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On Tuesday, I attended Intel’s launch for the eagerly awaited Itanium MPU known as Montecito. I was also given an opportunity to speak with Kirk Skaugen, the GM of the Server Platforms Group. While there has been pretty good coverage of the event, there has not been much in the way of analysis. Rather than rehashing old information, we will try and add some significant insight into the already familiar news.
In 2004, Paul DeMone wrote Sizing up the Super Heavyweights, an excellent article about Montecito, which gives a good picture of the processor, and its main competitor, the POWER5/5+ from IBM. The only substantially new developments since that article are that some aspects of Foxton have been disabled for unknown reasons. Foxton is a dynamic power measurement subsystem that was used to automatically adjust voltage and frequency based on power consumption; so an OEM could preset a Montecito device to operate at exactly 100W, or exactly 80W, what ever happens to fit in their power/thermal envelop. One advantage of Foxton technology is that since it dynamically adapts to power and heat requirements, MPUs can be binned more aggressively, without worrying about going over TDP or drawing too much power. However, since the frequency control element of Foxton have been turned off, Intel has been forced to bin much more conservatively. Instead of a 2GHz MPU, Montecito will top out at 1.6GHz. The whole respin process also delayed Montecito by a year, which weakened the position of some OEMs (especially SGI).
Intel’s Perspective on Itanium
The first thing that Intel is keen to emphasize is that Itanium is first and foremost targeted at the high-end of the market. Roughly 50% of server revenue and 10% of volume still belongs to mainframes, RISC/UNIX combinations and other proprietary systems. Although there are arguments as to the original intent of the architecture, Intel is currently gunning for the high-end with Itanium. To drive home that point, Intel has to some extent tried to ignore or marginalize x86 whenever discussing Itanium and emphasize the comparison against SPARC and PowerPC.
Positioning Itanium against SPARC and PPC is eminently logical, however omitting any references to x86 when discussing Itanium seems short-sighted. For the most part, x86 does not directly compete with Itanium, but acts as a substitute. Essentially, when x86 becomes ‘good enough’ for what the customer needs, they may shift if it is cost-effective (and it may not be in all circumstances). Currently, it looks like the strategic plan for IPF is to differentiate based on stability, scalability, RAS features, and also value added software and services from vendors. The real question is how long will these differentiators work; unfortunately, markets are defined by customers and what they look at, not by simple black and white diagrams with neat boxes. For Intel, clearly the goal is to use a combination of x86 and Itanium to squeeze competing vendors from below (with x86 substitution), and above, with competition from Itanium. However, without the proper marketing strategy, x86 will end up squeezing both Itanium and RISC competitors from the bottom.
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The photo collages made jointly by identical twins Doug and Mike Starn (American b. 1961) created a sensation at the 1987 Whitney Biennial, which led to show an equally well-received show at Leo Castelli in 1988.
The Starns had been assembling altering, adapting, and appropriating photographs, many vintage, together since the age of 13. They refused to discuss their work in terms of individual contributions, thus creating an attribution issue that reinforced the sense of age and loss. To underscore their corporate identity, they made numerous self-portraits, in which it is impossible to differentiate between the two.
Creased, worn, faded, and held together with Scotch tape the Starns’ fictive keepsakes and artifacts are someone else’s memories created with archaic media. The inward-turning melancholy and fragility are utterly unlike the self-aggrandizing and florid Neo Expressionism or the impersonal, hard abstraction that preceded them.
They were also of their times. The shared the decade’s taste for outsized scale. Along Daguerre Julia Margaret Cameron and Edward Muybridge, the photography of Joel Peter Witkin, the animated films of the Brothers Quay and David Lynch’s Eraserhead were also influences. The inclusion of Twins in their official moniker, as well as the gauzy layering and romanticism of the Cocteau Twins comes to mind as well (the cover photo of Treasure, released in1984, shares many characteristics with the Starns’ work). The 1980s was also the decade of chemically-induced or “distressed” faux-vintage fabrics and materials, meaning the retrospection and nostalgia of the Starn Twins is in some way the most contemporary aspect of their art.
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Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Place: Cincinnati Memorial Hall
Even hackers can’t pass up Hot Pizza: Meet the winners of AngelHack Cincinnati
The Cincinnati edition of the world’s largest hackathon, AngelHack, ended with the same thing winning that typically wins out in almost any other scenario: pizza.
A hackathon is an event where developers, designers and people with big ideas get together for an intensive weekend of programming, coding and designing with the ultimate goal of realizing an actual product. The inaugural AngelHack Cincinnati kicked off on May 3, and coding ended just 25 hours later with demos of the working products on May 4.
The winner was a web application called Hot Pizza, which allows hungry users to see which pizza delivery drivers have extra unsold pies in their cars and are close by. They order on their phone or computer and the delivery guy swings on by. It was born from David Felix’s experience at the University of Dayton.
“The idea came from the Dayton pizza chain, Cousin Vinny’s, which would drive around the UD Ghetto – the student neighborhood, as it’s known officially – and they would try to sell pizzas out of a van,” Felix told me. “It was always a little bit sketchy, but they always sold all of them. It was a white van, and he’d just slide open the door and say, ‘$5 pizzas, cash only.’”
Hot Pizza eliminates the “sketchiness” of selling pizza out of an unmarked van. The data gathered from users buying pizza off the app would let restaurants know that if they send their drivers out with an extra deluxe and two cheeses on a Saturday night, they have a very good chance of selling them through Hot Pizza.
About 70 people joined teams to work on 11 different hacks. Even more registered to watch the demos of the finished product. AngelHack Cincinnati organizer Alex Bowman said it was an impressive turnout for the series’ first event in Cincinnati.
“I think it says a lot about the interest in the community that we had so many people show up just to watch what came out of the weekend,” he told me.
Tech and startup events like that allow participants to show off their various startup shirts. It’s not uncommon to see T-shirts bearing the Brandery or Google or Assurex logos. It wasn’t uncommon to see people still wearing those same shirts the next day.
“I left at 2:30 a.m. We had some bugs in our database code, so it’s hard to sleep when your app’s not working and the demo’s in 12 hours,” Edmiston said. “I had my laptop in bed and I actually fell asleep with it in my hands at 5:30 a.m.”
Hot Pizza won admittance to the HACKcellerator program, which will provide mentorship and access to a series of events in Silicon Valley designed to help the team develop its app into a market-ready product.
The event took place at UpTech’s headquarters in Covington, but the fare was pure Cincinnati: Cintrifuse provided food for all of the volunteers and participants, with LaRosa’s pizza for lunch on Saturday and Skyline Chili for dinner. MadTree Brewing and Braxton Brewing Co. provided veritable buckets of Cincinnati craft beer from MadTree, Rhinegeist, Christian Moerlein and Rivertown. Bowman predicted all of the beer – which was tapped at 4 p.m. on Saturday – would be gone that evening. But apparently caffeine is more conducive to coding, as there were still a few beers left on Sunday afternoon but even fewer Monster energy drinks.
The projects worked on throughout the weekend were:
- Fresh, an app that allows consumers to buy produce and dairy directly from farmers without going through a middleman, like Green Bean Delivery, that warehouses farm goods before shipping them out.
- Media Space Manager, a program that frees up space on mobile devices by deleting photos and other media that have been backed up to a cloud service.
- Sorting, a web application that automatically sorts users’ Twitter followers into groups based on common interests or themes.
- Feedbackr, which allows students with smartphones to instantaneously give feedback on lessons and presentations via the web.
- Just a Step Toward the Right Direction: well, this one wasn’t really an app. Local network security expert Cameron Maerz used the demo event more as a soapbox to talk about fixing existing protocols rather than developing new things. “I’m not marketing a product. I’m just giving myself the opportunity to speak,” he said.
- Divvy, which allows users with unique skills to teach others in their area in exchange for money or credit to be used toward enlisting other users to teach them new things, such as playing guitar or changing a car’s oil.
- Is Bett.er, which analyzes Twitter sentiment in near real-time to allow users or marketers to see how people feel about, say, Justin Bieber vs. Hitler (spoiler alert: Twitter seems to feel a lot better about Bieber).
- Tilt, a game directed toward children. This one wasn’t demoed because, ironically, children at the event were busy playing it during Tilt’s slot in the lineup.
- Vipaka, an app that rewarded users for not using their smartphones in social situations, such as at bars or concerts.
- BlueBox, a service that would ship users boxes through UPS along with return postage. Users would fill those boxes with items they didn’t have space for in their homes and send them back to BlueBox, which would store them until the users wanted them back.
Fresh and Media Space Manager were runners up in the hackathon.
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When, in the early 1900s, the grandmother of New York Times best-selling author Beverly Lewis chose to wear a wedding band, remove her religious head covering, and marry a preacher instead of the farmer her father chose, she knew the ramifications of such decisions.
Ada Ranck Buchwalter knew that for defying the rules of her old order Mennonite church, a close branch of Amish, she would be shunned from her church. She was permanently separated from her family as though she had never existed.
Eight decades later Beverly Lewis is living with her family in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. She had grown up around her grandmother and knew the story of her grandmother’s shunning (a custom that is still practiced today).
Lewis had written 60 books for children and teens. A plot based on her grandmother’s story began forming in her mind. “The story of my grandma’s decision to choose her own husband and lifestyle burned inside of me, wanting to get out,” she recalled during a phone interview. The Shunning became part of a series of books called the Heritage of Lancaster County.
Lewis assumed the series, which included The Confession and The Reckoning, would be the only books she would write for adults.
The series was so well received by readers that Lewis continued writing.
Today, Lewis has written dozens of books for adults set in an Amish setting.
Creating plots sans technology, and with simple lifestyles is not an obstacle for Lewis. “I’m never out of ideas,” she says. “Things are always changing in Amish communities.”
As an example, she says bishops in some areas of the country experiment with cell phones for Amish women working outside the home. “If women work, the bishops okay them to use their cell phones for business purposes only,” says Lewis. “But I’ve overheard women with a cell chattering in Pennsylvania Dutch. It doesn’t sound like they’re talking business.”
Lewis says her research of Amish culture has revealed an amazing amount of information, which she has used in other books. In The Postcard she explores the practice of powwowing, a term that centered on white witchcraft which caused a split among the Amish.
Lewis currently lives in Colorado with her husband, David. She returns to Pennsylvania once a year where she maintains close contact with people in the Amish community. Many of them confess to reading her books.
“There are two camps of Amish readers among the letters I’ve received,” she says. “Either the writer loves my books and has read them all. Or the reader says her bishop forbids her to read my books because he says they are heretical.”
“He might say that because my Amish characters read scripture,” added Lewis. “When they do, their spiritual eyes are opened. As a result, they crave higher education, want more freedom and want to minister outside of their community. Some eventually move into the community.”
An award-winning author who often works 60 hours a week to meet a deadline, Lewis has sold millions of books, positioning her at the top of the Christian fiction lists.
The accolades, awards, and numbers of books sold are humbling to Lewis who taught music in a public school and English to fifth graders before she began writing novels.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think other people would read my heart,” she says. “It’s touching to know people feel they know me when we meet. They have read all of my books and share my life too.”
For more information about Beverly Lewis go to http://www.beverlylewis.com/
Reprinted with permission www.news-sentinel.com
Note: Here is Ms. Lewis’ response to this article, emailed to me on 1/10/11:
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Sue's mom leaned over and spoke to me sotto voce, just in case her 9-year-old was eavesdropping from the waiting room outside. "Do you really think Sue is ready for an overnight?" As a psychologist, I knew my first job was to reassure this mom, so that the anxious look on her face would be gone by send-off time. "Just remember the backup plan," I said. "And relax. It will be fine."
In counseling families of children with AD/HD, I am often asked about overnight stays with friends or relatives. Parents are eager to help their kids foster friendships, but they fear that good behavior will disappear when the sun goes down. They worry that their children will be hard to handle - a burden to the host - or that they will feel homesick or abandoned. These contingencies are certainly possible, but with the right preparation, even a fragile child can enjoy a successful overnight stay away from home. I tell the parents I counsel that there are several issues to consider:
Because they're more impulsive and less attentive to social cues, youngsters with AD/HD tend to be less mature than other kids their age. Before arranging for your child to spend the night away from home, consider whether he really is mature enough to do so. There's no specific age at which it's O.K. Many 8-year-olds do just fine, though some do better hosting other children in their own homes before venturing away from home themselves.
In determining your child's readiness for an overnight stay, consider her prior experiences. Some children are old hands at being away from home, having spent time with grandparents or aunts and uncles. Others have rarely been separated from their parents. For these kids, a gradual progression from overnights with relatives to overnights with friends is recommended.
Some children with AD/HD are outgoing and eager for adventure. Others are homebodies. If your child shows no interest in an overnight stay, don't push him. Wait until the time is right. This can be a surprisingly difficult call. Not long ago I volunteered at a weekend camp for youngsters with special needs, and I noticed campers who appeared eager at 6 p.m. but were homesick by 9 p.m., as night fell and activities ended for the evening.
The first few times your child spends the night away from home, have a backup plan - in case he gets homesick or proves to be a handful for the host. Obviously, you'll want to leave a phone number where you can be reached. You may want to make arrangements to be accessible so that you can quickly come to the rescue if necessary. In any case, make sure your child understands that you will not be disappointed or angry if she decides at 2 a.m. that it's time to come home.
It's not enough to tell the host that your child goes to bed at nine or that he likes oatmeal for breakfast. List all the particulars of your child's routines, especially those associated with bedtime. Don't assume that your child will be able to convey this information accurately. Even if her routine is altered slightly for the occasion, a host who knows the routine will find it easier to calm an anxious child or otherwise intervene.
Taking ADD medication on schedule can mean the difference between a great overnight and a disaster. If your child will need to take medication during the stay, provide the host with clear, written instructions. Mention special dietary concerns as well. And be clear about the situations in which you would like to be called. Do you expect a phone call if your child is unable to settle in for the night? If he sustains a minor injury? Better to be clear about your preferences in such matters than to leave the host guessing.
Some parents put together booklets containing all the information a host might need about their children. In addition to doctors' phone numbers and relevant medical information, the booklet might include details about a child's personality quirks, how she typically responds in various situations, and the discipline strategies that usually work best. This may sound like overkill, but parents have often told me how much their children's hosts have appreciated getting an "overnight info packet."
Finally, be sure to pack smart. In addition to toiletries, medication, pajamas, and extra clothes, include any "comfort" items that will help your child feel safe and taken care of.
The bottom line? The first overnight stay for a child with AD/HD often proves to be harder on the parents than on the child. But try not to worry, Mom and Dad. It's all part of growing up!
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This last post in the series Life and Reality (at least for now 😉 ) will take on the subject of our role in what we have defined as “reality” in my last post. More precisely, it will be about our role in the social reality we live in, and how our personal reality might come and clash with it at times. So what’s more important: what we want to do with our lives, or what society requires us to do??
So first of all, what are the possibilities we have when it comes to our own life, or rather, to the aim we have in life?? The two main categories under which various answers could come up are possibilities coming from outside of us, and possibilities arising from within us. The first category incorporates everything that dictates to us what we do from an outside perspective, for example the plans our parents have for us, or the role society wants us to take on. I admit that both examples are very broad, since any of those could “impose” a multitude of chosen paths on us, but the main point still remains that we do not have a say in it, that it is simply what we “have” to do. Our parents may have certain plans for us, like to continue their legacy, or to take on a job that will be (usually) monetarily rewarding, and socially acceptable. This is just to say that it is a restriction put on us that is closer to home than saying society imposes it on us, but it all boils down to what the outside world tells us we “should” be doing. Society, in this case, simply represents the cultural norms associated with our life direction, and so I must admit that I am biased (like all of us are) by the fact that I grew up in the so-called “Western Society”.
The cultural norms most frequently associated with a direction in life is that we should accomplish x number of steps in our academic life, in order then to have a well-paying job, out of which we will be able to make a career to which we will stick our whole lives. Surprisingly, this ideal norm contains various problems, the first of which is to even figure out what one should do for his/her whole life. This also seems to imply a rather static way of life, for one can hardly build a career while traveling the world frequently, unless that person is lucky enough to have a job that requires them to do so. This also means that one will most likely spend his/her whole life under the authority of some kind of boss or supervisor, which once again, seems to rather limit the freedom one may possess. This is not to say that all supervising is bad, because there always needs to be a leader for any project to work, even if it is simply to get all the participants organized. Also, what if I don’t want to define my life vis-a-vis the job I am doing?? Is what I do for money really defining me as a person?? I believe that there is always more to us than what I do to sustain myself, since we cannot avoid the necessity of money, hence what we do to obtain it does not define us wholly. So yeah, it would seem that choices imposed on us from the outside will not only be unsatisfactory (since they don’t always coincide with what we actually wanted) but also makes us feel powerless when it comes to the choices we can make for ourselves.
Jobs are not everything. They might come and go, but no matter what, we will be stuck with ourselves for as long as we are alive. Which is why I argue that we should break the cultural norm of the necessity of working for our whole lives, simply for the sake of making the machine run, or because we “ought” to do so. Yes, we do need money in order to sustain ourselves (sadly), but in an ever-evolving world, there are always new ways to make a living, which would not necessarily require us to sell our souls for the benefit of one profit-hungry corporation. We should be the first and foremost priority for ourselves, and this is why we should not devote our lives to “working for the sake of working” because we might miss out on experiences which make us being sentient creatures worth it.
To conclude, the only viable option for when it comes to working, is simply to do what we really enjoy, even though we might have to do some tasks which are less pleasant in order to achieve that goal, but the important part is that we choose what it is we do. We are in control of our own lives, and money is not worth selling your soul to a greedy boss, because the misery brought to you by a certain job will never compensate the years you have lost earning that money. We are born free, and so we shall live, not waiting until we are old enough to retire to finally enjoy life. Life is now, not when we are older, because we may never know what can happen until then. Enjoy it while it lasts!!
Until next time,
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Most cell phones now have the capability to take pictures, even shoot video. But, what if they had a tiny projector on board to beam it out on the nearest blank surface?
The New York Times had a feature story in its business section over the weekend predicting the near-future arrival of the microprojector that's getting a lot of buzz in the techno-blogosphere. I might as well buzz too.
The article, based on recent research from Insight Media, makes the bold claim that although no one is really selling microprojectors as of yet; sales will hit 30 million units by 2012.
Uh, folks, that's four years from now.
Insight Media calls them pico-projectors (I think I like microprojectors better. I hope someone thinks of a better name by 2012).
I'm not doubting this will come to market and eventually become popular. Business users will love it, enabling them to give private impromptu presentations to a clients over lunch (using a white table napkin perhaps as the screen). High school and middle school teachers will hate it when naughty teens use it to beam inappropriate videos at their white board during the middle of a lecture.
For cell phone users who check their email in the theater half way through "The Other Bolelyn Girl" or take a call in a really loud voice for everyone to hear in a two table radius at an otherwise quiet, intimate restaurant, be warned. When miniprojectors, pico-projectors, whatever you want to call them start getting bundled into mobile devices, people with that mentality are going to take obnoxious behavior to new depths.
Having trouble visualizing this. Check out Microvision's vision of the pico-projector.
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Generalitat de Barcelona
Catalunya City Council
Catalonia Investment Economic
With headquarters in Barcelona, an Economic Promotion is a department
office in Madrid and branches in New of the City Council that is dedicated to
York and Tokyo, the Catalonia promoting Barcelona as an attractive
Investment Agency provides advisory place for businesses and helping and
services and assistance adapted to the giving support to companies,
needs of companies interested in professionals and institutions that want
setting up or expanding their facilities to set up or do businesses in the city.
and investments in Catalonia.
22@Barcelona Barcelona Chamber
22@Barcelona is one of the strategic
projects of the city of Barcelona. In Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
the downtown neighbourhood of represents companies of the city of
Poblenou, a space has been designed Barcelona. Through its personalised
so companies and institutions from company services and its actions it
the Media, Medical Technologies, ICT helps promote economic and business
and energy sectors can interact with activity in the country and for each of
knowledge centres like universities or its companies.
Barcelona and Catalonia 06
Catalonia, and its capital Barcelona, have always been an open, welcoming
land. Over the course of history, many peoples have passed through it, and
10 reasons to invest 08
almost all have set down roots there. This has made Catalonia a land which is
hospitable, tolerant, dynamic and open to all that is new.
The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 10
Currently, Catalonia and Barcelona are one of Europe’s leading economic hubs.
The driving force behind the Spanish economy, the Catalonia of the 21st 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector 12
century is an innovative country boasting a highly-qualified workforce, an
enviable geographic location (in the heart of Europe and connected with the 01. Promotion of renewable energies 12
rest of the world through its Mediterranean port and its international airports) 02. Energy savings and efficiency 14
and world-class infrastructures that attract investments year after year. 03. New energy infrastructures 15
It is a pleasure for us to present this economic dossier, which provides an 04. Barcelona: a model for a city moving towards sustainability 16
insight into one of Catalonia’s, and Barcelona’s, leading economic sectors, in
terms of its weight in the economy, its relative weight in comparison with
05. Large energy operators in Catalonia 18
other European regions and for the support it is receiving from businesses, 06. Businesses backing renewable energies 19
universities and research centres: the energy sector. The result of a partnership 07. A consolidated presence of manufacturers of capital goods
between four top institutions in the economy of the city of Barcelona and of for the energy sector 20
Catalonia, this dossier describes everything that Catalonia, an entrepreneurial 08. A research and development culture 22
country that is a leader in this sector of the economy, can offer your business.
09. The Parc de l’Energia: a sector project with a bright future 23
Please do not hesitate to ask us for any advice on or help with your
10. The ITER Project in Barcelona 24
04 Presentation The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 05
Barcelona and Catalonia
Barcelona, located on the shores of the We can find the basis of economic growth, which has become very relevant in last years,
Mediterranean in North-eastern Spain, is a in a metropolis with a polycentric business structure which is both diversified economically
major European metropolis and lies at the heart and that facilitates its role as an incubator of new ideas, companies and products.
of a large metropolitan area of more than 217 When we consider the distribution of the gross added value according to different branches
municipalities, home to 4.6 million inhabitants. of activity, Catalonia is, as in the case of industry, the region with most weight in the Spanish
It is the economic, cultural and administrative market (25%), and with respect to the service industry it occupies the second position in
capital of Catalonia and stands at the head of the national gross added value generated (18% of the total). In the region, those companies
an emerging Southern European economic in industrial sectors with high and medium-high technology content and services based on
activity area of more than 17 million inhabitants knowledge make up 28.55% of the State total.
and more than 800,000 businesses. This Euro- On the other hand, the index of entrepreneurship in Catalonia for the year 2005 is around
Mediterranean region, which includes the 6.1%, a figure which is superior to the Spanish and European averages, according to the
Balearic Island, Valencia, Aragon and South- Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), 2005.
eastern France, is focused towards new
The international economic activity of the area of Barcelona gets a special boost from Fira
strategic, competitive and international sectors,
trade fair, the Port, the Airport, the Free Trade Consortium, the Consortium of Barcelona
and is becoming internationally consolidated as
Tourism Board and the new innovation technology districts. In this last aspect, and given
one of Europe’s main metropolises. the fact that innovation is the key to developing competitiveness, productivity and the
internationalisation of companies, then we can see that the energy sector is one of the
key sectors for Barcelona and Catalonia.
Barcelona and its metropolitan area welcome the seat of the most important companies
of the Spanish energy sector, as well as the greatest concentration of companies of
renewable energies of the Spanish state. The city has become one of Spain’s benchmarks,
with real examples that run from the 22@Barcelona district, the technology and innovation
district par excellence, to extensive business networks of leading service companies, a
deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit and a long tradition in the teaching of energy sciences
and its business practice.
Regarding the availability of human resources, in the last few years Barcelona has increased
resources in education in new technologies as well as in infrastructure for research. The
city has prestigious universities, centres of research that are highly-prepared, laboratories
for R&D, as well as intermediary institutions that facilitate the development of technology
based projects that are motors of new initiatives in the digital industry through the transfer
06 Barcelona and Catalonia The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 07
10 reasons to invest
Barcelona offers a variety of elements that make it
attractive for living, working, and business. The city
is today an interesting place for new economic
activities. Some good reasons to invest here are
01 Strategic geographical location 06 Human Resources prepared for the future
Two hours from France and one day from the main European cities by land. Gateway to the South Ethically responsible, with high productivity -one of the highest in Europe according to the OECD-, 5 public
of Europe, it boasts a port, airport, free trade zone, logistics park, international trade fair, and a universities, 2 private universities, 4 business schools: ESADE, IESE, EADA, IESKA; 27 international schools,
city centre which is located within a five kilometre radius. extensive penetration of new technologies, a character favouring innovation and creativity.
02 Complete transport infrastructure 07 Excellent quality of life
Network of motorways connected to Europe, Europe's fastest growing airport, the top port in Spain
Europe's top city in terms of quality of life*. Stable climate, sun, beaches skiing, splendid culture and leisure
and the biggest port in the Mediterranean in terms of container traffic; dense network of metro,
offer, network of 4,500 educational institutions, modern and accessible health service. Easy to get around
railways, buses, and the arrival of the High Speed Train in 2007 with a connection into the TGV
with public transport. System of nature parks surrounding the city.
European network in 2009.
03 Centre of a large, dynamic, and varied economic area 08 Large urban projects for the future
Greater Barcelona has 4.6 million inhabitants. The city is the capital of Catalonia, which has 7 Transformation of 1,000 ha and 7 million m2 of build surface area. Llobregat area: stands for logistics and
million inhabitants, and is at the centre of the Mediterranean Rim, a large economic area with internationalisation, with enlargements to the port and airport; the Besòs area: urban renovation, sustainability,
18 million inhabitants. It accounts for 70% of Catalonia's GDP and had a growth rate of 3.1% GDP and research centres; Sagrera-Sant Andreu: the arrival of the High Speed Train; Poblenou 22@: the new
in 2004, above the Spanish and European averages. It is the sixth most important European urban technology and innovation district.
agglomeration and the fifth in terms of industrial concentration in Europe.
04 Successful foreign investment 09 A competitive real estate offer
Extensive offer of office space, commercial premises and industrial units with an excellent price-quality
Fourth-best city in Europe for business*, the city accounts for about 20% of the annual foreign
relationship. The construction of housing is in an expansive phase.
investment in Spain. There are 2,700 foreign-owned companies here with a 97% level of
investment satisfaction. Barcelona has also consolidated itself as a centre for multinationals'
10 Unique public-private collaboration
05 Recognised international position Barcelona city council and the Generalitat (Catalan government) support businesses: the success of the
traditional public-private collaboration model has been the key in the transformation of Barcelona.
Barcelona is placed highly in different international rankings, which speak highly of its urban
environment, its capacity to attract foreign capital, its enterprising character, and its quality of life.
* According to the European Cities Monitor 2006 Research from Cushman & Wakefield
08 10 reasons to invest The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 09
The energy sector
in Barcelona and Catalonia
The energy sector forms a Due to its industrial, enterprising culture, Catalonia boasts great know-
key part of any society’s how in the energy sector and carries out a large amount of energy-
economic activities and its related research and development in fields such as renewable energies,
welfare, due both to its air conditioning, natural cooling technologies and electricity monitoring
weight as a sector and,
above all, to its strategic The 2006-2015 Energy Plan, promoted by the Catalan government
value, given that energy is via the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN), has taken the vital step to
a vital part of any industry, position the country as one of Europe’s energy sector centres in the
service or form of transport. 21st century.
For Barcelona and Catalonia The Plan will develop an energy strategy involving the diversification
in general, energy plays an of energy sources by promoting renewable energies, improving energy
essential role in their efficiency and savings, the creation of the required energy infrastructures
competitiveness and and support for energy-related research, development and technological
economic development. innovation.
For its part, the city of Barcelona has implemented the Barcelona Energy
Improvement Plan (PMEB). The PMEB forms the generic framework
for the City Council’s work on energy policy and its environmental impact
on the city. It includes an energy and environmental diagnosis of the
Barcelona of today and future trends in the area (to 2010), which should
allow for the forecasting of increases in energy consumption in the city
and their repercussions, through a range of different scenarios. The
The goal of this document is to provide an insight the basic features –current and
Barcelona Energy Agency is responsible for developing the PMEB.
future– of the energy sector in Catalonia and Barcelona, focusing around 10 strategic
Barcelona and Catalonia already have the key elements in place to successfully tackle the challenges 01 Promotion of renewable energies
of the future and to become, over the coming years, an international point of reference in the energy
sector, which is key to the competitiveness and economic development of any territory:
02 Energy savings and efficiency
• The firm support of the public administrations for the creation of a model of sustainable
03 New energy infrastructures
development, backing renewable energies, encouraging energy savings and efficiency and investing 04 Barcelona, a model for a city heading towards sustainability
in energy infrastructures that ensure a balance between assuming growth in demand and
05 Large energy sector operators in Catalonia
• A culture of research and technological innovation currently present in the university and business 06 Businesses backing renewable energies
sectors, supported and boosted by the creation of the Parc de l’Energia (Energy Park) and the
ITER Project’s Fusion for Energy agency, which should allow for the association of Barcelona and
07 A consolidated presence of manufacturers of capital goods for the energy
Catalonia with innovation and technology in the energy sector on an international level.
• A world-ranking, enterprising culture specialising in different market segments: 08 A research and development culture
1. The supply, distribution and sale of energy. 09 The Parc de l’Energia, sector project with a bright future
2. The technology for and design and manufacture of renewable energies.
10 The ITER Project in Barcelona
3. An industrial sector producing capital goods for the energy sector.
10 The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 11
10 reasons in favour
of the energy sector
The use of renewable energy sources is a priority for Catalonia, which is
looking to position itself as leading world-wide hub in this sector.
The 2006-2015 Energy Plan establishes goals that go beyond the targets
set by the EU. It is planned for the percentage contribution made by
renewable energies to primary energy in Catalonia to progress from
the 2.9% recorded in 2003 to 9.5% by 2015. In this way, it not only
meets the European target of doubling this figure, but plans to more
than triple it. As far as the generation of electrical energy is
concerned, it is planned for the percentage of renewable energies to
reach 24.0% by 2015.
Within renewable energies, a particularly significant role is played by biofuels and
• Biofuels, which are close to being introduced onto the market, are the source of
renewable energy which has the greatest energy potential in the short and Other important sources of renewable energy include:
medium term. It is forecast that they will represent 28.6% of renewable energy
• Hydroelectric energy: one of the main source of energy, representing 17.9%
consumption in Catalonia thanks, above all, to the importance of biodiesel which,
of renewable energy consumption in Catalonia.
with consumption in excess of 870,000 tonnes, is forecast to replace 18% of
motor vehicle diesel consumption. • Biomass: as part of the promotion of the identification and development of biomass
energy generation stations, biomass and biogas will together contribute some 512.1
• Wind energy is that which shows the greatest possibilities, since the associated
TPEC of energy by 2015, or 17.4% of total energy from renewable sources.
technology is at the stage of developing its potential, now it has completed its R&D
and market penetration stages. Therefore, achieving the best out of Catalonia’s • Solar thermal collectors: the goal here is to reach 1,250,000 square metres of
wind power potential will be one of the priorities of energy policy over the coming collectors.
years. It is forecast that the power capacity of Catalonia’s wind farms will increase • Photovoltaic modules: with a target of 100 MW, the technological development
significantly, taking into account the different studies of its potential and known of this energy source is in full flow. Given the importance that this energy source
initiatives. There are plans for the installation of 3,500 MW and for 25.7% of may have in the future, it is considered vital to continue supporting this
renewable energy consumption to be sources from wind farms. development.
12 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 13
The Energy Savings and Efficiency Strategy is one of the core elements of Another important priority for Catalonia is the development of the
the Energy Policy. This strategy includes the creation of a range of actions infrastructures required to meet the increase in demand for energy over
to open up significant new opportunities for sector businesses. The goal of coming years, whilst taking account of the use of renewable sources and
this new policy is a sizeable reduction in energy consumption across all energy savings and efficiency:
sectors: domestic, tertiary, industrial, energy transportation and
distribution, and transport.
• Combined cycle power plants: the progressive replacement
of the three nuclear power plants currently operational in
Its strategic lines are as follows:
Catalonia is based on conventional plants. Of these, the most
• Energy savings and efficiency education, training and awareness raising. appropriate technology is the combined cycle type, fed by
• Activation of an energy savings and efficiency market. natural gas, which has a low environmental impact due to
its great efficiency.
• Encouragement of energy savings and efficiency-friendly behaviour
and actions. Catalonia currently boasts four combined cycle plants, with
a total capacity of 1,200 MW. Additionally, two further plants
• Executive action by the public administration: legal regulation,
of 400 MW each are authorised and under construction, and
inspection and verification.
are planned to come on line in 2007. Three additional 400
• Creation of a technology research and development centre aimed
MW plants are planned by 2015.
specifically at energy savings and efficiency.
• Wind farms: it is forecast that the power capacity of
Catalonia’s wind farms will increase significantly to reach the
The basic actions, by sector, are as follows:
3,500 MW mark.
• Energy transformation: technological restructuring of the asset park
and reduction in losses during generation, transportation and distribution.
• Private transport (renewal of vehicles, efficient choice of means of
By 2015, it is forecast that, taking into account the new infrastructures mentioned
transport and efficient driving) and public transport (investment in
above, the power capacity of electricity power plants will be as follows:
infrastructures and service improvements).
Power station type 2003 2015
• Primary: Renewal of machinery and efficient industry techniques.
Ordinary regime 8,210.3 9,350.3
• Industrial: speeding up planned changes and technical advice.
Nuclear 3,146.8 3,146.8
• Services: Outsourcing of teams and technical advice. Hydro-electric 2,088.3 2,088.3
• Domestic and others: labelling, regulations and signalling of inductive pricing. Coal 160.0 0.0
• Generic: automation of information management and dissemination. Oil/gas 1,235.9 535, 9
Combined cycles 1,579.3 3,579.3
Special regime 1,653.8 6,215.0
Hydro-electric 231.9 386.5
Cogeneration 1,139.1 1,564.0
Wind 86.7 3,500.4
Photovoltaic 2.2 100.0
Waste reduction 115.8 366.2
Other 78.1 297.9
Total power capacity 9,864.1 15,565.3
14 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 15
a model for a city moving
Barcelona is positioning itself as one of Europe’s leading energy sector
capitals. In addition to benefiting from the presence of important
energy companies and attracting investments from around the world
to provide a response to the sector’s objectives over coming decades,
Barcelona is implementing an energy plan with the goal of increasing
its importance in the sector.
The Barcelona Energy Improvement Plan (PMEB)
covers a range of local measures aimed at achieving
a more sustainable city model. It brings together 55
projects evaluated from a energy, environment and
economic viewpoint, which tackle different levels of
action, from regulations, aid for installations, training
and education programmes to the creation of
Barcelona Local Energy Agency Consortium, the body
which will manage the PMEB itself.
The Barcelona Local Energy Agency Consortium is
made up of the authorities directly involved (at their The Agency’s work aims to achieve an
particular level) in energy and environmental improvement in environmental quality
management. Its mission is to promote the position and sustainable development of the city
of Barcelona as an example of how to deal with based on the promotion of energy
energy issues and their environmental repercussions. savings and efficiency, the awareness
It works to ensure that, through consensus and and use of renewable energies and the
participation, the city achieves optimal usage and optimisation of the quality of services
management of local energy resources, and the associated with this sector.
promotion of a quality, rational and sustainable
The Agency’s main goals are:
demand for energy.
1. To guarantee the implementation
All this should permit Barcelona to comply with the
of the Energy Improvement Plan in
environmental and energy-related commitments it has taken on at both
the city, with the outlook of a new
a local level (as contemplated in the Energy Plan and Agenda 21) and
energy and environmental
an international one (resulting from the accords at the Johannesburg,
panorama in 2010.
Kyoto, Aalborg and Rio summits).
2. To encourage energy savings and
3. To promote the use of local sources
of renewable energy.
4. To progress in improving the quality
of energy services.
16 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 17
05 Large energy
Barcelona is home to one of the world’s most important energy services
multinationals: Gas Natural. Catalonia has played a pioneering role in the creation of companies that
have strongly supported development of the renewable energies sector.
The Gas Natural Group is an energy services multinational whose activities focus on the
supply, distribution and commercialisation of natural gas in Spain, Latin America, Italy and
One particularly illustrative examples of this is provided by Ecotècnia.
France, where it has more than 10 million customers.
The chief strategic lines of action of the Group are based on four central planks: ECOTÈCNIA, based in Barcelona, has carried been active in the renewable energies
sector since its very beginnings in 1981.
1. Flexibility and diversification in gas supplies and to have its own gas supply.
Since 1999, Ecotècnia has formed part of Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa (MCC).
2. To develop the electricity business in Spain and Puerto Rico.
Today, it develops technology and designs, manufactures and operates wind turbines,
3. To maintain its leadership of the gas distribution market in Spain and Latin America. building turnkey wind farms for its customers, and also carries out solar energy
4. To consolidate its leadership in multi-product sales in Spain. installations. At the same time, Ecotècnia has decided to invest in the technological
development of photovoltaic energy, considering it to be a strategic growth element.
Today, the Gas Natural Group is now the leading natural gas distribution operator in Latin In this sector, it develops its own projects and carries out all manner of turnkey
America, where half its customers are located in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. projects in the fields of autonomous hybrid rural electrification systems and
Additionally, the Group has commenced natural gas production after being awarded, together photovoltaic plants connected to the grid.
with Repsol YPF in Algeria, a gas prospecting project and an integrated liquefied natural
gas project which will enable it to have its own reserves for the first time. The company’s annual turnover is around 200 million euros and it has a workforce
of 700 employees.
In the electricity generation business, the Group strategy focuses on having a balanced,
competitive and environmentally-friendly generation mix, in accordance with the objectives Ecotècnia was recently acquired by the French Alstom group.
contained in the Kyoto Protocol. The Group's current generation programme comprises a
COPCISA, based in Terrassa, is a company that has moved from the construction to
total of 1,600 MW of installed capacity in combined cycles plus over 610 MW of gross wind
the energy sector, and is one of Catalonia’s leading proponents of wind farms, with
power which will be increased over the coming years with more than 3,200 MW in combined
400 MW of power capacity under development.
cycles and over 1,228 MW in wind power.
It has now decided to invest in solar thermal collector plants, which are based on a
Gas Natural’s annual turnover stands at approximately 6,500 million euros. The group has
technology with a bright future and in which Spain has become a world leader.
a workforce of more than 6,500 spread across the three continents in which it is present.
ACCIONA is also a Spain-wide construction company which has undergone significant
FECSA-ENDESA is the first electric generation company in Spain and the first one to be diversification into renewable energies. It is one of Catalonia’s leading wind farm
privitized in Ibero-America. It also is the first commercial distributor of energy in Catalonia. companies.
