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Table of Contents Chapter IV Chapter VI
FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS - THE METHODS
OF DR. DEE AND SIR EDWARD KELLY
There is one point the Student may, or may not, have noticed in regard to the Simple Ceremony described in the previous chapter, viz: the entire absence of any ceremony of Purification or Banishing.
This may be accounted for by the fact that the Operator is supposed to be one who has implicit faith and trust in the Divine Powers Invoked, but it is only the Purest and Highest type of Seer who can safely use these methods, and at the same time, their simplicity is likely to attract the most ignorant.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and Magick either requires a great deal of knowledge, or none at all, and when we say None at all we mean Knowledge must have been transcended and have given place to Understanding or Direct Perception.
There are proper Ceremonies for Banishing and Invoking which should be used whenever a Circle is used in an operation of this sort. Again, to understand them rightly requires considerable work on the part of the Student.
It is not my intention to discourage the beginner from an attempt to put into practice any part of this Art, which however is also a Science. No Science can be learned in a day, and unless the Scientific aspect be first mastered, how can one be in a position to carry out the practical side in a skillful manner, befitting any of the Arts.
A few words should be written on the necessity of Banishing before undertaking any Occult or Magical Work. When we first of all dealt with our crystal, we found it necessary to Banish from it any impure Astral Influences that might have been present within it, after which we Consecrated it, and Charged it with our Will. It is equally necessary, therefore, that in the event of our desiring to Work within a Magic Circle, drawn on the floor of our Temple, (or Room) we should FIRST BANISH all impure influences from that room, or at least cause them to remain OUTSIDE the CIRCLE, which in this case is but Symbolical of THE UNIVERSAL CRYSTALLINE SPHERE from which we desire to call down influence upon our LESSER CRYSTALLINE SPHERE, and in turn to be able to comprehend them, by means of a Vision, within our own CRYSTAL SPHERE -- THE SOUL.
If this Soul is Pure and Clear in the first instance, nothing can harm it, but usually the practices we undertake are for the purpose of purifying our own vehicle.
The burning of incense may help to purify the atmosphere in our surroundings, but this incense itself is impure until it has been PURIFIED and CONSECRATED to the work in hand. This at least we may accomplish, by methods very similar to those adopted in the case of the crystal. A more elaborate preparation is certainly advisable, but this is not the place to enter into full details of the Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram. These details may be found in "The Equinox." Vol. I Number 2 by those who need them sufficiently to feel it worth while to obtain them.
The practical importance, however, of these Rituals cannot be overrated. They form a means of Banishing all that is undesirable in our surroundings, Elementary, Planetary and Zodiacal; and also of invoking the Powers of the Elements, Planets and Signs in the proper way.
The failure to understand these things has led in the past to many disastrous results; and the world today seems blissfully ignorant of even the necessity of any such performance, while at the same time attempting to deal with "Phenomena" of a Spiritualistic Type, which in many instances is nearer to the necromantic results of Evocation than the comparatively safe methods of Invocation described in the last chapter.
We may now turn our attention to some of the possible results of Crystal Gazing, when undertaken in the right manner. This, at least, may encourage the enquirer to "make himself fit" to accomplish similar results in time.
Few people realize what an important factor the Crystal has played, and is playing, in events of Planetary Importance concerning the Initiation of the whole of Humanity. It seems a far cry from the practice of Crystal Gazing to the New Aeon, but it may be there is more than a slight connection even in that instance. In any case, the practice may lead to results far greater than ever imagined in the beginning, and these results may only become manifest long after the original seer has passed away and is almost forgotten.
In any case it is doubtful whether the old Abbot Trithemius of Spanheim dreamed that his instructions, written so long ago, were going to be copied and commented upon in this little book, or could have foreseen -- any more than the present author can foresee -- the result upon the lives of those who may read them and act upon them in the future.
In the latter part of the Sixteenth and early part of the Seventeenth Centuries, there lived another man, to whom the Art of Crystal Gazing came to mean much. I refer to Dr. Dee who during his Occult career made the acquaintance of a certain Crystal Gazer known as Edward Kelly. The result of their work is certainly active today, and had it not been for them, it is very doubtful if the present treatise would ever have been written.
Quoting from a recently published Life of John Dee by Charlotte Fell Smith (although this book is not of great practical importance to the Student) we obtain the following:
THE CRYSTAL GAZERS
"It is a curious picture to call up, that of the strangely assorted pair seated in the inner room at Mortlake, acting out this spiritual drama. Dee had asked for instructions about the room for the sittings:
"May my little farthest chamber serve, if the bed be taken down?" The table, covered with its cloth, stood in the centre upon the seals. Kelly, perhaps with the black cap he is credited with having always worn, pulled close over his ears, was seated at it. Dee at his desk sat writing in the great folio book. He was now fifty-six years old; his beard was long, but perhaps not yet 'as white as milk' as Aubrey describes it. He did not apparently see the visions himself. Once he reproachfully said: 'You know I cannot see or skry'. He conversed with the spirits and sometimes heard what they said; but to the eye and ear of his body they were invisible; hence his dependence upon a skryer.
"The sole object of his ambition was the attainment of legitimate wisdom. When conversing with the angels, how near within his grasp it seemed! Michael's exposition seemed almost to promise it to him:
"'Wilt thou have witt and wisdom? Here it is.
"Michael points each time to a figure of seven squares shown within a circle of light.
"'The exaltation and government of princes is in my hand.
"'In counsayle and Nobilitie, I prevayle.
"'The Gayne and Trade of Merchandise is in my hand. Lo I here it is.
"'The Qualitie of the Earth and Waters is my knowledge, and I know them. And here it is.
"'The motion of the Ayre and those that move in it, are all known to me. Lo! here they are.
"'I signifie wisdom. In fire is my government, I was in the beginning and shall be to the end.
" 'Mark these mysteries. For this knowne, the state of the whole earth is knowne, and all that is thereon. Mighty is God, yea, mighty is he who hath composed forever. Give diligent eye. Be wise, merry and pleasant in the Lord."'
Here we have one of the communications from the Angel Michael that has been Historically recorded. In fact a great deal of the work of Dee and Kelly remains in actual writing to this day. Many of their formulae are being used by the true Adepts, and much work has yet to be done in order to make the meaning of this early work entirely clear. The public knows little or nothing of all this, but I may quote from certain Official Instructions of The Great White Brotherhood or A. A. which deals with the matter.
"The Skryer (Edward Kelly) obtained from certain Angels a series of seven talismans. These, grouped about the Holy Twelvefold Table, similarly obtained, were part of the furniture of the Holy Table."
"Other Pantacles were obtained in a similar manner. Here (Figure V) is the principal one, which carved in wax, was placed upon the top of the table. On four others stood the feet of the table.
"Note first the Holy Sevenfold Table containing seven Names of God which not even the Angels are able to pronounce.
"These names are seen written without the heptagram within the heptagon."
This Holy Sevenfold Table is probably the one referred to by the Angel Michael in the communication above quoted. It forms the Key to manifold and great Mysteries.
By reading these obliquely are obtained the names of other sets of Angels, some of which were attributed to the Metals of the Planets, as also by other methods of reading can be obtained the Names of the Seven Great Angels, etc., etc. All the names of the Angels thus drawn from the Sevenfold Table appear on the Pantacle or SIGILLUM DEI AEMETH.
Dr. Dee also had a Shew-stone, a crystal which he alleged, to have been brought to him by angels. This was placed upon the Table, and the principal result of the ceremonial skrying of Sir Edward Kelly, was the obtaining of a series of wonderful diagrams, containing the Keys to all the mysteries of the Universe.
He symbolized the Fourth-Dimensional Universe in two dimensions as a square surrounded by 30 concentric circles, (known as the 30 Aethyrs or Aires) whose radii increase in geometrical proportion.
The sides of the square formed Four Great Watch-Towers which are attributed to the elements, these in turn are all governed by what is known as The Table of Union, attributed to Spirit.
Dr. Dee also obtained the Alphabet of the Angelic Language, in which all these mysteries were written. It is sometimes called the Enochian Alphabet, as the angels claimed to be those which conversed with the "patriarch Enoch" of Jewish fable.
The Thirty Aires or Aethyrs, surrounding the Material Universe, each had their special name, drawn from these pantacles. Also the names of their Governors were drawn from the same sources. Each of the Aethyrs had three governors, and these in turn controlled from two to nine thousand servitors.
A series of Forty-eight Calls or Invocations were also obtained in the Angelic Language, and by means of these it became possible to Invoke to Visible Appearance all these Aethyric Spheres, with their Angel Guardians. This gives but a slight idea of the extent of the practical Magical work done by Dee and Kelly by means of the Crystal or Shew-Stone.
[Transcriber's note: See the Enochian Magick Reference for an accurate description of the elements of the Enochian magick.]
This work has formed the basis of much of the Magical Work of the Adepts of this present time, and was instrumental in bringing about what we now know as The New Aeon. Almost all will now have recognized that we are living in a New Age or Era, and the Magical Forces which have brought this about, are largely due, in the first instance, to the Keys to the Higher Spheres obtained by Dee and Kelly, some centuries before Humanity was ripe for the actual Initiating of the Current of Higher Will, which the practical use of these Keys made possible in this age.
All this may sound highly fantastical to those who have no initiated knowledge of the Universe, or of the nature and powers of Man. We do not wish to labor the point, but it illustrates how important the Crystal may become in the hands of a true Seer.
The Real Prophet is one who has also the Power to make his prophesies come true. That is the difference between the Major and the Minor Prophets. In this instance many things seen by Dee and Kelly are coming true, but chiefly because a greater Adept than either of them, grasped the possibilities of their Visions and by his Mighty Will, put the necessary Forces into action. We may now consider what is meant by a Shew-Stone.
This, in the instance above cited, consisted not in a crystal sphere placed upon a stand on the table, but in a stone pressed to the forehead of the Seer. At least such was the material means used in obtaining the Visions of the 30 Aethyrs by Frater 0. M. just before and after The Equinox of the Gods which occurred in 1904 E. V.
In that instance a great Topaz, set in a Scarlet Cross, was used. The process was somewhat different from ordinary crystal-gazing, as likewise were the results.
The place of what is known as the "Third Eye" in man, is just above and between the exterior organs of sight. This is known in Hindu Systems as the "Ajna Chakra" and is thought by some to correspond to the Pineal Gland.
Intense concentration on this "Lotus" or "Chakra" produces Visions of a very high character, and this concentration may be increased or aided-by the pressure of a skew-stone to the forehead just over this "third-eye."
In that case the Vision is turned inwards towards the Ajna Chakra, instead of concentrated on an outside object such as the crystal. When the power of concentration has been developed by means of crystal-gazing (as described in the earlier chapters of this book) this concentration may be taken up by the INTERIOR ORGANS OF VISION, and the visions perceived, not in physical space, but in the Chitakasha or MENTAL SPACE. Visions of this nature are usually of much greater value than the others which result from our early practices with the eyes open.
Consideration of Visions of this type, as of the proper means of obtaining them, will lead us well on the path to obtaining true Crystal Vision. Since, however, it forms a different aspect of the Work, it will be best to treat of it in another Chapter.
Table of Contents Chapter IV Chapter VI
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CHARTERED accountant, once a title that guaranteed a cushy job in India, is losing its sheen as a broad-based slowdown is spreading across the entire spectrum of financial services in India and overseas.
“This year was perhaps the worst ever in terms of the percentage of final year students who were placed during the ICAI placement with only around 15 per cent students registered getting jobs. This is much worse than the percentage achieved even during the 2008 global financial crisis year and half of that achieved in the previous placements,” said Pankaj Jain, council member at Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
In the previous round of placements, according to Jain, the ICAI achieved a success ratio of almost 30 per cent students who had registered. The institute organises placements during February-March and August-September each year.
K Raghu, chairman at the ICAI’s committee for placements, said, on an average, the institute places 1,500-2,000 CAs every cycle out of 3,500-4,000, who are interested in jobs. “Lot of CAs work out career paths on their own and merely register in the job fair to independently find out their market worth. In our placements, around 100 companies participate on an average,” said Raghu.
“The balance students who don’t get placed either pursue further studies or in many cases set up their own practice,” said Jain.
This year has been particularly trying for financial services professionals as the whole swathe of financial services businesses have slowed down. New business premia at life insurance firms are down while general insurance companies are mired in losses. Banks and NBFCs have both seen a slowdown with reduced demand for loans from corporates as capex gets frozen on concerns with respect to final demand. The broking business has also seen a huge drop in volumes, which has led several brokerages to seek buyers to stay afloat.
“There is an overall reduced demand for talent in the financial services business. Private banks and distribution houses have both been facing a major problem as fee income from distribution of mutual funds and insurance has declined. Many foreign banks are shrinking their retail portfolios too. So in such a scenario it’s understandable that demand for fresh talent is muted,” said Shahzaad Dalal, vice chairman at IL&FS Investment Managers.
According to Prime Database, debt raising in the six months ending September 2011 fell 12 per cent to Rs 1.02 lakh crore. “The financial services business has been a large employer of CAs for the past few years, but this year, it has cut down on hiring and, in fact, had let go of several professionals due to weak business conditions. With the industry globally being weak, BPOs too, have not been hiring for lower demand overseas,” said Amit Tandon, MD of Institutional Investor Advisory Services.
According to Tandon, most financial services firms are going slow on their expansion plans as their bleeding balance sheets are making it difficult to sustain losses in bear market conditions. For students who thought that they could take a sabbatical from work and focus on completing their CA for better job prospects, the low placement ratio would be a bitter pill to swallow. In fact, this year has seen one of the highest number of students passing out in recent times at about 11,000, according to Jain. This has helped the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India become the second largest accounting body in the world (behind the US) with close to 180,000 chartered accountants in India, added Jain.
“The broking business in India has seen a 30 per cent drop in turnover with a drop in both volumes as well as commissions. Retail broking volumes are virtually non-existent and the investment banking market is virtually dead while deal making by private equity firms have slowed to a trickle. The primary market for fresh equity capital raising too is in a very bad shape,” said Atul Kumar, CEO at boutique investment banking and wealth management firm Genome Capital.
The last six to eight months has also seen mutual fund assets fall by 15-18 per cent, something which did not even happen in 2008 at the time of the global financial crisis. Sales and dealing staff at many brokerages have been halved while wealth management firms have culled their employee base. “Many investment banking firms have retren-ched staff while mutual funds too are barely hiring. Insurance firms too are barely recruiting so where is the new demand going to come from,” said the CEO of a large industrial house-owned financial services group, who did not want to be identified.
“There has been a 20-30 per cent reduction in employment in the banking financial services and insurance sectors and this reduction has not yet stopped. Even salary growth in the sector has been blunted,” said Manish Sabharwal, chairman at Teamlease Services — one of India’s largest temp staffing firms. In fact, data on the biannual placements organised by the ICAI suggests that the average salary offered to freshly qualified CAs in the latter half of calendar year was lower than that offered in the first quarter of the calendar year. “There has been a perfect storm in the Indian financial services industry,” said Sabharwal.
Industry experts point out that CAs have been falling off the pecking order in terms of prestige as the supply of MBA graduates with a finance specialisation has ballooned. “CAs are being hired more for pure audit, tax and accounting functions as the MBA course design is superior than the CA even though very bright people are doing the CA course,” said Dalal. As a result, where once the best and brightest pursued a CA degree now that qualification alone may not be enough to secure a career. “Standalone CAs may only be employed as accountants. Most others will need to get another professional degree as well, to move beyond. The tendency has been for such candidates to first pursue a CA and then do other courses,” said Kumar.
“Many employers are recognising that you don’t need MBAs and CAs for some particular kinds of job profile. Instead of hiring such people at high salaries and suffering high attrition they are now seeking more appropriate skills for the job in hand and people who will be ready to move to smaller cities and towns where the growth is happening. This is a sign of a maturing labour market,” said Sabharwal.
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I thought we might start making some decorations for the tree this week, which could also double up as brooches, bracelets and even earrings. Now we haven't done any felting for ages, so I thought we could do a little bit more, but with option of a little bit of cheating if you are time-poor.
You will need the following kit:
White wool tops - or preformed small and medium sized felt balls
Black wool tops
Left over sock wool
Selection of embroidery threads
Needle - sewing and mattress
Soap and warm water
Firstly, you have to make two felt balls and to remind you how to make them take a look at the felt beads tutorial or you can buy ready prepared felt balls at most good craft stores. You will need to create one ball which is smaller than the other to create the head and a larger one to become the body
Next we are going to create the felt hat for your snowman. Lay out strands of your tops as follows - horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical -on top of the bubble wrap, which lies on top of your bamboo mat which has an old towel beneath it.
Using your soap and warm water spray on top of the tops, now fold over the bubble wrap and spray again on top of the bubble wrap and start to agitate on top of the tops.
After a minute, open it up and rotate it by 90' and agitate again (by this I mean rub it in small circles with your fingertips...) this is how you felt your tops together to make your felt hat.
Now roll up your felt piece in the bubble wrap, but continue to do this in your bamboo mat... roll the mat for about 40 rolls, then open it up flip it 90' and roll it again. The area of your felt will shrink by up to a third.
You now need to shock your felt - crude jokes will not work - do this with cold water to rinse out the soap.
Grab your marble, and fold the felt over it, using a length of yarn, capture the felt around the marble with a length of wool and let it rest until it dries to make the shape of your hat.
Using your cocktail sticks, cast on four stitches and knit in a garter stitch pattern on these four stitches until the scarf measures at least six inches in garter stitch and then cast off. I used a crochet hook to make fringing on the scarf.
Now, as the felt balls have dried, using your white cotton, start on the smaller ball and stab through to the larger ball with your mattress needle and back up to the smaller head ball and fasten your cotton off.
Free your black hat from the marble, using a contrasting shade of embroidery thread, stab through the top of the head and leave a loop of a few inches and come back down through the hat and knot it firmly. Glue onto the head.
Now for the face, you can embroider the eyes in black french knots to represent the coal, then orange for the carrot nose and a red line for the mouth. If you are not happy with your embroidery skills, steal your children's felt tips and pencil them on.
On each side of the body, using the black cotton doubled up, sew the arms and hands. Then the three buttons down the chest... or with your felt tips.
Finally, wrap your scarf around the snowman's neck to keep him warm whilst he is hanging on your tree.
Grateful thanks are due to Lyn for her technical advice, do take a look at her superb felting blog http://www.rosiepink.typepad.co.uk/
Right... you know what is coming, it is time to pop over to Wendy's Handmade Monday Blog
And later this week, how I met Nicky Epstein at Ally Pally :)
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Lt. Gov. in Delco to tout proposal to privatize liquor sales
ASTON — At his first stop on a statewide tour to build support for the governor’s plan to privatize the state store system, Lt. Gov. James Cawley spoke of how the township’s Giant Food Store could potentially transform as a result.
“What we want to do in this administration is help them serve their customers even more efficiently by creating choice, by creating convenience in the area of wine selection right here out of this store and beer selection, as well,” he said after walking throughout the store and perusing its merchandise, including a six-pack of O’Doul’s.
A self-professed Miller Lite man, Cawley said Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposal to open the state-run system could be introduced into the General Assembly as early as late next week.
Last week, Corbett outlined a plan to eliminate Pennsylvania’s 600 state stores. There would then be 1,200 licenses up for auction, which would permit the sale of beer, wine and spirits. Of these, 800 would be available for stores 15,000 square feet or larger, selling at least 600 feet of shelf space of alcohol. Another 400 would be demarcated for businesses smaller than that.
Current beer distributors would have the opportunity to obtain “enhanced” licenses that would permit the sale of individual six-packs of beer and bottles of wine.
The transfer of the system from public to private is expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue, which would be earmarked for Passport for Learning block grants in which public schools could direct the funding toward one of four areas: school safety; enhanced early education reading and mathematics programming; individualized learning; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiatives.
Cawley said implementing a private system for selling alcohol would provide benefits in convenience, choice and competitive pricing only available in the free market.
“Gov. Corbett and I are committed to ending the state-run monopoly and turning to the private sector, allowing them to do what it is they do best — create opportunity and create family sustaining jobs,” he said.
The tour began on the same day that a poll released by Franklin and Marshall College found Corbett’s ratings are the lowest of his tenure. According to the analysis, only one in four, or 26 percent, of registered voters believe the governor is doing an “excellent” or “good” job.
Cawley said the privatization plan is not linked to that, but rather to allow Pennsylvanians to purchase alcohol like residents of 48 other states. Continued...
“Candidate Tom Corbett said on several different occasions that he was committed to making sure that government got out of a business that it should not have been in ... This has nothing to do with anything other than the governor keeping his promise to people who sent us here.”
Alex Charlton, president of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, lauded the proposal.
“For the chamber of commerce, this is something that’s a no brainer and something we’ve been advocating for a long time,” he said. “There’s no reason for the state to have a monopoly on alcohol sale.”
State Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-160, of Upper Chichester, also on the tour, said he supports privatization overall, but had concerns about the independent beer distributors and how the revenues from the sale of the state stores would be distributed.
“I think there’s got to be a way to make them whole before we move forward,” Barrar said of the beer distributors, whom he wants to participate in the sale of all alcohol products.
However, as his district sits adjacent to the border of Delaware, where many residents shop, he said privatization needs to be considered.
“I think it’s time,” he said. “You know, it really is. It’s been so long and our current state store system is a little backwards. It really is. It’s sad but it is.”
Location, ST | website.com
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Big banks are under a lot of pressure these days not to mess anything up — but in the case of firing employees for crimes they committed decades ago, are they overreacting? A Wells Fargo customer service worker says his recent termination stemming from an incident in 1963 is totally unnecessary. His crime? Using a cardboard cutout of a dime in a Laundromat washing machine.
The 68-year-old man was fired from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage under new employment guidelines, the same rules that saw a Milwaukee woman lose her job in May over a 40-year-old crime. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s tougher standards for bank employees were enacted in May 2011, and are supposed to get rid of executives and mid-level bank employees who’ve committed crimes like identity theft and money laundering.
The man was convicted of operating a coin-changing machine by false means, a crime he told the Des Moines Register was a “stupid stunt,” but because he spent two days in jail as a result, he doesn’t qualify for a free pass from the FDIC’s automatic waiver system. Another program will let employees try to show they’re still fit to work at a bank even if they’ve been convicted, but that takes about six months to a year.
Wells Fargo spokeswoman Angela Kaipust responded to the Des Moines Register to confirm the firing: “The expectations that have been placed on us and all financial institutions have never been higher,” she said.
A local attorney is in the process of helping the man complete the FDIC waiver application process, adding that he’s not the kind of employee the FDIC guidelines are going after.
“These guidelines are really meant for executives and people who can perpetuate widespread fraud,” said the attorney.
*Thanks for the tip, Lenny!
Wells Fargo fires Des Moines worker for laundromat incident 49 years ago [Des Moines Register]
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Opera submits iPhone browser, still expects Apple's consent
- — 24 March, 2010 07:16
Opera Software today announced that it had submitted its mobile browser to the iPhone App Store, and the company's co-founder remained confident that Apple would approve the software.
"Now, the ball is in their court," said Jon Von Tetzchner, an Opera co-founder and former CEO. "It's not violating the iPhone SDK, and Apple has approved other browsers. I think it would be strange if Apple rejected it."
Opera used a company blog to announce that it had officially submitted Opera Mini to the App Store today.
The move fulfills a promise Opera made last month, when it previewed Opera Mini for the iPhone to partners and reporters at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain. At the time, Christen Krogh, Opera's chief development officer, dismissed concerns that Apple would deny admittance to the App Store, the only sanctioned iPhone software outlet.
Today, Von Tetzchner repeated several of Krogh's comments, including rejecting the idea that Opera Mini is a direct competitor to Safari, the iPhone's native browser. "Opera Mini is a client-server solution, so we're not really introducing a new run-time," Von Tetzchner said, referring to the page rendering that takes place on Opera's servers, a practice it uses to compress pages so that they download faster over wireless networks. Opera claims that Opera Mini generates Web pages six times faster than Safari.
"We think it would be a very welcome addition to the iPhone," Von Tetzchner added. "People are chewing up to get it."
In the past, Apple has explained some App Store rejections by claiming the submitted software duplicated existing functionality in the iPhone. As Krogh did before him, Von Tetzchner argued that Opera Mini was different. "It's not really a direct competitor [to Safari]," he said. "And from an end user's perspective, the question really is, 'Can you handle multiple browsers?'"
Von Tetzchner also denied that Opera would turn to the courts if Apple rejected Opera Mini. "Obviously, we'd be sad" if the software is barred from the App Store, he said. "But Apple doesn't have a [smartphone] monopoly in the U.S., so there would be no antitrust."
Speculation about an Opera legal move stems from the Norwegian browser maker's complaint to European Union antitrust regulators in late 2007, when it claimed that Microsoft 's bundling of its Internet Explorer browser with Windows stifled competition . After an investigation by EU authorities, Microsoft bowed to pressure and began delivering a ballot screen that gives European Windows users a way to choose one or more rival browsers.
Opera has said the number of downloads of its desktop browser have more than doubled since the ballot was introduced March 1.
If Apple does okay Opera Mini, Opera may craft a version specifically for the iPad, the Apple media tablet that will also connect to the App Store. "As Apple has said, most applications for the iPhone will run equally well on the iPad," said Von Tetzchner. "[Opera Mobile] is a very flexible program, and it would run very well on the iPad."
Apple did not respond to a request for comment on Opera's submission; the company's policy is to not comment on App Store submissions.
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April 17, 2010
Modernity was nice while it lasted, wasn’t it? An Italian friend called while I was bathing my son this evening. Due to the complete closure of British airspace after Eyjafjallajokull’s eurption, she’s stranded in Belfast, and was calling from the port, where she was on a waiting list for a boat crossing the Irish Sea to Liverpool. From there, she hopes to take a train down to London, stay with us for a night, and then assess her options for crossing the Channel before making her way by train, bus or foot back to Rome.
In the meantime, and thanks to the same unpronounceable volcano, I’ve been on hold with the Canadian branch of British Airways for more than an hour because my husband is stuck at a conference in Montreal. Some of his colleagues report that they’ve been allocated return flights to Europe in 10 days time. A ship could cross the Atlantic in less time: in fact, a trans-Atlantic passage from New York to Southampton on the Queen Mary 2 takes less than 7 days (but would cost more than $3,000). I’m starting to wonder which century I’m living in. Even my great-aunt and her parents were able to fly from New York to Rome in 1950 (albeit with many re-fueling and meal stops along the way).
Other than the millions of stranded passengers contemplating pre-20th century modes of transport, the Icelandic volcano is having other, more global effects. Like potentially on global warming. Much reported in the news is the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions. A major eruption in the Philipines in 1991 apparently cooled the earth by almost 1 degree Farenheit, significantly more than humans have been able to manage by signing accords about carbon output.
While scientists suggest that so far, Ejafjallajokull’s eruption has been a) too small and b) not sulphuric enough to cool the earth’s temperature, I wonder if anyone has looked at the amount of carbon emissions saved by closing all air traffic in and out of Northern Europe for several days (or weeks?). Surely we’re doing something good for the planet by walking home from Belfast to Rome?
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I'm a little stuck on the specifics of OpenGL versioning. A bit of background...
I'm writing an application (using old-fashioned WinAPI) and I'm working on converting the graphics system to OpenGL. Originally, I did all the math on the CPU and used GDI+ for rendering, which worked fine until the polygon count of my tests started increasing. It proved to be far too slow when dealing with ~20,000 triangles.
Since I'm new to OpenGL, I started with the NeHe tutorials, which, as I later found, are quite outdated. So as of now, it's written in pretty basic OpenGL 1.1 fixed function pipeline. Not too much has been done, so conversion is not a big problem.
As I understand it, OpenGL up until version 2.1 (or perhaps 3.0, not counting the deprecations) is built in "layers"; you would only need the latest version that supported all your needs. However, 3.1 and after completely discard FFP, so I'm not sure where they fit in. Also, I've heard that some Intel integrated GPUs only support 1.5, but modern GPUs only emulate FFP... eh, I just don't know.
Now, what I'm asking is: Given that I only need the functionality of OpenGL 1.1 (it's nothing fancy, just a lot of brute force polys), would it be better for me to stay with the FFP, convert to OpenGL 2.1 shaders, or take a step further and discard all deprecated functionality in favor of OpenGL 3.1+ (in the interest of future-proofing)?
The program is a data visualization aid intended for academic/scientific research purposes, so ideally I'd like it to work on as many computers as possible, not just those that have the latest hardware.
Thanks for your time.
If you want to support old Intel GPUs, use GL 1.1. Some of them support GL 1.4 but the drivers are too buggy so using new functionality is a problem.
Use display lists to render your objects (if they are static). It should work fine, even on old Intel chips.
You might want to check what GL version is supported on your target computer.
Yes, NeHe tutorials are really old.
Thanks for your response, V-man.
About the display list approach though... I am generating my objects mathematically (with z as the output of a function that takes x and y as parameters) and displaying them like one might display terrain in a game. If I wanted to "animate" this while allowing simultaneous user-controlled orbit, would I use many pregenerated display lists or a VBO?
If by animate, you mean to change the vertices, then you should not use display lists because you would have to recompile a display list and that is slow.
VBOs have been introduced in GL 1.5. If you want to, use VBO.
Okay, if that is the case, I probably will just ignore the old Intel GPUs and step up to using OpenGL 2.1; custom shaders will provide some flexibility in my display options, I think. It's probably unlikely that I would hit upon an old Intel GPU anyway, since research budgets usually allow for computer upgrades (and laptops are less common).
Thanks again for the pointers.
If you rely only on desktops, or on Intel's CPUs based on Sandy or Ivy Bridge (the last two generations of i-processors/HD2000+), then stepping further to GL 3.3 is much better solution. Not because of deprecation, but because of advantages.
If I am limited to OpenGL 3.2 at the highest (due to a binding restriction on one of my intended platforms), would it still be a good idea to step up to that point?
