform for a day for photographers at the North Carolina Transportation Museum (my volunteer home for the last 25 years) to demonstrate what she looked like in regular service, pulling freight. So, after a morning of posing her on the 100-foot turntable in front of the 37-stall roundhouse and with fellow SR 2-8-0 No. 542 (cosmetically restored at the museum in 2011), we put her (sans canteen, but with the green flags of a first section) on eight freight cars and performed photo runbys on the museum trackage. The time she spent on the Murphy Branch in freight service must have looked something like it.
Between the engine’s stint on freight cars and the return of steam to Roanoke, with apologies to my fellow North Carolinian, author Thomas Wolfe, maybe you can go home again after all.
looks like NS is a good neighbour and exhibits a lot of fun. Sad CN seems to no longer have friends, either in the railfan community or customers and government agencies. NS joins UP, CP, BNSF as a friendly business operation.
North of Winson-Salem above Walkertown I found an ideal spot with the sun over my shoulder and a grade that slowed the empty grain train when I found the site. When 630, on Sunday, came by it was in such a rush that I did not have the time to back up and was grateful for my rule of ten feet from the ties. This train came by in a rush, and as they departed I saw the pack of cars folowing and they were following. She was full power, no doubt helped by the diesels, but displayed a no nonsense attitude about excurssion trains.
It was a treat
In December of 1957 O. Winston Link took two photos of the Rural Retreat Depot that are some of his most famous. That depot is in a sad state but the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation wants to save it. Please help. www.ruralreteatdepot.org. Thank you!
I had the pleasure of riding behind 630 that Sunday with a good friend. It was a day I'll long remember and cherish. It was also the first time I rode a mainline steam excursion. It was a long day starting about 5:30 that morning, and ending about 8:30 that night after a 3 hour drive home. | <urn:uuid:7412faba-290f-41a7-b9d7-be4b7fe14f65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2012/06/25/steam-returns-to-roanoke.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974497 | 1,468 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Gene and Lewis Turco at a family wedding.
When I was five years of age my brother, Gene, was born in Meriden, Connecticut. His middle name is "Laurent" — the male version of "Laura," my mother’s middle name, just as my first name is “Lewis,” the English version of “Luigi,” and my middle name is “Putnam,” my mother’s maiden name. It was many years before I realized the derivation of "Gene": it is the American version of "Gino," which is short for "Luigi" — my father had named both his sons after himself! In my second collection of poems, a chapbook titled The Sketches of Lewis Turco and Livevil: A Mask (1962), I wrote about our childhood:
"Ragtail Gene, don't tag along here;
scram on home or I'll bop your nose."
Brother, come the first of April,
that was the word the second of May
and all you heard when our lead pipe cannon
swallowed a cherry bomb and belched a stone
that boomed across the Fourth of July,
nearly crocking you where you hid
to spy on all the older kids.
If the world grew huger in your eyes,
that was because they went wide
to hear the clubhouse secrets told
in the dark garage where gasoline
smelled about good enough to swill.
For, the first you knew of going,
you knew because we swore our raft
was not a raft, but a ship to float
a boy's body out of sight
and a man's voice too deep for sounding.
That's the way that I am going;
ragtail Gene, don't tag along here.
When I was in the eighth grade my father sent me off to Suffield Academy in Suffield, Connecticut. He told me that he was doing it to give me the best education he could, but he evidently told my brother that he sent me away to save Gene's life. I don't recollect that I was all that homicidal toward my sibling. The worst thing I remember doing was tying him to the porch of the parsonage on Windsor Avenue when I was supposed to be baby-sitting him. I wanted to play with my neighborhood buddies instead, and I knew he was safe because I could hear him yelling.
One weekend while I was in the Navy and Gene was in high school I came back on liberty to Meriden and discovered that he had gotten himself into some sort of trouble. Papa and Mom May talked to me about it in distress, and I think I must have become angry, because I wrote “The Hustle”:
Listen to Lewis Turco read his poem, "The Hustle."
O your eyes are slightly wondered,
They allow the world's been sundered,
So you travel with your brothers:
Not the flesh-and-blood kind — others
Who deplore the ways of fathers,
Man! you're mean.
There are rods and there are women,
You're a rebel, you're a demon,
You were spawned beneath the atom
On a lower social stratum.
People stink, and so you hate 'em,
Bile and spleen.
What's a lifetime's secret essence,
Is it kooky adolescence,
Is it ninety miles per hour,
Is it acting beat and dour,
Or professionally sour?
Cool the scene.
We will halve the world and share it,
Call half minah, call half parrot,
In our monstrous aviaries
We will ostracize canaries...,
Any bird that sings or varies
Then we'll blow the whole bit higher,
Than the sun shoots tongues of fire,
For commitment's too much trouble;
Prick the big dream like a bubble.
You can be the final rebel,
It was very strange, it seemed to me, that Gene had gotten into a scrape because he was, and still is, a very nice guy. He had never been a minute’s trouble all his childhood, to my recollection, except that he was accident-prone. Strange things happened to him: once he walked through the smoke of a bonfire — in those days one could burn leaves in the fall — and came down with a case of poison-ivy all over his body. Another time he and some of his friends were playing with a BB gun and he was shot in the eye which split his cornea. For most of our lives we have gotten along pretty well, our wives like each other, and our kids all get along on those few occasions when they get together. The poem is an over-reach, over-the-top. Reading it now, it seems to me that I was writing about the 1950s, not my brother.
Jean and I had graduated from Meriden High in 1952. Two or three years later rock-n-roll had arrived, the new teen-agers were acting quite strangely, wearing d. a. hairdos (that’s “duck’s ass” in case anyone wonders) and developing the culture that would eventually lead to American Graffiti, Hair, James Dean’s Rebel without a Cause and the Beatniks. My wife and I had grown up in the post-World War II culture, where the last days of swing and bebop and bobbysox were fading into the unsettling and ominous future.
The poem ttled "Gene" is from Fearful Pleasures: The Complete Poems of Lewis Turco 1959-2007, Scottsdale, AZ: www.StarCloudPress.com, 2007. ISBN 978-1-932842-19-7, cloth; ISBN 978-1-932842-20-3, paper; an e-book edition was published in 2013.
"The Hustle" may be found in The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court 1953-2004, Scottsdale, AZ: www.StarCloudPress.com, 2004, 460 pp., ISBN 1-932842-00-4, jacketed cloth, $49.95; ISBN 1-932842-01-2, trade paperback. | <urn:uuid:b5565165-8b3f-4532-9a6f-f8b990fa908c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lewisturco.typepad.com/poetics/family/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971403 | 1,326 | 1.578125 | 2 |
AMERICUS (April 6, 2012)--Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) alumnus Doug Moses was the featured speaker at the GSW African American Male Initiative (AAMI) opening program in the GSW Faculty Dining Hall on March 29. A partner at Mauldin and Jenkins, LLC, Moses is the president of the GSW Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a member of the GSW Foundation Board of Trustees. His speech was titled "You Can Get Anywhere from GSW."
The Georgia Southwestern AAMI Program provides academic supplementary instruction, mentoring, social awareness and social responsibility training. Its goal is to provide a successful program that will increase enrollment and improve graduation rates of African-American males in higher education.
The impetus for AAMI was the significant gender gap that existed among African-American students enrolled in University System of Georgia institutions.
When USG officials launched AAMI as a quantitative and qualitative research study in Fall 2002, there were just three programs at USG institutions focused specifically on the educational achievement and attainment of African-American males. As of Fall 2011, 37 such programs now exist on 23 of the USG’s 35 campuses, engaging young Black men in college life and focusing their sights on earning a college degree.
For additional information, contact GSW AAMI Executive Director Ervin D. Anderson at (229) 931-2200.
Caption--Pictured from left to right: Ervin D. Anderson, senior lecturer of mathematics and GSW AAMI executive director; Doug Moses, program speaker and partner at Mauldin and Jenkins, LLC: and Karl Wilson, retired counselor and program director at GSW.
- GSW - | <urn:uuid:bd2bd19c-7ac4-43b8-b9cf-e78ae3f3fc1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gsw.edu/News/Articles/AAMIprogram03_12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947086 | 351 | 1.664063 | 2 |
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – July 28, 2012
- Foreign Affairs Minister: BAAAAAAAAAD Syria! “Canada is closely monitoring the renewed mobilization of Assad regime forces in the city of Aleppo. It is an unacceptable escalation of the conflict. Canada is horrified by reports of helicopter gunships opening fire on civilians and that the army has massed troops on the city’s borders in preparation for further assaults on its own citizens. Canada calls on all members of the UN Security Council to join in condemning these actions, including those members who have previously supported the regime, and to adopt a strong resolution that contains binding sanctions against the Assad regime.”
- Meanwhile, “An increasing number of Syrian asylum seekers have been fleeing to Canada to escape the civil war that continues to cut a bloody swath across their homeland. At the same time, Syrian-Canadians are asking the federal government to open the doors to friends and relatives facing what they say is extreme risk of torture or death at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. “There is a limited number of people that are in really, really grave danger that we can admit,” said Faizel Alazem of the Syrian Canadian Council ….”