IBERDROLA, also present in Catalonia, it is one of the first energy operators of the SOL3G a small company located in the el Vallès Technology Park, designs and
world and a worldwide leader in the production of Aeolian energy. manufactures new concepts in photovoltaic solar systems: concentration systems,
which boast improved efficiency and performance.
REPSOL, one of the ten largest oil companies in the world and currently the biggest
private company in the energy sector in Latin America. In Catalonia, the company VESTAS MEDITERRANEAN, a subsidiary of the Danish company VESTAS, world leader
has several construction projects for biocombustible plants. in the manufacture of wind turbines, which develops the Southern European and
RED ELÉCTRICA, electric transmission and distribution company of the State, with Mediterranean markets.
assets and offices in Catalonia.
ECOFYS–ECOSTREAM the subsidiary of a Dutch renewable energies, sustainable
PRYSMIAN: company is the worldwide leader in the manufacture of electrical building and energy efficiency consulting company. Also carries out the installation
conductors and communication equipment, based in Catalonia. of thermal collector and photovoltaic solar energy systems.
18 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 19
07 A consolidated presence
of manufacturers of capital
assets for the energy sector
Due to its industrial, enterprising culture, Catalonia is home to
important industrial companies manufacturing capital assets for the
energy sector. Two significant examples are provided by:
a) Simon Holding
Founded in 1916, Simon Holding heads an industrial group of more than 20 companies,
both local and international, present in more than 50 countries. Today, it employs a
workforce of 2,500 persons, 1,300 in Spain and 1,200 abroad. Simon Holding’s annual
turnover exceeds 225 million euros.
Simon Holding holds important positions in the small electrical material and circuit
protection, lighting, home automation, voice and data connections, ducting and electronics
Simon Holding’s annual investment plan totals approximately 25 million euros. Amongst
other areas, investments are made in the launch of new products developed by its own
R&D departments. 10% of the group’s total workforce in Spain belong to the R&D
Since 1973, this company’s activities have covered the design, manufacture and sale of
industrial electrical protection, measuring, electric energy monitoring and reactive energy
compensation equipment, with a highly innovative spirit and always in close collaboration
with its customers.
• Circutor is a company that is growing internationally, with a presence in 93 countries
to which it exports some 50% of its production.
• The combined annual turnover of all the Group’s companies is more than 70 million
euros, and they employ between 630 and 640 workers. Schneider Electric España
• An R&D team composed of more than 50 engineers, designing new products to Located in Barcelona, with its head office in France, this company
meet market requirements. is a world leader in electric equipment, control systems and the
• Its own laboratory EMC/EMI test laboratory and a comprehensive range of calibration efficient management of electrical energy in buildings, etc.
instruments to guarantee unbeatable quality.
• The provision of multi-sector solutions: from the generation, transportation and
distribution of electrical energy, to its end consumption, including all manner of
industries (car, textile, chemical, iron and steel, etc.) and service sectors (hotels, A world leader in the manufacture of electric and communications
airports, public buildings, etc.). conductors, based in Vilanova i La Geltrú.
20 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 21
08 A research
09 The Parc de l’Energia,
a sector project
with a bright future
In recent years, Catalonia has witnessed a progressive increase in One of the main strategic projects being executed by Barcelona and
technology R&D in the energy sector. This increase is bringing about a Catalonia is the Parc de l’Energia (Energy Park). This Park, covering a total
growing convergence with the level of research and technological of close to 25,000 square metres, will bring together teaching centres,
innovation taking place in the world’s most advanced R&D countries. R&D centres and energy businesses, creating a constant interaction
between these three players within a framework of excellence for the
One of the main goals of the Generalitat’s Energy Plan is to stimulate energy-related energy sector.
technology research and development.
To this end, the Generalitat’s government has supported the creation of the Catalan
Energy Research Institute, IREC, with the goal of it becoming a centre of excellence in The Catalan public administration, every one of Barcelona’s universities and the
energy efficiency. business community are all supporting the Parc de l’Energia, with the following goals:
The Institute will also carry on significant activities in the field of renewable energies, • To boost existing R&D infrastructures making it the site of the headquarters of
advanced materials for energy and power electronics. the Catalan Energy Research Institute (IREC)
• To treat as a priority improving the competitiveness of related companies in the
IREC’s mission is to help increase industry’s competitiveness through technology research
Energy Park, via participation in technological projects and in the transference of
and development: it thus has a twin (market oriented/pure research) outlook.
• To act in the market as an energy technological know-how and market hub,
channelling and unifying those research lines that are considered strategic.
Other examples of already-existing research centres in Catalonia which carry on
• To act as a node for participation in technological platforms and in the 7th EU
significant energy-related R&D:
a) The Reference Centre for Advanced Materials for Energy (CeRMAE) • To encourage the physical presence in the Park of innovative energy sector
This centre is made up of seven research groups. Its core lines of research are new
materials, energy production methods and processes, energy storage and • To create a nursery for companies arising from the technological development
transportation materials, materials for the rational use of energy and materials for projects of the entities making up the Park and other associated projects.
safety, efficiency and emission reductions in the use of energy. • To develop a collaboration strategy with ICAEN, IDAE, CIEMAT and with the public
authorities in general.
b) The Centre for Technological Innovation in Static Inverters and Drives (CITCEA) • To promote conformity certification and assessment services in the Park’s areas
CITCEA is a research, development and technology transfer centre whose goal is to of expertise.
transfer innovation to industry and deliver solutions to the new requirements of the
market, especially to SMEs.
CITCEA’s activities are divided into three areas: mechatronics, energy and training. The Parc de l’Energia will have its own research infrastructure, to be established in the
1. Mechatronics: specialising in electrical and electronic equipment, power, Barcelona Technological Innovation Park (b_TEC), located between Barcelona and Sant
microprocessor or DSP control and communications electronics, for carrying out Adrià del Besòs and alongside 22@Barcelona, the new business district in the centre of
mechatronics or automation applications. Barcelona.
2. Energy: an expert in energy innovation, in all electric sector-related activities and The Parc de l’Energia will provide a cluster bringing together, integrating and coordinating
the supply of electrical energy, from its generation to its end consumption. the know-how and innovation being created in Catalonia and Spain, as well as seeking
3. Training. contributions from leading international experiences.
22 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 23
10 The ITER
ITER is an international collaboration project for the development of
nuclear fusion. Its mission is to demonstrate the scientific and
technological viability of fusion for peaceful purposes. ITER will be the first
fusion device to produce thermal energy at the level of an electricity
power plant. It will constitute a major step forward for scientific progress
and fusion technology. It will also be a key element in the strategy to
demonstrate the viability of an electricity generating plant in a single
The goal of the ITER project is to build a large experimental fusion
reactor in the French city of Cadarache. However, Barcelona will
be home to Fusion for Energy, the European agency charged with
monitoring all construction, industrial contribution and development
agreements for the project, meaning it will be managing funds of
more than 2,000 million euros. This will create between 120 and
160 jobs, the majority of high-level technical nature. Its offices will
be located within the Parc de l’Energia , and it will be one of the
most important energy sector bodies in Barcelona and Catalunya.
One of the central features of this agency is that it will not only
manage the ITER project, but will also provide a centre
concentrating all of Spain’s fusion research efforts, providing the
possibility of creating very significant synergies.
24 10 reasons in favour of the energy sector The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 25
Education centre Local organisms National organisms
EADA School of Advanced Management Barcelona City Council – Economic CDTI (Centre for Industrial Technology
and Administration Promotion Development) Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
www.eada.edu www.bcn.cat/barcelonabusiness www.cdti.es www.cambrabcn.es
ESADE Business School 22@Barcelona CSIC (Upper Council for Scientific Spanish Association of Companies of
www.esade.edu www.22barcelona.com Investigations) Alternative Solar Energy
IESE Business School Barcelona Activa
www.iese.edu www.barcelonaactiva.es Ministry of Education and Science
UAB (Autonomous University of Industrial Pact for the Metropolitan
Barcelona) Region of Barcelona Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade
www.uab.cat www.pacteind.org www.mcyt.es
UB (University of Barcelona) Red.es
UIC (International University of Catalonia)
Catalan Energy Institute
www.icaen.net Sources of financing
UOC (Open University of Catalonia)
CIDEM (Centre for Innovation and CIDEM (Centre for Innovation and
Business Development) Business Development)
UPC (Politechnic University of Catalonia) www.cidem.com www.cidem.com
ACI (Catalan Agency for Investments) Barcelona Emprèn
UPF (University Pompeu Fabra) www.catalonia.com www.bcnempren.com
Barcelona City Council - Economic Promotion
CIRIT (Inter Departamental Advice Catalana de Iniciativas
Board for Research and Technological www.iniciatives.es CIDEM. Government of Catalonia
URL (University Ramon Llull)
Innovation) Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
www10.gencat.net/dursi/ca/re/cirit.htm Catalan Institut for Finances
Catalan Foundation for Research and
R&D+i and transfer Innovation (FCRI) OficiaI Institut for Credit
of knowledge www.fcr.es www.ico.es
Gráficas Sierra, S.L.
Barcelona Supercomputing Centre Avalis of Catalonia
Spanish Foundation for Science and
Barcelona Digital Fundation www.fecyt.es
ENISA (National Company for D.L. (legal deposit): B-44248-2007
Barcelona, September, 2007
Environmental Forum Foundation Circulation: 2,000 (english version)
Network of Science and Technology
Parks of Catalonia (XPCAT)
26 Glossary The energy sector in Barcelona and Catalonia 27
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The two members of OIST’s newest research group, the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, had extra cause to celebrate when the Lab 2 building opened on June 20: they had been working out of the library since arriving at the university a few weeks before. In the new building, equipped with a cleanroom and labs custom-built for lasers and state-of-the-art characterization instruments, the new unit’s workspace was instantly recognizable for its stacks of collection boxes, piles of tweezers, and box of camping equipment.
The unit, led by Evan Economo, uses these classic tools of taxonomy—as well as genomic sequencing and computer modeling—to study how species evolve, move around, and adapt to their environments. To make sense of these big questions, they study one genus of ants on a global scale and entire ant communities in the Pacific islands.
Why ants, and why Pacific islands? Ants “are extremely ecologically important,” notes Prof. Economo, explaining that the combined mass of all the ants on Earth is roughly equal to the mass of all humans. “They aerate soil, move nutrients around, and help with pollination, and they have evolved complex societies, which is quite rare across the tree of life. But more generally, we use them as a model system to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolutionary biology,” he says. As for Pacific islands, they offer relatively closed and well-defined sites for study, and invite comparison between different islands with different conditions. “Since the time of Darwin, these relatively tractable island systems have stimulated new development in the field,” says Prof. Economo. Island ecosystems like Okinawa’s also happen to be among the most distinctive in the world—and the most threatened by factors such as deforestation, climate change, and invasive species.
The new unit will work on several related projects. In one, they will look at the evolution of one ant genus, Pheidole, the most diverse genus in the world with over 1200 described species. New Pheidole species arise at a faster rate than in almost any other animal group, but the reasons for this ‘hyperdiversity’ remain a puzzle. Prof. Economo’s goal is to test theories for how body shape, physiology, ecology, and behavior have evolved as the genus diversified and spread across the globe. Another project will track invasive ant species in the Pacific islands to find out what advantages allow them to out-compete native species, and whether their behavior changes over time as they evolve in their new habitats. A third project is developing a way to identify ant species using machine learning and computer vision, so that, for example, customs agents could use a smartphone application to find out whether ants they find might be dangerous invasive species. Such an app could also make ant-watching a hobby along the lines of bird-watching, Prof. Economo says, by making it easy for laypeople to know what they’re looking at. “I’m interested in using new technologies to change the way both scientists and laypeople interact with the natural world, and OIST is a particularly exciting place to pursue this goal,” he says.
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You should not use this medication if you are allergic to etanercept, or if you have a severe infection such as sepsis (infection of the blood).
Before using etanercept, tell your doctor if you have ever had tuberculosis, if anyone in your household has tuberculosis, or if you have recently traveled to an area where tuberculosis is common.
Children using this medication should be current on all childhood immunizations before starting treatment with etanercept.
You may have pain, redness, swelling, or warmth where the medicine was injected. Call your doctor if these symptoms continue for longer than 5 days.
Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with etanercept. Contact your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, cough, sweating, tired feeling, or if you feel short of breath.
Some infections are more likely to occur in certain areas of the world. Tell your doctor where you live and where you have recently traveled or plan to travel to during treatment.
Using etanercept may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer such as lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). This risk may be greater in children and young adults. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk.
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An ex-intravenous drug user was admitted four times during a 2 year period from December 2006, with the same complaint of vulval abscess which required repeat incision and drainage procedures. In January 2009, a pelvic x-ray showed widening of the symphysis pubis, marginal irregularities, and severe erosive changes which were consistent with pubic osteomyelitis. She was treated with intravenous ciprofloxacin and clindamycin for 2 weeks and was discharged on oral antibiotics for 6 weeks. She recovered well and her condition has significantly improved with no recurrent infection so far. She is now being followed up every 4–6 weeks at the orthopaedics outpatient clinic.
Although pubic osteomyelitis is an uncommon cause of the common condition vulval abscess, it accounts for only 2% of all osteomyelitis of bone. Groups at risk include intravenous drug users, patients with pelvic malignancy, diabetes, following sports injury, surgery, after dental extraction1 and patients who have undergone urological or gynaecological procedures such as female incontinence surgery. It presents with significant diagnostic and treatment challenges. Pelvic x-ray can diagnose this condition and prevent further damage to the pelvis, which may result in pelvic girdle instability and could have a long term impact on the quality of life. We believe it is important to alert physicians and surgeons to this unusual presentation of pubic osteomyelitis in the gynaecology clinic.
A 48-year-old woman, menopausal for 2 years, had been suffering from recurrent vulval abscess since December 2006. She is an ex-intravenous drug user; the last time she injected a drug was December 2006. The infection started with fluctuant swelling of her right labia, following injecting drugs in the right groin and mons pubis, measuring 10 cm × 12 cm with no draining sinuses, which was initially treated with oral amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (Augmentin). The initial vulval abscess seemed to be an extension of local infection relating to drug injecting behaviour, with secondary spread to the pubic bones causing osteomyelitis. At first, the swelling responded but then recurred within 4 months from the onset of her first symptoms. Though she was managed with intravenous antibiotics (teicoplanin, metronidazole, and ciprofloxacin), the swelling did not resolve and needed incision and drainage. Thereafter, the patient was admitted four times within a period of just over 2 years with the same complaint, and needed repeat incision and drainage. Finally in January 2009, she was readmitted to the gynaecology department with pain and swelling over the right labia and mons pubis measuring 5 cm × 6 cm.
On examination, the patient was apyrexial, haemodynamically stable, her abdomen was soft and non- tender, and her chest was clear on auscultation. There was erythema and induration over the mons pubis. She had suprapubic pain and tenderness which increased on weight bearing, but no inguinal lymphadenopathy was noted. She was hepatitis C PCR positive, but hepatitis B and HIV negative. She received treatment with interferon in 2003 and is now followed up annually at the gastrointestinal clinic. She was thin and malnourished.
Blood biochemistry showed elevated C reactive protein (CRP) value of 116 mg/l and a white cell count of 13.4×109/l with polymorphonuclear leucocytosis. Because of chronic hepatitis C she had deranged liver function tests (LFTs), and liver ultrasound showed mild fibrosis. Blood cultures did not show any evidence of bacteraemia. Cultures from the abscess did not show any growth of any microorganisms, the reason being that she had been intermittently on antibiotics. Perianal ultrasound confirmed significant subcutaneous abscess collection. On pelvic x-ray there was widening of the symphysis pubis, and marginal irregularities suggesting severe erosive changes which were consistent with pubic osteomyelitis (fig 1). Subsequent blood tests showed a decrease in CRP and white cell count, and blood cultures were negative. A repeat pelvic x-ray after a month showed the same picture, although the suprapubic pain and tenderness had resolved.
After discussions with the microbiology team, the patient was treated with intravenous ciprofloxacin and clindamycin for 2 weeks. She was discharged on oral antibiotics for 6 weeks and a follow-up in the outpatient was arranged.
Following the course of antibiotics the patient recovered well and her quality of life is much better at present. There has been no recurrence so far. She is followed up regularly in the orthopaedic clinic. Her CRP value and white cell count are now normal.
Vulval abscess can be caused by actinomycetes infection, boils, folliculitis, cancer, Crohn’s disease, diabetes mellitus, gonorrhoea, staphylococcal infection, immune deficiency conditions, and most uncommonly by osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis is a rare disease. It is an infective inflammation of bone whose causative organisms differ according to the risk factors. Patients with recent pelvic surgery usually have polymicrobial infection, involving faecal flora. Staphylococcus aureus is the major cause among athletes, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is the predominant pathogen in intravenous drug users.2 Klebsiella pneumoniae infection has been reported in the diabetic patients.3 The clinical presentation of pubic osteomyelitis is similar to that of osteitis pubis, which is a self limiting condition.
Osteitis pubis is a non-infective inflammation of the symphysis pubis, without a distinct aetiology. It has often been reported following urological or gynaecological procedures, and is also associated with trauma, rheumatic disorders, pregnancy and parturition.
Both pubic osteomyelitis and osteitis pubis may present as abdominal, pelvic or groin pain. The most common complaint in both of these inflammatory diseases is pain with weight lifting. A waddling gait may be observed. On examination, hip motion will exacerbate pain, and its range may be restricted. The most obvious and specific finding is tenderness of the pubic bone in the superior or inferior pubic rami.
Historically, confusion has existed between osteitis pubis, pubic osteomyelitis, and septic arthritis of the symphysis pubis. All of these present with the same features. For unclear reasons, septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis is much more common in intravenous drug users, accounting for 9% of septic arthritis in the population. There is no significant radiographic differentiation between these three diseases.2
The biochemistry is normal or slightly inflammatory in osteitis pubis, but frankly inflammatory in osteomyelitis with increased leucocyte cell count, raised CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.2 Aspiration is the ultimate diagnostic test. In cases of osteomyelitis pubis, culture of the aspirate will usually lead to the diagnosis, sometimes even after antibiotic treatment. Pelvic radiographs may show irregular borders over the pubic symphysis and rami. Varying degrees of articular surface irregularity, erosion, sclerosis, and osteophyte formation may be present. MRI may show bone marrow oedema in the pubic bones early in the course of osteitis pubis. The presence of fluid should raise suspicion for an underlying infection, such as osteomyelitis.
Distinguishing between osteitis and osteomyelitis pubis can be difficult with bone scans and MRI alone. Although a definitive diagnosis often requires biopsy and culture, a biopsy was not performed in the patient discussed here as the patient improved after starting on antibiotics. Lack of improvement with rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) plus a good response to antibiotics confirmed the diagnosis of osteomyelitis pubis.
Osteitis is a self limiting condition and its treatment aims to reduce inflammation with rest and oral NSAIDs. Ice or heat may provide additional symptomatic relief. Since osteomyelitis is present in 97% of these patients with the same complaints, antibiotic treatment is recommended for a period of 8 weeks—the first 2 weeks intravenous and next 6 weeks oral.4 However, patients are often maintained on oral antibiotics for 3 months, especially if there is a long preceding history. Surgical debridement may be required if there is no response to medical treatment. Failure to identify the disease processes of osteomyelitis could lead to lifelong complications such as pelvic instability, etc.
One similar case has been reported to date, in India, involving a woman who presented with a genital sore, which was treated as chancroid. On further investigation, it proved to be the opening of a sinus secondary to chronic osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis.5
Competing interests: None.
Patient consent: Patient/guardian consent was obtained for publication.
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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: The Reader (04/15/10)
TITLE: Their voice has gone out into all the earth
By Sharon Kane
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"That's it. Keep going. You're doing really well."
Despite my teacher's indefatigable encouragement, I find this incredibly hard work. I wonder if I'll ever be able to read fluently like the young people in our village. They have lessons in the government school, and they look down on us – their parents, aunts, uncles – 'illiterate old fogies'.
"It is written in Isa the –"
"That says Isaiah. He lived long before Jesus was born, but he spoke about Jesus coming into the world. One day we hope to translate Isaiah and all the other Bible books written before Jesus came. But the most important part of the Bible is the part that teaches about Jesus. We wanted to translate that part first, so that your people could know the Saviour and learn how to live to please God."
I well know the effort that is going in to putting God's Word into Agarabi. My brother was one of the first people in our village to believe the strange teachings brought by the Korean missionaries, and one of the first local members of the Bible translation team. I remember with shame how I mocked him in those early days. God, loving us? God, speaking to us? God, caring how we live? Your brain has gone squishy from all those overripe papayas you've been eating!
But I couldn't deny the way my brother changed from being a selfish, drunken wife-beater, to a kind and generous man. Within a year I had decided to follow Jesus.
After that I took more interest in the translation work. Not that it'll do me any good even if they do finish it, I used to think. Along with others of their generation my parents didn't see any point in sending girls to school. After all, they reasoned, what has reading and writing got to do with cooking, cleaning and having babies? My brother was the only one in our family who had been to school. After becoming a Christian I started taking yams or sweet potatoes to him when he was in the translating house. I peered at the meaningless squiggles on his computer screen. Ah well, I sighed, when the time comes, he will just have to read the Bible to me.
Mi-sook had other ideas. One day she visited my house. After the preliminary greetings, she pulled a book from the jute bag slung over her shoulder. "Merpati, I'd like to start a class to teach the village women to read. We've made this book to help you. What do you think of it?"
The book was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Pictures of village life filled the pages, accompanied by... well they had to be words, but the type was so big! And there were just a few words next to each picture. I gulped. "It's a very nice book. But I don't understand it."
"Not yet." Mi-sook had a twinkle in her eye. "But I think you'll catch on pretty quickly."
And so, along with five other women, I embarked on my toughest journey ever; the journey to become a reader. I blush now when I look at that primer and remember the difficulty I had in mastering the basics of the alphabet. And as for the wobbly marks that were my first attempts at writing – the seven-year-olds in first grade can make a tidier job of them.
Still, ten months later we all graduated from the primer class. My certificate is still tacked above my bed. That day I felt that I only needed to stretch my hands up and I would touch the stars.
I came down with a bump the following week when Mi-sook brought some 'easy readers' for us to try. Folk tales mostly, stories we knew from our mothers' knees. And the pages liberally sprinkled with bold pictures that gave us lots of clues. But still we stumbled on our everlasting voyage. Every word a boulder to climb over; every sentence a hummock to be surmounted; every booklet a mountain to be conquered.
I'm not sure at what point I became a reader. Stuttering over the opening lines of Mark's Gospel, I wonder if I've even yet arrived. But Mi-sook must think so, or she wouldn't be sitting next to me listening to me read my very own copy of God's Word, for myself, for the very first time.
'Their voice has gone out into all the earth' Psalm 19:4; Romans 10:18
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.2 And Job said:
3 “Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’ 4 Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it. 5 Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 That night—let thick darkness seize it! Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. 7 Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry enter it. 8 Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan. 9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none, nor see the eyelids of the morning, 10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire? 12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? 13 For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, 14 with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves, 15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. 16 Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? 17 There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. 18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. 19 The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, 21 who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 22 who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave? 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? 24 For my sighing comes instead of[a] my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. 25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. 26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking? 3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. 5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. 6 Is not your fear of God[b] your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? 8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed. 10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. 13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. 15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: 17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before[c] God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? 18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; 19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like[d]the moth. 20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. 21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
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A thought on the Mohler – Spong video
Some very interesting comments on the video below – and they prompted me to ponder the sort of claims thrown around by both Spong and Mohler once again. What struck me was the either-or thinking of both of them. For example, Spong claims you are either an 'adult' or you speak about being 'born again'; 'authority' or 'uncertainty'. Mohler agreed with the last and added that one has either total inerrancy of the bible or no ability to trust the Bible and no basis for any faith etc.
I would suggest, at the very least, that if we were to take the shape of the canon of scripture seriously, we will resist these either-ors. It should not surprise us that those who write theologies of the New Testament always struggle to articulate the unity of scripture's message, in light of the diversity of theological claims in the text. And this is not even to consider some of the subversive theological implications of OT texts.
What is more, think of the plurality of witnesses in both testaments: the histories in the OT diverge at various points, providing effectively at least two view points on the rise and decline of the monarchy. Take King David’s census, for example – according to 2 Sam., the business was God’s idea (‘And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah’ 24:1), yet 1 Chron. says that it wasn’t God’s idea, but rather ... satan’s! (‘And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel’ 21:1).Turn to the NT and we have four Gospels. Here, think simply of the different perspectives evident in relation to Jerusalem, geography, the timing of the crucifixion and resurrection and the events surrounding them, and, more importantly, the portrayal of Jesus (have a look at Richard Burridge's helpful Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A Symbolic Reading. London: SPCK, 1994).
Either-or theology certainly has a place; it needs to be deployed in terms of the truth of the gospel (I think here of Paul's curses in his letter to the Galatians! - Barth put it like this: "The gospel is not a truth among other truths. Rather, it sets a question mark against all truths"). But once this way of thinking resists room for acceptance of 'the plurality of truth' (I take this from the subtitle of John Franke's bok, Manifold Witness), we end up in the over-realised theological trouble of both Spong and Mohler.
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In the Moscow zoo is growing Sichuan takin: what is that beast?
The baby name Ayu, and he has already settled among adult relatives.
May 30, 2019 at 15:21
It has been ten years in the walls of the Moscow zoo, the old territory lives a family of Sichuan takin – and not so long ago, there appeared another representative. Sichuan takin (lat. Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) is a rare of artiodactyls bovids. They have long hair Golden hue (now the Golden fleece!), a large head crowned by curved horns.
There are 4 subspecies of takin, but Sichuan found in European zoos most often. That is why the birth of each of the Sichuan Takin is a joy not only for the Moscow zoo, but for all who seek to preserve the “Golden bull”, brought in the Red book. The babies of these endangered animals appearing in the Moscow zoo, regularly travel to the collections of zoos around the world.
Now in a large aviary zoo live five takin: the head of the family by the name of Kraken (a character – wise good man), two females and two calves, one of which recently came to light, and the second was born last year.
(Video: Hope May and Natalia Nazarova)
Newborn baby takin named Ayu, and now it is growing under the supervision of mother Ru. The baby is steadily gaining weight (at birth, weighing 10 kg, is now the traveler has already reached 35 kg) and explores the world around him: playing with balls and other objects to learn to butt, attacking adults. Now he eats mostly breast milk, but will be happy trying and “adult” helpful supplements: willow and bamboo branches, hay, grass and special feed. But most of all he relished the sweet apples and muesli.
Experts note that despite his good-natured appearance (big eyes and mouth, leisurely gait), the takin, can be very aggressive when threatened.
In the wild takin occur in the mountainous regions of India, China, Nepal, Tibet, and also in the Eastern part of the Himalayas. The wild population of the species was decreasing annually, primarily due to the destruction of the feeding environment and the usual habitat of the animals. To protect the takin from the threat of extinction and to create a stable backup of their population for many years is the European Studbook (ESB). Among the participants, and the Moscow zoo, which with its task successfully and the proof of it is the baby Ayu, playing among the other dogs.
“Also a group of takin, consisting of a breeding pair and two cubs, and contains in the Centre of reproduction of rare species, where everyone can go on an excursion or as part of our exclusive eco-tours,” – said General Director of the Moscow zoo Svetlana Akulova.
See the rare Mexican adotube, who was born within the walls of the Moscow zoo this year.
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In today’s modern times, PHP and web development are the things we can’t live without. Rare are the people who never heard of these terms. Or they did eventually, but they don’t have a clue what these are and how we can use them to improve our everyday digital lives.
Everything today is transferring to the digital world, and it is happening fast. We live fast-paced lives, and we need to adapt quickly to be able to follow up on all the necessary changes, especially in the PHP development area. More about the benefits and disadvantages of PHP find on this source.
Company owners starting an online business need help from programming and development experts to implement and realize their ideas into the online form. Creating a software or app is a starting point which can be a solid basis for further upgrades. This is where you need PHP and everything that come with it, including frameworks.
In Short about Most Used Frameworks
Considering how popular PHP is today, it is of the utmost importance to use it for your online presentation. If applying it in the right way, with the help of skilled and experienced developers, it can help you with reaching your goals. And they can achieve it in a faster and more efficient manner, by using some of the PHP frameworks.
Most of the Frameworks used today are cloud-based., i.e., placed on some external online storage and available at any time. As such, these patterns allow us to keep our work accessible to anyone who works on a particular application, from anywhere.
In case developers need more instructions and changes to make to the application they’re creating, it’s much easier when using cloud-based framework software. That way, they’ll be able to implement any new revision instantly. Also, all the other team members will be able to see the changes on the go, anywhere in the world.
To become efficient when developing a website, developers need to use PHP IDE, a software application providing a necessary database for software development. It will eliminate most of the manual work, which was previously associated with writing PHP. For example, using various web development platforms will increase their productivity and provide them with an opportunity to reach clients’ goals much faster.
Why Frameworks Are Useful
Every PHP Framework will streamline the development of any web application written in this programming language. It will provide developers with a basic structure from which they can build the web application they want.
So, we can consider PHP Framework as a tool that allows us to promote rapid application development (RAD) which will save a lot of our time. It’ll also help in building more stable apps. And what’s most, it’ll reduce the repetition tasks for developers to a minimum. Software developers over at Nismansolutions.com can tell you just how important frameworks are for getting projects done on time.
Creating your web application via PHP Frameworks, you’ll entertain your team and colleagues working on the same project. In some way, this will make their jobs much more comfortable and fun to perform. PHP Framework allows developers to focus more on the creation of the web application rather than spending enormous amounts of time writing the same code all over again.
In the developer’s business, creativity is high on the list of desirable skills. Those who strive for continuous improvement and acquisition of new knowledge are not big fans of framework use. They find that, when you have a finished template that you just need to finish, there is not much room for progress. Simply put, using the PHP framework affects poor quality developers’ overproduction.
Also, due to a lot of updates and changes, the use of frameworks is not recommended for beginners in PHP development. When starting as a developer, it’s better to start from scratch, at least the first few projects. It will be a valuable experience for them. Newbies will see what their strengths are, and what else they need to work on to become experts in PHP development. Later, as they progress and acquire new skills, they can begin to apply patterns.
Check the link below for perceiving the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ developer:
How to Choose the Right Framework
We’re well aware that PHP is the essential scripting language because of numerous reasons like ease-of-use, its flexibility, etc. But you should know that coding in PHP or any other language can be extremely repetitive and very monotonous. Considering that, PHP framework is something that can be very helpful.
Laravel Frameworks to Consider
As we said, many various software patterns are on the market. Most of them have more or less the same principle of work, allowing developers to perform tasks smoothly. But some of them are rather better and easier to use. Laravel development in India is on the rise, and Laravel, in general, has become a prevalent PHP Framework.
Laravel experts claim that Laravel Framework is probably the best Framework web development software to use today. It allows its users so much more than the average Framework can. Its features are highly expressive, with random possibilities adapted to any purpose.
Creating web applications was never more comfortable; developers can finally focus more on the task at hand than wasting their time doing the same code-writing over and over again. Everything this pattern offers can be applied within B2B websites or in any enterprise client.
If we look at the aforementioned ‘downside’ of using frameworks like Laravel, we conclude that this is an individual matter. No one can forbid beginners to use them; only the thought is that they will grow and learn better if they go gradually, without taking advantage of these useful shortcuts in application and software development.
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As doulas, it is important that we understand why women make the decisions they do. Understanding how women make decisions during labor and birth helps us to move away from our own biases during birth, and move into the world of the women we serve. One of our assignments for certification is to look at decisions that are being made in two particular scenarios and decide why they were made. By doing this, our students learn to understand different ways of thinking and understanding. Below is an example of this assignment:
“Homebirth In The Hospital-
- Pamela and Chloe-Pam had a poorly managed medical birth for her first child. The experience left her unhappy and disappointed with her experience. Due to this, Pam made an intuitive thinking-based decision to integrate noninvasive birth model into her next experience. She did this because she felt disappointment with her experience the first time and wanted a positive experience this time.
- Pam and Chloe-Pam asked for pain relief during labor. This was also an intuitive decision based on the level of discomfort she was feeling at that time. Pam was feeling pain-was asked in between contractions if she was sure about pain medication and was able to feel out her decision.
- Sueli and Marcus-Sueli made the decision to stay home after her water broke. This was an intuitive decision based on her feeling of relaxation at home and her feeling that she would still have at least 6 hours until baby. Sueli was so comfortable at home that she didn’t feel that she needed hospital right away.
Case Study 3
- MD made decision to augment labor with Pitocin due to length between contractions and level of effacement/dilation. This decision was based on scientific thinking and critical thinking.
- Megan was turned during labor due to fetal decelerations. This was an evidence-based critical thinking decision based on it’s effectiveness during past births.
- Megan’s Pitocin was slowed to assist in reducing fetal stress/decelerations. This was also a critical thinking or scientific decision based on past experiences by MD and research he had encountered.”
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Why study Chinese? You will be able to do much more than what you might be doing now by realizing another language. With having the ability to discuss in two languages many individuals will give you higher respect, especially if considered one of them had been to be Chinese language. Aside from the apparent profession change as a translator, studying Chinese language can broaden your horizons with the next probability of career advances or even a increased probability of adjusting firms. Many corporations now cope with China for numerous providers and for cheaper merchandise for their retail companies, so studying Chinese language is an extremely beneficial asset nowadays and there is no higher time than now to study Chinese language, regardless if it’s for enjoyable or enterprise.
Adequate Data Is Wanted For E mail Advertising Campaigns
The above three necessities are necessary. Nevertheless, there may be different things you will …
The possible employee will send you an e-mail by filling the descriptions like his electronic mail, title, subject and message. Some options are given to the potential employee reminiscent of meet at the public area earlier than going for a personal meeting.
Tips on how to go About Shopping for a Magnificence Enterprise For Sale in Australia
Think about the way you felt at your previous job, did you hate getting away from bed and to go to work? While you get there do you simply coast alongside wanting on the clock, doing the bare minimal just to get by, yet on the finish of the day nonetheless really feel exhausted?
Hundreds of various kinds of corporations from internet design groups all the best way to dietary well being representatives are benefiting from the optimistic impact publication advertising and marketing can have on their enterprise. It is fairly a easy …
Up to now complete communities have lost customers as a result of progress for instance; Motorways have created ghost towns and put bustling shopping facilities out of enterprise, the only factor left for them to do was to maneuver or exit of enterprise.
How one can Set Up an Affiliate Advertising Business
Lots of individuals are already been saved by the modern medicine particularly radiation remedy. Individuals can now be part of a well being care workforce particularly in regards to oncology just taking vocational programs. This subject of medication can promise an awesome deal and ample training and a radiation therapist certification are two issues wanted to become certified to be an knowledgeable in this medical subject.
In every single place world wide, the greatest and most unique ideas are being displayed and showed off in casino restaurant design. This showcases true expertise by the best professionals in the …
It takes a great deal of financial discipline to handle money owed effectively. Although the intent is genuine, we often have problems when putting plans into motion, as these plans are often ready on our limited knowledge of managing funds or are based on ideas from family and friends. There may be, however, professional assist for debt administration now accessible within the form of tailor-made debt administration programs and credit score counselling services supplied by corporations dealing in debt options.
Find Your True Ardour – Make Cash From What You Already Know
A part of that planning entails connecting to and incorporating the prevailing pockets of change and improvement. These groups and champions have typically gone by means of the innovation and organizational studying steps of exploration and experimentation. Their (often unorthodox and unofficial) approaches and experiences generally is a gold mine of learning for the organization enchancment process. As …
There are projects in the US that attempt to carry youngsters back to factories and to other professions. Technical training is brought again to the elementary colleges and children also begin to work with computer in an early age. Nevertheless, the social media and numerous video games represent a robust hurdle on this path. To not point out the fact that children can find on the computer systems everything, not solely the things invaluable for them and their private development. The black sheep in the class will all the time get their word and convince even the great one to make dangerous tings.
House Business Tips – The way to Handle Information Overload
All it’s important to do is hearken to some of the great singers of our time, whatever the genre of music. People like Julie Andrews and Josh Groban immediately come to thoughts as two of essentially the …
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ABORIGINAL LAND CLAIMS -
AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE
1995 SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL APPELLATE JUDGES CONFERENCE
OTTAWA - 25-29 SEPTEMBER 1995 The Hon. Sir Gerard Brennan, AC KBE
Chief Justice of Australia
27 September 1995
On 26 January 1788, the British flag was raised on land that is now part of the City of Sydney. The colony of New South Wales was established. Later, other colonies were formed in other parts of Australia or by separation of territory from New South Wales. The colonial boundaries included some offshore islands. Included within Queensland's maritime boundary are the Murray Islands, the largest of which is Murray Island or Mer, in the Torres Strait between Papua New Guinea and Australia. In 1982, Eddie Mabo and four other Murray Islanders instituted proceedings against the State of Queensland claiming ownership of parcels of land on Mer as the holders of native title. This litigation, bearing Mabo's name, defined the modern Australian law on native title.
In 1788, the territory that is now the Commonwealth of Australia was populated by Aboriginal hunters and foodgatherers whose numbers are uncertain, probably between 300,000 and 500,000. The legal theory espoused by the Privy Council in the 19th and early 20th centuries regarded these peoples, and the peoples of at least some other settled colonies, as "so low in the scale of social organization" that it was "idle to impute to [them] some shadow of the rights known to our law and then to transmute it into the substance of transferable rights of property as we know them" 1 . The land in these colonies was treated as ownerless and thus available for acquisition by the European power which settled the territory. This doctrine was known inaccurately as terra nullius. It supported the proposition that, on settlement, the Crown acquired not only sovereignty but beneficial ownership of all land in the acquired territory. Universal ownership of land by the Crown allowed the adoption of the feudal doctrine of tenure - a basic doctrine of the common law of real property - whereby all private ownership of land was held to depend ultimately on a Crown grant 2 . As Aborigines had received no grant, they had no title to the land. When the self-governing Australian colonies were given control of the alienation of land within the colony, the theory was that the power of alienation was merely a political function transferred from the Government in Westminster to the Colonial Government 3 , but the Crown in right of the Colony had had the beneficial title to that land since the colony was acquired. Alienation of land has been governed by statute since the early days of colonization.
In each colony, land was reserved from alienation for public purposes including the provision of land for Aborigines. The reserves did not, however, give security of occupation, much less title. Then, in 1976, the Commonwealth Parliament enacted a law for the Northern Territory 4 under which Aborigines with a traditional connection with unalienated land could apply for a grant of an inalienable fee simple - a freehold title. This title allows Aborigines to use the land in accordance with Aboriginal tradition 5 except where a lease or licence of a particular parcel of land is granted or issued for specified purposes with the consent of the Aboriginal Land Council for the area and with the assent of the traditional owners of the land 6 . A refusal of consent can be overridden by the Government where a grant of a mining tenement is required in the national interest 7 . Some of the States, especially South Australia, subsequently enacted laws designed to give or to allow Aborigines to acquire a secure title or comparatively secure right to possession of land 8 .
