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warc | 201704 | Country
Number of nuclear power plants connected to the grid
Nuclear electricity generation
(net TWh) 2015
Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply Russia
35
195.2
18.6
OECD Total
317
1 878.7
18.4
NEA Total
352
2 073.9
18.7
After the start of commercial operation of the Rostov nuclear power plant (NPP) unit 3, the installed capacity of Russian NPPs reached 26 242 MW. In 2015, Russian NPPs generated a record amount of energy – 195.2 billion kWh, accounting for 18.6% of the total electricity production.
The performance improvement was largely due to an optimisation of the repair campaign, a reduction of time frames of scheduled repair and the operation of VVER-type reactors at an increased capacity level. The programme for restoration of service life characteristics of power units with RMBK reactors is also being implemented successfully.
Currently, there are eight nuclear power units under construction in Russia. Companies within the Rosatom State Corporation Group are implementing joint projects for NPP construction in Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Finland, Hungary, India, Iran, Turkey and Viet Nam.
On 10 November 2015, the power start-up and capacity attainment stage began at unit 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with BN-800 reactor.
The construction of floating NPP Akademik Lomonosov is ongoing. The Baltic Shipyard plans to hand the unit over to Rosenergoatom in September 2017. The commissioning date of the floating NPP is synchronised with the decommissioning of the Bilibino NPP in Chukotka (2019-2021).
ZIO-Podolsk JSC is manufacturing two RITM-200 reactors with a thermal capacity of 175 MW each for the first-of-a-kind icebreaker "Arktika" (under construction at the Baltic Shipyard, Saint Petersburg).
Rostekhnadzor granted the licence for operation of unit 2 of the Smolensk NPP beyond the design service life for another 15 years. The unit had undergone significant reconstruction, including replacement of the equipment that reached the end of its operating life and process channels, modernisation of special systems and reinforcement of structures at hot sites.
Rosenergoatom is preparing for the decommissioning of units 1 and 2 of the Novovoronezh NPP. Starting from October 2015, the operation licences of these units are no longer valid. Activities at these power units are carried out under the decommissioning licences.
In 2015, a number of federal rules and regulations on the disposal of radioactive waste, regular safety assessment of research nuclear plants, probabilistic safety analysis of a nuclear power plant and other aspects of peaceful use of nuclear energy entered into force.
The federal Law No. 162-FZ on standardisation in Russia came into force in June 2015. The document stipulates authorities and functions of Rosatom State Corporation in the area of standardisation. In addition to that, it defines the standardisation procedure regarding products relevant to ensuring safety in the nuclear energy sector, as well as processes and other standardised items related to such products.
Source: Nuclear Energy Data 2016
Last reviewed: 21 December 2016 | 3,139 | 1,586 | 0.000638 |
warc | 201704 | The 17th-century Dutch traded them like stocks on Wall Street. Monet gave them pride of place in some of his most famous paintings. What are they? Old-fashioned bulbs.
Story and photos by Lee Reich
Breathing new life into an old home truly is an exercise conducted out of love and respect for the past. And with all the effort you put into it, you want it to look its period best, inside and out—and that includes landscaping.
But let’s face it; the bulk of your time is likely spent stripping layers of paint from gorgeous mahogany railings or refinishing well-used floors. Sadly, whipping your garden into shape often takes a back seat to structural renovations. However, a little effort in the fall can yield exceptional flowers that are as forgiving and low-maintenance as they are beautiful, and a prime example of this combination of beauty and ease is old-fashioned bulbs.
Admittedly, “old-fashioned” is a loose categorization, comprising bulb varieties that have been around for centuries, or, and this is strictly my personal opinion, look like they could have been around that long.
As dainty as they appear on the surface, old-fashioned bulbs are rugged plants that recall bygone eras, often surviving in better condition than the structures they once graced. They express a simpler, more genteel charm than most of their modern counterparts.
Tulips, one of the most-recognized bulb species, are native to Turkey and have been grown in European gardens since the 16th century. Growing them, or at least trading the bulbs themselves, became something of a craze in 17th-century Holland, with the best going for more than their weight in gold and people speculating money, jewels, wine—even their homes—on prize specimens. ‘Lac van Rijn’ and ‘Zomerschoon’ are two varieties from that era that are still available, the former with purple-red, ivory-edged petals, and the latter showing off petals patterned with shades of strawberry and cream.
Many modern tulips, despite their soldier-like stances, aren’t known for their endurance, so they were often grown as short-lived perennials. In contrast, so-called species tulips, which are not far removed from their wild forms, endure and even spread with ease. Take Lady tulip (
Tulipa clusiana), for example, first planted in gardens in the early 17th century: With its gray-green, strappy leaves; foot-high stature; and relatively narrow, pointed blossoms, you’d hardly recognize it as a tulip by today’s definition. But its flowers, rose-and-white-striped on the outside, expand to become more tulip-like, then spread even wider to create a star with a deep purple heart.
The waterlily tulip (
Tulipa kaufmanniana) is one of my favorite species tulips, with its flushed-pink petals that spread wide to resemble pale-yellow waterlilies with golden throats. This tulip has been crossed with another charming species tulip, T. greigii, which boasts large, brightly colored flowers and fat, purple-striped leaves.
Other old-fashioned bulbs that are among my favorites are the fritillaries (
Fritillaria spp.). The stalk of one fritillary, ‘crown imperial’ ( Fritillaria imperialis) rises above a whorl of foliage to be capped by a tuft of green, below which dangles a ring of downward-facing orange or yellow blossoms. This plant is featured prominently in old Dutch still life paintings, but what really spurred me to expand my ‘crown imperial’ plantings was the comely row I saw in Monet’s garden at Giverny, the stalks rising up through the foliage of lilies and backed by a stone wall.
Surprisingly, some of the smallest bulbs are among the most robust, as long as they aren’t overwhelmed by the deep shade of a high-grass meadow or canopied trees. Among the earliest to bloom are the aptly called snowdrops (
Galanthus spp.), emerging in late winter to early spring. This native of the open woodlands of Europe sports downward-nodding white flowers with green-tipped petals. Other early bloomers include squill ( Scilla siberica), with its drooping, flared, icy-blue bells; striped squill ( Puschkinia libanotica), whose small white petals each have a blue stripe; and chionodoxa ( Chionodoxa luciliae), with white-eyed, vivid-blue blossoms pointing skyward. The strappy leaves of all these small bulbs blend with grass and mature just about the time lawn needs mowing, allowing the bulbs to naturalize.
Winter aconite (
Eranthis hymenalis) is almost worth growing for its foliage alone. The yellow flowers resemble buttercups, to which they are related, and each sits atop a collar of frilly, bright green leaves. As suggested in its common name, it’s a very early bloomer.
Windflowers (
Anemone blanda) also have noteworthy leaves—lacy, in this case. The flowers, opening in full sunlight and resembling pastel-colored daisies, have graced gardens and fields on both sides of the Atlantic for more than a hundred years.
Daffodils were grown by both the ancient Egyptians and Greeks and reached British gardens by the 13th century. But their popularity didn’t soar until the end of the 19th century when many new varieties began to be developed. Two old-fashioned daffodils worth considering today are the Poet’s narcissus (
Narcissus poeticus) and Lent lily ( Narcissus pseudonarcissus). Poet’s narcissus, dating back to the 17th century, sports snowy-white, fragrant blooms. Lent lily’s origin stretches back to the 13th century, but it also was popular during Colonial times. It has a narrow lemon-yellow trumpet and slightly lighter petals that sweep forward.
The daffodil is a fall-planted bulb that not only has been a longtime staple, but also, with very little attention, will propagate over the years. Plus, animals avoid it—an important consideration if you live in a rural area. For naturalized daffodils, don’t mow until the daffodil foliage has browned, at which point you’ll have a meadow, rather than a lawn, underfoot. In my opinion, there’s not a cheerier sight in spring than a crowd of flowering daffodils skipping down a hillside or a tulip border marching around a foundation.
Published in: Old-House Journal September/October 2008
Tweet | 6,288 | 3,054 | 0.000337 |
warc | 201704 | Washington, Feb 22 (ANI): At a recent symposium, scientists explored ways biotechnology could provide healthy and plentiful animal-based foods to meet future demands of an immensely swelling world population.
University of Idaho animal scientist Rod Hill and Larry Branen, a University of Idaho food scientist, organized the symposium.
Synthetic biology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and other applications of biotechnology - and the public's role in determining their acceptable uses - were all addressed by panelists during the session.
The goal for the session was to encourage a dialogue among scientists and the public, according to Hill, a Moscow-based molecular physiologist who studies muscle growth in cattle.
"There will be a significant challenge for agriculture and the science that will be required to provide a healthy, nutritious and adequate food supply in coming decades for a rapidly growing population," Hill said.
"A key question is whether the Earth can continue to provide enough food without technological support," he said.
The history of civilization and agriculture during the last 10,000 years suggests otherwise.
"Unaided food production is an unattainable ideal - current society is irrevocably grounded in the technological interventions underpinning the agricultural revolution that now strives to feed the world," Hill said.
Nanoparticles may be used to target certain genes and thus play a role in genetic engineering of food animals.
According to Branen, "There's also no question that nanomaterials may help increase the shelf stability of food products and assure their safety."
Panelist Hongda Chen serves as the US Department of Agriculture's national program leader for bioprocessing engineering and nanotechnology.
He will explore how scientific methods like nanotechnology may be applied to help meet the world's growing demand for safe and healthy food.
Synthetic biology, the use of novel methods to create genes or chromosomes, will be explored by panelist Michele Garfinkel, a policy analyst for the J. Craig Venter Institute, which pioneered the sequencing of the human genome.
The public's acceptance or rejection of new technologies that could determine future food supplies will be the domain of Susanna Priest, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
A communications researcher, she has argued that public debate is essential to public attitudes toward such technologies.
For Branen, the panel provides an opportunity to advance that public discussion.
"I think that's essential. We've seen lots of technologies where we didn't get adoption because we didn't get consumer acceptance and understanding," he said. (ANI) | 2,714 | 1,349 | 0.000749 |
warc | 201704 | Parents generally want the best for their children. However, their good intentions can sometimes manifest as a need to manage every aspect of their children’s lives. I think this is unproductive and unhealthy.
First of all, this sets children up for a great deal of confusion and unhappiness later in life, when they discover that they don’t actually want to follow the paths their parents set out for them, For example, I have several friends who are pursuing respectable careers that were predetermined by their parents, but almost all of these friends are unhappy and wish that they had chased their true passions instead. One is pre-med and wants to be a painter. Another is going into law but regrets not pursuing music. True, these types of passions may not be the most gainful or practical, but they can be highly rewarding and bring more contentment than well-paying careers that are of no personal interest. By letting children make their own choices, parents give children the chance to discover genuine happiness.
Moreover, by allowing children to determine their own futures, you are teaching them a valuable life skill: independent decision-making. This can be a big professional asset, as it is crucial if you hope to be any sort of a leader. Children who have their lives directed by adults will come to rely on authority figures for guidance. Such children would feel helpless and lost when required to act autonomously, since they are so accustomed to others making big decisions for them. They would make excellent subordinates, but leadership positions would be out of their reach; people only follow those with the confidence to pursue their own ideals. By letting children make their own choices, parents train children to become good leaders.
Finally, parents can improve their relationship with their children when they allow children to dictate the terms of their lives. Giving children a say in the matter shows that you respect and acknowledge them. When you make all of a child’s decisions for them, what you’re saying is: I don’t trust you to think for yourself. Children may not consciously realize this, of course, but they will feel it, and this will shape the parent-child relationship. Intimacy is incredibly difficult to achieve under this framework. But by letting children make their own choices, parents can open the door to a closer and warmer relationship with their children.
A parent’s urge to control their kids’ life is understandable, but misguided. Though parents are just trying to ensure the best future for their children, it ends up doing more harm than good. In the long run, it is still best to let kids carve their own paths. | 2,718 | 1,293 | 0.000785 |
warc | 201704 | A new study has discovered that being overweight or obese in teenage increases the risk of kidney failure by midlife. The study also indicated to the possibility of increased number of patients for kidney transplantation and dialysis in the near future.
[Read: How to Lose Weight in Teenage]
Halima Janjua, MD, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital in Ohio said that one should not be ignorant about various ailments and health complications due to obesity in our children and teens. Though Janjua wasn’t among the panel of researchers of the study, but she agrees with the findings of the study.
The study examined more than 1.2 million Israeli teens before they underwent medical examination prior to the mandatory admission in the Israel Military Service. Those who were overweight were found to be three to seven times more likely to have dialysis in later stage as opposed to their normal-weighing peers.
The doctors have suggested that the link between obesity and kidney disease may be an outcome of diabetes and high blood pressure: the two major health complications caused by obesity.
The study was published in the
. Archives of Internal Medicine
Read more Health News.
Related Questions
For people with diabetes, hypoglycaemia occurs when there's too much insulin and not enough sugar (glucose) in the blood.read more
Consult a doctor if you have any symptom suggestive of kidney disease.read more | 1,425 | 793 | 0.001276 |
warc | 201704 | Investigation of Biotic and Abiotic Factors Affecting Double-Cropped Corn (Zea mays L.) Production in Virginia
Abstract (Summary)
Double-cropping of corn (Zea mays L.) for grain following the harvest of a small grain crop hasbeen under evaluation in Virginia as an alternative cropping strategy (Brann and Pitman, 1997). To assess the potential constraints on late planted corn imposed by insects and diseases, double-cropped corn was evaluated in field experiments in Montgomery County, Virginia from 1998 to 2000. Factors included two near-isoline hybrids (NK4640 and NK4640Bt), insecticides atplanting (tefluthrin in all years, 1998-2000; and imidacloprid in 1999 and 2000), and fungicidetreatments (azoxystrobin or propiconazole). Response variables included yield, moisture atharvest, grain test weight, damage by European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), damage by cornearworm (Heliothis zea), disease progress curves for gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis),and number of plants exhibiting virus symptoms. The Bt hybrid performed significantly betterthan the non-Bt hybrid for yield and test weight in double-cropped corn in 1998 and 2000, butnot in 1999. A spatially referenced site suitability analysis was performed for full season and double-cropped corn in Virginia using weighted abiotic factors and constraints. Thornthwaitepotential evapotranspiration (PET) and PET minus precipitation were used to identify areas ofthe state having a lower average moisture deficit during the silking months for double-croppedcorn compared to full-season corn. It is concluded that double-cropped corn production is aviable option in Virginia where abiotic factors are not constraining, particularly growing seasonlength and moisture availability during the sensitive stages of development.
Bibliographical Information:
Advisor:R.R. Youngman; E.L. Stromberg; E.S. Hagood; D.E. Brann
School:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
School Location:USA - Virginia
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:plant pathology physiology and weed science
ISBN:
Date of Publication:10/03/2005 | 2,104 | 1,141 | 0.000881 |
warc | 201704 | (This is the first of a three-part series.)
Many polls of scientists and statements from scientific organizations suggest that the scientific community as a whole apparently supports animal-based research. For example, a Pew Research survey conducted in association with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) revealed: “More than nine-in-ten scientists (93%) favor the use of animals in scientific research, but only about half of the public (52%) agrees.” An article appearing in 2005 in the
Guardian of the UK reported, “More than 500 leading UK scientists and doctors have signed a declaration pledging their support for animal testing in medical research.” This declaration was reportedly signed by “three Nobel laureates, 190 fellows of the Royal Society and the Medical Royal Colleges and more than 250 academic professors.” Organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Physiological Society and so forth have position statements supporting animal-based research. These examples could be easily multiplied. Popular VideoMiranda Lambert saw the sign a veteran was holding up at her concert, she immediately broke down in tears: Popular VideoMiranda Lambert saw the sign a veteran was holding up at her concert, she immediately broke down in tears:
I am not going to challenge the fact that many scientific societies and associations are in favor of animal-based research or that polls reveal support among scientists for animal-based research. Rather, I am going to ask, “What does this mean?”
All of these are examples of the fallacy known as
argument from authority. The argument from authority or appeal to authority as it is also known, basically says that X is an authority on Y, X says Y is true, and therefore Y is true. Very straightforward. The reason this is a fallacy is because no proof or evidence is provided; the proponent relies only on the credentials or reputation of the authority.
There
is a reason arguments from authority persist. Namely, they are often correct. True authorities on a subject, especially in the fields of science and medicine, became authorities because they spent decades studying in universities, perhaps doing at least some form of research, continuing to study even after graduate school, actually teach and or practice in the field and so forth. Furthermore, most of these people are smart. So listening to them is not necessarily a bad idea.
But like life in general, there are rarely one-answer-fits-all solutions to problems associated with questions involving the human activity of science. If we could always merely listen to authorities, life would be much easier. But the sad facts are that many times the authorities themselves disagree, other times the authorities were thought correct for decades or even centuries but were then proven wrong, and perhaps most importantly for this blog, authorities are human hence possess all the foibles with which
Homo sapiens evolved. So listening to authorities is a very good place to begin an inquiry.
The next step is the hard part: analyze the evidence supporting and contradicting what the authorities say. In some cases, analyzing the evidence is simply beyond the educational experience of most people. Nonetheless, regardless of the subject, an appreciation of critical thought (which is within almost everyone’s grasp) is usually the place to begin.*
Analyzing the evidence from scientific disciplines can be tricky but, if the reader is willing to put in the time, she can usually find good books and websites to guide her through this process. The books may well reveal disagreements but even so they usually provide the astute reader with some insights. Despite the difficulty involved, there is no substitute for reading books. (I also include here peer-reviewed articles from indexed scientific journals, but these can be impossible for the nonexpert so once again we are really back to books written with the nonexpert in mind.)
Let me be very clear before going on to the next point. THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE FOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBECT AND THE APPLICATION OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS! What I am going to say next must be taken in light of this.
Back to the subject of this blog: organizations of scientists that voice support for animal-based research and polls stating that scientists support animal-based research.
How should we as critical thinkers familiar with animal-based research react to these polls and position statements?
Number one, we should ask who sponsored the poll and whether they have a vested interest in the outcome. Some polls are just plain junk. The same question should be asked when organizations endorse a concept be that concept a position on global warming or a political candidate. What do the endorsers stand to gain or lose by the way the question is answered or the adoption of the position that is being presented to society? Immediately we should be impressed by the fact that many of the organizations that endorse animal-based research are composed of people with a very large financial interest, and other interests, in the process. Research that suggests smoking is not addictive or carcinogenic and that was sponsored by the tobacco industry is not even worth reading. Ditto for research or opinions coming from the oil conglomerates suggesting global warming is not real. When the American Physiological Society or a neuroscience organization composed of animal-based neuroscience researchers claims animal-based research is vital and that all their members support it, this should not count as evidence for the claim. This in and of itself does not make the claim false, it merely does not count as evidence for the claim or, if you really, really, really want it to count as evidence, then it should be given minimal weight and your position on the issue not decided on this basis alone.
Number two, we should ask: “Who exactly does the organization represent and, if there are many shareholders, which ones are represented by this position?” The American Medical Association (AMA) is a good example. The AMA supposedly represents American physicians. Many hold membership in the AMA simply in order to receive
JAMA. Most physicians are too busy to really care about the politics of the AMA and many disagree with the positions of the organization. (This was clearly demonstrated in the recent healthcare debate in Washington DC. Many physicians and physician groups vocally disagreed with the AMA on the proposal.) Further, academic medical institutions that receive loads of money from animal-based research have historically held the most influence in the AMA. A similar example would be AARP. Many over fifty years old hold membership in order to obtain discounts on various items that membership brings but disagree with the politics of the organization.
Number three, we should ask: “How was the poll question phrased?” For example, a scientist friend of mine was asked to participate in the aforementioned AAAS/Pew survey. To the question of whether he supported animal-based research, he answered in the affirmative. Now, it may come as shock to you that he also agrees completely with me in my view that animal models cannot predict human responses to drugs and diseases. Contradiction? No. The survey was worded such that
I could have answered yes to the question. The question was very general and could easily be interpreted as asking whether the surveyed supported at least some kind of research using animals. I know of no polls where the question asked was, “Can animal models predict disease and drug response?” and where the concept of prediction was defined for those less educated.
An example of a much better survey is the one by
New Scientist and MORI that broke the question of using animals in research down and changed the parameters in order to ascertain what the surveyed actually thought. (The New Scientist article can also be accessed here.)
Number four, we must be careful of the bandwagon fallacy. This fallacy refers to people jumping on a wagon of musicians and is used when referring to people who join in a movement or take an opinion based on its popularity without first really examining the content. For example, many in the scientific community are very cautious about commenting on controversial areas that fall under the category of someone else’s field of expertise. For example, if you want to know whether a biologist endorses a concept currently being discussed in the field of physics, she will in all likelihood refer you the physics department. This is, for the most part, as it should be. When the controversy involves a number of fields then the scientist being questioned should either be able to defend the position he is advocating or withhold judgement until he knows more about it.
Jumping on the bandwagon is especially rife in academia where there is certain advantage to agreeing with people who bring in money to the university as well as in business where there is pressure to agree with other people and departments more powerful than your own and so on.
Finally, one should see if there is opposition to the poll results and position statements from equally respected scientists. In the case of animal models being used to predict drug and disease response in humans, one way to at least determine whether what Shanks and I are saying is total nonsense, less painful than actually reading
Animal Models in Light of Evolution, is to read reviews of Animal Models in Light of Evolution from respected scientists without a vested interest in the subject. Those reviews alone will not settle the question of whether what we are saying is true, but if respected scientists who have read the book and have the prerequisite knowledge for judging its content find merit in its pages, then one must at least consider the possibility that we might have a valid argument.
*As I have said before, books and websites on this subject include Wikipedia and the links therein, The Skeptics Society and
Skeptic magazine, and How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age. There are also many podcasts that are easy for someone unfamiliar with the subject to understand. These include Skepticality, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, and Skeptoid among many others. | 10,442 | 4,518 | 0.000224 |
warc | 201704 | Americans don’t take enough time off: that’s the consensus of multiple studies on vacation time and how Americans use it - or don’t use it. Unused vacation days cost American workers more than $52 billion a year and have left companies on the hook for $224 billion of accumulated vacation time, according to one U.S. Travel Association study. More and more people are taking advantage of their time over the weekend to pursue experiences tied to their passions, with travel topping the list, according to a recent Wakefield Research survey conducted on behalf of Hampton by Hilton.