- Foreign Affairs Minister: BAAAAAD Eritrea! “Eritrea is facing increased diplomatic pressure from the Canadian government after a United Nations report published this week said the country has been using its Toronto consulate to force expatriates to pay taxes that help bankroll its military. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is considering “all options,” including shutting down the consulate, and has “called in” Canada’s Eritrean consul to meet with Canadian officials after the criminal allegations appeared in the report by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, a senior government official said Thursday. The report, published online Monday, said the Eritrean consulate in Toronto has been using coercive tactics to impose a 2 per cent income tax on expatriates to help finance the military, a fundraising practice the UN monitoring group says “arguably” violates an arms embargo imposed by the United Nations in 2009. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police assessment included in the UN report found that a “refusal to pay the tax often results in deni al of service or threats against, or harassment of, family members still residing in Eritrea, or possible arrest of the individual should they travel to Eritrea without paying the taxes alleged to be owing.” RCMP spokesman Sgt. Greg Cox said he could not confirm details of a criminal investigation unless criminal charges are laid, but added that the police force “is concerned about the issue as there exists a potential link with terrorist financing.” Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael, Eritrea’s only accredited diplomat in Canada, could not be reached for comment Thursday ….”
- Yet ANOTHER gang of Officer Cadets being publicly welcomed into the CF, adding to publicly-welcomed groups here and here. Again, I await a news release or media advisory inviting media to the welcoming of enlisted personnel.
Way Up North RCAF Info-machine shares search and rescue exercise information (a couple of weeks after the exercise) “A Cessna 185 departed Taltheilei Narrows, N.W.T., on Friday, July 13, but was overdue at Great Bear Lake. On Saturday, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) at 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., declared the search “major,” meaning the initial search was unsuccessful. Search masters at 435 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron, 17 Wing Winnipeg, Man., began planning their deployment to Yellowknife, NWT. By Sunday, July 15, two CC-130 Hercules aircraft were on their way to Yellowknife with approximately 75 members from 435 Squadron and 17 Wing. One CC-130 was configured for search and rescue (SAR); the other transported the support staff and equipment needed to establish a search headquarters. Although this was just an exercise scenario, the story behind it was all too familiar to 435 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron, one of several Canadian Forces units that fly SAR across Canada. The squadron is responsible for SAR coverage from Thunder Bay, Ont., to the Alberta-B.C. border, and between the U.S. border and the North Pole ….”
- Congrats to the CF’s new recruiting boss “Major Cynda Lavoie was named the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group Headquarters Commanding Officer at a ceremony at CFB Borden …. Major Lavoie joined the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve 22 years ago as a logistics officer in Quebec City after being a sea cadet in her youth. After university, she occupied various full time positions with the Reserve Force and finally, in 2002, made the big jump to the Regular Force, where she has carried out a number of postings as a specialist in finance, supply, and human resources. Her latest operational experience includes a deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 and to Operation PROTEUS, Canada’s contribution to the Office of the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem, in 2010, where she taught logistics to Palestinian Security Forces ….”
- New digs coming for Reservists in Halifax? “Halifax reservists could be getting a new training facility. The Defence Department is looking at building a new armoury at Willow Park, a part of Canadian Forces Base Halifax, military spokesman Mike Bonin said Thursday. “Right now, it’s just in a design phase,” he said. “There is no final decision as to if and when it will be constructed.” Whether a new armoury goes ahead or not, Bonin stressed it won’t replace the historic Halifax Armouries located on Cunard Street. Built in 1896, the nearly 78,500-square-foot stone structure overlooks the Halifax Commons. According to the Defence Department’s website, the building’s condition has been assessed as fair ….”
- Khadr Boy (1) Has it been ten years already? This, from the Liberal Party Info-machine: “Liberal Senator Roméo Dallaire issued the following statement today to mark the 10th anniversary of Omar Khadr’s capture and incarceration: “Today marks the 10th anniversary of Omar Khadr’s capture—a Canadian citizen and former child soldier. During his decade at Bagram and Guantánamo Bay, Mr. Khadr’s rights have been consistently violated. He has been denied the right to due process and a fair trial, the right to protection from torture and the rights afforded to him under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. “After years of inertia, Canada finally agreed to Mr. Khadr’s return in 2010, as long as he served one additional year in Guantánamo. That year has passed, and yet the transfer request continues to gather dust on Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews’ desk, awaiting his signature. “I have started a petition calling on the Minister of Public Safety to authorize Mr. Khadr’s repatriation. More than 30,000 people have signed thus far and I encourage all Canadians to add their voice to this cause.” ….”
- Khadr Boy (2) “A top UN official has added her voice to the growing chorus of calls for Omar Khadr’s repatriation from Guantanamo Bay back to Canada. “Omar Khadr was a child soldier and our experience around the world clearly indicates that a system focusing on rehabilitation is far better suited for these children who have been exploited and abused by adults,” said Radhika Coomaraswamy in a statement. Coomaraswamy is Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s special representative for children and armed conflict, a post she has held since April 2006 and which she will leave in a couple weeks. The comment comes 10 years to the day after a bloody Khadr was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan ….”
- Khadr Boy (3) If this columnist is so keen on having Khadr back, I wonder if he’d be willing to have the young man living next door when released from jail?
- Khadr Boy (4) Another columnist’s take “…. Will he live peacefully with his family, or will he be an advocate for terror — a magnet for others who glamorize his radicalism? One doesn’t know. But when he does return (as one day he will), he should not go to prison, as some advocate. He’s served his time. As an enemy combatant of the United States, perhaps he should remain detained in Guantanamo until the “war of terror” is over. That’s not going to happen, but the U.S. would be justified in keeping Khadr incarcerated — and Canada would be justified in wanting him kept there. But he’s Canadian-born, and we have no option but to accept him. Eventually.”
- Remembering Korea, 59 years later “Veterans of the Korean War and others gathered in Brampton on Friday to mark the 59th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the war. Wreath-laying and poppy-placing ceremonies and a march past took place at a memorial service at the Korea Veterans’ National Wall of Remembrance at Meadowvale Cemetery on Mavis Road, followed by a reception at Mississauga Convention Centre on Derry Road West. Meanwhile, Korean War veterans in Sydney, N.S., aren’t holding a ceremony this year because the number of veterans who still live in the area is dwindling. Instead, a simple five-minute wreath-laying ceremony was approved by the local branch of the Korean Veterans Association. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, more than 26,000 Canadians served in the Korean War, including sailors from eight destroyers and airmen who took part in many combat and transport missions ….” – more from the Veterans Affairs Canada Info-machine here. | <urn:uuid:c01d0722-4b09-4fd8-aba8-bc13549e873f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://milnewsca.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/news-281300utc-jul-12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962173 | 2,116 | 1.515625 | 2 |
This article accompanied the October 2009 feature story, "The Evolution of E-Learning."
Paul Stockford, chief analyst at Saddletree Research, cites “career advancement” as e-learning’s unrealized potential, with the power to guide agents toward the career in customer service best-suited to them. With that in mind, I decided to try out the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a 15-minute questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in perception and decision making: You’re either an introvert (I) or an extrovert (E); possess sensing (S) or intuition (I); think (T) or feel (F); and either judge (J) or perceive (P). (In any pair, it’s possible to be a little of each, but you’re more inclined to be one than the other.)
Each of the 16 possible four-letter combinations comes with a full assessment, including specific deficiencies called “blind spots.” Turns out I’m with the ISTJs—Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging—who, according to the MBTI, are “quiet, serious people who succeed by being thorough and dependable. Logical, practical, and realistic, they take their responsibilities seriously and often go beyond the call of duty. They enjoy ordering and structuring their environment and their work. Traditions and loyalty are important to them.”
Now for my ISTJ “blind spots”: Suspicious of imagination and intuition, ISTJs don’t take seriously others who possess those two qualities. ISTJs also expect everyone to be as logical and analytical as they are and become impatient when events prove otherwise. I can attest to having those qualities, but that’s my cue to turn to the MBTI ThinkBox, a Web-based learning environment where I can address my perceived strengths and weaknesses. Free to choose my own path through the materials, by clicking on my various “blind spots” I find multimedia resources to help me improve, both professionally and personally: material on how to think clearly in times of change, meeting management, strategic thinking, organization, and attention to detail. I’m no different than an agent in the sense that I’m often crunched for time, so being able to download these materials to learn at my leisure is vital.
By learning more about myself, and by addressing apparent weaknesses, I can become a better worker, and a better person. After all, people say education is a lifelong journey. “With that kind of awareness, I can be a more-effective team member,” says Sharon Grimshaw, director of program and electronic product development for CPP, which offers the MBTI assessment.
Contact Assistant Editor Christopher Musico at cmusico@destinationCRM.com.
You may leave a public comment regarding this article by clicking on "Comments" at the top.
To contact the editors, please email editor@destinationCRM.com.
Every month, CRM magazine covers the customer relationship management industry and beyond. To subscribe, please visit http://www.destinationCRM.com/subscribe/. | <urn:uuid:2438d5d5-3e30-420d-b442-cde02d39c079> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Editorial/Magazine-Features/Whats-Your-Type-57517.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939017 | 670 | 1.640625 | 2 |
I have this question:
if f and f o g are 1 to 1 functions, does it follow that g is 1-1 function?