Then the two cases that bear the name of Eddie Mabo were decided by the High Court. By this time, the authority of Privy Council decisions was no longer binding on the High Court 9 or, indeed, on any Australian Court 10 . The High Court, in the absence of any prior decision of its own or any prior decision of any appellate court in Australia, had to define the common law relating to native title for Australia.
When the plaintiffs claimed ownership of land on Mer by virtue of their native title, the Queensland Parliament countered with an Act 11 that declared that the Queensland coastal islands were vested in the Crown freed of all other rights or claims 12 . However, there stood - and there stands now - on the Commonwealth statute book the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 which gives effect in municipal law to the key provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In Mabo [No.1] 13 the High Court held that the Queensland Act discriminated against the people of the Murray Islands in the enjoyment of their right to own property, assuming that the traditional rights of ownership existed. On that assumption, the Queensland Act was inconsistent with the Racial Discrimination Act . Under the Australian Constitution 14 , a State law that is inconsistent with a law of the Commonwealth is, to the extent of the inconsistency, invalid. The Queensland Act thus failed in its purpose.
That left for determination the critical question whether the common law of Australia recognized native title or whether native title had been extinguished and the Crown had become beneficial owner when the Crown acquired sovereignty. In Mabo [No.2] 15 , the Court held that native title to the land on Mer, with the exception of a few parcels, is vested in the people of the Murray Islands as a communal title recognized by the common law, and that that title is protected by the Racial Discrimination Act from discriminatory extinction. The content of native title is ascertained by reference to Aboriginal laws and customs 16 .
The Court held the acquisition of sovereignty to be a non-justiciable question in a municipal court but the effect of the acquisition of sovereignty on native title to be a justiciable question 17 . The acquisition of sovereign power and the acquisition of beneficial ownership of land were not necessarily linked 18 . Rejecting the notion of "terra nullius", native title was held to survive the acquisition of sovereignty 19 . Although sovereign power enabled the Crown to extinguish native title, any instrument purporting to exercise that power would be rigorously construed. No legislative or executive instrument would be taken to extinguish native title unless it revealed a clear and plain intention to do so 20 .
However, the sovereign power of the Crown included the power to make grants of land. As that power might be exercised to create a tenure of land in the grantee, it was tantamount to a radical title to the land 21 . Native title was ousted when the sovereign power had been exercised inconsistently with the continued enjoyment of native title, but otherwise native title survived. Crown grantees were secure in their titles but the holders of native title were unprotected at common law against an exercise of the power of alienation. By majority 22 , it was held that the expropriation of native title pursuant to any valid legislative authority is not compensable. But the holders of native title are now protected by the Racial Discrimination Act to the same extent as are the holders of other forms of title. They are therefore no longer amenable to expropriation without compensation.
The Mabo decisions gave rise to considerable controversy. After much public debate, in 1993 the Commonwealth Parliament enacted the Native Title Act which, adopting the common law as defined in Mabo [No.2] 23 prescribed a system for dealing with native title. The Act contemplates the enactment of complementary laws by the States and Territories 24 . The Native Title Act provided, inter alia, for determinations as to the existence or non-existence of native title to particular parcels of land. Access to native title land for mining or other non-Aboriginal purposes can be obtained 25 but there are extensive provisions relating to negotiation, arbitration and ministerial intervention in respect of proposals to grant access 26 . A National Native Title Tribunal 27 , presided over by a Judge of the Federal Court, has certain mediation and administrative functions and is presently dealing with the processing of claims. The Federal Court has jurisdiction 28 over issues calling for judicial determination, including appeals from the Tribunal on questions of law.
The State of Western Australia, in which 52% of the land is unalienated and which contains significant deposits of minerals, took serious objection to the Native Title Act . Its Parliament enacted a law to deal with native title 29 and mounted a challenge to the validity of the Commonwealth law. However, the High Court upheld the validity of the Native Title Act and held the Western Australian law to be invalid 30 .
The modern development of Australian law governing Aboriginal title to land is part of that post-colonial jurisprudence that has been developed in other countries to protect the relationship between the descendants of the indigenous inhabitants and their traditional lands. In other jurisdictions, although the paramount power of government has been accepted, there has been a recognition of some form of native title. The basis of title has been variously supported by reference to proclamations 31 , legislative acts 32 , treaties 33 , the fiduciary duty of the Crown 34 , use or possession 35 and the common law 36 . The post-colonial relationship of the indigenous population with their traditional land is not only, or even chiefly, a problem for the courts. But the courts, sensitive to the demands of justice for minorities and the disadvantaged in society, are likely to remain a forum in which indigenous peoples will seek to right what are now perceived to be historic wrongs.
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Ecotrophelia Europe is backed by the European Commission in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship and global brands such as The Coca-Cola Company and Nestlé.
It has been established since 2000 with 12 participating countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia, but 2013 will mark the first year the UK has participated.
Innovation, creativity and sustainability
It has been set up to promote innovation, creativity and sustainability and challenges students to develop brand-new, innovative, eco-friendly food products. Participants can win a share of a prize pot of up to €15,000.
The UK heat of the competition is being organised jointly by Campden BRI and the IFST and is open to teams of students from UK universities.
Shortlisted students will be invited to pitch on June 5, 2013 to the ‘dragons’, a distinguished judging panel of top food industry specialists. These will include representatives from PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s, Warburtons, Coca Cola, Genius and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
20 other participating countries
The winning student team will be announced the following day at Campden BRI’s annual, high-profile food industry event ‘Campden BRI Day’ on June 6, 2013. The successful students will then go forward as the UK entry to the European leg of the competition to compete with 20 other participating countries.
Bertrand Emond, head of membership and training at Campden BRI, said: “The food and drink manufacturing sector is one of the largest industries in Europe, with more than €1 trillion turnover accounting for over 4.3 million jobs.
“We need a steady influx of creative, intelligent, gifted students who are committed to working in food science, research and new product innovation. That is what Ecotrophelia Europe is all about.”
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And these days Paul Ryan is the Rosie Ruiz of American politics.
This would have been an apt comparison even before the curious story of Ryan's own marathon came to light. Still, that's quite a story, so let's talk about it first.
It started when Hugh Hewitt, a right-wing talk-radio host, interviewed Ryan. In that interview, the vice-presidential candidate boasted about his fitness, declaring that he had once run a marathon in less than three hours.
This claim piqued the interest of Runner's World magazine, which noted that marathon times are recorded -- and that it was unable to find any evidence of Ryan's accomplishment. It eventually transpired that Ryan had indeed once run a marathon, but that his time was actually more than four hours.
In a statement issued by a spokesman, Ryan tried to laugh the whole thing off as a simple error. But serious runners find that implausible: the difference between sub-three and over-four is the difference between extraordinary and perfectly ordinary, and it's not something a runner could get wrong, unless he's a fabulist who imagines his own reality.
Which brings us back to the real issues of this presidential campaign.
Obviously nobody cares how fast Ryan can run, and even his strange marathon misstatement wouldn't be worth talking about in isolation. What makes this incident so striking is, instead, the way it resonates with the essential Rosie-Ruizness of Ryan's whole political persona, which is built around big boasts about accomplishments he hasn't accomplished.
For Ryan, as you may recall, has positioned himself as an icon of truth-telling and fiscal responsibility, while offering policy proposals that are neither honest nor responsible. He calls for huge tax cuts, while proposing specific spending cuts that, while inflicting immense hardship on our most vulnerable citizens, would fall far short of making up for the revenue loss. His claims to reduce the deficit therefore rely on assertions that he would make up for the lost revenue by closing loopholes that he refuses to specify, and achieve further huge spending cuts in ways that he also refuses to specify.
But didn't the Congressional Budget Office evaluate Ryan's plan and conclude that it would indeed reduce the deficit? I'm glad you asked that. You see, the budget office didn't actually evaluate his plan, because there weren't enough details. Instead, it let Ryan specify paths for future spending and revenue, while noting -- in what sounds to me like a hint of snark -- that "No proposals were specified that would generate that path."
So Ryan basically told the budget office to assume that his plan would slash the deficit, then claimed the resulting report as vindication of his deficit-slashing claims. Sorry, but that's the policy equivalent of sneaking into a marathon near the finish line, then claiming victory.
Still, Mitt Romney, not Ryan, is the presidential candidate, although that's sometimes hard to remember. So how does Romney/Ryan differ from Ryan alone? It's worse. Like the Ryan plan, the Romney plan offers huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, while pledging to offset these cuts by closing unspecified loopholes; but Romney adds to the implausibility by also demanding higher defense spending and eliminating the Medicare cost savings contained in Obamacare. Realistically, the Romney plan would explode the deficit, not reduce it.
Yet Romney boasts about his fiscal responsibility; in Tampa he accused President Barack Obama of hurting the economy with big deficits (while also declaring that Obama was destroying jobs by cutting military spending -- go figure), then declared that "We will cut the deficit and put America on track to a balanced budget." Yep, he's another Rosie Ruiz Republican.
So what is this election about? To be sure, it's about different visions of society -- about Medicare versus Vouchercare, about preserving the safety net versus destroying it. But it's also a test of how far politicians can bend the truth. This is surely the first time one of our major parties has run a campaign so completely fraudulent, making claims so at odds with the reality of its policy proposals. But if the Romney/Ryan ticket wins, it won't be the last.
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The Deadpan Dynamites
The Art of the Gag
“I do not really think Charlie knows much more about politics, history, or economics than I do. Like myself, he was hit by a make-up towel almost before he was out of diapers.”
Two male performers, not so young, not so skinny, are on stage. The above description of their bodies is important since they will try to execute some Gags that were originally performed by young and trained comedians. The discrepancy between their age, physical appearance, their lack of training, the fact that they have no skills when it comes to physical comedy is the center point of departure for the experiment and the show.
As the performance progresses the gags become bigger, more technically demanding, more ambitious regarding the apparatus. Which means only one thing: The failure to execute the gags is colossal. What is taking place on stage is a Sisyphean act. The two performers are trying desperately to make the audience laugh by going bigger and bigger, more and more dangerous, and by that enlarging the possibility of failure.
The actual Gags produced on stage, by the two performers, are bread and butter comedy routine, plus some landmark Gags taken from the history of silent movies and early talkies Hollywood films. But very fast they abandon the original films’ narrative structure and the comedy, to present something that is almost oppressive in its repetition and silence. Their attention is, therefore, shifting to the execution and the danger involve in re-enacting the gag. The audience observes the desperate attempt, by two middle-aged men, to be funny.
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- Tolerance makes it possible to learn from the efforts of other people. Without tolerance, others are not encouraged to put as much effort into thinking, since the fruit of their labor is too often viewed as evil. It becomes less risky not to think about anything prohibited and if they have thought about it, they had best not share the thought. Without tolerance one lives in the Dark Ages in Europe or the Middle East of the present. Tolerance is essential if we do not all wish to enter the world and spend our lives reinventing the wheel. Tolerance is also the great tool that makes it possible for us to challenge our own ideas with those of others. This makes it easier for us to identify our own errors of thought and correct them. Tolerance makes it possible for a group of thinkers to tackle a tough problem and take advantage of each person's different experience, interests, and thinking abilities to understand the whole of it, when each individual could only contribute a part of that understanding. I will call this epistemological tolerance.
- Individuals are very complex and highly differentiated. We are different biochemically and structurally. We have different experiences. We think in different ways and have a history of myriad unique choices behind us. We have different values. These differences add immensely to the richness of our experience with other people. Similarly, they make each of us a unique experience to others. Some of the value represented by each individual is precisely found in the uniqueness of each of us. As gold is more valuable than iron because it is more rare, each individual has more value because each is unique. But, of course, not all of our differences from one another are valued by others. Some of those differences may be viewed with mistrust, some with disdain, and some with repulsion. When a rational man practices tolerance with respect to the properties and values of others, he does not sign on to vouch for the value of each property or the morality of all of their choices. This form of tolerance recognizes the fact of reality that people are individuals. It recognizes that there is commonly much that is sufficiently good in the differences we find in others that we will generally profit in our interactions with them. I will call this the tolerance of individuality.
- Throughout the history of man, the political entities that have controlled men around the world have established various balancings of dogma versus individual initiatives in thought. They have also frequently sought to direct what values a man may seek and achieve. They have often favored men of one race, ethnic group, religion, cast, tribe, clan, or profession over others. In Europe, the Hundred Year's War, largely between Catholics and Protestants, caused untold misery until finally Europe realized a more live and let live philosophy held benefits for civilization. In a capitalist republic, the government does not favor one person over another for these reasons. In fact, a capitalist republic finds value in the differences among its people, since the many differences in interests and abilities allow the society the advantages of many specializations and open the door to a wealth of trading among its citizens. It is also recognized that when one group suppresses another group or any individual, the fighting and the discord are distractions at best and very often fatal to the continuance of either the government or the entire society. This form of tolerance is political tolerance.
Each of these forms of tolerance are related to one another. They are each important to us as thinking individuals. Since Objectivists are thinking individuals, they should be foremost among those proclaiming toleration as a great benefit to each of us and to the societies in which we live. Objectivists are also a minority, who are not infrequently viewed as heretics. They are dependent upon others exercising the virtue of tolerance toward them. Taken together, the forms of tolerance allow us to develop and function fully as individuals. They allow us to trade ideas and values that raise the level of our civilization to much greater heights than is possible for a society or group of intolerant individuals.
Dogma and rigid social custom are the enemies of tolerance. Rational thought directed at understanding reality and the celebration of the productive individual are the product of toleration. Toleration allows us to experiment with ideas and test them out. It offers us a rich complexity of theories and choices, while aiding us in our efforts to evaluate those theories and choices. It allows each man to draw on the individual insights of others. It is a major virtue whenever two or more individuals live and work together.
There are dogmatic Objectivists (a contradiction in terms actually) who need very badly to understand these aspects of reality. Because reason is the individual's means of surviving and promoting his life, that which promotes reason is virtuous. Rationality is the most fundamental virtue. Tolerance is a major virtue because it recognizes that every other individual has the right of their own attempt to use reason, just as I have that right. Tolerance recognizes that it is the individual mind that must of its own volition choose to focus upon the creation of concepts and the use of principles to understand reality in all of its complexity. It is to be expected that individuals, even when highly committed to rational thought, will independently arrive at somewhat differing understandings of our complex existence. Tolerance recognizes individuality and allows us to take advantage of it to gain much greater insight of reality by evaluating the ideas generated by other creative and rational minds. What we gain in value makes us much more productive and much less primitive. We gain the advantage of living in a great civilization, provided we can also provide our society with a healthy respect for the rights of the individual. The concept of these rights and their exercise again requires us individually to be committed to tolerance.
Among Objectivists, David Kelley has been the most effective spokesman for the importance of toleration. He has been especially concerned with toleration as a means to increase our knowledge. He has also recognized the virtue of independence in each individual. I highly recommend his book The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand: Truth and Toleration in Objectivism to anyone interested in how people can work together to greatly improve their understanding of any subject they may have a common interest in. While he especially addresses issues of Objectivism, there is a great deal to think about and use from this book even for a small group of collaborators in a laboratory or in a factory. It is really about being more productive in thought and action than it is possible for a single individual to be acting alone. As I read this book, I kept thinking that it was a marvelously organized and thought out explanation of many principles that I had found essential to the maximization of productive output in the many groups of scientific and engineering collaborators that I had had through the years.
In those groups, I had long worked hard to set such an atmosphere of tolerance in place. As this atmosphere grew, each such group became more productive. I tried to cultivate an atmosphere in which we maintained high standards for our output, but recognized that errors would be made as we sought solutions to the technical problems on which we worked, especially when we tried our hardest to be creative. Working together, we could makes leaps forward by taking advantage of our differing talents and help to correct each other's errors in a constructive way. In fact, we often learned from our errors. When we became comfortable that making an error was not likely to be viewed as evil or a sign of incompetence, ideas poured forth and our rate of solving difficult technical problems increased. It is surprising how often an idea with an error either contains a partial advance or somehow suggests the correct answer. Sometimes the wrong idea led to a test or experiment which proved it a dead end. Yet, that test provided us a clue to the right path to the answer to our problem. The idea that an error is evil is very wrongheaded. In fact, in certain contexts, making an error may actually be considered good. One does not make errors when not thinking. An error is made when one is thinking. Provided that one goes on to thoroughly evaluate the idea and test its validity rationally, the error is not evil and it may be the spur to the final correct identification of reality. In that context, it may be argued that the error served a good function. In that context, we can and should be less afraid of errors. They beat the alternative of stultification hands down.
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(Community Recognition Statements, 6 May 2015, Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament)
I commend the public efforts of the corporate sector in supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex [LGBTI] community. Corporates have offered support for the Mardi Gras Parade and Fair Day, World AIDS Day and special events on trans awareness, parenting, and the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia events. Banks and financial organisations have particularly led the way. My husband and I were pleased to join 180 businesspeople from 60 different national and international companies at a breakfast supporting marriage equality with Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce, the Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Australia, Ann Sherry, the SBS Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ebeid, and Diversity Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Lisa Annese. About 40 companies have signed a letter of support for federal marriage equality, advocating for their employees' equal rights. Increasingly these organisations do not want their LGBTI staff to be told to "wait in the car" for marriage equality and are filling the leadership void created by our federal politicians on this important reform.
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‘Anternet’ algorithm works like the webalgorithm worksDeborah GordonStanford University computer science professor Balaji Prabhakar
Stanford University computer science professor Balaji Prabhakar didn’t immediately see the connection between his work and biologist Deborah Gordon’s research on how ants forage.
“The next day it occurred to me, ‘Oh wait, this is almost the same as how [Internet] protocols discover how much bandwidth is available for transferring a file!'” he says.
Full story at Futurity.
More research news from top universities.
Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt/FlickrPosted by Futurity
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Dr Doidge’s presentations are immensely moving, inspiring and will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
Keeping you at the forefront of these amazing developments.
Don't miss this opportunity to register at our most economical rate and to learn with this dedicated and passionate man.
Byron Clinic proudly presents Norman Doidge M.D.’s, world-first two-day seminar workshop, outlining revolutionary research into, and his own reconceptualizing of, the brain’s amazing capacity to heal, and how to apply these discoveries to clinical practice.Norman Doidge’s latest exploration of neuroplasticity has played a major role in overturning the long-held belief that the brain’s sophistication and complexity came at a steep evolutionary price: it’s circuits were too complex to heal when damaged or diseased.
Doidge shows this very complexity is the key to it’s ability to create new neural pathways and overcome previously baffling mental and physical conditions.
In this seminar workshop, Norman Doidge will introduce the latest ideas about what goes wrong in a range of emotional, psychiatric and brain disorders — including what many brain problems have in common—and then the five stages of neuroplastic healing, and how to determine which stage needs clinical attention in your patient. He will review neuroplasticity and how it informs our understanding of mental health problems, brain damage, disease and disorder.
Norman Doidge will discuss basic neuroscience, detailed case histories, and outcome studies where relevant. Throughout, he will provide film evidence of people who were told they would never get better, and show how they improved, demonstrating how, with assistance, the brain can change and re-wire itself to restore lost functions.
He will discuss new treatments for a range of psychiatric, psychological and neurological conditions including ADD, learning disorders, Autism, sensory processing disorders, PTSD, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and dystonias, among others. He will show how to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and discuss the latest information on brain exercises.
Please forward this post to others who may be interested in this opportunity.
'Keen' registration for these 2-day seminar workshops closes on the 20 December. DON'T MISS THIS - BOOK NOW
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No doubt a great Innovation, but finger print scanning is already used at alot of places for security purposes. Finger print scanners provide the same application as this touch screen is providing. You just have to integerate the scanner with the system. I believe the way it will actually be of more use is when it detects your finger prints in run time, while you are using the touch pannel. And the screen should only be workable for the desired person.
This seems like a real breakthrough for security but at the moment, I'm not sure I'd want to use it. I think I'd like to wait for the technology to be tested well and perfected, as I think touchscreens can still be a bit buggy and I would hate to be locked out of my phone because the screen can't register my fingerprints. I'm sure the technology works well, but I'd approach using it with caution for now.
Industrial trade shows, like Design News' upcoming Pacific Design & Manufacturing, deserve proper planning in order to truly get the most out of them as marketing tools. Here's how to plan effectively.
The series now can interface with a wider array of EtherNet/IP-compliant hardware across many industrial sectors, including factory automation systems, plastic injection molding apparatus, and materials-handling equipment.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.
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A situation in Tarpon Springs makes it abundantly clear why Pinellas County needs to be talking about consolidating fire departments.
Tarpon Springs fire Chief Stephen R.M. Moreno told city commissioners during a budget meeting that he needs 15 more firefighters to reach the staffing level recommended by the National Fire Protection Association.
Commissioners, faced with declining revenues because of voter-mandated tax reform and falling property values, gave Moreno only one more firefighter by opening a frozen position. That action will give the fire department 33 firefighter/EMTs — only 11 per shift.
Here's the result: The Tarpon Springs Fire Department doesn't have enough firefighters per shift to safely attack even a small structure fire. They have to wait for firefighters from other departments, such as East Lake or Palm Harbor to arrive before they can aggressively battle the blaze. The danger to life and property is obvious.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that a fire department have 15 or 16 firefighters on scene to safely attack a one-room residential fire. While some argue that the job can be done with 14, no one advocates 11. And Tarpon Springs can roll 11 only if every firefighter is on duty and none are responding to other emergencies.
Fortunately, Pinellas County has a mutual aid system, meaning that fire departments respond to emergencies in other jurisdictions when their crews are available. But with many departments understaffed, and with city government revenues declining, how long will it be before big holes develop in the county's mutual aid network? Look at what is happening in the Tarpon department: It has had the same number of firefighters since 1983, according to the chief, while the city population has grown by 60 percent and annual calls for service have grown from 800 to 4,000. Similar statistics can be found in other cities.
The Tarpon Springs Fire Department's line in the city budget is increasing next year, not only because of the addition of one full-time firefighter, but also because city commissioners included some extra overtime money. The overtime budget will be used to keep an extra firefighter on duty during peak times and to allow the Fire Department to do more fire safety inspections, which is a vital part of a professional department's duties.
Discussions about consolidating fire departments dissolved a few years ago, opposed by the rank-and-file and chiefs alike. However, the county fire chiefs association has ended its opposition to discussing consolidation, and behind the scenes in city halls and the county courthouse, there is now talk about how consolidation may be the only way to fund adequate fire protection for all parts of the county.
Let the discussions begin. All fire departments in the county should be a part of those discussions, which should focus on protecting the public's safety, not protecting turf.
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“The perfect temperature for tea is two degrees hotter than just right.” ~The Quote Garden
Though most teas will produce a decent cup if you steep them all in boiling water, many of the finer teas will do much better at lower temperatures. Green and white teas, for example, are more delicate and you get more flavour if you brew in slightly cooler water.
These steeping times are only approximate, and you should adjust them depending on your own personal tea taste.
Black tea – Black is the most robust of the tea varieties and can be brewed in truly boiling water, usually steeped for 3-5 minutes. The finer or more broken the leave, the less time you will need to steep it. A strong BP Assam tea will only need about 2 minutes.
Oolong tea – As to be expected, Oolong tea falls between green and black. The best temperature is around 190F. Depending on the Oolong you have, because some oolongs are more fermented than others, generally steep for around 3-5 minutes. If you are going to re-use your tea leaves for a second or third steeping, you will need to steep longer each time. But, taste it to see how strong you like it.
Green tea – You will need to be gentler with your green teas. The water temperature should be around 150-160F or 70-80C and only steeped for 2-3 minutes.
White tea – Another delicate tea that should be treated gently. Water can be a bit warmer than for green tea, at 180F. You should let it steep longer though. At least 4-6 minutes.
Rooibos – This red herbal tea from South Africa is very hardy stuff and should be prepared with fully boiling water, just like black tea. Steep for 5-7 minutes. Can be re-steeped a few times too.
Herbal – With so many different herbs that can be used for herbal tea blends, there is no way to give any temperature or steeping guidelines with any accuracy. Most herbs can be brewed in boiling water and steeped for about 5 minutes. You might need a bit of trial and error to get the perfect cup.
No Thermometer? – If you don’t have a thermometer handy, you can tell the water temperature by watching the bubbles. Small bubbles will float to the surface of the water 160-170F. You’ll see strings of bubbles from the bottom of the kettle at 180-190F. After that, you’ll have a full rolling boil.
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In the latest Gallup poll
62% of respondents are dissatisfied with the current level of immigration in the country. Out of the remaining respondents, 30% said they were satisfied and only 4% said they were very satisfied with the levels and wanted more.
For those that replied very satisfied only one other subject scored lower, the satisfaction level with the nation's current campaign finance laws.
When analyzing satisfied vs. dissatisfied immigration scored 25, fourth from last place. Other issues that placed below immigration in the satisfaction rankings were
- The Social Security and Medicare systems
- The nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness
- The availability of affordable healthcare
I would argue that if you solve the immigration issue the other 3 mentioned above would be greatly improved. Affordable healthcare is being affected as evidenced by the closures of Emergency Rooms in New Jersey
because of uninsured illegal aliens flooding into them and sticking taxpayers with the bill. Another low scoring satisfaction level is with quality of healthcare. It's hard to be satisfied with health care when the hospitals are flooded and you have to wait for 3 hours.
Also noted recently in Barron's is an Underground Economy that consists of nearly $1 trillion dollars that is not taxed. Barron's concluded:
If the IRS could collect all the taxes it says that it is owed from the underground economy in a given year, then the current budget deficit would disappear overnight. And if the IRS could collect these taxes every year, then the nation would have surpluses as far as the eye can see.
Collecting all of the taxes on wages of illegal aliens would go a long way to dealing with poverty and homelessness and for the Social Security and Medicare issues mentioned above.
While solving the illegal immigration problem wouldn't relieve peoples dissatisfaction at the campaign finance reform laws, it would go a long way toward improving a lot of the issues you see people are dissatisfied with in the poll.
The full Gallup poll can be viewed here.
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A mum and son have been banned from keeping animals for five years after their pet dog developed horrifying mange and a condition that turned its eyelids inwards.
A court heard Susan Smith, 54 and her 24-year-old son Brad failed to take their American bulldog Buster to the vets when he developed the debilitating symptoms.
His situation deteriorated and the RSPCA then got involved.
A vet confirmed that ten month-old Buster had been caused unnecessary suffering due to his owners failing to seek adequate treatment for a severe skin condition called demodectic mange, which caused inflammation to his skin.
Barnsley Magistrates’ Court, South Yorks., heard the dogs eyes were the cause of most of his suffering due to his eyelids turning inwards, a condition known as bilateral entropion.
The cruel pair from Barnsley had previously pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two offences each of failing to provide proper and necessary veterinary care and attention for Buster’s demodectic mange, secondary skin and eye infections
The Smiths were handed a 12-month community order and were banned from keeping any animal for five years. They were both ordered to pay £375 costs and a victim surcharge of £60 totalling £435 each to be paid at a rate of £20 per month.
RSPCA inspector Jo Taylor said: “It was heartbreaking to find Buster in this terrible condition.
“His owners were aware of his demodectic mange, and stopped providing treatment for it. Bilateral entropion is an extremely painful condition.
“It was clear to anyone that Buster was suffering and needed further veterinary treatment.”
Buster has now been happily re-homed.
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As a graphic designer here at LACMA, I was excited to see the works of Lester Beall—in my opinion one of the U.S.’ greatest graphic designers—go on view through May 31.
Beall was someone I call a true modernist—with a twist. On the one hand he lived by the credo “form follows function.” On the other, he allowed himself the joy of working with color and pattern. He spurned symmetry, which in his mind contradicted the dynamism of contemporary life, and was well known for bold, imaginative, and yet always radically simple graphics.
He once said that a graphic designer “must work with one goal in mind—to integrate the elements in such a manner that they will combine to produce a result that will convey not merely a static commercial message, but an emotional reaction as well.” This oneness of message is apparent in the series on display at LACMA. Here concept meets form in the most exquisite way.
To me, Beall was also a great translator of European avant-garde graphic design into American modernism. I love the boldness and simple complexity of his posters that always look as if they have designed themselves. I also love his use of pattern and contrast that make his work full of life yet never overdone.
What amazes me, and what I think visitors will discover in this installation, is the timelessness of his pieces and how much we can all still learn from them. By “we,” I mean graphic designers as well as the public and potential clients, who so often don’t understand the importance and power of visual communication.
Maja Blazejewska, Graphic Designer
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Haiti, Guyana to Lead Caribbean Economic Growth in 2014: Report
The United Nations released its annual World Economic Situation and Prospects report this week, which projects GDP growth across Latin America and the Caribbean.
So which countries will take the lead in 2014? Guyana and Haiti, according to the report, much like last year.
Guyana and Haiti are both projected to grow by 4.5 percent in 2014.
In 2013, Haiti grew by 3.5 percent, while Guyana grew by 4.6 percent, according to the United Nations report. (The latter is slightly lower than a recent IMF report which estimated 4 percent growth for Haiti last year).
Overall in the Caribbean region, growth is projected at 3.3 percent in 2014.
Last year, growth for the Caribbean region was estimated at 2.4 percent in 2013, slightly slower than in the last two years.
Note: the UN only made projections for the larger countries in the region.
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Whenever an impressive new technology comes along, people rush to imagine the havoc it could wreak on society – and they overreact.
In the sixteenth century, parliament banned mechanical gig mills, and the hosiers guild ran William Lee out of Britain for inventing a better knitting frame.
In the early nineteenth century, Luddite stocking knitters burned down textile mills in Nottingham out of fear that automation would be the end of good textile jobs.
As stock trading went electronic in the late 1990s, people fretted about how many exchange jobs would be lost in the City.
And the arrival of the web prompted prolonged hand-wringing that the internet could create a “digital divide” between haves and have nots.
This recurring fear of the innovation menace — the notion that a major technological advance will lead to mass unemployment or some other widespread hardship — has never once proved correct.
In the years after the Luddite revolts, Britain grew to be an economic superpower, thanks to the industrial revolution. High-paying jobs in the City only expanded in the new millennium. The digital divide never materialised.
So why are so many technology leaders, pundits, and even economists now trotting out these same failed arguments to support absurd forecasts that artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and other new forms of automation are not merely putting 15m jobs at risk in the UK, but even posing a greater danger to humanity than nuclear weapons?
Several persistent fallacies are at work here.
One is the arrogance of the present. Every time the intellectual menace comes up, the people involved flatter themselves to be, uniquely in human history, the first to recognise the danger innovation poses in this new context.
They dismiss past examples as irrelevant because, they claim, “this time is different”. Except that later, in hindsight, it becomes clear that it never is.
Then there is the human instinct to fear the new and unfamiliar. Our species evolved to pay more attention to risks than to rewards, so when confronted with a new technology, we can’t help imagining how it might hurt us.
Those who see menace in innovation tend to fixate on one specific harm, plausible or not, while failing to imagine all the ways in which modern societies and markets will adapt to the new technology and thrive.
“You can’t prove it will always turn out well!” blurted a much-quoted professor at MIT to me recently when I pointed this out, contradicting his belief that AI will kill jobs. Perhaps not, I responded, but so far in the history of mass technology adoption it always has turned out well for humanity.
Part of the reason that is the case is that big technological changes take more time than most people expect. Indeed, a third fallacy behind the innovation menace is the false belief that a new technology will overturn everything before society can bring it under control.
Scary projections that self-driving cars and trucks will put taxi and lorry drivers out on the street in droves, for example, ignore the realities that those vehicles stay on the road for 15 years or more before they are replaced.
And even if taxi and delivery companies wanted to swap out their fleets for more expensive autonomous kit right away – never mind the economic insanity of that idea – manufacturers wouldn’t be able to ramp up production for years. Remember, the number of self-driving cars on the market today is zero.
And to the technologists who enthrall the Twitterverse with scaremongering that AI poses “vastly greater risks” than nuclear weapons do, my reply is: that insults both our intelligence and the very real dangers that nuclear weapons still pose.
It implausibly assumes that AI will start working massively better than it does today before we learn how to control it. And that an AI can somehow develop motivations totally counter from its programming. And that those motivations will include killing or enslaving us all.
Why should supersmart beings that we created bear us a grudge? It’s not like they compete with us for food or a place to live. Where is the logic in that?
Lastly, it assumes that an AI could acquire the means to pull off its dastardly plan despite the best efforts of its creators to stop it.
Dreaming up god-like powers paired with malevolent intent is fun if you are creating a Marvel movie or a story arc for Games of Thrones. But please, let’s not confuse it with reality.
At the moment, computers are smarter than us in a few very limited ways, like at mathematics and Go playing. They barely equal us in cat-video watching. Yes, they will become more capable in the coming decades. But we will have ample time in those decades to figure out how to put them to good use while avoiding existential catastrophes.
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October is the month of Our Lady’s Rosary, a beautiful devotion that we wish to foster with the students. Mary’s message is important for us at this time. We need her intercession in our country that is desperately in need of unity and hope. We need her intercession in our world that is suffering and in need of peace. Our students will honor Mary in several special ways this month. We will pray one decade of the Rosary together after morning recess each day.
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Two Students Enter AIGA “Get Out to Vote” 2020 Campaign
This year, two students submitted their works and were chosen to be displayed on the AIGA’s website.
Every four years there is a presidential election. Getting people to vote is important to our democracy. Since 2008, Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts, Nancy Wynn, MFA has done her part by participating in AIGA’s (The Professional Association for Design) “Get Out to Vote” campaign. This campaign asks designers, nationwide, to design and produce non-partisan messaging on why it is important to get out and vote. Over the years, designers have submitted posters, animations, postcards, and buttons. All of the work can be seen in the archived galleries on AIGA’s website: aiga.org/vote.
In 2008, Professor Wynn entered three of her own designs, co-created with her husband Robert Dennis who is an advertising copywriter. One of the pair’s posters was chosen to be exhibited at both the Republican and Democratic 2008 conventions. Since then, Professor Wynn has woven the project into her graphic design classes, having students design and produce their own posters, animations, postcards, and buttons. This year, two students submitted their works to be displayed in the online gallery. Graphic Design major, Fiona Casey ’22, entered the work “A Lot on the Line” and Vikku Ponnaganti ’22, from Professor Wynn’s Image-Making and Meaning course, submitted “Closer Look.” Both submissions were accepted.
Casey states that her work “emphasizes the importance of voting and how the outcome can affect the community around you.” Whereas Ponnaganti’s piece addresses everyone’s responsibility, adding “The point of the work is to urge people to take a closer look at either party that people will be choosing in the upcoming Presidential Election and to actually go out and vote. People now are only realizing the power of their vote and if they want to make a change, they must go out and do their civic duty.”
Professor Wynn says, “This year’s students were highly engaged in the election. Our classroom discussion was centered on issues students were personally connected to, but still needed to be presented in a non-partisan way. Most exciting for me was the students listened to their own advice and they voted! I was ultimately proud of that result, as well as proud of their high-quality work.”
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"For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (I Corinthians 11:23- 26).
The Lord's Supper is not the agape, the name of the "love feasts" of the early Christians, the meals provided by the members of the church for religious fellowship and especially for charity for the poor and the widows of the Christian community. Paul made a clear distinction between the Lord's Supper, as a divine institution, which he had received from the Lord, and the agape, concerning which he laid down no regulations, except to ask, when they had turned it into a gluttonous, drunken meal, "Wherefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.... What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you" (I Corinthians 11:20-22).
The Lord's Supper is not a common meal. Those baptized on Pentecost in Jerusalem "continued steadfastly ... in the breaking of the bread" (Acts 2:42). The introduction of the article seems to emphasize here the Lord's Supper as distinct from the social meals of verse 46, where the Christians "shared their food with gladness and simplicity of heart" (R.J. Knowling, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Acts 2:42).
"The Lord's Supper is a commemorative ordinance, a memorial of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross. It is a feast of living union of believers with the Saviour, whereby they truly, that is spiritually and by faith, receive Christ with all His benefits, and are nourished with His life unto eternal life" (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. I, p. 474). "The Supper is a personal fellowship with Christ. Partaking of one bread creates fellowship between the members too; it merges them into one body, the church" (G. Kittel).
This is what Paul was talking about in I Corinthians 10:16, 17, when he asked, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." "It is a thankoffering of our persons to Christ, who died for us that we might live for him" (Schaff, Vol. 1, p. 474), "but it is also an acted sermon, an acted proclamation of the death which it commemorates to proclaim the Lord's death until he comes"' (I Corinthians 11:26).
With what frequency did the Christians in the New Testament, in association with the Apostles and under the guidance and surveillance of the Holy Spirit, eat the Lord's Supper? Luke, in Acts 2:42, says they "continued steadfastly ... in the breaking of the bread, and in prayers." This means, "to persist in adherence to a thing; to be intently engaged in; to attend constantly to; unremitting continuance to a thing; to be devoted to" (Thayer). Some of the translations have it: "They were regularly present" (TCNT). "They were constant in attendance" (Wey). "And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly" (Amp). This is a lesson that nearly half of our people have not yet learned!
In Acts 20:7, we have another example indicating the time on which those early disciples met to eat the Lord's Supper, "and on the first day of the week."
"In the New Testament, the cardinal number one stands for the ordinal number first. This is also true of the Hebrew from which it was derived." Other references in which this is used are: Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; John 20:19. Such scholars as Harper, Moulton, Gesenius, Winer, Thayer, et al, agree, saying, "Like Hebrew it is put for the ordinal" (Acts 20:7).
Sabbaton--the form is plural but the meaning is singular. It came to be equated with week. F.J. Foakes Jackson and Kirsop Lake in Beginnings of Christianity, Vol. IV, p. 202, say: "Similarly, in the New Testament, Sabbaton, or Sabbata , with the meaning of week is used only in the genitive dependent on a numeral to indicate a day (only of Sunday), (Matthew 28: I; Mark 16:2; Luke 24: I; John 20:1; I Corinthians 16:2.)"
The article tebefore mia (points out the one and same day on which the bread was broken. This is strong, if not conclusive argument that the early disciples, in association with the Apostles, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, met every first day of the week for the purpose of eating the Lord's Supper. After all, is this not the purpose for their having come together?
Albert Barnes, Acts 20:7: "Showing thus that this day was the one observed by Christians." "To break the bread" - "Evidently to celebrate the Lord's Supper." "It is probable that the Apostles and the early Christians celebrated the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day."
Expositor's Greek New Testament: I Corinthians 16:2 "connects itself with the statement here in proof that this day had been marked out..... as a special day of worship and for the breaking of the bread."
Pulpit Commentary: "This is an important evidence of the keeping of the Lord's Day by the church as a day for their church assemblies." "To break the bread" - "This is also an important example of weekly communion as the practice of the first Christians - an essential part..... which man may not for any specious reasons omit."