“Most Americans say they would rather go on a ‘bucket list’ trip of a lifetime than get a big promotion at work,” says Kristen Hewitt, two-time Emmy Award-winning reporter, columnist, blogger and - as a mother of two - founder of the blog Mommy in Sports. “A growing group of people are regularly taking advantage of weekends to travel to new places. They’re following their passions and making the most of those 52 weekends of the year to seek out new experiences and adventures.”
The new travel trend has given rise to the term “Seekender” to describe these spontaneous weekend travelers. Seekenders are visiting new places to indulge their passion for food, sports, music or the great outdoors.
Here are some tips for planning the perfect Seekender weekend:
Timing is always right. Long weekends are ideal for a Seekender getaway, but you can also have a great time in just two days. Look for flights with late departures on Friday or choose a destination within a few hours from home. Nurture your passion. Throughout fall and winter, communities across the country host a variety of events, including food and seasonal festivals, state fairs, concerts and more. Google what you’re interested in - such as “food & wine festival” - and find one that speaks to you. Set a budget to spend wisely. Seekender weekends are supposed to be fun and exciting, so the last thing you want to do is worry about overspending. Create a budget for yourself before you go and decide in advance what experiences will be worth investing in. Pack light. It’s only a few days, so you may not want to carry a lot of luggage, worry about checked bags or plan complicated outfits. Take only what you’ll really need. You’re there for the people - and the experience. Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed said that who they travel with matters more than the destination. Enrich your experience by traveling with people who share your passions.
For travel inspiration or to book your next getaway, visit www.HamptonSeekender.com and follow the #WeGoTogether hashtag. (BPT) | 2,730 | 1,379 | 0.000752 |
warc | 201704 | IS FLOUR CRISIS SIMMERING?
SINDH SECRETARY FOR RAISE IN WHEAT SUPPORT PRICE
TARIQ AHMED SAEEDI (TARIQSAEEDI@HOTMAIL.COM) Mar 10 - 16, 2008
While consumers are still reaping the proliferating repercussions of just gone flour crisis the consumer price of wheat flour is again taxing to takeoff in probable future owing to nerve-wracking surge in prices of core factors of productions such as diesel, oil, petrol, seeds, and pesticides that intensify demand of wheat support price rise by the farmers; likelihood that government would not achieve its procurement target in this season due to its unresolved conflict in price determination with the farmers; and hanging fate of unimplemented inter-provincial water sharing accord (Irsa) that has been undermining crop production. Giving his comments on wheat support price set by the government, Sindh Secretary Food, Naveed Kamran Baloch said federal government determines wheat support price for all the four provinces and the procurement target set only for the Sindh province in this season is around 0.7 MT. While talking to this scribe, Secretary Food opined, however given the high rise of input costs farmers must get favorable rate from the government for their wheat crop. Although he associated price setting authority with the central he clearly pinpointed that the price formula should be reviewed for the mutual benefits of both the farmers" community and the government. The government procurement price was fixed at Rs. 510 per 40 kilogram that is even if 20 percent more than last year's Rs. 425 is in disparity with the rate at which import is made.
PRICE DISPARITY
It is an irony that economic management has fixed over Rs. 1300 per 40kg for importing wheat to meet supply shortfall while indigenous production is intentionally underestimated, resulting into extreme discouragement of home-grown production. Arguably, the price of wheat per 40kg hinges at US$400 in the international market and turbulently keeps on rise. And, this might be justified as price fixing of import commodity comparatively high, but the ratio of wheat import in local consumption is negligible. To have a rough idea, typically out of total 7 MT procurement target set by the government for the entire country in this season import is reportedly just 1.7 MT. On this account, terming soaring international price of wheat as a cause of rise in price for local consumption is a lame excuse. It is said that farmers would not sale out wheat at the current price to the government and thus government may not gain reserve storage to control shortage of supply in prospect. With persistent demand for months farmer community has been vying for Rs. 1000 per 40kg and wants government to subsidize the difference to control the price of wheat below the buying power of low income group. At ease government can generate additional revenue for increasing subsidy through undercutting incentives given impractically to various luxurious goods, which quiet aside would also jack up deficit in balance of payment. For instance, import bill of cellular phones that stood at US$82 million in 2002-03 surged rampantly to US$833 million in 2006-07. Does this extravaganza suit a country, fellows of which are still seeking after satisfaction of basic needs? And, should this expenditure have not been invested in real economic progress? There are many such items enjoying duty-free status. Obviously, it would not be difficult for the government to raise the subsidy for farmers. In a subsequent failure to amicable solution to the issue, private parties are left up as a last resort to wheat produce. If government does not possess the adequate stock in its warehouses to supply in the market the control of price gets out of its control and is relegated consequently to open market operation. It is usual that private sector may form the cartel position that mostly ignites uncertainty in relation to consumer price of wheat flour. In addition to this, unqualified official bid to the ready wheat crop would more likely to catalyze hoardings that again may create demand and supply shortfall.
The trade liberalization regime must not be exonerated for its making national economy highly dependent on international price structure. Pakistan renowned for producing bumper wheat crops on season to season basis and occupies the substantial comparative advantage in agriculture sector over main producers over the world. To this account, at least agriculture sector should have not been impressed upon foreign policy structures. Beside, local demand can readily be met by local production if the government puts a halt in illegal as well as legal export of wheat.
RISING COST OF INPUTS
While Pakistan has the comparative advantage of labor and cultivatable lands over others it is far behind in industrial manufacturing and value addition, which both are capable of absorbing high processing costs. Besides unimpressive result of increasing yield per hectare in case of wheat crop over the years the lacking in value addition makes it a raw exporting country and it needs to import important factors of productions such as fertilizer, chemical substances, pesticides, and most importantly engineering equipments because of minimal facilities of large scale manufacturing. Now, price rise has become an international phenomenon and due to the country's import dependency the effect would transparently be seen. Furthermore, government had been subsidizing the local oil sector since January 2007 and recently pulled back its subsidy that resulted into significant increase in petrol and diesel prices. The impact of this rise is again to sustain by many economic mainstays like agriculture sector. The price of international crude oil is already revolving around US$100 per barrel. Although water scarcity has been the major issue over the years at present it can produce synergetic effects. Since many years inter-provincial water sharing accord has not been implemented in the letter and spirit. The blame game, however, continues to undertake Punjab for being the biggest water consumer and hence for its proportional role in defying water sharing rules of the Irsa. In the wake of high cost of production, only 20 percent additional support price offer to farmers is equal to none. Other than input costs an impending danger related to water scarcity may also exacerbate the potentials in next crop, putting at great risk supply efficiency in future. | 6,488 | 3,106 | 0.000323 |
warc | 201704 | The Marathon That ‘Sucked’…
This morning at swim practice, our coach announced some swimmers who’d run the LA Marathon this past weekend.
One woman had completed her first marathon, an accomplishment in her own right. Another elite athlete had run a 2:31. Both grinned ear to ear while the rest of us applauded.
A third swimmer, when asked how his race went, replied, “It sucked”.
Everyone laughed.
Except me.
Why would you do something you hate as your exercise modality of choice when there are so many other things to choose from?
I had a chat to the guy and asked if he just had a bad race, which would certainly understand the response, but no, he didn’t have a bad race… he hates running.
Um… why would you sign up for a marathon if you hate running?
To each his own, I suppose, but the one thing I always try to impart to every client I work with is that given the facts that:
1) We all need to move
and
2) No one has loads of free time
Why would anyone choose to use that precious spare time doing something they find appalling?
Exercise should be fun, enjoyable and filled with excitement, not unlike the way we see kids at a playground, laughing, playing and screeching with excitement.
What’s the best kind of exercise?
The answer for everyone is universal: the one you’ll do!
If you’re doing an activity that feels like it sucks, pick something else. What have you got to lose? | 1,468 | 815 | 0.001297 |
warc | 201704 | PARENTS ADVOCATING SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY How Charter Schools Harm Public Education and KidsClick here for an annotated archive of news articles on charter school problems.
Oakland's University Preparatory Charter high school looked like an urban miracle. "A success story in progress … University's approach seems to be working," enthused San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson in August 2004.
But nearly three years later, a July 2007 Chronicle investigation revealed just why University's approach seemed to be working. The school was cheating on standardized tests and faking its students' grades and transcripts. For good measure, it inflated enrollment figures and mismanaged its finances. And its rogue principal was accused of humiliating and abusing teachers and students.
The oversight mechanism that supposedly keeps an eye on charter schools failed to notice the problems with Uprep, as it was known. Only when distressed teacher-whistleblowers contacted the press was the massive fraud exposed.
It's impossible to know how many more Upreps there are in the world of charter schools. It doesn't take a hardened cynic to wonder if a system of giving public funds to just about anyone who wants to run a school, along with minimal oversight and freedom from burdensome bureaucratic regulations, would invite cheating and looting. And when a charter school can make a show of success, private money from the likes of Gates, Fisher, Walton and Broad comes flowing in on top of the public funds.
Charter schools are unpopular with educators, a fact that charter backers scornfully attribute to "educrats' " fear of competition and choice. But experienced educators deserve more credit than that. They have sound reason for viewing charter schools as a destructive weapon wielded by those who want to undermine and privatize public education, and they see that charter schools harm the schools around them.
Charter schools do damage in many ways.
Charter schools undermine a critical job of elected school boards -- determining how many schools a district needs to serve its children. Even one excess school drains resources away from students' and classrooms' needs. Charter backers exert intense pressure on school boards to open additional schools -- and in many cases charters are forced upon an unwilling school district by a county board of education or the state. The charter movement promotes itself by attacking and disparaging public education, constantly citing charter schools' supposed superiority to traditional public schools (though academic studies show that charters perform no better than traditional public schools). This erodes support for public schools. In California, the law guarantees charter schools district-provided sites - even if they displace existing programs. Charter schools' search for sites is causing increasing disruption, divisiveness and conflict in school districts around the state. Charter schools tend to be far more segregated than traditional public schools, and some exist to cloister privileged white students away from low-income students of color. As school districts and elected school boards become more familiar with the drawbacks, they are less and less likely to approve proposed charter schools. Charter organizers can then go up the chain of power and get their charters forced into the unwilling school district. Even charter advocates admit that this creates a hostile working relationship between a district and a school that it oversees against its will. Conflict, tension and divisiveness impair school districts' ability to function smoothly. School boards are forced to devote increasing amounts of time and resources to dealing with charters' demands and the problems they cause, so the needs of the rest of the schools get less attention. It's a crushing, complex task for "grassroots" organizers to run an entire school on their own. So chains operate most charter schools. They wind up constituting their own separate school systems, almost entirely unaccountable. The successful "miracle" charters tend to achieve their gains through two practices that are unsustainable and aren't real solutions. One is screening out and getting rid of unsuccessful students; the other is making superhuman demands on initially willing teachers and administrators that rapidly burn them out. For obvious reasons, neither of these "solutions" addresses the real challenges facing public education. A school district's only means of imposing oversight is the threat of revoking the charter. But when the charter movement deploys its ample resources to fight back, destructive and divisive controversy is inflamed. That harms districts, schools, kids and all of public education. For that reason, it's very difficult to close even a disastrous charter school that chooses to resist. It sounds great to blast the "burdensome bureaucratic regulations" from which charter schools are joyously liberated. But actually, most of those "burdensome" regulations are there for a reason - to set educational and teaching standards, to combat patronage and favoritism, to ensure access for disabled students, to keep students safe, to gain fair wages and working conditions for teachers. If needless regulations exist, they should be lifted for all schools, not just charters. Looting, fraud, misconduct and abuse can happen at schools of all types. But as the Uprep scandal and many others have demonstrated, charters open up a whole new income stream for crooks and thieves, and a new hunting ground for predators and abusers. Charter crooks have stolen millions and millions of dollars form California schoolchildren. See PASA's archives for examples of charter problems nationwide.
When charter schools were freed from the burdensome regulations constraining public schools, they were supposed to act as founts of innovation, devising creative new solutions to the persistent problems in education, which could then be adopted by the mainstream public schools for the benefit of all students. But more than 15 years after the first state law passed authorizing charter schools, public schools are still waiting for that fount of innovation to start flowing. Even the most passionate charter advocates can't name any innovative ideas that have originated within the charter school movement. While charter schools have harmed our school, districts and children in numerous ways, the promised benefit has never materialized. Click here to return to the PASA Homepage.
Page last updated Monday November 02, 2009 | 6,595 | 3,044 | 0.00033 |
warc | 201704 | Homeless students: School districts are required to help homeless students obtain an uninterrupted education. The No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 was designed to improve education and achievement in America's schools. Some of its measures fortified the 1987 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The new law defines more clearly the rights of homeless children and prescribes how schools should remove obstacles that could prevent students from obtaining an education. As a result of this legislation, a growing number of schools provide after-school tutoring, summer camps, school supplies and clothes.
One example of the special programs being offered can be seen in Maryland. Baltimore City schools offer a six-week summer camp for homeless children. Here, younger students are provided with academic and physical activities, as well as two meals a day, while older students participate in job training. This fall, states will be required for the first time to report how many homeless students are meeting minimum requirements on standardized reading and math tests.
At-risk students: A survey for the National Center for Education Statistics showed that 39% of public school districts administered at least one alternative school or program for at-risk students during the 2000-01 school year, more often in urban districts than suburban and rural ones. According to the report: Concern among the public, educators, and policymakers about violence, weapons, and drugs on elementary and secondary school campuses, balanced with concern about sending potentially dangerous students "out on the streets," has spawned an increased interest in alternative schools and programs.The initial challenge comes in recognizing at-risk students. Schools with alternative programs cited the following as possible reasons to transfer students from a regular school: possession, distribution, or use of alcohol or drugs; physical attacks or fights; chronic truancy; continual academic failure; possession or use of a firearm or other weapon; disruptive verbal behavior. Separating these students from their regular public schools is not the only function of alternative programs. Most alternative schools provide special services and practices for their students beyond standard instruction, such as curricula leading toward a regular high school diploma, academic counseling, smaller class size, remedial instruction, crisis/behavioral intervention, career counseling, extended school day or school year, evening or weekend classes.
Foreign students: Immigrants and children of immigrants are particularly vulnerable to slipping through the cracks in the public school system. In 1982, the Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe struck down a Texas law that had required children to prove legal residency before they were eligible for enrollment in the public school system. This law worked directly against both homeless children and illegal immigrants. Despite this ruling guaranteeing a free public education to all children living in the United States, access remains a problem for many of these children. As the Web site for the PBS documentary THE CITY points out, "undocumented immigrants face the fear of discovery and deportation whenever they come in contact with an official government body, including a public school. Once in a school, immigrant children often become victims of anti-immigrant hostility, particularly in areas with high immigrant populations."
The National Coalition of Advocates for Students has released a flyer informing students of their educational rights. As a result of the Plyler ruling, public schools may not:
Complications arise within some schools that are graded on students' progress, when administrators fear that low scores from students with limited English proficiency (LEP) will drag down schoolwide averages. In such systems, LEP students may be placed based on language skills rather than knowledge of the curriculum, landing them in classes with learning disabled children or in a lower grade level than the one they completed in their homeland. The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) calculates that more than five million students are LEP students, bringing over 400 different languages into American classrooms each year. deny admission to a student during initial enrollment or at any other time on the basis of undocumented status; treat a student differently to verify residency; engage in any practices that "chill" or hinder the right of access to school; require students or parents to disclose or document their immigration status; make inquiries of students or parents that may expose their undocumented status; require social security numbers as a requirement for admission to school, as this may expose undocumented status.
In an effort to cater to non-English speakers, administrators are introducing bilingual education in some areas but this has proven to be a controversial issue. Critics argue that students in bilingual programs drop out of school just as often as immigrants in English-only programs. THE CITY's site stresses that this view does not take into account "the complexities of students' learning styles, teacher training or job opportunities that might encourage students to drop out." Schools across the country continue to strive for the most effective way to integrate immigrants into American public schools. The NCELA answers the question: What Program Models Exist to Serve English Language Learners? | 5,525 | 2,607 | 0.000385 |
warc | 201704 | Over three fifths of IT professionals have kept their resolutions, with 30% finding a new job since the New Year95% were happy to look for a change in job despite economic uncertainties.
Almost four months into the year, research by recruitment specialist The IT Job Board reveals that one in three IT professionals have kept their new years resolution with 30.6 percent stating that their new year’s resolution was to change job.
This correlates with the increase in applications to the site rising an average of five percent each month from January – March 2008 on the same period last year.
Alex Farrell, managing director of The IT Job Board comments: “Everyone starts the year with the best of intentions, but we recognise that the pressures of everyday life can deter them from achieving the changes they want to make. However four months on, with Christmas a distant memory, the results of our research are encouraging, not least because they illustrate that people take their careers seriously.” The survey also revealed that over a third of IT professionals who stated that changing job was their most important New Year’s resolution were looking for better career opportunities.
An additional 16.7 percent of respondents wanted to earn more money and 11.4 percent wanted to improve their work-life balance.
Only 5.1 percent said they did not want to risk changing jobs while the economic forecast was uncertain.
However, only just over a quarter of IT professionals that had not made a New Year resolution to change job were happy in their current position.
Of those that were not happy, 22.2 percent felt they should spend time trying to resolve issues before resigning, 12.1 percent did not feel confident about getting a new role and 7.1 percent did not believe they would find a position they would like better.
Just over a quarter of respondents to The IT Job Board’s survey had resigned from a job in January on a previous occasion.
Less than half of these had a new role lined up, but 21.7 percent had taken this action having decided during the Christmas period that their current position was unbearable.
Of the IT professionals who were then job hunting, 23.2 percent found a job within a month, while 21.4 percent took between one and two months to find a new role.
Over a third of respondents had at some stage in their career initially decided in January to spend time trying to resolve issues at work before leaving, but then resigned in February or March. | 2,523 | 1,183 | 0.00086 |
warc | 201704 | Phentermine Brands | Generic Phentermine Generic Phentermine Pills
Generic phentermine pills are identical, or bioequivalent to brand name phentermine pills.
Dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use are all the same as the branded versions of phentermine.
Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and the full name of the active substance in all phentermine pills is Phentermine Hydrochloride.
What do generic phentermine pills look like? Imprint E5000 Strength: 30mg phentermine Blue and clear Capsule Manufacturer: Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs) Imprint E5882 Strength: 15mg phentermine Grey and yellow Capsule Manufacturer: Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs) Imprint E647 Strength: 30mg phentermine Yellow Capsule Manufacturer: Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs) What are Generic Drugs?
When drugs are launched, they are released under a patent protection which restricts other pharmaceutical companies from manufacturing and selling the medication, until after the patent has expired. This is to protect the investment that the pharmaceutical company initially made in research and development before the drug was launched. Once the patent has expired other companies may apply to produce their own versions of the drug. Unbranded "copies" are known as generics.
What is the difference between Generic Phentermine and Branded Phentermine?
The active ingredients in generic phentermine pills are chemically identical to the branded alternatives. Medications are partly made up of inactive ingredients which help formulate the active ingredient (phentermine) into a tablet or capsule. Different manufacturers may employ different inactive ingredients and this is why phentermine pills vary in shape and appearance. Inactive ingredients may also have an effect on factors, such as how quickly the drug is absorbed into your body.
Who manufacturers generic phentermine?
The form of generic phentermine pills pictured above are manufactured by Sandoz. Sandoz is one of the largest manufacturers of generic medications in the United States. It is the generic arm of Novartis, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
In 2005 Sandoz merged with Eon Labs, one of the leading US pharmaceutical companies. The capsules are still imprinted with the "E" from the Eon labs logo.
Sandoz Princeton, New Jersey USA Phone: +1 609 627 8500
Search the forum for more info on generic phentermine. | 2,457 | 1,090 | 0.000924 |
warc | 201704 | When
Chris Christie starts his run for the presidency a year from now — and despite Bridgegate, it’s now pretty clear that he’s running — he will no doubt list among his accomplishments that he’s a job creator.
That’s not quite right. He’s a job
stealer. Maybe a job buyer. But job creator? Nah. “Creator” implies making something where nothing existed before. And that’s not Christie’s job strategy for New Jersey. Instead, what Christie does is take what was created elsewhere and claim it for the Garden State.
Christie’s strategy — and the reason for it — became abundantly clear in Thursday’s
New York Times report about his administration’s economic development policies. It’s startling stuff: His administration has given away $4 billion in economic subsidies since 2010 to lure or keep companies in Jersey — up dramatically from the $1.2 billion given away by the state during the 10 years previous to that.
The
Times adds: “The average cost of the subsidy package has soared to $75.9 million from $10.1 million and the amount of tax forgiveness per promised job has jumped to $47,916, from $16,430, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective.”
So what’s wrong with this strategy? After all, it’s keeping a lot of jobs from crossing the Hudson and going to New York. (It’s a strategy that also lured the 76ers to move their headquarters and practice facilities to Camden, at a cost of $82 billion over 10 years.) Competition is the name of the game, right?
Maybe. But it’s not the kind of competition that the Tea Party base of the Republican Party supposedly wants to promote these days. They’ve been vocal proponents of the kind of “crony capitalism” they say is practiced by President Obama, where government picks the economy’s winners and losers — and too often tries to make winners of losers. Exhibit A in this critique: Solyndra, the failed solar company that had federal backing. It’s difficult to believe the base would look at Christie’s record and find it a paragon of the free-marketeering they so love.
At its ugliest, Christie’s story amounts to this: He’s trying to buy his way into the presidency using New Jersey tax dollars.
That’s the political problem. There’s also a practical problem, which is this: Luring jobs from New York and Pennsylvania may be a good strategy if you’re New Jersey’s governor. But it gives you little foundation for trying to jump-start a national-level economy. Unless President Christie decides to junk NAFTA, he won’t be stealing many businesses from Canada or Mexico — certainly not at a rate that’ll make much economic significance.
Which means that Christie will be running for president on an economic record that is A) hollow and B) inapplicable to the problems of setting national economic policy. It’s also expensive and possibly harmful to other state programs. Other than that, it’s great.
The best thing Christie could do is foster a landscape in New Jersey that encouraged entrepreneurship and made established businesses feel at home while still requiring them to be good corporate citizens. That’s hard work, though. Paying businesses to come is much easier. It’s just not so great for the rest of us.