EDIT: I work primarily on an older i7 laptop (Nehalem microarchitecture) with a dedicated GPU, but my target computers will likely have Sandy Bridge or newer. I'm assuming that the Intel integrated GPUs will be irrelevant if they have a relatively up-to-date dedicated GPU -- is that right?
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I'm not an expert on the various Islamic religions and this post is not about that. Coming from a Western and secular background, I have a hard time understanding and coming to terms with any type of organized religions. But I do remember a conversation I once had with my roommate about dressing codes and the headscarf. The headscarf, she told me, was the dressing code which made her feel safe. She felt naked without it. She felt men looking at her without it, and she had no clue how to handle that, especially since men for her represented violence.
It then occurred to me that I'm only grasping the religious aspect of the headscarf. That I've been trained to 'see' only religion (and an 'alien' yet homogeneous religion, the religion of the 'Other'). That I am ignoring a whole dimension of dressing codes: the everyday life dimension. After all, haven't I chosen a longer skirt over a shorter one because I was sick and tired of being hassled on the street?
Which is not to say that religion is totally absent. But rather to allow some space for women to choose their own dressing codes, and to acknowledge that we do not live in a world without constraints. Gender relations, religion, power, social structures, definitions of normality, discourses about the 'Other' - they all mix together in our everyday lives and our identities. To realize that for the woman in question, having a headscarf or a longer dress may be - as strange as it may sound - an act of empowerment, of being in control, of being free, of being herself.
Photo credits: loufi
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With the whole Mayan calendar fiasco behind us, I’ve been thinking. Do you think that a few millennia from now, there will be guys like Professor Jared Diamond sorting through the detritus that was us, and finding concrete walls filled with rows of identical primitive glyphs scratched into them?
“Four short vertical lines with a 5th line slicing them diagonally. What could it be, Professor — some sort of ancient calendar?”
“No, Osama — we found one of their calendars last week. The time-charts from this period were typically decorated with a bare-breasted goddess straddling some kind of odd, two-wheeled chariot. No, these markings seem more … religious in nature. See how evenly they’re spaced? This is the work of an artisan — probably some type of scribe. And this proto-English inscription here — ‘H-o-l-y-s-h-I-t.’ Seems to be a type of prayer wall — probably from the pre-peak oil period.
Of all the historical figures I’d like to visit in a time machine, high on my list is the nimrod who came up with the idea of doing time. In Moses’ day, the criminal code contained a total of two penalties: Death (for murder, kidnapping, homosexuality, adultery, dissing your parents, surfing porn, fibbing…), or compensation. In cases of the latter, a thief was indentured to his victim (not the state) to the tune of four-fold. You get pinched for swiping your neighbour’s goat — the 15th-century BC equivalent of a lawnmower — and now you owe the original Billy plus four more. Fresh out of goats? No problem. In an agricultural society, there was always room for another sweat-soaked back in the field. The thing is, it worked. The aggrieved party came out of the deal with something besides a tax bill, and even the malefactor was dignified — by looking his victim in the face every day of his penance, and paying it like a man. What the ancient Israeli social contract never envisioned was something like a convicted weed dealer scratching off days on a cell wall, waiting for the next rerun of Dragon’s Den to come on.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” said Scotch Bob.
“Nope — it starts today,” said officer Smeth. “We have to make sure everybody’s safe.”
The convict clerk for the First Nations Wellness Group rolled his eyes emphatically and blew a tired sigh at the guard standing in the office doorway. “It’s only 30 minutes — then we’ll let you out again,” said Smeth.
“Safety first,” I crowed from my seat in the corner. The half-Scottish, half-Mohawk lifer shot me through with an annoyed stare.
“Which meeeeeans …” he continued, “that by the time you unlock us, the day is over. How am I supposed to get this work done?”
Mr. Smeth shrugged, and said nothing. He didn’t have to. The Warden had already decided that the female parole officers, administrative assistants, teachers and nurses should be able to end their working day without 500 sets of convict eyes ogling their departing, denim-painted bottoms. So as of today, all those sex-starved stares would be behind bars from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. – day’s end for the joint’s select stock of X chromosomes.
Kaukaughe materialized in the office doorway. “What’s up?” asked the longhaired spectre of Ojibwa manliness.
“Oh, you’re gonna love this. It’s a new count — skinner count,” said Scotch Bob.
“We’re just getting everybody locked on the tiers so that the female staff can go home,” Smeth clarified.
“Apparently some horn-dog was in the courtyard last week, howling love calls at a parole officer. Now they’re shutting down the entire joint for a half-hour a day — so that the meat doesn’t get bruised on its way out,” Scotch Bob said to Kaukaughe.
The oversized aboriginal stood there in a moment of soundless meditation, contemplating the news. “Nap time,” he said finally — and then left as he had come … on the vapours.
“At least now you won’t miss any of The View,” I said.
Scotch Bob looked up at me over his $3 tortoise-shell reading glasses and growled, something about three-kittens-and-a-brick in a burlap sack. Apparently he’s not the talk-show type.
Back in 2008, Canada’s Correctional Service unwrapped something called the Transformation Agenda — a decidedly buzzword-heavy approach to prison management. Among its frontline verbs was the watchword “accountability” — as in, inmate accountability. No longer would prison be a place to loll around, listening to Led Zeppelin and networking with the nation’s underworld. Now the Big House would be a place of reckoning — a land of 12-hour workdays, cramped sleep-shifts, and attenuated calorie-counts. In other words, just like the real world.
I guess that’s where the whole thing fell apart. It’s hardly punishment if Canada’s chronically wicked get to live the same overworked, undigested existence as the law-abiding gentry — minus the tax bills. So now we’re back to notching walls and daydreaming of fat-bottomed girls. I’m sure the world’s a little safer.
I.M GreNada is the pen name of a Canadian prisoner who has been serving life for murder since 1994. The people he writes about are real, but their names have been changed. You can read more about him at theincarceratedinkwell.ca.
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It's Never Too Late To Follow
by Diane Leon
1986 at age 41, I wanted to focus on what fulfilled
me even if it meant less money. I quit my job and worked
with children doing art. I called my mother to share
my enthusiasm about my new goal only to hear, What,
return to school? What for? First you leave a good job
and now this! Where do you think you are going at 41
years old? You never listen to me; you should have gone
to college when you were 18, not now. I hung up
and was determined to make my goal come true.
I thought to myself, Ive been living on
my own since I was 19, what does age have to do with
it? Im an artist, work, exhibit and sell. I can
do this, too. The decision to return to school
was what I needed at 41, not when I was 18.
the New York University
School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and
applied for admission. When I thought about the entrance
exams my heart raced. I told my husband, John, I
only want you and my mother to know what Im doing.
If I dont get in, I dont want to explain
to friends and family.
On a cold evening in January 1986 I sat in the first
classroom I had been in since 1963. Everybody appeared
younger, smarter, and professional. Most of the women
looked as though they just left the office. They wore
high heel black shoes, dark single breasted suits, clear
nail polish, short or long hair pulled back. I overheard
other women tell their story, Oh, I left school
five years ago, and now I want to complete my BA.
I felt like saying, Five years ago? Give me a
break. Ive been out of school for twenty-three
years. I sat there in my blue jeans, orange turtleneck
sweater and took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.
As the instructor passed out the 70-minute Vocabulary
and Reading Comprehension and the Math placement test,
my hands shook as I held the #2 pencil.
After the exams, I waited for the mail each day. As
I shuffled through the bills and magazines in a frantic
way, I worried out loud. How long does this take?
My nerves were on edge. My husband was behind me 100
percent. Dont worry," he told me, "I
am sure you passed. Youll do fine, as I
sat around biting my lip, legs crossed and tense. (John
and I met at The Art
Students League and are soul mates. Hes my
best friend, as well as husband.)
On the other hand my mother said, Well maybe
theyre taking a long time because they let the
people who passed know first. I took a deep breath,
and said, Look, Ive got to go and
hung up. I called NYU. Hi, Id like to know
if someone fails the entrance exam can it be taken again?
While I was placed on hold, time seemed to stand still.
I thought to myself, This is ridiculous to get
this crazy over a test. Finally, the woman on
the other end answered, Yes, if someone fails
you can take it again. I sighed and felt some
The next day a large purple and white envelope arrived
from NYU. I opened
it and held my breath and saw the first word, Congratulations...
I passed. My life would never be the same again. I planned
on a degree in art history.
|
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"I wish Savannah had more things for children to do."
Various versions of that comment can be overheard anywhere moms gather in this city. I heard it most recently at the new inflatable play center, the Little Jumping Bean. Kids jumped and lunged as moms lamented the lack of facilities similar to the much-appreciated inflatable play area.
I, too, used to pine for a more child-centric city. I, too, wished our home had a children's museum; a kids-only gym; and a zoo bigger than Oatland Island Wildlife Center. I even longed for the trendy Baby Loves Disco toddler dances popular with big-city hipster parents and their tots.
I didn't realize how much our area offered children until I started a things-to-do-with-kids Web site for local parents, www.southernmamas.com. A week doesn't pass without a flurry of activities to post on the site. Most moms tell me they, too, were under the incorrect impression that our area lacked kid-friendly venues.
"No Six Flags?" they pondered. "Then what's there to do with the kids?"
Check out the recently released guide "Around Savannah - Where To Go and What To Do With Children" ($19.95) and it's companion book "Around Savannah More To Do With Children." ($15.95)
Local moms-in-the-know Gwen McKee and Kacey Ratterree detail more than 60 kid-friendly places to visit in "Around Savannah," an updated, expanded edition of their 1994 guide.
Before writing their first guide, Gwen and Kacey toted their children - Gwen has three, Kacey has two - to every local fort, park and museum. They so enjoyed their excursions, they started to compile their findings for a book.
"We wanted to give parents an opportunity to get their kids off the sofa and go outside and do something and learn something by being active," Kacey Ratterree said.
The two moms began toting clipboards along on the outings and taking notes on the most interesting features. They also documented the basics - noting whether a place was handicap accessible, offered birthday parties, had a gift shop, or provided guided or self-guided tours.
Each of the easy-to-read, concise entries also includes a quote from at least one child to give an honest kids' perspective of what matters most about the featured spot.
"My brother had his birthday party here once and we dressed up like soldiers. Sometimes a huge ship comes by the fort," said a 4-year-old Katie Ratterree about Old Fort Jackson.
The new guide extends beyond Savannah to areas within a 60- to 90-minute drive. It includes about 20 more locations than the first guide, as well as maps by Drew Martin, original artwork by Kacey and helpful Web sites and games. The companion book spotlights places to take children for various activities such as crabbing, bird-watching and biking.
The books show that, even though we lack the standard kid fare, we're certainly not starved for ways to entertain and educate our little ones.
Sure, Savannah doesn't have a children's museum, but we do have the kids' ArtZeum in Telfair's Jepson Center for the Arts and the Kidz Zone at the Roundhouse Museum. Hilton Head Island also has the interactive children's museum called The Sandbox.
We don't have an aquarium the size of Atlanta's or Charleston's or a full-fledged zoo. But, as Kacey and Gwen point out, we do have the Aquarium at Skidaway Island and the Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center in Statesboro, as well as Oatland Island.
And, with apologies to hipster parents, chances are the sound of the cannons firing at Old Fort Jackson is more rip-roaring to a child than anything they're going to hear at a Baby Loves Disco gathering.
Gwen and Kacey's children are grown now, making the release of these new updated guides a bit sentimental. They treasure the memories of their excursions, such as the time the sprinklers turned on during their picnic at Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens and sprayed all over the kids as they scrambled to gather up the crayons and paper and food.
Or they recall the delight in 12-year-old Billy McKee's face upon seeing an innocuous-looking walking cane that converted into a 19th-century gun at the Midway Church and Museum.
It's sad to know those times are over. But how satisfying to look back on their children's youth and know they, as moms, took advantage of every available resource in our area.
There's another parental comment that's as common as the old nothing-for-kids-to-do refrain. It's a much more truthful one. That is: "Kids grow up fast. Appreciate every day with them."
Some parents try.
Gwen and Kacey succeeded.
|
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|
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|
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|
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May we discover anew the divine power of daily prayer, the convincing influence of the Book of Mormon, and true devotion when partaking of the sacrament.
Everyone who will live the gospel of Jesus Christ daily and endure to the end will gain eternal life—this is the promise of the Lord.1 In its essentials, the gospel is simple and easy to understand and adapted to the capacity of the weakest.2 Alma, the Book of Mormon prophet, aptly remarked, “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but … by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; … and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.”3
Quite recently, I was privileged to observe this process in the life of a brother named Stan, who had been less active for some 45 years. He had lived a good life and supported both his wife and son in their activity as faithful members in the Church. Yet for personal reasons he chose to remain outside the fellowship of the Church. Even so, each month he welcomed the home teachers.
During February 2006, Stan received new home teachers. Their first visit was pleasant enough, although Stan showed no real interest in the gospel or in any matters remotely associated with spiritual things. Their next visit did little to alter their initial observations, even though Stan was a little warmer and friendlier. On their third visit, however, there was a visible change in Stan’s countenance and demeanor. To their utmost surprise and even before they were able to present their message, Stan interrupted them with a number of thoughtful questions. In the ensuing discussion he also recounted his experiences during the past month, in which he and his wife had commenced reading one chapter a day from the Book of Mormon.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie eloquently described the type of reawakening Stan experienced: “Here is a man who gains a copy of this blessed book, begins to read it, and continues … until, having read it all, his famished soul is filled with the bread of life. He cannot lay it aside or ignore its teachings. It is as though the waters of life are flowing into the barren deserts of his soul, quenching the arid, empty feeling that theretofore separated him from his God.”4
The home teachers were reminded of the remarkable power of the Book of Mormon and how very real the influence of the Spirit of the Lord is when we turn to its sacred pages. They also more fully understood the Prophet Joseph Smith’s declaration “that the Book of Mormon [is] the most correct of any book on earth, … and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”5
Stan’s thirst for learning and rediscovery of the restored gospel soon expanded his reading beyond one chapter a day, accompanied by deep soul-searching and fervent prayer. To those who sometimes are concerned whether the Lord will actually hear their prayers, the Savior reminds us:
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? …
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give good gifts, through the Holy Spirit, to them that ask him?”6
Our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, also counseled: “You can’t do it alone. … You need the help of the Lord … and the marvelous thing is that you have the opportunity to pray, with the expectation that your prayers will be heard and answered. … He stands ready to help.”7
During August of 2006, Stan ventured alongside his ever-faithful wife into his ward sacrament meeting—his first in 45 years. There, with a humble and prayerful heart, he listened to the simple sacramental prayers offered by the youthful priests. Feeling unworthy and sensing something of the depth and the meaning of this most holy ordinance, he reflected deeply and painfully without partaking of the bread or the water for a number of weeks.
President Joseph Fielding Smith, in a tender testimony many years ago, said: “In my judgment the sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of the Savior and his apostles on that memorable night when he introduced the sacrament … my heart is filled with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time.”8
Stan continued studying, praying, attending church, and receiving appropriate counsel and encouragement from his home teachers. Then the day arrived when, joyfully, he felt he was ready to put forth his hand to partake of the precious sacrament. When we partake worthily, thoughtfully, and reverently of the holy sacrament, we are enabled to become “partakers of the divine nature”9 because of the Atonement of Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost.
As Stan returned to activity in the Church, he received a calling and, some months later, was ordained an elder. In July 2007, Stan and his wife knelt across the altar in a house of the Lord and, by the authority and eternal law of God, were married for time and for all eternity.10
Brothers and sisters, may we discover anew the divine power of daily prayer and the convincing influence of the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures. On Sundays, when partaking of the sacrament, may we do so in the spirit of true devotion to Him who is the giver of all things.11
In the wake of our best and very limited efforts and because of the Lord’s infinite goodness, “great things [are] brought to pass” by the “small and simple things.”
Finally, as to these sacred things, may I add my personal witness and assurance in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (1985), 414.
History of the Church, 4:461.
Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 468.
In Conference Report, Oct. 1929, 60–61.
See Moroni 6.
3. Alma 37:6–7.
4. A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (1985), 414.
5. History of the Church, 4:461.
6. Luke 11:11, 13; see Joseph Smith Translation in footnote 13a.
7. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 468.
8. In Conference Report, Oct. 1929, 60–61.
11. See Moroni 6.
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Score one for the bloggers. In the face of an instant, last-minute, blog-fueled burst of attention, the Utah Department of Oil, Gas & Mines has extended the public comment period until Feb. 13 for Application to Permit Drilling #08-8853, which seeks to conduct test drilling for oil in the West Rozel Field, an underwater oil deposit in Great Salt Lake.
The proposed drill sites are a couple of miles away from Rozel Point, the site of Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty. After a heads up from the Friends of The Great Salt Lake, Smithson's widow and the executor of his estate, Nancy Holt, fired off email alerts to the art and media worlds, urging them to act "to save the beautiful, natural Utah environment around the Spiral Jetty from oil drilling."
I dutifully fired off my letter, expressing my grave concern for the fate of "the single most important work of art in the state." Apparently, at least a thousand other people around the world did, too, and in one day.
But something seems odd to me. What's the actual threat, where does it come from, what's the logical--and realistic--solution, and what do we know about what the artist himself would think about oil production nearby his masterpiece? Holt's calling for protection of the Jetty's "beautiful, natural" surroundings doesn't exactly reflect the reality of the work. Likewise, Lynne deFreitag, the FOGSL chairwoman who raises the specter of "offshore equipment [that] could cause noise and visual impairment in a relatively pristine area."
Now the National Trust of Historical Preservation has weighed in, calling the Spiral Jetty "a significant cultural site from the recent past, merging art, the environment, and the landscape."
Rozel Point may be beautiful, but it is not pristine, and it's not natural. And oil drilling is no stranger to the area, either. By ignoring the specific industrial history of the Spiral Jetty and its site, these defenses, however well-meaning or much-needed, are incomplete and inaccurate at best, and misleading at worst.
According to Smithson's own accounts of the project, oil and oil production are inextricably linked to the Spiral Jettyand the reasons Smithson chose to build it at Rozel Point. A choice based on, among other resources, his consultation of his copy of the 1963 Utah Geological & Mineral Survey map titled, "Oil Seeps of Rozel Point." [image: via Ron Graziani's 2004 book, Robert Smithson and the American Landscape]
As he explained in a 1972 interview with Paul Cummings:
You might say my early preoccupation with the early civilizations of the West was a kind of a fascination with the coming and going of things.... And I became interested in kind of low profile landscapes, the quarry or the mining area which we call an entropic landscape, a kind of backwater or fringe area...He continued, rather romantically, explaining the landscape of debris from decades of failed oil expeditions:
An expanse of salt flats bordered the lake, and caught in its sediment were countless bits of wreckage. The mere sight of the trapped fragments of junk and waste transported one into a world of modern pre-history...[In 2005, the state decided to clear out all these ruins and debris using money from the Division of Oil, Gas & Mining's "orphan well" fund. "Within 16 days," brags the Utah Geological Survey website, "a total of eighteen 40- cubic-yard dumpsters full of junk were hauled away! Only some old wood pilings and historic stone building foundations were left behind...So, if you have ventured to the area before, either to see Rozel Point or Spiral Jetty, you may not recognize it when you return!" [emphasis added]
Two dilapidated shacks looked over a tired group of oil rigs. A series of seeps of heavy black oil more like asphalt occur just south or Rozel Point. For forty or more years people have tried to get oil out of this natural tar pool. Pumps coated with black stickiness ruted in the corrosive salt air. A hut mounted on pilings could have been the habitation of "the missing link." A great pleasure arose from seeing all those incoherent structures. This site gave evidence of a succession of man-made systems mired in abandoned hopes.
About one mile north of the oil seeps I selected my site.
Interesting that to the state, wood pilings and stone foundations are "historic," but the metal/industrial elements were "junk." It's a diametrically opposite view from the artist's own.
Even though the "Diluvian" ruins of failed oil drilling were central to the choice of Rozel Point, and even though he built his own Jetty right next to an abandoned oil drilling jetty, the industrial nature of the site was largely omitted from critical discussion of the Spiral Jetty for decades while it lay submerged and unvisited.
During the 2004 retrospective at the Whitney, Todd Gibson noticed how Smithson largely excluded the surroundings from the Spiral Jetty film:
This is interesting because Smithson could just as easily have chosen to place Spiral Jetty within the context of the industrial landscape in which he built it. At two points during the film, viewers get a passing, background glimpse of the oil-drilling jetty situated less than half a mile to the east. You have to be watching for it to see it, the shots are so quick. (See the satellite photo at right for an indication of how close these two jetties are--and by how much the industrial jetty dwarfs Smithson's work.)It's too late, and this is too long already, so I'll have to look into the questions of the current oil drilling situation in another post. Meanwhile, don't forget to write your letter of support for the Jetty! Demand that the state restore the 18 trailerloads of pumps and junk immediately!
I was surprised by these two shots in the film because they both show not just the oil drilling jetty that remains at the site today, but they also clearly show a giant drilling derrick at the end of the jetty that is no longer there. The site was even more clearly a working industrial landscape at the time Smithson built his piece than it is today, but Smithson chose not to highlight that fact in the film--even though his Non-site works had explored the concept of the industrial, entropic landscape a few years before.
It's only been in the last few years, since Spiral Jetty reemerged from the water and people started visiting the site again, that discussion of this aspect of the work has arisen.
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Make your own luck...
Adam Rifkin stashed this in #happiness
Stashed in: #lifehacks, Networking, Luck!, Optimism, #success, Silence, Hurt, @ifindkarma, Listen!, Intuition, Productivity, @bakadesuyo, #startuptriplets, Jobs, Becoming, Misattribution!, Michael Jordan, Bob Marley
I've been reading a lot of articles lately about how to be luckier.
My favorite is Bakadesuyo's How can you become more lucky? which I summarize as practicing four traits:
1. Be open to new experiences. Network. Meet new people. Re-engage with people you know.
2. Intuition. Listen to yourself. Meditate to clear your mind regularly.
3. Optimism. The mind is a feedback loop that creates self-fulfilling prophecies, so be positive.
To that I add: don't try to avoid pain:
Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for. (attributed to Bob Marley)
Be open. Be intuitive. Be optimistic. Be resilient. Don't fear pain. Good luck!
This reminds me of Luck Surface Area
The amount of serendipity that will occur in your life, your Luck Surface Area, is directly proportional to the degree to which you do something you're passionate about combined with the total number of people to whom this is effectively communicated.
To satisfy my mathematically oriented brain I've gone one step further and formalized the concept into the equation L = D * T, where L is luck, D is doing and T is telling. This demonstrates clearly that the more you do and the more people you tell about it, the larger your Luck Surface Area will become.
It seems as if you are already aware of this, but still worth repeating...
Thank you for the refresher -- that was worth revisiting Chris!
Success is just a series of failures, followed by one thing that worked: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/one-on-one-lane-becker-author-of-get-lucky/
This is where the 90 day rule comes in too Adam. Where you are now is a direct reflection of what you were doing 90 days ago. If you keep this in mind every day, you will be astonished as to where you will end up in 90 days.
Everything you are is a result of everything you've done.
Quora answers to the question of whether it's possible to increase your luck: http://www.quora.com/Is-it-really-possible-to-make-your-own-luck
Luck favors the prepared. Fortune favors the bold. And so on.
fortune favors the bold!
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The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has changed the way it handles license applications, including a new online application and scrapping eye tests for most license renewals.
"These changes will make it easier for New Yorkers to use the Internet or mail to renew their driver license and conduct a number of other transactions," said DMV Commissioner Barbara J. Fiala. "By allowing customers to conduct some of their DMV transactions at their leisure, we will also decrease the wait times at the DMV offices for those who need to conduct other transactions which require an in-person visit."
By registering for MyDMV through the DMV Web site (www.dmv.ny.gov), customers are able to:
- Change their address
- Receive e-mail reminders when their vehicle registration and inspection are about to expire
- Download and print a copy of their driving record
- Monitor their teens driving behaviors.
As of Wednesday, the license renewal process has been changed to allow drivers to "self-certify" that they meet the vision requirement necessary to drive as they currently do for other medical issues. Fiala said this change will allow motorists to easily renew their licenses on the DMV Web site or by mail.
However, New Yorkers obtaining a driver license for the first time will still be required to take a vision test at a DMV office and commercial driver license holders will still be required to undergo bi-annual medical and vision examination by a medical professional.
Fiala said the current vision testing procedure was instituted in 2000 and requires drivers to read a line on an eye chart located behind the DMV counter. From 1993-2000, vision testing was not required in New York and statistics show that there was no negative impact on traffic safety, Fiala said. She contends that allowing vision self-certification on license renewals expands an existing process in which drivers already self-certify they have no driving-related medical issues such as hearing or heart ailments or conditions which lead to unconsciousness.
Six states, including Connecticut and Pennsylvania, do not require eye tests at the time of license renewal, according to the DMV. Eight additional states, including Massachusetts, allow for self-certification of vision adequate for driving.
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US Prepares More Troops For Somalia Operation
NEW fighting erupted yesterday in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, during the second day of a major United Nations assault aimed at shattering the military command structure of warlord Gen. Mohamed Farah Aideed.Skip to next paragraph
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Pentagon sources said yesterday the United States was preparing to send about 200 infantrymen, bolstered by tanks and armored vehicles, to Somalia.
UN military officials confirmed that at least five US peacekeepers were killed Sunday in the early stages of the fighting. One Malaysian soldier also was killed and nine wounded, the Defense Ministry in Kuala Lumpur said.
After the worst fighting in Mogadishu since 24 Pakistani troops were killed in an ambush June 5, the debris of battle lay scattered over several square miles. Crowds of looters picked over the burned-out wreckage of two US helicopters and of at least seven vehicles, including four UN armored personnel carriers (APCs).
Three of the city's hospitals overflowed with at least 500 Somali wounded, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in Nairobi, Kenya.
``We were going after Aideed's military lieutenant structure,'' said Maj. David Stockwell, the chief UN spokesman in Mogadishu. ``We did not expect to find Aideed.''
Clashes erupted just before dusk Sunday when UN peacekeeping troops made another attempt to capture some of General Aideed's aides.
Two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by ground fire, a UN statement said. About 70 US Army Rangers sent to pick up wounded crewmen then came under fire. A rescue force of two US infantry companies and a Ranger platoon, 24 Malaysian APCs, and four Pakistani tanks and two APCs rushed to the scene.
The UN statement said 24 Aideed aides were arrested in the search operation, including three key members of his faction's militia. Major Stockwell said three of the Somali detainees died of wounds sustained in the shooting that broke out as they were being led out of the area where they were captured.
US troops arrived in Somalia last December to help the East African nation recover from famine and anarchy that killed more than 350,000 Somalis in 1992. Roughly 4,000 US troops are still in the country.
President Clinton has said the US must not waver from its commitment to help erase ``brutality and anarchy,'' in Somalia, but he is coming under heavy pressure from Congress to change its policy.
Egyptians voted yesterday in a referendum on a third term for President Hosni Mubarak. But voters did not rush to the polls because of the lack of choice: The incumbent ran unchallenged.
Police tightened security to ward off the prospect of attacks by Islamic radicals, who have carried out a two-year campaign of violence in an attempt to replace the secular government with Islamic rule.
The vote also took place amid increasing popular dissatisfaction with the stagnant economy and 20 percent unemployment.
Government critics charged the vote was unfair. Parliament must approve any candidate, and control of the legislature by Mr. Mubarak's National Democratic Party ensured he was the only nominee.
Cairo's three government-run dailies, the most-widely read among Egyptians, devoted their front pages almost entirely to the president. Thousands of posters and banners urging Mubarak's re-election have been put up around the country. Vans with loudspeakers delivered the same message yesterday on the streets of Cairo.
Mubarak's third term is scheduled to begin Oct. 13. He took office in 1981 after President Anwar Sadat was assassinated. Only 18.9 million of Egypt's 59 million population are eligible to vote, partly because many people never register.
No violence had been reported at press time. But a policeman was killed and a second officer and six militants wounded in two weekend clashes.
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When news happens, text KENEWS and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Kendal Auction Mart takes on teenage girls
THE wind of change has begun to blow through the male dominated world of live-stock auctions.
In a break with tradition, Kendal Auction Mart has set on its first female apprentices – teenagers Katie Onions and Harriet Cook.
The 16-year-olds, both from farming backgrounds, will be part of a team of up to 20 staff handling sheep, cattle and pigs during busy sale days.
Katie’s family farm is near Burton-in-Kendal and Harriet’s is at Witherslack. They are being supervised by another new member of the team, mart foreman Ronnie Keith.
Katie, who spent her summer holiday with the team, said: “I just love working with stock and I want to learn all the different jobs involved. So far we’ve have been meeting the farmers, helping to un-load and load stock and been washing out after the sale.”
Harriett said: “It is unusual for an apprenticeship like this to come up and you wouldn’t normally have two girls in the post. My brother is involved with our farm which means I can come here.”
The pair are enrolled on the Intermediate Apprenticeship in live-stock scheme, which allows them to earn a living by working full-time with North West Auctions and receive training at the same time in conjunction with Myerscough College, near Preston.
The apprenticeship runs for between 12-18 months and covers a range of livestock skills and related practices.
Adam Day, managing director of North West Auctions, said: “Previous experience has shown that investing in young people has brought huge benefits to the business. Gary Capstick, our senior auctioneer, started here on a Youth Training Scheme in the 80s, and Kevin Kendal, who joined us at 16, now runs one of the area’s leading auction houses.
“These two new posts show that by ‘growing our own’ we are helping to ensure our future.”
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You find a book, let’s say you randomly pick it up at the library while browsing the shelves for something new to read, or you do it at the bookstore, and its from a author that you never heard of, and more than likely, most people hadn’t heard of either, but the book’s description makes it sound like something you’d want to read. So you read it. You find that you enjoyed it so much, you tell your friends, family, co-workers, and others about it. Eventually, you read every book this author puts out. You might like some of the novels, you might dislike others, but this once unknown author to you now has a loyal reader all because you decided to try something new.