R. C. H. Lenski: "On the first day -- that is, on Sunday." "Much more regarding Sunday as the day of worship is what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, I Corinthians 16:2, for this deals with regular Sunday worship." " I Corinthians 16:2 certainly shows the first day was the day of public worship without which we cannot get along in our Christian life." "The purpose of the gathering was to break the bread."
Alfred Plummer, International Critical Commentary, I Corinthians 11:20ff: "The early Christians seemed to have regarded the Lord's Supper as a commemoration of the resurrection as well as the death of Christ, for they selected the first day of the week for this memorial." He further says: "Paul assumes that the celebration will be frequent, for he directs that, however frequent, it must be guided by the Lord's instructions, so as to keep the remembrance of him unimpaired."
Marcus Dods, The Expositor's Bible, I Corinthians 11:20ff, "On a fixed day, generally the first day of the week, the church assembled, each bringing what he could as a contribution to the feast: fish, poultry, joints of meat, cheese, milk, honey, fruit, wine, and bread. In some places, the proceedings began by partaking of the consecrated bread and wine; but in other places, physical appetite was first appeased by partaking of the meal provided, and after that, the bread and wine were handed around." "Both in the east and the west, the church settled down to the custom of celebrating the Lord's Supper weekly, and for some centuries it was expected that all members of the church should partake weekly."
Justin Martyr (A.D. 110-165, the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 186: "On the day which is called Sunday, all Christians who dwell either in town or country come together to one place. The memoirs of the Apostles and the writings of the Prophets are read for a certain time, and then the president of the meeting, when the reader has stopped, makes a discourse, in which he instructs and exhorts the people to the imitation of the good deeds which they have just heard. We then rise together, and address prayers to God, and when our prayers are ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president, to the best of his ability, offers up both prayers and thanksgivings, and the people assent, saying 'amen', and then the distribution of bread and wine, over which the thanksgivings have been offered, is made to all present, and all partake of it."
G. Kittel, Klao, Acts 20:7 "....within the context of the Pauline mission, the breaking of the bread, which was on the Lord's Day, Acts 20:7, is a cultic meal, elsewhere described by Paul in I Cor. 1 1:20." He then shows that this is "the designation of the Lord's Supper." "... breaking the bread" is one of the titles, perhaps the oldest, for the new liturgical meal of fellowship in primitive Christianity, i.e., the Lord's Supper." "The breaking of the bread in Acts 20:7, which took place on Sunday...."
The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible: "Though we cannot trace the development with any detail, it is no less clear that before the end of the apostolic period, the regular time of meeting of Christians was the first day of the week, Sunday, or as Christians called it, the Lord's Day." "The beginning of the first day of the week the Christian disciples would gather for their own peculiar observances, including the breaking of the bread." "Throughout the early centuries of history, Sunday was universally observed by the celebration of the Lord's Supper, not only as a memorial of the Lord's death, but also of his resurrection."
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: "The celebration of the Eucharist (Lord's Supper) was characteristic of the Pentecostal Church (Acts 2:42), especially upon the Lord's Day (Acts 20:7)."
International Critical Commentary: "On every first day of the week." "This is our earliest evidence respecting the early consecration of the first day of the week by the Apostolic church." "The first day of the week is never called "sabbath" in scripture."
The Expositor's Greek New Testament: "On every first day of the week." This is the "earliest mention of this Christian day, going to show that the First Day, not the Sabbath, was already the sacred day of the church".
Lenski: "Sunday by Sunday." "It is a fair inference that Sunday was the day which was set aside for public worship in the churches which had been founded by Paul."
R. K. Knowling, Expositor's Greek New Testament: "Paul's habitual reference of the words before us ("the breaking of the bread") to the Lord's Supper leads us to see in them a reference to the commemoration of the Lord's death." "That Paul's teaching as to the deep religious significance of the breaking of the bread carries us back to a very early date is evident from the fact that he speaks to the Corinthians of a custom long established. It rested upon the positive command of Jesus. and it must have been generally observed from the beginning."
Albert Barnes: "That is, for the purpose of public worship." This was an act of assembling. "The command, then, here is to meet together for the worship of God, and it is enjoined on Christians as an important duty to do it. It is implied , also, that there is blame or fault where this is neglected."
Expositor's Greek New Testament: "In order to fulfill his injunction, they must not neglect meeting together for Christian worship and encouragement." "Those spoken of in verse 25, as having abandoned meeting together with their fellow Christians, and possibly as having neglected, if not renounced, the confession of their hope, were perhaps alluded to here, as on their way to apostasy. They are warned that they are drifting into an irredeemable condition, for those who have repudiated and keep repudiating the one sacrifice of Christ."
Pulpit Commentary: "Some of them showed signs of such wavering, notably in their regular attendance at Christian worship; let the faithful give heed to keeping faith alive in themselves and others, and especially through the means of the regular church assemblies."
Lenski: "Essential to such incitement to love and good works is the fact that we do not keep abandoning the assembly of our own selves." "The aim of the whole epistle is to counteract the defection from Christianity which had already set in among the Jewish Christian readers. They had begun to revert to Judaism.... We see here that some had begun giving up their fellowship with the church. Thus some were abandoning the meetings, were afraid to be seen attending them, were just remaining away. . . ."
McKnight: "The Apostle here speaks of deliberate apostasy, manifested by the apostate's forsaking the Christian assemblies. In the first age, it was of so heinous a nature, that Christ declared that He will deny the person before the Father, who has denied Him before men."
Although some of the Christians addressed in the Hebrew letter had "endured a great flight of affliction," others had absented themselves from the Christian assemblies, and some had abandoned the cause of Christ altogether. James Moffatt, in The International Critical Commentary, and Albert Barnes, in his Notes on Hebrews, suggest that there were probably a number of reasons why these people were deterred from this important duty of common fellowship. Some were afraid of persecution, and would not, therefore, join themselves to other Christians. Others were absent because they felt no interest in the meetings. Still others had doubts about the necessity and propriety of this duty. There were those who were dissatisfied with Christianity and turned back to Judaism and paganism.
When I first read these statements, for a moment, I thought the author was describing brethren in this generation instead of those who lived in the first century; for their name is legion to whom these expressions pertinently apply. Some had grown ashamed of their faith, because Christianity was insignificant, unpopular, and dangerous to anyone who identified himself with it openly. No doubt, there were among that number some who had grown tired of the sacrifices and hardships involved in embracing Christianity. Some were too involved in their business to meet with other Christians for worship; and still others considered themselves too good to require common worship. It was a false superiority -- a feeling that they could do without public worship, and could worship privately, or at home, just as acceptably. And others it is suggested, felt that they had exhausted the benefits of Christianity and had turned to the philosophies of men. They had decided that it needed supplementing with some mystery cult or with the teachings of some other social or religious system.
When one neglects to meet with other Christians to worship God in honor of Christ, he not only endangers his own spiritual welfare, but he has "trampled under foot the Son of God." This is a very strong term, which means, "to tread upon another, to tread down or under feet" (Arndt & Gingrich). Conquerors in that day literally trampled their enemies under foot. A victorious general would drag the vanquished, defeated leader of the enemy forces behind his chariot, and before a shouting multitude, step roughly and tread triumphantly upon the nape of his neck.
The same word, trample, "katapeteo," is used by Jesus in Matthew 7:6, with reference to hogs that trample under foot precious pearls. When a Christian deliberately, intentionally, forsakes "the assembling of ourselves together," he has done to Christ what hogs do to precious stones in trampling them under foot in the muck and mire of the pig sty.
Furthermore, one who is guilty of forsaking the Christian assembly has "counted the blood of the covenant wherewith He was sanctified an unholy thing." He has treated the blood of Christ as common, and, therefore, with abuse and irreverence. The terms mean, "to desecrate, debase, defile, vulgarize." It is to count common, cheap and ordinary the blood which redeemed Him.
But, more than this, such a person has done "despite to the Spirit of grace." He says, in substance, "You have treated with contempt and reproach and disdain the grace of God which procures your salvation." These sins can not be committed with impunity!
The answer is found in the language of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:6: "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly." Moffatt translates this phrase: "To shun any brother who is loafing." And Williams renders it: "To hold yourself aloof from any brother who is a shirker." Thayer says that this word 'disorderly' is used "of soldiers out of order or quitting the ranks. To be neglectful of duty, irregular." The Analytical Greek Lexicon says: "To infringe military order; to be irregular." Bullinger: "Not keeping the ranks; not in one's place; hence neglectful of duties." Arndt & Gingrich: "Not at one's post. Of irregular religious services." W. E. Vine: "Describing certain church members who manifested an insubordinate spirit...... by idleness." Liddell & Scott: "To neglect one's duty, to fail to discharge obligation."
Brethren, this is command. This is not something optional which is left to our judgment or discretion. It is a command, which, if obeyed, would save more souls, preserve the purity of the church and exalt and increase the respect of the church in the eyes of the world.
I once heard the story that when the father of Brother David Lipscomb died, other members of the family arranged for the funeral service to be conducted on Sunday morning. But Brother Lipscomb informed his family that he would be unable to attend, for he had an engagement with the Lord at that time!
Another thrilling story to me is the one about President James A Garfield's first Sunday in Washington after his inauguration. A member of the cabinet insisted that a cabinet meeting must be called at 10:00 o'clock on Sunday morning to handle a matter that threatened a national crisis. Garfield refused on the grounds of another appointment. The cabinet member then insisted that the national matter was of grave importance, and that the President should break his engagement. Garfield refused. Then the cabinet member remarked: "I would be interested to know with whom you could have an engagement so important it cannot be broken?" Garfield replied: "I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord, to meet Him at His house at His table at 10:00 o'clock tomorrow, and I shall be there."
May God help us to be so dedicated! How many people are there today who would not attend the funeral service of their own father if it interfered with their meeting with other Christians to worship God?
Also see the following:
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The answer to today's Geo Quiz is Mt. Darwin in Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. As The World's David Leveille reports, the mountain was named in honor of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1834 -- his 25th birthday.
In today's Geo Quiz we asked which of these three passages, the Gulf of Aden, the Drake Passage, or the Strait of Malacca, is considered pirate free? The answer is the Drake Passage, off the southern tip of South America.
For today's Geo Quiz we were looking for the zoo where FIVE RARE WHITE TIGER CUBS were recently born. The answer is the Chilean National Zoo in Santiago. Anchor Jeb Sharp finds out more about the white tiger cubs from zoo veterinarian Carolina Ibarra.
The people of Chile voted for a right-wing president yesterday, for the first time since the removal of the military dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1990. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with reporter Gideon Long in Santiago about the way forward for Chile.
Today's Geo Quiz links North, Central, and South America. The answer is the American Cordilleran System. Jacob Thompson and some friends rode the whole thing on their mountain bikes. He tells us about their trip.
Chile is struggling to provide food and water for thousands of homeless people after the devastating earthquake on Saturday which killed more than 700 people. Marco Werman talks with the BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago.
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SRI LANKA-INDIA FERRY SERVICE
A ferry service linking Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, which was established in 2011 but discontinued due to reduced traffic, is expected to resume. The service between Kochi and Colombo will be a purely passenger service, and will later have a freight element included.
This initiative has reportedly been taken due to the growing demand of the people in Tamil Nadu, and the Tamil-speaking north and north-eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
In addition to increasing links between the two countries by sea, this sort of ferry service is said to be one of the cheapest modes of transport in the Bay of Bengal.
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I like on-line quizzes, so I liked the brief quiz put together by the Pew Research Center that measures how my political views relate to those of the political parties, their candidates, and the people around me.
The quiz (a simplified version of a more extensive survey) is only 12 questions. On the results page, you can click on various buttons to see the results broken down according to your views on social v. economic issues, and where you fit in relation to others of your own age, sex, race, and religion.
To take the quiz yourself, click here.
The quiz is a sampling of the Pew’s larger effort to develop a “typology” of Americans’ political views that might describe us more accurately. It’s a worthy effort, and one that all of us weary of red-blue labeling can applaud.
Image: “The Post-Moderns” by John C. Osborn
(Courtesy of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press), 2011.
The poster is one in a series showing the nation’s different political “types.”
To see the other graphics in this series, click here.
To read more about the results of the Pew Center’s study, click here.
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A teacher was teaching little johnny maths in school.
Teacher : if i give you 2 rabbits then 2 more and another 2 how many do you have?
Teacher: No listen again... i give you 2 rabbits another 2 then 2 more how many would you have?
Teacher: ok let me ask you this if i have 2 apples and i give you 2 and another 2 how many do you have?
Teacher : good now if i give you 2 rabbits and 2 more and another 2 how many do you have? Johnny: seven!!
Teacher : where the fuck do you get 7 from!!! Johnny : cause i fucking have one at home!!!
Copy & paste to friend: (Click inside box; Ctrl + C to copy; Ctrl + V to paste)
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised on Friday to seek a political solution to address the ethnic conflict in a post-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sri Lanka, even as a top UN official pressed Colombo to begin process of national reconciliation by accommodating "legitimate" grievances of Tamils.
In a message to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rajapaksa renewed his promise to work towards a political
solution for addressing the grievances of the country's ethnic Tamil minority who share close ties with India.
Indian envoys, M K Narayanan and Shiv Shankar Menon had yesterday met Rajapaksa and sought political solution of
the conflict after the military defeat of the LTTE.
Ahead of UN chief Ban Ki Moon's visit to Colombo, his top aide Vijay Nambiar said: "The process of national reconciliation, we feel, must be all-inclusive so that it can fully address legitimate aspirations of Tamils as well as other minorities".
Ban, who is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on friday night will discuss the condition of nearly 300,000 ethnic Tamil civilians displaced by the war and ask Colombo to check ethnic divisions, said his chief of staff Nambiar. Later in the day, Rajapaksa dismissed attempts to haul him for international war crime charges and said he was even ready "to go to the gallows" for defeating the Tamil rebels.
He said unnamed foreign elements were trying to sabotage the government's military campaign which ended successfully
earlier this week with the complete defeat of the guerrillas.
"There are some who tried to stop our military campaign by threatening to haul us before war crimes tribunals," Rajapakse said before a huge crowd at a public park in front of the national parliament.
Earlier this month, the UK told Sri Lanka that it may face a potential war crimes probe over deaths of civilians in the conflict.
Rajapaksa, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said the Tamil Tigers had been completely defeated and
had no possibility to resume their violent campaign for a separate state.
Congratulating Singh for his re-election to India's top office, Rajapaksa said: "India's role in successfully and resolutely confronting the scourge of terrorism, one of the greatest challenges of our contemporary era, has been a source
of strength to us".
Before his departure to Sri Lanka Ban said he was pained by "the plight of people trapped by fighting and living in terror and grave hardship." He is slated to meet Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on his visit.
Nambiar told reporters here that the UN chief would tour the Manik Farm area in northern district of Vavuniya, where
most of the people displaced by recent fighting are housed.
"It is important that victory becomes a victory for all Sri Lankans," he said, adding, the Lankan government now needs
to hold talks with Tamil leaders to address their genuine demands.
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overviewThe round shape and silver color of its body lend the Silver Dollar a very appropriate name. With a maximum size of 6", they are perfect for the larger community aquarium. This hardy characin will be a great choice for the beginner to the expert aquarist.
A tank of at least 30 gallons will be the ideal environment for this characin. Silver Dollars are a lively schooling fish and best kept in groups of three or more. Rocks, plants, and driftwood help mirror its natural habitat and will help to reduce stress on the fish, though plastic plants may be necessary due to their herbivorous nature. They do best in soft, slightly acidic water with high filtration.
The Silver Dollar will breed occasionally in an aquarium setting and a hospital or "breeding tank" with clumps of floating plants to spawn between will be necessary. Slightly acidic water is best for optimal breeding habits. After the eggs are laid removing the parents will be necessary to reduce the number of lost fry.
Silver Dollars are herbivorous and thus need plenty of vegetable matter in their daily diet. Algae tablets, flake foods or any other suitable foods should be fed multiple times daily, keeping a close watch to make sure they are getting their share from more aggressive eaters such as barbs and tetras.
Approximate Purchase Size: 2" to 2 -3/4"
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From the National Catholic Fishwrap:
"Both a brand new Vatican leak, and one contained in the avalanche of secret documents already published by an Italian journalist, depict deep ambivalence among the pope’s most senior aides about the controversial lay movement the Neocatechumenal Way.
The documents illustrate doubts about both the worship style of the Neocatechumenate, and its missionary activities...
Over the weekend, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica published three new leaked Vatican documents, including a January 14, 2012, letter from American Cardinal Raymond Burke, president of the Vatican’s highest court, to Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State. In it, Burke told Bertone that he had received an invitation to a January 20 celebration of Vatican approval for the Neocatechumenate’s approach to worship.
Burke is widely regarded as among the more conservative prelates in the Vatican, with strong ties to liturgical traditionalists. According to the report, Burke’s letter was sent on Jan. 16 and quickly forwarded to the pope.
According to the text of the leaked document, Burke wrote:
“As a cardinal and a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, I cannot avoid expressing to Your Eminence the surprise this invitation caused me. I do not recall having heard a consultation regarding a particular liturgy for this ecclesial movement. In recent days, I’ve received expressions of concern regarding papal approval, which they already knew about, from various persons, including a respected bishop in the United States. I regarded them as rumor and speculation, but now I’ve discovered they were right. As a faithful student of the teaching of the Holy Father with regard to liturgical reform, which is fundamental for the New Evangelization, I believe the approval of such liturgical innovations, even after the corrections on the part of the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, does not seem coherent with the liturgical magisterium of the pope.”
The document carried a handwritten note from Pope Benedict XVI, dated Jan. 20, which read: “Return to Card. Bertone, inviting Card. Burke to perhaps translate these very correct observations in the Congregation for Divine Worship.”
Events on the same day offered confirmation of Benedict’s sympathy for Burke’s concerns...http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/leaks-confirm-ambivalence-about-neocatechumenal-way
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Can shared ownership mortgages be your best chance of getting a foot on the property ladder?
As house prices keep rising, opportunities for first-time buyers to get a leg up on the property ladder appear to be harder to come by.
The shared ownership scheme, which was introduced by the government, is designed to help families on lower incomes to become home owners.
However, in recent times more and more people from all backgrounds are taking up shared ownership or using the government’s Help to Buy scheme to get on the property ladder.
How shared ownership works
Shared ownership homes are provided through a housing association. They work by offering first-time buyers a share of the property ownership.
You can buy a share of between 25% and 75%, and then pay rent on the remaining share.
The shared ownership scheme is only open to first-time buyers, or those who used to own a home but can’t afford one anymore.
Further to this, the scheme is only open to those on salaries lower than £60,000 per year.
You’ll need a mortgage to help buy the share of the property, but much like the government’s Help to Buy scheme, you can get one with a smaller than average deposit.
Instead of forking out a 10-20% deposit, shared ownership mortgages will usually only require 5% of the property’s value.
Pros and cons of shared ownership
Essentially, the shared ownership scheme can be one of the cheapest ways to get your first step on the property ladder.
The 5% deposit means you’ll only need £7,500 for a property valued at £150,000, and considering you’ll be buying a share, rather than the whole property you can get away with putting up less.
For example, for a 50% share in a property valued at £150,000, you’ll need a deposit of £3,750.
If you can afford to put up more and keep up with the monthly mortgage repayments then it might be worth going for a 75% share, but you’ll need to factor in the cost of rent for the remaining share.
To upgrade your share of the home, you’ll need to have the property valued again. If the price of properties in your area has gone up then it could mean that you’ll be paying more than what you did for the initial share. You’ll also have to pay the valuer’s fee each time you wish to upgrade.
Without having complete ownership of the home, and depending on your local housing association’s rules, you may find difficulty renting out your property should you decide to move on. This could make the idea of moving home tricky, especially if you can’t afford to upgrade your share to 100%.
With prices in the housing market regularly rising a 100% share may be too difficult to attain, so it could leave you forced to stay in the same home for a long time.
However, if you’re confident that you’ll increase your earnings or savings enough to buy the whole of the property, then the shared ownership scheme can be particularly useful.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the local housing association will have first refusal if you decide to sell the property, and their right to buy the property back first will last for a term of 21 years from the date of 100% ownership.
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Spring 2005, Vol. 37, No. 1
Finding Place for the Negro
Robert C. Weaver and the Groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement
By Walter B. Hill, Jr.
As World War II began to intensify in Europe during 1940, the United States, though still neutral, nonetheless began tooling up for war, even though its official entry was nearly two years away.
In June of 1940—the same month the Germans marched into Paris—President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the National Defense Advisory Commission. Its top priority was the equitable employment of all groups of Americans in the rapidly growing defense industries that were producing ships, airplanes, weapons, ammunitions, and supplies for the nation's arsenal.
As the commission began to staff up, Sidney Hillman, head of its Labor Division, turned to a young mid-level Negro staffer in the Department of the Interior. He had made a name for himself in the 1930s, working to ensure that federally funded jobs in the New Deal were available to Negroes, that they would be paid the same as their white counterparts, and that they received the same access to government programs and benefits, such as public housing, that whites were getting.
The staffer was Robert C. Weaver. Decades later, he would become the first African American to be a member of the President's cabinet. But now he was helping to sow the seeds for the historic movements that would lift him into history.
During the war years, Weaver's efforts on behalf of Negroes would focus on the most expansive program in U.S. history: the buildup of the U.S. industrial might needed to win the war against Germany and Japan. His efforts would help shape postwar America and the civil rights movement that would come into its own in the late 1940s through the 1960s.
Born December 29, 1907, in Washington, D.C., to Mortimer and Florence Weaver, Robert Clifton Weaver received his formal education at Dunbar High School. The school possessed a sterling reputation as a leading educator for Negro students in the metropolitan area. Middle-class values and aspirations and contempt for discrimination characterized Weaver's home environment and upbringing. His training at home and at Dunbar prepared him for the rigors of Harvard University, where he completed the degrees of bachelor of science cum laude in 1929, master of arts in 1931, and Ph.D. in economics in 1934.
Weaver returned to Washington in 1933 to enter into the racial politics of the New Deal. His experience during the policy and program formulations of the New Deal prepared him well for the dramatic changes brought on by World War II. Working for Harold Ickes, secretary of the interior (1933–1938), and Nathan Straus, director of the U.S. Housing Authority (1938–1940), as race adviser and special assistant equipped him with the necessary background to become one of the leading theorists on creating nondiscriminatory policy for these federal agencies.
As Weaver prepared to bring his skills and views to defense production, he could draw on seven years of experience in the New Deal, where he not only helped shape policies aimed at providing equity for Negroes in federally funded jobs and the salaries that go with them, but he also learned the intricacies of how government worked, how policy is really made and carried out, and how to make, or at least lay the groundwork for, lasting change in the U.S. Government and American society.
The New Deal and World War II were extraordinary years for African Americans, but not so much because of the discriminatory and segregation practices of the nation and collusion of the federal government. They were extraordinary because of the efforts of a small cadre of white New Deal liberals and Negro leaders within and outside the government who attacked traditions of racial subordination. For it was in the ideas and programs of the New Deal and the momentous events of World War II that Weaver formulated the ideological origins of the modern civil rights movement.
Weaver was clearly positioned as one of the major architects of the racial policies and procedures embedded in government power and action. He targeted housing, education, and employment, becoming a prolific writer and speaker on these topics, while working to improve these structures through his many federal appointments.
Weaver and the New Deal
Entering government service in 1933, Weaver combined a proactive conception of government interacting with the American people, creating economic and social reforms to benefit all, with a quick grasp of the New Deal potential for changing the existing racial structure of American society.
Weaver saw and understood the New Deal as an opportunity to establish needed reforms and knew that there were agencies that could expand the scope and activity of the federal government, particularly those that could benefit Negroes. He also perceived the issues surrounding race if government intervention proceeded, and he focused on how to ensure minority group participation. He recognized early on the need to develop clear and detailed policies and procedures for dealing with fairness and equal opportunity if the new programs were going to reach Negroes. The New Deal afforded Weaver and a host of other well-educated and dedicated Negroes to shape and influence the new terrain of government intervention and race.
It was in the Interior Department that Weaver first focused in on concerns of Negro workers. When the National Recovery Administration (NRA) argued for a regional wage differential, Weaver argued that it was an attempt, particularly by employers in the South, to give Negroes lower wages.
Implicit in the case for lower wages for Negro workers was the idea that they would work for less, had a lower standard of living, and were less efficient than white workers. Weaver rejected this notion and cited studies of the efficiency of Negroes as workers, saying there existed no logical and rational reason for establishing lower wages for Negroes. His campaign drew support from others in government as well as the national Negro leadership and the press. Eventually, the NRA decided not to sanction lower wage and hour standards for Negro workers. Despite this, southern employers used geographical classifications that allowed them to continue the practices of lower wages for Negroes.
Focusing on another New Deal program, the Public Works Administration (PWA), Weaver then looked into whether Negro workers were getting their fair share of PWA jobs. The large government projects were union contracted and existed in "closed shop cities" with rampant discrimination against Negroes. Ickes decided to move on the issue. On September 21, 1933, he sent an order to state engineers of the PWA that called for "no discrimination . . . against any person because of color or religious affiliation." Weaver quickly recognized that the nondiscrimination clause, while helpful, failed to improve the situation. He concluded that to minimize discrimination, there needed to be objective measures.
At Weaver's instigation, PWA contracts for low-cost public housing contained the following clause:
In the employment of labor under the Contract there shall be no discrimination exercised against any person because of color or religious affiliation. For the purpose of determining questions of such discrimination as concerns Negro skilled labor, it is hereby provided that the failure of the Contractor to pay to Negro skilled labor at least 12 per cent of the total amount paid in any one month under the Contract for all skilled labor (irrespective of individual trades) shall be considered prima facie evidence of discrimination by the Contractor against Negro skilled labor. (For the information of the Contractor, the fifteenth census, 1930, showed that 24.4 per cent of skilled laborers employed in the city of Atlanta were Negroes and the above figure of 12 per cent therefore represents merely a minimum percentage limitation to be considered as a matter of evidence only in determining whether the Contractor is guilty of discrimination against the Negro skilled labor under this section.)
Instead of the government having to prove the existence of discrimination, the burden rested on the contractor to show the absence of discrimination. This strategy was also used with some success in contracts involving unskilled Negro labor.
Weaver in World War II
In the summer of 1940, Weaver got a call from Sidney Hillman, head of Labor Division of the National Defense Advisory Commission. President Roosevelt had created the commission in June, and it quickly moved to announce a labor policy in July 1940 that stipulated that no worker should be discriminated against because of age, sex, race, or color. Its Labor Division realized that the integration of Negro workers into defense employment would require federal initiatives and regulatory procedures due to the exclusionary practices of unions and industry.
Hillman called upon Weaver to head a unit in the commission as special administrative assistant on race relations in the Labor Division.
Perhaps the single most critical issue confronting the United States in 1941 was the effective and efficient use of human resource to fight and produce for the war. The Office of Production Management made it known to all defense contractors on April 11, 1941, that "every available source of labor capable of producing defense material must be tapped in the present emergency."
The U.S. Office of Education had earlier in the summer of 1940 initiated a program of defense training and incorporated in its announcement that "in the expenditure of Federal funds, for vocational training for defense there should be no discrimination on account of race, creed or color." This became the standard language put into the legislation for national defense training. Rising discrimination of Negro workers in the training and employment programs and a threatened "March on Washington" pushed the President to issue Executive Order 8802 on June 25, 1941, which in effect outlawed discrimination based on race in the national defense program.
For Weaver, the war in Europe and the national defense program meant a repositioning of the employment landscape of American society not only for the present emergency but also for the future. He believed that the rising racial tensions had much to do with the changing economic structure and status of the Negro in employment and housing. Despite the persistence of discrimination, he saw Negro workers entering new and higher types of occupations, receiving training and education to perform these new employment opportunities, and pressing the government for wider job opportunities.
Racial tensions and conflicts, he concluded, would persist because "preventive measures" had not been taken to avoid them, and the "long neglected issues in racial relation" would continue. Weaver felt that a federally centered program to target the reduction of racial tensions should begin by improving the situations that forced Negroes to feel disconnected from mainstream American life. Such a program should establish fair employment practices to allow greater and equitable participation of Negroes in the war production program and permit them to serve in the military services on the same terms as their white counterparts. These actions, he believed, would enhance greater loyalty among Negroes, giving them a sense that they were wanted and appreciated by their fellow Americans. Weaver felt as strongly as Hillman and the Office of Production Management did regarding the full utilization of Negro manpower for the war effort.
Weaver's vision of a federal program arose out of his training as an economist and his thoughts on economics, class, and race in American society. Based on his experience, thoughts, and notions of the New Deal programs, he perceived the federal government as the one historic institution able to transform society. He understood the war as having far-reaching possibilities to embed further revolutionizing concepts into American society. Weaver believed economics—fear of job security and competition—to be at the core of racial problems in America.
"The black worker has become a symbol of potential threat to the white worker, and the Negro's occupational advancement is consciously or unconsciously feared," Weaver wrote. "This fear has been bred in the economic realities of America."
For Weaver, this fear of black labor grew "out of the American worker's experience with an economy, which has seldom had enough jobs to absorb the labor supply. In such an economy, its development was an inevitable consequence of a caste system which perpetuated the concept of white men's jobs and black men's jobs; while, at the same time, it was used to secure the support of the white worker for such a system."
Weaver viewed the current resistance to advances in the economic and occupational status of the Negro as a challenge to this "accepted color caste system." In the long run, Weaver believed the war provided the nation a platform to take "rapid strides towards achieving equal economic opportunity for the Negro and to avoid the racial conflicts we have recently seen [the Detroit race riot]." He considered the upgrading and expansion of Negro employment as wartime economic necessities that should bring about institutional reforms for the future. He cleverly argued for maximum war production instead of emphasizing equality. In his view, the full utilization of Negro labor equated to some degree of equality and economic justice for working people in general. He also believed that realizing this goal required "conviction and resolution" on the part of the government.
Serving as Hillman's administrative assistant on racial relations, Weaver's primary responsibility centered on the integration of Negro workers into the training and employment phase of the national defense program. His task loomed large because Negro workers were virtually shut out of the national defense program. In the defense industries alone, where shortage of skilled and semiskilled labor had developed, employers avoided Negro labor, and those hired were relegated to janitorial services. On April 11, 1941, Hillman made Weaver chief of the newly created Negro Employment and Training Branch (NETB) of the Labor Division, expanded his staff, and instructed him to report directly to him.
That same month, committed to the idea of securing job opportunities for Negroes in the defense industries, Weaver approached Channing R. Dooley, director of the Training Within Industry (TWI) Service in the Bureau of Training of the War Manpower Commission. Weaver wanted a closer working relationship with TWI, and the two men met on April 24 to discuss how they could work together. Weaver, who was responsible for coordinating and directing the government's approach to the general problem of Negro participation in defense training and employment, wanted Dooley to appoint someone to work on Negro employment. Weaver outlined specific duties for this person and offered precise responsibilities of his office. He further recommended that a memorandum go to TWI field representatives setting forth guidelines and responsibilities in handling employment problems confronting Negro labor.
Roosevelt's Executive Order 8802 also established the Committee on Fair Employment Practices (FEPC). The committee remained under the auspices of the Office of Production Management (OPM) until July 30, 1942, when it was transferred to the War Manpower Commission. It received and investigated complaints of discrimination against workers in defense industries and took appropriate steps to redress grievances where it found them. The committee recommended to the President and government departments measures to ensure participation of minority groups in the national defense program.
The FEPC worked closely with Weaver's unit as the NETB helped Negro workers participate in the training and employment opportunities of the national defense program. Weaver and the Minority Group Branch, headed by Will Alexander within the Labor Division of OPM, worked jointly to perform primary investigations and make employer contacts on complaints involving Negro workers that had been filed with the FEPC. Weaver's unit attempted to find solutions for complaints filed with them, but if that was not possible, the cases went to the FEPC for further action. Weaver acquired additional responsibilities when he and Alexander were appointed to the Federal Labor Supply Committee, which comprised 12 officials of government agencies.
Weaver wanted to highlight those national defense firms adhering to the nondiscriminatory policy and the efforts of the government to combat discrimination. He corresponded with Walter White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People regarding press releases announcing plans to increase Negro labor at specific companies holding government contracts. When the Michigan Chronicle, a Negro newspaper, reported that the Employment Security Review devoted its July 1942 issue to the problems of minorities in the national defense program, Weaver lauded the staff for publicizing a national issue of importance. He stated to John J. Corson, executive director of the U.S. Employment Service, that more of this kind of publication was needed, and the Negro press would certainly do its part to educate and inform the American public about the problems in the national defense program.
In the fall of 1942, Weaver took great interest in the National Smelting Company in Cleveland, Ohio, when his field representative reported that the company had made significant strides incorporating Negro workers in its training and employment programs. His discussions with the vice president of the firm and union officials revealed what he believed to be a fine joint labor and management committee and a long history of working with Negro labor in the area. Weaver attended labor rallies and promotional events of the company. Weaver felt this company demonstrated that nondiscrimination should be part of all overall good labor relations policy.
Exclusion from defense jobs was more than an employment issue, and Weaver's work as chief of the NETB also drew him into the issue of housing. With the developing war in Europe, the U.S. Housing Authority (USHA) shifted its focus from public housing and slum clearance to housing for national defense workers. The public housing program had become the major opportunity for affordable housing for Negroes, but the government's emphasis on housing war workers meant that they had to become a part of this growing labor source to gain from the housing program.
In early 1942 Eleanor Roosevelt communicated with Weaver regarding the slow pace of integrating Negroes in the national defense program, which affected the allocation of defense housing for them. She asked Weaver to investigate the growing problem, and he reported that two principal issues exacerbated the housing situation for Negroes.
The first had to do with Defense Housing Coordination's policy of restricting housing to only in-migration populations, and the second concerned the difficulty in securing available sites for Negro occupancy after housing priorities had been established for defense housing units.
"The crux of the problem seems always to be the fact that even if Negroes are employed, the local reserve of colored labor will be sufficient and no immediate in-migration will be required," Weaver wrote. "Because there is no immediate in-migration, the Office of Defense Housing Coordination has rejected priority application for USHA-aided projects."
Weaver contended that this policy had serious consequences for Negro citizens. Although there was a housing shortage for Negroes, in many locales in-migration of white workers continued to absorb what little housing existed and precluded any extension of Negro areas.
"The failure to replace housing units which have been depleted as a result of demolition incident to the United States Housing Authority projects, makes it extremely difficult for Negroes to move into defense areas when employment opportunities are opened to them in such centers," he said.
Weaver surmised that the failure to provide defense housing units had become a justification to avoid employing Negroes and restricting in-migration to white workers. He concluded that the federal government had to address the problems of securing priorities to construct housing projects for Negro defense workers in the South and securing sites for the construction of such projects in the North and South.
Weaver suggested a conference with Mrs. Roosevelt and other housing and race relations officials to discuss these issues. Prior to the meeting, Weaver and those officials had crafted a statement regarding 55 USHA projects for Negro occupancy that had been held up by the Division of Defense Housing Coordination. Shortly after the January 20, 1942, meeting, Mrs. Roosevelt requested James M. Landis of the Office of Civilian Defense to appeal to the Office of Production Management to complete work on the 55 projects. She made it clear that something must be done because the morale of the Negro population would continue to deteriorate and this, she believed, was detrimental to the war effort.
Weaver served as chief of the Minority Groups Service in the War Manpower Commission in the last two years of his wartime federal service (1942–1944). He continued to work in the area of war housing programs with an emphasis on Negro war workers—housing, training, and employment. Weaver routinely conferred with the National Housing Agency (NHA) on matters of housing Negroes, providing information and opinions relative to the demand for Negro war workers in certain areas around the nation. NHA depended on Weaver's office whenever it encountered resistance and opposition to the establishment of housing facilities for Negroes.
The FEPC also relied on Weaver's expertise and his staff to provide background materials relative to employment issues for Negroes. Other government agencies concerned with gathering information and promoting programs affecting the war effort also called upon Weaver's office for data on Negroes' participation in the war industries and housing programs. In many cases, his office set up and developed their racial policies and programs. In his work with other government offices, Weaver concentrated on positioning his office with the two principal government entities that influenced his work—the War Manpower Commission and the FEPC.
The FEPC heard cases and investigated complaints of discrimination and was also responsible for recommending ways to eliminate discrimination in training and hiring in war production industries. The War Manpower Commission was created to assure the most effective mobilization and utilization of the nation's manpower for war. Weaver wanted to ensure that the new agreement between the two commissions adhered to the principles of Executive Order 9346, which stated that government contractors should not discriminate in hiring.
He recognized that Negroes, although progressing, continued to lag behind in employment statistics. Weaver reported that at the beginning of 1942, they constituted roughly 3 percent of the labor force in plants relative to the war effort. The figures rose by September 1942 to 5.7 percent, by January 1943 to 6.4 percent, and by March 1943 to 6.7 percent. They began to fare better in industries such as shipbuilding and aircraft, despite registering between 4 and 5 percent employment figures in the two industries by the summer of 1943. In January 1944, Weaver had witnessed a steady increase from a virtual shutout to employment and occupational progress.
"As compared to the situation in 1940, the status of Negro employment in the spring of 1943 represents a significant absolute and relative improvement," he said. "On the other hand, the free acceptance and full use of Negro labor were far from being achieved."
Weaver understood that while a dent had made, his vision of full and fair employment would probably require a lifetime of work. He saw the war as opening new dimensions to the American industrial and manufacturing complex, and many questions remained as to the place of the Negro in postwar America.
"Current employment patterns indicate that the pressing future problems will be the acceptance of colored women in industrial employment and the upgrading of the Negro workers," he said. "Economic necessity alone will occasion rapid expansion in the use of Negroes. This will mean more diversified occupational and industrial employment of colored men and women."
* * *
On May 1, 1944, Weaver resigned from federal service. He had come to Washington in 1933 to work for a government and a secretary of the interior who were seeking to change the fabric of government services to the American people through some rather radical and idealistic means.
This is where Weaver must be understood. He became a part of a new and different school of thinking about solutions for America, and in particular the Negro. Young, intelligent, brimming with fresh ideas, and part of the growing well-educated Negro middle class, Weaver epitomized the new Negro intelligentsia emerging in the interwar period (1920–1941). Weaver, like some of his contemporaries, viewed issues of race through the economic structure of American society—a structure that had created a diversified class structure making education and training critical components for Negroes. In an era when "separate but equal" legally ruled and white supremacy was an unwritten ethic, Robert C. Weaver argued that the problems Negroes confronted were economically and politically grounded and coated with traditional historical patterns and beliefs about race. Negroes were not considered an integral part of the national body politic but instead were treated as a group apart.
"So generally accepted has been this approach to the racial problem that many otherwise liberal-minded persons have failed to see the essential paradox of a program ostensibly intended for all the people but which excludes the Negro or makes 'special' provisions for him," Weaver said.