Follow @ JoelMMathis on Twitter. | 3,439 | 1,718 | 0.000625 |
warc | 201704 | Specific characteristics: sound (mp3)
This is the largest
species of penguins. Emperor penguins are only found on and around the Antarctic continent, on the thick pack ice and rarely on mainland. They have a pale yellow, open (breast and chin patch are one) patch
on chin and breast. A long, thin and curved bill, typical for fish eaters. Very dark grey back and blue black head. Chicks are silver grey with black head and white face. Size and weight:
Adult emperor penguins are up to 1,2 m tall.
Juvenile emperors are remarkable smaller with a size of 90 cm à 1 m.
They weight between 30 and 40 kg, with great fluctuations during the year. Males can lose up to half of their weight, while incubating their egg.
© Kevin Schafer Naming or nomenclature:
The emperor penguin was first described after an expedition by Sir James Clark Ross in 1844.
Emperor penguins owe their scientific name (Aptenodytes forsteri) to their discoverer, the first natural scientist to reach Antarctica, the German Johann Reinhold Forster. Forster came to Antarctica in 1770, on Captain James Cook's ship, and saved Cook's life during the voyage. Cook was weakened by hunger and cold. Forster served him fresh meat bouillon although there was only rusk on board. But when Cook recovered, the ship's dog was missing. Maybe that's the reason why the emperors were named for their appearance rather than their discoverer. Other languages:
Nesting ground
Dutch: keizerspinguïn
German: Kaiserspinguin
French: manchot empereur
Spanish: pingüino emperador
South African Dutch: Keiserpikkewyn
Portuguese: Pinguim-imperador
:
Emperor penguins breed on the permanent ice on Antarctica, till up to more than 100 km of the edge.
They rarely set foot on the mainland, but stay on the ice. The total breeding population is estimated at 170 million pairs. More than a quarter of the total population breeds on the Ross sea, and one colony can contain up to 20 thousand pairs.
Status: stable, not in danger. Breeding behaviour:
Emperor penguins have a very extreme breeding behaviour.
It is the only species that breeds during the Antarctic winter
. Before reaching their breeding "ground", in March-April they have to walk for up to 100 km over the ice. This sea ice is formed every winter around April and melt away in the austral summer (December-January). Therefore they have to breed far from the edge, to avoid it would melt under their feet before the chicks are ready to fledge.
© Elizabeth Burtt
Most of the colonies are situated under the shelter of icebergs or cliffs. The female lay one single egg in May, and directly pass it on to the male, who will incubate
it on its own during the Antarctic winter (June-August and at minus 70 °C) for 64 days on its feet. For protection against the cold and icy weather all breeding males huddle
together in a large group. They slowly rotate in a circular way, so every male on its turn has a chance to warm up in the centre and has to bear the storms at the outside.
By the time the chick hatch
(August), the females return to feed it. If it takes too long before the female arrives, the male will still be able to throw up a kind of "porridge" as a first meal for the chick. It is amazing how they can do it, knowing they had no food at all during the period of walking, courting and incubation (3 months). But then the emaciated males must go to sea, or they would starve. If the female isn't back, the male will abandon the chick to save its own life. If the female arrives in time, she will guard the chick for some weeks (24 days).
© Elizabeth Burtt
After 40 days the chick will be able to resist the cold and huddle together in crèches
. Now both parents alternate to feed the chick. In the meanwhile it is spring and the ice has melt away, so the distance to the edge is much shorter and the adults can come and go much faster. Early November the chick will moult to its juvenile plumage.
The chick fledge
in December-January (early summer) when it is 120 till 150 days old. They weight just half as much as the adults, but while it is the summer, there is plenty of food and they will grow very fast.
They become sexually mature around 5 à 6 year.
The adult birds moult in February for 30 days, after a period of feeding up at sea. Food:
They eat several fish (mainly Pleuragramma) with a complement of crusteceans like krill.
They hunt at a depth till 150 m under the ice for krill and crusteceans and between 400 and 450 m for fish and squid. They can stay under water for 2 till 9 minutes, but their record is 565 m depth and uninterrupted 18 min under water. Predators:
While breeding in the winter, eggs and chicks have little to suffer of birds. Most of the time, only the giant petrel will steal a careless chick. But the icy cold
is often fatal for eggs and chicks: while passing on the egg, it has to happen very quickly or the egg will be frozen. The first weeks after hatching, chicks which escape from under the brood patch, will soon freeze to death. And while non-breeders, or birds who lost their own, will try to steal the egg or chick of another bird, but abandon it after a short time, the mortality rate is high.
In the water leopard seals and orcas are predators to adult and juvenile birds. | 5,324 | 2,562 | 0.000397 |
warc | 201704 | AMT elects 2011-2012 officers, directors 'We expect to see the support generated for manufacturing in the U.S. increase," said new association chairman, Eugene Haffely, PE.
The Association For Manufacturing Technology elected its 2011-2012 officers and directors at its 2011 Annual Meeting in Chandler, AZ.
The Board of Directors of the association, which represents more than 400 American manufacturers of machine tools, manufacturing machinery and related products, elected Eugene R. Haffely Jr., General Manager, Dayton Facility at ATW Automation, Dayton, OH, as Chairman. He follows Daniel D. Janka, President, MAG Global, Hebron, KY. Janka will now serve the association as an Ex-Officio member of its Board of Directors, along with Ronald F. Schildge, President, Eitel Presses, Inc., Orwigsburg, PA.
The Board elected Timothy B. Dining, President/CEO, Greenerd Press/Machine Company, Inc., Nashua, NH, to serve as First Vice Chairman in the coming year. Also elected was R. Stephen Flynn, President, Optical Gaging Products, Inc., Rochester, NY, to serve as Second Vice Chairman/Treasurer.
Kim W. Beck, President/CEO, Automatic Feed Co., Napoleon, OH, will continue to serve as Secretary.
Newly elected to a three-year term as a member of the association’s Board of Directors are Larry G. Schwartz, President/COO, Okuma America Corporation, Charlotte, NC, and Richard L. Simons, President/CEO, Hardinge Inc., Elmira, NY. Both R. Stephen Flynn, President, Optical Gaging Products, Inc., Rochester, NY, and Michael Powell, President, Master WorkHolding, Inc., Morganton, NC, will be returning for a 3-year term.
“It is exciting to be assuming the role of AMT Chairman in this critical time of economic recovery for manufacturers,” said Haffely. “As we are seeing significant portions of AMT’s Manufacturing Mandate being adopted and implemented by government and the private sector, we expect to see the support generated for manufacturing in the U.S. increase. This, coupled with the introduction of new business intelligence tools for the manufacturing technology industry, will make the coming year productive and inspiring.”
Eugene R. Haffely Jr. PE, General Manager, Dayton Facility at ATW Automation, Dayton, OH - He previously served as Chief Executive Officer – Assembly Systems Group of Assembly/Worldwide. Haffely was a co-founder of Advanced Assembly Automation (AAA) (founded in 1984) and served as Vice President of Operations until 1996.
Haffely then served as President of Hansford Manufacturing, a Division of DT Industries and as the Corporate Vice President of Operations for DT Industries from 1997 through 1999 when he returned to AAA as President. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in computer and electrical engineering.
Timothy B. Dining, President/CEO of Greenerd Press/Machine Company, Inc., Nashua, NH, a position he has held since 2000. Prior to joining the 125-year old manufacturer of hydraulic presses, he was Vice President, Operations, for Labsphere, Inc., in North Sutton, NH. Before that, he served as Vice President, Operations, for WPI Power Systems and WPI Electronics.
Dining is a Dartmouth College graduate, with a B.S. in psychology. He also holds an M.B.A. from The Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire.
R. Stephen Flynn, President, Optical Gaging Products, Inc., Rochester, NY. He has held this position since November 2006. Flynn was previously Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Optical Gaging Products from 1994-2000. He has been a member of the AMT Board of Directors since 2007. He has been elected to serve another 3-year term.
Kim W. Beck, President/CEO of Automatic Feed Co., Napoleon, OH. He joined Automatic Feed as a salesman in 1975 and became President in 1982. A graduate of Hillsdale College, he is involved with many civic associations. He has been an active member of AMT and has served on several committees of the association. Beck earlier served on the AMT Board of Directors from 1993 to 2003, and was Chairman of the Board in 2000-2001.
Michael Powell, President of Master WorkHolding, Inc., Morganton, NC. He began working in a machine shop after school as a teenager and “I was hooked,” he says. He has 35 years of industry experience with companies manufacturing products ranging from heavy equipment to aerospace components. In 1988 he founded Master WorkHolding, which supplies custom prismatic workholding equipment worldwide. Powell currently chairs the association’s Workholding Product Group.
Larry G. Schwartz, President/COO of Okuma America Corporation, Charlotte, NC. Schwartz has been with Okuma for more than 15 years, working in manufacturing, sales, marketing, and executive management before taking his current position in 2005. He has more than 40 years of experience in manufacturing and is passionate about helping companies improve their manufacturing operations. He was instrumental in the development of the THINC-OSP control and was the driving force behind the creation of Partners in THINC and the Okuma Technical Centers in Chicago and Houston.
Richard L. Simons, President/CEO of Hardinge Inc., Elmira, NY. He has served in this position since May 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Simons served as Hardinge’s Senior Vice President/COO. He joined Hardinge Inc. in 1984 and held several positions in finance with the company before joining another company in 2005. He returned to Hardinge Inc. in May 2008 as their VP/COO. He is a former member and chairman of AMT’s Financial Issues Committee. Mr. Simons is a CPA and holds an M.B.A. degree in finance. He also holds a B.S. degree in accounting. Events & Awards Magazine Archives Oil & Gas Engineering Supplements Salary Survey Blogs Digital Reports Annual Salary Survey
Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.
There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.
But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.
Read more: 2015 Salary Survey | 6,646 | 2,851 | 0.000355 |
warc | 201704 | forskolin review forskolin fda reviewsEven designers have off days, and seasons for instance. You tried to diet and you gave it your best shot an individual just can't stay on that diet forever. Just type in 'calorie calculator' in Search and you'll find one. pure natural forskolinYou're all set to lose weight in the year and are wondering which weight loss food program works the best in order to. You dream of having a slim, beautiful body that slides into those slinky clothes you see in women's magazines. These mistakes can turn into great tool for you to use as information and feedback relating to your blocks to success any kind of endeavour and what is being employed by you the is never ever. If something is really a really big stumbling block you nicely coach can either adjust your steps to oblige a needed change of pace or bring in a new strategy to get you past the block a person to achievement. Well no, not really, even although it feels like you have tried everything before and haven't managed to knock your weight problem. Genuine effort hope; true results are looming within horizon. This is the wrong to help make you healthy. Of these tips an incredibly real no restriction on garcinia cambogia free trial review the food but you just have to produce positive changes to way of eating. Few principles are mentioned here which must to bear in mind because of the weight losing activities. These principles do not allow to be able to reduce your regular calories and nutrition a person must focus on proper eating things and deduct complicated diet. Advertising are resolute to reduced extra fats, there is just about the of best methods is exercise. It's very more helpful to maintain your physical activities and keep you fresh and healthy. Workouts are one of the most useful ways along with that is more valuable to reduce abdominal fat from your system. Just need total exercise system your physiology because overdoing lead to get anxious or injury on the body. Next comes the snack featuring its whether low-calorie granola bar or juice or jelly. The goal is to keep the stomach feeling full without adding the lot of calories. Any plan to lose weight that does not advocate exercise and burning stomach fat is a sham and isn't worth the paper this written on top of. If you want to achieve healthy sustainable fat reduction you should certainly do it the healthy way. Whether or even otherwise a pounds reduction supplement is working to be able to depends on many factors. First, you really want to begin with health. One does have pressing medical issues, making it tough to bodyweight if have to have everything ideal. And can aggravate the most weight loss supplements underlying medical problems, so it is always preferable to consult a physician before starting a reduction supplement treatment. Two, you might want to get a surcharge and stick can for a month or more. Give him a in order to work and take to tell the supervision. If you do, you are, an individual feel, try really hard if you're really not fooling yourself and afford your best effort. If you want to know weight loss and also know how to lose fat fast, it's a simple as basic suggestions. Burn more calories than you eat, and you'll be on your technique a slim, trim new you. forskolin fuel supplement forskolin weight loss before and after pure forskolin extract 20% forskolin muscle forskolin extract review | 3,420 | 1,694 | 0.000591 |
warc | 201704 | An on-again, off-again proposal that forces pharmaceutical companies to essentially discount drugs for Medicare's poorest seniors is back on-again —despite fierce opposition from the drug lobby and one of their staunchest defenders, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
The pairing of Cantor and the powerful Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association could prove more than enough to squelch the White House-endorsed proposal, which has emerged as one of many divisive concerns among President Barack Obama and congressional leaders who are trying to hammer out a deal to cut federal spending and extend the nation's debt limit.
Story Continued Below
Obama pitched the drug rebate idea in April as part of a broader blueprint to tame federal spending, and Capitol Hill denizens Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) turned that proposal into legislation hoping it would influence the debt talks.
At its core, the proposal restores rebates paid by brand-name drugmakers for the "dual eligible" population — those seniors eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Depending on how it is written, the plan could return anywhere from return anywhere from $50 billion to $100 billion to federal coffers. Democrats describe this as a cost-saver and want to be able to say it fits their criteria of strengthening Medicare. But Republicans, particularly Cantor, call it a revenue raiser, which the party is leery of supporting.
Drugmakers have paid these types of rebates before. In 2006, however, the rebate program ended when low-income seniors were shifted out of Medicaid and into Medicare. While Medicare is prohibited from negotiating for lower prices, pharmaceutical companies nevertheless offer certain discounts for their wares. PhRMA President and Chief Executive John Castellani has said anything more would effectively be a "double whammy" for the industry.
But Castellani also sees it as something more. Both he and Cantor view the proposal as government-backed price controls. To them, it represents yet another layer of regulatory burden from a government agency that has an increasingly heavy hand. | 2,144 | 1,159 | 0.000872 |
warc | 201704 | 5 takeaways from the Voting Rights Act arguments Will Congress return the punt?
If the court does strike down Section 5, it doesn’t seem likely that the court will also rule that Congress has no right to put special burdens on certain states. Instead, the justices will probably call for Congress to make a stronger connection between the problem and the remedy.Continue Reading
Civil rights groups will surely implore Congress to replace the law, but with what? Which states on the old list would be removed and which would be added?
The most likely outcome in Congress, as with so many issues, looks to be paralysis.
“It is hard to come up with a politically acceptable new coverage formula which would pass in the current Congress,” University of California election law professor Rick Hasen wrote on Wednesday.
The challenge would likely be particularly intense for Republican leaders, who are trying to figure out how to expand the parties appeal to minorities. Many in the GOP doubt they can pick up many votes in the near future from African-Americans, but there is a strong push to reach out to Latinos.
They, too, are protected by the Voting Rights Act and any effort to revisit it would produce calls from Latino leaders that their voters’ interests be recognized, especially in states like Arizona and Texas that are now subject to pre-clearance.
Look who’s a judicial activist now
According to the common stereotype, liberal judges and justices are willing to defy the popular will, while conservatives go to great lengths to defer to the elected branches — the legislature and the executive.
Those roles were reversed Wednesday, as conservatives sought to second-guess Congress’s state rationale for the law and liberals said lawmakers judgments were entitled to great respect.
“The form of discrimination is still discrimination if Congress has found it to be so,” Sotomayor declared.
“It’s hard to see how Congress could have developed a better and more thorough legislative record than it did,” Justice Elena Kagan opined.
Scalia had a markedly different take. “This is not the kind of a question you can leave to Congress,” he insisted. He even argued that the sheer bipartisanship of the 2006 re-enactment of the law was a reason for searching judicial scrutiny.
“This last enactment, not a single vote in the Senate against it. And the House is pretty much the same. Now, I don’t think that’s attributable to the fact that it is so much clearer now that we need this,” he said.
Scalia’s comments were curious because he is renowned for his public opposition to judges inquiring into legislators’ motives. “To talk of legislative intent is, from the outset, ridiculous,” he said in a 1995 speech.
As Solicitor General Donald Verrilli tried to parry Scalia’s argument, he seemed to allude to the justice’s past opposition to delving into Congress’s inner thoughts
“I think it would be extraordinary to look behind the judgment of Congress as expressed in the statutory findings, and — and evaluate the judgment of Congress on the basis of that sort of motive analysis.
Massachusetts (and Tennessee and Nevada) in the crossfire
While much of Wednesday’s session turned on how much progress the deep South has made on curing the rampant racism once prevalent there, the arguments turned several other states into collateral casualties.
Chief Justice John Roberts threw the first punch in this fight and the Bay State took it on the chin. | 3,613 | 1,819 | 0.000575 |
warc | 201704 | Your Country
Research: KOOG and BYUNG,
Listed in Issue 186
Abstract KOOG and BYUNG, Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School, KyungHee University , Seoul, Republic of Korea conducted a systematic review [36 refs] of randomized acupuncture trials to determine whether random patient participant assignment in acupuncture trials causes fewer benefits to the participants than patients assigned to the treatment of their choice. Background
It has been suggested that the random assignment of participants does not cause harm to patients in clinical trials. However, in a recent study, patient preference affected the health outcome of the patients. It can therefore be assumed that patients who are allocated at random may be affected by placebo effects that are associated with the treatment of their choice. The aim of this study was to determine whether random participant assignment in acupuncture trials causes fewer benefits to the participants.
Methodology
The following computerized databases were searched from their inception to December 2008: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Cochrane Registered Trial, British Library Direct, and Google Scholar. Review methods: This was a systematic review of partially randomized acupuncture trials with adequate randomization generation and concealment of participant group allocation as well as large enough sample sizes to satisfy a power calculation.
Results
Six (6) trials that met the selection criteria were included. The randomized acupuncture group comprised patients with different demographics and health outcomes than the observational group. Substantial numbers of eligible patients refused to participate in the randomization. The baseline patient characteristics were different between the randomized acupuncture group and the observational group. The proportion of patients who dropped out of or withdrew from the study was also different between the groups, with significantly more dropping out from the observational group than the randomized group. Patients in the observational group had significantly better health outcomes than patients in the randomized group, with a standardized mean difference of 0.06 (95% confidence interval 0.03-0.09).
Conclusion
We found that patients who were randomly assigned to treatment groups in acupuncture trials had fewer health benefits than those who were nonrandomly assigned. [References: 36]
References
Koog YH and Min BI. Does random participant assignment cause fewer benefits in research participants? Systematic review of partially randomized acupuncture trials. [Review] [36 refs].
Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine. 15(10):1107-13. Oct 2009. | 2,682 | 1,228 | 0.000819 |
warc | 201704 | Recently, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Health and Human Services department (HHS) held a Health Data Initiative Forum to encourage the public use of data and innovation to improve health.
We had the opportunity to participate and present Practice Fusion at this conference. I also had the opportunity to be a panelist in a session on Privacy and HIPAA Implications for Application Developers (with an eye on web and mobile health applications). Some of the issues that came from this panel discussion are worth reviewing in more detail.
One point to recognize is that HIPAA is not synonymous with health data – health data, when it is collected voluntarily by consumer input (many consumer-facing web applications do this) is outside the narrow definition of HIPAA. However, when health data is held by a consumer’s
physician (therefore the consumer becomes a patient), and that data is held electronically (which includes electronic billing submission), then the physician becomes custodian of that patient’s data and cannot disclose or share it without the patient’s consent. This is what HIPAA addresses.
There is both a security obligation and a privacy obligation about Protected Health Information (PHI). The physician has the
security obligation of safekeeping the data – and there are processes for disclosing when (or if) that data becomes breached, as well as penalties for failure to follow the disclosure process. The physician also has the privacy obligation to ensure that no one has inappropriate access to a patient’s PHI without permission – there is also the concept of a “limited data set” that states that “only the information needed for the intended use” is disclosed (e.g. only that which is needed to pay a bill is submitted to an insurance plan, or all the information needed for direct patient care in the case of a referral to another healthcare practitioner or hospital). Security Guarding the PHI data source is a central issue to application developers. Traditional enterprise applications are built to house the medical data (PHI) locally in a hospital or clinic, and rely on a locally-installed system to create a protected environment to shield that data from outside the walls of the clinic (network security and operating systems, encrypted local WiFi, firewalls that may have a few special holes poked in them to allow for remote access from outside the local area network via Remote Desktop, VPN or Citrix systems – with the secure tunneling protocols needed to assure security in transmission). This kind of setup is common, and risks HIPAA breach if local machines housing PHI (including data backup devices) are lost or stolen. “Encryption at rest” is a recommended approach (and the encryption keys are not stored on the same machine or device where the PHI is stored), so that theft of those devices yields indecipherable data – there is a Safe Harbor from HIPAA notification if this is in place.
Web applications (like Practice Fusion) relieve the burden from the local practitioner of having to set up a secure local network. The data security burden (including data backup) is borne by the vendor, which (by virtue of being centralized) can be at a level beyond what a local practice could likely afford. Data transfer between the local Internet-connected computer and the web service can be highly encrypted (at a level equivalent to Internet banking access). One of the domains of Certification for Meaningful Use (which Practice Fusion, as well as all other Certified products must meet) addresses the high level of security needed to meet Federal standards.
Mobile applications have a similar challenge. If they are consumer-facing-only (like a personal pedometer logging one’s walking or running activity, or a glucometer that stores blood sugar readings), then the data collected does not become PHI until it is presented to (and accepted into) a physician’s EHR. Like the model of web-vs.-local EHRs, developers need to minimize (or eliminate) the storage of PHI on a mobile device – cell phones/smartphones are much more commonly lost or stolen than computers, and the risk of PHI breach is more significant. If there is PHI stored locally, it must be encrypted and the encryption keys should not be stored on the same device (“remember my password” should not be an option). Most of the data displayed by mobile apps, however, is not housed in the local phone – the device interacts with a web-based store of data. The same rules should be followed for hosting that data as is needed for Certified EHR products.
Privacy Sharing PHI – a patient’s personal data for which the physician is custodian – is done only by permission. Some specific local and state laws, in fact, have specific exclusions about what kind of data can be shared requiring explicit permission (like HIV lab results, chemical dependency data, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, family planning, mental health, and some genetic testing).
