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warc | 201704 | By LISA MONTI Last year beaches along the Gulf and other temperate waters worldwide were inundated with Sargassum, the free-floating tangle of reddish-brown seaweed that causes problems for fishermen, boaters, tourists and residents. In some places, drifts of the smelly seaweed were piled several feet high. So far in 2015, scientists say, there is a large amount of Sargassum in ...Read More »
Tag Archives: Naval Research Laboratory
During any political cycle, there is always a lot of discussion about jobs. It is harder to argue with more jobs, that’s why it makes for such campaign fodder. I personally believe jobs that are created by encouraging entrepreneurship are critically important. That is why I get excited to hear about people and organizations that are actively trying to do ...Read More » | 826 | 509 | 0.002011 |
warc | 201704 | VMware has improved its cloud services message to providers. The company's selling points include the simplicity of using the vSphere management platform to handle both on-premise and cloud implementations of virtual machines.
Given the proliferation of VMware across the enterprise extending the reach of that virtual machine platform into the cloud should be a no brainer. In reality, that process has been more arduous than most providers of managed services would have liked.
The good news is that VMware is finally gaining enough cloud critical mass to make it worthwhile for MSPs to extend the reach of their VMware services. While MSPs currently make a lot of money managing instances of VMware on premise, the number of options for deploying VMware in the cloud has been comparatively limited.
Initially, VMware has sought to partner with cloud service providers to accomplish that goal. But many cloud service providers prefer open source virtual machines because they would rather not have to incur licensing fees for virtual machine software. As a result, it took VMware a little while to roll out its own cloud service based on VMware, which beyond being deployed in the U.S. and U.K. will soon be available in Japan.
Mathew Lodge, vice president of cloud services for VMware, says one of the things that differentiates the VMware cloud service is that it provides customers with more granular control over the cloud environment using the same VMware vSphere management platform they use to manage virtual machines running on premise. Instead of offering customers a limited range of deployment options, Lodge says VMware vCloud Hybrid Service doesn’t force customers to over provision cloud resources.
In addition, Lodge says VMware pays a lot more attention to the onboarding process in order to make sure that its customers can create a cloud computing environment that seamlessly integrates with on premise versions of VMware.
Finally, Lodge notes that VMware has also done all the heavy lifting associated with creating a disaster recovery-as-a-a-service (DRaaS) offering that partners can easily leverage to provide an application that provides value to customers that have deployed VMware on premise.
In terms of making it easier for VMware partners to expand the VMware vCloud Hybrid Service, Lodge also notes that VMware make certain to define a full set of application programming interfaces (APIs) before rolling out a service. Those APIs are critical to make it simpler for VMware partners and customers to consume additional services as VMware continues to roll them out.
At the end of the day VMware is making the case for not using the cloud to create yet another silo of computing that has to be managed in isolation. Instead, Lodge contends that the cloud should be a natural extension of the virtual machine environment most customers already have deployed today. For MSPs that don’t necessarily want to invest in either building their own data centers to provide access to cloud services or partner with another cloud service provider beyond VMware, keeping things as MSP simple in the cloud as possible can make a lot sense.
Mike Vizard is a veteran IT journalist, former Editor in Chief of CRN and InfoWorld, and an IT industry market expert who has chronicled the information technology revolution over many decades, from DEC to Google. | 3,391 | 1,552 | 0.000648 |
warc | 201704 | How to Stop Your Babysitter from Texting on the Job Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Tue Feb 25, 5:52 PM UTC
It used to be that the worst thing a babysitter could do was raid the refrigerator. But this was before Facebook, texting, social media, and emojis. Today's sitters sneak—or outright flaunt—something many of us parents don't know how to deal with: constant texting, Instagramming, You-Tube-watching, you name it. So how do you dole out the rules?
Of course, the most important thing is that your kids are safe while they're under someone else's care. You might think the worst could never happen to your kids, but mobile devices just make getting distracted even easier, and that can have tragic consequences. Less severe than a major accident, but still disturbing, would be finding out your babysitter texted all night and ignored your kids.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when talking to your babysitter about your texting, sexting, and tweeting rules:
Spell it out. Teen and young adult babysitters have grown up with mobile devices, so don't expect them to have the same relationship with their phones as you do. If you don't want your babysitter texting or tweeting while on the job, tell them explicitly.
You saw your baby on Instagram, now what? As much as phones are part of everyday life, so is sharing. Your babysitter might not think twice before taking photos of your kids doing something cute and posting it on Instagram. If this is something that doesn't feel right to you, let them know right off the bat.
Use tech wisely. Running a few minutes late getting home? Having an always-connected sitter can really come in handy when you want to send a quick text from a restaurant. Plus, the ability to send and receive photos can help you decide whether you need to cut a date night short if your sitter is reporting a weird rash or skinned knee.
You're the boss. Hiring "digital natives" to babysit means learning to speak their language, and helping them understand yours. While you might never think of texting your friends or updating your Facebook status while at work, you can't assume they feel the same. Once you've figured out your rules, you need to discuss them with the babysitter as a condition of the job. And while getting rid of a good sitter can be a heartbreaker, you need to be ready to take action if there's any iffy behavior—whether it happens online, on the phone, or IRL.
© 2014 Common Sense Media, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2,510 | 1,295 | 0.000782 |
warc | 201704 | archive International students share their experiences
Laura McCrystal | Thursday, September 16, 2010
When Yi Fang came from Beijing to begin Notre Dame Law School in 2008, she was constantly exhausted after a day spent speaking English and trying to understand a new culture.
“People figure because I speak English so well, I must know the culture already. But that’s totally not true,” Fang said. “I actually suffered from culture shock quite a lot.”
Fang, a third-year law student and assistant rector in McGlinn Hall, said she now realizes that her experience is typical for international students.
This year, 276 new, University-sponsored international students entered Notre Dame, making it the largest incoming class of international students in recent memory, according to McKenna Pencak, assistant director of communications and outreach for International Student Services and Activities. In 2009, around 250 new international students entered the University.
“In comparison to last year, there has been an increase,” Pencak said. “Undergraduate admissions is strongly trying to recruit international students.”
These 276 students represent 60 countries, Pencak said. Eighty-nine of these new students are undergraduates.
Pencak said the University is specifically recruiting in Asia and Latin America. The largest group of students this year came from China.
Once international students arrive at Notre Dame, Pencak said many of them experience the culture shock Fang described. To better aid the adjustment period, International Student Services and Activities held a two-and-a-half day international student orientation for the first time this fall, compared to the one-day program it hosted in past years.
Pencak said the orientation included mandatory workshops, which covered topics such as maintaining immigration status and health care and optional workshops ranging from “Catholicism 101” to American culture.
“Many students experience culture shock, and we can provide them resources to work through that … but it’s very different for every student,” Pencak said.
Sophomore Ava Lee, who is South Korean and went to middle school and high school in Shanghai, said she did not experience culture shock when she came to Notre Dame. She said the American students whom she met, however, were shocked to meet her — she spoke perfect English and decided to attend an American university, despite never having lived in the United States.
“I knew I would have to experience some changes coming here, so I was prepared for that, but I don’t think I had a major culture shock,” Lee said. “I think people had culture shock when they met me.”
Lee said she looked at other American universities, but chose Notre Dame for its strong business school and also for its lack of diversity.
“I also thought it might be interesting to come to a school where diversity might not be as high,” she said.
Fang, on the other hand, visited the counseling center during her second year to discuss her culture shock. She said the counselor showed her a chart with a curve outlining the stages of adjustment for international students.
“I can actually identify myself with each stage of that curve,” Fang said. “Because Notre Dame is a very supporting environment … once [students] stick through the bottom tier, their spirit goes up and they are able to find their own identity in this new environment.”
Culture shock is similar to the adjustment of undergraduate freshmen to college life, Fang said. In her role as an assistant rector, her personal experience made it easy to relate to undergraduates. She also said the position allowed her to understand the unique culture of Notre Dame.
“The spirit of Notre Dame lies in the undergrad culture, so I really wanted to get to know where I am calling home,” she said.
Lee also had the opportunity to share her experiences as an international student. Over the summer she had an internship through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Student International Business Council to promote Notre Dame in Asia.
She traveled to high schools telling students and principals about the University, which she said is not as well known to Asian as other highly-ranked American universities.
Lee said even though she did not feel homesick during her freshman year, the international student experience at Notre Dame is different from other universities. For example, she had to learn about the game of football and adjust to life outside a big city. While her friends who also came to school in the U.S. did not have to make these same transitions, Lee said the Notre Dame environment is perfect for her.
“I actually love it here because I think it’s a good balance between going back home … and coming here, where I can actually focus and study,” she said. | 4,983 | 2,196 | 0.000474 |
warc | 201704 | By Myrna Trauntvein Times-News Correspondent
The Juab County Community Development and Renewal Agency was recently created by ordinance. Monday, October 7, the Juab County Commission adopted the new ordinance which was approved to create the agency. "The ordinance creates and establishes the Community Development and Renewal Agency and designates the members of the Juab County Commission as the governing body and grants the agency all authority as provided for by state law," said Rick Carlton, commissioner. The ordinance will take effect on October 22. In 2007, the Utah State Legislature defined three types of project areas that redevelopment agencies in Utah can create. One project area type is called an "Urban Renewal Area" (or "URA"), which is similar to traditional project areas. Two newer types of project areas designated by the Utah State Legislature are known as a "Community Development Area" (or "CDA"), and an "Economic Development Area" (or "EDA"). Juab County Commissioners have settled on a CDA for the county. Randall S. Feil, a Bountiful based attorney, contracted with Juab County to serve as the attorney to help the county form the community development agency. "The ordinance was prepared by outside counsel, Attorney Feil," said Carlton. "Jared Eldridge, county attorney, worked with him." A community development agency is a not-for-profit organization incorporated to provide programs, offer services and engage in other activities that promote and support economic development. The agency was not being designed for a specific piece of property or any specific area of the county, Carlton said. Such agencies, by definition, usually serve a geographic location such as a county or community and can be involved in a variety of activities including economic development designed to promote and draw business that will create economic vitality. At the first commission meeting in August, Glenn Greenhalgh, county planning director, said that such an agency would be of great benefit to the county in working to develop the local economy. The primary goal of such an agency is to promote economic growth and stability by supporting existing businesses and attracting new businesses. "Adopting this ordinance is the first step in creating a CDA," said Carlton. A complete copy of the ordinance is available for the public to review in the office of the county clerk/auditor, Pat Ingram. Legislation changed the legal name of agencies from "Redevelopment Agencies" to "Community Development and Renewal Agencies." Community Development provides a flexible alternative to the more rigid Urban Renewal and Economic Development tracks. | 2,689 | 1,211 | 0.000834 |
warc | 201704 | Gemini-Scout mine rescue robot to lead the way to trapped miners
The Chilean and Pike River Mine disasters in 2010 highlighted the dangers of sub-surface mining and the difficulties faced in extracting those trapped beneath the Earth. Collapsed mines pose countless dangers, not just for those trapped but also those attempting to free them, such as poisonous gases, flooded tunnels, explosive vapors and unstable walls and roofs. Dealing with such potentially deadly conditions and unknown obstacles significantly slows the efforts of rescuers. To help speed rescue efforts, robotics engineers at Sandia Labs have designed a robot to provide that most valuable of commodities for first responders - information.
Built from the ground up to negotiate nearly every known mine hazard, the Gemini-Scout Mine Rescue Robot is less than four feet (1.2 m) long and two feet (0.6 m) tall and is nimble enough to navigate around tight corners and over safety hatches a foot (0.3 m) high. With its waterproof equipment, the robot can maneuver through 18 inches (45 cm) of water, yet is lightweight enough to crawl over boulders and rubble piles and strong enough to withstand the pressures found underground.
The Gemini-Scout is equipped with gas sensors, a thermal camera to locate survivors and another higher mounted pan-and-tilt camera to spot obstacles. With mines potentially containing methane and other gases that can ignite if exposed to sparks, the robot's electronics are housed in casings designed to withstand an explosion.
"Such measures would prevent a spark from causing further destruction. While it might harm the robot, it wouldn't create another dangerous situation for the miners or rescuers," said Jon Salton, Sandia engineer and project manager.
In addition to moving into potentially dangerous areas ahead of rescuers to help plan operations, the Gemini-Scout can also haul food, air packs and medicine to those trapped underground. It is also equipped with two-way radios and can be configured to drag survivors to safety.
The robot is guided by remote control and to make the control system as intuitive and easy to learn as possible, the engineers used an Xbox 360 game controller.
"We focused a lot on usability and copied a lot of gamer interfaces so that users can pick it up pretty quickly," said Sandia engineer Justin Garretson, the lead software developer.
Sandia Labs engineers are demonstrating the Gemini-Scout until the 18th of August at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2011, which is currently taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
"We anticipate that this technology is broad enough to be appealing to other first responders, such as police, firefighters and medical personnel," Salton said. "Gemini-Scout could easily be fitted to handle earthquake and fire scenarios, and we think this could provide real relief in currently inaccessible situations." | 3,008 | 1,520 | 0.000662 |
warc | 201704 | You are in:
Business
Friday, 15 March, 2002, 09:28 GMT
Dot.coms - the next generation
In the last of a series of reports on dot.coms, BBC News Online meets web firm executives preparing to embrace new technologies and markets.
He sees Lastminute.com, the UK dot.com flagship he runs, ranked in 10 years' time as a utility.
"We will be, yes, a utility," Mr Hoberman affirms.
"Lastminute.com will be a utility that customers will use to help them make last minute lifestyle decisions."
"You will be able to walk out of here, say 'I am hungry' and we can tell you there is a restaurant nearby where you can get a free bottle of wine if you turn up in the next 10 minutes.
"If our service is personalised, location based, time sensitive, then you can imagine people using it as a utility."
So fate will side with the sceptics, who long foresaw that the dot.com "revolution" would spawn but workaday companies.
"In the railways bubble of the last century, the iron road was meant to be the 'killer technology'," a former Nasdaq worker said.
"Dot.coms will end up as exciting as Railtrack."
They are already attracting similar levels of investor confidence.
Indeed, the bubble mentality of the late 1990s was replaced by an "irrational pessimism", says Mr Hoberman, who watched Lastminute shares drop from above 480p after launch to 17p in October.
Greg Hadfield relates how three years ago he was able, on the basis of a four-paragraph letter, to raise £700,000 from venture capitalists to launch teachers' site Schoolsnet.
"Today you can't even get a meeting with a venture capitalist," he says.
"Yet Schoolsnet's prospects have never been better.
"The people who made a huge mistake backing ridiculous ideas two years ago are making an even bigger mistake now by missing out on a golden opportunity."
A glance at the history of previous investment bubbles does support a certain caution.
Shares in radio firm RCA, one of the main drivers of the boom leading up to the Wall Street crash, would not recover their 1929 value for 35 years.
The new economy also has a poor record of delivering on both profit and technology forecasts.
Advanced "third generation" (3G) mobile services were originally scheduled to reach the UK last year.
Now they are not set to be widely available until at least early 2003.
And the long-heralded roll out of broadband, which allows high speed internet access to computers and TVs, has been long delayed.
When British Telecom in 1998 promised to be the UK's "leading provider of broadband services into the next millennium", it probably little thought that, four years on, it would claim that title through a roll of but 150,000 customers.
But think you have heard the last claim of new technologies revolutionising the way we live, work and play?
Think again.
"Mobile telephones have a personal touch that puts the 'personal' in personal computer to shame," writes Fernando Suarez, an associate professor at London Business School, in the report Second Generation E-Business.
"Almost nobody carries their PC all day as they do their... mobile phones.
"This mindset is so powerful that m-commerce will probably be a sub-set of a whole m-lifestyle."
Levels of m-commerce - trade through advanced mobile devices - are forecast by Jupiter MMXI to be 5,000% higher in 2006 than they were last year.
At Framlington Net Net, a technology investment fund, Nick Evans sees mobile phone operators achieving higher returns per customer as increasing levels of data are channelled through handsets.
He also has high hopes for the long-awaited spread of high-speed broadband internet access.
"When BT starts making the right noises - as it is doing - about broadband, it is fair to say broadband is likely to happen", says Mr Evans.
"Over time that will have a tremendous effect. It is all about speed. When users can browse and download quickly they will be prepared to pay for content."
His conclusion: "And when you see people are prepared to pay for content, it changes everything,"
The fees levied in the real world which support, for instance, profitable survey or magazine publication will at last be easily enforceable online.
"As the user experience improves, so does online spending," says Framlington's Nick Evans, quoting the findings of McKinsey researchers.
And with higher online spending will come growing sales of related software improving, for example, web security.
Broadband will also support the competitiveness of web services firms. Through internet connections they can carry out in a single office administration functions for dozens of firms.
Ihavemoved.com, for instance, handles from its London office change of address details for clients ranging from the government to utilities to charities like the NSPCC.
A market has also emerged in managing web addresses for which, in the case of .co.uk, ownership must typically to be re-registered every two years.
"Unilever has probably got tens of thousands of domain names," says a spokeswoman for internet names firm NetBenefit.
"So we have started offering a service to manage these portfolios. In essence to protect intellectual property."
But strangely it is one of the internet's most familiar trimmings, e-mail, which dot.com watchers mention most frequently as an area of promise.
Nigel Upton, at London Business School, says: "It is a mass communication medium. Potentially hugely powerful. But I do not believe anybody has worked out the trick of using it to increase sales.
"You have sites like Amazon using e-mail to suggest things you might like to buy. But I think somehow a lot more could be done."
Serial dot.com entrepreneur Ben Cohen foresees potential in e-mail marketing which his latest venture, Cyberbritain, has harnessed, charging advertisers typically 0.5p per address in mass e-mailouts.
"People are prepared to pay because it works," Mr Cohen says.
"We did a mail out for a betting company last week. It cost them £4,000 and they made £8,000 from it."
Even Lastminute has found its weekly e-mail newsletter, sent to 4.6 million addresses, a revenue source of growing importance.
"As we find out more and more about our customers, and segment our newsletters more and more, our advertisers are getting more and more excited," said Mr Hoberman.
"What we are increasingly able to do is put the right offer in the right place with the right type of customer."
So entrepreneurs are excited about e-mail, academics are waxing lyrical on new technologies, BT stating its commitment to broadband.
There is something of a back-to-the-future feel about March 2002 dot.coms.
Demand has even re-emerged for Lastminute shares, which have more than doubled in price this year.
Indeed, if there is one thing economists have learned about the bubble mentality, it is its resilience.
"It is inevitable there will be more bubbles," says dot.com crash prophet Tony Dye.
"There is this whole industry that relies on a bull market. So they are going to try to create one.
"And politicians love it because everybody feels good and tax takings go up.
"Let's face it. Nobody is going to get a prize for preventing the bubble that would have happened in 2025."
As for what sector the next bubble is likely to inflate, Mr Dye, characteristically, declines to speculate.
See also:
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warc | 201704 | Doug Tallamy, author of “Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants,” will speak on the importance of native plants in healthy ecosystems during a public lecture at 4 p.m. April 14 in the Overby Center Auditorium.
Tallamy has found in his own research, and in the research of others, that native plants provide essential food for native insects, which in turn are food for other animals. Thus, native plants provide the foundation for a healthy, diverse ecosystem, which has many benefits for humans.
In his book, Tallamy writes about how mainstream gardeners can help support native plants in their own yards.
“Most of us know that diversity within the workplace and in social settings benefits our lives in many ways,” said Anne McCauley, assistant director of the UM Office of Sustainability. “Biodiversity in nature is also beneficial for all life and supports healthy ecosystems, which all of us need to thrive. What we don’t commonly think about is that biodiversity can be supported by our yards and landscapes, not just in forests or other ‘natural’ areas. Our own yards can support the presence of native insects, plants, and animals or they can contribute to species loss and ecosystem failure.”
Tallamy travels the country in a lecture series explaining this idea, providing both information and inspiration. Before the public lecture, Tallamy will help facilitate roundtable discussions of concrete ways that native plants can be incorporated into community landscapes. Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and others in the Oxford community who would like to participate in these discussions (for which space is limited) are encouraged to contact McCauley.
“Dr. Tallamy will challenge us to re-envision our own personal and campus landscapes and gardens as not just a space for recreation and beautification but as a way to accomplish both of those goals while also enriching the native habitats that are distinct to our own local areas,” McCauley said.
Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will host a dinner with Tallamy following the lecture from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University Club. Tickets to the dinner event are $25, and reservations are due April 7. Contact Susie at dmurphy@audubon.org or 662-252-1155 to purchase a ticket or for more information.
The lecture is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the UM Biology Department, Residential College South and Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. For more information about Tallamy, his book and native plants, click here. | 2,577 | 1,260 | 0.000814 |
warc | 201704 | Respect for human rights is improving Respect for human rights is improving
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- By ignoring how the collection of data on political repression changes over time, human rights watchers may be misjudging reports that seem to show respect for human rights has not been improving, according to a Penn State political scientist.
Many political scientists and sociologists believe that allegations of human rights abuses drawn from sources such as the U.S. State Department and Amnesty International over the past few decades show that attention to human rights is stagnating, said Christopher Fariss, assistant professor of political science. However, a new measurement model of the data, which recognizes the changes in how that information is collected and categorized, indicates that the human rights climate is actually improving.
"By allowing the standard of accountability to vary with time, a new picture emerges of improving respect for human rights over time," Fariss said.
Since the end of the Cold War there are not only more human rights groups, but these human rights monitors are allowed better access to countries and areas that were previously off-limits, Fariss said. As more groups were granted access, the representatives could gather more information about alleged abuses.
The reports also contain larger quantities of information. For example, the word count of the torture section for the country of Guatemala went from 329 words in 1981 to 3,669 in 2001, according to Fariss, who reports his findings in the current online version of American Political Science Review.
The classification of data that researchers collect has also changed. Before, monitors were concerned with collecting data on serious abuses, such as large-scale mass killings and disappearances, Fariss said. However, monitors are now including other forms of repression, such as police brutality and the use of the death penalty, in their assessments.
"It's very difficult to compare the types of repression that were recorded in previous decades with what the monitors are collecting today," said Fariss. "For instance, we weren't talking about police brutality in these reports a few decades ago."
Fariss said a better way to measure political oppression is to use a new measurement model, which accounts for and modifies the standards of accountability over time, rather than the current model, which does not reflect any changes in accountability.
The failure to account for these variations when gathering information over time can lead to problems with making effective policies to counter repression.
Based on the current method of analyzing human rights statistics, for example, policy makers could make the assumption that acceptance of the UN Convention Against Torture, a policy that attempts to prevent torture and inhuman punishment around the world, did not curb repression. However, data from the new measurement model shows that it has been effective, Fariss said.
"The numbers would seem to show that the treaty has had no effect, or a negative one and is acting as a cover for regimes that are engaging in abuse," Fariss said. "However, data from the new model, show that countries that ratified the treaty are doing better than countries that haven't."
Over the last decade, political scientists have debated whether or not human rights practices have been stagnating, as the uncorrected data seem to indicate.
"Many researchers take the fact that there is a stagnating respect for human rights as a given," Fariss said. "Qualitative researchers, though, for the most part, have been more skeptical that respect for human rights has declined and the data from the new measurement model corroborates this alternative view."
Despite the good news on human rights respect, more work needs to be done.
"Though respect for human rights have been improving on average, it's important to recognize that improvements across countries are uneven," said Fariss. "There is a still a lot of critical work that needs to be done in order to improve human rights on the ground in places like Sri Lanka, Egypt, Ukraine, Venezuela and overlooked areas of the globe such as Western Sahara and Dagestan." | 4,247 | 1,884 | 0.000535 |
warc | 201704 | A secular state cannot subscribe to the concept of a majority and a minority for it is that very inequity that a secular state strives to eradicate, argues Vivek Gumaste
It had all the pretensions of an exalted moral judgment. But in reality was a politically motivated vote garnering gimmick. Analyse it further and the statement becomes an arbitrary interpretation of Indian secularism and a fallacious one at that. I am referring to the pronouncement made by our home minister at the Deoband Islamic Seminary on November 3.
At a conference organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Chidambaram philosophised: "A nation can ignore its minorities only at its peril. The golden rule in a democracy is that it is the duty of the majority to protect the minority, be it religious, racial or linguistic. It is a self-evident rule. It is a rule that is firmly rooted in the universality of human rights."
Although Chidambaram added racial and linguistic qualifications to imbue a sense of political correctness to his remarks, it appears to have been an afterthought. There is little doubt, that the basic thrust of his statement was directed at assuaging Muslim sentiments as evidenced by his redundant resurrection of a near forgotten issue that is nearly 17 years old: the Babri Masjid demolition.
The term minority is an oxymoron in a secular setting: the two terms are incompatible. A Hindu state can have a Muslim minority and vice-versa but a secular state cannot subscribe to the concept of a majority and a minority for it is that very inequity that a secular state strives to eradicate.
Chidambaram's statement therefore stands out for two infractions both of which perpetuate a malady that we are striving to erase: one, the use of the term minority that stereotypes a section of our society and two, the ill conceived proposition that all minorities are automatically in need of protection or privileged access. These remarks by Chidambaram as well as the oft quoted contention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that minorities have the first right on the nation's resources violate the spirit of the constitution and are diametrically opposed to the course of action advised by the Supreme Court of India as per the Constitution of India.
The Constitution is extremely clear that the ultimate goal should be the creation of an egalitarian society that harbours no division and obviates the need for protection for anyone as indicated in this Supreme Court judgment:
'The constitutional ideal, which can be gathered from the group of articles in the Constitution under chapters of fundamental rights and fundamental duties, is to create social conditions where there remains no necessity to shield or protect rights of minority or majority.
'The commission instead of encouraging claims from different communities for being added to a list of notified minorities under the Act, should suggest ways and means to help create social conditions where the list of notified minorities is gradually reduced and done away with altogether.'
Bal Patil vs. Union of India. August 8, 2005. Case 4730
Who actually is a minority in India? The question is perplexing with no single response. India with its myriad communities, castes, religions, languages and races spawns a complex variety of minorities based on these attributes; some display conflicting identities that make them a majority and a minority simultaneously while still others may exhibit traits that condemn them to a double disadvantage. Haven't we all experienced being a minority at one time or another? Linguistically, even the Tamilian Chidambaram, despite his powerful status, is a minority in the predominantly Hindi-speaking city of New Delhi and may be subject to subtle discrimination.
When the term minority is defined purely in terms of religion, which has been the case in India, it becomes an etymological and social misnomer that smacks of favoritism towards a specific section of society relegating other numerical disadvantaged groups to second class status. One type of minority cannot be more equal than another. Moreover with a religious connotation, there is a real danger of inadvertently converting our secular nation into a theocratic state the Supreme Court cautions in the same above mentioned case:
'We should guard against making our country akin to a theocratic state based on multi-nationalism. Our concept of secularism, to put it in a nut shell, is that 'state' will have no religion. The states will treat all religions and religious groups equally and with equal respect without in any manner interfering with their individual rights of religion, faith and worship.'
Even identification of Hindus as a majority is a misleading and unfair conjecture in the pluralistic mosaic of India, the Supreme Court points out:
'As such, the Hindu society being based on caste, is itself divided into various minority groups. Each caste claims to be separate from the other. In a caste-ridden Indian society, no section or distinct group of people can claim to be in majority. All are minorities amongst Hindus.'
The Supreme Court goes on to warn the country of the dangers posed by the minority label, namely the fragmentation of society and encouragement of fissiparous tendencies:
'The country has already been reorganised in the year 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act on the basis of language. Differential treatments to linguistic minorities based on language within the state is understandable but if the same concept for minorities on the basis of religion is encouraged, the whole country, which is already under class and social conflicts due to various divisive forces, will further face division on the basis of religious diversities. Such claims to minority status based on religion would increase in the fond hope of various sections of people getting special protections, privileges and treatment as part of constitutional guarantee. Encouragement to such fissiparous tendencies would be a serious jolt to the secular structure of constitutional democracy.'
To address inconsistencies of race, religion, language and race individually by classifications along these lines would be a gargantuan task practically impossible within the framework of any form of governance.
The state must therefore view every individual as a person devoid of his religion, caste, sex, or language. In such an environment there can be no minority or majority. Privileges should be conferred on merit or need-based criteria. Equal opportunity for all not differential treatment is the panacea for our nation. | 6,605 | 3,006 | 0.000334 |
warc | 201704 | The 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro is just over one year away. But while fan excitement builds, 170,000 Brazilians may be relocated from their homes as the city makes room for construction and infrastructure projects to accommodate the millions of expected visitors.
It’s a story that might not make the news without help from foreign correspondent Jawad Wahabzada, a graduating senior who was recently named a fellow for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The journalism program at Wake Forest is a member of the Center’s Campus Consortium, which brings foreign correspondents to campus and provides funding for the fellowship.
This August, Wahabzada will travel to Rio de Janeiro to film a short documentary about Betto Guaraciaba and his work with children living in the favelas, many of whom will be affected by the loss of their family homes as shantytowns are destroyed to prepare for the World Cup.
A retired boxer and now a photographer, Guaraciaba began his life in the streets of the favelas. He now dedicates his time to impoverished children, teaching them to box, giving them hope and keeping them away from drugs and violence.
“Through the eyes of Betto, I plan to explore how the World Cup preparations are affecting the residents of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas as families are forced out of their homes. I hope to present an original perspective to this issue from the eyes of those who have experienced it firsthand.”
Wahabzada is Wake Forest’s second recipient of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting’s student fellowship. Majoring in communications and minoring in film and religion, he is an experienced documentary filmmaker whose previous work, “Children of Kabul,” has been mentioned on CNN iReport and CNN Backstory. Wahabzada’s proposal was selected from among many strong applications with assistance from staff members at the Pulitzer Center in Washington.
“Jawad will be working one-on-one with a Pulitzer Center editor on a multimedia project that will include blog posts, photographs, stories and a short film. His work will be published on the Pulitzer Center website and possibly in national news outlets,” says Justin Catanoso, director of Wake Forest’s journalism program. “He’ll receive mentoring on how to refine his work and prepare a final story that will inform and inspire. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an innovative award-winning non-profit journalism organization dedicated to supporting the independent international journalism that U.S. media organizations are increasingly less able to undertake. The Center focuses on under-reported topics, promoting high-quality international reporting and creating platforms that reach broad and diverse audiences. The organization is based in Washington, D.C.
The University’s affiliation with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is made possible through funding from Wake Forest’s Office of Global Affairs.
###
About Wake Forest University: Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.
Categories: Media Advisory
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warc | 201704 | Study: 29 U.S. municipal funds exposed to P.R. bonds
As many as 29 out of 562 U.S. municipal bond funds currently carry an exposure to Puerto Rican bonds greater than 5 percent, some with an estimated exposure approaching 50 percent.
This assessment is based on research conducted by Markov Processes International, specialists in the systematic analysis of factors influencing investment performance, which provides analytics and reporting solutions to the financial services industry.
After Gov. Alejandro García-Padilla announced the possibility of further defaults, MPI analyzed the return streams of the 562 funds, examining all of the municipal bond categories in Morningstar using its factor-analysis tools.
“We wanted to fully understand how a possible Puerto Rico default would affect mutual funds investing in municipal bonds,” said Michael Markov, co-founder and chairman at MPI. “Investors should be as aware as possible where their funds are investing to understand the range and magnitude of factors that influence returns.”
“This is especially important in this low-yield environment when certain funds appear particularly attractive because of their higher yields. Since systematic factor-analysis isn’t relying on fund holdings, we can help identify risks in the absence of recent position data or when the use of derivatives or a large number of holdings makes positions hard to decipher,” he said.
Of the funds with high exposures to Puerto Rico, a few fund families had multiple funds, including Franklin Templeton, Goldman Sachs and Oppenheimer. According to Sean Ryan, a senior MPI research analyst, “while many municipal funds don’t have a detectable exposure to Puerto Rico, higher concentrations run in a few fund families. One municipal fund family has 17 of the 29 funds with high levels of exposure. A smaller fund has an exposure approaching 50 percent.”
MPI’s chart depicts the size of the funds and their effective exposure to Puerto Rico; larger bubbles represent larger funds, some with more than a billion dollars’ worth of exposure in the case of a default. For example, a large “5.6B” bubble is a fund with $5.6 billion in AUM, with a 31 percent exposure to the Puerto Rican index.
“Using MPI’s Dynamic Style Analysis, we analyzed a period of two years using daily analysis, comparing funds to two indices representing investment grade municipal bonds, one index representing high yield bonds and one Puerto Rican Bond index,” explains Markov. “Using a batch process, we ran regression analysis on all of the funds individually to identify those that showed an exposure greater than 5 percent to a Puerto Rican municipal bond index.” | 2,779 | 1,352 | 0.00077 |
warc | 201704 | When House Speaker David Ralston sat down with reporters last week to discuss the new legislative session, he addressed the question that’s been on the mind of every capitol denizen.
“People want to know, is it true we’re going to be in and out in a hurry?” Ralston said. “From a House perspective, that is certainly true.”
It’s true from a Senate perspective as well. The General Assembly session that kicked off Monday should adjourn sometime around the middle of March, making it one of the quickest sessions in decades.
The major reason for the abbreviated session is a federal court order requiring primary elections for federal offices (U.S. House and Senate seats) to be held on May 20, with the runoffs on July 22.
Because state law prohibits legislators and constitutional officers from accepting campaign contributions while the General Assembly is in session, lawmakers want to end the session quickly so they can resume raising money and campaigning for those early primaries.
A short session means that the only bills assured of passage are the state budget and a measure that will shift the date of state and local elections to the same May 20 primary date as federal elections.
The budget could contain some good news for state employees and teachers in the form of a small pay raise. These folks have not had a salary increase in five years.
Bills that are controversial or involve complex issues are much less likely to come up for a vote because they would cause prolonged debates.
For example, Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine) and colleagues who want to kill Obamacare have introduced a bill that would prohibit state agencies from implementing any aspect of the Affordable Care Act.
The bill will probably get a respectful committee hearing but is not likely to come out for a vote on the House floor.
Gov. Nathan Deal’s refusal to expand Medicaid coverage, which is a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, is strongly supported by the Republican majority in the Legislature. That means expansion is not going to happen this session, no matter how many people protest.
Lawmakers will seriously consider a bill that would expand the number of public places where guns can be legally carried to include college campuses, K-12 schools and government buildings.
University System officials, fully aware that college students can be emotionally immature and prone to binge-drinking, oppose the idea of allowing these students to carry firearms on campus, but the legislative leadership appears ready to let the bill pass.
Georgia is not going to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, but the Legislature will at least take a look at easing restrictions on the medical use of the plant. Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) plans to hold committee hearings on medical marijuana.
With guns and medical marijuana on the agenda, even a short legislative session can turn out to be an entertaining one. | 2,972 | 1,499 | 0.00068 |
warc | 201704 | CARTERET — Mayor Daniel Reiman was joined by Carteret Board of Education President Dennis Cherepski, High School Principal Lamont Repollet, Alexandra Cross, CEO of the Jewish Renaissance Foundation and Tashilee Vasquez of the Boys and Girls Club of Perth Amboy this week to announce that Carteret has been awarded a $2.67 million pass through grant established by the U.S. Department of Education.
The “21st Century Community Learning Center” grant will assist with the establishment of a range of after-school programs and resources for Carteret High School students and parents, according to Repollet.
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The 21st Century Community Learning Center program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
The funding is awarded through the federal program via the Jewish Renaissance Foundation of Middlesex County, a federally certified CAP. Carteret will receive $534 thousand a year for five years through the establishment of a girls and boys club program here. Repollet has stated that funding will be used to establish after school programs for high school students and the resources will consist of four components:
College Preparation “Family Plus” Civic Engagement Academic Enrichment
Prior to writing the grant award, Carteret High School along with The Boys and Girls Club of Perth Amboy and The Jewish Renaissance Foundation, partnered with Rutgers University to participate in their “Upward Bound” program, which enables Carteret students to utilize Rutgers’ educational resources twice a month, on campus.
According to the high school administration, the College Preparation component of the after school program will expand the availability of resources and assistance available to juniors and seniors for college, while the Academic Enrichment component will allow for organized after-school tutoring, and will be mandatory for underperforming students, according to Repollet.
While Carteret’s implementation of the program is early in its planning stages, the Boys and Girls Club is tentatively scheduled to open in Carteret High School on Oct. 15. The Family Plus component will also lead to the establishment of Carteret High School’s first “full scale resource center” for parents, while the Civic Engagement component will foster community appreciation, service, and integration among students.
Participation will be open to all Carteret High School students, according to Reiman.
“This program and the establishment of a Boys and Girls Club in Carteret will greatly benefit our high school students and their families. The immense resources that will be made available in terms of counseling, family support, academics, and tutoring will dramatically improve our children’s potential,” Reiman said.
“We’re committed to bringing Carteret schools within and beyond national standards,” said Cherepski, “which means expanding our resources – making programs available beyond school hours, to both students and parents, for both education and personal development. At a time when Governor Christie has cut education aid by $1 billion statewide this grant will have a lasting impact.”
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warc | 201704 | The bill for Stephen Harper's Wonderful World of Austerity is coming due. Nick Fillmore writes in
The Tyee: The austerity program and other government cuts have had disastrous consequences for millions of Canadians. According to a July report by the Canadian Medical Association, there are staggering disparities in life expectancy based on the amount of education a person receives. Residents of rich neighbourhoods live an average of 86.3 years, while those living in a poor neighbourhood average only 65.5 years, a difference of 21 years. Meanwhile, Canadians grow increasingly hungry. In March 2012 882,188 people received food from a food bank in Canada -- an increase of 2.4 per cent over 2011 and 31 per cent higher than in 2008, when austerity measures were launched. Children are not spared austerity's impacts. According to UNICEF's most recent report, out of 29 top countries, Canada ranks in the bottom third for relative child poverty.
It's classic Conservative policy, borrowed from Mike Harris. It's called downloading costs
.And what that really means is that the costs are downloaded on the poor -- which flies in the face of international agreements Canada has signed: When it comes to complying with international law concerning the rights of its citizens, Canada is a rogue state. We have signed international laws that oblige us to provide certain benefits to all citizens. This means ensuring the right to adequate standards of living, including access to food, housing and clothing; the right to participation in the labour force and community; as well as providing citizens with the opportunity to report violations of these rights. However, importantly, the Harper government has neglected to adopt the part of the Covenant that would establish a complaints mechanism that would allow groups or individuals to go to the UN to protest the treatment they receive. They've made sure the process doesn't work and that there will be no complaints.
While they cut, they game the system in favour of the rich and feather their own nests. Meanwhile, the poor pick up the tab. | 2,098 | 1,125 | 0.000891 |
warc | 201704 | Hara hachi bu – eat until you’re 80% full. It’s a good lesson in moderation and self-restraint – and one of many lessons we can learn from Okinawa, that legendary island of long life and extended health. Get plenty of sunshine, eat whole foods, value your community, embrace ikigai or your reason for being and hara hachi bu – eat until you’re 80% full.
A military brat, I spent the bulk of my grade school years on Okinawa and, thanks to an adventurous mother, we explored the island, its culture and, of course, its foods instead of sheltering ourselves within the isolated confines of the air base. While the adventurousness of my mother’s enthusiasm for unusual foods (I’d like to see her duke it out with Andrew Zimmern) can leave even me queasy, she taught me good lessons – namely a respect for indigenous food culture that persists to this day and is reinforced by nonprofit organizations like the Weston A Price Foundation and the Price Pottenger Nutritional Foundation.
My mother would not settle for the standard American foods shipped in across a hemisphere of ocean to the military commissaries. Yes, we ate our fair share of spaghetti and drank plenty of
Crystal Light, but she preferred the freshness and striking variety of Okinawa’s markets. She’d drag my sister and I out on sunny days to the markets and I’d examine the fresh fish – their eyes still glistening and moist from the ocean and their mouth’s gaping open as if to say, “Don’t eat me and I’ll grant you a wish.”
I fell in love with food in Okinawa. I remember the savory and unctuous octopus stir fry at one restaurant and the sesame spinach at another. Still yet, I remember having lunch at a tiny restaurant on a coral cliff overlooking the ocean and being surprised to find a very, very small and very, very live crab in the bottom of my tepid soup. Never mind the yakitori stands that filled the air just outside Gate 2 street with billows of teriyaki-scented smoke. I loved Okinawa – and I loved its foods.
Traditional Foods of Okinawa
The traditional foods of Okinawa are misunderstood. After researchers on aging pegged Okinawa as a hot spot of long life, writers examined the lifestyle and eating habits of Okinawan centenarians in effort to track down some elixir or combination of factors contributing to their long lives. And, as is wont to happen, instead of examining the traditional foods of Okinawa in their own right; they, instead, evaluated them with a decidedly western eye – omitting certain factors, ignoring others and neglecting the context in which still others appear – as if they needed to make the traditional, life-giving foods of Okinawa fit with the diets encouraged by the United States government and the nutritional powers that be.
Animal Foods, Seafoods, Fat and Okinawa Cuisine
Traditional foods of Okinawa are extremely varied, remarkably nutrient-dense as are all traditional foods and strictly moderated with the philosophy of
hara hachi bu. While the diet of Okinawa is, indeed, plant-based it is most certainly not “low fat” as has been posited by some writer-researchers about the native foods of Okinawa. Indeed, all those stirfries of bittermelon and fresh vegetables found in Okinawan bowls are fried in lard and seasoned with sesame oil. I remember fondly that a slab of salt pork graced every bowl of udon I slurped up while living on the island. Pig fat is not, as you can imagine, a low-fat food yet the Okinawans are fond of it. Much of the fat consumed is pastured as pigs are commonly raised at home in the gardens of Okinawan homes. Pork and lard, like avocado and olive oil, are a remarkably good source of monounsaturated fatty acid and, if that pig roots around on sunny days, it is also a remarkably source of vitamin D.
The diet of Okinawa also includes considerably more animal products and meat – usually in the form of pork – than that of the mainland Japanese or even the Chinese. Goat and chicken play a lesser, but still important, role in Okinawan cuisine. Okinawans average about 100 grams or one modest portion of meat per person per day. Animal foods are important on Okinawa and, like all food, play a role in the population’s general health, well-being and longevity.
Fish plays an important role in the cooking of Okinawa as well. Seafoods eaten are various and numerous – with Okinawans averaging about 200 grams of fish per day. Octopus, minnows, skipjack, mahi, crab and even sea urchin are enjoyed liberally. I recall walking the reefs at low-tide to watch the old
mamasans in their sunbonnets squatting over the rocky coral as they scooped up spiny sea urchins, bashed them against reef and scooped out the bright orange goo of inside the urchins. With mixture of disgust and fascination, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the discarded urchins – their black spines still wiggling despite their lack of insides.
Sea urchin or
uni, is a very potent source of fat soluble vitamins including vitamins A and E and it is also a good source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, folate, riboflavin and even vitamin C. Uni, like many of Okinawa’s foods, is extremely nutrient-dense. It is also remarkably fatty with over half of its calories coming from fat – particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetables, Starches, Grains and Okinawan Cuisine
Okinawans use vegetables abundantly and liberally – with vegetables comprising the greatest volume in the native diet. Burdock, carrots, sprouts, wild greens and medicinal herbs are staples. Loofah and the strongly flavored bittermelon are frequently eaten as well. Vegetables make it to every meal – sometimes steamed and often stirfried in lard and seasoned with sesame oil. Bittermelon or
goya is an acquired taste, to put it lightly. It is extremely bitter and remember, where there’s flavor, there’s nutrients. Bittermelon is rich in vitamin C. Bittermelon shows promise in the treatment of type II diabetes as it increases insulin sensitivity.
Iodine-rich sea vegetables such as kombu play an important role in the traditional cuisine of Okinawa. Many types of seaweed are harvested and eaten liberally. Sea vegetables, like fish and shellfish, are nutrient-dense – providing a rich source of trace minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamin K and folate.
Traditional Okinawan cooking also makes use of starches in moderate portions. Millet, rice and the purple-fleshed sweet potato comprise the bulk of the starches though some buckwheat-based soba and wheat-based udon are also used. Until the decades following World War II, polished white rice was not widely available and Okinawa’s inhabitants, instead, relied on whole brown rice often combined with millet as well as the purple-fleshed sweet potato which is – I can say from personal experience – oh so good.
Really good. It’s important to note that grain and starches, apart from times of famine when sweet potato was the only food widely available, were only eaten in small to moderate portions. Soy, Sugar, Tea and Other Accompaniments to Okinawan Cuisine
Soy enthusiasts often point to Asia and Okinawa, specifically, to illustrate perceived benefits of the humble soybean. The Okinawans, like most Asians, have included soy foods into their diet; however, soy’s role in the cuisine of Okinawa is more limited than you might initially think. Indeed while soy foods are enjoyed almost daily, they are neither used in large portions nor used as a primary source of nutrients; rather, they’re used as condiments. And, like all condiments, they’re included as an accompaniment to other foods. Moreoever, in Okinawa, the type of soy eaten is most often fermented. Shoyu, natto and miso are featured. The exception to this rule is tofu which may still, from time to time, be fermented prior to eating and is usually consumed in stir fries.
Soy tends to be goitrogenic, that is: it slows down thyroid function. In Okinawa, you’ll note that soy is consumed in limited portions and as an accompaniment to a diet that is otherwise rich in iodine from seafood and sea vegetables. This natural combination may very well reduce soy’s goitrogenic effects.
Sweets are enjoyed in Okinawa, though, traditionally speaking, only sugar cane and candies made of unrefined lump sugar were eaten. Visiting a living heritage farm on the island, I recall how the cane was cut, milled in its traditional method which released its juices. Those juices were then boiled down to create sugar. The sugar cane was not refined, bleached or other wise processed and its natural minerals were left intact along with its rich molasses-like flavor. This sugar was often used to season pork and chicken as in classic teriyaki sauces as well as used as a candy. Similarly, youths all over the island enjoyed fresh cut cane. Though used as a seasoning agent for meat and an occasional candy, it was left unrefined and its use was limited.
Green teas and even kelp tea are traditionally enjoyed throughout the day and at meal times. These teas are rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols. Awamori, a distilled liquor similar to sake, is also traditionally consumed in Okinawa and most often combined with ice and water.
Hara Hachi Bu
Okinawa’s wholesome foods are traditionally eaten wisely and modestly. The philosophy of
hara hachi bu, or eating until you’re 80% full, accompanies meal time as Okinawans deliberately moderate their portion sizes and hunger. Indeed, hara hachi bu is often whispered like a prayer or grace prior to commencing a meal. The concept of restricting one’s intake of food is not isolated to the Okinawans. Indeed, Weston A Price who studied traditional diets across the globe in the 1930s, found that most if not all traditional societies practiced some form of self-restriction whether it was eating only until 80% full or periodic fasting surrounding rituals.
In the end, we could all benefit from
hara hachi bu – reminding ourselves not to over eat and to be thankful for the nutrient-rich foods that grace our plates.
Map Credit | 10,258 | 4,608 | 0.000223 |
warc | 201704 | Toasting pumpkin seeds, that hallmark of Halloween, are a ritual in our home just as it is in many American homes. We head to the pumpkin patch, a pitiful display of twenty or thirty pumpkins organized with military precision into uniform rows, but it’s all for charity – a way to spend a little extra to support the parks and rec department’s scholarship fund. We each pick out a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. My son chooses the biggest, fattest pumpkin; my husband chooses a modest round one. Me? I like the pumpkins with wizened and gnarled stems.
We choose our pumpkins, bring them home and admire them before slicing them open and scooping out the seeds. Try as might, I can never seem to clean each pumpkin thoroughly. There’s always spoonfuls of stringy pumpkin guts clinging to their interior walls. But beauty lies in imperfection. While my son loves the jack o’ lanterns’ naïve, spooky faces, the pumpkin seeds themselves are my prize, and each year I season them a bit differently. (Click here to go straight to the recipe).
It’s a long tradition in my family, just as I imagine it’s a long tradition in yours as well. One of my earliest memories is that of toasting pumpkin seeds. I couldn’t have been more than five or six at the time, and we carved out the pumpkins. My mother flavored the seeds with oil, cayenne and seasoning salt and roasted them in a hot oven until their spicy, earthy scent filled our home. I ate as many toasted pumpkin seeds as I could – until my tongue burned with the heat of cayenne. They’re even better than candy corn, you know.
Of course, if you raise your child like I do mine – avoiding candy and sugary sweets where you can, perhaps you should let the Candy Fairy know she should visit your home Halloween night. She’ll whisk away all that nasty candy – the tootsie rolls and jawbreakers, the lollipops and caramels, the pixie sticks and twizzlers – leaving behind a special toy she knows your children will positively love. She visits our house a few times a year – after Valentine’s Day and Easter, and sometimes after friends’ birthday parties. Or pack up all those sweets and visit your dentist – he or she might just buy that candy at one or two dollars per pound. In our home, we steer Halloween celebrations away from candy and sweets toward costumes, spooky stories, cultural history, pumpkin carving and, of course, toasting pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin seeds are a beautiful food – earthy in flavor and rich in nutrients, particularly trace minerals. Just a single ounce of roasted pumpkin seeds contains about a quarter of the required daily value for iron, a third for both magnesium and phosphorus and nearly 42% of the required daily value for manganese
1. Pumpkin seeds are also rich in zinc and vitamin K 1. Of course, without proper preparation, all those minerals do surprisingly little good. Pumpkin seeds are extraordinarily rich in phytic acid 2, an antinutrient that binds minerals in the digestive tract preventing your body from fully absorbing these vital micronutrients.
Of course, proper preparation of all seeds, nuts, legumes, beans and grains including pumpkin seeds helps to mitigate the effects of these mineral-blocking antinutrients, enabling your body to better absorb the full complement of minerals contained in these wholesome, natural foods. The simple tasks of soaking (as called for in this recipe), souring or sprouting facilitates the degradation of antinutrients in cereal grains
3 as well as nuts, seeds and legumes, making these foods that much better for you. The Weston A Price Foundation, a nutritional advocacy group, recommends a long period of soaking coupled with roasting to improve the nutritive value of pumpkin seeds 2.
Beyond a high mineral content, pumpkin seeds offer further benefit. The seed is rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan
4. Tryptophan shows some promise in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and a recent pilot study analyzed the effects of tryptophan derived from gourds, like pumpkin, and found that a treatment coupling tryptophan-rich gourd seed with carbohydrates significantly improved anxiety levels among the subjects over a period of just two weeks 5. The same researchers also found that Tryptophan-rich seeds coupled with carbohydrates also reduced insomnia and waking time in the night 6.
toasted pumpkin seeds with chili and lime seeds from one large pumpkin, (about 1 cup) 1½ tsp unrefined sea salt, (divided) 1 egg white 2 tbsp melted butter or clarified butter zest of two limes up to 1 tbsp chili powder Clean the pumpkin seeds, removing any extraneous pumpkin flesh or strings from them, give them a good rinse then cover them in warm water plus one teaspoon unrefined sea salt for eighteen to twenty-four hours. After they’ve soaked for up to twenty-four hours, rinse them, drain them and pat them dry. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the white of one egg and one-half teaspoon unrefined sea salt together until frothy, then stir in two tablespoons melted butter, the zest of two limes and up to one tablespoon chili powder. Toss cleaned and rinsed pumpkin seeds in the mixture of egg white, salt, butter and spices until all the seeds are thoroughly coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Bake in an oven preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately seven minutes, stirring about half-way through. | 5,545 | 2,626 | 0.00039 |
warc | 201704 | A number of external factors help to inform transport decision making, including population data, levels of socio-economic deprivation, fuel prices and freight statistics.