Certainly paradox lay within Weaver's logic because he had to emphasize places for the Negro to be included in the body politic. Even so, he believed that having racial advisers and race relation policy in government were "valid in that it emphasized the importance of keeping race problems in the proper perspective and as a normal consideration of the administrative setup."
In this respect, Weaver viewed problems beyond the matter of race and desired to integrate the special problems of Negroes within the larger issues facing the nation, and this did not mean the establishment of "special treatment of minorities." For Weaver, it meant the expansion and protection of civil rights. He saw low wages, lack of housing, substandard housing, long work hours, unemployment, poor education, and health care not as unique to Negroes but as universal issues for all Americans. He also understood that traditional patterns and thought had attached elements of race to these common problems and influenced leaders to search for racial solutions.
The New Deal and World War II created the environment for a man with a purpose regarding race and class. As Weaver watched the transformation of democracy, capital, and labor, he believed that in the interest of Negroes, he and the other new generation of educated and professional Negroes should design and guide public policy to be inclusive for all Americans. Weaver understood he was in the intersection of race, class, economic change, and social science. As the United States entered a new postwar era, the government, Negroes, and the nation were ripe for a revolution in civil rights. Weaver was a part of the generation that laid the foundation for the ideological debate and discourse that would occur between 1945 and 1965.
His career in the federal government began with the New Deal in 1933 as a "racial adviser" and concluded as the first black member of a President's cabinet (under Lyndon B. Johnson). After leaving federal service in 1944, he returned in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy appointed him to head the Housing and Home Finance Agency (HHFA). Under his leadership, the functions of HHFA and three major housing agencies were combined into one single organization—Housing and Urban Development—and subsequently made a cabinet-level post with Weaver as the first secretary of Housing and Urban Development, serving from 1966 to 1968. After leaving government for a second time, he was president of Bernard Baruch College and professor of urban affairs at Hunter College in New York. He died in 1997.
Note on Sources
This article is dedicated to the American scholar and icon, Dr. John Hope Franklin, a contemporary and fellow Harvard University colleague of Robert C. Weaver's. Dr. Franklin said Weaver was one of the smartest students he met while at Harvard.
Records in the National Archives relating to Robert C. Weaver's federal activities during the New Deal and World War II are found in several record groups. Below is a list of the major series consulted for this article.
Record Group 9, Records of the National Recovery Administration, General Files Unit, Classified General Files, 1933–1935, File Number 581; and Robert C. Weaver, "A Wage Differential Based on Race," transcript, n.d., in Records of the Division of Review, Records of the Tobacco Unit, May–December, 1934–1935, File: Southern Differential—Negro Labor. This article was later published in Crisis, August 1934, pp. 236–239; see also his "The Negro Worker and the NRA," Crisis, September 1934, pp. 262–263, 279.
Record Group 40, General Records of the Department of Commerce, General Correspondence of the Office of the Secretary, 1903–1950, File Number 88449.
Record Group 44, Records of the Office of Government Reports, Records of the Division of Applications and Information, Summaries of WPA and PWA Projects, 1935, contains a breakdown of employment figures for both races.
Record Group 48, General Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Central Classified Files, 1907–1936, File Number 1-280, Part 2, Racial Discrimination, 9/17/35 to 12/21/36.
Record Group 171, Records of the Office of Civilian Defense, General Correspondence, June 1940–May 1942, file: 280, Negroes in Defense, box 90 (for Eleanor Roosevelt's correspondence with Weaver and James Landis in January 1942).
Record Group 183, Records of the Office of Employment Security, Records of Lawrence A. Oxley, Correspondence with Other Government Agencies, 1933–1937, File: Robert C. Weaver.
Record Group 196, Records of the Public Housing Administration, Records of the Intergroup Relations Branch, 1936–1963, File: Correspondence Regarding History of Public Housing for Negroes, box 1. See especially the report, "Employment of Negro Construction Labor on Public Housing Projects."
Record Group 211, Records of the War Manpower Commission, Records of the Bureau of Training, Records of the Training Within Industry Service, General Records, 1940–1945, File: Minority Groups, box 10; and Records of the Reports and Analysis Service, Records of the Historical Analysis Section, Subject—Classified General Records, 1940–1946, 1B4H.
The Schomberg Center Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library holds the Robert Clifton Weaver Papers (Additions), 1930–1987. The collection's oral history interviews with Weaver give insight into his own assessment of his work.
Walter B. Hill, Jr., is a senior archivist and subject area specialist in Afro-American history with the National Archives and Records Administration. He would like to thank Heather McRae, Eleanor Roosevelt High School intern, and Maryellen Trautman, librarian and document specialist with NARA, for their wonderful assistance in the research stage of this project.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for a full-court review of a decision by a three-judge appeals panel that threw out rules forcing cigarette packaging and advertising to display images such as diseased lungs.
The agency in a filing today in the U.S Court of Appeals in Washington said the court's 2-1 ruling finding the regulations violated the free speech rights of tobacco companies under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was wrong and conflicts with a ruling by a federal appeals court in Cincinnati.
The majority on the three-judge panel said in August that the government failed to present any data showing the warnings would cut smoking rates.
"The First Amendment does not require statistical proof of the extent to which the decline in smoking rates resulted 'directly' from the new health warnings," the FDA said in today's filing.
The eight active judges on the Washington-based appeals court heard only one so-called en banc case last term, according to the court's docket.
sued the FDA last year, claiming the mandates for cigarette packages, cartons and ads, passed as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act, violated the First Amendment because the government was using "threats and fear" to motivate people to stop using a lawful product.
'Browbeat Consumers' The Washington court on Aug. 24 ruled that FDA regulations mandating visual-image warnings of smoking's health risks, along with the phone number 1-800-QUIT-NOW, are "unabashed attempts to evoke emotion" and "browbeat consumers" to stop buying the companies' products.
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Picture from The Reporter
急診人生 is a 2D point n’ click casual puzzle game. It is made by a Taiwanese non-profit web media who commits at investigation of any important topics in Taiwanese public field.
The meaning of 急診人生 in English is Life of Emergency Physician. The Reporter makes this game in purpose. As they write on their website, they want Taiwanese “public to recognise the difficulties and problems of emergency room through innovative digital storytelling”. (2015, The Reporter, News Game: The Daily Life of the Emergency Room)
In this game, the player plays as an emergency physician who needs to concern and balance about his physiological needs, hospitalised patients and outpatients. The patients are briefly classified into three levels of triage: green (less urgent), yellow (urgent) and red (resuscitation). Each patients are needed to classify correctly into the right treatment. Whenever the player classifies wrongly, cares less of the hospitalised patients or ignores his physiological needs, the player loses a life out of five. The player has to challenge this situation and save more outpatients as much as possible.
I enjoy the game so much. The first reason is that the gameplay has the ability to instigate the player to keep playing. This game is easy for the player to get in and also get a middle final result. This setting makes the player believing that he/she can get a higher result if he/she does better. The second reason is the intense background music. The background music is Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King which is a classic familiar orchestral song. More outpatients come to emergency room as the melody becomes louder and the pace becomes faster. The game also goes into the final result when the music ends. The compatibility of music and gameplay creates the best experience for the player.
In the game, it clearly points out the problems of Taiwanese health care. It is shown by the green patients, most of them don’t really need to come to emergency room because their health problems can be done in a particular outpatient clinic, even they probably don’t need to come to hospital. I search out for more information about this problem and realise the main reason might be people have wrong knowledge about using medical resource. In Taiwan, government sets up National Health Insurance from taxes. The purpose is to make sure each Taiwanese can have a cheaper price whenever they need medical supports. However, people think they can get better resource and care from hospital rather than clinic, and medical resources are too cheap for them to get it, so they misuse or waste the resources. I think this game has successfully created a value of making the player to reflect themselves and think about the best way of using medical resources.
急診人生 (Life of Emergency Physician) has an extremely inventive idea of bringing player into real emergency rooms. It also has strong message behind the gameplay. Recommending to everyone, we should improve and be aware this problem.
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Charlie Gibbons is an associate with The Brattle Group in San Francisco, CA and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He holds at Ph.D. in economics and a M.A. in statistics from UC Berkeley.
Charlie's primary fields are industrial organization and applied econometrics and his work uses sophisticated statistical analyses to translate economic theory into testable hypotheses. His research topics include market structure, electricity demand forecasting, intellectual property, and election fraud detection. His work has been used for class certification and damage calculations.
As an academic, he has received several fellowships in recognition of his research abilities. Additionally, his teaching experience has developed his ability to communicate complex ideas to non-expert audiences and to place them within a broader context.
Aside from economics, Charlie enjoys politics, hiking, backpacking, hunting, fishing, and college hockey, lacrosse, and football.
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| 246,958
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Pick Your Brain
Definition: This term refers to getting to know someone's thoughts on a subject.
Example: Can I pick your brain about that topic for twenty minutes?
Usage of "Pick Your Brain" by Country
Details About Pick Your Brain Page
Last Updated: May 14, 2015
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Comprehensive DescriptionRead full entry
Ceratitis lobata Munro, 1933Ceratitis (Pterandrus) lobata Munro
Ceratitis lobata Munro, 1933b: 38.
Body length: 4.20 (3.75-4.55) mm; wing length: 4.25 (3.80-4.50) mm.
Antenna yellow (sometimes yellowish orange). First flagellomere 2-3 times as long as pedicel. Arista with short to moderately long rays; basoventral rays shorter and sparser than basodorsal rays. Frons convex; yellowish white to yellow, rarely with darker yellow patches near frontofacial angle and in center; with short scattered setulae distinctly darker than frons. Frontal setae usually well developed, sometimes ventrally more poorly developed. Face yellowish white. Genal seta and setulae pale or reddish, latter poorly developed. Occiput on dorsal part yellowish brown to brown colored, except along dorsal margin. Thorax:
Postpronotal lobe yellow, with brownish spot, sometimes not prominent. Scutal pattern:
ground color brown, occasionally black, microtrichose areas silvery with ashgray shine, spots brownish black or black except poorly developed sutural yellow spots, prescutellar yellow markings merged or separate. Scapular setae dark. Scutellum yellowish white, basally with two merged dark spots, apically with three merged black spots, weakly incised, extending to basal spots or almost so. Anepisternum on ventral half darker yellow; setulae pale. Legs:
Yellow except where otherwise noted; setation typical for subgenus, mixed pale and dark. Foreleg:
coxa with tuft of silvery setulae ventrally; femur yellow except dorsally on basal half black; anteroventrally with dense comb of silvery setulae along entire length; posteriorly with poorly developed bush of long palish setulae along entire length, posterodorsal setulae and row of dorsal setulae on distal half longer, basally darker setulae, occasionally all setulae more palish; ventral setae pale. Midleg:
femur anteriorly with silvery oblique line on distal 0.33, silvery shine conspicuous when viewed from certain angle; ventrally with dispersed long pale setulae; midtibia ventrally with dense white pilosity. Hindleg:
femur at apical 0.25 with longer setulae dorsally and ventrally. Midfemur and hindfemur anteriorly with brownish patch on ventral half. Wing:
Pattern; bands yellow and brown; with incised loba on ventral apical part. Marginal band forming continuous band with anterior part of discal band; cubital band free; medial band absent; crossvein R-M proximal to middle of discal cell. Apex of vein R1 distal to level of crossvein R-M. Crossvein DM-Cu oblique anterobasally. Abdomen:
Mostly yellow. Tergite 1 yellow with brown patches posteriorly; tergites 2 and 4 with silvery transverse band along posterior half; tergite 3 posterior half brown; tergite 5 yellow with brown patches laterally; sometimes abdominal tergites generally with darker brown appearance. Setation and banding typical for subgenus.
Male epandrium in lateral view distinctly broadened; posterior lobe of lateral surstylus with base broadened, apical end sharply pointed.
As male except for the following characters:
Frons yellow, darker patches more distinct. Slight darker coloration along gena. Genal seta and setulae dark and well developed. Ventral half of anepisternum brown, with dark setulae posteriorly. Legs without feathering, dark yellow, femora more orange-brownish; pilosity and ventral setae of forefemur dark. Wing banding usually darker than in male; without incised lobe. Abdomen sometimes more extensively brownish colored. Oviscape shorter than preabdomen. Aculeus at least eight times longer than wide; tip in lateral view ventrally curved, pointed, and with lateral margin straight.
(Description after De Meyer & Freidberg, 2006)
See description of Ceratitis lobata Munro, 1933 in source PDF.
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School Summer Reading Assignments
Summer means fun, sun, vacation, and when you have children in school...summer reading assignments. HTFL makes an effort to have available copies of local schools' reading lists and as many copies of titles on the lists as we can.
Go directly to:
While HTFL tries hard to provide multiple copies of school summer reading books, we might not have the particular title you are looking for, so we recommend flexibity in your selections.
If you'd like to check if the title you're interested is available before coming to the Library, please visit our Catalog. Type in the title of the book in the search box, select HTFL from the location box and click SUBMIT.
Check the item status, if it says "Check Shelf" the item is available on the shelf to be checked out.
If the title you're looking for isn't available, simply click REQUEST and enter your library card information and you'll be placed on a waiting list for the item!
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Robert Kagan of The Brookings Institution (and the Reagan Administration among many other posts) has an interesting piece entitled “Against the Myth of American Decline at The New Republic (of all places!):
Is the United States in decline, as so many seem to believe these days? Or are Americans in danger of committing pre-emptive superpower suicide out of a misplaced fear of their own declining power? A great deal depends on the answer to these questions. The present world order—characterized by an unprecedented number of democratic nations; a greater global prosperity, even with the current crisis, than the world has ever known; and a long peace among great powers—reflects American principles and preferences, and was built and preserved by American power in all its political, economic, and military dimensions. If American power declines, this world order will decline with it. It will be replaced by some other kind of order, reflecting the desires and the qualities of other world powers. Or perhaps it will simply collapse, as the European world order collapsed in the first half of the twentieth century. The belief, held by many, that even with diminished American power “the underlying foundations of the liberal international order will survive and thrive,” as the political scientist G. John Ikenberry has argued, is a pleasant illusion. American decline, if it is real, will mean a different world for everyone.
But how real is it? Much of the commentary on American decline these days rests on rather loose analysis, on impressions that the United States has lost its way, that it has abandoned the virtues that made it successful in the past, that it lacks the will to address the problems it faces. Americans look at other nations whose economies are now in better shape than their own, and seem to have the dynamism that America once had, and they lament, as in the title of Thomas Friedman’s latest book, that “that used to be us.”
The perception of decline today is certainly understandable, given the dismal economic situation since 2008 and the nation’s large fiscal deficits, which, combined with the continuing growth of the Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Turkish, and other economies, seem to portend a significant and irreversible shift in global economic power. Some of the pessimism is also due to the belief that the United States has lost favor, and therefore influence, in much of the world, because of its various responses to the attacks of September 11. The detainment facilities at Guantánamo, the use of torture against suspected terrorists, and the widely condemned invasion of Iraq in 2003 have all tarnished the American “brand” and put a dent in America’s “soft power”—its ability to attract others to its point of view. There have been the difficult wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which many argue proved the limits of military power, stretched the United States beyond its capacities, and weakened the nation at its core. Some compare the United States to the British Empire at the end of the nineteenth century, with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars serving as the equivalent of Britain’s difficult and demoralizing Boer War.
With this broad perception of decline as the backdrop, every failure of the United States to get its way in the world tends to reinforce the impression. Arabs and Israelis refuse to make peace, despite American entreaties. Iran and North Korea defy American demands that they cease their nuclear weapons programs. China refuses to let its currency rise. Ferment in the Arab world spins out of America’s control. Every day, it seems, brings more evidence that the time has passed when the United States could lead the world and get others to do its bidding.
Go read the whole thing… the long and the short of it is that our decline has been and will be by choice and that our current age of pessimism feeds the perception of decline. This is one reason why 2012 is so important… even if we lose the White House a down ballot landslide in favor of Reason (the GOP with plenty of Tea Party spice) can help put a stop or begin the process of reversal. Of course we will most likely win the White House and we need some Reaganesque optimism as well.
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“What are personal experiences you have made that make you optimistic about Europe?” I have asked this question to people from all over Europe in the past few weeks.
The focus was not so much on impressive facts and figures. I was more interested in personal experiences and what is personally important to people about a united Europe. Some related “Europe” to life on the European continent more generally. However, the majority of responses referred to optimism regarding the European Union.
People from countries such as Austria, Germany, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Romania and UK shared their individual stories via email, on Facebook, Discord and Reddit.
What follows is an attempt to bring together all those reasons why to be optimistic about Europe. Even if the EU has its downsides, this article serves to highlight the positive aspects. It therefore focuses exclusively and with pleasure on the positive experiences.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed and aim to feature everyone’s voices as much as possible in this article.
1 Cultural variety as a superpower
Europe consists of a unique patchwork of national, regional and local cultures. An example to illustrate this diversity: The European Union – a place smaller than Australia and half the size of the U.S. – has 24 official languages and more than 60 regional and minority languages.
“The cultural variety within this little space we call Europe is so great that we have like a superpower. When I drive 50km no matter the direction I see a different culture. Sometimes a different country and sometimes just a different culture within my national borders.” (Matthew)
“I feel very lucky to be able to experience different cultures.”– Katie from Ireland
Many people share Katie’s appreciation and also Matthias from Malta writes: “I think what is making me most optimistic is the people, the diverse people of Europe.”
2 Travelling is such a breeze
Many of us have come to enjoy the benefits the EU brings to us as travellers. There are no currency changes within the Eurozone and – apart from Corona times – hardly any border controls. If you come from outside the EU you only need one visa to enter more than 26 states. As a European citizen, you do not need one at all. You also benefit from Europe-wide health insurance cover and mobile data on your phone without skyrocketing roaming charges.
“I travelled before Romania joined the EU and also outside of Europe. Travelling inside Europe is such a breeze.”
Next to the practical ease, Katie points to another crucial point that makes Europe so appealing to her: “I feel safe and free when I travel around Europe.”
In addition, people appreciate the overwhelming offer of travel destinations all year round in Europe. Even though we often complain about the weather in many parts of Europe, every season has its charm: Winter comes with Christmas markets, the skiing season and Northern Lights. The almond blossom on Mallorca ushers in spring. In summer, you can relax on beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts. And autumn awaits you with a gorgeous Indian summer in Scotland, Poland or South Tyrol.
3 Studying and working anywhere
“I have been allowed to study, travel and work abroad in the EU and to meet people from outside the EU, and I have been confronted with how many problems I could have had if the EU wasn’t there (VISA, money, not-recognised titles of study etc…), so I believe in this project.” (Lorena).
Several million students have enriched their studies with an Erasmus exchange semester. The Erasmus programme is a European funding scheme which – amongst others – supports students to spend some time during their studies at another European university.
Lorena pointed me to the Erasmus Impact Study conducted in 2014 which discovered an unexpected, pleasant side effect: Almost a third of the respondents said they had met their long-term partner while being on Erasmus! It is estimated that about 1 million Erasmus babies have been born to Erasmus couples since the programme was founded in 1987.
Besides studying, many people also move within the EU for work-related reasons.
“A lot, and I do mean a lot of colleagues found way better-paying jobs in the west.”
Apart from the freedom to take a job anywhere in the EU, you can be sure of relatively high working standards there. Matthew spells out some of the perks of this:
“The very high living standard, while having chilled working hours, making life really livable. Vacations that are long enough to really come down. Health care that makes you feel secure, while not eating up every cent you have when something happens.”
4 The art of debate
Matthias once met a student from Kosovo at the model EU simulation (a one-week conference where participants simulate the European legislative process). They discussed the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which are marked by a history of ongoing conflict and tension. Matthias recounts the story:
“I had the pleasure of hearing a student from Kosovo talk about how their professors are teaching them the art of debate and politics. […] The professors wanted them to debate as people from Kosovo and Serbia. The student explained that the professors did this to help them understand the other’s side. To understand a bit more why they say or do certain things, to try and put aside your personal anger and hatred in order to find a common ground to walk side by side in a peaceful manner and coexist. I found this very touching and beautiful. The ability to be pragmatic, progressive, and tolerant.“
Besides Matthias, many others appreciate the EU’s ideal of democratic cooperation between the various member states. The European Union is promoting the search for common ground – despite all differences – through healthy, democratic dialogue. This is an enormously ambitious undertaking. Or as Lorena from Italy puts it: “The ideal of cooperation and democracy is quite a grand project; a vision to be undertaken with inexhaustible enthusiasm, which the world seems in dire need of.”
Not only is it an impressive vision, but it is an approach that has already repeatedly led to fruitful results.
5 Laws for vacuum cleaners
An often rather unnoticed side of the EU is its laws. Nevertheless, European laws are all over our daily lives, such as laws on reducing plastic bags, on travel protection for all-inclusive holidays, on what a “Pizza Napoletana” is and on warning labels on cigarette packages.
But it’s about more than just a few funny, reasonable or exaggerated laws of the EU. It is about the legislative power of the EU in a broader sense. A Dutch person recalls:
“I remember people being offended by the EU deciding that the wattage of a vacuum had to be turned down. People were scared they sucked less. But what the EU did was to force manufacturers to design a different model (be less lazy tbh) so that the wattage should be half than normal, but it still sucked the same. Sounds stupid, but they did it. And overall, a lot of wattages are being saved, it adds up a lot.”
Another user affirms: “Free markets do work but need rules to cultivate healthy business practices.”
This writer from France is also mainly optimistic about the European Union because it does not depend on a few strong personalities:
“In fact, people often blame ‘the bureaucrats in Brussels’, but I think that they are precisely the reason why it works and can lead to good things. European institutions and law processes go beyond individuals and peoples. I know I can’t trust individuals and mobs, but I can trust how the EU works. I know it can be slow and sometimes strange, but overall, it works. It may not be very inspiring, but that’s still a strong and healthy basis for the future.”
6 Not just a matter of Europe but the world
Several people link the EU’s success to the achievement of global goals, especially regarding environmental protection and climate change.
They are optimistic about a strong and united EU because they consider it a necessary step in tackling global problems.
Philippe is speaking, I believe, for many when he says: “I hope that Europe will serve as an example for a more united world with the same objectives. It is the only way to overcome social and planetary problems. Being concerned only about one’s country is no longer tolerable these days. We are all connected. We are one.”
7 From bloody wars to a common parliament
It is all around us and yet in our daily lives, we often forget that we have it: peace.
Preserving peace has been a founding pillar and one of the biggest achievements of the EU. Quite a few people mentioned lasting peace as a crucial reason to be optimistic about Europe.
Someone noticed for example: “The fact that we managed to create something that ensures peace, stability and prosperity. European Nations were slaughtering each other not even a century ago and now we are under the same political and economic umbrella.”
The last seven decades have been a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity for a continent with a long history of bloodshed. Or as a Reddit user from Poland put it in a nutshell, what makes him/her optimistic: “It still exists.”
8 Shared enthusiasm
Lastly, many people feel happy because of the growing number of people who are equally optimistic and positive about Europe.
“It is encouraging how much positive emotion is attached to the idea of a united Europe”– Klaus, from Germany
Klaus experienced this rousing positive atmosphere in Budapest when an anti-Orban protest turned into a pro-European demonstration.
“We attended the [anti-Orban] demo on the castle hill right in front of Orban’s residence. Besides ours, there were a few European flags, but mostly anti-Orban messages. And then we started to distribute the little 10” by 5” paper Europe flags, hundreds of them. And people loved them. The crowd had visibly turned into a Pro-Europe crowd. People waving our little flags and sporting the Pulse of Europe buttons everywhere.”
There is a rise of organisations that bring people together across all differences for the common cause of Europe. People identify with Europe and at the same time, they are “proud too, of their cultures and their homelands”, someone from Greece appreciated.
“This […] movement gives me hope for a further rise in Pan Europeanism. I am optimistic about our future.” – Matthias
Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for sharing their story.
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Scope and Content of Collection
Title: William D. McElroy Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 483
Mandeville Special Collections Library
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
Language of Material:
10.4 Linear feet
(19 archives boxes, 11 oversize folders, 6 art bin items)
Date (inclusive): 1944 - 1999
Papers of William David McElroy (1917-1999), professor of biochemistry, the fourth chancellor (1972-1980) of the University
of California, San Diego; and former director (1969-1971) of the National Science Foundation. McElroy's significant contributions
to biology include isolating and crystallizing the compounds that enable firefly luminescence and for his subsequent research
into bacterial bioluminescence. He also wrote, spoke, and worked on problems in areas of environment, pollution, food production,
science education, and international science. The papers largely document McElroy's scientific research and include correspondence
with the scientific community, various biographical materials including awards and photographs, writings and reprints related
to biochemical and scientific investigation, research materials on bioluminescene, UCSD teaching materials, and speeches given
both as chancellor and as director of the National Science Foundation.
McElroy, William David, 1917-
Scope and Content of Collection
Papers of William D. McElroy, biochemist, UCSD chancellor (1972-1980) and director (1969-1971) of the National Science Foundation,
largely document McElroy's scientific research on bioluminescence. Materials include laboratory data notebooks, bioluminescence
research materials, correspondence, and scientific writings. Biographical materials include newspaper clippings, photographs
and scrapbooks, especially documenting his trip to China in 1979. The papers contain McElroy's speeches and lectures delivered
as director of the National Science Foundation and as chancellor of UCSD, as well as teaching materials from John Hopkins
University and UCSD. The papers are arranged in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4)
RESEARCH MATERIALS, 5) TEACHING MATERIALS, 6) SPEECHES AND LECTURES, and 7) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS
The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS series, arranged in three subseries, consists mainly of memorabilia materials. The subseries are:
A) General, B) Certificates and Awards, and C) Letters of Congratulation.
A) The General subseries, arranged alphabetically, includes biographical material ranging from McElroy's early years at Johns
Hopkins to his post-UCSD emeritus years. Materials include curriculum vitae, newspaper clippings, photographs, and memorabilia
B) Materials in the Certificates and Awards subseries include fellow, alumnus, and distinguished membership recognitions from
1959-1990. The items are in alphabetical order.
C) The majority of the correspondence in the Letters of Congratulation subseries, arranged alphabetically, is related to McElroy's
appointment as director of the National Science Foundation in 1969.
SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series is arranged in two subseries: A) Alphabetical and B) Chronological.
A) The Alphabetical subseries includes correspondence between McElroy and other scientists, colleagues, UCSD staff, and various
persons in the scientific community. Also included are the board of director meeting minutes from the Charles Lee Powell Foundation
and the UCSD Cancer Center.
B) The Chronological subseries contains McElroy's outgoing correspondence for the years 1975-1989.
SERIES 3: WRITINGS
The WRITINGS series includes three subseries: A) Numbered Reprints, B) Unnumbered Writings, and C) Reports.
A) The Numbered Reprints subseries includes reprints on McElroy's publication list located at the beginning of the subseries.
A large majority of the reprints are not included. The Reprints have been arranged chronologically by their publication dates.
B) The Unnumbered Writings subseries, arranged alphabetically by title, gathers manuscripts and typescripts of works by McElroy
not listed on his publications list.
C) The Reports included in the third subseries are documents McElroy produced while working with the National Institute of
Health, the National Science Foundation, and Johns Hopkins University Long Range Planning Committee.
SERIES 4: RESEARCH MATERIALS
The RESEARCH MATERIALS series is arranged in three subseries: A) Laboratory Notebooks, B) Bioluminescence - Miscellaneous
Materials, and C) E. Newton Harvey Manuscript Materials.
A) The Laboratory Notebooks subseries consists of early laboratory log books related to bioluminescence research and experiments
done between 1952-1962 at Johns Hopkins University. The notebooks are arranged chronologically and represent the work of several
B) The Bioluminescence subseries contains extensive visual material including photographs, films, and newspaper articles.
The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject.
C) The E. Newton Harvey Manuscript Materials subseries contains the manuscript and research materials that Dr. Harvey wrote
for his unpublished book entitled "Fireflies in Folklore and Fantasy". The subseries contains correspondence, typescript drafts,
illustrations, notes, and other research sent to McElroy after Harvey's death in 1959.
SERIES 5: TEACHING MATERIALS
The TEACHING MATERIALS series contains two subseries: A) Johns Hopkins University and B) University of California, San Diego.
A) The materials contained in the Johns Hopkins University subseries consist of lecture notes, syllabi, and exams from biochemistry
courses McElroy taught from 1952-1965.
B) The University of California, San Diego, subseries comprises correspondence, handouts, lecture notes, and exams for Marine
Biochemistry 185 from 1981-1986 after McElroy resigned as chancellor.
SERIES 6: SPEECHES AND LECTURES
The SPEECHES AND LECTURES series includes chronological indexes at the beginning of every section and is arranged chronologically
in two subseries: A) National Science Foundation and B) University of California, San Diego.
A) The National Science Foundation subseries contains statements that McElroy issued as NSF Director (1969-1971) before several
United States government subcommittees and departments. Also included are various remarks McElroy gave at meetings, commencements,
and as a lecturer.
B) The materials in the University of California, San Diego subseries are copies of remarks, speeches, lectures, and addresses
McElroy gave as UCSD Chancellor between 1972-1980. Also included is a folder containing remarks McElroy gave as a biology
professor after returning to research.
SERIES 7: ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES
The ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES series contains the originals of brittle or high acid content documents that have
William "Bill" McElroy was born in Rogers, Texas, in 1917. He received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1939,
where he played football from 1938-1939. He obtained a master's degree from Reed College in Oregon in 1941 and a doctorate
from Princeton University in 1943 both in biology, but it was at Princeton where McElroy first investigated bioluminescence
under the mentorship of E. Newton Harvey. McElroy received 12 honorary degrees including those from University of Notre Dame,
Johns Hopkins University, the University of San Diego, and the University of Bologna in Italy.
McElroy served two years with U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development after Princeton before joining the faculty
of Johns Hopkins University in 1946 and shortly after was the director of the McCollum-Pratt Institute for twenty years and
chairman of the department of biology from 1956 until 1969. His studies of bioluminescence by elucidating the mechanisms of
living organisms into producing light were his most significant contributions to biochemical research at Johns Hopkins. His
position at the Institute enabled him to build a solid foundation of teachers and researchers, and to achieve worldwide recognition
in the scientific field.
His concern for an enlightened public understanding of science was also exemplified later when he was appointed the director
of the National Science Foundation in 1969.
While at the NSF, McElroy worked to achieve more federal support for scientific research, while responding to societal needs.
He also worked to cultivate the collaborative efforts between academic and industrial research initiatives.
In 1972, McElroy resigned as NSF Director to become chancellor at UCSD.
Although his research and training were scientifically based, McElroy encouraged expansion of the arts, humanitites and social
sciences at UCSD. He established the Board of Overseers, a group of San Diego advisors, and greatly increased the University's
outreach to the San Diego community. He also enhanced UCSD's research budget, oversaw the construction of the Gildred Cancer
Center and Mandeville Auditorium, and guided the establishment of Earl Warren College. From 1975-1976, McElroy served as president
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, succeeding anthropologist Margaret Mead. He also served as a consultant
to the Atomic Energy Commission and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
McElroy resigned as chancellor in 1980 to return to research, writing, and teaching biology. For the next seven years, McElroy
along with his wife, biochemist Marlene DeLuca, continued research on bioluminescence by identifying the enyzme luciferase
in fireflies. The subsequent research resulted in 200 original scientific articles and numerous books and the creation of
luminescent bacteria using gene research. Marlene DeLuca passed away in 1987.
Even today, McElroy's and DeLuca's research has led to new medical diagnostics and supplemented AIDS research. His leadership
at UCSD also led the university through a critical time of growth and expansion. William McElroy died on February 17, 1999.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
William D. McElroy Papers, MSS 483. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Materials contained in Box 1, Folder 9 have been restricted by the donor. Additional materials containing personal information
are restricted. Also, original films are restricted; patrons must request user copies be produced.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Harvey, E. Newton, (Edmund Newton), 1887-1959
University of California, San Diego -- History -- Archives
Biology--Study and teaching
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Deep in the deepest jungles ...
Tikal is a multi-player Euro game requiring strategy
and resource allocation. Ideally, it is a four-player game, but
three may play. Each player receives 18 explorers, worth one
point apiece, and a leader worth three, for exploring the lost
city of Tikal. Players randomly develop the board, so no two
games are identical. Each turn consists of players bidding to
choose: a) who goes next; and, b) which board tile will be played.
A player who passes the bidding may not re-enter, but bidding
continues until all players have passed but one. The high bidder
chooses the tile to play from an initial selection of four (in
a four person game) and places it on the board. That player then
spends 10 movement points. These may be used to move from tile
to tile, dig for treasure, develop a temple level or build base
camps. There are four scoring rounds. Strategy is very important
in choosing the right expenditure of movement points and bidding
for tile and turn. Leadership in victory points can change quickly
and on any round, which keeps the game exciting throughout for
all players. A typical game lasts less than two hours depending
upon the skill of the players and their familiarity with the
game. Allow at most two hours per round for this event.
All rounds at WBC will involve bidding, rather than random
tile draw. There will be three initial heats. Semi-finalists
will be the top16 players according to the WBC HSWG TIE-BREAKERS
format, which will be strictly enforced. Notice this no longer
means win one, and you are in. Exactly 16 players will advance
to the semi-finals from where four will advance to the Final.
Both the Semi and Final will be scheduled for two hours only.
ADVANCEMENT TIE-BREAKERS: In Multiple Entry, Single
Elimination events for multi-player games, players possibly qualify
for Single Elimination play in the second round by winning any
of up to four preliminary Heats. Occasionally, players may advance
wihout winning a heat. Players can enter one or more Heats without
limit. All events for most multi-player games consist of three
rounds; an opening Round consisting of two to four Preliminary
Heats, a semi-final and a Final. The sem-ifinal round will advance
a predesignated optimum number of players to fill the second
round; i.e., 25 players for a five-player game, 16 players for
a four-player game, etc. but in all cases will advance no more
than half of all players which participated in the Preliminaries.
If insufficient players advance to warrant a semi-final round,
the scheduled semi-final will instead become the Final.
Heats: Most Win (HSW) Tiebreakers -
- This is a "Heat, Single Wins" (HSW) event. Ranking
(tie-breakers) for advancement to the semi-finals will be as
- Win in first heat entered
- Most Wins
- Win in second heat entered
- Win in third heat entered
- Quality Seconds (as % of first place score)
- The GM will post a list on the Kiosk as soon as possible after
each heat to show the top player rankings. Be sure to check the
Kiosk if you are interested in advancing. No-shows in semi-finals
and Final will be filled with the players next in order.
Play Clarifications: Bidding starts in the first round
with a random player. After that, bidding begins each and every
time with the person to the left of the player who last placed
a tile. The player winning the volcano plays 10 points and scores
and then each player to his/her left plays10 points and scores.
When all players have scored, the volcano player places the volcano
on the board and then plays an additional 10 movement points
and then bidding resumes.
The final scoring round is played in reverse point order (lowest
to highest). Any two players tied prior to the final scoring
will play in order of prior scoring round with the lower player
going first. GM or assistants will clarify any rules questions.
Seating in heats will be random, but may be adjusted to avoid
conflicts. Semis will be assigned seating based upon seeding
and designed to avoid as many conflicts as possible. Players
are encouraged to play in multiple heats, since winning does
not automatically guarantee a spot in the semis.
1 Placing a new campsite does not require
a worker present.
2 A worker may move and take other actions
after uncovering a temple level or recovering a treasure.
3 It requires two different workers to uncover
two temple levels or recover two treasures, but they do not have
to be there at the same time.
4 A player may only place two temple guards
during the game.
5 Volcanoes must be placed adjacent to any
other hex with no requirement for stones as they cannot be entered.
A non-volcano hex may not be placed next to only a volcano -
it must be reachable from an existing non-volcano hex.
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Richard Lindzen and many others have long maintained that climate science promotes alarm in order to secure funding. For example:
Regarding Professor Nordhaus’s fifth point that there is no evidence that money is at issue, we simply note that funding for climate science has expanded by a factor of 15 since the early 1990s, and that most of this funding would disappear with the absence of alarm. Climate alarmism has expanded into a hundred-billion-dollar industry far broader than just research. Economists are usually sensitive to the incentive structure, so it is curious that the overwhelming incentives to promote climate alarm are not a consideration to Professor Nordhaus. There are no remotely comparable incentives to the contrary position provided by the industries that he claims would be harmed by the policies he advocates.
I’ve always found this idea completely absurd, but to prep for an upcoming talk I decided to collect some rough numbers. A picture says it all:
Notice that it’s completely impractical to make the scale large enough to see any detail in climate science funding or NGOs. I didn’t even bother to include the climate-specific NGOs, like 350.org and USCAN, because they are too tiny to show up (under $10m/yr). Yet, if anything, my tally of the climate-related activity is inflated. For example, a big slice of US Global Change Research is remote sensing (56% of the budget is NASA), which is not strictly climate-related. The cleantech sector is highly fragmented and diverse, and driven by many incentives other than climate. Over 2/3 of the NGO revenue stream consists of Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy, which are not primarily climate advocates.
Nordhaus, hardly a tree hugger himself, sensibly responds,
As a fifth point, they defend their argument that standard climate science is corrupted by the need to exaggerate warming to obtain research funds. They elaborate this argument by stating, “There are no remotely comparable incentives to the contrary position provided by the industries that he claims would be harmed by the policies he advocates.”
This is a ludicrous comparison. To get some facts on the ground, I will compare two specific cases: that of my university and that of Dr. Cohen’s former employer, ExxonMobil. Federal climate-related research grants to Yale University, for which I work, averaged $1.4 million per year over the last decade. This represents 0.5 percent of last year’s total revenues.
By contrast, the sales of ExxonMobil, for which Dr. Cohen worked as manager of strategic planning and programs, were $467 billion last year. ExxonMobil produces and sells primarily fossil fuels, which lead to large quantities of CO2 emissions. A substantial charge for emitting CO2 would raise the prices and reduce the sales of its oil, gas, and coal products. ExxonMobil has, according to several reports, pursued its economic self-interest by working to undermine mainstream climate science. A report of the Union of Concerned Scientists stated that ExxonMobil “has funneled about $16 million between 1998 and 2005 to a network of ideological and advocacy organizations that manufacture uncertainty” on global warming. So ExxonMobil has spent more covertly undermining climate-change science than all of Yale University’s federal climate-related grants in this area.
Money isn’t the whole story. Science is self-correcting, at least if you believe in empiricism and some kind of shared underlying physical reality. If funding pressures could somehow overcome the gigantic asymmetry of resources to favor alarmism, the opportunity for a researcher to have a Galileo moment would grow as the mainstream accumulated unsolved puzzles. Sooner or later, better theories would become irresistible. But that has not been the history of climate science; alternative hypotheses have been more risible than irresistible.
Given the scale of the numbers, each of the big 3 oil companies could run a climate science program as big as the US government’s, for 1% of revenues. Surely the NPV of their potential costs, if faced with a real climate policy, would justify that. But they don’t. Why? Perhaps they know that they wouldn’t get a different answer, or that it’s far cheaper to hire shills to make stuff up than to do real science?