More generally – and this was brought out at the IOM conference –
any communication between physicians and patients implies that a therapeutic relationship exists, and is therefore “technically” PHI. This includes such non-sensitive communication such as email appointment reminders, or pill-taking reminder mobile apps, or emails stating “your doctor has a message for you – log in to your PHR to see the message.”
It is not practical to encrypt all these kinds of communications, which do not contain health-content data, nor is it common practice. So, even though an emailed appointment reminder is, technically, PHI, it can be done routinely if there is consent by both parties to do so. A patient must be allowed the ability to opt-out of email reminders – application developers need to include this, and not build something that forces a blanket approach for everyone. In fact, setting “patient contact preferences” (email, phone, regular mail) is a Meaningful Use and Certification requirement, and addresses this issue. So long as there is mutual understanding and consent to use unencrypted email for certain “non-health data” communications, then such a feature is ok (despite “technically” being PHI).
This is important to mobile application developers. Reminder notifications (e.g. by text messaging) are an emerging type of app for smartphones – so long as there is an ability for a patient to opt-out from physician-originated messages, then there should be no hindrance. After all, these emerging kinds of health applications – mobile health, or mHealth – stand the potential to significantly improve the health of the overall population.
Conclusions The workings of HIPAA, the definition of PHI, and the protection of such PHI (both at rest and in transit) are all considerations to make as this field evolves. Security of data, and privacy (permissions) of sharing that data are things that application developers need to take into account. However, when done right, what will emerge will be an array of applications and health tools that will truly improve U.S. health care, while maintaining safety, privacy and security of that data. It is a balancing act, but not insurmountable. HHS, on the one hand, wants to encourage innovation and use of health data to improve health, and at the same time wants to make sure that HIPAA is followed and PHI is protected. That is the line which application developers must walk. | 7,639 | 3,376 | 0.000305 |
warc | 201704 | At yesterday’s Building Perfect Council Websites event in Birmingham, I chaired a discussion about what we really mean when we talk about our websites’ “mobile users”. This expands on some thoughts I recently blogged about the new mobile standard that has been introduced to the annual Better connected review of council websites. It was also prompted by a number of assumptions I’ve seen some organisations make about this group of users, which appear to be informing some potentially damaging decisions about what kinds of web experience to offer (or not offer) on mobile devices.
Here, then, are my top 5 assumptions about mobile users which I think we should be avoiding.
1. Don’t assume they’re in a rush
I’ve heard it be said that mobile users want info
fast – they’re in a rush and want to complete the task and move on. Yet we know that mobile phones are high among the things people use to kill time – maybe when travelling, waiting for friends, standing in queues, laying in bed, even on the toilet. These users may not be in quite the rush we may think they are.
And even if it is true of visitors to our websites, are
desktop users any different? No one wants an online task to take longer than it needs to, whatever device they’re using.
By all means keep things simple, reduce clutter, redesign online forms to reduce the required input, and consider the most popular tasks to help people get to stuff quickly. But this should be part of a universal approach towards streamlining all of your web presence, not a separate exercise in retaining your mobile customers’ attention.
2. Don’t assume they want location-specific info
One of the really powerful things about mobile devices is that they can tell us roughly where the person is – we can then use this to deliver all sorts of useful content built around that fact – for example, local news, locations of nearby services and the quickest routes to them.
But we mustn’t force this on the user. When I’m travelling around the UK (usually by train), the
Google Now feature on my phone tends to go a bit mad telling me about nearby services, the weather, deals on hotels etc. But I’m usually just passing through the town that my phone is trying to promote – my phone has detected my location and wrongly assumed I want info about it. Ten minutes later, I’ll probably get another load of info about the next town on the train line.
Don’t get me wrong – I love what Google Now is trying to do, and it often works splendidly. But the point is that location doesn’t
always tell us something useful about the user and their motivations and needs. 3. Don’t assume they’re on the move
People browse the web on a mobile in all sorts of places – on public transport, waiting in queues, at work, in cafes or (most commonly) at home. See this slide from a talk I did for Socitm, taking stats from Google’s Our Mobile Planet:
Assuming that people are
actually mobile when using a mobile can be damaging if we then start to think about these users in these terms and change what we’re offering them in an attempt to preempt what someone “on the move” might want. 4. Don’t assume they all have the latest smartphone
An obvious one but all too often forgotten, especially when people become desperate to develop an iPhone app because it’s the “trendy thing to do”. Not everyone has an iPhone! These slides from an excellent presentation “rethinking the mobile web” by Bryan Reiger sums it up nicely:
5. Don’t assume they have another choice
Related to the last point – we’re seeing an increase in the number of people whose mobile device is the main or
only way for them to connect to the web. Consider the homeless guy in the slides above. I’ve also spoken to disability experts who tell me that some users are abandoning their PCs and moving to smartphones because the accessibility features (especially on iPhones) are so much better and often free.
If mobiles are becoming people’s primary means of accessing your site, that means you need to take real care in not removing important content or functionality from the mobile experience. I’ve heard it argued that there are certain tasks people would “never want to do on a mobile device”. I spoke to a council recently who have been amazed at how many folk are trying to view planning applications on mobile devices – there was an assumption that few would want to do such a task on a mobile.
Flawed assumptions could be seriously excluding some of your users – remember:
all we really know about our mobile visitors is that they happen to be using a mobile device. And what, in the end, does that really tell us? | 4,877 | 2,277 | 0.000464 |
warc | 201704 | Celebrities say all sorts of stupid stuff. So we in this movement tend to ignore most of it, don’t we? I cannot, however, ignore that Cameron Diaz is purportedly speaking for me these days. In an interview with The Sunday Times, published Tuesday, Cameron relayed the universal truth that:
I think every woman does want to be objectified. There’s a little part of you at all times that hopes to be somewhat objectified, and I think it’s healthy,” she said, adding that she finds revealing photo shoots to be “empowering.”
No. Just no.
Do I like it when my husband randomly tells me I look good? Yes. Do I like feeling pretty? Sure. Do I like men hollering at me when I walk by on the street? Heck no! That’s objectification and it makes me feel uncomfortable, unsafe, and just plain yucky. And I identify as a woman, so I’m pretty sure, “every woman” is meant to include me. I’m also positive there are a lot of other women like and unlike me who do not enjoy being objectified and who do not find it empowering. You know, maybe the thousands of women actively working to end street harassment through Hollaback!, for instance?
Dressing up objectification in the guise of empowerment is the oldest trick in the book. And as a popular twitter hashtag exclaims, we’re #notbuyingit. Cameron’s comments may make women feel better for liking attention, and that’s great, but let’s get real about calling objectification healthy. Women know all too well the personal and social ramifications of objectification, and if I hear one more guy tell me to smile because he says his unwanted attention to my body is actually meant to flatter me…
Disgust aside, comments like these open up room to discuss healthy behaviors and norms. For tips about how to approach healthy sexuality and relationships in your sexual and domestic violence prevention work, visit Prevent Connect’s wiki and review past web conferences on the topic.
To learn more about Hollaback!, listen to this podcast with Executive Director, Emily May. | 2,100 | 1,103 | 0.000949 |
warc | 201704 | Energy efficiency improves the lives of every occupant, residential or commercial. Therefore, it is essential for our protection to enforce the new Florida conservation code.
Miami, FL (PRWEB) November 18, 2015
With a desire to inform and protect consumers Kando Windows and Doors are providing clarification on the Florida building code regarding energy conservation in fall of 2015.
The company feels that these changes are important to discuss because they protect not only the customer, but the user and the owner of the house from the sun, heat, and ultraviolet rays that emanate from the sun.
Although the changes made in 2010 weren’t enforced until 2014, Miami Dade County didn’t begin implementing enforcement until this year, because the county didn’t meet the new requirements for 2010. Because of this, they had to give the manufacturers a window of time to execute tests and fully comply with the new 2010 code.
To date, the manufacturers have had enough time to implement the changes and put out product that adequately cover the new energy efficiency requirements.
Also referred to as “fenestrations,” windows and doors are measured to see how well they prevent radiant heat from getting into a room, using its Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) as its measurement. The lower the SHGC and the U-Factor are, the more energy efficient a building is.
However, the Florida Building Code is concerned with the radiation that occurs when heat is conducted through fenestration. The code mandates the following:
Fenestration manufacturers are required to supply designated stickers that are approved by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
Fenestration performance must be less or equal to 0.65 U Factor and 0.30 SHGC, meaning that no more than 20% of the conditioned floor area is affected by U-Factor and SHGC
All calculations must be presented to the Building Department for single family homes, and additions can be be prepared by any individuals
For multi-story and commercial properties, calculations are required to be performed by an engineer or contractor approved by the state of Florida
“Energy efficiency improves the lives of every occupant, residential or commercial,” said Arelis Alvarez Aquino, VP of operations at Kando Windows and Doors. “Therefore, it is essential for our protection to enforce the new Florida conservation code.”
The newly enforced code will result in better buildings that provide a more efficient environment. Typically, people are used to aluminum windows and doors, but new information in the code has expressed that while it is cheaper, it is not the best material for energy transmittance.
Kando Windows and Doors predicts that these changes will result in the use of more vinyl, wood, and more energy efficient glass.
About Kando Windows and Doors
Kando Windows and Doors offer a wide variety of window and door solutions for both commercial and residential ventures, offering top quality and affordable work to their clients. Their experienced team can install wood shutters, window shades, impact doors and more. To learn more about their services, visit http://www.kandowd.com. | 3,205 | 1,486 | 0.000686 |
warc | 201704 | It’s part of being a good citizen, and is a cornerstone of our mission. --Dr. Rufus Glasper, Chancellor of the Maricopa Community Colleges
Tempe, AZ (PRWEB) June 13, 2012
The Maricopa Community Colleges are embarking on a mission to infuse curriculum with real-world community and public policy issues.
Starting this fall, a group of faculty members from the Maricopa Community Colleges will include the basics of local, state and national policy discussions into courses across a variety of disciplines.
The goal of the program is to help students understand the linkages between existing course content and personal, civic, and public policy concerns.
Dr. Pushpa Ramakrishna, a participating faculty member, said, “Too many people – especially youth – are disconnected from community and political processes. For many, this leads to a lack of interest and not voting come election time. Many people just don’t know where or how to get involved. Focusing on community and public policy issues that relate to course content will make courses more relevant to students and prepare them for meaningful civic engagement."
Dr. Ramakrishna’s project will integrate topics of bioscience in public policy, including discussions about the role of bioscience in the bio-economy, energy policy issues and other sustainability topics. It is one of more than a dozen proposals selected earlier this year by Maricopa Community College’s Center for Civic Participation.
Other participating disciplines will include psychology, education business, communications, and diversity studies. The selected faculty members are developing content and strategies for infusion this summer, and will implement their projects starting this coming fall semester.
“Going to a Maricopa Community College is not simply about getting a degree or certificate,” said Chancellor Rufus Glasper. “We have a responsibility to give our students not only the knowledge and skills they’ll need to succeed in their future education or career, but to demonstrate how we are all connected to the communities in which we live. It’s part of being a good citizen, and is a cornerstone of our mission.”
The Civic Curriculum Infusion Project is being piloted by the Maricopa Community Colleges Center for Civic Participation with the support of the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
Results of the pilot will be used to offer additional course infusion grants to faculty members each year, with the goal of enhancing course content across all disciplines and to impact the majority of students taking courses at any of the ten colleges.
The Maricopa Community Colleges have a track record of excellence in increasing civic participation. Earlier this year, Chandler-Gilbert Community College was selected as one of ten institutions nationwide to participate in the prestigious Bridging Cultures program, a
three-year effort to increase civic learning funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
###
The Maricopa Community College system is one of the largest in the nation. It includes 10 regionally accredited colleges – Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College and South Mountain Community College – the Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry; technical and customized training institutes. | 3,624 | 1,606 | 0.000639 |
warc | 201704 | “Coloradans were more likely to forego dental care due to cost than all other types of care”
(PRWEB) January 14, 2013
Going to the dentist is a frightening experience for a lot of people, but everyone knows that regular dental checkups are necessary to achieve good oral health. According to the Colorado Health Access Survey published December of 2012, one-fourth of Coloradans did not receive needed dental care because of the cost. Many Americans seem to think that proper dental care is optional or a luxury rather than necessary for their overall health.
The increasing number of patients neglecting their oral health because of cost is a rising concern to dental health experts. Dental care is essential for one’s overall health. “Coloradans were more likely to forgo dental care due to cost than all other types of care” (Colorado Health Access Survey, 2012). Even those with dental insurance are not receiving proper care due to limitation in their coverage. Their out-of-pocket expenses for dental procedures are still substantial. Some even elected to visit the emergency room when their situation becomes unbearable.
Delaying routine dental checkups can be detrimental to a patient’s health and not just their oral health. Studies by the American Dental Association have identified that tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections can lead to more serious health conditions like heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, and diabetes.
With a deep concern for patient’s individual health, Grand Junction dentist, Eric Benefield, D.D.S. has developed a creative new approach to providing affordable top-quality dental care to residents of Grand Junction and the surrounding areas. With over 10 years of helping patients obtain their desired oral health, Dr. Benefield has launched a new membership plan called My Personal Dentist. For less than one crown or root canal, patients get all their cleanings, x-rays, exams, fillings, extractions, and up to six major procedures (e.g., crowns, root canals, wisdom teeth removal, dentures). This plan excludes dental implants, orthodontics, and cosmetic dental procedures. With flexible scheduling and individualized dental care, it’s like having your own personal dentist.
For more information about “My Personal Dentist” please call (970) 243-8580 or visit our website at http://www.mygranddental.com. | 2,413 | 1,195 | 0.000857 |
warc | 201704 | When Gregory Rodriguez wrote his column for today’s edition of The LA Times, he did one thing exceptionally well. He put the bottom line right up front.
Let me get straight to the point: Americans’ profound distrust of government is neurotic — irrational, defensive and born of emotional trauma.
Thus I’ll follow his example and get right after a point of my own. Gregory Rodriguez was eloquent but profoundly and detrimentally wrong. Americans trust government when that government runs effectively and governs with honor. Neither of those things are happening at present, and the people demand condign redress –for logical reasons that in no way constitute a neurosis.
Rodriguez thinks that the problems many have with our current state of government relate to our emotions and our psychological make-up as a people. He may be right that the Tea-Party Protests get emotional and he may even be accurate that Glen Back and Mark Levin have a tendency to go Full-Metal-Postal when they are situated within hollering distance of a microphone. Yet Rodriguez badly errs when he claims these people feel anger for no logical reason.
What makes Americans deeply mistrustful of our current government is the sense that we signed on to a Social Contract. We as citizens pony up at tax time, in courts of law and at the negative extreme, on hellish foreign battlefields to further the policy objectives of our duly elected leadership. In return for that, we expect to be governed in an honorable, wise and decent fashion.
When a large number of people feel that the government is dishonest, dishonorable or unwise, then Mark Levin’s ratings are going to go through the roof. Levin may not seem logical or likeable to the likes of Gregory Rodriguez, but when his book is a runaway bestseller and his radio show can sell some very expensive add time, people are finding Levin more logical than Rodriguez. They feel as if their government is in breach of the implicit social contract that exists in any decent society.
The Federal Government of The United States acted logically when they outlawed fraud, waste and abuse by the Civil Service under the same body of regulation. They did so because all three actions lead to the same thing – underperformance in the interest of the governed citizenry. An act of fraud involves a premeditated dishonest action by a public official. An act of waste involves careless or profligate expenditure of resources. A deliberate action to circumvent the intent of a law is abuse. They all three lead to inexcusable failure, and all three characterize the current regime of Washington, DC leftists.
We see fraud running rampant in both our economic record keeping and in our governmental support of scientific inquiry. The deliberate fraud in our economic statistics has become so profound that we only admit publically to 59% of our current rate of unemployment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently claimed that unemployment had declined to 9.7% of the American workforce. Zerohedge.com puts lie to the bureaucratic mendacity below.
Yet a number that avoids some of the constant fudging by the BLS, the Non-Seasonally Adjusted number, hit a new recent record: instead of 9.7%, this number was 10.6%, a 0.9% increase from December! The same can be seen in the U-6 data. NSA U-6 is now at a record 18%, even as the seasonally adjusted number declined to 16.5%. (HT: Tyler Durden)
We see waste and unaccountability in how our stimulus funds were apportioned. The Congress and The White House promised an economic recovery plan that would prevent unemployment from getting any higher than 8.8% (BlS numbers). To accomplish this laudable goal; they allocated about $800B from the treasury to be spent.
Rodriguez, for some bizarre reason, finds it pathological that we get upset over these funds being spent on the Chula Vista Dog Walk. He also thinks we overdo the angst when stimulus dollars get allocated to non-existent zip codes.
….it now appears more than $375 million in federal stimulus funds were sent to and credited with creating jobs in ZIP codes that do not exist in all but 12 of the nation’s states. According to a national study of the Recovery.gov website compiled by Kansas Watchdog reporter Earl Glynn and authored by Bill McMorris, the stimulus is sending $375 million in the form of grants, loans and government contracts to fund more than 200 projects in imaginary ZIP codes. The site also reports the funds created more than 400 jobs at a cost of about $800,000 each. (HT: Say Anything)
Finally, and quite unpleasantly, there is the abuse. On the one hand Dr. Michael Mann remains under investigation for academic dishonesty by Penn State University for his mendacious “Hockey Stick Chart.” He has been accused with falsifying his data, suppressing dissenting scientific opinion, and destroying documentation of work on projects where he received public money to perform his research.
On the other had, even though all these details have emerged, he still enjoys the benefits of nearly $2.5M in economic stimulus. The Wall Street Journal describes this travesty of justice below.
Mr. Mann came by his grants via the National Science Foundation, which received $3 billion in stimulus money. Last June, the foundation approved a $541,184 grant to fund work “Toward Improved Projections of the Climate Response to Anthropogenic Forcing,” which will contribute “to the understanding of abrupt climate change.” Principal investigator? Michael Mann. He received another grant worth nearly $1.9 million to investigate the role of “environmental temperature on the transmission of vector-borne diseases.” Mr. Mann is listed as a “co-principal investigator” on that project. Both grants say they were “funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
Thus we are inundated by fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer monies by our Federal Government. They do not retract these travesties, they do not attempt to spend more wisely. They vote to up their debt ceiling and shameless bribe their fellow legislators with earmarks to approve the next bunko scheme. But according to The Wise and Venerable Gregory Rodriguez, you have a deep-seated need for head-shrinking if you protest this untenable behavior.
I repeat. Americans are governable. Americans just expect their government to govern on behalf of the national commonweal. When the government does not do so – we get angry. In this case anger is logical and a rational reaction to odious environmental stimuli. It’s Mr. Rodriguez’s curious case of denial that may require clinical evaluation and treatment.
X-Posted At: THE MINORITY REPORT | 6,781 | 3,306 | 0.000309 |
warc | 201704 | 2008 Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights - Belarus
Publisher International Trade Union Confederation Publication Date 20 November 2008 Cite as
International Trade Union Confederation,
2008 Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights - Belarus, 20 November 2008, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4c52caa5c.html [accessed 23 January 2017]
Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Population: 9,700,000 Capital: Minsk ILO Core Conventions Ratified: 29 – 87 – 98 – 100 – 105 – 111 – 138 – 182 The unacceptable trade union rights situation caused Belarus to lose the European Union trade preferences, a dubious honour shared with only one other country in the world. While the government has taken some steps in the right direction, anti-union legislation and practice remains firmly in place. The headquarters of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions has been searched by police, at least one trade unionist was arrested and one fined during the year. The Ministry of Justice feels obliged to inspect trade union activities, and management in state enterprises has been forcing workers out of independent trade unions. Trade union rights in law
The 1996 Constitution transferred all powers to the president of Belarus, giving him the right to enact decrees that carry the weight of law. This constitution technically recognises the right of workers to form and join trade unions, but both the Trade Union Law of January 2000 and several presidential decrees contain serious violations of trade union rights.
At the beginning of 2004, Belarus was subject to the ILO Commission of Inquiry procedure, the strongest of its enforcement mechanisms. The Commission's report, published in October 2004, proved, beyond doubt, that trade union rights were blatantly violated in Belarus. The Commission adopted 12 recommendations aimed at bringing national law and practice into line with international standards. While the government has taken some steps to implement these recommendations, no tangible progress has been achieved so far. Some laws and by-laws adopted after the Commission of Inquiry ended its work brought up further restrictions on trade union freedoms.
Trade union registration: Trade union registration is compulsory. Presidential Decree no. 2 of January 1999 required all previously registered trade unions at the national, industry and enterprise level to reregister. If a trade union is not registered, its activities are banned and the organisation has to be dissolved. The long and complicated procedures include an obligation on the trade unions to provide the official address of their headquarters. This is often their workplace or the premises of the enterprise. A letter from the management confirming the address is usually required, making trade unions completely dependent on the good will of the employer. Trade unions are not allowed to register the home addresses of their leaders as the trade union's legal address, and commercial rent is often not an option, especially for small organisations.
The 2004 ILO Commission of Inquiry concluded that Decree No. 2 should be amended to eliminate the obstacles for registration and that trade union organisations must be registered regardless of whether they are able to provide a legal address. The Republican Registration Commission, a mysterious state body for the approval of trade union registration that included security services representatives, was disbanded by a Presidential Decree of 9 October 2006, at the ILO's insistence.
The same decree sets forth minimum membership requirements at the national, branch and enterprise levels that are so high that they make it almost impossible to create new unions, and it undermines the position of existing ones. At the national level, there must be a minimum of 500 founding members representing the majority of the regions of Belarus. A list of names must be sent to the Ministry of Justice.
Compulsory dissolutions: In 2005 a number of amendments to laws and regulations were introduced to make trade unions' compulsory dissolution even easier. Trade unions' organisational structures, in other words, their primary and territorial organisations, may be deleted from the register by a decision of the registrar, without any court procedure. This can happen if the registrar issues a written warning that a trade union or its structure violated legislation or its own statutes, and the violations had not been eliminated within a month. Given that Belarusian legislation is incompatible with the ILO standards, this amendment allows for the administrative dissolution of trade unions that simply want to exercise their freedoms according to international standards. The registrar can also remove a trade union organisation from the register if their recorded data is no longer correct – for example, if they lose their legal address and cannot obtain a new one. A trade union can also be dissolved by a court decision for some violations of the law on mass activities or if it violates the provisions on receiving foreign financial aid. International cooperation restricted: A number of decrees and ordinances, which are the legal acts promulgated by President Lukashenko, lay down stringent conditions for the receipt of foreign assistance for activities in the country. These decrees, applicable to trade unions and other civil society organisations, have been seen as an attempt to isolate independent trade unions from their partner organisations abroad, as well as limit the capacity of the unions to protest against continued violations of workers' rights.