Economic activity (external link) – this report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) provides consistent information about the regional economies.
Employment in New Zealand and regions – broken down by age, (external link) gender (external link) , sector (external link) (private/public), industry (external link) and employment/unemployment rate (external link) .
Finances of local government organisations – histories (external link) are available from the Statistics New Zealand, projections (external link) are available from the Department of Internal Affairs, and a regional breakdown (external link) of central government spending is provided by MBIE.
Fuel price (external link)
– oil price data from MBIE.
Freight (external link) moved within New Zealand as well as imports and exports.
Imports and exports.
Industry, agriculture and horticulture.
Land use and land area.
Population history (external link) , current estimates (external link) and future projections, (external link) plus details from the census (external link) (population estimates at 30 June 1996, 2001 and 2006).
Population of cities and towns, showing history (external link) (totals since 1996) only.
Road freight (external link) – in the Ministry of Transport annual fleet statistics.
Tourism (external link) , showing guest nights of accommodation in the north and south islands, for both domestic and international tourists.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, please email us at data@nzta.govt.nz. | 1,734 | 800 | 0.001284 |
warc | 201704 | What is medical acupuncture? What is Medical acupuncture and how is it different than traditional acupuncture?
Medical acupuncture is similar to traditional eastern acupuncture in many ways. It involves placing needles in points throughout the body to cause a specific effect. However, the theory behind it is vastly different. Medical acupuncture is based in science. It combines our current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology to prescribe a specific treatment regimen to a specific diagnosis, resulting in a specific change in the body. The diagnoses are based on complete myofascial (muscle and connective tissue), neurological, and orthopedic examinations.
In humans acupuncture has been studied for the treatment of a multitude of disorders, many of which our pets can suffer from too. The most common use for acupuncture is to treat pain. This may be acute or chronic pain conditions, post-surgical pain, neck pain, back pain, dental pain, abdominal pain, cancer pain, headaches, and ear aches, . It is also commonly used to treat trigger points (hard painful knots) within muscle that can be acute or chronic.
Acupuncture is also very effective at treating many neurological problems. Acupuncture causes release of chemical signals that can help regenerate nerves and stimulate the nervous system to repair itself. Spinal cord injuries and peripheral nerve injuries can both benefit a great deal from acupuncture.
Acupuncture can be used to treat many other medical conditions. It has been shown to be effective for asthma, allergies, diabetes, infertility, urinary and fecal incontinence, cardiac diseases (arrhythmias, high blood pressure), dry eye, kidney disease and urinary diseases. Acupuncture is also a helpful treatment for patients with cancer as a way of reducing side effects associated with chemotherapy. Although it may not replace traditional Western medical treatments, it can be a useful adjunctive treatment for numerous conditions.
How does it work?
In a word, neuromodulation. Each acupuncture needle is placed in a site that will stimulate a specific nerve or portion of the nervous system. This in turn causes the nervous system to react in a specific way to help decrease pain, increase blood flow, regenerate nerves, improve immune function, decrease inflammation, or reduce anxiety, to name a few.
Is acupuncture right for my pet?
Due to the widespread effects of acupuncture, most pets can benefit in some way. However, it is important that a diagnosis be made before we start treating your pet in order to make sure that all traditional medical avenues are explored. If you are interested in finding out more information for your pet’s medical condition, call and set up a consultation with Dr. Peuser to determine if your pet would be a good candidate. We can likely start treating your pet at the first visit. | 2,873 | 1,330 | 0.000756 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been emerging as a major power source for portable electronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) with their superior performance to other competitors. The performance aspects of energy density and rate capability of LIBs should, however, be further improved for their new applications. Towards this end, many Li-alloy materials, metal oxides, and phosphides have been tested, some of which have, however, been discarded because of poor activity at ambient temperature. Here, it is shown that the InCu binary intermetallic compound (Cu
7In 3), which shows no activity at room temperature as a result of activation energy required for InCu bond cleavage, can be made active by discharge–charge cycling at elevated temperatures. Upon lithiation at elevated temperatures (55–120 °C), the Cu 7In 3 phase is converted into nanograins of metallic Cu and a lithiated In phase (Li 13In 3). The underlying activation mechanism is the formation of new In-rich phase (CuIn). The de-lithiation temperature turns out to be the most important variable that controlling the nature of the In-rich compounds. | 1,160 | 651 | 0.001562 |
warc | 201704 | 894 F2d 1372 Public Utilities Commission of State of California v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
894 F.2d 1372
282 U.S.App.D.C. 332
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF the STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Petitioner,
v. FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, Respondent Southwest Gas Corporation, El Paso Municipal Customer Group, Southern California Gas Company, Conoco, Incorporated, Arizona Public Service Company, et al., Gas Company of New Mexico, Southern Union Gas Company, El Paso Natural Gas Company, Intervenors. EL PASO NATURAL GAS COMPANY, Petitioner, v. FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, Respondent, Southwest Gas Corporation, Public Utilities Commission of the State of California, El Paso Municipal Customer Group, Southern California Gas Company, Conoco, Incorporated, Arizona Public Service Company, et al., Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Gas Company of New Mexico, Southern Union Gas Company, El Paso Natural Gas Company, Intervenors.
Nos. 88-1530, 88-1572.
United States Court of Appeals,
District of Columbia Circuit.
Argued Sept. 14, 1989.
Decided Feb. 2, 1990.
Petition for Review of Orders of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Harvey Y. Morris, with whom Janice E. Kerr and J. Calvin Simpson, San Francisco, Cal., were on the brief, for Public Utilities Com'n of the State of Cal., petitioner in No. 88-1530 and intervenor in No. 88-1572.
Richard C. Green, with whom Kim M. Clark, Washington, D.C., Donald J. MacIver, Jr. and Richard Owen Baish, El Paso, Tex., were on the brief, for El Paso Natural Gas Co., petitioner in No. 88-1572 and intervenor in No. 88-1530. Rush Moody, Jr., Washington, D.C., Scott D. Fobes and Michael D. Ferguson, El Paso, Tex., also entered appearances for El Paso Natural Gas Co.
Timm Abendroth, Atty., F.E.R.C., with whom Catherine C. Cook, Gen. Counsel and Joseph S. Davies, Deputy Sol., F.E.R.C., Washington, D.C., were on the brief, for respondent.
William I. Harkaway, Douglas M. Canter and Steven J. Kalish, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for Southwest Gas Corp., intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Susan N. Kelly and John P. Gregg, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for El Paso Mun. Customer Group, intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Douglas Kent Porter and E.R. Island, Los Angeles, Cal., entered appearances for Southern California Gas Co., intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Barbara S. Jost and Joel L. Greene, Washington, D.C., entered appearances for Arizona Public Service Co., et al., intervenors in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Irving J. Golub, Houston, Tex., and J. Patrick Berry, entered appearances for Gas Co. of New Mexico, intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Robert J. Haggerty, entered an appearance for Southern Union Gas Co., intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Bruce A. Connell, Houston, Tex., entered an appearance for Conoco, Inc., intervenor in Nos. 88-1530 and 88-1572.
Lindsey How-Downing and Steven F. Greenwald, San Francisco, Cal., entered appearances for Pacific Gas and Elec. Co., intervenor in No. 88-1572.
Before MIKVA, WILLIAMS and D.H. GINSBURG, Circuit Judges.
Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge STEPHEN F. WILLIAMS.
Opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part filed by Circuit Judge MIKVA.
STEPHEN F. WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge:
We deal here with complications arising from a change in the way the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission treats pipeline-produced gas as a component of an interstate pipeline's sales rates.
Under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 717 et seq. (1988), the Commission sets the sales prices of interstate pipelines selling natural gas at wholesale. From the start, its predecessor (the Federal Power Commission) used the historical cost of pipeline-produced gas as a component of the ceiling price for a pipeline's final sales. FPC v. Hope Natural Gas Co., 320 U.S. 591, 607-15, 64 S.Ct. 281, 290-94, 88 L.Ed. 333 (1944); Colorado Interstate Gas Co. v. FPC, 324 U.S. 581, 597-604, 65 S.Ct. 829, 837-40, 89 L.Ed. 1206 (1945). Later, of course, as a result of the Supreme Court decision in Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Wisconsin, 347 U.S. 672, 74 S.Ct. 794, 98 L.Ed. 1035 (1954), the Commission started to regulate independent gas producers' wellhead sales, initially with the same historic cost method. For independents' sales it soon moved to a system of regional and then national price ceilings, based only indirectly on cost. It made a similar shift for most pipeline-produced gas, but retained the historic cost system for "old gas" (measured by date of well or lease).
Passage of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, 15 U.S.C. Secs. 3301 et seq. (1988), explicitly transformed the treatment of independents' wellhead sales. It replaced the Commission's system with a complex schedule of congressionally fixed prices (incorporating the Commission's regional and national rates for some categories); it also provided for gradual deregulation. But the NGPA did not explicitly resolve how to treat a pipeline's own gas in computing its selling price. The Commission originally believed that pipeline-produced gas was not covered by the NGPA at all and that for "old gas" it should continue to use the historic cost method. In Public Service Commission of New York v. Mid-Louisiana Gas Co., 463 U.S. 319, 103 S.Ct. 3024, 77 L.Ed.2d 668 (1983), however, the Supreme Court held that Congress intended to include pipeline-produced gas under the NGPA. That still left open whether the historic-cost figures used for pipeline-produced "old gas" were "just and reasonable" rates, as the term was used in Sec. 104 of the NGPA, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 3314. If so, Sec. 104 required the pipeline to use those figures, as in effect on April 20, 1977, adjusted for inflation. If not, then the pipeline could use the ceiling that would have been applicable on that date if it had been buying from an independent, i.e., a regional or national rate, similarly adjusted for inflation. The second method would usually lead to a higher figure. The Commission ultimately adopted it. See Order No. 391-B, First Sales of Pipeline Production under Section 2(21) of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, 40 FERC p 61,174 (1987), reh'g denied, Order No. 391-C, 42 FERC p 61,145 (1988), aff'd, Midwest Energy, Inc. v. FERC, 870 F.2d 660 (D.C.Cir.1989).
El Paso Natural Gas Company has made "purchased gas adjustment" filings under Sec. 4 of the NGA, effective starting October 1, 1983, under which its production is to be "costed" at the rates applicable to independent producers. Two issues have arisen. First, though it is now common ground that the figure for its own gas is to come from a hypothetical sale from an independent to El Paso, there is dispute over what kind of sale. Should El Paso receive the higher prices that the Commission allowed independents who signed "replacement" contracts for expired ones, hoping thereby to give pipelines the leverage to prod independents into dedicating more gas to the interstate market? Second, El Paso in the era of historic costing enjoyed certain accelerated tax deductions, i.e., was able to deduct certain items for income tax purposes sooner than for regulatory accounting purposes, but of course at the expense of being unable to deduct them later. The sums saved in the short-run went into a deferred tax account, earmarked for future tax liabilities. However, now that El Paso has switched away from cost-of-service pricing for its gas production to ceiling prices under the NGPA, the "turnaround" anticipated under tax normalization will never come to pass. The question therefore arises as to the proper disposition of the remaining funds in El Paso's deferred tax account. Can (or must) the Commission use that account to reduce El Paso's current rates?
An earlier Commission stab at these issues came before this court in Public Utilities Commission of California v. FERC, 817 F.2d 858 (D.C.Cir.1987). We remanded FERC's decision on the deferred tax reserve fund for want of reasoned decisionmaking, and found the pricing issue unripe for judicial review. FERC readdressed both issues in light of this court's remand. El Paso Natural Gas Company, 43 FERC p 61,272 ("Order "), reh'g denied, 44 FERC p 61,073 (1988) ("Order on Rehearing "). El Paso appealed certain aspects of these latest orders; the California Public Utilities Commission (which we here call just "California"), the representative of some of El Paso's customers, appealed the rest. For the reasons discussed below, we must once again remand the case to the Commission.
I. Replacement Contract Rate
The parties agree that the gas is covered by Sec. 104 of the NGPA, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 3314(a) (1988), but disagree as to the proper subcategory within Sec. 104. El Paso seeks to price its gas at the "replacement contract" rate. Roughly speaking, this applies to gas sold under a contract replacing a previous contract which had expired by its terms. 18 C.F.R. Sec. 271.402(b)(4).1 California, on the other hand, argues that El Paso is entitled only to the "flowing gas" rate, a catch-all category within Sec. 104 that applies to any gas (not covered by any other category) which was "produced from a well the surface drilling of which commenced prior to January 1, 1973." 18 C.F.R. Sec. 271.402(b)(8). It is the rate that would be applicable to an independent's sales where they were made under a "life-of-the-lease" contract, i.e., one which could not expire by its own terms until the well ceased production. The replacement contract rate is nearly double the flowing gas rate.2
Of course El Paso never had contracts with itself. As the controlling categories depend on contracts, however, they must be imputed. El Paso argues for using replacement contracts, saying that this is necessary in order to fulfill the Commission's conclusion in Order No. 391-B that there should be "parity of pricing between pipeline producers and other producers, both independent and affiliate." 40 FERC at 61,546. More concretely, it argues that since most of its contracts with independents were 20-year contracts, one should treat its transfers to itself as if they had been governed by the same kind of contract.3 The Commission, as we understand it, bought the substance of that argument. If all El Paso's contracts with independents were 20-year contracts, then El Paso's view would prevail entirely. But the Commission held that the imputation should occur "in accordance with [El Paso's] contracting pattern," so that if El Paso bought 80 per cent of its independent-supplied gas under fixed-term contracts, then 80 per cent of its own gas would enjoy replacement-gas rates (at least assuming passage of 20 years). If 20 per cent of its purchases from independents were under "life-of-the-lease" contracts, then 20 per cent would receive the flowing gas rate. It ordered hearings before an administrative law judge to secure the facts needed to apply this principle of proportionality. Order on Rehearing, 44 FERC at 61,205.
El Paso suggests offhandedly in a footnote that this remand makes it "premature" for the court to review the Commission's decision. See Brief of Intervenor El Paso at 7 n. 6. Although El Paso never makes clear the exact nature of its claim here, we must address it to the extent that it questions the finality of the orders under review, as finality is necessary to our jurisdiction. See, e.g., Bell v. New Jersey, 461 U.S. 773, 777-80, 103 S.Ct. 2187, 2190-92, 76 L.Ed.2d 312 (1983).4
The Natural Gas Act simply provides that a "party ... aggrieved by an order" of the Commission may seek review, Sec. 19(b), 15 U.S.C. Sec. 717r(b) (1988),5 but the Supreme Court as early as 1938 found a requirement of finality in the parallel provision of the Federal Power Act, FPC v. Metropolitan Edison Co., 304 U.S. 375, 384, 58 S.Ct. 963, 967, 82 L.Ed. 1408 (1938), and the lower courts extended the requirement to the NGA. See Atlantic Seaboard Corp. v. FPC, 201 F.2d 568, 572 (4th Cir.1953). This court has consistently noted that the finality inquiry is to be a pragmatic one. See, e.g., United Municipal Distributors Group v. FERC, 732 F.2d 202, 206 n. 4 (D.C.Cir.1984); Delmarva Power & Light Co. v. FERC, 671 F.2d 587, 592 (D.C.Cir.1982); Papago Tribal Utility Authority v. FERC, 628 F.2d 235, 239 (D.C.Cir.1980).
Here there is little practical concern pointing against review. There is no suggestion that immediate review would interfere with or frustrate the administrative process. Indeed, the ALJ has proceeded with the task and found that 98.5% of El Paso's contracts with independent producers were fixed-term contracts, 89.3% of which were 20-year contracts. Compare Metropolitan Edison, 304 U.S. at 383-84, 58 S.Ct. at 966-67 (expressing concern over "constant delays" that review of procedural orders would entail). As FERC has already finally decided the substantive issue on appeal to us, review now does not prevent it from bringing its expertise to bear. See, e.g., ASARCO, Inc. v. FERC, 777 F.2d 764, 772 (D.C.Cir.1985) (distinguishing cases where judicial review "involve[d] no pre-emption of the agency's primary jurisdiction"). Indeed, the Commission itself wants us to review the replacement contract issue now. Cf. NRDC v. EPA, 859 F.2d 156, 167 (D.C.Cir.1988) (giving weight to agency position on ripeness); United Municipal Distributors Group v. FERC, 732 F.2d 202, 207 n. 6 (D.C.Cir.1984) (same). A possible benefit for the agency is that our resolution of the merits may moot the ongoing proceedings before the agency. See Parks v. Pavkovic, 753 F.2d 1397, 1402 (7th Cir.1985) ("if this appeal is allowed and the state persuades us that no damages should be awarded, an expensive computation involving thousands of bills will be avoided").
There appears little risk that immediate review will increase the burden on the courts. There is no possibility that the remaining proceedings might moot the case by giving victory to the loser on other grounds. See FTC v. Standard Oil Co. of California, 449 U.S. 232, 242, 101 S.Ct. 488, 494, 66 L.Ed.2d 416 (1980); Ciba-Geigy Corp. v. EPA, 801 F.2d 430, 434 (D.C.Cir.1986); Papago, 628 F.2d at 240. The only remaining concern is that immediate review will increase the risk of multiple reviews where one would be more economical. See Standard Oil, 449 U.S. at 242, 101 S.Ct. at 494. Two aspects of the remand to the ALJ suggest the risk is modest. First, the task before the ALJ appears to have been somewhat mechanical and thus unlikely to generate issues for judicial review at all. Second, even in the event of a second appeal, it does not appear that any such issues would be analytically entangled with the present one, which involves solely the basic principle of how best to analogize El Paso's role as a producer for itself to the role of independents selling to interstate pipelines. See Parks, 753 F.2d at 1402 (relying on similar features of residual issues in finding finality under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1291); see also Boeing Co. v. Van Gemert, 444 U.S. 472, 479 & n. 5, 100 S.Ct. 745, 749-50 n. 5, 62 L.Ed.2d 676 (1980) (reviewing as final a money judgment against the defendant in class action in which the damages against the class as a whole had been determined, but the claims by individual absentee class members remained to be addressed); Love v. Pullman Co., 569 F.2d 1074, 1076 (10th Cir.1978) (reviewing as final a "formula" for determining back pay in a successful class action Title VII case, even though computation of actual damages was referred to a master); cf. St. Louis Shipbuilding and Steel Co. v. Casteel, 583 F.2d 876, 876 n. 1 (8th Cir.1978) (decision of Benefits Review Board, reversing ALJ and supplying a new formula to be used in determining benefits to be awarded, is final under 33 U.S.C. Sec. 92(d)). Compare Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. v. Wetzel, 424 U.S. 737, 744, 96 S.Ct. 1202, 1206-07, 47 L.Ed.2d 435 (1976) (order deciding liability but leaving damages to be computed at later proceeding not final). We note that Commission rate orders often appear to leave detail issues to "compliance" filings, without anyone supposing that this deprives them of finality. See Union Electric Co. v. FERC, 890 F.2d 1193, 1197 (D.C.Cir.1989).
On the merits, we find no adequate explanation of the Commission view that El Paso's pattern of contracting with independents should govern the classification of the gas it produces. On rehearing, for example, it said, "Complete parity requires looking to substance and not form by pricing pipeline production as if the gas had been produced by an independent producer." 44 FERC at 61,204. Neither this nor anything the Commission has said explains why El Paso's conduct as buyer should govern the classification of its gas for purposes of fixing its revenues as seller.
More important, FERC's theory does nothing to address California's argument that it should place El Paso's gas into the (imputed) contract category that best corresponds to the economic realities of pipeline-owned gas. That correspondence, it argues, depends on the Commission's purpose in allowing enhanced rates for replacement-contract gas but not for gas sold under an original, unexpired contract (or, indeed, a contract negotiated to replace a life-of-the-lease contract).
The Commission's apparent theory in allowing increased prices for replacement contract gas was that expiration of a contract in accordance with its terms gave the pipeline an opportunity to tempt the producer to dedicate additional acreage and commit itself to more exploration and development activities. Evidently the Commission reasoned that only where the pipeline could refuse to renew a contract, leaving the producer's gas dedicated to interstate commerce but unsold, would it be able to extract additional drilling or acreage commitments in exchange for higher prices. See Opinion No. 699-H, Just and Reasonable National Rates For Sales of Natural Gas, 52 FPC 1604, 1632 (1974); Opinion No. 770-A, National Rates for Jurisdictional Sales of Natural Gas, 56 FPC 2698, 2717-20 (1976). Whatever the precise theory, California makes the seemingly persuasive argument that since El Paso necessarily drilled all the wells in question with the expectation of receiving only the historic cost rate for pipeline-produced gas, none of the gas can possibly be a response to the incentive price created for "replacement gas." In any event, we think the Commission must try to relate its current imputation process to the theory of its earlier distinction. In particular, it must respond to California's contention that gas should not receive the replacement contract rate in the absence of some reason to associate the gas with the incentives that that rate was intended to afford.
While we seriously doubt whether the Commission can justify allowing El Paso replacement contract rates for its company-produced gas under any theory, we remand this aspect of the case to the Commission rather than reverse.
II. Deferred Tax Reserve Fund
Under cost-of-service pricing, a utility's rates are set to allow recovery of all costs of production. Income taxes are among the costs recoverable. A problem arises when the tax code allows a firm to deduct an expense for income tax purposes sooner than the Commission allows it to charge its customers with the item. Thus, while the federal income tax laws allow immediate expensing of certain "intangible drilling costs" of a well, they are for regulatory accounting purposes treated as a capital item, and recovered by an annual depreciation charge over the life of the well. In such a case a question arises as to how to time the tax benefit (i.e., the tax reduction resulting from the accelerated, non-conforming deduction of costs for tax purposes).
Under the "flowthrough" method, a utility must pass the tax benefit on to customers in the year received under the tax laws. Under "normalization"--the method applied to El Paso before the switch to NGPA pricing--the utility spreads the tax benefit over the life of the relevant asset, so that a customer, in any given year of the asset's life, will both bear the burden of depreciation allocable to that year and enjoy whatever tax benefit is associated with that depreciation. This is known as the matching principle. See Public Systems v. FERC, 709 F.2d 73, 76 (D.C.Cir.1983) (Public Systems II ).
Normalization thus allows a utility to charge its customers more in tax costs in the early year(s) of an asset's life than the firm pays out in taxes. The tax savings of course are temporary. Assuming no change in rate or other disturbance, the utility must make it up in later years of the asset's life. In the meantime it builds up funds that are reserved for the later taxes. The Commission requires a utility to deduct the amount of the fund from its rate base, in order to reflect the fact that with respect to a certain portion of its rate base the utility has no interest cost. While this has the effect (roughly) of giving customers the benefit of the interest or other earnings on the fund, the Commission has flatly rejected the notion that normalization can properly be analogized to a loan from customers to the utility. See Order No. 144, Regulations Implementing Tax Normalization for Certain Items Reflecting Timing Differences in the Recognition of Expenses or Revenues for Ratemaking and Income Tax Purposes, FERC Stats. & Regs. [1977-1981] p 30,254 at 31,539, Order No. 144-A (Order Denying Rehearing), FERC Stats. & Regs. [1982-1985] p 30,340 (1982), aff'd, Public Systems v. FERC, 709 F.2d 73 (D.C.Cir.1983).
In the case of El Paso's gas production assets, the reserve amounted to about $100 million dollars as of October 1, 1983, the date of El Paso's switch to NGPA pricing. See Order on Rehearing, 44 FERC at 61,207. The switch of course wiped out the premise of tax normalization--that the price of natural gas would be tied to historic cost and that El Paso would directly charge its customers the annual depreciation on its gas production assets. Thus the matching principle has ceased to operate as an explicit guide. Both El Paso and its customers claim the tax reserve. California argues also that even if El Paso may keep the fund, its customers should enjoy its earning power as it is gradually drawn down for payment of deferred taxes.
FERC originally determined that the fund and its earnings should remain with El Paso. The previous panel remanded on the grounds that FERC had inadequately explained the decision. It left the Commission free to proceed on remand as it saw fit (within the bounds of the law). On remand, the Commission split the baby. While adhering to its original decision on the fund, it ordered that El Paso's customers should receive its earnings so long as it existed. (The Commission assumed it would be drawn down to pay deferred taxes associated with income from the relevant production assets.) See 44 FERC at 61,207. This credit to the customers was to be achieved, as before 1983, by deducting the fund balance from El Paso's rate base.
We find the Commission's credit for the fund's earnings not in accordance with law. (The reasons will make apparent why its disposition of the principal is correct.) The fundamental difficulty with the credit of the fund's earnings is that it is not attached to, derived from, or related to any service that El Paso provides or has provided in the periods covered by the PGA filings, i.e., October 1, 1983 and thereafter. It is plain that the credit does not attach to El Paso's transmission service. It does not in any logical sense apply to El Paso's current gas costs: as to those, Sec. 601 of the NGPA, and the Supreme Court's decision in Mid-Louisiana, entitle the pipeline to NGPA rates--not NGPA rates reduced by a credit to adjust for tax controversies related to prior years. Finally, if the credit rests on a Commission view that the rates collected for gas prior to October 1983 were in retrospect too high, then the credit violates the rule against retroactive ratemaking.
1. Transmission service. It hardly seems worth arguing that El Paso's gas production facilities do not contribute to its provision of gas transmission service, but the Commission's order (at least in form) pretends otherwise. The credit is given customers by deducting the fund from the rate base. But with the switch to NGPA pricing, the only investments in that rate base are ones relating to gas transmission. As the Commission noted in another case: "To the extent that the Mid-Louisiana decision requires [a natural gas company's] production to be priced under the NGPA, the decision simply results in removal of [its] production plant from the rate base so it is nonjurisdictional for purposes of this rate proceeding." Consolidated Gas Supply Corp., 24 FERC p 61,283 at 61,584 (1983).
It would seem to go without saying that the Commission cannot simply lop money out of a company's jurisdictional rate base in order to dole out a credit intended to solve some problem extraneous to the rate base. Not surprisingly, the very FERC regulations establishing the mechanism of a rate base adjustment for deferred tax reserves require that the tax reserve adjustments to rate base be related to jurisdictional assets. See 18 C.F.R. Sec. 154.63a(b)(2)(ii) ("Such rate base reductions or additions must be limited to deferred taxes related to rate base, construction or other jurisdictional activities."); see also Order No. 144, FERC Stats. & Regs. [1977-1981] p 30,254 at 31,558 (1981) (rate base adjustments must "aris[e] from construction-related timing differences and from other jurisdictional activities"). This requirement is not just a technical accounting principle. It ensures that the tax benefits flowing from a given asset accrue only to customers who also bear the costs associated with that asset.
In explaining its rate base adjustment, the Commission acknowledged that "accounting principles" required discontinuance of the rate base credit once the relevant facilities were out of the rate base. (It did not refer explicitly to its override of Sec. 154.63a(b)(2)(ii).) But it asserted that "[t]he relevant point is that El Paso has the use of cost-free capital generated from past rates." Order, 43 FERC at 61,748. Although the presence of "cost-free" capital was relevant while a pipeline's gas was priced under cost-of-service principles, it loses meaning under the shift to NGPA prices. Accordingly, we cannot be certain what the Commission intends by the phrase. Whatever the explanation's meaning, it cannot possibly turn a production-related deferred tax fund into something transmission-related.
Indeed, in its first pass at the issue, the Commission expressed concern that applying the fund (or its earnings) to El Paso's rates would effectively enable El Paso to "cross-subsidize" its transmission services with the funds. El Paso Natural Gas Co., 33 FERC p 61,099 at 61,210 (1985). The remark was an odd one, as El Paso had never shown any desire to offer such a subsidy. But the underlying point, that the fund was completely unrelated to El Paso's transmission service, was clearly correct. No reason appears why current users of El Paso's transmission service, who may take no El Paso gas at all, should receive credits based on earlier El Paso gas service.
2. Current gas supplies. In enacting the NGPA, Congress took away from the Commission the power to determine just and reasonable rates for wellhead sales of gas (including, under Mid-Louisiana, intracompany wellhead transfers). Instead it set ceiling prices itself. Section 601 addresses the downstream impact of the wellhead ceilings, entitling a natural gas company to pass on NGPA-complying costs. (Sec. 601(b)(1) states that amounts paid that comply with Title I of the NGPA shall be deemed just and reasonable for Natural Gas Act purposes, and Sec. 601(c)(2) states that the Commission may not deny a pipeline recovery of amounts deemed just and reasonable under Sec. 601(b)(1), subject to exceptions not relevant here). 15 U.S.C. Sec. 3431 (1988). Thus, if the rate El Paso is passing on to customers is a lawful rate under the NGPA, the Commission is powerless to reduce it.
Although El Paso's only jurisdictional transactions are its provision of gas or transmission service, the Commission asserts that its credit "has no impact on El Paso's receiving NGPA prices for NGPA sales." Commission Brief at 25 (quoting Order on Rehearing, 44 FERC at 61,206). This seems utterly fictional. If the credit does not relate to transmission, which is plain enough, it must relate to gas. As El Paso points out, "the Commission [may not] pick the pipeline pocket but point to the producer pocket as still full." Initial Brief of Petitioner El Paso at 22.
California argues both that the NGPA pricing scheme allows the Commission to distribute the fund (and its earnings) to customers and that it requires it to do so. The two arguments coalesce. Both start with the proposition that the deferred tax fund is derived from customer charges and that the Commission's tax normalization regulations contemplated its use for future tax payments. Thus, according to California, if El Paso keeps the fund, it is really "charging" the customers an "add-on" to the NGPA prices.
Since El Paso's switch to NGPA pricing, it has passed on to its customers no more than the ceiling prices that Congress set. On its face, therefore, El Paso has been complying with the NGPA. Rather than end the inquiry there, however, California's argument would engage us in an analysis of El Paso's costs after its switch to NGPA pricing. However, it is precisely such an inquiry which Congress sought to foreclose by adopting ceiling prices which were "wholly divorced from the traditional historical-cost methods applied by the Commission in implementing the [Natural Gas Act]." Mid-Louisiana, 463 U.S. at 333, 103 S.Ct. at 3032-33. Simply because these funds were collected in contemplation of future tax liabilities does not authorize us or the Commission to embark anew on the cost-based analysis that Congress sought to avoid through passage of the NGPA.
California is therefore reduced to arguing that until October 1983 El Paso was merely a "custodian" of the tax funds, Initial Brief of Petitioner California at 46, so that when it uses or retains them after the switch to NGPA it is really charging for them (or for its current tax costs) during the post-switch period. In fact, however, the fund was generated from past rates which have long since been finally approved as just and reasonable and collected. As the Commission noted, 44 FERC at 61,205, just because El Paso may draw on these funds to pay future costs does not mean that the funds should be treated as having been collected in the period in which they are spent. Moreover, the argument appears to rest on the notion that under normalization accounting customers enjoy an equitable interest in a utility's deferred tax account, a notion that the Commission and this court have both rejected. See Order No. 144, FERC Stats. & Regs. [1977-1981] p 30,254 at 31,539 (1981); Public Systems v. FERC, 709 F.2d at 86 n. 30. California's approach not only plays games with the ordinary meaning of words but invites a wholesale destruction of the rule against retroactive ratemaking.
California notes that in a case sustaining normalization prior to Order No. 144, this court rested its affirmation on the concept that there would be no "permanent tax savings" accruing to producers but not to the benefit of customers. American Public Gas Ass'n v. FPC ("APGA "), 567 F.2d 1016, 1042 (D.C.Cir.1977). Moreover, the court said that the legitimacy of the Commission's method depended on the assumption of its being applied consistently in the future; if it adopted another method, "the producers could indeed achieve a tax 'savings' that is permanent and would not inure to the benefit of consumers." Id. But the APGA decision will not support the inferences California would draw. The statement quoted was obviously not made in contemplation of Congress's later enactment of the NGPA. Nor could it have meant that the validity of tax normalization depends on its indefinite continuation, regardless of changing circumstances. Tax normalization sought to "match" the timing of a customer's contribution toward a cost with enjoyment of any offsetting tax benefit. In the pre-1983 period El Paso's rates did just that. Enactment of the NGPA, however, mooted the whole question to which normalization was an answer. The logic of California's argument in fact requires that if the NGPA had completely deregulated wellhead prices,6 the Commission would have to keep soldiering on with stray remnants of the prior learning. APGA cannot have intended that.
Finally, California's "windfall" argument overlooks the reality that every pre-1983 purchaser received the full tax benefit associated with every expense that it bore. El Paso's enjoyment of the deferred tax reserve is a "windfall" only if one assumes that the accounting system used by the Commission for regulatory purposes (i.e., capitalizing intangible drilling expenses and providing for periodic recovery through depreciation charges) was the one true way. In fact, however, that method was simply one policy choice out of several. Congress in its tax provisions allowed an immediate tax benefit for certain types of investment in order to encourage them. The Commission might itself have similarly allowed immediate recovery of the drilling expenses. Had it done so, the two accounting systems would have "matched," and El Paso would have recovered the entire cost of the items in the first year. Compared to that scenario, cessation of the historic cost system has given the customers a "windfall." The reason we would reject any such argument by El Paso is simply that we take as given, as the baseline for reasoning, the accounting system that the Commission happened to employ for regulatory purposes in the period of historic costing. Similarly, if FERC had formerly employed the flow-through method of passing on tax breaks to consumers, followed by an El Paso switch to NGPA pricing, we would allow no current adjustment in its rates to offset the customers' "windfall" of receiving the entire tax break from assets of which they would have paid for only a part. We must take the prior system as given, for to do otherwise would open the door to endless retroactive ratemaking. As that principle would foreclose El Paso from claiming (under either of the above hypotheticals) that complete cessation of the system in 1983 gave its customers a windfall, so it prevents the customers from claiming that cessation of the prior system conferred a windfall on El Paso.
3. Retroactive ratemaking. To the extent that the Commission's credit is intended to implement a Commission perception that, in light of the October 1, 1983 switch, El Paso's prior rates were unjust or unreasonable (FERC makes no such claim), it would violate the rule against retroactive ratemaking.7 The Commission made no such claim either in its opinions below or in its brief before us.
With limited exceptions inapplicable here,8 the Natural Gas Act allows the Commission only to change rates prospectively. Where the Commission takes on the burden of showing that prevailing rates are unjust or unreasonable, Sec. 5(a) of the Act allows it only to determine the "just and reasonable rate ... to be thereafter observed." 15 U.S.C. Sec. 717d(a) (1988) (emphasis added).9
Here the Commission has addressed itself to disposition of El Paso's deferred tax fund, which is composed entirely of rate revenue that El Paso has already collected. See above at 17. Refund of such property, or its earnings, would effectively force El Paso to return a portion of rates approved by FERC and collected by El Paso. This kind of post hoc tinkering would undermine the predictability which the doctrine seeks to protect. See Columbia Gas, 831 F.2d at 1141. The Act's limited provision for refunds reflects a congressional determination that parties in the industry need to be able to rely on the finality of approved rates, and that this interest outweighs the value of being able to correct for decisions that in hindsight may appear unsound.10 The rule against retroactive ratemaking also tends to make this highly regulated market approximate ordinary ones, where, for example, General Motors may not, after a sale, demand another $500 to cover its costs, and a buyer may not demand a refund because he just discovered that a competitor had been offering similar cars for less. The doctrine is, of course, a two-way street. It bars "the Commission's retroactive substitution of an unreasonably high or low rate with a just and reasonable rate." City of Piqua v. FERC, 610 F.2d 950, 954 (D.C.Cir.1979); see also Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Hall, 453 U.S. at 576-79, 101 S.Ct. at 2929-31; Associated Gas Distributors v. FERC, 893 F.2d 349, 354-57 (1989) (disallowing $650 million sought by pipeline in excess of prior charges).
We note that in its orders on review here the Commission appeared to justify its baby-splitting position on grounds of equity, saying, for example, that "[t]he Commission believes that [its] treatment of El Paso's deferred tax reserve is an equitable solution to an extremely difficult dilemma." 43 FERC at 61,748. Part of this focus may have arisen out of references in our earlier opinion to equitable issues, such as a mention of the need to address "difficult issues of equity" posed by the transition. 817 F.2d at 862. But our previous decision only remanded the issue to FERC because it had failed to provide a reasoned explanation for what it had done. The court obviously never intended to imbue the Commission with the authority to ignore the law in achieving an equitable result. Whatever hints the Commission may have found in the opinion that the issue was essentially an equitable one were not intended to relieve--and, indeed, could not have relieved--FERC of its duty to follow the law. The Commission had no legal right to reduce El Paso's post-October 1, 1983 rates for gas transmission below levels found to be just and reasonable for that service, or to impair its right under Sec. 601 of the NGPA to recover NGPA-complying amounts for its gas. Accordingly, the Commission's adjustments of those rates were in substance a retroactive adjustment of prior rates based on normalization. The rule against such revision operates sometimes to protect customers from surcharges and at others to protect gas companies from refunds; its equity lies in its steady application regardless of what party is seeking to reexamine the past.
Our discussion has not focused separately on the fund or the interest. As noted above, see supra at 1380, we see no basis for distinguishing between the two. Both elements equally lack any relation whatsoever to current transmission service. Similarly, with respect to current gas service, any reduction from current gas prices would undercut the pricing rules of the NGPA regardless of whether the fund or its interest was the source of the reduction. That the amount of the fund was formerly deducted from El Paso's gas production rate base arose solely out of the Commission's intention to match El Paso's then-current gas prices with its then-current gas costs; with the application of NGPA pricing, the gas production rate base has disappeared, and the matching principle, while no longer explicitly operative, points against, not for, any such adjustment. Finally, the rule against retroactive ratemaking prevents the Commission not only from forcing a utility to disgorge the proceeds of rates that have been finally approved and collected, but also from denying a producer the fruits of those proceeds. A contrary result would make the prohibition against retroactive ratemaking a sham, by allowing the Commission indirectly to deny a party the benefits of filed rates despite the prohibition against doing so directly.
Conclusion
We affirm the Commission's decision to allow El Paso to retain the deferred tax reserve, and reverse its decision reducing El Paso's rate base by the amount of the reserve. We reverse its decision on the replacement contract issue and remand the matter to FERC for it to resolve consistently with this opinion.
So ordered.
MIKVA, Circuit Judge, concurring in part and dissenting in part:
I join in the first part of the majority's opinion, but I cannot join that portion which reverses FERC's decision to require repayment of the time value of El Paso's tax reserves. The majority's decision declares FERC's compromise unreasonable although that compromise is precisely the type of solution that this very court proposed to FERC when it remanded this case. To condemn as unreasonable that which three judges of this court found to be within the agency's discretion is itself most unreasonable. We make it hard for agencies to know what is the order of the march when the direction is reversed every time they appear before us. As to that portion of our order, I dissent.
When this case was before the Court previously, we observed that the Court's only role in evaluating FERC's action was to ensure that it reflected "reasoned decisionmaking." Public Utilities Comm'n of State of Cal. v. FERC, 817 F.2d 858 (D.C.Cir.1987). As the Court observed, the language of the Act and its legislative history do not provide for the disposition of the deferred tax reserves. Id. at 861-62. In such a case, our review is extremely narrow. "[I]f the statute is silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific issue, the question for the court is whether the agency's answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute." Chevron U.S.A. v. NRDC, 467 U.S. 837, 843, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 2782, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984).
We observed on remand that because of the complex interrelationships created by changing over to NGPA pricing, "an entirely fair manner of treating the tax reserves will be highly difficult to craft." 817 F.2d at 863. Accordingly, we instructed the Commission that it was free to frame a resolution that served the equitable interests of El Paso, its past customers, and its future customers as long as it supported that disposition with a "reasoned analysis." Id. We further offered the Commission some guidance in evaluating its various alternatives. We devoted considerable discussion to the FERC staff's conclusion that "the most equitable solution" would be to carry out the reserves' initial purpose. The Court described this "status quo" approach as comporting with common-sense, and expressed some optimism that this result could be "effectuated at least in part through an arrangement by which the intended beneficiaries (El Paso's future customers) are the eventual recipients through rate adjustments." Id. In fact, we placed the onus upon the Commission to explain "why the reserves should not redound to the benefit of El Paso's future customers and ... why El Paso enjoys a greater equitable claim to the reserves than its past customers (whose rates generated the funds now reflected in the reserves)." Id. at 863.
On remand, FERC did precisely as we instructed. It considered the equitable claims of El Paso and El Paso's ratepayers and, after reasoned analysis, concluded that neither had an unqualified claim. Accordingly, the Commission adopted a sensible compromise: it decided to maintain the status quo which existed before the NGPA, whereby both El Paso and its ratepayers retained an interest in the deferred tax funds. The Commission noted that before NGPA, El Paso retained the tax reserves to pay future taxes but paid back the time value of that money to its customers in the form of deductions from its rate base. The Commission determined that retaining the status quo would accomplish the dual purposes of allowing El Paso to pay off its tax liability while ensuring that it did not unjustly retain interest on money advanced by prior ratepayers. 44 FERC at 61,207.
Although the majority attempts to fashion a "better" solution, it fails to demonstrate why the one adopted by FERC was unreasonable, particularly in light of both the NGPA's silence and this Court's instructions. The majority suggests two bases for its conclusion that FERC acted unreasonably. First, it contends that the amounts to be refunded do not bear any relation to services provided by El Paso after its switch to NGPA pricing. Hence, the majority reasons, refunding any portion of the tax reserves would violate the proscription against retroactive ratemaking. Second, it argues that--regardless of whether its solution is equitable--FERC lacked legal authority to pursue the procedure (i.e. rate reductions) by which it hoped to return the fund's interest to El Paso's ratepayers. Neither of these conclusions withstands scrutiny, nor can they be squared with what this Court told FERC about its legal authority in the last airing of this very dispute.
The majority's analysis of retroactive ratemaking misses the point. The majority explains that current NGPA rates only reflect transmission costs while most of the deferred tax fund relates to El Paso's gas production assets. The majority states that "[n]o reason appears why current users of El Paso's transmission service, who may take no El Paso gas at all, should receive credits based on earlier El Paso gas service." Ante at 1380. The majority reasons that current users of El Paso's transmission service, who may or may not take El Paso gas, should not receive credits based on earlier El Paso gas service. If that defect is so fatal to the compromise, it could be corrected by distributing refunds only to those El Paso customers who receive both transmission and gas service.
The majority's point with respect to reductions in NGPA pricing is similarly flawed. The majority contends that even if the credits were related to "gas production," they would violate NGPA Sec. 601 which prohibits FERC from reducing the NGPA rate. The problem with the majority's approach is that it confuses FERC's decision to provide credits with the vehicle FERC chose to accomplish this end. It observes that under Sec. 601 of the NGPA, the Commission may not reduce gas transmission rates below the prices fixed by Sec. 104 of that Act. Accordingly, the majority concludes that the Commission erred by reducing current rates, regardless of the purpose for doing so. The majority's quarrel then is not with returning interest from the tax reserves to the customers, but with using the rate base to accomplish this.
Rather than "split the baby," the majority proposes to toss it out with the bathwater. In effect, the majority concludes that because refunding through rate reductions violates the letter of the NGPA, no refund is permissible. This simply cannot be true. If it wished to, the Commission could have required El Paso to pay out the interest from the reserves in periodic cash payments to its present and future gas customers. The Commission's decision to use rate reductions as the means for distribution reflects its effort to administer repayment of interest in a manner which imposes the least amount of burden upon El Paso. Regardless of the advisability of this approach, the approach taken has no bearing upon FERC's general authority to order repayment in the first place.
The majority also suggests that even current gas customers would not be entitled to credits because this would prevent El Paso from receiving NGPA prices on NGPA sales, and thus would violate the proscription against retroactive ratemaking. This simply is not true. El Paso would still receive its NGPA price for its NGPA sale. It would also still retain funds to pay off its tax liability on previously acquired production assets. All El Paso would lose under FERC's interpretation is interest on customer contributed funds that it never expected to retain. The rate reductions do not in fact lower the ceiling rates, they merely use the rates as a vehicle for refunding other unjustly held funds. The reserves were collected from non-NGPA priced sales and, therefore, are in no way an add-on to sales at NGPA prices.
As this Court presciently observed in American Public Gas Ass'n v. FPC ("APGA"), 567 F.2d 1016, 1042 (D.C.Cir.1977), tax normalization is only fair if it is applied consistently for the depreciable life of the asset. The majority claims that the treatment of normalization is now "moot" because of the NGPA, and we could never have meant that tax normalization continue indefinitely. These statements are conclusory and unfounded. As noted, Congress did not contemplate the effect of normalization when it passed the NGPA and, as this case proves, normalization is not moot. Furthermore, Congress did not "end" normalization here: El Paso did. El Paso electively switched over to NGPA pricing in 1983, in order to take advantage of the higher, non-cost-justified rates available. FERC merely determined that that election does not relieve El Paso from its obligation to restore unjustly held earnings on customer-contributed funds to its customers. I cannot conclude, nor can I understand the majority's conclusion, that FERC's decision is "unreasonable."
In its remand order, this Court found that the pre-NGPA status quo permitted El Paso to accumulate funds for tax purposes now in order to relieve future ratepayers of more burdensome tax liabilities later. 817 F.2d at 861. Because the pipeline producer functioned as a "custodian" of the deferred tax funds, it was not entitled to retain the earnings on those funds any more than a trustee may keep the interest on a trust. Under the majority's opinion, El Paso may now collect a higher rate, use customer-contributed funds to pay its tax liability, and retain interest on those funds even though that was never contemplated under either the pre-NGPA or NGPA systems. The windfall is as obvious as it is unwarranted.
Even if the majority's solution to the problem were better than FERC's, and even if it were not inconsistent with our previous instructions, it substitutes the Court's judgment for that of the agency. Even before Chevron, the Supreme Court precluded reviewing courts from trying to perform the regulatory function Congress set elsewhere. See, e.g., Ford Motor Co. v. NLRB, 441 U.S. 488, 99 S.Ct. 1842, 60 L.Ed.2d 420 (1979). Our inconsistent directives in this case provide a classic example of why. The majority has exceeded this Court's authority by demanding more than reasoned decisionmaking from FERC. FERC's plan to preserve the status quo in the face of Congressional silence was perfectly sensible. El Paso would have continued to act as a custodian for future ratepayers, just as we suggested they might. The majority presents no reason why El Paso should be relieved of its duty to act as a custodian save for its technical objections that the vehicle for accomplishing this runs afoul of a formalistic reading of the NGPA. The majority's reading is not only questionable, it is also irrelevant. The real issue is whether FERC had the authority to maintain the status quo, not how it chose to do so.
I think FERC's decision and the prior remand of this court deserve greater respect than the majority accords them. FERC demonstrated the requisite "reasoned decisionmaking" in determining that the interest on the deferred tax reserves should continue to be returned to El Paso's customers. It did exactly what the previous panel of this Court suggested it could do. Now a new panel deems this determination unreasonable. I dissent.
Section 271.402(b)(4) provides in full:
"Replacement contract gas or recompletion gas" means natural gas to which this subpart applies which is:
(i) Sold under a replacement contract which was executed on or after January 1, 1973, but prior to November 9, 1978, where the prior contract expired by its own terms prior to January 1, 1973; or
(ii) Sold under a replacement contract executed prior to November 9, 1978, where the prior contract expired by its own terms after January 1, 1973; or
(iii) Sold under a contract for the sale of natural gas from well commenced prior to January 1, 1973, and not sold in interstate commerce prior to January 1, 1973, (excluding gas sold prior to such date under Secs. 2.68, 2.70, 157.22 or 157.29 of this chapter); or
(iv) Produced as a result of a completion operation into a different formerly nonproductive reservoir, commenced on or after January 1, 1973, and produced through a well commenced prior to January 1, 1973.
As of October 1983, flowing gas was priced at 47.5 cents per MMBtu, whereas replacement contract gas was priced at 84.9 cents per MMBtu. Joint Appendix ("J.A.") 19
We gather that once the Commission imputes contracts, it would, for any given period, allow El Paso the replacement contract rate only for the proportion of gas that could be expected to be covered in that period by replacement contracts, i.e., the proportion of gas with respect to which the imputed original contracts would have expired and been replaced. But the orders under review do not explicitly address the issue
Unfitness of an issue for review, a matter normally considered under the head of ripeness, might also defeat our jurisdiction by negating the constitutionally required "case or controversy," Action Alliance of Senior Citizens v. Heckler, 789 F.2d 931, 940 n. 12 (D.C.Cir.1986), but here the issue is fit for review--"sufficiently 'fleshed out' that we may see the concrete effects and implications of what we do." American Trucking Ass'n v. ICC, 747 F.2d 787, 789 (D.C.Cir.1984)
Compare Sec. 506(a)(4) of the NGPA, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 3416(a)(4) (1988), which limits judicial review to "final order[s]."
In fact, the Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act of 1989, Pub.L. No. 101-60, 103 Stat. 157 (1989), provides for eventual complete deregulation
Neither the Commission nor any party here suggests that FERC might interpret the NGPA as allowing it to create an exception to the retroactive ratemaking rule of the NGA, solely for purposes of addressing transitional issues created by the need to use the NGPA in considering pipelines' gas costs for ratemaking purposes. Compare Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. NRDC, 467 U.S. 837, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984)
When a natural gas company files new rates under Sec. 4 of the Act, a limited form of retroactive rate collection may occur. The Commission may order the rates suspended for up to five months. If it is unable to resolve their validity within that period, it must let them go into effect. Then, if it ultimately finds them unjust or unreasonable, it may order the company to make refunds to customers. 15 U.S.C. Sec. 717c(e) (1988). As we explained in East Tennessee Natural Gas Co. v. FERC, 863 F.2d 932, 941 (D.C.Cir.1988), this exception to the rule against retroactive rate changes is simply "a necessary compromise to accommodate delays in the approval process." See also Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Hall, 453 U.S. 571, 578, 101 S.Ct. 2925, 2930-31, 69 L.Ed.2d 856 (1981); Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. v. FERC, 831 F.2d 1135 (D.C.Cir.1987). There is also a limited exception where the Commission itself has illegally certificated sales under rates exceeding those in the public interest under Sec. 7 of the Act. See United Gas Improvement Co. v. Callery Properties, Inc., 382 U.S. 223, 229-30, 86 S.Ct. 360, 364-65, 15 L.Ed.2d 284 (1965); see also Public Service Comm'n of New York v. FPC, 543 F.2d 757, 807 (D.C.Cir.1974)
Cf. Sec. 206(b) of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C.A. Sec. 824e(b) (1985 & 1989 Supp.) (allowing for refund of rates later determined to be unjust and unreasonable as of a date after the commencement of the proceeding leading to the finding but prior to the conclusion of the proceedings)
We in no way mean to imply that the Commission's decision to implement tax normalization is unsound even in retrospect. The Commission of course never found that any of El Paso's customers have paid or are paying unjust and unreasonable rates. Indeed, we would have been perplexed had it done so. Customers in the pre-NGPA period received the same percentage of total tax breaks associated with any given asset as they paid costs. Customers in the post-NGPA period have been paying NGPA rates. It is hard to understand how the rates applicable to either of these groups could be termed "unjust." | 56,740 | 21,468 | 0.000047 |
warc | 201704 | Reference:
Rhead, A. T., Butler, R. and Baker, N., 2011. Analysis and compression testing of laminates optimised for damage tolerance.