I tried for example ,
if g(3)=4 and g(7)=4,
then f( g(3) )= f( G(7) )=f(4) will produce the 1-1 function property.( it does not work)
I have tried other things but still , it doesn't work can someone help me? | <urn:uuid:b84b1880-5785-4bd5-8b55-cc9970dff7b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathhelpforum.com/discrete-math/5573-1-1-function.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931503 | 103 | 1.640625 | 2 |
In a PBS interview broadcast Monday night, NCAA president Mark Emmert refused to take “anything off the table” regarding its possible punishment of Penn State University in the wake of the damning Freeh Report. The results of former FBI director Louis Freeh’s investigation, released last week, concluded that top Penn State officials — including former president Graham Spanier and former head football coach Joe Paterno — “repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Jerry Sandusky’s child abuse from the authorities” in order to “avoid the consequences of bad publicity.”
So the so-called death penalty for Penn State football is possible. And though that punishment seems particularly severe — and totally unwarranted, according to Penn State supporters — it’s actually an act of mercy. Plus, the consequences could be very productive, both on and off the field.
The death penalty sounds much worse than it is. It’s actually a temporary shutdown of a college football program. In the 1980s, Southern Methodist University’s football team got a one-year sentence and took another year off to regroup because players were being paid from a slush fund. (You can certainly argue that SMU should be lauded, not punished, for allowing revenue-producing players to get a piece of the college-football-revenue pie.) If Penn State sat out, say, this upcoming year, the players could retain their eligibility for next season. So a current senior, for example, would be able to play in 2013. An incoming freshman could still play four years of football at Penn State.
The NCAA could give players the option to transfer without having to sit out a year. Some might take this option, but with practices fast approaching this summer, they might not have time to flee Penn State.
So what would be the fallout from a one-year ban? Yes, the university and its athletic department would take a financial hit. But the players, a year older and stronger, might return next season in better shape. And they’d have more time to soak up the college experience, away from the football facilities. Penn State might win more games than they otherwise would have, and the players, hopefully, would be more mature intellectually.
During a year of healing, the university could actually prove that it doesn’t center on football. That it can survive, and even thrive, on its own.
Penn State football, and the entire university, is facing a toxic environment this season. In the wake of the Sandusky verdict and an investigation that pinned the failure to report child sex abuse to authorities, in part, on the “culture of reverence for football,” questions will be following the football team all season: What do you think of how your late coach acted? Will recruits bother coming to State College and dealing with the aftermath? Why are you guys playing?
Why go through with this, when you can temporarily escape the toxic atmosphere and return to a healthier place?
If the NCAA takes the typical route and limits scholarships and postseason play for Penn State, the current football players — innocent in the entire Sandusky scandal — may suffer more than under a death penalty. If you gut the team while still putting one on the field, the on-field experience is entirely compromised. With a sabbatical, the entire operation should be refreshed.
For Penn State football, there are many fates worse than death. | <urn:uuid:d0d44550-22a4-498b-b08b-1e789242b2f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/07/17/death-penalty-would-be-an-act-of-mercy-for-penn-state-football/?iid=tl-article-mostpop2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964956 | 707 | 1.75 | 2 |
The White House this morning released President Obama's so-called "long-form" birth certificate. It shows he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Aug. 4, 1961 at 7:24 pm. It is signed by his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, the attending doctor, and registrar.
An image of President Obama's longer-form birth certificate released today by the White House.
During the campaign, Obama released a shorter version, a "Certification of Live Birth," which serves as the official document released by the state of Hawaii and recognized by the federal government. It's the document Hawaiians, for example, would use to get a passport.
This conspiracy theory has been debunked by several news organizations, including NBC News, but it has gained new life as Donald Trump, considering a Republican bid for president, has essentially campaigned on the issue.
This morning at a news conference, Trump took credit for the release of the document.
"Today I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish," Trump said in New Hampshire, adding, "Our president has finally released a birth certificate. I want to look at it, but I hope it's true. ... But he should have done it a long time ago. ... But I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully, hopefully, getting rid of this issue."
But he went further, saying that the document has to be verified.
"I am really proud, I am really honored," Trump said, adding, "So I feel like I've accomplished something really, really important. ... I'm taking great credit."
This issue has been popular with a fringe portion of the conservative base, but recent polling showed that two-thirds of Republicans said either the president wasn't born in the United States or aren't sure.
In a CBS/New York Times poll released Thursday, 45% of Republicans said they believe Obama was born outside the U.S., while 22% said they didn't know, and just 33% said he was born in the country.
A majority of all Americans, however, believe the president was born in the country. 57% said he was, 25% said they believe he wasn't. 18% said they weren't sure. | <urn:uuid:1da3106c-aec7-4fea-87d1-f51b4a2baed8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/04/27/6542095-white-house-releases-presidents-long-form-birth-certificate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989131 | 470 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The prospect of a floor fight at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., emerged this week as North Carolinians voted Tuesday to pass a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. That vote came just days after two senior members of the Obama administration separately indicated their support for gay marriage, developments that have increased the pressure on the president—who two years ago described his position on gay marriage as “evolving”—to complete that journey before formally accepting his party’s nomination in September.
“I think this will be a big issue at the convention no matter what,” said Richard Socarides, a Democratic strategist who served as special adviser to the Clinton administration on LGBT issues. “Conventions love controversy. Especially when the issue of the nominee is not in doubt. When you get all those political people together, they’re drawn to a controversy. And there’s going to be an effort to include a marriage-equality plank in the platform.”
“People are going to be upset that this passed in a place Democrats are calling home for the summer,” he said. “So I think they will work harder to get the platform to take a strong stance.”
With polls now showing that a plurality or majority of voters support gay marriage, and that Democratic and younger voters support it by overwhelming margins, the chorus calling for the party to add a freedom-to-marry plank to its platform has grown louder and more prominent—and President Obama’s balancing act on the issue has become more precarious as the volume has gone up.
The push began after Vice President Joe Biden told NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday that he is “absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties.” The next day, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said on MSNBC that he also backs gay marriage, which led some observers to suggest the statements by administration members were meant to signal the president’s second-term sympathies without announcing a change in his own position that could alienate some religious and African-American Democrats.
While Obama’s campaign indicated the president opposed the North Carolina measure—which passed despite polls showing most North Carolinians support some form of legal recognition for gay couples and didn't understand that the proposal would also ban civil unions and domestic partnerships—he didn’t engage in the fierce debate on the measure, even as former President Bill Clinton made appearances in person and on the airwaves denouncing it.
Obama—who favored same-sex marriage in 1996 when he was running for the Illinois state Senate, opposed it on strategic grounds when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, and on religious grounds while running for president in 2008—said in 2010 that the "arc of history" bends toward gay marriage, and that his own views were "evolving."
“It’s going to be impossible for [Obama] to continue to finesse this non-answer for another six months.”
Some Democratic strategists are still haunted by the belief that gay-marriage amendments on the ballot in swing states like Ohio cost them the 2004 presidential election by driving up evangelical turnout. They want Obama's evolution to occur after November—which seems like a much more difficult delaying act to pull off after the events of the past week. Following Biden’s remarks Sunday, White House officials stressed that the president’s position of supporting civil unions but not gay marriage was unchanged, and insisted that the vice president’s comments were consistent with the president’s position.
"I think the more [Obama] stays silent on this issue the more noise it’s going to create,” said Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen, a former head of the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. She called on advocates, though, to turn down or tune out that noise. “Barack Obama’s the guy we gotta elect,” she said. “To turn his convention into a zoo does not help us.”
Obama aides regularly rebut questions about same-sex marriage with a checklist of ways the president has advanced gay rights. Among them: the elimination of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring gay and lesbian service members from serving openly in the military, the Justice Department's refusal to stick up for the Defense of Marriage Act in court, and smaller measures aimed at strengthening legal rights for same-sex couples.
But the comments from the vice president, who may launch a presidential bid of his own in 2016, seemed to go past Obama’s position, and to line up instead with younger Democrats and potential rivals in that election, including two governors, Andrew Cuomo of New York and Martin O'Malley of Maryland, who have signed into law same-sex marriage bills in their respective states.
Mitt Romney’s decision last year to sign a pledge to support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman makes it unlikely that many gay voters would defect to the Republican camp. But LGBT groups may not support Obama as actively as they did four years ago. Even before Biden’s remarks, there were signs that gay fundraisers—who comprise one in six of the campaign’s biggest bundlers, and whose support has been seen as crucial to the campaign as Wall Street money has flagged—had begun to hold back support over frustrations with Obama.
“The Biden comments are generally helpful,” said Socarides. “That said, I think the effort to clarify them, as if they needed clarification, is probably irksome to some, myself included. I think what this demonstrates is it’s going to be impossible to continue to finesse this non-answer for another six months.”
Republicans, meantime, are giddy at the prospect of prolonged Democratic infighting as they parse presidential non-answers.
“I’m perfectly happy to have them fight amongst themselves for weeks on end,” said GOP media consultant Rick Wilson. “In states like Virginia and North Carolina, there are two audiences Obama needs to get to win. He needs to hold his black-vote percentage where it is in the low 90s, and he needs to win white Southern Democrats who are still a bit iffy about him.”