According to Presidential Decrees No. 8 of 2001 and No. 24 of 2003, foreign funds must be registered with the Human Resource Department, which is directly under the responsibility of the president. No foreign assistance may be offered to nongovernmental organisations, including trade unions, to hold seminars, meetings, gatherings, strikes, pickets or so on or to carry out "propaganda" against members of organisations.
In August 2005, President Lukashenko issued Ordinance No. 460, amending the former Ordinance No. 460 of 2003 "On international technical assistance provided to the Republic of Belarus". This ordinance introduced more red tape to the international activities of civil society, including trade unions. The organisers have to report on the organising and running of the events to the government's Commission for International Technical Cooperation. These events also have to be registered at the Ministry of Finance; otherwise, they would be considered illegal.
Up to two years in prison for speaking out: As of 2005, the Criminal Code stipulates that "Discrediting the Republic of Belarus" is punishable with arrest for up to six months or imprisonment for up to two years. According to the Code, "discrediting" means deliberately giving foreign states or foreign or international organisations false statements on the country's political, social or economic situation. Mr Stepan Sukhorenko, the chairman of the National Security Committee, who then presented the draft amendment to the Code to Parliament, explained that this offence was meant to deal with libellous statements, such as the information presented by some trade unionists that resulted in the "six month ultimatum" put forward by the International Labour Organisation. Heavy limitations on the right to strike: The January 2000 Labour Code imposes severe limitations on the right to strike. It sets out very complicated conciliation procedures that would take at least two months. The strike must also be held in the three months following the failure of the conciliation procedures. The president may suspend a strike for a period of up to three months or even cancel one, in the interests of national security, public order, public health, or when the rights and freedoms of others are threatened. Moreover, the duration of the strike must be specified in advance and a minimum service must be ensured. Strike participants may not receive financial aid or subsidies from foreign organisations. Draft Trade Union Law: The 2004 ILO Commission of Inquiry ruled that anti-union legislation, including the above-mentioned decrees, should be repealed. The government's approach was not to take measures pertaining to these individual pieces of legislation, but to promise that the new trade union law will resolve all problems.
In 2006, President Lukashenko approved a "Concept" of the new Law on Trade Unions, which was prepared without consulting the trade unions outside the FPB structures. The presidential press service then said that the new law would qualify trade unions as "one of the most powerful supports of the state". Indeed, even at its conceptual stage, the new law introduced further complications to the forming and functioning of truly independent trade unions.
When the first draft of the law saw the light of the day in May 2007, the ITUC-affiliated Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) dubbed it "the law on state control over trade unions", since the draft gives authorities wide-range powers to inspect trade union documentation and activities. The government planned to keep the excessive minimum membership requirements and introduce quite a rigid framework for trade union activities. The registration procedure would remain long and cumbersome, with a number of loopholes allowing authorities to grant or deny registration at their discretion.
The draft introduces a distinction between representative and other trade unions, granting extensive privileges to the former well above what would be acceptable by ILO standards. While such a distinction exists in a number of countries, trade union independence in Belarus had been seriously compromised, and legalising favouritism of existing bigger trade unions would ensure a de-facto trade union monopoly in Belarus.
The government planned that the draft would become law in 2007. Thanks to the dialogue between the government and the International Labour Office, this process was suspended, pending full consultations with all parties concerned.
The consultation on the draft law on trade unions and its subsequent withdrawal represents a success from the trade union perspective.
Trade union rights in practice and Violations in 2007 Background: Belarus' anti-union policies, combined with blatant disrespect of human rights and the rule of law, have brought both political and economic consequences (see below for the European Union decision). In May, Belarus failed to win a seat on the UN Human Rights Council due to pressure from the human rights groups, which saw Belarus' possible participation as damaging for the Council's credibility. Government control: The aim of President Lukashenko appears to be a return to the Soviet days when trade unions were the "social pillars" of the state, under the control of the party or, rather, the so called "Presidential Administration", which now exercises the authority previously vested in the party.
The government spares no means in suppressing protests and opposition by unions to the daily violations of trade union and human rights in Belarus. Not only does the government try to isolate these trade unions at the national level, but it also criminalises support at the international level. The leaders of independent unions, notably the leader of the BKDP Alexander Yaroshuk, are exposed to pressure in the media, which is largely government controlled.
Workers are actively discouraged from joining independent trade unions. An estimated 90 per cent of workers are employed on fixed-term contracts with many of the contracts being short-term. In practice, this system is used to force workers out of independent trade unions. The government's response to criticism is that the law provides all necessary remedies and that the victims can always turn to courts. However, the ILO supervisory bodies have noted on several occasions that the Belarusian judiciary, in its present state, did not constitute an adequate recourse to redress trade union rights violations, and that complaints for violations of trade union rights were either totally ignored or routinely dismissed by prosecutors' offices.
Anti-union policies bring the loss of EU trade benefits: On 20 December 2006, the European Union's Council of Ministers announced its decision to withdraw Belarus' benefits under the system of generalised special preferences (GSP). This decision was the culmination of nearly three years of monitoring violations of trade union rights and the government's reluctance to follow the Commission of Inquiry recommendations. The EU has the right to impose such a sanction against states that violate core labour standards; however, it is perceived as a last resort, with Burma being the only other country to have its GSP benefits withdrawn. While this decision gave Belarus six more months to fulfil its ILO obligations, no tangible progress could be noted, and the EU decision came into effect on 21 June; this decision is estimated to have affected approximately 400 million euros worth of Belarusian exports. Authorities react to the EU decision: trade unions forced to beg, lie and manipulate: With the date of GSP benefits withdrawal approaching, the government strengthened its lobbying strategies as a last-ditch effort to avoid consequences of its failure to address violations of trade union rights. Aside from trying to hoodwink the ILO and the EU with measures that both ITUC and BKDP saw as clearly insufficient, some awkward tactics have been employed, using trade unions both in Belarus and abroad.
The pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB) has been mobilised in an attempt to misinform the international community via administratively orchestrated public protests and appeals. Different organisations within the FPB structures were requested to send petitions to the ILO and the European Commission, in which these organisations would deny the violations of trade union rights.
For example, in May the Belarusian Independent Trade Union's (BNP) organisation at the "Polimir" company was asked to join a declaration prepared by FPB, which requested the EU to go back on its decision. After trade union leader Ivan Svyatokho refused to sign the FPB letter, the company management threatened not to re-engage employees on fixed-term contracts and also threatened other intimidating consequences. The shop supervisors pushed the BNP members to sign a letter to the ILO and EU, which said that all internationally known allegations of trade union rights violations in Belarus had been far-fetched and that no pressure on trade unions had ever been imposed.
Social dialogue: On 31 January BKDP finally re-gained its official seat in the National Council for Labour and Social Issues (NCLSI). However, according to BKDP, NCLSI is not a truly independent body, and none of the issues suggested by BKDP had been put on the agenda during the year. The government has created a parallel body, the Council for Improvement of Legislation in Labour and Social Sphere, supposedly as a mediation body for trade union rights violations, but its decisions are not binding and so far have not brought any positive outcome. Trade union registration: Despite the dissolution of the Republican Registration Commission independent trade unions still face enormous legal and practical hurdles during the registration process. As in previous years, the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association had to deal with new cases of refusal to register independent trade unions at each and every sitting devoted to Belarus.
On 23 June, 534 self-employed workers of Belarus came together to establish their own trade union under the name "Razam" (together). Some 100 joined "Razam" later to fight for decent working conditions in different workplaces, mostly street commerce and markets, where 70% of workers are women. "Razam" promptly applied for the registration, which was refused by the Ministry of Justice. The union appealed the Ministry's decision with relative success: in August, the Supreme Court ruled that the refusal was the result of a technical mistake and that "Razam" should just resubmit its registration papers. "Razam" tried to engage in dialogue with the Ministry to ensure that its registration documents meet the legal requirements, and finally re-applied for registration on 13 December. However, at the time of writing it was known that the Ministry had once again denied registration.
The government tried to improve its trade union rights record by reporting that four out of six organisations of the non-affiliated Radio-Electronic Workers' Union (REWU) had been registered in the first half of 2007. However, these registrations were perceived as a manoeuvre to avoid EU sanctions, without any genuine commitment to the change. Even the lucky four unions had to suffer humiliation before being registered. A REWU organisation in the city of Borisov had been registered on its sixth attempt: before that, the registrar rejected the trade union's documents since it used a font size of 14 pt. instead of 14.5 pt. In June 2007 the leader of REWU organisation in Hrodna, just registered at its fourth attempt, declared that there had been so many administrative obstacles to overcome, so much humiliation, so much pressure on the rank-and-file members, that this has very much detracted from the joy of the organisation finally being registered.
Ministry to inspect trade union activities: On 15 June, an article titled "Information on Trade Union Activities" was published on the website of the Ministry of Justice. This article targeted the BKDP-affiliated Free Metalworkers' Trade Union (SPM) and the Democratic Trade Union of Transport Workers, saying that earlier inspections of these trade unions uncovered "various violations of law", notably the trade unions' failure to confirm their "republican" (nationwide) status. The ministry suggested that these trade unions should change their status, thus effectively limiting their scope of activities.
On 19 July, the Ministry of Justice announced, through its website, that its work plan for the second semester of 2007 included inspecting the activities of four trade unions. Two of these unions were company-level organisations within the FPB structures; the other two were the Trade Union of Workers in the State Security Services and the SPM.
On 26 July the Ministry sent the SPM a letter requesting it to submit, on 14 August at the latest, its membership list (overall and in different organisational structures), registration dates and its organigram. Such a request would arguably overstep the boundaries of national legislation, since, according to the law, trade unions are only obliged to provide their membership lists when being registered or reregistered. SPM refused to provide the lists, since previous membership checks took place just a year ago and were accompanied by a parallel "verification" when trade union members were called to floor managers' offices, where an official from the local prosecutor's office would meet them and inquire whether these workers were trade union members or not.
A few months later regional governmental authorities were instructed to audit the activities of different SPM organisations at the enterprise level. The SPM primary organisation at the "Lyos" company in the town of Baran and "Zenit" company in the town of Vileyka received official letters requesting them to allow the board of justice officials to "familiarise themselves with the documentation related to trade union chartered activities" (that is, activities under trade union constitution). SPM believes that the government's objective is still to obtain the list of trade union members, which could be later used to make trade unionists feel vulnerable.
BKDP premises searched, trade unionist arrested: On 6 December, at around 8 p.m., the police paid an unexpected visit to the BKDP headquarters in Minsk. Police officers said that they needed to "inspect the [BKDP] premises", since there was "something wrong with the office equipment". No search warrant was presented; however, nobody was allowed to leave the BKDP offices, since the police gave the order to "wait for the experts". Finally, a female police officer, accompanied by two special force officers, arrived to take photographs of trade union offices and to seize the office equipment and 500 trade union leaflets. No official protocol of confiscation was issued.
Nikolai Sergeyenko, an activist of BKDP youth movement, was arrested on the spot for "using obscene language" – a charge frequently used to suppress trade unionists. The BKDP immediately wrote to the Leniski district prosecutor's office, asking why trade union offices were intruded into and searched without due warrant. No response followed until the end of the year.
Fined for distributing trade union newspaper: On 4 May in the city of Grodno the customs officials seized 281 copies of the Polish trade union newspaper "Solidarnosc Gurnica", which included an article about a meeting between Polish and Belarusian miners. According to the authorities, newspapers in such quantities should have been transported by cargo vehicles, and failure to do so was enough to justify confiscation. Aleksandr Tkachev, a trade union activist from BNP who carried the newspapers, said that they weighed less than five kilograms. Not only were the papers never returned, but also Aleksandr was fined 310 thousand Belarusian roubles (approximately 92 euros) by the decision of the Court of Oktryabrski district of the city of Grodno of 22 May. No trade union action allowed: A number of trade union mass activities were prohibited during the year, sometimes under preposterous pretexts.
A primary organisation of BNP at the "Grodno Azot" company (a nitrogen plant in the city of Hrodna) decided to hold a protest action on 17 May to draw attention to the violations of trade union rights. City authorities did not allow this meeting to happen, since, according to the official decision, events such as the "Sovyetskaya Square could only take place if organised by municipal agencies". In September-October city authorities, in a similar fashion, effectively banned trade union protests against the reforms of subsistence benefits and occupational pension schemes. On 27 September Sergey Antusevich, the chairman of the "Grodno Azot" trade union organisation, received an official warning (signed by the city major Mr. Shapel) on "inadmissibility of disorderly behaviour, holding mass protests or picketing". He has also been threatened with administrative and criminal sanctions. A situation occurred in the city of Novopolotsk, where the BITU organisation at "Polimir" company was going to organise a protest action on 30 September, but the municipal authorities did not allow it.
The REWU planned to organise a series of pickets against the subsistence benefits reform in July. Municipal authorities of the cities of Minsk, Zhlobin, Gomel and Borisov denied the permission to picket, since the official application submitted by REWU "did not comply with the requirements of the Law on Mass Activities". What really happened was that REWU had been placed in a vicious-circle situation, where the municipal authorities would ask it to obtain prior consent from the local health authorities and the militia, while the health authorities refused to consent unless they had the prior agreement of the municipal authorities. Perhaps the most "inventive" pretext to ban a trade union picket came on 23 July from the Zhlobin city authorities, who refused to issue permission, since "the problems trade unions were protesting against could not be resolved at the municipal level".
REWU was able to obtain a permit and organise a 25-person-strong picket in the city of Brest on 6 August at the "Lokomotiv" sports ground on the outskirts of the city. However, city militia paid a visit to "Lokomotiv", headed by Colonel-Lieutenant Stepanov, the city militia chief. Militia watched that trade unionists stayed inside the stadium and not near its entrance and videotaped the picket. This caused understandable tension amongst the trade unionists, but the action remained peaceful at all times.
Trade union activities of a non-protest nature have also been restricted. In November the above-mentioned BNP organisation at "Grodno Azot" requested the company management to provide them with rooms to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their activities at the enterprise. The enterprise director said he could not meet the union's request: according to the instructions of the executive committee of the city of Hrodna, an anniversary could only be celebrated for 25 years or more. A similar situation took place at the Lukoml city State Power Plant, where trade unions were initially allowed to celebrate their 15th anniversary in the Palace of Culture of Power Engineers. However, just a day before the event, the union received a letter from the power plant director, saying that such celebrations would be a violation of the law on mass activities.
State-owned companies against independent trade unions: The system of short-term contracts given to virtually all workers – a system responsible for the loss of hundreds of members of independent trade unions – remains in place despite the ILO criticism. Following the dispute about joining the FPB campaign to keep EU trade preferences, over 100 members of BNP at the "Polimir" company were forced to leave their trade union if they wanted their employment to be renewed. In September, the Belarusian Free Trade Union (SPB) lost four members in the Pushkin State Pedagogical University (city of Brest), who resigned from the trade union while facing an ultimatum from the university administration.
The largest enterprise-level independent trade union, the BNP primary organisation at the "Belaruskaliy" company, is prevented from meeting their representatives at work. On 9 October Vasili Korobov, the BNP president, was not allowed at "Belaruskaliy" and had his special access permit taken away. The instruction to prevent the union leader from visiting his organisation was given by Anatoly Makhlai, the company's deputy director for human resource and ideology. BNP wrote to the general director of "Belaruskaliy" and reported the incident to the prosecutor's office. However, Mr. Korobov has still not been issued an access permit or granted an entrance to "Belaruskaliy" at the time of writing. | 27,025 | 10,622 | 0.000095 |
warc | 201704 | Get a FREE Health Guide ...plus all the latest news and offersWe respect your privacy and will not pass on your details. You will receive free, relevant health news, and can unsubscribe at any time. Core Regime
Revised February 2014
The reason for the Core Regime is to provide, as simply and elegantly as possible, all of the nutrients, as far as is practicable, that are required to achieve optimum health.
The healing power of the correct nutritional supplements is exceptional, and if understood and pursued with diligence can, in the vast majority of cases, result in significant improvement to health, and often the elimination of disease. Even with the best possible diet, the use of correct nutritional supplements is still extremely important for achieving optimum health.
The body needs many nutrients to function efficiently and repair properly. Without these nutrients we can get sick, have low energy, suffer stress more easily and eventually can develop chronic health disorders including all of the life threatening diseases and the diseases of old age. Even genetically influenced health disorders are affected by the nutrients we do or do not consume. Many genetic disease tendencies can be understood as a genetic need for more of particular nutrients.
Almost everyone can achieve significantly higher levels of health using the Core Regime. Broad spectrum nutrients really do work.
The method has been shown to work at both combating disease states, and improving overall health and well-being. To achieve optimum health and overcome impediments, a full spectrum of nutrients is required combined with a healthy diet, including properly filtered water or chemical free water in its natural state and some exercise and fresh air. Taking isolated, refined or man-made supplements cannot fully address health issues.
Supplements for a Full Spectrum Nutritional Program
Full Spectrum Mineral Salts
Virtually all sea salts lack sufficient trace minerals. Refined salt is even worse and can be irritating or even toxic to the body, yet full spectrum salts are essential for biochemical balance, lowering high blood pressure and raising low blood pressure naturally. Magnesium deficiency is generally considered to be almost universal and is one of the fundamental minerals, essential for moving health forwards (see later section specifically about magnesium)..
Ionic Liquid Minerals with Trace Elements Sun-concentrated, filtered inland sea water that provides you with the perfect balance of full-spectrum electrolyte salts. Full spectrum salts provide your body with a complex mixture of the minerals & trace elements found in seawater - these harmonise with the bodies cells & internal fluids to support good health.
Celtic Ocean Sea Salt is highly recommended for use on food.
Colloidal Minerals
Vitamin D
The importance of Vitamin D is often over-looked. Vitamin D is a hormone like substance that is manufactured in the skin in response to sunlight exposure. Failure to obtain a least a few minutes a day of direct sunlight exposure on the skin (The Sun will not be high enough in the sky to enable UVB rays to get through to generate Vitamin D in the skin for many months a year in northern climates such as northern Europe, UK, northern USA) will result in a deficiency of Vitamin D. Deficiencies have now been linked to a multiple array of diseases and a greatly increased incidence of cancer. These diseases include arthritis, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, and other auto-immune disorders. In fact studies have now indicated that mortality from all causes is significantly increased in Vitamin D deficient individuals. This is not surprising when one considers the multitude of biochemical reactions that cannot complete without Vitamin D. Even the failure to integrate calcium and magnesium has been established to be resultant from Vitamin D deficiency. This defficiency has far reaching implications for getting the health right.
Vitamin D3 2000IU One can take a broad-spectrum of nutrients and be conscientious about ones diet, but failure to address the Vitamin D issue will often result in health problems as it is so commonly overlooked. This is especially true of the elderly and people who already have compromised health, who tend not to venture outside much. This problem has been compounded by the, often contradictory, information about the actual amount of Vitamin D that we need. There have been warnings by health authorities in the past, not to take more than about 800 IU a day. Research has now found that larger supplemental doses are required to overcome Vitamin D deficiency syndrome. The general advice based on this knowledge, client experience, and clinical trials is to supplement initially with around 2000IU-4000IU per day for a few months, thereafter about 2000 IU is usually sufficient. Vitamin D is stored in the body. So, for example, if you are exposed to strong sunlight without sunscreen for 30 minutes a day for a few weeks then the body will store enough Vitamin D to last possibly a couple months.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supplementation has a long history of use, and along with Vitamin D is, in practice, the most useful general isolated vitamin supplement required for good health. We have tried to avoid isolated vitamins and minerals as far as we can, but we find that we have to make the exception with this and Vitamin D3.
Sodium Ascorbate with Acerola Cherry Extract and Wild Rosehip The original discovery of Vitamin C was based around the body's natural form Sodium Ascorbate. The reasons why this is the 'preferred' form of Vitamin C is discussed here. We have mixed this with Acerola Cherry Extract and Wild Rosehip to give a food state Vitamin C complex with all the co-factors needed for pure vitamin C to do its full work. This is provided as a powder.
Acerola Cherry Extract and Wild Rosehip If you prefer capsules and purely food state Vitamin C, then we supply this as an alternative to the above.
Superfoods
Multi-Green Nutrition The body requires many nutrients to work efficiently, and many of these are missing in sufficient quantities, even in a carefully selected diet. After years of experimenting with combinations of nutrients and superfoods, Regenerative Nutrition finally arrived at a satisfactory formula, suitable even for delicate types, balancing calming and energising aspects. Multi-Green Nutrition is available as a powder or in vegecaps. The main ingredients are Barley Grass and Seagreens, the other ingredients provide a balanced and synergistic nutritional input.
Barley Grass Juice Powder is recommended as an addition if one wishes larger amounts of greens added to the diet. This is a highly concentrated and quality product. Calming, broad spectrum that can be used in quantity.
Wild Spanish Pollen is recommended as an addition to boost vitality and the immune system. It may be taken off the spoon and chewed, or sprinkled onto food (do not cook).
Natur-Leaf is recommended for it's ability to normalise the immune system and it general health benefits. Sterols and sterolins are found in many foods, but due to processing, cooking, rapid loss of, and difficulty in absorption, may be regarded as being almost universally deficient in the modern diet. Supplemental sterols and sterolins have been found to be completely non-toxic. Sterols and Sterolins are useful for general health maintenance, to keep a balanced immune system, detoxify the system and help to prevent disease. Natur-Leaf has anti-inflammatory effects, help to balance the hormones, support cellular health and much, much more.
Supernutrients
Zell Immunocomplex is the next, equally important, supplement. Alongside Multi Green Nutrition, it is our top recommended nutritional supplement. Minimum maintenance use 10ml (One dessertspoon daily). Regular recommended use 30ml daily. Zell Immunocomplex helps to maintain healthy cellular respiration, hence aiding tissue oxygenation. This is important for maintaining correct brain and heart functioning. It also supplies a broad spectrum of nutrients to help with the immune and nervous system. It is a product with many years of successful clinical use, the ultimate 'food-state' nutrient package. A more balanced approach than oxygen therapy and in almost all cases an essential part of a regenerative programme.