Or, like many others these days, you see a book mentioned on Facebook, Twitter, or on some message board somewhere online(unless its mentioned on TV and then its an instant bestseller, especially if Oprah mentions it), you ignore what seems like spam a few times, but one day you’re convinced to try it out. You read it, like it, and then tweet about it, like the book’s page on Amazon, like it enough to review it, and even share your new find on one of your many social networks. You do the whole digital word of mouth thing without going anywhere and your small amount of influence convinces others to take notice of those books, who influence others, and so on. Plus, you like the author so much, that you sign-up for the author’s newsletter or blog, follow them on Twitter, and join their Facebook page, where you buy every single novel hereafter.
For a lot of authors, Word of Mouth is the only way they find readers.
Here are a couple of ways to spread the word about a novel you enjoyed and helping the author out at the same time (which you’ve probably seen in one form or another on various authors’ blogs):
1. Mention the book online, like on Myspace (if you’re still there), Twitter, Facebook, message boards, or wherever you frequent that allows you to mention books, and include a link to the store or author’s site.
2. If you have Pinterest, create a board, like a “Favorite Books,” or “Book You Read Recently,” and link it to either the author’s site of store where you bought it from. The author might even be on Pinterest, so you could also follow their boards and “like” the book board they created for that particular book.
3. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, church members, etc through e-mail, phone, text, or talk to in person about the book. Include what you liked and why you think they might enjoy it. If you want, give them a copy of the paperback to read if you have a paperback copy, or even lend them the ebook version, depending on your e-Reader.
5. Leave a review on Amazon, B&N, or wherever you bought it from, you can even leave a review on all the sites if you want. If you’re on Goodreads, Shelfari, Librarything, etc, you can leave a review there.
So reader, how have you been influenced to buy a book? Through Word of Mouth or by way of something else?
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Forrest Moses was born in Virginia in May of 1934.
A direction was established by the time he entered Washington and Lee
University to receive a BA degree in Fine Arts in 1956.
Three years service as a naval officer gave Moses an opportunity to spend
time in the Philippines, Japan and other Far East locations. The Japan
experience had a strong visual and philosophical influence on him. Moses
felt at home with the organized space and uncluttered environments. Now
Moses observes, “An empty space, an empty table, creates tension with
anticipation of what might occupy it. While an object finds its importance
to the space
After service, Moses spent a year in
Europe discovering the art and architecture presented during his Art
History education and then in 1959, he entered Pratt Institute in New York
for two years graduate work in design.
The Pratt years put solidly in focus, by
intensive exercise and discipline, design principles relating to shape,
space, scale, texture, color, etc.
Moses then worked for three years in
Houston, Texas, as a designer of interiors, furniture, ceramics and there
developed an intent to paint full time.
In 1965 he moved from Houston to the
Monterey Peninsula, California. It was a decision that painting was for
him an exercise for contemplation of nature and the unfoldment of truth by
observation. An intense period of work followed and for three years, his
interest centered on the content of the land and sea and that fragile line
of meeting. Isolation and routine provided the time for introspection and
Now there developed in Moses a need for
place. The “Place” is crucial for it becomes the sanctuary for the heart.
For Moses, it was to be a place in the sun. New Mexico has been Moses’
home since 1969.
The work produced since 1965 has created
more than 40 one-man shows for galleries, universities and museums in
Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
City, Denver, Albuquerque, Austin, and others. There have been numerous
group shows, invitations, lectures, teaching and print making activities.
Moses’ work is established in many private, public and corporate
American painter, Forrest Moses, lives
in New Mexico
and explores specific landscape locations from
Maine to Georgia as well as New Mexico. He records with
a camera and translates images into works in oil, monotype and watercolor.
He is also well known for images of Iris and figure drawings. For further
information go to
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Iraq protester sets self ablaze in anti-government rally
MOSUL, Iraq |
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - An Iraqi protester set himself ablaze on Sunday in a dramatic turn in more than three weeks of rallies by Sunni Muslims challenging Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.
Thousands of Sunni demonstrators have rallied since late December against a Shi'ite-led government they believe has marginalized their minority sect, raising fears the OPEC country may slide again into widespread sectarian confrontation.
During protests of around 2,000 demonstrators in the northern city of Mosul, one man set himself ablaze before others quickly stamped out the flames with their jackets, police said. He was sent to hospital with burns to his face and hands.
"We don't want people to hang themselves or burn themselves, this would be against Islam," said Ghanim al-Abid, protest organizer in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad. "But he reached such a state of despair he set himself on fire."
Self-immolations have had resonance in the Arab world since a Tunisian vegetable seller set himself on fire two years ago. His death in January 2011 triggered the wave of uprisings that toppled leaders across North Africa and the Middle East.
Sunday's incident in Iraq shows the frustration among Sunnis that has not ebbed despite concessions from Maliki.
Many Iraqi Sunnis feel they have been unfairly targeted by security forces and sidelined from power since the fall of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the rise of the Shi'ite majority through the ballot box.
Protests have centered Anbar province, a vast desert area that makes up a third of Iraq's territory, populated mainly by Sunnis in towns and settlements along the Euphrates.
SYRIA CRISIS LOOMS
A year after the last American troops left, Iraq's government of Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish parties is deadlocked in a crisis over how to share power. Insurgent bombers are still seeking to enflame sectarian tensions.
Violence and Sunni unrest are worsening concern that the conflict in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting Shi'ite Iran's ally President Bashar al-Assad, will upset Iraq's own delicate sectarian and ethnic balance.
A suicide bomber killed an influential Sunni lawmaker on Tuesday, and another suicide bomber hit the disputed city of Kirkuk a day later, killing more than 20 people.
Sunni turmoil erupted in late December after state officials arrested members of a Sunni finance minister's security team on terrorism charges. Authorities denied the arrests were political, but Sunni leaders saw them as a crackdown.
Maliki has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, an influential Shi'ite figure, to address protester demands, and the government has released more than 400 detainees in an effort to appease rallies.
"There is no time left for talks. The government has to stand up to its responsibility and take a crucial decision to meet demands," said Sunni lawmaker Wihda al-Jumaili.
Protesters want anti-terrorism laws modified, prisoners released, an amnesty law passed and an easing of a campaign against former members of Saddam's outlawed Baathist party, a measure Sunnis believe has been used to target their leaders.
They are also demanding better government services, a complaint they share with other Iraqis frustrated by the lack of economic progress despite windfall state revenues from growing oil production.
Sunni protesters are also split among moderates more keen to work to improve power-sharing agreements and hardline Islamist voices who are calling for Maliki's ouster and even the formation of a separate Sunni region inside Iraq.
(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Peter Graff)
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Blamed for a consecutive day’s collapse of the northern grid, Uttar Pradesh has a power deficit of 14 per cent. It draws 5,000-5,600 Mw from the central sector routinely these days.
Given the total demand of 12,000 Mw as against a supply of 9,000-10,500 Mw, the state has been overdrawing power to reduce the deficit, said officials in Delhi.
Anil Kumar Gupta, the state government’s principal secretary, energy, claimed on Tuesday that taking into consideration the parameters at the time of grid failure, “There is no reason to believe that any power operations in UP triggered it.”
Late last night, however, the state government removed Avnish Awasthi as chairman and managing director of the of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. It appointed A P Mishra as MD, with Gupta himself to officiate as chairman.
While UP has also been resorting to measures such as rostering and power cuts in identified areas to balance demand and supply, areas such as Lucknow, Agra, Greater Noida and Etawah (home district of the ruling party’s head) are officially off the roster.
In Punjab, with the country’s highest per capita consumption of 1,102 units, there is a power deficit of 11 per cent, though the rate it charges for suppply is 36 per cent higher than in UP, showed an analysis of the first quarter data of different states. The average power rate in UP is Rs 3.77 per unit, against Rs 5.13 per unit in Punjab. UP saw its last revision of rates in 2010; Punjab went for a rise as recently as this month. The average rate in Haryana is Rs 4.50 per unit, last revised this April.
With a generation capacity of 1,258 Mw from common pool projects i.e. under the Bhakra Beas Management Board, Punjab had a total installed capacity of 7,035 Mw as on March 31, 2011. Despite an installed generation capacity of 6,781 Mw, including co-generation by sugar mills, UP’s actual generation is only 3,700 Mw.
A senior official in Punjab State Power Corporation said they had a demand of 210 million units in this season and there was a daily shortage of 20-30 mn units. Punjab is expecting its peak unrestricted demand to reach 10,009 Mw in the next two years. The state has three thermal plants, with total installed capacity of 2,620 Mw. There is a shortfall of 25 per cent from the peak demand.
Another hydropower producer, Uttarakhand, has seen its power demand shoot up to 35 mn units, while it produces only 20 mn.
The household sector accounts for 37 per cent of UP’s total power consumption. The share of industry has now fallen to 18-20 per cent. The rest is accounted for by the agricultural and commercial sectors. About 40 per cent of the total power demand in Haryana comes from agriculture.
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
For approximately 5 years the social networks have become more and more popular. I personally enjoy talking to my relatives through Facebook, it helps us get in touch with everything. But one thing I don’t like is that the rest of the “world” is in all of your business. We post something up and everyone gives their opinion on the posts. It does make things so much easier to communicate with our loved ones that are far. But I feel that later these things are going to take over our lives. Let me explain myself, I feel that the whole social networking is making us dependent on this. For example my younger sister tells me of how she has tons of friends in Facebook whom she talks with jokes etc. But when she sees these people at school they don’t say a word to each other. And that brings a question to me why? Maybe because in Facebook or other social network you are not face to face with the person and you can tell them anything. I mean in the short run is a very good idea social networking, keeps people close. But I feel that in the long run this can affect our everyday lives.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Technology makes a lot of everyday deeds easier, shopping and selling and now school. It’s not a bad thing having the opportunity to be at home in your pajamas. But what if your whole college career was online, then I don’t think it would be consider a “real career.” I don’t think technology will replace the traditional college. The traditional idea of attending college is going away to another place attending big lecture halls, waiting long hours to see your professor for a simple question. With technology you can’t have this; most likely you will be alone sitting at your computer reading and answering questions. Even though it will make everything much easier, we can’t just get rid of all the colleges. I mean we can’t let this happen, college life should be about living the experience and getting a degree, not just attending class and online. Even though online college will get more popular with the coming years it can never replace the traditional college.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
As many of us know unfortunately the Dream Act was not passed this past December 2010. This is such a shame for all the students that were not able to achieve what they wanted. It makes me sad to think that their dreams were crashed by the government. I was born here in the United States thanks to the risk of my parent’s coming here as illegal immigrants. And I’m thankful for that, because I don’t think I would be as strong as the students fighting for the Dream Act, I think I would just give up. In high school I had many friends that were at top of the class, bright students, hard workers with one problem they were not U.S citizens. Many of those students did not attend college after high school; they ended up working in a minimum wage place. I would tell them it didn’t matter they can still got to school, but they said what were they going to do with a college career if when they graduated they weren’t going to find a job because they weren’t going to have a ss#. I feel that the people in the House of Representatives thought that if they passed the Dream Act everyone was going to become a resident. But I think they forgot there were regulations, and they were really good ones. In the future I hope they change their minds and this time passes the Dream Act. It’s not fair that there is so many great geniuses out there that deserve to stay here and can’t. And then there’s so many criminals stuck in jail that were born here who just wasted their privilege of going to school.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Music is very influential whether its rock, country and classical. When we listen to music it brings out emotions in us. For example if we listen to a romantic song and we are feeling very sad then we may start crying. Now when it comes to hip hop people say that if influences people especially males to take a “tough” role. Most of the songs in rap talk about males having all this money and all these women. If someone listens to rap or hip hop then it may influence them to be like the singer. If they’re going to be listening to the music might as well be like them. I’m going to get off topic for a bit and talk a little bit on another genre of music. Many of you may not be aware at all of this genre of music but I would do the best to explain it. As many of you know in Mexico the war against drugs is really bad. And something that comes with this is a type of music called “corridos”. “Corridos are a songs meant to tell true stories from the past for example there are some explaining events of the Mexican wars etc. But for the past 3 years the whole idea of “corridos” has changed. Now the only thing they talk about is the drug lords that kill, some that have died. And the different people that are heroes to the drug world. And the big issue right now is that, these “corridos” are influencing the youth that listen to them. Everyone wants to be like the men in the songs all these nice cars, women, parties, and money. They think it’s cool because the music makes it sound so easy. Which it’s almost like hip hop the lyrics may influence someone especially someone young because everything sounds so cool in the song.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
According to Newsmax, Nations such as Korea, Norway, the Czech Republic and Japan have had faster growth in high school completion, and have passed the United States on the way up the rankings. It seems that for the past years our education is falling behind. But is it the youth's fault or the school system. I feel its the school system, recently I saw a documentary named "Waiting for Superman". It talks about how a children going to a private school rather then public schools. In the documentary they mention that if a young child is attending a bad school, and the child knows he wont do as good. They say its a mentally think but I think its the educationa system. If the parents pay a lot of money to put a child in a private place, then their education is super. But its not fair that if a smart child has parents that cant afford a private school, the child is stuck in a "bad public school". Then because of this he wont be as good as he would be if he was put in a private school. I feel that the U.S should re organize the school teaching standarts ask more of the child and by doing this it will improve the system.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
When it comes to these topics such as racism and classicism, I feel that we are far from seeing the end of it. Racism and classicism has existed for a very long time, and I have a feeling its going to stick forever. As much as we convince everyone that we are all equal, there are going to be those that rebel and say they are better than another race or group of people. Even in the same group of people racism and classicism exists. For example we have three classes High class, middle class, and low class. I bet in the high class there are some that belong to the high class but may have a tiny bit less than others. And because of that there will we class discrimination against them. Its sad to believe that we just have to deal wiht this forever, but its the truth. It would be great that we see everyone the same regardles of how we look or how much money is in our pockets. Lets just hope that everyone can learn to deal with such big thing.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
When was the last time you picked up a real book? I might be wrong and there are many of us who are still not infected with the "E book virus" and it was a couple hours ago. Technology keeps on making our life better as they say. But is it really? Let’s talk about books; I am not very familiar with all these ideas of E books. The only thing I do know is that you don’t have to buy an actual book anymore. Well that is if you don’t want to. You can download an app in your I phone or if you have any Smartphone. You can also buy one of those kindle things or an I pad. The point is that you don’t have to buy an actual hardcopy. I'm not so happy of the idea of these E books. I like reading books but actually having it in my hand, writing in it going back to previous pages, even doodling on the book. I mean many may argue that you can also do that in an E book, but it’s not the same. Whether I like it or not I do believe that in the next years books will disappear. I’m not talking about in two or three, I give it 10 years. I guess it makes it easier for everyone to read a book. You don’t have to go through the trouble of finding it in a library or buying it. But if books disappear then what would happen to the libraries, would those disappear too. I really do hope not!
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A Raytheon-led team successfully launched an AIM-9X from a stationary, vertical platform last November. The missile successfully locked on after launch and hit its target in a test of its potential launch from a submarine. The test was conducted for the Naval Sea Systems Command at the U.S. Army's McGregor Test Range in New Mexico Nov. 19, 2005....and the money quote...
A successful test firing matures the technology that will provide the Navy with a new capability when the Joint Battlespace is near the coast at a fraction of the cost of developing a new weapon system. The new system is an existing launch capability married to a proven weapon fired from a submarine at periscope depth.
"This is very exciting," said Dan Smith, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "In partnering with the Navy and Northrop Grumman, our team has been able to take an already proven off-the-shelf weapon, make software modifications, use existing launch technology, and give the combatant commander another option in the coastal Joint Battlespace.
"The implications of this first phase test are far-reaching. It provides the Navy with a low-cost solution with a high-impact capability in its approach to littoral warfare without having to go through a costly and lengthy R&D process."
"We chose the AIM-9X because it's a well-known reliable and mature missile and we didn't want to spend this effort on proving the missile would work. We wanted to spend the effort proving we could launch it out of a submarine," Sharp said."
Hat tip Mike.
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You are here:
Tennessee Wesleyan hosts Tennessee Supreme Court's SCALES
Tennessee Wesleyan College was host to 12 local public and private high schools who gathered at the college campus to participate in the Tennessee Supreme Court's SCALES program. Initiated in 1995, SCALES (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) provides Tennessee high school students with the opportunity to hear oral arguments in actual Supreme Court cases.
Tennessee Wesleyan College was host to 12 local public and private high schools who gathered at the college campus to participate in the Tennessee Supreme Court’s SCALES program. Initiated in 1995, SCALES (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) provides Tennessee high school students with the opportunity to hear oral arguments in actual Supreme Court cases.
“This program lets us connect with students,” said Chief Justice Gary Wade, who took the office of Chief Justice less than two months ago following a 25-year Tennessee judicial system career.
“SCALES is a firsthand demonstration of how this branch of the government works. This year’s program had an outstanding turnout.”
Conducted statewide at the request of local judges, Boys State, Girls State and members of the Bar, this year’s SCALES program was the first the 10th Judicial District has hosted in ten years and was the largest in the program’s history with over 1,100 students, teachers and administrators.
“Bradley County was the last to host SCALES in this district,” said Chancellor Jerri Bryant, who helped organize this year’s event. “SCALES is such a wonderful opportunity for students to get an up-close view of how the judicial system operates. For students in rural areas, this program might be their only chance to see how the highest court functions.”
More than 1,000 students from Bradley Central High School, Cleveland High School, Copper Basin High School, Fairview Christian Academy, McMinn Central High School, McMinn County High School, Polk County High School, Sequoyah High School, Sweetwater High School, Tellico Plains High School, Tennessee Christian Preparatory and Walker Valley High School took turns sitting in on three hearings that took place in Townsend Memorial Hall.
In preparation for SCALES, teachers from all 12 high schools attended a two-hour professional development session conducted by Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Curwood Witt and Chancellor Jerri Bryant to review the cases to be argued. The teachers were provided with materials to use in their classrooms and SCALES project handbooks were provided for each student. Local judges and attorneys also made classroom presentations to the students to review the cases and issues to be considered by the Supreme Court. After the Justices rule in the cases, copies of the Court's opinions will be provided to the classes.
During the SCALES program, students heard arguments in cases involving the issues of whether the police had reasonable suspicion of criminal activity to conduct a lawful seizure, whether a defendant was denied his constitutional rights to effective counsel and whether the Court of Appeals erred in deeming harmless the trial court’s admission of certain evidence in a particular case.
In addition to the three SCALES Tennessee Supreme Court sessions that took place throughout the morning, students were also treated to a presentation by Chief Justice Wade during lunch.
“We were thrilled to host this event here at Tennessee Wesleyan,” said Dr. Scott Mashburn, TWC vice president of student life. “Providing the community with a venue for these types of educational events is a top priority for the college.”
TWC President Dr. Harley Knowles proudly welcomed to campus all five Tennessee Supreme Court Justices as well as the more than 1,000 high school students who participated in the SCALES program.
“Tennessee Wesleyan will always open its doors to the community for educational programs,” said Dr. Knowles, “Providing high school students with a venue to experience the state’s judicial system was an honor for us here at TWC. We look forward to hosting programs like SCALES in the future.”
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Students across the West Midlands are starring in a new film produced by the local regional office to promote the work of the WEA. The film was funded by the West Midlands Region to illustrate the diversity and character of WEA courses and educational programmes.
The film was produced by Emmy-award winning company Junction 15, who specialise in community arts and educational films.
A student of WEA tutor Rachel Trpeski's health and exercise and classes talks on camera about his experience - and dons a wig for a fitness class with a difference. You can hear and see more of Rachel and students in the film.
As well as footage of classes across the region and comments from class students about their WEA experiences, there are interviews with tutors and partners. Although the film focuses on the work of the WEA in the West Midlands, it is also a good reflection of the WEA elsewhere in the country.
You can see the film on You Tube or the West Midlands website.
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for christmas i gave ella this fantastically pink and very wonderful vintage sears kenmore sewing machine that i found on craigslist last fall. i had to learn how to wind and thread a long bobbin, but once i got it all threaded up it ran like a dream.
ella was thrilled with it! she immediately started planning what she would make first, and she decided she wanted to make a dress.
she drafted and printed the pattern herself, with my guidance, using the child's play patternmaking program by wild ginger software, she assembled and taped the pattern together with my help (i forgot to get pictures of that part--i was too excited!)--then i cut the pattern out for her. she laid out the patterns on fabric, weighted them, i cut. she did all the sewing herself. she even pressed the seams herself. the only part i sewed was the neck placket in back, which is fiddly even for an adult.nordictrack C2200, which seems very appropriate for a runway).
the edges are raw, the seam allowances and hems are all different sizes, but no seamstress has ever been happier with her own creation than ella is with this dress.
oh, about the homeschooling: subjects covered on the day she made her dress include: mathematics (measuring her body, calculating the amount of fabric needed); geometry (drafting the pattern, assembling the printed pattern pieces, laying out the pattern pieces on the fabric, assembling the pieces in the correct order and orientation); reading and writing (navigating the program, reading the parts of the pattern, recording her measurements, reading the pattern pieces); mechanics (threading and running the machine); science (the affects of heat on the fabric and thread fibers, interaction of the thread with the fabric for stable seams); art (determining a design for the dress, selecting a fabric that worked harmoniously with the dress design). probably some other things too, but those are the biggies.
she's already picked out her next project, and it involves: stretch velvet. LOL i'm glad my singer walking foot fits this machine.
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I'm tearing my hair out with a problem at the moment. I've managed to reduce it to a very simple example below:
if you try compiling this as with:Code:#include <signal.h> struct sigaction action;
it prints:Code:gcc -ansi test.c -c
if I try withCode:test.c:3: error: storage size of `action' isn't knownit all compiles fine.Code:gcc test.c -c
The problem is I really need to use sigaction, and from the man pages it looks like the only way to use it is for me to declare the struct somewhere, and I also really need to use -ansi to force it to use the ANSI C 89 standard (part of the requirements). I thought that using -ansi wouldn't get in the way of using sigaction because sigaction is a POSIX system call. I'm also puzzled as to how if it doesn't know how big it is it could possibly compile in the first place. Is it possible to use sigaction with gcc -ansi, and if yes how?
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US soldiers in Iraq
3 years ago, we projected that the cost of the war in Iraq would be shocking to the American people. Response from supporters of the war was "It will be a quick war, we will use a 'streamlined' force, and the people will welcome us with parades and celebrations!"
It is not a quick war. It gets more 'miring' every week, and more American kids are killed every day. It feels like Viet Nam (except in a dry climate). The famous "streamlined force" proved to be a disaster, with not enough troops to protect themselves, much less the Iraqi people.
There have been no "parades" or "celebrations" for the Americans who invaded and occupied Iraq, by Iraqi citizens. Instead they continue to snipe at our boys and bomb our SUV's and Hummers. Information for this report, came largely from Jonathan Weisman of THE WASHINGTON POST and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
$120,000,000,000.00 (BILLION) PER YEAR, FOR WARS SEEMS A LITTLE MUCH.
This is an economic fact. It is not liberal or conservative, red or blue, it is simply an economic fact. The United States government is spending $10 Billion per month. Multiply it times 12 and you get 120 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR!
What if, instead of spending 120 BILLION in Iraq, for guns, bullets, and ambulances, we sent $500,000,000 (five hundred million dollars) each to 240 cities in the United States and said: "Use this to build new schools, improve your fire department, expand your lakes and water systems, hire teachers, give your police and firemen a raise."
I have an idea that would make most American's far happier, and do far more good, than spending it in far off lands, where the people hate us. Furthermore, long after we decide to leave Iraq, whether it is a month after Bush is out of office, or a year, the people of Iraq will still be fighting one another.
It is naive to think that the USA, can solve the differences between the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites. The culture, tradition, society, of Islam, is so far different that that of the United States. We will not make much difference, in the long run. Except for the families in the USA who have lost a son or daughter, father or mother. Those families will suffer forever, because of this war. And the families in Iraq who have lost a father, mother, brother or sister, will also suffer forever.
That, unfortunately, will be the biggest difference, the biggest impact the war in Iraq will have on people.
"This war is a lot more expensive than it should be based on past conflicts." said Steven Kosiak, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
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- The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation - http://blog.heritage.org -
Reconciliation and Obamacare A “Bad Mix”
Posted By Charlotte Davis On February 18, 2010 @ 12:30 pm In Health Care | 10 Comments
Recent reports indicate that House and Senate leaders are considering using reconciliation as a means to pass Obamacare (again). The reconciliation process is a fast-track way to bypass the normal legislative process and to speed up consideration (and passage) of such a bill. And The Hill reports that there are political reasons to go with reconciliation: “reconciliation is enormously appealing to Democratic lawmakers and the White House because it would let them finish up health care reform by a simple majority in the upper chamber, where passing major bills usually requires 60 votes.” Clearly the liberals want to use reconciliation because it is the easiest way to get a bill to the President’s desk before Easter. But if they use it on Obamacare, then they will completely toss aside the letter and spirit of reconciliation rules.
Reconciliation is the last step in the annual budgeting process and is optional. It was originally designed in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to affect permanent spending and revenue programs in order to promote deficit reduction. Reconciliation instructions call for reduced spending or increased revenues, and in 1985 and 1986 these instructions were further clarified with the Byrd Rule, which allows Senators to raise a point of order against extraneous matter that is included in the reconciliation bill. This new rule includes 6 criteria to determine if legislative language is “extraneous” or not, and they all serve to further protect the purpose of reconciliation: to reduce the deficit.
In order to enact the Byrd Rule, the following the process has to happen:
1) A Senator is recognized by the Presiding Officer and raises a point of order against extraneous matter in the reconciliation bill according to the Byrd Rule.
2) Then, the Presiding Officer, generally acting in accordance with the Parliamentarian’s ruling, either acknowledges the point of order and strikes the legislative language as extraneous, or denies the point of order, and allows the language to stay in. Both motions can be done without debate.
Now let’s apply this process to Obamacare. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), “federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010–2019 period, as would the federal budgetary commitment to health care ” in the Senate and House bills. The bills both commit the federal government to over $2 trillion in spending. Clearly, adding Obamacare to a reconciliation process would be quite contrary to the spirit of reconciliation (to reduce the deficit).
Normally rulings such as whether a point of order stands is done by the Senate parliamentarian, and enforced by the Senator acting as Presiding Officer. But there is no rule against bucking the parliamentarian, assuming the parliamentarian follows the letter of the rule. In fact, because the Vice President is the President of the Senate, he can reside as Presiding Officer himself and rule the legislative provisions of Obamacare in order, and leave the only recourse for Republicans to be to appeal the ruling of the chair.
Reconciliation was not intended to be the procedure of last resort when other means fail, and to do so would be a complete abuse of reconciliation rules . Some may bring up other examples of massive legislation passed through reconciliation bills as proof that using reconciliation bills to explode government spending is okay, but past instances of wrongdoing does not make it acceptable to add $2 trillion dollars worth of health care spending acceptable for a bill that is supposed to reduce the deficit. In this time of trillion dollar deficits, is nothing sacred? Even the one bill that is tasked with decreasing the deficit?
But there is hope for conservatives. The aforementioned Hill article quotes former Senate Parliamentarian Bob Dove on a recent Galen Institute conference call where Dove argued that health care reform and reconciliation are a bad mix. Dove explained that the reconciliation “process is not designed to do a lot of policy making and it would be very difficult to achieve a number of things that people want to achieve” in the health care reform legislation. He points out that the reconciliation process does not limit amendments, leaving an opportunity for conservatives to delay passage by offering slews of amendments. So, while the majority party may be able to control what language is allowed in the bill or amendments, the minority may still have a chance to delay passage with a strategic amendment strategy.
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/02/18/reconciliation-and-obamacare-a-%e2%80%9cbad-mix%e2%80%9d/
URLs in this post:
Image: http://www.foundry.org/wp-content/uploads/reid-obama102909.gif
The Hill: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/81273-healthcare-reform-and-reconciliation-a-bad-mix-ex-parliamentarian-says
Reconciliation: http://www.heritage.org/Press/FactSheet/fs0038.cfm
federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010–2019 period, as would the federal budgetary commitment to health care: http://www.heritage.org/research/healthcare/upload/CBOScoreFinal111909.pdf
reconciliation rules: http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed092309a.cfm
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
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A Trail-a-Bike is as safe as the person pulling it. It's no wider than a regular bike and it stays in line with the lead bike. Thus, you don't have to worry about it wandering from side to side or taking up too much room on the road when you ride.
To ride a Trail-a-Bike, your child should be big enough to comfortably reach the pedals and, of course, be able to stay on it. Four to four and a half years old seems to be a pretty good age. However, Adams also offers a baby seat to fit their trailers, so you could actually ride a child as young as a one year old.
The weight limit for a Trail-a-Bike is 100lbs. (That's when you know you want some help pedaling.)
The Trail-a-Bike attaches to the seat post with a collar that's secured with two pinch bolts . While the collar stays on the seat post, there's a pin that's easily pulled to hitch and unhitch the trailer.
The Trail-a-Bike will connect to the seat post of almost any kind of bikes. However, enough of the post has to be available to install the hitch. Sometimes suspension seat posts won't accommodate a Trail-a-Bike because when the seat is raised high enough to provide room for the hitch, it's too high for the rider to touch the ground. This problem is solved by simply changing the seat post.
Yes. You can put a second hitch on another bike and easily move the trailer from bike to bike with the simple pull of a pin.
Your kid doesn't have to pedal if he/she doesn't want to. The Trail-a-Bike is designed so that the passenger can pedal or coast. However, you'll definitely appreciate their help.
For your child, no balance is required at all because you provide that. For you, the extra weight of a passenger tends to exaggerate the steering movements, so steering requires a little bit more attention. You'll notice if your passenger is wiggling around a lot back there. Compensating for it is all done pretty naturally though.
Yes. Adams offers 7 speed as well as single speed models. You have a choice of steel or the lighter weight aluminum in both. They even offer a tandem so you can take two children with you, if you want to.
Adams offers two accessories: a seat back with a broad under-arm strap, and a baby seat.
You can carry your Trail-a-Bike on a bike rack, in the trunk, or inside your car. It folds in half with the quick removal of the seat post.