Applied Composite Materials, 18 (1), pp. 85-100. Related documents: Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10443-010-9153-z
Related URLs: Abstract
Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) can occur when laminated composite material is subject to out-of-plane impact loads and can result in a significant reduction in compressive strength. This paper reports on three compression tests of laminates optimised to maximise damage tolerance. Results from these tests were analysed using a semi-analytical, fracture mechanics based method that predicts the strain below which laminated coupons containing BVID subject to axial compression will not fail. A further experiment was conducted on an artificially delaminated coupon in order to validate the modelling methodology. Results from one of the two optimised stacking sequences considered show an increase of over 40% in Compression After Impact (CAI) strength compared with a baseline configuration. Analysis of results has indicated that CAI strength is dependent to a great extent on damage morphology and stability of damage growth, both of which are functions of laminate stacking sequence.
Item Type Articles Creators Rhead, A. T., Butler, R. and Baker, N. DOI 10.1007/s10443-010-9153-z Related URLs Uncontrolled Keywords static strength,delamination,damage tolerance,compression,impact Departments Faculty of Engineering & Design > Mechanical Engineering Research Centres Aerospace Engineering Research Centre Publisher Statement Butler_ACM_2011_18_1_85.pdf: The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com Refereed Yes Status Published ID Code 23261 Additional Information Proceedings paper from 17th International Conference on Composite Materials. 27-31 July 2009. Edinburgh, Scotland. Sp. Iss. SI Export Actions (login required) | 1,942 | 1,070 | 0.000938 |
warc | 201704 | He knows me. She gets me. He cares. She’s real.These comments represent the best compliment leaders, or anyone, can get. They demonstrate why people choose to trust you. With trust, they are more … [Read more...]
The cutting words, "Don't be so sensitive," have characterized being sensitive as a weakness when it is actually a strength. It takes courage to be sensitive. It’s worth the work to develop your … [Read more...]
Activating Sensory Awareness to Create More Meaningful Connections...Every aspect of your presence has social meaning, including your emotions, intentions, and regard for the people in the room. … [Read more...]
Leaders who avoid conversations that could be difficult are missing the best opportunities to help others grow. They rationalize their reluctance and then claim their excuses are "undeniable truths." … [Read more...]
How many conversations do you have that seem to go well but nothing happens as a result? How many other conversations do you have that don’t go well because no one wants to mention the truth about the … [Read more...] | 1,121 | 606 | 0.001727 |
warc | 201704 | “The most important need for leaders today…” my ears perked up. The speaker, a well-known tech leader and best-selling author, was addressing an audience of HR professionals. He had presented some facts showing the abysmal state of employee engagement, numbers I have sadly, been sharing for years. I was hoping for a brilliant insight when he said the most important need for leaders, “…is to hold meaningful one-on-one conversations with their employees.” Wasn’t this the message I was asked to deliver over 30 years ago when I taught my first management training class? Leaders avoid the way to improve engagement.
Most people prioritize what they are good at, leaving the difficult tasks at the bottom of the list. So it makes sense that leaders avoid one-on-one conversations because humans are unpredictable and messy. Humans are emotional by nature. Everything seen, heard, felt, touched, and smelled is processed through two emotional centers of the brain before the logical center is engaged. There’s no guarantee how any conversation will turn out, so leaders avoid what could turn out badly.
Emotions aren’t bad; they are reactions to stimuli. They reflect energy moving through the body. Acknowledging emotions in a conversation can lead to discovering important information needed to breakthrough blocks, make good decisions, and take a positive step forward.
Even if people trust you to be honest with them, they need to know it’s okay to be themselves no matter what they are experiencing, without worrying about being negatively judged.
What leaders avoid – emotional expression – is their best chance to connect. Leaders Avoid, Fix, and Tolerate — the normal, wrong choices
If you weren’t raised to talk about emotions, you probably don’t know how to respond to them when they show up. You might tense up, check out, give an unsolicited suggestion, or impatiently wait for the person to get over it and move on.
Most leaders rationalize their avoidance by saying things like, “If I encourage people to talk about their feelings, I will say things I wouldn’t normally say.” Or, “I don’t have time for their dramas.” The business world is full of aphorisms that declare, “Only the tough survive.”
Being uncomfortable with expressions of emotions doesn’t make you bad. Your discomfort is an indication that you haven’t had enough training to develop your skills. When you learn how to use the power of sensory awareness—to feel deeply and empathize with others—you are more capable of making a difference.
Understanding how emotions affect decisions and behavior makes you wise. Creating a safe space to talk about emotions makes you strong. Leaders who develop the skills of emotional intelligence can have meaningful conversations that increase engagement, innovation, and results.
Appreciation opens the door to transformation
I know this is easier said than done. Staying alert to what you are feeling or receiving from others can be scary and even painful. Here are 6 tips for what to do when emotions arise during difficult conversations:
Take a breath, release your tension, and be quiet. Give people a moment to recoup so they don’t feel badly for reacting. Allow the reaction to happen.They might apologize or give excuses. Tell them you understand why they are reacting so they feel normal instead of inadequate. Don’t try to “fix” the person or make suggestions unless they beg you. Even then, if the person is smart and resourceful, it is better to ask questions to learn more about their situation. This will help them think things through more rationally. If they get defensive, don’t fuel the fire.Don’t get angry in return or disengage. Whether they are mad at you or others, give them a moment to vent to release the steam. If they are afraid, ask what consequences they fearand listen to their answer. Don’t tell them they shouldn’t feel afraid. Encourage them to speak by asking a few questions that show you are curious and you care. What are they afraid they will lose, based on the situation? What else could happen? What can you do to support them through the change? Listen with curiosity, care, and compassion. The conversation will help them discern assumptions from reality where they might see a possible way forward. Before you end the conversation, ask them to articulate what they discovered or learned.Articulating insights helps people feel stronger. Identifying what they are learning gives them a sense of control. If the emotions don’t subside, you might ask for another meeting when the person can more comfortably look at solutions with you. People are emotional. If you judge or avoid their reactions, you are judging or avoiding them as humans. That never feels good. Being a leader means you can sort things out together no matter what they feel. See the person in front of you as doing his or her best with what he knows now. From this perspective, you might an amazing conversation that could surprise the both of you.
______________
You can find more tips on holding productive uncomfortable conversations in The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs.
If you would like to talk about leadership skills training and coaching focused on improving emotional connection, please reach out to me at: http://outsmartyourbrain.com/contact/
email: marcia@outsmartyourbrain.com | 5,561 | 2,585 | 0.000401 |
warc | 201704 | As far as paper aeroplanes are concerned in this article, a directionally stable plane means a plane that can keep flying straight in one direction without ‘slipping’ (moving sideways) or unintentionally yawing (turning) to one side as it flies. This was always one of the key goals that I sought to achieve with the design of my paper aeroplanes. Fortunately, there are a number of aerodynamic tricks you can use to improve the directional stability of your planes. Some of these techniques are more complex than others; however, here are some of the simplest:
1. Use the basic calibration technique for countering yawing, outlined here.
This is the most important technique if you’re using a design that has already been tried and tested, like the planes on the main page of my site. However, if you want to experiment a bit more, or are designing your own planes, then you should also consider either:
2. When you fold the wings, make sure the back of the fuselage is higher than the front. 3. Give the plane large fins towards the back of the plane (fins at the front will have the opposite effect).
Of the latter two techniques, I generally recommend making the fuselage higher that the back rather than making large fins, simply because it’s harder to get the fins perfectly straight than it is to get the fuselage perfectly straight. However, both of these techniques can be applied to almost any paper aeroplane without making considerable modifications to the fundamental design.
So why do these things work?
Well let’s look at a side view of a paper aeroplane, in this instance, the classic dart.
In this design, the centre of gravity is right in the middle of the longitudinal axis of the plane, because there is no more paper (i.e. no more mass) at the back of the plane or at the rear, the only difference is that the folds are more concentrated at the front than at the back. This means that the fuselage of the plane is considerably higher at the back than it is at the front. In turn, this means that the section of the plane in front of the centre of gravity has a considerably smaller surface area than the back.
This means when the plane starts to move sideways in the air rather than straight, the back of the plane will encounter more air resistance than the front. The plane will then rotate around the centre of gravity into the direction of the airflow, like a weather vane. | 2,433 | 1,115 | 0.00091 |
warc | 201704 | Wednesday, 31 August 2016
A report by The Electoral Reform Society says that the EU referendum campaign was dogged by "glaring democratic deficiencies" with voters turned off by big name politicians and negative campaigning. It attacks both sides of the referendum campaign, saying people felt "ill-informed" by the "dire" debate.
The society, which campaigns for "democratic reform", said its polling showed Mr Cameron and other political "big beasts" had failed to convince the public. When asked about eight prominent politicians, most people said they had had no effect on the way they voted.
What is more interesting, it said "voters had viewed both sides as increasingly negative, and many "simply did not trust" their key claims. These included Remain saying households would be on overage £4,300 worse off outside the EU and Leave claiming an extra £350m could be spent on the NHS. The government's controversial mail-shot to every household in the UK had "little effect on people's levels of informedness", it said, and towards the end of the campaign nearly half of voters thought politicians were "mostly telling lies".
What this suggests to me is that the lead campaigns on both sides were merely noise-makers with the real debate of the issues happening elsewhere with individual debates on the internet having more sway over how people voted. It also lends weight to my long held view that Vote Leave cannot take credit for the referendum victory.
In the end people looked elsewhere for information, and in then end concluded neither side had much of value to say. What that tells us is that the public were not deceived into voting to leave the EU. They did so for their own distinct reasons.
Ultimately the government lost the referendum by resorting to a barrage of warnings of dire consequences bordering on threats. Voting to leave was an act of defiance against an establishment determined to impress upon us that there is no alternative to the status quo.
If anything the leave campaign deserved to lose, it's just that by the end of the campaign the government deserved to lose more. They'd have probably won had they refrained from blaming the leave camp for the murder of Jo Cox. The relentless display of narcissistic virtue signalling is enough to turn most decent people off completely.
What this means is that the remainers on social media can pack up their stall. We won't be changing our minds no matter how many times it is pointed out that the NHS will not get its £350m a week because we did not vote on that basis. We voted to change the system of government we live under largely because it is the one preferred by those who hold the rest of us in contempt.
As to the Electoral Reform Society, their view is equally condescending. Nobody will dispute that the referendum campaign was indeed dreadful - but we do not need our masters to guide the debate for us. If the British people were smart enough to turn away from the rhetoric of the politicians and the white noise of the official campaigns, then they were smart enough to make the right choice when they voted. And that is why the result must be respected come what may.
The technical term for this is lying. There are safeguard measures on freedom of movement in the EEA agreement and EEA freedom of movement is actually a different animal to that of the EU. Grant knows this but continues to lie about it - most recently in the Guardian today.
So we must ask why someone who was so determined Britain should stay in the EU is now seeking to close down all debate about the one option that would see Britain retain single market access and have some control over immigration? I can only speculate.
I rather suspect that the remainer effort seeks to present our options as so limited, involving massive sacrifice for little gain that there will be some kind of intervention to stall Brexit and somehow prevent it.
Meanwhile, on the leave side, we have the likes of John Redwood and Peter Lilley also determined to ignore the possibilities of the EEA option simply because it doesn't fit with their childish fantasies about free trade. As much as these people know little if anything about trade they seemingly don't want to either.
And so it seems to be that the Norway Option is a path favoured by nobody and it has become an article of faith in the media that an EEA agreement would be a "betrayal" of those who voted for Brexit and now we are faced with a narrow debate about the remaining options - none of which can be accomplished in two years and would largely be detrimental to Britain.
There are a number of complications for which there are solutions but none in the media are remotely interested in solutions. If there are solutions then there is nothing to fill column inches with and nothing to gasp in horror at. There have been countless "Brexit dilemma" articles from all sides, and there will be more to come - insisting that single market membership means full freedom of movement.
Brexit problematising has become a cottage industry which is now increasingly protectionist. The narrative falls down if they acknowledge the existence of solutions. Moreover, the continued existence of these talking points keeps them all busy. They exist, notionally, to tell us what is happening. But there is nothing newsworthy in reporting that nothing is happening.
All we do know is that there has been a cabinet meeting in which the government has reaffirmed its commitment to see Brexit through - but there is still no agreement on what Brexit means or how it is to be achieved. There is no agreement on direction and no agreement on what is possible. That is nothing we did not know - but it seems that Charles Grant and the media in general is determined to keep it that way. There is no milage in bringing clarity. Where is the entertainment in that?
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
A bit of a grubby article from Polly Toynbee here on the matter of exploitation at sea. What's disappointing here is that Polly turns this into a whinge about Brexit. EU good, Britain baaaad.
This is a very serious issue, under-reported and in need of serious attention. Exploitation in this industry is rife - and it extends into fishing as well. The EU has done its usual trick of taking a heavy handed approach to regulation resulting in an overall decline in registered tonnage.
According to studies carried out for the European Commission, the operational costs of a Community registered vessel could be reduced by 3.5 to 22% in the case of a containership and by 15 to 44% for a bulk carrier, by flagging out.
European shipping faces two main threats to its future survival: protectionist policies and high costs of operation that have resulted in reduced market shares and accelerated flagging-out. So all it has done is exported the problem - as it did with ship scrappage.
The fact is that in a hyper globalised sector like shipping regional solutions just aren't going to cut it. The need global regulations and global conventions. That's where we need to be participating fully at all of the top tables in regulation. In this case the International Maritime Organisation and the ILO. Only through coordinated global action can we bring this mass exploitation to an end.
In this we often find the EUs protectionist approach and heavy handedness means it is frequently outvoted and is not a welcome influence at the IMO at all. Britain on the other hand takes the view that it's better to make some progress than none at all.
Free of the EU we are able to increase our participation on global forums and choose our own alliances. In regulatory terms Brexit means we have the right of initiative which means if the unions put sufficient pressure on the government they can press for a global initiative.
Many Guardian readers will be appalled by the conditions of Indian ship breakers and their use of beaching. There is now a set of global guidelines forming the basis of IMO regulations. This was a Norwegian initiative. And in recent times Norway is most famous for... not being in the EU.
In fact, if you're not talking about the IMO in shipping regulations then you are simply playing politics - which is exactly what Polly is doing - turning a very real issue into a convenient hobby horse for her anti-Brexit bigotry. That's a pity because otherwise she would be making a valuable contribution by exploring this issue.
If we really are sincere about tackling this then we really do need to think globally and act internationally and break away from the inward looking Eurocentric approach - which ultimately worsens these problems by exporting them to where there is no regulation at all. Only through much wider participation and consultation do we crack this and Brexit gives us the tools we need to do exactly that.
Figures from the Department of Transport show that in 2015 there was an 8pc increase in the size of the UK-registered trading fleet to 13.7m deadweight tonnes. Of these vessels, almost 58pc were container ships, 19pc tankers and 14pc bulk carriers. The data – which covers ships weighing more than 100 tonnes – revealed an end to four years of decline, with ship operators less likely to register their vessels under so-called “flags of convenience” which have less demanding regulation.
Britain has distinct advantages. Flying the Red Ensign is sign of a well maintained vessel and carries a great deal of prestige on the high seas, as well as offering global protection from the Royal Navy and support from Britain’s consular services. Brexit might well enhance this dynamic meaning preferential insurance terms for UK registered ships. That is where we can start bringing this issue back into our sphere of influence.
Update: the UK Chamber of Shipping has responded to Ms Toynbee...
Many people consider trade deals and regulations to be under the hood stuff best left to civil servants. These are ironically the same people who then complain about technocratic rule and the absence of democracy.
This though is an area that will require some further consideration. Leaving the EU does not bring an end to technocracy. All trade deals in future will be centred around ceding powers or replacing our own laws with a global standard. That means every last regulation is a trade deal in its own right right where UK businesses can either be opened up to full competition or closed down entirely.
This happens without any real public scrutiny and if there is one thing our MPs have proved it is that they are not up to the job. So I think that gives us some clue as to what to do with Lords reform.
We have heard plenty of talk about replacing the house of lords with an elected senate. I genuinely don't see the point. Were we to do such a thing we would no doubt follow the current trend of proportional representation. Just think how much that would suck. A supervisory body made up of sub-Farage creatures imposing their moronic world view on things that benefit from less democracy rather than more.
If we want a chamber full of intellectual subnormal cretins then we have the house of commons. Why do we need another one? I've heard it suggested that this would make the process more representative but if it is not the case that the commons is representative then that tends to suggest that the selection process is deeply flawed.
In terms of an upper house what we need is a higher calibre of scrutiny whereby lords have a clue what they're talking about. I think there's a solution.
Increasingly regulations are made at the global level and more often than not by NGOs, corporates and industry lobbyists. It's not as bad as it sounds in most respects but there's a certain element of pay to play about it. What matters is that the voices of British business and other lobby groups are heard. In recent years I would argue that our influence has waned.
Very often the government controls who gets to speak on international forums and not without the EUs consent. We don't even have the right of initiative whereby we can bring industry concerns directly. That changes with Brexit.
But to get the best we need to ensure UK interests are properly represented. Very often UK industry is the very last to know about upcoming regulatory changes. By the time they're making a flap about something it's already too late. It lacks an effective means of surveillance within the lawmaking apparatus.
What we need is a network of trade guilds and and associations. In recent decades we have moved away from such in favour of professional lobbyists. Not so for Germany where membership of trade guilds is compulsory. They carry as much weight as unions and it is a means by which small and medium sized enterprises can shape the regulatory agenda.
We could replicate that but ensure that trade guilds and unions over a certain size have an automatic seat in the Lords. We would want safeguards like term limits but it would ensure a formalised place for business and industry in the process. We could also do the same for NGOs.
There are those who would like to see commercial and charitable concerns excluded from the process but they always seem to find a way. Usually through cronyism. The British though have always had an unusual way of dealing with political corruption. We legalise it, formalise it and bring it into the system so it is at the very least transparent. That brings an honesty of its own where there is a generally accepted level of corruption but it is self-regulating.
Many complain that the Lords suffers from a degree of political appointeeism bordering on cronyism. I would not disagree but if they are appointments on the basis of popular movements then it is up to the members to take corrective action.
In this we would still want a people's contingent which could be made up of civil groups and former elected members. It does need experienced parliamentarians. On that basis we might demand a three commons terms minimum in order to qualify.
The objective would be to ensure that the house of lords is fit for purpose in scrutinising ever more complex and technocratic measures of governance and is able to instruct trade negotiators while having a transparent means of access.
We could go as far as limiting their authority in terms of the types of laws they can vote on and by doing so we can make sure that every trade agreement is put before some kind of vote. That is not always the case. We would then have an entirely different class of upper body geared at a completely different function.
There is no simplifying the complex, nor is there any real merit in full democratisation of trade and regulatory issues. Most people are happy to leave the details to others, but Brexit has shown that business is increasingly dissatisfied with bureaucratic autocracy. This is our chance to design a modern, fit for purpose means of scrutinising rules and regulations in a way that is beyond the capabilities of the commons and is insufficiently interesting for ordinary MPs to engage in.
The house of lords has always been a means by which vested interests have access to the decision making and though centuries of tradition have corrupted the intent we should modernise and formalise that ethos rather than moving away from it. We must move beyond the infantile notion that business involvement in lawmaking is necessarily bad and instead look at ways whereby we can increase consultation and participation in a way that is accountable.
Britain will be making trade a national priority over the coming years and that absolutely depends on seeking opportunities in all of the global multilateral forums and in this we will need UK interests front and centre. We will need effective mechanisms whereby we ensure trade deals are fair and nobody is caught unaware. In order to get the best from trade we will want UK industry shaping our agreements and at present we lack the necessary institutions to ensure that can happen. If we can task the house of lords to that purpose then there is every reason to believe it can be relevant again and may lead to far better decision making.
Monday, 29 August 2016
The popular narrative seems to be that the EU is intent on giving the UK a rough ride in order to dissuade others from quitting the EU. There is scant evidence to suggest it will other than the bombastic proclamations of politicians. I find it wise to take all such statements with a pinch of salt. The tone can turn on a sixpence as we have already seen.
There is a view that Britain cannot be allowed to pick and choose. But the EU must keep in mind that a lot of the cooperation programmes and decentralised agencies would not function without UK funding and if we were kicked out somebody else would be lumbered with the bill. Moreover, the process of a corporate scale de-merger of EU agencies is likely to bring massive transitional costs - not all of which the UK would be liable for.
It should also be noted that EU member states have a vested interest in maintaining good relations and market access. Then there is Poland which very much values freedom of movement. We are not without allies in the EU. We can also hold up a mirror to the EU and quote back some of their own rhetoric. The EU's neighbourhood policy seeks to achieve "the closest possible political association and the greatest possible degree of economic integration". Setting the EU up for an acrimonious post-Brexit relationship does nobody any favours.
There is also one other largely misunderstood aspect. Britain free of the EU becomes an independent actor on all of the global forums for trade and regulation - and we will be an agile and active participant. We will be free to choose alliances and in so doing, as a powerful economy inside an alliance, our vote becomes a deciding vote for the alliance and subsequently the deciding vote in any global agreements. Australia working through the Cairns Group was able to secure CAP concessions when we couldn't as an EU member.
The short of it is that the EU needs to consider what sort of post-Brexit relationship it wants. Britain can either be an ally or an aggressive competitor. We have more incentive to be the latter if forced to. Not everything in global trade is about market size. It's about what you bring to the table. If Britain is no longer permitted to participate in EU programmes then we can add our resources to competitors.
The EU could take a tough line because it does hold many of the cards but it also has the potential to do a good deal of self-harm in the process. Moreover anything that hurts the UK has the potential to damage Ireland which may very well be holding its own referendum in the near future.
The one thing that ensures we will take what we are given is the time constraint. There are actors on all sides dreaming up new configurations for a post-Brexit world but all of them require considerable consultation and may even require EU treaty change later down the line. Something the EU is in no hurry to do. It seems like the EEA is the one option on the table which doesn't present too many obstacles and presents the fewest opportunities for upstarts to derail what will be a very sensitive process.
This option, though, is the one that remainers routinely underrate as something which does not satisfy the Brexit criteria and lacks any meaningful control over immigration. I need not bore readers of this blog why that is not so. Leavers on the other hand - the hard liners, are fixated on obsolete ideas of regulatory independence and free trade deals. This wilful refusal to examine the EEA is a deliberate ploy to force some other outcome which is neither realistic or practical.
Whether Britain gets a bad deal or not is actually quite subjective though. To my mind a bad deal would be what the Tory right would jump at in a heartbeat. The EEA on the other hand seems to be an entirely adequate basis from which to start the process of leaving. I might even go as far as saying this will be the default option once the fog of misapprehension clears - but this will be more through luck than by judgement.
What we are likely to see is an insistence right up to the wire that there is some other way. There hard liners will rule themselves out of the process with their bogus notions, leaving it to Theresa May to push ahead with an EEA solution, not as a departure lounge but as a risk free means of shelving the matter. That's how a good deal is robbed of its value.
The EEA as a departure lounge would allow the EU to save face and allow us to get going - but if it is the destination of the Brexit process with no further development, the Tory wastrels will have squandered a massive opportunity they will likely never get again. Backbenchers are frittering away their time on fantasies while the opportunity to properly evaluate options and strategies is thrown away.
During the referendum just about every remainer uttered the words "we know it isn't perfect, but we should reform it". And that really was the downfall of the remain cause. It is the ultimate conceit. Not only was reform of the treaties and institutions not on the table there was nothing in Mr Cameron's deal that suggested the EU was being reformed and there was nothing in it that suggested powers were being returned.
There was one other further conceit. That it wasn't the fault of the EU. The blame was directly aimed at David Cameron - the subtext being that a Labour government would have got a better deal. Put simply, if a conservative prime minister is disinclined to seek a new relationship with the EU then the chances of a Labour centrist government even asking for talks would be somewhere around nil.
And so we have a double deceit here don't we? "We know it isn't perfect" they say - but they know what we know. Reform was never on the table. Our political class had no intention of seeking reform, in truth saw little wrong with it and then proceeded to spin an elaborate web of lies that reform was on offer. Add to that a torrent of scaremongering, threats and insults and it's not difficult to see why remain lost the vote.
In the end the vote to leave was an act of defiance against apolitical establishment who had laid down the law. The message was clear. Our relationship with the EU is not even up for debate nor will there be any reform of our immigration policy. But they didn't have the decency to say so outright.
But that's ultimately why this referendum is primarily about democracy. An establishment that says no to its people is one that has outstayed its welcome. And I use the word establishment rather than government because what we have is an immovable political class where the policy is the same regardless of who is the ruling party. In this, the establishment is in open defiance of all of us. After all "we know it isn't perfect" and "we should reform it".
Some would have it that Brexit is cutting our nose off to spite our face. But really it's absolutely necessary. Even a soft dictatorship is intolerable. If there is no dialogue between a government and its peoples then we simply do not have a democracy. If it takes a seismic vote to force them to come to the table then that is what the people are obliged to do.
Now that the deed is done we have their full attention. They must now listen. The majority of people think we do need a significant change in immigration policy and the majority of people think we need a new relationship with EU. Given that the EU was not minded to even debate reform and no government was inclined to ask, we are about to push the one button that compels both our own government and the EU to initiate a root and branch reform of our relationship with the EU.
In this we have certain choices. What we want is a looser relationship where the EU does not have legal supremacy and a relationship based on cooperation and trade rather than supranational subordination. There is every advantage to both sides in negotiating this. The EU gets to reform to its own agenda without the UK being a blocking influence and the UK has the more flexible relationship the people demand.
We are now in a position where there is no possibility of full divergence from the EU and we couldn't have it even if it were desirable. Irrespective of the EU we are seeing ever more interdependence and economic integration. It is neither realistic nor likely that we could put up walls to Europe. So really Brexit is about how we define that relationship and placing limits on the power of the EU.
As yet we do not know what the government has in mind. What we do know is that the Tory Brexiteers want all the way out and all at once. If you have a familiarity with the issues you know that this is not at all a likely outcome. Nobody gains from it, nobody but them even wants it and it's difficult to see how it could be achieved. So it looks like we will have some form of single market membership with some more convincing reforms of freedom of movement. Nobody wants to disrupt trade and though Brexiteers may have won the vote they lost the argument on freedom of movement. It's the most popular facet of the EU.
In this it really is time to stand up to the likes of Ukip because their conflation of freedom of movement with open borders is a lie and pandering to this lie may well mean taking a hit to our economy for no real reduction in immigration and for no real purpose. Remainers say this was always going to be a possibility - that we would needlessly take such a hit - but ultimately that is the price we pay for our establishment burying the issue for as long as they did. Ultimately it is our democracy that needs to be safeguarded over and above the economy and for me that is the priority every time.
In the past we have shed blood for democracy. And I suspect we will do so again. But this time we have won a rare and precious thing. A chance for political change without bloodshed. A clear message has been sent that we need a change of direction and that the government must listen. Now we need a constructive dialogue as to what that new relationship looks like. Reform is what the people voted for and that is what we must have. If our establishment did not want to leave the EU then they should have heeded the warnings.
What we have now is a clean slate whereby we decide the path our relations will take for the next century. It's not a disaster. It's not a calamity. It's just a democratic corrective. A change of course away from the scheming of our political class. Nowhere does it say that necessarily means "turning our backs on Europe" nor does it mean turning inward. It's just a chance to plot a course that works for everyone. If that then inspires you to work toward overturning the referendum result, then that rather makes you the bigot, doesn't it?
Sunday, 28 August 2016
The prosecutor investigating the aftermath of the Italy earthquake says shoddy cut-price renovations in breach of local building regulations could be partly to blame for the high death toll. Three medieval towns were flattened by a 6.2-magnitude quake on Wednesday, killing 291 including three Britons. Now Giuseppe Saieva has warned that property owners who commissioned sub-standard work could be held responsible for contributing to the quake's deadly impact.
And this, ultimately is why Britain never belonged in the EU and will do just fine outside of it. When it comes down to it we are not culturally aligned. Brits do like to is and whine about regulation but on the quiet we love it. We moan - but we would moan more without the good governance we are accustomed to. We obey rules and regulations. The continentals don't. That's why they don't see it as a problem.
From banking to construction there is a laissez faire approach to the rule of law and the above is a natural consequence of it. Italy's economy suffers because of the same attitude and their complete lack of enforcement. Because we observe the rule of law and the sanctity of the contract we are the choice destination for business. That will not change.
Like it or not, there is a massive cultural gulf between us and the continentals and any "European identity" is one that only really exists in the minds of narcissists and eurocrats. To say one identifies as European in respect of our EU membership is to have bought into
le grand project- but there is no European demos at all.
Ultimately there is only a convergence of political elites. There may be technical and regulatory integration at the ports and airports which are largely the domain of the technocrats and customs officials, but it's out in the shires where we find the real measure of legal and cultural convergence. And if we're honest, it's not happening. We are fundamentally different and a supreme government for Europe is just a bad idea.
In the end the EU is just a rogue non-state actor. We don't need them. We do not need them for legal, technical or academic cooperation and we don't need anyone telling us how to run our country. There are plenty of arguments for maintaining close relations with the EU but there was never a real case for being a member. We don't need the EU instructing us in good governance. We invented it.
Brexit is not a binary choice between internationalism and isolationism. We simply recognise that there are different means to achieve the same thing that do not mean giving up essential controls - and in so doing we safeguard that which makes us unique. In that regard, the decision to vote to leave was as much instinct as anything else. It is a recognition that it is our diversity that gives us our power and homogenising Europe is a futile and ultimately undesirable pursuit - and we don't need a supreme government for Europe in order to cooperate with our allies.
News is travelling fast that TTIP has stalled. Many, including this blog predicted it. But it's not dead. It just smells funny. TTIP as we know it was always doomed. It's shrouded in complexity and mystery and it was never going to withstand first contract with any elected assembly. If it ever something called TTIP does pass it will be progressively watered down by protectionist instincts on both sides - but that won't be the end of it.
Our technocrats know full well that something of this nature is mistrusted by electorates both sides of the Atlantic. Why they even attempted something so ambitious and visible to the public beats the hell out of me. That's not how they normally play it. The most seismic developments in international trade have been largely anonymous pacts between non state actors like UNECE.
If anything TTIP is a legacy enterprise, setting out actions for convergence between long established standards and regulations. That's actually quite tricky when the USA and the EU have a wholly different approach to regulating. In the USA the burden of risk is on the producer rather than the regulator. There is a light touch in some areas of regulation but the ever present threat of a class action lawsuit if you get it wrong is why US companies take extra care. The EU though has it that everything is outlawed unless there's regulation for it. The product of this is a wholly different culture in regulation.
In recent years though there seems to be a convergence toward the EU way of doing thing and the USA has more work to do than anyone in bringing its own standards up to the global standard. Some things though, like FDA rules, are so American in nature that there is little or no scope for harmonisation therefore the task is to work toward mutual recognition. Such is highly political and not without difficulty.
The rest though is comparatively easy. The USA has committed to adopting global regulations and standards for all new areas of legislation and the EU has been doing that for as long as there has been an EU. Mutual recognition is no biggie with the rules are essentially the same.
Having invested many man hours and several years in TTIP, the intellectual substance of it will not go to waste. In all likelihood it will be broken up into a number of less controversial partial agreements - which is what they should have done to begin with. The agenda though is still to push through harmonisation with those difficult areas which could deliver massive benefits to both sides. FDA-EMA cooperation on medicines and medical treatments is the holy grail - to create a transatlantic single market in health.
British attitudes to health though are somewhat different with the UKs national religion being the NHS. Nobody likes the idea of US corporates calling the shots - especially when US testing and approval is largely seen as bent with some justification. This is the aspect of TTIP which will be watered down or shelved. The rest will happen through a gradual process of mutual recognition agreements.
In this the UK might as well wait for the EU to complete their own agreements in that we will likely just slam them on the photocopier and Tippex out references to the EU. When everyone is using the same standards and there is no political objection to regulatory harmonisation there is no real galloping hurry.
Some however, believe that the suspension of TTIP put s the UK in a stronger position for securing comprehensive deal. It really doesn't. The NHS is not up for grabs and our market size is not sufficiently interesting to build a time consuming comprehensive agreement. We won't be at the back of the queue as Mr Obama has suggested but we won't be getting anything out of the ordinary.
But that's actually a good thing. The whole approach in global trade is to forge multilateral agreements sector by sector where wider agreements compass any states which adequately conform to international standards. It means that nations can opt in or out according to their own estimations of value.
The conversation about trade in the coming months will centre around bilateral deals simply because this is all the media really understands and it is the old habit that trade diplomats can't seem to kick. I read a remain inclined article on the Norway Option this week making a big deal of the fact Norway has only one bilateral free trade agreement. Iceland I think it was. Except of course free trade agreements on tariffs are really not the engine of trade.
The modern trade agreement appears in many different forms and are registered in many different ways. Were we to look we would find Norway has hundreds of agreements independent of Efta. These would be MOU's and MRAs bilateral cooperation agreements on aid - which are actually very much a product of trade facilitation. Moreover, there are now global frameworks whereby simply ratifying a global convention and conforming unilaterally means that you can trade without a hard coded agreement with another state.
The fact is, bilateral deals are yesterdays news. Even TTIP is a dinosaur. Partial scope agreements and multilateral agreements make the leaps and bounds in trade. In this everything is centred around the trade facilitation agenda where foreign aid is key to stimulating services exports. The entire discipline of trade has changed and because the UK has been out of it so long - and the EU so fatally wedded to protectionism by way of extending market access on licence, there just isn't an up to date conversation on trade.
My own view is that the EU has been barking up the wrong tree all these years. The USA is a tough nut to crack and even installing TTIP by stealth will take many years and we may find it an asymmetrical relationship. In all these years the EU could have modernised and sought to be more of a global player on multilateral forums. Instead it extends bilateral deals to make a series of concentric circles with the EU as the controller in the middle.
Now that we are leaving the EU we can play a wholly new game with an unprecedented degree of agility. In that we need to be looking the world over for trade facilitation opportunities and not worry too much about bilateral deals. Rather than seeking those kinds of relationships we should be looking at mechanisms to exploit that can drag both the EU and the USA out of the dark ages.
The word is that Mrs May has given her little troopers their marching orders. A Brexit plan we must have and we must have one soon. There is already grumbling on Twitter about the absence of a coherent position from the government and this is not something she can afford to let slide. Industry will be asking questions and the speculation is hugely damaging. This comes amid suspicions that the civil service will attempt to frustrate the process.
This is the foundation of an upcoming row. All the little Toryboys are salivating at the prospect of grafting their free trade fantasies on to the Brexit process without any real understanding of the technicalities or legal constraints. They think it's as simple as leaving a golf club where you give notice and stop all payments. Consequently anyone attempting to introduce them to reality is viewed as a "miffed" remainer creating problems where none exist.
The immediate problem here is that the Toryboys are absolutely correct. Most of the crowing from experts does come from remainers - and ones who are not taking the referendum verdict lying down. Even the most minor complication becomes an object of much hyperventilation - which on closer inspection proves to be no big deal. Then there are those with no critical faculties at all who incapable of distinguishing between political posturing and the real world.
In this, impartial views are few and far between. Leavers are grossly oversimplifying while remainers are unnecessarily problematising. I end up doing both depending on who I'm debating. There are those on the leave side who see the process as so simple we can hammer out a deal of over beer and sandwiches and on the flip side we have moaners who think it's all just too darn difficult. So in the absence of reliable and trustworthy expertise we are left to figure it all out for ourselves.
The problem for the Toryboys is that their vision of a buccaneering free trade Britain is not in any way compatible with reality. There may have been a window prior to the Lisbon treaty where the kind of withdrawal they seek were possible but we're talking quite a long time ago. Systems have bedded in, agreements have taken form and all the while the rest of the world has been catching up with its own patchwork of harmonisation agreements.
The Toryboys would like nothing more than to take a match to decades of established regulation, stick twos up to the EU and pretend the EU never existed. These seems to be an overall reluctance to admit that there is no WTO option and they will not let it drop. In this there are now glimmers of understanding that things are more complex than they seem but the complexities are viewed as peripheral to the main issues rather a major flaw in their thinking.
The danger of this is that without any kind of adult intervention they will freeze out all critics and label them troublemakers and then build their own parallel universe inviting those they agree with to reinforce their stupidity. It is entirely possible that they will convince themselves they have a working plan with which to go into battle and without any real injection of sanity this is what we will attempt to negotiate.
What we will find is that the EU is not so accommodating and that we don't have the leverage they thought we did and will have to go back the the drawing board halfway through the process - returning with what they should have had in the first place. That then means we are pressed for time and must negotiate an extension using our last remaining leverage. There is a very real danger that we end up with an agreement entirely on the EU's terms - the end result being the absolute opposite of what the Tory right had intended and in all probability a deal that is far worse than EU membership.
Since the opposition party are too busy obsessing over who owns the railways we cannot expect any sense from parliament. The most they know is that the single market must be protected but having taken the line that Brexit must be resisted at all costs they have forfeited their influence. Once again it looks like our relationship with the EU will be one decided for us - and once again the fault will lie squarely with Westminster.
Thursday, 25 August 2016
Modernity simply does not function without regulations. And there is no point in regulation unless you have inspection. And if you have inspection then you have paperwork. Everybody hates it but everyone would complain if it didn't exist.
In the modern age systems for trading in goods and services are built on a collaborative basis based on science and expertise. Very little is done unilaterally now and very little gets done quickly or cheaply. There are multiple overlaps where industry management has considerable impact on trade. They are uniquely intertwined.
In fishing, for example, the aim is to ensure you can sustain stocks and ensure your methods do not damage habitats and that the externalities of that activity are not unduly negative. So we have quota systems and means of punishing overfishing. All of these have to be negotiated and codified into law and contracts.
Before you know it you have a complex system and as it gets older there are more and more legacy issues where contractual obligations can stand in the way of reform. So if you have a regional resource like the North Sea it stands to reason that you will need an inspectorate and an arbitrations system along with policy units which can monitor the effects of policy-making and feed back findings to legislators.
Just in terms of ensuring we do not threaten various species of fish we need to ensure certain net sizes are not used in sensitive areas. We also want to ensure that the industry is not unnecessarily polluting habitats. And of course the coastline is valuable to the economy in terms of leisure and tourism so the activities of maritime industry must not threaten natural assets. This is when you get policy overlaps with competing agendas and incompatible policy objectives which can lead to inter-agency rivalry, jurisdictional issues and managerial incompetence.
Then introduce European politics into the mix. Now you see the problem. Taking back control means doing a full systems analysis from top to bottom. We might decide that we want to do something a little bit differently but that would possibly impact on foreign boats who have contracts written under the previous agreements. They have acquired rights. So you either have to buy them out or schedule your modifications. That means you need a centrally administered database of all fishing contracts and the types of agreements made.
It has to be staffed. It needs contract lawyers, ecologists, inspectors, customs officials, accountants and administrators. The entire industry is worth a billion to the UK alone every year. That's before you factor in secondary services and marine engineering.
So in this the last thing you would do is ditch forty years of established policy. To unilaterally take back control without consultation or forewarning is to shaft a lot of our trading partners and break international law. So when people tell you that we can leave the EU by hammering out a trade deal they are not being at all honest with you.
If you were coming at it from scratch, having never been a member of the EU then you might be able to approach it with a degree of blue sky thinking - but in reality we have let a common fisheries policy build up over decades with a number of mixed agreements therein which cannot be unspun at the stroke of a pen.
Some people think it's just a matter of swapping over regulations to ones we like that will reduce costs - but every single regulation has been hammered out on a multilateral basis and in its own way is a binding contract between parties.
And then we have to think where we want to go with our fishing policy. We can take back our waters but we don't have enough boats to fish them and we don't have the ports anymore. The ones that are not now city urban marinas are simply not equipped to cope with modern large scale industrial trawlers. There has been thirty years of development since we scrapped the North Sea fleet. And so though we will be in control of administration and we can change for the privilege of fishing in UK waters we won't be banning Spanish trawlers as some assume.
And then if we are landing fish then they must be frozen and packed and prepared according to a common set of rules, not least hygiene rules otherwise we cannot expect to export to developed countries.
So we are now in an era of massive interdependency whether or not you have a supranational authority or not and there is no such thing as absolute sovereignty and barely any unilateralism without extensive consultation and negotiation. Acting unilaterally in a way that could affect the trade of others can result in lawsuits and complains to the WTO. This really does expose the emptiness of the "take back control" mantra.
All of this is often dismissed as technocracy, but without it we would be in a very real mess. In this there is an inherent desire among Brexiteers to simplify that which cannot be simplified. You can make it more transparent, you can bring administration closer to home and you can maybe make marginal reforms but there is no silver bullet that makes the inherently complex more easily understood - nor is there the scope for ruthless slash and burn deregulation that some believe there is. It is a rich tapestry of law where pulling at threads is discouraged.
The idea that leaving the EU means turning our backs on technocracy is a bogus one - one that has been popularised by those who believe red tape is solely an EU invention and that Eurocrats dream it up just to pass the time of day. For sure there is corruption and commercial interest at play with undue influence from lobbyists but none of that goes away just by repatriating management of our waters. Technocracy is here to stay.
It is going to take a small army of experts and bureaucrats to design a replacement for the CFP and it is going to take them years to design and years to implement. If they have the outline of a policy inside six years then that would be an amazing feat of project management. Policy does not come easy - especially when it makes demands of the democratic machinery which has other competing agendas. And then there is implementation and the costs associated with transitioning. Another clue as to why we won't be saving £350m a week.
Leaving the EU is not a factory reset on regulation and trade law. All it means is that decisions will be taken a little closer to home with UK interests more closely guarded. Fishing is a worldwide industry where fish might be caught in the North Sea, frozen, shipped to Japan for processing and flown back to Heathrow. We must have laws that govern the supply chain so we have a chain of accountability - we must have food safety laws, customs laws - and health & safety at sea is more prominent a concern than ever.
So too are workers rights. The fisheries industry is not what it was. These days a trawler won't waste time going back to port. They will offload their catch to a fleet services vessel where some processing is done in the hold by illegal foreign labour on sub minimum wages. So we are going to want to safeguard our international reputation by having fisheries patrols and air surveillance. Food fraud and black market fish is a huge part of fish trade.
This is what we have tasked our government with. Politicians who have for many years been used to debating taxes on carrier bags and whether a lady can wear a bikini on a billboard or whether the trains should be owned by the government. We are about to cross into another realm of politics leaden with complexity and dry detail that our politicians are simply not equipped to cope with.
And so yes we are going to delegate a lot to civil servants and scientists and yes we are going to entrust much of it to evidence based policy and no there is not time in the political calendar to give it the attention it deserves. So we work on an international treaty basis whereby we enlist the International Maritime Organisation, Codex and UNECE. We exchange Brussels for Geneva.
And now that you have a glimmer of what is involved in fishing now think the same for agriculture, airline safety, space policy, medicines, Europol, banking, customs and intellectual property - to name just a few. Now remind me. What was that you were saying about wrapping up Brexit with a free trade deal inside two years? Good luck with that.
Brexit means Brexit. And what that means is that the government has to leave behind those things the public sees as synonymous with the EU. That means ending EU budget contributions, ending EU regulations (or rather EU legal supremacy) and controlling immigration. It really means leaving the single market. And I'm all up for that. The question is how?
Obviously a hard Brexit would be unnecessarily damaging to the UK and would sour our relations with the EU. Nobody but for a few hard-line Tories actually wants that. In or out of the EU we do not exist in a vacuum and we will have to do business with the EU. So as much as anything the Brexit process is a question of designing a new relationship with the EU.
First and foremost, to ensure good relations are maintained we must abide by the law and honour our commitments and contracts under international law. There is no bonfire of red tape nor can we tear up treaties.
Then we must take into account that we have put policy making into autopilot for four decades. We are in many respects not equipped to "take back control". We have lost our institutional memory in fisheries governance. We will need time and breathing space to transition into full control. Then we must consider access to the single market. We want to maximise our access while at the same time reducing our exposure to EU rules.
Had we never been a member of the EU this would be fairly straightforward. As an advance European economy we would already meet international standards that would easily qualify as equivalent to the EU and there wouldn't be any major difficulty in obtaining a mutual recognition agreement. The problem is that we have been a member and working out which of our rules are EU rules and which are gold plated international regulations and standards. We will need a long process to discern which is which where we will more than likely find a large body of law is fit for purpose and we wouldn't change it.
But given the complexity of this task there is no change a bespoke relationship can be created in two years. This is why opinion is converging around an EEA solution with a number of add-ons. This though does not really satisfy the "Brexit means Brexit" criteria. In the first instance trade is the only thing we gain any meaningful control over.
Certainly many remainers would see this as a viable compromise and I suppose even I could live with it as trade is reason enough to leave the EU and I don't really care about immigration as an issue. I think that technological advances and the end of the war in Syria will have more of a mid term impact on immigration than any change in policy.
But really if we are going to go to the trouble of leaving the EU we should go all the way. There will be some areas where we will retain a high degree of EU cooperation and I envisage that we will always pay something into the EU budget for those functions and services we use but this will be by choice rather than obligation. It saves us replicating domestic governance for no real gain.
The fact is that in many respects the EU single market is as complete as it is ever going to be without a common language and and considerably more cultural convergence - which for the time being seems implausible. Free movement of goods is easily achieved and you don't have to be in a customs union to achieve that. A lot of that is facilitated by established physical infrastructure where erecting barriers we add cost but no value. The holy grail of harmonisation is now trade in services which is a lot more difficult to measure and regulate.
But we need to look beyond the confines of the European debate to see the rationale for leaving the single market. As a nation freed of EU control on matters of trade the UK will be seeking trade with the developing world. These are economies in need of regularisation and conformity assistance in order to participate in the global rules based trading system. Britain will be investing heavily in aid in order to facilitate that trade - promoting good governance in the process.
In this we do ourselves three major favours. By opening up new export potential for Africa we create a source of cheaper goods - in agriculture especially. That reduces domestic cost of living. The very act of doing so puts us first in the queue to sell our business and financial services - along with our innovations. We are a knowledge based economy. Latterly, by improving the economies and increasing wealth of African states we reduce the push factor of war and famine.
But if we are going to do this then there must be common standards and rules. and that is central to the whole debate. We are often told that by simply remaining in the EEA we would adopt EU rules and regulations but have no say in them. Remainers casually rattle off this mantra as though it were gospel from god. But what we're actually getting is a bundle of international codes, conventions and regulations rubber stamped by the EU.
Previously it has been the case that the commission signs up to rules and regulations on our behlaf and then instructs us to implement them with no real blocking mechanisms at our disposal. This more than anything is the rationale for leaving the EU. As much as it is a profoundly undemocratic way of doing things the EU has had a tendency to gold plate international rules as a means of protectionism.
Now though, with increasing pressure not to deviate from the global standards the EU is limited in what it can do to the the rules and even MEPs find their own amendments stripped out by the Commission. So if we are increasingly a passive recipient of top table laws it really then begs the question what on earth do we need the EU for?
By leaving the EU we retake our own independent vote an all the key global regulatory bodies and in so doing we have a system of opt outs and reservations which mean that we can keep protections in pace if we decide that the balance of trade-offs is worth it. That adds both flexibility and democracy to the system from the get go.
But some point out that there is little value in having a free vote on such bodies when they are routinely dominated by the EU and the EU has the deciding vote in nearly all instances. This is where we have to look at the long game and this is why there is no immediate rush to leave the EU single market.
Effectively our foreign policy should be to act as a recruiting sergeant the world over to the various regulatory conventions that bring about global harmonisation of trade - assisting in conformity to ensure that existing members and new accessions maximise their own clout within them. Gradually we build up a resistance to the EU's dominance in regulatory affairs. Coalescing around our already cordial relations with Commonwealth states there are major opportunities to put pressure on the EU to reduce its own protectionist rules and to reform its anticompetitive behaviours. We can bash our way through the EU iron curtain.
This happens by way of building trade alliances on a sector by sector basis. And in this it isn't market size that gives you clout. It's the resources and the leadership you bring to the table. Britain's strategy should not be to leave the single market per se - but to expand it and break it out of EU control where participation becomes entirely voluntary - and then we build up momentum for a global initiative on mutual recognition and inspection - much like Port State Control. In this, our leadership may be the deciding vote among trade coalitions.
This still means responsibility for conformity and enforcement rests with the EU for EU member states but the rest of the world falls on the WTO for dispute arbitration rather than imposing the law with an iron fist. Central to this would the UNECE as the key forum for regulatory cooperation and administration. Effectively we would be using the mechanisms and doctrines that already exist in order to bring about a global single market where the EU is no longer calling the shots. UNECE is the regional arm of the United Nations. The idea is that UNECE is replicated in the other regions, then to join together.
All of this is going to take time and could well take twenty years to bring about. But that's just as well since it will take us nearly twenty years to sort out the entangled mess we find ourselves in. It will be fifteen years or more before we have fully taken back control over fishing and agriculture and a lot of EU labour law will be with us for decades to come.
We must use that time to lay the foundations for something bigger in scope and far more imaginative, preparing the ground so that when we do formally leave the single market, there is no real noticeable effect except that we enjoy similarly open trade with a lot more countries. By this time we will have evolved regulatory systems of service for application the world over where the EU is operating to the same rules as everyone else and completing the European single market means cooperating at the global level. In that we can be both ally and friend to the EU when they're right and blocker when they're wrong.
Critics of this approach think it a fantasy and is overly ambitious. But key to this approach is that it utilises many agreements that already exists, frameworks which are already established and methods we are already practising albeit on a smaller scale. While we have been on autopilot largely disengaged from the world inside the EU there have been giant leaps in progress around the world where there have been seismic developments in global regulatory harmonisation. We would simply be following the global trend - but we would be champions of it.
As to the criticism that it is overly ambitious, I take the view that if we are going to make a success of Brexit then we cannot afford not to be massively ambitious. It's not worth our while if we're not and it would be a wasted opportunity. We have to stop seeing the Brexit process as a timid exercise in damage control and look at it for what it is: an opportunity to kick start global trade and to reform the EU from the outside in ways we never could as a member.
The fact is that the EU is not going to reform or change its ways if we acquiesce. Through a process of considered international diplomacy we can bring pressure down upon the EU to get its act together and change both its attitudes and behaviours in trade.
There are those who are never going to be satisfied with our Brexit outcome. Some will forever be wedded to the obsolete ideas of the last century, be they disciples of EU supranationalism or free trade dogmatists opposed to the very existence of regulation, but for the rest of us we will be going forward with the best of what the EU pioneered while ditching the baggage that comes with trying to build a European superstate against the will of the people.