Polls have shown that some otherwise party-line Democrats, particularly African-Americans, remain culturally uneasy with gay marriage. While the GOP is unlikely to lose supporters by reiterating its long-standing opposition to gay nuptials, Republicans see Obama alienating some black supporters if he embraces same-sex marriage, and losing some LGBT support if he continues to keep his distance. “I think Obama is reflecting a very deep division inside the Democratic Party that no one [on his campaign] wants to talk about,” Wilson said.
What is unclear is if the growing number of same-sex marriage backers in the Democratic establishment—including iconic figures like Obama for America co-chair Caroline Kennedy (who is claimed as a supporter by those pushing for the gay-marriage plank), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell—will be able to create the air of inevitability needed to force Obama’s hand and get marriage equality into the Democratic platform.
“Do I think they can get 15 percent of the platform committee to support the issuing of a minority report in favor of marriage equality? Absolutely,” said veteran Democratic consultant Tad Devine, who worked for President Jimmy Carter when Sen. Ted Kennedy challenged him from the left for their party's presidential nomination in 1980.
The Obama campaign, Devine said, “will have to decide, do we want a big public fight over this, or should we just let it happen and work on crafting language that we’re comfortable with?” | <urn:uuid:06244eb5-b957-4bf3-97c7-66c00adf8475> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/09/a-same-sex-marriage-floor-fight-in-charlotte-looms-for-obama.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969846 | 1,651 | 1.75 | 2 |
The annual Active Learning Institute helps faculty members develop and refine their skills as learner-centered course designers and teachers. The ALI faculty designs this two-day workshop around the challenges identified by each year’s group of participants. These challenges may include (but are not limited to) the following:
Every ALI focuses on designing courses that take full account of how people actually learn and we set aside plenty of time for participants to workshop each other’s new designs and strategies.
Participants in ALI receive a stipend for full participation in the two-day institute. Anyone holding a faculty teaching appointment at Dartmouth at any rank (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Tuck and DMS) is eligible to apply.
The ALI faculty will read applications and select participants based on:
We strive for a group diverse in disciplines, schools and departments or programs.
Here is what your colleagues have said about previous ALIs:
“ALI is a phenomenal asset to this college. I not only learned valuable practical content, but I also find myself sharing these ideas with my colleagues in informal discussions. It's rare to have a two-day workshop have such a strong positive impact.”
“All in all, the Institute ranks among my most productive professional education experiences.”
“I do not think I could overstate how much the experience, authority, authenticity, intelligence, commitment, and enthusiasm of the facilitators and other participants defined my ALI experience. They helped me see how these techniques could be used and gave me the sense that it would be OK to try using them.”
“The ALI was a transformative experience for me. With no formal training in teaching methodology, the most useful component was overall, big picture, course design. ”
“Great program! I wish it had been available when I started teaching.”
Thanks to a generous new gift from the Judith and Allen Zern '65 Fund, we are pleased to announce the creation of a new position at DCAL: the DCAL Faculty Fellow. This position formalizes and expands what has been until now a volunteer effort fulfilled most recently by chemistry professor F. Jon Kull. In consultation with Associate dean of the Faculty for Science, David Kotz, we have selected Professor Kull to serve as the first DCAL faculty Fellow for a renewable term of two years. As the first DCAL Faculty Fellow he will take responsibility, along with the director and associate directors, for planning and carrying out the activities of DCAL's Teaching Science Seminar (TSS).
The Teaching Science Seminar meets monthly during term-time to pursue the following:
The DCAL Faculty Fellow will receive an annual stipend as recognition of his services as a leader of the Teaching Science Seminar. He will also command a small fund for the purchase of books and experimental teaching aids.
Dartmouth has been awarded $2.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to give Dartmouth graduate students opportunities to work with middle school teachers in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. The program promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) among middle school students.
The five-year award is part of NSF’s Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Program, also referred to as GK-12.
The GK-12 Team includes a current DCAL Associate Director for Future Faculty, Cindy Tobery PhD and Former DCAL Associate Director, Vicki May PhD.
Read the full release.
Have a look at the recommended books page on the DCAL website at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dcal/resources/books.html. Books recently added to our collection include Peter Filene's The Joy of Teaching, Eric Mazur's Peer Instruction: A User's Manual, and Academic Dishonesty: An Educator's Guide by Bernard. E. Whitley, Jr. and Patricia Keith-Spiegel. Also featured is a new edition of Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty and Teaching Assistants in Colleges and Universities by Ellen Sarkisian of the Derek Bok Center of Harvard University.
Last Updated: 3/27/12 | <urn:uuid:39cc4c87-f77c-4c92-a392-1bac99404e96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dcal/news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952246 | 866 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Obama, Kerry negotiate their own peace efforts
JERUSALEM — President Barack Obama is still testing the waters on Mideast peace — but John Kerry can’t wait to dive in.
And Kerry, long used to getting to call his own shots, now has to wait for his new boss to say how deep he can go.Continue Reading
The president said repeatedly before and during his trip here that he believes in the peace process — but he believes as well that that the Israelis and Palestinians will need to show some flexibility before he gets much more involved. As strong as his pro-peace remarks have been during the trip, they haven’t changed the president’s reluctance to get stung by another failed effort at peace like he did during his first term.
The secretary of state sees making a deal happen as a critical part of his new job — and while Obama has plenty of other foreign and domestic issues that could cement his legacy, brokering Mideast peace is the rare kind of diplomatic achievement that could put Kerry in the history books.
So far, Obama seems willing to allow Kerry to take a whirl, so long as he keeps a low profile and doesn’t generate a political backlash. But the president still hasn’t done much to answer the key question of how much of his own political capital he’ll put into the effort.
“There are greener pastures that beckon [Obama] in Asia, and you can see, from a variety of other actions that he’s taken or hasn’t taken in the Middle East, that he would rather turn away from this region,” former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk said last week. “John Kerry has exactly the opposite instinct. He wants to engage in the Middle East — and, in particular, he wants to take on the Israeli-Palestinian challenge, and it’s a high priority for him.”
Obama in his speech to the Israeli people on Thursday spoke bluntly of tough political choices needed for peace. He said Israel should move forward on restarting talks, even though it wouldn’t be easy. He argued that the rise of more democratic governments in the Arab Spring, the escalating sophistication and ability of weapons and the demographics that pose a threat to Israel as a majority-Jewish state, all make the need for peace critical.
But he didn’t say how much muscle he’s willing to apply to push the two sides closer together — on the contrary, he sounded averse to arm-twisting and lukewarm on the chances for success.
“There is an opportunity there, there’s a window,” Obama told his audience. “Peace is possible. … I’m not saying it’s guaranteed. I can’t even say that it is more likely than not. But it is possible.” | <urn:uuid:288d3acf-7a60-4093-a027-6a027f222c0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/obama-kerry-israel-palestine-mideast-peace-effort-89204.html?ml=po_r | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976827 | 606 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Each spring, employers across the area participate in the nationwide program known as Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. But one local organization puts a furry spin on this annual tradition and it happens daily.
The “Pets in the Workplace” program has become a hallmark of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization.
The program, which is free of cost to employees, allows employees at HSUS’s Gaithersburg headquarters and its Washington, D.C., office to bring in dogs as well as other small mammals such as ferrets, rabbits and mice to the office each day.
“Pets are a wonderful addition to an office environment, said Inga Fricke, who chairs the Pets in the Workplace program for the HSUS. “It’s not just good for the animals, obviously, but we’ve found additional benefits for our employees as well, such as increased productivity. People don’t have to run home to take the dogs out, for example.”
Numerous studies have been conducted recently that support this notion, including one done by Virginia Commonwealth University in March of this year. The study revealed that having a fuzzy companion by your side during the work day can actually reduce stress.
Fricke said the company’s internal research mirrors those findings.
“It’s been incredibly positive,” Fricke said, “We did a brief internal survey a few months ago just to see how things were going. And we surveyed both participants and non-participants and found overwhelming support.”
Heather Sullivan, director of public relations, added that she believes it is the best benefit the HSUS offers.
“Bringing my dog to the office allows me to work longer hours without worrying that she is home alone,” said Sullivan, adding that she knows several people who adopted animals once the policy went into place because they felt they were better equipped to care for an animal. “Kit absolutely loves coming into the office. She actually gets a little sad on Saturday mornings when she realizes we are staying home.”
Carie Lewis, director of emerging media for the HSUS agrees, said it’s also an added bonus when a pet can share in workplace milestones and achievements. Lewis, who oversees the organization’s social media efforts, said that her dog, Bella, was there to celebrate last November when the HSUS reached 1 million Facebook fans.
“Being able to take my dog to work with me is one of the best perks I’ve ever had in a workplace. When I’m stressed out, I’m immediately comforted by Bella’s wagging tail and smiling face,” Lewis said. “Even my co-workers will come over to my cube and say ‘I’m having a bad day. Can I pet your dog?’ It provides stress relief and fosters camaraderie and I think those are things that any workplace can benefit from.”
Fricke said there are around 100 dogs currently enrolled in the program as well as several mice and other smaller pets. In order to register a pet, they have to be current on all of the necessary vaccinations. Dogs have to be licensed in the appropriate community where they live and they have to be able to adapt well to the office environment, Fricke said, and “have the right temperament for the office with no history of aggressive behavior or things like that.”