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Atlanta Bike Ride
Red Top Mountain Roundabout
Posted By: David Green
Have a question about the world of bicycles? Whether it regards product information, technical issues, or riding the streets of Atlanta all you have to do is ask bicycle expert Mike Goodman, Intown Bicycles owner with over 30 years of experience in the industry.
Do you think that you know bikes? Well, we've put together the Bicycle Aptitude Test to see who's got the stuff and who still needs the training wheels. So, go ahead. Don't be afraid...
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Section 141(a) of the the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that: "The business and affairs of every corporation organized under this chapter shall be managed by or under the direction of a board of directors . . . ." (The reason we corporate law scholars generally cite to Delaware law is that the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated there.) Given this statutorily directed (pun intended) "director primacy," one could be forgiven for expressing some surprise at finding out that directors are often part-timers (though well compensated and with some nice perquisites), with no necessary experience in the particular business they are directing or particular financial expertise. For example, "Bank of America Corp on Friday appointed four outside directors to bolster its board's banking and financial expertise, after U.S. regulators pushed the nation's largest bank to improve governance after a federal bailout." Again, one might be forgiven for having expected Bank of America's board to be bursting at the seams with banking and financial experts.
One common complaint is that there simply aren't enough industry and financial experts to go around, and so boards are filled with individuals who arguably have various forms of exemplary general business expertise. In addition, it is noted that boards are really more overseers than managers, and that filling the board with industry experts would lead to them "meddling" with the day-to-day management of the business. Finally, there is the response that shareholders elect directors and if they wanted more expertise they could vote for it, either at the ballot box or with their feet.
Putting aside for the moment the question of whether we actually have effective shareholder voice in corporate governance, it seems the lack of board oversight is precisely what many see as one of the root causes of the financial crisis. (Though according to the Delaware Court of Chancery, this lack of oversight did not rise to the level of a fiduciary care violation in the case of Citigroup.) Furthermore, this lack of oversight is often blamed on the the board's inability to grasp the intricacies of, for example, the risk the business is taking on via securitization and credit-default swap contracts. Now, it may be that the problem is simply that the relevant information isn't getting to the board. But if you are only "on the job" 12 times a year, how effective of a monitor can you really be in any case?
All this leads to another (perhaps tangentially related) question: Is there any connection between the lack of effective board oversight (assuming you agree there is a problem in that area) and the seeming corporate addiction to the crack pipe of lavish excess. Case in point: Wal-Mart's recent annual meeting:
As is traditional for Wal-Mart, the meeting was a Roman spectacle of sorts, where the company eschewed its skinflint practices to celebrate its financial performance and growing list of international conquests. The Vegas-style festivities included an appearance by basketball legend Michael Jordan and musical performances by American Idol winner Kris Allen and teen phenomenon Miley Cyrus. Actor Ben Stiller hosted the lavish production.
Now, far be it for me to judge, but is this really the time for "Roman spectacles"?
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Kate Middleton and an army of highly skilled seamstresses wowed fashionistas around the world Friday with an Alexander McQueen wedding gown that experts called a timeless classic.
After months of secrecy about what she would be wearing, Kate Middleton entered Westminster Abbey in an intricate McQueen wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton, a nearly-three-metres-long train and a decades-old Cartier tiara borrowed from the Queen.
With an estimated 2 billion people watching worldwide, Kate took only a few steps from the Goring Hotel into the Queen's Rolls-Royce VI with her father, Michael, at her side. A special barrier was set up around the hotel so that onlookers and photographers couldn't catch a glimpse of Middleton's dress.
Minutes later, her ivory gown was finally revealed when the father and daughter arrived at Westminster Abbey.
While walking down the long, carpeted aisle, Middleton's dress, with its lace applique for the bodice and skirt, were showcased, but Clarence House provided specific details on the bride's outfit for those who had waited months to see what is now one of the most talked-about dresses of the decade.
The dress was inspired by the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves, a theme that was also included in the bride's pave-set diamond earrings. The jewelry was a gift from her parents.
The bride chose the British brand "for its craftsmanship and its respect for workmanship and the technical construction of clothing," according to a statement from Clarence House.
Each piece of Middleton's dress was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework.
The design was applied by hand and individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and applied onto ivory silk tulle in an intricate procedure.
Clarence House reported that the workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours to keep them sharp and clean.
The lace came from various sources, so each piece of material was carefully picked to ensure every flower was the same colour. The fabrics were selected after extensive research by Burton's team.
The train, carried by Middleton's sister and maid of honour, Philippa, was 2.7 metres long.
Her veil was crafted out of layers of ivory silk tulle and a trim of hand-embroidered flowers.
A team of six stylists led by celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward left Middleton's hair down. Atop her glossy brown tresses, Middleton wore a "halo" tiara made by Cartier in 1936, which was purchased by King George VI for Queen Elizabeth. It was presented to the Queen, who was Princess Elizabeth at the time, by her mother on her 18th birthday.
Her satin shoes with hand-embroidered lace were also handmade by a team at Alexander McQueen.
Her bouquet was made of lily of the valley, sweet william and hyacinth flowers arranged in a shield shape. The flowers were said to symbolize a return of happiness, gallantry and love.
The myrtle was also carried by Queen Victoria when she married in 1858.
International fashion experts, from Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace to British Vogue editor Alexander Shulman, praised Middleton and Burton's efforts, with some calling the outfit "magical."
"What an amazing dress; it was perfect for the bride and sent out so many fantastic messages. I felt very moved when I heard it was McQueen: a designer acknowledged as being brilliant to design a royal wedding dress has never happened before," Shulman wrote in a piece on the magazine's website.
"The veil is a little flat, but because she has such a lovely face, she can afford to wear it this way. She is very pretty," designer Hubert de Givenchy told European TV stations.
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In the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico there is a small adobe sanctuary that is visited by over 300,000 people each year. It is known as the "Lourdes of America", and for thousands of years the land under the church has been considered magical by the local Native Americans. Burt Wolf tours the site, looks into the conflicting legends of its history, and investigates the miraculous healings that have been attributed to its sacred soil.
Visit the Website: http://www.BurtWolf.com
Episode #610 / Length: 26 minutes
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By Roberta Rampton and Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government banned BP Plc on Wednesday from new federal contracts over its "lack of business integrity" in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, possibly imperiling the company's role as a top U.S. offshore oil and gas producer and the No. 1 military fuel supplier.
The suspension, announced by the Environmental Protection Agency, comes on the heels of BP's November 15 agreement with the U.S. government to plead guilty to criminal misconduct in the Gulf of Mexico disaster, the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The British energy giant agreed to pay $4.5 billion in penalties, including a record $1.256 billion criminal fine.
BP and its affiliates are barred from new federal contracts until they demonstrate they can meet federal business standards, the EPA said. The suspension is "standard practice" and BP's existing U.S. government contracts are not affected, it said.
The EPA acted hours before a government auction of offshore tracts in the Gulf of Mexico, a region where BP is the largest investor and lease-holder of deep-water tracts and hopes for further growth. BP is also the top fuel supplier to the U.S. military, the largest single buyer of oil in the world.
Suspension of contracts could give the government leverage to pressure BP to settle federal and state civil litigation that could top $20 billion if a court finds BP was grossly negligent in the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
An EPA official said government-wide suspensions generally do not exceed 18 months, but can continue longer if there are ongoing legal cases.
In a statement, BP said it has been in "regular dialogue" with the EPA, and that the agency has informed BP that it is preparing an agreement that "would effectively resolve and lift this temporary suspension." The EPA has notified BP that the draft agreement will be available soon, BP said.
U.S. operations accounted for more than 30 percent of BP's pre-tax profits in the third quarter, and the United States accounts for about a fifth of BP's global oil production.
The U.S. military has been a reliable customer of BP's jet fuel and other refined products. As recently as September, BP affiliates won two military fuel contracts worth as much as $1.37 billion, according to a website that tracks U.S. military contracts.
The EPA's action is a sign that all federal contractors will be held to high standards, said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight, a private watchdog group.
"BP had years to improve its business ethics and is paying the price for its inaction," Amey said.
On November 15, BP Finance Director Brian Gilvary told investors on a conference call that any blanket ban could force the company to rethink its entire U.S. business.
The Justice Department says it intends to prove in a court case set to get underway in February 2013 that BP was grossly negligent under the Clean Water Act, a claim the company has adamantly denied.
"The critical question is whether this a shot across BP's bows to get settlement, or a more sustained stance, in which case the importance of the context is underlined" by Gilvary's comments, said Peter Hutton, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.
The EPA's suspension will not impair BP's ability to produce oil and gas from existing U.S. assets, said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates Inc in Houston.
"BP's supply contract of fuels to the Pentagon might be at risk, but of course BP could supply other customers if this supply contract is not renewed," Molchanov said in a research note.
BP and the U.S. government likely worked out a deal on the timing of the suspension before BP agreed to sign off on the November 15 criminal plea deal, said Samuel Buell, a Duke University Law School professor and former federal prosecutor.
"It's just inconceivable to me that BP's lawyers ... would have entered into that agreement last week without the issue of a suspension or debarment having been addressed," Buell said.
BP did not participate in Wednesday's federal auction of 20 million acres (8 million hectares) of drilling tracts in the Gulf of Mexico, one of BP's biggest oil production regions globally.
One long-time critic of BP applauded the decision.
"After pleading guilty to such reckless behavior that killed men and constituted a crime against the environment, suspending BP's access to contracts with our government is the right thing to do," U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said in a statement.
BP's U.S.-traded shares closed flat, while London-traded shares were down less than 1 percent at 427 pence.
(Additional reporting by Andrew Callus in London, Ayesha Rascoe in Washington, Joshua Schneyer in New York and Kristen Hays in Houston; Writing by Chris Baltimore; Editing by John Wallace, Grant McCool, Andrew Hay and Marguerita Choy)
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About a thousand excited and chatty juniors and seniors filled the bleachers at the Wolverines Football Stadium. But the chatter became a thick hush when the crash scene was unveiled in the middle of the track oval.
Two crumpled cars had collided, teen passengers in both, beer cans strewn around, a boy's arm severed, bloodied bodies, an unconscious girl draped half out the windshield, and another girl, in the driver's seat, paralyzed from the neck down.
The DVHS student actors' amplified dialogue of shock, then panic, pierced the stadium. "Are you OK?" asked Shauna White.
Photos by Minotte R. Cuenca
A helicopter lands on the staged accident scene to take Michael Paez to John Muir hospital. Officials hope the dramatization will save young lives.
Sirens blared, announcing the arrival of police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. Rescue workers pried out the pinned passengers with electric saws. The injured and bloodied passengers were then put on stretchers. Paez was placed in a helicopter to be transported to a hospital. Mosley was rushed to Sutter Delta.
Kendra Rawland, pulled out from the hood of the car, did not make it. The drama ended with the heartbreak of Kendra's family grieving as they saw her sprawled, covered body on the ground.
It was hard to remember that this was a re-enactment, especially when the helicopter landed in the middle of the field. The mood was somber, heavy, serious as the teens watched intensely, with nary a smile on their faces. Riveted by the tragic scene, they too might have forgotten that this was only a re-enactment.
"Every 15 minutes, someone dies or is injured from a drunk-driving accident," said Sherry Walkins, a John Muir Hospital nurse. "Every 15 Minutes is an injury-prevention program to impact parents and the whole community about drunk driving. It's really the parents we're trying to impact. For every parent, may this serve as a reminder to become role models to their kids. Kids may seem not to listen, but they sure are watching."
"This is very dramatic, very realistic. I hope it impresses on everyone here," said parent-volunteer Sam Blittman, who was attending his third Every 15 Minutes program this year.
A mock funeral service was held at the high school the following day. Students read letters to their parents, and police officers and hospital personnel shared the emotional trauma of dealing with kids killed in accidents. A teen survivor from a car crash spoke about his experience, and made it very real to the students.
"There has been very good feedback," said coordinator Wanda Hom. "The students are still talking about it. The program definitely made a huge impact. The kids realize the consequences of drunk driving and the responsibility of driving."
"It was an awesome program that inspired people not to drink and drive," said Daniel Morton, 17. "It helped people who drank, think again. The whole role-play got people emotional. I carried the casket with my buddies the next day, and when we entered I could feel everyone was emotional and in shock. It was very realistic."
"There was no better way to display how real it can be," said Kevin Hom, a Deer Valley junior. "I even went with Monica in the ambulance. I couldn't really imagine it until I saw what could happen. I got the real feeling, and I will definitely keep this experience behind the back of my mind at all times."
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ENCINITAS It takes nearly 14 minutes on average for the Encinitas Fire Department to reach calls in Olivenhain, the city’s most rural area.
That’s according to a study of 911 response times department officials presented Wednesday to the Encinitas City Council. It showed that it takes an average of 13:51 minutes from the time someone in northeastern Olivenhain calls 911 to the time emergency crews arrive.
The Fire Department periodically reviews its response times within the city. It has a goal of arriving at 80 percent of emergencies within five minutes of a 911 call. Olivenhain residents requested the department evaluate its response times in the portion of the community east of Seventh Street.
Olivenhain borders Rancho Santa Fe and has large homes on expansive lots. It has the lowest population density in Encinitas. There are 817 residents per square mile in the area. The other four parts of the city have at least 3,000 residents per square mile. Encinitas has five fire stations. The Fire Department received 150 emergency calls from Olivenhain from 2009 through 2010.
About 20 residents addressed the City Council Wednesday about emergency coverage for the area.
The council made response times to Olivenhain a high priority, authorizing staff members to study solutions.
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My Washington Examiner column this week focuses on an important new study from the office of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK): “Safety at Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in U.S. Cities.” If you’ve read any of the ample media coverage the report’s received, you may have heard that DHS grants have gone toward 13 sno-cone machines for terror-warriors in Michigan, a latrine on wheels for Fort Worth, Texas, a $100,000 underwater robot for Columbus, Ohio, and a Halloween “zombie apocalypse” demonstration at a swank resort outside San Diego.
But, as I argue in the Examiner,
the media focus on “waste, fraud, and abuse” misses a graver problem with DHS’s decade-long spending spree. Sno-cone machines and “zombie apocalypse” parties aren’t the worst things DHS is underwriting. We ought to worry more about the proliferation of surveillance cameras, mobile biometric scanners, armored personnel carriers and police drones.
The useless projects DHS funds are far less troubling than the ones that can be used to harm Americans’ privacy and liberty—and Coburn’s report is replete with examples of the latter.
Just today the Daily noted another troubling DHS project: “Government officials are quietly installing sophisticated audio surveillance systems on public buses across the country to eavesdrop on passengers…. Linked to video cameras already in wide use, the microphones will offer a formidable new tool for security and law enforcement. With the new systems, experts say, transit officials can effectively send an invisible police officer to transcribe the individual conversations of every passenger riding on a public bus.” The Daily notes, unsurprisingly, “In San Francisco, the Department of Homeland Security is funding the entire cost with a grant.”
It’s a mistake to look at DHS grants simply through the prism of government waste—as if what’s going on here is of a piece with $500 toilet seats and bridges to nowhere. The costs of this unthinking slide toward a militarized, high-tech Idiocracy can’t be measured in budgetary terms alone.
More highlights from Coburn’s report after the jump:
Coburn also notes the use of DHS funds for police purchases of “Long Range Acoustic Device” crowd-control weapons:
originally developed for use by the military as a nonlethal way to repel adversaries, including Iraqi insurgents or pirates, by making a loud and intense sound that is capable of damaging hearing. Law enforcement agencies have purchased LRAD machines for purposes that include crowd control and issuing message and alerts across vast distances, though its use in terror-related preparedness is questionable.
In 2009, the Pittsburgh police department used its LRAD machine to disperse a crowd that was protesting the G-20 summit….
In 2009, the San Diego County Sheriff stationed its LRAD device at the town-hall meetings of Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA), Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), which drew conservative and liberal protestors. The San Diego sheriff’s stated that the LRADs were in place so they “could use the LRAD in place of pepper spray” if there were problem at the event, which there was not.
… Mobile Fingerprinting Devices:
The Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia, part of the National Capital Region around Washington, D.C., spent nearly $12 million to upgrade its automated fingerprinting system called NOVARIS and purchased mobile devices for use by officers in the field. Digital fingerprinting had been in place for Fairfax police since the early 1980’s, but the county applied for, and won, UASI funds to purchase a new state-of-the-art system, that would also help it coordinate with neighboring counties. “Since it was due for an upgrade, we took the opportunity to use the UASI grant funds to refresh the system,” explained Alan Hanson with the department.
Hanson explained that the equipment “is used most often in a voluntary capacity” in situations where people are stopped but do not have identification.
…Armored Personnel Carriers:
police departments are arming themselves with military assets often reserved for war zones. One California resident observed as much when officials in Carlsbad—a city with one of the state’s lowest crime rates—expressed interest in using DHS funds to buy a BearCat: “What we’re really talking about here is a tank, and if we’re at the point where every small community needs a tank for protection, we’re in a lot more trouble as a state than I thought.”….
Fargo, a town which “has averaged fewer than 2 homicides per year since 2005” bought a “new $256,643 armored truck, complete with a rotating [gun] turret” using homeland security funds. Fargo Police Lieutenant Ross Renner acknowledges that Fargo “[does not] have every-day threats here when it comes to terrorism.”
…and “Drones: Patrolling the Skies Like Never Before”:
In Texas, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department successfully acquired a $300,000 Vanguard’s ShadowHawk drone fully paid with UASI dollars. Vanguard, located near Montgomery County, approached the sheriff’s department about procuring one of its unmanned systems, according to Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel. In fact, Vanguard helped the Sheriff’s department write “a winning grant proposal that allowed the entire cost of acquisition, training, insurance, and maintenance for a period two years to be absorbed in an Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant.”
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I've been re-reading RYA's article from earlier this week, and I find myself doubting my original condemnation. Oh, to be sure, I still think his conclusion sucks, but earlier I thought his underlying logic was equally bad. Now, I am not so sure.
The question comes to this: Is RYA acting as a prescriptivist or is he a descriptivist? The difference: A prescriptivist, (to explain the post title's simile) is like your HS English teacher, the old bat who beats you over the head for splitting infinitives or for ending a sentence with a preposition. A descriptivist, on the other hand, understands that many of the rules of English usage are the result of culture and superstition in that a great many of these "rules" have little basis.
Most significantly, a descriptivists recognizes that language rules slowly change over time for a variety of reasons, some good, most bad. The prescriptivist, or the very worst sort of prescriptivist anyway, prefers to imagine that the rules are etched in stone, written in the sky, and impossible to alter.
So what is RYA on hashkafa?
At first, I took RYA to be prescriptivist appealing to precedent or tradition. But as aptly shown by Doctor Marc Shapiro et al appealing to precedent or tradition won't work, because what's considered correct changes over time. In Rashi's day women, or some women anyway, wore tfillin. Less than 200 hundred years ago, many Jewish women weren't permitted to go to school. There are passages in the Talmud which suggest women could receive aliyot, and that milk and fowl were eaten together. There are old siddurim which provide "she lo asani ish" as the correct liturgy for women. As Shapiro's book taught me it was also once okay to illustrate your religious books with pictures that depicted God in human form. You could speculate on the mutability of the MT without being called a heretic. And much, much more.
When RYA says certain Jewish ideas and practices are outside the pale, he might be right, but only if he is speaking as a descriptivist. If he is speaking as a prescriptivist he is defeated by the tradition itself.
Which brings me to my central point, and the meaning behind the title simile. While recognizing that many language rules are arbitrary and silly, most descriptivists still admit that arbitrary and silly language rules serve a purpose. Namely, they help us determine who is part of our group and who is not.
Consider, for instance, the case of dialects. Most of us speak more than one. I, myself, speak Jewish-English and Standard Written English. These are not the same, and there are situations when one is appropriate and suitable and the other is not. These dialects -and there are hundreds if not thousands of other English dialects and sub dialects - are useful because they help us to determine who is part of our group and who is not.
If he is speaking as a descriptivist RYA's argument has some sense to it, because what he is actually saying is that normative OJ developed contingently, and because 21st century OJs, like any other group, wish to live/work/play and otherwise interact with each other, it helps if we all sort of think and act the same way. Because otherwise, we're not one group. Otherwise, our OJ identity is diluted, just as surely as the identity of a group of African American friends is diluted if they include a guy who does not greet them with "Yo" and call them "Brothers" and ask "s'up, s'goin on?"
This argument has some logic to it - perhaps it reduces Orthodox Judaism to a club with a dress code, but the logic is present. The conclusion, however, still stinks, because what is also present is RYA's unmistakable disgust for Jewish actions and ideas that he, personally, does not hold.
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The Patriot-News’ Aug. 2 editorial, “’Irrational’ gas policy: Act 13 local zoning pre-emption is a mistake,” misrepresents what are detailed provisions of Act 13 that provide greater — and consistent — environmental protections in all zoning districts.
Act 13 does not require all oil and gas operations as permitted uses in all zoning districts. Compressor stations are permitted uses only in agricultural and industrial districts, and processing plants only in industrial districts. Conditional uses are allowed in all districts with increased setbacks, except processing plants are not allowed in residential districts and — what has not been mentioned — well or well sites might be prohibited in residential districts if the wellhead cannot be placed at least 500 feet from an existing building.
As the Commonwealth Court dissent stated, there is no “carte blanche” on natural gas development, as incorrectly claimed in the majority court decision and The Patriot-News’ editorial. Act 13 correctly recognizes that impacts are local and need to be addressed through a local impact fee, but that the resource — natural gas — is best regulated and developed as a statewide asset and not subject to the political pressure and irrational decisions inherent in contradictory local zoning ordinances.
Vice President and General Counsel, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association
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UNITAR Skills Shop at the 6th World Urban Forum in Naples
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted a Skills Shop at the 6th World Urban Forum (WUF) in Naples from 1st to 7th of September, 2012.
The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The WUF saw a total of 8,271 participants registering, with some 152 countries being represented. More than 25,000 of participants visited the exhibition hall, where UNITAR had a 36m2 open classroom booth for all to learn about UNITAR's wide variety of training and capacity-building services.
The UNITAR booth hosted over 500 visitors from around the world. All booth visitors were invited to take part in a special research project on “What learning means to you” in their languages, by writing their answers on a special learning pillar in the centre of the booth, which showcased action words such as “share, build, network, lead, inspire” in languages like Amharic, English, Thai and more.
Reflecting the theme of the 6th WUF “The Urban Future”, UNITAR’s Skills Shop hosted a variety of training and side events along with many “Pop-up” learning events in the classroom-style booth, which were open to the public. These learning events introduced the general public to innovative concepts such as
- Transition Towns: For reducing urban dependency on fossil fuels, and transitioning to greener cities),
- WikiCities: on ICT platforms for local governments to connect and map citizen needs and priorities for urban renewal (PortoAlegre.cc)
- SymbioCity: The Swedish Model for participatory governance and sustainable Urban development, and
- UNOSAT and GIS for territorial management,
- Municipal finance and strengthening capacities of local governments, and many more topics!
In addition, UNITAR staff made a variety of innovative partnerships with local governments to better develop capacity-building projects addressing specific needs of local authorities today. This is exactly what the Skills Shop is all about, serving your learning needs as local development practitioners through customised training to enhance your on-the-job performance and career advancement.
This unique learning environment provided an opportunity for visitors to the Forum to experience a variety of UNITAR training and learning events.
Three UNITAR programmes participated at WUF including the Local Development Programme (LDP), Public Finance and Trade Programme (PFT) and UNITAR’S Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT).
If you did not have the opportunity to attend the 6th WUF, but are still interested in a potential partnership with UNITAR please contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
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What do the following errors mean?
1. variable-size type declared outside of any function
2. no match for 'operator!=' in 'e[temp]!='\000''
candidates are BOOL operator!=(const GUID&, const GUID&)
First case, the error line is one where I declared an object-array with a variable as length, and I wanted the array to be global)
Second case is - for(temp=0; e[temp]!='\0'; temp++)
(temp is an global integer, e is a object-array.
"variable sized type" is when you have something like:
The fix is to make "size" a const.
int size = 100;
What is "e[temp]"? Is it perhaps of type GUID, in which case, it appears, that you can't compare it with a char - you may need to create a "NUL-GUID" or some such to compare your GUID value with, perhaps.
If this doesn't help, please post a section of the code you are having problems with.
1. Variable-size arrays are not standard in the first place (some compilers support them by extension because they exist in C99) and do not miraculously substitute dynamically allocated arrays.
2. I suppose there is no GUID constuctor that can make a GUID instance out of a character.
In addition limit the usage of global variables. There is no need to use a global variable for a loop counter (or a global variable called temp - a global variable is not temporary).
@matsp- A const is just what I dont want to make it
@anon - "and do not miraculously substitute dynamically allocated arrays."
That's nailed it, then.
I dunno what's a GUID....e is just the same object array mentioned in case 1, and temp is just to calculate a position in it.
Ehm, "object array" is obviously not, say, a character array - and you are trying to compare with a character - which is why the compiler is complaining. And as far as I can tell, it looks like your class for the object is "GUID" - but perhaps thats just an artifact of something else that the compiler is utterly confused about.
GUID in generally stands for "Globally Unique IDentifier", but there's other meanings too.
Omfg I went and confused it with a character array which has an '\0' in the end to help in comparison...Pwnd. I am using the dynamic memory allocation method now, which should've bin done ages back...
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Is meanness a moneymaker? Nice guys are paid less, study finds
Disagreeable men earn about 18% more -– or $9,722 extra a year –- than their more pleasant counterparts. Rude women out-earn sweet ones by 5%, or $1,828, according to the report “Do Nice Guys -- and Gals -– Really Finish Last?”
Agreeable people who act altruistic, compliant and modest want to maintain social harmony and are more popular among their peers. But the study, which David Lazarus teased Monday, found that anti-competitiveness and self-sacrificing tendencies don’t translate into income and earnings.
Less agreeable employees aren’t necessarily anti-social and are amicable for the most part, researchers said. But they’re also more inclined to pursue their interests aggressively and thrive in conflict –- such as in salary negotiations.
Lack of warmth is sometimes even seen as a sign of competence by many bosses, the study found.
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Cornell University and the University of Western Ontario considered more than 20 years of data from thousands of workers across multiple industries.
Gender stereotypes are also hard at work, they found. Agreeable men often come across as violating tough masculine norms. Women, who are expected to be gentle and genial, often find that being disagreeable pays off less for them than it does for men.
-- Tiffany Hsu
Photo: Michael Douglas as corporate villain Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street." Credit: Andy Schwartz
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WPDFD Issue #57 - December 01, 2002
I've been asked many times by clients if there is some way that they can update pages on the sites I've designed for them. What they want to do is open their page in their browser, change a few words or prices, and resave the modifications. At most, they might want to add a new product. Well, sure there are ways to do something like that but they are not foolproof enough for people who are barely computer literate and find Microsoft Office enough of a challenge.
Meta data on a Web page is invisible to the surfer, it doesn't actually show on the screen but lurks in the dark corners where only the creepy crawlers go. Crawlers (or robots) are programs used by search engines to index sites on the web. They roam freely and when they coma a-knocking at your door, they read the meta tags as well as the text on you page and when somebody enters keywords in a search engine to find relevant information, that's how it is found.
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Second Amendment ensures against tyranny
In his letter, “NRA’s solution would cause more mayhem,” the writer says armed guards at Sandy Hook would not have prevented the tragedy. Perhaps not, although they seem to be a deterrent at banks and public buildings. He then accuses the National Rifle Association of failing “to admit culpability in creating the contemporary gun-violence culture,” while dismissing more likely factors, such as drugs, immorality and various other forms of cultural rot.
The writer says, “The tyrannical governments the founders feared then were an ocean away in Europe. We have no need to fear tyranny today.” Can this former teacher possibly not know that the founders, who knew history and understood human nature, included the Second Amendment to ensure against tyranny here? Is he unaware that the Constitution is our sole bulwark against tyrants? Doesn’t he understand that to regard the Constitution as a living document means it is subject to the whims of judges and politicians? Our present amendment process is far less dangerous.
Some anti-gun activists believe the amendment obsolete, in that armed individuals would never succeed against a modern army. Perhaps, but guerilla warfare can be quite effective. Other anti-gun groups interpret the archaic language of the amendment to mean that it is a state entity (militia), not the individual, that has the right to bear arms, but consider: of the original 10 amendments, did the founders intend nine to protect the individual, but reserve the Second Amendment to protect the state? It’s naïve to believe so.
I don’t think having armed guards in schools is a practical option, but demonizing the NRA and disarming a law-abiding populace are certainly not the answers. Rather, blame the violence on our evolving, soulless culture.
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If poring through collections of stamps, matchbooks or non-precious minerals elevates your pulse rate to alarming levels, the Library of Congress has a new archive for you.
According to an Associated Press story that moved on Friday, the library has amassed more than 170 billion tweets since it began collecting a file of all Twitter messages dating back to the time the first tweet was posted back in 2006.
The Twitter archive holds little interest to a guy like me, who tweets less than a mute swan with a tracheotomy, and believes what I had for lunch is a matter that should be shared only with fellow Weight Watchers.
While a blurb at the bottom of the front page of Friday's Gazette urges readers to follow my outdoorsy feature writing on Twitter, I am ashamed to report that I have posted a grand total of five tweets since June, only two of which deal with the outdoors. I had a sixth tweet, but I had to delete it since the post was supplied by someone who hacked my account and made it appear I was promoting a raspberry ketone fat-burning supplement via the Gazette's Twitter feed - something I would never do without adequate compensation.
While I recognize that Twitter is an important communications tool, like robo-calling and citizens band radio, it's a tool I feel uncomfortable using, since I'm not particularly chatty and not much of a self-promoter. On the other hand, I like the challenge of using 140 characters or less to complete a message, and value my continued employment at a newspaper that encourages its staff to be visible and accessible in the social media.
According to the AP report, the number of tweets the Library of Congress receives daily from Twitter has grown from 140 million two years ago to nearly 500 million as of last month.
I'm making it a New Year's resolutions to at least quadruple my Twitter output in 2013. I don't want history to pass me by without a peep -- or at least 20 tweets.