Brexit presents us with a world of new opportunities and as much as it is an opportunity to reboot domestic governance it is a chance to move the world into a new era of trade seeking out commonalities and opportunities to liberalise our trade relations the world over. It means that we can have a targeted immigration policy that works in conjunction with our foreign policy aims and lending advantage to our natural allies rather than those imposed on us by the EU.
In order to make the best of it we have to make full use of the new found freedoms we have and start celebrating the potential of it. To simply resign ourselves to being stuck in a siding of the EU is insufficient. If academic cooperation and research collaboration is indisputably good, why should that be a bartering chip of the EU and why should it be exclusive to members of the club? Why should we not extend the invite the world over? Who says the EU gets to call the shots?
They said we would be isolated if we left the EU but it's not going to be that way. We could be isolated if that is what we choose but Britain as an island nation is instinctively outward-looking which is why EU membership is incompatible. We've never been at ease with abdicating our global participation to the EU and relationships have suffered because of it. Brexit is a chance to undo the damage and work toward the relationship we should have had with Europe all along.
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
In this the media is not much more advanced. There are glimmers of understand here and there but there is an over reliance on received wisdom whereby bogus assertions gradually establish themselves as irrefutable articles of fact - thus the entire debate is distorted.
There are a few who have attempted to look beyond the run of the mill talking points like David Allen Green, Ian Dunt, Allie Renison and Janan Ganesh but they display their knowledge in the same way that a teenage girl shows off a new frock. You can tell it doesn't quite fit, you can see it's new to them and they have not yet found a comfortable way to wear it without looking goofy.
They are also blinded in a similar fashion to the Tory ideologues. Their quest for knowledge extends only as far as a quest for more problems. I'm not seeing very many efforts to find solutions and in fact these people go out of their way to deny the existence of solutions or casually dismiss them. The aim seems to be to create a smokescreen of confusion in the hope that Brexit can somehow be stopped in its tracks. Consequently there is more heat than light.
As Ian Dunt put its it "This is nothing less than an opportunity to reshape a country, and only the right-wing of the Tory party seem to recognise it". That to him is a reason enough to do everything to possible to stop Brexit - as a safeguard to democracy no less.
But this would actually be an affront to democracy. By all means we need a consensus on a way forward where all voices are heard - and there is every reason to believe the Tory right will be put in their place if parliament does its job - but killing Brexit would be to ignore the central message of the referendum.
In spite of dire warnings from prestigious institutes and prognostications of gloom from economists Britain still voted to leave. This really is "an opportunity to reshape a country" and that is exactly what the public wants. As Dunt has it, "basically, the entirety of British law over the last few decades is up for grabs, in a bonfire of legislation". Bring it on!
The medical profession has never been truly at ease with the working time directive - and as a contractor I detest the very idea that flexible work is being attacked from all sides. Britain more than ever needs vitality and fluidity back in its labour market. If that opens up the potential for exploitation then that is an opportunity to reignite union activism.
Agriculture has suffered for decades from a stagnant policy where even marginal reforms to regulation have proven near impossible. We now have a blank slate on how we approach rural policy and in that there are numerous opportunities to change the way we think about the countryside. I would like nothing more than to see the devolution of agriculture and rural affairs to the local level.
In energy I would like nothing more than to see us ditch vanity carbon targets in favour of a pro-growth agenda. Nobody thinks our approach to energy is adequate and nobody thinks it is cost effective. Again, there is no reason why energy policy could not in part be devolved to the regions. There is a huge opportunity for remunicipalisation and we can do it through energy collectives.
More to the point the government is taking back control of trade for the first time in decades. For the first time in my lifetime there is public debate about it and again we discover the politicians have absolutely no idea how it works. And this to me underscores why we should leave. Our political class has complete abandoned key policy-making to the point where they are wholly ignorant of it.
Our knowledge of agricultural governance has withered on the vine, our politicians don't know how the EU works and have even less idea how trade functions and so how can they be in the least bit capable of holding the EU to account? Being in the EU means putting policy on autopilot. And what do we have for scrutiny of the EU? A ragbag of intellectually subnormal MEPs you wouldn't trust with the TV remote.
Britain has demanded a change of government. They turned out in record numbers in the most significant public ballots for decades to send a message. We want change. And Brexit very much is that change. In this we have a world of opportunities open to us. Politicians of all stripes should be salivating. But what do we have instead? Snivelling tyrants who don't trust the process enough to even have these debates. All we get from them is a torrent of petty problematising.
I am a firm believer that there is a solution to every problem. In politics it is merely a matter of political will. Some walls mean you have to change direction. Others you just have to smash through. We know that there are complications in the Brexit process. We know that there are a number of paradoxes to be resolved. But they are resolvable. With a lawmaking machine like the EU there is always a mechanism to make things possible - not least single market access and control of freedom of movement. It can be done. It has been done. The losers just prefer to see problems.
More than anything Brexit is an opportunity to do what Cameron failed to do. We can completely reshape our relationship with the European Union. We can have the close cooperation we seek but maintain the controls we need. I just don't see a downside.
For the time being there will be a period of uncertainty. The biggest political battles are still in front of us. We are going to pay a price for leaving the EU and it will dent the economy. That doesn't change my mind that we should never have put policy making on autopilot and if it costs us to get it back under our control then the fault lies with those who took us into such an arrangement without consultation or consent - not those who voted to leave.
Some would have it that Brexit irrecoverably damaged our standing in the world and permanently damages the economy. It's all so final to these miserablists. The truth however is there is no limit to the opportunities that await globally. The worlds population is increasing all the time and agriculture will have to grow with it. We have the technology to turn scrubland into prime crops. We have the knowhow and we have the talent. If we turn our attention the UN sphere of international development and invest in the trade facilitation agenda, using all of the global forums, then we can be more agile, more decisive and more inventive than the EU.
This however, is going to require a change of attitude. Impossible is a world we hear far too much from remainers. The fact is, the EU is not the only game in town and there are entirely new, hitherto unexplored modes of trade that have yet to permeate the Brexit debate. When we finally have that conversation - and open up the debate about the globalisation of trade and regulation then we will view the EU in its proper context as an inhibitor to trade rather than a facilitator of it.
In fact that is a debate we should already be having but that of course busts wide open the debate about the viability of the EEA option - something the dishonest remainer bunch really don't want to talk about. These are people who would rather be proved right than contribute anything to the debate.
We hear a constant drone of grumbling and complaining that Brexit will tie up government for the next decade but that is something we should be celebrating. We will be putting every area of policy under the microscope and redesigning policy for a completely new relationship with the EU and the world. We will also be forging a new relationship with the electorate - healing the rifts that brought about the Brexit vote in the first place. The boil has been lanced.
Meanwhile it now looks like Scottish independence is less like than ever - the SNP have run out of political capital and even the Tories are gaining popularity north of the border. Regressive socialist ideas are being rejected by the electorate - as are the poisonous paternalistic ideas of the Blairite left and within a few years we might well see Ireland quitting the EU. Rather than fragmentation, it looks like the British Isles will be restored to the culturally compatible union of friends that it is.
I'm not one who believes that Britain is looking ant an imminent renaissance of power, influence and free trade. I am no Hannanist. We will have to make some hard choices and trade-offs to undo the damage of EU membership. We will have to redouble our diplomatic and trade efforts and we'll be fighting to compete outside the EU - but for once we will be in control of our own destiny with vibrant debate about how we achieve it. How well we do is entirely up to us. That's why I'm sick to the back teeth of dishonest miserablist losers like Ian Dunt and those who think as he does.
Brexit is the factory reset button on a political settlement that has become stale and is completely bereft of ideas. It is not delivering and not even the remainers think the EU is the solution. They're just petrified of change. They can't adapt to the modern era of globalised trade and globalised governance. Remainers are the dinosaurs who can't adapt to the new paradigm. They can't even acknowledge it exists and would do anything (up to and including subverting the largest democratic exercise since the war) in order to cling on to the past.
I don't know about you but I am thoroughly sick of these saddos and morons. Brexit is the best thing that has happened to Britain for ages. I can't wait to get stuck into what will be a challenging and deeply interesting process.
That says quite a lot about how customs systems and standards compliance have evolved - and we are now inspecting at a whole new level of detail. There very much is an iron curtain - a firewall of red tape and compliance - and this is why the developing world finds EU trade frustrating. The relationship is wholly asymmetrical where the EU is wholly at liberty to export - but there is no reciprocality. On those grounds the EU, when it comes to movement of goods, is probably worse than the USSR was.
The USA is the same. Trucks entering from Mexico without the proper compliance documentation are subject to intense screening. There's actually a good example demonstrated in episode 8, season 2 of Better Call Saul at the beginning. It causes delays - it costs money.
This kind of border inspection has the potential to spoil goods, especially fresh produce. This is why the UNECE TIR convention is being adopted by a number of new countries and it forms the basis of a new African free trade area so that lorries may pass through countries without inspections. That way the only pinch points are the ports.
In order to remove the necessity for port inspections the EU has a customs union but the same effect can be achieved with a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment. Both parties agree that the standards and means of inspections (along with the qualifications of the inspectors) are equivalent. Such is subject to random audits.
And while this is not a free trade agreement it very much is a trade agreement and if we broke away from the EU unilaterally as the Tories propose then very soon we would be in a real mess.
As it happens the EU has a number of these agreements not just with third countries but other blocs where the EU is satisfied there is sufficient conformity. At this point it should be pointed out that a mutual recognition agreement is not necessarily a standard agreement. They are all specific to the partner country or bloc. There are some provisional agreements with African nations but they do not cover all sectors. Specific authorities have their own agreements. For instance the EU's medicines agency is working toward an MRA with the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
The process of trade now is to seek out new areas of regulatory harmonisation and customs cooperation. This is why my eyes roll when toryboys talk about tariffs. It's just one tiny element of trade. They seem determined to ignore the significance of regulation. To them it's just a matter of "cutting red tape". Nobody wants to be sullied by this level of detail - especially when in their imaginations we are going to have a bonfire of regulation and let the markets decide.
While you could get carried away with such radicalism, it overlooks the need for phytosanitary measures and disease control among both humans and livestock. It's also matter of quality control. You buy goods with confidence specifically because we do spot checks of formaldehyde on plastic produce. It's why we don't import cheap electronics that electrocute people.
There comes a point though, when all of this amounts to a hefty regulatory burden that slows down trade. Technical barriers to trade are increasing. The ideologue would simply take an axe to all of the technocracy - but these would be the first people to complain when Waitrose is no longer stocked full of pristine quality checked goods. So then the process of removing red tape becomes a matter of making better regulations informed by science. It becomes a matter of systems integration and harmonisation. Trade then becomes a delicate process of agreeing common standards and common data structures. And when we have world trade, it helps if there are global standards.
This of course means making multiple compromises and making broad brush agreements at a level where there is nothing even approaching democracy or accountability. The EU is one such example. The toy parliament is neither here nor there. MEPs do not get to tinker with standards and regulations. It is literally above their paygrade and ability.
So then in come the finer philosophical questions as to who decides these things and under what circumstances can they be opposed or ignored. The EU approach has been to demand uniformity throughout and demands universal conformity. And there is a lot of sense in doing it that way. But there are losers as well as winners and it raises the bar to market participation. As much as you must have expertise on how to make your product you must also make it conform to the standards and meet the shipping regulations.
Libertarians argue that this means adding extra costs that freeze out the little guys and stifles innovation and competition. They are absolutely right. But then there are positive and negative liberties. Is the "little guy" perfectly at liberty to make ramshackle electronic goods that may electrocute the user? Of course not. The market (or rather the people) demand a degree of conformity and testing. Moreover, it reduces negative externalities.
You might have notice in recent years the Fire Brigades Union opposing attempts to merge the Fire Brigade with the ambulance services - creating a uniform rescue service. But it will happen simply because incidences of house fires have collapsed by more than fifty percent in the last twenty years. We don't have coal fires, we have safe gas systems which are heavily regulated and we have electronics testing so that electrical fires are now rare. This means we don't need an extensive fire service and household insurance is now cheaper than ever.
So if the complaint is that our iron curtain prevents the rest of the world trading with us then it becomes a question of bringing the rest of the world up to global standards. This is known as trade facilitation. It is the only game in town when it comes to boosting trade. But it costs money and takes time. And even if we can secure mutual recognition agreements these systems have to mature and trade is then only as good as the physical infrastructure - the ports and the roads. This is where the major investment opportunities are and that is where we can boost our exports in services.
Underpinning all of this is a myriad of bewildering agreements of different types. There are more than ten categories of trade agreements each with their own methodologies for achieving harmonisation. Then there are comprehensive agreements like TTIP which span nearly all of them.
The truth is that the world is no simpler for leaving the EU and there are no silver bullets for getting round the technocratic burdens. It is a process of negotiation and constant evolution where the process is dry, opaque and remote. Part of the opposition to TTIP is because it is shrouded in a fog of complexity that leaves electorates suspicious of what their government is doing in their name. At the stroke of a pen industries can be wiped out in the name of the common good. One day your business is compliant. The next day it isn't.
That's actually why Brexit is ultimately necessary. Trade is becoming more complex where the bigger and more ambitious deals can do as much harm as good. The EU does not allow for exemptions and waivers. The EU is too wedded to the idea of a single uniform marketplace where nobody has a commercial advantage. They call this a level playing field - when in fact it's just a brake parachute that ensures nobody gets ahead. That is why European trade is stagnating and the EU is becoming less competitive.
In trade terms we need to be thinking more along the lines of little and often rather than looking for trade bazookas like TTIP. It really is a hare and tortoise game. Politicians like the idea of big solutions to complex questions but in reality it is a patchwork of incremental policies that bring about the biggest gains. This is why the global approach is better. Multilateral forums with no central authority as such.
The WTO approach does not insist on conformity. It allows the world to evolve at its own pace. Instead it has a system of arbitration where complaints can be brought to it if a nation can demonstrate that an action in contravention of an agreement harms their own trade. This approach allows nation states maximum sovereignty in a world where absolute sovereignty no longer exists. It formalises informality but in a less restrictive way.
The EU approach is the search for a non existent ultimate harmony - a utopian order to trade that becomes more elusive the harder you strive for it. World trade will always be chaotic. Billions of people making trillions of transactions daily with new innovations surpassing our ability to regulate and control. So what we want is systems that facilitate trade while reducing harm - which maximise profits and supply chain efficiency while protecting the customer. At the same time we must safeguard that which makes us distinctive and the system must be fair.
That is why trade regulation has no endgame. It is a continuum where the system is never complete - where every nation must speak to every other nation. Having a rogue entity like the EU commission making agreements on behalf of all of Europe means making decisions for half a billion people when it cannot possibly know who the winners and losers will be. We need to recognise that there is no perfect system and no endgame and build transparent institutions that allow nations to get the best for themselves according to their own talents and resources. We must stop looking for easy answers.
Ultimately a dogmatic and ideological approach to trade means trampling on the rights of nations - making demands for sacrifices they have had no real say in. That can never be democratic nor can it maximise trade. It can only ever enforce mediocrity. Brexit is an opportunity to change the way we do things and play the game by a different set of rules. We won't be having a bonfire of regulations but we can at least make sure that our voice is heard and that we retain the right to say no. Without that, we make ourselves slaves to a machine where the greatest crime of all is to be different. That is not a world I want to live in.
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
Ok remainers, we get it. You REALLY don't want to leave the EU. The problem is, the majority of the country doesn't agree with you and there is scant evidence to suggest they have changed their minds. And if you're objective and fair minded you know full well it is nothing to do with bigotry or xenophobia. It's about something more profound.
I know what genuine xenophobia looks like. I am pleased and proud to say that it is rare. Some may express politically dubious views but most people are decent and when challenged they will capitulate to good sense. The notion that the UK is suddenly a hotbed of racism is completely bogus.
There's a real message in the final verdict. Remainers are aghast that regions which receive the most in EU funding turned out in high numbers to reject the EU. What does that tell you? If you take that to mean working class people are thick and voted against their own interests and that media bias meant that the message of economists didn't get through then actually it's you who's a bit thick.
Let's take Sunderland. Sixty one per cent voted to leave. Yet the North East is swimming with EU cash. We can say the same of Sheffield. Regions formerly associated with the UK's productive heavy industry. What they would call rust belt in the USA. Don't worry. I'm not going to bore you with all the clichés about globalisation. These are regions with proud traditions and a history of making things - but automation and globalisation have made these towns redundant. We know all this. It bores me even to type it.
What we are told though is that we are stronger, more prosperous and more influential in the EU. Londoners evidently believe that because rich cities based on global services only get richer. Meanwhile Liverpool is turning into our own version of Detroit. For sure it has a first class container port but modern trade is all about automation and reducing headcounts in shifting produce around the world. We have made our great cities redundant along with their inhabitants.
But this isn't new. Our core industries have been gone since the eighties and early nineties. The EU has had twenty years to deliver. It hasn't. We've seen cosmetic regeneration but whatever prosperity we have enjoyed has been fuelled by cheap money and a mountain of debt. Now that party is over the fundamentals are unsound. We can't borrow and spend. We have to find ways to compete in the global economy and increase our productivity. And that is something the EU cannot deliver.
The EU is presently negotiating TTIP. They have been negotiating it for years and is nowhere near a conclusion and its future is uncertain. It's not even popular. It might not even pass. Years of trade liberalisation go up in smoke. For what? We were told that being in the EU meant that we get more bang for our bucks by way of increasing our clout. But there is scant evidence of that if you live in the North East or Liverpool or Stoke on Trent. Meanwhile we continue to import poverty.
The fact of the matter is the current economic model, underpinned by EU administration of trade, is not working. It has not delivered. If there is EU development money coming in then it is subsistence. And it's not going into the pockets of those who need it. And it is after all our money. We have seen the quangoisation of regional economic development policy and much of the money goes on corporate fat cat salaries on regeneration projects that do not deliver. Bonuses for all - unless you're one of the little people.
So enough is enough. The EU has had all the time in the world to demonstrate its sincerity. The UK has been in the no man's land of post-globalisation economics for two decades and it doesn't look like anything is going to change. We need to pull up our socks and get in the race. We need to start competing in a global marketplace. That is not going to happen from inside the EU iron curtain. We are euro-centric, complacent and overindulged, locking out the rest of the world under the misapprehension that the world owes Europe a living. Not so. The rest of the world is catching up and we need some new thinking and we need to get mobilised.
Brexit will do that. For the first time in my lifetime there is a deep and thorough debate about trade dynamics, trade politics and the mechanisms by which we can expand our trade. We have popularised trade as an issue by voting to leave. Trade and development - and how we relate to the rest of the world will dominate politics for the next decade. And that's how it should be. The debate will bring about new innovations and new ideas and new approaches and it will refocus our politicians on the matters that matter - rather than their myopic fixations like telling us what to eat.
I don't disagree that Brexit is time consuming and difficult. It may well mean taking a step back before we can go forward. It may well mean the systems of support that have maintained a subsistence existence take a hit. The fact is we are willing to take a gamble. We are willing to give it a shot.
Brexit is our chance to redefine our uneasy relationship with the EU and it will allow the EU to become what it needs to become while allowing us to think about our place in the world and how we relate to it. This is a revolution in domestic and European governance. there will be winners and losers - but all change presents opportunities. Now is the time to be thinking big. Now is the time to think beyond the confines of the EU and look at the developments in global trade while we have been in this state of economic slumber. For four whole decades Britain has retreated from the world and abdicated matters of trade and industry to the EU. Now we are playing catch up and we will realise there is a party going on with an open invite.
This blog has spoken much of the potential in Trade Facilitation - and this is something the national debate has yet to get to grips with - but as a services economy this really does open up a world of opportunity. We have to stop catastrophising Brexit and look upon it as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to bring about the relationship with the EU that we could not secure as a member. It is an opportunity to reassert our distinctiveness. And it is an opportunity to harness entirely new modes of trade and commerce in ways we never imagined.
When the EU was envisaged there was no such thing as containerisation, the Internet and smart-phones. The world is very different today. Global markets need global rules, not regional ones. That is where Britain needs to be acting as a voice in its own right. The world has moved beyond the quaint old EU. Now is the time to rethink everything we do. Brexit forces our politicians to have that debate - and it's the only thing that was ever going to. Brexit isn't a disaster. It's just a change of tack because the status quo doesn't work. There is nothing to fear. Brexit will only be a failure if remainers persist in their desire to make failure a reality. | 88,219 | 34,659 | 0.000029 |
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warc | 201704 | I can't stop posting pictures of poop, what the fuck is wrong with me? Level: 5 CS Original
I read everything on cyborgjesus reddit.com link. Thanks you Jim and cyborgjesus for the links I never really looked into this much before now. It's totally understandable why Planned obsolesce does not make any sense from a business standpoint as the consumer can choose to purchase a different product rather than a inferior product. I also read a very good comment that stood out as it basically said that, ok sure you could do planned obsolesce but that doesn't make any sense because why would you want for example to have a expensive N64 that lasts for 50 years, when you could get a N64 made cheaper then eventually move onto a Wii which is a newer more updated product or insert better product here.
I was talking to Jim about this for a bit and he makes a very good point that there is no honor among thieves, meaning a business will not withhold a product that may be in demand in the market. It makes no sense why a business should withhold a particular manufactured good that's in high demand. Planned obsolescence just doesn't make good sense to do at all in a business sense. Planned obsolesce is definitely used more in a conspiratorial sense, that companies and or government are out to keep down the poor then anything else. Reading the reddit comments I could tell when a TVP and or TZM believer came along even if they did not reference the material I could tell where they got the canned responses from.
Some people on the reddit planned obsolescence topic started referencing past products as being better made versus newer similar products (anecdotal evidence) that they or another had bought. Another commenter shot down the compare newer to older products comments with the fact that people tend to remember more the good products as they still have them around versus the bad products which they had thrown out, at which they gave the analogy as why why music of today is worse than the past as nobody rebemers bad bands in the 60's. This individual also mentioned a consumer report magazine article that said appliances from the past are not breaking down anymore frequently than the new appliances are now, in spite of the fact that appliances themsevles are more complex. The referenced article in consumer report magazine http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/shopping/repair-or-replace-it/overview/index.htm
If your really upset at a product breaking then fix it. It's not entirely impossible to fix a broken product, I do it all the time. It just depends on if it's economically feasible to fix it as for instance something that broke that cost $10.00 may require you buy a $25.00 part to repair it (not including your time), therefore maybe it is more economically feasible to throw away the product and buy a new one than trying to repair it. Then again it might make more sense to fix the product than buy a new one if the cost of that part does not outweigh the cost of the product. I use a site to fix a lot of my broken stuff it's called http://www.ifixit.com/
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Planned obsolescence is entirely debunked notion for me, and anything that appeared to be Planned obsolescence is not really such. Most people who advocate Planned obsolescence have to base their reasoning behind anecdotal evidence and or wrapped around with conspiracy theories. Ultimately if a consumer wants a longer lasting product they should be willing to pay a higher price for it, or buy a cheaper product but be willing to learn how to repair the cheaper product when it breaks.
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Good comments on the reddit.com site of why planned obsolescence doesn't make any sense for a business practice, as well as debunks notions about specific manufacture goods raised. I got lazy with giving credit to the people who wrote the comments but the content within the text is what matters (it's on reddit somewhere, I may go back through and attach names to comments).http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/19xmd3/for_80_years_or_so_planned_obsolescence_has_been/c8sc7nqhttp://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/19y6qg/fenwick23_explains_why_planned_obsolescence_is/
By Fenwick23
I grow weary of this repeated conspiratorial usage of the phrase "planned obsolescence". They would have you believe that there are engineers out there designing products with the intent of causing them to break down sooner. Ridiculous. People just don't understand how competition in manufacturing has shaped consumer product design. One of the oft-cited examples is the venerable Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer. Back in the early 90's if you bought a low-end HP laser printer, you got a printer built like a tank. The damn things were slow, but they never wore out. Contrast with the low-end now, which are flimsy, come with 3/4 empty toner cartridges, and certainly won't be functional in 10 years. "Planned obsolescence", the conspiracy theorists conclude smugly. But wait... how much did you pay for that LaserJet 4 in 1993? Yeah, it was over $2000... in 1993 dollars. How much did that shitty HP P1600 printer you're complaining about cost? Yeah, it was $200. If you spend the equivalent of two grand in 1993 dollars, which is over $3000 today, you get something like the HP M575c, which prints, copies, and faxes in color, and it's built like a tank.
What people don't realize is that in the "good old days" of a given product, a cheap version simply did not exist, so all products of that kind of that vintage were well built. This happens in every industry, at various rates. Engineers are under constant pressure to reduce manufacturing costs to widen the consumer base. Those $200 printers sell at far more than 10x the rate of $2000 printers, because every college freshman is buying one. To that end, certain parts must by necessity be less durable. Ikea isn't making bookshelves out of particle board to sell more bookshelves when they break, they're using particle board because not enough people can afford $500 oak book shelves to keep all those Ikea stores in business.
"But Fenwick23", you ask, "What about that inkjet printer that had an expiration date coded into the inkjet cartridges?" Well, that one's sadly all too easy to explain. Engineers, under the aforementioned pressure to cut costs, came up with a way to make inkjet systems for much cheaper. The only tradeoff was that they had limited useful life before the ink dried out and clogged the nozzles. No big deal, just add an expiration system to the all-in-one nozzle-head-ink-tank package that lets the customer know that they need to buy a new one. This design is so much cheaper than the old design, they won't mind buying it more often. But as so often happens in big corporations run by non-engineers, between the engineering department and the store shelves some upper-middle-manager looked at these cheaper ink jet cartridges and said "WOW WE CAN MAKE MOR PROFITZ IF WE SELL THEM SAME PRICE AS THE OLD KIND!" As a result, the anticipated reasonable tradeoff intended by the engineers disappeared in a puff of pointy-haired logic, and six months later HP is stuck with a PR nightmare that looked like planned/programmed obsolescence, but which was in reality the result of managerial idiocy.
There are, of course, some real examples of planned obsolescence. The canonical example, from which the phrase was popularized, was Brooks Stevens use of it to describe 1950's automotive marketing strategy. Brooks wasn't talking about the cars breaking down, though. He was talking about aggressively marketing styling changes. The idea was to make last years model seem obsolete by changing the body designs. In essence, Brooks' notion of planned obsolescence was nothing more than adopting the same strategy as the high fashion clothing industry. Sure, your car and your jacket work fine, but don't you know that this year the cool people have wider lapels and round taillights?
The one place where planned obsolescence is a conspiracy to make you throw away perfectly serviceable items and buy new ones in order to prop up an industry is college textbooks. Renumbering pages and shifting end of chapter questions around is exactly the sort of sinister behavior people accuse HP of. The reasons educational publishers stoop to such tactics is quite clear, though. Their customer base is not expandable by making the product cheaper, so in order to maintain profits they have to make their otherwise durable product "expire" somehow. It's evil, but understandable.
I applaud people repairing serviceable goods. Heck, I make a living repairing broken things. I just get sick of idiot "journalists" from places like Wired parroting the tired notion that the obsolescence of products in our cheap consumer society is the result of sinsiter motives, rather than the fact that we're all fucking cheapskates.
By youwillengineedme
Engineer here. I agree with much of what you had to say but wanted to add to it. In engineering we (working with marketing) determine a design life for anything that we want to manufacture. This starts with a market analysis of what people are willing to pay for an item, frequency of use and how long they expect to use it and other items. Taking this data, product specs are established that make up the primary goal engineering will work towards when design the product.
I am not in the consumer electronics industry so I'm just going to ignore the printer example and use a lawn mower. Company A determines that there is a market for a $250 (maximum) consumer mower that includes electric start and is self propelled. They have also determined that an average household will mow their lawn once a week, start the mower 4 times and based on the average lawn size of their target consumer it will take 1.25 hours each time. From research they also find that most people will expect a lawn mower at that price point to last 5 years. This works out to be 325 hours and 1040 starts of the engine (I'm assuming this whole example is probably simplified quite a bit for the lawn care industry but is easy to understand).
As I am selecting my components I am using these design life values to ensure I am picking components that will all last approximately the same amount of time. Keep in mind not all components, such as the frame, are designed according to this design life and will obviously last much longer than say the engine. The classic example is bearings. We can very accurately predict bearing life and there are so many different material/quality combinations you can select bearings for nearly any design life at the given loading conditions. Though sometimes the load on a bearing is so light that it reaches an infinite life cycle, so you do have some components that will outlast others by far.
Back to the lawn mower though, I am going to pick bearings, components for the self propel unit, a starter, etc that can meet my design criteria. I would also be looking at the statistical variances of each part and the mower as a whole to ensure that a statistically acceptable percentage of the units make it to the design life. Realistically, many units will keep trucking along past the design life but as far the company is concerned most people will be perfectly happy if their mower makes it this long.
When you want something of higher quality, commercial grade products are just those designed to different marketing specifications (more use per day, more days per week, more years in service, etc.) and generally more servicable than consumer models because businesses don't want to buy new as often. Servicablity is another issue in itself; consumer products are less servicable because designing for servicablity raises costs as does needing to stock parts in a warehouse and have people on hand to handle the parts.
In summary, while we are not designing products that break down sooner to make more money, we are designing products that will break down in acceptable time frame based on what you are willing to spend.
By Nerfi
Always do research! The area of manufacture can tell you a lot (though not all) about the quality of the product you're going to get. It's really hard to find stuff not made in China, and be prepared to pay at least 4x as much. I finally sprung for a $400 pair of US made boots, and they're still waterproof after a year and a half of being kicked to shit. For comparison, this is the first time I've had a pair of shoes/boots not fail/leak/break after two months maximum.
There's a thing called "premium pricing" in which the same shitty China products are sold at slightly less than the well built counterpart (if it even exists). Be really careful and never go by price alone.
By andrews89
I'm glad to finally see someone actually talk about how if you buy something of quality, it will last longer than something cheap. I've got a higher-end leather bag (not naming brands here) that cost me a fortune, but I've been using it every day for almost 3 years and it still looks brand new. Oil it up every 6 months to a year and it looks exactly like it did when I got it. A friend of mine couldn't understand why his more budget-minded leather bag only lasted about 6 months before completely falling apart, even though his was about 1/10 the price of mine. He still doesn't get how if you invest money in a truly good product and take care of it well, it will last you damn near forever.
TL;DR: Buying 1 thing of quality instead of 15 cheap ones actually pays off!
Even then, if you really want to take it that way, there's nothing inherently un-free going on here. Lets look at the chain of coercion here.
The publisher makes products to fill a demand in the Market, in accordance with the demands of that market. This is pure free enterprise - they make whatever they want, and charge whatever they want, and people are free to buy it or not.
Now we come to the next segment: professors who prescribe books. Great, fine. You can say that THEY are imposing coercion on the market. But are they? That depends really. See, the professor is engaging in free market behaviour himself. He is exchanging his education (services( in accordance with his conditions (price).
He says "I will teach you this thing. In exchange, you obey these conditions".
Free market contract.
If you have an objection to the conditions imposed by the professor (namely, required texts), then you are JUST as free to decline the contract and not receive services.
That's free market practices all the way. What you propose is to coercively take away the right of self-determination from EVERYONE involved - the right to operate their business as they see fit, the right to set one's own price for one's labour, and the right to freely enter any contract.
So thusfar you are claiming that something is fraudulent (when it's not) and opposed to free market principles (when it's not), and in order to correct a coercive distortion of the market (of which there is none), you propose to apply unilateral coercion to a fairly large market segment, both producers and consumers.
And remember. Information may be cheap, but collating, editing, laying out, organizing, correlating, indexing, referencing, producing, illustrating and organizing that information is legitimate labour, with a real cost that must be borne. And it's not just any labour, it is specialized with required uncommon skills, and carries a commensurate cost.
I could take any given text and re-sort it alphabetically. Your document would be useless, appearing as it were like
A a a a a an an an an an am am am am and and and and... (and so forth).
Mathematically speaking, it would contain all the same information, and cheaply at that. That doesn't mean it's useful to anyone, and thus is not of economic value. Someone needs to do the value-added work, and they need to get paid, and the value of the information must reflect that added-value. Otherwise it truly IS a scam - a scam on the worker who added that value, not the consumer.
As someone who works in a company that is competitor to Apple, their reasons for a non replaceable battery are the following:
cheaper (connectors are not cheap)
lighter (can make the battery as a pouch)
thinner (z height is a big deal)
more reliable (drop tests etc)
I seriously doubt they care about the battery being the obsoleting factor.
Thank you SO much for this.
I don't mind the concept but as an engineer, I could not upvote because of the ignorant article and title.
The ironic part is that OP and other planned obsolescence conspiracy theorists are actually the ones creating the demand for the cheaper and shorter living products which they so loathe. Want longer service life? THEN SHELL OUT SOME CASH.
You are being overly naive here. Yes, cheapness drives quality down--this is a known fact, and it's not what "planned obsolescence" is. That term specifically refers to the real practice of cutting corners not to sell more units by being competitive, but to sell more units by being more short-lived.
Take for example the use of low-end capacitors in monitors and TVs. Bad caps are by far the leading reason such things design and for many it would have taken literally cents to go with caps that would almost never break. Shitty caps are used in even non-bargain products where people are doing their best to pay for quality.
Just as the economics of competition drive product design, so do the economics for forced replacement. There are literally things out there that count uses then start working. It's naive or deceptive to act like all the reason stuff breaks so much is driven by lowering quality to lower cost.
"Just an example, the iPhone 4 was a pretty nice piece of hardware. Then a few months later they convinced a good percentage of Apple people to upgrade to the 4S. A few more months later and they had the next upgrade out, with updates that the 4 and 4S were incompatible with. This just does not strike me as well-intentioned behavior."
"A few" is generally considered by most people to be somewhere between 3 and 9. The reality:
The iPhone 4S came out 17 months after the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 5 came out 11 months after the iPhone 4S, and ended compatibility with the dock connector, which had only been around for... over 9 years. It's only 5 younger than USB 1.1, the first spec to gain traction. There were sound design justifications for the change - robustness, size, reversibility, and flexibility among them.
They waited until the last possible second, until it was impossible to advance without breaking compatibility. That's hardly malicious.
Technology gets better. Period.
If Apple doesn't innovate at a high rate, they'll get passed by another company that does. In a highly competitive market, the only way to stay on top is to move quickly.
Apple introducing a new phone doesn't break your old phone. It doesn't make your old phone worse in any way at all. With the current rate of improvement, expecting that your phone (from ANY company) will remain the latest and greatest for >6 months is delusional.
You just need to get past the mentality of always needing the latest thing. My 3rd gen iPod is still chugging away just fine...
You can get those features if you jailbreak, but you sacrifice battery life and stability by using said features. I'm sure apple could've released it if they wanted to, but they'd then be inundated with people bitching about how the new software "broke" their phone.
You now have a damaged brand perception, a product that ran fine but is now experiencing issues due to an update, a ruined end user experience, and a drop in stock price.
The existence of these new features doesn't somehow break your old phone, it's just perceived that way.
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Old Refrigerator debunk
Can you buy a good, house-sized refrigerator for 40 years? You can't, they don't exist. It's not possible to buy a refrigerator that's going to last more than 10-15 years no matter how much you pay. The luxury segment of the market just looks different, the insides are identical to cheaper models.
I still have an old refrigerator made in the 1974. It sounds like it is, but it's not crap. The refrigerator technology is basically the same since ~1950. The main difference is, it was DESIGNED for 50+ years.
The only real drawback is, it uses 150% of energy per volume compared to newer ones (I measured it with a meter), but the electricity savings are smaller than the yearly interest on the price of a new one if you factor in the expected 14 years life. In other words, it doesn't make financial sense to buy a new one, as the alternative of investing the money in a risk-free asset yields more.
This is a colossal failure of capitalism, a result of planned obsolescence.
Based on what I can find on the internet about historical prices, it cost about 90 1974 dollars -> $430 today.
First of all, you didn't source any of your shit.
Second of all, you ignore all the Dept of Energy standards that fridge makers had to comply with over the years to lower energy usage.
Third, you assume a linear increase in cost for the extra energy. You're talking about a difference of 1400kWh versus 300kWh. Cost of energy would increase non-linearly.
But let's walk through your example anyway. I buy a fridge for $700, you buy one for $400 (let's ignore the fact that your fridge used to be that cheap b/c raw materials were way cheaper back then as well). You put the extra $300 to work for 6%. With electricity at $0.10/kWh, you spend $110 more on electricity and earn $20 in interest. Over 14 years, I spend $1540 less than you, while you earn something like $680 (compounded annually), +$700 for my new fridge and I'm still spending less. This doesn't even address the fact that if everyone was trying to use 1400kWh the price of electricity would be way above $0.10/kWh (already is for me).
In closing, you're wrong.
Even if all your unsourced conspiracy nonsense was right, capitalism hasn't failed. Products are designed to last as long as consumers want them. No one wants a fridge that lasts 40 years. Most people would probably like to replace their fridge due to style changes and new tech within 5 years most likely but hold out until 10 years on average just due to the costs.
The market is giving people what they want and you're just an outlier.
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Old printer debunk.
We're all fucking cheapskates? Cool. Or, with the changes in cost of living, inflation and the lack of changes to wages I think most of us cannot afford a $3,000 printer. Because it's a fucking printer. Call me cheap all you want, I absolutely do not make enough money to buy a "good printer" that is "built like a tank" especially if it is going to cost me more money than I make in a month. I could buy a used fucking car.
Why do you need a printer? If you can't afford a quality one then print your documents at a business where they will charge you per page. How much are you really printing? Wouldn't that be the more affordable option for someone on a low income? You insist on having a printer at home for the cheapest possible price, then probably complain when its not of the best quality and fails after a year or two.
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Great read! I'm fascinated by manufacturing (I have a 2 year degree in manufacturing engineering) and love correcting people when they complain about the current state of the marketplace. For example, plastic is one of the most misunderstood materials around. It's cheap to make items from it and that drives down the price to the consumer but it's also not as durable as a more expensive material. Even saying plastic is not as durable as something else is not universally true. The spectrum of plastics is as wider than other materials thus leaving durability up to the specific blend or source plastic.
Thank you! It's ALWAYS about trade-offs. If markets really wanted longer life, they'd be preferring that over performance in other areas including price.
Even Moore's Law carries such a trade-off. Did people think getting higher densities and faster clock rates was free??? No it wasn't/isn't!!!
The trade-off that comes with that is lower reliability at a transistor level. The lifetime (the metric of reliability) of an IC transistor in the 1960s was 10,000 years! This based on accelerated lifetime testing.
Today with a nanometer transistor the lifetime is 5-15 years. This is simply because there are fewer atoms providing redundancy to the physical structure that is the basis of reliability. Physical transistor dimensions today at 20 nm to 30 nm with a silicon atom being 0.234 nm, compared to the late 1960s with 100,000 nm (100 micron) transistor sizes.
The simple fact is that trading reliability for performance is what people prefer to pay for; it is what customers want and prefer. They DO NOT want 10,000 year lifetime products because that would mean having 1960s performance (pre-microprocessor, TTL-implemented computers - which are mainframes and minicomputers!).
Say you wanted a computer that would last your whole life: what technology level would that be? Something around a 200 MHz 486 actually. Are you ready to live with that level of performance?
The margin that we operate on now is that customers prefer style changes sooner than products will spontaneously start breaking! That actually is coming closer to an end with microelectronics.
Nanoelectronics with graphene or whatever won't alter this actually. Nano will only continue to shorten lifetimes. We are entering the era where electronics simply won't last as long as the market/style would like for the performance level the want or expect.
If you are looking for a historical analogy of this we are about to re-enter the vacuum tube era where you had to replace most of the key active value components many times over the life of a product.
Another analogy is changing oil and various components in your car.
But the difference is that the parts being replaced are of a physical size comparable to the cells in your body. The only existing "technology" that has ever existed to do that kind of replacement well and reliably are biological systems.
Something to think about. Especially when you think about the nonsense of "Singularity".
I got into the habit of fixing things from getting into vintage audio equipment. I bought an old receiver at a thrift shop and when I got it home it produced no audio. I figured out the fuses were out and replaced them and a habit was born. Since then I learned how to clean electrical components. I plan on getting a soldering iron soon and replacing some bulbs and capacitors. I bought a ten dollar pair of speakers that were falling apart and learned how to re-foam them and will soon reupholster the grills.
It has also led me to try some of my own auto repairs. I think that in the last year it has probably saved me a few hundred dollars over buying brand new audio equipment and trips to the mechanic. On top of that I have a new way to entertain myself that is useful and engaging, I love it.
I'm an engineer so I'll give you some insight. Most materials have something called fatigue limit. When you stress a part cyclically there is a statistical number of cycles it can take before failing. The lower the stress the more cycles you get before breaking. But to lower stresses you have to add material or perform more detailed analysis both of which cost money. Engineering is all about trading conflicting requirements.
Take a shovel. You want it to be cheap, easy to use, light, and long lasting. Well most of those conflict. Thicker heavier steel spade will dig easier and last longer but be heavier and more expensive. There is no perfect solution. That's why you can go to the store and see shovels from $10 to over $60. Pick up the $60 one. Usually heavy steel head with heavy fiberglass handle. It will last 50 years but if you aren't string it will tire you out quickly.
Actually, they are often built to burn out. This was a huge complaint in the kitchenaid stand mixer. They started installing a single nylon gear, and a lot of people were furious about it.
The thing is, they were designed to break because they provided a safe failure point. If there was a problem somewhere in the mechanism, it would break the cheap, easily fixed nylon gear rather than something more important.
"My camera has an estimated 10,000 picture lifespan. After that, it's supposed to fail."
Supposed to fail or expected to fail? Nothing lasts forever regardless of quality, and higher quality parts cost a lot of money. When buying something, most people will go for one of the cheaper models, even if those aren't nearly the same quality as the more expensive models. It's less about planned obsolescence and more about people wanting cheap stuff.
Different people may mean different things, but the way I think of it, most parts have a Mean Time Before Failure analysis done, and those parts are designed to be the cheapest possible given an acceptable MTBF. It's just that people would probably interpret that as "being designed to fail", rather than "being designed to be affordable". But in reality, nothing is designed to last forever.
This is correct. Electrical products such as kitchen appliances go through product lifecycle testing during development and prior to production. These products are designed to meet a minimum standard that is a legal or buyer requirement.
So long as the product can reach the minimum standard it is considered acceptable.
Like you said, all products will eventually fail and there's a strong correlation to the quality of components used. Unfortunately, over the years the market has shifted towards cheaper products that have a shorter lifespan as that's what people choose to buy.
I'm a design engineer. The US government actually encourages innovation by taxing the first 5 years of new product revenue at a lower rate than your older products.
Hence, if a company produces a solid product and sells it for years, they pay higher taxes than a company that comes out with new models.
It's not deferral of taxes, it's deferral of the R&D credit (reduction) to taxes owed. And it's only a partial credit, not a reduction of the entire amount.
A simplified example... Company XYZ conducts $1m in R&D in year 1. There is a tax credit equal to $200k, but because of the investment in R&D conducted in the first year the company made little/no profit and therefore has minimal/no tax on which to apply the credit. Without this policy the credit would be useless.
However, 5 years later the company is now earning a lot of money from the initial R&D investment and generating profits from which it pays a significant amount of taxes. With a deferral the company can apply the R&D tax credit from year 1 onto taxes in year 5 and reduce its tax burden.
So in summary it allows a company to apply the credit during a year when the company can actually use it.
Encouraging R&D is a good thing as it helps keeps companies strong against competition. Whether or not products last a long or short time is a market issue and not related to these incentives. The reason products are significantly cheaper than they were before and they don't last very long is because that's what consumers choose to buy.
It varies by product. With things like automobiles people will pay a premium for higher quality. But with stuff that people use occasionally, like toasters or a snowblower, people often buy the cheapest things they can find. Shoes I think fall somewhere in-between... some people buy the cheapest options whereas others will spend a lot more for footwear that lasts longer.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/shopping/repair-or-replace-it/overview/index.htm
OK, talking about the old toaster that still works is very common misinterpreted by people make with respect to the reliability of old things.
Every toaster still around from the 60s has been working for 50 years, which is amazing, but that doesn't mean every toaster made in the 60s is still working now. If 1% of them still worked there would be millions of them around, but the 99% that broken and were replaced have been forgotten.
Consumer Reports says appliances aren't failing any more frequently than they used to despite getting more complex.
And some things, like automobiles, have become much more reliable.
The problem is the good stuff from the past gets remembered better than the bad stuff (since the good stuff is still around and the bad was thrown away years ago). It's the same reason music from today is worse than the past, no body remembers the shitty bands from the 60s.
I repair my stuff when it breaks. The only thing stopping you is the perception that things aren't repairable.
As far as the part costing almost much as the item... You're taking that as the parts have a huge markup, when really it's that the item is being sold for so cheap compared to the parts it took to make.
Do I think many of the things I have now will be working in 50 years? Honestly I can say yes I would expect several of the items to continue to work with the occasional repair. Would I want the same toaster or vacuum in 50 years? No.
It's foolish when technology improves everything all the time. My vacuum folds up, has an automatic retracting cord, an easily removed and dumped canister, etc. If I was still using the first vacuum I bought I wouldn't have any of those extremely convenient features.
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Nice old vacuum debunk.
Well, to be fair, it seems like your article is focused on high dollar items. Refrigerators, Riding-mowers, computers. The complexity has increased with all those things over time, but toasters and (bagged) vacuums seem like they're much the same as they've always been, except for they're made with much more plastic these days. Also, the expectation of quality is obviously much higher...sell a $500 fridge that keeps breaking, and people will stop buying your shit, but you can sell the same piece of shit $20 toaster for years and people will keep buying it, because it's only $20.
And obviously there is bias in the fact that we remember the things that lasted versus the things that didn't, but let me ask you, do you think any of the shit we use today will be working in 50 years? I can't even get a vacuum cleaner that lasts more than 3 or 4, and it's not like that's a "cheap" appliance. I work in retail management, and we get a fair number of small appliance returns that literally do not work right out of the fucking box. Toaster ovens, toasters, coffee makers, waffle-irons, vacuums/carpet shampooers...it's literally half of our returns to vendor.
Now, maybe that's because most people aren't going to throw their brand new oven in the back of their care and take it back to Lowes when it breaks, whereas a toaster or other small appliance is a simple matter to shove back in the box and bring back to the store. I don't know. But I can tell you, with a few small repairs over the years, those appliances lasted over a lifetime. What can you even repair these days when it comes to small appliances? I called our local vacuum repair shop after my last vacuum died, trying to save some money, and the quote for the repair was more than I paid for the damn vacuum.
Maybe it is all based on rose colored glasses, I don't know. I guess we'll find out in 50 years whether or not any of our modern day devices were worth a shit. I'm not gonna get my hopes up...
I repair my stuff when it breaks. The only thing stopping you is the perception that things aren't repairable.
As far as the part costing almost much as the item... You're taking that as the parts have a huge markup, when really it's that the item is being sold for so cheap compared to the parts it took to make.
Do I think many of the things I have now will be working in 50 years? Honestly I can say yes I would expect several of the items to continue to work with the occasional repair. Would I want the same toaster or vacuum in 50 years? No.
It's foolish when technology improves everything all the time. My vacuum folds up, has an automatic retracting cord, an easily removed and dumped canister, etc. If I was still using the first vacuum I bought I wouldn't have any of those extremely convenient features.
Oh, I totally understand that it's the economics of the situation that preclude their repair; why fix something when it's cheaper to buy new? Why spend $100 to have a $150 vacuum repaired? That's idiotic.
At the same time, though...if the quality of the item were there, then the money would be worth it. Who is going to spend close to the cost of an item in a repair for an entirely plastic, made in China, piece of shit? My grandmother's Kirby works better than any vacuum I've used these days (outside of ridiculously expensive commercial units, but who spends $2000 on a vacuum for the home, anyway?), and even adjusting for inflation, she paid about the same price I do these days for my plastic piece of shit ones. It weighs more, but I'm not an invalid and have the muscle tone to push a vacuum around (it actually rolls easier, due to the real wheels with ball-bearings, as opposed to the plastic discs that we call wheels on modern vacuums, despite the weight). The cord doesn't retract, but I'll trade the extra 10 seconds spent manually wrapping it whenever I use it for 50 years of realistic product life.
And what the hell is the difference between a toaster from the 60s and one from today? Outside of the fact that they're made out of plastic these days, in terms of functionality they're identical. If you'd said vacuum or toaster oven or microwave or something, okay, but a toaster is a horrible example of a product that's improved much over the years...
My first vacuum cleaner and toaster work exactly the same as the ones I have now do. If I wouldn't have had to replace them due to them dying I wouldn't have.
If you want a Kirby go buy a Kirby. No one is making you buy the $70 WalMart special. If you're buying the WalMart special how is that an indicator that nothing is made to last anymore? How many times has your grandma had the vacuum repaired? My guess is "more than zero". Did you factor those repair costs over 50 years?
I wouldn't call a toaster a horrible example, and in any case you brought toasters into the discussion -- not me. The difference between my toaster and a 50 year old toaster is mine has a digital display that tells me the toast level and time (in minutes) remaining, an audible 'toast done' chime that is louder than the spring release sound of a regular toaster, increased safety features, and doesn't look like this so it goes better with my kitchen. Sure, small differences, but it's also a small cost item. If none of that stuff mattered everyone would just make toast on the stove or in the oven.
It really sounds like you buy the cheapest piece of junk you can find, and when it inevitably breaks you chalk it up to things being built to fail. The things you list as being a pro for the old vacuum are found in modern vacuums and it's your fault for not checking out options when purchasing.
For the record, a vacuum in 1954 was around $84. That's about $750 today. When you're dropping close to a grand on a vacuum then I think you have a more reasonable comparison between your grandma's 1950s vacuum and your current one.
You're also deluding yourself. The functional suction power of a vacuum's motor degrades over time. This applies to vacuums in stores now, and vacuums bought 50 years ago. It's just a fact of mechanics. Without regular maintenance and repairs (read: money spent) the 50 year old vacuum will not have as much suction and cleaning power as a similar vacuum bought today.
But hey, if you're so dead set on having an antique vacuum because it's the bees-knees go buy one and stop buying a new vacuum every year.
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How are cellphones a good example? I know plenty of people that still use a first (!) generation android phone or a 3G and it works perfectly fine. Your example for software obsolescence is also really bad, because there are huge technical reasons for newer Direct X versions not being available on WinXP. It would require a complete rewrite of large portions of the OS, which they did more than 10 years later with Vista. How is that planned obsolescence?
None of this is true, except maybe parts pricing. Cars are complicated and hard to service because they have to balance cost, weight, performance, efficiency, reliability, and crash safety. This means you can't have lots of extra space in the engine bay, you have to have crazy numbers of sensors and actuators, and everything needs to be extremely cheap and lightweight. Given that nobody cares about ease of servicing and the manufacturer doesn't pay for it outside of the warranty period, this metric is pretty far down on the priority list.
Parts are priced by the dealers selling them. That's where most of the markup comes in. Obviously, they cost quite a bit more than their manufacturing cost, but that's true of anything. It costs a lot of money to produce, stock, and distribute tens of thousands of obscure parts for hundreds of different model-year-color combinations.