No cats, though. Between allergies and the office space itself with its cubicle-dominated layout, it is not the most conducive environment for felines. Plus, Fricke said, they don’t adapt to the daily commute as easily.
According to Fricke, the program was the brainchild of Jennifer Fearing, who used to serve as the organization’s chief economist. Fearing, who is currently California Senior State Director for the HSUS, literally wrote the book on pets in the workplace. Fearing and co-author Liz Palika published “Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces” in 2008 when Fearing was still based in D.C. | <urn:uuid:2f26cb6b-c792-4da4-aa5a-7069ffc8392d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gazette.net/article/20120905/NEWS/709059730/1122/pancake-breakfast-may-5/Humane-Society-embraces-'Pets-in-the-Workplace'&template=gazette | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97169 | 890 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Creole Grande Dame
It takes more than a good roux to make someone a New Orleans culinary institution
The chef Leah Chase has made a living, and a name, by working with her hands, but it’s her tongue that makes you wish you’d brought your notebook to lunch. “Never explain your actions,” she told me recently, interrupting my apology for having fallen out of touch. “Your enemies don’t believe it and your friends don’t need it.”
That adage came from her mother, Hortensia Lange, who gave birth to Leah in January 1923, just months after her first child died of burn complications from a toppled pot of scalded milk. “You don’t question your parents enough about things,” says Leah, who never considered how devastating that loss must have been for her mother until her own daughter and right-hand woman at Dooky Chase Restaurant, Emily, died during childbirth in 1990.
Leah’s life story is filled with heartache and humor, though the way she tells it—by punctuating sentences with a broad smile and another aphorism—leaves you remembering only the latter. The overriding themes at the Lange household in rural Madisonville, Louisiana, were faith and work. Leah’s father, Charles, supported his brood of eleven children by working in a shipyard and keeping a large kitchen garden. Chores were a way of life for everyone. Eating with Leah is the best way to learn about her childhood. Strawberry shortcake reminds her of making strawberry wine; okra gumbo, of sun-drying okra from the garden; roast quail, of shooting the birds that threatened the family’s sizable strawberry patch. Her mother would stew the quail with plums.
Her upbringing bred in Leah a fierce work ethic and a disdain for idleness. “I like to see people work their work,” she says. “Work that show.” It’s also surely what drove her into the workforce shortly after graduating from high school in New Orleans at just sixteen years old. (There was no high school for black students in Madisonville, so Leah lived with relatives in the city during the school year.) She first worked in French Quarter restaurants, and then, after marrying the young trumpet player and orchestra conductor Edgar “Dooky” Chase II and bearing four children, she went to work in her in-laws’ small sandwich shop on Orleans Avenue. | <urn:uuid:d0002040-c0a3-4776-b419-8db55dc373ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gardenandgun.com/article/creole-grande-dame | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974235 | 524 | 1.820313 | 2 |
I love the future. I love dreaming about the future, and wondering how technology, culture and political landscapes will change over the generations. I am fascinated and inspired by how some people through history have made an impact on this world that lasts beyond their lifetime.
I want to be someone who leaves a mark on this world, and I figure that the easiest way to do so is to bury stuff. I decided that to mark the birth of Cohen I would create a time capsule containing a few bits and pieces from my life to date and a bit of inspiration for ‘future Cohen.’ At the very least, it will be a fun thing to track down when Cohen is in his twenties.
To pull something like this off you need three things:
1. Something worth finding
2. Somewhere safe to bury it
3. Some way to remember it
Something Worth Finding
There are two components to this. Obviously the contents of the time capsule should be cool and significant, but the other important consideration is having a container that will preserve them for a few decades under the ground.
The trick with deciding what to put in it is to have items that hold a decent amount of significance but are not that valuable in themselves, just in case you can’t find it again (for example, I wouldn’t recommend burying your wife’s engagement ring!). Ideal items are little objects that have a bit of a story behind them. In Cohen’s time capsule I’ve included the calculator that got me through high school and a stanley knife I used for carving lot numbers in boundary pegs during my time as a field assistant. I’ve also included a notebook with sermon notes taken during some of my uni years, and a couple of newspapers from the day of his birth.
I wrote a letter to the future Cohen who will dig this up one day. It was actually quite tricky to write, because I really don’t want it to be an embarrassment when we dig it up. I wanted to share a bit of the wisdom I’ve gained in my life to date, but didn’t want it to be so sentimental it would be weird to read later. I’ve not idea who Cohen will turn out to be, so I tried to keep it fairly general and laid back.
Deciding what container to put all this in is no small consideration. Having the coolest, most appropriate items in your time capsule means nothing if it leaks and becomes a soggy mass of mould and rust. Buying a sturdy, robust and watertight container isn’t something you want to cut corners on. In my case I bought a small food-grade sealable pail from Mitre 10, and lined it with a plastic bag. The newspapers from the day of Cohen’s birth lined the outside of this, and inside I bought a cylindrical Sistema container, that snaps closed to be well and truly airtight. It was in this central core that I put all the things I really, really, really hope are still good in 20 years. You want to get your hands on plenty of silica gel to throw into these containers too. I just gave the good people at Number 1 Shoes a call and they very obligingly held on to a couple of handfuls of satchets for me. Bear in mind that your container of choice needs to be able to withstand the blows of a spade digging it up in a few decades, so an ice cream container simply won’t do.
Somewhere Safe to Bury It
In cadastral surveying, it is a rule that each survey should include two ‘Permanent Reference Marks,’ which by definition should be reasonably expected to last 50 years or more. Because of this background, I’m used to thinking in terms of what future development is possible, and how to avoid it. There’s a lot more at stake when you’re putting something like this down, so you can’t afford not to think about what might happen to it over the decades.
Basically private property is not an option, even if you currently own the land. This limits you to roads and parks. Roads are risky, with all the underground services going on, and the possibility of roadworks or people putting in driveways. This leaves parks. I would avoid anything very close to water, because erosion can happen quicker than you think. Another important consideration is to have some nearby features such as walls or fences that you would expect to be around in a few decades, so that you can reference your time capsule to them.
In my case I opted for somewhere in Cornwall Park, Auckland. It has rich heritage value, so any proposed development would have a hard time getting off the ground. It also has a lot of wide open space, so I could find a spot where it wouldn’t be too dodgy digging a little hole in the ground.
A system to remember it
Once again, the most cleverly thought out time capsule will be worthless if you forget about it, or can’t find it in a few decades. There are two elements to this, how to record the location and how to store that information.
Being a surveyor, recording the location of this time capsule got me quite excited. In my case I borrowed the GPS from work and obtained a coordinate accurate to the nearest couple of centimetres. I also drew a diagram with dimensions from nearby features, and took some photos.
If you don’t have access to a survey quality GPS, you can still get a more general coordinate using phones or tramping GPS units, however you will need to be more careful about finding a spot with nearby features that you can realistically expect to survive as long as your time capsule. However you obtain a coordinate, it is important to keep track of what coordinate system it is in, given that these do change. Don’t worry about how you’ll track down the coordinate later, as they’ll probably have invented glasses that have a built in HUD and possibly X-ray vision by the time you need to find it again.
The other trick is to have a way to access this information in 20 years or so. A hard-copy bit of paper containing this information simply won’t do, because if you lose it you can kiss your awesome idea goodbye. Nonetheless, even if we think technologically, it could all change over a few short years. This means that, just like investing, diversification is key, both in the formats you use and the places you save them.
I produced a sheet with the coordinates, diagram and photos as a pdf, and a jpeg image, as well as saving the raw coordinates and an access description as a .txt file. I also printed the sheet and added to the folder we keep birth certificates and passports in. I stored the electronic files in google documents, dropbox and evernote, so hopefully one of them will survive for that long. To remind myself that it exists I have set up yearly reminders for myself in Google Calendar (its hard to pick if Google will still be the giant it is, so rather than one reminder in 20 years I am reminding myself every year between now and then).
Only time will tell whether all this effort and planning will pay off, but if it does it will be awesome. I’ll be loving it even if Cohen thinks its a random box of junk. If you think I’ve gone overboard, or have ideas for how to do this stuff better please let me know in the comments!
P.S Don’t tell Cohen about this blog post when he’s older! | <urn:uuid:98c240a8-80ee-4d5b-8206-a08994848bdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marcus-brown.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961508 | 1,591 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Cloud startup Numecent might completely reshape software distribution, by making it far faster to deliver bits over the internet. For video game players, that potential is nothing short of revolutionary — if it works — and it has huge implications for business software, too.
The company is releasing details today of what it calls a “revolutionary cloudpaging technology” and it is also spinning out cloud-gaming startup called Approxy.
Osman Kent (pictured below), co-founder of graphics firm 3DLabs and chief executive of Numecent, said in an interview that the technology can make the digital delivery of any online software 20 to 100 times faster. If it works as advertised, the technology could tilt the balance in favor of cloud computing solutions, to the detriment of local, disk-based software delivery. And that would disrupt many different technology markets, from gaming to enterprise software.
Pioneers such as OnLive, Gaikai and Otoy are each pursuing their own version of cloud gaming. Those companies have figured out how to be more efficient using compression technology. But gaming is just one of multiple applications for the cloud technology, said Kent. And he says that Numecent’s technology is a lot more efficient — it won’t force you to upgrade your data plan for broadband connections.