After reading about Colorado's first bring-your-own-baggie marijuana club opening on Jan. 1 following that state's vote to legalize the substance, I wondered what our nation's Founding Fathers would think about such a development, had they been able to peer a couple of centuries into the future.
Of course, many of them, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, were too busy growing and selling hemp at the time to think about such airy matters. True, they cultivated cannabis for its tensile strength in rope rather than its THC content in smoke. But an item in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette dating back to October of 1729, and posted recently on Slate's history blog, the Vault, shows that other uses for hemp were known back in Colonial times.
Hemp seeds, according to the 1729 article, are "said to have the faculty of abating venereal desires," and when mixed with milk, can effectively treat jaundice.
"The leaves are held good against burns, and the juice thereof against deafness," the article continued. And while smoking the substance was never mentioned, the Philadelphia Gazette piece did point out that the plant's "powder, or flower, mix'd with any ordinary liquor, is said to turn those who drink thereof, stupid."
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Google Library Used To Undercut Google Print
from the ah,-that-explains-it... dept
Last month, in discussing how publishers were angry at Google for its book scanning project, we noted that Google had decided to scan some books without the publisher's permission, citing fair use rights. It turns out the situation is a bit more complex. What really appears to have happened is the collision of two different book scanning projects. The first, Google Print, was where Google partnered with publishers and promised them that the scanned books would (a) help sell more books and (b) more importantly, allow them to get ad revenue associated with contextual ads alongside any pages that people viewed. However, soon afterwards, Google tied this project with their Google Library project, where they were partnering with libraries to scan all of their books. In those cases, there was no revenue sharing argument. The benefit for the libraries is that Google pays the expense of digitizing their entire collection, which the library then gets to use. Of course, there's a potential conflict here, as Google can scan a library book, even though the publisher of the book refused to take part in Google Print -- or, even if they agreed to take part, but now they won't get the revenue share from the ads. In some sense, again, it comes down to a question of "ownership." The publishers view ownership from the intellectual property point of view, saying that they own the words, and no one can do anything with them without permission. The libraries, on the other hand, are viewing ownership in the more tangible sense, along with the right of first sale -- saying that, if they own the physical books, they should have the rights to do what they want with them. It's a fine line, of course, but given the way the courts have been acting lately, it would seem likely that they would side with the publishers -- and claim that the libraries were violating the publishers' rights in digitizing the books in the first place.
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Software developed by the FBI and Ernst & Young has revealed the most common words used in email conversations among employees engaged in corporate fraud.
The software, which was developed using the knowledge gained from real life corporate fraud investigations, pinpoints and tracks common fraud phrases like "cover up", "write off", "failed investment", "off the books", "nobody will find out" and "grey area".
Expressions such as "special fees" and "friendly payments" are most common in bribery cases, while fears of getting caught are shown in phrases such as "no inspection" and "do not volunteer information".
In total more than 3,000 terms are logged by the technology, which monitors for conversations within the "fraud triangle", where pressure, rationalisation, and opportunity meet, said the FBI and Ernst & Young.
The analytics software also scans for "out of band" events such as "call my mobile" or "come by my office", suggesting the individual does not want to be overheard.
The software can also flag uncharacteristic changes in tone and language in conversations, and has been tailored for specific sectors, particularly traders.
Rashmi Joshi, director of Ernst & Young's fraud investigation and disputes services, said: "Despite being the prime means of all conversations unstructured email data plays almost no role in the compliance efforts of firms.
"Most often such email traffic is only seized upon by regulators or fraud investigators when the damage has been done. Firms are increasingly seeking to proactively search for specific trends and red flags."
The top fraud words and phrases in email conversations:
- Cover up
- Write off
- Failed investment
- Nobody will find out
- Grey area
- They owe it to me
- Do not volunteer information
- Not ethical
- Off the books
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Do you remember the early days of social media (not too long ago) when people likely came to you for answers to anything and everything that had to do with social media? You were a default social fountain of knowledge and you likely grew into and then out of the social media "guru" role. Soon thereafter, social started to scale, and many others in the organization started proudly wearing the social media badge. Collectively, more than a billion of us are participating in social media today, creating an unfathomable digital social footprint.
Fast forward a few years and now, it may be that people are coming to you again for answers to anything and everything, but dangling a new badge—"Big Data". You are being asked to extract intelligence out of the terabytes of unstructured social conversations about your brand or industry. You are being asked to bring light to valuable insight that is otherwise dark and locked away.
If this sounds familiar, or if you're picking up a vibe that Big Data is going to soon be a new friend, brace yourself, and examine some considerations for unlocking the value of big data in 2013.
The big picture: Start here. A July 2012 McKinsey Global Institute Study is an excellent reference for understanding the value marketers can bring to the business by extracting business value from social technologies.
Business Value: From competitive intelligence to lead generation to customer loyalty to co-creation of value, big data insights can add tremendous value when unlocked. Determine which area in your business is ripe for focus and attack.
Tools and Skills: Analytical skills don't always come naturally to marketers. "Big Data" is a career opportunity for those who can bridge skills traditionally found in IT and marketing. It requires new tools, new skills and new ways of visualizing information. Take a look at Entrepreneur's list of business intelligence tools (with over 100 of them, we need big data tools just to manage this huge list): http://business-intelligence-tools.entrepreneur.com/. There is indeed an opportunity ahead of us as marketers to learn how to leverage the myriad tools, including those for taking advantage of predictive analysis as mentioned by Rich Vancil in his post about the next big thing for B2B marketers.
Processing power: All this data needs to be crunched, and quickly. We live in an age where massive scale processing is a possibility and on almost a real-time basis. I was recently in a conversation with my team regarding the timeframe for an analysis and I was thinking that viewing trends by hours would be miraculous. The team politely told me that they actually wanted to know if milliseconds would be fast enough! As marketers, we can take advantage of large pipes of fast-moving data, APIs and RSS feeds to nourish our data requirements, and we will need the IT processing power and partnership to make that happen.
Risks and Security: Big Data and Big Brother may be of the same family, the latter as the black sheep. As marketers, we'll need to understand and define our parameters to bring value to the business while respecting confidentiality and privacy needs of the social participants.
Wherever you are on the Big Data trend line—from newbie badge to expert, these considerations should help you begin to see the light and learn to unlock insight out of the mounds of unstructured and relevant social conversations.
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During a June 4 session at the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2012 conference in Denver, John W. Drebinger Jr., presented a compelling case for using comradery in the workplace to create a safety culture.
The underlying idea is that we’re all in this together, so if you watch my back, I’ll watch yours. According to John, here are five reasons that you should be your coworker’s keeper:
1. When you keep an eye on other people’s safety, your own safety awareness improves.
2. Even “safe” workers can get distracted
3. We’re all at risk of occasional cognitive failure.
4. You’ll never have to regret that you could have said something but didn’t.
5. It’s just the right thing to do.
You can get more details about the five reasons by reading the full article as it appears in EHSToday.
Tags: safety culture
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The forgotten rules of concussion
The reluctance of the Melbourne Storm to replace a staggering Ryan Hoffman has highlighted the difficulties in enforcing the NRL’s new guidelines regarding concussed players.
NRL officials will seek a formal explanation from the club after Hoffman was allowed to continue playing after appearing to be concussed in the early stages of Saturday’s game at AAMI Park.
Under the guidelines, any player who shows signs of concussion must be taken by the trainer to the club’s medical officer for assessment.
The adherence by clubs toward the new guidelines, introduced this year, was always going to be tested under the microscope of finals football.
In the high-pressure atmosphere of September, momentum is everything. A player being forced to leave the field to be assessed could prove crucial, and that’s not to mention the use of a valuable interchange.
Hypothetically, if Ben Barba or Jonathan Thurston was seeing stars with ten minutes remaining in the grand final – would the trainers be instructed to remove him from the field or would he be given the minute and a half Hoffman was afforded to collect himself and carry on?
The coaches would never put their player’s safety in jeopardy for a result, but players pride themselves in pushing through the pain barrier and not letting their team-mates down.
NRL Ryan Hoffman staggered face-first into the ground and still completed the next tackle, possibly unaware of where he was other than a football field.
Each club has different rules and regulations regarding treatment, recovery, and the use of pain killing injections. It is yet to be seen which clubs will adhere to the new guidelines and which will rely on their player’s judgement to carry on.
As in most cases where rule changes are applied or considered in the NRL, the over-riding question remains – What if it happened in the grand final?
The inclusion of independent trainers and medical staff may be the only answer in protecting the players from themselves.
Sport, all day long. Does this sound too good to be true? We're searching for a Group Sales Manager to lead our team in Sydney. If you're a sales star who doesn't mind a hit, kick, throw, or cycle, we want to hear from you. Apply now.
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The Model X is clearly designed to be a family car. With the expectation that families will have teenage drivers, I would love to see a lot of governor features. For example, if my son wants to borrow the car to go to his friend's house, I'd like to be able to set the maximum speed to 35 mph. I remember being a teenager, and if I were put behind the steering wheel of a Model X, I probably wouldn't be alive.
Even more than that, there is no reason why the car shouldn't provide on option to forbid speeding altogether. Using existing technology, the car can know what the speed limit is where ever it happens to be (with few exceptions).
Each driver would have a username and password to unlock his specific set of features/constraints. Once a driver is identified, the radio station and volume could be set to his/her preferences, along with climate control, seat position, mirror position, etc....
Please Login to Comment
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Most Active Stories
- What Kentucky Teachers Think Of Their Schools, Education Department Releases Survey Results
- MSU's Presidential Search Committee Plans to Use National Search Firm
- MSU Board of Regents Approves Dr. Tim Miller as Interim President
- Kentucky to Raise Gas Tax in July
- Survey Finds McConnell Leading Over Democratic Challengers
Mon June 18, 2012
McCracken County Consolidated High School Names Principal
Michael Ceglinski has been named principal of McCracken County High School.
Ceglinski began his career as a biology teacher at Lone Oak High School, where he later served as assistant principal. In the 2010-11 school year, he was named interim principal of Heath High School and has also served as principal of Ballard Memorial High School. Ceglinski has most recently served as the Director of High School Instruction for McCracken County Public Schools, having held the instructional director position since 2008.
A graduate of Lone Oak High School and the University of Kentucky, Ceglinski earned a B.S. in biology and a M.Ed. in education. He also completed a Rank I in school administration from Murray State University.
"Michael Ceglinski is an inspiration to all those lucky enough to work with him," says Superintendent Dr. Nancy Waldrop. "He is a champion of teaching and learning with a passion for making a positive difference in the lives of students."
McCracken County High School, scheduled to open in the fall of 2013, will bring together students from Heath, Lone Oak and Reidland high schools. Primary responsibilities for the principal for the 2012-2013 school year will be organization and planning in concert with the Superintendent for the 2013 opening. Planning will include: developing curriculum and course offerings, scheduling, assigning school personnel and engaging the community.
“I am humbled by the confidence that Dr. Waldrop has placed in me to lead McCracken County High School,” says Ceglinski. “The vision of our Board of Education is for the success of every child in McCracken County and I look forward to working with a phenomenal staff to see that all of our students leave us college and career ready.”
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New images released of Zaha Hadid’s first completed project in England, the Evelyn Grace Academy
Fresh from her triumph at the RIBA Stirling Prize, Zaha Hadid has released stunning imagery of the Evelyn Grace Academy - her first completed project in England. The sprawling concrete mass has been designed in collaboration with ARK Schools, an organisation created in 2004 to bridge the academic gap between students living in disadvantaged areas and those with more affluent backgrounds.
Organisation within the school is arranged horizontally, with the 1,200 pupils separated into four sub-schools - Evelyn Middle, Grace Middle, Evelyn Upper and Grace Upper. Students in the two middle schools enter the building via first floor terraces, avoiding any interaction with the upper schools, the students of which access the building using end stair cores. Each middle school is spread over two floors connected internally by a single central stair. An additional first floor terrace also provides access for upper school students.
Each of the four ‘schools within schools' has been given a distinct identity both internally and externally and all have been designed with maximum levels of natural light and ventilation. Many elements of the new academy have been opened to the local community out of school hours; located on the ground floor, these include science labs, common halls and sports facilities such as a dance studio and fitness suite.
Commenting on the recent completion, Zaha Hadid explained: "It is very significant that our first project in London is the Evelyn Grace Academy. Schools are among the first examples of architecture that everyone experiences and have a profound impact on all children as they grow up. I am delighted that the Evelyn Grace Academy has been so well received by all its students and staff."
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The PICU at Tisch Hospital
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Tisch is currently staffed by seven full-time pediatric critical care specialists who actively collaborate with surgical subspecialties including: general pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. Together with our medical subspecialists, we specialize in the complex, multi-dimensional medical care of children. These areas often include: pediatric neurology and epilepsy, pulmonology, hematology/oncology, cardiology, infectious disease, endocrinology, rheumatology among others.
The PICU at Tisch provides 24-hour coverage by pediatric residents who are supervised by the Pediatric Critical Care Attending on duty. Rotating Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows are also involved in the care of patients in the PICU.
Registered nurses with special training and interest in critical care work in the PICU. Respiratory therapists are present 24 hours a day to assist the pediatric critical care team in mechanical ventilation and other aspects of respiratory care. Supporting staff also include pediatric pharmacists, social workers, child life specialists, nutritionists, and physical/occupational therapists.
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Recently a chiropractic patient wrote in and shared their recommendation for their favorite chiropractor. This patient was experiencing leg pain and shoulder pain and he needed maintenance alignment on his back. He had injured his shoulder recently. The patient sought out Dr. Paul Curcio of Chiropractic Family Health Centre. Dr. Paul interviewed the patient for quite some time to get background information on the problems he was experiencing before recommending any treatments. X-rays were used to ensure that nothing was overlooked and that there were not any hidden injuries.
There are nearly 2.6 million people in the Northern Virginia area. It’s also home to some of the most horrendous traffic in the nation, with six of the worst bottlenecks in America. The Washington D.C. metro area alone is widely considered to have the absolute worst traffic in the country. Traffic jams are common, and [...]
There are plenty of reasons to visit a chiropractor. Whether you’re suffering from low back pain or constant migraine headaches, a bit of chiropractic care can often work wonders for helping you feel better and prevent the problem from occurring with the same level of frequency that you may currently be coping with. But while [...]
There are plenty of reasons that visiting a chiropractor in the Northern Virginia area makes sense. The most obvious is pain relief, and chiropractic care can provide relief from a wide range of different ailments including back pain, sciatica, whiplash, and more. It can even help with more serious conditions like spinal curves caused by scoliosis. With so many hiking trails, sports activities, and drivers in the Northern Virginia area, sports injuries and injuries related to car accidents are increasingly common. And with eighty percent of chiropractic patients reporting relief from their problems, visiting a chiropractor is one of the best things you can do to help yourself get back on your feet.
Few things can be as debilitating to a person as a herniated disc. This issue can cause severe pain, decreased mobility, reduced energy, and much more. Essentially, a herniated or slipped disc is a condition that affects the fibrous pads between the spinal vertebrae. These pads are designed to cushion impacts in the spine and [...]
Two of the most common reasons people seek out chiropractic care each year is due to back and/or neck pain. Many of these people are shocked to discover that they can find relief for many other issues as well. There is evidence of a misaligned vertebrae in the spine could place pressure on blood vessels and nerves. When this happens a wide range of other health problems can arise.
Many people seem surprised to find out that the chiropractic education process is so extensive. I usually reply, “…whether you’re planning to become a chiropractor, medical doctor, or dentist, it takes four years of college followed by and additional 4-5 years of additional education (med school, dental school, chiropractic college) simply because there is that much to learn about the body to become a competent health care provider. “
Headaches are a common complaint in patients presenting for professional care, including chiropractic management. Patients with headaches seek chiropractic care because they find manipulation or adjustments applied to the cervical spine and upper back region are highly effective in reducing the intensity, frequency and duration of the headache pain.
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Global Warming? Now That Really Is Fiction
“After three years of painstaking research,” writes Jasper Gerard for The Sunday Times (London), “the father of the techno-thriller believes he has reached a shocking conclusion: global warming is hot air.”
“Two developments persuaded Crichton to abandon his Californian liberal world view,” Gerard later notes. “One was in 2002 having a gun held to his head by burglars, who tied up Taylor, his daughter, then aged 13. ‘They told me not to move and I figured it was best not to argue,’ he says. It convinced him we must be tougher on bad guys, be they cat burglars or Saddam Hussein.
“His second awakening was seeing that scientists had become so cowed by environmental activists and the media that they dared not proclaim what their research showed: that, so far, it appears global warming is hardly happening.”
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Back in 2006, when Freeman’s opened in New York and Jason Miller’s Antler chandelier was selling like hotcakes at The Future Perfect in Williamsburg (it probably still is), that whole taxidermy thing hit hard — stuffed deer heads suddenly becoming the de facto symbol for a style movement dedicated to the return to nature, the embracing of all things old-fashioned, and in many cases, the compulsion to dress like a bearded woodsman. Six years later, some of the less meaningful elements of that trend have subsided, while its obsession with authenticity and craftsmanship have, thankfully, hung on strong. We would also argue for the longevity of another development that arose around that time but strikes us as evergreen: the fascination with curiosities, and cabinets of curiosity, that may have hit its modern fever pitch recently but seems somehow endemic to the human psyche. We are by nature collectors, prone to hunting, preserving, and displaying our treasures both for our own amusement and to impress others. And most of us, too, have a dark side — the kind that can’t help but find beauty in bones, bugs, and dead things, provided they’re presented to us in the right context. That’s why we felt so compelled to share with our readers the contents of a new book out on Abrams this month called Cabinets of Wonder, which is a full-color romp through the world of natural oddities, memento mori, and other dark artifacts.
Written by Christine Davenne and photographed by Christine Fleurent, the book follows the development of cabinets of curiosity from their origins in the museum world in the 16th century to their influence on the Surrealists in the 20th, not to mention all the contemporary artists and collectors who are still inspired to create “inventories of the world by assembling objects encyclopedically.” It also makes a distinction between cabinets filled with “exoticae” — bizarre, otherworldly objects and creatures meant to disturb and titillate, like a taxidermy mashup of a pig and a flamingo — and those filled with “scientificae,” whose creepiness factor takes a backseat to their intended role as instruments of learning. And yet ultimately it credits the breakdown in those kinds of distinctions with the rise in popularity of the cabinets themselves. “Why refer to the cabinet of curiosities today?” Davenne writes in the introduction. “Might we do so out of nostalgia for places where eclectic objects were stored, where both medals and mother-of-pearl shone brightly? Perhaps it is the appeal of viewing unusual juxtapositions, as evoked by the self-styled Comte de Lautréamont in his long surrealistic poem Les chants de Maldoror: ‘The chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on a dissecting table.’ Or does invoking it somehow help protect us from modern-day mutations?
“The return of the cabinet of curiosities may express a desire to build connections between past and present and between collectors and artists. Formerly, the collector, the arranger of worlds, was not considered an artist but rather an amateur — ‘one who loves,’ according to the etymology. On the other hand, artists ever since the Renaissance identified themselves as creators of works ex nihilo, or ‘out of nothing.’ Today, we are witnessing a dilution of borders: The curator and the artist are combining their missions, the former proposing organizing principles, and the latter depending on the museum to legitimize his work. In addition, the current cross-fertilization of artistic practices brings together a variety of objects and techniques to create installations clearly emancipated from the classic categories of painting, sculpture, and architecture. This desegregation of the borders between decorative and visual arts, European and non-European arts, collectors and artists also existed in another era: the Renaissance, in the cabinet of curiosities — and its return to the fore now is no coincidence.” We here at Sight Unseen couldn’t agree more. Check out this slideshow of our favorite images from Cabinets of Wonder, which we personally selected from the hundreds featured in the book, then click here to get your very own copy.
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Youth in 8th-12th grades are invited to enter UCP’s one-year confirmation program, which includes classes, field trips, service, and study with a mentor. Classes meet weekly October through May to study, question, experience, and grow in relationship with God. When the Confirmands publically affirm their faith, they become members of the congregation.
Confirmation is a special time for youth, who are exploring their spirituality. The young people learn about UCP's history, denominations and about other religious practices, to add context into their own beliefs. As Confirmands question and explore their relationships with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, everyone involved in the program grows in faith!To learn more about confirmation classes, please contact DCE Billie Sutter.
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~class observation weeks for 2012-13
All our classrooms have viewing windows so that parents can sneak a
peak at class any time. We know you are anxious to see your
child's progress but please keep in mind that standing too close to the
glass, pecking on the windows or waving is distracting to all the
students in the room and hinders the teacher in keeping them focused on
their lessons. It is also VERY important for safety reasons that
you do NOT place chairs in front of any exits.
Parents are invited in to observe classes 2 times throughout our main
session. Weeks are listed below. For our summer classes,
observation is the last class of each session. Visitors observing
in the classroom is
limited for three reasons;
- It is more difficult for parents to notice their child's progress by
- Many children become easily distracted by visitors in the
classroom thus hindering their progress.
- Our youngest students
are especially upset by visitors in the room and may not feel
comfortable participating as they normally do.
november 12th - 17th
march 18th - 22nd
free to speak to your child’s instructor at any time to learn you child’s
We send out monthly newsletters with account statements. You can
also download a printable copy by clicking the links below. You will
need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files. If you don't have
click here to download.
We do not necessarily close when the local
schools close as our situation is very different than theirs.
In case of inclement weather, (i.e. bad snow, ice storms,
etc.) please check this website
check the studio voice mail.
If we must cancel in the middle of the evening, we will make phone calls to
let you know as early as possible.
Cancelled classes will be made up in late spring.
Monday through Friday, April 1-5 and Tues, Thurs June 4+6 were set
as calamity days to do class make ups as needed.
So far we will be CLOSED on Mon
4/1, Tues 4/2, Thurs 4/4, Tues 6/4 and Thurs 6/6.
SNOW DAY Make Up Classes will be held on
Wednesday, April 3rd All Classes (for Wed, March 6th)
Friday, April 5th All Classes (for Fri afternoon Feb 22 & Sat AM PPB Feb
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by Bjorn Watland
On a crisp November evening at the University of Minnesota, a surprisingly large crowd gathered in a basement auditorium to hear from Sunsara Taylor, an unapologetic Revolutionary Communist and militant atheist. Hearing the views of a communist isn't as shocking as it may be in other arenas of the public; however, it isn't often that a communist will admit that they're also an atheist. Taylor is not ashamed of either her Revolutionary Communism, or her atheism, as she presented Bob Avakian's book, Away With All Gods.
Taylor's presentation began with a description of the horrors that await readers of the bible. "I wouldn't give this book to young children to read," Taylor said. She called the bible, "the most blood-thirsty book," mentioning specifics such as the practice of stoning women who were not virgins on their wedding night; God commanding soldiers to kill children, men, and women who have known a man, but to leave the virgins for themselves; and the series of plagues sent by God.
Taylor claimed that the New and Old Testaments can not be separated from each other, as some more progressive Christians try to do. Jesus is often separated from the horrors of the Old Testament, however, by what basis would you consider Jesus to the divine without fulfillment of the prophecies found within the Old Testament? "Jesus is not someone you would want to follow or should follow," Taylor exclaimed. "He didn't end slavery; instead he taught how slaves should be obedient to their masters. He didn't stop patriarchy. He continued to preach that disease and illness are caused by sin."
Nominations for the Minnesota Atheists board of directors will occur at our January 18, 2009 meeting at the Roseville Library and elections will be held at our February 15, 2009 meeting. Nominations will open and close at the January 18 meeting. We will publish and mail candidates' statements prior to the February 15 meeting elections.
There are nine positions to fill, elected in the following order: President, Associate President, Chair, Associate Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and three Directors-at-Large. Our bylaws provide that anyone who runs for one position and loses may run again for any other position that has not yet been elected.
Some incumbents will be running for reelection but there will also be some vacant seats. All terms are for one year. Now is your chance to step forward and help guide Minnesota Atheists!
Candidates for all but the three director-at-large positions must have been members of Minnesota Atheists for at least one year as of the time they assume office, March 1, 2009. Candidates for the three director-at-large positions must have members for six months.
You must be nominated by another Minnesota Atheists member. You cannot nominate yourself. You need not be present to be nominated. (If you wish to nominate someone not at the January 18 meeting, please check beforehand to make sure that person is willing to serve if elected.)
Nominees should send candidate's statements (up to 150 words) to the MNA newsletter editors firstname.lastname@example.org by January 24, 2009. We would also like to have a jpg headshot of each candidate.
For more information, contact the editorial staff at email@example.com.
by August Berkshire
For many years, Minnesota Atheists has published a combined November-December newsletter. This is because the main thing that happens in December is our winter solstice party, which we advertise in the November-December newsletter and often with a special separate mailing in December, as we did this year.
Furthermore, the production of a newsletter takes dozens of hours that our volunteers often find hard to offer amidst the many parties and family gatherings that occur in December.
Finally, we try to save the organization (our members) money where we can.
However, at the suggestion of Bjorn and Jeannette Watland, we decided to try an experiment that would cost us nothing and would provide those of us who desire it with our monthly installment of local atheist news and comment. We decided to publish a December e-newsletter.
There are some atheist groups that have totally abandoned paper newsletters (if they ever had them in the first place). Call me old-fashioned, and some of you young whippersnappers under age 30 will, but I still like holding and reading a paper newsletter in my hands, rather than squinting at a computer screen.
Besides, it's easy to forget to read one e-mail out of the hundred I get each day. In contrast, I get about ten pieces of snail mail a day, half of which I quickly and easily toss into recycling. This makes it easy to spot my buff-colored Minnesota Atheists newsletter and set it aside for later reading in my commodious reading room.
But, I realize that the internet is the future that is upon us. Resistance is futile. So, enjoy this "bonus" issue of our newsletter. And rest assured that anything of great importance to our members - such as the announcement of our annual elections - will be repeated in the January 2009 paper newsletter.
August Berkshire is the President of Minnesota Atheists and the Vice President of Atheist Alliance International.
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I see. Guru Nanak was a syncretist who gathered practices from all around and made a stew.
He went all arounnd looking for the highest/ truest teachings. He did not just incorporate many things but sought out the highest. I wouldn't say he simply "made a stew".
deepbluehum wrote: The Guru Granth Sahib mentions Buddha and Nirvana. Ek on kar, sat nam, karta purak, nirvo nirvan. This first verse of the Guru Granth Sahib is about nirvana.
Also talks about god being everything, all beings and things being a reflection of god. God (and all phenomena, mind and matter) empty, self luminous, and so on. Come on, it is obvious he was influenced by his visits to the Buddhist lands, Tibet, Sikkhim, etc.
deepbluehum wrote: But, the founding philosophy is that the way to practice is through bhakti yoga in the form of singing bhajans and doing japa of "wahe guru sat nam," which is an epithet for the creator god like Allah.
A creator like Allah? No not exactly.
I don't think Guru Nanak Dev had anything resembling the power of Guru Rinpoche who is most definitely unmatched in the world in terms of yogic power.
No one said Guru Nanak Dev performed many miracles like Guru Rinpoche did. But some people (apparently many Tibetans if you read what I posted on the first pages of the thread) believe him to be an emenation of Guru Rinpoche. This gives more credence to the possibility him being a Dzogchenpa.
deepbluehum wrote: Guru Nanak Dev was much more heavily influenced by Mardana his muslim attendant and spent much more time in Muslim lands doing Sufi practice.
There may be Sufi infleunces, this is certainly possible. But his Sikh bios also have him doing a retreat after visiting Samye (a Nyingma temple). . .
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|The Church: Lean and Mean, Big and Messy, or Huge and Holy?|
|Written by Michael Fones|
|Monday, 25 February 2008 08:43|
The Gospel for today issues a challenge to us - as always. It's Luke's version of the rejection of Jesus as a prophet by the people of his own hometown, Nazareth. The crowd turns on him pretty dramatically after Luke mentions that "all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth" (Lk 4:22).
Several commentators I read this morning indicate that the turn of events hinges on the stories that Jesus tells in this pericope. In both cases, prophets of God are sent to minister to Gentiles, even though the need for the same ministry among the chosen people was great. Jesus identifies himself as a prophet who will reach beyond the religious boundaries of Judaism. This incensed a people who felt that they were the chosen of God, and who though of Gentiles, as one commentator quoted, as being "created as fuel for the fires of hell."
I mention this because I have read and heard of Catholics who long for a smaller, holier Church. They look at the exodus of Europeans from their parishes in the wake of growing secularism, and basically say, "good riddance." And while Jesus advises his disciples to shake the dust of towns that reject the the apostles and Gospel from their sandals (Lk 9:5), he also tells parables of God seeking out the lost (Lk 15).
The Church exists to evangelize, according to Pope Paul VI
Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection. (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14)
If people leave the Church in the wake of advancing secularism - or for whatever reason - we dare not simply accept that situation. I can not reconcile the command to love my neighbor and the willingness to let them leave the embrace of the Church. The temptation is to convince myself that they have knowingly rejected the Gospel, when, in fact, they may never have been fully evangelized in the first place.
For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now I am making the whole of creation new." But there is no new humanity if there are not first of all new persons renewed by Baptism and by lives lived according to the Gospel. The purpose of evangelization is therefore precisely this interior change... (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 18)The questions that each of us must ask ourselves is, "have I undergone such a conversion?" As parishes, we must ask ourselves, "do we reflect the kind of transformed life that is itself a sign of transformation and new life?" (E.V., 23) The proof of my having been evangelized is that I now desire to share the good news I have received with others. This makes perfect sense. I remember the summer day in 1977 when I learned I had been accepted as a member of the McDonald's All-American marching band. It meant I had free trips to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, along with opportunities to make great music, meet kids from all over the country, and get to do some great sightseeing in those three cities. I had opened the letter from the McDonald's corporation fully expecting a rejection. In fact, I had even forgotten auditioning by tape some eight months previously. I couldn't wait to tell someone - anyone - and I was home alone, and it seemed that all my friends were away from their homes. It was a good hour or more before I could share my "good news," and I thought I was going to explode!