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Old microwave debunk
i can't believe this guy's post got bestof. they should've posted my retort to him in bestof then. planned obsolescence does exist, it just doesn't exist for every product. i've seen first hand in products that are simply designed to break after a certain period. what's he's referring to is build quality. nobody is contending that something that cost 70% less should work just as well or last as long. a new microwave now is about 40 bucks and it fucking sucks. the $200 microwave my family bought in 1990 still works better than the new one we bought 2 years ago.
The microwave your family bought in 1990 is less efficient, and likely more expensive to manufacture. New microwaves use significantly different electronics. No more MOTs, they use inverter technology that's not only more efficient, it can be paired with electronics that makes them cook food more evenly. The inverters also use significantly less aluminum and copper - hell they use less steel, too. They're lighter, so easier to move around, and cheaper to ship.
I repair appliances, BTW, and I'm not as impressed by old microwaves as you are. Not impressed by coatings used, door latch hardware, or how sanitary they were constructed.
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warc | 201704 | hello_earth_opp.ppt
Размер: 403.5 Кб Количество слайдов: 18 Описание презентации Презентация hello earth Opp по слайдам
hello earth!! • 100’s of free ppt’s from www. pptpoint. com library
Describing Our Planet-Map • A map is a two dimensional description of a specific area of land. Maps describe in a visual or graphic format certain key features of the territory being examined.
• Latitude ( shown as a horizontal line ) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds of a point north or south of the Equator. Lines of latitude are often referred to as parallels. Longitude ( shown as a vertical line ) is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds, of a point east or west of the Prime ( Greenwich ) Meridian. Lines of longitude are often referred to as meridians.
Our Atmosphere The atmosphere of our home planet is made up of three primary gases. These gases are oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. In addition to these three gases, there are many other gases in the atmosphere, in trace or small amounts. Additionally there are small particles, or particulates floating in the atmosphere, such as dust, water, and pollen
• • The Earth’s atmosphere extends outward to a distance of approximately 6, 000 miles. However, the bulk of that atmosphere is compressed into the first 16 miles. The higher that one travels the less compressed the atmosphere becomes, and the less pressure there is exerted on the items it that atmosphere. Imagine that you are swimming in a giant pool of steel marbles. The deeper you go into the marbles the heavier the marbles become. This is because there are more marbles on top of you, and more weight pushing down on your body. The higher you go, the lighter they become. •
Gases That Affect Our Weather Most of the gases in our atmosphere have little to no affect on our weather patterns. However, a few gases have a significant effect on the weather that we experience around the world. Carbon dioxide is one of these gases. The gas known as carbon dioxide has the unique characteristic of absorbing infrared radiation, or the heat sent to the Earth by the Sun.
Water Affects Our Weather Water vapor is also an important gas to consider when studying the atmosphere. The amount of water vapor found in the air remains constant on average, however, it can vary greatly from one place to another.
Why Is The Sky A Light Shade of Baby Blue? The Earth ’ s atmosphere is filled with trillions of tiny dust particles. Most of these particles or particulates are too small to be seen with the human eye. The smallest particulates are by coincidence the same length as the wavelength of blue light.
Weather and Climate Weather is the combined short-term conditions found in the lower atmosphere. Climate on the other hand refers to long-term atmospheric conditions.
The Earth’s Biosphere • The biosphere is the defined as the sphere or area around the planet Earth where life exists. This zone of life is vast. Most life forms live on, or near the surface of Earth. However, some live deep within the hydrosphere (oceans, lakes, and streams), while others thrive in the depths of the lithosphere (solid portion of Earth). For this reason, mapping the exact borders of the biosphere is quite challenging.
Love Our Earth Know Our Earth
• COLOR OF THE WIND -by VANESSA WILLIAMS People are not the only creatures that have the right to live on the earth. All the plants and animals share the planet with us. We should rely on each other and keep the world harmonious. The following song is from the Disney movie ” Pocahontas ” ( 风 风风风 1995). • Now listen to the song- Color Of the Wind by Vanessa Williams, and fill in the blanks with the missing words. Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit
• You think you own whatever land you land on The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim But I know every rock and tree and ____ Has a life, has a spirit, has a name You think the only people who are people Are the people who look and think like you But if you walk the_____ of a stranger You’ll learn things you never knew Have you ever heard the_____ cry to the blue corn moon Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you _____ with all the colors of the wind? Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit
• Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth Come roll in all the riches all around you And for once, never wonder what they’re ______ The_____ and the river are my brothers The heron and the otter are my friends And we are all ______ to each other In a circle, in a_____ that never ends • Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moo n Or let the Eagle tell you where he’s been? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains Can you paint with all the colors of the wind. Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit
• How high will the sycamore ______? If you cut it down, then you’ll never know And you’ll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon For whether we are white or copper skinned We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains We need to paint with all the colors of the wind You can own the Earth and still All you’ll own is Earth ____ You can paint with all the colors of the wind. Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit
• Youthinkyouownwhateverlandyoulandon The. Earthisjustadeadthingyoucanclaim But. Iknoweveryrockandtreeand creature Hasalife, hasaspirit, hasaname Youthinktheonlypeoplewhoarepeople Arethepeoplewholookandthinklikeyou Butifyouwalkthe footsteps ofastranger You’lllearnthingsyouneverknew Haveyoueverheardthe wolf crytothebluecornmoon Oraskedthegrinningbobcatwhyhegrinned? Canyousingwithallthevoicesofthemountains? Canyou paint withallthecolorsofthewind? Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit
• Comerunthehiddenpine trailsoftheforest Cometastethesunsweetberriesofthe. Earth Comerollinalltherichesallaroundyou Andforonce, neverwonderwhatthey’re worth The rainstorm andtheriveraremybrothers Theheronandtheotteraremyfriends Andweareall connected toeachother Inacircle, ina hoop thatneverends Haveyoueverheardthewolfcrytothebluecornmoon Orhavethe. Eagletellwherehe’sbeen? Canyousingwithallthevoicesofthemountains Canyoupaintwithallthecolorsofthewind Viewing, Listening & Speaking Fun Time Book 3 -Unit | 6,871 | 2,907 | 0.000372 |
warc | 201704 | Albany, New York (PressExposure) August 07, 2009 -- If you are one among those hundreds of people struggling from Genital Warts then here are few things you must know before going into any kind of treatment. Genital-warts-help.org is a comprehensive guide on genital warts and the possible ways of treating them. This website has loads of reviews and articles on genital warts. Diagrams and photographs are also available on this website which shows the medical condition. Gary Cameron the owner of the site has a statutory warning for all patients stating that genital warts can lead to many health disorders like cancer in both men and women if it is left untreated.
Genital-warts-help.org offers simple treatments which can be carried out from a personâs home itself. This website offers realistic and safe solutions for patients suffering from genital warts. This web guide tries to spread awareness on genital warts and thereby reducing the chances of serious health complications.
The most important part about genital warts is their detection. Detailed description on the physical nature of genital warts has been given on the website. The disease does not have particular symptoms and hence it is not easy to detect genital warts. The genital warts are usually caused by human papillomavirus. There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses and it can easily spread on all parts of your body, they grow on skin, inside your mouth, on hands, legs and fingers.
If the genital warts are left untreated then there is a high probability that it might develop into any form of cancerous growths. Testimonials by people who have suffered from warts have been put up on the Genital-warts-help.org so that other visitors can use it for reference before making sales.
http://www.Genital-warts-help.org has maintained a policy of non surgical treatment of warts and offers genital warts treatment reviews. All reviewed treatments give relief form the problem of genital warts. A set of guidelines have been provided in the website which helps a person to treat genital warts very carefully so that it does not get any form of injury.
A host of testimonials are also on display; these testimonials are of patients who have used Wartol and got relief from the problems of genital warts. The website also offers free packs against bulk purchases and also assures of money back in case there is any complaints. The medicines offered at the site are homeopathic and hence they are free from side effects. | 2,505 | 1,204 | 0.000835 |
warc | 201704 | Total Warning Signs For fiscal years spanning
2000-2001 to 2007-2008
Failed to
develop land
within five
years
Spent more
than half their
money on
"planning"
Spent at least
$100,000 of budget and built no units
$6,301,451
Jump to: Housing Units | Land Holdings | Spending | Nearby Agencies Housing Units (back to top) 0used covenants 0used subsidies 0used funds allocated for mobile homes 56built 0rehabilitated 18destroyed Land Holdings (back to top)
A state law requires land purchased for affordable housing to be developed within five years.
This agency has failed to develop:
0parcels of land for more than five years 0parcels of land for more than 10 years Spending (back to top)
Category
Spending
Percent of Total
Agency Average
At risk of becoming
unaffordable
$0 0% 4.76% Debt payments $0 0% 28.33% Land acquisition
and site preparation
$395,715 6.28% 20.70% Mobile homes $0 0% 4.79% New $134,646 2.14% 19.18% Other $229,000 3.63% 16.61% Planning and
administration
$1,408,302 22.35% 23.57% Rehabilitation $4,133,788 65.60% 13.02% Rental subsidies $0 0% 19.33% Total $6,301,451 100% N/A Nearby Agencies (back to top)
Credits: Kim Christensen, Jessica Garrison, Michelle Minkoff, Sandra Poindexter, Doug Smith | 1,248 | 736 | 0.001394 |
warc | 201704 | Sacrificing Everything for Studies
I am a 17 year muslim girl. an i am having a really tough time with my family. my dad an mom. hate the guy i am dating. just because his a non muslim. his a catholic. but he loves me. an i love him sooo much. i never want to give up on him. ever.. we have our plans as to how we will one day work stuff out.. and he will ask my dad for my hand in marriage. my parents took my phone an i am not allowed on facebook. and my dad has found out details about my boyfriend. and luckily nothing bad. but still he wants me to break up. and my mom can’t stand him. i have no way of contacting him. i use the landline number to call him. and whenever i get caught they make an extremely huge issue over it.. and it hurts me so bad. because i don’t have the guts to break up with someone who loves me so much. He always understands my position and tells me not to worry and helps me out.. and talks to me very nicely and treats me very well. he’s so caring. i can’t imagine life without him.
i told my dad. that i can’t help it that i am in love with him. and he was like. you have to scarifice stuff you love if you want to study and be somebody in life. just because i am starting a higher national diploma in psychology this Monday. he wants me to put away everything else. i have put away so many other stuff. i am not allowed to go for parties. i am not on facebook. i don’t go to school. not many friends. i don’t have my phone. WHAT MORE??? isn’t it enough of sacrifices? i can’t do this anymore. it’s really killing me. help me. tell me what to do. please.
A: I’m sure your parents mean well. They want you to have the advantages of an education and they want you to stay true to a faith that is central to their lives. They see your involvement with a Catholic boy as a threat to your religion. They worry that spending time with him will be a major distraction from getting the marks you need to do well in life. Neither of those concerns make them bad parents. Instead, the central issue is whether you are old enough and wise enough to make your own decisions about such things.
Complaining isn’t going to change their minds. But there are things that might:
First, take your studies seriously and do well. That will show them that you are responsible about your work and will earn their respect.
Second, you might talk to your parents about how important it is for you to have good social skills if you are to be successful in a career. You can only develop those skills by having friends and learning how to manage distractions and conflicts that may come up. These days, Facebook and a phone are important tools of communication among friends. You need to learn how to manage your time and to use them effectively. You can only learn those things with some practice. Perhaps they would be willing to start with an hour a day of computer time and access to a phone for part of your weekend. Be willing to take things gradually to prove to them that you can handle things responsibly.
Finally, it’s important not to sneak around. If they find out you are seeing your boyfriend in secret, they will interpret it as a betrayal of their trust. Instead, ask if you can bring your boyfriend to your home so they can get to know him for himself instead of whatever ideas they have created in their minds. Your boyfriend’s task is to be polite and respectful during the visits.
Take these things one at a time. The goal is to prove to your parents that you are thoughtful and responsible so they can be more confident that you will be okay if they let go a bit.
I wish you well.
Dr. Marie APA Reference
Hartwell-Walker, D. (2013). Sacrificing Everything for Studies.
Psych Central. Retrieved on January 23, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2013/06/25/sacrificing-everything-for-studies/ | 3,921 | 1,866 | 0.000548 |
warc | 201704 | +38 (044) 501-55-38 contact (at) qa-testlab.com The Meaning of Structural Testing In Software Project
Structural testing examines the right execution of internal units, such as program statements, data structures and blocks. This is done through test implementation by monitoring the program behavior related to these specific units.
Software is treated as a white-box, where one can see through to view the internal units and their interconnections. That is why it is generally referred to as
white-box testing.
The easiest way of white-box testing is statement coverage testing with the help of using different
debugging tools. In this case software tester can understand whether a specific statement has been implemented.
The benefit is that as soon a defect is identified, it is also located. Nevertheless,
software bugs of neglect or design bugs cannot be easily identified with the help of white-box testing. The reason is only what is present in the code is tested.
Software tester needs to be very familiar with the code under testing to trace through its implementations. Therefore, white-box testing is normally conducted by the programmers themselves because of their individual knowledge of the specific program unit under software testing. Such double part makes software bug correcting easier as well.
White-box testing can also follow the generic
testing process to perform planning, execution and follow-up. Nevertheless, because of the extensive amount of execution information needed, and due to the possibility of combinatorial explosions to cover these execution details, white-box testing is normally limited to a small scale.
For small products, not much formal testing process is needed to plan and execute test cases, and to follow up on execution results.
For unit testing of big products, the white-box testing activities are performed in the encompassing framework where most of the planning is subject to the environment. The environmental constraints pretty much define what can be done.
Consequently, test planning plays a much less significant role in white-box testing than in black-box testing.
Moreover, software bug correcting is made easy by the tight connection between program behavior and program units, and through the double role played by the programmers as testers.
Therefore, not much formal testing process is required. The stopping criteria are also relatively simple: as soon as planned coverage has been reached,
testing can stop.
We have been working with QATestLab with respect to testing an Android application and they have consistently performed striking manual testing of our mobile application. Independent verification provided by QATestLab helped us to find defects that we had previously not found, and saved our time during the completion development stage. | 2,835 | 1,306 | 0.000771 |
warc | 201704 | Fred Plum, a Pioneering Neurologist, Is Dead at 86 By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN Published: June 13, 2010
Dr. Fred Plum, a neurologist whose pioneering research advanced the understanding of consciousness and the care of comatose patients and who helped coin the term ''persistent vegetative state,'' died Friday in Manhattan. He was 86.
His death, at a hospice, was caused by an Alzheimer's-like disease known as primary progressive aphasia, said his wife, Susan.
Dr. Plum, who was treating former President Richard M. Nixon when he died in 1994, was a university professor and former chairman of the department of neurology at Weill Cornell Medical School and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He lived in Manhattan.
Dr. Plum's immensely influential research improved the diagnosis and treatment of patients who lose consciousness from head injuries, strokes, metabolic disorders and drug overdoses.
Dr. Joseph J. Fins, chief of medical ethics at the Cornell medical school, said Dr. Plum had ''opened up a vista of understanding about how the brain works and how consciousness becomes disordered, raising the possibility that there might be something to do about it.''
Dr. Plum and Dr. Bryan Jennett, a neurosurgeon in Glasgow, coined the term ''persistent vegetative state'' in the 1970s; Dr. Plum alone coined the term ''locked-in syndrome.''
''In persistent vegetative state, patients look conscious but are unconscious,'' said Dr. Jerome B. Posner, who works at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan and was Dr. Plum's professional partner for more than 40 years. ''In the locked-in state, patients look unconscious but are conscious.''
Cases of persistent vegetative state have become more common with the development of technology that keeps alive many people who would once have died. And the use of new technology has expanded the definition of the state. Using M.R.I. scans, European researchers reported earlier this year that a 29-year-old man who was mute and immobile in a vegetative state could communicate in response to simple questions.
The new findings do not negate the concept of vegetative state, Dr. Posner said, but ''it means that our diagnoses are not as accurate as we used to think they were.''
Dr. Plum was an advocate for the right of terminally ill patients to determine their treatment and when that treatment should be stopped.
''His passionate belief in the right of an individual to define his own quality of life and to die with dignity allowed him to see the treatment choices from the view of the patient, rather than as simply a challenge for the physician,'' Susan Plum said.
Dr. Plum argued for the use of living wills, so that if patients were unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate they could still ensure that their wishes concerning terminal care were carried out.
In 1975, Dr. Plum was an expert witness in the widely publicized case of Karen Ann Quinlan, who had entered a vegetative state after consuming alcohol and Valium but who did not leave a directive about her care. (After a New Jersey court ruling, she was disconnected from a respirator and surprisingly lived until 1985.)
In 1994, Dr. Plum said Nixon's living will allowed the former president to maintain authority over how his life ended.
In an interview with The New York Times, he added: ''Mr. Nixon made it apparent that persons of high order and dignity and position were quite able to sit back on the oars and make a decision that if they could not lead, if they could not contribute, and if they could not participate in society, then it was not worth living.''
Fred Plum was born on Jan. 10, 1924, in Atlantic City. His father owned a chain of drug stores but lost them in the Depression. Dr. Plum said he had been motivated to become a neurologist as a teenager after his sister, Christine, died from poliomyelitis.
He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1944 and earned a medical degree from Cornell in 1947. He published his first scientific paper, in biochemistry, with Dr. Vincent du Vigneaud, who later won a Nobel Prize for other work.
During the Korean War, Dr. Plum worked in the United States Naval Hospital in St. Albans, Queens. In 1953, at age 29, he became head of neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle, the youngest such chief at the time.
There Dr. Plum developed a respiratory center, in part because many unconscious and paralyzed patients develop respiratory failure. (During an outbreak of poliomyelitis in Alaska, Dr. Plum flew there with bush pilots to help local doctors use iron lungs to help patients breathe.) The Seattle center also treated people who had become comatose from drug overdoses.
At the time, doctors relied primarily on a bedside clinical examination to diagnose most brain diseases. Without the benefit of now-standard technologies like CT and M.R.I. scans and ultrasound, the medical field had only a rudimentary understanding of ailments like brain swelling, degenerative brain disease, impaired consciousness and brain death, and doctors could treat few of them.
Dr. Plum and Dr. Posner sought clinical ways to determine which ailments required neurosurgery and which could be treated with drugs and other means. Based on that experience, they published what proved to a seminal text, ''The Diagnosis of Stupor and Coma,'' in 1966. | 5,345 | 2,577 | 0.00039 |
warc | 201704 | Scrambling is often regarded as less serious than 'proper' climbing. That's a mistake. Low grade scrambles may be too easy for ropes, but the consequences of a fall can still be high. Here's how to stay safe on the grade 1s.
read more
The 2011/2012 Premier League season has been full of twists and turns. From the heart-warming story of Swansea and Norwich, to season-long scramble to climb out of the relegation spots for teams who have made mistake after mistake, ...
Microwaves just keep getting better and better. Save yourself some time in the morning by making this easy breakfast dish. Two-minute scrambled eggs have all the fixings of regular scrambled eggs, except they take a lot less time to...
High blood pressure – hypertension – is a contributing factor to many dangerous and even deadly illness and conditions including heart disease and heart attack. High blood pressure is a growing problem in the U.S., but it is prevent...
Definitely a smart puppy. The rescue worker deserves kudos for not giving up till the dog was safe and sound. I bet you though, if the dog had not managed | 1,114 | 653 | 0.001555 |
warc | 201704 | In a speech to the Clearing House in New York, Cordray highlighted unauthorized automated debits and uncertainty about when transactions will be credited or debited as particular challenges. He remarked:
We have seen good practices by some banks and credit unions that have developed screening mechanisms to detect abuse before authorizing charges. But more needs to be done.
In response, ABA VP Steve Kenneally commented:
ACH rules and the CFPB’s own Regulation E provide extensive protections against unauthorized transactions. A consumer who reports unauthorized ACH transactions within 60 days of receiving a statement has no liability.
Cordray also praised the Clearing House’s initiative to develop a real-time payments system. He cautioned that this system should allow faster access to deposited funds, real-time access to balance information and robust protections for unauthorized debits in order “to work for consumers as well as for financial institutions and their commercial clients.”
Read the speech. | 1,042 | 596 | 0.001722 |
warc | 201704 | Title Date of Original Version
1-1-2012
Type
Article
PubMed ID
22877149
Rights Management
© 2012 McCauley et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract or Description
BACKGROUND: The mechanisms by which the conserved genetic "toolkit" for development generates phenotypic disparity across metazoans is poorly understood. Echinoderm larvae provide a great resource for understanding how developmental novelty arises. The sea urchin pluteus larva is dramatically different from basal echinoderm larval types, which include the auricularia-type larva of its sister taxon, the sea cucumbers, and the sea star bipinnaria larva. In particular, the pluteus has a mesodermally-derived larval skeleton that is not present in sea star larvae or any outgroup taxa. To understand the evolutionary origin of this structure, we examined the molecular development of mesoderm in the sea cucumber, Parastichopus parvimensis.
RESULTS: By comparing gene expression in sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea stars, we partially reconstructed the mesodermal regulatory state of the echinoderm ancestor. Surprisingly, we also identified expression of the transcription factor alx1 in a cryptic skeletogenic mesenchyme lineage in P. parvimensis. Orthologs of alx1 are expressed exclusively within the sea urchin skeletogenic mesenchyme, but are not expressed in the mesenchyme of the sea star, which suggests that alx1+ mesenchyme is a synapomorphy of at least sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Perturbation of Alx1 demonstrates that this protein is necessary for the formation of the sea cucumber spicule. Overexpression of the sea star alx1 ortholog in sea urchins is sufficient to induce additional skeleton, indicating that the Alx1 protein has not evolved a new function during the evolution of the larval skeleton.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed echinoderm ancestral mesoderm state is highly conserved between the morphologically similar, but evolutionarily distant, auricularia and bipinnaria larvae. However, the auricularia, but not bipinnaria, also develops a simple skelotogenic cell lineage. Our data indicate that the first step in acquiring these novel cell fates was to re-specify the ancestral mesoderm into molecularly distinct territories. These new territories likely consisted of only a few cells with few regulatory differences from the ancestral state, thereby leaving the remaining mesoderm to retain its original function. The new territories were then free to take on a new fate. Partitioning of existing gene networks was a necessary pre-requisite to establish novelty in this system.
DOI
10.1186/2041-9139-3-17
Creative Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Published In
Evodevo, 3, 1, 17-17. | 2,980 | 1,466 | 0.000688 |
warc | 201704 | NATIONAL SURVEY FINDS HOMEOWNER SITUATION NOT AS BLEAK AS REPORTS INDICATE
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Americans may own a larger share of their homes than is suggested by a recent Federal Reserve report, according to a new nationwide survey.
In its quarterly report released last week, the Federal Reserve said that in 2007, Americans’ percentage of equity in their homes fell below 50 percent for the first time since 1945, to 47.9 percent in the last quarter. That means for most people, the bank or mortgage company would own a greater share of their home than they do.
However, statistics from a national survey conducted by Ohio State University show that homeowners are doing better, with about 70 percent equity in their homes.
The discrepancy may be because the Fed report fails to account for homeowners who have fully paid for their home and thus have no mortgage, said Randall Olsen, director of the Center for Human Resource Research at Ohio State, which conducted the new survey.
When these households, whose home equity share is 100 percent, are factored in, the average homeowner share of equity increases.
“Things are rough on the housing front, but they aren’t as bad as some of these stories would lead us to believe,” Olsen said.
“While many homeowners are hurting and the economy is definitely vulnerable, the sky is not falling.”
The survey revealed other hopeful economic news: the percentage of Americans who owed money on their credit cards, or who used payday loans, was virtually unchanged from 2006 to 2007.
These new data come from the Consumer Finance Monthly, a survey of household finances conducted by the Center for Human Resource Research, a survey center at Ohio State that has been doing survey work and studying asset accumulation since 1966.
The survey, which included 3,500 randomly selected households across the country, shows that about 75 percent of respondents own, or are buying, their home — a number virtually unchanged from 2006.
However, 40 percent of households do not have a mortgage on their home, and for those who do, the average mortgage is $138,000. The average home in the survey is worth almost $283,000. Thus homeowners’ equity as a fraction of home value averages about 70 percent.
Because the Consumer Finance Monthly is done by phone, it probably oversamples homeowners, but the equity share calculation would not be affected much, Olsen said.
The 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance, conducted for the Federal Reserve, showed homeowners share of equity was 65 percent, which is closer to the Ohio State number than last week’s data release based on what are called “flow of funds” data.
Equity is not the only measure of the stability of the housing market, Olsen said. A traditional benchmark used by lenders to determine if a mortgage is well-secured is whether the amount still owed on the mortgage is less than 80 percent of the house value.
This ratio of mortgage to house value is called the “loan-to-value ratio.” The Consumer Finance Monthly data show that 82 percent of homeowners with a mortgage have a loan-to-value ratio under 80 percent.
How are these borrowers doing? A common criterion for a troubled borrower is having a payment at least 60 days late in the past 12 months. By this measure, in 2007, 2 percent of borrowers with loan-to-value ratios under 80 percent are troubled, versus just under 6 percent of those with loan-to-value ratios over 80 percent.
Among those with loan-to-value ratios over 100 percent, a real danger sign in terms of loan quality, fewer than 7 percent have been 60 days or more late on their house payments in the past 12 months, suggesting even these borrowers are only rarely behind on their payments.
“Owning your own home has always been part of the American dream, and people do not readily part with their dreams,” Olsen said.
In other debt categories surveyed by the Consumer Finance Monthly, a slightly lower fraction of households still owed money on their credit cards after their most recent payment —about 32 percent, compared to 33 percent in 2006.
The average balance remaining after their most recent payment in 2007 was $7,500, up from $6,300 in 2006. Because credit cards have become such an important way of handling transactions, credit card balances can give a misleading picture of credit card debt by mixing together balances after the most recent payment with convenience-use balances that will be paid when they are due, Olsen said.
While true credit card debt has increased about 20 percent in the past year, other installment debt, which is owed by about 38 percent of households, averaged $12,400 in 2007, down from $18,600 in 2006.
Payday loans — short term, unsecured loans from storefront lenders — declined from 2006 to 2007, with the percentage of households having a payday loan falling from 1.3 percent of households to 1.1 percent and the average amount owed among those with payday loans declining from $2,400 to $1,900.
Consumers are shifting to credit cards and away from other installment lending as credit cards play a larger role in both transactions and borrowing by young households when they are starting out. Economists have long stressed the tendency of consumers to incur debt when they are young and paying it off as they age, according to Olsen.
“Median net worth also increased from 2006 to 2007, going from $178,000 to $206,000,” he said.
He cautioned, however, that the declines in real estate and the stock market over the past few months are not yet reflected in these data.
Olsen said that further information on home values, equity, net worth, and debt will be released by the Ohio State center in the coming months as the 2008 data are collected and analyzed.
#
Contact: Randall Olsen, (614) 442-7348; Olsen.6@osu.edu
Jeff Grabmeier, Research Communications, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu | 5,978 | 2,605 | 0.000392 |
warc | 201704 | Getting ready to hit the powdery slopes? You are surely in for a treat. Whether you are planning on riding down the mountain on a snowboard or skis, the thrill of gliding on the snow is a unique experience unlike any other outdoor activity.
One of the privileges of winter sports like snowboarding and skiing is that you do it in a natural, peaceful, scenic setting. For some, this is one of the things that make the thrill even more special. If you are an avid skier, you probably have many reasons why you love it so much and a full checklist of items to pack. For the novices – the ones who are not even sure what to pack for their ski trip – here are some suggestions.
First, if you are just getting started on snowboarding or skiing, chances are you do not own much equipment. Maybe you own a snow jacket and some snow pants, but the whole package of boots, goggles and skis or a snowboard is something you may not purchased yet. This is fine, because equipment can very easily be rented, either at the site of your ski trip, or before you leave.
If you are deciding whether to buy or rent your snow equipment, here are a few ground rules. If you are planning a trip for a child, it is a better idea to rent, because children grow fast and will quickly outgrow their equipment.
Even if you are an adult, the decision whether to rent or buy snow equipment is a tricky one. Some who only go on one trip a year decide to invest in snow equipment because even if you only rent snow equipment a few times, it turns out to cost as much as buying it and being able to use it whenever you want. However, it is important to note, snow equipment is not cheap.
For something like boots, it is recommended that you purchase your own. Even though people rent boots all the time, it is important to have comfortable feet and a good fit, and it could also prevent foot injuries down the road – or mountain. Goggles can easily be rented, but are also more affordable than most snow equipment and worth the investment.
Another thing to invest in is a snow jacket and snow pants. It is important to know what your threshold for cold weather is going into your trip. If you are someone who easily gets cold, you have to pack pants and a jacket that will keep you warm, but not so warm that you end up sweating. Another option you have is to wear long underwear underneath, as another protective layer.
If you need help booking your next skiing or snowboarding vacation, give us a call at (877) 477-7368. Our world-class travel concierges are standing by, and are happy to help book your next winter vacation. | 2,618 | 1,266 | 0.000797 |
warc | 201704 | Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:9-11).
While reading this passage, which is a portion of Sunday's gospel, I was struck by Jesus emphasis on joy. He wants our joy to be "complete." That led me to theologian Paul Tillich, who reflected on the joy of the Christian life in
The New Being:
Blessedness is the eternal element in joy, that which makes it possible for joy to include in itself the sorrow out of which it arises, and which it takes into itself. In the Beatitudes, Jesus calls the poor, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst, those who are persecuted, "blessed." And He says to them: "Rejoice and be glad!" Joy within sorrow is possible to those who are blessed, to those in whom joy has the dimension of the eternal.
Here we must once more reply to those who attack Christianity because they believe that it destroys the joy of life. In view of the Beatitudes they say that Christianity undercuts the joy of
this life by pointing to and preparing for another life. They even challenge the blessedness in the promised life as a refined form of seeking for pleasure in the future life. Again we must confess that in many Christians, joy in this way is postponed till after death, and that there are Biblical words which seem to support this answer. Nevertheless, it is wrong. Jesus will give His joy to His disciples now. They shall get it after He has left them, which means in this life. And Paul asks the Philippians to have joy now. This cannot be otherwise, for blessedness is the expression of God’s eternal fulfillment. Blessed are those who participate in this fulfillment here and now. Certainly eternal fulfillment must be seen not only as eternal which is present, but also as eternal which is future. But if it is not seen in the present, it cannot be seen at all.
This joy which has in itself the depth of blessedness is asked for and promised in the Bible. It preserves in itself its opposite, sorrow. It provides the foundation for happiness and pleasure. It is present in all levels of man’s striving for fufillment. It consecrates and directs them. It does not diminish or weaken them. It does not take away the risks and dangers of the joy of life. It makes the joy of life possible in pleasure and pain, in happiness and unhappiness, in ecstasy and sorrow. Where there is joy, there is fulfillment. And where there is fulfillment, there is joy. In fulfillment and joy the inner aim of life, the meaning of creation, and the end of salvation, are attained. (Tillich, Paul,
The New Being: Chapter 19, The Meaning of Joy, Chas. Schribner's Sons, 1955)
When our inner joy finds outward expression, it is "complete." When our inner joy finds outward expression, it is contageous. Joy is the essence of our salvation and the fruit of faith-filled living.
The world needs more joyful Christians! Lord, give us an abundance of joy so that we may spread it around liberally enough to change the world. | 3,250 | 1,515 | 0.000666 |
warc | 201704 | Earth is plagued with disasters; hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes and earthquakes hammer our cities and reduce our homes to rubble. In the past, disaster refugees have been forced to live in tents for months, even years, while they struggle to rebuild.
Imagine how different things would be if, instead of just supplying shelter, those same tents provided electricity to power everything from cell phones to radios. If something as simple as a tarp could serve as a power station, that future could become a reality and we'd have solar energy to thank.
To anyone familiar with the solar panels of the past, the possibility that a tarp could turn sunshine into electricity is pretty amazing. Solar panels started off with a reputation for being bulky, expensive and difficult to install, not to mention fragile. For instance, the solar panels scheduled for installation at the White House in 2011 could run about $100,000, and like the solar panels added more than 30 years ago during the Carter administration, they'll be set in massive arrays angled precisely to capture the maximum amount of solar energy [source: Cappiello]. What's more, the rigid panels will be covered with glass to protect the sensitive photovoltaic cells underneath. Clearly, solar panels like the ones at the White House have very little in common with a tarp, but newer, thin-film solar cells are a different story.
Thin-film solar cells are manufactured to be much slimmer, more flexible and more durable than their predecessors. They can be rolled up or folded for transport and then quickly unfurled when needed, making them ideal for military applications or any situation where power outlets are scarce. Often that means remote and even hostile environments. Fortunately, this newer wave of solar cells can take a beating and still work efficiently, even if they've been punctured.
As impressive as these relatively newer solar cells are, they do have drawbacks, such as cost. Like traditional solar panels, they're often manufactured using silicon and, depending on the design, that can get expensive.
That's not the end of the story for slimmer solar cells though. | 2,153 | 1,114 | 0.000901 |
warc | 201704 | Pim van Meurs writes:
Of course there will always be an uncertainty in the findings that’s
why there are statistical error bounds and statistical significance bounds. However in case of gun ownership at city level Kleck showed the causal direction of gun ownership increasing the use of guns in crimes like robbery and assault.
David Veal writes:
Kleck also reports in Point Blank (among other studies) studies by
Murray (state level) and Bordua (county level) which found no causal relationship between gun ownership (measured directly) and the rate of gun homicide.
Murray’s study looked at gun laws at the state level, not gun
ownership. His measure of gun ownership divided the US into only four regions, which is not enough for meaningful analysis.
Bordua found a positive significant correlation between gun ownership
and gun murder rates. His interpretation of this was what that gun murders caused gun ownership, but his reasoning is faulty and the alternative explanation (that gun ownership causes gun murder) is at least as plausible.
Pim has a bad tendency to report out of Kleck’s works only those
results which support his thesis that gun ownership increases the lethality of crime.
I’ve noticed that Kleck tends to subject evidence supportive of the
“pro-control” thesis to a fierce scrutiny, but is much more accepting of “pro-gun” evidence. See, for example, his discussion of Kennesaw in “Point Blank”. | 1,485 | 763 | 0.001371 |
warc | 201704 | Accuride Corporation (NYSE:ACW) is a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicle products. Accuride supplies many of its products to some of the world's largest truck and bus makers including Paccar, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCAR), Navistar International (NYSE:NAV), and Daimler (OTCPK:DDAIF), which makes trucks under the Freightliner brand. The product line includes: truck bodies, wheels, components and assemblies, chassis parts, and other related items. Accuride has four major business units which includes:
Gunite Corporation, which makes brake drums, disc wheel hubs, spoke wheels, rotors, and slack adjusters. Accuride Wheels, which offers wheels for trucks, buses, commercial light trucks, and military vehicles. Imperial Group, which manufactures truck body and chassis parts, including bumpers, battery and tool boxes, bus chassis assemblies, fuel tanks, roofs, fenders, and more. Brillion Iron Works, which makes castings for heavy and medium-duty trucks, as well as for industrial machinery, and construction equipment.
Accuride has posted losses in recent years, but the company has implemented new programs to streamline operations and reduce expenses. The strategy has been dubbed 'fix and grow' which covers both the goal of fixing profit margin issues as well as growing revenues. The increased focus on these goals already seems to be leading to improved financial results. For the second quarter of 2014, Accuride reported net income of $5.1 million, or 11 cents per share which compares favorably with a loss of just over $5 million in the same period last year. Furthermore, the company raised full-year 2014 estimates for revenues to come in at $675 to $700 million which is an increase of $25 million from previous estimates. Accuride also raised adjusted EBITDA estimates by $10 million, and the new range is between $70 to $80 million.
The trucking industry does appear to be experiencing a turnaround. Truck companies like Paccar have been reporting improved financial results which could mean the industry is finally starting to grow. Second quarter net sales and financial services revenues were $4.57 billion, compared to $4.3 billion in 2013, which represents a 6% increase. If that type of growth continues, it should benefit Accuride since Paccar is one of their largest customers.
As the chart above shows, Accuride shares have been in a trading range of around $4.50 to $5.80 for the past few months. The stock is now at the lower end of that recent trading range which makes it an even more attractive time to buy.
Potential downside risks appear limited at this time. Accuride has been posting losses in the past, which is a potential downside risk for investors to consider. However, as detailed above, in the most recent quarter it posted a solid profit which could mean this company has turned the corner in terms of profitability. The improved results being reported by companies like Paccar could also be a sign that Accuride now has the wind to its back. Furthermore, with the stock now trading near the 200-day moving average which is $4.55 per share, the potential downside risks could be limited since this is typically a major support level. The 50-day moving average is $4.93 per share which is where the stock could rebound towards in the coming days. That would give investors who buy now at around the $4.55 level, potential gains of about 8% and of course the longer-term upside could be much greater.
A number of analysts see upside potential in Accuride shares and are increasingly bullish on a continued turnaround. Analysts at CRT Capital recently upgraded this stock and gave it a buy rating with a $6 price target. This would suggest significant upside potential of nearly 35%. Zacks Investment Research has a buy rating on this stock. Finally, it's worth noting that George Putnam of the "Turnaround Letter", picked Accuride as a favorite turnaround stock for 2014. The stocks he picked in 2013 rose an average of 90% last year, so his track record at picking turnaround stocks is very impressive.
Here are some key points for Accuride Corp:
Current share price: $4.60 The 52 week range is $3.10 to $5.91 Annual dividend: n/a
Data is sourced from Yahoo Finance. No guarantees or representations
are made. Hawkinvest is not a registered investment advisor and does not provide specific investment advice. The information is for informational purposes only. You should always consult a financial advisor. Disclosure: The author is long ACW.
The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | 4,759 | 2,273 | 0.000441 |
warc | 201704 | Bill Clinton once said that he looked forward to the day when whites were a minority in America. While he won’t live to see such a time, a demographic milestone that should send a tingle up Slick Willie’s leg was just reached. Writes
The New York Times:
After years of speculation, estimates and projections, the Census Bureau has made it official: White births are no longer a majority in the United States.
Non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 percent of all births in the 12-month period that ended last July, according to Census Bureau data made public on Thursday, while minorities — including Hispanics, blacks, Asians and those of mixed race — reached 50.4 percent, representing a majority for the first time in the country’s history.
Obviously, a big reason for this demographic shift is migration – and mainly the
legal variety. As a result of Ted Kennedy’s Immigration Reform Act of 1965, the level of yearly immigration increased from approximately 250,000 prior to ‘65 to about 1,000,000 afterwards. And its nature changed also: 85 percent of our new arrivals now hail from the Third World and Asia. This radical departure from America’s traditional immigration patterns has created a demographic transformation possibly unprecedented in world history – except for cases of actual invasion.
Another problem is that “diversity” is a vague term; there are many kinds of diversity. Not too many people care if you dine on Thai cuisine as opposed to Italian; or hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries. People won’t take to the streets because you play cricket or curling instead of baseball. But when deeply held beliefs concerning all-important issues divide citizens, it’s a different matter.
As for what’s helping diversify us into division, immigration, it is a vaguely understood institution. And when people accept something because it’s fashionable, not really knowing what they’re getting, disaster can result.
We’re always wary of dangerous imports, such as contaminated goods from China or substandard medical devices from overseas. It also requires vigilance when non-indigenous life forms are introduced into an ecosystem. Some, such as the horse or soybean, blend in seamlessly and can be beneficial; others, such as pythons in the Everglades or the Brown Tree Snake in Guam, can disrupt an ecosystem and decimate native species.
This is why the answer to the question “Do you support immigration?” should be “not enough data.” Since people do get the government they deserve, it matters very much what species of immigration it is. How high are the immigrants’ numbers? What is their cultural nature? How compatible are they with our cultural ecosystem? Will they blend into it or supplant native cultural elements? Of course, some will say that the latter is fine, that change is good. And, actually, they could possibly be right – except that “change” is another vague term. If those cultural elements are superior, then, by all means, embrace them; if they’re not, avoid them like the plague – which, incidentally, came to Europe from Asia. Those that trumpet immigration, diversity and change are the last ones to judge such matters, however, because they tend to be cultural relativists whose moral foundation is even vaguer than the slogans they disgorge.
What they do know, though, is how to import leftist voters. When I crunched the numbers a few years back, I found that the groups represented by that 85-percent Third World/Asian immigration block vote Democrat approximately 79 percent of the time. Is this a surprise? People don’t come here as blank slates; they bring their religion and ideology with them, and these things don’t magically change upon contact with American terra firma. And remember that most new immigrants hail from Mexico, Central and South America (50 percent from Mexico alone), where socialism is the norm. Sure, sometimes they may elect one of their “conservatives,” but “conservative” and “liberal” are relative terms. A conservative south of the border – or in Europe, for that matter – is much like our liberals. Their whole political spectrum is to the “left” of ours, and the more voting-booth levers they pull here, the more our spectrum will be pulled left, too.
The lesson is simple: people make the culture – not the other way around – and then the culture makes the government. If you imported enough Mexicans or Muslims to America, you’d no longer have Western civilization. You’d have Mexico Norte or Iran West.
Many will say in response to this that assimilation is the answer. Ah, it’s a nice dream. How can we expect people to assimilate when there is neither sufficient pressure from natives, nor sufficient will from newcomers, to do so? How can we expect it when, according to a Zogby poll, 58 percent of Mexicans believe that California and the Southwest rightfully belong to Mexico? How can we expect it from Muslims who believe that Western culture must be subordinated to Sharia?
Moreover, asking for assimilation becomes less logical all the time. After all, how is it a meaningful statement to say “All people have to do is become American” when there’s no agreement on what it means to be American anymore? Depending on whom you listen to, you can be an American and be a socialist, free-market adherent, devout Christian, witch, pro-abortion or pro-life activist, existentialist, realist, hippie, yuppie, black or white supremacist,
La Raza separatist, prude, libertine, traditionalist, multiculturalist, patriarchy proponent, feminist, deist, atheist, humanist or Satanist. You can have any ideology, philosophy, faith, culture or “lifestyle” you want. It’s “whatever works for you,” and that itself is now to be considered a quintessentially American sentiment (unless it works for you to consider it something else). Well, guess what? What works for many is to not assimilate into they know not what. And that is the issue: there’s no clearly identifiable, dominant, appealing culture to assimilate into, anyway.
The problem here is the same as it is with the “undefining” of marriage: If something can mean anything, it essentially means nothing. “Cat” refers to a specific creature, but if “cat” could mean fish, aardvark, meadowlark, chair, cookie, ice cube or whatever works for you, it would lose meaning; it could mean anything and would just be “something.” And so it is with a nation. People have no reason to assimilate into just “something”; they already have something – something they already know.
The Western man has forgotten that a nation is essentially an extension of the tribe. The only other option is to have many tribes living within the same borders, which historically hasn’t begotten tranquility. Just think of the Hutus and Tutsis in Ruanda – and then consider that there was probably less dividing them culturally than there is dividing the motley “us.”
This is why, unlike most, I don’t expect America to ever become majority non-white.
Our republic won’t last that long.
In the meantime, the band will play on, as we repeat all the vague feel-doubleplusgood mantras. Hey, folks, remember, immigration is the lifeblood of America. Well, maybe so. But then it’s important to accept a crucial fact about transfusions: If the blood type is incompatible, the body dies.
America is on life support, and she does certainly need some kind of transfusion. But in a world dominated by socialism and kleptocracy, I don’t know where one goes to find large amounts of freedom-flowing blood. I think we had better shut our borders and stop looking overseas, open our minds, and start casting our eyes heavenward.
© 2012 Selwyn Duke — All Rights Reserved | 8,056 | 3,831 | 0.000275 |
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warc | 201704 | One of the most confusing issues about sinus problems is about drainage. Perhaps you're wondering what causes sinus drainage and perhaps you have an associated with drainage at the moment.
Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. Which will include berries, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, red grapes and spinach help to raise the immune system and stops sinus microbial infection.
Try a steam ears ringing your head. Sinus infections can occur when mucous becomes thick and won't drain efficiently. Steam can help keep mucous loose and moving through the sinuses.
Your sinuses will not sustain any anaerobic bacteria, but the VSCs they produce can leak into the sinuses. From that point the VSCs can increase the risk for sinuses in order to infected as well as of frequent symptoms can be a sinus headache which many cases can be intense. The headache is caused by the infection which produces inflammation with a resulting strain. That pressure is what makes my review here so debilitating.
Take a hot shower and massage sinuses: Domestic hot water acts by 50 % ways to ease sinus congestion and hassle. When you have headache, it's in order to understand sit, move or stand with the muscles small. Pain creates tension inside the body and muscles tighten in answer. Warm water soothes the headache and tension in sore muscles. Steam created by the nice and cozy water enables the loosen stress and relieve sinus drive. Steam helps promote better breathing simultaneously.
One show I can't seem to escape into -- it doesn't matter how many times it comes on -- will be the Fashion Show on Bravo (which premiered May 7). I love Isaac Mizrahi's work to view his label every time I shop at Hole. But as a judge on a reality TV show, he comes off as too whiny and pretentious. Much more me miss Tim Gunn from Project Runway so badly that I can't sit through an entire tv show. Kelly Rowland is no Heidi Klum moreover. Kelly is bubbly and insightful, but she doesn't have the similar edge as Heidi. The designers on the show are so "blah" that none health of their work or personalities feature. I did manage making it through one episode, although i can't let you any with the names.
HEADACHE SUFFERER: Relax, be quite, close your eyes, and just let bonce and neck relax spine. This may be really really irritating at first, but provide a minute or two and you should start to feel good. Don't forget to return the opt to your roomie.
Eat healthy and exercise every day or do yoga stay stress release. Drink plenty of water and have enough sleep and sound sleep. Try not to strain you by the constant glare belonging to the television or computer. Don't read in poor light, it also cause difficulty.
sinus headache medicine sinus headache daily sinus headache causes sinus headache otc sinus headache 1 week sinus headache tumor can sinus headache kill you sinus headache guidelines sinus headache every morning sinus headache and pregnancy | 2,947 | 1,498 | 0.00067 |
warc | 201704 | Safety and Reliability in Operations “It’s More Complex than you Think” Deborah Grubbe, PE, CEng President and Owner Operations and Safety Solutions, LLC FOCAPO 2012 Safety Contact - a Personal Operation Used with permission-DuPont Main Messages • Technology can be helpful in reducing operational risk • Technology, wrongfully applied, can introduce more risk • Decisions must be taken by those who understand the entire supply chain • Think narrowly AND broadly Our Roadmap • • • • • BIG Business Case – viable and secure Understanding and Managing Risk Smart Operations – Sustainable and safe Process Safety Management - 4 areas Summary BIG Business • The US is the number one manufacturing nation in the world; imports are key • The US is the world’s number one services exporter and has been since services trade data have been tracked. • 95 percent of the world’s consumers lives outside the United States…as do 95 percent of the world’s workers. • Trade supports 38 million jobs in the United States–more than one in five American jobs in retail, research, design, sourcing, transportation, warehousing, marketing and sales…and in manufacturing. John Murphy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Jan 5, 2010 Dan Ikenson, Forbes Magazine, Jan 6, 2011 BIG Waste • Thousands of lives are lost in preventable incidents in the US alone (4574 in 2010) • Billions are lost every year due to injuries/incidents • In the chemical industry, PSM has been in place for over 20 years, but we are still learning? Why is this? • Why do we never have time and money to do the work up front, but always have the time and money to study it afterwards? • Do executive teams truly understand their risk profile? OSHA’s Top 8 for 2011 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Excavation Fall Protection Process Safety Management Grain Handling Facilities Asbestos Lockout/Tag-out Machine Guarding Special Excavation Requirements Where leaders got risk wrong…… • • • • • • Union Carbide - Bhopal Occidental in the North Sea - Piper Alpha Nuclear Industry - TMI and Chernobyl NASA – Challenger and Columbia TEPCO – Fukushima (in progress) BP - Texas City, Deepwater Horizon (in progress) Occidental – Piper Alpha • 168 dead • Communications Chernobyl • • • • • Millions relocated 125K dead, estimated USD 200 billion Bypassed safety systems @ 0100 hrs on holiday weekend • Technical support absent NASA Challenger & Columbia • • • • • • 15 dead Billions spent Risk estimation Communications “Space is easy” Mantra Management BP Texas City • • • • • 15 dead 170 injured USD 8 billion Containment Communications Via standard – mostly frequency reduction Decreasing frequency Managing Risk The land of ZERO Via measures – mostly consequence reduction Decreasing consequence Vision for Future Operations • • • • • SMART and safe Zero injuries, zero waste Sustainable, Efficient, Effective Optimized all along supply chain Demand driven, 100% made to order Optimized Plant & Supply Network: Technology Trends • Combined productprocess design • Advanced process control • Flexible, modular automation Enterprise Business System Suppliers • Modeling and simulation • Unified information between plant & enterprise • Production optimization to meet real-time global customer demand Smart Grid • Integrated safety solutions • Smart devices with energy monitoring • Waste & emissions optimization Factory • Secure Ethernet • Wireless OEM Machine Builders Distribution Center Customer Manufacturing Today: Islands of Efficiency Batch Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Continuous Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Motion Drive Energy-efficient Motors Smart Machines & Robots Discrete Safety Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) Most plants use multiple separate manufacturing control and information technologies Copyright © 2009 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 Smart Manufacturing 1.0: Plant-wide Optimization Batch Continuous Industrial Energy Management Motion Drive Discrete e.g., Ethernet/IP Safety • Networked sensors • Data interoperability standards • Systems communications standards • Automated control systems • Data fusion • Production management software suite End-to-end control and information connectivity across the plant floor Copyright © 2009 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All rights reserved. 17 Optimize Production Costs, Quality, Safety, Efficiency 2015 Objectives • Data capture with a standard “Universal ID Code” for all product bills of materials and any resources used in the production process • Network sensors in massive numbers throughout manufacturing plants and surrounding environments to provide production data. • Data interoperability standards provides the ability to seamlessly exchange electronic product, process and project data between collaborating groups or companies and across design, construction, maintenance and business systems. • Standard communications networks enable plant-wide data collection and communication across the factory floors and supply chain. • Automated control systems are the workhorse of the production processes and begin data transformation into dynamic information. • Data fusion and information integration create the useful, accessible knowledge that is essential in a network-centric manufacturing environment. • Production Software enables long- and short-term planning; predictive control; optimization; environmental, health and safety management; and other intelligence about manufacturing operations. 18 Highly-optimized Production & Demand-driven Supply Chain Efficiency • Customers “pushing” demands Mining • Flexible production of smaller volumes of custom products Farming • Less vertically integrated • More information driven and automated Supply Chain Efficiency Metrics Manufacturing Plant for the next hundred years will be a “closed loop equation” with measures like customization, flexibility, information flow, responsiveness and reuse Distributor Copyright © 2009 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All rights reserved. Customer What’s Different about Highly-optimized Plants and Dynamic, Demand-driven Supply Networks? Distributors, like Walmart, already demand that manufacturers own and manage inventory in their stores. Mining Farming Supply Chain Manufacturing Plant Information Flow: ICT is reversing relationships by increasing the transparency of data up the supply chain such as inventories and someday total business operations Distributor Copyright © 2009 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All rights reserved. Customer 20 DuPont Process Safety and Risk Management Model Auditing Process Technology Emergency Planning and Response Operating Procedures and Safe Practices Management of Change Management of Change Incident Investigation and Reporting MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP & COMMITMENT Process Hazards Analysis Contractor Safety and Performance Quality Assurance Training and Performance Management of “Subtle” Change Prestart-Up Safety Reviews Mechanical Integrity Copyright © 2010 E.I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc. All rights reserved. Areas of Process Safety Management • • • • • • • • • • Values, Beliefs, Ops Discipline Contractor management Safety Instrumented Systems Preventive and Predictive Maintenance Operating Envelopes and Parameters Reactive Chemistry Training of your entire workforce Communications Lock, Tag, Clear and Try Integrity, corrosion, erosion of all equipment Forward Actions • Don’t forget the Human! – a key component of all systems • Get senior management involved in technology decisions, their very jobs may depend on it • Seek out those who think differently Questions? [email protected] | 8,190 | 3,578 | 0.000303 |
warc | 201704 | Presentation on theme: "Subsistence in Rural Alaska’s Mixed Economy Prepared by: Division of Subsistence, ADF&G April 2000; updated February 2001."— Presentation transcript:
1Subsistence in Rural Alaska’s Mixed Economy Prepared by: Division of Subsistence, ADF&G April 2000; updated February 2001
2SUBSISTENCE DEFINED It is the “Customary and Traditional uses” of wild resources for food, clothing, fuel, transportation, construction, art, crafts, sharing, and customary trade.