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Kansas History - Winter 2010/2011
Larry R. Gerlach, “Ernie Quigley: An Official for All Seasons”
Read this article online
Little remembered today, Ernest C. Quigley, 1880–1960, was the “greatest” sports official in history and a legendary Kansas sports figure. A major league umpire from 1913 to 1938, he also for twenty-seven years annually refereed college football and basketball. During his forty-year career the first and only year-around major sports official traveled coast-to-coast from his home in St. Marys, Kansas, working some 5,400 baseball, 1,500 basketball, and 400 football games. In 1944 Quigley, a former University of Kansas athlete, returned to his alma mater as athletic director, promptly establishing the fiscal and programmatic foundation for KU athletic success. Posthumously enshrined in 1961 in the National Basketball Hall of Fame and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Quigley’s contributions to the history of sports officiating and intercollegiate athletics administration, concludes Professor Gerlach, University of Utah, personify the nature of sport in America during the first half of the twentieth century.
Brian Carroll, “‘Praising my people’: Newspaper Sports Coverage and the Integration of Baseball in Wichita, Kansas”
Read this article online
Race relations have received considerable attention in the pages of Kansas History during the past few years. Brian Carroll, associate professor in the Department of Communication at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, offers yet another new perspective by examining newspaper coverage in Wichita during the first half of the 1930s to show how commentators responded, and failed to respond, to increasingly interracial athletic competition as the decade progressed. “Praising my people” seeks to reveal the changes underpinning and animating integration in the American heartland in the Depression Era, more than a decade before Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers broke major league baseball’s color barrier. Examined are Wichita’s two dailies, the Wichita Eagle and the Wichita Beacon, as well as several weeklies, including the underused African American newspaper the Negro Star, a family-run newspaper for more than thirty years.
“A Message from the Governor, Charles Robinson, March 30, 1861”
Read this article online
Southern secession from the Union made Kansas admission as the thirty-fourth state possible on January 29, 1861. Within days the territorial legislature adjourned for the final time, and Kansans, led by their first governor, Charles Robinson, were free to take the necessary steps to launch the first government of the State of Kansas. Robinson took the oath of office in Lawrence on February 9, 1861, once official word of Kansas admission had been received; the first Kansas State Legislature convened on March 26 in Topeka; and the governor delivered his first address to the assembled state legislature on Saturday morning, March 30, 1861, with the nation on the brink of a horrific Civil War. Governor Robinson’s address to that first legislature, edited for publication and printed in the winter issue of Kansas History, contains several observations, thoughts, and comments that we think are worthy of our reconsideration on the eve of Kansas’s statehood sesquicentennial.
Dammed Indians Revisited: The Continuing History of the Pick-Sloan Plan and the Missouri River Sioux
by Michael L. Lawson
xxiv + 397 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Pierre: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2008, cloth $18.95.
Reviewed by Raymond Wilson, professor of history, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas.
Doris Fleeson: Incomparably the First Political Journalist of Her Time
by Carolyn Sayler
300 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Santa Fe, N.M.: Sunstone Press, 2010, cloth $32.95, paper $24.95.
Reviewed by Nancy Hulston, director of archives and the Clendening History of Medicine Museum, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
American Indians and the Fight for Equal Voting Rights
by Laughlin McDonald
xiv + 347 pages, notes, bibliography, index.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010, cloth $55.00.
Reviewed by Warren Metcalf, professor of history, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
The Quest for Citizenship: African American and Native American Education in Kansas, 1880–1935
by Kim Cary Warren
xvi + 229 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010, cloth $59.95, paper $24.95.
Reviewed by Marilyn Irvin Holt, independent researcher and author, Abilene, Kansas.
Hancock’s War: Conflict on the Southern Plains
by William Y. Chalfant
540 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Norman, Okla.: Artur H. Clark Company, 2010, cloth $59.95.
Reviewed by James E. Sherow, Department of History, Kansas State University, Manhattan.
Traditions of the Osage: Stories Collected and Translated by Francis La Flesche
edited by Garrick Bailey
xvi + 176 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2008, cloth $29.95.
Reviewed by William J. Bauer, Jr., associate professor of history, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Deadly Dozen: Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West. Volume 3
by Robert K. DeArment
xiv + 396 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010, cloth $29.95.
Reviewed by Jim Hoy, director, Center for Great Plains Studies, Emporia State University.
Religion and the American Presidency: George Washington to George W. Bush with Commentary and Primary Sources
edited by Gastón Espinosa<
xiv + 543 pages, illustrations, notes, index.
New York: Columbia University Press, Columbia Series on Religion and Politics, 2009, paper $34.50, cloth $89.50.
Reviewed by Alan Bearman, associate professor of history, Washburn University, Topeka.
Images of America: Lawrence Survivors of Quantrill’s Raid. By Katie H. Armitage. (Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2010, 128 pages, paper $21.99.)
When the smoke cleared on that hot August morning in 1863 and those who remained had time to assess the horrific damage wrought by William C. Quantrill and his irregulars, Lawrence survivors found 180 of their number—men and boys—murdered, “about 20 percent of the male population . . . leaving behind 85 widows and 250 fatherless children” (p. 10). Local historian Katie Armitage knows well this story of the raid and those left behind, and she captures it here with text and numerous historic photographs. It is a story of survival; those who survived to rebuild their lives and their town, while remembering the family, friends, and neighbors lost through speeches, memorials, and reunions—most notably on the fiftieth anniversary on August 21, 1913, and in 1925.
Beyond Mount Rushmore: Other Black Hills Faces. Edited by Mary A. Kopco. (Pierre: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2010, 353 pages, paper $19.95.)
Although the “Great Stone Faces” on Mount Rushmore have attracted millions since their completion in 1941, they are not the only South Dakota faces that warrant attention, according to author and historical consultant Mary Kopoc. Her “anthology features a selection of [ten] memoirs, biographies, and essays written by and about Black Hills personalities,” and previously published in South Dakota History. The essays are wide-ranging and diverse, from Fred Powers, who cover the 1874 Black Hills Expedition as a newspaper reporter, to Lucretia Marchbanks, a former slave who made her way in the booming region as boardinghouse manager and hotel owner; from Wong Fee Lee, a prominent and successful Chinese merchant in Deadwood, to the legendary film maker Alfred Hitchcock and his classic, North by Northwest.
William Clark: Indian Diplomat. By Jay H. Buckley (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010, xx + 306 pages, paper $19.95.)
When originally published in 2008, the historian Michael Tate reviewed Jay Buckley’s William Clark: Indian Diplomat for Kansas History in light of the rush of Lewis and Clark bicentennial materials that had “flooded the market.” Buckley had, according to Tate, “seized this auspicious moment to interpret the entirety of Clark’s life in a single, readable volume. He views Clark as a complicated man who often found himself torn between the application of his own humane views of Indian-white relations, and his enforcement of punitive policies insisted upon by the federal bureaucracy” (31:233). As explorer, principal Indian agent for the tribes of the Louisiana Territory, governor of Missouri Territory, and the nation’s first superintendent of Indian affairs Clark deeply impacted the early nineteenth century history of the region from which Kansas was carved at mid-century.
General Sterling Price and the Confederacy.By Thomas C. Reynolds, and edited by Robert G. Schultz. (St. Louis: Missouri History Museum, 2009, 279 pages, paper $24.95.)
Commenced in 1867 but never finished or previously published, General Sterling Price and the Confederacy by Thomas C. Reynolds, Missouri’s secessionist governor, has been an important resource for historians studying the career of governor and general Sterling Price for many years. Unfortunately, the Reynolds manuscript ended just before Price’s 1864 raid, with its climax along the Missouri-Kansas border in late October, but C. A. Peterson, early twentieth century president of the Missouri Historical Society, to fill out the story, added additional material from the Official Records and elsewhere. The editor’s annotated endnotes are also quite helpful.
The Dairies of John Gregory Bourke: Volume Four, July 3, 1880–May 22, 1881. Edited and annotated by Charles M. Robinson III. (Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2009, xiv + 545 pages, cloth $55.00.)
As noted in the journal’s mention of volume three, John Gregory Bourke was aide-de-camp to Brigadier General George Crook and firsthand witness to the early Apache campaigns, the Great Sioux War, the Cheyenne Outbreak, and the Geronimo War. He also was a prolific diarist, filling 124 manuscript volumes with notes, sketches, and photographs. Volume four, edited and annotated by Charles M. Robinson III, a historian and fellow of the Texas State Historical Association, chronicles Bourke’s staff duties for General Crook’s Department of the Platte, the controversial relocation of the Ponca Indians, and his involvement with the Bureau of Ethnology.
Keeper of the Plains: Blackbear Bosin’s “Great Indian” in Wichita. By Margaret Williams Norton. (Oak Park, Ill.: the author, 2010, 173 pages, paper $12.95.)
The “Keeper of the Plains,” created by Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin (1921–1980), is located, as most Kansans probably know, on the banks of the Arkansas River near downtown Wichita. Since its dedication in May 1975, “Keeper” has become a symbol of the city and “a nearly sacred gathering place” for many American Indians, and in Keeper of the Plains Margaret Williams Norton appropriately explores the history and legacy of the iconic sculpture and the artist. Of the artist, she writes: “A charismatic figure about Wichita, with a well known public persona, Blackbear was a man with many friends. His was a generous spirit,” and his painting was informed by his deep knowledge of Indian history and lore.
Defining Moments: Historic Decisions by Arkansas Governors from McMath through Huckabee. By Robert L. Brown. (Fayetteville, Ark.: University of Arkansas Press, 2005, xvi + 151 pages, paper $19.95.)
A justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court and long-time politico, Robert L. Brown knew personally and/or worked for nine of the ten governors about whom he writes and offers here an accessible and effective approach to some of his states recent political history, from Governor Sid McMath (1949–1953) to Governor Mike Huckabee (1996–2007). Focusing on one critical decision or “defining moment” from each administration, Justice Brown provides insight into the character and style of his various gubernatorial subjects, several of whom—Orval Faubus, Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers, and Bill Clinton, in addition to Huckabee—gained some degree of national notoriety, both positive and negative. The issues of race and education are central to the “defining moments” of at least six of the ten Arkansas governors featured.
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Buena Vista Tribe, Buena Vista Band, Buena Vista Indians (Spanish: pleasant view ). A descriptive name applied to one or more Shoshonean or Mariposan tribes living on Buena Vista lake, in the lower Kern River Drainage, California. By treaty of June 10, 1851, these tribes reserved a tract between Tejon Pass and Kern River, and ceded the remainder of their land to the United States.
The Me-Wuk Indians of the Buena Vista Rancheria are an integral part of California’s Native American history. They lived in and around what is now Amador County for thousands of years. The Oliver family has roots in Amador County as early as 1817. As a result of the Mission Period, Gold Rush and then diseases that Indian people had never been exposed to, the Me-Wuks’ numbers shrunk dramatically over the last three centuries.
By the late 19th Century, the Me-Wuks in the Amador County area were reduced to a smattering of individual families. The Buena Vista Band and its descendents lived through some of the most horrific times in American history…from Casus Oliver and his mother escaping Mission San Jose, to continuing to practice their culture when it was forbidden. Casus Oliver came to Amador County with his mother and joined the settlement of Upusani.
The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California is a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Tribe has been listed by the Secretary of the Interior as such since 1985. The Tribe’s Rancheria land is a 67-acre parcel in Amador County just outside the town of Buena Vista.
For Further Study
The following articles and manuscripts will shed additional light on the Buena Vista as both an ethnological study, and as a people.
- History of the Buena Vista Tribe
- Barbour (1852) in Sen. Ex. Doc. 4, 32d Cong., spec, sess., 256, 1853.
- California Rancheria Act, Pub. L. No. 85-671
- P.L. 85-671, 72 Stat. 619 (1958)
- Hardwick v. United States, No. C-79-1710 SW (N.D. Cal. 1979)
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Taking in the wall space around me, my eyes are filled with an off-white space dying for some type of color. Walls are the easiest way to individualize you space; however, sometimes they can become the most expensive as well. From paint to art walls can provide an endless amount of options to those with a limitless pocket book.
I saw this picture while perusing tumblr one day, and decided to track its source. I found myself at HGTV, where they showcased several versions of a “gallery wall.” It's a more mature and updated look compared to the typical posters some college students choose to display. Typically framed wall art can add up price-wise; however, there are many options that every budget-conscious college student can purchase to create their own “gallery wall.”
The first step in creating your own “gallery wall” is to figure out a type of theme or something that will help the pictures flow. It can be anything from black and white photos to something quirkier with the same hints of color in each of the wall pieces. However, if you are like me and cannot decide upon a theme, organizing the wall art in a particular way can help the overall flow of the wall as well.
The first inexpensive find to contribute to your wall can be a blank canvas found at your local art supply store. Usually, if the store provides its own brand of canvas, that will be the best deal.. These canvases are a blank slate on which you can create whatever you want. Not skilled with a paintbrush? Try mod-podging an image onto the canvas or pretty printed wrapping paper. The sky is the limit!
You might also want to add pieces of art from Etsy to your personal gallery, which are often both affordable and stylish. Etsy is an online community site for a plethora of hand-made market goods from all over the world. You can find an endless supply that fit within any college budget. With the money you saved with your purchases, you could even frame your pieces!
Now, I know you are thinking that framing the pieces will be too costly. Although that can often be true, there are always ways to cut costs. Try searching your local thrift store for old framed photos, where the image can be easily replaced. A craft store might also have some reasonable frames as well.
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If media hype is to be believed, the day after Thanksgiving — which has come to be known as “Black Friday” — is a day when great deals can be had at the mall, and is therefore an unbeatable opportunity to go shopping.
Regardless of whether the hype is justified or not, today is a good day to think about the environmental cost and consequences of our use it up and throw it out culture, which is extremely wasteful and unsustainable.
Activist Annie Leonard, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person earlier this year, has become one of the progressive movement’s best advocates for zero waste. In 2007, she wrote and narrated an animated documentary, The Story of Stuff, which has been viewed by an estimated twelve million people. The film’s success led to more films focusing on specific products (the latest category being electronics) and a book, also titled The Story of Stuff.
If you haven’t seen the original documentary, take a few moments to watch it now. It’s so well done that was condemned by Glenn Beck and was the subject of a critique by the corporate-funded Competitive Enterprise Institute, which has received money from the likes of the Scaife Foundations, Exxon Mobil, the Ford Motor Company Fund, and Pfizer.
Unlike Glenn Beck, and unlike the hacks who work for America’s major corporations, Leonard has actually traveled the world, exploring the extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of stuff.
She’s more than just a storyteller; she’s an eyewitness to one of the greatest problems of our time. That’s what makes her films so powerful.
If you have seen The Story of Stuff before, watch it again with a friend or family member. It’s released under a Creative Commons license, so you can download it and reproduce it to your heart’s content.
Put it on a USB flash drive so you can share it with your friends when you’re away from your desktop. Burn it to DVD and mail it to acquaintances who have dialup Internet connections. Or store it on your own server if you have one.
It’s incredibly important that the progressive movement master the art of storytelling, so we can better communicate our values, principles, and policy directions to the American people. Annie Leonard has set the example for what we must do if we want to broaden our reach and our impact.
Her work is incredibly important and there’s no better time to share it than the holiday season, when Madison Street is in overdrive.
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US 1632975 A
Abstract available in
Claims available in
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
Jnvn'lor 21 June 1927 F. KEMPTl-:R
KNEADING AND MIXING MACHINE Patented June21c1927.
UNITED STATES? 1,632,975 PATENT oFF-ICE. 4
. raITz lILaMrTna or STUTTGART, GERMANY. i
KNEADING AND MIXING MACHINE.
Application led August 25, 1924, Serial No. 734,026, and in ,Germany June 13, 1924.
My invention relates to kneading and mixing machines'andmore especially to ma.-
chines of the kind described in which the kneader'is'horizontal,v that is, in which its f' arms rotate on horizontal shafts. It is an object of my invention to overcome certain drawbacks of this type of machine by combining a vertical agitator with a normal/ horizontal kneader. Y In horizontal kneading and mixing machines plastic and tenaclous substances of any kind may be manufactured. If it 1s desired, however, to dissolve or dilute such substances it I will be found that this is feasible to a limited extent only because the horizontal kneader operates satisfactorily only so long as the level of the liquid in the trough is not much' above its range. The higher the liquid level is raised, the less will be the influence of the kneader on the liquid above it.
In order to effect considerable dilution it was necessary heretofore to sub'ect the slightly diluted or undiluted material from the kneading and mixing machine to further treatment in a separate agitator the object of which was merely to dilute the material. This method obviously involves loss of time increased labour and other difficulties partlcularly in they case of dilution in vola-l tile solvents.
It might appear that the difficulty could be overcome by providing an additional hory ing to my invention by arranging a vertical agltator above the normal horizontal kneader. The trough is extended correspondingl above said horizontal kneader and the sha t of the agitator is passed through, and'preferably carried in' a bearing of the lidy of the trough. The object of the agitator merely to dilute the material in the trough above said horizontal kneader.
The agitator is readily removed by removbox.
ing or raising the lid of the trough or its shaft may be arranged to be raised and lowered. In either case, the agitator not 9 in the way during the kneading or mixing operation. Inthe case ofvolatile solvents, it is possible to perform the kneading and 4mixing operation and the subsequent agitaand forming part thereof a kneading machine embodying my invention isillustrated in vertical section.
In a trou a which may be provided with a cooling ]acket or thel like b,- horizontal shafts o and d are arranged to which are secured mixing and kneading arms c6 and d respectively which rotate past cylindrical faces formed in the bottom of the trough and are operated by means well known 1n thelart and therefore not illustrated in detai A vertical shaft carrying agitating blades f extends into the trough a from above.l
Preferably the shaft e is supported in a bearing e in the lid g of the trough. The bearing may be provided with a stuffing A pulley 7c may be secured on the free end of the shaft a, but any other means may be provided for imparting rotation to the shaft e, for instanoebevel gears. -The drive for the shaft e malyl7 also be soconstructed as to comprise t e hinge` pin z' of the lid g, so that it is possible'to open the lid without interfering'A with' the drive `of the shaft'. For the same purpose, the shaft may be adapted to be displaced axially in its bearing e together with the pulley or other driving means, as indicated in dottedlinesor ada ted to bed displaced while the pulley or ot er driving means remain statlonary.
y When the' machine is being' charged with 'material and whilel the mixing or vkneading ,apparatus'at the bottom of the trough a is in operation, the shaft e may also be raised,
as shown in dotted lines, so that,the blades f .are not struckv by the. material which is charged at the doors h. It is also possible to provide baies m at the lower face of the lid gwhich may 'be annular as shown or I may provide a lurality of independent baf- 'A fles. Instead o providing charging doors h,
or in addition to these, I may provide a charging door or charging doors n in the vertical wall of the trough. All these doors are so constructed as to close tightly.'
At'the bottom of the trough drains o may be provided.
I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.
' 1. Kneading machine comprising a trough, a kneader in said trough and a rotary agitator mounted in Said trough for axial displacement above said kneader.
2. Kneading machine comprisinga trough, a lid on said trough, a ,charging hole in .a lid on said trough with a charginghole porvided in said lid, a kneader in said trough, an agitator mounted in said trough 4` above said kneader for rotary and axial displacement and a flange'dependng from said lid to protect said agitator, when in raised position, from contact with matter introduced through said hole.
In testimony .whereof I aiix my ,signa-
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Planning a Visit
The Harvard University Archives is open to all researchers; a Harvard affiliation is not required.
The Archives is located in Pusey Library in Harvard Yard. Click here for a map.
Researchers will need a Harvard University photo ID to enter Pusey Library. To obtain a temporary Harvard photo ID, please visit the Library Privileges Office on the main floor of Widener Library. Click here for a map.
Contact the Archives at least five business days before a visit, as many collections are stored off site and restrictions on access apply to some collections.
The Archives reading room hours are 11 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. These hours are subject to change. Please check Hours & Location before finalizing a visit.
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Being an excellent pal to your self unlocks long-identity joy.
Their connection with on your own is probably the very first relationships during the life. Self-relationships ‘s the foundation of everything else-even altruism. You can identify pathological areas of worry about-relatedness-bad narcissism, overwhelming guilt from the ourselves, very solipsistic point of views, a failure to relate to and you can empathize with people, etc. It is on the other hand easy to pick attributes which we relate with other people in an effective put, having the operate along with her, appearing a social knowledge, lookin effective because of the conventional significance, and the like. It’s easy to take anything without any consideration-even having the ability to work with your self in such a way was a great marker of being very happy to begin with.
A person’s experience of on your own is extremely important so you can best creativity. It is more about match thinking-like. We learn really out-of key numbers-parents, sisters, family, peers, and other grownups-for you to connect to on your own. What exactly is a good, and what is crappy-what pleases her or him, and you will whatever they demonstrably hate. Early in invention, relationship with individuals shape the partnership with yourself. You’ll find intrinsic tendencies regarding relationship with your self as well. Even as we become adults, the way we is handled by someone else, and exactly how those anybody else handle by themselves, serve as tips affecting the way we target our selves given that people.
They do say you to, when we enjoys mothers exactly who look for a-sufficient equilibrium for how they meet their means toward requires of its people, upcoming presumably the youngsters gets a far greater risk of growing as much as has a similarly suit equilibrium. None tend to it overly compromise their unique desires and effort to help you child-rearing, neither tend to it end up in the latest trap of being neglectful as the due to looking for their products. Subsequent, the way mothers balance such thinking-other requires for the dexterity together is actually a key model for kids, which see if it express the fresh new responsibilities well, considering the individual proclivities-or if or not there was bad dispute away from feelings from the someone not up to adequate, and also the other person delivering stuck aided by the try to the stage where they do not have much time or headspace to have themselves.
Yet not, In my opinion regardless of all mention care about-worry and you can mind-mercy, mindfulness meditation, self-assist, and relevant familiar sufferers, this has been difficult to pin off just what it form, and you can just what it requires, to grow and sustain a connection with oneself. Having a brilliant connection with myself implies that, once i be aware that Now i need someone else in manners, by the adulthood my relationship with me personally might very important for making by far the most of my personal kept years. I want to flow to your a secure thinking-attachment.
several Keys to A great Notice-Dating, Undertaking Now
For me, what it methods to have a good relationship with me are to try to be a very good buddy in order to me personally (not my personal “best friend,” though it music nice to state “Become your very own best friend”). And also being decent friends, which i look for as the number 1 (in the event anyone else could have a new band of priorities, otherwise it might change), I believe i serve in lot of roles in order to our selves-mother, aunt, boy, coach, and in more intimate ways. In place of convinced especially out of sexual intimacy, it is reasonable to state that one’s reference to oneself is actually more intimate relationships a person ever have.
At all, of all of the eight-including million some one on earth, I am alone on which I have personal experience and you may any likelihood of direct access back at my interior globe. Sure, we can be very close to anyone else concerning nearly understand what he could be convinced-which is great-but we’re book so you can https://www.datingranking.net/cs/loveaholics-recenze our selves one of some other human beings within you to definitely value. As well as on most useful of it, we realize a similar thing holds true for almost every other some body (and every other sentient beings we may run into).
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From the Super Mario Wiki
Retrieved from "http://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Nimbi&oldid=2028916"
Nimbis are the angel-like citizens of The Overthere in Super Paper Mario. The Nimbis speak in Elizabethan English, such as that used in the King James Bible. However, the dialect the Nimbis speak appears simply to replace common pronouns such as "I" or "you" with Elizabethan equivalents (mine, thou). These words can be changed depending on whether they are the subject or not, such as "you" being thou (subject) and thee (objective). Also, the suffix -est seems randomly tacked to certain verbs. (e.g. "thou-knowest-what" instead of "you-know-what"). In proper Elizabethan era grammar, "knowest" (for example) is the equivalent of the modern day "knows". Saying "tellest me, now, Mother," as Luvbi does, is therefore incorrect grammar, as it translates to "Tells me, now, Mother". In terms of appearance, most of the Nimbis look nearly identical to each other except that females have hairstyles, and many of their names are based on days, colors, seasons, or months.
Names in other languages
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First of all: this is really disturbing.
Commands and flags
I think I’ve already mentioned watch, and how that could be useful at time (e.g.
$ watch -n 10 -d 'ls -l')
I just found out about a value which can optionally be appended to the -d flag:
It has its own flag as well
--cumulative, and quoting the man-page it
makes highlighting “sticky”, presenting a running display of all positions that have ever changed.
Also, this week I learnt about sdiff, which seems neat if you’re on a system which doesn’t have vim (and thus vimdiff) installed.
Anoter nice flag I just found for grep is -m <int> which tells grep to stop looking after the INT first matches.
Ok, so I’ve been running into this problem where I am using my own .vimrc configuration in other places, in systems where the vim version isn’t the same as the one I use myself.
This has proven problematic as some of the configuration options I use (most notably set cul (which gives me a better indication about which line the cursor is on)) doesn’t exist in … say a vim version less than 7.
Which meant that if I loaded the same .vimrc config on a system running a vim version earlier than 7, I’d get a warning at startup, which I’d have to press enter to pass by. Irritating.
As luck would have it, it isn’t all that difficult to make a little conditional to check which version is currently loading the config and just ignore the settings which won’t work for that version, such as:
if v:version >= 700 set cul endif
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Most Active Stories
Tue January 10, 2012
If Romney Wins N.H., Who Emerges As His Rival?
Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 9:08 am
It's just the first Republican primary. But a convincing win in New Hampshire should give former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney considerable momentum in his quest toward the GOP nomination.
With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had more than 39 percent of the vote. Texas Rep. Ron Paul was solidly in second, with about 23 percent, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman had secured third place, with nearly 17 percent of the vote.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum were in a tight battle for fourth place, but each had less than 9.5 percent of the vote.
"If [Romney] wins by 15 percent at the end of the night, it's over," says Chip Felkel, a longtime GOP strategist in South Carolina. "With a significant victory tonight, you'll start to see reality setting in. What's the benefit of finishing second in New Hampshire if you have no chance here in South Carolina?"
Looking For A Boost
Neither Paul nor Huntsman is expected to gain much momentum from his showing heading into South Carolina, which holds its primary Jan. 21, says Jim Guth, a political scientist at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Paul may have the same ceiling of support in South Carolina that he has seen in Iowa and New Hampshire, Guth suggests. "Paul has his avid supporters but will have about the same percentage here he's had elsewhere," he says.
And Huntsman, who skipped Iowa and placed all his hopes on New Hampshire, will not gain enough momentum from a third-place showing there to overcome concerns that South Carolina conservatives have about him, Guth says.
"Huntsman is a little too far to the left for any group of South Carolina Republicans," he says.
A Strong Finish
In the past, New Hampshire Republicans have sometimes given their primary support to insurgent candidates. But it appears that a sizable share of late-deciding voters decided to back Romney.
"The campaign just worked like clockwork," says Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire. "Mitt Romney and his campaign never let this campaign get especially interesting. They really had this state buttoned down."
Attacks on Romney came too late in the race to make much difference, says Linda Fowler, a government professor at Dartmouth College. Instead, he was able to "stay above the fray," she says, while other candidates pummeled each other in hopes of becoming the "non-Mitt."
"Romney's been very lucky in this contest that there hasn't been a non-Mitt," Fowler says. "There have been multiple non-Mitts."
The Caravan Heads South
Looking ahead, Romney's greatest concern has been that ardent conservatives would rally behind a single champion who would then stand as his main rival.
That hasn't happened yet. And results in New Hampshire suggest that it may not happen soon, says Charlie Arlinghaus, who directs a free-market think tank in Concord, N.H.
"Romney will get a big boost going into South Carolina," he says, "and the only way to stop him would be for the right to unite behind one of two candidates [Gingrich and Santorum] who did very poorly in New Hampshire."
Some observers were already wondering how Gingrich or Santorum could build on disappointing showings in New Hampshire.
Santorum at this point lacks the organizational strength or campaign cash to threaten in South Carolina, says Felkel.
After finishing in a near tie with Romney in Iowa last week, Santorum has been unable to unite conservatives behind him. Instead, he will still have to battle for their support with Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has been campaigning in South Carolina this past week.
Santorum "may not have the support, beyond a disorganized group of social conservatives, to mount any kind of challenge," Felkel said. "And with Perry and Gingrich still in the race, he doesn't have the votes."
Conservatives say they'll still make a stand against Romney in South Carolina. But unless they unite behind a single candidate, it may be difficult for anyone to challenge him seriously there.
New Hampshire has long been considered favorable territory for Romney.
"He did really well with a lot of types of voters," says Dean Spiliotes, founder of the political blog NHPoliticalCapital.com. "You get a sense of the size and power of his campaign compared to the other organizations when you see it on the ground here."
Romney poured considerable money and effort into New Hampshire. He was sideswiped in recent days by a multimillion-dollar ad campaign created by a Gingrich-affiliated superPAC criticizing Romney for his tenure as head of private equity firm Bain Capital.
Those attacks failed to derail Romney in the state, but it's certain they will be revisited in South Carolina, Fowler says.
Exit polling of New Hampshire voters showed that 56 percent of them did not consider campaign advertising an important factor in deciding their votes. By contrast, just over half — 52 percent – said debates between the candidates were a very important factor in deciding their vote, while an additional 31 percent said they were somewhat important.
"Yes, there are some open questions about South Carolina, such as whether the Gingrich superPAC ads can eat away at Romney's lead," says John Sides, a political scientist at George Washington University. "But it seems hard to imagine that Romney can, technically, win Iowa and, certainly, win New Hampshire and somehow still lose the nomination."
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The 3D market has long been a war waged between moviegoers, with many eating the effects up while others feel the renovated concept is a relic of the past and will soon be on the outs once more. But now, as the ticket sales continue to pour in and help a once-tarnished box office, it is receiving more vocal support from folks who have been essential to the film industry for many decades, and the latest to raise his voice in support is Martin Scorsese.
As the legendary director recently revealed to The Guardian UK's The Observer, he feels that the process of three-dimensional filmmaking is "liberating." The Academy Award-winner almost sounds nonchalantly poetic regarding his views toward the technology, stating, "I mean, we're sitting here in 3D. We are in 3D. We see in 3D. So why not?"
The filmmaker will be utilizing that technology in his upcoming film, his first in 3D, the motion picture adaptation of the children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The film will star Sir Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Chloe Moretz and even Borat himself, Sacha Baron Cohen, and follows the tall tale of a young thief who lives within the city of Paris, keeping a low profile to stay in the clear, and whose entire foundation of life is rattled when he encounters a mysterious girl.
"Every shot is rethinking cinema, rethinking narrative – how to tell a story with a picture," Scorsese explains, "Now, I'm not saying we have to keep throwing javelins at the camera, I'm not saying we use it as a gimmick, but it's liberating. It's literally a Rubik's Cube every time you go out to design a shot, and work out a camera move, or a crane move. But it has a beauty to it also. People look like… like moving statues. They move like sculpture, as if sculpture is moving in a way. Like dancers…"
You gonna argue with Marty? Didn't think so.
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A Case of Regulatory Failure - Popcorn Workers Lung
Occupational exposure to the vapors from artificial butter flavor can cause bronchiolitis obliterans, a debilitating and sometimes fatal lung disease. Dozens of workers at microwave popcorn factories or factories where these flavors are produced have become sick, and at least one worker has died. Others are awaiting lung transplants. Thousands more workers are exposed at factories that make or use flavorings throughout the country. This is a case study in failings of our public health protection system. For more than five years, government scientists have conducted studies that have identified ways to protect workers and prevent this illness. In the face of mounting scientific evidence of a serious hazard, and recommendations on ways to prevent the disease, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has done virtually nothing.
Background (also see Background on Diacetyl document)
Diacetyl is a commonly used food flavoring and is the primary constituent of artificial butter flavoring. There is compelling scientific evidence linking occupational exposure to diacetyl to bronchiolitis obliterans, a debilitating and sometimes fatal lung disease. In the general population, bronchiolitis obliterans is rare. In the last few years, however, numerous cases have been reported to or identified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) among workers employed in factories where flavorings containing diacetyl are produced or used. (See: NIOSH Alert) Dozens of workers employed at microwave popcorn packaging plants have developed occupational lung disease and at least one has died. Several of these workers are on lung transplant lists. (See: Baltimore Sun's: Disease is swift, response is slow)
The First Cases of Popcorn Workers' Lung: OSHA and NIOSH Respond
The sentinel case of the recent outbreak of bronchiolitis obliterans was a Missouri microwave popcorn plant worker diagnosed with the condition in 1999. Dr. Allen Parmet, a Missouri physician who treated several of the workers, notified the Missouri Department of Health (MDOH), which immediately contacted OSHA and NIOSH. The letter OSHA received from MDOH alerted the federal agency that ten workers from one microwave popcorn packaging facility had been diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans and three of these workers were awaiting lung transplants. The MDOH reported that it planned to conduct an epidemiologic investigation of the disease cluster, but notified OSHA that obtaining medical releases and physician reports would take some time. Consequently, the state officials asked OSHA to inspect the facility, noting that “[a]s a regulatory agency … [OSHA] can more promptly address this situation, and if there is an obvious hazard to workers, address it quickly.”
When an OSHA inspector visited the plant a few days later, he noted that four years earlier, the plant’s insurance carrier had conducted environmental sampling for total nuisance dust. Therefore, he conducted no additional dust sampling and offered his “professional opinion that it would be ludicrous to re-sample the area again.” He did collect samples of respirable oil mist, but the OSHA lab in Salt Lake City discarded them because the agency’s sampling method applies only to petroleum-based oils, not vegetable oils. Having failed to collect usable exposure samples, the inspector, according to his own notes: “determined the company to be in compliance and closed out the case file since there were no other OSHA sampling protocols at his disposal to test further at the plant.”
Sixteen months later, in September 2001, an attorney representing several of the sick workers filed a complaint with OSHA, and followed up with another complaint in December 2001. In her letter, the attorney alleged that not enough had been done to improve ventilation in the plant, as evidenced by the fact that “one employee lost half of his lung capacity working in the plant after the remedial measures that NIOSH suggested were taken…” (emphasis in original) This prompted OSHA to send another inspector to visit the plant. This time, the inspector stayed 40 minutes and did not conduct an inspection. OSHA then sent a letter to the attorney who had filed the complaints, denying the need for further investigation at the plant. The letter explained: “[T]he hazard which you brought to our attention has been corrected and … Glister [sic] Mary Lee is complying with the recommendations of NIOSH... The hazard does not fall within OSHA’s jurisdiction because there is no Permissible Exposure Limits (sic) for the food blend chemicals of concern that are used at the factory.”
In contrast to OSHA, identification of the cases of a rare lung disease among the microwave popcorn packaging plant workers led NIOSH, the federal occupational health and safety research agency, to conduct a series of important studies that have resulted in an improved understanding of the lung disease caused by exposure to chemicals used in flavors. In August 2000, NIOSH began its investigation with comprehensive industrial hygiene sampling of one microwave popcorn packaging plant, finding diacetyl —a volatile organic compound predominant in the product’s butter flavoring —was present in concentrations up to 1000 times higher than the office and outdoor areas at the plant. NIOSH also did health assessments of nearly 90% of the plant employees, discovering that their rates of chronic cough and shortness of breath were 2.6 times the national average, adjusting for both smoking and age. Twice as many workers than expected reported being told by their physicians that they had asthma or chronic bronchitis, and lung function testing revealed that three times as many workers as expected had obstruction to airflow. These results were reported first in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and then in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In December 2000, NIOSH issued interim recommendations suggesting that all workers wear respirators pending the implementation of engineering controls to eliminate exposure to the artificial butter flavoring. Over the next year, while working with the company in planning and implementing control measures, NIOSH staff continued to monitor the health of employees. In September 2001, NIOSH staff returned to the factory to inform workers about what they had learned, distributing materials that included the ominous warning: “There is a work-related cause of lung disease in this plant. We at NIOSH believe the problem is continuing even after the company made changes that we recommended.” They also stated that plant workers with bronchiolitis obliterans “can’t breathe well. They do not get better.”
A Widespread Hazard
Recognizing that exposure to artificial butter flavor was not limited to the one Missouri popcorn plant, OSHA and NIOSH each took steps to address the problem. The quality of their responses, despite the seriousness of the hazard, could not be more different. NIOSH applied a traditional public health approach, collecting extensive information about the distribution and determinants of lung disease in other popcorn plants and conducting laboratory studies to better understand the chemical hazard itself. In order to carry out their field investigations, NIOSH developed sampling and analytical methods for measuring exposure to flavoring-related chemicals. The agency scientists measured exposure to butter flavoring vapors at 10 microwave popcorn facilities and assessed the prevalence of respiratory impairment among many of the workers. Through the development of science-based approaches to reducing exposure, NIOSH attempted to prevent additional cases of occupational lung disease. (See: NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations on Flavorings)
NIOSH examined the effects of exposure through experiments on laboratory animals. In the first of these studies, rats were exposed to airborne concentrations of butter flavoring for a single, six-hour period. The researchers were alarmed to discover significant lung damage among rats whose exposure was “not extraordinary when compared with levels measured in the workplace.” According to the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Ann Hubbs, the findings were “the most dramatic cases of cell death ever seen.” NIOSH scientists then conducted a study in which rats were exposed to pure diacetyl and found similar results. A toxicological study of guinea pigs exposed to pure diacetyl found exposure to the chemical caused adverse effects to respiratory tissue and structure.
At the initial Missouri plant, diacetyl was measured in concentrations ranging as high as 98 parts per million parts air by volume (ppm), with a mean exposure of 8.1 ppm. In their evaluation of six microwave popcorn plants (five of which had workers with flavoring-associated lung disease), NIOSH scientists reported that the “lowest mean TWA [time weighted average] diacetyl air concentrations that we measured in mixing areas (0.02 ppm personal exposure and 0.2 ppm area air concentration) were at a plant with an affected mixer," meaning a sick worker. On the basis of this finding, the NIOSH scientists concluded “it would seem prudent to maintain worker exposures to diacetyl below these levels.” In December 2003, NIOSH issued an alert that was sent to 4,000 businesses that might use or make butter flavoring. The alert suggests safeguards such as limiting release of vapors in production lines. Employers were asked to caution workers about the potential for lung disease.
In contrast to the NIOSH scientists' efforts to identify the hazard and the prevalence of disease, OSHA's response has been trivial. When faced with a hazard for which no standard has been set, OSHA has the authority to issue an emergency temporary standard or to invoke the “general duty clause” and require employers to reduce or eliminate clear hazards. OSHA selected neither of these options. Despite significant “bodies in the morgue” evidence, OSHA maintains that “a cause-effect relationship between diacetyl and bronchiolitis obliterans has not been established, as food-processing workers with this lung disease were also exposed to other flavoring agents.”
