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In his 1979 book Deciding What’s News, the Columbia sociologist Herbert Gans defined what he called the journalist’s “paraideology,” which, he says, unconsciously forms and strengthens much of what we think of as news judgment. This consists largely of a number of “enduring values” — such as “altruistic democracy” and “responsible capitalism” — that are reformist, not partisan. “In reality,” Gans writes, “the news is not so much conservative or liberal as it is reformist; indeed, the enduring values are very much like the values of the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century.” My abortion story, then, came from my sense that what was happening violated my understanding of “altruistic democracy.” John Laurence distills Gans’s paraideology into simpler terms: “We are for honesty, fairness, courage, humility. We are against corruption, exploitation, cruelty, criminal behavior, violence, discrimination, torture, abuse of power, and many other things.” Clifford Levy, a reporter for The New York Times whose series on abuse in New York’s homes for the mentally ill won a Pulitzer this year, says, “Of all the praise I got for the series, the most meaningful was from other reporters at the paper who said it made them proud to work there because it was a classic case of looking out for those who can’t look out for themselves.”
This “paraideology,” James Carey explains, can lead to charges of liberal bias. “There is a bit of the reformer in anyone who enters journalism,” he says. “And reformers are always going to make conservatives uncomfortable to an extent because conservatives, by and large, want to preserve the status quo.”
Gans, though, notes a key flaw in the journalist’s paraideology. “Journalists cannot exercise news judgment,” he writes, “without a composite of nation, society, and national and social institutions in their collective heads, and this picture is an aggregate of reality judgments … In doing so, they cannot leave room for the reality judgments that, for example, poor people have about America; nor do they ask, or even think of asking, the kinds of questions about the country that radicals, ultraconservatives, the religiously orthodox, or social scientists ask as a result of their reality judgments.”
This understanding of “the other” has always been — and will always be — a central challenge of journalism. No individual embodies all the perspectives of a society. But we are not served in this effort by a paralyzing fear of being accused of bias. In their recent book The Press Effect, Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman make a strong case that this fear was a major factor in the coverage of the Florida recount of the 2000 presidential election, and its influence on journalists was borne out in my reporting for this piece. “Our paper is under constant criticism by people alleging various forms of bias,” says the Star-Tribune’s Eric Black. “And there is a daily effort to perform in ways that will make it harder to criticize. Some are reasonable, but there is a line you can cross after which you are avoiding your duties to truth-telling.” In a March 10 piece critical of the press’s performance at Bush’s prewar press conference, USA Today’s Peter Johnson quoted Sam Donaldson as saying that it is difficult for the media — especially during war — “to press very hard when they know that a large segment of the population doesn’t want to see a president whom they have anointed having to squirm.” If we’re about to go to war — especially one that is controversial — shouldn’t the president squirm? |
Friday, February 3, 2012
United Way Agencies To Implement System Designed by StudentsA classroom project is having real-world applications for the United Way of Allegheny County by helping to speed the recovery process for disaster victims.
The United Way, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, North Hills Community Outreach and Catholic Charities, reached out to the Heinz College to help streamline the assessment process.
Joe Mertz, a professor in the Heinz College, turned the project over to Aaron Gross, Lei Shi, Soundarya Rangaraj, Vidhya Venkatasubramanian, Xue Zhang and Yao Yao for their capstone project in the Masters of Information Systems Management program.
"We had a good team working on it, and the team focused on creating a solution that the program could really use," Mertz said.
The problem was door-to-door assessments after disasters were recorded on paper, which then had to be entered into a database to be shared with partner agencies. The process is time consuming, prone to errors and results in slower and less effective assistance to victims.
"The process of assessing the damage of a natural disaster and coordinating the response efforts of agencies can be a lengthy and difficult task at a time when short response times and immediate action are crucial," said Julie DeSeyn, United Way's director of programs for financially struggling adults and families; and director of PA 2-1-1 Southwest, a social services helpline recently launched by United Way. "This application will expedite the assessment and information sharing process, and will help agencies to avoid redundancies when addressing the emergency."
The team's Web-based application could be used in the field to upload information to a shared Web-based database called VisionLink CommunityOS, the software system of PA 2-1-1.
Partner agencies can then access the information, allowing them to begin addressing the disaster immediately. The app is a first of its kind within the national disaster community.
When it goes into use this summer, it could drastically reduce processing information from three days to 30 minutes. The team's system can be used on smartphones and iPads even when the Internet wasn't available.
"The students listened well and did two sets of tests in prototype and development," Mertz said. He said they used feedback from the client. "We always try to teach types of best practices, but given the speed of a semester students don't always do it that way."
Expectations for the project are high, and Mertz said the team created something of real value, which has sparked interest from as far away as Philadelphia.
"We learned so much from this process, not just about the tools we needed to create an application from scratch, but also about the disaster community and the many agencies and individuals in Pittsburgh who serve others," Gross said. "Being able to say we created this project and give it away, especially when so many people are in need - even when there is not a disaster going on - really makes it all worth while."
"This new assessment system will help to ensure that no one is forgotten," said Maria Christina of North Hills Community Outreach. "We will be able to know and share 'who needs help and what do they need?' The work of these students may be saving lives."
DeSeyn is a 1998 graduate of the Heinz College, which she described as being a "sweet spot where public policy and information technology meet."
"We're just thrilled. The students were just really into it. They did a fantastic job," DeSeyn said. "We're so grateful for the resource that we have in CMU."
By: Heidi Opdyke |
Inflation Is Not What the UK Should Fear
Here’s an interesting fact for the people of the United Kingdom, one which I suspect they may not be aware of. Average Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation between 1947 and the modern era, right up until 2011, is 5.6 percent.
That’s exactly what RPI is today: 5.6 percent. And no, I haven’t just picked that number out of thin air. I checked it with an economist Peter Dixon, economist at Commerzbank in fact.
So why the fuss? Why the panic? Where are the burning buildings? Oh, you're worried about Consumer Price Index inflation. Really?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that CPI inflation is creeping up toward the same level as RPI. CPI calculates the rate of inflation on a range of goods and services — usually about 600 or so – but doesn’t include mortgage interest payments and council tax.
As a result, in the past, RPI was always significantly higher. But with interest rates at historic low levels — and unlikely to increase any time soon — house prices stuck like a needle on a broken record and council tax frozen for this year and next by the coalition government, the difference between the two was always going to narrow.
Moreover, the CPI measure of inflation has often been considered as a less reliable measure of inflation since its introduction in 1989. The basket of goods and services used by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) will change to reflect changes in buying habits in society, so rose wine was added to the basket in 2009 replacing bottled cider. The problem here is that as people feel the squeeze on their incomes over time they’ll go back to the bottles of cider – thus bringing the rate of CPI inflation down again. It’s a crude example I admit but so is the CPI measure of inflation.
The reasons for higher - although still comparatively moderate - inflation are not complex.
Commodity prices have increased fairly dramatically over the last few years thanks to growing demand from emerging markets – it was once considered a shock for oil to hit $100 a barrel; now we would look at that as cheap. Rising commodity prices put pressure on fuel, energy prices and food prices, the three chief contributors to inflation in the UK at the moment -- although it doesn’t help that the energy companies in the UK are pushing up prices well ahead of their own costs and making a £125 profit per household.
Meanwhile, investors are hoarding cash because the global stock markets are a mess and banks around the world aren’t willing to lend to each other let alone other businesses.
All of which has led to central banks pumping money into national economies, devaluing their currencies in an effort to increase liquidity, because the banks won’t lend a dime to anyone.
But that doesn’t mean we have to hit the panic button.
Most people who have a mortgage are doing very nicely, thank you very much, out of lower interest rates. I know people who were afraid of losing their homes two years ago because they would not be able to keep up with their mortgage payments and who, because the Bank of England lowered rates to 0.5 percent, are now lowering their overall mortgage debt more quickly than they ever thought possible.
While those who want to see rates increased always argue that we must keep inflation under control, it’s far from rampant. Savers — and what we are really talking about here are those who hold private pensions — may well be suffering, but that’s got far more to do with equity market volatility than it has inflation. Those who talk in terms of the cautious being forced to pay for the profligate have their heads in the clouds. Every single individual took advantage of the easy credit of the last decade, every single resident of the UK. It's the argument of the selfish rich to blame every one else for eroding their "hard-earned" savings.
Those on the basic state pension — and when we talk about pensioners most people are still on the basic state pension — will see it increase in real terms as a result of Tuesday 's inflation figures, as will those in receipt of other welfare benefits. I suspect they will be quite pleased. And f the government really wanted to address the concerns of pensioners, maybe it should think about reversing the £100 cut in the winter fuel allowance, which is nothing more than an attack on the elderly when energy prices are going through the roof.
Also inflation is a great tool to pay off government debt. Just ask Joshua Aizemann, professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and research associate at the US National Bureau of Economic Research, as well as Nancy Marion, the George J Records professor of economics at Dartmouth College.
Both argued in 2009 that: ”As the US debt-to-GDP ratio rises towards 100 percent, policymakers will be tempted to inflate away the debt….US inflation of 6 percent for four years would reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio by 20 percent, a scenario similar to what happened following World War II.”
So if it's possible for the U.S., why not the UK? While the UK government’s benefits bill is set to rise by £1.8 billion thanks to the latest inflation figures, the positive effect of that inflation on the UK’s debt bill far outweighs this figure — a £1.8 billion rise in pensions and other benefits payments is a drop in the ocean in terms of government spending. And the UK’s debt-to-GDP ratio is 61 percent!
Added to this is the ridiculously low level of interest the UK government is currently paying on any money it wants to borrow. UK government bonds now yield at around 2.25 percent – they haven’t been that low since the 1890s, as Chancellor George Osborne so cheerfully bragged in the House of Commons in August.
So here’s the problem. This is what the Bank of England is really worried about: deflation. Not disinflation, but deflation created by a lack of economic activity. With £325 billion of extra cash pumped into the economy, the lack of economic activity is the real worry because it will feed into prices.
The concern the Bank of England really has is that without measures from the government designed to encourage economic growth, the economy will go into a tailspin, leading businesses to lower their prices in a fight for survival because UK consumers aren't spending. As we go into Christmas this will become one of the key battlegrounds. I'd strongly suggest watching for retailers to bring forward Christmas sales in an effort to entice consumers out to spend on big tickets items. Some will launch sales before Christmas has even happened as they did last year.
So increase interest rates, as the hawks argue, and the whole economy could come crashing down around our ears. It’s not just mortgage rate increases that could lead to thousands struggling to keep a roof over their heads but, as David Hudson, restructuring and recovery partner at accountancy and tax specialist Baker Tilly puts it: “businesses will find themselves caught in the crossfire between inflation and interest rate rises, neither of which they can duck.”
“While some businesses that have survived so far are tough and in good shape to move forward, many are just hanging on, relying on interest-only arrangements or Time-to-Pay agreements. Rises in interest rates will particularly impact these companies, forcing them over the edge.”
That's also what the coalition government’s opponents are talking about when they say it has no strategy for growth, and why the coalition’s continuing refusal to borrow more to spend its way out of the current economic crisis – as has even now been advised by the International Monetary Fund in the last few weeks — just looks pig-headed and entirely ideologically driven.
It’s also why people are camping just outside the London Stock Exchange. They don’t see their government taking any steps to resolve the crisis.
So while I’ll spare a thought for the savers, it’s the rest of us that I’m more worried about. And as for the interest rate hawks, you didn’t know what you were talking about last year when you started calling for interest rate rises, and you still don’t.
If you’re British and you want to save some money, get an Instant Savings Account. They’re tax-free and some of them are offering pretty competitive rates. If you’ve got a private pension and are just annoyed that your annuity isn’t going to be so great this year, well to be honest, you had the best years out of the post war era, and those of us that come after you are going to be footing the bill until we’re at least 67. I don't have much sympathy. |
Back to SYMPHONY Home Page
Next: The Tree Manager Module
Up: Modular Implementation
Previous: Modular Implementation
The Master Module
The master module includes functions that perform problem
initialization and I/O. These functions implement the
- Read in the parameters from a data file.
- Read in the data for the problem instance.
- Compute an initial upper bound using heuristics.
- Perform problem preprocessing.
- Initialize the BCP algorithm by sending data
for the root node to the tree manager.
- Initialize output devices and act as a central
repository for output.
- Process requests for problem data.
- Receive new solutions and store the best one.
- Receive the message that the algorithm is finished and
print out data.
- Ensure that all modules are still functioning. |
The circus at the United Nations this week has been frustrating for the Obama administration. As the president indicated in his speech to the world body, peace between the Arabs and the Israelis has been his top foreign policy priority since the day he took office. Yet his decision to distance the U.S. from Israel and to tilt the diplomatic playing field in the direction of the Palestinians wasn’t enough to convince the latter to return to the table. Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas’ effort to evade negotiations by asking the UN to give him a state without recognizing Israel is forcing Obama to use his veto to preserve what is left of the U.S.-sponsored peace process. That Obama will earn the jeers of international public opinion by acting in defense of American interests far more than those of Israel is no consolation to a man who came into office convinced the world would fall at his feet.
But the veto will only be the first page of the next chapter of American Middle East diplomacy. What follows will undoubtedly be a new campaign of U.S. pressure on Israel that may eclipse the squabbles that has defined the relationship between the two countries during Obama’s time in the White House.
Despite the abundant evidence to the contrary, the president is still convinced the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the key to solving all of America’s problems in the Middle East. And, though his own bitter experiences with Abbas should have taught him the PA is still unwilling to make the necessary historic compromises to make peace, Obama may answer his international critics with a new effort to re-launch the negotiations that will center on brutal American pressure on Israel.
Having earned the applause of Israelis for his speech at the UN and the prospect of a veto of the Palestinian resolution, the president will likely present a bill for services rendered to Prime Minister Netanyahu in the coming days and weeks. It will come in the form of further demands for Israel to make unilateral concessions in order to entice Abbas to return to negotiations. Netanyahu’s offer of talks without preconditions will be ignored. Instead, we will again hear of the need for Israel to accept the 1967 lines as the starting point for negotiations and for it to freeze building not only in the West Bank but in Jerusalem as well. As in his May speech, it is doubtful these demands will be accompanied by an American call for the Palestinians to give up the right of return and to recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state.
Given the potentially grievous political consequences for Obama, many believe he is unlikely to go to battle with Netanyahu again in advance of next year’s elections. But that overestimates Obama’s interest in pleasing pro-Israel voters and underestimates his desire to earn international applause. Besides, this time the rationale for a new campaign of pressure will not be just the imperative of peace but to save Mahmoud Abbas, whose hold on the West Bank will be endangered by the unrest his UN gambit will unleash.
The danger for Israel with such a policy is clear. For Israel to concede the question of territory and borders in advance of negotiations would make such talks a sham. Given the unlikelihood Abbas will ever agree to negotiate even on such advantageous terms, it might be argued this presents no great danger to Israel. But whether Abbas returns to the table or not, the spectacle of the United States once again pushing Israel’s government to abandon Jewish rights and to compromise its security will serve to further isolate Jerusalem in the coming months.
Netanyahu may attempt to meet the president halfway with another West Bank freeze, but he is not going to concede the right of Jews to live and build in all of Jerusalem. It is on this point where he is sure of domestic support that the Israeli will make his stand against a U.S. dictat.
As in the past two and half years, the outcome of this tussle will be decided by two factors Obama can’t control. One is the inability of Abbas to make peace. The other is the unwillingness of the American people and the Congress, including many Democrats, to further downgrade the alliance with Israel. The former means Obama’s pressure will be in vain. The latter will serve, as it has in the past, as a brake on the president’s willingness to push Israel to the brink. |
Oracle has joined forces with Dell and EMC to help customers more easily acquire and implement data warehouse systems.
The partners have launched the Oracle Optimized Warehouse for Dell and EMC. This is the first system of the Oracle Optimized Warehouse Initiative, which is designed to deliver data warehousing systems based on Oracle Database pre-installed on hardware configured and validated for high-performance data warehousing.
Available through Dell, the Oracle Optimized Warehouse for Dell and EMC is a pre-configured, validated data warehouse system based on Dell PowerEdge servers and EMC CLARiiON CX3 networked storage systems, which are offered by Dell under the Dell/EMC brand.
The Oracle Optimized Warehouse for Dell and EMC consists of a Dell PowerEdge 2950 with two dual-core Xeon processors, Red Hat or Oracle Enterprise Linux, and a Dell|EMC CX3-10 networked storage system.
The Oracle Optimized Warehouse for Dell and EMC covers a range of data warehouse sizes and can scale according to business requirements. |
View Full Version : learning 3d
April 27th, 2003, 05:34 AM
Hi everyone, i'd love to learn how to make 3d models, but i'm kinda clueless on how to start...
So if anyone can point me to demo's of 3d-programs or some freeware programs i would really appreciate that...
Thanks for your time ^_^
April 27th, 2003, 08:18 AM
www.discreet.com <<< 3dsmax trial or gMax free Game Tool
www.aliawavefront.com <<< Maya Personal Learning Edition
www.softimage.com <<< Softimage Experience
www.wings3d.com <<< Fre Modeller
April 27th, 2003, 08:25 AM
http://www.milkshape3.com modeler, good for games, 30 days testing and only 20$ I think for the license.
This modeler is very good for beginners, it has basic features and there are a lot of tutorials on the site.
http://www.zmodeler.com another free/sharewaremodeler.
http://www.lighwave3d.com very good, orderable (sp?) demo.
Lightwave is a good Modeler/Renderer to do "reasonably" modeling. Very very much options such as 3dsMax.
April 27th, 2003, 03:19 PM
thanks for the quick replies everyone!
erm...first off ;
Where can i find a downloadable (sp?) demo of 3dsmax5? I ordered a free cd from the discreet site, but i don't think it will make it to my front door..i got the impression they would only send it to companies who are planning on using it...
not silly home-low-budget users like me :)
And the aliaswavefront, lightwave and milkshape website don't work on the computer i'm currently using (an very, VERY old one). and my newer computer is out cold.
There are alot of tiny typing errors in the links ;) they work when you correct them :P
So which one of the programs you guys named would be good to start out with? one with alot of options or more easy ones, or can i just start out with the complicated ones and start with the basics?
Thanks for your time again...
hm, maybe i should wait until next year...i can get those student-copies for like 40 euro then ;)
April 27th, 2003, 04:04 PM
THe cd does get sent - a friend of mine has it.
If you know someone that has the Computer Arts magazine the CD was on it in december i think
As for programs 3D programs tend to be quite complicated, but nowadays if you have a nice book that starts you up with the application its easy to get started. Max is no worse or better than other apps i guess - but i'm no application zealot i use maya, max and have used LW.
If you use Max then check out the book 'Inside 3D Studio Max' for the version you use. It has good basic tutorials and a nice reference section.
PS. If you are near Amsterdam i can give you a copy of the demo cd if you really get stuck...
April 27th, 2003, 11:18 PM
i think the books are kinda a rip off, all the same information is in the help files or tutorials that come with the programs.
there's a lot of things not included, but theres not a whole lot more in the books. not to say i dont have or use any books, but what im saying is use your help files and tutorials, save your money, the internet is a great place to find help.
April 28th, 2003, 11:05 AM
That's very true and the help/tutorial/etc sites are incredible sources but sometimes it's difficult to find a set of equal level - and sometimes it's nice to read something not from the screen. But it's certainly a personal thing and i suggest to check out the book before you buy it and don't if you're comfortable using help and have a big enough screen ;-)
April 30th, 2003, 01:22 PM
Well, i thought i'd keep you updated on my progress ;)
I just found out i filled in that form at discreet for nothing, i still have to phone the company in order to get the 3dsmax trial send...i am going to do that after my exams (in 3 weeks), so i can take full advantage of the 30 day trial period before doing anything...ahum*cough slightly less legal with it.
I did however download Maya 4.5 PLE and even though it IS VERY intimidating, i'm having a lot of fun with it :)
I am going to rent (buy, maybe) a book about it, because i never feel comfortable reading off a screen and also, it is very difficult to switch between screens, well, not difficult, annoying is the word i'm looking for :)
The watermark is a bit annoying though, but not as bad as i expected.
So when i get around cleaning up the litle internet space i have, you guys can all OOH and AAH off my tutorial- based extruded cubes and hammers n stuff :P
May 1st, 2003, 07:39 AM
OK, i have followed a couple of tutorials for the MAYA PLE, and i learned basic things like scale, rotate, extrude, loft and stuff like that :)
But now i ran into a problem..
i was following this (http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/Community/Learn/how_tos/modeling/spiral_stair/index.html) tutorial to learn modelling with deformations modifiers (is that the good word for it?) But after i applied the bend modifier, i can't move the staircase with the move function...
If i try to move it, it bends ! I functions like the bend isn't ' over' so i searched everywhere for a "close bend" button, but i can't find it :(
Can anyone help me with this?
How do i manipulate objects after i applied the bend modifier?
Thanks for your time again...
PS. I now work in MAYA (PLE).
PPS. Sorry i have no screenshots, i can't upload them yet :(
ALSO, :), when i try to move other things around, sometimes i move them around on the world axis and sometimes on the local axis...is there an option to switch between the manipulator modes? and if so, where can i find that?
thanks again :D
May 2nd, 2003, 12:40 PM
I got your message but i can't reply because you chose not to receive messages.
Send me your e-mail address. The file you requested is small, several 100 kB.
About your question on Maya PLE : i'don't know... But Maya is much more relaxed than Max... send me a msg and we'll discuss it on the e-mail because i may have info for you.
May 2nd, 2003, 02:44 PM
hiya thanks...as for pm's and email...
i just updated my email adres (the old one ay freeler.nl was deleted because i did use the email, but not the internet freeler supported me with, so they couldn't make any profit out of me ).
And (i think) it is now visible for everyone who reads my posts (one of the buttons below my post).
It was also the reason you couldn't PM me i think -- i had to re-start my account using the new email adres :)
I also pm'ed my email, just in case...
-and thanks heaps again even more :D
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Guidelines: Biophysical principles for designing resilient networks of marine protected areas to integrate fisheries, biodiversity and climate change objectives in the Coral Triangle.
This innovative set of guidelines released on January 19, 2012 has for the first time combined and integrated the principles of fisheries, biodiversity and climate change in establishing effective marine protected area (MPA) networks in the Coral Triangle. In the past, many MPA networks were unsuccessful because they focused solely on one principle and objective. The new guidelines aim to address this concern by enabling MPA networks to simultaneously achieve fisheries sustainability, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. The guidelines form part of a toolkit that will be rolled out in 2012 that will aid government, non-government and community resource managers to promote sustainable fishing practices, conserve the Coral Triangle's ecosystem and achieve the goals of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Regional and National Plans of Action. |
Abstract Author: Akhmetova Galiya
Abstract Title: Seismic activity on the Earth, changes of atmosphere circulation and droughts on the Northern hemisphere
Abstract: Important factors of climatic conditions formation are atmosphere circulation characteristics. They are responsible for catastrophic phenomena which recently become more frequent (prolonged droughts and forest fires in some regions, pouring rains and floods in other regions).
Investigations showed changes of atmosphere circulation conditions with strengthening seismic activity. Increase in annual earthquake number is accompanied by more frequent processes of beginnings and developments of southern cyclones and decrease in action duration of zonal circulation processes. Calculated coefficient of correlation between annual earthquake frequency and early number of days with southern circulation along meridians is equal to 0.75. For zonal types of circulation in the Northern hemisphere this coefficient is equal to -0.75. Besides strengthening seismic activity leads to increase in annual number of days with atmosphere processes of intensified exchange between latitudes. Important peculiarity of these processes when earthquakes have become more frequent on the globe is increase in action duration of polar invasions to regions of Atlantic or Pacific oceans with simultaneous frequency decrease of polar invasions to continental regions. During these processes oceanic subtropical anticyclones (North Pacific High and North Atlantic High) are strengthening and their action spreading to adjacent continental areas (Spain, Portugal, California). These lead to intensified descending air movements, great air dryness and high temperatures without precipitation. In consequence the probability of arising severe droughts is very high. Analysis of temporary course of annual globe’s earthquake number from 1988 year till 2007 year showed the increase annual earthquake frequency with the time on the hole. Only in the second part of 70th and during 80th years there were conditions of weakening seismic activity. This time strengthening of zonal circulation and increase in action duration of northern meridional circulation took place on the Northern hemisphere. |
China has offered South Sudan $8bn in development funds for road, hydropower, infrastructure and agriculture projects, South Sudan's information minister has said.
The loan came after Salva Kiir, the country's president, visited Beijing to secure support from China, which has major oil interests in both South Sudan and its northern neighbour Sudan.
A long-brewing conflict between Sudan and South Sudan over oil export fees, border demarcation and citizenship has halted nearly all oil production in the two countries, who sit atop one of Africa's most significant oil resources.
Live Box 2012412195257291332
South Sudan depends on oil for nearly 98 per cent of its state revenue and the shutdown has puts its economy under pressure.
"China has offered financial funding to the value of $8bn for major development projects," Information Minister Barnaba Benjamin said.
The funds will be provided over the next two years and the projects will be conducted by Chinese companies, Benjamin said.
China is already the biggest investor in oilfields in South Sudan, through state-owned Chinese oil companies China National Petroleum and Sinopec.
The Asian economic powerhouse has had to play a delicate balancing act with the two countries, since Beijing is also one of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's major supporters.
When landlocked South Sudan seceded from Sudan last year, it took three-quarters of the region's oil production, while the pipelines to export the oil are mostly in Sudan.
South Sudan is considering building two alternative pipelines, one to a port in Kenya and another through Ethiopia and Djibouti. |
US President Barack Obama has called for "meaningful reform" and respect for universal rights in Bahrain, during talks with Crown Prince Salman at the White House.
Obama dropped by Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken's meeting with the prince on Wednesday and stressed the importance of the US partnership in Bahrain and Washington's support for its stability and security.
Salman, a reputed moderate, has just been made Bahrain's first deputy prime minister following months of tensions and unrest between the strategic archipelago's Sunni government and Shiite majority.
"The president emphasised US support for Bahrain's stability and security," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement.
Obama also stressed that "meaningful reform, dialogue and respect for universal human rights is the best path to achieving the peace and security that all Bahraini citizens deserve," she said.
Bahrain, home to the headquarters of US Navy's Fifth Fleet, was rocked by month-long protests in early 2011 linked to opposition demands for a constitutional monarchy.