Zell Oxygen is provided as an alternative for those with very sensitive constitutions, in particular ME sufferers. For these types we recommend starting with Zell Oxygen, and once adapted, move onto Zell Immunocomplex.
Insomnia, Obesity, Migraines, PMT (PMS), Chocolate Cravings, Emotional Instability, Depression/Apathy, Anger, Nervousness, Anxiety, Epilepsy, Gall Stones, Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Fatigue, High Blood Pressure, Constipation, Diabetes, Muscle Cramps, Osteoporosis, Kidney Stones, Memory Problems, Noise Sensitivity, Numbness and Tingling, Nervous Tics, Excessive Perspiration, Anorexia, Asthma and Accelerated Aging.
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals that we need to be saturated with to achieve full mitochondrial production. It is the beginning of health, not the end. To read more about Magnesium, please click here and here (the second link is provided in the first article if you do not return to this page)
Constitutionally low Chi
Low Chi caused by a underground body of water below the home or workplace that effects the persons in those buildings. This is surprisingly common for people with chronic health disorders.
Disturbed Chi due to electromagnetic stress.
May 2015 - Important addendum to this protocol - The addition of DMG
DMG produces a wide range of beneficial biological effects on the body including...
Research has found that DMG can enable one to function at improved mental and physical levels whilst simultaneously helping with the resolution of many diseases and health conditions.
Why is my therapy not working?
We have defined the major blocks to health improvement which should be considered the number one priority for resolution before one goes on to a more specific healing regimen such as that detailed in the health condition articles. By removing these blocks one will feel stronger and more prepared for a specific programme and will achieve far greater success with it. Please read this essential article here
Low Metabolic Energy
If the remedies of choice are not working for you, then there could be an underlying hormonal balance issue preventing your health improvement; a fundamental problem that needs resolution before you can progress further. This is the matter of Low Metabolic Energy. Please look at the summary chart below, is any of this familiar? if so, please view our excellent resource to determine the extent to which an individuals health issues may relate to adrenal problems, thyroid problems or a combination of both. Please click here to view the article.
Symptoms of Low Metabolic Energy
Thousands of pages...
...here at your fingertips | 11,023 | 4,923 | 0.000204 |
warc | 201704 | If you are a teacher who plans to resign from a job, you might be worried about how to word your resignation letter. This may be especially troubling if you are leaving under less than happy circumstances. It seems that there is never a good way of telling an employer that you will be leaving a job, whether you have worked in the perfect situation, or are extremely unhappy with your current job. Burning bridges with a resignation letter is not recommended because unless you are retiring, you will probably seek other work at some point, meaning your former employer may be contacted for a recommendation.
The good news is that you can write a teacher resignation letter that promotes goodwill, while sharing your concerns and recommendations for changes, if needed. The following are resignation letter examples for teachers. Each one is submitted under a different circumstance, demonstrating that whether an employee is retiring, not happy in a position, or leaving for a better position, resigning can be done with grace and professionalism.
Teacher Resignation Letter Templates Sample #1
It is with mixed emotions that I submit this letter of resignation. My last day of teaching at ABC will be April 30, 2012. I am retiring and am eager to spend more time with my family, especially my new grand baby who should arrive around the first of May. I hope this giving this notice early will allow for a seamless transition in hiring the next teacher for the position.
I have enjoyed working at ABC Middle School for the last 25 years. While the job has been challenging at times, watching young people who came to my classroom intimidated by math grow to love it, lets me know that I was able to make a difference. Many of these students attended college and became teachers, attorneys and other professionals. It warms my heart think that I may have played a small role in their success.
Thank you for your support over the last 25 years. ABC Middle School will always have a place in my heart.
Sample #2
This is to advise you of my resignation effective at the end of the day on Friday, March 17, 2012. Although I enjoy teaching and interacting with students on a daily basis, I have come to the conclusion that my skills and talents could be better utilized in another educational setting.
I hope that you will take into consideration some of the improvements I and other teachers have suggested that can help this school move toward excellence. The teachers and staff at ABC Middle School are some of the most caring and professional individuals I have ever met.
Thank you for the opportunity to work at ABC for the last year. I wish you and the school the best.
Sample #3
This letter is to inform you of my resignation from ABC Middle School. My last day of work will be Wednesday, February 15, 2012. My tenure at ABC has been a great one. I have many friends among the teachers and staff; and you have been a top notch principal. I am leaving my current position because I have been offered an administrative position with the Catbird County Schools.
My new job will be a promotion that will come with a lot of new challenges, but also new opportunities that will allow me to grow in a field that I love. Having earned my masters degree three years ago, I would like the opportunity to use both my advanced education and experience to help the Catbird County Schools prepare for some major changes.
There are a lot of talented teachers seeking full-time employment. I think you will be able to find one who will be the perfect fit for my classroom. If there is anything that I can do to help ease the transition, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Thank you for your support over the years. I know I will continue to hear great things about the ABC Middle School. I wish you the best.
Your Resignation will have an Effect on Everyone Involved
When writing a letter of resignation, be sure to provide enough notice to give your employer the opportunity to find a qualified individual, whether permanent or temporary, to carry out you former duties. Teaching is a field in which a major disruption in the classroom routine could result in poor performance and low standardized test scores when a suitable replacement cannot be found to fill a vacant position. | 4,290 | 1,970 | 0.00051 |
warc | 201704 | Empathy: The secret shadow of business success
Ground-breaking business leaders the world over are turning their backs on the traditional top-down autocratic business style, choosing instead to lead with empathy.
Forming a sense of integrity underpins the ethos of any company, setting up a leadership style which staff look up to and which customers respond positively to.
A recent study by consultants KRW International has highlighted a link between a business‘s performance and the integrity of its leader. According to the study, firms where employees rated a CEO’s moral principles highly outperformed other companies whose upper tier management received lower character ratings.
It is a secret tool of success which any new age business needs in order to build a solid foundation for bringing added value to staff and customers alike. I am not alone, although many business leaders still dismiss this view as a gimmick.
A case in point: When Irish airline Ryanair last year reported its first full-year decline in profits since the late 1990s, bombastic boss Michael O’Leary decided to inject empathy into its product mix.
O’Leary was quoted saying later: “If I’d known being nicer to customers was going to work so well, I would have started many years ago.”
From a pragmatic perspective, the training involved in setting up any position within the company takes time and effort – and some considerable cost. Treating those employees like just another number will more easily translate into a higher staff turnover, which in turn leads to higher overhead costs in the long run.
If a business owner can understand where his or her staff are coming from – and what their needs are – it creates a bond which is hard to break. Furthermore, greater morale, higher productivity, and low rates of absenteeism are all benefits of this system.
Treating staff as people rather than numbers has been one of the best business moves we could have made. It might not stop attrition within the business, but it certainly makes employees think twice before leaving.
Customers are, in turn, on the receiving end of an empathetic system. They are treated as individuals; return customers are known by name; and they have a sense of belonging.
It plants a seed of commitment in the customer thanks to an active interest being taken in who they are by staff.
Looking at the business case for the empathy model, it is something we can without reserve stake our business successes on.
IMAGE supplied by www.100musicalfootsteps.wordpress.com Related Stories
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warc | 201704 | Vulcan Materials Co. announced results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2016. The company said it's first-quarter results reflect continued strong revenue growth and margin expansion. Total revenues increased $123 million, or 20 percent, to $755 million. Gross profit increased $87 million, or 112 percent, to $165 million.
Total revenues grew 20 percent. Total gross profit more than doubled, with growth in all segments. First quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $156 million. Compared with the prior year's first quarter, aggregates shipments rose 5.7 million tons, or 17 percent, and freight-adjusted aggregates pricing increased $1.08 per ton, or 9.5 percent.
For the trailing 12 months, adjusted EBITDA of $914 million represents a 42 percent gain over the prior year period. Same-store aggregates shipments for this period grew 9 percent, and freight-adjusted pricing grew 8 percent. Incremental aggregates gross profit equaled 71 percent of incremental freight-adjusted revenues. Aggregates gross profit as a percentage of freight-adjusted revenues expanded to 38 percent from 31 percent.
Tom Hill, chairman and chief executive officer, said, "The recovery in construction activity continues across most of our markets and our strong first quarter volume growth – along with the growth we've seen over the past several quarters – reflects that sustained strengthening in demand. Several factors contributed to the above-trend volume growth seen in the first quarter, including relatively favorable weather conditions in certain of our markets, our customers' success in winning and executing new project work, incremental improvements in public construction spending, and an additional shipping day in the quarter due to Leap Year.
"Our local leadership teams continue to capitalize on the recovery in demand for our products, serving our customers well and doing so efficiently and safely," Hill said. "As a result of their efforts and our improving business fundamentals, we currently project full-year adjusted EBITDA at or near the high-end of our guidance range and supported by 8 to 9 percent growth in full year aggregates shipments over 2015."
The gradual recovery in construction activity and demand for aggregates continued across most of the company's footprint in the first quarter. On a same-store basis, most of the company's key states realized strong double-digit volume growth, aided by relatively favorable weather for construction as well as strong performance by customers in winning and executing projects.
In contrast, California shipments fell more than 10 percent from the prior year, and shipments in Texas grew only 2 percent. Wet weather negatively impacted shipments in both states. In addition, California experienced a slowdown in larger public construction activity, and Texas experienced softening demand in the Houston metro region.
For the 12 months ended March 31, same-store shipments rose 9 percent over the year-earlier period. This quarter was the 11th consecutive quarter in which the rate of shipments, on a consecutive trailing 12-months basis, has increased. Despite these recent gains, demand for aggregates remains well below demographic-driven historical trend lines in the U.S.
The passage of the FAST Act and key state-level transportation funding measures does not appear yet to have impacted construction activity significantly. The company believes conditions remain in place for a sustained, multi-year recovery in demand for aggregates.
For the quarter, freight-adjusted average sales price for aggregates increased 9.5 percent, or $1.08 per ton, versus the prior year. On a trailing 12-months basis, pricing in all of the company's major markets has increased versus the prior year's comparable period. The overall pricing climate remains favorable as construction materials producers remain focused on earning adequate returns on capital.
First-quarter unit cost of sales in the Aggregates segment was lower than the prior year by approximately $0.68 per ton. Improved leverage of fixed costs with higher production, as well as lower average diesel costs, underpinned this improvement versus a weather-challenged comparison period.
Repair and maintenance costs in the first quarter remained higher than the prior year period, consistent with the Company's experience over the last few quarters. For the trailing 12 months, unit costs of sales, excluding the impact of lower diesel costs, was essentially flat. These results reflect the company's continued commitment to plant-level cost controls and operating disciplines.
Aggregates segment unit margins continued to expand faster than unit pricing. Gross profit per ton increased $1.76, or 87 percent, from the prior year. Cash gross profit per ton increased $1.57, or 43 percent, from the prior year. On a trailing 12-months basis, unit gross profit has increased 32 percent, while unit cash gross profit has increased 20 percent to $5.80 per ton. These results reflect the company's continued commitment to plant-level cost controls and operating disciplines. | 5,103 | 2,084 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | Subject: ? for Dr. Rot (CPES vs. Git Rot)
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000
Dear Dr. Rot,
Nice web site, well done...
We have soft spots under our fibreglass deck on our houseboat, unable to access it from below for repairs so will have to do from above. The fibreglass is still in good shape. At http://www.houseboat.net Capt. Tom on the bulletin board said to someone else's query about a similar problem:
"...There is a much simpler solution than cutting out all the fiberglass
and attempting to replace the underlayment or worse yet working upside down in the hull. There is a product called "GIT-ROT" It comes in a bright yellow box that is a 2-part epoxy. It is available at West Marine or Boater's World. BW price is 16oz. for $20.00. It is temperature sensitive and must
be applied in cooler weather to allow time to infiltrate the wood fiber
before it sets up. Can be refrigerated prior to use, too. You drill 1/4" holes 1" apart on the soft area. DO NOT drill all the way thru the wood underneath!! use a drill stop to prevent this. Mix the solution per instructions and fill the drilled "wells". Thru a capillary action the solution will penetrate through out the soft area. In about 36 hours be as hard as concrete. I am impressed with this product !! A tad expensive but much easier than the work exhaustive alternative of complete cut-outs and large re-glassing repairs..."
From your experience, do your products work better than GIT-ROT, and if
so which ones in particular do you recommend for us. Do you agree with Capt. Tom's procedure above? We live in the interior of BC, (Okanagan Lake) but the temperatures are still in the mid teens or higher during the day.
Thanks for any advice,
Don McE.
Don,
If you look at the Testing Section of our website, "Git-Rot" is product "B".
"Git Rot" will work to some extent if conditions are ideal, although in
our opinion a standard epoxy resin with a slow hardener will work as
well. That's basically all that "Git Rot" is. You will note in the Test
Section that of the 6 ml of "Git Rot" applied to the balsa wood, less
than 25% was absorbed.
The basic problem here is that "Git Rot" or a standard epoxy will not
penetrate far enough to give one any confidence that all deteriorated
areas have been saturated, and if they have not been saturated there is
no assurance that the rot process has been deterred. We have seen many
cases where a standard epoxy resin is applied to rotted wood, and
although it gets hard and solves the problem in a particular spot, the
rotting process can and will continue beyond the penetration area of the
epoxy.
You will note that 6 ml of CPES penetrated 16", and when more was added
it penetrated over 20". On wood that is reasonably dry, even if it is
under fiberglass, CPES will penetrate thoroughly. Holes can be 5-7"
apart. With sufficient cure time (about a week) CPES will harden the
wood. If the wood is badly deteriorated, then two applications may be
required. If there is actually missing wood on the interior, then we
recommend that the CPES treatment be followed with an application of our
Layup & Laminating Resin into the same holes. The L&L Resin is VERY slow
setting and will penetrate a long way itself. You can see a
demonstration of this process in our "What's New" section.
The temperatures mentioned relate to the temperature at the time of
application. CPES comes in two formulas, a Warm Weather Formula for temperatures
down to about 50F, and a Cold Weather Formula for temperatures that go
down to 28F.
We only ship directly to our customers, and ship the same day as
ordered. Because CPES is classified as a Hazardous Material, getting it
into Canada is usually done by shipping to a point on the US side of
the border, such as a friend, relative, USPS Center, Mail Box outlet,
etc. We supply NAFTA paperwork so there is no import duty. It can be shipped directly into Canada, but requires shipping charges as well as UPS Brokerage fee along with Canadian Customs Duties/Taxes. See our shipping options into Canada for more information.
Let us know if we can be of further help.
Doc | 4,161 | 2,113 | 0.000482 |
warc | 201704 | Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica Print version ISSN 0102-7972 Abstract
SILVA, Maria das Dores Ferreira da and FERREIRA-ALVES, José.
Bereavement in older adults: individual challenge and contextual variables in different models. Psicol. Reflex. Crit. [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.3, pp.588-595. ISSN 0102-7972. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722012000300019.
The loss of a spouse in old age is one of the most significant, but least investigated events in the life cycle. With increasing life expectancy, widowhood in older adults occurs increasingly later in the life cycle. It is an expectable event and may be advantageously conceptualized as a major psychosocial transition that involves the reconfiguration of the meaning of life and its purpose. The present article discusses some of the main models of the grieving process and the effect of some individual and contextual variables on reactions regarding the loss of a spouse. It focuses mainly on Stroebe and Schut dual process model as well as on its theoretical and practical implications.
Keywords : Bereavement; older adults; dual process; widowhood. | 1,130 | 663 | 0.001537 |
warc | 201704 | This paper has been added to your cart ($35.00)
This work aims to study the effect of incorporating proteins with different isoelectric points (pI) on the structure, composition and morphology of biomimetic calcium-phosphate (Ca-P) coatings. For that, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme, having respectively acidic and basic pIs, were used as model proteins. It was observed that the incorporation of positively charged proteins, such as lysozyme, was able to significantly change the structure of the coatings, possibly due to the preferential interactions between the protein and negatively charged phosphate ions. These results indicated that proteins with different characteristics can be incorporated into biomimetic Ca-P coatings in order to obtain a hybrid coating and at the same tailoring their properties. | 823 | 470 | 0.002135 |
warc | 201704 | This paper has been added to your cart ($35.00)
The role of silica and macrophages in fibrosis is well documented, but in bone formation it is relatively unknown despite decades of research with bioactive glasses. In this study macrophages were isolated from rat peritoneal and then cultured for five days in the presence of two types of silica microparticles with different solubilities. After the fifth day the culture medium was collected, purified and used as an additive in bone marrow derived rat stem cell cultures. The stem cells were cultured for five days in α-mem containing only 0,5% of FCS, enabling cell survival but disrupting their proliferation. As controls, stem cells were also cultured in α-mem containing silica microparticles. At days one and five the amount of soluble collagen was assayed from the culture medium and the cells were counted. All stem cell cultures with macrophage medium additives were found to be proliferative, with statistically significant difference to controls. However, collagen was only produced in cultures containing medium from macrophages cultured with fast-dissolving silica microparticles. This suggests that silica can induce cell proliferation and extra cellular matrix protein secretion which is mediated by macrophages, and that the solubility of silica is also a major factor in this reaction. | 1,365 | 682 | 0.00148 |
warc | 201704 | Scottish independence: The majority of English and Welsh want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom, a new poll suggests.
The Financial Times poll found that 55 per cent of those who expressed a strong preference want Scotland to stay while 15 per cent support a split.
The other 30 per cent had no strong opinion.
It comes after US president Barack Obama declared that the United Kingdom appears to have ‘’worked pretty well’’, as he said America’s interest in the Scottish referendum issue was to ensure it retained a ‘’strong, robust, united and effective ally’’.
The poll by Populus also found that those south of the border were opposed to a currency union, which has been ruled out by Chancellor George Osborne if Scotland were to become independent.
More than two thirds (68 per cent) of those polled in England and 59 per cent in Wales were opposed to an independent Scotland continuing to use sterling while retaining the Bank of England as its central bank and lender of last resort.
Many said that an arrangement like that would involve the rest of the UK picking up some of the bill for a bail out if an independent Scotland were to suffer a financial crisis.
More than 6000 people across Scotland, England and Wales were questioned in the poll.
It found that around two-thirds of people across all three nations expect the Scots to vote No in the independence referendum which takes place on September 18.
Looking to the future the poll found that half of Scots thought that in five years time the country would regret a Yes vote.
In England almost eight in 10 (79 per cent) thought Scots would regret splitting from the UK, the Financial Times reported.
Speaking on behalf of Better Together, Edinburgh South Labour MP and shadow business minister Ian Murray said: “It is encouraging that so many people living elsewhere in the UK want to keep our family of nations together.
“This poll also adds to the overwhelming body of evidence that people living elsewhere in the UK do not support a currency union. It has been ruled out by the Chancellor, Prime Minister, shadow chancellor, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury. Experts have said it wouldn’t be good for Scotland or the rest of the UK. Now we know the people living elsewhere in the UK oppose it too.
“Continuing to use the pound is not just Alex Salmond’s decision and these results show he needs a plan B for what would replace the Pound. Telling us everybody else is wrong and he alone is right isn’t good enough.”
A spokesman for John Swinney said: “On the issue of independence, this poll puts support among Scots for becoming an independent country at 46 per cent once don’t knows are excluded - putting us within touching distance of a Yes vote.
“After independence, Scotland and the rest of the UK will remain the best of friends and closest allies.“On currency, another poll conducted in the rest of the UK found that 71 per cent of people supported sharing the pound in a currency union with an independent Scotland.
“However, the question asked here failed to mention any of the mutual benefits of a currency union and was clearly designed to paint a currency union in the most negative light possible.
“Despite this, a clear majority of people in Scotland support keeping the pound as an independent country - which would also give Scotland control of 100 per cent of Scotland’s revenues.
“An independent Scotland will keep the pound - and we now know that ‘of course’ there will be a currency union, thanks to the unnamed UK Government Minister recently caught telling the truth.
“That is a position widely backed by expert opinion, including Professor Leslie Young, who has recently described Westminster’s public position as ‘untenable’, ‘illogical’ and ‘farcical’.” | 3,996 | 1,830 | 0.000575 |
warc | 201704 | IF the saying that "old is gold" is anything to go by, then one wonders why senior citizens, particularly in Africa, are not being treated as such.
One major challenge old people face in Zambia, besides being either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS for example, is that of waiting for their terminal benefits for several years after retiring at the age of 55 years.
Most senior citizens have died of depression in the process of waiting for getting their pension dues paid. One would think that with such a scenario then, the best way of resolving the situation is to ensure that the system of paying out pension dues is revised to make it more efficient and cater for the immediate needs of the senior citizens but this is not so.
Unfortunately the common practice for especially those that contribute to pension schemes such as the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) is that they receive their dues on a monthly basis.
Most pensioners get about K140,000 as their monthly dues from which they are expected to survive but in most cases it proves to be insufficient to meet their daily needs.
For instance, the case of Winstone Chalemba, 67, who is prompted to travel all the way from Chibombo to Lusaka just to get the pension dues mentioned above and sometimes has to spend long hours in never ending queues just to receive that meagre amount.
The sum of K140, 000 is like a drop in the ocean, especially if those that receive it are solely dependent on it as their only source of income and at the same time are facing the burden of looking after dependants.
Had it not been for the additional support that Mr Chalemba and his wife usually receive from some of their children whom they were able to raise and educate, the K140, 000 would not be adequate to meet their daily needs.
However, since their children also have families to look after, they do not render the much needed support to their parents, who are lucky not to be paying rentals as they managed to acquire land and eventually construct a sizeable house.
The Money used for constructing the house was from a large chunk of Mr Chalemba's pension funds which he got earlier on.
But the pension money ran out several years back.
Mr Chalemba, a retired civil servant built the farm house hurriedly after rentals became too high to afford and this was after the family got evicted from a Government pool house they had been occupying for 25 years.
The former MMD government then sold the same house to somebody else in 1999 and Mr Chilemba did not benefit from that sale.
The burden is even worse for the aged who are not entitled to monthly pensions as it is for Mrs Janet Phiri, 69.
Mrs Phiri of Lusaka West's Chigwilizano compound has been widowed for more than a decade now and out of 14 children, only four are surviving while the rest have died, with the recent bereavement being that of her last born son on Christmas Day last year.