In September, 2002 OSHA's Regional Office in Kansas City (Region VII) entered “an agreement establishing an alliance” with The Popcorn Board, the trade association representing popcorn manufacturers. This move was part of a larger effort by OSHA to form alliances with corporations, trade associations, and other organizations, to voluntarily develop and share information regarding worker health and safety. OSHA’s Assistant Secretary reported in February 2004 that the agency had forty-six national and 105 regional alliances. There are no specific requirements for forming an alliance with OSHA and by design, the agreements “do not include an enforcement component."
OSHA’s partnership agreement with The Popcorn Board indicated that the trade association would provide OSHA with a mailing list of member companies engaged in microwave popcorn packaging so that OSHA could send these firms "recent information on the potential adverse health effects of employees exposure to artificial butter flavoring compounds." Another provision would allow The Popcorn Board to "review and provide comment and input on a draft OSHA 'Hazard Information Bulletin' to be developed by OSHA for internal distribution to it's compliance officers in the field." The partnership agreement did not have any mechanism for participation by exposed workers, their representatives or the public health community. The "alliance" was concluded in March 2003, and to our knowledge the 'Hazard Information Bulletin" was never issued.
In July of 2006, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters petitioned OSHA for an Emergency Temporary Standard to protect workers from diacetyl. SKAPP organized a letter to the Department of Labor, signed by 42 of the nation’s leading occupational health scientists and physicians, in support of the petition.
More Than Just Popcorn Factories
Since the initial reports focused on individuals employed in microwave popcorn factories, the disease is often called “popcorn workers' lung.” Scientists now recognize a health risk to thousands of other food industry employees using diacetyl in manufacturing both artificial flavorings and associated products including candy, pastries, and frozen foods. The California Department of Health Services, for example, recently reported two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans among diacetyl-exposed workers employed at factories where flavorings are produced, one of whom was mixing flavors for dog food. NIOSH is currently investigating 15 cases of respiratory disease, including some workers with bronchiolitis obliterans, among the employees at a single Cincinnati, Ohio flavor manufacturing plant. (See: Baltimore Sun's: Disease is swift, response is slow)
Some cases of pulmonary disease for which no cause was originally identified may also turn out to be linked to diacetyl. In 1985, for instance, NIOSH inspected International Bakers Services, an Indiana facility producing flavors for bakeries, because two young, previously healthy, nonsmoking employees were diagnosed with severe fixed obstructive lung disease (consistent with bronchiolitis obliterans) within one year of employment. Inspectors advised the facility to change equipment and practices to reduce employees’ exposure to dust in the flavor mixing room, but they did not identify a particular agent that caused the disease. Diacetyl is listed one of the 33 ingredients commonly used at the facility. (See: NIOSH’s HHE report on International Bakers Services)
The scientific evidence gathered to date indicates that the problem is not limited to diacetyl. It is likely other chemicals used in the production of flavorings can cause or exacerbate lung disease. OSHA has issued permissible exposure limits (PELs) and/or NIOSH has recommended exposure limits (RELs) for only 46 of the 1,037 flavoring ingredients considered by the flavorings industry to represent potential respiratory hazards.
Diacetyl currently appears on the Food and Drug Administration’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) list. In September of 2006, SKAPP petitioned the FDA to revoke diacetyl’s GRAS status. As required by FDA regulations (21 CFR 10.30(e)), the agency is required to respond to a citizen petition within 180 days. In a letter dated March 6, 2007, the Director of FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety wrote that FDA has not yet reached a decision about SKAPP's petition "because of the limited availability of resources and other agency priorities."
Regulation by Litigation
While OSHA has done little to compel employers to reduce exposures, the threat of law suits against the flavoring manufacturers has become a potentially important mechanism to prevent bronchiolitis obliterans. More than $100 million has been awarded through court cases and settlements to former popcorn plant workers whose lungs were destroyed by diacetyl. These suits are against the flavor manufacturers who knew or should have known that the flavorings were capable of causing lung disease. If they had warned employers and workers about the hazards associated with diacetyl, or if they had sold a less hazardous product, some or all of these cases might have been prevented.
Through this litigation, it was revealed that in 1993, years before NIOSH undertook its first animal study, a German chemical manufacturer had conducted a study in which laboratory animals were exposed to diacetyl vapors. That study, which was never reported to the government or published in scientific literature, found results very similar to those later reached by NIOSH: one four-hour period of exposure to diacetyl resulted in an “abundance of symptoms indicative of respiratory tract injury.”
Is there Risk from Exposure at Home? The EPA Isn’t Saying.
There is no published research on the exposure of consumers to the heated vapors of diacetyl and other chemicals released when microwave popcorn is popped. In the middle of 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that a study on the chemicals released in the popping and opening of packages of microwave popcorn was underway and was expected to be completed by the end of that year. The EPA has yet to disclose the results of that study.
In July 2006, in response to an inquiry from SKAPP about the status of the study, the Chief of the EPA’s Indoor Environment Management Branch provided the following response:
“The principle investigator on this project was transferred to homeland security duties, there the final report has been delayed. It is anticipated that the report will be sent as a manuscript for publication in a peer reviewed journal in October, once internal and industry reviews are completed. When it is published will be up to the journal.”
On July 26, 2006, David Michaels, on behalf of the SKAPP Planning Committee, wrote to EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, asking for expedited release of the study and objecting to the preferential treatment given to industry. The EPA responded that the paper summarizing their findings has undergone internal and external review and will be sent to industry “solely to ensure that no confidential business information is released”; the agency plans to submit the paper to a scientific journal this fall and anticipates publication by mid-2007.
About the Case Study
The authors of this case study, David Michaels, PhD, MPH, Chrissy Morgan and Celeste Monforton, MPH have no financial conflict of interest. See also: Michaels D, Monforton C. Scientific evidence in the regulatory system: Manufacturing uncertainty and the demise of the formal regulatory system. J Law Policy 2005; 13(1): 17-41.
Related Documents (click here)
UPDATES: Several developments have occurred since this case study was first written:
August 2006: UFCW, Western States Council, and the California Labor Federation petitioned Cal/OSHA to adopt an emergency temporary standard for diacetyl in California. SKAPP Director David Michaels wrote a letter about the toxicity of diacetyl for inclusion in Cal/OSHA's record.
September 2006: SKAPP petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke diacetyl's "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) status. FDA responded that that the agency had not reached a decision on the petition "because of the limited availability of resources and other agency priorities."
February 2007: California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber introduced a bill that would ban diacetyl in the workplace by 2010.
March 2007: Cal/OSHA drafted a standard on occupational exposure to food flavorings.
April 2007: Two Congressional hearings (one featuring testimony from David Michaels) and a front-page New York Times article focused attention on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s lack of action on several important workplace hazards.
May 2007: Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro wrote to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach requesting a re-examination of diacetyl's GRAS status. Von Eschenbach responded that "the agency does not have evidence that would cause it to take immediate action with respect to diacetyl" and that "FDA continues to monitor the scientific literature for studies conducted to define and clarify the dangers associated with exposure to diacetyl vapors."
June 2007: Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey introduced legislation that would require OSHA to set an interim and final standard (within six months and two years, respectively) for occupational exposure to diacetyl.
August 2007: Manufacturer Pop Weaver announced that it has eliminated diacetyl from its microwave popcorn.
September 2007: David Michaels broke the news, on The Pump Handle blog, that Dr. Cecile Rose, chief occupational and environmental medicine physician at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, had diagnosed a case of bronchiolitis obliterans in a man who did not have occupational exposure to diacetyl but was a regular, heavy consumer of microwave popcorn. She had informed the FDA, EPA, CDC, and OSHA about the case in July but gotten very little response. Newspapers and TV shows across the country publicized the story, and ConAgra announced that it would remove diacetyl from its Orville Redenbacher and Act II microwave popcorn lines.
February 2008: The international union UNITE HERE requested NIOSH conduct a Health Hazard Evaluation at three large cafeterias in New York City where employees of Aramark are potentially exposed to articificial butter-flavoring agents. The evaluation included an analysis of bulk samples of cooking oils, air sampling of cooking areas, a questionnaire administered to workers and lung function tests. The preliminary findings from these HHEs were released in May 2008: JP Morgan Chase building (NIOSH HETA-2008-0125), Goldman Sachs (NIOSH HETA-2008-0126), and JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Plaza (NIOSH HETA-2008-0127).
January 2009: OSHA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on diacetyl in the Federal Register.
April 2009: Documents related to SBREFA panel. (a) small entity reps and letter from Bob Burt; (b) schedule; (c) draft reg text options; (d) discussion issues; and (e) draft regulatory flexibility analysis.
November 2009: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) letter to Labor Secretary Solis urging regulatory action on diacetyl
December 2009: SKAPP letter to FDA for update on diacetyl petition
January 2010: FDA response to SKAPP request for update on diacetyl petition
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Late Cambrian stratigraphy of the Heritage Range, Ellsworth Mountains: implications for basin evolution
Deposition of the Upper Cambrian succession of the Ellsworth Mountains was influenced by major, episodic tectonically-driven changes to the depositional basin geometry. We subdivide the succession into four stratigraphical sequences based on the recognition of three sequence-bounding unconformities. The upper part of Sequence 1 is composed of the laterally equivalent Liberty Hills, Springer Peak and Frazier Ridge formations, a siliciclastic fluvial to marine deltaic association displaying NW-directed palaeocurrents. A switch in the position of the Late Cambrian depocentre from the north-west to the south coincided with cessation of terrigenous clastic deposition and accumulation of Sequence 2, the limestones of the Minaret Formation. Previously unreported talus breccias from the Independence Hills provide important clues to basin configuration at this time. A brief period of emergence of the Minaret Formation is inferred, prior to rapid subsidence and disconformable deposition of Sequence 3 (the ‘transition beds’) in outer-inner shelf environments. Localized intra-basinal uplift occurred prior to the deposition of Sequence 4 (the lower Crashsite Group), the base of which is locally an erosive unconformity, with a correlative conformity exposed elsewhere. We interpret the Upper Cambrian succession as representing the ‘rift-drift’ transition from initial rifting (preceded by Middle Cambrian volcanism) to thermal subsidence along the South African sector of the palaeo-Pacific margin of Gondwana.
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Another book I have never read is the History of Sexuality — I was bored with Foucault when it came out and could not take him seriously, and I have never gotten back to it. I should probably read it now along with everything else there is about the body, because race is about bodies, and the castas are colonial bodies.
In class we discussed some of the Moroccan letters of José de Cadalso, and the students could not understand them; narrative voice is complex from their point of view and the world to which it refers is strange. “How to become modern, yet retain Spanishness,” was an issue they captured.
Looking for more material to help elucidate these matters I came upon this book, one of the many I have read reviews of and then not returned to. If I designed a Spanish program or if I redesign this one I do not think I will have a Peninsular / Spanish American separation.
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I'm currently teaching a calculus course and I want to create a project in which we analyse different population growth models using the tools we've learned so far. With this in mind I found a great article where both the history and technical aspects of the subject are very well explained. I want to create a PDF where I can write down verbatim most of this text and even some figures (which are part of other papers), just adding exercises and remarks as we move forward.
The question then is, how can I do this without incurring into plagiarism? Two ideas come to mind:
1) Clarify at the beginning of the text that everything, except the exercises, is written down exactly as in the reference.
2) In addition to the above clarification, use a box or quotes whenever a part of the paper is cited. I think this probably is the best course of action, but it's certainly impractical.
Does anyone have a better idea?
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That number is down ten percent from 2012.
Although it's improving, officials say it could be lower which is why they're taking extra measures to keep drivers safe.
"One of the things we've done is try to incorporate safety aspects into the new projects we've implemented," said Mike Rinehart.
The MODOT engineer said those improvements include adding shoulder ramps, median guard cables and rumble strips.
But they say adding new improvements is only half of it but the rest is up to drivers.
"We would like to see the operators of drivers drive safely and that means staying alert. Not texting and driving and doing things that make for safe driving for everyone," added Rinehart.
Distracted drivers and those not wearing seat belts were the top two factors of fatality deaths last year.
Sergeant Sheldon Lyon with the Missouri Highway Patrol says driving is a serious task.
"Your chance of being in a crash goes up anytime you divide your attention. Your eyes are looking at the road but where's your mind at," said Lyon.
Texting and driving is only illegal for those drivers under the age of twenty-one but says its dangerous for everyone.
"We just ask that people if they want to drive they drive and if they want to use their phone and send messages and those type of activities that has it's place but certainly not while they're driving," added Lyon.
He says they're not done just yet working to keep you safe and it's their number one priority.
Sot:" have we gone in the right direction...You bet but we still, until that number is 0 we're still not finished and so our mission continues"
Authorities say of those killed last year...63 percent weren't wearing seat belts.
Kansas also released its report on fatal traffic crashes from 20-13.
The department of transportation also saw an all time low with 344 traffic deaths.
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Victory in Europe Day celebration in London,England at the end of World War II. Crowd gathered at the Buckingham Palace for Victory in Europe (V-E )day celebration. Vehicles move through streets. People march holding flags. Trees on either side of the street. People wave flags in front of the Palace. Damaged buildings in the background.
This historic stock footage available in HD and SD video. View pricing below video player.
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The slave begins by demanding justice and ends by wanting to wear a crown. He must dominate in his turn.
One might think that a period which, in a space of fifty years, uproots, enslaves, or kills seventy million human beings should be condemned out of hand. But its culpability must still be understood... In more ingenuous times, when the tyrant razed cities for his own greater glory, when the slave chained to the conqueror's chariot was dragged through the rejoicing streets, when enemies were thrown to the wild beasts in front of the assembled people, the mind did not reel before such unabashed crimes, and the judgment remained unclouded. But slave camps under the flag of freedom, massacres justified by philanthropy or by a taste for the superhuman, in one sense cripple judgment. On the day when crime dons the apparel of innocence through a curious transposition peculiar to our times it is innocence that is called upon to justify itself.
He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hope for the human condition is a fool.
Absurdism, like methodical doubt, has wiped the slate clean. It leaves us in a blind alley. But, like methodical doubt, it can, by returning upon itself, open up a new field of investigation, and in the process of reasoning then pursues the same course. I proclaim that I believe in nothing and that everything is absurd, but I cannot doubt the validity of my proclamation and I must at least believe in my protest.
If Nietzsche and Hegel serve as alibis to the masters of Dachau and Karaganda, that does not condemn their entire philosophy. But it does lead to the suspicion that one aspect of their thought, or of their logic, can lead to these appalling conclusions.
Every ideology is contrary to human psychology.
Every rebellion implies some kind of unity.
Every revolutionary ends by becoming either an oppressor or a heretic.
More Albert Camus Quotes
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--on the subject of ghostwriting. As we've detailed in many previous posts, there has been a great deal of huffing and puffing over the evils of ghostwriting, where a hired hand for the drug industry writes almost all the article, academic experts then affix their names to the author byline, and the hired gun disappears into obscurity when the paper appears in a journal. Yet there's no good evidence that the practice has diminished, and indeed defenders of the medical communications firms that employ the ghostwriters have become even more brazen in defending these practices, insisting that it's not ghostwriting at all. What Drs. Leo and Lacasse add in this more recent post is a clue as to the large loophole that people jump through to keep ghostwriting alive and well.
The ICMJE, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, has been forceful (it would seem) in moving against ghostwriting and similarly unethical practices by formulating a set of criteria for authorship that are now widely adopted as authoritative. They say that to be an author you must:
- Make substantive contributions to the research work
- Draft the article or revise it critically
- Give final approval to the version to be published
The common practice now is that a hired-gun medical writer will write the crucial first draft of the paper, making sure to organize and spin the paper in a way favorable for drug marketing. The academic guest authors (who meet the first criteria by having been involved in conducting the research) then meet the second criteria by doing some edits--often really minor and trivial, but enough so that they can claim that they had something to do with the manuscript. The hired gun then turns the manuscript over to the academics, who approve the final version. The hired gun is named in an acknowledgement as having provided writing or editorial "assistance." In this scenario, the ICMJE guidelines have been followed, and the hired gun cannot be listed as an author because he/she did not meet the 3rd criterion.
What has changed as a result of this is that the old practice of eliminating all mention of the ghostwriter has given way to the newer practice of listing the ghostwriter in an acknowledgement. No doubt the drug firm preferred the old way, keeping all of its involvement in writing the paper hidden. But the new way works well enough, as the actual key role of the ghostwriter in shaping the paper the way the company wants it is still quite well concealed, and no one who doesn't read the fine print at the end of the article knows of the ghostwriter's existence.
Drs. Leo and Lacasse note that if either medical journals or academic medical centers truly wanted to police this practice, they could do so. As an example of a journal that has adoped more stringent standards than ICMJE, they cite Neurology, that has cut to the chase to ask the really key question, "who influenced the content?" When other bodies continue to swear by the ICMJE criteria, despite widely published accounts of their limitations, we can only conclude that people don't really want to get rid of ghostwriting-- which is highly lucrative for the medical journals through sales of reprints, and also for academic centers, as those faculty who are asked to be ghostwriters in all probability bring in hefty funding from Pharma.
As I explained in HOOKED and in many previous posts, ghostwriting, despite recent efforts to sanitize it, has to be the most egregious case of unethical practice at the medicine-Pharma interface. If you cannot believe that the listed authors actually wrote an article, what can you believe? Maybe in the world of celebrity kiss-and-tell memoirs, no one is shocked to discover that the celebrity "author" really did no writing at all (and more than likely couldn't if he tried), and some hired hack writer churned out the text. But the entire system of trust in science is built on the reader's confidence that the authors, with their academic reputations, are vouching for the results stated in the article and especially for the interpretation they attach to those results. If academic medicine cannot put a stop to this, it is time to call in Senator Grassley and his troops and turn the control of academic medicine over to Congress or some other outside agency, because we've failed.
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|Fraxinus subsp. var.||Ash tree|
Fraxinus (pronounced /ˈfræksɨnəs/) is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, Ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name originated in Latin. Both words also meant "spear" in their respective languages. The leaves are opposite (rarely in whorls of three), and mostly pinnately compound, simple in a few species. The seeds, popularly known as keys or helicopter seeds, are a type of fruit known as a samara. Rowans or Mountain Ashes are unrelated to true ashes and belong to the Genus Sorbus though the leaves and buds are superficially similar.
|Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture|
Fraxinus (ancient Latin name). Oleaceae. Ash. Interesting trees grown chiefly for their handsome pinnate leaves and some species also for the conspicuous panicles of white flowers.
Deciduous: lvs. opposite, odd-pinnate, without stipules: fls. in panicles, dioecious or polygamous, with or without calyx or with calyx and a 2-6-parted corolla with generally linear segms.; stamens generally 2; ovary 2-celled: fr. a 1-seeded, winged samara.—About 50 species in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere south to Cuba; 16 of them occur in the U. S.
The ashes are ornamental trees, most of them hardy, with rather large leaves and small flowers in panicles, either appearing before the leaves and greenish, or in the subgenus Ornus after or with leaves and whitish in showy panicles: the winged fruit is insignificant. They are valuable as street and park trees, and grow mostly into tall, pyramidal or broad-headed trees, with rather light green foliage, which turns yellow or dark purple in fall or remains green, as in F. excelsior and F. ornus. The ash is seldom severely injured, though a number of insects and fungi prey on the leaves and wood, of which two borers, and a fungus attacking the leaves are perhaps the most obnoxious. Most of the species are hardy North except those from the southern states, southern Europe and Himalayas; of the subgenus Ornus, F. bungeana and F. longicuspis seem to be the hardiest. The ashes are important forest trees, and the straight- grained and tough wood is much used for handles of tools, in the manufacture of carriages and wagons, for the interior finish of houses, and for furniture, for baskets and also for fuel. From F. Ornus manna is obtained as an exudation of the trunk, and some Chinese species, especially F. chinensis and F. mariesii, yield the Chinese white wax.
The ashes grow in almost any moderately moist soil, F. nigra being somewhat more moisture-loving, while F. oxycarpa, F. ornus, F. syriaca and F. cuspidata grow well even in drier situations. They are usually readily transplanted and grow rapidly when young. Propagation is by seeds gathered in fall and sown immediately, or stratified and sown in spring, covered with about 1 inch of good soil; sometimes they remain dormant until the second year. The varieties and rarer kinds are budded in late summer or grafted in spring on the seedlings of any of the common species. CH
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Pests and diseases
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- Eastern North America
- Fraxinus americana L. – White Ash
- Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. – Carolina Ash
- Fraxinus nigra Marshall – Black Ash
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall Green Ash
- Fraxinus profunda (Bush) Bush – Pumpkin Ash
- Fraxinus quadrangulata Michx. – Blue Ash
- Fraxinus tremillium – Indigo Ash
- Western and southwestern North America
- Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex S.Watson – Singleleaf Ash
- Fraxinus berlandieriana DC. – Mexican Ash
- Fraxinus cuspidata Torr. – Fragrant Ash
- Fraxinus dipetala Hook. & Arn. – California Ash or Two-petal Ash
- Fraxinus dubia
- Fraxinus gooddingii – Goodding's Ash
- Fraxinus greggii A.Gray – Gregg's Ash
- Fraxinus latifolia Benth. – Oregon Ash
- Fraxinus lowellii – Lowell Ash
- Fraxinus papillosa Lingelsh. – Chihuahua Ash
- Fraxinus purpusii
- Fraxinus rufescens
- Fraxinus texensis (A.Gray) Sarg. – Texas Ash
- Fraxinus uhdei (Wenz.) Lingelsh. – Shamel Ash or Tropical Ash
- Fraxinus velutina Torr. – Velvet Ash
- Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl – Narrow-leafed Ash or Caucasian Ash
- Fraxinus dimorpha
- Fraxinus excelsior L. – European Ash
- Fraxinus holotricha Koehne
- Fraxinus ornus L. – Manna Ash or Flowering Ash
- Fraxinus syriaca
- Fraxinus pallisiae Wilmott – Pallis' Ash
- Fraxinus apertisquamifera
- Fraxinus baroniana
- Fraxinus bungeana DC. – Bunge's Ash
- Fraxinus chinensis Roxb. – Chinese Ash or Korean Ash
- Fraxinus chiisanensis
- Fraxinus floribunda Wall. – Himalayan Manna Ash
- Fraxinus griffithiiC.B.Clarke – Griffith's Ash
- Fraxinus hubeiensis
- Fraxinus japonica – Japanese Ash
- Fraxinus lanuginosa
- Fraxinus longicuspis
- Fraxinus malacophylla
- Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr. – Manchurian Ash
- Fraxinus mariesii – Maries' Ash
- Fraxinus micrantha Lingelsh.
- Fraxinus paxiana Lingelsh.
- Fraxinus platypoda
- Fraxinus raibocarpa Regel
- Fraxinus sieboldiana Blume – Japanese Flowering Ash
- Fraxinus spaethiana Lingelsh. – Späth's Ash
- Fraxinus trifoliata
- Fraxinus xanthoxyloides (G.Don) Wall. ex DC. – Afghan Ash
|Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture|
The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
- w:Ash tree. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Ash tree QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)
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<references/>tag was found
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Flood debris in Windsor totals over 4,000 tonnes
Published Thursday, September 14, 2017 5:27PM EDT
That is how much flood-damaged material has been collected so far by the City of Windsor after last month’s record-breaking rainfall flooded thousands of homes.
More than 200 millimetres of rain fell on Windsor and the surrounding areas over a 24-hour period on Aug. 29, washing out major streets and flooding more than 6,200 homes.
The four-thousand tonnes is nearly three times more than the amount collected during last September’s flooding.
Mayor Drew Dilkens has estimated the damage from last month’s flooding may total more than $175-million. He also anticipates the clean-up will cost half a million dollars.
City officials continue to ask residents for patience as the clean-up continues.
Some families took longer to get their damaged possessions to the curb, especially in south Windsor and Riverside, where garbage trucks have already visited. But officials say crews will return once they finish circling the rest of the city.
The free public drop off depot on Central Ave. will return to regular operation and fees on Monday. The temporary holding site for flood debris at the former GM transmission plant on Walker Rd. is not for public use.
Recycling collection has been cancelled for the last two weeks to allow for the collection of garbage and flood material. A decision on a resumption of recycling pickup will be made on Monday.
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In the opening decades of the twenty-first century, Europeans have returned to the political rhetoric of times we might have long thought past. Late last year nostalgia and disorientation resonated through the French National Front’s victory-cry at elections, as Marie Le Pen declared the world no longer divided left against right, but patriotes against mondialistes. Given the combination of challenges making European headlines—from collapsing economies to borders—the rhetoric of the right echoes a sense of threat posed to nations by globalization (a tone particularly resonant in German and English press translations of Le Pen’s words as patriots against globalisten or globalists) The invocation of mondialistes, however, should remind us of older Europe-wide debates: setting patriots against rootless ‘cosmopolitans’ (often anti-semitic code for Jews); or imagining world [monde]-scale politics as the natural corollary of national politics. The European traces of mondialisme as world-scale politics take us back to Immanuel Kant’s late eighteenth century reflections on the cosmopolitan path from war through ‘asocial sociability’ of states to permanent peace; or Germaine de Stael’s early nineteenth century configuration of a cosmopolitan Europe comprised of nationalities; or Giuseppe Mazzini’s international brotherhood of national causes. It was at the turn of the twentieth century, and, perhaps more surprisingly, during the First World War that a liberal tradition of national patriotism and world-scale mondialisme were most productively welded together.
Historians who point to the collapse of ‘world-scale’ thinking in 1914, with the outbreak of war and under the pressure of the psychological pull of patriotism risk being ahistorical. Take the complex changes over this period in the concept of patriotism itself. As one French woman’s journal put it on the eve of the First World War: ‘whereas national patriotism used to be considered an expression of the territorial or political state of the “patrie”’, it was now understood to be ‘a psychological reality, an affective disposition, such as filial or paternal love, which everyone could find in oneself and which it would be unnatural not to experience.’ As importantly, in the years prior to the war, and in its course, psychologists who advanced this interpretation of patriotism were themselves inclined to offer it as proof of the possibilities of mondialisme. The more mired in war Europe became, the more the relationship between loyalty to the nation, on the one hand, and to the world, on the other, came to the fore.
The research that led to the influential study The Psychology of Nationality and Internationalism (1919) by the Michigan university-based psychologist Walter Pillsbury—indirectly a student of the Leipzig school of experimental psychology—was originally provoked by the phenomenon of patriotism he witnessed in American Greeks returning to Greece to fight during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. But by the time that it was published, at the end of the First World War, Pillsbury featured the relationship between patriotism and the version of mondialisme predominantly referred to in this period as ‘internationalism’. He had concluded that just as patriotism dictated attachment to the nation, ‘supranationality would always exist as a concentric circle of world consciousness, shadowing local and national consciousness’. Once supranational institutions were created, international subjectivity and forms of patriotism would follow as a result of the social adaptation of instincts and habits. According to Pillsbury, it would take a century, but after that time the legal foundations of a League of Nations would be as immutable as the constitution of the United States. This kind of psychological argument and political conclusion informed the work of Harvard and Leipzig-trained psychologist George Mead in this same period. Mead drew an analogy between the individual ‘self’ as the product of national communication and interaction, and nations as the products of international sociability. The implication was that the social origins of identification made it possible that a future international organization, a ‘League of Nations,’ could act as ‘the arbiter of international life’, and ultimately bring about the end of war.
During the First World War, this strand of scientific conjecturing was mirrored in the spread of national associations supporting the prospect of a postwar ‘League of Nations’, as a form of international government that could reconcile the psychological imperative of patriotism with the worldly possibilities of mondialisme termed ‘internationalism’. In Britain, in 1915, two separate League movements appeared that year: The League of Nations Society, set up by a Cambridge classicist, Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson, with the Bloomsbury figure Leonard Woolf; and the League of Free Nations Association, established by the Liberal ex-Foreign Secretary Edward Grey and Gilbert Murray, another classicist. By 1918, the two League associations had merged as the League of Nations Union [LNU], expounding the mantra of ‘enlightened patriotism’. The LNU’s inner circle included yet other classicists such as Alfred Zimmern. As with Murray, Zimmern’s academic work echoed the new psychological theories of group psychology and national instincts, while his political writing dictated that ‘the road to Internationalism lies through Nationalism’ for those same psychological reasons. Women in these networks held less formal sway, but parleyed their convictions through newly-hatched international women’s associations, and mixed-sex pacifist organizations. The progressively-minded Helena Swanwick, for example, used her editorship of the influential Foreign Affairs: A Journal of International Understanding, to enjoin ‘the evolution of a sane and constructive internationalism’ that acknowledged patriotism as love of country.
What of the French in this history? They were adamant wartime purveyors of a League-inflected mondialisme on patriotic grounds. Adherents of the Association francaise pour la Societé des Nations, established like its sister-societies in 1918, were a familiar mix of academic and political figures of the French establishment. The enduring French statesman (and former Prime Minister) Léon Bourgeois insisted that France had foreseen a Société des Nations at The Hague international congresses of 1899 and 1907 (which he had attended). As chair of the French government wartime committee task with investigating the possibilities of a League of Nations, Bourgeois proposed a League that included Germany, in order to resuscitate that state as a member of a renewed international community. Not all his compatriots agreed. French philosopher and government advisor Henri Bergson was convinced that Germany would never change and thus could not be included in such a federation—nor could any inferior races.
Despite Bergson’s prejudiced assumptions, support for League-focused mondialisme was hardly exclusive to the populations of the Entente alliance. The Deutsche Liga für Völkerbund was founded in Berlin in December 1918, by Matthias Erzberger—who a month earlier headed the German delegation that signed the armistice—and Walther Schücking, professor of public international law at Magdeburg. The Deutsche Liga was even funded by the state Foreign Ministry, with the additional assistance of an industrialist philanthropist, Robert Bosch. If the unpredictable Erzberger (or Bosch) could be accused of political or economic opportunism, certainly Schücking had a long-standing commitment to the idea of international government as a means of making arbitration between nations mandatory and disarmament universal. This stretched back to his involvement as a German delegate to the same Hague international peace congresses of 1899 and 1907, instigated by the Russians, and identified by Bourgeois with a French tradition.
In the wartime Vienna of a Habsburg empire in fatal decline, law professors and jurists-cum diplomats and politicians pursued the League ideal. Schücking’s peer, Heinrich Lammasch (a conservative Catholic Habsburg lawyer and Hague veteran by then in his 60s), and Joseph Redlich (younger Moravian, Jewish, German, Anglophile, progressively Fabian) relied on their legal, pacifist and business networks to lay the seeds of interest in international government. On February 21, 1919, a few months after Lammasch presided as Prime Minister and Redlich as Minister of Finance in the so-called ‘cabinet of liquidation’, overseeing the transition of Austria from imperial power to republic, the Österreich Liga für Völkerbund und Völkerverständigung was constituted in Vienna, in the presence of around 100 persons.
Unlike the British LNU, the German and Austrian League associations could not boast mass membership. Instead, the story of the Österreich Liga, its organization into sections on economics, rights, transport, press, education, teaching and ethics, draws us into an elite world of networked Austrian politicians, lawyers, and university professors. However, like the Deutsche Liga, it could be contextualized in a longer intellectual history connecting back through late nineteenth century Germanophone world-scale thinking—whether conceptions of a planetary ‘biosphere’, or ‘Weltwirtschaft’, or the enthusiastic carriage of Esperanto as a world language. Wartime political imaginaries of Weltkultur extended beyond the idea of a League of Nations. For example, Vienna was home to the now well-known Pan-Europa organization, the project of Bohemian-born aristocratic Austrian-Japanese Count Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi. The less well-remembered Institut für Kulturforschung distinguished itself by bringing together artistic and scientific communities in a wartime ‘Weltkultur’ movement that linked Berlin and Vienna through Stockholm. It claimed as members men of the cultural and political calibre of Walter Rathenau, Georg Simmel, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, and Adolf Loos. (Its industrialist backer was Dr. Victor Ritter von Bauer). Its founder, a Galician named Erwin Hanslik, together with Kokoschka, argued for a League that would promote the ‘unity of civilisation’, a Welkultur built from the reconciliation of national interests and mankind, and the use of art to communicate across the world’s cultures.
More surprising perhaps is the place in this mondialiste landscape of Robert Musil, author of the Austrian modernist masterpiece, Man Without Qualities. Over the period that Musil was plotting out his novel, he was simultaneously working for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, and ruminating regularly in public essays and private diaries on the prospects for a League-based Weltpolitik. (Enthusiastic parsers of Man Without Qualities will hear the exaggerated resonances of this thinking in the ‘weltÖsterreich’ vision of his novel’s captivatingly naive Diotima.) In 1919, as the peacemakers contemplated a new world order built out of the reconciliation of nationality and a League of Nations, Musil stumped for a vision of humanity evolving from ‘the state animal to the human state’. He elaborated: ‘Ideas…do not show the path to the future, but only the direction: They are nets thrown over the future to catch what they can’. For Musil, the place of the nation in this ‘world-political goal’ was as ‘a natural association for accomplishing things, the collecting basin within which intellectual exchange develops quickly and most completely’. This same vision of the compatibility of patriotism and Weltkultur underwrote Musil’s support for an Anschluss with Germany, as long as, he maintained, ‘the impulses that have grouped themselves around the idea of a League of Nations… break out of the evil destiny that attaches itself to the organization of mankind into states.’
Historians are only belatedly reflecting on this wartime League support (in all its versions) and the intersecting political ambitions of patriots and mondialistes as evidence of the extent of political engagement with the question: Could an architecture of institutions, laws and norms be invented or enacted to mitigate the worst effects of war, and perhaps even eradicate future wars? Many of those who tried to answer that question were the same academics, experts, and politicians who contemplated the possibility of a new age of Weltkultur, as a necessary and inevitable answer to the militaristic strains of Weltpolitik, as well as in opposition to the anti-national doctrines of communist internationalism. Some even become influential in the promotion of nationality and a League of Nations as the twin principles of a postwar peace.
Remembering the mondialiste past also directs our attention toward the horizon of expectations and spectrum of ambitions confronted by Entente peacemakers in Paris in 1919. The Swiss proposal for a League, for example, was cast in the federal image of its own ‘indissoluble alliance of states,’ requiring some sacrifice of state sovereignty and a proportional system of representation that would give populous China more influence than France, Germany, Italy, or Japan. In the German case, the pariah delegation’s detailed plans for an anticipated League of Nations asserted the ‘moral power of right’, the sanctity of ‘internal political affairs’, and ‘an international community working for the intellectual and material advancement of mankind’. These principles (drafted by Schücking among others) were the foundation of a League imagined on a Weimar template of federalism, tempered with the logic of universal rights. The League would be given institutional form as a Weltparlament, with its own Staatenkongress, standige internationale Gerichtshof, internationale Vermittlungsamt, internationalen Vewaltungsamter, and Kanzlei. The nation would remain sacrosanct, its inner working not subject to international oversight, just as disarmament would be qualified by the security needs of the state. As important in this design was the universality of political principles: From ‘the legal position of the subjects of one member state in the territory of another’, to the ‘general economic equality of rights’ requiring equality for natives and aliens in regard to conditions of work, freedom of conscience, and social insurance. The League’s international governance would extend to the obligatory settlement of international differences, the freedom of commercial traffic across, land, sea and air, with international policing of open traffic, airspace, and communications.
By the end of the First World War, then, the picture we have is not of Europeans baying for blood, on the one hand, and the US President Woodrow Wilson bringing the enlightened message of the benefits of a League of Nations on the other. After 1919, in the wake of the creation of the actual League of Nations, pro-League associations in Europe, across the Atlantic (even the Pacific), through the British empire, proposed patriotism as not only compatible with international government, but its necessary building block (in self-conscious contrast with the internationalism imagined by proponents of Marxism and the Bolshevik revolution). In these early days, there were around 20,000 vocal supporters of the French League societies. By contrast, the Deutsche Liga had about 9,000 members, many only indirectly affiliated through networked religious and political organizations. Yet, even as Germans lost faith with an institution that would not accept their membership, the British LNU had grown its membership to more than 120,000 (and rising), and Europe’s League societies merged in their own international federation.
The new work of historians is also recovering evidence of the League system’s relative successes were in the humanitarian field—from financial assistance to the collapsing economic core of the Austrian state, to the management of transnational health issues and Europe’s postwar refugees, including the introduction of the Nansen passport as a means of tackling the spreading problem of statelessness. From this historical perspective it is easier to understand why, in the 1920s, an indigenous Australian named Anthony Martin Fernando ventured as far as Geneva to petition the League to transform reserve lands in his homeland into mandates governed by Switzerland or the Netherlands as a means of guaranteeing the ‘just future of the Aboriginal race’.
That said, when we focus on the Entente-agreed League of Nations institutions, we cannot escape the knowledge that its specific formula of mondialisme/ patriotism failed in the most tragic ways to ensure any permanent peace. Hindsight too exposes the critical limits of League mondialisme embedded in scientifically-authorised prejudices: George Mead regarded international government as only relevant to the ‘civilized’ world, namely Europe and white settler colonies, only occasionally Japan and the South American republics; Woodrow Wilson assumed that women, African-Americans, and Filipinos (for example) could not claim political independence in the new international world order because of their psychological difference (which explains the current backlash against Wilson’s memory on American university campuses). Racist rationales were the foundation of the same League mandate system that drew Fernando to Geneva: Allegedly backward colonies (once ruled by the Central Powers) were entrusted to (Entente) imperial powers who were to oversee the cultivation of the colonists’ capacities for (national/patriotic) ‘self-determination’. From this historical perspective, the League of Nations stood for the ‘internationalization’ of colonies, the perpetuation of empires, and the conceptual ambiguities that haunted the principle of nationality.
Even at the time of its invention, some disillusioned contemporaries portrayed the actual League of Nations as merely a new edition of the nineteenth century ‘Concert of Europe’. (Of course, the comparisons are limited, a century earlier international conjoining concerned the containment of national patriotism). We know too that the British delegates who decided the Covenant of the League of Nations dismissed the German submission as a ‘typical product of German liberalism’; Fernando never got a hearing at the League; and many of those refugees who were helped by the League were themselves the victims of the other invention of the peace, population transfers deployed on behalf of the argument that national patriotism required a matching national political community. In other words, the League of Nations not only promised more than it could ever deliver, it was a bundle of political contradictions. But the significance of the horizon of expectations supported by mondialistes is as clear when we remember that in 1940, Erwin Hanslik was one of 3,200 patients deported from a Vienna psychiatric institution to be murdered in the Nazi’s T4-Aktion forced euthanasia program. And if he had lived to see the end of the Second World War, he would have heard the resonant tones of his Weltkultur expectations in the actual cultural program of UNESCO.