The protests were crushed with the help of Gulf troops led by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Strategically situated across the Gulf from Shiite-ruled Iran, Bahrain has since witnessed sporadic demonstrations, now mostly outside the capital. |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set stricter Internet monitoring and enforcement codes that include giving authorities wider leeway to crack down on Web activists for offenses such as mocking the country's rulers or calling for demonstrations, local media have reported.
Under the new UAE law, which was posted on the official news agency WAM on Tuesday, any posts "to deride or to damage the reputation or the stature of the state or any of its institutions," are punishable by a prison sentence.
The codes also outlaw "information, news, caricatures or any other kind of pictures" that authorities believe could threaten security or "public order." These include Web posts calling for public protests or "disobeying the laws and regulations of the state."
Also under the new law, anyone convicted of "creating or running websites that deride or damage the reputation or stature of the rulers will face a minimum jail sentence of three years," The National, an English-Language daily, said.
This includes the president, the vice president, rulers, deputy rulers and crown princes of the emirates.
Although oil-rich UAE has been spared the wave of uprisings that hit most Arab countries, the authorities have clamped down on Islamists and claimed in July to have dismantled a group plotting against state security.
Several of those arrested had been active on online social media networks.
The United Arab Emirates has come under criticism over arrests and a trail of human rights violations.
A European Union resolution last month condemned "harassment," "restrictions on freedom of expression" and "illegal imprisonment" suffered by pro-democracy activists in the UAE, and demanded the "unconditional release of
prisoners of conscience," which it says number 64.
The Gulf state dismissed the accusations as unfounded. |
The top United Nations rights body has approved an international war crimes inquiry into alleged crimes committed by both sides during Sri Lanka's civil war.
The government strongly rejects the allegations against it and the probe itself.
On Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution co-sponsored by 41 countries, which allows the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor progress and undertake a comprehensive investigation into atrocities committed in the months before the end of the war in May 2009.
Twenty-three countries voted in favour of the resolution, 12 against and 12 abstained from voting.
|Mohan Samaranayake, spokesperson for Sri Lanka's president, speaks to Al Jazeera
Pakistan proposed the removal of a key paragraph of the resolution which details the role of the OHCHR, but the council voted against its removal.
Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Sri Lanka's UN envoy, "categorically and reservedly" rejected the resolution in a strongly worded statement, which did not address any of the allegations.
"The resolution will not only constitute a serious breach of international law but also sets a precedence on the sovereignty of nations," said Ariyasinghe.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, spokesperson for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mohan Samaranayake, did not say whether the government would cooperate with the investigation.
"Sri Lanka will study the entire process that has taken place so far ... and will take appropriate action," he said. "This is not about human rights, this is politically motivated, biased and [an] unjust infringement on the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. "
He said that entire moderate leadership had been eliminated by the LTTE during the 30 year war but that human rights had not been spoken about then.
"The government, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated terrorism and ensured the supreme human right, that is right to life."
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had recommended that the 47-nation council authorise the investigation, saying Sri Lanka has made "little progress" towards ensuring accountability for alleged atrocities and war crimes committed during the 26-year civil war against the Tamil fighters.
At least 100,000 people died during the war, which ended when government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels who said they faced discrimination from the Sinhalese majority.
|UN Human Rights chief speaks to Al Jazeera
The vote required a simple majory from the council's members.
An international investigation would allow witnesses to testify after domestic inquiries failed to carry out credible investigations, Pillay told the council in Geneva on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, however, has rejected the US-led call for accountability and sternly rejected Pillay's report, calling it biased, inaccurate and amounting to "needless interference" in the country's affairs.
Sri Lankan UN envoy Aryasinha told the countries supporting the resolution not to "put spokes in the wheel" of the government's reconciliation efforts before Thursday's vote.
The UN, through two previous US-sponsored resolutions, urged Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of a local panel appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which also urged punishment for soldiers involved in war crimes.
Pillay has said that the panel has not been effective or inspired confidence among victims and witnesses. The third resolution comes after Sri Lanka failed to implement the recommendations, amid continued alleged rights violations.
Sri Lanka has rejected any international probe.
Pillay concluded that democracy was being undermined and the rule of law was being eroded in Sri Lanka, with the country increasingly becoming an authoritarian state.
If the resolution passes, definitely the LTTE will try to reorganise and reestablish their power. If they reestablish their power, there will be another rise of war and rise of ethnic problems in Sri Lanka
The US called on the council to investigate "past abuses and to examine more recent attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and religious minorities".
"There's still much work to be done to ensure genuine reconciliation, justice and accountability for alleged war crimes as well as democratic governance and respect for human rights in Sri Lanka,'' Paula Schriefer, a US deputy assistant secretary of state, told the council.
Before the resolution was passed, hundreds of protesters from Sri Lanka's Thawheed Jamaath, a Muslim group, gathered in Colombo in opposition to the resolution on Wednesday.
"If the resolution passes, definitely the LTTE will try to reorganise and reestablish their power. If they reestablish their power, there will be another rise of war and rise of ethnic problems in Sri Lanka," Thawseef Ahamed, one of the protest organisers, told Al Jazeera.
"We are now living a peaceful life and we don't have any problems right now," he added.
The UN and rights groups say that both sides are responsible for atrocities committed during the war but blame government troops for carrying out indiscriminate assaults on known civilian areas between September 2008 and May 2009.
A UN report found that as many as 40,000 people may have been killed in the final phase of the civil war, but the government disputes that figure.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies |
This all creatures animal exploitation photo gallery about Fish is being presented to show the public the difference between the cute animals we see in advertising and picture in our minds and the reality that exists in the world.
(Fish - 01) Our mental vision of fish is usually limited to what we see in underwater photography or in aquariums, because fish live in a watery environment where we humans cannot live. Or, our vision of fish may be of fish suffering and dying at the hands of fisherman, or lying dead upon some ice in the market. We don't have to kill to live; there is more than enough plant foods to feed us. Fish feel pain and want to live, just as we do.
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National Humane Education Society
"Our founding principles all relate to making the world a kinder, safer place for animals. The use of constant fireworks at a stadium location not only adversely affects companion animals (cats and dogs), but also, wildlife is most certainly affected negatively. Many dogs and cats are known to become frantic during firework displays and some show true signs of stress.
Wildlife is also stressed by the thundering noise of fireworks and they exhibit similar reactions to that of cats and dogs. On behalf of our 400,000 supporters, please take the compassionate stance and eliminate fireworks from the stadium planning in Eastlake. Allow the pets and wildlife in your fine city a peaceful, fireworks-free existence."
Scher, Humane Education Director,
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America Unequal demonstrates how powerful economic forces have diminished the prospects of millions of Americans and why "a rising tide no longer lifts all boats." Changes in the economy, public policies, and family structure have contributed to slow growth in family incomes and rising economic inequality. Poverty remains high because of an erosion of employment opportunities for less-skilled workers, not because of an erosion of the work ethic; because of a failure of government to do more for the poor and the middle class, not because of social programs.
There is nothing about a market economy, the authors say, that ensures that a rising standard of living will reduce inequality. If a new technology, such as computerization, leads firms to hire more managers and fewer typists, then the wages of lower-paid secretaries will decline and the wages of more affluent managers will increase. Such technological changes as well as other economic changes, particularly the globalization of markets, have had precisely this effect on the distribution of income in the United States.
America Unequal challenges the view, emphasized in the Republicans' "Contract with America," that restraining government social spending and cutting welfare should be our top domestic priorities. Instead, it proposes a set of policies that would reduce poverty by supplementing the earnings of low-wage workers and increasing the employment prospects of the jobless. Such demand-side policies, Sheldon Danziger and Peter Gottschalk argue, are essential for correcting a labor market that has been increasingly unable to absorb less-skilled and less-experienced workers.
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Published October 1943
Dick Haymes singing.
Photo licensed from the Condé Nast Collection, home of The New Yorker, Vogue, Vanity Fair and other popular brands. Find this and other artwork at the Condé Nast Collection.
Philippe Halsman rejuvenated celebrity photography, pioneering experimental photography. Arriving in America with only a suitcase and camera after fleeing the Paris Nazi invasion, Halsman (1906 – 1979) soon shot a record 101 covers for “Life” magazine. He was known for provoking celebrities and photographing them jumping to reveal their spontaneous selves. Also collaborating with artist Salvador Dali for 30 years, Halsman created a famous image of Dali, water, cats and furniture frozen in midair. |
Financial services are basically deal with merchant banks, credit card companies, consumer finance companies, stock brokerages or with the management of money. In the term of earning, financial services are the largest industry in the world that represents 20 percent of the market capitalization.
Gramm-Leach-Blilry Act enabled different types of companies in the US financial services industry to merge. Now a days, in US every company describes themselves as a financial services institution such as, Bank of America offers full-features brokerage products, while E*trade has expanded into offering bank accounts and loans.
Two different types of appraoches which companies usually prefer. In the first approach, bank buys an insurance company or an investment bank, adds the acquisition to its holding company to diversify its earnings and also keeps the original brands of the aquired firm. This type is essential for the Citigroup as well as JP Morgan Chase.
On the other hand, a bank attempts to sell the products to its existing customers, with incentives for combining all things with one company by creating its own brokerage division or insurance division.
When ever needed allow withdrawls and keeps money safe.
It provides the provision of loans and moratgage loans that are needed to purchase a home, and property as well as business.
The use of Automatic teller Machines (ATM) allows financial transactions at branches.
To meet monthly spending commitments of customers in their current account, provide overdraft agreements for the temporary advancement of the Bank's own money.
To settle credit advances monthly, provide Charge cards advances of the Bank's own Monet for customers wishing.
For making bills and payments automatically, they provide the facility of standing orders and direct debits.
For the financial services, custody services and securities processing, is a kind of 'bank-office administration'.
State Street Corporation: It provides products and services for portfolios of investment assets and also focuses on its services on institutional investors and investment management.
The bank of New York: It was a global financial services company and now it continues with the new name 'The bank of new york Mellon Corporation'. It operated four primary business areas such as:
Companies with a branch presence are known as Private client services or full services brokerages whereas stock broker's assits people in investing, online companies called discount brokerages.
It is a financial services firm that can be active in more than one sector at a time of a financial service market such as asset management, retail banking, general health insurance etc.
In the term of equity market cap and earnings, the financial services industry constitutes the largest group of companies in the world.
Custody services and security services are basically used for financial services which are called a kind of 'back-office administration'. The amount of assets under custody was estimated around $65 trillion at the end of 2004 in world.
When a term bank is quoted it generally refers to as a commercial bank. The other type of banking sectoe generally is known as Investment banking. An investment bank in its basic nature like other form of bank does not lend money to individual or business group.instead it raises money by getting the money invested in the form of stocks or bonds.varied banks exists across the globe.
Some major banks are
Private banking is another term for a financial service company that targets at providing large margin loans to reputed individuals or business houses
major private banking names are |
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The Ubuntu Edge is a pioneering device designed to drive innovation in the mobile industry. Like Formula 1 for the car industry, Ubuntu Edge is a testbed for cutting-edge technologies, accelerating their adoption and driving them down into the mainstream. In this video Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, reveals his vision of an exciting future for mobile computing. To find out more, visit http://www.igg.me/at/ubuntuedge |
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Microelectronic Circuits: Analysis & Design 2nd Edition
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Top Customer Reviews
There are some sources of confusion, for example, Fig. 2.17(b) and Fig. 2.18(b) contain circuit elements pertaining to reverse bias of a diode that are never explained, including a diode symbol never introduced or explained. The discussion of a peak detector as a demodulator employs a series connection of voltage sources (p. 119) instead of a multiplication of the modulating and carrier waveforms.
Overall, an excellent introduction, more modern and much better at context and motivation than most.
One particular homework assignment featured an error in each of the five problems assigned; either an incorrect solution in the back of the book or an error in the problem statement in the book. I cannot believe this book got published with so many errors!
If the book's reading were interesting, lively, engaging, or at least practical & informative, I could give this book a higher rating. Unfortunately, I cannot. Though the subjects covered in an introductory electronics course are very interesting and can even be fun, Rashid has attempted to eliminate any curiosity and fun from this book.
The author keeps on introducing more equations and variables without taking a moment to digress and casually discuss what we're actually dealing with. I found my circuits book, which covers more boring, dry topics, to be more interesting than this book.
Many times, variables and terms are used without any prior introduction - I know, because I read the entire first four chapters before giving up on this book and paying more attention to my notes and instinct.
A student's experience with a professor can usually color opinion about a textbook, good or bad, but even my electronics teacher told the entire class this book was poorly done; he's switching to a different book next semester. I do not recommend this first edition by Rashid; unfortunately, it's necessary if it's required for the course you're taking. Try to convince your professor to somehow change the book used.
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An awful textbook. I've always been cautious about trusting textbook reviews online, since you never know the context (is the reviewer a good student, were they learning from it or... Read morePublished 5 months ago by Reza Jalali |
- Age Range: 3 and up
- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (September 1991)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0915793350
- ISBN-13: 978-0915793358
- Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
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Up from Underachievement: How Teachers, Students, and Parents Can Work Together to Promote Student Success Paperback – September, 1991
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The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) launched its Tunisia program in 2009, focusing on continuing legal education for young lawyers.
Following the January 2011 revolution, ABA ROLI conducted extensive discussions with local partners to identify their rule of law-related needs and priorities. As a result of the discussions, ABA ROLI expanded its program and established an office in Tunis in June 2011.
Through partnerships with legal associations, judicial associations and law student groups, ABA ROLI provides training and resources for lawyers on their role in the electoral and democratization process, supports increased roles and participation of women and youth in the transition and strengthens judges’ capacity to promote judicial independence. |
In the Classroom > Unit Overview > Lesson 7
Lesson 7 - Readings for the Williams Family
The Williams Family
From The History of Deerfield, Vol. II, George Sheldon, 1895, pgs. 377 & 378
John, s. [son] of Samuel, b. [born] 1664; 'The
Redeemed [rescued] Captive';... began preaching here June, 1686...soon
became the guide, counselor and friend of all the people...He m. [married]
July 21, 1687, Eunice,...she was k. [killed] the next day after
the captivity, Mar. 1, 1704...
Ch. [children]: Eliezer, [born] July 16, 1688
From New England Captives Carried to Canada Vol. I, Emma L. Coleman, 1925, pgs. 44 & 45
"At a town meeting on January 5, 1687, it was voted to provide the Reverend [minister] John Williams with a house lot on 'meeting house hill' and to 'build him a House 42 feet long 20 wide with a lentoo [leanto] on the back side of the house & finish sd [said] House, To fence his Homelot & within 2 years after this agreement to build him a Barn.' The agreement was to 'encourage Mr. John Williams to Settle amongst them.'"
On February 29, 1704, in the French and Indian attack, the minister's house was targeted, and he and five of his children were taken captive to Canada. His wife, Eunice Mather Williams , was killed on the 'march to Canada', and two of their children were killed on the Williams doorstep. It was reported that the house, valued at L300 [300 pounds], was lost and that the barn was burnt, as well as everything in the house and barn.
The Reverend [minister] John Williams was ransomed [rescued] in 1706 by Ensign John Sheldon who had traveled to Canada...On December 6, the General Court voted him L40 [40 pounds] on the condition that he return to Deerfield within three weeks and remain for a year. At a town meeting in Deerfield on January 9, 1707, it was voted that 'the Town would build a house for Mr Jno [John] Williams in deerfield as big as Ens [ensign] Sheldons a back room as big as may be thought convenient'.
The minister, who did return to Deerfield, remarried
in September 1707. His second wife was Abigail, widow of Benjamin Bissell
of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Williams and his second wife had five children,
one of whom died young. Mr. Williams died on June 12, 1729, just prior
to [before] the completion of the town's fourth meeting house on the Common.
"On Tuesday, the 29th of February, 1703-4, not long before break of day, the enemy came in like a flood upon us; our watch being unfaithful...They came to my house in the beginning of the onset, and by their violent endeavors [attempts] to break open doors and windows, with axes and hatchets, awaked me out of sleep; on which I leaped out of bed, and, running towards the door, perceived [saw] the enemy making their entrance into the house. I called to awaken two soldiers in the chamber, and returning toward my bedside for my arms, the enemy immediately broke into the room, I judge to the number of twenty, with painted faces, and hideous acclamations [exclamations]. I reached up my hands to the bed-tester [bed curtains] for my pistol...Taking down my pistol, I cocked it, and put it to the breast of the first Indian that came up; but my pistol missing fire, I was seized by three Indians, who disarmed me, and bound me naked, as I was in my shirt, and so I stood for near the space of an hour. Binding me, they told me they would carry me to Quebeck." |
November 1996 | Volume 47, Issue 7
November 8 saw the release of the fourth album from the British rock group Led Zeppelin, with a song that would become God’s gift to the American marijuana industry: “Stairway to Heaven.” The album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV , had for its actual title a group of cryptic symbols that was rendered very roughly as “#&@%” in Lenny Kaye’s Rolling Stone review. Kaye singled out “Rock and Roll” and “When the Levee Breaks” for especial praise, mentioning the eight-minute “Stairway” only in passing. Yet the song’s blend of mystical and apocalyptic imagery with Zeppelin’s usual incendiary riffs, pounding bass, and thunderous drumbeat—building, in classic rock-anthem style, from a quiet acoustic introduction (with recorders, even) to a thrashing, head-banging climax—has proved irresistible to generation after generation of adolescent potheads. It is still the most popular rock song of all time among frat boys and people with nothing better to do than phone in to radio-station listener polls.
The song spawned myths and rituals that have long outlived Led Zep’s 1980 breakup. Concertgoers began lighting matches and sparklers when Jimmy Page launched into the opening notes, creating what William S. Burroughs in Crawdaddy called “the atmosphere of a high school Christmas play.” The recondite lyrics elicited endless hours of discussion in between bong hits, and the fanciful interpretations multiplied when Robert Plant’s screeching delivery led to misunderstood lines like “And there’s a wino down the road.” Such confusion was easily avoidable, since the words were printed inside the album’s gatefold cover, which listeners generally opened at least once a day to clean more dope. In most cases, however, they were in no condition to read them.
In the ensuing decades other bands have paid tribute to Led Zeppelin’s warhorse, from the Butthole Surfers’ Hairway to Steven to a recent album called Elevator to Hell . The ultimate accolade came in the 1992 movie Wayne’s World , when Mike Myers, idly playing the first few notes in a guitar shop, is admonished to stop by the proprietor, who points to a sign on the wall reading NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN . Unlike most of the 1970s-heavy Wayne’s World canon, though, “Stairway to Heaven” does not rely on hip-to-be-square irony to justify a contrived return to coolness. It has never gone out of fashion, and as long as marijuana grows in the fields, back yards, and basements of America, it never will. |
The Dangers of Intellectual Arrogance
There's a certain level of hubris that inevitably comes along with calling oneself progressive. After all, if yours is the path of progress, what does that make every other way? "Backwards." And in fact, that was a word that was hurled repeatedly throughout this past campaign season as Obama sought to show that he was the true Captain, trimming the sails for a harbor known only as Forward. Why have a destination when you can simply have a direction? And not any of those pesky cardinal directions, let's just focus on moving. That way, if we need to change course, we can always claim it was part of the plan; I mean, we've been moving forward the entire time.
The progressive mindset is on exquisite display in something George Clooney said several years ago while discussing American history, "The liberals were always right in the end." According to Clooney, from the Salem witch trials right down to the civil rights movement, progressives have been leading the charge Forward while conservatives have merely been an impediment, holding back so much potential progress.
Of course, his statement is absurd. There has been no group of people in American history, or world history for that matter, that has been correct one hundred percent of the time. People, along with groups and organizations, make good decisions and bad decisions. Sometimes they make mistakes or misjudge information. They even occasionally lie and cheat. It's not a conservative or a progressive thing. It is a human thing. And that's where progressive ideology makes a huge mistake. It discounts human nature as something that is essentially good and improvable. But it isn't, at least not to the degree that many progressives believe. Jesus Christ put it succinctly when he said; "No one is good except God alone." Whatever you believe about his status as God, his words can't be denied. Humanity is corruptible. It's a fact easily ascertained by either watching the news or a daycare.
The intellectual arrogance is a veritable black plague that has infected nearly every place of higher education in the Western world. Instead of approaching the world and its mysteries with the kind of humble spirit that caused Isaac Newton to declare, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants," many leftists seem to think that progressive ideology alone will lift them higher than any supposed giant from the past. For people who claim to value diversity, there is an alarming lack of it within the brains of 'intellectuals.' Instead, universities increasingly look like religious sects, each espousing their version of the one true way to heaven on earth.
I've watched as this infection has spread among many of my college-educated friends and colleagues. They view Philosophy 101 as if the collective wisdom of all humanity has been distilled into a shot glass, ready to be downed like so much liquor at a frat party. It may burn a little as it goes down but it sure gives you a buzz to know that you're always right. People go from genuinely wrestling with the difficult questions of life (Is there a God? Does absolute truth exist? Are right and wrong immutable?) to writing them off like they're the equivalent of 'Is there a tooth fairy?' Questions that have plagued humanity for thousands of years are easily answered by the progressive mindset. For liberals, the way forward is straight and the gate is narrow and if you'd only listen to them, all your questions could be answered.
"But everyone does that!" you may retort. Don't conservatives claim that theirs is the only way as well? Aren't all of those crazy, right wing religious people just as intellectually arrogant as the leftists? That may be. But they don't claim to be dispassionate, intellectual gods who are passing down objective decrees from the Olympus that is modern academia. On top of that, conservative ideology stresses the frailties and weaknesses of man. Humans are seen as corrupt through the eyes of the conservative. In the progressive's eyes, he is a demi-god in chrysalis.
The danger of intellectual arrogance (whether of the conservative or progressive variety) is clear: it leads to eventual failure and keeps the offender in ignorance.
According to Homer, after blinding the Cyclops and escaping from his clutches, Odysseus couldn't just slip away. Like any good braggart, he had to have the last word. And so rather than enjoy his success in humility, he, like Rachel Maddow in an election-night frenzy, let his ego take over. He cried out, "Cyclops, if any one asks you who it was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Odysseus, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca." As a result of his boasts, he was cursed to wander the seas for several years more. It doesn't matter how well things seem to be going in your favor; pride is never the answer.
Pride blinds us to our own weaknesses. It keeps us moving forward without regard for whether we're truly moving in the right direction. The effects of the policy aren't what matters. The progressive vision is right and any other vision is wrong and it's as simple as that.
This is what makes Barack Obama's characterization of himself as 'pragmatic' so laughable. In 2008, he admitted in a television interview that he would raise capital gains taxes even if he knew that he would take in less revenue. His reason? "Purposes of fairness." The whole point of raising taxes is to take in more revenue, and yet, incredibly, he said he'd still do it if it took in less! And why? Because that's what the progressive way demands. Soaking the rich is like a sacrament to the progressive mindset and no amount of argumentation or evidence could convince a true believer otherwise.
This is why pride always ends in failure. Pride forces us to stay the course, even when the ship is headed for an iceberg. That's what makes intellectual arrogance so dangerous. When faced with the facts of life, the proud person shrugs and continues to march forward, even if it's off of a cliff.
So what's the cure? Humility, and a large dose of it. If we're ever going to have an intelligent debate in this nation again, we're going to have to get humble. We must recognize when we're wrong and be willing to change course. We must also recognize when we're right and be willing to stand up for our principles regardless of the opposition we may face. But, whether we rethink things or remain constant, we must do either in humility.
As a young man, Benjamin Franklin, attempted to achieve moral perfection by practicing a different virtue every week. His last one was humility, which he described simply as "imitate Jesus and Socrates." I think it would be a good start for our politicians and media to imitate Franklin. |
Hell and the University of Texas endowment
Are your investments underperforming? Feeling bewildered? Join the giant club of confused Americans who self-direct their portfolios. Maybe we should look to the Lone Star State to regain our financial swagger.
No, I'm not talking about Texas Governor Rick Perry. Forbes magazine reported last April that the University of Texas endowment held $1 billion in gold. An endowment holding gold? On the surface, that sounds absolutely crazy. Most non-profits rely heavily on endowments to generate investment income to fund operational expenses or charitable priorities like scholarships. Gold doesn't generate any interest or dividends or provide equity in a company.
While the University of Texas was getting into gold, one of the world's great currency speculators, George Soros, was getting out. "The biggest asset bubble (overpriced investment) is gold," he said. Yet, another great investor, John Paulson, who generated $20 billion betting against subprime mortgages, made a multi-billion dollar wager on the soft metal. Meanwhile, Warren Buffet and his sidekick Charlie Munger were sidestepping the shiny substance. "Gold really doesn't have any utility. I'd bet on a good producing business to outperform something that doesn't do anything," Buffet said. Munger added, "[T]here's something peculiar about an asset that will really only go up if the world is going to hell.
Maybe Munger is on to something. Do you feel like you're living in investment hell? Apparently the University of Texas does and it doesn't want to burn. The Bible speaks of money in terms of weight. "For example," Rousas Rushdoony wrote, "David gave to Ornan for the place (the future location of the Temple) six hundred shekels of gold by weight (I Chronicles 21:25); in other words, the payment was made in terms of a specified weight of gold." For much of American history, money was based on a weight of gold or silver. By rejecting a historical understanding of money, the United States has created an investment environment akin to investment hell. By the way, Munger is wrong. Gold is not peculiar. Gold is sound money and its price is moving as expected vis-à-vis paper money. Today's paper money is peculiar.
What does this mean for you? Let's consider again the University of Texas. Apparently, it understands the status of today's financial world and it's protecting itself by putting five percent of its holdings in gold ... and gold has gained 25 percent since last April. The world's monetary system is going to hell and the University of Texas is trying to keep its endowment from going there as well.
Lee Wishing is the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. |
Forgiveness is nice, says Conservative’s Bruinooge
Two years after Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued his apology for the government’s role in residential schools, close to 4,000 people, mostly Aboriginal, gathered in Ottawa to participate in the National Forgiven Summit.
“The crowd was excited to see the actual Declaration of Forgiveness which 24 Elders signed from across the country and was, of course, presented to (Indian and Northern Affairs) Minister (Chuck) Strahl. It was just a really nice moment,” said Rod Bruinooge, MP for Winnipeg South. The declaration, which was prepared by a coalition of residential school survivors, was presented June 12.
But it’s a moment that worries Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo.
“We should be very careful,” said Atleo in a teleconference just prior to the summit. “The word of one survivor, a grand chief, said very plainly that he wasn’t ready, that we’re not ready for this.”