To date, cloud computing has been more efficient than local-based computing. But it requires a big capital investment in servers in web-connected data centers. Kent says that the Numecent technology is so much more efficient that it vastly reduces the amount of server capacity a company requires in order to run cloud applications. Also, turning an application into a cloud-like service can be done, but it often takes a lot of custom programming. With Numecent, that isn’t necessary, Kent said.
“We can automatically codify applications,” he said. “Digital delivery of software is broken today because it can take you all day to do a download.”
Numecent has created and patented cloudpaging technology, which “virtualizes the assets delivered. Cloudpaging divides software into small fragments dubbed pages on the servers in a data center. When that fragment is needed by the user, Numecent sends only that fragment on an on-demand basis over a secure connection. The fragment then starts running immediately — in a protected, or sandboxed way — without the need for installation. In customer trials, the company can start deploying a 66-gigabyte virtual machine by fetching only 900 megabytes of data — a 60-fold reduction in time.
“It’s pure freaking magic,” said Jon Peddie, an analyst at Jon Peddie Associates and an expert on graphics technology. “The company has developed a way to quickly download just the necessary parts of a program for it to run, on whatever you are currently working on.”
You can only download software for which you have a license. With a game (Approxy’s domain), the technology would download what you need for opening play. Then, as you progress through the game, those parts, or “pages,” will be downloaded and others removed. When you are finished and close the game, it is no longer stored on your machine and leaves no trace, Peddie said. It can work on a wide variety of devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
“It uses very little memory, just what is needed for where you are, and so it loads very fast,” Peddie said. “The demos I’ve seen are very impressive. It gives you access to any software anywhere in the world there is an internet connection. It’s one of the most exciting technologies to be introduced in over a decade.”
Kent said the gratification is instant.
“You click,” he said. “Your game starts running on the machine you are using. Our software looks up your licenses and runs the game if you have permission. The time to gratification is hugely reduced. When you leave the machine, you have not installed anything and have not degraded the machine.”
Roy Illsley, an analyst at tech market analysis firm Ovum, worried that the technology may be “too advanced for many organizations today.” He said that service providers and mature companies will likely adopt it first, but the uptake could be slow if the customer does not understand it. That’s why it will be important for Numecent to come up with case studies that spell out the value.
The technology has been in development for over 12 years and it has taken $50 million in investment, stemming originally from a grant from the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Kent previously served as co-founder of 3D Labs, which was sold to Creative Labs. Kent became a music producer and piano player. But when he was pitched on the Numecent technology about 18 months ago, he decided to come out of tech industry retirement and became its CEO.
“I thought this could be much bigger than 3D Labs,” he said.
He said that Numecent has many patents on the technology.
“In modern computer architectures a memory management unit is used to virtualize RAM to reduce the memory footprint of an application,” said Art Hitomi, chief technology officer of Numecent. “By deploying a Virtual MMU in the communication path, we are in essence reducing the network footprint of the deliverable.”
The technology is also able to track a user’s progress with a software program and figure out if the user is stalling at a particular point in the program or game. That may signal a bug or a design problem.
Kent acknowledges that other cloud technology providers haven’t delivered on their promises, resulting in some skepticism among potential customers and users. But he says his company has taken a comprehensive approach.
“We want to be to software what Dropbox is to data,” he said.
Numecent plans on licensing its technology to software companies, aggregators, service providers, small businesses and enterprises. All of them need rapid software delivery, deployment and provisioning across a number of devices. Numecent has a partnership with Red Hat to deliver Red Hat’s software to virtual desktops. Most aspects of cloudpaging are already being shipped to customers in Numecent’s Application Jukebox product line, which can cloudify all Microsoft Windows applications.
The Approxy game spin-out is the first startup that was incubated inside Numecent, and Kent said there will be more in different vertical markets.
“Cloudpaging is a very broad and fundamental technology foundation with far-reaching applications,” he said.
Kent said the company has raised $2 million in a first-round of funding from strategic corporate investors. This is in addition to the $7.5 million it received from inception via Endeavour Ventures. Numecent is in the process of raising another $3 million round.
While the technology has been in development for a long time, Numecent was founded in 2009 and has 27 employees. Rivals include virtual desktop technology from Citrix, OnLive, Microsoft, and Gaikai. Microsoft and Citrix have licensed some of 10 major patents that Numecent has. | <urn:uuid:01b59777-80fd-49e6-8f9f-e9e817e86a3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/05/numecent-emerges-from-stealth-with-revolutionary-cloudpaging-technology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950866 | 1,529 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Released: May 11, 2011
Death of bin Laden: More Coverage than Interest
Many Say Osama Story Overcovered
While the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by U.S. military forces attracted a near-record amount of news coverage, public interest in the story has been comparatively modest.
Just more than four-in-ten (42%) say they followed news about the Al Qaeda leader’s killing more closely than any other news last week. One-in-five (20%) followed news about severe weather and flooding in the South and Midwest most closely. Bin Laden’s death is clearly the week’s top story, but it is not the top story for 2011. In mid-March, far more (57%) said they followed the Japan earthquake and nuclear disaster most closely.
Fully 69% of news coverage for the week was devoted to bin Laden’s killing, according to a separate analysis by Pew Research’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. Since PEJ began tracking news coverage in early 2007, only one story has approached the level of coverage bin Laden’s death received: In late August 2008, the media devoted just less than 69% to the presidential campaign during the week in which Democrats nominated Barack Obama and John McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.
The latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted May 5-8 among 1,003 adults, also finds that substantially more think that the killing of bin Laden received too much rather than too little news coverage (43% vs. 9%). About four-in-ten (42%) say the amount of coverage has been about right.
Looking at the public’s top stories for 2011, other dramatic events have attracted as much or more interest. For several weeks after the Japan earthquake in March, majorities cited the disaster as their most closely followed story.
In mid-January 49% said that their top story was news about the shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., that left six dead and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life. One month later, 48% said they were most closely following news about the dramatic uprising in Egypt and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
Comparing News Interest
While 42% cite bin Laden’s killing as their top story of the week, half of the public (50%) says they followed this news very closely. That ranks this news among the top stories of 2011 so far by this metric. It also is greater than the 44% that said they followed news about the capture of Saddam Hussein in Iraq very closely in December 2003.
This measure is different from the most closely followed story each week. It tracks interest in each story individually.
By this measure, the Japan disaster and the rising price of gas and oil attracted the highest interest (55% very closely in mid-March for Japan, 53% for rising prices in April). Other top stories have been the Arizona shootings in January (49%) and the nation’s economy (49% in February).
Since 2001, the top news stories based on the percentage tracking very closely have been the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington (78%) and the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in September 2005 (73%). (For more, see “Public’s Top Stories of the Decade – 9/11 and Katrina,” Dec. 30, 2010).
High Interest in News about Possible Retaliation
When asked which aspects of the news about Osama bin Laden they have found interesting, 57% say they have been very interested in news about the chance of a terrorist attack on the U.S. in retaliation for the killing of the al Qaeda leader.
About four-in-ten say they have been very interested in how the military raid was carried out (44%), whether Pakistan knew or should have known where bin Laden was hiding (44%) and the impact of the killing on U.S. involvement in Afghanistan (39%). About one-in-three Americans say they are very interested in the public reaction to bin Laden’s killing here and around the world (35%) or what effect bin Laden’s killing may have on American politics and elections (34%).
In an analysis of the first three days of coverage last week, PEJ found that the news media had devoted a quarter of coverage (25%) to recounting details of the dangerous raid and 24% to reaction in the U.S. and around the world. Another 11% dealt with the domestic political fallout, 10% dealt with the prospects for new terror attacks, 9% with the role played by Pakistan and 7% with the impact on U.S. policy.
Women express greater interest in news about the threat of retaliation – 64% say they are very interested in this story, compared with 49% of men. Women also are more interested in how the killing will affect America’s involvement in Afghanistan (44% vs. 34% very interested). Men are somewhat more interested in details about the raid (48% vs. 40%).
Independents are generally less interested in the bin Laden sub-stories than are Democrats or Republicans. When it comes to the impact of bin Laden’s killing on American politics and elections, Democrats express greater interest (45% very interested) than Republicans (33%) or independents (28%).
Where Americans Turned for bin Laden News
Television was the main source for news about bin Laden’s death for about three-quarters of the public (74%), followed by the internet, newspapers and radio.
Television is the most widely cited news source, regardless of gender, education, party identification or age. Those 65 and older, though, are much more likely to have gotten most of their bin Laden news from television than are those younger than 30 (87% versus 63%).
Almost four-in-ten Americans (39%) say they got most of their news about this story from the internet. More than half of those younger than 30 (56%) cite the internet as their top news source. Conversely, just 13% of those 65 and older say the internet was where they got most bin Laden news.
The pattern is reversed for newspapers. Roughly two-in-five (22%) say they got most of their news about bin Laden from newspapers. Among those 65 and older, about four-in-ten (39%) say this, while just 13% among those younger than 30 say they got most of their news from newspapers.
(When asked in December about where they get national and international news—not in the context of a major breaking story—Americans were somewhat less likely to cite television and more likely to cite the internet and newspapers, with young adults especially likely to cite the internet. See Internet Gains on Television as Public’s Main News Source for more information.)