"My late son died on Christmas day leaving behind four children who are now under my care. Altogether, I am currently looking after six grandchildren," she says.
The 69-year-old adds that she has faced difficulties in looking after her grandchildren as her deceased son used to assist her fiancially. Her daughter-in-law went back to her parents after being "cleansed" and has been given a green light to remarry as she's still youthful.
Mrs Phiri owns a 10-acre farm in Lusaka West's Kalundu area where she does her farming on a small -scale, but that this year she did not do any farming activities as she spent most of her time nursing her son.
It is in the same area that she crushes stones which she sells to passers-by on the road side, the business which is her major source of income.
"I sale my crushed stones to truckers at K300, 000. I know they take advantage of my old age to pay me that amount of money because they think am too old to tell that the money they give me is insufficient," Mrs Phiri says.
It is from the same money that she supports her four grand-children who are in grades 10, nine, six and three respectively. The other two are too young to go to school.
The Senior Citizens Association of Zambia (SCAZ), with the help from HelpAge International, has somewhat been a voice for the voiceless for the older persons in the country over the years. Chigwilizano compound and Julius Village in Lusaka West are some of its operational areas.
This author came across Mrs Phiri and retired Brigadier General Gideone Nketani, among several other retirees, during the SCAZ and HelpAge International field visit on January 25, this year. The field visit was part of the three-day training workshop on Ageing and social protection held at Golfview Hotel in Lusaka from January 24 to 26, this year.
SCAZ has sensitised the senior citizens in the afore-mentioned operational areas on rights and entitlements. It has also assisted the needy older persons identified with the help of the community in the area in various ways.
Gen Nketani, 72, reitired 10 years ago through what he termed as "normal retirement" after rendering 32 years of service. He lost his wife 10 months after his retirement. He had three children but is survived by two after the demise of the other child.
The 72-year-old complained that upon retiring, he managed to buy a small holding in Lusaka West, but that developing the area has proved to be a major challenge as he spent a huge chunk of his pension dues to purchase the land.
Gen Nketani adds that it is unfortunate that retirees in the country are viewed as "destitutes" besides them being shunned, forgetting that some of them used to enjoy certain privileges such as those of having a chauffeur, secretary, among other luxuries.
"No one would want to associate with you when you retire," he laments.
He complains further that accessing financial services such as loans is hampered by "red tape" the conditions attached to accessing financial assistance which makes it difficult for older persons to meet.
Mr Necodimus Chipfupa, said ageing is happening much faster in the developing world than in the developed world as currently eight per cent of the population in developing countries are over 60, adding that by 2050, older people will account for 20 per cent of the population in developing countries.
"The role and place of older people in developing societies is changing also. HIV/AIDS epidemic, migration patterns play a part, life expectancy can be misleading. Low life expectancy rates in developing countries have often taken toll on the population mean that there is a very small population of older people," he says.
Mr Chipfupa is of the view that there is need to generate entitlements to enforce service delivery beyond sector national policies, improve awareness and confidence of older people to access services.
There is also need to improve knowledge and skills of local and national decision makers regarding older people's needs, encourage others to include older people's needs in their work.
And International Labour Organisation (ILO) social security specialist, Luis Frota, observed that Zambia is growing and the benefits of growth will accrue in the form of wages and formal social security to only a few if nothing is done and that a floor for elderly people makes social and economic sense.
Mr Frota said non contributory protection is efficient in addressing poverty particularly for countries where old age is a strong predictor of vulnerability, adding that there is an opportunity for an affordable and meaningful impact of Social Security in the form of a non contributory pension.
"The more a country has elderly people living alone, the more a social pension is needed and its critical," he said.
Namibian Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare social welfare deputy director, Albert Biwa, said his country's social protection policies were guided by international conventions such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 22.
"Every one as a member of society has the right to social security and is entitled to realisation, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each State, of the economic social and cultural rights indispensible for his dignity and the free development of his personality," reads Article 22.
On that country's legal framework, Mr Biwa explained that the Namibian Constitution is clear on senior citizen's entitlements and rights, citing among others Article 95 (f) of Constitution.
It states that, "The State shall ensure that senior citizens are entitled to and shall receive a regular pension, adequate for the maintenance of a decent standard of living and the enjoyment of social and cultural opportunities".
Ministry of Labour, Youth and Sport Department of Social Protection adviser, Nkandu Chilombo defined social protection according to the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP), "Policies and programmes that seek to promote the livelihoods and welfare of the poorest and those most vulnerable to risks and shocks."
While University of Zambia lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Isaac Kabelenga, said there was need to embed old age in the school curriculum as that would enable learners prepare for the challenges that come with old age, adding that they would in turn convey the knowledge they acquired to their parents or guardians.
Adopting a universal social pension scheme to enable even those old persons that do not contribute to any pension scheme benefit coupled with continued lobbying of Government to speed up the implementation of the pro-senior citizens' policies were some of the workshop recommendations. | 9,720 | 4,396 | 0.000229 |
warc | 201704 | For entrepreneurs, online business has many advantages. It is relatively quick to launch, requires little or no inventory, minimal capital, and doesn’t entail renting or maintaining a shopfront. But that doesn’t mean it is easy. In fact, online businesses require just as much time and effort to build as their traditional counterparts––and sometimes far more. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar endeavors, online business is constantly in flux, and the path to profit is far from obvious. So how do you make your online business successful? Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear answer. But there are nonetheless many strategies every online company can use to increase sales, attract new customers, and build a strong web presence.
The Importance of Marketing
Visibility is the key to generating sales and high traffic. Most importantly, this means waging a constant SEO campaign to achieve and maintain a high rank on Google. To do so, you will need to post quality content on a regular basis, have a dedicated link-building strategy, an in-depth understanding of keywords, and a large social media following. Positive reviews on popular social sites are essential for most online businesses, as are active accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even sites like Flickr and Pinterest. Brand dissemination is incredibly important. The easier it is for users around the world to find your site, the more your business will thrive.
Speed Up Sales
Site speed is incredibly important for online sales. Over 50% of users today expect sites to load in less than two seconds, and studies have shown that even improving load time by a few hundred milliseconds can have an enormous impact on traffic and conversion rates. If your pages are too slow, users will simply click away and head to your competitors. Make sure your site has an efficient design, optimized photos, no unnecessary content, and a streamlined backend. When it comes to online sales, every split second counts.
The layout of your site is one of the most important factors which can affect your sales, if it is difficult to navigate to the different sections of your website, it is likely you will lose sales through frustrated users simply being unable to find what they are looking for.
An example of a well planned site is Voucher Cloud; their home page is clearly set out with different categories leading users directly into the desired area of the site, this leads visitors to quickly find the information they need.
Aesthetics Sell
The aesthetic of your site is often the only aspect of your company potential customers see. So it needs to make a strong visual impression. This means simplicity, beauty, accessibility, and ease-of-use. Put your important links in obvious, intuitive places. Be sure to design a striking and cohesive brand style, an appealing interface, and a well-conceived layout. Don’t use clashing colors or low quality images. Minimize text, and eliminate awkward phrasing and spelling errors. The little things go a long way.
Have Happy Users
Get an outsider’s perspective on your site by hiring a user-testing service. Sites like trymyui.com are relatively inexpensive, and can go a long way toward improving subtle aspects of your website that you would never have noticed on your own.
As more and more companies join the ranks of online businesses, the competition is only getting tougher. Ultimately, success depends upon the ability to create a more enjoyable and accessible site than your competitors. It also means getting your name out there, making your site visible and comprehensible to as many potential customers as possible, and selling a quality product. So while there is no cut-and-dried formula for mastering the world of online sales, there are certainly many techniques you can use to improve your company. The key is constant growth, dedicated refinement, and a commitment to improving your site every day. | 3,969 | 1,962 | 0.000516 |
warc | 201704 | The correct combination of cardio exercise, weight training activities and a healthy balanced diet can improve your shape, overall health and help you get a great six-pack. Keep in mind that while Abdominal exercises are important since they build your six-pack muscles and shape them, you will be able to feel the results in a few weeks, but you must burn fat from your stomach if you actually want to see results. Considering the fact that ab workouts are not able to shed stomach fat, then what should you do in order to get rid of them or add them to your ab workout routine? The truth is this, it is still possible for you to build up your own flat belly and six pack abs with no performance of any single abs exercise in any way. This fault shows up at the time you have finally lost your body fat to a considerable low level which is sufficient for your abs to be visible. Assuming you did build up the abdominal muscles or haven’t been working on your abs using a natural technique, you are likely to be dissatisfied with the way they will look after they have showed up from your skin.
click thumbnails to enlarge pictures
First off, you can't just lose fat in one particular area, anytime your losing fat, your evenly doing it all over your body, and the best way to do this is to increase your metabolism. If you try to get a 6-pack by starving yourself, then your shooting yourself in the foot! You must maintain your muscular mass as much as possible while trying to lose fat weight, so you have to keep your overall calories up, while doing plenty of resistance training.
Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks… they’re all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that “ab contraption”… they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you’ll learn some of their secrets and what really works below.
You may also like these hot hunks galleries :
Handsome Guys with Toned Body and Six Pack Abs Gerald Fabiani - Superhottie Great Body Handsome Sexy Man Sexy Male Bodybuilders Part 31 - Begging Them for MuscIe Worship Backstage Bodybuilding - Competition Pump Room and More | 2,331 | 1,228 | 0.000829 |
warc | 201704 | Reaction to education strategy (Sounding Off)
A joint reaction has been written by parent council representatives following an amended strategy for secondary education adopted by Shetland Islands Council last week. Here they put forward their views.
Wednesday 2nd July 2014 was a day which we suspect will be remembered in Shetland for a long time.
The day saw the adoption of a (yet again) amended strategy for secondary education in Shetland. For anyone concerned about schooling in our islands, this strategy should be deeply worrying.
Here we concentrate on three aspects of the amended strategy:
•The over-inflated cost per pupil in Shetland; • The enormous implications for the Anderson High School as a result of completely closing all the junior highs; • The eradication of junior highs as we know them. The “almost £4,000 per secondary pupil more expensive than in Western Isles or Orkney” was largely a myth.
A study has been done by the council comparing Shetland secondary education costs to those in Orkney and Western Isles.
The reason for the study was to explain the difference between the Shetland costs per pupil (said to be £13,700) and the Orkney and Western Isles figures (£9,800 each).
The study found that secondary education in Shetland actually costs about £3,600 less than the oft-quoted figure of £13,700 per secondary pupil.
The difference is for two reasons:
• The comparisons were not true like-for-like comparisons; • Recent savings made to secondary education in Shetland had not been included.
Figures demonstrate that per pupil spending for secondary education in Shetland is in fact around 26 per cent lower than the oft-quoted (but incorrect) £13,700 figure.
Therefore the total budget for secondary education in Shetland is also 26 per cent lower, when we do a like-for-like comparison and include recent savings.
We know of course that the “like-for-like adjustments” are real money that was really spent, but the whole point is that the money didn’t belong in the secondary school budget.
The amended strategy, however, is based on the old figures and in no way acknowledges that a budget which is 26 per cent smaller should be expected to produce lower savings.
Indeed the SIC went on to immediately vote for an even more drastic proposal – when the figure was said to be £13,700 per pupil, the most drastic proposal was to halve the size of the junior high school estate.
Now that the figure is shown to be around £10,000 the most drastic proposal is to completely close all junior highs. This means that the secondary education “pie” has become smaller, but the slice to be taken out has become bigger.
This fact was not debated for even five minutes in the council chamber on 2nd July.
Who benefits from a bigger, cheaper Anderson High School? The new AHS, with all junior high schools closed (2017) – 1,175 pupils (up from 895 today). Only £434,000 added to the budget, or about £1,550 per additional pupil.
If all the junior high schools close, the AHS would have 30 per cent more pupils than it does today, but only about 10 per cent more budget.
This is because when a junior high shuts, a lot of money is spent on transport and (sometimes) halls of residence and then most of the rest of the money disappears as savings.
All of the closed schools’ pupils move to the new school, but only a tiny fraction of the budget does.
It is striking that the junior high budgets are analysed in forensic detail, but the implications of the new strategy for the AHS are not spelt out at all. Given that all of us are parents of future AHS pupils, this worries us enormously.
The proud tradition of S1-4 junior highs is killed off without discussion.
The vote on 2nd July also ended the junior highs as we now know them, but astonishingly this was not debated at all in the chamber.
Pupils will no longer be able to stay at their junior high until the school leaving age and gain that first all-important qualification at the end of S4.
For the first time ever, pupils will have no choice but to go to Lerwick to complete their education.
The council argues that this change is at the behest of Education Scotland. Continually we hear that Education Scotland no longer believes that S1-4 is viable.
In our correspondence with Education Scotland stated as recently as June, it stated: “Junior high schools such as those in Shetland can be a feature in remote, rural communities … The Curriculum [for Excellence] provides a non-prescriptive, permissive policy framework which enables local circumstances and choices to be met in a way that best suits the learner’s needs, irrespective of the school system.”
In other words the council must take into account Shetland’s unique geography and has a great deal of flexibility about how to implement the new curriculum.
There is nothing in the curriculum for excellence which dictates that S4 has to be abolished.
So where are we now? The amended secondary education strategy contemplates closing all the junior high schools. But on closer scrutiny a strange fact emerges – by 2018 there won’t actually be room for all the bairns from the junior highs and the AHS would be over-capacity.
The situation for the halls of residence is even more drastic – consultations about closing Mid-Yell and Whalsay start next month, but there is insufficient capacity in the new halls to accommodate the pupils.
So maybe there is no intention after all to close all the junior highs. Why then are we spending all this time and emotion and money on these closure proceedings?
The answer lies in the excessive cuts which are being made to secondary education. The comparison paper with Orkney and Western Isles starts out by comparing overall Council spending in Shetland with other local authorities.
Shetland spends 60 per cent more per person than Orkney and 22 per cent more than Western Isles. Obviously this can’t continue. But it certainly isn’t secondary education which causes these vast discrepancies because, as we have seen, costs per secondary pupil are broadly comparable with Orkney and Western Isles.
We’ve seen spending per pupil fall from the stated £13,700 to £10,100 and now there are plans to further reduce it to £8,900.
Secondary education is taking a disproportionate hit. Why?
Secondary education has lost its way in Shetland. And in the meantime, next month we start the long and gruelling process of formal consultations about closures and asking hundreds (yes hundreds) of bairns what they feel about either leaving home at the age of 11 or 12, or embarking on long journeys to school every weekday.
We know that some excellent work is being done in the town hall to defend secondary education and explore a range of alternatives. We appreciate the exhausting work involved and the commissioning of the comparison with the other island authorities, but the facts highlighted must be discussed.
It must be understood that ultimately all any parent wants is the best for their child, for them to be nurtured in a loving environment and educated to the highest standard.
We want to preserve our heritage and communities and the only way that will happen is through the education of our children, not the removal of choice.
Kari Hamilton
(chairwoman, Whalsay Parent Council) John Irvine (chairman, Mid Yell Parent Council) Jeremy Sansom (chairman, Aith Parent Council) Catriona Waddington (chairwoman, Baltasound Parent Council) The chairman of Sandwick Parent Council was on holiday. | 7,710 | 3,353 | 0.000308 |
warc | 201704 | SI.com's Top 100 NBA players list: Limitations of the exercise
The impulse of comparison is encouraged by the very nature of sports. One team beats its opponent. One player dominates a matchup. One teammate overtakes another on the depth chart. Games and leagues are built on that engine of relativity, and the NBA is no exception.
It's in that spirit that we offer our list of the
Top 100 NBA players of 2015 -- an endeavor to identify and order the best of the best for the 2014-15 season. The scope of our ranking is relatively simple (no weight is given to long-term development, and as little emphasis as possible is placed on team context), but there is nonetheless a daunting complication built into the exercise itself. Put simply: While we make a considered effort to somehow compare an incredible assortment of talent, there's little grounds to suggest that basketball players can be assigned any kind of absolute value.
That, in a word, is a doozy.
On the one hand, the decision to divorce players from their real-life team settings is essential in a project of this nature. No player ought be penalized for landing on the wrong team, just as no lesser contributor should be promoted merely for filling an ideal role. Players need to be evaluated individually to whatever extent such a thing is possible, and to that end the disregard of team factors helps us inch closer to some measure of objective quality.
At the same time, basketball players are almost unavoidably subject to context. There are certain luminaries for which being a fit is a non-issue -- an elite class of flexible superstars who would work in most every system and would mesh with most any roster. They are the extreme minority and run maybe three deep. The overwhelming majority, meanwhile, need specific factors in place to maximize their on-court value: a particular number of touches, a certain magnitude of role, a customized set of responsibilities. Some players are inevitably more pliable than others when it comes to compromising on those needs, but that in itself creates problems for defining player value across the board. How does one accurately measure player worth when every individual's value is so deeply conditional?
Making that determination inevitably becomes a matter of taste, as we don't otherwise have the means to make sense of such disparate items. It's hard enough comparing vastly different players at different positions -- say, Omer Asik and Monta Ellis -- but another matter entirely given that both players have unique prerequisites to their effectiveness. If Asik is the defensive balance to offense-first lineups (as was the case in Houston), his strengths can be accentuated while his weaknesses are disguised. If not, he's a lesser player, relatively, because his lack of offensive skill can so severely cramp his team's scoring operations.
A different set of concerns are in play with Ellis, who needs helpful defenders, spot shooters and supporting playmakers to get the most out of his own game. When all of that is in place, Ellis can be a legitimate weapon. Without it, he can grind even a quality team into mediocrity with his inefficient shot selection and unchecked domination of the ball.
Such factors define the range between a player's ceiling and floor, though without necessarily addressing the probability that either is actually met. How does one place Tyson Chandler without knowing if he'll have a solid point guard to make use of his game-changing offensive potential? Or rank Rajon Rondo without understanding how likely he is to have the supporting scorers he so desperately needs? And in contrast, where does this line of thinking leave players like Joe Johnson, who are not only skilled and productive but also malleable to a wide variety of roles?
Certain players are indisputably more challenging to build around than others, and in some way that distinction should be taken into account in a ranking like this one. There's just no clean, satisfying way to do so, and thus no perfect fashion to consider each player on his own merits. That doesn't diminish the value of these results or the process behind them. It's simply important to note that a player's worth shifts dramatically with his surroundings, and with that comes distortion to any and every comparative ranking of this kind. | 4,344 | 2,194 | 0.000457 |
warc | 201704 | Not surprisingly, a significant amount of sustainability education at SIUE occurs in and around the classroom in a variety of ways:
July 2016 marked the completion of a three-year pilot sustainability fellowship with Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies.
In 2011, Dr. Connie Spurlock Fry and Kevin Adkins created the Mississippi Project which sponsors annual curricular workshops. (Mississippi Project VI was held on August 11, 2016.) The workshop is modeled after the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona University and the Piedmont Project at Emory University, which have both drawn national attention for their innovative approaches to curricular change. The workshops explore how faculty can meaningfully integrate sustainability – broadly defined – into their classrooms.
In 2009, as part of a SAG-sponsored sustainability audit, conducted by ENVS GA Ron Morlen, University faculty were asked to identify courses that concentrated on sustainability, including its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, as well as courses that included sustainability as a course component or module. Over 40 courses were identified in fields as diverse as Biology, Business, Anthropology, Engineering, Philosophy and Environmental Science.
Environmental Science
SIUE offers an undergraduate minor in Environmental Science and at the graduate level, offers a Masters in Science with six possible areas of emphasis: Environmental Biology; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Education; Environmental Policy and Public Administration; Environmental Technology and Assessment; Environmental Toxicology. The University also offers a Professional Science Master's (PSM.)
Civil Engineering
To address the needs of the civil engineering profession, the SIUE Department of Civil Engineering has created two professional development sequences (PDS) for post-baccalaureate study. Both highlight aspects of sustainable development relevant to civil engineers. The PDS for Sustainable Infrastructure includes courses on sustainable engineering (CE 596), intelligent transportation systems (CE 578), and municipal infrastructure (CE 460). The PDS for Sustainable Planning includes courses on sustainable engineering (CE 596), solid waste management (CE 588), and transportation planning (CE 475).
Department of Geography
The Department of Geography now offers an Area of Specialization in Sustainability. This area of study offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human-environment systems and interactions in terms of their sustainability across space and over time. Sustainability generally refers to the capacity to meet contemporary social, economic, and environmental needs in a balanced manner and in ways that do not compromise the capacity of future generations to also meet these same needs. Students who concentrate in this area of study will be better prepared for a wide range of careers, including resource and ecosystem management, sustainable facilities management and business operations, environmental policy, consulting, education, and advocacy, and urban and regional sustainability planning.
The Sustainability LibGuide is a resource from the Lovejoy Library that provides a central point for locating resources to help you to learn about sustainability. This guide can be used to help you find eresources, databases, multimedia, research tips, faculty resources, and more.
In order to contribute to the understanding among scholars across disciplinary lines, the College of Arts and Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville launched a new initiative: Interdisciplinary Roundtables. One of these roundtables approved in Fall 2009 is "SIUE - Nature Preserves Partnerships." The roundtable members are: Jennifer Rehg - Coordinator (Anthropology);Elaine M. Abusharbain (biologival Sciences); Peter Minchin (Biological Sciences); Rick Essner (Biological Sciences); Kurt Schulz (Biological Sciences); Elizabeth Walton (Geography and Environmental Sciences); Chris Pearson (Philosophy); Connie Frey (Sociology & Criminal Justice Studies); Laura Perkins (Speech Communication).
The roundtable is exploring the potential for the university and local nature preserves to collaborate in research, teaching, and community outreach. Its goals are to highlight the many research and education opportunities for SIUE faculty and students that already exist in natural areas on campus and at local preserves, and to identify ways to enhance and expand these opportunities. | 4,588 | 2,082 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | Here are the top issues! A more complete discussion can be found in my book, The Surgery-Free Makeover: All You Need to Know for Great Skin and a Younger Face. Brown spots on face from age and sun damage
Brown spots on the face are essentially sun damage. You may have had them as freckles when you were younger, but they get larger and often darker as you get older. Be sure they are checked by a dermatologist first to make sure they are not skin cancer.
The first thing to do about age spots and brown spots on the face or hands is to prevent more of them by applying sunscreen daily. Make sure you use a sunscreen that protects you from UVA radiation by having at least 5-10% zinc or titanium. And, wear a hat!