But Bruinooge, a Métis from Manitoba, said his mentor, Elder and Chief Kenny Blacksmith of the Cree Nation of Mistissini, in Quebec, sees it differently. After working with the Aboriginal community for years, Blacksmith saw Harper’s apology as a way for people to release their hurt and anger.
“Kenny’s vision, his philosophy, was to help people release forgiveness. When one forgives you can release that anger, that pain, that suffering. So that was the vision he had for this tour,” said Bruinooge. The summit is a culmination of the Journey of Freedom, in which Blacksmith travelled across the country working with thousands of Aboriginal people in their healing journeys.
Blacksmith is co-founder of Gathering Nations International, a Christian organization that is based in biblical healing. In a recent address about the summit, Blacksmith said, “At this time, we will choose with one voice and one heart to respond to the prime minister’s request for forgiveness, because we are not only ready to do so but we recognize the door of hope is still open and our response will be our key to a greater healing and freedom for our people and nation from a negative past.”
“I think we’ve got to be very careful not to project on to people in a way that sort of places undue pressure,” warned Atleo, however, “and that’s where the original statement about . . . be(ing) careful about the politicization (of forgiveness) is one way to describe how I feel about this. That it is a very personal experience and personal journey . . . that’s the reason why there’ll be a wide variety of feelings and reflections on this summit.”
“Forgiveness is good whenever one can provide forgiveness. It always provides more benefits for the one who is forgiving than the one who has been forgiven. It’s good for people to go through that. Some of these people have been living with their pain for half a century. Kenny’s philosophy, I think, has helped a lot of people. Anytime you can help someone, I think it’s a good thing,” said Bruinooge.
“Two years after the apology, I certainly can look at a number of areas that there is so much more that can and should be done to give effect to the spirit of that important apology,” said Atleo.
“The Aboriginal Healing Foundation . . . was cut off. We’ve seen many doors closed, programs that supported healing . . . but that work is going to be going on for a long time,” he said.
Atleo also pointed to education in which First Nations children on reserve are funded at $2,000 less than their counterparts in the provincial system; the only Indigenous university in Canada is struggling, although it received a one-year reprieve with federal dollars; 65,000 First Nations post-secondary graduates are needed in the next five years; and more schools are needed as well.
Bruinooge felt the National Forgiven Summit and the first national event to be hosted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), June 16 to 19 in Winnipeg, complemented each other.
“There’s historic timing for both events,” said Bruinooge.
The event in Winnipeg is the first of seven national events the TRC will host over the next few years.
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Adoption network for conscientious objectors in Western Europe: Cyprus 03/92 (reactivation of Cyprus 09/90): Reimprisonment of conscientious objector Kyriakos Kyriakou
Kyriakos Kyriakou, aged about 22, was sentenced on 26 October 1992 by the Military Court in Nicosia to nine months' in prison for refusing to perform military service. This is the second time in two years that he has been jailed for conscientious objection. He is one of 10 conscientious objectors, all apparently Jehovah's Witnesses, currently in prison in Cyprus. Recent cases of conscientious objectors suggest a trend towards imposing harsher sentences. Legislation passed in January 1992 recognized for the first time the right to conscientious objection and made provision for alternative service. However, the legislation falls short of United Nations and Council of Europe recommendations and is not acceptable to the Jehovah's Witness community. |
In which Scrabble dictionary does OUTREACH exist?
Definitions of OUTREACH in dictionaries:
- noun -
the act of reaching out
To surpass (another) in reach: She had to outreach her opponent to win the fencing match.
To be more or greater than; exceed: Demand has outreached supply.
The act or process of reaching out: could not allay the outreach of human intellect.
Extent or length of reach: the vast outreach of technology; the outreach of a forest fire from mountains to suburbs.
A systematic attempt to provide services beyond conventional limits, as to particular segments of a community: an educational outreach to illiterate adults.
There are 8 letters in OUTREACH:
A C E H O R T U
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Bridge column, March 15: Use an opponent for your entry
In a bridge contract, having no entry often results in an exit with a minus score. And sometimes you need to use a defender for an entrance. How does that apply in this deal? South is in four spades, and West leads the diamond 10.
When East opened one diamond, South just closed his eyes and blasted into four spades, hoping that if his partner had a weak hand, the penalty conceded would be less than his opponents could have obtained in their best contract.
If West had been psychic, he would have led either the club 10 (immediately giving the defenders three clubs and one heart) or the heart nine (East wins with his ace and returns the suit to kill the dummy). But since East had opened one diamond, selecting that suit was normal.
The original South won trick one with dummy's ace and discarded a heart from his hand. Then he called for a low heart. East went in with the ace and led the diamond king. Now declarer had to go down two. (Yes, East might have returned a heart, which would have been right if West had begun with a singleton heart. But East thought that his partner would have led a singleton initially.)
South should have left the diamond ace on the board and ruffed the first trick in his hand. Then he draws trumps and plays on hearts. East may duck the first round and take the second, but then he must put declarer into the dummy. The contract makes with an overtrick instead of going down two.
** ** **
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Queer times in Palestine and Israel – Pinkwashing among the bigots
TO New York, where the righteous are picking their prejudices. At a meeting called “Creating Solidarities: A Conversation with Members of the First U.S. LGBTQ Delegate to Palestine”, the enlightened are talking about their trip to the Palestinian territories.
Jasbir Puar, a professor of women’s and gender studies at Rutgers, was on the trip. She tells the panel that “the occupation of Palestine is one of the most contentious issues in queer organizing today”.
How so? Well, we can’t be certain. What we do know is that during their stay, the group were told to hide their homosexuality. But lest you think that is odd, Puar explains, “it doesn’t take away from the fact that there is an occupation. We can’t judge a country by its attitudes towards homosexuals.”
This is Puar who tells Guardian readers that the EDL is an “extremist rightwing” hate group that propagates anti-Muslim racism. Anti-Semitism is rife in the Middle East. “One day kill all Jews,” comes a chant from the “moderate” Muslim Brotherhood. The Arab press features Nazi-inspired cartoons of the evil Jew (more here).
So. Puar despises racism. But she notes that you can be gay and a bigot, but only as an extension of their victimhood:
Far from being disadvantaged members of such rightwing movements, racial minorities and gay and lesbian people are offered a way of reclaiming an otherwise withheld national belonging – to be British is to be anti-Muslim – while maintaining their exceptional minority status.
She adds in another article:
While Israel may blatantly disregard global outrage about its wartime activities, it nonetheless has deep stakes in projecting its image as a liberal society of tolerance, in particular homosexual tolerance. These two tendencies should not be seen as contradictory, rather constitutive of the very mechanisms by which a liberal democracy sanctions its own totalitarian regimes.
As one audience member pointed out protections for minorities, including gays, is a requirement to join the European Union. When an audience member further pressed Jasbir as to why Israel was being picked on as pinkwashing when other countries do the same, Puar (left) replied, “My critique of Israel stems out of my critique with the United States. The United States is a settler state too. Absolutely!”
Israelis – openly gay ones, too – who believe in the Bible, Exodus and Promised Lands may wonder. That for them. But it’s all bit odd, isn’t it. In Israel, sexual discrimination is outlawed, gays can work in the military and gay adoptions are legit.
Israel is far from perfect. There are Isreali bigots and homophobics. But why does Puar make it all about the US and Israel?
Andrew Ratto asks:
Panelists also made much about their fears of being in Israel proper: Puar said her friends told her she’d never be allowed in—she even made a fake Facebook account to obscure her identity—but the professor sailed through Israeli security because “I looked so ineffectual and miserable.” She told the audience how it “was such a relief to get to Ramallah” where sadly she had no cell phone reception because the Israelis wouldn’t allow it.
Park’s biggest worry was passing through Israeli checkpoints and having her belongings confiscated, but she breezed right through security as well.
So the problem for these activists is that there was no problem?
Well, so long as you hide your sexuality in the Palestinian Territories, no… |
In an attempt to help I think inspiring conversation would do so...
I am looking at processors and most all hardware for that matter, are getting so much smaller! dualcore etc, are all being able to do so much with so little space.
What does everyone think about this, and where do you think it will be in the future (near or far)?
a few things to think about: when will the space on a chip run out? Can something else handle processes better? how can technology branch out in new, better directions? |
PandaLabs has discovered Shark 2, a tool for creating Trojans which is being distributed on several Internet forums. Its creators have launched several updates, so there are various versions available, such as 2.1, 2.2, or the 2.3.2 version, the latest detected by PandaLabs.
"The Trojans created with Shark 2 are designed to steal all types of confidential information, from the type of processor used by the computer to program and bank passwords. Cyber-crooks can even activate users Web cams and watch what they are doing. This is yet another step in online crime, and implies a serious invasion of privacy", says Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs.
One of the main dangers of this program is that it allows malicious users to create all kinds of malicious code without having much programming knowledge, as it offers an interface allowing cyber-crooks simply to choose the malware characteristics they want.
These characteristics include defining the server to which the malware connects and the option for configuring the code to run on every system restart, display error messages or run other files. It also lets users set specific actions for processes and services, such as blocking certain services, closing the user server, etc.
Shark 2 allows malware to be UPX packaged and configured to end its own processes when it detects debuggers (created to decipher malware) and VMware, making it more difficult to detect.
Once the malware created has infected a computer, it connects to a previously specified server and displays an interface through which the malicious user can take numerous actions.
Firstly, the malware created will show data about the infected system: processor, RAM, antivirus installed, browser, etc.
Then, Shark 2 allows numerous utilities to be run on the compromised computer. This way, the cyber-crook can take action including modifying the registry or editing the host file. This would let hackers, say, redirect users to phishing sites or infected pages.
Similarly, Trojans created with this tool can capture screenshots, audio, and keystrokes. It is also designed to download other malicious code onto infected computers.
Shark 2 enables hackers to command malware to steal passwords (IM, email, online banks, etc.) and can obtain data such as the name and version of programs installed, open connections, active processes and services, etc.
"Malware creators would be able to obtain in-depth information about the infected computer, and so apart from stealing data such as bank details which could then be used for financial gain, they could use the computer as a proxy to hide other criminal activity on the Internet", says Corrons. |
Brown hydra (Hydra oligactis)
|Size||Length of tentacles: up to 25 cm (2)|
Body length: 20-30 mm (2)
The brown hydra is common and widespread in Britain (2).
Brown hydras (Hydra oligactis) are freshwater animals that belong to the same group as jellyfish, corals and sea anemones (2). The sac-shaped 'body' is topped with a mouth surrounded by a crown of tentacles that feature stinging cells used to stun prey (2).
The brown hydra is a widespread species, found throughout the northern hemisphere and parts of Australia (3).
The brown hydra is found in freshwater ponds, brooks, rivers, and streams as well as at the edges of lakes, and typically attaches to aquatic plants, stones, twigs and debris (3).
The brown hydra, although largely a sessile species is capable of moving by gliding along on the 'basal disc', the part of the body that attaches to the substrate. They may also move by bending the body around, attaching to the substrate with the tentacles, and then 'somersaulting' or 'looping' forwards (3). This species is carnivorous; it feeds on small aquatic invertebrates that are paralysed by the stinging cells when the prey comes into contact with the tentacles. The prey item is then brought to the mouth by the tentacles and taken into the body of the hydra (3).
Reproduction in hydras typically takes place asexually by a process known as 'budding', in which a bud-like growth on the body of the 'parent' hydra eventually grows into a new individual that becomes separated from the parent. When conditions are harsh, or there is a shortage of food, hydras can reproduce sexually; a single individual may produce both male and female sex cells, which are released into the water where fertilisation occurs. The egg develops into a larva, which is covered in tiny hair-like structures known as cilia. The larva may either settle immediately and develop into a hydra, or become surrounded in a tough outer layer that allows it to survive harsh conditions (4).
The brown hydra is not threatened.
The brown hydra is not listed under any conservation legislation.
For more on the brown hydra:
Animal Diversity Web brown hydra fact sheet:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
- Asexually: of asexual reproduction: reproduction that does not involve the formation of sex cells ('gametes'). In many species, asexual reproduction can occur by fission (or in plants 'vegetative reproduction'); part of the organism breaks away and develops into a separate individual. Some animals, including vertebrates can develop from unfertilised eggs, this process, known as parthenogenesis gives rise to offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.
- Carnivorous: feeding on flesh.
- Fertilisation: the fusion of gametes (male and female reproductive cells) to produce an embryo, which grows into a new individual.
- Invertebrates: animals with no backbone, such as insects, crustaceans, worms, molluscs, spiders, cnidarians (jellyfish, corals, sea anemones), echinoderms, and others.
- Larva: stage in an animal's lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (Jan 2003):
- Olsen, L., Sunesen, J., & Pedersen, B. V. (1999) Small freshwater creatures. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Animal Diversity Web: Brown Hydra (March 2003):
- Nichols, D., Cooke, J. & Whiteley, D. (1971) The Oxford Book of Invertebrates. Oxford University Press, Oxford. |
Notes and Editorial Reviews
Lumsdaine’s poetic collage was recorded on location at the Durham Miners’ Gala, 1971 - a large annual gathering associated with the coal mining heritage of the region, and known as The Big Meeting. This remarkable work assembles snatches of brass bands, choirs, speech and song alongside the sounds of a historic occasion.
"Big Meeting is remarkable not only as a technical feat ... I can't think of a electronic work that gives a more vivid sense of movement within a particular geography ... but also as a haunting evocation of a lost world. If the sound of the miners' hymn in Durham Cathedral doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you must be one of the Koch brothers."
The Rest is Noise
"It leaves an impression beyond the merely documentary ... Expertly re-mastered and presented to NMC's customers standards, it makes for highly affecting listening."
International Record Review
"Big Meeting is an ambitious curiosity, a lengthy radiophonic journey in which the sounds of swelling crowds, church bells and marching bands are mixed with electronic hymns and technological tweaks. The effect is like a strange, unsettling dream - alternatively nostalgic and disturbing."
"It has the lively slice-of-life atmosphere of Charles Ives ... It seems like a time capsule of a vanished world."
Works on This Recording
Big Meeting by David Lumsdaine
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 1971
Venue: Durham Miners’ Gala
Big Meeting: Beginnings: Speak!
Big Meeting: Gathering, memories: Old Elvet and Racecourse
Big Meeting: The Fairground Dances
Big Meeting: The Miners' Hymn
Big Meeting: Crossing Palace Green to the Cathedral
Big Meeting: Underground: Questions
Big Meeting: Praise: People speak
Be the first to review this title |
Art Deco Architecture
The style that was loved by the people, hated by the critics.
Art Deco architecture was first and foremost considered to be decorative - ornamental and beautifying. Buildings, hotels, cinemas, railway stations, etc. were all embellished with quintessential Deco patterns like zigzags, sunbursts, Egyptian motifs and similar geometric patterns all in the name of beauty.
Post-war society very quickly fell in love with the style, as it was a representation of all that was modern, luxurious and beautiful. The 1920s were a time of joy and hopefulness and the masses embraced this new look with open arms. It was symbolic of the strong economy and it inspired hope for a prosperous future.
Unfortunately, architectural purists and critics absolutely hated it! They "sneered at the...'modernistic' application of Art Deco ornament, which they saw as 'commercial.'" (Benton, 2003) In essence they felt it was too much glitz and not enough substance. (What were they thinking!!??)
"More recently, however, architects and critics have begun to re-evaluate the importance of the decorative in architecture, seeing it not only as a popular reflection of rapidly changing conditions but as a rich and profound expression of human feelings." (Benton, 2003) (I'm glad they have finally come to their senses.)
Art Deco Buildings & Architecture Websites
If you would like more information on this topic you must check out the follwing two sites. The guys who run them live and breathe Art Deco Architecture! They are the definitive sources on Art Deco Buildings and Architecture on the web.
Art Deco Buildings
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel
Art Deco Hotels
Art Deco Lobbies
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About This Artwork
Daniel Webster, modeled and cast 1853
76.2 x 30.4 x 27.9 cm (30 x 12 x 11 in.)
Incised at back of drapers: "T Ball Sculpt/Boston Mass/1853/Patent assigned to / C W Nichols"
Gift of Richard and Mary L. Gray, 1986.1347
Thomas Ball modeled Daniel Webster prior to receiving his first formal training in sculpture. A Massachusetts native, Ball admired the great orator and was inspired to create this full-length statuette a year after Webster’s death. Despite the mid-19th-century taste for Neoclassicism, Ball rendered his figure with decided naturalism. Webster stands assuredly with his right hand tucked Napoleon-like into his lapel, yet Ball likewise portrayed the senator’s rumpled clothing and round waistline. A commercial success, Daniel Webster was one of the earliest sculptures in the U.S. to be patented and mass-produced. The artwork later inspired two monumental versions, one of which stands in Central Park in New York.
— Permanent collection label
Chicago, David and Alfred Smart Gallery, Alumni Who Collect II: Sculpture from 1600 to the Present, Apr. 18–June 16, 1985, no cat.
Kirk Savage, “Molding Emancipation: John Quincy Adams Ward’s The Freedman and the Meaning of the Civil War,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 27, 1 (2001), pp. 26-39, fig. 3.
Richard and Mary L. Gray, Chicago, by 1986; The Art Institute of Chicago, 1986. |
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(1925 - 2011)
Lathrop Bullene was active/lived in California, Louisiana. Lathrop Bullene is known for sculpture.
Biography Lathrop Bullene
Lathrop Bullene (1925-2011)
A sculptor, he literally and figuratively carved a niche for himself as one of the prominent sculptors of stone today. He was headquartered in California near the old marble quarries of the Mother Lode of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Lathrop was stirred by the presence of all the locked-up images, waiting to be released.
Like the Early Greeks, he was able to reveal the underlying grace and movement of his draped female figures. In all of his work the finished form is in harmony with the natural state of the stone.
Lathrop Bullene had an unusually rich life in the arts. Beginning with six years of study in the Arts in such prestigious institutions as Corcoran Galleries in Was
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DEAR DR. K: I have small white bumps on my eyelids that drive me crazy. They don’t hurt, but they look awful. A doctor told me they are meibomian cysts. He said they are harmless, but if I want to get rid of them, I’ll need surgery. What do you think?
DEAR READER: These little cysts are harmless in one respect: They are not a form of cancer. But I wouldn’t call them harmless if they bother you every time you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror.
First, let’s be sure that you actually have meibomian cysts. Since I can’t look at your eyelids, I’m not sure if your bumps are large or small. Nor do I know exactly where they appear on your eyelids. Just as in real estate, location counts.
Meibomian cysts are small, fluid-filled sacs that can develop along the edge of an eyelid. They take their name from the meibomian glands, which produce a mixture of oil and mucus to keep your skin and hair, including eyelashes, from drying out. The fluid is released through tiny openings called ducts peppered along the edge of the eyelid, just behind the eyelashes.
When a duct gets blocked, fluid backs up into the gland. This prompts inflammation and produces a cyst that grows toward the inner surface of the eyelid. The cyst is small and white, as you describe.
Often, meibomian cysts disappear without any treatment at all. Failing this, I recommend putting a warm compress on the area. Apply it for 10 to 20 minutes, three to four times a day. This gentle treatment encourages the cyst to drain and heal. If a cyst becomes infected, I generally prescribe an antibacterial ointment. Sometimes a cyst won’t respond to compresses or becomes very large. At this point, surgery may be needed. Ask your doctor to refer you to an eye specialist who specializes in eyelid surgery and can drain or remove the cyst.
There are other types of little bumps on the eyelids that require different treatments.
Another possibility is that you have milia. Milia are tiny, white dome-shaped bumps. They form on the skin of the eyelid or around the eye. Milia are much smaller than meibomian cysts — about the size of pinheads. They may not look good, but they don’t hurt and don’t interfere with vision.
Finally, although it is rare, some types of skin cancer can start on the eyelids. Here are my “red flag” signs for eyelid bumps. If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, get checked out by a dermatologist or ophthalmologist experienced in handling eyelid conditions:
Are the bumps red and painful? Are they growing larger? Do they have a brown or black color?
If your eyelid bumps bother you, or if they show any of my red-flag warning signs, get them checked out. While your bothersome bumps may not disappear in a blink, the right doctor should be able to help. |
Properly Size Your Water Lines
My guess is that most people don't think twice about the water that will flow from the faucets in their new homes. You may not even give a second thought to the noise water makes when rushing through water lines. Because you are moving into a new home, my guess is you might assume a waterfall of water will cascade from each faucet and hose bib. Don't count on it. Your builder or plumber may have made a few mistakes that can restrict the amount of water that flows from faucets. These same mistakes can also cause significant water pipe noise that drowns out conversation and other pleasant sounds around your home.
If you are in the planning stages of building, you can correct these problems before they happen. A water supply pipe of a given size can only supply a given quantity of water at a given pressure and a given hydrostatic head. Hydrostatic head commonly refers to the vertical distance a water line extends. If you are trying to push water up a pipe from a basement to a second floor, gravity is doing its best to exert an opposite force against the water pressure. Gravity becomes your friend and increases water pressure if you store your water up on your roof, but how many people do you know have 5,000 gallon storage tanks in their attics?
Plumbers and builders know that people rarely turn on more than three or four plumbing faucets at the same time. But it can happen. If you want a plentiful supply of water to flow from each faucet, you must be certain that the main water line entering the house and the main feed line within the house is three-quarter inch in diameter or possibly one inch in diameter. This larger sized pipe can carry a significant amount of water.
All too often, a rookie plumber might start to prematurely reduce the size of the water lines in a home. If you see one-half inch diameter water lines that serve two or more fixtures, trouble may be just around the corner. If your new home has three or more bathrooms, consider keeping the cold water pipe size one inch until it has served the water heater, the first bathroom group and possibly one or two outdoor hose bibs. The main water line can then be reduced to three-quarter inch diameter to serve the remaining bathrooms, laundry room, hose bibs, etc. One-half inch diameter pipes can branch off the three-quarter inch line to serve individual fixtures. Extend the three-quarter inch line until you get to the final two or three fixtures in the house.
Pipe noise is also a function of pipe size. Larger diameter pipes create less noise because the velocity of the water moving through the pipe towards the fixture is lower. You can also minimize pipe noise by specifying a thicker pipe size. If you are using copper tubing in your new home, it is very likely that type M copper will be used indoors. This is the thinnest pipe allowed by most plumbing codes. Thin pipes transmit noise more readily than thicker-walled pipes.
The next thicker pipe type is L copper. Look at a piece of L vs. M copper and you will not see any difference. But pick up a 10-foot long piece of each and you will immediately realize the type L copper weighs more. This extra copper absorbs sound. The fantastic news is that the cost upgrade for type L copper in a typical residential home is less than $75.00. This is a one-time fee that allows you to have quiet water supply piping for the life of the home. It is a very small price to pay for peace and quiet.
Finally, be sure the pipes are not in a bind as they pass through wall studs, wall plates and floor joists. The holes need to be slightly oversized so the water pipes can expand and contract freely. Pieces of rubber that absorb vibration can also be installed between the pipes and any wood framing. Installing the strips of rubber can be a hassle, but any acoustical engineer will tell you it helps to stop noise transmission. |
Is wearing the confederate flag to school protected as “symbolic speech”?
The display of the Confederate flag, as shown here, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits. In January, 2009, a federal court ruled against students wearing the Confederate flag at school and agreed with the school district’s ban of this type of symbolic speech.*
Three high school students at Farmington High School in Missouri wore various articles of clothing to school with the flag depicted on each. Bryce Archambo wore a baseball cap, a T-shirt and a belt buckle with the Confederate flag emblem. R.S. wore a shirt with the words “The South was right – Our school is wrong” next to a picture of the Confederate flag. Both were suspended after refusing to change clothes.
The court’s decision followed the Tinker test, stating that “Based on the substantial race-related events occurring both at the school and in the community, some of which involved the Confederate flag, we hold that the District’s ban was constitutionally permissible.”
Due to the history of community violence and on-campus disruption surrounding the display of the Confederate flag, the First Amendment does not protect this form of symbolic speech. Schools have a duty to protect students and maintain an environment where education thrives without violating the rights of others.
Update: In a similar case out of Tennessee, students at William Blount High School challenged their school’s ban of T-shirts displaying the Confederate flag. The ban was enacted during a period of heightened racial tension at the school and an altercation between a black and white student. The lower federal courts approved the ban because images of the flag would substantially and materially disrupt the school environment. On October 5, 2009, the United States Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the rulings of the lower courts in place.**
Again, in Tennessee, a challenge to the school’s ban on displaying the Confederate flag on campus was defeated in 2011.*** A long line of rulings have backed school administrators seeking to prevent racial conflict over such symbols.
On July 9, 2015, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds. It was ceremoniously removed on July 10, 2015 to be placed in a museum nearby.
Elsewhere in the country, the Confederate flag survives at school. At Hurley High School in Virginia, the flag is prominently displayed on the front doors of the school, and on the football team’s helmets. The school’s one African-American student, senior running back Chris Spencer, sports a battle-flag tattoo on his arm. He’s been quoted saying “It doesn’t mean racism to me. I just look at it as a flag. It’s our mascot. It just means our school.” His principal agrees, saying “It means heritage, not hate.”
*B. W. A. v. Farmington School District, 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, January 29, 2009.
** Barr v. LaFon, U.S. Supreme Court, October 5, 2009.
***Defoe v. Spiva, U.S. Supreme Court, #10-1513, October 11, 2011. |
Lee Ridley's, a.k.a. Lost Voice Guy, is only British stand-up comedion using an AAC device. His new film sketch, Voice by Choice, follows three people who use speech-synthesis technology as they meet at a speed-dating event. As the three romantic hopefuls make their introductions, they notice they all have the same voice - even though one is a woman and two are men. There are some awkward pauses as they give each other time to get their words in order on their machines, and comic mishaps with predictive text - all based on real-life experiences. Lee says he would be lost without his machine. However, "it's pretty disappointing when you want to express how you feel and it just doesn't come out right.", he says.
"To build the voice, we record a real person for 15-18 hours and the data gets cut up into little pieces and stitched back together so the voice can say anything - even things the person never said," says Chris Pidcock, chief voice engineer at CereProc, a company that develops speech-synthesis technology. "Because making these voices takes a lot of effort and expense, most people in the past focused on neutral sounding voices. People were quite cautions, but this is changing," he says.