Pope Paul VI put it this way,
Finally, the person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn.I believe we have to take evangelization and conversion much more seriously - beginning with our own deepening conversion to the Lord. As a friend of mine is fond of saying these days, "What - or who - is your God?" The more I focus my life on Jesus, God incarnate, and seek to worship Him alone, the more His grace will transform me and prepare me to evangelize with my life and my words. God's desire for His Church, I believe, is that it be both huge (even universal) and holy - a spotless bride.
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Happy World Book Day - I hope you find a space in your day to curl up with something good to read. But in these days of the read/write web, Kindles, ebooks and social networking, I think it's a good day to celebrate literacy of all kinds.
I can't remember a time when I couldn't read, that's what you happens if your mum is a teacher. My literacy and communication is still my most valuable and treasured skill. I hope that the same will be true of my own children and as they grown and learn to talk, read and write I never tire of the magic of each new thing learned. I vividly remember the first time my daughter, then aged two, read words. We were out shopping in the city and she said, "Look Mummy - it says - John Lewis!." She'd spotted a lorry bearing the name of her favourite department store, toy shop and vendor of slices of chocolate cake. I was a proud mum that day, and it didn't matter to me one bit that what she had read wasn't in a book.
She's four now, and can apply the same skills to the words in her story books as she did to the writing on the lorry. She also reads words on the television screen, on shop fronts, on sweet wrappers, in the supermarket... I could go on. The big deal is that she can read, she can see the point of reading and she loves it.
Caty will go to school soon, where I hope that her love of reading and all kinds of communication will be fostered. But what sort of literacy should be she taught at school? Certainly not the limited phonics based tosh the government seem to be so keen on. I want her to read everything and anything. I want her to become a discerning and thoughtful reader, to understand the purpose of reading, the meaning behind text, the context and motives of the person who wrote it. In short I hope her school will equip her to become a 21st Century reader, one who understands that you can find a book in the library or click on Wikipedia to find out about something. A reader who will take her story books to bed with a torch, but also enjoy a good story told on film. A reader who knows that you shouldn't believe everything you read in a newspaper, or on social media websites.
Back in the late 1990s when I was teaching in a Primary School, I was charged with bringing my colleagues' computer skills up to scratch. A challenging task, especially as during our first staff development session one teacher sat with her arms folded and flatly declared she couldn't see the point, because who would ever want to take a computer to bed instead of a good book. I was astonished, and I had to admit it had never occurred to me that anyone would ever want to do this (although I was wrong of course, I can hear you Kindle readers shouting). But technology and digital culture moves fast, and if as educators we don't engage in teaching 21st Century literacy we will be letting our children down.
So Happy World Book Day, enjoy your reading, whatever, wherever and however you choose to do it.
Follow Helena Gillespie on Twitter: www.twitter.com/helenauea
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Good afternoon, Nation, and welcome to your better-late-than-never edition of the Preservation Round-Up, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s twice-weekly digest of preservation news and notes from around the country.
Thanks to this hilarious video, Monday's round-up was all about self-reflection: Are we good communicators? It's an important question to consider since few issues or causes are as local leaning as historic preservation. So, when the rubber hits the road (i.e. the bulldozers are coming), are we good at explaining to folks why saving places matters?
As promised, here's a quick sampling of some of the responses we received via Facebook and Twitter.
First, Patrick Thrush got real about the truth -- and Americans' prime-time guilty pleasures:
Funny, but unfortunately all too true. Far too much boilerplate jargon in things, but if the funder does not see this sort of rubbish in the application things do not get funded. Public input indeed, as the fact is that most of these dog and pony shows merely meet a requirement for an agenda that was decided long before the first meeting was convened. And besides, if it boils down to a choice between such a meeting and staying home for the evening being entertained by American I'dull or Dancing With the Dolts, which is going to win out? Just saying...
Regarding jargon, the good folks over at the Lewes Historical Society agreed:
@HistoricLewes: @PresNation love the clip. its so true its scary. there's a time for jargon and there's a time to sit down and have a real conversation!
If you ask Anne Louro, people get preservation when they realize its all about shared heritage:
Planning is not a sexy subject and the language of urban and land-use planners is not only boring but often confusing, as aptly demonstrated by the self-deprecating planners depicted in the video. That being said, I believe that is not always the case with preservation planning. People may not understand “smart growth” and “comprehensive guide plans”, but they do understand what speaks to their collective memories and their shared heritage. Preservation planners have learned to communicate in a language that everyone understands and in a way in which people value and can identify how their cultural and built surroundings affect them.
Ask Amy Davis, and she'll tell you to brush up on your marketing (we all should!):
@amyarchivist: @PresNation If they aren't, they need to be! We have to do a lot of our own marketing & PR, so we have to be willing to speak up!
And finally, Reuben McKnight takes our question a bit further: Communication skills aside, do preservationists have a good image?
I think preservation at the local level has focused too much on prevention of bad things, and law and order, which was a very rational approach 20 years ago. But now, that negative political stigma hurts preservation efforts; people still use the word "takings" when they hear about historic designation, when the case law on this has been settled for 30+ years, and despite the fact that historic designation often is very similar to (or the same as) as a zoning change. But yet, the image persists that somehow preservation is exceptionally burdensome.
Agree? Disagree? Add to the conversation by dropping us a comment below. And with that, let's rocket through this week's preservation highlights.
First and foremost, an awesomely huge success story that I'm still happy dancing about: Walmart has decided to preserve (read: no supercenter!) Virginia's historic Wilderness Battlefield. The surprise announcement dropped early Wednesday morning and instantly made headlines all over the place. Check it out here and here and here and here and here. Beyond Orange County, news of Walmart's withdrawal also got folks thinking about stores planned for their neck of the woods. Quite simply, it was a great day for preservation. Just ask National Trust President Stephanie Meeks.
In other news, Washingtonians remember the Gayety Theater, Cincinnati goes digital, Massachusetts reclaims its core, New Orleans' Lower Mid-City has moved, Miami has a lot of people talking about parking garages, and Marylanders are standing up for their Superblock. Meanwhile, Preservation in Pink ponders the rear of buildings (great topic!) and Time Tells muses on all things modern. And just to circle back on a previous round-up, Portland has decided to demolish a Googie gem.
With that, enjoy your weekend.
Jason Lloyd Clement is an online content provider for PreservationNation.org. He is still doing a happy dance re: Wilderness Battlefield.
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We hear a lot about wellness tourism these days and people opting out of typical city or beach breaks. They are instead spending their time at spas, yoga retreats, and other places where they can improve the state of their mind, body, and spirit. With personal wellness increasingly becoming an important factor for individuals who desire to take responsibility for their own health, the wellness industry is booming. One of the great benefits of wellness tourism is that it can give people the tools to continue a program of wellness at home after their trip, without paying the high prices it typically costs to attend a spa or retreat for a week or more. One of the major changes people can make at home, to bring wellness into their lives, is to install a steam shower.
Steam showers are a direct extension of wellness tourism, as you can find them in spas and resorts all over the world. They offer individuals a number of short term and long term health benefits – best of all they only need to be used for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Taking a steam shower has been proven to aid in restful sleep and increase the length of REM cycles. Doctors often prescribe steam therapy as an alternative to sleeping pills. Over the course of many centuries, steam therapy has been used for the purposes of relaxation and to create a sense of well being. For people with conditions like anxiety and stress, they can reap great benefits from taking a steam shower. Steam showers induce sweating and therefore aid in the process of detoxification. Steam showers are also excellent for alleviating symptoms of the common cold by clearing nasal passages and reducing congestion.
For those who desire a quality steam shower in their home, a company like ThermaSol who has been in the steam shower business for 50 years, offers an unparalleled level of quality and design. As the leader in the steam shower industry, they offer customers the only 100% digital networked steam systems in the world – the safest and most reliable technology. They go the extra mile, offering customers a combination of quality and value, with standard features like: FastStart™ Technology, providing steam in seconds; whisper quiet functionality; constant steam at a constant rate, meaning no interruptions in steam; all metal controls with advanced PVD lifetime finishes; superior style, including matching controls, remotes and steamheads in traditional and contemporary styles; a lifetime warranty; and all the green benefits of steam.
The trend of wellness tourism has directly resulted in individuals becoming more health conscious in their own homes. With modern steam shower technology, they can maintain and improve their health without paying the high prices of professional services.
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Revision as of 18:49, 26 May 2010
T.C.B.S. is an acronym for Tea Club, Barrovian Society. J.R.R. Tolkien and his friends at King Edward's School in Birmingham met regularly at the Barrow Stores, which is where T.C.B.S. got their name. The friends continued to stay in contact with each other's literary work until 1916.
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For every child, his father is a role model, friend and accomplice, and it has been no different with me. My father, my mother and my brother have been the most influential individuals in my life. They nourished my identity by reasoning and supporting every decision I made, no matter how impulsive it seemed. While I love my mother more than any other individual in this world, this article is a tribute to the man who raised my brother and me with a vision, in his words, “Nishaan chook maaf che, pun neechu nishaan maaf nathi”, which translates to Try and fail, but don’t you fail to try!
Butterfly Effect, part of Chaos Theory, states that an event as small as a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a typhoon. This is what evolution is all about. The smallest of actions may set into motion a series of events that share a very deep connection and power to self-organize, thus resulting in unprecedented outcomes. What was once small grows into something big. Today’s business environment is based on a similar structure. Virtually everything is interconnected and interlinked.
Yahoo announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash. This post is written with an intention to shed light on why companies merge with or acquire other companies, while using Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr as a case study.
Valuation is an art and a science that uses a combination of analytical techniques, methodologies and common sense to determine the fair market value of an opportunity. However, when it comes to valuing pre-revenue startups, it is more of an art than science. Pre-revenue companies have no financial records that can be reasoned. Financial projections are the result of assumptions built on assumptions.
The valuation of a pre-revenue company is guided by a combination of:
Inflation is a tax without legislation- Milton Friedman
The combined effects of income taxes and inflation can bite away a substantial portion of your pre-tax nominal returns from investments. Income from investments can only increase an investor’s wealth to the extent that the nominal returns from exceed inflation rate plus the product of pre-tax return on investment and tax rate.
A nominal return of 10% may seem attractive. However, at a tax rate of 30% and with inflation going strong at 6%, the real return is only 1%. Here is the math for it:
Leveraged buyout (LBO) is a strategy of using financial leverage to acquire controlling interest in a company from its current shareholders. The buyer only invests a small amount of own equity.
There was a time when countries around the world used gold as the primary means of exchange. It all changed post-WWII when in an effort to free up international trade and fund reconstruction, the Bretton Woods System came into being. Under the new system, the US dollar replaced gold as a universally accepted medium of exchange. As a result, the US dollar was deemed the global reserve currency which made sense since the dollar was as stable as gold.
The nations had to fix their currencies against the US dollar. Furthermore, the price of gold was also listed in US dollars, $35 per ounce at that time. This gave countries the option of exchanging their own currencies for US dollars. Due to this system, virtually every currency in the world was backed by gold.
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September 14, 2009 4:16 PM
Externships Attract Law Students as Summer Associate Programs Disappear
Posted by Claire Zillman
In this climate of law firm layoffs and budget cuts, law students can no longer depend on summer associate programs to land a job, so they’re turning to a new alternative: externships.
In this week's National Law Journal, Emily Heller writes that externships are gaining in popularity as a viable way for law students to obtain experience and make professional connections that could lead to full-time employment. These unpaid, for-credit work opportunities place students under the direction of faculty or on-site attorneys at organizations other than law firms, such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or corporations.
The NLJ reports that in prerecession times, externships were considered valuable, but not essential. But now, as summer associate opportunities dry up, law schools are encouraging students to seek out various options for gaining real legal experience, so demand for externships has risen. At UCLA School of Law, for example, 41 students completed externships in 2007. This year, that number jumped to 74, according to the NLJ.Make a comment
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A Capacity and Opportunity Analysis of OLED Lighting Manufacturing
This report analyzes the current state of the art in OLED lighting fabrication and forecasts how facilities for manufacturing will evolve over the next decade. It is the latest report in our ongoing coverage of the OLED lighting industry and is based on our company’s insider knowledge of how this industry is growing.More Details
This report answers vital questions that for executives throughout the entire OLED lighting industry:
- Who is installing facilities to manufacture OLED lighting and what kind of processes are they using?
- What will be the roadmap for scaling up today’s OLED lighting fabs to full-scale production?
- How will OLED lighting manufacturing technology develop over the next few years to meet the need for high-volume, low-cost output?
- Will it be possible to make extensive use of solution processing?
- Will OLED lighting “foundries” emerge to meet the needs of OLED lighting firms that choose to adopt a fabless business model?
- Will the availability of the manufacturing capacity in any way be a brake on the expansion of the OLED lighting industry?
- How will the materials supply chain evolve as OLED lighting manufacture ramps up and which materials firms will benefit?
We believe this is the first report of its kind and that it will provide invaluable insights for firms that make fabrication equipment as well as those that are building the OLED lighting itself. It explores the development of OLED lighting manufacturing technology and infrastructure and shows how that will lead to profitable opportunities for businesses ranging from materials suppliers to OLED makers. As with all our reports this one includes an eight-year forecast. In this case, these projections are of OLED lighting manufacturing capacity, with breakouts by type of manufacturing technology utilized, world region and business model.
This report answers vital questions that for executives throughout the entire OLED lighting industry
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Today's vintage children's book is Hansel and Gretel. This version is a 3D puppet book from Rose Art Studios in Japan. These books, which were first published in the 60's, are very unique. Actual puppets (not dolls) and sets were made for the books. The medium for making these books was called stop motion animation. Does anyone still do this type of work or is it an art form that has fallen to the wayside?
The earlier books, like this one, has a hologram photo on the cover that makes the picture look three dimensional. Nice touch!
While I admire what was done in these books, the faces of the puppets are well, kind of scary. It's the eyes. Changing the eyes would make a huge difference, just saying...
There were 14 titles in this series called My Tiny 3-D Book Series, which you can see below.
Hansel and Gretel
Pictures by Rose Art Studios
Playmore Inc. Publishers
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Myanmar, March 17, 2012
First Published: 17:28 IST(17/3/2012)
Last Updated: 17:28 IST(17/3/2012)
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After over a decade as a pariah state, Myanmar has suddenly reappeared on the global tourism scene, becoming the must-see stop for backpackers heading to explore popular south east Asia.
Myanmar was named by both Lonely Planet and Wanderlust as a must-see destination for this year,
not least because -- for now -- it's almost totally unspoilt by modern tourism.
Bagan Temples Shwedagon Pagoda Inle Lake
Amazing Ngapali Resort Thiri Marlar Hotel Bagan Inle Princess Resort Aureum Palace Spa & Resort
That means it offers a totally different experience from neighboring Thailand, not least in its treatment of visitors -- unaccustomed to tourists, the locals are almost universally regarded as among the world's smiliest, friendliest and sweetest people.
In terms of attractions, Myanmar offers ancient ruins to rival Cambodia, temples to rival Thailand, countless pagodas and those all important beaches, although with the majority of visitors still independent, seeing the towns is rather more in vogue.
Most visitors spend time taking in the colonial, ageless charm of Yangon, where museums sit comfortably alongside pagodas, ruled over by the Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's holiest site.
Head north to Mandalay though, and the Bagan plains offer a less intense, arguably more impressive holy experience, which is becoming one of the major sites on the tourism trail. Over 10,000 places of worship were constructed around this city between the 11th and 13th centuries, and 2,200 survive today, offering a historical journey unparalleled in size and scale.
On the banks of the Irrawaddy are several other ancient towns, including Amarapura, the former capital of Myanmar, and Sagaing, a popular destination for day-trippers and home to the world's largest ringing bell, a 90-ton behemoth.
Inle Lake, surrounded by mountains and home to the Intha people, is also a must-see stop for many, as is a ride around it by bike or a tour with a local fisherman.
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693 hospitalized nationwide for heatstroke
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Monday that 693 people in 45 prefectures were hospitalized for heatstroke on Monday as temperatures soared across the nation. One of them, an 84-year-old man, died in a Niigata hospital on Monday night, the agency said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the temperature exceeded 35 degrees in 60 cities throughout Japan, with the highest being 37.6 degrees in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture.
In many prefectures, the heatstroke victims were students taking part in or watching sporting events being held on Monday, which was a national holiday, according to Fuji TV.
In Tokyo, 21 people were taken to hospital, suffering from heatstroke.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency urged people to take safeguards against heatstroke, by drinking plenty of water, sleeping on a wet pillow and using the air conditioner, if necessary.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the heatwave is likely to continue until Wednesday.
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NTSB Identification: ERA11LA231
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, April 05, 2011 in Okeechobee, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/26/2012
Aircraft: CESSNA 172RG, registration: N5284V
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
According to the flight instructor, he and the pilot-rated student entered the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern to land. The flight instructor read the before-landing checklist, and the pilot-rated student extended the landing gear. The flight instructor put his hand on the landing gear handle to verify that the landing gear was down because he could not see the green light from where he was sitting. According to the pilot-rated student, he extended the landing gear on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, saw the green landing gear indicator light, and felt the vibrations and heard the sounds associated with the landing gear extension. They continued onto the base and final leg of the traffic pattern and landed the airplane. The pilots described what initially felt like a normal landing roll but then the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane's empennage began scraping the runway. The airplane came to rest on the left side of the runway centerline.
A postaccident examination revealed that the main landing gear had collapsed while the nose gear remained locked in the down position. A postaccident examination of the runway revealed tire marks that were about 5 to 6 feet apart, narrowing to 2 to 3 feet apart leading to the airplane. According to guidance provided by the manufacturer, the distance between the two main landing gear tires with the gear fully extended was 8 feet and 6 inches, indicating that the landing gear was likely not fully deployed at touchdown. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system was performed, and the landing gear, power pack, and emergency landing gear extension, were operated several times. The examination noted no grinding noise and no anomalies with the main landing gear’s operation. Further examination revealed that the landing gear warning horn did not operate, but the landing gear indicator light operated correctly. Although the landing gear indicator light is slightly obscured from the right seat, a slight left head movement while seated would allow the light to be clearly visible from the right seat. Additionally, the before-landing checklist calls for visual verification that the associated gear is down and locked through each pilot’s side window.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The failure of the main landing gear to lock in the extended position for undetermined reasons and both pilots’ failure to ensure that the landing gear was down and locked prior to landing. Full narrative available
Index for Apr2011 | Index of months
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Some Democrats Protest Voting Hours Changes
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s directive that election boards in all of Ohio’s 88 counties must keep the same hours leaves some Democrats wondering whether that’s really fair for all Ohioans. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles explains some Democrats say equal is not necessarily fair where voting rights are concerned.
Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State is telling boards of elections they need to be open for in person early voting from 8 to 7 on weekdays in the two weeks leading up to Election Day….with the exception of the last Friday when they will close at six. And Jon Husted says there won’t be any weekend voting. He’s making these rules after it became known that some Republican leaning counties were allowing generous voting opportunities on weeknights and weekend while some Democratic leaning counties could not. Husted says this resolution is fair.
Husted - The best decision in this case was one of fairness….treating people equally. That’s a principle I do agree with. And we have done that with absentee ballots. We are now doing that with hours of operation. Again, you may not like the hours of operation. You may think they are too long. You may think they are too short. But they are fair for everybody.
But Democrats are upset that the Secretary of State didn’t include weekend early voting hours in the mix. Democratic State Representative Kathleen Clyde says treating people equally in the process is not necessarily insuring everyone has the same experience.
Clyde – What happens when you try to bring a large county like Cuyahoga County to try to do the exact same processes as say Vinton County or a much smaller county in Ohio that has 10 to 20 thousand voters as opposed to a million voters, you start to have different treatment. You can’t apply all of the rules exactly the same because then the voters experience can be dramatically different. You can have long lines in our urban centers and no lines in other areas of the state and that’s a real problem.
Ohio will operate under new voting laws this election. That means voters who went to the polls on weekends in 2008 will not be able to do the same this November. But there will still be early voting opportunities…by mail…and in person at the board of elections during the weekdays on the month before the election. Democrats are suing to get the three days of weekend voting before Election Day reinstated. Husted’s spokesman, Matt McClelland says the directive by Husted does not deal with that weekend.
McClelland – the directive does not address the three days before the election. It’s currently the focus of the lawsuit that was filed by the Obama campaign so we are waiting for the outcome of the court case to provide further direction and guidance on those three days.
There are reasons why Democrats want weekend voting….especially the weekend before the election…reinstated. Gregg Moore is with Fair Elections Ohio, a group that tried to repeal a law that, among other things, wiped out those three days. Moore says in person voting opportunities on nights and weekends were more popular with African Americans than other groups in the 2008 election.
Moore – If you look at the counties, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton and Summit, the percentage of African Americans as early in person voters is 56% in Cuyahoga, 31% in Franklin, 32% in summit and 52% in Montgomery. The percentage of non African American in person voting is 25% in Cuyahoga, 21% in Franklin so it just shows that a disproportionate number of African Americans who are voting in the in person early voting period more than they are through the regular voting process.
In 2008, 93,000 Ohioans voted in the three day weekend before Election Day. Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern says that shows many voters prefer that option….and he says if that’s the method voters prefer, state lawmakers should not be allowed to eliminate it.
Redfern – The great thing about our constitutional rights is we don’t have defend them rhetorically against those in an opposite political party. If I want to exercise my free speech by shouting or whispering, one shouldn’t have to ask me why I’m shouting or whispering, I’m exercising my rights that are guaranteed to me by the constitution.
Redfern says Ohio’s leaders should be making it easier for people to vote by providing different options to accommodate everyone. Republicans in the legislature who eliminated that weekend say it was too costly and caused too many problems for local elections board employees at a crucial time before Election day. The court decision on voting on the last weekend before the election is expected soon. Voting
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One of the major issues facing small listed or micro-cap stocks is that they tend to have low visibility with investors. The mainstream media is not particularly interested in reporting on them and small caps fall below the radar screens of most institutional investors. However, social media can help redress the balance and maybe even boost their valuations, according to research.
As such signs that a small cap company is adopting a long-term social media programme can be good news for its shareholders. North American small companies are ahead of their UK and European peers in this regard with Facebook and Twitter being the two most popular social media platforms for investor relations activities.
The price of invisibility
The problem of permanent low visibility is that it tends to translate into wider bid and offer spreads with the shares languishing at often deep discounts to net asset value. This makes the cost of capital more expensive when that company needs to issue new shares to raise finance and is also frustrating for shareholders. The Nobel laureate economist Robert C. Merton argued a quarter of a century ago in a paper - A simple model for market equilibrium with incomplete information that there is a rationale for listed companies to use public relations and advertising to reach target investors. He explained that: “An increase in the relative size of the firm’s investor base will reduce the firm’s cost of capital and increase the market value of the firm.”
Specialist metals information service Metal Pages said in a recent report that following through on Merton's advice small companies should be using social media to attract investors as it is also very cost effective. The report called junior mining companies should use social media early in the fund raising cycle goes as far as arguing that social media programmes should start preferably before the IPO even. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan conducted a study called Dissemination, Direct-Access Information Technology and Information Asymmetrywhich concluded that social media can raise investor awareness and understanding of small companies with a positive outcome for the liquidity of shares and their values.
Social media is in effect democratising the flow of information and real-time platforms such as Twitter allow the maximum number of people to receive news simultaneously and instantly. This is a very positive development for market transparency and for smaller companies. Twitter now often rivals news wire services such as Reuters for breaking important news stories, which can move share prices. Being able to reach investors directly makes small caps less dependent on traditional media outlets and broker reports to raise their investor-profile. Many North American small caps are building investor communities via their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Importantly for small cap companies, retail investors, a key source of funding for them, are turning to social media to monitor their investments and to share ideas. The Metal Pages report points out that the socialisation of investing is picking up pace with stock brokers integrating social media into their trading platforms in North America and Asia and with the rise of crowd-funding where small start-ups raise capital directly from the general public. The report says that smaller companies benefit disproportionately from using social media as their much larger counter-parts are already closely followed by brokers and the media.
The limitations of social media
Though social media can certainly help highlight a neglected small cap with a great story to tell – it does have limitations. If the company is badly run it is likely to get found out and shunned in the social sphere and word gets around quickly. Howard Lindzon, CEO of US-based real-time investors community, StockTwits, warns it also won't stop the share price falling if a company is in an out of favour industry sector.
Being in an out-of-favour sector can mean certain death for the share price and liquidity of a small cap. At least maintaining visibility whatever the market conditions via active investor relations and social media programmes means that once the sector returns to favour momentum investors are likely to discover the company quickly. Whilst value investors and other long-term shareholders will at least be encouraged that the firm is shareholder-driven and will eventually get discovered. The worry for value investors is getting caught in value traps – that is shares of companies, which somehow remain invisible whatever the stock market conditions or have genuinely problematic businesses.
They're doing it over there...
Two examples of small caps using social media effectively are Australia-based explorer Iron Road (ASX:IRD), which is using it to highlight its A$2.5 billion iron ore project in Southern Australia and to engage with investors. It is also now using social media to raise its profile in China, a key market for iron ore, via a local social media platform called Sina Weibo. Iron Road is looking to social media to support its fund raising efforts to advance its project. The other example is Canada-based rare earths explorer Ucore Rare Metals (CVE:UCU), which has developed a very large following on Twitter, bigger even than mining giant Anglo American (LON:AAL). It also uses it's website as a very effective multimedia platform and education centre for investors. As a result it enjoys a much higher profile than most of the other junior rare earths explorers many of which struggle to gain investor recognition.
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Most Active Stories
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News & Music Contributors
Should it matter how much marijuana is in your blood?
It’s always been illegal to drive stoned. But, what that means has changed under Washington’s new marijuana law.
Initiative-502 includes a strict definition of "under the influence" – which some people say is misguided.
The state legislature is considering the issue. Some lawmakers want to amend the initiative, but they aren’t sure how to improve it.
The new DUI standard says, if you have a certain blood-level of the active drug in marijuana, called THC, you are automatically considered guilty of driving under the influence. That level is measures as 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood.
This took effect on December 6th, and so far, arrests have stayed about the same, according to police, prosecutors and a defense attorney who testified to the House Public Safety Committee.
What's changed for law enforcement is you are no longer an automatic suspect just because your car reaks of marijuana, or there's a baggie of it on the seat next to the driver.
"So, I have to observe other things, the psycho-physical things. Like, if you are very slow to find your driver's license, or if I ask you to find your driver's license and you produce your Visa card, stuff like that," said Olympia police Officer Brian Wylie.
Police say they are looking for impaired driving. If someone smells like pot and drives erratically, then they can bring the driver to a hospital to get a blood sample.
The controversy is around that blood test. Marijuana dissolves in the body differently from alcohol – it fades quickly, but then lingers at low levels, no matter how stoned or sober you are, several witnesses told the committee.
So, marijuana advocates worry someone who is a legal daily user, and happens to run a red light, could get a DUI just for residual chemical in his blood.
Scientists gave the committee conflicting testimony about whether any test for marijuana can predict impaired driving.
If It's Legal ...
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June 13, 2010
Dear Valued AT&T Customer,
Recently there was an issue that affected some of our customers with AT&T 3G service for iPad resulting in the release of their customer email addresses. I am writing to let you know that no other information was exposed and the matter has been resolved. We apologize for the incident and any inconvenience it may have caused. Rest assured, you can continue to use your AT&T 3G service on your iPad with confidence.
Here's some additional detail:
On June 7 we learned that unauthorized computer "hackers" maliciously exploited a function designed to make your iPad log-in process faster by pre-populating an AT&T authentication page with the email address you used to register your iPad for 3G service. The self-described hackers wrote software code to randomly generate numbers that mimicked serial numbers of the AT&T SIM card for iPad – called the integrated circuit card identification (ICC-ID) – and repeatedly queried an AT&T web address. When a number generated by the hackers matched an actual ICC-ID, the authentication page log-in screen was returned to the hackers with the email address associated with the ICC-ID already populated on the log-in screen.
The hackers deliberately went to great efforts with a random program to extract possible ICC-IDs and capture customer email addresses. They then put together a list of these emails and distributed it for their own publicity.
As soon as we became aware of this situation, we took swift action to prevent any further unauthorized exposure of customer email addresses. Within hours, AT&T disabled the mechanism that automatically populated the email address. Now, the authentication page log-in screen requires the user to enter both their email address and their password.
I want to assure you that the email address and ICC-ID were the only information that was accessible. Your password, account information, the contents of your email, and any other personal information were never at risk. The hackers never had access to AT&T communications or data networks, or your iPad. AT&T 3G service for other mobile devices was not affected.
While the attack was limited to email address and ICC-ID data, we encourage you to be alert to scams that could attempt to use this information to obtain other data or send you unwanted email. You can learn more about phishing by visiting the AT&T website.
AT&T takes your privacy seriously and does not tolerate unauthorized access to its customers' information or company websites. We will cooperate with law enforcement in any investigation of unauthorized system access and to prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law.
AT&T acted quickly to protect your information – and we promise to keep working around the clock to keep your information safe. Thank you very much for your understanding, and for being an AT&T customer.
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer for AT&T
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Ever get the offshore heebie-jeebieies? I used to, back when I was running oceangoing tugs. The malady typically started with an imaginary change in engine pitch while we were underway after dark. Then a series of equally imaginary doomsday scenarios would ensue, usually featuring collisions (resulting from burnt-out running lights), oil spills (caused by pump problems), and sinkings (due to dysfunctional bilge alarms). These grim fantasies would have driven me half nuts, I guess, had it not been for one groovy reassurance: the periodic door-slamming resulting from the chief engineer making his rounds of the ER.
Of course, skippers of recreational vessels today seldom have chief engineers onboard. But thanks to modern technology, there's a viable substitute: electronic monitoring systems. They can keep tabs on critical stuff and instantaneously report problems, not only to the bridge, but also to other displays, both onboard and at homes and offices via laptops and PDAs. To get a handle on exactly how difficult and expensive it is to add one of these systems to a typical boat, I contacted Casey Cox, president of Krill Systems, which makes just such gizmos. He and I checked out installations on three boats in the Seattle area: a 125' Northcoast, a 74' Queenship, and a 55' Fleming.