3Who participates in subsistence uses? Alaska’s Population by Rural and Urban, 1995
4Who harvests Alaska’s fish and wildlife?
5Features of Subsistence in Rural Alaska Today Mixed economy: cash and subsistence sectors support each other High participation in subsistence activities High levels of subsistence harvest; high nutritional value Diverse range of resources used
6Fish Camp on the Copper River
7Where do Subsistence Harvests Occur?
8What resources make up the subsistence harvest?
9Processing Sockeye Salmon
10Composition of Subsistence Harvests Across the State
11Pulling a King Salmon from a Fishwheel on the Copper River
12Diversity of Subsistence Harvests
13Processing King Salmon, Copper River
14Levels of Involvement in Subsistence Uses
15Nutritional and Other Values Annual Wild Food Production, Lbs/person Total Annual Wild Food Production, Lbs Percent of Population’s Required 49 grams per day Percent of Population’s Required 2400 calories per day Replacement $5 per pound Rural Areas Urban Areas ,714,6069,740,12 242% 15% 35%2% $218,573,030$48,700,080
16Harvesting Sockeye Salmon From the Copper River
17Features, continued Domestic mode of production, usually based on extended kinship Roles defined by age, sex, and culture Household specialization in subsistence production More unstable cash sector: seasonal employment, relatively low cash incomes; cash invested in subsistence sector
18Subsistence as a Family Affair An Extended Family at Port Graham that Cooperated in Subsistence Salmon Fishing and Processing, 1980s
19Specialization in subsistence harvests; integration of cash and subsistence sectors Subsistence Harvests by Income, Six Lower Yukon River Communities Household’s Major Income Mean Household Mean Household SourcesIncomeHarvests Wage Employment and $23,3625,274lbs Commercial Fishing Wage Employment Only$19,0254,608lbs Commercial Fishing Only$19,9263,920lbs Transfer Payments (e.g. ADC)$6,468435lbs
20Unstable cash sector in local economy
21Features, continued Kinship-based non-commercial distribution and exchange networks. Patterned, stable seasonal round of subsistence production. Traditional systems of land use and occupancy.
22Featurescontinued Features, continued Subsistence foods play important roles in social and cultural events. Complex systems of beliefs, knowledge, and values associated with resource use, passed on as cultural and oral traditions of a social group.
23Whitefish Weir in Interior Alaska
24Non-commercial distribution of subsistence foods: extensive and kinship-based
25Patterned Seasonal Round
26Processing Herring, Prince William Sound
27Traditional Land Use Patterns 93% 6% 1% Location of Copper Basin Resident’s Moose Harvests, 1992/3 through 1996/7
28Some Features of the Urban Economy Corporations and non-family businesses control land, resources, and capital. Production is for the market. Labor is a commodity that is bought and sold. Laborers are compensated through wages, salaries, and pay. Work schedules determined by industrial and business schedules, not natural cycles.
29Additional Features of Urban Economy Production, distribution, and management activities are highly stratified and specialized. Food is produced by businesses and purchased by consumers with money earned through wages.
30Additional Features of Urban Economy Fishing and hunting are viewed either as: 1) commercial uses (commercial fishing, guiding) or 2) recreational/sport uses (intermittent breaks from work for fun). Access and regulation of fishing and hunting is by the state and/or federal governments.
31For more information : Division of Subsistence Alaska Department of Fish & Game PO Box Juneau, Alaska (Voice); (FAX )
32For more information, continued Web Page Address: subsist/subhome.htm Community Profile Database (on-line) Subsistence fisheries databases Technical Paper Series (abstracts on-line) Informational leaflets and brochures ADF&G’s web page has essays on subsistence uses and current issues regarding subsistence management | 4,590 | 2,120 | 0.000482 |
warc | 201704 | Presentation on theme: "Statistical evaluation of model uncertainties in Copert III, by I. Kioutsioukis & S. Tarantola (JRC, I)"— Presentation transcript:
1Statistical evaluation of model uncertainties in Copert III, by I. Kioutsioukis & S. Tarantola (JRC, I)
2Sensitivity analysis tests performed using COPERT III Interpretation of the results Objectives of the statistical analyses
3Need to check robustness of emission estimates to poorly known parameters and model assumptions. Reflect our poor knowledge on input parameters by means probability distributions and apply Monte Carlo analysis to estimate probability distributions of emissions. Representation of a Monte Carlo simulation Objectives Precision of emission estimates depends on the assumptions made in the definition of the various model input parameters.
4Uncertainty should always accompany an estimate, as it is a measure of the quality of the estimate. Representation of the Monte Carlo simulation Objectives
5Objective is to apply up-to-date sensitivity analysis to identify the parameters mainly responsible for uncertainty in the emissions Help us improving the quality of emission estimates if we direct efforts to improve our knowledge of the important parameters Estimates (and related uncertainties) can then be used 1. to adopt traffic policy measures 2. for inventory systems 3. as input to air quality models Objectives
6Statistical analyses Description of sources of uncertainty (input): Description of the set up of the analyses Results (Figures and Tables) - Uncertainty in traffic parameters (how to model them) - Uncertainty in average speed - Uncertainty in emission factors
7Country-specific mileage data taken from MEET deliverable #22 All the categories of vehicles considered FBM–INFRAS used for decomposition of fleet into sub-categories Model uncertainty in traffic parameters
8τ: steers the technology stage percentages; τ = –1, 0 and +1 represent fleet with 'low/medium/high' amount of new technology vehicles, respectively. δ: steers the diesel share of PC and LDV; δ = –1, 0 and +1 represent fleet with 'low/medium/high' amount of diesel vehicles, respectively. σ : steers the size (weight class) distribution of HDV; σ = –1, 0 and +1 represent fleet with 'low/medium/high' amount of heavy-weight HDV's, respectively. Uncertainty in traffic parameters
9FBM (expensive) is only executed at selected points ττ δ σ We feed COPERT with a representative configuration of fleet breakdown at each Monte Carlo run i. We sample a point τ i, δ i, σ i over the square and interpolating the FBM runs we obtain the configuration of fleet breakdown f ( τ i, δ i, σ i )
10Uncertainty in average speed Currently described with rather rough statistical distributions Exploratory analyses have shown that average speed is rather an important parameter. Perform more refined analyses…
11Average speed in rural road average speed in motorway More reliable pdfs using Goodness of fit tests based on driving cycles
12Uncertainty in emission factors Very low regression coefficients Not sufficient
13Uncertainty in load factors Pdf=Normal; mean=50%, std = 10% (questionnaire - expert opinion) Uncertainty in meteo conditions (statistical model - INFRAS) Uncertainty in average trip length Pdf=Log-Normal; mean=12Km, std=3Km (questionnaire - expert opinion)
14
15
16first stage: screening analyses (Morris and Standardised Regression Coefficients (SRC)) to identify the non-influential input parameters. Results: total emissions in Italy for years 2000 and parameters 15 parameters Identified 25 parameters that do not influence the variability of the emission estimates (eg meteo variables)
17Results of the screening technique – yr 2000 Region of the non- influential parameters
18Results of the screening technique – yr 2010 Region of the non- influential parameters
19LAT data Uncertainty analysis on 15 parameters
20Uncertainty analysis over-estimation of VOC: probably l-trip is overestimated LAT value
21LAT data
22Uncertainty analysis LAT value
23LAT data
24Uncertainty analysis LAT value
25LAT data
26Uncertainty analysis LAT value
27Summary of Uncertainty Analysis
28second phase: quantitative sensitivity analysis technique (extended-FAST) to apportion variance of emission estimates back to input parameters % of VOC variance explained by the top- three parameters increase of ltrip and decrease of VU becomes important in 2010
29Uncertainty in diesel share of PC and LDV is important The differences with the run conducted for 2000 are in the vehicle Populations, fleet breakdown and in the use of new fuel.
30important variables are e EF and MPC becomes important
31CO 2 emissions are mostly influenced by MPC (S MPC =37%) and ltrip. Situation remains unchanged in 2010 VU becomes important in 2010
32Output variability for each pollutant IS described by three most influential input parameters. ltrip, eEF, VU and are common to almost all the pollutants. Technological and fuel improvements will result in reduced emissions for VOC, PM and NOX ( ). Interpretation and conclusions Quality of emission estimates can be enhanced if we direct efforts to improve our knowledge on average trip length, emission factors, diesel share between PC and LDV and the annual mileage of passenger cars
33Importance of emission factors, with the current statistical model, increases Uncertainty in emission factors should be explained by a set of kinetic parameters (not only average speeds). Acknowledge uncertainty in the emission factors at the level of driving cycles When driving cycles are combined to build TS, it is straightforward to calculate uncertainty bounds for TS. | 5,807 | 2,367 | 0.000434 |
warc | 201704 | About the book
From tech entrepreneur and bestselling author Clara Shih, Social Business Imperative makes a compelling case for why social media and digital have become too important and too strategic for organization leaders to completely delegate. In the Facebook Era, “digital” is everyone’s job.
From management teams to front-line sales and customer service agents, today’s professionals must personally grasp the tectonic changes arising from the always-connected customer, and then rethink traditional business models, business practices, and even their own job responsibilities and careers.
This is not “yet another” digital marketing book for digital marketers. It is a powerful guide for business transformation for everyone to learn how to adapt and thrive in this brilliant new world order.
What People Are Saying When it comes to mapping the brave new terrain of social technologies, Clara is miles ahead of the curve. The Social Business Imperativeserves up a detailed and flexible plan of attack that will prove invaluable to forward-thinkers everywhere.Neil BlumenthalCo-Founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker Whether you're a global brand, small local business, or individual who wants to turn your passion into a livelihood, this book simply and clearly articulates how to channel the power of social media to delight audiences and grow your business.Marne LevineCOO, Instagram Every company today must think of itself as a technology company and become customer-obsessed. The Social Business Imperativeelegantly, succinctly, and powerfully describes why, how, and what to do.Kristin LemkauChief Marketing Officer, J.P. Morgan, Chase, & Co. The power of Clara's book is it highlights not only social media practices but fundamental business practices and how company leaders need to entirely rethink customer engagement models. This book provides a powerful vision and compelling call to action for company leaders everywhere.Ted MathasChairman and CEO, New York Life From understanding the needs of millennials to powerful marketing and customer strategies that drive sustained growth, The Social Business Imperativeoffers a comprehensive guide to implementing a social media platform and culture change to address the complex demands of today’s social, mobile, digital and in-charge customer.Dave McKayPresident and CEO, Royal Bank of Canada Since her breakout book The Facebook Erain 2009, Clara has been showing us the way social media is changing our world. Clara's new book cuts through the tech-world jargon to deliver a message to business leaders everywhere: We are all Social beings and in businesses as in life, building relationships first is the key to success.Jim McCannFounder and CEO, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM What’s in the book I. New business models
The first section discusses how the last mile into the hearts, minds, and wallets of today’s customer is increasingly social, mobile, and digital, and how social media has given rise to the Internet of Everything and collaborative, on-demand economy. The risk traditional retailers and product manufacturers face is losing direct customer control and of commoditization due to intermediation by “someone else’s” mobile app and marketplace. Functional heads, company leaders, and even boards of directors must play an active role in enabling and owning Social Business.
II. Business functions reimagined
From marketing to customer service to recruiting, today’s business functions are being transformed by customer expectations of a cohesive and consistent experience across departments, from social to online to brick-and-mortar. Take sales, for example. In a world where customers have full access to information and transaction capability online, today’s reps must reinvent themselves as trusted advisors and be easily accessible via social, mobile, and web. Meanwhile, marketers’ role has expanded to cover the full length of the customer journey and experience. Yet increasingly, many members of the marketing team are not in marketing—they are salespeople, recruiters, other employee brand ambassadors, customers, and third-party social media influencers.
III. How to make change happen
Vision is easy. Execution is hard. The final section provides a concrete playbook for enterprises to bring together multiple Social Business initiatives spanning different departments, product lines, and geographies to unlock synergies without unleashing bureaucracy. Legal and compliance teams play a critical role in enabling Social Business, especially in highly regulated industries, such as financial services, healthcare, and pharma. Finally, CIOs and IT departments must expand their charter from playing defense and maintenance only to also going on the offensive with strategic innovation projects including Social Business.
The Social Business Imperative
Adapting your business model to the always-connected customer | 4,984 | 2,368 | 0.00043 |
warc | 201704 | The industrial action our members took on 30 June was a success and made clear to the government the extent of anger within the profession.
It had a positive impact on public opinion and in particular exposed as simply untrue attempts by the government to present public sector pensions as unaffordable.
Strike action for any educator is always a last resort. That is why we remain committed to a negotiated solution, if possible, to the dispute over the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
Following the recent TUC-led discussions, detailed talks will now be held on each public sector scheme including our TPS.
Unfortunately there appears to be a real danger that the government may impose an arbitrary and unfair ceiling on what they are prepared to spend to support teachers’ pensions.
In our view, without real negotiations on this key issue, these talks will be a sham – the only issue to be decided being how much more teachers will pay, and how much longer they will have to work to secure inferior benefits.
The government wants to set this limit even while still refusing to provide a new valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Indeed it is now beginning to consult on the first stage of contribution increases for TPS members.
All education trade unions that are involved in negotiations over TPS (ATL, ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT, NUT,UCAC & UCU) have met today and started the process of drawing up joint campaigning plans for the Autumn.
Our aim in all this activity will be simple: to persuade government to negotiate in good faith.
We hope, as we know you hope, that this will result in government listening to teachers and agreeing to genuine negotiations. However if government will not budge from its current position those trade unions who have already
taken action (ATL NUT and UCU) will, with regret, need to consider taking further industrial action in November.
In that instance unity among staff will be essential if we are to defend our pensions.
The National Association of Head Teachers and UCAC have also already decided to ballot their members for industrial action.
The Government has lost the confidence of the teaching profession over its handling of our pensions. It now has a final chance to listen to reason.
For our part, we will do everything in our power to achieve a negotiated solution without further disruption in our schools, colleges and universities.
We wish all our members a restful summer holiday. Next term, we will return renewed and refreshed and determined once again to protect our pension scheme.
Mary Bousted (ATL General Secretary), Christine Blower (NUT General Secretary) Sally Hunt (UCU General Secretary) | 2,694 | 1,363 | 0.000744 |
warc | 201704 | I ask because I had an interesting discussion with a classmate yesterday afternoon about this very thing. Like me, she is a nontraditional (older) student majoring in sociology. We live within 2 miles of each other. We both like to talk. Those are our common traits. Our differences? Well, I am gay and she is straight with two grown children. She is African American and I am white. She is a devout Christian and I am not. However, our differences don't seem to matter and we enjoy talking after class and spending time together.
Yesterday, she told me about an unpleasant encounter with a faculty member in which she was treated with disrespect. She said it left her upset and troubled her all weekend. After we talked about the situation a bit, I asked if she knew about
GSU's counseling center
which offers free counseling to students. As it turns out, she had not only heard about the center, but had called them to get information. However, as much as she wanted to go, she hesitated. I told her that it was normal to be anxious, but the experience should prove to be helpful.
She explained that she was not afraid, but that her children had expressed concern about her desire to get counseling. When she told her adult daughter about the center, her response was, "You've only been in school five weeks, Mom, has it already made you crazy?!"
I laughed at first because I assumed her daughter had been joking. She wasn't. My friend explained that, in her community, the only people who see psychologists are crazy people and crackheads. I was incredulous at first, but then I thought about all the therapy environments I'd been in - public as well as private. Just how many clients had been persons of color? I could think of only a handful compared to dozens of white clients. Also, the white clients were from a spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds. Could it be that African Americans view therapy that differently than whites do?
We talked for some time about the question and what we each knew from our particular background. In the end, we agreed that the question needed more research. I spoke with my partner last night about it. She is a psychology major and she offered some suggestions as to where to begin. I need a topic proposal for a term paper in Wealth, Power & Inequality next week. I think I may have found it. More later. | 2,357 | 1,228 | 0.000818 |
warc | 201704 | Fro-yo is a necessary part of every college student’s diet. But the self-serve options can get expensive, with an average trip ranging about $5 or $6. Sure you could just cut down on the toppings, but what fun is that?
The simplest way to saving big at your local frozen yogurt joint is actually really simple: rewards programs. Most frozen yogurt chains offer them, but I’ll bet you had no clue what you could be earning just for enjoying your weekly treat. If you’re going there anyway, you might as well take a second and sign up. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did.
Rack Up Those Rewards Yogen Fruz: Joining the fruzNation program at Yogen Fruz will earn you 500 points and then for every penny you spend, you’ll get another 1 point. Once you earn 5000 points, you get a free treat. And on your birthday, you’ll get 5000 points which earns you a free treat immediately. Yogurtland: You earn 3 free ounces just for signing up for the Yogurtland Real Rewards program. After that, 1 point is earned for every ounce of yogurt purchased. Once you earn 60 points in a year, you’ll progress to the Raspberry Level, where after 36 points, you can score a free 3 ounces. Scoop the coveted Platinum Level by earning 240 points and you’ll get a free 4 ounces of yogurt for every 36 points. Your free birthday treat is a whopping 16 full ounces and you get your own personalized platinum card. Sign me up! TCBY: When you register a myTCBY card, you earn one point for every dollar spent. Once you earn 30 points, you get $3 credit, which obviously, you’ll use to get even more frozen yogurt. Pinkberry: Every ten purchases, you’ll get a free frozen yogurt through the Pinkberry loyalty program. And, Pinkberry celebrates your birthday with another free yogurt. Happy birthday to you! Menchies: The Menchies Smileage program offers 25 bonus “smiles” just for signing up. After that, you’re awarded one smile for every dollar spent. With every 50 smiles back, you’ll earn $5 in rewards, plus you’ll get the same amount two weeks before your birthday. Orange Leaf: All you need to do to earn 1 point for every dollar spent is to register your card for the Ounce Back program. Every 10 points gets you $1 back on your card. Save even more money with $3 on your birthday and $1 on your “cardiversary.” Who knew eating frozen yogurt could be so rewarding? Red Mango: The Club Mango rewards program gives you a $2 reward for signing up. Afterward, every time you buy frozen yogurt, for every dollar you’ll get 10 Mango Points. 500 Mango Points gets you a $5 reward, and you’ll get the same on your birthday. sweetFrog: After you sign up for the sweetFrog loyalty program, you’ll earn 10 percent off your next frozen yogurt purchase (which surely will be soon after). Every 10 visits, you’ll be sent an offer for a free 12 ounces. Plus, personalized offers will be sent straight to your phone. | 2,985 | 1,362 | 0.000762 |
warc | 201704 | Being in a relationship is not just about love. It’s like an experiment wherein you two are trying to dissect each other. Every action, behaviour, beauty and family are always part of the dissection. Knowing every little thing about yourselves. Doing the trial and error, you fight and love each other. It’s a bumpy and fun road trip.
There’s a psychological research for having a healthy and happy relationships. In fact, some of the principles are opposite with the traditionally considered sweet or in a normal relationship. You may want to take a moment to read the six toxic habits in a relationship.
Scored card
It’s counting or blaming each other for past mistakes you made in a relationship. The relationship scorecard is toxic because you’re not living in a moment of mistake you have right now. Past is past and what’s present is the moment you have to deal with. You don’t need to carry all the old stuff in the past, you’re not going to fill your bag with bad memories, you have to fill your bag with the good ones and share it with your partner. Throw away the trash; your bag is not a Doraemon’s pocket.
Giving Hints
It is when you want something but you keep on giving hint to your partner for him/her to realize you’re mad. Passive-aggressive is letting your partner pull the trigger to be mad at you as well. He/she is not a fortune teller. Tell him what’s wrong. State your feelings both verbally and vocally.
Holding a Hostage
This happens when one person complaints and emotional blackmailing the other person. Threatening your partner wouldn’t do any good in your relationship. Accept every good and bad sides of the other person. Criticism is normal in a relationship, be comfortable with it.
Don’t Expect
It’s when you’re having a bad day and the other person isn’t that supportive about your emotion so you blame him for his action. That’s too selfish. Don’t expect him to be like you. Don’t be too dependent as well to your partner, sometimes you need to grow and face the harsh reality of life.
Over Jealousy
This happens when the other person is too jealous to the other person whenever he talks, texts, and touches or hangs outs in the general area. It goes beyond the limit of a relationship where the other person hack on his partner’s email, Facebook account or even read private text messages. I know this generation isn’t that safe anymore because they love playing love games. But if you are in a right person, you trust him because you know him.
Buying to Solve a Problem
Money can’t buy us happiness, even solving the solution to your relationship problem. Material things are just spices in your relationship. Don’t give him a thing if you know what he really needs. Communicate! | 2,846 | 1,336 | 0.000784 |
warc | 201704 | In the general elections of 1997 the people of Vieux Fort were asked to “give Vieux Fort a Prime Minister.” The propaganda promised that a vote for the SLP candidate and new party leader would transform Vieux Fort. The Vieux Fort MP was prime minister for close to fifteen years but such changes as have occurred in the town are hard to see. Even before 1997 Vieux Fort residents had dreamed of overtaking Castries, of becoming “the Miami of Saint Lucia”. What has become of that dream? Has Vieux-Fort been transformed for the better? Have the townspeople finally seen through the fakery and lies of 1997?
In 2016 the crucial question is: what can the failed prime minister deliver to Vieux Fort as an ordinary MP that he could not (would not?) as Prime Minister? The people were warned that unprincipled politicians who fought for nothing and stood for nothing were doomed to fail. Worse was to be expected from politicians with confusing communist/socialist notions. We were reminded that real men stood up for what’s right; real men were always ready to defend their beliefs. Such men of principle never run away from difficult political decisions!
Having experienced three election victories, how many times did the constituency’s parliamentary representative treat Vieux Fort to the awesome sight of the Governor General administering to her ministers the oath of office? Vieux Fortians had to wait for Prime Minister Allen Chastanet!
What the people of Vieux Fort saw as “a special honour” – the visit of the Governor General and her ministers within days of the June 6 general elections – the Vieux Fort MP saw as “rubbing salt in the wound”. He neglected to say who had been wounded, by whom, and why. Indeed it was the people of Vieux Fort who had been deeply wounded by years of neglect, VAT and other killer taxes.
Any political novice can see that the island’s economic future depends heavily on the development of Vieux Fort, specifically its air and seaports, its marina (proposed by John Compton in 1992 at Coco Dan), its medical/technical educational complex, and in harnessing its river for irrigation and fish. These development loci must be wisely planned and integrated if they are to produce maximum benefits for Vieux Fort . . . and Saint Lucia.
The scandalous neglect of Hewanorra Airport hurts everyone. The soi-disant best brains decided to remove an exit tax imposed by the King-led UWP government to assist in rebuilding and modernizing the aiport. Today, that exit tax would have realised at least EC$250 million. That tax only affected persons leaving the island on international air travel. The same fools who removed the airport tax added new ones on water, and more VAT on some local foods. Can you believe this? Hunter J. Francois, the deceased former Minister of Education, once said that if you send an ass to university, all you’ll get eventually is a qualified jackass. How right he was!
There are at least five elements to be developed if Vieux Fort is to prosper. First its airport: no other country in the Caribbean has the infrastructure the Americans left at Beane Field, now renamed Hewanorra International Airport. Visionary leadership demands that a government look at the entire HIA area with a view to locating a modern air terminal building and using all three runways. Runway ‘A’ is already in regular usage; Runway ‘C’—caca-beuf—needs strengthening and expanding to accommodate the largest aircraft; Runway ‘B’ would be expanded to link A and C and a new air terminal. The free zone would be relocated, while some of its structures would be used for air cargo business.
The present terminal ought to be upgraded for regional air travel, air charter and American and Canadian airlines. The new terminal should be designed to service air carriers from Europe, South and Central America, India, Japan, Taiwan and the Middle East. Then there is the marina at Coco Dan still waiting to be built. The land and sea area for this important marina in the south must be clearly delineated to allow rational use by investors in hotels, guesthouses and restaurants. A new bridge to replace the old wooden bridge that once linked the western part of the town to Coco Dan must form part of the development plans for the area west of the old river outlet.
Prime Minister Chastanet has already spoken on his vision for the Vieux Fort sea port, New Dock. A seaport serves no useful purpose without cargo and passengers. Besides a cruise ship terminal, port Vieux Fort should aim to become an active trans-shipment point. The possibilities are enormous, if we think global!
The fourth and crucial feature of the town of Vieux Fort needing attention is the Vieux Fort River. That river poses a significant threat to HIA during periods of heavy rainfall. It has been known to overspill its banks and damage the airport and main roads between HIA and Vieux Fort town. The silent threat the river poses can undermine the efforts of tourism development island-wide. The aim must be to properly harness that river with intervals of mini dams for irrigation and inland fishing. In so doing it should be borne in mind that that river has been diverted from its original course at least twice in the last seventy-five years.
The development of medical schools and other hi-tech intellectual pursuits should be a major thrust in energizing the economy of Vieux Fort and the entire south.
Vieux Fort needs a complete makeover. To this end the people of Vieux Fort must demand the resignation of their MP. They must afterwards select someone who will assist in executing the development of Vieux Fort, regardless of party in power. The person selected must be honest and fearless and ready to work for Vieux Fort full time. That’s what Vieux Fort needs to usher in a new day for the better. That’s my wish for the town of my birth.
Editor’s Note: The writer is a former government minister. | 6,049 | 2,856 | 0.000358 |
warc | 201704 | II. Stroke Rehabilitation Abstract
Rehabilitation offers means by which persons disabled after a stroke can be returned to patterns of daily living as close to normal as possible. Often simple and readily available restorative techniques suffice, but sophisticated methods and facilities may be needed in many cases. Certain complex problems require specialized attention by persons with detailed knowledge and specific training. Among these are rehabilitation of language and the management of incontinence, sensory loss, pain, spasticity, and psychosocial problems. High-quality rehabilitation is best delivered by a closely cooperating team, including the family physician, medical specialists, nurses, allied health professionals (physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, dietitian, rehabilitation counselor, speech therapist, psychologist), the patient's family, and also the patient. To accomplish these ends, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, extended care facilities, and nursing homes should give specific attention to the special needs of stroke patients. Careful discharge planning and follow-up are necessary in all cases. The home environment and the family attitudes may require considerable revision to meet the patient's individual needs. The family physician can offer many rehabilitation services in his office, and additional education in medical school and on a postgraduate level will belp him to reach his full potential in aiding both the acutely ill and the chronically disabled stroke patient.
© 1972 American Heart Association, Inc. | 1,586 | 843 | 0.001193 |
warc | 201704 | The mind is an endless space of possibilities that people usually take for granted. But this was definitely not the case for Temple Grandin. Despite her learning disability, Temple discovered her own exceptional way of thinking. The movie shows us all the different examples in which Temple uses her unique mind for the better. By describing Temple’s appearance and persona, we can try to better understand how looks and character of a person won’t change their intellect. Through discussion of her distinctive ways of learning, I will be able to relate them to my own learning styles which are similar to Temple’s.
The movie “Temple Grandin,” begins with Temple on her way to visit her aunt for the summer where she will be working with the horses and cows in their ranch. Since the beginning, the film had been showing Temple’s interest in animals. While observing the ranch, she notices a machine that hugs the cows and calms their nerves. Then, one day Temple had a panic attack; Temple thinks of the “hugging device” and places herself in the machine.
To her surprise, it instantly calms her. Since she was young, she always felt uncomfortable with any human contact, including her own mother’s touch and affection. From there on out, the device substitutes as a human “hug” for Temple. After that summer, It was time for Temple to go to college, in which she hesitantly and nervously agreed to her mother’s request. When Temple arrived at her dorm, she had another panic attack. Her mother immediately knew that she had to give her some space and so she went outside. A recollection appeared, revealing Temple’s diagnosis of autism when she was younger. During the diagnosis at the doctor’s office, the mother was in disbelief when the doctor explained that it was her cold and distant actions towards Temple which caused her to be this way.
The doctor also suggested placing Temple in a mental institution, which enraged the mother even more and decided to take care of Temple herself which led to where they were now. Temple decided to stay in college despite her anxiety. She remembers the device that calmed her back at the ranch and decided to build one for herself. With the machine at hand, Temple was able to cope with the stresses of college life. Even with all the benefits it gave Temple, the school forced her to get rid of it. For some reason, the school board thought it was used for a sexual purpose. After a short break from school, her aunt decided to help her persuade the school to let her keep the machine. To prove the real usage of her machine, Temple surveyed several students.
She asked them to try out the machine and tell her how they felt using it. Temple did eventually prove that the machine was and is only used for personal calming purposes; the school then allowed her to keep it in her dorm. With that, Temple is now able to function well in school. Afterward, the film shows Temple’s old high school where she didn’t really seem to fit in. Just when most of the teachers felt hopeless for Temple, a teacher named Dr. Carlock saw something in Temple and decided to help her. Little by little, Dr. Carlock discovers Temple’s unique abilities and notices her strong interest in science. With encouragement from Dr. Carlock and her family, Temple finally graduated from college and started working at a ranch. She notices all the pros and cons of the ranch’s current routine working with the cattle.
With Temple’s unique mind, she tries to change the slaughterhouse so that it would be more efficient and humane. During her efforts in doing so, she receives several gender discriminations from her fellow ranchers. Such as banning her from the ranch, spoiling her vehicle with cattle meat, and even just ignoring her altogether. But, with her strong will, she chose to ignore these nuisances and kept trying until someone notices. Some men finally studied her plans and considered her intentions. All her efforts paid off when they built one of her blueprints and tried it with the cattle.
The success of the experiment opened up more opportunities to her, like being in a well-known local magazine and soon, being known in the whole ranch/cattle world as well. By the end of the movie, Temple and her mother attends a gathering of all the people who are affected by autism. Temple tells people how she overcame her own difficulties with school and with life in general. Everyone was so amazed by her situation that they coached her into talking in front of the whole audience.
Temple Grandin is definitely not just your average cowgirl. She certainly shows a higher way of thinking than most of us could even imagine. Striking people with her average appearance, nobody would even have a clue of what her mind is really capable of. Temple has thick, curly, reddish-brown hair which goes fine with her well-structured and all American facial structure. She is also average in height, which might be between the lines of 5’3 to 5’6. As far as clothing goes, Temple has her own interesting sense of style.
She definitely carries the cowboy shirt, tie, and a pair of the typical blue jeans very well. This regular outfit of hers definitely goes with her relaxed and cowboy persona; this ended up being her signature look as well. Temple is a very sweet and well-mannered girl. Although, she did not like being touched, even by her own mother, she shows how she cares for others by talking in her relaxed and reassuring tone. Another admiring trait that she has is her strong sense of will. She trained herself to be good at something and worked really hard at it. Her goal is to sell her work, rather than selling herself. Temple’s imaginative and detail-oriented mind allowed her to think of things other people would not.
Being a visual thinker that she is, she sorts things into different specific categories, so this allows her to see each and every detail that would and would not work logically for a specific system. An example of this would be the times in the movie where she tries to feel and experience what cattle are going through. One amazing power that Temple’s mind possesses is the ability to remember every single detail of every single thing she encounters every single day. Basically, Temple doesn’t think how most of us usually do; we mostly overgeneralize, which is thinking top to bottom. Temple, on the other hand, thinks from the bottom to the top. Temple Grandin’s appearance never hindered her descriptive ability when it comes to learning and working with animals. A descriptive portrayal of a person, in this case, of Temple Grandin, can never outweigh a person’s capabilities and outlook of his/her life.
The themes of the movie are very distinct. Since the beginning of the film, we notice Temple’s anxieties from one thing to another. Starting with her fear of new places and situations, such as the time when she first got to her aunt’s ranch, the first time she got to her college dorm, and opening doors to new and unfamiliar places. Fear is a big part of Temple’s story because it shows the different ways she overcame them. At first, she thought of change negatively. She assumed that new things would inflict more stress and anxiety in her.
Due to this, she created the “hugging machine” that she once observed being used in her aunt’s ranch. Meeting Dr. Carlock dramatically changed Temple’s view of new things. He taught her that every door opens to new opportunities and that she just had to go through them. Ever since then, Temple built up all the courage she could gain and did as
she was told. As a result, she went through a number of doors which led her to amazing opportunities such as meeting people who had connections to slaughterhouse owners and the beginning of her long-awaited future. Another factor that led Temple to endure and overcome her fears is the amount of perseverance she had within her.
Her determination to get things done is unbelievable. It almost seemed like giving up was never the choice for Temple. Even at times, where she didn’t have a choice she made ways. For instance, Temple was cruelly discriminated for being a female working in a “male environment” by spoiling her truck with bull testicles and eventually banning her from entering the ranch. However, with Temple’s brilliant mind she came up with the best ideas to make the ranch allow her back in. She observed all the people that were allowed in that particular ranch and noticed that they only permitted the stereotypical “ranch men” and “special personnel” to come inside.
With that in mind, she traded her car with a pickup truck, in which she purposely ruined, changed her wardrobe into a more male-friendly style and convinced the local newspaper to give her a badge. To her surprise, the ranch let her in without the slightest suspicion that she was actually a female. Another example would be the time where she needed a blueprint made, but the draftsman was very busy and she didn’t have time to wait. As determined as she was, Temple knew what her mind can do so she observed the draftsman working on other blueprints. She watched closely as he carefully drew them with great precision. Soon after that, she found herself making her own blueprints accurately enough that later on, a meeting of slaughterhouse officials gathered around her self-made blueprints and were practically stunned with what she had in store for them. Temple’s ways of overcoming her fears and willpower despite her autism only broadened my admiration for her.
With her unique way of thinking, Temple discovered a new way of learning despite her condition. She discovered that visual thinking is what works best for her. Thinking of my own learning experiences, I realized that Temple and I have a number of similarities when it comes to learning. For me, I always knew that visual learning is the most effective way, as well. Since I was young, colors and movement catches my attention every time; while reading and listening always seemed to bore me after a certain amount of time. This is probably why English isn’t really my forte. Among my family, I am known to be the crafty and creative one. I noticed that I think well when it involves something visual. When participating in presentations, projects, and experiments, I always go over a little more than what is really needed because for some reason it helps me learn the material in more depth. The proof is all in my report card; my grades soared when it came to art and sciences.
The diagrams and examples that were given are the ones that always get stuck in my head. I am also a very keen observer. I am one of those students who stand to the side and just watch. So it when comes to me trying it for myself, I get it done. Connecting my experience to Temple’s, I remember the time when I was younger and very curious about computers. My parents didn’t want to teach me how to use them because they thought I was too young. But as I watched my dad use the computer, I noticed all the buttons he pressed and the functions they served. Until one day, I decided that it was time for me to get my hands on the machine. My dad told me that I knew exactly what button to press to turn it on and where to move the mouse to get to the games. Temple’s abilities will never be close to what I am able to do with my mind. But our similarities of being visual learners made me realize that being unique with your own learning style would be best.
Also, the weaknesses that you possess shouldn’t hold you back from achieving your plans and goals. The mind is the most powerful weapon a human possesses. Despite Temple Grandin’s learning disability, she learned a different way to make her mind work wonders by thinking in more visual terms rather than thinking logically. Seeing how Temple uses this technique for the better during the film, I realize that my own learning technique is very similar to hers. Temple’s rather average, yet unique persona allowed her to be known as an individual full of hope and perseverance for a lot of people today, including myself. Temple established the idea of self-perseverance and almost suggests the small power of generalized gender roles in society. As of today, she continues her influence in our world in terms of animal treatments and in the world of autism.
Courtney from Study Moose
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warc | 201704 | You’ve read the powernap article, and you are enthusiast. You think of when you need it and you have only one conclusion, at college. When you are tired and you just need that short nap to start studying again. But that ain’t possible! Or is it?
I think it is. Some people will laugh as they read this, but I do powernapping at our library. And it works great. Jeaulous? Wanna do it also? Here some tips.
Find a quiet spot.We have little cabinets in the library, with a door you can close. You won’t get disturbed in there, so you can take a nap. There are enough quiet places at your school, I am sure. When you don’t know any place, just go to the toilet. You can nap over there, it isn’t comfortable, but it works! Make the nap really short.Research has been showing that you shouldn’t nap longer than 20 minutes, because it will affect your night sleep. So, only sleep for ten minutes, because that is the optimum. Sleep for 10 minutes, wake up, get back and nobody has been missing you! Put your hands in your arms.You don’t need to have a quiet spot for yourself. When you are in the library, with a lot of people around you, you can just lay your head in your arms and sleep for ten minutes. Tell you neighbour to wake you after 15 minutes, he won’t mind. Nobody can tell you are sleeping and you have your powernap!
Powernapping is even at college not that hard. Just do it, find yourself a nice quiet place, have a short nap and enjoy!
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warc | 201704 | Title
Technologies of representation: Fields of rhetorical action in transnational feminist encounters
Date of Award
2005
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Writing Program
Advisor(s)
Eileen E. Schell
Keywords
Circulation, Digital texts, Technologies, Rhetorical action, Transnational, Feminist encounters
Subject Categories
Rhetoric and Composition
Abstract
In this dissertation, I examine how websites function as global fields of rhetorical action for feminist activism across geopolitical, cultural, and economic borders. I begin by defining the term global fields of rhetorical action and explicating its usefulness for rhetorical scholars through an analysis of the digital circulation of a debate between two feminist organizations. From this analysis, I then demonstrate the exigence for feminist rhetoricians to develop alternative conceptual and methodological frameworks that place our work in a global sphere and account for the transformation of rhetorical action through digital technology. I propose a new methodology--- rhetorical genealogy ---that examines digital texts as both historical and ephemeral, one that specifically focuses on the circulation and consumption of digital texts. I demonstrate the efficacy of this new methodology through an extended analysis of the circulation and consumption of the digital representations of Palestinian women produced by the Women's Affairs Technical Committee , an organization of Palestinian women working within a geopolitical site of conflict. A rhetorical genealogy of this website reveals the ways in which digital representations are acted upon by mainstream and feminist audiences in the U.S. as they travel through multiple fields of rhetorical action. This analysis extends and complicates Kenneth Burke's rhetorical concepts of identification and difference by employing transnational feminist Sara Ahmed's stranger theory and technology theorist Paul Virilio's theory of real-time to reveal the transformation of identification and difference in transnational digital rhetorics and contexts. I argue that rhetorical scholars must broaden our understanding of rhetorical action to account for both the global and digital transformation of local, regional, and global relations of power.
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Recommended Citation
Queen, Mary Teresa, "Technologies of representation: Fields of rhetorical action in transnational feminist encounters" (2005).
Writing Program – Dissertations. Paper 12. http://surface.syr.edu/wp_etd/12
http://libezproxy.syr.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1014323431&sid=7&Fmt=2&clientId=3739&RQT=309&VName=PQD | 2,700 | 1,267 | 0.000799 |
warc | 201704 | The policies implemented by the Calderon Government in Mexico and backed by the United States under the Merida Initiative and elsewhere have met with very limited success on the ground in Mexico. There have been many photographs of smiling Mexican soldiers and marines standing next to mountains of seized narcotics, automatic weapons and US currency, but in a practical sense, the problem persists unabated.
The problem as I see it is not so much that Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO’s) supply drugs to a drug hungry America as it is that nobody wants to seriously consider the eight hundred pound gorilla sitting in the corner. The big question is one of the extent to which the Mexican government operates as an extension of drug trafficking organizations. Efforts to determine this have largely been superficial and concerted human intelligence collection programs in Mexico have yet to be considered as a serious option.
One day, the US will decide to address the problem of a DTO (mafia) run government on our Southern Border and when that happens, maybe elements of these suggestions could be dusted off and considered.
Mexico is not Colombia, and while the supply-side measures taken by the Colombians, supported by the United States were effective, simply cloning the Colombian strategy is not enough. I won’t dwell on the differences between Colombia and Mexico here and trust that the reader is sufficiently aware of those that they don’t need to be rehashed here. There has been considerable evidence that Mexican DTO’s are manufacturing methamphetamine products in Africa and Europe. To some extent these products find their way into the North American narcotics market as well.[1] Colombia acted as a way station for processing and distributing cocaine. The Mexican DTO’s have spread globally and the trend seems to be growing.
Will the Merida Initiative Work?
The US Army War College found that the Merida Initiative, “is unlikely to achieve the desired results in Mexico. In focusing largely on security, enforcement, and interdiction, the
Merida Initiative pays comparatively little attention to the deeper structural problems that fuel the drug tradeand drug-related violence. These problems, ranging from official corruption in Mexico to large-scale drug consumption in the United States, have so far frustrated Mexican attempts to rein in the cartels, and will likely hinder the effectiveness of the Merida Initiative as well.” (emphasis added) Jumping to Dr. Brands conclusion, in part, “The costs of action are therefore high, but the price of inaction would be exponentially greater. The effects of drug use in the United States and the potential for the economic and political destabilization of Mexico make counternarcotics an immensely significant national security issue.”[2]
Success in combatting internal corruption and the DTO’s in Mexico requires a concerted effort on the part of the US to assist those honest and trustworthy elements within the Mexican Government. The only way that this can happen is though the implementation of a genuine human intelligence effort within Mexico designed to ferret out DTO infrastructure. Arrests of high profile DTO members have done very little to impact infrastructure. Seizures of arms, narcotics products and cash have had negligible impact on DTO infrastructure. As they grow into truly worldwide organizations, this will become increasingly difficult to accomplish. The longer the US waits on the sidelines, the more entrenched the DTO’s will become.
[1] Mexico Operations Group Reports pertaining to La Resistencia (Millennium Cartel) and Cartel Nueva Generacion Jalisco. For the most part, the Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo) DTO has focused on smuggling cocaine to the European market through Africa and directly.
[2] Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, Dr. Hal Brands, May 2009 | 3,948 | 1,937 | 0.000525 |
warc | 201704 | Ireland to give up some tax sovereignty in Euro deal?
We are determined to continue to provide support to countries under programmes until they have regained market access, provided they successfully implement those programmes. We welcome Ireland and Portugal's resolve to strictly implement their programmes and reiterate our strong commitment to the success of these programmes. The EFSF lending rates and maturities we agreed upon for Greece will be applied also for Portugal and Ireland. In this context, we note Ireland's willingness to participate constructively in the discussions on the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base draft directive (CCCTB) and in the structured discussions on tax policy issues in the framework of the Euro+ Pact framework.
The CCCTB is a European project to institute what is sometimes known as Unitary Tax (or unitary taxation with formula apportionment, for those who are comfortable with ugly language), a radical method of taxing multinational corporations, supported by TJN and a number of academics. It is a method successfully implemented by a majority (and increasing number) of U.S. states with respect to state taxes, but which is virulently opposed by the OECD, supported by the world's biggest corporations, tax havens and tax advisers who make billions in fees from administering the OECD's absolutely unworkable rules on transfer pricing.
Let's make no mistake here - the headlines are all about Ireland's 12.5 percent corporate tax rate, whereas the majority of abusive shenanigans revolve around a quite different thing - Ireland's tax base - that is, what kind of things Ireland decides to tax (or not tax, as the case may be). By exempting all sorts of things from tax, Ireland creates a wide range of possibilities for abuse, such as through the "Double Irish" sham.
If this move towards Ireland actually accepting the CCCTB were to actually happen, it could strike a serious blow at Ireland's beggar-thy-neighbour, who-cares-about-hurting-foreigners attitude to international tax. Read more about unitary tax here.
This is not quite a breakthrough - 'willingness to participate constructively' is not exactly a capitulation.
But we think this is the right direction of travel. | 2,242 | 1,155 | 0.00087 |
warc | 201704 | The electro magnetic waves emitted by mobile phone towers and cellphones can pose a threat to honey bees, a study published in India has concluded.
The electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers and cell phones having the potential to kill worker bees that go out to collect nectar from flowers.
Dr. Sainuddin Pattazhy conducted the study and concluded that the electromagnetic waves from the towers shorted out the navigational abilities of worker bees so that they couldn’t find their way home after going out to collect pollen.
The report states, “If towers and mobile phones further increase, honey bees might be wiped out in 10 years.”
In one of his experiments he found that when a mobile phone was kept near a beehive it resulted in collapse of the colony in five to 10 days, with the worker bees failing to return home, leaving the hives with just queens, eggs and hive-bound immature bees.
Earlier, a study conducted in different spots in India, by a team of environmentalists had found that radiation from mobile towers threatened the very existence of home sparrow, which live in colonies close to human habitats even in urban areas.
Earlier, there were also reports regarding the radiations emitted by the mobile towers leads to cancer. What should the cell phone operators do to protect our environment? If you have any idea, please comment below. | 1,385 | 709 | 0.001434 |
warc | 201704 | Follow us on:
The Obama administration is hoping that with added restrictions making it difficult for ivory to reach US markets, international demand will drop and poaching in Africa will no longer seem as lucrative.
“This ban is the best way to help ensure that US markets do not contribute to the further decline of African elephants in the wild,” the White House said in a statement.
Wildlife experts say that the number of elephants in Africa has fallen to just 500,000 from at least five million in the 1930s.
Importing of ivory and animal products was banned by US authorities in 1989, the same year that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) outlawed the trade globally.
But a black market has persisted, largely due to massive trafficking to Asia and the Middle East, which are among the largest markets.
The US announcement comes two days before the London Conference On The Illegal Wildlife Trade 2014, which convenes on February 13 and draws leaders and delegates from 50 countries.
The US decision to ban trade domestically falls in line with the aims of the conference organisers who are hoping to curb the criminal practice particularly by “reducing demand for illegal wildlife products”.
The Conference is also hoping to see progress in “strengthening law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” and “supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by illegal wildlife trade”.
China will for the first time be a participant in the London Conference – a welcome, and crucial step forward in ending the illegal animal products trade, conservationists say.
Since 2012, considered one of the worst years for the enforcement of the international ban on ivory and rhino horns, there has been some momentum toward destroying seized animal products.
In November, the US crushed into fine dust its entire stockpile of 6 tonnes.
Conservationists are hoping that poachers will realise they are running out of viable markets for the illicit trade.
On January 6, Chinese authorities destroyed (by burning) 6 tonnes of ivory in the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province.
This was quickly followed by an announcement from Honk Kong – which often serves as a transit point for illegal ivory shipments to China – that it would destroy nearly 30 tonnes of seized ivory.
Last week, French authorities destroyed more than three tonnes of ivory seized during a 20-year period, marking the first time that a European country has resorted to such measures.
Source: Agencies | 2,631 | 1,329 | 0.000774 |
warc | 201704 | Press Release Poll Shows Economy is Top Priority for Latinos Poll Shows Economy is Top Priority for Latinos (Washington, D.C.) - According to a new poll released today, the priority issue for Latino voters remains the nation's economy. The survey - by Latino Decisions - reports that only 37 percent of Latinos say their financial situation has gotten better over the last 5 years, while 25 percent say it has gotten worse. A full 53 percent are very or somewhat concerned that someone in their household will lose their job and face unemployment. And half say that in the last year, they worried they would not have enough to pay their monthly bills on multiple occasions. Despite these negative sentiments about the weak economy, Latinos remain very upbeat about the American Dream - with more than 70 percent saying that they have reached it, or will do so during their lifetime. Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement: "It shouldn't come as any surprise that the top priority for America's Latino community is fixing this bad economy. Good jobs are hard to find, and wages are not growing. Millions of young Hispanic workers are suffering under high college debt and uncertainty about their future - and they cannot find work that allows them to develop their skills and build their own American dream. And while hard work, know-how, and discipline have traditionally been the key to starting and growing a successful small business, the weak economy has taken even that away from many people who choose that path. So far, the president has offered little more than speeches and old, failed ideas. He has seemed either unable or unwilling to work with Congress on a plan to limit spending, curb regulation, and get government out of the way of entrepreneurs and real economic growth. If he is truly out of ideas, it is time for a new approach." ### | 1,908 | 1,024 | 0.000979 |
warc | 201704 | Re: Bring back Riverview, Letters, Oct. 20
As a volunteer at the Crease Unit of Riverview Hospital in the late 1970s, I had to respond to the letter writer who wanted the government to reopen Riverview.
The deplorable physical conditions, medication used as a chemical straitjacket, and the sense of hopelessness and institutionalization promoted by the prevailing medical model would suggest reopening the place is not a wise alternative to helping those in need.
Gratefully, I have the privilege to work in a recovery model, helping individuals gain confidence to create a life of their choosing.
Granted, some individuals facing mental health hurdles need continuing care in a therapeutic setting, but I have seen so many patients, given encouragement and support, learn to thrive and become productive members in our community.
The community-based system is far from perfect, but going back to Riverview is not the answer.
Rob Dueck, Chilliwack Publicly owned land shouldn’t be sold Re: Unhappy trails, Oct. 20
The closure of bike trails should be alarming for Lower Mainland residents. They have been closed by the Canadian Mortgage Corp., which they claim was ordered by Ottawa. They claim there is no immediate plans for the land, but knowing how Ottawa operates, I would keep watching because chances are it’s being sold. All mountain bikers should tell the feds to take a hike and that these trails are for use by the residents of B.C., not to be sold to the highest bidder. Soon we won’t have any public places left for us to enjoy.
Shawn Storey, Surrey Clinton unfair to Bill’s victims
Hillary (“Stand by your man”) Clinton says that Trump thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity and self-worth.” That’s exactly what Hillary Clinton did to the victims of Bill Clinton. To counter the many accusations of Bill’s affairs and sexual assaults, she ran a “war room” tasked with discrediting the women. She also called the women “bimbo erupters” and liars and tramps. By the time Bill Clinton finally acknowledged his doings, he was charged with perjury, lost his law license and faced impeachment. Hillary Clinton and her abettors had tried to ruin every woman’s reputation. I guess she felt bigger after going after their dignity and self-worth. An advocate for women?