It is really hard to put emotion in text-to-speech voices, because the voice does not know what the speaker's intentions are. "Text-to-speech is getting better. But it can never replace human speech. People are spectacular in terms of all the nuances they can offer," says AssistiveWare's David Niemeijer. |
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The development of agricultural formulations is becoming increasingly complex and there is a need to develop them more easily and efficiently. Laboratory robotics offer some help in meeting this need. To explore this promise of help, a study was undertaken to determine some of the merits and limitations of robotics for developing formulations.
A decision was made to explore the preparation of emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations with a laboratory robotics system. This was believed to be an easy example to study and other more difficult tasks could be attempted later if the study warranted.
The equipment used, computer algorithms developed, and procedures used for the preparation and testing of EC formulations are described.
The development of a sample formulation is described along with the visualization of the data with triangular coordinate plots. Some of the limitations found are pointed out and some areas meriting future study are mentioned.
Robotics, agricultural formulations, emulsifiable concentrates, triangular coordinate plots
Senior Research Specialist, the Monsanto Agricultural Company, St. Louis, MO |
|Birthname||Paul Charles Joseph Bourget|
|born on||2 September 1852 at 10:45 (= 10:45 AM )|
|Place||Amiens, France, 49n54, 2e18|
|Timezone||LMT m2e18 (is local mean time)|
|Astrology data||10°03' 22°39 Asc. 07°55'|
French novelist and critic who was a master of the psychological novel and a molder of opinion among French conservative intellectuals in the pre-World War I period.
After completing his studies in philosophy, Bourget began his career as a poet, and several of his poems were set to music by Claude Debussy. Encouraged and deeply influenced by the critic Hippolyte Taine, he published a series of essays tracing the sources of contemporary pessimism to the works of Stendhal, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Baudelaire, Taine, and Ernest Renan. Fashionable in their day because of their high-society setting, his early novels, such as Cruelle Énigme (1885), Un Crime d’amour (1886), andAndré Cornélis (1887), were careful psychological studies.
Bourget’s most important novel, Le Disciple (1889), heralded a marked change in his intellectual position. Prefaced by an appeal to youth to abide by traditional morality rather than modern scientific theory, the novel portrays the pernicious influence of a highly respected positivist philosopher and teacher (who strongly resembles Taine) on a young man. Applying the philosopher’s teachings to life, the young man plays dangerous games with human emotions that end in a tragic crime. Bourget was converted to Roman Catholicism in 1901. His later novels, such as L’Étape (1902) and Un Divorce (1904), are increasingly didactic theses in support of the church, traditionalism, nationalism, and monarchy.
On 16 March 1914, he was present in the offices of the newspaper, Le Figaro when the newspaper's editor, his friend Gaston Calmette was shot and killed by Henriette Caillaux the wife of a former Prime Minister of France. Her subsequent trial caused an enormous scandal at the time.
He died 25 December 1935, Paris.
- associate relationship with Caillaux, Henriette (born 5 December 1874). Notes: Witnessed her murder of Calmette
- friend relationship with Calmette, Gaston (born 30 July 1858)
- has other family relationship with Daille, Marius (born 10 October 1878). Notes: Uncle
- Vocation : Writers : Critic
- Vocation : Writers : Fiction |
|born on||18 June 1923 at 14:30 (= 2:30 PM )|
|Place||Wellington, New Zealand, 41s18, 174e47|
|Timezone||ONZT h11e30 (is standard time)|
|Astrology data||25°52' 08°39 Asc. 25°08'|
New Zealand astronomer, famed in the ‘60s and ‘70s for fronting "The Night Sky", the longest running television show in New Zealand. He was a past president of R.A.S.N.Z., Director of the Lunar and Planetary Section, and winner of the Murray Geddes Prize, 1966.
Because of his long association with television, he eventually came to be known as "the people's astronomer." The Carter National Observatory became custodians of the so-called Peter Read telescope not long before Peter's death in 1981. This telescope is a 6" (15cm) F18 Thomas Cook refractor made in approximately 1920. However, the optics are new, having been replaced by Gary Nankivell, a previous owner of the telescope.
- Death, Cause unspecified 1981 (Age 57-58)
- Work : Prize 1966 (Murray Geddes Prize)
Sy Scholfield quotes Garth Carpenter in his "Aspects of Astrology," from Peter Read personally.
- Notable : Famous : Top 5% of Profession
- Vocation : Science : Astronomy (Noted astronomer)
- Vocation : Entertainment : TV host/ Personality (Long running astronomy show) |
When the watering restrictions schedule gets this complicated, you have something that will be even more difficult to follow or enforce. It takes effect on June 30. I'll just refer you to an official webpage.
In other county government news, the leaf and limb pickup schedule has been reduced to once every eight weeks instead of six because of the budget cuts for the next fiscal year. That is phenomenal considering how inadequate the schedule already was. Other cities have pickups every one or two weeks, yet once every six weeks has become too rich for us. Yes, if we can't do it right we may as well cut it out completely. Eight weeks is too infrequent to be useful. We're still paying taxes for a service that we might rarely use, but on top of that many residents are already often paying landscapers and landfill fees to get rid of their yard waste in a timely manner. Perhaps it should be free to dump leaf and limb waste since we're already saving the county so much money by bringing it to the landfill ourselves. |
In the early half of the 20th century, forensic science was non-existent. Police coroners did not have to be medically trained and crime-scene investigation was minimal. All this would be changed, however, by an elderly Chicago socialite with a penchant for dollhouses and death.
Inspired by her brother's classmate and future chief medical examiner of Suffolk County, George Burgess Magrath, Mrs. Frances Glessner Lee dedicated her life to the advancement of the forensic sciences and is allegedly the inspiration for Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote. With Lee's help, the Harvard Department of Legal Medicine was created in 1931, and through donations of manuscripts and money, it became the Magrath Library of Legal Medicine in 1934, an unprecedented compendium in the field of forensics.
Lee's greatest contribution, however, was her 18 perfectly proportioned dioramas – based on real-life crime scenes – which she donated to the department in the 1940s. These painstakingly crafted dioramas include functioning locks and lights and details such as overturned cups, bullet-holes, and boxes of chocolates as well as miniature corpses in a variety of macabre positions.
Twice a year, Lee would hold week-long seminars where participants would scour the scenes for 90 minutes with only the aid of a flashlight and a magnifying glass, trying to deduce the details of the murders through the details of the dioramas.
After Lee's death in 1962, the models were acquired by the Maryland Medical Examiner’s office and underwent $50,000 in restorations in the 1990s. They are still used as training tools.
- National Library of Medicine: Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/galleries/biographies/lee_image_2.html
- Bruce Goldfarb: http://brucegoldfarb.com/the-nutshell-studies-of-unexplained-death |
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is a gasoline-electric hybrid model in BMW’s 3-Series lineup of entry level luxury sedans. The German performance and luxury manufacturer’s 3-Series is in its sixth generation as of the 2013 model year; the generation was introduced in 2011. The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is based on the sixth generation of the BMW 335i. It premiered at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January of 2012, and became available in the United States that fall as a 2013 model year car. The ActiveHybrid 3 is assembled at a BMW production facility in Munich, Germany. The ActiveHybrid 3 joins two larger siblings, the ActiveHybrid 5, which was also released in 2013, and the ActiveHybrid 7, which became available in 2012.
The gasoline engine in the ActiveHybrid 3 is the same as the powerplant found in the BMW 335i, a 3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder. However, BMW added a 40kW electric motor to the engine and a lithium-ion battery pack under the cargo hold, and matched it all to an eight-speed automatic Steptronic transmission. The drivetrain’s combined power yield is 335 horsepower. The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 boasts a 0-60 acceleration time of 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel economy ratings for the ActiveHybrid 3 are 25 miles per gallon city, 33 miles per gallon highway, and 28 miles per gallon combined. The ActiveHybrid 3 can travel on electric power for 2.5 miles, and in electric mode, is capable of a top speed of 47 miles per hour. Drivers can monitor their fuel usage and electric reserves on BMW’s iDrive information control system. In addition to gas mileage statistics, the console also displays how much of the engine’s power has been used. The ActiveHybrid 3’s drivetrain is engineered so that at high speeds, the vehicle can coast with the gasoline engine turned off when the driver is not mashing the throttle, making good and efficient use of the vehicle’s electric capabilities.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 can be driven in several different settings via the driving dynamics system. Eco Pro is for ultimate fuel savings, which works by tuning down throttle response, making the transmission shift earlier, using an active cruise control system for optimized efficiency, and offering driving advice on the control screen. Comfort adjusts ride quality on rough terrain, and enables full functionality of the electric and power accessories, which might otherwise be compromised when the car is maxing out its electric power usage. Sport mode functions based on a delicate balance between electric power and gasoline power so the driving experience doesn’t suffer for the sake of fuel economy.
Potential buyers who comparison shop between the ActiveHybrid 3 and other 3-Series models will notice that, other than features that are specific to the gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is very similar in fit and finish to the BMW 335i. Hybrid-specific badging and aerodynamic design details are subtle, and the car can be configured with many of the same package options as the 335i, such as upgraded interior materials and custom trim, a navigation system, a rear view camera, park assist, Bluetooth wireless integration and real time traffic information display. |
The next Toyota Prius will be four-wheel drive, capable of 90mpg-plus and launch in 2015 alongside a plug-in version – and our exclusive image shows it’ll get a stunning look to match its technology.
The details were leaked by a Toyota engineer, who told Auto Express that “the next Prius will redefine the hybrid as we know it”.
A new ‘C’ platform will help the Prius shed 70kg. Our source also said: “The current 1.8-litre engine will be modified, while the inverter and motor will be downsized, but will deliver more power.”
The end result will be a car that’s not only quicker than at present, but also capable of more than 90mpg fuel economy and with CO2 emissions of under 70g/km – that’s about 25 per cent better than the existing Prius.
A similar improvement won’t be possible with the new plug-in version – the current model manages 134mpg and 49g/km – as Toyota doesn’t see the charging structure advancing fast enough, according to the insider. The brand doesn’t want to hike the current plug-in Prius’ £28,000 price, either.
However, both cars will get four-wheel drive. “The rear wheels will be driven by a motor in an e-4WD system,” added the insider. “Targeting snowy areas, they will operate at up to 37mph.”
There’ll be a new design to go with the radical tech. “The bonnet height will drop by at least 90mm and the car will lose its wedge shape,” we were told. “The A-pillar will move backwards and the roofline will be pushed forward by around 500mm.” Our image reveals a shape designed to be sleeker without denting the aerodynamics or practicality.
There’s expected to be about 500 litres of boot space – enough to hold four sets of golf clubs.
Surprisingly, the regular Prius will keep its nickel-metal hydride batteries, with advanced lithium-ion tech reserved for the plug-in model. Toyota engineers still feel the cheaper, old-style batteries manage power delivery better when it comes to intensive use and charging. |
Thursday, March 29, 2012
NASA's Ikhana UAS Flies with ADS-B
NASA's Ikhana, a modified MQ-9 Predator B,
The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's Ikhana, a modified General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Predator B, performed the three-hour flight test on March 15 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA said the flight was the first time an unmanned aircraft as large as Ikhana –– with a 66-foot wingspan, a takeoff weight of more than 10,000 pounds, and a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet –– has flown while equipped with ADS-B. It also was the first flight of hardware for the NASA Aeronautics research project known Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System, which is a key issue related to FAA's NextGen airspace modernization initiative.
"ADS-B is a cornerstone capability required in the NextGen, and understanding its performance and suitability for integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system is critical to the overall goals of the project," said Sam Kim, deputy manager of integrated test and evaluation for NASA's UAS in the NAS Project.
NASA said the Ikhana flight kicked off a series in which researchers will collect ADS-B data while performing representative air traffic control-directed maneuvers. As part of a collaborative effort, FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., recorded ADS-B data from the flight and will help analyze the performance of the system installed in the aircraft. Researchers also evaluated new ADS-B laptop software for displaying surrounding air traffic information to the UAS pilots on the ground.
UAS in the NAS program, which was launched in 2011, is designed to contribute capabilities to reduce technical barriers related to the safety and operational challenges of unmanned and passenger-carrying airplanes sharing the same air space, according to NASA. The program falls under the Integrated Systems Research Program office managed at NASA Headquarters by the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. NASA’s four aeronautics research centers – Dryden, Ames Research Center, Langley Research Center, and Glenn Research Center – are part of the technology development project. More |
Clean Village Water
- Globalization in Business
- Green Living
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Architecture
- Sustainable Living
- The Future
- Water Pollution and Conservation
- Globalization Issues (Awesome Library)
Provides sources that discuss the pros and cons of globalization and "Americanization." 8-02
- Green Building Structures (GlobalGreen.org)
Provides resources to assist in building green. 02-07
- Sustainable Resources by Topic (Ecosustainable.com.au)
Provides links by topic. 02-06
- African News for Sustainable Health and Peace (AllAfrica.com)
Provides news related to water, health, agriculture, and biodiversity.
- -Editorial: Pass the Bread (CommonDreams.org - Bill Moyers)
"Bread is life. But if you're like me you have a thousand and more times repeated the ordinary experience of eating bread without a thought for the process that brings it to your table. The reality is physical: I need this bread to live. But the reality is also social: I need others to provide the bread. I depend for bread on hundreds of people I don't know and will never meet. If they fail me, I go hungry. If I offer them nothing of value in exchange for their loaf, I betray them. The people who grow the wheat, process and store the grain, and transport it from farm to city; who bake it, package it, and market it--these people and I are bound together in an intricate reciprocal bargain. We exchange value."
"This reciprocity sustains us."
- -Sustainable Planet (Awesome Library - Adams)
Describes the most important few things that can be done to reduce pollution, reduce global warming, and save our forests, as well as improve the availability of drinkable water for the future. 11-00
- Biomimicry (Time.com - Amory B. Lovins)
"[Janine] Benyus draws her design inspiration from nature's wisdom, not people's cleverness. Some 3.8 billion years of evolution have exposed the design flaws of roughly 99% of nature's creations — all recalled by the Manufacturer. The 1% that have survived can teach powerful lessons about how things should be built if they're to last. For example, nature's design genius has led to the creation of bat-inspired ultrasonic canes for the blind, synthetic sheets that collect water from mist and fog as desert beetles do, and paint that self-cleans like a lotus leaf. Little plastic-film patches have been designed using adhesiveless gecko-foot technology, so that carpet tiles can be stored in a big roll, but also easily removed. Equally promising, we'll soon make solar cells like leaves, supertough ceramics that resemble the inner shells of abalone, and underwater glue that mimics the natural as forests." 10-07
- Desalination by a Solar Sustainable Method (Seawater Greenouse)
"The Seawater Greenhouse is a unique concept which combines natural processes, simple construction techniques and mathematical computer modelling to provide a low-cost solution to one of the world's greatest needs – fresh water. The Seawater Greenhouse is a new development that offers sustainable solution to the problem of providing water for agriculture in arid, coastal regions."
"The process uses seawater to cool and humidify the air that ventilates the greenhouse and sunlight to distil fresh water from seawater. This enables the year round cultivation of high value crops that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to grow in hot, arid regions." 05-07
- Design for the Other 90 Percent of Us (Business Week)
Describes innovations that help the 90 percent of the people of the world in developing countries.
- Eden Project (Wikipedia.org)
"The Eden Project has quickly become one of the most popular visitor attractions in the United Kingdom. The complex includes two sets of giant interconnected transparent domes made of ETFE cushions, each emulating a natural biome, that house plant species from around the world. The first emulates a tropical environment, the other a warm temperate, mediterranean environment." 06-07
- Globalization Issues (About.com - Porter)
Discusses the pros and cons of globalization and "Americanization." "Globalization will always have cheerleaders who are blind to the destruction globalization can cause. And it will always have strident opponents blind to the way globalization gives some people their first opportunity to fulfill basic aspirations."
"As with most issues, the majority of people will be in the middle. They will see globalization not as something to worship or demonize. Instead, they will see it as something to mold, shape and manage for the betterment of everyone."
- Globalization and Cultural Diversity (Cultural Collaboratory - Breidenbach and Zukrigl)
Argues that globalization may create new and healthy forms of cultural diversity.
- Globalization and Poverty (Globalization Website)
Discusses whether globalization causes poverty.
- Report: Conflicts Over Water and Food Could Intensify (Christian Science Monitor)
"For years, the debate over global warming has focused on the three big 'E's': environment, energy, and economic impact. This week it officially entered the realm of national security threats and avoiding wars as well."
"As quoted in the Associated Press, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who presided over the UN meeting in New York April 17, posed the question 'What makes wars start' The answer:"
" 'Fights over water. Changing patterns of rainfall. Fights over food production, land use. There are few greater potential threats to our economies ... but also to peace and security itself.' " 04-07
- Sustainable Development (Wikipedia.org)
"Sustainable Development is an umbrella that attempts to bridge the divide between economic growth and environmental protection, while taking into account other issues traditionally associated with development. It seeks to develop means of supporting economic growth while supporting biodiversity, relieving poverty and without using up natural capital in the short term at the expense of long term development. While many definitions of the term have been introduced over the years, the most commonly cited definition comes from the report Our Common Future, more commonly known as the Brundtland Report, which states that sustainable development is development that 'meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'." 11-06
- Sustainable Development Education (USPartnership.org)
"The U.S. Partnership consists of individuals, organizations and institutions in the United States dedicated to education for sustainable development (ESD). It acts as a convener, catalyst, and communicator working across all sectors of American society." 11-13
- Sustainable Development and Health (IAEA.org)
Provides feature stories. 04-06
- Sustainable Planet Development (BBC News)
Provides a summary of the current status of use of the Earth's resources in each major area of use, such as water. "According to one recent study, the human race is consuming the Earth's resources at a rate that is 20% faster than it can replenish itself, with the result that we would need 1.2 Earths to sustain this lifestyle."
"In principle, sustainable development means not using up resources faster than the Earth can replenish them - 'treating the Earth as if we intended to stay'."
"Our record for managing to think ahead is poor. Professor James Lovelock has said humans are as qualified to be stewards of the Earth as goats are to be gardeners." 10-10
- The Future of Sustainable Planet Development: Bjorn Lomborg (BBC News)
"For just $75bn a year, the UN estimates that we could solve all major problems in the Third World, giving clean drinking water, sanitation, basic health care and education to everyone in developing world. This is less than half the projected annual cost of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change from 2010 onwards." 02-06
- The Future of Sustainable Planet Development: Five Views (BBC News)
Provides five views of the future. 02-06
- The Future of Sustainable Planet Development: Vandana Shiva (BBC News)
"Get rid of WTO free trade agreements on agriculture. I think food needs to be seen as an ecological, cultural, ethical and democratic issue – it cannot be defined by global corporations trading in commodities and working out their profits." 02-06
- Water Pollution and Conservation (IAEA.org)
Provides an overview of the world situation. 04-06
- World Population - Ancient to 1950 (U.S. Census Bureau)
Provides estimates of world population from 10,000 B.C. to 1950 A.D. Estimates place the population of 12,000 year ago at between one and ten million people. At 8,500 years ago the maximum number of people was still estimated to be ten million. For 6500 years or more the population of the earth may have been stable.
"By 1500 A.D. the estimated population of the earth was 500 million. By 1800, 300 years later, the population had doubled to about a billion people. By 1930, 130 years later, it doubled again to 2 billion people. By 1975, 45 years later, world population doubled again to 4 billion. It is estimated to take until 2025, 50 years later, to attain another doubling of world population to 8 billion."
Editor's Note: Current world water, food, and fossil fuel supplies cannot sustain the last projected doubling of population.
- Best Practices in Sustainable Development (BLPNet.org)
"The Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme (BLP) is a global network of institutions dedicated to the identification and exchange of successful solutions for sustainable development."
- Hand-Crank or Foot Treadle Power (JLRyan.com)
The Freecharge Weza is a versatile, robust energy source providing totally dependable power for emergency situations and everyday use in remote applications. Unlike similar power packs, in emergency situations, or when power is not available, the Weza can be energized using only your legs by stepping on the innovative foot treadle. Depending on input effort electrical energy is created at between 25 and 40 Watts." "Provides power to products via a 12 V DC cigarette lighter adapter." "The Weza can also be fully charged from either an AC or DC source when available e.g. wall, car charger or solar (solar option not supplied) accepting 110V to 240V AC and DC from 13V to 21V." Costs $215.
"Amid continuing political challenges, economic hardship and disease, lack of reliable energy remains a primary obstacle to poverty eradication, which is most prevalent in rural areas. However, the transmission and distribution costs of extending grid electricity to dispersed rural communities, where some 2.8 billion people in the world live, are high. De-centralized energy technologies are thus the only immediate and effective solution." 02-08
- Sustainable Products (BranchHome.com)
Provides products that are easy on the environment. Awesome Library does not endorse these products but provides them as examples. 02-07 |
Mortgage Rate Trend Index
Will rates rise or remain relatively unchanged? Experts and Bankrate analysts provide their insights.
This week (March 18 - March 24) the experts say: Rates are likely to stay the same or maybe rise. This week, a majority of the panelists believe mortgage rates will remain relatively unchanged (plus or minus 2 basis points) over the next week or so. About one-third believe rates will rise, and the rest believe rates will fall.
Industry experts and Bankrate commentary
The Fed's feelings appear upbeat on many economic sectors, but not housing. The MBS purchase plan will still end in March, according to the Fed. We probably won't see its effects in the next week or so. The market remains in a holding pattern.
Chris Karageorge, MinnesotaMortgageDaily.com, Universal American Mortgage Co., Wayzata, Minn.
I am sticking with "higher" solely because of the impending exit of the Federal Reserve from the GSE paper market. FOMC announced that it intends to keep rates low for an extended period. There are two clear schools here: the traditional Keynesians are fine with lots of government spending to support the economy. The other school which must have been the one which Thomas Hoenig, president of the Kansas City Fed, graduated from, sees low rates as discouraging lending and investing. Their point of view is that the economy needs higher rates to grow. This is best explained by what is called the IS/LM model which, while no longer in wide use, has some value. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IS/LM_modelDick Lepre, senior loan officer, RPM Mortgage Inc., San Francisco
On Tuesday, Federal Reserve officials repeated their pledge to keep rates low for an "extended period." They kept the federal funds rate unchanged at zero percent to 0.25 percent. This is a short-term rate and often has very little to do with long-term rates like mortgages. More important to mortgage rates was the Fed's reiteration that they were sticking to their plan to end the purchase of mortgage-backed securities March 31. Many analysts believe that once this support for low rates ends that mortgages will jump, and some are expecting a dramatic rise in mortgage rates. Given the fact that everyone knows that the Fed is ending this program in two weeks, shouldn't mortgage rates and the yields on mortgage-backed securities have started to rise? In fact, the spread between mortgage-backed securities and the 10-year Treasury reached an all-time low earlier this week. This is the opposite of what should happen if mortgage rates are set to rise. This leads me to conclude that the market believes there will be buyers to replace the Fed once they complete their exit. The bigger question is: What happens to mortgage rates once the Fed starts selling their holding of mortgage-backed securities? I think mortgage rates will rise a bit when the Fed removes its support -- I just don't think the rise will be that drastic. For the next week, rates hold steady and rise slightly afterward.
Michael Becker, mortgage consultant, Green Pastures Mortgage & Finance, Lutherville, Md.
The complete absence of inflation leads rates lower.
Dan Green, TheMortgageReports.com, Waterstone Mortgage, Cincinnati
It appears that new buyers for mortgage-backed securities like what is being underwritten today as the Fed is winding down its purchases. The loans being locked recently are not loans that the Fed will be buying, and rates have held relatively steady since the end of February. While I still maintain that rates should be rising from where we are as we progress into the year, they don't appear to be in a hurry. That said, if we increase a little over the next week, I would not be surprised, and more risk still lies in floating.
Jim Sahnger, mortgage consultant, Palm Beach Financial Network, Stuart, Fla.
The Fed is wrapping up its mortgage purchases, so we can soon expect a pickup in volatility followed by a pickup in rates.
Greg McBride, CFA, senior financial analyst, Bankrate.com, North Palm Beach, Fla.
Newton said that when a body is at rest, it tends to remain at rest. Mortgage rates have been practically at a standstill in recent weeks. Inertia will keep them there until some event nudges them. Then they'll probably go up.
Holden Lewis, senior reporter, Bankrate.com, North Palm Beach, Fla.
About the Bankrate.com Rate Trend Index
Bankrate.com surveys experts in the banking and mortgage fields to see if they believe certificate of deposit and mortgage rates will rise, fall or remain relatively unchanged. For the deposit index, the panel comprises banks, thrifts and credit unions that directly offer FDIC-insured certificates of deposit to the end consumer. For the mortgage index, the panel comprises mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers and other industry experts who provide residential first mortgages to consumers. Results from Bankrate.com's CD Rate Trend Index will be released monthly. Results from Bankrate.com's Mortgage Rate Trend Index will be released each Thursday. |
Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations. 1989.
Abraham Lincoln (180965)
I could as easily bail out the Potomac River with a teaspoon as attend to all the details of the army.
Attributed to President ABRAHAM LINCOLN by General James B. Fry.Allen Thorndike Rice, Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln, chapter 22, p. 393 (1886).
This supposedly had been part of Lincolns response to a young volunteer soldier who had come to Lincolns office asking his help with a grievance. The story has been repeated in numerous books on Lincoln: Alexander K. McClure, Abe Lincolns Yarns and Stories, p. 162 (1904); Ida M. Tarbell, The Life of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 2, p. 153 (1917); and Caroline T. Harnsberger, The Lincoln Treasury, p. 14 (1950). |
February 1, 2003
by Charlotte Lenox
On December 3, 2002, Telephone Services changed the toll-free dial-in process to require the user to enter an authorization code. The purpose of this change was to allow the phone line charges to be distributed to the departments.
The use of the authorization code has caused problems for a number of users; the required pause for the authorization code in the modem setting caused many modems to respond with a busy signal. Because of the complexity this added to the dial-in process, Telephone Services has configured the toll-free dial-in number so it no longer requires an authorization code. In other words, the dial-in process has been changed back to the way it was prior to December 3, 2002. This change occurred on Wednesday, January 22, 2003.
Departments will be charged for the use of the toll-free dial-in based on the BearID user name in the login on each call. The charge will be 2.5 cents per minute. Calls will be rounded up to the nearest minute.
The purpose of the toll-free dial-in is allow faculty and staff who are traveling to access their email without costly long distance charges. Because the toll-free number is not really "free," users are urged to use the toll-free dial-in number to conduct Baylor business as needed, not to surf the web or conduct personal business.