Looking at specific types of television news, 39% say cable was their main source of bin Laden news, 26% say network news and 14% say local news.
Older Americans are more likely to have relied on network news outlets or on Fox News than are younger Americans. There is no age difference when it comes to CNN or MSNBC.
Partisan differences, however, are large. Democrats (28%) and independents (21%) are more likely than Republicans (13%) to have cited CNN as their top bin Laden news source. Three-in-ten Republicans (30%) cite the Fox News Channel, compared with 6% of Democrats and 16% of independents. Partisans are about equally likely to have turned to the internet, newspapers and other sources for news about the bin Laden killing.
Getting bin Laden News from Social Networking
Just 20% of Americans say they got a lot (7%) or a little (13%) news about the bin Laden story through social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter. However, social networks were an important source of information for the 44% of the public that uses Facebook, Twitter or other social networks.
Among social network users, 46% say they got a lot (16%) or a little (30%) information about the killing of bin Laden through social networking.
Younger social networkers are much more likely than their older counterparts to have gotten news about bin Laden through sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Fully 59% of those younger than 30 say they got at least a little information about bin Laden’s death through social networking and 24% say they got a lot of information this way. By comparison, 29% of those 50 and older who use social networks got at least a little information about bin Laden’s death from social networks.
The Week’s News
Though most coverage last week focused on the bin Laden killing and its implications, the public kept a watch on several other stories as well. For example, 41% say they very closely followed news about deadly tornadoes and floods that hit the South and Midwest. Two-in-ten (20%) say this was the news they followed most closely. The extreme weather conditions accounted for 5% of coverage, according to PEJ.
Four-in-ten (40%) say they tracked news about the U.S. economy very closely, while 11% say this was the news they followed most closely. News about the economy made up 4% of coverage.
About three-in-ten (29%) say they very closely followed the ongoing debate over the federal budget and how to reduce the nation’s deficit; 6% say this was their top story. News about the deliberations in Washington accounted for just 1% of coverage.
About one-in-six (16%) say they very closely followed news about these early stages in the 2012 presidential election; 2% say this was the news they followed most closely. In a week that included the first debate among potential Republican candidates, news about the election made up 3% of coverage.
Another 14% say they very closely followed news about ongoing violence in Syria; 2% say this was their top story of the week. News about developments in Syria accounted for less than 1% of coverage.
These findings are based on the most recent installment of the weekly News Interest Index, an ongoing project of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The index, building on the Center’s longstanding research into public attentiveness to major news stories, examines news interest as it relates to the news media’s coverage. The weekly survey is conducted in conjunction with The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index, which monitors the news reported by major newspaper, television, radio and online news outlets on an ongoing basis. In the most recent week, data relating to news coverage were collected May 2-8, and survey data measuring public interest in the top news stories of the week were collected May 5-8, from a nationally representative sample of 1,003 adults. | <urn:uuid:bf0b0858-493b-4b03-8aef-50961cca770a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/11/death-of-bin-laden-more-coverage-than-interest/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967959 | 2,228 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Body of woman missing for 20 years found in canal
Remains of a SW Fla. woman missing nearly 20 years found in station wagon submerged in canal
Authorities say the remains of a southwest Florida woman who went missing in 1993 were found in a car pulled from a Punta Gorda canal.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports the Buick station wagon was found earlier this month. Police announced Monday that dental records matched Frances Hendrickson, who was 64 years old when she went for a drive on June 30, 1993.
After Hendrickson went missing, police searched canals because she was known to be a poor driver. They used divers and sonar equipment but the search didn't turn up anything.
The newspaper reports the case was reopened two years ago using new sonar equipment. Two weeks ago, the search paid off. Divers found the submerged car and forensics experts went to work identifying the remains.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:1f9d74f0-ae16-4fdd-be67-36b4dc94a5b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.local10.com/news/Body-of-woman-missing-for-20-years-found-in-canal/-/1717324/18317770/-/view/print/-/k6klhaz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971553 | 211 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Archive for the ‘Infertility’ Category
April 21 – 27 marks an awareness week that many people don’t know about: National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW). During this week, the National Infertility Association sponsors events to raise awareness and advocacy about infertility.
The movement toward a week dedicated to talking about infertility began back in 1989, but it was not until 2010 that NIAW became fully recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services. Today, its main goals are to enhance the public’s understanding of infertility, and to educate legislators about infertility’s impact.
If you’re planning to have children in the future it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about infertility testing. Sometimes infertility is simply a matter of missing the right days of ovulation. If, however, you have tried timing conception with peak ovulation and have had no success, it may be time to have a fertility specialist conduct fertility tests. These may involve physical exams, semen analysis, blood tests, or other procedures.
For more information or to see if there are any NIAW events happening in your area, visit www.resolve.org. Do not let uncertainty about your fertility stop you from having the family you have always wanted.
In a recent article entitled “Ectopic Pregnancy Treatments Have Similar Effects on Fertility,” the results of a two-year study following women who had undergone treatment for ectopic pregnancies were published. Over 400 women in France who had an ectopic pregnancy were treated using one of three methods: a methotrexate injection which halted the pregnancy; conservative surgery, which preserved the fallopian tube; and radical surgery, which removed the fallopian tube. One part of the study compared those who received drug treatment to those who received conservative surgery. The other part of the study compared the conservative surgery to the radical surgery.
Two years after treatment, the pregnancy rates following each treatment were fairly comparable: 67 percent for those who underwent drug treatment, 70 percent for conservative surgery, and 64 percent for radical surgery.
Dr. Hershlag, chief of the Center of Human Reproduction located at North Shore University Hospital, was mentioned in this article and said these reportings “reaffirm our experience that [nonsurgical] medical treatment is sufficient in most cases of ectopic pregnancy,” if the ectopic condition is discovered early enough.
This is good news for women who have undergone treatment for ectopic pregnancies, giving them hope that a normal pregnancy is still possible even after such treatment.
To learn more about fertility treatment or assistance for those who have experienced ectopic pregnancy, contact The Center for Human Reproduction at 516-562-2229.
Can common chemicals hurt fertility? A recent study suggests that exposure to common household chemicals may hamper a couple’s efforts to conceive a child.
This morning the National Institute of Health (NIH) released a study that found couples with higher levels of certain mostly banned chemicals, such as PCBs, in their blood took longer to get pregnant than couples with lower levels.
The Center for Human Reproduction’s very own Dr. Christine Mullin explains how we can avoid over exposure to chemicals in the article that follows.
Chemicals in the kitchen may put human reproduction at risk.
Exposure to common chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may hamper a couple’s efforts to conceive a child, a new study shows.
“This suggests that some environmental chemicals might be important for human reproduction, specifically the time it takes couples to get pregnant,” said lead researcher Germaine Buck Louis, director of the division of epidemiology, statistics and prevention research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Rockville, Md.
Despite being banned, PCBs and other similar chemicals are still present in the environment. “The chemicals in this paper are commonly referred to as persistent environmental chemical compounds, meaning that when they get into the environment they don’t break down,” Louis explained.
Exposure often originates in the family kitchen, where processed and high-fat foods harbor the compounds. Heating plastic containers in the microwave oven also ups the risk of exposure, experts say.
“Humans are exposed largely through their diet,” Louis said. “It takes a long time for these chemicals to clear from the body, but the key is to try to minimize new exposure.”
One way to do that is to trim the fat from fish and meat, which is where some of these chemicals are absorbed, the researchers noted.
Their report was published online Nov. 14 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
For the study, Louis’ team collected data on 501 couples who gave blood samples so the researchers could measure the levels of these chemicals. In addition, the women kept a record of their menstrual cycles and the results of home pregnancy tests.
Over a year of follow-up, they found as the levels of chemicals increased, the odds of getting pregnant decreased. For women exposed to PCBs and the perfluorchemical known as perfluorooctane sulfonamide, the odds dropped by 18 percent to 21 percent.
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide belongs to a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyls, which have been used in fire-fighting foams.
For men, the odds dropped 17 percent to 29 percent for those exposed to PCBs and DDE, which is produced by degrading of the pesticide DDT. Although DDT was banned in the United States, it is still used in some countries, the researchers noted.
A previous study by this same group found high blood levels of lead and cadmium — two common metals — were also tied to delayed pregnancy.
PCBs have been used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment. They are in a category of chemicals known as persistent organochlorine pollutants and include industrial chemicals and chemical byproducts as well as pesticides.
These chemicals are ubiquitous and found in soil, water, and in the food chain. They don’t readily decay, and may stay in the environment for decades. Some of these chemicals, known as persistent lipophilic organochlorine pollutants, accumulate in fatty tissues.
Other chemicals, called perfluorochemicals, are used in clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant, non-stick cooking surfaces, and in the insulation of electrical wire.
Some of the delays in pregnancy may have been due to exposure to several chemicals, the researchers added.
“There is really no way to avoid exposure to these chemicals,” said Shanna Swan, vice chair for research and mentoring in the department of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
“The best thing to do is keep your exposure down to a dull roar,” she said.
Moreover, the effects of newer chemicals used to replace these older ones aren’t yet known, Swan said.