Cherryl Katnich, Maple Ridge Trump a threat to peace
The thought of Donald Trump being elected president of the U.S. is very scary. As a retired employment counsellor, it seems to me that Trump’s top skill is insulting people. He can get away with it when he’s insulting other Americans. If he becomes president, I can see him insulting someone in China, Russia or that other egomaniac in North Korea, and we’ll have World War Three on our hands. If it only affected the U.S., that would be bad enough, but Canada (B.C. especially) is so close, we would definitely be affected. I’m just hoping there are enough Americans who can see what a disaster it would be to have him for a president who will get out and vote.
Linda Mackintosh, Coquitlam | 3,153 | 1,628 | 0.000635 |
warc | 201704 | What strikes me about the argument of the attorney generals and Justice Department, in essence that they pursued Apple in order to protect consumers from higher prices, is that the courts have demonstrated less concern about consumer prices than consumer advocates. Polices such as MAP and MRP can help protect a manufacturer and its retailers (particularly brick and mortar retailers facing online competition) from downward price pressure, but with the inevitable result that prices will go up for consumers.
An early reaction from Jonathan Gans, I think, reasonably summarizes the outcome. I admit, I have not read the 120 page opinion, and I would welcome comment from anybody who has. I'm not sure that I agree with him that "Apple didn't need to do this", at least in the sense of having a viable bookstore. Amazon's approach was, in the eyes of the attorneys general, a boon to consumers, with Amazon selling many titles below cost in order to expand and entrench its market share. The entire controversy with Apple was kicked off by the fact that Apple was not interested in following that path - yet unless they followed Amazon's model, or inspired publishers to convince Amazon to change its pricing model, Apple's eBook store would not have been viable.
Once upon a time, Apple might have been able to accuse Amazon of anti-competitive product dumping, but that theory has been all-but-abandoned, and Amazon was careful enough not to issue subsidies across-the-board such that there was little chance of it's being revived. So we ended up in an odd situation where any potential competitor to Amazon would have to provide subsidies to buyers, likely resulting in its inability to turn a profit on an eBook store, doing something akin to what Apple did, or staying out of the market. Also, through its agency model, Apple cleared the way for additional eBook stores to come online - because they could enter the market without having to worry that they would not be able to turn a profit due to Amazon's subsidized prices. The attorneys general seem to believe that consumers would have been better served by having Apple stay out of the market than by having it enter on terms under which it could turn a profit and which did not in fact give it a competitive advantage. Even accepting the court's conclusion that they proved an antitrust violation I don't think they made that case.
Like any appellant, Apple is going to have a difficult time appealing based upon the argument that the judge misunderstood the facts. The judge's rulings were extensive and, in simple terms, on appeal any ambiguity is construed in favor of the nonmoving party. I expect them to try, and I expect that they are going to identify some findings by the court that arguably contradict the lower court record. But I expect their focus on appeal to be a bit different - that they will be less focused on what the law is, and more focused on what the law should be. That is, just like the deep-pocketed manufacturers who decided to litigate issues of MAP and MRP with what amounted to a law reform argument, Apple is well situated to present... let's call it the "Mr. Bumble defense"
1... to present antitrust law. You don't have to sympathize with Mr. Bumble, or believe he is undeserving of his fate, to see that there's some substance to his reaction.
In short, Apple is likely to take its appeal to the highest court that is willing to hear the case and, while happy to win on the facts, can be expected to also argue that to the extent that the law as applied should be distinguished from the facts of their case, and to the extent that it cannot that it should be reversed.
---------------
1. In Oliver Twist, after being told that the law presumed his wife to be acting under his direction Mr. Bumble, the workhouse manager, sputters, "If the law supposes that... the law is a ass—a idiot. If that’s the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is that his eye may be opened by experience—by experience." | 4,055 | 1,958 | 0.000515 |
warc | 201704 | I don’t know about you, but in my house, December may as well be renamed “the month of indulgence.” I eat everything in the name of “it’s only available during Christmas” or “I worked hard all year I deserved this” or “I will start over in January” and before I know it, I feel tired, sluggish, puffy, and heavier than usual.
I believe it is important to find balance during the holidays so you don’t end December feeling frustrated, guilt and defeated. So what can you do? Here are five tips that have helped me survive December:
Don’t make any one food “off limits”
In my experience, when you make a food “off limits” it makes you want it that much more, and if/when you do happen to get your hands on it, you are very likely to binge and eat way more of said food than if you would have allowed yourself to eat it in the first place.
Write workouts into your schedule
This is a good year round practice, but it is even more imperative during the holidays when Christmas party’s, school plays, and Christmas shopping demand your time. Do not let your workout be the first thing to go. Stay strong and you will feel better physically and feel better ABOUT yourself.
Make time to enjoy yourself and your loved ones
I don’t mean stressful Christmas day with 35 of your closest family members. I mean take some time to chill by the fire and the Christmas tree, reading books to your kids, or watching Home Alone, or baking cookies with your spouse while you listen to Christmas music. Something relaxing and enjoyable, you deserve it!
Get in the “good stuff”
It’s tempting to ONLY eat junk during the holidays especially if it’s free. I don’t know about you, but I jump at free food all the time even if it’s unhealthy. Why do we do this? Please tell me I’m not the only one. The worst was Christmas time when I was a teacher. Baked good in the teachers lounge every. single. day. It’s ok to indulge, but balance it out with some veggies, fruit, etc. you know, the REAL food!
Remember to do what’s best for your family
Just because grandma makes five pies and aunt Linda gives three gifts to each child does NOT mean you have to follow suit or keep pace with anyone. It’s Christmas! It’s a season of love, joy, and hope. Start your own traditions, drop ones you feel obligated to do but don’t like. It’s NOT worth you losing your mind to have the most beautiful wrapping paper or the most lights on you house if you sacrifice your sanity.
QOTD: What is your best tip for achieving balance during the Holidays? Get Your Free Printable Set!
Sign up to get my free printables on goal setting & fitness tracking. | 2,776 | 1,389 | 0.000767 |
warc | 201704 | I want to thank a perceptive reader for passing along this insightful post regarding freedom, choice, commitment, and restlessness. It is well worth reading both as a life lesson and as an insight into trading problems.
The key idea is that we can only maximize our freedom through commitment. While it may seem that unlimited choice offers the greatest opportunities for freedom, that generally is not the case. When supply is unlimited, value is reduced: unlimited choices lower the value of each marginal selection. To maximize choices, we should probably always eat at buffet and salad bar restaurants. That, however, would not necessarily maximize our dining pleasure: a more limited, gourmet selection is likely to prove more satisfying. Similarly, we could have a different bedroom partner every night, but would that maximize either freedom or well-being? A slave to passions, like the glutton at the buffet, is hardly free. A long-term romantic relationship offers a depth and breadth of experience that can only be found in the context of commitment. I believe the same principle applies to trading. At some point, we have to commit ourselves to the trade and gain the profits and confidence that result from a market move that reaches its targets. Too often, traders seek the freedom of trading in and out of their ideas, never seeing their positions through. That isn't freedom--most often, it's giving into fear--and it rarely maximizes opportunity. When I had to submit a picture of myself to my university alumni book, I sent the above photo. It's no mistake: I think of myself as part of a couple, part of a family. In that commitment, I've found greater freedom and fulfillment than I ever knew as a restless single person. It is the same with our trades and plans: when they are working for us, we stick with them and see them through. Promiscuity in trading works about as well as it does in relationships...and for much the same reason. . | 1,961 | 1,012 | 0.00099 |
warc | 201704 | What does the summer of 2012 have in store for travelers like us? Which cities are calling out our names? Which hotels are clearing up their reservations? Which beaches are welcoming the bright and shining sun? The top cities to visit across the planet always remain unlimited. But we have tried to name the top five this summer. Whether its shopping that drives you or cultural heritage that attracts you, whether its nightlife you are looking for or history is our cup of tea, we are sure that a lot many of you would agree with this list.
Month: July 2012 Update: I guess all of you need to read the whole post to understand the point I am trying to make. You can hold your judgements about my character till that point!
Dear Modern Woman,
How come you are alive? Your parents didn’t kill you? But the facts say that every year thousands of girl children are dumped in dustbins, on roads, left in hospitals or killed alive. Maybe you are among the lucky few to have survived. I must congratulate you for that. But then, you never know in this big bad world, when disaster comes calling. If you think you can cheat death by surviving accidents or illnesses you cannot be more wrong.
Amongst our ilk, there is a huge number who are ready to rape, strip, molest and do all that and much more to women like you at the drop of a hat. And that could drive you to kill yourself or we could do the formalities ourselves. I can hear you ask as to who gave us this right. We are a nation where crimes against you are brushed under the carpet so easily that who wouldn’t be encouraged to satisfy his voyeuristic pleasures. Whether we pinch a girl’s buttocks or grab her breasts, whether we strip her clothes or grope her in public, people would be ready to join us, but no one would bother to save her. How do you expect us not to satisfy our pleasures in such a scenario?
You think about things you would like to do, but most people think that dreams are just for dreaming. Here’s how to make your dreams come true.
Take time out to reflect on what your dreams are
When many people think about what they want out of their lives, these thoughts are often a brief moment as quick to leave as they were to emerge. Perhaps they appear while you’re waiting in line for coffee, or in the few minutes of downtime between tasks. Rarely do people dedicate a considerable period of time to figuring out what their dreams actually are.
In order to make your dreams come true, you have to pinpoint what they are, and that takes plenty of reflection. Sit in your favorite location, undisturbed, and visualize the type of life you would ideally lead. Take your time with this exercise. Fill in all the details. Do it more than once, too. Make time for this exercise on several occasions to get the best picture of what your dreams are.
If you are a fan of medieval fantasies, you will probably enjoy the HBO original series ‘Game of Thrones’. In fact, if you just like complex, convoluted drama, it should appeal to you and clearly, you are not alone. The proof is with the critics. ‘Game of Thrones’ made the best of the best list in 2011 in both the ‘Washington Post’ and ‘Time Magazine’. ‘Entertainment Weekly’ states that it is achieving universal acclaim.
Bhavna Rai was born in Delhi and has subsequently lived in the Philippines, Kenya, Thailand, Germany and the US. In a career spanning fourteen years, she has worked with some of the leading technology firms of the world. She currently lives in Hong Kong, with her husband and their two children. Fate, Fraud & A Friday Wedding is her first novel.
1. When did you say to yourself – “I am going to become a writer”? How did it all begin? I would have to go all the way back to IXth grade for this one. I always knew that I could write and would write. Why I didn’t actually write for about 10 years from college onwards, I can’t quite explain. Life took over, I guess. It was only in 2001 that I realized I had a story to tell and I needed to start writing it. So I opened a blank Word document with no plan, no outline, no timeline and then somehow it all just came together. For me, “Fate, Fraud And A Friday Wedding” is all about the characters. It’s set in a time when India was going through tremendous transformation and I wanted to write about how people’s lives have been transformed as well. | 4,471 | 2,269 | 0.000454 |
warc | 201704 | Spilsbury, Karen, Stuttard, Lucy, Adamson, Joy, Atkin, Karl, Borglin, Gunilla, McCaughan, Dorothy, McKenna, Hugh, Wakefield, Ann and Carr-Hill, Roy (2009)
Mapping the introduction of Assistant Practitioner roles in Acute NHS (Hospital) Trusts in England. JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, 17 (5, SI). pp. 615-626. [Journal article]
Full text not available from this repository.
Abstract
Aims This mapping study describes current or planned introduction of assistant practitioner roles in English National Health Service Acute Hospital Trusts. Background In the last decade there has been a growth in nursing support workforce numbers and their scope of practice. An important United Kingdom support worker development is the Assistant Practitioner role. Method A national census was carried out (April 2007) via an emailed questionnaire to Directors of Nursing. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Eighty-five per cent (143/168) of Directors of Nursing, from all 10 English Strategic Health Authorities, responded. Forty-six per cent (n = 66) of Trusts had introduced assistant practitioners and 22% (n = 31) were planning to implement the role before 2009. There is wide variation in assistant practitioner numbers across and between Strategic Health Authorities, Trusts and clinical areas. Resistance to the role existed in 32% (n = 46) of Trusts. Reasons for resistance included no perceived need for the role, lack of evidence of effectiveness, financial constraints and professional and patient safety concerns. Implications for nursing management These findings, which contribute to the international evidence-base on health care support workers roles, provide nurse managers with numbers of assistant practitioners and their deployment. This is useful for Nurse Managers making workforce decisions.
Item Type: Journal article Faculties and Schools: Faculty of Life and Health Sciences > School of Nursing
Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
Research Institutes and Groups: Institute of Nursing and Health Research ID Code: 19494 Deposited By: Yvonne Dunwoody (Admin) Deposited On: 11 Aug 2011 13:12 Last Modified: 11 Aug 2011 13:12
Repository Staff Only: item control page | 2,276 | 1,190 | 0.000844 |
warc | 201704 | The world of #Work has been and still is in the midst of a radical change. Above all requests, flexibility is what appeals most to the workforce - the idea that you have to work at a fixed place at a fixed time has started to seem outdated, if not inefficient. According to a recent survey by Jobsite, 75% of all 25-34 years old said they would work flexible hours if they could.
British workers have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and the moment has now arrived. From the 30th June, any employee has the legal right to ask to change their working patterns, regardless of why they may need to do so. Only requirement: they must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks.
What this means is simple to understand but hard to believe: no more hours of commuting, no more annoying colleagues, no more repetitive working hours. For everyone. The move has been welcomed by the majority of people. "Modern businesses know that flexible working boosts productivity and staff morale” says Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. “Employees who are able to work from home are more productive than their office-bound colleagues because they are less distracted, grateful for the flexibility” these are the recent findings of the London School of Economy.
Flexibility with its allure and advantages is here. Is not that a dream becoming reality?
Perhaps only in theory. Whilst this lifestyle sounds ideal, we should consider the other side of the coin. At first, the lack of human contact – to work remotely is very likely to make us feel an overwhelming sense of solitude. No office environment, less social interaction.
Another big problem is that flexibility might lead us to work even more intensely as well as more hours. If home and office can and probably will merge together, so could relaxation with work, sofa with office chair, as well as dining table with desk. The result? A stressful and almost Stakhanovite lifestyle: the exact opposite of that so perfect work life balance which this new law entails, or seems to do so.
Again, in theory the possibility of working everywhereand any time is fantastic. No doubt. But what if those hours of commute, thoseannoying colleagues, those lunch breaks were funnily enough our distraction andwhat kept us sane? What if we end up working
for real everywhere and at any time? Flexibility is great – and here.A workaholic society is not great – yet this danger can lurk here. | 2,483 | 1,311 | 0.000775 |
warc | 201704 | Village Capital, in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, the Community of Albuquerque, BSP Fund, the Tecovas Foundation, and New Belgium Family Foundation, announced its three-month program to support early-stage entrepreneurs solving major water and energy problems.
Water insecurity is a major problem around the world, including the United States. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, 750 million people lack access to clean water (about 2.5 times the US population)
. In the United States, the 2014 drought affected areas that produce one-third of US cattle and half our fruit, vegetables, and winter wheat. In addition, water used for irrigation and food production constitutes one of the greatest pressures on freshwater resources, and 2.5 billion gallons of water are contaminated each day because of oil and gas production in the US. This is the same amount of water that people consume worldwide.
The Village Capital: Water US 2015 program will support entrepreneurs addressing these water insecurity issues through technology for the benefit of all individuals in the US and around the world. | 1,130 | 640 | 0.001569 |
warc | 201704 | Village Capital’s method of peer-selection and venture development reliably identifies the most promising ventures, providing an efficient and inclusive alternative to conventional due diligence. We have the results to prove it.
Peer-selection
Peer-selected ventures are the best of the best, and reflect a diverse array of talented entrepreneurs. We invest in extraordinary entrepreneurs that traditional venture capital firms overlook.
Our portfolio is strong VilCap Investments has made 67 investments, with a 90% survival rate Portfolio companies have raised more than $80 million in additional capital and generated over $19 million in revenue, Portfolio companies have served over two million beneficiaries and created over 7,500 jobs Our entrepreneurs come from untapped wells of entrepreneurial talent 40% of portfolio companies have female founders or co-founders. 78% of portfolio companies are located outside of New York, Massachusetts and California 23% of US portfolio companies have people of color as founders VENTURE DEVELOPMENT
Over 500 ventures have participated in over 40 Village Capital programs. Ventures that participate in Village Capital programs measurably and continuously outperform the competition.
Alumni achieve annual revenue growth of 63%, compared with 21% for a control group. Alumni raise eight times more capital than a control group Alumni have created over 8,800 jobs, served over five million customers, and leveraged $142 in investment capital SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Our alumni are solving real-world problems, and 60% of their customers are at the base of the pyramid. Their cumulative impact is impressive and includes:
24,339,741 lbs of C02 emissions offset 174,110 low income students served 5,973 smallholder farmers served 149,644 low income patients reached 21,965 individuals with access to affordable financial services 113 tons of plastic waste recycled | 1,926 | 1,009 | 0.000998 |
warc | 201704 | “The auto repair company that I have been mentioning for a long time on this show, Monro Muffler, MNRO. The largest pure play, under-car service chain company in America, with 780 locations. This is a twice-blessed stock that’s benefited from the closing of all those Chrysler and GM dealerships, less competition, and the resurgence in the auto industry at the same time. Plus, Monro does not need a strong China and it isn’t on the radar screen of our president’s neer-do-well list like the banks.” —
CNBC’s Mad Money 1/28/2010
The recent rhetoric and tax proposals coming from the White House have Cramer looking for “Obama-proof” stocks to guard any portfolio against political risks. One such stock that Cramer has identified is Monro Muffler Brake, Inc (MNRO) which he says has benefited from withering competition. This stock released earnings for their fiscal third quarter earlier this week, and they showed impressive results with EPS growing 35.7% to $.38 per share. Same store sales benefited from decreased competition rising 7.2%, and overall revenue grew by 28.7% thanks to 42 new locations. This has provided some good momentum coming into the final quarter of the year and shows the company is executing well given the new opportunities in the marketplace. MNRO lifted their full year guidance to EPS of $1.53 to $1.56.
Unfortunately for investors looking to ride this strong growth, Monro’s performance has not been lost of the market. MNRO has returned 34% in the last six months which is nearly triple the return of the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq (where MNRO trades). That impressive performance has accelerated in the last six weeks, with both the benchmarks having returned basically even, MNRO is up 24% in that shorter time frame. Monro is now trading near the high end of both its price-to-cash earnings and price-to-sales ranges. For example, despite the recent surge in sales the current price-to-sales level is 1.28x, which is relatively unattractive compared to the historical range of .87x to 1.42x. Similarly, price-to-cash earnings has historically traded around 8.8x to 14.4x, while the current multiple of cash earnings is 13.1x.
While, neither of the aforementioned valuation ranges is trading above their historically normal ranges, they are near the high side. This makes us cautious to recommend buying MNRO based on valuation, even though the fundamentals have clearly improved. It is impressive that the company has opened new stores and increased sales without increasing their debt-load. In fact, they finished the quarter with more cash on hand and less long term debt than nine months ago. For now, we are content to leave a Fairly Valued stance on Monro and would advise waiting for a pull back before diving in. | 2,808 | 1,435 | 0.000711 |
warc | 201704 | Deformability based cell margination—A simple microfluidic design for malaria-infected erythrocyte separation
In one of their latest publications in the journal "Lab on a Chip"
(H.W. Hou, A.A.S. Bhagat, A.G.L. Chong, P. Mao P, K.S.W. Tan, J. Han and C.T. Lim, "Deformability based cell margination – A simple microfluidic design for high throughput malaria infected erythrocyte separation",, BioSyM and NUS researchers describe a deformability-based separation method for iRBCs separation in a microfluidic device, inspired by the in vivo phenomenon of leukocyte margination. Lab on a Chip, vol. 10, 2605 (2010))
In blood vessels with luminal diameter less than 300mm, red blood cells (RBCs) which are smaller in size and more deformable than leukocytes, migrate to the axial centre of the vessel due to flow velocity gradient within the vessels. This phenomenon displaces the leukocytes to the vessel wall and is aptly termed as margination. This work demonstrate using microfluidics that stiffer malaria-infected RBCs (iRBCs) behave similar to leukocytes and undergo margination towards the sidewalls. This provides better understanding of the hemodynamic effects of iRBCs in microcirculation and its contribution to pathophysiological outcome relating to cytoadherence to endothelium. In this work, cell margination is mimicked for the separation of iRBCs from whole blood based on their reduced deformability. The malaria infected sample was tested in a simple long straight channel microfluidic device fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane. In this microchannel, cell margination was directed along the channel width with the iRBCs aligning near each sidewall and then subsequently removed using a 3-outlet system, thus achieving separation. Tests were conducted using ring stage and late trophozoite/schizont stage iRBCs. Device performance was quantified by analyzing the distribution of these iRBCs across the microchannel width at the outlet and also conducting flow cytometry analysis. Results indicate recovery of ~75% for early stage iRBCs and >90% for late stage iRBCs at the side outlets. The simple and passive system operation makes this technique ideal for on-site iRBCs enrichment in resourcelimited settings, and can be applied to other blood cell diseases, e.g. sickle cell anemia and leukemia, characterized by changes in cell stiffness. | 2,374 | 1,185 | 0.000851 |
warc | 201704 | A rights-based approach to women's health
A rights-based approach provides a framework to address the inequality, injustice and disadvantage that contribute to poor health. It is based on Australian and international human rights instruments. Explains the importance of a rights-based approach in ensuring that women have access to the opportunities needed to be healthy, such as education, economic participation, social inclusion, adequate housing and freedom from violence and discrimination.
Reference:
A rights-based approach to women's health / Women's Health Victoria - Melbourne: Women's Health Victoria, November 2009. We value your feedback. Please tell us what you think of this resource. Click here to take a brief online survey | 745 | 427 | 0.002358 |
warc | 201704 | Everyone knows the words from the US Declaration of Independence, that there are certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Many of the American colonies as they declared independence, some even before the Continental Congress, stressed Life, Liberty and Property The French Revolution, a decade later, phrased it Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. (They celebrate July 14
thBastile Day – the day they liberated the prisoners of Paris as akin to our independence day.) But all had in common the word LIBERTY. But what did it mean and what does it mean today?
Liberty encompassed all the natural rights. The right to practice ones religion or not, the right to have a say in determining who would govern and what the power of that government would be, the right to privacy and others -- some spelled out in American state constitutions and some in the federal Bill of Rights.
Today there is a Tea Party movement, taking its name from the Boston Tea Party of 1773, and proclaiming that it stands strong for LIBERTY. What does Liberty mean to them and to their radical right wing Republican partners who with them control that Grand Old Party. Well we know what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean the right of a public employee to form a union and bargain collectively, as we’ve seen by their actions in Wisconsin. And, it doesn’t mean the right of a woman to choose an abortion even if her personal views allow it. Nor does it evidently allow a couple to practice birth control as a means of family planning, according to laws being pushed in eight states.
It does mean the right to own a weapon not just for hunting or self defense but for any reason. And apparently it means the right to make as much money as you can any way you can and give as little or none of it to the government which according to some of these radicals needn’t exist.
Yet government is instituted by the people to secure and guarantee these rights.
Can one enjoy Liberty if one can’t feed and clothe their family? Liberty has to include the right to get an education that will allow you to get a job to pay for lifes necessities or you can’t enjoy Life, Liberty or the Pursuit of Happiness. Liberty should include the right of two people to marry and build a family and live the life style they prefer.
The pursuit of Happiness is the reaching for the American Dream. The Dream that brought so many immigrants to this country. And the Dream that led eight of my ancestors to fight in the Revolutionary War so America would be free to chart its own course and not be ruled by a monarch and a nobility from across the ocean. (I don’t think they expected we might be ruled by an oligarchy of billionaires living in our own country and investing most of their money overseas.)
So who really supports LIBERTY today. The radical republicans support what they call economic liberty - no taxes on business, no individual mandates to require people to have health insurance, no regulations on financial transactions or large industries while providing government subsidies to big oil, big agriculture and other big businesses to keep them big. Liberal Democrats support personal LIBERTY: freedom of choice on reproduction, no-discrimination due to choice of life style, a constitutionally protected right to privacy (9th amendment), absolute first amendment freedom of speech and religion with no government interference. And a third party, the Libertarians, support absolute non- government interference in economic or personal affairs ; almost a non government approach which didn’t work when advocated in Europe in the 19th century by the anarchists and nihilists.
Surely there is common ground here around which a majority of Americans can rally. Keep the government out of the bedroom and the church. Let Americans be secure in all their rights - their papers (including their computer emails). Let Americans with legitimate reasons,e.g. hunting or self defense, be allowed to possess weapon(s). Let small businesses be exempt from as many regulations as possible as long as such exemptions don’t endanger the life of employees or customers. And let big business be regulated by government on behalf of the people so that the people rule their government and their lives.
Today in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain people are facing death protesting and demanding Liberty. People in Tibet, China, Burma, and Belarus struggle to find ways to open up their societies to allow more personal freedom. Here in America, when not obsessed by sex scandals, we debate issues that involve Liberty as if they were academic abstractions – perhaps we’ve had so much Liberty that we take it for granted. We had best not – when we take Liberty for granted we will likely lose it.
11 July, 2011 | 4,876 | 2,298 | 0.000443 |
warc | 201704 | ByJohn ~ July 8th, 2009.
Over the last few months I’ve read a number of articles encouraging wine lovers to “invest†in good wine, with each typically citing a favorable comparison between wine and the stock market over the last year or two. As an investment management professional for over forty years, my response to these recommendations would be
caveat emptor, which is Latin for “let the buyer beware.†(Photo by Frieder Blickle) First of all, comparing for a year or two means nothing in investing. How about twenty or thirty years? Second, wine is a perishable asset, not even just a depreciating asset. With wine, you also have ongoing storage costs and the question of whether the previous owner took proper care of the wine.
I think it’s great to buy a great “collectible†bottle of wine occasionally when you can afford it. But don’t buy it believing that it is your retirement plan. Collecting purely for investment purposes usually proves to be foolish. The chances of losing money when the collectability factor is priced into an item are enormous. Collecting trends are usually fads. And fads usually fade.
I think the best attitude you can have towards your wine cellar was expressed by Jancis Robinson in her book,
Tasting Pleasure: Confessions of a Wine Lover: “I don’t want to manage my cellar. I want to drink it.â€
Just like Jancis, my goal is to live long enough to enjoy every bottle that I have.
In sum, know your collectible wines, take good care of them and, most of all, enjoy them. But do not expect them to make you rich.
Cheers!
Filed under:General Wine Information | 1,786 | 951 | 0.001163 |
warc | 201704 | INTRODUCTION
Most people I meet think that they are pretty healthy. But when I probe a little deeper into their diet, I quickly find out that they are eating a lot of “
health” foods you should never eat. I can’t blame them because of the confusion surrounding labels advertising companies use with buzz words like “sugar free,” “all-natural” and even “organic.” But just because something is organic doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
Regardless of how it is labeled, be sure to steer clear from these 10 “health” foods because they are anything but beneficial for your body!
1. Fruit Juice
Most people are generally
shocked to learn that fruit juice (in abundance) is actually quite harmful for them. First off, most varieties you see at the store are pasteurized, which basically renders these products useless because they are stripped of much of their nutrition.
Heating juice denatures (or kills) the chemical makeup of vitamins and minerals and unless it is truly “raw,” it is little more than flavored fructose.
If you make it fresh at home, a glass of fruit juice here and there won’t hurt you; but when consumed every day it does a considerable amount of damage because it causes a major spike in blood glucose
Think of it in this way: When you sit down to drink an 8-ounce glass of orange juice, you’re consuming the juice of 4 medium-sized oranges in literally seconds or a few minutes at the most. Compare this to how long it would take to eat 4 oranges, and you can quickly see how eating fruit in its whole form is best.
How many people can even eat 4 oranges at once? It would take quite a while to comfortably consume this amount of fruit in one sitting. Just think about all the calories burned as you peel, chew and digest these 4 oranges. It might not seem like much, but it’s a lot more than simply slurping down a glass of OJ in 10 seconds!
So,
remember these key points about fruit juice before you make fruit juice part of your everyday breakfast experience: When you eat 4 oranges in one sitting, your blood sugar naturally (and gradually) climbs up and descends down like a bell curve – Nice and easy. When drinking the juice of 4 oranges in a short time, your glucose levels rise upimmediately and then suddenly drop downmaking you “crash,”which contributes to chronic fatigue and the desire for another boost. This sudden crash is called hypoglycemiaand, because our bodies aren’t designed to consume this amount of fructose in one sitting, normal insulin levels cannot handle the amount of sugar in our blood and it puts extreme stress on the body. (1) This is why drinking juice on a regular basis can lead to obesity. If the body cannot metabolize the excess fructose in the blood, where else is all that extra sugar going to get stored? And last of all, even if someone theoretically drinks their juice slowly and stretches it out for 30+ minutes, they’re still lacking the fiber. By design, fruit contains a considerable amount of soluble and insoluble fiber to help aid the digestion process, help us feel “full,” and to feed the probiotics in our gut. Regularly drinking juice robs the body of this vital nutrient and is oftentimes associated with diarrhea and other GI concerns. 2. Soy Protein
Contrary to popular belief,
soy products are not healthy for you; at least, that is, unfermented soy. Miso, Natto, tempeh, and tamari are one thing. But eating edamame, soy milk and soy protein is quite another.
First off, nearly 100% of all soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified and is “Roundup ready,” which means that it has a chemical pesticide to “naturally” repel bugs.
Secondly, most people lack the enzymes necessary to digest unfermented soy, similarly to how many people are lactose intolerant. This causes indigestion, gas, bloating, and a whole slew of GI issues.
Third, it is generally accepted that long-term use of soy dietary supplements like soy protein is unsafe because it has been linked to the following: (2)
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) Asthma Breast cancer Cystic fibrosis Endometrial cancer Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) Kidney disease Urinary bladder cancer And many more…
All of these reasons are great reasons why soy is definitely one of the “health” foods you should never eat.
3. Farmed Fish
Other
health foods you should never eat are farmed fish. I’ve written extensively on farmed fish and (in my opinion) eating tilapia is worse than eating bacon! Even salmon, touted for being the health fish of choice is virtually poison to consume if farmed. Why?
Because most are fed genetically modified feed and, according to the non-profit watch dog organization
Environmental Working Group (EWG),
“
Seven of ten farmed salmon purchased at grocery stores in Washington DC, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels that raise health concerns, according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group.” (3)
In other words, the farmed-fish in our grocery stores:
Most likely contain the highest PCB-contaminated protein source in the U.S. food supply. Contain up to 40 times more PCBs than other foods. Is 16 times more likely to contain the dioxin-like PCBs than wild-caught varieties, 4 times more than in beef, and 3.4 times more than in other seafood.
In addition, to PCB’s and GMO’s, farm-raised fish have been shown to contain these known neurotoxins and carcinogens:
Dioxins– Industrial byproducts from waste treatment plants. Toxaphene– Banned pesticide since 1982. Dieldrin– Another prohibited pesticide. 4. Microwaved Popcorn
Another one of my top “health” foods you should never eat
microwave popcorn. Filled with carcinogens, it is just not worth the convenience. Even if you were to find some organic varieties out there, it still wouldn’t be safe to eat because microwavable bags are coated with PFOAs, a chemical that is liked to cancer. (4)
Also, fake butter flavoring contains a compound called
diacetyl, which causes a serious lung disease when inhaled in large quantities. (5)
Next time you get that hankering for some popcorn, simply pop your own. Purchase plain, organic popcorn kernels at a natural foods store. Use coconut oil or organic butter and pour 3 tablespoons into a heavy stainless steel pan.
Put two kernels in the pan and wait until one pops, then pour 1/3 cup of popcorn in the pan and cover it. As it pops, make sure you shake the pan to allow the steam to escape and prevent the popcorn from burning. Remove from the pan when the popping stops and season as desired. Some great toppings include nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
5. Conventional Meat
5. Conventional Meat
Non-organic, genetically modified
meat products are absolute death foods and, absolutely foods that you should never eat. Even if it is “lean” with all the excess fat trimmed off, should never be part of anyone’s natural health regimen.
Essentially, YOU are what THEY eat and if the livestock that you’re grilling up for supper is force-fed pesticide-ridden, hormone-stuffed feed, then that’s what enters in your GI tract and literally gets stored in your fat cells.
Like everything, read and reread your labels and be sure that the meat you’re purchasing is safe. Even if it says “grass-fed,” still do your homework. The grass-fed vs. grain-fed debate still rages on and isn’t as clear-cut as once suspected. (6)
My recommendation is that you always purchase meat from a trusted local source. Get to know your food growers and ranchers. It’s worthwhile to become familiar with how your food is sourced and prepared.
6. Margarine
6. Margarine
You’d think that the “margarine myth” would have been put to bed years ago, but margarine is still being praised as a health food. (7) In the words of the Mayo clinic, the margarine vs.
butter race is all about fats and cholesterol: “Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it contains no cholesterol. Margarine is also higher in “good” fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated — than butter is. These types of fats help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol when substituted for saturated fat. Butter, on the other hand, is made from animal fat, so it contains cholesterol and high levels of saturated fat. (7)”
Unfortunately, it’s not that straight forward. Ever since it was created, margarine has been made out of trans fat, which are known to clog arteries and cause cardiovascular disease. Trans fat also increases someone’s risk of developing type II diabetes and several other severe health problems. (8)
A study in 1997 showed that margarine, with its high transfat content appeared to increase the incidence of coronary heart disease. (9) Saturated fats however have been found to increase good cholesterol and lower the bad. It just doesn’t add up!
And then there’s butter. From Time Magazine to the New York Times, the word is out, that
butter is back! The fat-soluble vitamins in butter far outrank margarine. Butter is loaded with Vitamins A, E, and K2 (which is higher in grass-fed dairy).
Vitamin K2 helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and osteoporosis). (10, 11, 12) Butter also changes the structure of short chain LDL fatty acids (which are linked to heart disease) into more benign longer chain fatty acids.
So, to sum up, if
saturated fats are good, and margarine is low in saturated fats, then there is really no reason for us to consider it good for us! 7. Vegetable Oils
7. Vegetable Oils
Some more “
health” foods you should never eat are vegetable oils. Hand-in-hand with margarine, vegetable oils like canola are not healthy by any stretch of the imagination. They are usually genetically modified, are partially hydrogenated and have been linked to: (13, 14) Atherosclerosis Birth defects Bone and tendon problems Cancer Diabetes Digestive disorders Heart disease Immune system impairment Increased cholesterol levels Learning disabilities Liver problems Low birth weights Obesity Reduced growth Sexual dysfunction Skin reactions Sterility Vision reduction
I recommend pure,
cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil. When buying coconut oil you should make sure it smells like coconut when you buy it, otherwise it has been most likely pasteurized and is not as healthy for you. 8. Table Salt
8. Table Salt
Standard table salt definitely makes my list of top health foods you should never eat. Pretty much everyone has heard that white table salt causes hypertension, yet that hasn’t stopped more than 95% of restaurants in the nation from stocking it on every table and food bar! (15)
Originally produced from sea salt, refined table salt technically starts as a “real” food then quickly becomes fake. Manufacturers use harvesting methods that strip it of all its naturally-occurring minerals, and then use a number of additives (including aluminum) to dry it and heat it to temperatures of about 1,200 degrees.
Because it was destroyed, the naturally occurring iodine is then replaced with potassium iodide in potentially toxic amounts. The salt is then stabilized with dextrose, which turns it purple. Finally it is bleached white.
A much more suitable replacement is not even a replacement at all, but the original product! There are more than
10 significant health benefits of Celtic sea salt and Himalayan salt and I recommend that you start using either in your cooking. 9. Artificial Sweeteners
9. Artificial Sweeteners
Being “artificial,” you’d think
fake sweeteners would be used cautiously by people. Unfortunately, many doctors recommend them because they are supposedly safe for diabetics because they are low on the glycemic index (16).
Ironically, new research has shown that
artificial sweeteners causes a disturbance in gut flora and can actually cause diabetes! (17)
Adding insult to injury, sugar substitutes have been clinically linked to: (18)
Allergies Bladder cancer Brain tumors Breast cancer Headaches Hypertension Lymphomas/leukemia Phenylketonuria Seizures Weight gain/obesity 10. Conventional Milk
10. Conventional Milk
The last of the “
health” foods you should never eat is milk. Following suit with most items on this Top 10 List, the dangers of conventional milk lays hidden in the genetic modification of the cow feed and hormones administered to boost milk production.
These toxins get transferred to people when they drink milk or eat conventional dairy products, which have been linked to many of the issues discussed in this article.
Similar to fruit juice, when raw milk is pasteurized, it also loses its nutritional content and is pretty much useless. Because the enzyme lactase is destroyed in the heating process, people cannot properly digest the milk sugar, lactose.
This issue has become so common that the National Institute of Health reports that, “Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.” (19)
By far,
raw milk is healthier and can usually be found in cheese or yogurt forms in local health food stores.
So what’s the moral of the story?
Don’t believe everything you read. Regardless of the health trends, there is always something to be said for eating whole foods from non-processed, non-GMO sources. The more you choose to take in only food and beverages that bring life to your body, then the more you will enjoy life! Stay tuned to more of my DrAxe.com tips, and stay current on the information you need to protect your family and stay healthy! A quick note from our founder-
Over the past year, my friend Dave at PaleoHacks has been working on a secret cookbook with world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu chef Peter Servold.
Well, today this new this new incredible Paleo Cookbook is finally available to be shipped right to your door for FREE
That's right -- as a special launch promotion, we're offering our brand new Paleo fat loss cookbook to you for free (Chef Pete lost 60 lbs using these recipes!) -- All you have to do is just cover a small shipping cost (international shipping is a bit more).
Get your FREE copy of Paleo Eats Here. (Grab this today, because we only ordered a small batch of these cookbooks for this freebie promotion, and they will sell out FAST!)
Help us create more awareness! Please SHARE this article...
I bet you can’t guess which muscle in your body is the #1 muscle that eliminates joint and back pain, anxiety and looking fat.
This “
hidden survival muscle” in your body will boost your energy levels, immune system, sexual function, strength and athletic performance when unlocked.
If this “hidden” most powerful primal muscle is healthy, we are healthy.
Is it…
a) Abs b) Chest c) Glutes d) Hip Flexors
Take the quiz above and see if you got the correct answer!
P.S. Make sure you check out the next page to get to know the
10 simple moves that will bring vitality back into your life!
To begin, I apologize for the dark nature of today's email.
However I promise
what you'll discover today will be completely worth it.
Imagine a rotting corpse draped over your body from head to toe...
...suffocating tissue, restricting blood flow, damaging joints and infecting your healthy cells.
Shockingly,
that nightmare is a reality for most:
64% of women and 74% of men carry too much body fat according to the
National Institutes of Health.
It's choking their organs, assaulting their metabolism and sucking their energy dry.
But here's the worst part:
For most, this bodyfat has become "calorie-resistant":
It's
completely unaffected by even the strictest diets... and most intense exercises.
This zombie fat is essentially... "dead tissue".
That's important for those who have 10, 25 or 50 or more pounds to lose...
AND for those who aren't technically overweight, but
have what's called "pocket obesity"...
...unsightly patches of fat that cling to specific places, like:
just above your hips, lower belly, where your butt and legs meet... and even arms, neck and face.
However, there's good news:
Obesity researchers have now discovered a "metabolic jumper cable":
It jolts dead bodyfat back to life.
This allows your metabolism to burn it as calories and re-energize your entire body.
First though,
here's the #1 reason why bodyfat becomes calorie-resistant:
It lacks blood flow. This has 3 effects:
Not enough oxygen or nutrients reach fat cells, so they become unresponsive.. Released fat can't be sent to other tissues to be burned, so fat cells suck it back in... 3) Metabolic hormones carrying the "burn calories" message don't reach the fat cell...
All this means one thing:
Your body can't transform into energy, the 135,000+ of calories the average person stores as fat!
You become a metabolic zombie: NO energy to think. NO energy to move. NO energy to motivate.
Update: calorie-resistant bodyfat can be now removed...
The discovery of this "metabolic jumper cable" can now reverse this process:
It wakes up un-responsive bodyfat with a powerful calorie-burning hormonal jolt.... It pops open fat cells, sucks out the fat, sending it off before its yanked back in... It shuttles fat to your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys - even your bones - to be burned as energy.
Not only do those layers of "zombie fat" start coming off, but your entire body just works better.
Plus, as your whole body burns more calories, those patches of pocket obesity whittle away.
This "metabolic jumper cable" isn't any exercise, machine or pill.
It's
a little-known, calorie-burning hormone we all have... just waiting for the right spark to come alive.
It's not thyroid, leptin, ghrelin, insulin, adiponectin, HGH or any other "fat loss" hormone you may know.
And on this next page, you'll find out precisely how to unleash its calorie-burning power:
PS - Studies show that not only can healthy levels of this powerful calorie-burning hormone devour bodyfat and fortify soft muscle, but it can also
reduce your risk of diabetes by 53.7%, a heart attack by 83.3% and stroke by 51.4%. Here's more of the scientific proof...
In April, 2009, researchers stunned the medical community when they reported chronic inflammation as the root cause of several major diseases.
See, every year 610,000 people in the U.S. die of heart disease. Cancer claims another 584,000...stroke 130,000...Alzheimer's disease nearly 85,000 — and the list goes on.
Truth is, we now know...
Hundreds of studies and scientific reviews prove it. chronic inflammation is responsible for 7 out of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States!
Fortunately, newer research shows you can prevent-even reverse-most major diseases by "turning off" inflammation. And in our new book, we show you how to do just that.
If you or a loved one is suffering from a debilitating condition-and you"re not sure what the culprit is-now's the time to find out...while you can still do something about it!
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If you haven't heard of Claude Davis yet do yourself a huge favor and watch this video. He's going to be the talk of 2016.
One of the smartest guys I ever had the pleasure of meeting, Claude set-up a unique system that changed his life forever.
I already tried it myself and let me tell... you I was completely blown away... His surprising tactics could make your life easier and give you the peace of mind you deserve.
Don't just take my word for it... watch his short video and decide for yourself.
Is Bread Really the Staff of Life… or the Stuff of Disease?
For most us, there are few foods more comforting than bread.
Fluffy biscuits, crusty baguettes, flaky croissants… even a simple slice of toast topped with melted butter can taste like heaven.
And that smell… few scents are quite as pleasant as fresh bread baking in the oven.
But there is a lot of confusion as to where bread fits into a healthy diet.
The Bible practically commands followers to eat it:
“Give us this day our daily bread…” The government put it at the base of the food pyramid. And for centuries, it has been called “the staff of life.”
Of course, there are some who disagree…
Well-known cardiologist, Dr. William Davis, calls wheat
“the perfect chronic poison.”
And for a poison, we sure eat lots of it…
The average American consumes
55 pounds of wheat flour every year, making refined flour the #1 source of calories in the American Diet – a situation that nutrition expert Chris Kresser describes as, “a public health catastrophe.”
So, what is the truth about bread and wheat?
Is it the perfect poison… or an essential daily food? Is “gluten-free” bread better for you than regular bread? And can you still eat bread… while maintaining a lean body and optimal health?
The answers to these questions may surprise you!
Be sure to read #5 – the biggest surprise of all!
Recently, Doctor of Naturopathy, weight-loss expert and best-selling Amazon author Liz Swann Miller, creator of the Red Smoothie Detox Factor,
revealed 2 of the secrets to easy, steady weight loss. Secrets the big food corporations do their best to hide from us.
Secret #1: Enjoy real food. Don’t fall for the lie that you have to deprive yourself to lose weight.
Secret #2: stop eating out. You will automatically eat less without even noticing.
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You probably know most of us eat too much processed food. What you may not know is that it’s full of toxic chemicals and substandard, dirt-cheap ingredients designed to make you eat
more…and force you to gain weight.
Here’s how it works.
“That stuff is just a lot of calories your body can’t use,” Liz told me, “Some are
poison. And all these foods are stripped of the anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that help your body detox. The result? Your body expends huge amounts of calories to eliminate some toxins—the rest, it stores in your fat to protect you. This is why most people are hungry all the time. They’re not getting energy they need.”
“So… what’s going on with me? Why am I losing weight but not going hungry?”
Liz paused, then dropped the bombshell.
Your body is designed to burn fat. You just have to let it.
“What? I thought we were designed to store fat?!?” We were Skyping and I was practically shouting. Then I heard Liz say…
What good is a fat reserve if you can’t burn it?
Mind blown.
Liz continued: “You’re drinking smoothies
packed with phytonutrients, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that pull toxins out of you like a tractor beam. Allowing your body to burn those toxin-filled fat stores… and releasing tremendous amounts of stored energy.”
So that’s why I’m losing weight without going hungry.
Watch Liz’ free presentation. It’s packed with revolutionary weight loss information—information that works. Because it’s based on how nature.
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Which calories help you lose weight…and which ones help you gain it… The “diet” foods…some of them vegetables…that lead to weight gain and diabetes… The “low-fat” foods that can dramatically increase your risk of cancer. And the superfoods that rescue your body from this assault by detoxing you…
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Sponsored Health Resources
In the years that I've been working on this website project I've come across some amazing resources by some very special people. I'd like to share them with you here.
NOTE: I update these links often so please check back to see what's new! 1) Everyone knows green smoothies are healthy right? Have you heard of a “red” smoothie? If not, check out this story… 2) Forget what you've read about 10-day lemonade cleanses, 7-day detoxes with green juices and Gwyneth's gruel. All you need to do, and this is perfect for Saturday or or anytime really, is a simple 1-day cleanse. 3) This “ hidden survival muscle” in your body will boost your energy levels, immune system, sexual function, strength and athletic performance when unlocked. 4) I thought it was virtually impossible for a website to be able to tell me anything even a little bit insightful after only submitting my name and date of birth... I was wrong! 5) Turmeric is amazing. The problem is - It's hard to absorb! 6) Wonder why your stomach still sticks out even though you're hammering the core exercises every day? It's a common myth that bulging belly is due to weak abdominal muscles. 7) Even if you're the most active of athletes, you may still suffer from tight hip flexors due to the amount of time you spend each day planted to a chair.
Enjoy! Let me know how these work out for you. And if you run across anything I've missed please let me know.
Rick D.
wisemindhealthybody.com | 26,687 | 11,926 | 0.000087 |
warc | 201704 | With prom season right around the corner, young men in relationships might be questioned by friends about whether they plan to “hook up” with their date on prom night, while young women may feel pressured to take their relationship to the next level.
In fact, one in three boys ages 15-17 say they feel pressure to have sex, often from male friends, according to a
Psychology Today study conducted by The Kaiser Family Foundation.
This kind of pressure could lead both partners to begin a sexual relationship before they are ready, or worse, before they give consent, says Sarah Katula, PhD., an advanced practice nurse in psychiatry at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill.
Katula says now is a good time for parents to talk to their teens about respecting the opposite sex.
“It’s really important for parents to talk to both boys and girls on a regular basis about how to respect one another,” she says. “Bring up the conversation when your teen is listening to misogynistic music or watching TV or a movie that shows violent, sexually offensive or demeaning images.”
The U.S. Office on Women’s Health defines sexual assault as any type of forced or pressured sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent from unwanted touching to rape and attempted rape. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) estimates that one in six boys and one in four girls will be victim of a sexual assault before the age of 18.
“Unfortunately, consensual sex is usually only brought up when there is a question whether both people involved agreed to the act. However, consent is an important topic that should be discussed openly and honestly,” says Katula. “Teens should be taught that they need to ask permission to kiss someone and to share a sexual experience.”
Katula says a great resource for teaching the important aspects of consent is a video called “Tea Consent.” The video suggests asking someone to agree to a sexual act is similar to offering them a cup of tea. The narrator poses a variety of questions and answers that illustrate proper versus improper consent.
As prom season tends to put risky behavior peer pressure on teens, Katula offers the following advice to keep them as safe as possible:
Express your concerns about their health and safety while explaining why prom night makes it more difficult to make smart choices. Role play some predictable dilemmas and decisions they may face such as alcohol, drugs, driving under the influence and sex. Create an after-prom plan. Whether they plan to attend a school-sanctioned event or a party at a friend’s house, make sure there is adult supervision. Suggest a limo or offer to drive your teen to and from prom festivities. The CDC reports teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash a car. Make sure your teen has a fully-charged cellphone on them at all times. Remind your teen to respect their body and know their date’s expectations for the evening. Tell your teen to trust their instincts. If they find themselves alone with someone they don’t know or trust, it’s OK to leave. Reinforce your belief in their character and ability to act responsibly.
“Talk to your teens about healthy relationships, risky behavior and what to do when they feel their safety is at risk,” says Katula. “While teens can be impulsive, they can make good decisions with the right modeling and discussions with a trusted adult.” | 3,548 | 1,777 | 0.000583 |
warc | 201704 | Threats to whales and dolphins
Unfortunately, whales and dolphins continue to be threatened by:
whaling, entanglement in fishing gear (by-catch), climate change, ship strikes, toxic contamination, oil and gas development, and habitat degradation. Increasing threat of climate change
Latest research reveals that climate change is having a huge effect. Effects range from changes in sea temperature and the freshening of the seawater because of the melting of ice and increased rainfalls, to sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill populations in key areas.
Decades for populations to recover
Historically, the large-scale whaling industries of many countries devastated one species of whale after another.
Although most populations of whales have been fully protected from hunting for some time, a number of these were reduced to such very low levels that it is taking them decades to recover.
The North Atlantic right whale has not shown any signs of recovery in 15 years. | 1,010 | 570 | 0.00177 |
warc | 201704 | ALL >> Health >> View Article
Easy To Digest Recommendations For Healthier Eating Ardath Mcclenahan
Total Articles:
6
Nourishment can be really daunting to somebody that has actually never thought about it in the past. It can easily lead to a little info overload because of all the nutrients that your body requires each day. Below are some tips to aid you in getting all this details arranged to where you can begin eating better.
Natural foods are constantly your best bet when looking for the most healthy option. Eating fresh foods that are not processed will minimize the amount of fats and chemicals you consume.
Each week, you ought to consume numerous kinds of protein. Lean meats, de-skinned poultry and fish are a few. Also ensure you are including eggs into your diet plan. Eating simply one egg in the early morning has no negative health threats. Try to refrain from consuming meat once a week. Consume peas, nuts, beans or vegetables as a substitute.
Absolutely make broccoli a part of your day-to-day meals. Among the most beneficial extremely foods out there, one serving has your everyday dosage of vitamin K. Broccoli contains nearly 200 percent of your day-to-day value of Vitamin C. These nutrients can assist in building strong bones and might help reduce the opportunity that certain cancers will develop. In order to get the most nutrients, steam the broccoli instead of boiling it or food preparation it in a microwave.
Don't make dessert a nightly thing if you wish to improve your nutrition. Do not consume dessert every day.
To naturally minimize establishing depression, make certain the food you eat has Vitamin B6. One major cause of depression is serotonin imbalance. Vitamin B6 can help your body manage serotonin levels. Examples of foods high in vitamin B6 consist of wheat germ, chicken bust, and asparagus. It's specifically vital that you eat foods with adequate B6 throughout the winter months, which is when depression ares more common.