For more information, call Cori Rhodes at 4626.
Are you looking for more News? |
ARCHIVES OF LEAD STORIES
August 4, 2005
House offers a view into black 1700s Nantucket community
NANTUCKET — Not all forensic detectives sleuth
the way they do on TV’s “C.S.I.;” some investigators
look for clues to what happened in the past by the way houses
An historic structure report on the Florence Higginbotham House
reveals that the old homestead was built on Nantucket for a black
family prior to the American Revolution. That a middle class black
family thrived on the island off the coast of Cape Cod in those
early years challenges the stereotypical notion that all black
people of those times were living in slavery or of low incomes.
The nails driven into the boards of the house are one decisive
clue, according the specialized architecture team who examined
At a news conference held this spring on the campus of the Museum
of African American History’s Nantucket holdings, lead architect
Jack Waite of John G. Waite Associates traced the history of the
nail as one of the pointers his firm used to date the house. He
put the building of it to shortly after September 13, 1774 when
Seneca Boston purchased the land.
All the nails in the original boards were hand wrought which suggests
they were made in the 1800s, said Waite, who added as a side note
that the Chinese invented the nail thousands of years ago. Until
the last decade of the 1700s and into the early 1800s, hand wrought
nails fastened the sheathing and roof boards on building frames.
These nails were made by a blacksmith. In the early 1800s, various
machines were invented for making nails from bars of iron, such
as the A-cut nail. The A-cut nail is typical of the years 1790-1830.
Waite, whose renowned firm has worked on George Washington’s
home Mount Vernon, noted of another founding father Thomas Jefferson,
whose plantation Monticello is in the same vicinity, that his
slaves make nails that were sold all over Virginia.
Seneca Boston of Nantucket had earned his freedom, however, and
with a career as a weaver he put some of his profits into land.
This was a decade before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts.
He and his wife Thankful Micah, a Wampanoag Indian, had six children
one of whom was Absalom Boston, the well known and prosperous
Nantucket whaling captain.
Beverly Morgan-Welch, executive director of the Museum of Afro-American
History, said at the press announcement that “this stunning
finding is just the beginning of the research underway by the
“From Seneca Boston to Florence Higginbotham, who knew that
this home is a symbol of the sophistication of the black community,
who with great intention and a sense of purpose lived their lives
to shape the world.
“This family was not simply reacting and surviving in this
new republic, but put down roots.
“The stability of the Boston family exemplifies the larger
black Nantucket community, that began forming as early as 1710.
“This understanding of black life in those years defies
the traditional perception of African Americans before the Revolution,”
Other notable matters to do with the house at 27 York St. include
that the house is a good example of Nantucket architectural design
and building technology of the period. The house has never been
restored nor adulterated with 20th century conceptions of the
colonial era. With modifications that occurred in the 1840s and
1930s, the house represents two centuries of occupancy by African
American families on Nantucket.
The house on Nantucket is open to the public through August, Tues
– Sat. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sun. from 1 to 3 p.m.
Off-season it is open by appointment. For more information you
can call the site manager Bette Spriggs at 508-228-9833.
The Museum of Afro American History’s home site includes
the African Meeting House and is at 46 Joy St., Beacon Hill in
Boston. Adjacent to the Meeting House is the Abiel Smith School,
built in 1835, the first building in the nation constructed for
the sole purpose of housing a black public school.
This week the museum opens a new exhibit, “Words of Thunder:
William Lloyd Garrison and the Ambassadors of Abolition celebrating
the life, achievements, and challenges of famed Boston abolitionist
and newspaper publisher William Lloyd Garrison, 1805 – 1879.
to Lead Story Archives |
George Osborne's office in Greenpeace fracking protest
- 4 March 2013
- From the section Manchester
Greenpeace campaigners erected mock drilling rigs on a village green outside George Osborne's constituency office in protest at fracking.
The group climbed on to the first-floor balcony of the Conservative MPs Tatton office in Cheshire, and renamed it the headquarters of "Frack & Go".
They said a new poll found the majority of the chancellor's constituents oppose shale gas extraction.
Tatton has been earmarked as a potential area for drilling.
'Dash for gas'
Cheshire Police were at the scene of the protest, which took place between 08:00 and 14:20 GMT, in Knutsford.
Campaigners said they were concerned fracking will cause noise and disruption, earth tremors and affect house prices.
A sound system was erected to show the level of noise drilling could produce.
Greenpeace energy campaigner Lawrence Carter said: "It seems Osborne is so wedded to his dash for gas that he's willing to ignore the views of his own constituents.
"It's time George Osborne stopped trying to play the JR Ewing of Cheshire and concentrated on investment in clean, safe, renewable technology that will create longer-term jobs and a more stable economy."
More than half of 500 Tatton residents questioned said they opposed fracking in the area, in a poll by ComRes.
The fracking process involves pumping water and chemicals into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas.
Fracking was banned temporarily after it was blamed for two earth tremors in Blackpool in 2011.
A government review has since concluded that fracking is safe if adequately monitored. |
All That's Holy: A Young Man, An Old Car and the Search for God in America
Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life
In All That’s Holy: A young guy, an old car and the search for God in America (Jossey Bass, 2003), Tom Levinson recounts the story of his decision to drive across America and talk to people about their relationship to God, to religion, and their spiritual lives, in a journey that ultimately leads him to a greater understanding of his own religious identity. Visiting the Boisi Center on September 23rd, Levinson read passages from his book that illuminated the spiritual pathways he uncovered in others, and hinted at the discoveries these experiences also revealed within himself.
Describing himself as a fourth generation Jewish New Yorker, Levinson’s religious quest took him from an undergraduate degree in religious studies from Princeton to a Masters in Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School. After graduation his journey took him to work in a faith based social justice organization in Boston, where he was also struck by the idea of producing a Studs Terkel-like oral history of spirituality in America.
He embarked upon his journey in the fall of 1999 and traveled by car for three and a half months, during which he spent hours having conversations, and listening to the stories of others, only to find that he had embarked upon a pilgrimage rather than a fact finding mission as he had first intended. His journey brought him insight, understanding, and ultimately, transformation.
Levinson read passages from his narrative and answered questions from the audience about how he was received by the people he met on the road. He was asked whether the people he met tried to convert him to Christianity and whether he encountered any anti-semitism. Although he did experience some attempts to convert him he felt no ill feelings from people he met towards his jewishness. He said he found himself sharing more of himself than he anticipated in his conversations, most of which lasted for hours and included sharing meals and invitations into the homes of people he met. His encounters included a conversation with a convicted killer days before his execution, the owner of a café called “Coffee Messiah” who dubbed his enterprise a “postmodern church,” and a Buddhist seeker named Elvis Miranda. Levinson is currently a second year law student at the University of Chicago. |
How nurses can help patients sleep better
Solid sleeping—and quicker recoveries—ultimately will require hospital-wide awareness and collaboration, said Assistant Professor Lichuan Ye. Before policies are formulated to effect that, nurses can try these strategies to improve patients’ sleep.
- Enforce “Quiet Time” from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Shoo out visitors at 10:00 p.m. and limit overnight visits.
- Close the doors to patients’ rooms.
- Close the shades. Dim the lights, or turn them off and use night-lights.
- Put cell phones and pagers on vibrate mode.
- Turn off the TV and encourage patients to turn off cell phones and laptops, or at least use headphones for their neighbors’ sake.
- Introduce earplugs and eye masks.
- Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign (or appropriate equivalent) on patients’ doors to minimize unnecessary interactions during quiet time.
- Respond as quickly as possible to patient alarms |
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Ottawa approves Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline
The federal Conservative government has approved Enbridge's Northern Gateway oil pipeline project, despite widespread opposition in B.C. that includes the provincial government, First Nations, environmental organizations and residents of the intended oil tanker port of Kitimat.
Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford signalled the government's approval in a low-key statement Tuesday that endorsed the 209 conditions imposed by a federal review. Rickford noted that the proponent still needs to consult with aboriginal communities and secure provincial permits.
The project doesn't yet meet Premier Christy Clark's five conditions for new heavy oil pipelines, which include world leading marine and land spill protections, resolution of aboriginal concerns and a fair share of benefits for B.C.
B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak said the decision means the project meets the first of five conditions required by the province, a successful federal review.
"We recognize the benefits that the Northern Gateway project may bring, but they will not be at the expense of our environment," Polak said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has emphasized it is in the national interest to open a new pipeline route to the Pacific Ocean to carry Alberta oil sands bitumen and break the Canadian oil industry's dependence on U.S. markets.
But a continuing battle over the pipeline plan is expected in the courts, and potentially on the land, where civil disobedience has already been threatened.
Opposition demands to reject the project dominated question period in the House of Commons Tuesday. NDP leader Thomas Mulcair called the review panel process "a sham," and Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen warned that opposition in B.C. may upset plans to develop liquefied natural gas exports in the province.
The decision by the Harper cabinet follows last December's ruling by a federal review panel that the $6.8-billion project should proceed, subject to 209 conditions.
That followed Enbridge's earlier pledges to improve the project's safety with thicker steel and other measures along the 1,177-kilometre route.
The twin pipelines would carry 525,000 barrels per day of diluted bitumen from the oil sands west to Kitimat and send condensate to act as a thinning agent east to Alberta.
B.C. spells out five pipeline conditions (July 2012)
Province rejects Northern Gateway plan as inadequate (May 2013)
Review panel recommends pipeline proceed (Dec 2013)
Critics say Enbridge will hit wall of opposition in B.C. (Dec 2013)
Kitmat residents vote 58 % against (April 2014)
Scientists rap Enbridge pipeline review (June 2014) |
So what have you got?
We have the North’s finest collection of rare and unusual trees. We hold five national plant collections and boast 66 champion trees. While admiring our trees, you can also visit our bird of prey and mammal centre, perhaps watching a flying display.
The kids can let off steam in our playground and the grown-ups can visit the plant centre, Hocus Pocus Plants, and perhaps purchase one of the trees that they have admired in the arboretum.
Why should we go there?
Thorp Perrow Arboretum is an amazing place. All year round there is something different to see. In a beautiful, peaceful and natural environment you can relax, take a walk and marvel and some of the country's rarest and most unusual trees.
We’re almost persuaded: what’s the clincher?
Santa’s interactive trail runs on Saturday 10 December and Sunday 11 December.
A magical Christmas quest like no other. Come and meet some of our winter friends on your way through the woods, then meet Santa with a special present to take home. Book early to avoid disappointment.
I’m parched, can I get a cuppa?
Thorp Perrow’s tearoom is open daily. Get a warming cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Treat yourself to our delicious homemade food. How about enjoying a sneaky cake?
When’s it open? What about accessibility? How do we get there?
Thorp Perrow Arboreum is open daily 11am – 3pm during winter months. Flying displays at 1.30pm Monday to Friday and at 11.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday and Sunday in the bird of prey and mammal centre.
The arboretum is accessible to wheelchairs. Disabled toilets are available at the tearoom and the bird centre. Electric wheelchairs are available (at a charge of £1) but must be pre-booked.
We welcome dogs in the arboretum but they must be kept on a lead at all times. Dogs are not permitted in the bird centre or mammal centre; however facilities are available there to secure them safely.
You will find Thorp Perrow Arboretum on the Bedale to Ripon road, just south of Bedale, North Yorkshire, some four miles from Leeming Bar on the A1.
Where do we find out more?
Our website: www.thorpperrow.com |
Ever taken a shower and seen quite a bit of your hair wash away in the drain? Or woken up in the morning to see strands of your hair stuck to your pillow? Or spent hours in front of the mirror trying to cover your bald patch? If youâre lamenting over a future bald pate, then you need to buck up and do something about it. There are quite a few natural remedies which you can try out in your own home. These remedies are usually very effective and are sure to give you a long lustrous mane if followed correctly. Listed below are a few simple home remedies for rapid hair growth.
Rubbing onions on your scalp or adding minced onions to your shampoo is one of the best remedies for accelerating hair growth. This will also give a healthy shine to your hair.
2. Grape seed Oil
Grapeseed oil is said to boost hair growth. Massage some of the oil daily before you sleep to get the best results.
3. Egg White
Applying raw egg white half an hour before shampooing will definitely help rapid hair growth. Mix some egg white and lemon juice and apply to hair for strengthening the roots of your hair.
4. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has many medicinal properties which are effective in hair growth. Mix fresh aloe vera gel with honey and apply to your hair. This will definitely yield effective results.
5. Birth Control Pills
Crush four or five birth control pills and mix them in your regular shampoo. This will help your hair grow faster and increase the volume considerably.
Massage coriander juice to your scalp to reduce hair loss.
7. Olive Oil
A hot oil massage, preferably with olive oil will lead to shiny, healthy hair and visible hair growth.
8. Mustard and Henna
Applying a mix of henna and mustard oil will reduce bald patches.
9. Avoid Hair Dyes
Avoid synthetic hair dyes and color which result in hair loss. Instead try natural alternatives like henna or herbal dyes.
10. Hair Braiding
It is said that repeatedly braiding wet hair before you sleep at night will lead to visibly longer hair in a matter of two or three days.
11. Donât comb wet hair
Combing wet hair will result in the weakening of the hair roots and lead to a considerable amount of hair loss.
12. Healthy Diet
A healthy diet will do wonders to boost hair growth. Add leafy vegetables and fresh fruits which are full of vitamins and minerals. Having a protein rich diet will also be beneficial in boosting hair growth.
Regularly following these home remedies will do wonders in boosting hair growth and reducing baldness. So you’re one step further to bidding your hair woes a firm goodbye. However, if these are not effective then it is best that you consult your doctor who will be able to diagnose whether you have a more serious condition which would require medication. |
The waves of change are incessant. We don’t control the biggest waves that affect us – the economy, technology, stock market and unemployment rate just to name a few. So what can we do? We need to interact with those forces to create positive outcomes for our organizations and ourselves. That’s what great surfers do: they learn to ride the waves that come their way. We all need to become better surfers and that means focusing on thinking and acting in ways that make and keep us successful. Some things never change, and those timeless truths are exactly what we need to remember and use.
First, consider these three mindsets: |
Happy Independence Day! There’s only one possible pick of the week for the 4th of July.
This rousing musical about the Declaration of Independence makes the Founding Fathers vivid, human, and interesting characters, and is so involving that you almost forget that you already know how it all turned out. William Daniels is the “obnoxious and disliked” John Adams, Ken Howard is Thomas Jefferson, who would rather be with his wife than work on the Declaration, and Howard da Silva is a wry and witty Benjamin Franklin. As they debate independence, we see the courage that went into the birth of the United States, and as they compromise with the South to permit slavery in the brand-new country we see the tragedy. It is outstanding family entertainment. |
The health care system is among the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy offering millions of jobs to qualified candidates. As health care advances, populations age, and the focus on health and wellness rises, employment opportunities for a number of specialized health care professionals of all educational backgrounds and experiences. Employment for individuals with medical training within a number of specialty fields is anticipated to increase dramatically throughout 2018, even for those without a doctoral degree. This is advantageous for individuals seeking to establish or propel careers within a dynamic industry.
Ranking the Highest Paying Health Care Careers
Here are the Top 10 Highest Paying Health Care Careers based upon average earnings, job opportunities for qualified candidates, and job security predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, SuperScholar.org, and TheBestSchools.org.
Anesthesiologists are responsible for administering pharmaceuticals to patients to ensure pain relief and local or general loss of sensation before surgery, childbirth, or to manage chronic ailments. Anesthesiologists are experts in the field of anesthesia and work closely with teams of other medical staff monitoring a patients vital signs during and after surgery and treatments. Anesthesiologists are required to complete rigorous studies within an 4 year pre-medicine undergraduate program and 4 year programs in medical school. Graduates then advance to 2 a to 3 year residency program to gain certification offered by the American Board of Anesthesiology. Earnings for anesthesiologists range from $256,321 to $369,367 annually.
Surgeons are highly specialized physicians who use a number of surgical methods, appliances, and instruments to treat injuries, illnesses, or deformities. Surgeons generally specialize training in orthopedic surgery, musculoskeletal systems, neurological systems, cardiovascular surgery, otolaryngology, and plastic or reconstructive surgery. Surgeons also order, perform, and interpret testing, examine patients, and offer preventive medical treatments to patients with disorders and disease. Due to the complexities of the human body, training to become a surgeon is intense and lengthy, requiring an eight year time investment and completion of a bachelor degree, medical school, and an internship. Earnings for surgeons are $186,044 to $339,738 annually.
Psychiatrists are mental health professionals who diagnose, research, and treat a number of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive disorders Psychiatrists are highly trained experts who use the combination of psychotherapy and medication to patients suffering from issues ranging from substance abuse, developmental disorders, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, post traumatic stress, and other disorders of the mind. Psychiatrists are required to complete four years of undergraduate training (generally in a pre-medical discipline), 4 years of medical school, and a four year residency program to qualify for employment. Many psychiatrists specialize their studies to advance to treat specific disorders, demographics, and conditions. Additionally, psychiatrists must gain and maintain certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology to qualify for employment and gain access to continued education. Psychiatrists earn salaries of $112,950 to $164,220 annually.
4. Cardiovascular Perfusionist
Cardiovascular Perfusionists are specially trained medical professionals who administer medications and control the equipment used to artificially sustain or support circulatory and/or respirator functions in patient undergoing heart procedures and surgeries. Cardiovascular perfusionists work closely with physicians and surgical staff administering medications, monitoring patients’ vital signs, measuring circulatory and respiratory functions, and controlling patients’ body temperatures during procedures. Training to become a cardiovascular perfusionist requires a bachelor degree in nursing, medical technology, cardiac technology, or biological sciences. Cardiac perfusionists are also required to complete clinical experiences to gain hands on experience under the supervision of accredited perfusionists and completion of licensing exams offered by the American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion to gain and maintain certification. Cardiovascular perfusionists earn $99,212 to $122,357 annually.
Pharmacists are experts in the field of medicine and its effects. Pharmacists administer and dispense medications, educate patients, and offer information to patients regarding dosing, interactions, and proper usage. Pharmacists work closely with physicians, nurses, pharmaceutical suppliers, patients, and pharmaceutical staff. Pharmacists are highly trained and must complete an undergraduate degree and four years of graduate school within a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) program accredited by the Accrediation Council for Pharmacy Education. Graduates also must successfully past the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam or the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam administered by the National Association Boards of Pharmacy to qualify for employment. Pharmacists have salaries of $92,670 to $121,310 yearly.
6. Medical Dosimetrist
Medical Dosimetrists are specialists within the field of oncology who determine dosing amounts and treatment plans for patients with cancer. Medical dosimetrists utilize a number of computerized and mathematical methods to treat and reduce cancerous growths. Medical dosimetrists work closely with teams of oncologists, nurses, radiation therapists, and medical physicists, interpreting medical imaging techniques and planning radiation treatments in health care facilities, medical cancer treatment centers, colleges or universities, and outpatient hospital settings. Medical dosimetrists also oversee the use use of linear accelerators, CT scanners, and monitor a patient’s physical and emotional condition during treatment and after treatment. Medical dosimetrists are required to complete a minimum of a bachelor degree program in radiation therapy accredited by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), gain two years of work experience, and successfully pass certification exams offered through the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board. Medical dosimetrists earn $87,910 to $104,350 annually.
7. Nurse Midwife
A Nurse Midwife is a highly skilled health care professional who specializes in diagnosing, coordinating, and educating women throughout the stages of their reproductive years. Nurse midwives are vital members of health care teams who also provide prenatal care, assist with the birthing process and offer newborn and postpartum care. Nurse midwives also offer public health education based in wellness and preventive care. Due to the complexities of the work nurse midwives perform, training to become a nurse midwife is highly specialized and requires a minimum of a Masters of Nursing degree with a concentration in nurse midwifery accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Nurse midwives must also successfully complete the NCLEX-RN exam to gain and maintain licensure through the American Midwifery Certification Board to qualify for employment. Nurse midwives are also required to continue education and remain current of occupational changes and medical advancement throughout the course of their careers. Nurse midwives generally have salaries ranging from $84,680 to $99,824 yearly.
8. Physician Assistant
Physician Assistants are skilled health care professionals who offer general health care services to patients. Physician assistants work under the supervision of physicians and surgeons offering diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative health care treatments, education, and counsel. Physician assistants often offer specialized medical services in general internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, general and thoracic surgery, or orthopedics. Training to gain employment as a physician assistant requires four years of pre-medical undergraduate studies, two years of graduate studies through programs accredited by the American Academy of Physicians Assists, two years of clinical experience, and certification offered through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Salaries for physicians assistants range from $68,210 to $97,070 annually.
9. Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners are vital members of any health care team as they offer primary and specialty care services to patients of all ages. Nurse practitioners diagnose, treat, and counsel patients based on practices focused on health and wellness with preventive and acute medical care. Many nurse practitioners specialize training in family practice, women’s health, pediatrics, geriatrics, adult practice, or acute care to advance to positions offering care to specific demographics. Training to qualify as a nurse practitioner involves completion of a Master of Science in Nursing, clinical experiences, and certification offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Earnings for nurse practitioners range from $68,210 to $97,070 annually.
10. Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists assist clients with disabling developmental challenges in managing the daily activities of their lives by teaching skills necessary to be independent and productive. Occupational therapists help individuals with mental, physical, or emotional disorders and disabilities improve basic motor functions, reasoning abilities, strength, memory, perception, and hand eye coordination through physical, mental, and computer based exercises, orthoses, and other adaptive equipment. Occupational therapists are highly skilled and must complete a bachelor degree, a Master’s degree in occupational therapy, and a supervised clinical experience to establish their careers. Many occupational therapists also complete doctoral degree programs to qualify as experts in the field. Salaries for graduates who gain certification and advance to employment as occupational therapists are $55,090 to $82,290 annually. |
Change the Text Color in Dreamweaver CS3
See a higher quality video on TechTutor.TV! The color of the text can be changed to a color of your choice using the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 properties pane. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to change the text color in Dreamweaver CS3. See higher quality tutorials all for FREE at http://www.techtutor.tv! |
No no... You don't have to just follow my advice. Every situation is different, and sometimes, you need to decide what the best treatment will be, given the history of the fish, its current condition, etc. Also, everyone's approach to caring for our Bettas is going to be a little different. That means that all of us may vary a little in the treatments that we follow. Some people are quicker to prescribe medications, others prefer a more holistic/natural approach. In the end, it's up to the fish's owner to determine the best course of action to take.
As for using 3 tsp Epsom salt/gal, I personally just recommend it for 'severe' illnesses/issues. For example, if a fish has dropsy, etc. Then, since the next step beyond dropsy is often death, well, if it was my fish, I'd keep using that dosage and not really worry about a specific length of time. But, again, this is my personal philosophy, not any 'definite rule.'
On the other hand, I have a fish who tends to become bloated easily. I just use a low dosage of Epsom salt when this happens. Since this is my fish, I know what works, which is usually about 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoons Epsom salt per gallon. As soon as he poops, or becomes less bloated, I do a water change to remove at least some of the Epsom salt.
So I would say that, again, there's no 'hard rule.' You have to look at the pictures and read the history. But usually for nonsevere bloat/constipation, I'll recommend:
- 1 to 2 days of fasting to see if it helps.
- A dosage of about 0.5 teaspoons Epsom salt/gal for 1-2 days. (And if that doesn't work, then go up to about 1 teaspoon Epsom salt/gal.)
In the case of internal parasites, it also depends on the fish's history/condition. If the fish is bloated, but we're not yet sure what's causing it, then I'll recommend Epsom salt.... But if we're sure that the problem is internal parasites, I'll recommend a medication that contains both metronidazole and praziquantel. (For example, API General Cure.) This is because these two medications treat the majority of aquatic freshwater parasites. Then, if the fish is also bloated, I may recommend using a low dose of Epsom salt to relieve this.
There was a study done recently that indicated that Epsom salt can expel parasites. It was a pretty high dosage of Epsom salt needed for this, though. So for people who prefer not to use medications, using Epsom salt for parasites is another option. So, in this case, the treatment you suggest is not only based on the fish's history and condition, but also the ability and/or willingness of the owner to get medications. Some people prefer a holistic approach, some people can't afford medications or can't get them at local stores, etc, etc etc. |
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In "CliffsNotes on To Kill a Mockingbird, " you explore Harper Lee's literary masterpiece -- a novel that deals with Civil Rights and racial bigotry in the segregated southern United States of the 1930s. Told through the eyes of the memorable Scout Finch, the novel tells the story of her father, Atticus, as he hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man accused of raping and beating a white woman.
Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Scout's coming of age journey. Critical essays give you insight into racial relations in the South during the 1930s, as well as a comparison between the novel and its landmark film version. Other features that help you study include Character analyses of the main characters A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters A section on the life and background of Harper Lee A review section that tests your knowledge A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites
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- Category: The Royal Indian Air Force in the Second World War
- Last Updated: 17 May 2015
- Written by Jagan Pillarisetti
- Hits: 26521
We are pleased to present the nominal rolls of Indian Air Force Units for the Second World War. These lists cover almost all the flying units, including Squadrons, Coastal Defence Flights, most of the Training Units and several ground establishments.
Almost all these lists have been built by painstaking reading of the pages in the ORBs of the listed units. It was never a simple case of transcribing the names directly into the database. Many of the names were entered in the ORB without identifying service numbers. Sometimes the initials were not given. Thus some background research needed to be carried out - by comparing dates of commissioning, dates of postings in other units etc - to assign the correct Service Number from the master database. in all nearly 2500 individual entries have been made into our database to provide you with this information,
Each list provides details of the rank, service number, dates and a photo where available. The remarks column may contain additional information as to the unit they were posted in from as well as the unit that they left for. Clicking on the Service Number will take you to the individual's "Service Record View" page giving a list of postings as taken from the database.
Work in Progress: RAF Peshawar | RAF Ambala | No.2 Elementary Flying Training School Jodhpur
No. 1 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
No.1 Squadron is the oldest unit in the Indian Air Force, having been raised in 1933. It is ironically the most challenging unit for this project. Its Operational Record Book is incomplete. The Squadron had lost the pages prior to February 1942 in the retreat from Rangoon. And it wasn't till months later that it started compiling the ORB pages in detail. Consequently all the personnel movements prior to March 1942 has to be compiled from other sources. Books, Pilot Logbooks, ORBs of No.2 Squadron, 3 Squadron and of Peshawar / Kohat. Of the 190 + names in the list, more than a third belong to the "lost" period.