The organization of a Krill system is fundamentally the same regardless of the size or complexity of the vessel. It starts, simply enough, with sensors that register calibrated tank levels (fuel, water, waste, etc.), electrical data (from gensets, shore power, inverters, and other equipment), and the status of switched devices like bilge pumps, exhaust fans, and navigation lights. Engine info can be monitored as well, along with hatch and door openings, motion detectors, and navigational data.
Input from the sensors is directed to "sensor pods" that are strategically located around the vessel and then, via Ethernet switches and cables, to either a ruggedized Krill black-box processor that feeds a special Krill display (or any other display with a VGA input) or to an Internet router that feeds home- or office-based displays via satellite, WiFi, or cellular technology.
Most any function can be alarmed at an owner's discretion, cycles of bilge pumps and other equipment can be counted, and trends for just about anything can be tracked using stored historical data. Moreover, there are no IP addresses or other network complications to be entered during setup or system expansion-you just plug in a new device and it's automatically recognized and incorporated. And because components and displays can be organizationally cascaded, the capacity of the system is virtually unlimited.
How difficult is installation? Cox abjures the do-it-yourself approach in favor of a creditable electronics technician, mostly because strategically aggregating and positioning sensor pods and running cables can prove difficult, at least on some boats. My take's the same, based on my observation of the three aforementioned installs that Cox showed me. Economically and unobtrusively hooking everything up is a job for professionals.
Pricing for a professional install's not outrageous though. According to Cox, the Krill componentry we examined on the Fleming (including sensors for tankage, electrics, and switched devices) was in the $16,000 ballpark. Add about $7,000 (a little over 90 man-hours multiplied by a shop rate of $75 per hour) for the installation, and the total cost approximated $23,000.
Not too bad when you consider the overall value of a 55' Fleming, the topnotch quality of Krill's sensors and other components, and the fact that the system goes a long way toward filling an empty chief engineer's berth.
Krill Systems (206) 780-2901.
GARMIN'S MAINTENANCE TIP OF THE MONTH
TIP SUGGESTED BY
DONALD H. GRANT MORTON, PA
While replacing a rubrail, the stainless steel screws kept snapping. I tried ChapStick to lubricate them and it worked great. Blistex was even better!
Contest Guidelines: For your chance to win a Garmin Oregon 400c handheld GPS, submit your best tip on our Maintenance forum at www.powerandmotoryacht.com. Registration is free.
This article originally appeared in the November 2009 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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Feb 23, 2007
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening, by Stephen Batchelor
Stephen Batchelor was formerly a Tibetan monk, a monk in the Korean Zen tradition, a respected translator (of Shantideva’s “Guide to the Buddhist Path”), and a student of existentialist philosophy. He’s now a determinedly freelance Buddhist practitioner and thinker, and “Buddhism Without Beliefs” is an uncompromising guide to his existentialist, stripped-to-the-basics, agnostic Buddhist practice.
As such I found the book both irritating and deeply inspiring, although on balance I was more inspired than annoyed. Batchelor got me thinking — which is very much his aim — about the way in which a well-lived life should be conducted and, if this doesn’t sound too grand, about the nature of reality.
Batchelor is a deep thinker, and he guides us step-by-step into an appreciation of “emptiness”, the Buddhist teaching that all things are “interactive processes rather than aggregates of discrete things”, and how an experience of emptiness necessarily results in the experience of compassion. It’s hard to convey in writing the effect this has, but ordinary things cease to look so ordinary, and begin to have an aura or wonder. It’s the depths of experience to which Batchelor leads us that I found particularly inspiring, as well as the freshness of his thinking and of his writing.
The irritability? Well, on occasion I got the impression that Batchelor thinks he has “got” what the Buddha taught, while just about everyone else is just “doing religion” — saying the words without understanding or practicing them. In fact he comes across as being rather dismissive (and unfairly so) of traditional Buddhism. Does this mar an otherwise excellent book? To me it does, and yet I found it worthwhile to breathe deeply and to let go of my irritation and delve joyfully into the many insights that Batchelor presents.
On balance, I found this to be a deeply satisfying and practice-provoking book.
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You know how some articles seem like they could have been written just for you? Well this one actually was! I invited Nimue Brown to write this article because I knew she'd do a great job of it. Enjoy!
Paul asked me to write about the horrification of Samhain, which I think is a decidedly interesting topic so, here goes! Of course every year the decorations seem to get that bit more grisly. I’m sure there’s more gore about than there was when I was a child, but it goes with a wider cultural trend. Films that would have been rated fifteen for violence twenty years ago would be twelves now, and we are regularly exposed to far more horrific images and content than ever we used to be. One of the effects is mass desensitization. Not a day will pass without each of us hearing a story about death, seeing a corpse (all be it a theatrical one on the TV) or otherwise encountering the unpleasant. Violence is like a drug, and to have an impact you need ever stronger hits.
At the same time, our actual lives are becoming cleaner and more sanitised. The odds are that unlike many of your ancestors, you’ve never seen a dead person lying in the road. You may have seen animal road kill, but whizzing by in the car is not the same experience as being out there, smelling it and seeing the gory details. Unless you have a very specifically corpse-orientated job, the odds of you seeing dead people are slim.
Go back a hundred years or so, and death existed alongside life. Humans died where they lived, not ‘away’ in some mysterious home or hospital. Animals died where they lived, too, with the annual pig slaughter being a notable feature of life for many people. Hunting and fishing meant killing things, and again, the majority participated. We had public executions, too. The hideously injured, the people disfigured by accident or disease, or birth defects would very likely have been begging on the streets in significant numbers, or living exhibits in freak shows. A trip to the madhouse was once an amusing way to pass an afternoon.
I can only guess at what it might be like to live alongside death and suffering in this way. I rather assume that death would acquire a degree of normality. It was so normal for our ancestors to lose children and babies to disease and accident, so normal for women to die in childbirth, and for someone to be hanging at the crossroads. We’ve replaced all of that with stylised TV murders and a horror genre that is taking over Halloween as its major festival.
For pagans, Samhain is at least in theory, a festival of the dead. But that’s not the dead in a dripping organs and chasing you with an axe sort of sense. We can honour and celebrate the dead, remember them and share their stories. However, most of our children, pagan or otherwise will be just itching to smear fake blood on themselves and get out there seeking the thrill of alarm. Go back a few decades and children were free range creatures. We had bicycles and dens, we went out and we did stuff. Much of it pointless, messy and full of risks to make the health and safety conscious blanche. The modern child is not allowed to take risks. If they get a bruise you can expect an explanation from the teacher. A cut is a source of shock and alarm. We keep our children so safe that many of them will die from obesity induced heart failure, at this rate. We let them do so little that is real. What real things in a modern child’s life will make their heart race with fear? What real thrills, dangers and adventures are they allowed to experience? For many, the answer will be ‘none at all’. Instead, we let them watch things that are far more horrific than we would have encountered as children. Computer games are ever more graphic, violence on the screen is normal. And of course the lovely, unreal horror-fest that is Halloween gives it all a once yearly focus.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against horror. I like the horror genre. What we have currently isn’t ‘proper’ horror though. It isn’t about shivers and creepy, uncanny feelings of dread. Modern horror depends on visceral ick, on gore and body parts, and depictions of pain that are often pornographic in nature. Have you noticed how fine a line there is between film depictions of pain, and sexual ecstasy? You could be forgiven for thinking they are one and the same thing.
A person living a real sort of life doesn’t need the thrill and adrenaline rush offered by modern entertainment. A real life provides that, leaving entertainment to furnish you with good stories and food for thought. The more we push into visceral horror, the more we move away from uncanny narratives. Now, the uncanny is rich with mystery and possibility, but visceral ick is just a scenario in which bits of human anatomy end up places they were not designed to be. There’s no mystery. There is instead a horrible kind of banality to it, and as I said before, the more you’ve seen, the more extreme the next round has to be in order to get your attention, partly because it’s also so unreal. As with any drug abuse, the consequences are profoundly unhealthy.
I’m all in favour of reclaiming Samhain – not for some kind of fluffy, sanitised round of ancestor worship, but for proper fear. There are plenty of things out there worth feeling uncomfortable about. Eternity always makes me very nervous, along with infinity, just for a start. Mystery is by its nature laden with the potential for danger. The unknown is both fascinating and unsettling. Death remains the ultimate mystery. So many things in our culture, are designed to make death distant and to help us imagine we can beat it. Death needs to be part of life, needs to be faced, needs to be feared, not in the adrenaline pumping rush of another zombie chainsaw sequence, but in the deeper, more important fear of that which we do not know. The more time we spend with our safe, tame visceral ick, the less time we spend with the big and truly frightening existential issues. What does death really mean? That ought to scare us. It ought to terrify us into living properly, and fully, but instead we play at being corpses and settling down for another evening of watching people pretending to die.
Thanks very much for writing, Nimue.
To read more of Nimue's fab insights, check out her blog - Druid Life or buy her latest book on Druidry
Druidry and the Ancestors…
Nimue is on the look out for more writing projects and she'd like to write you something, if you’d be willing and able to find it a home on your own site or another space.
She can do articles, poetry and flash fiction to order, and will try her hand at any topic, within reason. If you would like something for your blog, magazine, website, egroup or any other space, please get in touch with Nimue, and let her know what sort of thing and what sort of length, and if its remotely feasible, I’ll bet she'd do it. Try her - go on, I dare you.
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How smart IT solutions are inspiring fresh ideas among the workforce
by Alison Weiss
American inventor Thomas Edison once challenged, “There’s a way to do it better—find it.” But according to Cultivating Business-Led Innovation, a survey conducted by Oracle and the Economist Intelligence Unit, innovative ideas are generally confined to the research and development, product development, and marketing functions of a company.
While managers in the modern enterprise are unlikely to match Edison’s more than 1,000 patents for innovative inventions, there are ways to inspire fresh ideas among rank-and-file workers. The Oracle/Economist Intelligence Unit survey found that the IT department has a significant role in cultivating business innovation (see “Six Steps to Innovation”). Big ideas are great, but giving the workforce tools to translate ideas into business reality is much better.
On the face of it, University of Louisville (U of L), a state-supported research university in Louisville, Kentucky, and News Limited, one of Australia’s largest media companies, would appear to have little in common. But executives in these organizations realized that implementing technology could add innovation to staffers’ daily jobs.
For decision-makers at Uof L’s Health Sciences Center, which encompasses the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, and the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, innovation began with the notion that social engagement could improve healthcare and reduce cost—and position Uof L as the “Facebook of medicine.”
Due to privacy concerns, many health services professionals are reluctant to use social media to answer medical questions from patients. But a partnership between Uof L’s Russell W. Bessette, MD, associate vice president of health affairs at Uof L, and Priscilla Hancock, PhD, vice president of information technology/chief information officer, inspired a new approach.
The concept: use social engagement technology to help change the medical reimbursement payment system. Today, most physicians are reimbursed by health insurance companies for medical services based on negotiated prices. Leaders at UofL would like reimbursement to be based on patient health outcomes instead. Social engagement technology can provide a way for caregivers and patients to communicate better, helping identify health concerns earlier. And, patients with similar health issues can connect with each other and manage their health more effectively. Both efforts can prevent expensive medical procedures and reduce costs.
“University of Louisville is passionate about healthcare services and improving the health of Kentucky’s diverse population,” says Bessette. “The ability for people with chronic illnesses to relate to one another and share medical treatment stories and ways to cope is a very important aspect of improving healthcare at a much lower cost.”
Because 70 percent of a medical diagnosis comes from blood test data, Bessette and his team focused on making that data easier to understand. “Laboratory data is often confusing to folks, and they don’t routinely remember the ranges for a given test or the organs that a test is checking,” he says.
These days, time to market is critical for innovation projects. You want to be able to add new features and functionality very quickly and go live without waiting too long.
In October 2012, the university launched KnowYourColors.com, a Web-based software system that allows patients to create personal health profiles and have their medical blood test results translated into a color-coded display that makes it easy to monitor health status. It also features access to MedLook, a Facebook-like portal where patients can communicate with each other to build camaraderie among those with similar medical conditions.
The system uses Oracle WebCenter to manage content and deploy portals and Websites. Access to patient data is managed by Oracle Advanced Security, an option of Oracle Database, Enterprise Edition. “We want to honor people’s data,” says Hancock. “From the beginning when we get the data until we present it out in the portal, we follow all HIPAA recommendations.”
Amit Zavery, vice president of product management, Oracle Fusion Middleware, believes that selecting Oracle WebCenter as the core technology was a smart move at Uof L because the platform can be implemented quickly and fits well with the university’s existing Oracle infrastructure. “These days, time to market is critical for innovation projects. You want to be able to add new features and functionality very quickly and go live without waiting too long,” he says.
KnowYourColors.com initially includes 178,000 patient records from a health services insurance provider serving Medicaid patients in Kentucky. It also includes associated patient test results from medical laboratories. The system uses an algorithm created by Bessette to score illness severity based on patients’ blood chemistry values and translates those values into easy-to-understand illness complexity scores. When the score reaches a certain level, it can indicate the probability of hospitalization.
The system changes the way disease managers do their jobs. Previously, they might have names of patients and a diagnosis, but little else. Or, they might learn about a patient crisis only after a costly hospitalization.
KnowYourColors.com gives disease managers access to graphs and illness complexity scores, allowing them to identify the sickest patients and take action, proactively preventing sickness and hospitalization. Based on projections, if KnowYourColors.com can provide this kind of intervention for just 5.7 percent of Kentucky’s Medicaid population, over three years this could save US$256 million.
According to Bessette, KnowYourColors.com eventually will be able to scale to serve 1 million people and will generate large sets of data where patient metrics can be linked with all paid payer claims. This will provide a way for medical researchers and analysts to compare objective changes in health to the cost of achieving it. Then, value-based health outcomes can be evaluated over time for individual patients. “This repository of data is vitally important for the public health, ” he says.
In the near future, the “Facebook of Medicine” side of the system will be optimized to help patients connect and offer content such as videos and other patient-related information. “Part of our outreach is to the underserved Medicaid population,” Hancock says. “Oracle WebCenter represents a very elegant, easy, intuitive portal to use and goes well with the populations we are serving.”
The change technology has brought to medical care has also visited executives at News Limited as they observe the newspaper industry shifting from print to digital and mobile distribution. They knew definitive action was necessary to address these changes. So in 2011, the company became one of the first in Australia to introduce digital subscriptions across some online newspaper properties, offering premium content to customers. At the same time, they developed a mobile tablet solution to appeal to readers on the go.
Number of US-based newspapers with some form of online paywall in place—twice as many as in 2011. (Source: Newspapers & Technology)
According to technology manager Jason Brock, both projects were very complex; just creating and launching a subscription platform took almost 18 months. It was imperative wherever possible to use technology that could be easily embraced by the nontechnical editorial staff because one of News Limited’s key strengths is how quickly stories get published. At peak times, more than 250 editors can simultaneously publish stories in just 90 seconds.
Rather than seek out completely new technology to accommodate next-generation content management tasks, company leaders decided to extend the capabilities of the existing Oracle WebCenter Sites implementation. Back in 2009, the Oracle solution was put into place to host eight of News Limited’s newspaper Websites on a shared platform, including sites for the Australian, the Herald Sun, and the Daily Telegraph. Each property has its own look and feel, and specific areas of content expertise.
“In the past, content management had been very technical work,” says Brock. “The flexibility of Oracle WebCenter Sites put additional tools in the hands of our nontechnical editorial staff, enabling them to quickly create content and manage the look and feel and the day-to-day production.”
For Hasan Rizvi, executive vice president, Oracle Fusion Middleware and Java development, this emphasis on self-service technology is critical. “Oracle WebCenter provides a much more business-friendly, user-friendly interface so line-of-business users can actually use the product and make changes and modifications without calling IT all the time,” he observes. “And from a line-of-business perspective, better self-serviceable technology makes it possible to show value faster and achieve results more quickly.”
Despite the fact Brock and his team worked tirelessly to provide new, innovative back-end functionality to Oracle WebCenter Sites, the complex functionality is effectively hidden from the nontechnical editorial staff. They can easily flag stories as being premium, subscriber-only content. They can also report on what content is premium, what content is not premium, and what the percentages are across the properties. On the front-end, new identity management and subscription management components are integrated into the system to help manage access to premium content. Initially, the digital subscriptions were introduced to two of News Limited’s online properties: the Australian and the Herald Sun.
And even though the mobile tablet solution uses a platform that sits outside Oracle WebCenter, content is served from the solution. “Oracle WebCenter’s functionality makes it easy to export content in a way that’s compatible with and optimized for our mobile platform,” observes Brock.
Response to the introduction of digital subscriptions and the mobile tablet application has been positive. Company analysts can tell customers are happy because the subscription numbers for the paywall and mobile solutions have surpassed expectations.
Looking ahead, News Limited wants to continue to improve workflow within Oracle WebCenter to make it even easier for editorial staff to create, package, and publish content. There is particular interest in the real-time decision-making features available in the latest version of Oracle WebCenter.
Brock has sage advice for organizations looking to implement tactical innovation. “When you talk about transformational programs, try to solve the problem as simply as possible because it will minimize the amount of risk you will deal with once you put your solution or product out into the market,” he says. “And the faster you can reduce risk and implement change, the bigger lead you’re going to have over your competitors.”
Alison Weiss is a freelance writer in the San Francisco Bay Area and a frequent contributor to Profit.
Oracle Fusion Middleware Innovation Awards
This year Oracle recognized 30 customers with Oracle Excellence Awards for their innovative use of Oracle Fusion Middleware and their significant results. The winners were selected across eight product categories from 11 countries spanning diverse industries around the world.
Congratulations to the 2012 winners:
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Justice Department seeks trial on Florida’s elections law changes
The United States Department of Justice announced Friday that it will seek a trial regarding Florida’s controversial elections law overhaul, passed last year by the state legislature. The law has drawn harsh criticism from civil rights and advocacy groups and has led to multiple legal challenges.
The Associated Press reported:
The Justice Department is opposing changes in Florida voting procedures and says it wants a trial in the dispute, a move that could impact the state’s August primary elections.
In court papers filed late Friday night, Florida officials say they strongly oppose having a trial and noted that the federal court hearing the case in the District of Columbia wants sufficient time to issue a decision before the August primaries. The state is seeking court approval for changes that shorten the time for voter registration groups turning in registration forms to 48 hours and that narrow the time frame for early voting to 10 days before election day.
Florida says the court in Washington can decide the case on the basis of information already submitted in the lawsuit.
The many critics of HB 1355 have claimed that the law is a concerted “voter suppression” effort aimed at hindering access to the polls for minorities, students and low-income voters during the 2012 election.
Because the state of Florida has five counties (Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe) that require federal preclearance for any new elections laws impacting minorities, the U.S. Department of Justice was originally supposed to investigate some of the more controversial aspects of the law. Approval for these counties is mandated by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This past August, Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning withdrew some of the more controversial portions of the bill from review by the Department of Justice. Instead, a court panel in Washington, D.C., will decide whether the four provisions– which place onerous restrictions on third-party voter registration drives, shorten the “shelf life” of signatures collected for ballot initiatives, complicate the process by which voters may change their registered addresses on election day, and reduce the number of early voting days– violate the voting rights of minorities.
Browning also filed a lawsuit against the federal government claiming that Section 5′s federal preclearance mandate was “unconstitutional.” Despite the state’s continued pushback of the federal government, the DOJ announced this past week that it wanted to be included in the process of approving the state’s controversial law.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, one of the interveners in the D.C. court case, explained in a statement this past weekend that the DOJ “and the other parties filed a Joint Status Report in the federal district court in the District of Columbia,” seeking a review of those controversial provisions.
According to the group:
In the status report, the DOJ took the position that Florida has not met its burden of proof on two of the most visible and repressive portions of the new law: 1) The reduction in the number of allowed days of early voting including a ban on early voting on the Sunday before Election Day and 2) New registration policies, fines and other requirements on groups and individuals conducting voter registration activities.
Also in the report, the DOJ took the position that Florida had satisfied its burden of proof regarding the provision which reduced the viability of signatures on initiative petitions from four years to two years. DOJ is still evaluating the final provision of the Voter Suppression Act under review by the court – the requirement that voters who move between counties and wish to change their address at the polls must vote by provisional ballot.
Ultimately, the D.C. court, not the DOJ, will rule on whether Florida’s law violates the Voting Rights Act.
Howard Simon, the executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement that it is unsurprising that the DOJ has publicly expressed concerns over Florida’s law and is now attempting to intervene.
“No one, including Governor Scott, should be surprised that the Department of Justice has determined that key provisions of the Voter Suppression Act of 2011 can make it harder to register to vote and harder to vote,” Simon said. “The ACLU and others have said that to the Legislature, to the Secretary of State, to the U.S. Senate, to the Justice Department and to three different federal courts.”
“Preventing state officials from implementing laws that violate the fundamental rights of its citizens is precisely the historic responsibility of the federal government and the federal courts – it’s why we have a federal Voting Rights Act. We hope the federal court in Washington will agree that these parts of the law will roll back voting rights in Florida,” Simon said in a statement this past weekend.
A court in Tallahassee is also currently considering a challenge to the law by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Rock the Vote, Florida PIRG, and others. The groups filed a lawsuit this past December charging that the law “unconstitutionally and unlawfully burdens their efforts, and the efforts of other individuals and community-based groups, to encourage civic engagement and democratic participation by assisting Florida citizens in registering to vote and exercising their fundamental right to vote.”
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Planning Your Time
There are basically two ways to see the Galápagos: on a cruise or on a land-based tour.
Cruises have historically been the most popular, and advantages include the opportunity to travel farther, cover more sites, and spend more time without worrying about getting back to port at dusk. There are also many sites only accessible to cruise tours, and there is less environmental impact than staying on land and the associated pollution from hotels.
The drawbacks are that you are on a boat with the same group for several days with a fixed schedule, which doesn’t suit everyone. Seasickness is also a factor, even on the most luxurious boats. With the wide choice of classes available, it’s important to remember that, by and large, you get what you pay for. You could save a few hundred dollars by opting for the cheapest boat, but you’ll end up with a guide with less knowledge, far less comfort and, probably, worse seasickness.
Most cruises are 5–8 days. There are also four-day itineraries, but when you consider that half a day at the beginning and end is spent traveling, a minimum of five days is recommended, and eight days is preferable. In five days, the most common cruise itineraries start at Santa Cruz, taking in Puerto Ayora, the highlands, Seymour Norte, and Plazas, then heading either north or south. Northern tours usually include Bartolomé, Santiago, and Genovesa, while southern itineraries usually take in Santa Fé, San Cristóbal, Floreana, and Española.
There is also a slightly more expensive western itinerary that includes Isabela and Fernandina. Eight-day tours usually combine two of these three routes (north and west, north and south, or west and south). It’s not possible to see all of the above islands in eight days, and while cruises for longer than eight days do exist, they are rare and are mostly dedicated dive trips. These tours are the only ones that reach the most remote islands of Darwin, Wolf, and Marchena.
Land-based tours are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for those not suited to spending a long time on a boat. Many operators organize short tours based on one island, or you can do an island-hopping tour. However, with the wide availability of day tours in Puerto Ayora and regular ferries between the three most populous islands (San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela), increasing numbers of budget travelers are shunning tours and doing it themselves, and saving a lot of money. Bear in mind, though, that doing it this way restricts you to day tours close to the main islands, and islands such as Genovesa, Española, and Fernandina become off-limits.
Whatever you decide to do, it’s important that you don’t get preoccupied with a checklist. Eight days (or even five days) in the Galápagos is an incredible experience to be savored, so don’t ruin your enjoyment of it by becoming obsessed with seeing it all.
When to Go
Although the Galápagos is a year-round destination, the best conditions are December–April. The seas are calmer, the weather mostly sunny and hot, and rain on the larger islands leads to an explosion of greenery. This coincides with the busiest tourist period at Christmas, Carnival (usually in Feb.), and Easter. June–October the weather is cooler, so it’s more comfortable on land, but the landscapes are more barren and the sea becomes rougher, so seasickness is more of a problem.
The waters can be surprisingly cold for swimming and snorkeling, but on the positive side, the cooler temperatures usually bring higher numbers of marine life to watch. The islands have brief low seasons in May–June and September–October, either side of the July–August high season. These are the best times to secure last-minute availability. The ongoing global economic downturn has affected the islands, however, and cut-price deals can be found year-round if you look hard enough and are flexible.
Note that the time in the Galápagos is one hour earlier than in mainland Ecuador.
What to Bring
A trip to the Galápagos requires plenty of preparation. While summer clothes are clearly first in the suitcase, there are plenty more items you need to pack. Bring a light jacket or sweater for chilly mornings and cool evenings, plus a rain jacket for visiting the damp highlands. Along with flip-flops, good walking shoes should be packed for negotiating rough lava trails. Most importantly, bring a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of sunblock to protect you from the fierce equatorial sun, which is doubly strong at sea.
A refillable water bottle is very useful and also reduces the islands’ problem with plastic. Seasickness is a common problem on the Galápagos, both on cruises and particularly on the fast ferries among the islands, so bring seasickness pills. Bring a day pack to take on excursions, and don’t forget your swimming gear. You can bring your own snorkel, if you prefer, although tours usually provide them.
Last but not least, bring a decent camera. The Galápagos is hard to beat for photography, so if you were going to consider upgrading, do it before you visit. Also consider investing in a telephoto lens, bring UV and polarizing filters, and bring a decent bag to protect your equipment from water. Bring far more film or digital memory than you’ll think you’ll need, and expect to take several hundred photos.
Safety and Annoyances
In general the Galápagos is a very safe destination, but visitors do occasionally get into trouble or fall ill. If you’re elderly or have heart or blood-pressure problems, you need to pace yourself. You may be surprised at how tiring a trip to the islands can be—eight days packed with hikes, swimming, and snorkeling is a very full schedule. Don’t be embarrassed to opt out of a tour if you’re not feeling up to it, and always notify the guide of any health issues.
The most common problems are stomach-related or seasickness. For the former, you should carry rehydration packets, and if it’s more serious, the guide should be able to get antibiotics. Bactrim Forte is a good local brand to take if you have a food-related illness. For seasickness, eat lightly, drink plenty of fluids, sit in the center of the boat, or take a nap. Local brand Mareol can also help, but bear in mind that it can make you drowsy.
An unexpected annoyance in the Galápagos for women travelers is the unwanted attention of male guides or crew members. Remember that the Galápagos are part of Ecuador, and many local men are notoriously flirtatious and macho. This certainly doesn’t apply to all guides, but you may be unlucky enough to have your guide hit on you. If you’re traveling alone, you should make clear politely but firmly that you’re not interested—perhaps inventing a muscle-bound fiancé and transferring a ring to the appropriate finger may help.
Note that smoking is prohibited on any of the uninhabited islands and at all the visitors sites on the inhabited islands. Most boats have nonsmoking policies as well.
© Ben Westwood and Avalon Travel from Moon Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands, 5th Edition
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Moving to Singapore?
Expatriate banking services in Singapore
The Republic of Singapore covers an area of approximately 700 square kilometres, and consists of an island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, plus over 50 small islets.
The national language is Malay, but English, Tamil and Mandarin are also widely spoken.
Singapore is one of the world’s leading financial centres and is a key financial hub in south-east Asia. Not surprisingly, it boasts one of the world’s most advanced banking systems. There are approximately 700 local and foreign banking and financial institutions in the country.
The currency is the Singapore dollar and as of April 2010, the exchange rate was approximately $2.17 Singapore dollars to £1 GBP (pound sterling).
Banks in Singapore
- Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
Commercial Banks in Singapore
- Bank of Singapore
- DBS Bank
- Far Eastern Bank
- Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
- United Overseas Bank
- The Islamic Bank of Asia
Foreign banks with a presence in Singapore
- Bank of Tokyo−Mitsubishi
- BNP Paribas
- Credit Agricole
- Standard Chartered Bank
Bank opening times in Singapore
These are usually from 9.30am to 3pm on weekdays, and 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturdays. Some banks have branches with longer opening hours, while a few are also open on Sundays.
Banking services in Singapore
The banks in Singapore are considered to be efficient and highly automated, and service is generally excellent. Bank branches can be found throughout the country, in the major cities, towns and rural areas. Nearly all accounts can be managed and operated online, with telephone banking also available for certain accounts, and electronic banking and payments by card are popular.
Due to high competition between financial service providers, it is worth shopping around in Singapore to compare account features and benefits.
The main types of bank account in Singapore
The main types of accounts used for everyday banking and savings in Singapore:
- Current accounts – typically used for everyday banking. They generally have no monthly fees, but may require a minimum balance be maintained. Interest rates paid on current accounts are usually low
- Savings accounts – typically pay a higher rate of interest than current accounts, but with limited access to funds. Savings accounts typically require a minimum balance to be maintained
- Fixed-deposit accounts – primarily designed for long-term saving, with interest rates offered typically higher than either current or savings accounts. These accounts may offer limited or no access to funds until the account matures, and typically have a higher minimum account balance than other accounts
Opening a bank account when you arrive in Singapore
To open an account with a bank in Singapore, you will need to provide a number of forms of identification, which can include:
- A verified copy of your passport
- A copy of your residence permits (if applicable)
- A recent utility bill
- A letter of reference/employment from your current employer
- A recent bank statement and letter of reference from your current bank
Opening an account, subject to providing this information, is relatively straightforward, and in many instances can be completed the same day, if applying in person at a bank branch.
Opening a bank account before you arrive in Singapore
It may be possible to open a bank account in Singapore while still in your home country, by contacting one of the major banks with international branches, in person. However, the application process can be completed by telephone or post if you are unable to visit a branch.
An alternative to opening a domestic bank account in Singapore is to open an international bank account. An international account will give you access to a wide range of international banking services. These services include online banking, tax efficient offshore savings options, along with accounts and a debit card available in major currencies.
An international account can be used by clients living or working in Singapore, and is ideal when travelling between international locations.
ATM facilities in Singapore
Banks in Singapore have a shared network of ATMs (automatic teller machines). The ATM network is both widespread and efficient, and in addition to accepting cards from Singapore banks, many machines accept foreign cards, but you should expect to pay a charge. ATMs can be found throughout the major towns, cities, and outlying areas, as with the UK, the majority of bank branches have ATMs located on their premises.