At every point in the twentieth century there is evidence of investment by European states (big and small, and the US) in the mondialisme that produced the iconic international institutions of the twentieth century—from the League to the UN. These same investments simultaneously reinforced the sanctity of national sovereignty (in a league of nations and the united nations), the cultural significance of national diversity for world politics, as well as the relevance of regional federalism as the building blocks of a world-scale future. In the 1940s, during the Second World War and in its wake, the UN organization that replaced the League was flooded with letters penned by individuals, men and women, proclaiming their support for a world organisation, and for the concept of world citizenship and consciousness as a necessary corollary to patriotism. The Cold War of the 1950s saw a hiatus, as the language of patriots and mondialistes was used to divide rather than reconcile: the Soviet Union attacked the UN as an instrument of US ‘cosmopolitanism; the US accused UNESCO of being the tool of Soviet ‘cosmopolitanism’. Both ideological empires sought refuge in patriotism as the antithesis of international, world-scale, thinking. As importantly, in the détente decade of the 1970s, like the post-Cold War millennial-inspired 1990s, the idea that mondialisme was the natural partner of patriotism returned, by then in the more specific language of ‘globalism’, and not yet globalization. Looked at this way, through the twentieth century, international governance was the cause of national governments and national publics seeking to assert their national distinctiveness, and look forward to a world-scale politics of the future.
In the early 21st century, contrary to the claims of Le Pen, mondialistes have all but disappeared, and with them the relative influence of the 20th century international institutions that were their inspiration, and not necessarily for the better. At a time when the centenary of the First World War continues to capture our historical attention, it is worth remembering that war’s twinned legacy: an intellectual and institutional architecture that persistently shaped liberal ambitions through the twentieth century, and as persistently expanded the horizon of our political expectations, and its radical difference from our own more global but less mondialiste post 9/11 world order.
[This post originally appeared in German as “Patrioten und Mondialisten” in Merkur no. 803 (April 2016): 47-54. We are grateful for permission to reproduce it here.]
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Rutland County Council provides a range of services to help support new and existing businesses in the County. If you need any help, please contact our staff who can put you in touch with the right people
- Planning and professional advice: the Council can provide professional advice and information on a range of issues including planning, environmental health, building control regulations, waste management and refuse collection services.
- Industrial, office and retail sites: the Council has information and can help you find suitable sites to locate your business.
- Business advice and information: we can put you in touch with the right people to help get your business started and keep it going. We work with local business support agencies to ensure that Rutland businesses get the right help when they need it.
- Financial assistance: whilst the Council does not provide business grants, various grants and loan schemes are available within the county. Contact our economic development manager for further advice on eligibility.
- Events & Seminars: throughout the year the Council will arrange training events and network seminars to help local businesses keep up to date, meet local business support agencies and discuss any concerns they have.
Other agencies that can provide advice to businesses, on a whole range of subjects can be found on the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills website.
Starting a New Business
Thinking of starting a business
One of the major obstacles in the decision to set up a small business and become self-employed is a fear of the hurdles and the regulations associated with 'going it alone', as well as a worry about the viability of the venture. These need not be something to be concerned about if they are tackled in an organised way and if advice and guidance is sought from people who are experienced and trained to help.
The Enterprise Agency has help and guidance for a new business start-up. Because it is funded by government and private sponsorship it is provided at no-cost to the budding entrepreneur. The objective of the Agency is to encourage the creation of new businesses and to make sure these new businesses prosper and grow.
The Agency Advisers are qualified and are members of the Institute of Business Advisers. They are knowledgeable in what needs to done to make the experience of starting a new business enjoyable and rewarding.
You can find your nearest Enterprise Agency on the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies website.
The Council is also committed to providing a wide range of services to local businesses and the community at large. The Council's Economic Development Unit plays a key role in encouraging investment in the area. The Unit is also working to increase the quality and variety of work skills offered to residents, helping them to make the most of new employment and training opportunities as they are created.
More information about Community Economic Development is available.
Where can I find business opportunities within the area?
To look for businesses for sale in the area you can look in the local press, or visit some of the many websites that deal with the sale of businesses. A small selection are below
There are around 600 businesses in the UK that are franchised but what is franchising and would it be suitable for you?
It's a way of setting up in business for yourself but not on your own. With a franchise you run the business, but using methods that have been already tried and tested by another company, called the franchisor.
It is a way of being your own boss without many of the risk factors. However, you are ultimately answerable to the franchisor and this approach may not be for some people.
Can I get any financial support, grants or loans?
Whilst the Council does not provide business grants, various grants and loan schemes are available within the county. More information is on the Business Grants & Funding page.
Are there any courses that I may find useful?
Learndirect run a number of courses that may be useful to you including IT courses such as word processing, databases and spreadsheets. They also run essential business and management skills courses covering finance, marketing, personnel and health and safety.
What taxes will I have to pay?
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have put information on their website especially for people starting in business. There is also a help line run by the Inland Revenue for newly self employed people. Telephone number 0845 9154 515, open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, Monday to Friday and 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, Saturday and Sunday.
Where can I get property advice?
For details of business properties currently available in the area, please contact the Rutland Economic Development Unit.
Do I need planning permission?
Planning holds a balance between the need for new development and the need to protect the environment and tries to ensure all development is environmentally sustainable. Construction methods also need to comply with the Building Regulations for which there is a separate set of approvals. More information can be found on the Building Control page.
- Working from home
You do not usually need planning permission just to work from home but sometimes you do.
The key test is whether the residence has changed because of the business. If the answer to any of the following questions is 'yes', then you will probably need permission:
- Is your house no longer chiefly a private residence?
- Will your business result in a marked rise in traffic, people calling or working around the house or in out buildings?
- Will your business involve obvious activities not usual in a residential street?
- Will your business disturb your neighbours because of noise or smells?
Basically you need to ask yourself if the house is still mainly a home or has it become business premises? This is whatever the business, including using a room as an office, hairdressing, repairing cars, storing goods, using part of the house as a bedsit, running a 'bed and breakfast', providing childminding or music teaching.
Do I need a licence?
Many businesses require a licence eg.hairdressers, pet shops and places of public entertainment. For appropriate advice and guidance covering all aspects of trading, licensing and public health legislation contact .
What standards do I need to abide by?
Trading Standards and Consumer Services is a strategic service contributing to the well-being of the local and business community through its enforcement activities and advisory services.
Trading Standards can advise any business, consumer group, school or any other organisation on the work carried out by the Trading Standards service in the following areas:
More information can be found on the Trading Standards page.
Will I need to pay business rates?
Business rates information:
Where can I get rid of trade waste?
The Council provides a Commercial Waste and Recycling service.
The Council also carries out pest control work.
How do I recruit staff?
The Council is committed to attracting new jobs to the area and works in partnership with other agencies to ensure residents benefit from employment opportunities created. For more information visit the employment and training initiatives webpage.
Your local job centre will advise you on recruiting staff and will advertise positions in the local centres free of charge. For more information, advice and to find your local job centre look at the Business Link - Jobcentre Plus website
You can also contact the local employment agencies to help recruit permanent or temporary staff although there will be a charge for this.
You can also advertise in the local press.
What is e-business?
e-business relates to businesses utilising new information and communication technologies such as e-mail, the world wide web and e-commerce.
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Tk_GetPixmap, Tk_FreePixmap - allocate and free pixmaps
Pixmap Tk_GetPixmap(display, d, width, height, depth)
- Display *display (in)
X display for the pixmap.
- Drawable d (in)
Pixmap or window where the new pixmap will be used for drawing.
- "int" width (in)
Width of pixmap.
- "int" height (in)
Height of pixmap.
- "int" depth (in)
Number of bits per pixel in pixmap.
- Pixmap pixmap (in)
Pixmap to destroy.
These procedures are identical to the Xlib procedures XCreatePixmap and XFreePixmap, except that they have extra code to manage X resource identifiers so that identifiers for deleted pixmaps can be reused in the future. It is important for Tk applications to use these procedures rather than XCreatePixmap and XFreePixmap; otherwise long-running applications may run out of resource identifiers.
Tk_GetPixmap creates a pixmap suitable for drawing in d, with dimensions given by width, height, and depth, and returns its identifier. Tk_FreePixmap destroys the pixmap given by pixmap and makes its resource identifier available for reuse.
pixmap, resource identifier
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Up from Slavery
By Booker T. Washington
(Dover Publications, Paperback, 9780486287386, 160pp.)
Publication Date: October 1995
Other Editions of This Title: Mass Market Paperback
Enter your zip code below to find indies closest to you.
A firm believer in the value of education as the best route to advancement, Washington disapproved of civil-rights agitation and in so doing earned the opposition of many black intellectuals. Yet, he is today regarded as a major figure in the struggle for equal rights, one who founded a number of organizations to further the cause and who worked tirelessly to educate and unite African-Americans.
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The Anime Companion 2
When the first volume of The Anime Companion was released in 1999, flopped volumes of manga were commonplace, VHS tapes ruled supreme and DVD was still struggling to catch on with the masses. For a reference book, The Anime Companion was the must-own book for any fan wanting to gain some insight into Japanese culture without actually dropping everything and moving to Japan.
As with any type of reference book, though, countless entries tend to be overlooked and, often, the author isn't able to correct their omissions until later printings. It may have taken a lot longer than author Gilles Poitras wanted, but the follow-up volume, The Anime Companion 2, has finally arrived.
For those familiar with the first volume's layout, The Anime Companion 2 is pretty much identical. The book opens with a series of introductory pages dedicated to explaining what is new in the volume and how newcomers should use the book. From here, there are roughly 123 pages of alphabetical listings for everything from Adachi-ku to zomen. If you don't know that the former is a ward in northeast Tokyo or that zomen is a paper mask, then chances are good that you'll need to brush up on your Japanese culturalisms with this book.
While this follow-up volume has fewer picture references than it's predecessor, the volume does feature one much-needed addition--kanji and kana. It's doubtful that the book will help you learn Japanese, but having the Japanese and English words in one place is always a welcomed touch. There is even a reverse look-up glossary at the end of the book. However, this addition does make me hopeful for a future release that includes both volumes in one with all the entries listed alphabetically.
Making a welcome return are Gilles Poitras' insightful and fun sidebars. Some sidebars are commentaries about fandom while others are interesting factoids like, for instance, how the Japanese using fire as weapon to lure people to their deaths. There is even a sidebar that includes the dates for when each Tokugawa Shogan was in office. The final additions are three maps of Japan. The first shows the prefectures of Japan as they appear today, the second has the provinces of Japan from 824 to 1868 and the final map showcases the wards of Tokyo.
While individual experiences will vary, The Anime Companion and The Anime Companion 2 are essential volumes for any aspiring otaku's library that rank right up there with The Anime Encyclopedia, Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics and Dreamland Japan. Trust me, if you thought you knew all there was to know about your favorite series, then think again!
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(Independence) - The National Park Service opened its new Rockside Station Pedestrian Bridge today, just in time for Labor Day weekend.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park received $3.2 million in federal funds for projects benefiting the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and that included $1.4 million for the pedestrian bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River connecting Valley View and Independence.
Cheryl Schreier, superintendence of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park says the bridge will improve access between the Towpath Trail and the railroad.
At 240 feet, National Park Service Civil Engineer Robert Bobel says it’s one of the longest clear span pedestrian bridges in northeast Ohio.
Cuyahoga Valley Scene Railroad President and CEO Craig Tallman says the bridge will bring more passengers to their Bike Aboard! program. Visitors can ride their bikes in the park, and flag down a train at any of the boarding stations.
Independence Mayor Greg Kurtz, and Valley View Mayor Jerry Piaseki tell Newsradio WTAM 1100 that the bridge will encourage economic development and bring both of their cities closer together.
Get breaking news sent to your mobile phone. Text "news" to 21095.
(Copyright 2013 Clear Channel, all rights reserved.)
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The deadline for the United States Postal Service to repay its $5.5 billion loan from the U.S. Treasury is tonight, and the USPS is not expected to be able to make the payment.
While lawmakers continue to fight over how to fix the ailing U.S. Postal Service, the agency's money problems are only growing worse.
The U.S. Postal Service is so much a part of this country, it's in the Constitution.
The list of USPS processing plants that will be closed during the year. Seriously, it's time to end the monopoly.
Mike Dugger, Letter Carrier - Secrets of the Post Office and Post GOP Debate Commentary 9-22-11 - Mike and Ernie also share some old stories of early activism by the core of the LOVEolution... from when they were young in the early 90's
Plan calls for shutting down more than 250 mail processing facilities and eliminate 35,000 jobs.
As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones, and at their favorite shopping destinations, the needs for the US Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices -- the largest retail network in th
UPS relies heavily on telematics, as does GM with OnStar. The federal government could do a better job of capitalizing on the science. So he started thinking about one of the largest mobile networks on Earth: the post office.
Unbeknownst to most Americans, I'm sure, people outside of the USA can no longer mail you packages if that package weighs more than 1 pound (453 grams). That's the total weight including packaging. One pound is not very heavy.
Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday, in asking lawmakers to lift the requirement that the agency deliver mail six days a week. If the change happens
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the USPS said Monday. The price of the Forever stamp will go up the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents for first-class postage after the rate inc
Tiny Shirogane post office in a quiet Tokyo neighborhood, with just three clerks and one ATM, might seem far removed from the world of global finance. But when Japan Post is privatized on Monday, the Shirogane office will become part
Could mail one day go the way of many pizza chains, where customers can pick it up or pay extra for home delivery? Will the mail still arrive six days a week? Will the government still be involved? (Let's hope not) The Postal Service is facin
Both the US Postal Service and postal customers should be concerned by recent First Class mail volumes trends. For the first half of fiscal year 2007 First Class mail is down by almost 650 million pieces, or 1.3 percent.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said today that he was deeply concerned about new mailing rates which will mailing costs significantly for small to medium-size publications. Sanders expressed concern that, at a time when fewer and fewer large media
Charles Williams can tell you his mail carrier's first and last name. The 68-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident has built a friendship with Cindy White, his letter carrier for the past few years. "When it would rain, she wouldn't put m
New US postal rates threaten the survival of small and mid-sized publications and will prevent new start-ups
The 2007 Consumer Bill Payment Survey showed that, for the first time, online bill payments exceeded bill payments make by paper checks among online household. Online payments made up 39 percent of total volume of bill payments
Lengthy article about the Postal Strike of 1970, which later led to the Postal Reorganization Act, which created the United State Postal Service. Sure did work wonders didn't it.
Urban America has long been the exclusive enclave of letter carriers employed by the USPS. These workers -- who pledge not to be slowed by rain, hail, sleet or snow -- are instantly recognizable in their distinctive uniforms or vehicles
The missing clock didn't stop postal customer Al Cunningham from noticing the amount of time spent waiting for service. "We want people to focus on postal service and not the clock," said Stephen Seewoester, Dallas spokesman for the U.S
Josephine Baker is still causing a stir more than 80 years after she took Paris by storm with her nearly naked dance review. (I'm putting the link of the card here)
Here is Steiger's Law multiplied. Here's the list of reports required under the recently enacted "Postal Reform" legislation. BTW, the real loser with this reform is the public. More on that later
(I know not right category, but could this take place in US?) Jim Fitzpatrick, Post Office Minister, was booed and heckled by thousands of subpostmasters today as he spoke at a demonstration aimed at saving Britian's post offices. (Why)
Postmaster General John E. Potter told US Postal business customers Sept. 20 that the agency must prepare for a possible May 6 postal rate change implementation date. Mr. Potter made the announcement via satellite in Arlington, Texas,
All summer, federal-dom has been abuzz over a steamy US Postal Inspector's General's report accusing the agency's former public affairs chief of heavy drinking, expense account chicanery and sexual harassment. But who knew
(Why isn't this privatized yet. Years ago, FedEx and the USPS had similiar agreement with packages) UPS and the USPS have agreed to a deal to be announced on Wednesday that will put mail on the package-delivery company's planes.
Next time, you hear a Postal Official or even a Postal employee talk about how the Postal Service receives no government subsidy or in fact, any indirect subisdy, throw this bit of information at them. (And I bet you're shocked)
The Postal Service said Wednesday it wants to raise the price of a first class stamp by 3 cents - to 42 cents - and proposed a "forever" stamp that people could use as a hedge against future rate increases.
"We see very little growth in Standard mail volume [right now], [but] we are hoping to get it back up to the 3 percent growth level that it did last year," Richard J. Strasser Jr., USPS chief financial officer and executive vice president,
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When most think of Tolstoy, they think of the great author. War and Peace and Anna Karenina brought him worldwide fame and a good deal of money. Had he done nothing else in life, these two novels would have ensured him status and respect. Few others had written both a national epic and a great love story; and some might have been content with that.
For his last 30 years, however, Tolstoy walked a different track. After his spiritual crisis, when he was 50, he exchanged his author’s clothes for those of a prophet – a prophet who was to have a great influence on Gandhi, amongst others. Through his prolific writing, he now became the scourge of the rich, the Church and the government. Neither did he miss an opportunity to denounce both science and art. Darwin? Dostoyevsky? Shakespeare? No one was to be left standing.
In Conversations with Leo Tolstoy, Simon Parke grants us the honour of sitting with the great man, towards the end of his life, and gives us the chance to chat with him. The conversation is imagined, but not Tolstoy’s answers. This is Tolstoy is his own words, drawn from his extensive books, essays and letters. Vegetarianism, marriage, non-violence, the military, death, God and sex are all on the agenda.
‘I want people to come away feeling they know Tolstoy,’ says Simon Parke, who was keen to use only Tolstoy’s authentic words. ‘They will be become aware of his opinions certainly, for he was forthright in those. He had an opinion on everything! But I hope also that people leave with a sense of the man beneath the opinions. I don’t always agree with him; but it is hard not to admire him. He was far from perfect, but as he says: just because he walks the road like a drunk, doesn’t mean it’s the wrong road.’
About the author
Simon Parke was a priest in the Church of England for 20 years and is now a freelance writer. His most recent books are The One-Minute Mystic, Shelf Life, and The Enneagram: A Private Session with the World’s Greatest Psychologist. He is also the author of The Beautiful Life. Simon runs, leads retreats, meets with people looking for a new way in their life, and follows the beautiful game.
Publisher: White Crow Books
Published January 2010
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In August 2011, Attorney General Holder and the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced a new initiative called the Supportive School discipline Initiative to address the problem of “zero tolerance” policies that impose harsh punishments – such as expulsion – for relatively minor infractions. Recent studies show children punished in this manner are more likely to repeat a grade, not graduate, or become involved in the juvenile justice system. The initiative is a collaboration between the two Departments.
On January 8, 2014, the Department of Justice and Department of Education announced the jointly devised School Discipline Guidance Rollout, addressing the issue of “zero tolerance” policies in the nation’s schools.
Speaking at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland, Attorney General Eric Holder explained:
As it stands, far too many students across the country are diverted from the path to success by unnecessarily harsh discipline policies and practices that exclude them from school for minor infractions. During critical years that are proven to impact a student’s later chances for success, alarming numbers of young people are suspended, expelled, or even arrested for relatively minor transgressions like school uniform violations, schoolyard fights, or showing “disrespect” by laughing in class.
Too often, so-called “zero-tolerance” policies – however well-intentioned – make students feel unwelcome in their own schools. They disrupt the learning process. And they can have significant and lasting negative effects on the long-term well-being of our young people – increasing their likelihood of future contact with juvenile and criminal justice systems.
The guidance came about as the result of “close and longstanding cooperation between the Departments of Justice and Education, as well as extensive research and collaboration with school leaders, educators, and parents,” Holder added.
The guidance is intended to assist school districts, public elementary and secondary school teachers, as well as administrators “in meeting their obligations under federal law to develop and implement disciplinary policies without discrimination.”
Holder explained that the guidance will “provide useful information for school resource officers, recommendations for evidence-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and fresh approaches for monitoring and addressing racial and other disparities. Even more critically, it will offer new tools for educators, policymakers, and parents to promote fair and effective practices that make schools not only safer, but more supportive and inclusive.”
Seeking to avoid potential liability, schools have been hiding behind a wall of resource officers, police, and privatized security guards, explains a Dear Colleague letter sent to school officials around the nation. This does not provide the schools with the legal insulation that they desire. To the contrary: “Schools cannot divest themselves of responsibility for the nondiscriminatory administration of school safety measures and student discipline by relying on school resource officers, school district police officers, contract or private security companies, security guards or other contractors, or law enforcement personnel. To the contrary, the Departments may hold schools accountable for discriminatory actions taken by such parties.”
It is gratifying to see leadership at the federal level beginning to take a serious interest in matters that greatly impact on youths. Far too many have been turned into “offenders” for trivial offenses that at one time may have merited little more than a minor reprimand.
The “school-to-prison pipeline,” as it has been called, is tantamount to a black hole that sucks the very lifeblood out of children, their families, and their communities.
It is time that the educators begin educating, and stop acting as the sentinels for the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Our schools continue to do too little of the former, and too much of the latter.
For a literature review and more information about rthe school-to-prison pipeline, see Zero Tolerance Programs at liftingtheveil.org.
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"Building a world where people, in particular women, and responsible businesses have secure land tenure rights to invest, thrive and contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development."
Land: Enhancing Governance for Economic Development (LEGEND) is a £38mn DFID global programme running from May 2015 to March 2021. LEGEND was designed to mobilise knowledge and capacity for design and delivery of new land-related programmes, improve land governance as an essential and inclusive basis for economic development, and strengthen land and property rights at scale.
LEGEND aims to improve the quality and impact of land investments so they contribute sustainably to growth while safeguarding rights and opportunities for poor people, rural and urban, and especially women. It has done this through: building policy coherence globally using internationally agreed principles and guidelines, such as the VGGT and CFS RAI principles; promoting application of emerging good practice emerging across countries; and stimulating the development of innovative tools and partnerships involving civil society, private sector and governments at global, country and local levels.
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This content has been marked as final. Show 8 replies
Bala : ) wrote:if its your test server you can make a single scan entry in /etc/hosts file.
I want to configure RAC on two node cluster with DNS(For SCAN) in my testing server.
O.S: RHEL5.4(64 bit)
Oracle Version: 11gR2(220.127.116.11)
Note: Am creating nodes in VMware ESXi server.
Just I want to know whether DNS should be configure in any one of those NODES or in separate machine.
SCAN IP entry in /etc/hosts file and settting your nslookup is a turnaround to bypass SCAN while doing installation. It wont provide any features of SCAN. If you want to use SCAN, DNS or GNS is mandatory else you can use VIP entries (as in 11gR1) to achieve TAF.
What is your aim ?? Goal?? You want to install it with / without DNS.
As per my experience, SCAN is very mandatory though we have turnaround as SCAN troubles you a lot when you do patching, cloning, migration , etc. And Yes you need differnent server / VM for configuring DNS. For your tesing server, below link may be useful.
I want to configure my Database with & without DNS. (Will try both installation in different servers)I think, you have already received a link on very good article about Oracle RAC installation without DNS and DHCP (I mean Jeffrey Hunter's article).
There is one more about Oracle RAC installation with DNS and DHCP (http://gjilevski.com/2011/10/05/build-two-node-oracle-rac-11gr2-11-2-0-3-with-gns-dns-dhcp-and-haip/).
And want to know how it forwards the client connection if a node fails.. Can anyone update the URL for this..There are a lot of information about it:
Very good videos:
Hope it helps,
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There are two living members of this genus, one is found in tropical and temperate waters in most oceans, while the other is restricted to the Southern Ocean. These deep-water fish are prized by anglers, as they are rarely caught, though are sometimes caught as a bycatch from commercial tuna fishing. Opah flesh is sometimes used in fish markets, for example, in Sushi.
These deeply-keeled, discoid fish are deep red-orange to rosy belly, with white spots covering the flanks. It has large eyes, and it's silvery and guanine coating is easily abraded.
The larger of the two species, L. guttatus, can reach 2m and weigh 270kg, while the smaller and lesser known L. immaculatus can reach 1.1m.
Very little is known of ecology and biology of Opahs.
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How to improve your heart health
Cardiovascular health is important at any age, and your heart affects all of your body’s functions and processes. Practicing preventative health is the best way to protect your heart and body from disease while still having the energy and longevity to live your best life.
Plants & more plants
Overwhelming evidence suggests plant-based diets low in animal products can help lower your risk of heart disease significantly. 1,2,3 Mind you, not all vegetarians and vegans are healthy, but many tend to consume plant foods rich in phytonutrients, vitamins, proteins, enzymes and minerals. All of these compounds help your body stay strong and immune. That’s not to say that any small consumption of animal products will poison you, but your diet should not consist primarily of these foods. Additionally meat and dairy products come at a cost. Animals are not treated ethically, and the carbon emissions and space used to produce animal products affects all of us. For more information about the Dairy industry’s destruction, read: Is dairy bad for you? The white lie we’ve been drinking.
Just like eating plant foods, exercise plays a major role in the prevention against heart disease. The cool thing is that you don’t need to go full on fitness fanatic (there are already enough of those kinds of people on Instagram) you can take small, regular actions that will make a big change. For example, one study found that walking briskly 3-4 hours a week could reduce your risk of a coronary related disease or illness by 30-40 times!4 The reason these results seem so dramatic is due to your heart’s need to be exercised. Like any muscle your heart requires training in the form of repetitive movement. Moving daily allows your heart to get this exercise in. However unlike other muscles, your heart can increase the flow of blood and oxygen throughout your entire body. This is why many people feel more mentally focused or creative after working out.5
Foods that fight for you
It goes without saying that food can be your friend or foe. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by giving your body the powerful nutrition it needs to stay in top shape.
Here’s our list of heart healthy foods to indulge in:
Protein: Tempeh, nuts, beans and seeds are some of the best forms of protein. These foods will help fuel your body through heart strengthening workouts, and contain impressive amounts of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. As stated previously, it’s important to look beyond animal products for regular sources of protein. Give our plant based protein manual a read for more inspiring and heart healthy ideas.
Fibre: The easiest way to get more fibre in your diet is to eat organic fruits and vegetables with every meal! Additionally opting for organic, whole grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta is much healthier too. Prioritizing whole foods over refined ones is always best. Fibre consumption is necessary in the prevention of heart disease.6
Greens: Yes vegetables are so important we’re mentioning them twice. Eat your organic greens! Need a quick, easy and economical way to get a ton of organic vegetables in? Try our PureFood A to Z! This nutritional booster has over 20 organic vegetables, fruits and super-foods in it! Including kale, collard, cabbage, carrots, beets and Portobello mushrooms.
Minerals: Mineral rich foods like raw cacao, flax seeds, chia seeds, nuts and whole grains are all great foods to add into your diet for extra calcium and magnesium. Both magnesium and calcium are crucial for heart health.7,8
Your heart & mind
Body, mind and soul are all equal in terms of well being and health. They all affect each other. So it should come as no surprise that a decline in mental health affects the cardiovascular system in a negative way too.9 Research shows particularly strong connections between those suffering from anxiety or depression, and poor heart health. 9 Unfortunately taking care of your mental well being is not as mainstream in the modern, 21st century world as it should be. Exercise and eating organic, nutrient dense foods will certainly help with all aspects of your well being, but coupling those rituals with poor mental health defeats the whole purpose. Reaching out to a healthcare practitioner regarding mental health is just as important as reaching out to one for physical health. For severe cases please contact a professional.
Adopting the below small changes may help lead to less stress, improved digestion and of course heart health!
- Daily meditation – The science behind mediation is quite impressive. Researches found that regular meditation practice can increase your brain’s grey matter leading to heightened cognitive abilities. Meditation is also widely known to decrease stress.
- Balancing your circadian rhythm will help improve all aspects of your health. Your circadian rhythm is what helps your body go to sleep, wake up, digest and pull nutrients from food and much more! Learn how to balance this along with your biological clock by clicking the linked text.
- Whole food B vitamins will give you energy while still sustaining and balancing your nervous system. (Think energy without the crash, plus stabilization of your nervous system!) Our PureFood B only has 4 ingredients; Holy Basil, Lemon, Guava and Spirulina.
Heart & stomach happy recipes
Here are our favorite plant based recipes to fuel our body with:
Follow these lifestyle changes to give you and your heart the best life! Did we miss one? Comment below and share your heart health hacks with us.
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A few metro stops from each other there are two interesting exhibitions to be discovered: American artists at the 1900 Paris "Exposition universelle" in the Carnavalet Museum, and Picasso's erotic drawings and paintings at the Jeu de Paume National Gallery.
The two faces of art at the turn of the century
We took a tour of the "School of Paris" exhibition last month and described how Paris became the center of so-called "avant garde" art movements such as Cubism or Abstract art in the period after the "Universal Exhibition" of 1900. In fact, to have an even larger view of how art was developing at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, it would be interesting to visit two other exhibitions in Paris.
Read further on the American artists at the "Universal Exposition" and the contrast that existed with European artists of the same epoch such as Picasso.
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Mobile Internet Challenges
If you’ve ever tried to browse the web using your favorite mobile device (PDA or mobile phone), you probably quickly discovered two facts:
- Compared to a regular workstation, a mobile device is infuriatingly limited.
- Most web sites are not well adapted to mobile visitors, making web browsing extremely unpleasant, if not downright impossible.
The limitations of mobile devices are pretty obvious. You’ll immediately notice the lack of a decent input device. A mouse (or its emulation) is virtually nonexistent. Keyboard entries are a royal pain—more so if you have to use up to four thumb strokes to get a single character.
When you’ve sweated through the URL entry and you have the results, you’re probably surprised by how little fits on the screen (and how much screen space the meaningless images, banners, ads, and logos consume). Mobile device screens are much smaller than our workstation monitors:
- iPhone, the hottest gadget in town, has a screen resolution of 480 × 320 pixels.
- A high-end iPAQ from HP is 640 × 480 pixels; less-expensive iPAQ models are 320 × 240 pixels.
- HP’s smartphone, the iPAQ 510, is 220 × 176 pixels.
- A high-end Nokia Communicator is 800 × 352 pixels; my water-resistant Nokia 5500 is 208 × 208 pixels.
According to the W3 School’s Browser Display Statistics page, the minimum screen resolution on a workstation is 800 × 600 pixels, with 85% of users having higher resolutions. Jakob Nielsen recommended in July 2006 that web sites should be optimized for 1024 × 768 pixels.
As if hardware limitations aren’t enough, there’s a whole universe of software quirks. To start, mobile devices use at least three different browser paradigms:
- High-end devices use web browsers that are comparable to workstation browsers (Safari on iPhone, Internet Explorer Mobile on Windows Mobile, Opera Mobile on a variety of platforms).
- Devices with severe hardware limitations—typical mobile phones, for example—have embedded browsers that support Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 2.0 specifications. The WAP 2.0 suite includes a scaled-down HTML (XHTML Mobile Profile), so you can at least access most web sites, but they might look very different from what you would expect.
- You can still find older mobile devices that support only the WAP 1.2 standard, which uses a completely different markup language, Wireless Markup Language (WML). These devices cannot access regular web sites directly.
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The History behind the Scottish Flag
The national flag of Scotland is the Saltire. It is made up of a great white cross which spans diagonally across the flag on a blue background. This was the supposed shape of the cross that St. Andrew was put to death on and therefore the flag is also known as the 'Cross of St. Andrew'. Interestingly the Saltire, which dates back to the 12th century, is thought to be one of the oldest national flags in the world.
According to legend, the birth of the Saltire came about in a battle near Athelstaneford in East Lothian about the time of 832AD. Apparently the Scots looked up at the sky and saw a cross formation in the clouds which resembled the cross of St Andrew and they thus took this as a sign that they would succeed in battle. They did indeed win the battle, and from that point forward began to take the cloudy white cross and the evening sky azure as their country's emblem.
There is another Scottish Flag which is called the 'Royal Flag' of Scotland or the 'Rampant Lion'. It bears the emblem of a red lion raised up on its hind quarters on a yellow background bordered by a red border with Fleury and counterfleury. This flag is only supposed to be used by Scottish monarchs or government officials acting in their capacity to govern the country but it has seen more wide-spread use in recent years. The rampant lion emblem was originally introduced by William the Lyon in 1165 to replace the boar emblem which once decorated the country's flags.
With the unification of England, Ireland and Scotland under one government, the Union Jack became the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is said to be made up of the flags of Scotland, England and Ireland and its use is strictly sanctioned and limited only to governmental and military use. The dragon of Wales was not incorporated. Should any member of these countries desire to fly a flag, they are only permitted to make use of their country's native flags.
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JISC recently released this report.
Researchers of Tomorrow is the UK’s largest study to date on the research behaviour of Generation Y doctoral students (born between 1982 and 1994). JISC and the British Library jointly commissioned the three year study in 2009, which involved 17,000 doctoral students from 70 universities at various stages in the project.
Our research findings reveal:
- Doctoral students are increasingly reliant on secondary research resources (eg journal articles, books), moving away from primary materials (eg primary archival material and large datasets).
- Access to relevant resources is a major constraint for doctoral students’ progress. Authentication access and licence limitations to subscription-based resources, such as e-journals, are particularly problematic.
- Open access and copyright appear to be a source of confusion for Generation Y doctoral students, rather than encouraging innovation and collaborative research. [emphasis added.]
- This generation of doctoral students operate in an environment where their research behaviour does not use the full potential of innovative technology.
- Doctoral students are insufficiently trained or informed to be able to fully embrace the latest opportunities in the digital information environment.
These findings raise important questions about research development, training and support within research led organisations and the openness and sharing of research.
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I have a 6500 connected to my ISP and to a server. I have a /24 from my ISP and a /30. I have a default route set 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 isp gateway and have assigned one ip from the /30 to the interface connected to my ISP and am able to ping google.com etc. from the 6500. I have my server on a vlan and the server is configured to the 2nd IP in the /24 block I am just addressing the whole block at this time so the server's netmask is just 255.255.255.0 and the gateway is the first ip in the /24 block (the ip of the vlan). I am able to ping the 6500 from the server but am unable to ping external addresses.
Can anyone suggest how I can get the routing working so that I can ping external addresses?
Thanks for the help!
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Perhaps it was the most unwanted paintings and music that made writing to a formula interesting (or at least showed that satisfying a list of what people hated in music could be more striking than chasing what they liked). Or maybe it was OuLiPo. Then again, every adherence to a genre or emulation of a classical model is in some sense formulaic: remember Milton’s epic similes and rivers of the underworld. Yet ‘formulaic’ writing so seldom has the formula conveniently attached for fascinated perusal.
Looking through the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook (this being a suitable time to talk myself out of writing a novel), I came upon this anecdote from a literary agent:1
I received a mediocre thriller one day and read about 50 pages and sent it back with a note saying I didn’t feel it was going to be a good fit for my list. The next morning a very indignant man called me and told me in no uncertain terms that I was mistaken. “Oh yes,” said I, “why is that?” He then proceeded to tell me that he had read the top ten thrillers of the previous year and had decoded each of them onto a graph. When there was a cliffhanger he coloured in the appropriate square on the chart with green crayon, when there was an explosion he whipped out the red crayon, and when there was a sex scene he used blue and so on. He then wrote his own novel based on this equation of what constituted the statistically average ‘best-selling novel’ and was amazed that I didn’t immediately snap it up.
I would possibly read this thriller—provided it were published with the chart, and suitable commentary, and preferably the ten thrillers that went into it. That could be a whole new approach to critical editions, or even an advanced means of speed-reading and rapid research. After all, according to Jerome Stolnitz,2 attempts to extract truths from literature already arrive at either the ‘hopelessly unwieldy’...
The criminal [some criminals?] [all criminals?] [criminals in St Petersburg?] [criminals who kill old moneylenders?] [criminals who kill old moneylenders and come under the influence of saintly prostitutes?] desires to be caught and punished.
...or the trivially bland:
Stubborn pride and ignorant prejudice keep attractive people apart.
Perhaps we might discover a whole class of artworks which fascinate us not with their characters or their compositional loveliness or the emotions they evoke within us, but purely for their collective statistical properties. Let a thousand Plato Codes bloom.
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An elderly man startles awake after a man in a white coat touches his shoulder. He looks around and sees three other white-coated people standing around his bed.
“Sir? Good afternoon, sir. How are you?” says the man who touched the patient’s shoulder.
“Oh, I’m fine.” He’s perfectly calm.
“I know this is a silly question,” continues the man, “but do you know where you are right now?”
“Of course, of course. I’m at home.”
The slightest pause. “Sir, you’re in the hospital.” The man in the white coat names the hospital.
“Oh yes, the hospital,”the patient agrees. It’s as though being at home were just a slip of the tongue and not the mind.
“Do you know why you’re in the hospital?” the standing man presses.
“I’m here… I’m here because you’re giving me circulation to my leg.”
“Actually, you just had an amputation of your leg.”
The patient’s expression freezes, but like many people with dementia, he covers whatever internal processes he has.
“Your leg was just amputated.”
This is not the first time the patient has woken up after his surgery. According to the nurses, he had been tearful all day trying to cope with the loss of his leg.
“Can you repeat that after me? Your leg is amputated.”
The patient repeats it, in a tone that I’ve used to talk about the weather.
“Okay? Your leg is gone.”
And just for good measure he lifts up the blanket and shows the patient the nothing that is there:
“Your leg is gone.”
The doctor turns and leaves. The other people in the white coats who are not in the patient’s home not giving circulation to his leg follow his lead. The whole encounter takes no more than 120 seconds.
The third year medical student in the white coat looks back at the man’s frozen expression. With this glance, she has already fallen out of step with the team.
A social worker enters as we leave, pulling the curtain around the patient’s bed.
A curtain around a man who doesn’t wake up from nightmares but into them.
Someone please tell me.
Someone please tell me how to make a box in my mind and put patients into it and seal it and make the patients stay in there until I say they can come out and–actually, on second thought–maybe I’ll just never let them out.
Because I am having nightmares too. But at least I am waking up in my home with both my legs still there.
Someone please tell me how to steel myself against this profession I have chosen.
Waking Up by PLOS Blogs Network, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael’s bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was “on the clock” nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael’s hand with her wet nose as it draped over the bedside toward the floor. She needed him to wake up.
With a busy day of meetings and an important presentation ahead, Michael slumped out of bed, headed to his home office, and started chipping away at his daunting workload. Roselle, shivering, took her normal spot at his feet and rode out the storm while he typed. By all indications it was going to be a normal day. A busy day, but normal nonetheless. Until they went into the office.
In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael’s office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows.
But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America’s darkest days.
If you know about my no-crying rule for books, then you’re probably wondering why I chose this book. I wondered the same thing. Fortunately, it was nothing like I expected. The focus of the story isn’t on his escape from the burning tower, but on how he got to that point in the first place. A small part of each chapter tells us about his experience on 9/11, but most of the book is a flashback of Micheal’s life. And an amazing life it is. We find out how he used to drive the neighbors crazy riding his bike all over town, and how he likes to mess with people by driving through his college campus.
I learned many things in this book that changed my perception of those with blindness. It reminded me of how I felt that everyone should read John Elder Robison’s Be Different in order to get a perspective on how it feels to live with Asperger’s.
This is a book about trust and courage on 9/11, but it’s also a book about humor, love, and perseverance in life.
About the book:
Title: Thunder Dog: The True Story of A Blind Man, His Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero
Author: Michael Hingson with Susy Flory
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release date: August 2, 2011
Where I got the book: I got this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze program.
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