Another quirk of No.1 Squadron was that prior to the unit receiving Lysanders, airmen below the rank of Sgt routinely flew as the second crewman. These names are not recorded in the list. Only those airmen who were qualified as W/Op AG in the rank of Sgt are included in the listings.
It is to be noted that No.1 Squadron was always a purely Indian Squadron. Only 8 RAF Officers served in the unit and all of them were posted out before the Second World War broke out.
No. 2 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
Though the authority to the raise the Squadron came in April 1942, the first personnel were only posted on 10 May 42. The CO and Flt Cdrs came from No.1 Squadron, while a bulk of the junior pilots were from the 4th Pilots Course. The ORBs of the Squadron for the period October 1942 to August 1943 are missing - and thus some names may have been missed out during the period. Very few RAF Officers had been posted to the Unit, numbering less than half a dozen. This roster consists of 184 names.
No. 3 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
With the exception of the first CO and its Adjutant, who spent about seven to eight months in the begining, No.3 Squadron almost always consisted of Indian Officers and men. A total of 174 names are featured in this list. The ORBs were very detailed for the first two years listing all Postings into the unit.
No. 4 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
The Squadron was raised in Feb 1942, with its nucleus consisting of the Pilots from the 4th PC who were returning from their deputation to the UK. Thus, many of its initial members consisted of those who had seen action in Europe and North Africa. As the Unit was raised on the Lysander - a significant number of Observers were posted in as well. After its conversion to the Hurricane in September 43, a steady stream of RAF and Commonwealth aircrew, inluding Warrant Officers and Seargents were posted in over time. These numbered around 45, making upto 30% of the Squadron's roster during WW2. The last of them left the unit in November 1946. The Squadron was commanded by RAF Officers from September 43 till upto August 1945.
No. 6 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
The Squadron was formed at Trichinopoly in Dec 42, after the CDFs were disbanded. The first CO was Sqn Ldr Mehar Singh - and till the Squadron went to Pakistan in 1947, was always commanded by Indian COs. There are 164 Names, and rather unique for an Indian unit, never had a British Officer posted to it. Ever. The Squadron operated single seater fighters till May 47, when almost all of the personnel were posted out and replaced by Pilots and Navigators converting to the Dakota.
No. 7 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
As with 6 Squadron, No.7 was formed at Visakhapatnam with personnel from Nos 4, 6 Coastal Defence Flights and the personnel from the Indian Flight of No.353 Squadron RAF. Raised as the first Vultee Vengeance Squadron, a significant number of the officer population consisted of Observers, Navigators and Air Gunners. No RAF or commonwealth officers were ever posted to this unit during the Second World War. This roster has 173 names in it including many NCO aircrew.
No. 8 Squadron Listing of Officers and Aircrew
With the disbandment of the CDFs in Dec 42, personnel of 104 Squadron (earlier 4CDF) were formed into No.8 Squadron in January 43. This was the second Vultee Vengeance Squadron, hence Pilots and Gunners trained at 152 OTU in Peshawar. Halfway into the their operational tour in Burma, The powers that be decided to start a Commonwealth flight within the Squadron and thus a great number of RAF, RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF personnel were posted in around Dec 43. The commonwealth personnel remained even after the Squadron converted to Spitfires in late 44. The Squadron reverted to an all-Indian composition in November 45. Of the 212 Names in this list, it is noticeable that nearly a quarter of them were non-Indian Officers and Aircrew.
No. 9 Squadron List of Officers and Aircrew
When the Squadron was raised in November 1943, the bulk of the postings were fresh pilots who just passed out of 151 OTU Risalpur. 164 Names make up this roll. Again, nearly 25% of the officers are commonwealth - RAF, RCAF and atleast two FAA fliers. These officers came in bulk in Feb 44, and stayed on till end of August 1945, at which point the Unit reverted to being 100% Indian. 9 Squadron was one of the three units that went to Pakistan on Independence (and the only on to retain its identity). The last two COs of the unit before Partition were all later in the PAF.
No. 10 Squadron List of Officers and Aircrew
Raised in April 44 on the Hurricane, under the famous Battle of Britain Ace RFT Doe, the Squadron, was along the lines of 4, 8 and 9, another mixed unit consisting of an Indian Flight and a Commonwealth fligh. 27 out of the 123 names featured in this roll are from RAF, RAAF, RCAF, SAAF and FAA. Most of them staying with the Squadron till late 1945.
No. 12 Squadron List of Officers and Aircrew
Raised too late to take part in the Second World War, 12 Squadron was raised as a fighter unit, supposed to be equipped with twin engined Mosquitos. Thus a number of Navigators were posted within four months of raising in March 46. While training started on Oxfords, the decision was taken to equip the unit with Dakotas. Thus the Squadron became the first transport squadron in the Indian Air Force. Many of the ex-Vengeance Squadron Navigators and gunners found themselves on the rolls of this unit. The ORBs for the period Jan-May 47 are missing, thus this list may be incomplete.
Coastal Defence Flights
The Coastal Defence Flights were first raised in July 1940 - with a sprinkling of local British industrialists and Indian fliers who were granted a Volunteer Reserve commission. In all, six Flights were raised for coastal defence. Mid 1942, No.3 Flight was absorbed into No.353 Squadron RAF, and the remaining five flights were disbanded by end of November 1942. The ORBs of these flights are incomplete. In most cases the ORBs were started only mid 42, with less than six months of their existence recorded. Thus the lists for the CD Flights are only indicative and are in no way comprehensive.
Anti Aircraft Cooperation Flights/Units
As with the CD Flights, atleast three Flights were raised for Anti Aircraft Cooperation - based at Karachi, Pune and Calcutta. The flights were formed in July 41 (No.1 AACF), January 42 (2 AACF) and March 42 (3 AACF). No.1 AACF (India) was later redesignated as No.1 AACU, and in December 1942, renamed as No.22 AACU, IAF. A few months later, the other two AA flights from Poona and Calcutta were absorbed into No.22 AACU, and it remained the largest Indian Air Force Unit, operating upto 60 aircraft at a time. No.22 AACU was finally disbanded early 1947 and some remnants were used to form No.1 Target Tug Flight.
Stations, Bases and Misc Units
Various establishments to which there has been a good number of Indian officers postings are featured here. Not all the links below have ORBs ready - IAF Display Flight for one had to be built based on the data from other units. We plan to feature additional units in due course of time under this section.
Operational Record Books of Units held at the National Archives, Kew, UK
"Forgotten Skies" - Wilfred William Russell |
Lawn-Care Calendar for the Midwest
Use our lawn-care calendar to help you have a beautiful lawn all season long.
Getting your mower ready: Start the lawn-care season by taking care of your mower. Bring in your mower for service in early spring. This helps you beat the rush so your mower is in tip-top shape right when you need to use it. Be sure to sharpen the blade at least once a year.
Stop crabgrass: Crabgrass and other annual weeds need to grow from seed each year, so a well-timed application of pre-emergence herbicide can stop them in their tracks. Spread the pre-emergence herbicide as forsythia blooms in your area start to drop.
Aerate your lawn: If your lawn doesn't grow well because of hard, compacted soil, aerate it in spring (when your grass is actively growing).
Start mowing: Bring out the lawn mower when your grass grows about 3 inches tall. Keep most grasses at least 2 inches tall -- this height helps the grass ward off weeds and withstand summer drought.
First feeding: If you feed your lawn a couple of times a year, a light application of lawn food in early spring will help get your grass off to a great start. Keep it light and use a slow-release or organic fertilizer. Wait to fertilize until your lawn needs mowing for the first time. Feeding your lawn too early is just a waste of money.
Use a grub control: If grubs are an issue, spread a grub-control product that continues to work through the season. The best time to do this is in early June.
Keep mowing: With summer heat, your grass is probably going to slow down a little. During hot, dry periods, it may only need mowing once every two or three weeks (wait for it to grow about 3 inches tall). During cooler, moister weather patterns, mow enough to keep it from getting more than 3 inches tall -- that could be every week or more than once a week.
Watering smarts: If you want to keep your water bills under control, let your grass go dormant during drought. It will become brown, but it will stay alive. When the rains come again, it'll turn green and start growing. If you don't like the look of a brown lawn, select drought-tolerant types such as buffalograss or give your lawn about 1 inch of water a week.
Fertilizing: If you only feed your lawn once a year, autumn is the best time to do it. In fact, your lawn could take a light application of fertilizer in early fall and again in late fall.
More mowing: It seems like it never ends: As temperatures cool, your lawn will grow faster. You'll likely need to mow regularly through the end of the season.
Cleanup time: It's a good idea to clean up fallen leaves. If you don't want to rake them up, run your lawn mower over your lawn two or three times. This chops the leaves into fine pieces so they decompose and add to your soil's structure. Otherwise, rake up and compost the fallen leaves.
Overseeding: Most grasses in the Midwest grow best when it's under 75 degrees F. -- making autumn the ideal time to overseed. Be sure to give your new grass about a month before your first average first frost so it can get established.
Aerating: Cooler autumn temperatures mean your grass will start growing more again -- so it's a great time to aerate to loosen compacted soil.
Go after perennial weeds: Most perennial lawn weeds are most susceptible to attack in fall when they're winding down and getting ready for winter. Tackle them with a broadleaf herbicide or pull them by hand. |
An "uncircumcised heart" is one that is closed and impervious to God's attempts to affect it. It resists them, which is why Stephen calls them "stiff-necked." A stiff-necked person is unyielding. His head is set, his jaw is outthrust, his ears are closed, and his teeth are clenched. He says, "I won't do it!" This is the effect of the uncircumcised heart.
"Uncircumcised ears" are those that hear the Word of God imperfectly, usually because they hear only what they want to hear, or they hear with such a strong prejudice that they reject the truth out of hand. Interestingly, if God says something, it is likely that men will reject it, yet if a man says exactly the same thing, a high likelihood exists that the listener's mind will be much more open to what is said. This just shows how physically oriented we are. If we know something is coming from God, human nature always gets its guard up; it is already beginning to say, "No."
"Uncircumcised lips" (see Exodus 6:12, 30) speak the Word of God imperfectly or incorrectly, either because the person is in ignorance or has been deceived.
In regard to an uncircumcised heart, if what hinders a person from yielding to God is cut away—circumcised—the heart becomes open, pliable, and amenable to the Word of God. The effect is that he will submit.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part 7) |
Bienno and its sorroundings
Bienno is also a destination from which you can start discovering the neighbouring places that preserve landscape and cultural elements, which enrich with importance the visit to the Camonica Valley.
Capo di Ponte: it preserves the church of Saint Salvatore that dates back to the 1200 and the National Park of the rocky engravings (an UNESCO heritage) located in the Naquane resort, which has the highest concentration of engravings in the Camonica Valley.
Cerveno: the jewel of the country is the wonderful Shrine of 1752 and it contains the Stations of the Way of the Cross (198 statues) made by Beniamino Simoni. Since 1731, every ten years, it is possible to attend the live performance of the Passion of the Christ, staged by the local people of Cerveno territory.
Breno: it is a strategic centre of the Camonica Valley where you find a striking castle that witnesses 20.000 years of history and also the Church of Saint Anthony, an extraordinary testimony of neo-Gothic style in the Camonica Valley, famous for the frescoes of Civerchio and Romanino contained on its inside.
Cividate Camuno: it was nominated by the Roman as the capital of the Camonica Valley and is a destination that you have not to omit visiting it.
A series of excavations in 1973 have brought to light the Roman ruins of a theatre, an amphitheatre and a part of the old village, a complex that adds an inestimable historical and artistic value to the whole area. It is the seat of the National Archaeological Museum of the Camonica Valley.
Ossimo: it is rich in prehistorical rocky engravings and Roman tombstones. The second half of the fifteenth-century monastery-shrine of Announced of Ossimo is striking with frescoes by Da Cemmo and Paolo da Cailina.
Pisogne: it overlooks the Iseo Lake and offers to visitors numerous medieval buildings including the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, one of the largest temples of the Camonica Valley and the church of Saint Mary of the Snow, which contains precious works of the Romanino.
Lovere: equipped with a tourist port and a beautiful lakeside, it is a destination for walking and shopping. |
Feb. 17, 2011 A new treatment approach which uses tiny bursts of electricity to reawaken paralyzed muscles "significantly" reduced disability and improved grasping in people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, beyond the effects of standard therapy, newly published research shows.
In a study published online in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Toronto researchers report that functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy worked better than conventional occupational therapy alone to increase patients' ability to pick up and hold objects.
FES therapy uses low-intensity electrical pulses generated by a pocket-sized electric stimulator.
"This study proves that by stimulating peripheral nerves and muscles, you can actually 'retrain' the brain," says the study's lead author, Dr. Milos R. Popovic, a Senior Scientist at Toronto Rehab and head of the hospital's Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Team. "A few years ago, we did not believe this was possible."
Study participants who received the stimulation therapy also saw big improvements in their independence and ability to perform everyday activities such as dressing and eating, says Dr. Popovic. "This has real implications for people's quality of life and independence, and for their caregivers."
Unlike permanent FES systems, the one designed by Dr. Popovic and colleagues is for short-term treatment. The therapist uses the stimulator to make muscles move in a patient's limb. The idea is that after many repetitions, the nervous system can 'relearn' the motion and eventually activate the muscles on its own, without the device.
The randomized trial, the first of its kind, involved 24 rehabilitation inpatients who could not grasp objects or perform many activities of daily living. All received conventional occupational therapy five days per week for eight weeks. However, one group (9 people) also received an hour of FES therapy daily, while another group (12 people) had an additional hour of conventional occupational therapy only. (Three patients did not complete the trial.)
Comparisons between the functional abilities of the two groups showed that stimulation therapy "significantly reduced disability and improved voluntary grasping beyond the effects of considerable conventional upper extremity therapy in individuals with tetraplegia," the authors write.
Dr. Popovic notes that patients who received only occupational therapy saw a "gentle improvement" in their grasping ability, but the level of improvement achieved with FES therapy was at least three times greater using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, which evaluates degree of disability in patients with spinal cord injury.
A biomedical engineer, Dr. Popovic holds the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Chair in Spinal Cord Injury Research. He is also a professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Based on their findings, the study's authors recommend that stimulation therapy should be part of the therapeutic process for people with incomplete spinal cord injuries whose hand function is impaired. Dr. Popovic's team is working to make this a reality. They have almost completed a prototype of their stimulator, but need financial support to take it forward. Dr. Popovic thinks the device could be available to hospitals within a year of being funded.
"FES (stimulation therapy) has the potential to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of individuals living with the devastating results of spinal cord injury," says Dr. Anthony Burns, Medical Director of Toronto Rehab's spinal cord rehabilitation program. Calling the trial "groundbreaking," Dr. Burns says he will work with Dr. Popovic "to make this intervention available to our patients, and to answer important questions such as the duration of the effect."
One limitation of the study is that the research team could not get all participants to take part in a six-month follow-up assessment. However, six individuals who received FES therapy were assessed six months after the study. All had better hand function after six months than on the day they were discharged from the study.
Another study, now underway, will determine whether stimulation therapy can improve grasping ability in people with chronic (long-term) incomplete spinal cord injuries.
Administering stimulation therapy is easy and cost-effective, says Dr. Popovic, who stresses that it should augment, and not replace, existing occupational therapy.
|Contact: Carolyn Lovas|
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute |
The voltage sensor of voltage-gated ion channels is a conserved protein domain that senses millivolt changes in transmembrane potential, to regulate ion permeation through the channel. A recently discovered protein, Ci-VSP, has a voltage sensor that is coupled not to an ion channel but to a phosphatidylinositide phosphosphatase, the activity of which depends on membrane potential.
In a new paper published in The Journal of Physiology, Murata and Okamura, from the Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, examine a voltage-sensitive phosphatase that converts an electrical to a chemical signal; they directly demonstrate that the enzyme activity of Ci-VSP changes in a voltage-dependent manner through the operation of the voltage sensor. Prior to this work, it was unclear which phosphoinositides were the major substrates of the phosphatase activity, and whether depolarisation or hyperpolarisation induced the phosphatase activity. By expressing phosphoinositide-specific sensors in Xenopus oocytes and applying both electrophysiology and imaging of phosphoinositides, it was shown that enzyme activity is activated upon depolarisation (not upon hyperpolarisation), and that levels of both PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtsIns(3,4,5)P3 are regulated by the operation of voltage sensor.
Our findings identify common principles of the voltage sensor shared between voltage-gated ion channels and the voltage-sensing phosphatase," comment the authors. "There is no question that the VSP is a much simpler model than ion channels for understanding the mechanisms of voltage sensing, and understanding the VSP will provide insights into the function of ion channels as well. Such knowledge is critical for understanding general mechanisms of voltage sensing and many disorders coupled with altered membrane excitabilities. The VSPs ability to tune phosphoinositide phosphatase activity by voltage will also serve as an important molecular tool to understand mechanisms of tumor suppressor phosphatase, PTEN, and other phosphatases that underlie carcinogenesis and metabolic disorders."
|Contact: Melanie Thomson|
Blackwell Publishing Ltd. |
DUBLIN, March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Food Micro, Sixth Edition - Food Microbiology Testing in Europe" report to their offering.
Food Micro, Sixth Edition: Food Microbiology Testing in Europe
(Food Micro6) is the first definitive report to focus exclusively on the European food microbiology testing market. Food Micro6 reviews the methods, technologies, companies, regulations and trends shaping food safety testing in Europe. Europe is a substantial market for food microbiology testing. With a population of over 500 million, the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) conducted an estimated 275 million food safety microbiology tests in 2011. In comparison, there were 213 million tests conducted in the US in 2010.
In addition to size, the European food safety testing market differs from the US market in areas such as methods used, organisms tested and regulations. As a result, Europe must be examined and understood as a separate entity as it relates to food microbiology testing, and not simply thought of and treated as like the US. Food Micro6 tracks, analyzes and reports on the distinct and important EU food microbiology testing market.
According to Tom Weschler , president of Strategic Consulting and lead author of Food Micro6, Food safety microbiology testing in the EU will reach close to 350 million tests in 2016, at which point we expect the market to top $1 billion in value. A resurgence in public awareness in the wake of the 2011 E.coli outbreak in Germany, and the continued focus of the European Food Safety Authority on EU-wide systems, could drive test volumes even higher.
In preparing this new and comprehensive review of the European food microbiology testing market, Strategic Consulting (SCI) conducted more than 175 detailed interviews in 11 European countries accounting for 77% of all agricultural/food value-added in the European Union.
Because SCI conducted primary research with food-processing plants in Europe, Food Micro6 is able to offer new, detailed data on European food safety testing such as test volumes, methods used for routine and pathogen testing, and costs per test performed. Differences in testing practices are analyzed for the meat, dairy, fruits/vegetables, and processed food segments. Variations within countries are outlined, and expected changes in future testing practices are discussed.
Food Micro6 incorporates:
- Lengthy interviews with food processing plants in the meat, dairy, fruit/vegetable, and processed food segments in 11 European countries representing 77% of the total food production in the EU.
- A discussion of key drivers for food microbiology testing, and a countryby-country comparison of total testing, organisms tested, and methods used.
- Test volumes, methods, and products used for routine, environmental and pathogen tests for TVO, Coliform, Yeast/Mold, ATP, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Listeria, L. mono, E. coli O157, and Campylobacter.
- Forecasts for the state of the market in 2016 including routine, pathogen and overall test volumes and market values.
- Insights from Strategic Consulting's principals honed over more than 75 combined years in the worldwide industrial diagnostics marketplace.
- Profiles of the leading diagnostic companies competing in the food safety testing marketing, including a discussion of new technologies and market strategies: Becton-Dickinson, BioControl, bioMérieux, Bio-Rad, BIOTECON, DuPont Qualicon, Foss A/S, Idaho Technology, Life Technologies (ABI), Merck Millipore, 3M, Neogen, Pall Corporation, QIAGEN, Roka Bioscience, R-Biopharm, SDIX and Thermo Fisher .
Food Micro6 is a companion report to Food Micro, Fifth Edition: Microbiology Testing in the U.S. Food Industry (Food Micro5), published by SCI in 2011, which reviews the current practices and changes impact food safety testing at 9,350 U.S. food processing plants.
- DuPont Qualicon
- Foss A/S
- Idaho Technology
- Life Technologies (ABI)
- Merck Millipore
- Pall Corporation
- Roka Bioscience
- Thermo Fisher
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9h2bm2/food_micro_sixth
|SOURCE Research and Markets|
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved |
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Scoop (http://www.healthcarescoop.com), an online consumer forum, based on real-life patient stories about healthcare, will now extend the conversation to include a dialogue with healthcare organizations, according to MaryAnn Stump, president, Consumer Aware. "Effective immediately, a number of leading healthcare organizations, including Courage Center, Mayo Clinic, The Emily Program, Physician Neck and Back Clinics and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, will offer their own profile pages on the Healthcare Scoop to connect directly with consumers who are part of this online healthcare community," she said.
"From the earliest stages of our extensive research work directly with consumers in over 100 focus groups, they have told us that they really would like to hear the perspective of their physician, hospital or health plan," said Stump. "They also told us that they wanted a chance to connect with each other to share their first-hand experiences, but they were very interested in having healthcare providers join this open forum."
The Healthcare Scoop's research is reinforced by an online survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation last month for the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, which reported that 93 percent of social media users believe that companies should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85 percent believe that companies should not only be present, but also interact with consumers via social media.
The profile pages, accessible from the Healthcare Scoop home page and from individual posts or stories, allow participating healthcare organizations to highlight stories that consumers have offered about them or their services, and to begin to share their perspective or their "Take on the Stories." In addition, consumers can find contact information, features and services about clinics, physicians or other healthcare organizations, and link directly to the sponsoring organization's website for more information.
"We believe that we have brought the Healthcare Scoop full circle, balancing consumer feedback and opinions with a dialogue involving healthcare providers that, until now, hasn't existed," said Stump.
"Courage Center is an innovator in meeting the health care needs of this community, especially empowering those with disabilities to realize their full potential," said Jan Malcolm, CEO, Courage Center, which sponsors a profile page on the Healthcare Scoop. "That's why we're excited to be a partner with HealthCareScoop.com, a new chapter in web technology that helps people make smart health care choices."
The Healthcare Scoop, which was launched last October in the Minnesota market, now offers nearly 800 personal stories, covering over 600 healthcare topics from allergies to women's health, and referencing 320 clinics, hospitals and organizations and over 400 physicians and healthcare professionals across the nation, according to Stump.
"The Healthcare Scoop acknowledges the value of personal references and viewpoints about what's working well in healthcare today and where there is room for improvement in the future," she said. "The diverse set of premier healthcare organizations and patient audiences represented among our initial launch partners confirms the broad appeal of connecting with consumers in a new way across all types of healthcare services."
"Our launch partners -- Courage Center, Mayo Clinic, The Emily Program, Physician Neck and Back Clinics and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota -- are true pioneers in this Health 2.0 phenomenon. By sponsoring profile pages and sharing their perspectives, they're joining the dialogue with consumers and encouraging their patients to post stories on the Healthcare Scoop," she added. "We anticipate many more profile pages coming online in the coming weeks."
HealthcareScoop.com is sponsored by Care Delivery Management, Inc., dba Consumer Aware, based in Eagan, Minnesota. The company is a research-driven organization that develops information tools to guide patients and consumers in making informed, "best-fit" healthcare decisions. Further information is available at http://www.consumeraware.com.
Copyright©2008 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved |
Supplemental Cancer Policies Can Ease Financial, Emotional Burden of Diagnosis
Chicago (PRWEB) September 29, 2008 -- October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which marks an opportune time for women of all ages to assess their current insurance coverage to ensure they are protected from some of the costs associated with breast cancer. The expense of breast cancer often extends far beyond the medical cost of treatment alone, according to http://www.combinedinsurance.com/ [Combined Insurance], a leading provider of supplemental insurance policies like cancer care, as well as critical care, accident/disability and life insurance.
According to the American Cancer Society's Cancer Facts & Figures 2008, 2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with, and treated for, breast cancer, and these numbers have continued to rise in recent years. The American Cancer Society also reports that approximately 67 percent of total cancer-related costs are non-medical, which illustrates the importance for all women of taking time each year to assess their current insurance coverage, according to Becky Mills, vice president, Research and Development and Product Marketing. "Women with breast cancer must cope with the physical, emotional and financial burdens that come with such a diagnosis. Unfortunately, the stress of battling breast cancer is often compounded by the worry over covering costs associated with fighting the disease," notes Mills.
The Cost of Battling Breast Cancer
Mills continues, "Breast cancer can strike anyone at any time and at any age -- that's why having the right insurance in place is so important. And while it is crucial to have the right major medical insurance to cover medical expenses, it is just as important to have the right http://www.combinedinsurance.com/insurance-types/health-insurance/cancer-insurance-coverage.html [supplemental insurance] coverage in place to address additional expenses not covered by primary health insurance. These expenses are often overlooked, but are often costly and can compromise individual or family assets."
According to the recent SUPPORT study, The Financial Burden of Cancer: Estimates From a Study of Insured Women With Breast Cancer, cancer is the second most expensive disease in the United States, next to heart disease, with estimated annual costs of $171 billion. In this same study of 156 female breast cancer patients with private, Medicare, or Medicaid health insurance, the most commonly reported out-of-pocket expenditures were for medications (80%), transportation (78%), physician visits (66%) and restaurant meals while away from home (51%).
Cancer Coverage When It Counts
Mills adds, "While breast cancer survival rates have dramatically increased with the advent of modern medical treatment, so have treatment costs and other related expenses. A supplemental cancer policy may be one way to help you obtain the best available care should you or a loved one ever need it."
Investing in a supplemental insurance policy can help fill cancer care coverage gaps that may exist in a primary health insurance policy. Benefits offered can include: daily benefits for hospital stays, intensive care, anesthesia and surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, preventative care, first diagnosis, physician's hospital visits, private nursing, prescription drugs, blood and blood plasma, and ground and air transportation.
Many supplemental cancer protection policies offer these added benefits:
According to the American Cancer Society's Cancer Facts & Figures 2008, one out of eight American women who live to be 85 years of age will develop breast cancer; an estimated 182,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2008 alone. During the month of October, include a review of your health insurance coverage as part of your breast cancer awareness plan -- there is no time like the present to consider additional protection.