Singapore also has a cashless payment system called NETS (Network for Electronic Transfers), and this offers a convenient way to pay for purchases. NETS is widely accepted throughout Singapore, and many of the major banks offer cards for this system.
Most businesses accept payments using major cards such as Visa and MasterCard, although a surcharge may be applied to any purchases or payments.
To apply for a credit card in Singapore, it is likely that you will have to show proof of employment for a minimum period of six months, (or guaranteed future employment), together with proof of an annual income of at least $30,000 Singapore dollars.
Money transfers to and from Singapore
In addition to money transfer services offered by banks, there are a wide variety of specialist businesses operating in this market. It is worth researching the charges beforehand to get the best deal.
Currency regulations relating to the import and export of currencies are subject to change. You should check with the national bank for the latest details.
As of April 2010 there are no restrictions on the movement of either local or foreign currency into or out of Singapore.
Bank charges in Singapore
As you might expect with such an advanced banking system, banks compete extensively when it comes to charges. Generally, there are monthly charges applied for operating current accounts, although online accounts may be offered free of charge.
Banking in Singapore – additional information
If you have any complaints or issues with a bank in Singapore, contact the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS):
More information on banking with Barclays Wealth International
For further information about the benefits of opening an International Account before you move to Singapore, you can speak to a specialist adviser at Barclays Wealth International by calling +44 (0) 141 352 3902.
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The executive chef of dine by Peter Gordon at SkyCity answers your cuisine questions.
Most recipes ask you to prep meat by patting dry and frying before making a casserole; why is this necessary?
- Joan and Peter Minchin
Your question is interesting because although the browning of meat does add extra flavour, it doesn't actually make the meat stew any juicier. In many ways it's an urban myth that browning meat will make a better meal, but even with all the evidence laid out in front of me, I still do it.
I watched a cooking show once, many years ago, and in it the presenter cooked several pieces of meat, weighing them before and after cooking. It obviously made sense that the heaviest piece at the end of cooking would be the juiciest as the extra weight would come from the moisture trapped inside the steak. The first steak was cooked at low heat, fairly briefly, and then baked at around 90C. The last steak (and there were three in between) was seared in a fiercely hot pan until caramelised on both sides, then roasted at 180C until cooked. All steaks were rested for 5 minutes before slicing (essential in keeping as many juices inside the meat as possible) and then we were shown the meat being weighed and sliced. The last cooked steak was the lightest, and the first cooked the heaviest.
What this proved was that although we think searing meat will make it juicier - it doesn't do that at all.
I'm not sure if you've been following the trend of sous vide cooking, whereby meat, fish and vegetables - and a slightly now-boring plethora of eggs poached for many hours at a particularly low temperature (I'll admit, in reality I love an egg fried in huge amounts of olive oil and butter until it is crispy) - are cooked under vacuum at lowish temperatures for extended periods of time, before being served to diners. This style of cooking is one of many kitchen trends globally, and in many ways it achieves what it sets out to do - keeping food juicy and moist. But where it falls down is the meat just doesn't taste as good as something off the grill or barbecue. Steamed meat just isn't always that appealing.
However, what you can do with a piece of sous-vide cooked meat (and even that from a steamer) is to colour the meat once it has been cooked. Pop it in a hot pan with some lovely olive oil, duck fat or butter, which suddenly brings the two best characteristics of these differing cooking styles together. You end up with something melt-in-the-mouth juicy as well as being caramelised and a little crunchy.
So, to get back to your question - if you have the time and can be bothered, cook half a casserole by patting dry and frying the meat and onions before adding all the other goodies, and in another pot just place everything in together without browning the meat, onions or garlic and otherwise make it the same. Cook for the same amount of time until tender, and taste and compare the finished dishes. They'll be quite different and I bet you'll prefer the browned one, even if the meat is a little tighter in texture. I think our palates simply appreciate the effect flames and high heat give to a meal when compared to something gently poached. Either way, always cook stews with enough moisture to cover the ingredients and cook until tender - an undercooked casserole is not a pleasant thing.
* To ask Peter a question, click on the Email Peter link below.By Peter Gordon Email Peter
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What to buy, a brand new piano or a second hand piano? This is the question so many people ask themselves once they have decided to buy a piano. What are the advantages and disadvantages, what is best? This article will try to dispel your doubts and help you to buy successfully.
Value for money
For those of you who the matter “value for money” is important, a good option to consider is to buy second hand. The piano pre-owned market is full of bargains but also is full of pitfalls “monkey business” (as a friend of mine always says), so is advisable to approach the buying of a used piano with extreme caution and to have at least some elemental knowledge
Where to buy
Look at the local papers on the “Musical instrument” sections, also at the online second-hand items sites like eBay, and of course at piano retailers and music stores. These stores usually have an array of used pianos which of course they are eager to sell. Some of these pianos can be in excellent condition and could represent an excelent buy.
Buying from a retailer
An important bonus to buy from a dealer is that they normally will offer you a guarantee, so in case there is something wrong with the piano, you know where to call. Other advantage is that they will transport the piano to your house for free, and will also offer you a free piano tuning (If they don’t offer a free tuning, don’t be shy ask for it, sure they will agree). All important things to have into consideration.
The appraisal of a piano
When evaluating a piano one of the most important things is to know how old is the piano. Whoever reads this blog regularly will know that the one who subscribes dislikes the very old pianos. Pianos over one hundred years have in general so many problems and are so expensive to restore that unless you are an antique lover or a do-it-yourself enthusiast, they should better be discarded. Strictly personal opinion, of course.
How old should be the piano
Preferably not too old. If you decide to buy second hand, the age limit should be no more than 30 or 40 years. A piano made in the 70’s or 80’s, if it has a careful owner and was regularly maintained, can be a good investment and still give you many years of trouble free enjoyment. Obviously it is better if the piano is only 10 or 20 years old, but the price undoubtedly would also be higher.
What is the best piano to buy? Well, that depends on each one.For general home use and an intermediate level of playing, I would go for one of the midrange well known makers with proven good value for money, something like a Yamaha or Kaway with no more than 20 or 30 years. Very good opportunities can be found in that bracket.
How to determine the exact age of a piano
How to know the exact age of a piano? All pianos have a serial number. If you know the piano brand name and the serial number, then is easy to know the age of the piano. Click here to know how old is your piano, or any other piano you might be interested. I will transmit you the information I have, for free. Take advantage of this offer while it lasts, probably not for long!!
Where to find the serial number?
Where can I find the serial number? At the uprights, the serial number is located generally at the plate, up on the right (sometimes on the left or even at the center), you can see it easily by opening the front or upper lid. Serial numbers can also be located at the back of the piano, or somewhere at the action, sometimes at the soundboard.In grands, serial numbers are generally located also somewhere at the plate, but can also be stamped either at the soundboard or at the key frame. Look for a number around five to eight digits, sometimes accompanied by one or two words.
“PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BUY A USED PIANO”
Take a good overview, what it looks like? The general appearance of the piano says much about the condition of the insides. A piano that has been neglected, with scratches, bumps and so on, probably has the action also in the same state. On the contrary, a perfectly lacquered piano, free of bumps and scratches, clean and bright, denotes a careful owner, that in the same way has been careful (not always) to tune and service the piano regularly.
If it is an upright that you are looking at, move the piano a bit from the wall and examine carefully the soundboard. Make sure there are not cracks and the ribs are solidly glued in place. The soundboard should be perfect, if that is not the case, bad news. This is an indication that other things could also be in poorly condition, so be careful with that piano. In grands, you will have to stoop to look under. The same that has been said for uprights is applicable to grands.
The keyboard, examine it carefully. A perfect keyboard with all the keys well balance at the same height and with no irregular gaps between them is a very good sign. Sometimes keys (specially at the extremes of the keyboard) are burnt, as some piano players have the wicked habit of placing their cigarette butts right on top of those keys. Ohh!!
Now play every key up and down the keyboard, looking for sluggish action problems, broken keys and general action faults, like double striking or hammer blocking. If you don’t detect any of those things, then the piano action is in good condition. If on the contrary, you noticed one or more of the faults mentioned before, then you can assume that the piano has have a good deal of wear and tear, and most likely needs regulation and replacement parts.
In this third step, you will use your nose, or better said, your sense of smell. Remove the front panel and open the top lid (we are talking uprights), lets “take a smell inside”. If it smells musty, bad news again. I personally wouldn’t go any further and leave the piano right there. Why?
Because is most likely that the dampness has affected the action parts, like hammers, felts, wood, and so on. Dampness, in case you don’t know, is the piano’s number one public enemy (second one is excessive dryness), it’s effect on the piano is highly damaging and very difficult to mend once the damage has already been done.
Remove the front panel and take a good look at the action (if it is a grand, you will have to remove the action from the piano) The overall look of the action parts like backchecks, hammers, dampers etcetera, should be tidy and even. Take a good look at the backchecks and see if they are all level and more or less at the same distance. If that is the case, good, very good sign, as that give us an indication that the piano is in good shape.
On the contrary, if the backchecks are uneven and some hammers and dampers are crooked and/or wobbly, then beware of that piano, is evident it has have a lot of wear. And of course also out of regulation. Bringing that piano to good working order will most certainly be costly and time consuming. A piano in that condition also shows that the owner hasn’t been exactly careful and loving with his/her piano
Now we will look at the hammers. The hammers, as the tires in the cars can reveal much about the piano. Are they worn out? In that case you can estimate that the piano has had a long run, again bad news, as that is telling you that other elements of the action must be equally worn. Once here, also take a look at the dampers.
However, if the hammers are still round at the striking point (the part of the hammer head that strikes the string) without deep grooves, and still retain its original shape, then good news. If in contrast with the rest of the piano parts, the hammers look too new, then it could well be that the piano has had a new hammer set recently installed!
Take an overall look at the hammers with their shanks. Same thing as we said for the keyboard applies here. A piano in good condition should have the whole hammer section properly aligned with all the hammers at the same height and at the same distance from each other. Now, play the piano at the middle and middle upper part (which is usually the most worn) and see the hammer travel, making sure that every hammer strikes neatly its set of strings.
Double striking, wobbling and/or sluggish key action, hammer blocking (when a hammer doesn’t bounce back and gets block against the string), crooked and/or misplaced hammers, warped hammer shanks……etcetera, are simply not welcome!
In this sixth step we will be looking at the pins and strings. Same as the hammers, the state of strings and pins can tell you much about the condition of the piano. The strings and pins should be clean and bright without any sign of rust. Make sure there are not missing strings, specially the bass ones (quite difficult to obtain in case they are not there) A good second hand piano should always have its set of strings and pins well polish and in excellent condition.
Finally, play the piano. Is on pitch and reasonably in tuned? How does it feel? This is a personal and quite subjective matter that varies from one person to another, but the important thing is to feel comfortable with the instrument that you are playing. Ideally, the touch of the piano should be not too soft, not too hard, with a pleasant feel and a proper dynamic response.
If the piano is badly out of tune, it doesn’t say much about its proprietor and how he/she care about the piano. I would recommend before buying, to have a professional tuner to look at the piano (specially if it is an old piano) this is to ensure that the piano is tuneable and to discard any major fault like a broken pinblock or iron cast plate, a crack soundboard and so (things that are not easy to see at first glance)
If the piano bears any of those major faults mentioned before, unless the piano is one of the major brands, like C. Bechstein, Bösendorfer, Steinway, Blüthner, Mason & Hamlin and the likes, then the best thing to do is to refrain from buying and look elsewhere. Why is that? Because nowadays, the cost of piano restoration is so high that in general is not worth it.
these seven steps guide will give you a good idea of what you are buying and will let you evaluate the condition of any piano. At least it will prevent you from getting it miserably wrong and making a serious mistake. Don’t be taken for a ride and buy the right piano at the right price and in the best possible condition, that’s the goal.
If not too sure about a piano and a fair amount of money is involve, I highly recommend you to use the services of a pro technician who examine the piano in depth and advise you. By the way, if you do so, and decide to buy the piano from a retailer, make sure the piano tuner (that supposedly will advise you) doesn’t work also for that same dealer. Just in case….!!
© Copyright Juan Olalla 2010. All rights reserved www.howtotuneapiano.com
Important notice: Reproduction of this article (or any other article contained in this site) in part or in whole is strictly prohibited, unless permission is given directly by the copyright owner. Contact Juan Olalla at: email@example.com
Has this article been helpful to you? You are welcome to leave a reply. Your opinion and/or suggestions are highly appreciated. Thanks
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
This was Yoshi's summer holiday study project that he thought up all by himself. He wrote a one line summary for each emperor that reigned in Japan from about 700AD until the end of the last era which ended in about 1989 (can't remember exactly, shame....!)
After it was written, he added a decorative cover and rolled it up. This counted (as far as I was concerned!) as his free study, essay, summer reading and craft project. After all the poor kid only had three weeks summer and had all that PLUS a diary, (for the teacher to check up on whether they spend each day in the "proper" balance of work and study... I told him not to write that; it's none of their business) and 27 pages of worksheets. I am not exactly sure when their holiday was supposed to be......
Still, his project turned out beautifully and I'm really proud of the hard work he put into it.
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Writing at National Review’s The Corner blog, Yuval Levin dissects the op-ed response from Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to the federal judge striking down the individual mandate in the federal health care law. Like us, Levin can find no legal or constitutional argument in their Washington Post column, “Health reform will survive its legal fight,” just a weak case made on policy grounds.
Their argument, in essence, is that the government has the right to do anything it wants to in the health-care arena because all human beings get sick, and their getting sick can have economic consequences. The choice of some not to purchase insurance means that when they get sick they might incur some costs that would have to be shouldered by others. “For decades,” Holder and Sebelius write, “Supreme Court decisions have made clear that the Constitution allows Congress to adopt rules to deal with such harmful economic effects.” And the way the new health-care law would “deal with” such harmful effects is to make it illegal to make the choice not to purchase insurance. Simple.By the same logic, of course, you might argue that the government can require each of us to exercise every day and eat our vegetables. Our choice not to do so has grave economic consequences, after all, and under Obamacare, those consequences will be borne by our fellow citizens to an even greater degree than they are today.Holder and Sebelius offer an unusually revealing glimpse into the mindset of the left today. Every public problem is understood to be ripe for federal intervention, the intervention is to take the form of mandates to simply make different “choices” that better comport with what policymakers want, and doing what you are told by the government is the new definition of individual responsibility. And for all of this to pass constitutional muster, all you have to show is that the end you’re pursuing is a material end, since the Commerce Clause says that addressing any problem with an economic component is a proper end of government and the Necessary and Proper clause says that such ends justify all means.
For more on the legal arguments, see Heritage Foundation, the Foundry, “Judge Rules Obamacare Mandate Goes Beyond Letter and Spirit of the Constitution.”
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There comes a moment in law school, much relished by law professors, when students read a decision by the United States Supreme Court, throwing open the gates of progressive theory of government, which stated explicitly that the United States is not guided by Herbert Spencer’s social statics. I remember the moment when I ended up on the Professor’s Enemies List by raising my hand and asking him what Herbert Spencer had said and why the social statics were so bad. The answer I got was the sort of “go away kid you’re bothering me” type of response. So I dedicated some time to reading Herbert Spencer, and he actually struck me as sort of interesting, and relevant to our modern budget debates, not to mention our debate about how much role government should have in a time of debt and deficit.
In the spirit of things, I’ll note that in 1841, Herbert Spencer was having a problem with Barack Obama and Deval Patrick. I give you Herbert Spencer from his essay “the Proper Sphere of Government”, inspired by the latest Deval Patrick proposal and last night’s State of the Union address:
“We hear one man proclaiming the advantages that would accrue, if all turnpike roads in the kingdom were kept in repair by the state; another would saddle the nation with a medical establishment, and preserve the popular health by legislation; and a third maintains that government should make railways for Ireland, at the public expense. The possibility of there being any impropriety in meddling with these things never suggests itself. Government always has exercised the liberty of universal interference, and nobody ever questioned its right to do so. Our ancestors, good people, thought it quite reasonable that the executive should have unlimited power…; and as they made no objection, we, in our wise veneration for the good old times, suppose that all is as it should be…”
Who would have guessed that Patrick and Obama were the conservatives in our society!
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Andros Trophy Electric ClassEnlarge Photo
Who said electric cars don't make sense in cold, snowy conditions?
Certainly not some of the top racing drivers competing in the electric class of the Andros Trophy, an ice racing series that appeared in 1990 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The races take place on dedicated ice courses held in the more mountainous regions of France, often at ski resorts like Val Thorens and Alpe D'Huez. The series has seen some famous faces from the motorsport world competing, such as ex-Formula One drivers Patrick Tambay and Alain Prost, and ex-IndyCar champ Jacques Villeneuve.
An electric class appeared in winter 2009-2010 and was won in the first year by Nicolas Prost, Alain's son. He defended it the next year, and the electric class is back again this winter.
As you can see in the video below (via The Charging Point) it certainly adds a different dimension to the racing, not least because the hills are relatively silent in the absence of internal combustion.
The electric cars may not make quite the same power as the typical 300-400 horsepower vehicles - a 120-horsepower, 147-pound foot Siemens electric motor provides the go, with a top speed of 100 mph. Weight is only 1,763 pounds, so even on ice they move at impressive pace. The car is built by Exagon Engineering.
Range anxiety isn't an issue, even considering the cold climate. The battery pack gives enough range for 35 minutes of sideways action.
The Andros Électrique cars may not be the most practical EVs about, but they certainly look like fun. Maybe winter is more suitable for electric cars than we thought...
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View Your Residence Hall
Hyde Hall is a four-story, brick residence that houses approximately 85 students in quints, quads and doubles. Each quad/quint comprises two bedrooms and a common room; doubles comprise one bedroom and a common room. There are male and female bathrooms on each floor hallway. There is a common room on the first floor and study rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. There is a full-size elevator in the building.
Hyde Hall is 428 feet from the Polar Bear Statue located in Hyde Plaza.
The College supplies the following items for each student:
Each student is assigned a telephone number for their entire time at Bowdoin. One phone per room is supplied and each student has an individual voicemail box.
All rooms are cable ready.
High-speed internet ports are located in every student room. Additionally, all buildings on campus are wireless.
Hyde does not have its own parking lot. Decals are issued to designated parking lots based on seniority and housing assignments on a first come, first served, space available basis. All First-Year students must park in the Stanwood Street lot. You can learn more about student parking at Bowdoin on the Security parking website.
The laundry room is located in the basement. The charge for washers and dryers is $1.50 per cycle. The washing machines and dryers in all residence halls are equipped with card readers; laundry machines do not accept cash. You may add money to your Bowdoin ID card for this purpose at several machines on campus. You can see what machines are open, get alerts sent to you when your laundry is finished, and report a problem with a machine at any time by visiting LaundryView.
Vending machines are located in the basement.
All college-owned student residences are equipped with sprinklers and alarmed for fire safety.
Hyde Hall has a card access system. Residents of this residence hall have 24/7 access. All other students have access from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Located in the basement.
The Residential Life student staff comprises seventy-two upperclass students. There are four Proctors in Hyde. Find out who the Proctors are in your building.
Hyde Hall was built in 1917; the most recent renovation was complete in 2005. Hyde Hall was named after Bowdoin’s seventh president William DeWitt Hyde (1885-1917). More information about the history of Hyde Hall can be found in the Bowdoin College Archives.
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hi, can someone please help me find the t critical value for this question:
A bookstore recorded the amount spent by a subset of its members for its online gift-shop. The average spent this year was $10.90, with a standard deviation of $2.10 for 510 members observed. The average spent last year was $10.30 with standard deviation $3.14 for 520 members observed. Test whether the average amount spent by members last year compared to this year is not significantly different.
So i think that we use t-test, and i can find the test statistic, but i dont know how to calculate the t critical value as im unsure of what the degrees of freedom is ( i think either 9 or 519 or 509?). Can someone please help me?
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Two World Cup finals (1950, 1958) and the 1960 Olympic tournament. An impressive career. Reginald James Leafe, an outside right who had to quit playing because of an injury, died in 2001.
He registered to become a referee in 1937 and entered the League ten years later. Took charge of the 1948 FA Cup final (Newcastle - Man City).
Reg Leafe dissalowed four goals in the European Champions Cup 1 st round match Real Madrid - Barcelona. Some say 4 Madrid goals, some have three for Madrid and one for Barcelona, fact is Madrid lost and for the first time they were out of the competition after having won it 4 times in a row. Again some say it was more or less fixed, that UEFA wanted another winner, not Madrid again. Barcelona reached the final but lost to Benfica.
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Strictness in data declaration not matched in assembler?
dons at galois.com
Thu Oct 16 14:34:01 EDT 2008
> On Thursday 16 October 2008 07:03:05 Roman Leshchinskiy wrote:
> > On 16/10/2008, at 21:34, Simon Peyton-Jones wrote:
> > > BUT people who care probably UNPACK their strict fields too, which
> > > is even better. The time you can't do that is for sum types
> > > data T = MkT ![Int]
> > You also can't do it for polymorphic components. I've used code like:
> > data T a = MkT !a
> > foo :: T (a,b) -> a
> > foo (MkT (x,y)) = x
> > Here, unpacking doesn't work but foo could still access the components
> > of the pair directly.
> This is actually the situation I was originally looking at. I just simplified
> it for the sake of posting readable core and assembler.
> Specifically, I was looking at some of the assembler GHC was generating for
> some array code to see if it could do a clean enough job to be used instead of
> C, and was finding this sort of thing because STUArrau is defined as
> data STUArray s i a = STUArray !i !i !Int (MutableByteArray# s)
FWIW, I get much nicer code with uvector (which uses type families
to select monomorphic instances of things, and aggressive inlining, to
yield much better code in practice). The DPH arrays library uses
a similar method.
So you might make some progress by taking that direction.
More information about the Glasgow-haskell-users
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Harshvardhan Shahaji Patil is one of the few ministers who is presiding as a minister for four consecutive terms in Government of Maharashtra.
The Laws of Land are always there to Help you, don't waste your time, immediately seek Legal Help
For more Comfort, You can convert this Auto rickshaw to a Luxuries Car just add a Wheel of Discipline & ensure that everyone follows the same
The Difficulty of any unwritten and unnotified law is that you don't know where to go to erase it.
The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam.
Laws of Nature are unwritten yet everyone subconsciously know the same
Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala is regarded as the world's richest temple with an estimated annual income of over 300 crores.
Did you know? Every Year thousands of New Laws come in force
Planting a tree is the single most effective action any individual or organisation can take to truly heal the environment
Mission to Go Green & Save The Earth
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Update Friday night: So I finally thought to call the source — Chippy at World of Tile — herself. She did not hesitate in saying that in 1968, when she started at World of Tile, her dad called this Provincial tile. In fact, if you look at some of the photos below, you can see the abbreviation “PRV” on some of the cardboard sleeves. That’s for Provincial. I can only guess: Yes, French Provincial. Could hav been that this tile shape was associated with that style, back in the day. However, I still think that somewhere, I’ve seen a 1960s ad calling in Persian.
Original story still open for discussion, though: This tile: Should we call it Moroccan tile? I don’t think so. Should we call it Persian tile? I don’t think so. The correct descriptor for this style of tile, I have decided… or learned… I think… is: Arabesque tile. I didn’t learn this in any official way. I prowled around the google. This tile is getting popular again in 2011-12 in contemporary kitchens backspashes and bathrooms — and I see most places calling it Arabesque. Today’s rehash seems to be in small scale, all glossy white — glam. But back in the 1970s, we saw it in all kinds of rich, deep, earthy, textured colors — Mediterranean hippie style. An iconic example of the 1970s’ fixation on tile.
However, I am 100% not sure whether Arabesque is the true proper classification for this shape of tile — and I sure would like to know. I spent a year in Spain in college, and while there, visited the Alhambra in Granada. Oh my goodness, what a treasure. The tile there is considered Moorish. Which is not the same as Moroccan. And I think I originally started calling this shape Persian because of something I saw in a 1960s or 1970s advertisement. ACK! I am drowning! Any tile scholars out there? I’d love the know what to call this shape of tile, and how to differentiate it from Moroccan and Moorish and Persian and Retro Decorating Gods Know What other tile styles that I should understand. HELP!
While I was at World of Tile last year, I saw plenty of Arabesque tile — available in big lots. And also available in much more limited availability as replacement tile. Anything on a piece of cardboard is a replacement tile. Sorry for the shaky images — it was way dark back there, and I didn’t hold the camera still enough. I will take a tripod next time… Note also – arabesque tile in resilient sheet flooring from Tarkett, too!
More tile shapes
To add to this list of questions, I am also throwing the following tiles in. They are close to the pointy-like tiles that I am trying to nail down as Arabesque. But they are not pointy. How do these fit into the taxonomy of tiles?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE these two, they are coordinating:
All of the tile samples here are from World of Tile in Springfield, New Jersey. I have written extensively about this time capsule tile store. All this tile is the real deal New Old Stock from the 1960s, 1970s and from all the years since. Want some? Call Chippy or Nick at World of Tile, tell ‘em I sent you.
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2nd Amendment issues
Let's focus on facts and level-headed opinion and try to stay away from angry rants Jul 10
Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
In March, PoliceOne conducted the most comprehensive survey ever of American law enforcement officers’ opinions on the topic gripping the nation's attention in recent weeks: gun control.
There are a lot of cases where victims face multiple attackers. Here are just some of the cases from December 2012.
This is the ninth in a series of risk communication columns I have been asked to write for The Synergist , the journal of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
The Problem With the 'Public Health Research on Gun Violence' That Obama Wants You to Pay For - Hit & Run : Reason.com - reason.com (HTTP)One element of President Obama's gun control agenda is research by the U.S.
L ast year Congress tried to take away $2.6 million from the U.S.
comment: Peter, in “ Postscript: The CDC Is Up to Its Old Tricks Again re Flu Vaccine Effectiveness ,” you wrote that “most experts think that in most years a flu vaccination is probably better than nothing, even for seniors.”
In the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut, there seemed to be a great debate taking place in the US between those who want to see stricter controls on guns, and those who are opposed to such controls.
I was planning to write something about Moore v. Madigan, No. 12-1269 (7th Cir. Dec. 11, 2012) , the U.S.
Published: April 24, 2005
by John R. Lott, Jr., Ph.D. The finest documented account of media anti-gun bias I have ever seen.
The two strongest reasons for civilians to own assault weapons are self-defense and defense against tyranny.
MOUNT CARMEL - Talking with a friend about a pink toy bubble gun got a five-year-old kindergarten girl in the Mount Carmel Area School District labeled as a terrorist threat, according to an attorney. The incident occurred Jan. 10 while the girl was waiting in line for a school bus, said Robin Ficker, the Maryland lawyer retained by the girl's family. He would not identify the girl or her parents, but gave this version of events:
Parents Furious After Boys Suspended For Using Fingers As Guns « CBS Baltimore - baltimore.cbslocal.com (HTTP)TALBOT COUNTY, Md.
7-year-old playing an imaginary game at school gets suspended for real | KDVR.com – Denver News, Weather & Sports from FOX 31 News in Denver, Colorado - kdvr.com (HTTP)LOVELAND, Colo. — A 2nd grader has been suspended from school in Loveland for a make believe game he was playing. The 7-year-old says he was trying to save the world.
But are police officers necessarily more trustworthy than alleged criminals?
Defensive Gun Uses
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Congress considers putting limits on drone strikes
WASHINGTON – Uncomfortable with the Obama administration's use of deadly drones, a growing number in Congress is looking to limit America's authority to kill suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens. The Democratic-led outcry was emboldened by the revelation in a newly surfaced Justice Department memo that shows drones can strike against a wider range of threats, with less evidence, than previously believed.
The drone program, which has been used from Pakistan across the Middle East and into North Africa to find and kill an unknown number of suspected terrorists, is expected to be a top topic of debate when the Senate Intelligence Committee grills John Brennan, the White House's pick for CIA chief, at a hearing Thursday.
The White House on Tuesday defended its lethal drone program by citing the very laws that some in Congress once believed were appropriate in the years immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks but now think may be too broad.
If you have any technical difficulties, either with your username and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org
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Recognizing and Honoring the Most Improved Schools in America
The College Board Gaston Caperton Inspiration Awards celebrate the extraordinary commitment of educators and communities to their students' futures. Despite sometimes overwhelming odds, these outstanding schools are taking remarkable steps to give their students the bright futures they deserve.
Winning schools are selected by a panel of independent experts and are announced each spring. Three winning schools each receive $25,000; up to five schools each receive $1,000 honorable mention awards.
Each spring the College Board presents Inspiration Awards to three of America's most improved secondary schools. Award-winning schools are recognized for their outstanding college-preparation programs and partnerships among teachers, parents and community organizations. Through their dedication and commitment, these school communities have opened doors to higher education for students facing economic, social and cultural barriers by:
- Improving their academic environment
- Creating a college-going culture
- Helping a significant proportion of students realize the promise of higher education
Please make sure your school meets all of the following qualifications before submitting an application for a 2013 Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award:
- Applicant schools must be secondary schools in the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia.
- A minimum of 40 percent of the school's student population must qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
- Applicant schools must have graduated at least five senior classes.
- Schools with an academic admission policy and/or academic/entry requirements in any phase of the admission process are not eligible for an Inspiration Award.
- The school should be able to demonstrate consistent growth across the entire student population in:
- Participation in rigorous curricula, as in the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®);
- The number of students participating in college-preparatory course work;
- The percentage of students graduating with diplomas; and
- The number of students accepted to two- or four-year institutions of higher education.
- Previous recipients of the College Board's Inspiration Awards are not eligible, but schools that have received an honorable mention award, and schools that have applied in the past can and are encouraged to reapply.
- College Board Schools and EXCELerator™ Schools are not eligible.
The deadline for submission has past. Applicants will be notified via email of their status by early Spring 2013.
If you have questions regarding the Inspiration Awards, please call the College Board: 212-713-8192 or email: firstname.lastname@example.org.
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