To reduce exposure to these and other chemicals, Swan advises, eat pesticide-free food, don’t eat processed food and don’t microwave food in plastic containers.
In addition, Swan believes products should be labeled with their chemical contents.
Another expert, Dr. Christine Mullin, a reproductive endocrinologist/infertility specialist at the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y., commented that these findings are “not surprising.”
“We have added so many pollutants to the environment that it’s just a matter of time until it started to affect women’s ability to conceive,” she said.
Mullin noted that exposure to these chemicals affects men’s sperm and may also affect women’s eggs.
She encouraged people to watch what they eat.
“Live as healthy a life as possible,” she said.
If you have any questions related to the health of your fertility, please contact our office to schedule a consultation.
To view the original article, you can visit News Max Health.
A Personal Story by Gail Fernandez, RN- Nurse Supervisor
It’s no surprise I ended up working in the field of Human Reproduction. Having been on an infertility journey myself, I was drawn there. The special feeling I had inside after having been through the ordeal never left me. I wanted to help those with the anguish, depression, failure and feelings of worthlessness that I too once experienced.
These heartaches run deep, they hurt so badly. To compound these feelings of despair, you have to ‘buckle up’ and smile when you hear from your friend or sister in law or cousin when they revel in the delight of a newly diagnosed pregnancy. It seems to pervade your life. Everyone you know is pregnant except you.
I’ll never forget the devastating feeling of being in the bathroom and crying because once again, another month gone by and I got my period. It’s an indescribable feeling that hurts so much it’s nearly unbearable– and though my husband was supportive, I never really felt that he understood this feeling of hopelessness.
So the days and the months and the years went by– my life became like clockwork, analyzing the countless temperature charts (this was before the days of IVF). Sex became a chore rather than a pleasure. The clinic visits, the testing, the pills, the temperatures, the hunger for information…….
My story ends on a happy note, though bittersweet. I kept at it. We adopted a wonderful baby boy only to succumb to another devastating loss when the birth mother changed her mind. Three months after this life changing incident, lo and behold, I was pregnant with twins!!!
Therein, lies the ecstasy. I had a relatively uneventful pregnancy though emotionally charged. It was perhaps the most memorable experience of my life. I now have not only my 26 year old identical girls but also a ’surprise’ 22 year old boy. Be it a prayer, luck or God’s will, I consider myself blessed.
I urge everybody to pursue their goals because there is an answer for everyone. Work through the pain, keep yourselves busy and persevere. That being said, when we get the news of a birth from our patients it brings a joyful tear to my eye. The best part of my job is seeing our patients realize their dreams. | <urn:uuid:ffef631e-6127-4db9-959e-a99f4a4a651f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northshorelijivf.com/wordpress/?cat=8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961553 | 2,195 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Andrew Stephenson, MP for Pendle, has welcomed the news that Lancashire County Council are looking into helping local schools pay for minibus licenses for their teachers.
After being contacted by Pendle Head Teachers struggling to afford licenses for their teachers, Andrew raised the matter with Lancashire County Council and is pleased that support looks like it is on its way.
Andrew explained, “Since 1997, European law means that you have to have a D1 license to drive a minibus. This means that teacher who passed their test prior to 1997 are able to drive school minibuses, however those who have passed their test since need to take an additional test. Whilst this was not initially a problem for local schools, after 15years a large proportion of teachers are affected, causing real difficulty.”
Andrew continued: “Although there is an exemption in the UK for volunteers including teachers, some councils, including Lancashire County, are worried about the legal position and will not support schools who want ordinary license holders to drive their minibuses. This is costly for the schools that have to fork out large sums for teachers to get the D1 license.”
After contacting Lancashire County Council the Authority have agreed to look in to helping schools get licenses for their teachers and is in discussions with possible providers. Discussions are described as ongoing with a result expected by the Autumn Term.
Andrew said, “This is welcome support for schools facing rising and unsustainable costs. I am pleased Lancashire County Council is taking action to help out and look forward to a settlement soon.” | <urn:uuid:3a3838d0-5c2e-41fc-9b46-12944c96a93c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.andrewstephensonmp.co.uk/news.php?page=249 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978614 | 326 | 1.640625 | 2 |
When a relationship ends badly, every racy photo or text you shared with your ex becomes a potential security problem.
All your private information, shared as a sign of love and trust, is suddenly vulnerable. A vengeful ex-lover could leak it online, use your passwords to cyberstalk you or exact other forms of digital revenge.
Scorned lovers are nothing new, nor are regrets, in the harsh light of a dissolving relationship, about exposing too much of yourself to someone. But in the mobile age, it's easier to share intimate pieces of information like photos and videos, as well as equally sensitive information such as e-mail passwords, banking logins, health insurance identification and Social Security numbers.
This Valentine's Day, 36% of Americans say they plan to share a salacious photo with their partner over text message, e-mail or social network, according to a new romance-themed survey from security company McAfee. According to the study, one in 10 exes has threatened to post a revealing photo of a former partner online, and 60% of those people have followed through with it.
What's more worrying is the increasingly common practice of cyberstalking significant others, current and former. More than 50% of people shared their passwords with a partner, the survey found.
"Sharing passwords is seen as a sign of love and devotion, a sign of commitment," said Robert Siciliano, McAfee's online security expert. "When the relationship goes south, change those passwords right away."
More than 56% of people snooped on their partner's social media pages and bank accounts, and 48.8% looked at their e-mails.
The cyberstalking habit extends beyond just current paramours.
Respondents also admitted to checking up on their exes, as well as their current partners' exes, on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The survey found that men are more likely than women to surreptitiously check their partner's personal accounts and to check on exes on social media.
"Be very careful," said Erika Holiday, a clinical psychologist who specializes in relationship issues and grief and loss. She recommends holding off on sharing that personal information, which can seem like a great idea in the early euphoric stages of a new love. | <urn:uuid:5c115a50-e08b-42cc-af51-48f45981f454> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcvb.com/news/money/technology/Protect-personal-photos-in-case-of-a-breakup/-/9848656/18401802/-/edbdmfz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961272 | 474 | 1.742188 | 2 |
There are many Inpatient Drug Rehabilitation programs and facilities available. In-patient drug rehab is referring to a program in which the addict stays at the facility. The programs are typically either short-term or long-term programs. A short term in-patient program runs for approximately 28 days, a long-term in-patient program can run from 30 days up to one year.
Inpatient Drug Rehabilitation programs provide a safe environment for addicts to learn to take back control of their lives. The drug rehab centers have professional staff members that are qualified to deal with drug addiction treatment, many of these programs also have ex-addicts on staff. This allow the addict to be free from temptation and surrounded by people who truly do understand what the are experiencing, before they have acquired all the skills necessary to transition back into society. | <urn:uuid:d4f2dd4b-0c8e-4622-954c-94626179bd2e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.transworldnews.com/1044407/a44062/inpatient-drug-rehabilitation-learn-to-take-control | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966237 | 167 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Foreign visitors forced to queue for hours in 27C heat after administrative error means they can't get their Olympics tickets
More than 200 foreign visitors in London for the Games were forced to queue for hours in the blistering 27C heat for their Olympic tickets because of an administrative error.
Tourists were left waiting outside a college in Paddington, London, because of a mistake by ticket agency CoSport, which has the exclusive rights to sell 'premium packages' to seven countries including Australia, Canada, Sweden and the U.S.
Foreign visitors were left queuing for hours for their tickets to the Olympics
A long queue formed coming out of City of Westminster College’s Paddington campus out onto the street because staff were struggling to process the tickets that had been bought online.
Some visitors even had to leave without their tickets because they could not be found while others were forced to wait for hours using their umbrellas and coats to shield them from the sun.
John Schrader, 54, from Adelaide, who waited more than four hours to pick up his basketball, swimming and athletics tickets, told the Evening Standard: 'You have several hundred people queuing for four, five, six hours, this is a significant public safety issue. You could have people collapsing or fainting. People are getting dehydrated and are in the sun.
'I feel very sorry for the staff and volunteers because they are the victims of incompetence up the food chain.'
David Prais, 48, from Uxbridge, spent more than three hours waiting to collect Taekwondo tickets for friends whose daughter is competing for the US team.
He told the newspaper: 'It doesn’t cast the Olympics organisers is a very good light. Clearly there are people in the queue where one of their first experiences of this country is to pick up their tickets, and what a disaster that is.'
No one from CoSport was available to comment.
FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA AT THE GAMES
Michelle Obama will be travelling to London to attend the Olympic Games' opening ceremony, the White House has announced.
The US First Lady is following in the steps of her predecessors Hillary Clinton who headed the American delegations to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and and Laura Bush who attended the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, respectively.
Mrs Obama will also attend a reception for Heads of State hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace and meet Prime Minister David Cameron's wife Samantha during the three-day visit.
She will also cheer on Team USA athletes as they compete at the Games.
Mrs Obama will lead the presidential delegation to the opening ceremony accompanied by Olympic and Paralympic greats. | <urn:uuid:833749be-cf20-4a67-a775-1d627b3d5965> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177859/London-Olympics-2012-Visitors-forced-queue-hours-27C-heat-tickets-administrative-error.html?ito=feeds-newsxml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976585 | 561 | 1.5 | 2 |
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