About Combined Insurance Company Combined Insurance (www.combinedinsurance.com) is a leading provider of supplemental accident, health and life insurance products and is a member of the ACE Group of Companies. With a field sales force and corporate staff in excess of 10,000 people worldwide, Combined Insurance meets the growing coverage needs of policyholders around the globe. For more information, call 1-800-490-1322 or visit www.combinedinsurance.com.
About ACE The ACE Group of Companies is a global leader in insurance and reinsurance serving a diverse group of clients. Headed by ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE), the ACE Group of Companies conducts its business on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50 countries. Additional information can be found at www.acelimited.com.
# # #
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1393054.htm
Copyright©2008 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved |
CHICAGO - Five years ago, Sheri Scott was beginning a new chapter in her life. The recently engaged 31-year-old was eagerly browsing bridal magazines and busy planning for her big day. Unfortunately, just weeks following her engagement, Scott was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, she was juggling medical appointments and planning a double mastectomy instead of a wedding. Soon after her diagnosis, Scott was approached by her doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about preserving her fertility. He explained that cancer treatment could compromise her fertility and stated there were options available if she wanted to preserve her chances of having children. In that moment, having a family was the farthest thing from her mind, but the conversation sparked a decision that would change her life forever.
"When my doctor suggested I consider in vitro fertilization (IVF), I was taken back. I hadn't really thought about kids. We just got engaged and I was scared that I wasn't even going to see my wedding day. The last thing on my mind was starting a family," said Scott.
While Scott was consumed by her diagnosis, her doctors were looking to the future. "When a woman, man or teenage girl or boy is diagnosed with cancer, there is only a brief window of time to learn about options for preserving their fertility before treatment," said Ralph R. Kazer, MD, reproductive endocrinologist at Northwestern Memorial and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Once a patient begins chemotherapy or radiation, they are at risk of losing their ability to have children in the future."
When Scott realized there was a good chance that chemotherapy would leave her infertile she and her fianc opted for emergency IVF. Doctors at Northwestern Memorial worked quickly to harvest her eggs, fertilize them with her fianc's sperm and freeze them for use later in life. The outpatient procedure was completed in a couple weeks, a process that usually can take more than a month.
Five years after making that life-changing decision, Scott is cancer-free, married and the mother to twin baby girls, Addison Grace and Avery Jane. "They are my entire world," said Scott. "I am grateful I chose to preserve my embryos and more importantly, that the option was presented to me. If my doctor hadn't mentioned fertility preservation, I may not have been able to have kids and experience the joy I have today."
At the time of her diagnosis, Scott was one of the first patients to take part in the Northwestern's Fertility Preservation Program. The term oncofertility, which describes the intersection of oncology and reproductive medicine, coined by Teresa Woodruff, PhD, Chief of the Division of Fertility Preservation in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was new, and only a small percentage of oncologists were partnering with reproductive endocrinologists to offer options such as emergency IVF prior to cancer treatment. Over the last five years, the program has rapidly advanced and fertility preservation is more commonly discussed, allowing men, women and even adolescents, the option to undergo fertility saving procedures prior to cancer therapy.
At Northwestern Memorial, a dedicated fertility preservation patient navigator guides newly diagnosed cancer patients through a hopeful process preserving their future ability to have children in the face of life-saving, yet fertility-threatening treatments. Northwestern Memorial in partnership with Feinberg School of Medicine is the first group in the world known to offer a dedicated fertility preservation patient navigator.
"In the past, when a patient was diagnosed with cancer the only focus was to get them into surgery and through chemotherapy or radiation. It's my job to make sure each patient understands the consequences certain therapies may have on their fertility, so they can make an informed decision regarding whether or not they wish to undergo fertility preservation prior to treatment," said Kristin Smith, fertility preservation navigator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial.
Research at Northwestern has expanded the options for fertility preservation over the years, which now includes freezing ovarian tissue and sperm extraction in addition to embryo, egg and sperm banking. Northwestern researchers continue to explore several other fertility preservation techniques.
"Many younger patients with cancer are surviving and living healthy long lives. It's our job to do everything possible so patients can look forward to a life that looks as much like the life they had planned on before the day they were diagnosed," said Woodruff, who also developed and is principal investigator of the national Oncofertility Consortium, a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded network of doctors and scientists working to provide improved fertility preservation options for people diagnosed with cancer and other diseases.
|Contact: Angela Salerno|
Northwestern Memorial Hospital |
NEW YORK, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you suffering from any sort of back pain, shoulder pain, foot pain or even muscle strain? Longevity Fitness Expert, Sue Hitzmann, is here show you how to get rid of chronic aches and pains, so you can live an active, pain-free life... longer.
As seen Friday on ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly, Sue Hitzmann, creator of the MELT Method, literally swept the viewing audience off of their feet as she revealed the secret to alleviating common pain symptoms in just minutes a day. Thousands of viewers flocked to her website, MeltMethod.com, to purchase her pain-relieving treatment video, balls and rollers and to sign up for her classes and teacher training.
Unlike other pain relief strategies, MELT Method focuses on eliminating your pain and strengthening your body at the same time to help you live a longer, healthier life.
While on Regis and Kelly, Sue revealed that the most common cause of chronic pain is chronic dehydration in your connective tissue. This tissue surrounds every joint, muscle and organ in your body, and when it isn't hydrated, it acts like a dried up sponge. As Sue explains, "Even if you drink enough water, the cells simply don't absorb it properly."
Focusing on hydrating your connective tissue with simple do-it-yourself techniques, Sue's MELT Method is a one-of-a-kind, proactive treatment for preventing and healing injury as well as relieving ailments such as back pain, neck pain, knee and hip pain, migraines, insomnia, digestive issues and the early onset of aging. MELT has helped thousands of people get out of pain and empowered many to become proactive on keeping healthy so pain doesn't arise.
This remarkable innovative method was created out of Sue's necessity to end her own pain. After twelve years of researching and applying her techniques clinically, she discovered how to prevent and even eliminate common pain symptoms associated with aging and active living, which is only now starting to be recognized and researched by the scientific community. This is the first program of its kind.
Sue's world-renowned patent pending MELT Method will not only revitalize your aching body, but it will definitely change the way you think about exercise. If you are active or sedentary, if you suffer from any type of chronic pain, including arthritis, bunions, and back and neck ache, MELTing is the solution you have been searching for.
SOURCE Sue HitzmannBack to top
|SOURCE Sue Hitzmann|
Copyright©2010 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved |
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- With growing concerns among parents and policymakers about the rise in childhood obesity - heightened by the recent CDC report showing that obesity rose 37% between 1998 and 2006 - approximately two-thirds of middle and high school physical education teachers say that health-related fitness is the primary focus of their programs, according to a new survey conducted by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and Polar.
The national survey of K-12 physical education teachers revealed that, in contrast to middle and high schools, at the elementary school level, 53% of the programs have an emphasis on motor skills and movement forms. Movement is critical to child growth and development while motor skill competency provides a foundation for successful and enjoyable participation in a variety of physical activities.
"The goal of physical education is to develop individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity," said NASPE Executive Director Charlene Burgeson. "Because the role of middle and high schools is to prepare adolescents to make good choices and become responsible adults, the focus on health-related fitness is appropriate and important."
Technology is also playing an important role in today's PE classrooms. According to the survey, 51% of teachers said technology increases student motivation.
"With today's tech-savvy students, incorporating technology, such as heart rate monitors and exergames, into physical education programs is a great way to engage and motivate students," said Jeff Padovan, President, Polar USA. "Technology is also helping teachers and schools to collect valid, reliable data that can be used to assess and monitor student progress."
In fact, 59% of teachers said that technology enhances communication with school and district administrators about student performance and achievement. Additionally, 60% said technology provides data for assessment and grading.
A variety of technologies are being incorporated into classroom instruction. For instance, 70% of PE programs use pedometers; 51% use fitness assessment tools such as TriFit, a system that allows teachers to analyze individual student health and fitness; 39% use heart rate monitors; and 32% use exergames such as Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Fit.
"As physical educators, it's our responsibility to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to lead healthy, physically active lives," Burgeson explained. "To achieve this, we need resources and support to create a motivating environment and offer a variety of sports and activities that meet the needs and interests of all students."
Physical education programs are offering diverse activities such as dance (70%), disc sports (69%) including Frisbee golf, tennis (56%), lacrosse (31%), yoga (28%) and rock wall climbing (22%).
"There is no quick fix to reversing childhood obesity," Padovan said. "We must take a multi-pronged approach that focuses on nutrition, prevention, regular physical activity and a comprehensive physical education program. By giving our schools and communities the tools and resources they need, we'll be better prepared to address this issue and educate our children - helping them to lead longer, healthier lives."
The survey was conducted by Polar, the leading manufacturer of heart rate monitors and fitness assessment technology with a 10-year history of providing high-tech tools to schools across the country and NASPE, the preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity. A total of 1,375 physical education teachers participated in the survey between May 28 and June 15, 2009. Of this, 1,164 K-12 physical education teachers completed the survey.
The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE's 16,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. The mission of NASPE is to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD).
Headquartered in Lake Success, NY, Polar is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finland-based Polar Electro OY, which invented the first wireless heart rate monitor (HRM) in 1977. Since its founding over thirty years ago, Polar has been pioneering a revolution in training and leading the heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment technology category with innovative products and solutions that deliver valuable feedback and guidance to help individuals reach their personal goals by improving their well-being and sports performance through a profound understanding of the human body. Today, Polar training computers are the number one choice among consumers worldwide. Polar products and technologies are also used by leading fitness facilities, athletic teams, corporate wellness facilities and by thousands of physical educations programs around the country. For more information, visit www.polarusa.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Jasmine Lyons Paula Keyes Kun CooperKatz for Polar USA NASPE 917-595-3046 703-476-3461 firstname.lastname@example.org email@example.com
|SOURCE National Association for Sport and Physical Education; Polar|
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved |
Comcast Customers in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Provided
Access to Educational Programming to Promote Stroke Awareness and
Prevention during Stroke Awareness Month
WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Heart Association and Comcast have partnered to raise awareness and understanding of the risk factors and signs of stroke by making stroke awareness-related programming available through Comcast's ON DEMAND service. Throughout the month of May, in recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, Comcast Digital Cable customers throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, can access this special programming ON DEMAND, any time of the day or night.
Delivered through Comcast's signature ON DEMAND service, The American Heart Association will provide videos on stroke prevention and treatment, featuring some of the region's top stroke experts and community leaders including Dr. Frederick Beavers, Chief of Endovascular Surgery of Washington Hospital Center and Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness, a Power To End Stroke task force member and stroke survivor.
"Through this exciting partnership with Comcast, the American Heart Association's mission to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke is furthered. We are honored to work together and hope that through creative programming the public can become better educated on heart disease and stroke," commented Gabrielle Urquhart, executive director of the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region.
"Comcast is proud to join the American Heart Association in its effort to promote the importance of heart health awareness," said Noah Kodeck, Director of Local ON DEMAND Programming and Production for Comcast's Eastern Division. "Comcast believes strongly in the power of local ON DEMAND programming and its ability to deliver relevant news and information that has a positive impact on the communities we serve."
To view this special content ON DEMAND, beginning on May 1, Comcast Digital Cable customers can tune to Channel 1 on their Digital Cable lineup or press the ON DEMAND button on their remote control, then click on the "Get Local" section and select the "Strike Out Stroke" folder.
Each year roughly 780,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, a translation of one stroke every 40 seconds in the United States. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. Quick action, including recognizing the warning signs and calling 911 immediately, is the key to treating stroke. Stroke is largely preventable through education and awareness of personal risk factors such as weight, blood pressure, nutrition and family history. Because of this, Comcast and the American Heart Association have created this innovative ON DEMAND programming to help the community better understand their risks.
In addition to providing ON DEMAND programming, Comcast will issue public service announcements in May advocating stroke awareness and education. Comcast has also committed to partnering with the American Heart Association to increase the visibility of its local initiatives throughout the year, including the Heart Gala, Celebrity Golf Tournament, Heart's Delight, Lawyers Have Heart 10K and the Start! Heart Walk. These events raise money to fund critical life-saving research.
With more than 10,000 titles per month -- the vast majority of which are free -- Comcast's ON DEMAND service offers a library of information and programming to choose from, available 24/7, with the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind selections. Comcast's "Get Local" ON DEMAND content is tailored to specific market areas and niche interests including health and wellness, politics, high school sports, and more. All "Get Local" content is free to Digital Cable subscribers.
About American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07 the association invested more than $554 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com), the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.7 million cable customers, 14.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 5.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's Eastern Division serves almost 5.4 million customers along the New York to DC corridor, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and North Carolina. The Eastern Division also founded and manages CN8, The Comcast Network, one of the nation's largest and most honored regional 24-hour diversified television networks, seen by more than nine million homes on the East Coast. The Eastern Division employs approximately 18,000 people and is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania.
|SOURCE Comcast Corporation|
Copyright©2008 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved |
Electronic mosquito repellents don’t prevent bites and therefore don’t prevent disease transmission, according to a new study.//
“EMRs should not be manufactured, advertised or used for mosquito bite and malaria prevention, as they do not do so,” said lead author A. Ali Enayati, Ph.D., lecturer in medical entomology at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Iran.
The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.
The researcher analyzed 10 studies conducted in North America, Russia and Africa. All were field-based studies — occurring in a natural setting rather than a laboratory.
All studies “found that there was no difference in the number of mosquitoes that landed on the bare body parts of the human subjects with or without an EMR,” Enayati said. “Hence, these devices do not work in repelling mosquitoes. As EMRs do not repel mosquitoes, they would not prevent malaria.”
Malaria, which kills more than a million persons every year, is most deadly among children and is particularly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. It is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite. No vaccine against malaria is available.
EMRs are small, handheld devices that emit a high-frequency buzz almost inaudible to the human ear. Manufacturers claim that the buzz mimics the beating of male mosquito wings. EMRs are used indoors and outdoors and are purported to repel mosquitoes within a range of 2.5 meters — about 8 feet.
Females are supposedly repelled by the sound, since they mate only once in their lives. However, some researchers have reported that female mosquitoes have a very weak se
nsitivity for any sound.
The authors say that 30 years of scientific skepticism and a successful prosecution in the 1980s of EMR marketers under the UK Trade Description Act has not affected worldwide marketing of the devices. “This is a concern,” they write, “because it is likely to lead to consumers not using other protective methods that are proven to work.” Such personal protection includes mosquito repellents formulated as pills, ointments, lotions and sprays, as well as insecticide-treated or untreated bed nets.
Study investigators had counted mosquitoes landing on bare body parts — mostly arms, legs and feet — during specified time periods in which an EMR was switched on or off.
There were no significant differences in the landing rates with and without EMR, making the devices ineffective for preventing malaria transmission.
“I agree with the Cochrane report,” said Joel Breman, M.D., a senior scientific advisor at the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health. “There is no evidence that electronic devices prevent malaria and many other available options should be used. For example, insecticide-soaked bed nets kill female mosquitoes on contact or repel them from the house during the biting hours, from dusk to dawn.”
While also in agreement with the review’s conclusion, Nirbhay Kumar, Ph.D., professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, added one qualification.
“Seven of 10 studies analyzed focused on non-anopheline mosquitoes and only three included [the type of mosquito that transmits malaria],” Kumar said. “Perhaps a few confirmatory studies focusing in only malaria-endemic areas may either completely support their analysis or provide some hope for malaria control by this method, if at all applicable.”
MED/B Related medicine news :1
. Electronic nose by Italian scientists2
. Stem Cells Could Replace Electronic Pacemakers3
. Electronic Skin (E-Skin) To Robots 4
. $ 1.7 Million NYSTAR Award for Binghamton University to Flex Electronics Research Muscle.5
. Electronic Device to the Rescue of Women Using Contraceptive Pill6
. Solitons Could Power Molecular Electronics, Artificial Muscles7
. Electronic Patient Record "Serious Threat" to Patient Confidentiality8
. Electronic Medical Record For Every American by 20149
. HL7 Announces Industry’s First Electronic Health Record System (EHR-S10
. Electronic Nerve Stimulator Enables Walking11
. Deflecting Damage: Flexible Electronics Aid Brain Injury Research |
larryc at teleport.com
Mon Nov 17 02:41:32 EST 1997
In article <64kobf$9h2$1 at agate.berkeley.edu>,
forags at nature.Berkeley.EDU (Al Stangenberger) wrote:
> That's how it's done in California - all Timber Harvest Plans must be approved
> by a Registered Professional Forester, and all sales on private land
> are inspected for compliance with the Forest Practice Act by the CA Dept. of
Oregon also requires notification before any operations on forest land,
including herbicide application, thinning, road construction, logging,
Joe just seems to think that foresters are the answer to the landowner's
prayer, and can't seem to understand why lots of landowners don't feel
that way. If you're an industrial owner and never see your trees, you
for sure need a forester. If you're a small woodland owner, you keep
foresters on a tight leash. If you don't, they'll try to treat your
land like industrial forest land. Some industrial processes work OK
for small landowners, but a lot of them are totally unsuitable.
I realize I'm pissing in the American Pie here, but I've heard a lot
of small landowners say the same thing with no prompting from me. You
can make a nice profit from niche markets that industrial foresters
ignore completely. In fact, lots of foresters think they know it all,
when it needs to be a more specialized trade. A forester good at
marketing may not know much about silviculture.
I'm still trying to figure out the basis for all the variation in
thinning operations I've seen, but "professional foresters" prescribed
a 50% variation in stocking density on two nearly identical sites only
3 miles apart that I walked last weekend. The landowner needs to
realize that what a forester tells you is just advice, and how you
take it is up to you.
> There have been disciplinary actions against RPF's, and at least one license
> revocation that I know of.
That's interesting. As far as I can tell, there's no mechanism for
professional review at all in Oregon. The only way a forester could
lose his license is by breaking the law, i.e. the Forest Practices Act.
One logger lost his license last year for not following slope
restrictions next to a river. I suppose if a logger could lose his
license, a forester could too.
More information about the Ag-forst |
help: primer restriction sites
REBECCAS at PANVERA.COM
Wed Aug 30 10:24:51 EST 1995
Frank Chen <yatsen at wam.umd.edu> wrote:
> Dear Colleagues,
> I designed a pair of primers which have restriction sites at
> their 5' ends. I did not add additional bp since I intended to clone
> that into a PCR vector first. I am wondering if I can directly digest
> them with the enzymes for cloning into an expression vector. I
>would appreciate your help if you have done that for these two
> The enzymes are: Bam HI and Hind III.
> Frank Chen
The NEB catalog is an excellent resource for enzyme activities (no
affiliation with NEB!). On page 209 of the 1995 catalog there is table
of cutting efficiencies of a variety of enzymes close to the ends of
DNA fragments. This is useful information when designing PCR
primers, as one can decide how many additional nucleotides to tack
on to the ends outside of the restriction site.
In your specific case, the table gives the following information:
BamHI - 97% efficiency with 1 base pair between the restriction site
and the terminus of the fragment
HindIII - 3 base pairs - 90% efficiency
2 base pairs - 91% efficiency
1 base pair - 0% efficiency
Clearly, HindIII would not cut with 0 base pairs, as in your amplified
fragment - so you will have to clone into the PCR vector THEN cut, or
redesign the primers.
Hope this helps,
Rebecca P. Schall, Ph.D.
565 Science Dr.
Madison, WI 53711
rebeccas at panvera.com
More information about the Methods |
What is Informatics?
Dr. Duncan Clark
Duncan at nospam.demon.co.uk
Tue Jan 16 04:07:11 EST 2001
In article <220.127.116.11.20010115134627.00932210 at mail.montclair.edu>, the
eminent James Campanell at BIOSCI/MRC Human Genome Mapping Project
Resource Centre wrote
>Bioinformatics is the analysis of DNA and protein
>sequences to discern any elements of information that may be there. For
>example, how do you analyze a 10,000 basepair DNA sequence to determine
>where all the endonuclease cutting sites are, where any open reading frames
>may be, where likely promoter sites may be, etc.
Ah, standard molecular biology techniques all packaged under a new name,
bioinformatics. But, hey, what do I know. :-)
The problem with being on the cutting edge is that you occasionally get
sliced from time to time....
More information about the Methods |
Throwing open the doors on theater nursing: theatre nurses must cope with ever changing technology, but patient care remains at the heart of their work.
Perioperative care (Management)
Perioperative care (Educational aspects)
Nursing schools (Services)
|Publication:||Name: Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand Publisher: New Zealand Nurses' Organisation Audience: Trade Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health; Health care industry Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 New Zealand Nurses' Organisation ISSN: 1173-2032|
|Issue:||Date: August, 2011 Source Volume: 17 Source Issue: 7|
|Topic:||Event Code: 360 Services information; 200 Management dynamics Computer Subject: Company business management|
|Geographic:||Geographic Scope: New Zealand Geographic Code: 8NEWZ New Zealand|
When I was first assigned to work in operating rooms (ORs) at
Auckland Hospital, I was inconsolable. It was the last place I had
wanted to work. Twenty years on, I wouldn't work anywhere else.
I graduated 20 years ago in the second to last hospital-based training class at Greenlane Hospital. Before graduation, we were asked to list our preference for job placements. There was no interview process--it was simply a matter of deciding where you wanted to be placed. None of my desired options were remotely related to surgery or ORs. Fate intervened and, along with five other classmates, I was allocated to work in ORs. Things were done very differently then. There was no structured education or orientation as we have today--new nurses were just expected to sink or swim.
On our first day we were told to stand by the wall and not touch anything. Gradually we were allowed to move into the centre of the operating theatre. Sometimes we got a teaching session, but that was rare, and sometimes a kindly nurse would explain something to you. Basically, you learnt by osmosis.
Slowly I began to enjoy working in ORs, eventually growing to love the specialty. Since then, I have worked in different settings, holding a variety of roles, including staff nurse, educator and now nurse consultant. I have worked in most of the theatre specialities, except for ophthalmology, cardiac and plastics. Theatre nurses used to do recovery--I did this when I worked at National Women's--but now this area has become increasingly specialised. Most of my career has been spent in transplant and vascular surgery.
These days, most larger hospitals run new-to-operating-room and new-to-post-operative-care-unit programmes. These vary but at the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) these programmes are formal, 12-week orientation courses. A group on such a course would usually include new graduates, nurses returning to practice and ward staff who have been employed to work in theatre. Basically, participants work in a supernumerary capacity. They learn all the roles of the circulating, scrub and third nurse positions (the latter is often known as the anaesthetic nurse).
They also learn the methods and concepts surrounding instrument sterilisation. After learning the basics, they spend the next year working within the specialty areas, experiencing all three roles. They then meet with their manager and choose an area to specialise in.
We get inundated with applicants for these courses, as theatre nursing is a very popular area, for new graduates in particular. With the recession, however, we have few vacancies at ADHB, as our workforce is more stable now.
Theatre nurses are specialists who are required to approach their work in a different way to that of someone working in a ward environment. That doesn't mean we don't value the nurse/ patient relationship. When we meet our patients for the first time, in pre-op, they are at their most vulnerable and most terrified. You have to develop an empathetic relationship with them very quickly. Before they are anaesthetised, we have short, intense relationships with them, as we find out about their fears and do our best to allay them. We care a great deal about our patients and will often go and see them when they wake up. Being able to see an immediate difference in a patient's well-being also makes theatre nursing extremely rewarding. Unfortunately, however, we do not often hear how our patients get on back in the ward, unless they have to come back for further surgery.
Often when people think of theatre nurses, the scrub nurse role comes to mind but this is just one of the roles we undertake--we do so much more than this. Basic patient assessment before surgery starts and nursing cares are hugely significant parts of the theatre nurse's role. Once the patient is anaesthetised, they are not able to communicate their needs. They are very dependent on our skills for basic cares such as pressure area cares, maintaining fluid balance and normothermia. Often nurses are like choreographers--ensuring both the equipment and the inter-professional team are working together at the same place at the same time with the same person can be a real challenge.
Theatre nursing is an increasingly specialised area, with complex and ever changing technology to cope with. I believe it takes at least two years to find your feet in the theatre environment of a medium-sized hospital. The increasing use of computers, stereotactic and key hole surgery has certainly made theatre nursing more complex. We have a lot of ad hoc education sessions with product representatives and companies, as we learn what's involved with a new piece of equipment.
What I like most in the OR environment is the dynamic of the inter-professional team. I also find it less hierarchical than other areas.
Working so closely with your colleagues for long hours in a small room means you really get to know each other. You can end up spending more time -and very intense lime--with them than you do with your own family. Communication and team dynamics are terribly important. The surgical safety checklist, now being used in ORs throughout New Zealand, is helping to increase and improve communication among the teams, and leading to decreasing morbidity and mortality rates (see p16-17).
Nursing in the OR may appear to be shrouded in secrecy, bur the only reason we work behind closed doors is because of the importance of infection control--and of course patient privacy! We can't just throw open the doors and say "come on in, have a look around", although we would love to do that. However, we do hold an annual perioperative nurses' week, which we hope helps take away some of the mystery.
Nurse consultant role
I have been in my current role as nurse consultant for ORs for three years. This is a relatively new role that developed in 2002 when ADHB amalgamated its five OR suites. Within the suites are 36 ORs, employing around 800 staff, the majority of whom are nurses.
When Greenlane, National Women's and Starship Children's Hospitals' OR suites combined, the main focus of my role was to align policy and procedure, as we were all doing things slightly differently. Since then, the role has developed to one focusing on quality improvement, the management of trends with incident reports; auditing; and the creation and introduction of new policy or procedure across the ORs.
To achieve this, I work very closely with the OR management teams and educator group. I find my role at work meshes very well with my role as chair of the Perioperative Nurses College (PNC) NZNO, especially as it widens my group of contacts. Ir also involves teaching at the University of Auckland. When we are looking at changing policy at ADHB or in the college, I can consult nationally to find out what happens in various practice settings, as well as looking at current research.
Changing models of care
In these times of economic uncertainty, the PNC's main concern continues to be discussions around changes to models of care within the perioperative spectrum. Some organisations have adopted overseas staffing model, eg the use of an unregulated workforce. These models may, at first glance, appear to save money but, on closer inspection, do not serve the best interests of our patients and may put some at risk. We need to be extremely careful when considering adopting a new model in its entirety. We need to question how the model should be adapted to work best in our context. One exciting development is the expanded role of the registered nurse (RN), eg the introduction of the RN first surgical assist role and the postgraduate course now available.
This year will always be remembered for the impact the Christchurch earthquakes has had on the local and national community. The college's national conference this year was to have been held in Christchurch. But, like so many others, this event was a casualty of the damaged city (see report, p 41).