Diabetics have great deals of challenging nourishment requirements. Eating routinely addresses this due to the fact that the level of blood glucose is kept within variety. These people ought to eat enough vegetables and fruits, milk items with just a little fat, and whole-grain foods. They require the discipline to eat around the exact same time every day.
If you want your vegetable dishes to consist of less fat, cook them with water, not oil. Boiled or steamed veggies can be just as tasty as fried ones. If oil is a need to for you, use just a small amount of vegetable oil in place of butter.
This grain has 14 grams of top quality protein for each 100 grams eaten. Quinoa can be used in numerous methods as well. You can utilize it to make a tasty morning meal by incorporating it with brown sugar and apples, or you can dish it up in a pilaf.
A variety of licensed nutritionists are in favor of a diet which replacements fish for meats, such as beef, pork and chicken. Fish contains optimum levels of nutrients that are crucial for a heart healthy way of living. Fish is a very broad category of foods; they can be found in a large range of textures and flavors.
Do not consume as much alcohol each day, and get enough sleep. This can lower blocked pores. Large pores let additional dirt and infection within, leading to pimples. For that reason, you have to get at least seven hours of rest each night, and just drink a maximum of a single glass of alcohol every day.
With this info, you are now prepared to approach nourishment and all the information out there with a clearer mind. Don't hesitate to revisit this article whenever you find yourself in need of a pep talk or originality. Best of luck to you!
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warc | 201704 | Warranty Challenges
Under the new 13 SEER compliance standards, both the condenser and the evaporator need to be changed. When the outdoor unit is replaced and the indoor section is not replaced at the same time, the warranty is voided, potentially leaving the consumer with total financial responsibility.
To help contractors address this problem, Equiguard is offering existing agreement holders an option to upgrade their current coverage. The coverage will allow for an evaporator coil change-out in the event of condenser failure and ensure 13 SEER compliance.
Availability of this extended coverage to consumers should ultimately cut down on the number of consumer concerns raised and potential out-of-pocket costs to contractors. Additionally, Equiguard will not offer coverage for new installations that are not properly matched.
"Equiguard prides itself in meeting the needs of both the contractor and their consumers," said Craig Funke, CEO of Equiguard. "As the industry changes, we will continue to change as well and make the transition as seamless and stress-free as possible for everyone involved."
For additional information on ex-tended coverage through Equiguard, visit www.equiguard.com.
Publication date: 07/17/2006 | 1,247 | 680 | 0.001485 |
warc | 201704 | “[T]he Republican decline will be traced to a stubborn refusal to adapt to a world where poor people and sick people and black people and brown people and female people and gay people count.”
Add to that list people with disabilities — two strikes in one week.
Strike One: The recent failure of Senate Republicans to ratify the UN treaty that had bipartisan support and would have banned discrimination abroad against those with disabilities, based on America’s very own Americans with Disabilities Act. (This was a very dark day for Republicans, in my opinion; to learn more, read Wendy Gittleson’s coverage here.)
Strike two: The successful effort by one Republican House Representative to freeze legislation that would protect children with developmental disabilities – like autism – from being injured at school.
John Kline, representing Minnesota’s 2
nd Congressional District, has been in the House of Representatives for a decade now, and most people have never heard of him. During that decade, he has sponsored a total of 12 bills, only one of which was signed into law (earlier this year, in fact). Of the 298 bills he’s co-sponsored, only nine have made it into law, making him one of the lowest-ranked house members in this classification (bottom 10%).
But if you’re the parent of a child who requires special education, it’s likely you
have heard Kline’s name, because he was historically a strong advocate for the federal government fulfilling its commitment to states by covering 40% of the costs of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Currently, only about 16% of the bill is covered, and the rest must be paid at the local level by states and school districts.
After being so vocal on the issue in 2009, Kline’s special education funding advocacy seemed to have completely vanished once his bill stalled in the House. Democratic Senator Tom Harkin picked up where Kline left off in the Senate, attempting to introduce legislation that would pay for the federal government’s cut of IDEA by doubling taxes on cigarettes and small cigars. While there are 13 Democratic co-sponsors of the proposal, there is zero Republican support.
But I digress. Having stayed out of the spotlight for so long, Kline is finally back in, becoming the sole voice of dissent for legislation that would address a growing problem – thousands of special needs children being injured – and sometimes even killed – when restrained improperly at school. See below for ABC’s Nov. 29, 2012
Nightline coverage of this tragic issue, “Deadly Discipline? Students Hurt, Dying After Being Restrained: Autistic, special needs kids handcuffed, restrained, suffocated.”
Here’s the video:
After watching this, you may ask yourself, why on earth would
anyone object to taking action on this heartrending situation?
You’d have to ask Rep. John Kline.
According to ABC News’s coverage (“Which Congressman Is Blocking Bill That Would Protect Kids with Autism?”) the communications director for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported on Kline’s decision:
“Chairman Kline believes state officials and school leaders are best equipped to determine appropriate policies that should be in place to protect students and to hold those who violate those policies accountable. For this reason, the committee has not scheduled any action on seclusion and restraint legislation at this time.”
So Chairman Kline believes the policies in place, despite the growing number of injuries and death amongst this vulnerable population, are adequate. I guess it’s more important for schools to retain their autonomy than to protect these children properly.
For the record, I’ve spent a good deal of time working with both children and adults with severe autism. I’ve had to undergo training on how to properly interact with them to ensure that they and others (including myself) were not injured, and parents and/or guardians were asked to provide specific handling advice (primarily in the form of redirection). And it was all done
without the use of restraints. It was 100% effective – no one ever got hurt. I imagine many children with special needs would be saved injury, and even death, if all teachers had to undergo the same training.
What say you, Chairman Kline? Don’t you think these children deserve a safe environment at school, particularly when it’s obvious that the status quo isn’t working?
If you’re as outraged as I by this decision, please let Rep. Kline know. Following is his contact information:
Congressman Kline’s Minnesota Office 350 W. Burnsville Parkway, Suite 135 Burnsville, MN 55337 Phone: (952) 808-1213 Toll-Free: (888) 808-6644 E-mail: https://klineforms.house.gov/contact-form1 Fax: (952) 808-1261 Congressman Kline’s Washington Office 2439 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2271 E-mail: https://klineforms.house.gov/contact-form1 Fax: (202) 225-2595 TWITTER HANDLE: @repjohnkline | 5,181 | 2,557 | 0.000408 |
warc | 201704 | AFRICANGLOBE – The fastest-growing airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, on Thursday announced that it made a record high profit of 2.7 billion birr in the 2012-2013 fiscal year ended last June.
At a press conference held at the Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopian CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters that his company made an operating profit of 2.7 billion birr, 165 percent up from the profit it made the previous year. The net profit increased by 178 percent from 734 million to 2.3 billion.
The airline generated a revenue of 38.5 billion, up by 14 percent. The airline transported 5.5 million passengers and hauled 174,000 tons of cargo during the budget year.
Stiff competition, high and volatile fuel price, and economic recession in Europe were mentioned as some of the challenges facing the global airline industry. Fuel expense now accounts for 50 percent of total operating expense. Poor airport infrastructure, the absence of visa waiver among African countries, high income tax, and airport duties are among the problems faced in Africa.
Tewolde attributed the remarkable performance of Ethiopian to the use of new, modern and fuel-efficient jetliners such as the Boeing B787 Dreamliner and B777 aircraft. Tewolde said the airline took delivery of 14 new aircraft (more than one aircraft per month) — four of them B787 and two B777. “We have deployed ultramodern fuel-efficient aircraft. If you take the B787, it uses 20 percent less fuel. So, using fuel-efficient aircraft contributes to the surge in the profit,” Tewolde told local and foreign reports.
The national flag carrier is expanding its international routes. In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, it opened nine new routes. “This also helps us in increasing our profit,” he said. “The hard work of our employees and the wise leadership of the management played a key role in raising our profit. Had it not been for the problems we encountered with the Dreamliner our profit would have been much higher than we have registered.”
Ethiopian Airlines received its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in August 2012. The airline was one of the first customers in the world, and the first customer in Africa, for Boeing’s new-generation airliner, which entered revenue service in October last year with All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan. Ethiopian has ordered 13 of the aircraft. Currently, 859 Dreamliners are on order from 58 customers worldwide, and 15 are in revenue service. Other African carriers which have ordered the 787 are Arik Air, Kenya Airways and Royal Air Maroc.
The airframe of the 787 is predominantly made from composites, which account for 50 percent of the aircraft by weight. This makes the aeroplane significantly lighter than previous airliners in the same size category, thereby reducing fuel expenditure and thus costs.
Like any other new family aircraft the B787 has encountered some technical problems. The battery issue is the most serious one.
Following the incidents related to the battery issue that occurred in the Japanese carriers (All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines) the the US Federal Aviation Association (FAA) instructed all carriers operating Dreamliner fleet to ground their aircraft last year. Based upon the recommendation of the US FAA, Ethiopian grounded its four B787s until the end of April for three and a half months. This has cost the airline direly.
In late April, the US FAA certified solutions proposed by Boeing to the battery issues allowing Ethiopian and other operators to retrofit the new and additional systems and resume flights with the Dreamliners. Boeing and Ethiopian engineers have been implementing solutions certified by the US FAA. Following the successful completion of the retrofitting work on the airplane and smooth test flight by Ethiopian pilots, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority approved the commercial flight resumption of Ethiopian Dreamliner. Consequently, Ethiopian Dreamliners were back in the skies again.
The other incident occurred on board an Ethiopian B787 parked at the Heathrow Airport in London. A smoke was detected eight hours after it was parked. Fire fighters extinguished the smoke. The UK air accidents investigation Branch (AAIB) which has been investigating the incident reported that the smoke emanated from the Emergency Locator Transitter (ELT). Accoridng to AAIB, the ELT has its own battery and the smoke was caused by the failure of this instrument. AAIB said the cause for the failure of the instrument is yet to be established. ELT is found near the tale of the aircraft.
The top part of the fuselage at the back of the aircraft has been affected by the incident. Mesfin Tasew, chief operating officer of Ethiopian, said that experts of Boeing have assessed the damage the aircraft sustained. “It will take them two months to repair the damaged part and work on the aircraft will commence in Setember. So we will receive the aircraft sometime in November,” Mesfin said.
Tewolde was asked if they have lodged compensation claim for the cost Ethiopian incurred due to the problems of the Dreamliner. “Yes we have filed claims for compensation. It is under discussion. We have a long-time relationship with Boeing and it will be settled amicably.”
Tewolde declined to reveal the amount of the claim saying that it is confidential. “We are not legally authorised to disclose figures.”
As part of its 15-year growth blueprint dubbed Vision 2025, Ethiopian has been working on transforming the airline into an aviation group. The aviation group will comprise seven profit units — ET International, ET Domestic, ET Cargo, ET Catering, ET MRO, ET Aviation Academy and ET Ground Handling. The airline is in the third year of the Vision 2025 development strategy. Tewolde said that the airline is going well with the strategy which was labeled as too ambitious to achieve. “Some said it is too ambitious to achieve it but now we are proving that it is achievable.
According to Tewolde, the management will introduce the new organizational structure in September. The structure will have the seven business units. The seven profit units will be run separately as of this month. Under Vision 2025 the Ethiopian Aviation group will generate a revenue of 10 billion dollars by 2025.
Ethiopian is working to establish the third regional hub in Blantyre, Malawi, after it recently bought a 49 percent share on the newly-established Malawi Airlines Ltd. “The new airline is still in the process of formation. And I can generally say it will soon start operation.”
Ethiopian second hub was established in Lome, Togo, in 2010 after the airline bought a 45 percent stake on a private airline-ASKY. Tewolde said that ASKY is doing very well. “ASKY serves 22 destinations in West Africa; it carries 500,000 passengers and operates seven aircraft. It is doing according to the business plan. A new carrier does not make profit in the first couple of years of operation. ASKY has reached an even break and it will make a profit this year,” the CEO said.
The management of Ethiopian Airlines is planning to have multiple hubs in Africa. Currently, it is eyeing hubs in Central and East Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are the candidates for the planned regional hubs.
Ethiopian is in the process of opening new routes to Los Angeles, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila and Moscow. The airline is also to commence work on a new state-of-the-art cargo terminal and a four-star hotel at its hub in Addis Ababa. Tewolde said that his management is negotiating to secure loans for the projects. The airline is investing USD 50 million on its aviation academy expansion project. The aviation academy, which used to train 200 trainees annually, increased the number to 1000.
Ethiopian is 67 years young and it grew seven-fold in the last seven years. The airline is now the second biggest airline in Africa next to South African Airways. “In the past seven years we achieved more than what we did in 60 years,” Tewolde said.
Ethiopian serves 76 international (46 in Africa) and 17 domestic destinations. It has 60 aircraft with an average age of 7 years, the youngest fleet in Africa. The airline employs 7,300 full time workers. It has created 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.
By: Kaleyesus Bekele | 8,390 | 3,739 | 0.000272 |
warc | 201704 | The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) blew off complaints from members of the California congressional delegation and recommended last week that Los Angeles residents who are bothered by the swarms of helicopters that fly and hover over the city should work out their grievances privately with local authorities and chopper operators.
The FAA won’t help them by regulating the omnipresent helicopters that criss-cross the city monitoring traffic, gawking at landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl, covering news events for local media, ferrying wealthy patrons around the basin and otherwise making a nuisance of themselves.
The federal agency gave a lot of reasons for not wanting to write new regulations to govern Los Angeles air space and spent a good deal of time in its report on the situation laying out the complex variables—topography, weather, high-volume air traffic, competing economic interests, multiple government stakeholders—that would limit its effectiveness.
The sky is crowded. Los Angeles County has 27 different airports and 138 heliports registered with the FAA. There are also “numerous” unregistered heliports, according to the agency. The report acknowledges that the city has struggled with helicopter fly-bys for at least two decades without success.
The FAA did not totally wash its hands of the helicopter mess. Although it said that a solution “must be developed through local engagement and collaboration with community associations, the flying community and local government,” it did list 10 specific areas and activities, like “plane spotting,” that would benefit from some new flight rules.
Plane spotting is a hobby, growing in popularity, that attracts people who are fascinated by the comings and goings of flights. At least one helicopter company takes customers into the sky above Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to photograph aircraft and otherwise indulge their aerial attraction.
The FAA left it to others to apply its suggestions for controlling the helicopter problem, which included: limiting hovering, restricting chopper flights, charging fees for helicopter operations, keeping the copters at higher altitudes, establishing helicopter routes and reducing news gathering operations in the sky.
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff was not happy with the FAA’s decision to punt the issue to local negotiators, but didn’t seem surprised in his official statement.
“The report recommends several steps to minimize helicopter noise, but, not surprisingly, stops short of recommending regulatory action opposed by industry,” he wrote. “Voluntary measures in the past have provided little relief for residents, and I am skeptical that without a determined effort to oversee them by the FAA that they will do so now.” | 2,848 | 1,453 | 0.000709 |
warc | 201704 | 5 Property Investment Books Worth Reading
Many new or inexperienced property investors find themselves with a number of people in their ears trying to help them out. Most veteran investors love nothing more than giving novices their two cents about where and what type of property to buy. For the newbie investor, it can difficult to sort through all the opinions, separate the good advice from the bad, and string all the tidbits of wisdom together into a coherrent strategy.
With this in mind, we recommend that prospective property investors swing by the library or bookstore and do some research. While the market is inundated with publications, magazines and books about how to make the most out of a rental property, there are some select releases we especially recommend.
"How to Make Money in Real Estate in the New Economy" by Matthew Martinez
With many property investors, managers and other real estate professionals praising Martinez's book for its detailed picture of today's residential and commercial market, first-time investors may find numerous answers as to how to approach their search for the right residence.
In the book, Martinez discusses a variety of topics related to investment practices, including understanding the effects the housing crisis had on the real estate market and new lending guidelines. Martinez has years of experience working in the real estate investment business, and this is his second book on the subject. Additionally, he is the founder of an investment and management firm. So, those who want to pick the brain of one of the industry's most knowledgeable investors may not find a better resource than Martinez's book.
"Buy It, Rent It, Profit!: Make Money as a Landlord in Any Real Estate Market" by Bryan M. Chavis
Regardless of the current economic climate, Chavis states in his book that real estate investors can make a sizable profit. The author provides readers with an analytical glimpse into the world of investing.
While much of the book is devoted to managing tenants and properties, Chavis delves into best investment practices as well. He offers tips regarding finding desirable properties, hiring property lawyers and understanding the documentation associated with an investment.
"The Real Estate Investor's Handbook: The Complete Guide for the Individual Investor" by Steven D. Fisher
Though the title suggests the book is only for new investors, Fisher's publication can help many in the real estate industry, including seasoned investors.
Fisher suggests investors take the safe and secure route when investing in properties. By utilizing his method, Fisher states investors can fully grasp the ins and outs of investing---from finding affordable residences in any market to negotiating a price.
"Real Estate: The Sustainable Investment: Strategies for the Next Generation" by Glen Sweeney and John Gordon
In Sweeney's and Gordon's book, first-time investors can get an effective understanding of how to go through the complete investment process. Not only does Sweeney take readers through the beginning of an investment period---finding properties, obtaining financing and making offers---but also delves into the deeper aspects of investing, such as timing and creating property analysis spreadsheets. The authors have decades of experience in the field, which may indicate reason enough to pay attention to their years of wisdom taking part in and observing investments.
"The Real Estate Game: The Intelligent Guide to Decisionmaking and Investment" by William J. Poorvu and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank
While the aforementioned piece of literature focus on the details of making wise investments and understanding the process, Poorvu and Cruikshank discuss more the "rules of the game," so to speak. The authors paint a comprehensive picture of who is investing in today's market - including moguls, developers and investors - and how their investment decisions impact the overall real estate sector. Readers of this book will likely find numerous details of interest, as they can considerably assist them in their own investment opportunities, as well as teach them about how the investment business functions on a larger scale. | 4,223 | 1,980 | 0.000509 |
warc | 201704 | Green Tea Extract (400mg)
Overview
Body First’s Green Tea Extract is a pure and natural green tea supplement rich in polyphenols and catechins like EGCG. Green tea consumption and supplementation has been shown to help boost the immune system, prevent heart disease and assist in weight loss. The polyphenol EGCG has been studied for its. Green tea extract is a very popular diet support and overall health supplement. * Unlike black and oolong teas, green tea leaves are withered and steamed during processing rather than fermented. This preserves a great amount of catechins in the leaves and extracts, like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and its close derivatives. Many of green tea’s numerous health benefits are typically associated with its high concentration of EGCG, which makes it unique from any other type of tea. Researchers have isolated EGCG and shown that it may work to inhibit inappropriate cell growth. EGCG is an incredibly potent antioxidant and is thought to be responsible for green tea’s heart and immune boosting properties as well. The natural caffeine found in green tea helps boost your metabolism, increasing the total amount of calories you are able to burn in a given time period. When taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise, green tea extract can act as a powerful fat loss aid. Body First’s extract is rich in EGCG and contains natural caffeine since it is made from pure, natural green tea leaves. * Green Tea Extract (400mg) Benefits
-Powerful Diet Support Aid* -Boosts Immune Health* -Prevents Heart Disease* -Improves Brain Function* -Promotes Skin, Hair & Eye Health* * These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
Green Tea Extract (400mg)
Description
from
Body First
Our Green Tea Extract offers a convenient way to obtain the active constituents of Green Tea in a concentrated form. Green Tea Extract contains numerous compounds, including Polyphenols and Catechins, that provide potent antioxidant benefits. The free radical scavenging properties of Green Tea Extract act through multiple mechanisms to support overall health and well-being.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 capsule Servings Per Container: 100
Ingredient Amount % Daily Value**
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 60mg 100
Green Tea Extract (contains 16mg of caffeine) 400mg †
** Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. † Daily Value not established.
Ingredients:
Other Ingredients: Gelatin (capsule) and Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source).
Manufacturer's Directions
As a dietary supplement, take 1 capsule daily with a meal.
Manufacturer's Disclaimer
Do not take this product on an empty stomach. Do not exceed recommended dose. | 2,883 | 1,425 | 0.000715 |
warc | 201704 | In a landmark written opinion filed February 27, a New Jersey Superior Court recognized the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and held that a citizen's Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms cannot be involuntarily waived under a New Jersey firearms forfeiture law.
"The recognition of Second Amendment rights in New Jersey is long overdue,” said ANJRPCRegional Vice President and attorneyEvan F. Nappen, who represented appellant Dennis W. Peterson in the Warren County case. In the appeal, the Second Amendment was applied to New Jersey via the Constitutional doctrine of fundamental fairness, overcoming a significant legal hurdle needed for the Federal Bill of Rights to apply to the State.
This decision coincides with the recent Parker v. District of Columbia case, in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down a decades-old handgun ban in Washington, D.C. on the ground that it violates the Second Amendment.
"The legal significance of the Second Amendment is finally being recognized by American courts,” Nappen continued, "and this New Jersey case is part of a growing trend in American jurisprudence.”
In the New Jersey case, the appellant was denied re-issuance of his Firearms Purchaser ID card based on his consent to relinquish firearms seized in a domestic dispute in 2000. In 2004, New Jersey enacted a law barring Firearms Purchaser ID cards to any person whose firearms have been seized and not returned.
The Honorable John H. Pursel, J.S.C. held that the statute did not apply and the Firearms Purchaser ID card should be issued because the appellant did not know that his prior consent to relinquish his firearms would subject him to permanent loss of his Second Amendment rights under the 2004 law.
The ruling states in key part:
"Fundamental fairness is a doctrine to be sparingly applied. It is appropriately applied in those rare cases where not to do so will subject the defendant to oppression, harassment, or egregious deprivation.” Doe v. Poritz, 142 N.J. 1 (1995), citing State v. Yoskowitz, 116 N.J. 679, 712, 563 A.2d 1 (1989) (Garibaldi, J., concurring and dissenting). Egregious deprivation would surely be the result if this applicant were precluded from obtaining a firearms purchaser identification card by virtue of the fact that he consensually surrendered his weapons at a time when it was impossible for him to have known that such action would later subject him to lifelong deprivation of his second amendment right.
Additionally, it is clear that in consenting to the disposition of the weapons seized as a result of the temporary restraining order, the applicant did not intend to waive his right to bear arms as provided by the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He therefore could not have knowingly, intelligently, or voluntarily waived that right.” (Emphasis added.)
The Warren County Prosecutor has filed a notice of appeal in the case. | 2,975 | 1,446 | 0.000701 |
warc | 201704 | Little v and big V: online voting posted by:Marty // 04:55 PM // August 13, 2005 // Digital Democracy: law, policy and politics
E-voting – raise the word and we readily think (ok maybe just me) of voting with a big “V”, i.e. voting for government officials. However, taking a quick pause we can see some of the many other instances of e-voting:
The Dove Awards (Christian Music) are taking their balloting online, allowing the members of the Gospel Music Association to vote online Countless online sites offer polls and "vote for your favourite ___" items the New York City Firefighters Union has set up online voting for its members who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and A new sea lion born at a Six Flags had its name selected by online vote.
All of this to say that increasingly we are seeing these examples of, what I'll call, small "v" online voting - micro voting - where the issues are trivial to some, significant to others, but their results are not universal or pan-geographic (national, regional, municipal, etc.). Will our comfort with small v online voting make for a seamless transition to big V online voting (voting for our government officials)? Will familiarity with online voting encourage increase voter participation? Lastly, will voters take safety and reliability of online voting for granted?
As an aside, I'm reminded of something that George Carlin once said. Let me paraphrase "If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain’, but where’s the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with" Trackback Pings
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Hi Marty,
I did some research on e-voting this year and I found that the biggest hurdle to big V online voting is an observation made by Phil Agre in 1995: How do you prevent coercion? How do you prevent an employer from holding a 'voting' party where everyone gets a bonus if they vote for the company's preferred candidate? You can provide disincentives, such as stiff penalties. However, onsite voting is the only way to prevent this wide scale possibility.
Let me know what you think,
Catherine
Posted by: Catherine Thompson at August 15, 2005 09:26 AM
On-site voting with electronic devices is still subject to the same coercion problem - the needless requirement of a printout of your ballot (which you then turn in to the paymaster) actually aids and abets this type of fraud.
Posted by: Dave Kearns at August 15, 2005 03:47 PM | 2,945 | 1,550 | 0.000657 |
warc | 201704 | May 2009 Archives
Sometimes you have to wonder what the popular press is thinking when they run goofy stories. In the case of CNN, you have to wonder what the news organization was thinking when it created a special section called
Having it all: Work-life balance. Nothing like inappropriately setting people’s expectations! In fact, a sociologist is trying to convince people that some phenomenon called “weisure” (combining work and leisure) actually exists.
In reality, “weisure” as defined by the sociologist that coined it, is nothing more than taking time out of one’s personal life to use social media and other technology to interact with work life. We’re not talking about having fun at work! We’re talking about working when we’re at home. Guess what, working at home is called telecommuting, and it doesn’t involve slacking off and playing with the kids while simultaneously getting work accomplished. It should mean that we have the flexibility to interact with work demands and non-work demands at the times when each needs attention. Hence, people should have the ability to shift more easily back and forth between work and life through the use of technology.
Yet, millions of Americans are going to be duped into believing that they are experiencing work-life balance or “weisure.” In reality, what happens all too often is that people work a full day and then engage in flexible work practices at night. This phenomenon takes
from our personal time rather than contributing to it. That is away what it means to be “Having it all,” as CNN would have us believe. not
This special section also tries to convince us that we should be looking for jobs that require fewer than 40 hours per week, as if that is the gold standard for work-life balance. Newsflash CNN! Millions of people love their jobs! They actually work
than 40 hours per week, not because they have to, but because they more to. Individuals who identify with their job as a “career” or “calling” work for more than the financial support; they use work as a medium to meet personal needs, goals, and fulfillment. want
Lastly, CNN provides some tips for achieving your career resolutions. These “resolutions” are in fact nothing more than effective time management skills that you can and should apply on a daily basis. Achieving career success, life success, and work-life balance success is not about time management. Sure, time management is important to ensure you get the things done that need to be done, but this does not get at the core of achieving overall work-life balance and satisfaction.
Instead of the five tips provided in the story, I would suggest that you first need to
a career resolution that isn’t about just about the work you perform. Your career resolution should be to: set Find a field of work that interests you; Find a field of work that builds on your strengths; Find a context (an organization) that permits you to apply your strengths in a way that makes you happy; Prioritize your life (both work and life together); and Continually look for ways to add meaning to your life.
Then, on a daily basis, you can set goals, manage your time, and be a success!
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a job that I feel good waking up for every day (regardless of the actual number of hours I work) than one where I am paid well but am counting down the hours until I can leave!
I recently read some interesting articles on goal setting in the
Academy of Management Perspectives. The first article discussed “Goals Gone Wild” and focused on all the ways that goal setting can go awry: it can kill intrinsic motivation, it can increase risk-taking behavior, it can lead to ethical problems, and a variety of other unintended outcomes. The response from the goal setting “gods” is that the research is clearly unrepresentative, and those who find problems with goal setting have “abandoned good scholarship.” Of course, their research, mostly conducted on undergraduate students in laboratories, is hardly the epitome of scientific research that translates well into real-world management settings..
Although it may sound like I am disregarding goal setting, that is not true. Goal setting does serve a purpose in certain circumstances. Engaging in an effective goal-setting process can result in greater performance, especially if mechanisms are in place to monitor goal progress and make necessary adjustments. However, goal setting is only effective when it meets the situational and individual difference constraints that exist for a particular goal.
Though goal setting researchers would like us to believe that goal setting is one of those situational forces that are so powerful as to produce universal effects (kind of like Milgram’s authority studies), the reality is that some individual differences, like one’s personality and intrinsic motivation levels, have to be considered during any sort of goal setting process. Moreover, contextual aspects such as, type of feedback, group versus individual settings, and even leadership style may affect the impact of goal-setting on performance. Interestingly, goal-setting has its weakest effects with tasks that are more complex and have no clear progress cues, which pretty much describes most real-world tasks!
The assumption that there is one right way to set goals, make progress toward goals, and successfully achieve one’s goals, seems to be a faulty assumption, especially considering the complexity of (1) the individuals involved in goal setting and (2) the context within which that goal setting occurs. We need to consider the possible alterations that may need to be made when working with employees to set goals. Remember, if you believe that there is one right way to set goals, then you will see all performance opportunities as a way to apply faulty “universal principles.” Don’t be surprised, though, when your goal setting hammer doesn’t produce the desired result on people who don’t respond well to “universal principles.”
As the World Health Organization issues warnings about the threat of H1N1 virus, businesses are exploring possibilities for maintaining operations during a pandemic. Although it’s not a solution for all jobs, many employers are laying a foundation for employees’ working from home. One company I’m familiar with recently sent notification to all employees requesting that those with laptops take them home
– just in case the office would close due to the flu. every evening
For organizations trying telecommuting for the first time, there are steps you can take to enable success.
Plan ahead. Work from home arrangements can certainly be made “on the fly,” on a case by case basis. But planning for this contingency will greatly increase likelihood of success. Think about who would be eligible, under what circumstances, and for how long. Confirm, test, and communicate your organization’s conference call capabilities as well procedures for remote access to e-mail and other networks. Make sure employees have the tools they need to work remotely. Companies should consider providing laptop computers, access to company files through virtual private networks, telephone and web conference services. Many employers also provide reimbursement for high speed internet access, use of home office supplies, and long distance telephone calls. Clearly communicate expectations around availability and work outcomes for employees working from home. For managers not accustomed to managing remotely, it can seem strange supervising people who are not in the office. Take extra steps to over communicate. Discuss expectations for deliverables and let employees know how you’d like to keep informed of progress. Consider group conference calls to start and end each day – especially in the beginning. Reach out to employees to stay connected. Research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology points to employee isolation as a negative consequence commonly experienced by telecommuters. Whether it’s a short term solution or a longer term arrangement, make sure to reach out to employees to keep them involved and informed. Daily conference calls, scheduled progress updates, and access to company systems can help employees be more productive when working from home. Recognize and encourage personal limits. Although often promoted as a way to improve work-life balance, telecommuting can cause a blurring of work-life boundaries. This can create a great deal of stress for employees struggling to set limits. Encourage employees to set aside space and time for work, communicating and adhering to set “working hours,” to help reduce role conflict that often arises when working from home. Provide support beyond the work tasks. Remember that employees in these situations may be experiencing a great deal of anxiety and stress outside of their work situation. Take time to understand these personal challenges and find out what additional support they may need. | 9,239 | 4,059 | 0.000254 |
warc | 201704 | (09-26-2015, 06:29 PM)Cookie Wrote: My settings are Auto Bipap
Min EPAP = 7
Max IPAP = 11
Min PS was 0 for tonight it is set to 2.0
Max PS was 3 and is now 4.0
Hi Cookie,
In my view your changes are reasonably small and prudent.
With these settings EPAP will initially be 7 and IPAP will initially be 9.
With these settings the EPAP and PS will be automatically raised, if needed, in response to obstructive conditions.
With these settings, PS will be automatically raised up to 4 when needed, unless the machine raises EPAP first. For example, if the machine has already sensed FL or snoring or hypopneas or apneas and has raised EPAP to 8 or 8.5 then PS cannot be raised higher than 3 or 2.5, because PS can never be raised higher than Max IPAP minus EPAP.
With these settings EPAP will be automatically raised up to 9 when needed, unless the machine raises the PS first. For example, if the machine has already sensed FL and has raised PS to 3 or 3.5, then EPAP cannot go higher than 8 or 7.5, because EPAP can never be raised higher than Max IPAP minus PS.
With these settings the IPAP will likely hit its max (11) occasionally during the night, which might be optimal or might be suboptimal; only time (and weekly or less frequent fine-tuning changes) will be able to tell us. If you see the pressure maxing out at Max IPAP, this does not necessarily mean that you should raise Max IPAP.
Especially with patients who are already having occasional CA events while asleep, increasing the Max IPAP setting may increase the number and severity of the CA events. For example, your doctor has already tried raising the pressure to 12 and the number of CA events increased (although remaining still fairly low). And when the pressure was reduced to 10 the number of CA events reduced to zero (at least for the days listed in your post).
Also, an increase in PS can cause an increase in the number of central apnea events during your sleep. A few CA are already showing up in your data, and tonight the increase in Min PS may increase how many CA events you will get.
But I think CA events, especially if fairly short like 20 seconds, may be less disturbing to sleep than obstructive events. Also, I think many patients, perhaps most patients, have a few CA events while falling asleep and this is considered normal.
If you zoom in on the Flow waveform (Flow is the estimated rate at which we are inhaling or exhaling air into or out of our lungs) with the full horizontal scale filled with just a minute or two around a CA event (and with the vertical scale adjusted to perhaps +/- 60 mL/second so you can see fine detail) I think you are likely to see the apnea end with a gradual and smooth increase in Flow and with no signs of distress or jump in heart rate. But if you zoom in around the end of an obstructve event like an obstructve apnea or an obstructve hypopnea or a RERA, I think you'll usually see a sudden gasping for air and (if you're wearing a pulse oximeter) a matching spike in the pulse rate also.
I think it is reasonable to watch the data for a week or two or longer and then make another change.
Some of us write down all changes in a daily diary of how we feel upon waking, to help us keep track of the results of each change.
Take care,
--- Vaughn | 3,289 | 1,483 | 0.000679 |
warc | 201704 | Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator (96U) Enlisted Active Duty
Having access to the correct information is absolutely necessary to plan for our national defense. Intelligence specialists, like the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator, are integral to providing Army personnel with information about enemy forces and potential battle areas. Intelligence specialists use aerial photographs, electronic monitoring and human observation in order to gather and study information that's required to design defense plans and tactics.
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator is primarily responsible for supervising or operating the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Mission planning, mission sensor, payload operations, launching, remotely piloting and recovering the aerial vehicle are all part of this position. Other duties may include:
Studying aerial photographs of foreign ships, bases and missile sites Studying foreign troop movements and military codes Operating sensitive radios to intercept foreign military communications Storing and retrieving intelligence data using computers Preparing and conducting air reconnaissance missions Operating mission sensor/payload for target detection Planning and analyzing flight missions Performing pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight checks and procedures Training:
Job training for a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator consists of nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and nine to 24 weeks of Advanced Individual Training and on-the-job instruction, including practice in intelligence gathering. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field. Some of the skills you'll learn are:
Planning aerial and satellite observations Preparing maps and charts Analyzing aerial photographs Preparing intelligence reports Using computer systems Helpful Skills:
Helpful attributes include:
An interest in reading maps and charts An interest in gathering information and studying its meaning An ability to organize information An ability to think and write clearly Advanced Responsibilities:
As an advanced level Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator, you may also be involved in:
Directing the emplacement of ground control stations Directing the emplacement of launch and recovery systems Supervising and assisting in air frame repair Coordinating evacuation and replacement of parts and end items | 2,377 | 1,088 | 0.000923 |
warc | 201704 | Has your dog been scratching his ears and shaking his head more than usual? Are your dogís ears inflamed and bleeding? Does he have sores and other wounds around his ears? If so, it might be caused by parasites called ear mites infesting your dogís ears.
Ear mites are contagious, and can even be caught by humans. It is common to almost all house pets, like hamsters, cats, gerbils, and dogs. It is very itchy, and can cause a lot of discomfort. It causes inflammation in the ears, because of the many germs and bacteria it might carry. In severe cases, when the ear mites have infested the ear canal, you will be able to see build-up of dried blood in the ears. It can also spread to other parts of your dogís body, such as the tail. When not treated properly, ear mites can cause serious damage to the eardrum and permanent hearing loss is a real danger. If you begin to see any of the symptoms, you should take your dog to the vet immediately. He will visually inspect the ears, as the mites can be seen through closer examination. To see if your dogís ear has been infected because of the ear mites, he will swab the ears and examine the specimen on a microscope. It is very easy to treat ear mites; ear drops are used, and they are the most effective. Each drop contains some insecticide, to eliminate the mites. An insecticide called Pyrethrin is usually used in ear drops, ask your vet if the drops he prescribed your dog have some part of insecticide. If it doesnít, your dog wonít lose the mites. Medicine used for ear mites are Ivermectin, Fipronil, Selamectin, or Milbemycin. If the mites have spread to any other part of the body, your vet might prescribe a special shampoo. There are certain things you can do for your dog so that he doesnít get ear mites. By simply drying your dog well after every bath, you will have decreased his susceptibility to ear mites. Make sure that there is no debris left in his body. If you suspect your dog does have ear mites, itís best to take him to your doctor immediately. He will know how to properly treat and care for your dog. Donít try home remedies at home, as you donít know how severe the ear mite infestation is. It is also important that you clean your house regularly. If your dog is infected, make sure that you inspect the house as well. There might be ear mites all over the place; use an insecticide to get rid of them. The vet will prescribe the proper treatment for your dog and make sure that you follow the vetís instructions carefully. Administer the eardrops regularly, at the right time as it could take as long as four weeks for your dog to get better. The faster you get rid of the mites, the happier your dog will be.
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warc | 201704 | Brunei GDP seen to contract 1.2% this year: IMF
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts Brunei economy to contract by 1.2 per cent this year.
This is lower than the 0.5 per cent contraction that the IMF projected in its April report.
The IMF, in its latest World Economic Outlook issued Tuesday, expects the sultanate’s consumer price index to remain unchanged.
But the IMF said Brunei’s economy will improve in 2016, with GDP expanding by 3.2 per cent, up from the 2.8 per cent projected in April.
The Washington-based institution didn’t provide details for the sultanate’s growth outlook.
Economies of ASEAN members were also a “bit weaker” than expected, reflecting lower exports and a slowdown domestic demand, the IMF said.
The IMF forecasts the ASEAN 5 economies, made up of the region’s five biggest economies, to expand 4.6 per cent, down from the April projection of 5.2 per cent.
The ASEAN 5 economies, which is comprised of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, posted the same growth rate of 4.6 per cent in 2014.
The IMF said Malaysian and Indonesian economies are expected to slow this year, as they are affected by “weaker terms of trade.”
Growth in Thailand, on the other hand, is projected to pick up by 2.5 per cent due to reduced policy uncertainty.
Economic growth in the Philippines is stable at six per cent while Vietnam’s GDP is expected to expand 6.5 per cent as the country benefits from the weakening oil price windfall.
The IMF said growth in commodity exporters will be “negatively affected”, and their vulnerabilities will increase further in light of lower revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
Brunei is an exporter of oil and gas, which accounts for 90 per cent of the country’s earnings.
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warc | 201704 | Time to Get Connected
In the present day our connected world involves way more than just internet websites, it's now extending to our motor vehicles; many vehicle manufacturers are now offering ways to interact with their cars via mobile applications such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. Services such as BMW Online, Audi Connect, Ford's Sync Connect, GM's OnStar, Hyundai's BlueLink, Mercedes-Benz's mBrace, Kia's UVO eServices and others make it possible for owners to control some features in their vehicles. Car dealers report that connectivity to their automobiles is becoming a big draw for buyers so you can expect this trend to continue. Here are just a few things that connectivity can bring to the connected vehicle experience:
Check out diagnostics - With display panels on new car infotainment systems showing vehicle diagnostics, it was only a matter of time that they would involve mobile devices. Many new vehicles offer the ability to communicate with a vehicle's diagnostic system that can alert you about things like when your oil needs changing, your tire pressure is low, and of any service issues that occur.
Remote starting - Remote starting used to involve custom-installed starting systems and remote controls. Not anymore, many manufacturers are now offering remote start systems controlled by mobile devices. That gives you the ability to start up your vehicle and make the cabin cozy by activating the climate controls that cool or heat your car based on the outside temperature.
Upload directions - One very useful feature that comes with a smartphone app for your mobile device is the capability to send directions from your smartphone or other mobile device to your vehicle's infotainment system. Google's "Send to Car" feature is a quite popular way to do this.
Set driving limitations - Do you have a teenager? If you do, Fiatusaoflehighvalley.com assures us that this is the perfect feature to make sure you can sleep at night. You can use any mobile device or computer to set limitations on things like maximum speed, where the car is allowed to be driven and other driving parameters. And whenever you like, you may download a full report of these parameters during the time the car was used. Teenagers may not like this, but you'll see it as a wonderful safety feature.
Lock/Unlock the car - In a rush and need to get into the car as fast as possible? With the help of your smartphone, you can unlock your car from anywhere. This could be handy if the weather outside is bad, or it is late at night and you do not want to be fooling around with your car keys.
Find your vehicle - It happens to everybody at some point. You parked the car in a huge parking lot and you can't seem to find it. A number of manufacturers now offer smartphone apps that use mapping technology, in a few cases Google Maps, to guide you right to your car. Just think about how useful this would be late at night.
Is this coming to your local dealership? While some of the features we explored are just nice to have, many are real safety features and, as such, are due to become common to have.
Article Source: Brown Daub Fiat
Image Source: Google Images | 3,184 | 1,557 | 0.000645 |
warc | 201704 | In the Arabian Peninsula, one particular Qatari sheikh, His Excellency Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani, a member of the royal family, has got a very special passion. For more than a decade he has been dedicated to saving the Spix’s macaw from extinction. He employs a world renowned international team of specialists in a race against the clock to save this incredible parrot.
The Spix’s macaw is a beautiful medium-sized blue parrot which inhabited the semi-arid “Caatinga” biome in north-east Brazil. The last known wild bird has not been seen since 2000 and the species is now presumed to be extinct in the wild. Habitat destruction and eventually poaching lead to the demise of this charismatic species. The animated film “Rio” made the species world famous and has increased the conservation attention for this bird. A sequel is being produced and will add even more interest to this species.
The Spix’s macaw captive breeding program coordinated by ICMBio in Brazil, counts 80 parrots of which 60 are living at the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) in Al Shahaniya, an oasis in the middle of the harsh Qatari desert, some 40km outside the nation’s dynamic capital city Doha. Of these 60 macaws 33 were bred at Al Wabra since breeding began in 2004. Last month Sheikh Saoud sent Al Wabra representatives to Brazil, to offer their experience in breeding Spix’s macaws and to add to the effort that is being developed under the reviewed official Action Plan for the species in Brazil.
AWWP representatives attended an official meeting at the headquarters of ICMBio where the National Action Plan (PAN) for the Spix’s macaw was presented. All current and new stakeholders in the program were present including Brazilian government authorities (ICMBio, CEMAVE and IBAMA), members of the PAN advisory committee, captive Spix breeders (AWWP, QatarandACTP, Germany), captive Spix holders for the Brazilian government (LPF, Spain and Lymington Foundation, Brazil), SAVE Brasil and their affiliated partner Birdlife International and NEST, Brazil. The meeting presented the future plans that are being developed over the next 5 years under the current PAN and discussed the challenges ahead in the captive program. The meeting was very animated but eventually had a positive outcome.
Following the meeting, SAVE Brasil hosted a lunch for the meeting participants and several special guests, including the mayor of Curaça, where the last Spix was observed in 2000. Here, the program ‘Projeto Ararinhana Natureza’ was officially launched. A fantastic video showed the history of the Spix’s macaw conservation efforts. A band from Curaça, accompanied the video with a heartbreaking song calling back the Ararinha Azul (Spix’s macaw in Portuguese) to their homeland.
This year, 5 chicks have hatched in AWWP and are currently being hand-raised. So far these are the only five chicks born in the program this year. Also, for the first time ever, systematic artificial insemination was performed in these parrots by a specialist team from Giessen University in Germany and Parrot Reproduction Consulting who developed the technique with the University. In conjunction with veterinary and bird department staff at Al Wabra, the specialist team aimed to increase the chances of breeding success with this very challenging species. The exciting prospect of in-vitro fertilization was also trialed and will be developed further in the future.
Increasing the numbers of Spix’s macaws is still the number one priority because a reintroduction program in Brazil can only be successful if enough captive birds are bred for release and AWWP is playing an important role to achieve that target.
On top of all the efforts in Qatar to save this parrot, Sheikh Saoud also bought 2380 ha of historically important land in the region of the Caatinga near Curaçá. The farm was formerly used as the field-base for the species recovery efforts in the 1990’s and still boasts the tree nesting-hollow used by the last known wild pair back in the 1980’s. There are actually many trees with nesting holes suitable for Spix’s macaws on his land, some of which are currently occupied by bats, bees, falcons and Illiger’s macaws but there is big hope that once again they will be used by Spix’s macaws.
Al Wabra Staff is already present in Brazil preparing the land for reintroductions. Overgrazing of livestock, deforestation particularly of the nesting tree of the Spix and damaged creek systems are the biggest challenges for habitat restoration in the area.
Al Wabra also has plans to set up a breeding facility for Spix’s macaws in Brazil where birds from the preservation in Qatar can be sent to continue breeding near the release site. Hopefully their offspring will be ready to be released in the Caatinga to give them back to Brazil and the Brazilian people as this is the biggest wish of H.E. Sheikh Saoud.
Thanks to the vision and generosity of Sheikh Saoud, the Al Wabra team is working tirelessly to prepare the land for reintroductions in the future. At the same time Al Wabra is also preparing to set up a captive facility in Brazil to bring some of the Spix from Qatar back for breeding. If successful, it would mean the first breeding of Spix’s macaws inside Brazil since its extinction in nature”
AWWP is a well-recognized and respected international conservation organization focusing on breeding and protecting threatened species. AWWP is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), is non-commercial and is not open to the public. Except of the conservation program in Brazil, AWWP also runs a conservation project in Ethiopia. Local schools also visit the preservation where custom-made educational projects are run to educate the local and expat society in Qatar.
All developments of the Spix’s macaw reintroduction project can now be followed on a specially designed facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spix-Macaw-AWWP/328625947211249 where AWWP staff interacts with the wider conservation community to prepare the world for the reintroduction of this incredible parrot.
Contact:
Tim Bouts, Director timb@qma.org.qa or timbouts@gmail.com Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation PO Box 44069 Al Shahaniya State of Qatar | 6,398 | 2,942 | 0.000348 |
warc | 201704 | Salmon is one of the (few) animal success stories in environmental protection. In Germany the salmon resettlement projects on the Rhine and Elbe are well-known. Since 1995 a total of over 1.6 million young salmon have been released into the Elbe tributaries in Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland. In autumn 1998 the first 27 spawn fish returned to their native waters from the three-year long journey of their youth to Greenland. In 1999 this number increased to 76 and in the year 2000 there were 200 home-comers.
There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in the rearing and releasing of salmon into the wild. However, many streams and rivers with good quality water are blocked. In the course of the Salmon Project on the Elbe and its tributaries there have been some model measures for the optimisation of streams, many more are planned or being considered. The region around the Mulde, a larger Elbe tributary, plays a particularly significant role in this.
Description of the salmon
Appearance: moderate size, rounded in shape. Strong teeth. Colour at spawning time: dark back, blue side, reddish underside, dark spots.
Size and weight: after1 year: 50 - 65 cm, 1.5 - 3 kg; after 2 years: 70 - 90 cm, 4 - 8 kg; after 3 years: 8 -13 kg, maximum: 150 cm, 36 kg.
Birthplace: upper reaches of larger rivers and their tributaries.
Behaviour: migrant fish which, when it reaches a length of 20 cm, swims downstream into the North Sea and as far as Greenland. After 1 to 3 years the grilse return to the river to spawn. Most salmon die after spawning.
Dangers: the canalisation of streams and rivers, unsurmountable dam steps, motor boats, pollution. In no German rivers today are there fish originating from indigenous salmon. | 1,734 | 951 | 0.001057 |
warc | 201704 | "Don't assume that the raw dollar amount of a deduction is better than a smaller credit," says LeValley-Cocovinis.
She suggests you use this shorthand method to get an idea of how much a deduction will reduce your tax bill: Multiply the deduction dollar amount by your marginal tax rate (the rate your last dollar is taxed at, as discussed in lesson No. 4). This calculation shows that a $400 deduction equals a $100 credit for a filer in the 25-percent bracket.
You can do the math in reverse, too. To get the deduction equivalent of a $400 tax credit, this filer would divide the credit amount by 25 percent and discover that he would need $1,600 in deductions to get the same tax savings.
7. Exclusions add up to tax savingsOur tax system offers yet another way to reduce your taxable income. In some situations, you can exclude some of your income from taxation.
Many taxpayers get to do this at work through their cafeteria plan benefits. In these cases, you spend your money on a benefit, such as making contributions to a flexible spending account or paying your portion of health-care coverage. Your money, however, goes toward these benefits before your employer computes your payroll taxes. Your salary amounts used for these benefits are, in effect, excluded from your taxable income.
Tax savings in this case aren't limited to federal income taxes. You also escape the employee's 7.65-percent portion of Social Security taxes on the excluded money, says LeValley-Cocovinis, and "a lot of states follow the federal rules and also don't tax that money, so you get an additional bump."
In most cases, says LeValley-Cocovinis, when given the choice between a deduction and exclusion, "go for the exclusion over the deduction." This means, for example, you generally will come out ahead on taxes if you opt to put money in a medical flexible spending account (an exclusion) rather than trying to amass enough medical expenses to itemize on your tax return.
You'll also find that some federal tax credits contain exclusion provisions. They are used as a way to reduce overall holdings for estate purposes (the annual gift-tax exclusion, for example, allows you to give away in 2009 up to $13,000 each to as many individuals as you would like with no tax liability for either giver or recipient) and, on the state and local levels, as a means to lower your annual property tax bill by eliminating part of your home's assessed value from the computation (homestead exemptions).
And speaking of homes, the federal tax law governing the sale of a personal residence provides the biggest exclusion most taxpayers will encounter. Tax law says you don't have to count $250,000 (twice that if you're married filing jointly) of your sale profit as taxable income.
8. Stealth taxes sneak inEven when you do all you can to reduce your adjusted gross income, sometimes it's not enough.
Many deductions and credits aren't available to taxpayers who make more than a specific AGI. Exceed the limit set for a particular tax break, and you won't be able to claim it.
And personal exemptions and total itemized deduction amounts are reduced or even eliminated for high-income taxpayers. "When you reach the top of the progressive system, you start to lose things," says LeValley-Cocovinis. | 3,299 | 1,601 | 0.000629 |
warc | 201704 | Dear Tax Talk,
We have a part-time business. We have a two-man partnership. Our income for the entire year was $13,000. What partnership tax forms should I file?
--Richard
Dear Richard,
Partnerships are required to file Form 1065 annually by April 15 of the following tax year. Form 1065 is an information return, as the partnership does not pay income tax, but rather distributes it to its partners, who pay any corresponding taxes.
Recently expanded from four to five pages, Form 1065 can be fairly straightforward for experienced preparers, or gut-wrenching for the novice. If you're thinking of preparing the tax return yourself, I suggest you buy a tax program to help you ensure its completeness.
For example, in completing Form 1065, you're required to include a Schedule K-1 for each partner. You may also be required to complete self-employment net earnings. These additional steps are usually covered by a tax software program that retails for around $100 and will help you stay out of trouble with the IRS in processing the tax return.
The income from the partnership is required to be reported by the partners. The income reported on each partner's Schedule K-1 would then be transferred to Schedule E, page 2 of the partner's individual income tax return.
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. Taxpayers should seek professional advice based on their particular circumstances. | 1,766 | 925 | 0.001087 |
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