Varied college membership
Joining the PNC benefit nurses right across the perioperative spectrum. Our members include nurses who work within theatre, post anaesthetic care, medical imaging and aesthetics.
In a practical sense, the college provides an excellent resource for nurses wanting to consider a range of clinical issues and questions. We have an excellent education committee that can field these queries and the college provides education opportunities at regular times around the country. There are nine national regions, each of which co-ordinates evenings or study days. These also provide precious professional development hours for the maintenance of registration.
The college has recently revamped its standards document. The education committee has put an enormous amount of work into revising our standards, which will be available to members through the PNC pages on the NZNO website (www.nzno.org.nz/groups/colleges/perioperative_nurses_college). Members will soon be able to access the American OR journal via the PNC website--another exciting development.
Our national conference provides real benefits to our members. This annual event is hosted by one of our nine regions and there is always an excellent line-up of national and international speakers. Non-members can also attend but registration is considerably more expensive. Members can also apply for a range of scholarships and grants to attend conferences, travel and study. These awards are generously sponsored by industry partners and have supported many members to attend international conferences and to undertake research and postgraduate study.
Members also receive our excellent bimonthly journal, The Dissector, which presents and discusses current clinical practice issues. This began publication in 1974. Its contents will soon be available online through the Gale Cengage learning academic databases, thus giving The Dissector international access and readership. To join the college, please visit the website above or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
The college also provides a link for perioperative nurses here with the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (IFPN). The college chair represents perioperative nurses on the IFPN board, a body that meets with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the last three years, the IFPN has made real progress with the ICN and WHO to ensure the voice and issues of perioperative nurses are heard.
In May this year, I attended the IFPN AGM in Johannesburg, hosted by the South African Theatre Sisters' congress. As usual, this was a very stimulating event, though it was a shock to see so many public hospitals lacking some very basic equipment, and families having to bring sheets and food in for the patients.
When I am asked who my nursing heroes are I always blush, as I cannot deny my first nursing heroine was Hot Lips Houlihan from the television series M*A*S*H. When I was a child I thought she was the bee's knees, as she seemed to be able to run the entire hospital and save the lives of soldiers, all while looking good and having a great time. I'm sure that, on some level, she influenced my decision to apply for nursing school, but I'm not sure whether I really should be admitting this publically. However, it didn't take long for reality to hit home and for me to learn that nursing school in no way resembled an American comedy series set during the Korean War.
The truth is we are surrounded by heroes and heroines every day within nursing. These are our colleagues who are working in a wide variety of settings. They constantly strive to provide an excellent standard of patient care, white keeping up to date with current developments and knowledge, always asking questions and seeking ways to improve the quality of care.
* Additional content by co-editor Anne Manchester
Leigh Anderson, RN, MN, is nurse consultant, operating rooms and anaesthesia, Auckland District Health Board. She chairs the Perioperative Nurses College, NZNO.
|Gale Copyright:||Copyright 2011 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.| |
Oct 18 2012
When speaking of the fringes of Jazz, it need not involve music with crashing notes and screeching instruments and chaotic patterns that assault the senses, listenability be damned. If traditional jazz is the center, then there are any number of directions an artist may venture to get to the fringes. The Fringes are a circle, and some arcs on that circle are quite beautiful. For instance, Chambr‘s Freewheel.
A sextet that features stringed instruments for all but one ensemble member at percussion, Chambr shows no favor to any one particular genre, concocting a charming blend of jazz, classical, and folk musics, honoring elements of each genre without latching onto any one of them exclusively. The result is a lovely, sprawling landscape of compositional inventiveness. And it’s set masterfully out on the fringes.
Freewheel presents a nice mix of soaring atmospheric tunes and up-tempo ear-to-the-soil compositions. Those that are more of a classical bent more often take to the skies, whereas the folk-leaning tracks stick closer to the earth. When jazz becomes more prevalent, it’s a darting flight path that alters elevation between those extremes.
There’s a lot of comparability between Chambr and another genre-blurring UK ensemble… Threads Orchestra. Their respective sounds are distinguishable each from the another, but they’ve also certainly set up shop in the same part of town. They both create music that would be equally at home in a opera music hall as it would a movie soundtrack or outdoors in a pastoral countryside.
However, if one were to look back in time for influences on this music, old-school World Jazz ensemble Oregon immediately springs to mind. Chambr has that indelible mark of folky romanticism and chamber jazz austerity, not to mention a propensity for ambient classical passages that pull on the heart strings.
A track like “Olivia,” soars with bold strokes that speak to the classical music origins of this music, whereas tracks like “Bassekou” and title-track “Freewheel” flirt with Latin, tango, and gypsy swing. “Ant and Dec” exuberantly embraces the Oregon brand of World Jazz, illustrated most clearly via guitarist Tyson’s extended solo and that unmistakable meander-and-twang. And the “Full Horatio,” it brings some swing to the table.
But really, trying to suss out the strongest genre present in each song is almost to miss the beauty of this music, in that the combination of different musics doesn’t result in a nondescript sanitization of their various facets, but instead incorporates their best elements and creates something quite separate and unique and greater than the sum of their individual parts. On point, “Akikor” would likely be considered all over the map if measured by a regressive geography. Instead, it aptly displays what the Chambr landscape is all about.
Originality, inventiveness, musicianship, and, above all, a sprawling beauty that positions itself on a majestic little section out on the fringes.
Released on the F-IRE Collective label.
Jazz from the London scene. |
Encouraging Positive Thinking
A Positive Thinking Guide For Achieving Goals and Overcoming Fears
by Marissa Carty ND
Discover how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives through the power of positive thinking. Personal development has always been the key to unlocking a person's true potential. With this powerful book, you will learn all about how positive thinking can help you achieve your goals and overcome your fears.
This handbook will empower you with the tools you need to bring your life to the next level. It contains various components which will help you to excel in areas such as your mind, body and spirit. Also, the content in this guide has many gems of wisdom which will help you improve your health, wealth and happiness in relationships.
Marissa Carty was born on the beautiful island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. To fulfill her dream of working as a healthcare professional she pursued her BSc. Degree in Biology in Trinidad. She then traveled to Toronto were she also completed her studies in Naturopathic Medicine at The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. |
WHO combats counterfeit malaria drugs in AsiaBMJ 2005; 330 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7499.1044-d (Published 05 May 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:1044
- Jane Parry
- Hong Kong
A rapid alert system to help Asian countries combat the growing threat of counterfeit medicines was launched at a workshop of the World Health Organization in Manila, the Philippines, this week. The new system enables information about counterfeit drugs to be rapidly reported to the relevant authorities in participating countries.
WHO estimates that 10% of all drugs sold globally are counterfeits and that the figure is as high as 25% in developing countries. Of particular …
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The Truth Behind Excessive Sugar Intake is All Over Your Face
I’m not one to complain about my skin. As a teenager, I had no serious acne outbreaks that I had to worry about, and I got away with never using any fancy moisturizers or cleansers. Plus I had a mother who encouraged frequent fruit and vegetable consumption. Of course, once I went to college, the sweet tooth I had suppressed for so long went off-the-charts crazy.
The dining hall in my dorm had a dessert bar fully stocked with cookies, pie, and cake. There was also a soft serve machine–my best friend during finals. (I ate my way through several Styrofoam cupfuls while reading Milton.) Baking at home only cemented my addiction to all things sweet.
This dependency on sugar escorted me from college life to adulthood. I started working at Bon Appétit nearly four years ago and, being the conscientious worker I am, I always volunteered to sample mail-order treats and dessert from our Test Kitchen. And boy, our food editors really know their way around a good dessert.
What I’m really trying to say is this:My name is Diane and I am a sugar-addict. I eat slices of banana bread for breakfast, milkchocolate covered Digestives for lunch, and Momofuku’s compost cookiesfor dinner. And suddenly, my ability to stave off the physical effectsof sugar over-consumption has been trumped by age and well, biology.
I started noticing deep dark circles under my eyes. My skinhas been irritated and dry. And then wrinkles started popping up inunexpected places. I’m gettingolder, sure, and gravity does kick in. But, the changes feel unusuallyrapid. I started to wonder if my sugar intake–now at an all-time high–wasadversely affecting my skin. I reached out to Francesco Clark, founderand president of Clark’s Botanicals, for some answers.
“Refined sugars age your skin quickly through the natural process ofglycation, which is when sugar molecules are absorbed into your bloodstream during the digestion process and coat protein molecules in yourskin,” he says. “The more refined sugar you eat, the more the glycationprocess is at work in your body, ultimately giving your skin a grey,sullen, complexion, losing its vitality, then leading to wrinkles.”Apparently, glycation affects the protein molecules that make upcollagen and elastin in skin. Collagen and elastin give skin its firmness and elasticity.
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D.,renowned dermatologist and author, has also studied extensively theeffects of sugar intake on skin. “As thesesugars and starches are eaten, they cause a burst of inflammationthroughout the body,” he says.
So my constant consumption of refinedsugars, like white sugar or processed starches (white bread, white pasta, white rice), was affecting my body’s ability to carry out maintenance of my skin.
Dr. Perricone and Mr. Clark suggest that theeasiest way to reverse the affects of all this skin abuse was to stop eating sugar. And so I’ve decided to give it a try. I’m going to cut white sugar out of my diet for two weeks and see if there’s a noticeable difference inmy complexion. Instead, I’ll soothe my cravings for sugary treatswith healthful snacks made from unrefined sugars found in fruits andvegetables.
So instead of a slice of cake (or two) for dessert, I’m going to have a fresh fruit smoothie (see recipe below). Check back soon to find out how I do!
Use a very ripe banana for this refreshing smoothie–that’s what gives it its hint of sweetness. The blueberries are packed with skin-friendly antioxidants; you can also use frozen mixed berries.
3/4 cup orange juice, plus more if needed
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
1/2 banana, sliced
Puree orange juice, blueberries, and banana in blender until thick and smooth. Add more orange juice as needed to get the desired consistency. |
South African Americans
South Africa is a nation of 471,445 square miles (1,221,043 square kilometers), slightly smaller than the combined areas of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. As its name...
Republic of South Africa
Republiek van Suid-Afrika
CAPITAL: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
FLAG: The national flag, adopted in 1994, consists ...
Officially called the Republic of South Africa, South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa. With an area of 1,219,912 square kilometers (471,008 square miles), South Africa is ...
POPULATION 43,647,658CHRISTIAN 74.1 percentTRADITIONAL 18.3 percentMUSLIM 1.4 percentHINDU 1.3 percentJEWISH 0.2 percentOTHER 4.7 percent
The Republic o...
Throughout history, it's been no secret that the people of South Africa, mainly the blacks, have been oppressed by the country's apartheid government. Recently, in 1994, the apartheid era ended as th... |
Remsen and the secretary were no longer in the office when Joel returned. Professor Durkee was standing with his hat in his hand, apparently about to leave.
“March,” began the principal, “Mr. Remsen tells us that you were struck at by Bartlett Cloud on the football field one day at practice. Is that so?” Joel replied affirmatively.
“Does he speak to you, or you to him?”
“No, sir; but then I’ve never been acquainted with him.”
“Do you believe that he could have stolen that letter from your room?”
“I know that he could have done so, sir, but I don’t like to think—”
“That he did? Well, possibly he did and possibly he didn’t. I shall endeavor to find out. Meanwhile I must ask you to let this go no further. You will go on as though this conversation had never occurred. If I find that you are unjustly suspected I will summon you and ask your pardon, and the guilty one will be punished. Professor Durkee here has pointed out to me that such conduct is totally foreign to his conception of your character, and has reminded me that your standing in class has been of the best since the beginning of the term. I agree with him in all this, but duty in the affair is very plain and I have been performing it, unpleasant as it is. You may go now, March; and kindly remember that this affair must be kept quiet,”
Joel turned with a surprised but grateful look toward Professor Durkee, but was met with a wrathful scowl. Joel hurried to his recitation, and later, before West’s fireplace, the friends discussed the unfortunate affair in all its phases, and resolved, with vehemence, to know the truth sooner or later.
But Joel’s cup was not yet filled. When he returned to the dormitory after supper, he found two missives awaiting him. The first was from Wesley Blair:
“DEAR MARCH” (it read): “Please show up in the morning at Burke’s for breakfast with the first eleven. You are to take the place of Post at L.H.B. It will be necessary for you to report at the gym at eleven each day for noon signals; please arrange your recitations to this end. I am writing this because I couldn’t see you this afternoon; hope you are all right. Yours,
Joel read this with a loudly beating heart and flushing cheeks. It was as unexpected as it was welcome, that news; he had hoped for an occasional chance to substitute Post or Blair or Clausen on the first team in some minor game, but to be taken on as a member was more than he had even thought of since he had found how very far from perfect was his playing. He seized his cap with the intention of racing across to Hampton and informing West of his luck; then he remembered the other note. It was from the office, and it was with a sinking heart that he tore it open and read:
“You are placed upon probation until further notice from the Faculty. The rules and regulations require that pupils on probation abstain from all sports and keep their rooms in the evenings except upon permission from the Principal. Respectfully, |
We do not profess to give Mr. Carson’s precise words. These were his views. They were so manifestly correct that all, at once, fell in with them. The united party then again advanced, with rifles cocked and primed, towards the Indian camp. The trappers were in the shade. The recumbent forms of the sleeping Indians were revealed by the smouldering fires. When they were within a few yards of the foe, an Indian dog gave the alarm. Instantly every savage sprang to his feet, presenting a perfect target to these marksmen who never missed their aim. There was almost an instantaneous discharge of rifles and thirteen Indian warriors fell weltering in their blood.
The rest, thus suddenly awoke from sound sleep, witnessing the sudden carnage, and with no foe visible, fled precipitately to their forts. But the trappers instantly reloaded their pieces and, secure from harm, in the darkness, and behind the trees, struck with the bullet every exposed Indian, and five more fell. This was an awful loss to the Indians. Still they greatly outnumbered the whites. But they were caught in a trap. They had neither food nor water in their forts. Not an Indian could creep from them without encountering certain death.
Upon the dawn of day the Indians were able to ascertain that their foes were but few in number. As the only possible resort, which could save them from destruction, they decided to make a simultaneous rush, from the forts into the grove, and to take their stand also behind the protection of the trees. This would give them, with their superior numbers, the advantage over the trappers. They were good marksmen with the rifle, and were accustomed to that style of fighting. Mr. Carson was prepared for this movement. They made the rush, and they met their doom. Thirteen more warriors were struck down, either killed or severely wounded.
The Indians had now lost thirty-one warriors. Discouraged and appalled they retreated. The way was now clear for the return of Kit Carson. The savages made no attempts to obstruct their path. With all the horses which had been stolen, and without a man injured, this Napoleon of the wilderness re-entered the camp to be greeted by the cheers of his comrades.
Marches and Encampments.
The Encampment Among the Rocky Mountains.—The Attempted Stampede.—Retreat and Pursuit by the Savages.—The Alarm.—Loss of the Horses.—Their Recovery.—Enterprise of Kit Carson.—Fight with the Indians.—The Litter for the Wounded.—Union of the two Trapping Parties.—Successful Return to Taos.—Carson joins a Trading Party.—Chivalric Adventures.—Attacked by Bears.
Mr. Fitzpatrick, with his party of trappers, wandering to and fro, found himself at length encamped on the head waters of the Arkansas river, in the heart of the Rocky mountains, more than a thousand miles from the point where that majestic stream empties into the Mississippi. Their intercourse with the Indians had not been such as to secure friendly relations. Powerful tribes were around them, ready to combine for their destruction. The men were widely scattered in their trapping excursions, and but few were left here to guard the camp and the furs already taken. |
Simple names are always the best. The shorter they are the better—usually nicknames, if true to life and the character, have a “homey” sort of sound that is worth securing. Bill, and Jack, and Madge, and Flo, or anyone of a hundred others, sound less formidable than William, and James, and Margaret, and Florence. Names that are long and “romantic” are usually amusing; merely listen to Algernon, Hortense, and Reginald Montmorency, and you have to smile—and not always with pleasure.
But for a name to be simple or short or unromantic does not solve the problem for all cases. A long “romantic” name might be the very best one you could choose for a certain character. The name you should select depends on what effect you wish to secure. No one can tell you just what name to choose for a character you alone have in mind.
See The Villain Still Pursued Her in the Appendix.
But do not make the mistake of pondering too long over the naming of your characters. It is not the name that counts, it is the character himself, and behind it all the action that has brought the character into being—your gripping plot.
And now, let us sum up this brief discussion of characters and characterization before we pass on to a consideration of dialogue. Because of time-restriction, a playlet must depend for interest upon plot rather than upon character. The average number of persons in a playlet is four. Interesting characters are to be found everywhere, and the playlet writer can delineate those he rubs elbows with better than those he does not know well and therefore cannot fully understand. The same unity demanded of a plot is required of a character—characters must be consistent. Characterization is achieved by the dramatic method of letting actions speak for themselves, is done in broad strokes growing out of the plot itself, and is conveyed in close partnership with the actor by working on the minds of the audience who take a meagre first impression and instantly build it up into a full portrait.
DIALOGUE IN THE PLAYLET
We have now come to one of the least important elements of the playlet—yet a decorative element which wit and cleverness can make exceedingly valuable.
If it is true that scenery is the habitation in which the playlet moves, that its problem is the heart beating with life, that the dramatic is the soul which shines with meaning through the whole, that plot is the playlet’s skeleton which is covered by the flesh of the characters—then the dialogue is, indeed, merely a playlet’s clothes. Clothes do not make a man, but the world gives him a readier welcome who wears garments that fit well and are becoming. This is the whole secret of dialogue—speeches that fit well and are becoming.
1. What is Dialogue? |
1. Who is the author of Edie: An American Biography?
2. In the book, Edie: An American Biography who helps to tell the story of the Sedgwick ancestors?
Sedgwick family members.
3. Who was the first of Edie's relatives, the Sedgwicks, on record?
4. In what position did the first Sedgewick on record serve in the Massachusetts Bay colony?
5. What was the occupation of Edie's ancestor, Theodore Sedgewick?
6. Which event is Theodore Sedgewick said to have been intimately involved with?
The American Revolution.
7. Which "first" is Theodore Sedgwick credited with?
The first to battle for a black woman's freedom in court.
This section contains 3,900 words
(approx. 13 pages at 300 words per page) |
|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What do Roland and his friends find in the cockpit of the plane in Chapter 1?
(a) The mummified remains of Jack Mort.
(b) The mummified remains of Andrew Quick.
(c) The mummified remains of David Quick.
(d) The mummified remains of Walter.
2. Who led the final army against the war in Lud as described in Chapter 10?
(b) David Quick.
(c) Jack Mort.
(d) Andrew Quick.
3. Why does Aunt Talitha believe the people of Lud would like to keep Jake in Chapter 10?
(a) He is strong.
(b) He is intelligent.
(c) He is young.
(d) He is male.
4. Who falls over the edge of the bridge in Chapter 12?
5. How does Blaine explain in Chapter 5 the images Roland and his friends are able to see, as though the train's walls have vanished?
(a) It is pictures taken by satellite.
(b) It is all computer generated.
(c) It is a new technology.
(d) It is an optical illusion.
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Susannah ask Blaine in Chapter 30?
2. What is graf?
3. How does Roland give Jake instructions in Chapter 28?
4. Who is Patricia?
5. Why can Blaine not differentiate between fact and superstition?
Short Essay Questions
1. What do Bill and Till tell Roland and his ka-tet about the large city of Lud?
2. In Chapters 5-6, what happens to Blaine's cabin walls? For what reason?
3. What weakness does Jake discover in Gasher's personality in Chapter 25?
4. What do Jake's actions in Chapters 32-34 say about his character?
5. What does the ending of the book say about the future of these characters?
6. What are the most striking differences between the city of Lud and the underground bunker?
7. What do Eddie and Susannah learn about Blaine in Chapter 27?
8. What happens to Roland in Chapters 19 and 23 as he navigates his way through the garbage maze to save Jake?
9. What is significant about the drum beat that Roland and his ka-tet have been able to hear for days since beginning their approach to Lud? What becomes apparent about the purpose of this drum beat?
10. What is the reaction of the people of River Crossing when they learn Roland is a gunslinger?
This section contains 961 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
He was perhaps best known for his novel The Philadelphian (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1957), which spent over 6 months on
the best-seller list and was made into an Oscar-nominated 1959 Warner Brothers film - The Young Philadelphians, starring Paul Newman.
Due to the unflagging efforts of Powell's daughter, Dorothy Powell Quigley, the book has been recently re-published in a 50th Anniversary Edition by Plexus Publishing Co. of New Jersey after being out of print since the 1970s. The book is available in both hardback and softbound editions, simultaneously published on November 28, 2006 - Powell's 98th birthday had he survived.
The Philadelphian explores the social customs (many of which are still in place today) challenging 4 generations of a Philadelphia family as they climb the complex social ladder in the City of Brotherly Love. It begins with the immigration of impoverished young Margaret O'Donnell from Ireland to Philadelphia in 1857 and progresses to 1956, when her great grandson steps up as a defense lawyer in a compelling court case to defend one of Philadelphia society's "black sheep."
Richard Powell, by all accounts a generous, kind and unassuming person, was himself a 7th generation Philadelphian. He attended
Princeton University, where he received his B.A. cum laude in 1930. He worked as a reporter for 10 years on the staff of
the Philadelphia Evening Ledger, then joined the public relations department of the oldest advertising agency in the United States, N. W. Ayer and Son. Later he served as lieutenant-colonel in the Army during World War II in the War Department of Public Relations and as chief news censor for General MacArthur in the Pacific. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
Dorothy Quigley has lived in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pennsylvania, all her life and raised four children with her husband, Bill Quigley.
BOOKTHINK: Dorothy, your father's books span so many different genres - mysteries, humor, history ... how did he do it?
QUIGLEY: He did a great deal of research for his books. He put a lot of work into the writing. Also, he read from the time he was
3, and he read all the time. When I was still in college and we were down at the shore, I think it was right after The Philadelphian came out, one of my friends said to Dad, "My roommate is trying to be a writer, and he wants to come and talk to you." And my father said, "Sure, send him over." It was about 10 in the morning that this kid came over. The rest of us went down to the shore, went out on the boat and came back, and when we got back he was still talking to him.
The only thing I remember about what he said was, "Write about what you know."
He knew about Philadelphia; I don't know where he came up with Pioneer, Go Home; but he knew about playing bridge;
he knew what he was talking about in Daily and Sunday because that was all about the newspaper business, and he'd worked for the newspaper when he got out of college.
BOOKTHINK: The Philadelphia Evening Ledger, right?
QUIGLEY: That's correct.
BOOKTHINK: And he served in the army during World War II?
QUIGLEY: Yes, he was a Lieutenant Colonel. He was General MacArthur's Chief News Agent. One of my first memories of him - and I can still picture it - was him walking down the steps of the Pentagon in full dress. I can still remember that, and I was about 3 1/2 years old.
You know, after The Philadelphian was published, everyone thought he was going to come out with something like
The Philadelphian II, but he didn't. Instead, he came out with a completely humorous novel called Pioneer, Go Home, and it was made into
an Elvis Presley movie called Follow that Dream.
BOOKTHINK: Was he pretty happy with the movies that were made? In capturing the essence of his books?
QUIGLEY: Yes. When The Philadelphian came out as a movie, I was in college and in the middle of my exams. It was May, and I wanted to come home for the premiere because Paul Newman was starring in it. Dad said, "No, no, I'm coming down to get you next weekend." I told him I'd never forgive him for that! Anyway, the next weekend he said to me, "Well honey, I didn't see the movie at the premiere because there was so much going on, so I'm going to go see it for the first time with you." I remember standing in line at the Beach Theater in Brant Beach, New Jersey - we always used to go down to the shore in the summer - and thinking we shouldn't have to stand in line to see this movie, or even pay fifty cents to get in. After all, my Dad wrote it! I wanted to tell everybody! He was pleased with it, although it excludes the first ¾ of the book.
BOOKTHINK: Well, there's a lot of story to cover there.
QUIGLEY: That's just what I want to get done. Those women - don't you think that would make a great movie? The first 3 generations in the book?
BOOKTHINK: The story of the women's lives would be a great movie in itself. Was this book autobiographical to some extent?
QUIGLEY: No. It was written for my mother, who didn't understand Philadelphia society. He grew up in Philadelphia and really understood it. The school that's in the book - that's Episcopal Academy where he went to school, and that whole area as you picture it. Part of that could have been somewhat autobiographical in nature.
He had an attorney who lived down the street from us. I remember him coming up and sitting in Dad's office with him, and he helped him work on the trial and courtroom scenes in the book.
It was very male-oriented in nature, the movie even more so than the book. I had somebody here from Philadelphia Screenwriters, and he took the book and read it. Afterwards he said, "Somebody's got to make the first half of this book into a movie." And I agree with him. |
A Complete step-by-step scheme of work, suitable for Specialist & Non-Specialist Teachers. A proper course, not just a set of ideas or a collection of songs. Lots of guidance for teachers/leaders with no formal music training. Totally flexible to suit teachers/supervisors of one/two age groups with one/two intakes per year. Masses of original songs & rhymes with flexible lesson plans built around them. CD to preclude the necessity to play the piano. Easy-to-follow, well indexed book.
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The 47-year-old Boston jazz pianist, composer, and educator Danilo Pérez (currently at Berklee) has long explored the music of his native Panama in different settings. “Panama 500” may be his most accomplished piece yet. Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Balboa’s “discovery” of the Pacific Ocean on Panama’s west coast as well as the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal, Pérez tells the history of his country through its music, from the chants of the indigenous Guna people and folkloric dance rhythms through modern jazz. But rather than offering a strict chronological retelling, Pérez juxtaposes and layers different musical vocabularies. Atop the ancient percussion rhythms of the introductory “Rediscovery of the South Sea,” he sets not just modern instruments (like violin and his own piano) but also pungent modern harmonies. It’s history in the present tense, experienced as a memory. Alternating his long-standing trio of bassist Ben Street and drummer Adam Cruz with his rhythm mates from the Wayne Shorter Quartet, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, Pérez adds percussion and strings. Through tuneful set pieces and improvisations, the music remains focused and evocative. (Out Tuesday)
Essential “Rediscovery of the South Sea”
The Danilo Pérez Panama 500 band plays Scullers Jazz Club Feb. 15 and 16.Jon Garelick can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. |
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