You can also try over-the-counter bleaching creams if your brown spots are recent and not too dark. The bleaching creams are 2% hydroquinone. There have been some questions raised about the safety of hydroquinones in Europe and the European Union has banned them. Drugstore “bleaching” creams will cost under $50 and take effect in about 30 days. Prescription bleaching creams are usually 4% hydroquinone and will cost under $150, with some insurance plans covering them. Hydroquinones should be used for no more than 3 months unless under the care of a dermatologist.
Bear in mind that continued sun exposure will stimulate the growth of brown spots on the face, so that the bleaching creams will not protect you against the regrowth of brown spots or the development of new ones.
There are also plant-based bleaching creams for treatment of age spots and brown spots on the face. These ingredients are ones like arbutin, thymol, and kojic acid. You are welcome to try them but they are less effective than prescription products.
Microdermabrasion and peels are also options for brown spots. A good aesthetician can perform microdermabrasion or a low-strength peel, and these can often give good results as long as the problem is minimal to moderate at a cost under $250. Usually a series is needed.
Many of my patients ask me how to get rid of brown spots on the face. The most effective treatment option for brown spots is a series of laser treatments. This is also, unfortunately, the most expensive. An IPL or a Q-switched YAG laser, for example, can give excellent results.
Fractional lasers are a good option for removing brown spots on the face if your problem is more severe or you have wrinkles or acne scars that would also benefit from a fractional laser.
A series of five IPL/Photorejuvenation or laser treatments for brown spots will cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500, but often an IPL will also reduce any redness, stimulate some mild collagen growth, and add to your skin’s glow. You will need maintenance treatments when brown spots reappear, or once or twice a year. Fractional lasers are more expensive.
Brown spots or splotches due to melasma
If your brown spots tend to be larger splotches that appear on the cheeks, jaw line, upper lip, or forehead, they may be due to melasmafrom pregnancy, oral contraceptives or other hormones. If you think you might have melasma, you should see a dermatologist before trying any treatment of melasma. This can be a tough problem to treat and the sooner you start the better.
Brown spots vs melasma
You should also see a dermatologist before receiving any laser treatment for melasma. Some lasers can make melasma worse.
One promising development in this area is the fractional lasers, which have shown some good results on the treatment of melasma. These links will give you more information on melasma and its treatment.
Red or broken blood vessels on face
Having redness or broken blood vessels on your face or nose does not necessarily mean that you are an alcoholic, contrary to popular myth. Often people with Celt genes develop redness or even broken blood vessels on the nose and face, but it can happen to anyone. These changes can be caused by rosacea, sun damage, allergies (lots of nose blowing), or even some systemic diseases, like lupus.
You will need a doctor to help you figure out the cause of your redness. If redness is due to rosacea, the first step may be to look at lifestyle changes, like decreasing coffee or red wine consumption. But there are many effective treatments for rosacea, so see your dermatologist.
If the redness is due to sun damage, or you have rosacea, you may want to consider laser treatments to reduce the enlarged blood vessels or redness. These treatments cost $1,000 to $2,500 for a series of four to six treatments depending on how much redness you have and how large the area is that needs to be treated. Full face treatments will cost more than just treating your nose.
The results are usually excellent. A series takes 3-6 months to complete, and you will need maintenance treatments once or twice a year.
See Dr. Irwin’s Guide to IPL/Photorejuvenation Laser
Redness
Redness is often due to rosacea. If you think you have rosacea or are looking for treatment for rosacea, see your dermatologist.
The culprit can often be sun damage also. If your red and blotchy skin is due to sun damage, your best option is the IPL or pulsed dye lasers. These will cost $1,000 to $2,500 for a series of four to six treatments. The results are usually excellent. It takes about 6 months for the effects to be noticeable, and you will need maintenance treatments once a year.
Remember that if your redness is from rosacea, you’ll need to see a doctor in order to get the redness under control.
Remember also that there are no creams for rosacea at this writing that can take away bad redness for anything longer than a few hours. Some people have tried hydrocortisone, and that may have a very temporary effect. But, you do not want to use hydrocortisone for more than a few days.
Lumps, bumps, and moles
You should see a dermatologist if you have any moles, lumps or bumps that you want treated. Some growths are precancerous or cancerous, so make sure that a dermatologist checks anything that you think has changed or is suspicious. The various lumps, bumps, and moles we have are all treated in different ways depending on what they are. It is best to see your doctor to decide on the right course for you.
See Dr. Irwin’s Tip of the Week on Who Needs Mole Checks.
Next, learn about Neck and Chest Issues
See Dr. Irwin’s expert answers to other reader’s questions on Color and Texture Issues:
Can I get rid of brown spots under or around my eyes? Brown spots- what more can I do? A small, brown spot on my leg. What is it? | 6,613 | 2,843 | 0.000356 |
warc | 201704 | PARENTING STYLES. PARENTING STYLES. What influences a parent’s choice of parenting style?. 99% of all parents want to be good parents, and avoid doing what they consider to be a bad parent. Regardless of their parenting abilities, they love their child. The way their parents raised them.
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PARENTING STYLES
PARENTING STYLES...
What influences a parent’s choice of parenting style?
99% of all parents want to be good parents, and avoid doing what they consider to be a bad parent. Regardless of their parenting abilities, they love their child.
All parents incorporate both love and limits in their style of parenting, with the balance of love and limits determining a particular style. There are 4 parenting styles, and most parents use some combination of the 4. Each style has strengths and/or weaknesses, but only the authoritative parenting style combines both high love and high limits. It is considered the best style in today’s society.
AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING STYLE
Low love and high limits.
Giving orders
Authoritarian parents value obedience, structure, and respect. And they believe in a family hierarchy, with dad usually at the top, mom next in line, and children last.They use external control to teach right from wrong, such as spanking, and are quick to act on a discipline problem. Children in these families would not describe the relationship with their parents as close, warm, and loving.
The underlying assumption in this style is that “parents know best”.
The parents make the rules, and the children obey them without question or negotiation.
If the young child asks “why should I?”, the parent responds “because I said so” (often a legitimate answer).
This is the most traditional parenting style historically, and is based on the use of power.
The 1950’s sitcom called “Leave It To Beaver” showed a perfect family scenario operating under an authoritarian parenting style. The children were eager to please the parents, and there were few displays of affection for the children.
PERMISSIVE PARENTING STYLE...
High Love and Low Limits.
Dr. Benjamin Spock was a leading child care authority of the late 1940’s -80’s. He encouraged a fairly permissive parenting style, excusing all manners of misbehavior in children as somehow perfectly normal. In his later years, he expressed misgivings about some of the advice he had given.
Giving in
Parents have difficulty setting firm limits and are inconsistent.
It works pretty well in some cases because children generally want to please their parents.
Parents view themselves as their children’s friend, and have concerns that their children will not like them if they set too many rules.
Over time, children often become selfish, self-centered, and manipulative to get their own way…because they know they can.
Parents take a "hands-off" approach, allowing children to learn from the consequences of their actions.
Permissive parents often will eventually become bitter and resentful of their children. They place their children’s needs above their own, and tire of the lack of respect or appreciation for all they do. The children tend to have troubles with responsibility, relationships, and understanding the rights of others.
NEGLECTING PARENTING STYLE...
Sometimes called an indifferent parenting style due to it’s lack of emotional involvement and supervision of the child.
Generally considered as uncaring and inadequate to meet the needs of children.
These parents usually do not consider themselves to be bad parents, but are operating under a mistaken set of beliefs about what a good parent does. Their attempts to do what they think needs to be done to raise their children ends up being neglectful or abusive.
They might be indifferent, distant, unengaged, non-communicative, self-absorbed, unstructured, detached, and sometimes cruel.
Low Love and Low Limits
Giving up
Many individuals or couples are simply not prepared for the demands of good parenting. Children take time, money, energy, effort, and good parenting skills.
AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING STYLE...
High Love and High Limits.
Children raised by this style learn to accept responsibility, make wiser choices, cope with change, and are better equipped to succeed in a work-force which relies on
cooperative problem-solving.
Giving choices
A balance of freedom and responsibility.
Sometimes called the democratic or balanced parenting style, it relies on the principles of equality and trust.
Parents and children are equal in terms of their need for dignity and worth but not in terms of responsibility and decision making.
Parents model right and wrong by their words and deeds, and give reasons for limits; discipline is used to teach and guide, not punish or control.
Parents present expectations to gain a child’s cooperation and respect, including demands of maturity.
Although this 1950’s sitcom was entitled Father Knows Best, is portrayed an authoritative parenting style rather than authoritarian.
FAMILY STRUCTURE...
68% of children live with both parents; 28% live with one parent; 4% live with someone other than a parent
Over the last 35 years, there has been an increase in the number of people choosing not to marry and living alone in households, and a decrease in the number of married people living with their children in households.
Although statistically the traditional nuclear family grouping is the most successful one for raising children, it has not existed in the majority of homes. It once reached 46% for an all time high. Many factors have influenced the family picture historically, including life expectancy/mortality, child labor trends, women in the workforce, divorce rates, births to unwed mothers, etc.
The “traditional” nuclear family, with a husband wage-earner, wife homemaker and dependent children, now accounts for less than 10 percent of all American households.
FAMILY UNIT...
The family is the most fundamental of society's institutions, for it is within the family setting that character, morality, responsibility, ability, and wisdom are nurtured best in children. There is a direct correlation between a family founded on a lifelong marriage and low incidences of crime, addiction, abuse, illness, and underachievement.
There is not doubt, statistically, that the children raised in a household with both biological parents is at an advantage. Fathers and mothers, men and women, interact differently with children…
PARENT CONTRIBUTIONS...
Fathers:
Mothers:
Roughhouses with children;plays louder
Encourage competition
Do not modify language for the child’s sake
Talk is brief, direct, and to the point, with subtle body language and facial expressions
Help children prepare for harshness and reality of the real world
Model traits of men and how to treat women
Encourage children to take chances, push limits
Stress justice, fairness, and duty
Encourages independence from family
Teaches a sense of right and wrong with discipline
Gentle with children; plays quieter
Encourage equity
Simplifies words and talks on child’s level
Talk is more descriptive, personal, expressive of feelings, and verbally encouraging
Help protect children from the harshness and reality of real world
Model traits of women and how to treat men
Encourages caution and protection of self
Stress sympathy, care, and help
Encourages security in the family
Teaches a sense of hopefulness with discipline
FAMILY TIME...
A high amount of conversation and level of interaction between parents and children has an enormous, positive impact on a child's development. Even in intact families, however, children suffer from a lack of intimate time with their parents.
On average, Dads spend 8 minutes, working mothers spend 11 minutes, and stay-at-home moms spend less than 30 minutes talking to their children each day.
Nearly 20 percent of students in grades 6 through 12 report that they have not had a 10-minute conversation with at least one of their parents in more than a month.
According to latest research, children enrolled in early childhood programs and day care centers on the whole actually have an edge in school over those who stay at home with a parent.
THE FAMILY AS A PRIORITY...
Responsible adults make the decision to have children…they are not just “accidents”. In making that decision, a couple must decide that the children will be a priority in their lives. They must be willing to place their family’s needs in the proper perspective in relation to job, career, friends, personal interests, finances, demands on time, increased energy needed, and their marriage. The focus of the family must shift from “I want” and “we want” to “they need”.
When it’s been a long, hard day, are you still going to make the effort to read a bedtime story? When your child wakes up in the morning too sick to go to school, are you going to leave them home alone so you can go to work? Are you going to live without new shoes so they can get a cavity filled?
FAMILY MUST BE #1
DIVORCE IN THE FAMILY...
There was a period in history where, even though divorce was fairly common, many families stayed together for the sake of their children. This trend changed in the 1970’s, as researchers indicated that it was probably more damaging to the child to hear their parents argue and fight than it was to accept their divorce. Unfortunately, those findings were later reversed. In the long run, children apparently are better off in homes with unhappy parents than in homes after parents divorced and moved apart.
Children from divorce have feelings of guilt, helplessness, anger, and sadness. They may suffer from depression, troubles with relationships or school achievement, eating, sleeping, etc.
Current U.S. divorce rate is just about 50%, with Nebraska being ranked 15th from the bottom at 40%
55% of those divorces involved couples with children
Custody of those children was given to the mother 68% of the time
1,000,000 children in the U.S. per year from divorced homes
Children often feel they are to blame, or that they can somehow get their parents back together. They frequently have more difficulty with intimate relationships.
THE FATHERLESS HOME...
Over 25% of all children are living without the biological father in the home, due to divorce, unwed mothers, abandonment, death, etc. What are the results?
The children are:
Eight times more likely to go to prison. Twenty times more likely to become rapists. Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances. 33 times more likely to be seriously abused. 73 times more likely to be fatally abused. One-tenth as likely to get A's in school. On average have a 44% higher mortality rate. On average have a 72% lower standard of living.
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders, 90% of all homeless and runaway children, 71% of all high school dropouts, 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers, 63% of children committing suicide, 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions, and 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in fatherless homes.
SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES...
A key characteristic of single-parent families is the limited resources, including time, energy, and money available to them.(less than ½ of all ordered child support is paid in full)
Nearly 60% of children in single parent families are living in poverty.
Children in single-parent families are twice as likely to drop out of high school as children living full time in two-parent families.
Children in single-parent homes are more likely to have their own marriages end in separation or divorce.
Children in single-parent homes are at the highest risk for unmarried parenthood.
Step Families...
Husband with children marries , no-kids wife (the step-momster).
Wife with children marries no-kids husband.Divorced mom with kids marries divorced dad with kids.
Widow or widower with kids remarries.
Divorced or widowed parents of adult children marry.And many other possibilities.
Step families, often called blended families, have unique characteristics, which pose unique problems for the couple as well as the new family unit:
1. At least some members of the family have experienced “loss”, an emotional crisis.
2. The biological parent and child have a longer history and stronger ties to each other than the couple does.
3. The children’s other biological parent does not belong to this family…and may belong to another family
4. Children from a previous marriage now have 2 families to deal with and schedule time with, including holidays and children’s birthdays, etc.
5. Stepparents don’t fill biological parent’s roles, including no legal rights
6. Over 1/3 of all children born now will live in a stepfamily household by the time they are 18 years old.
7. 75% of all remarriages end in divorce.
PARENTING STYLES
Created by Barbara L. Swarthout, Family & Consumer Sciences teacher at Elkhorn High School | 13,527 | 5,889 | 0.000174 |
warc | 201704 | As I put together a smoothie recipe that I thought all members of my family would enjoy, while adding as much nutrition as I could, I came across several recipes that included oatmeal. At first I wasn’t sure how that would work in a smoothie, but now I am so glad I gave it a chance.
The breakfast smoothie recipe is an adaption of a few I came across. I created this smoothie to fit the needs of my family, so we used Gluten free oatmeal and added almond milk.
If you like your smoothie tart then add another tablespoon of frozen orange juice concentrate. We preferred it less tart. Five out of Six people in my family really liked this smoothie, even the three and four year old! I love having the added oatmeal for the health benefits oatmeal offer. The greek yogurt is a great addition for protein which is substantially higher in protein than regular yogurt. This smoothie offers a high amount of potassium, fiber, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C plus other needed vitamins and nutrients. It is however calorie dense, coming in at 506.6 calories if you drink the whole smoothie. We managed to get two smoothies out of this one recipe so it didn’t seem quiet so bad.
All in all we really liked this recipe and we will be making this one again!
Ingredients: 1/3 Cup oatmeal 4 Heaping Table spoons of Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate 1/3 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt 1/2 cup Blueberries 6 Frozen Strawberries 1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Grind the oatmeal in a blender until as fine as you can get it. Add all other ingredients and blend until desired consistency. Enjoy.
Nutritional information
Calories – 506.6
Fat – 6.3g Sodium – 92mg Potassium – 706mg Carbs – 49.8g Dietary Fiber – 10.5g Sugar – 11.5g Protein – 10.4g Vitamin A – 6.3% Folate – 4.1% Vitamin B6 – 163.2% Iron – 18.6% Vitamin C – 46.9% Manganese – 17.9% Vitamin D – 12.5% Thiamin – 12.6% Vitamin E – 29.7% Niacin – 3.5% Calcium – 28.8% Copper – 4.8% | 2,036 | 1,057 | 0.001005 |
warc | 201704 | "Halal Food" means food or product that contains NO pork, lard, bacon, ham, alcohol or any of their byproducts. "Haram Food" is not Permissible for Islamic consumption. Muslims must seek "Halal" and and avoid "Haram". There is a fact about food ingredients that all muslims must know. As we may know that the prepared, canned, and frozen food have some addictives, enzymes, emulsifiers and some other chemical materials. These materials are either prepared or derived from plants or animals and some are synthetical. Hence, one has to find out what type of animal has been used for the preparation of these materials. If the source is pork, then definitely, it becomes haram (unlawful) for muslims to use or eat that kind of food.
The following list of Classified Ingredients are widely used in the Food Industries. Some of these ingredients are Halal (lawful), some are Mash-Booh (suspected), and some are Haram (unlawful). Please note that this is a partial list.
We have done our best to insure that the information we preset here is accurate and lawful to the islamic prospective, but if you find otherwise please let us know.
Partial List of Halal (Lawful) Ingredients Nartural - Additives Citric Acid Honey Mustard Pepper Salt Sugar Vinegar Synthetic - Additives Sodium Bicarbonate Sodium Citrate More Halal ingredients
Acetic Acid Adipic Acid Agar Amylase Amylose Antioxidantants (BHA & BHT) Arachidonic Acids (Fish) Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C) Avidin Baking Powder Baking Soda Benzoate (Benzoic Acid) Bran Butyric Acid Calciferol (Vit. D3) Calcium Acid Phosphate Carbohydrates (Natural) Carotene Carotenoid Carrageenin Casein Cellulose Chocolate Liquor Cholecalciferol Choline Citric Acid Cocoa Butter Corn Syrup Solids Cream of tartar Cultures (Microbes) Cystein Dextrose Disaccherids Ergosterol Farina Fiber Ficin Firming Agents Fructose Galactose Gallic Acid Gliadin (Gluten) Glucose Gums Hemicellulose Hydrogenated Oils Inulin Iodine Lactic Acid Lactose Lysin Malic Acid Malt Maltose Mannitol Mannosan Methionine Molases Monosaccherides Oxalic Acid Papain Pectin Phytic Acid Polysacceride Propionic Acid Propyl gallate Roughage Smoke Flavorings Sodium Aluminum Sulphate Sorbic Acid Sorbitol Starch Sucrose Suet Sweeteners (Natural) Tannic Acid Tapioca Tryptophan Vanilla Vanilla Acid Vanillin Vitamin Tablets: (A, D, E, C) Zinc Partial List of Haram (Unlawful) Ingredients Alcohol Alcoholic Beverages Bacon Cider (Hard) (Alcohol) Cocaine Codeine Collagen D.E.S (sex Hormones) Ethylene Oxide Fermented Malt Ham (Hog) Insulin (Porcine) Insulin Lard (Hog) Pepsin (Hog) Pork Vanilla Extract (Alcohol) Wine (Alcohol) Partial List of Mash-Booh (Suspected) Ingredients
Mash-Booh Product Sources Alanine Animal/Plants Bile Salts Animal Biotin Animal Chelate Animal Cholesterol Animal Chymotrypsin Animal Cobalamine Animal Coloring Extract Health Reasons Cures . Cystein Animal Cystine Animal Diglycerides Animal/Plants Disodium Inosinate Animal Disodium Guanilate Animal Diuretic Health Reasons EDTA Health Reasons Enrichement Animal/Plants (Mainly Plants) Fatty Acids Animal/Plants Folic Acid Animal/Plants Gelatin Animal/Seaweeds Glycerides Animal/Plants Glycerol Animal Hismatine Animal/Plants Hormones Animal Inositol Animal/Plants Insulin Animal Keratin Animal Limit Dextrin Animal Lipids Animal/Plants Monoglycerides Animal/Plants Niacin Animal/Plants Nitrate Health reasons Nitrite Health Reasons Oleic Acid Animal/Plants Para Amino Benzoic Acid Animal/Plants Pepsin Animal Phenyl Alanine Animal/Plants Phospholipids Animal Phosphoric Acid Health Reasons Polysaccherides - Amylopectin Animal Polysaccherides - Glycogen Animal Polyunsaturated Animal/Plants Rennet Animal/Plants Rennin Animal/Plants Riboflavin Animal/Plants (Mainly Plants) Shortenings Animal/Plants Sweeteners - Aspartame Health reasons Sweeteners - Cyclamate Health Reasons Sweeteners - Saccharine Health Reasons Tartaric Acid Alcohol Thiamin Animal/Plants Tonic Alcohol/No-Alcohol Trypsin Animal Uric Acid Animal Vinegar Alcohol/No-Alcohol Vitamin: Capsules (A,E,K) Animal Whey May contain Rennin or Rennet Yeast (Brewer's Beer) Alcohol Mono Sodium Glutamate [MSG] Just become doubtful product Read here about MSG If the food items are Mash-Booh (suspected to be eaten) or you are not sure about the status of a particular ingredient, you should call or write to the manufacturer of the product to verify the source of that ingredients. Usually the names and addresses of the companies and the bakeries are found on the food labels.
We, somalitalk.com team, are not qualified to make any fatwas on Halal or Haram. We are simply gathering information and leaving you the judgement. Disclaimer: But Remember that before Allah every body is responsible for his or her actions, including what he or she eats.
We ask Allah forgiveness. For your part, please pray Allah for us for the success of our lives here and Janna the hereafter.
Qoraalka oo Af-Soomaali ah.. akhri... compiled by: Mohamed Ali Halal Related Websites
Daabacaad: 2000 | Cusboonaysiin: Dec 21, 2002
www.SomaliTalk.com/halal | 5,080 | 2,395 | 0.000419 |
warc | 201704 | Have a story idea for Southeastern's website? Send your contact information, a brief description and available photos to outreach@southeastern.edu. We will contact you if we decide to use your story idea.
HAMMOND – The story of the Uruguayan rugby team, whose airplane crashed in the Andes Mountains in 1972 and had to resort to cannibalism to survive until their rescue, has strong roots in the history of human evolution, according to a Southeastern Louisiana University psychology professor.
The 16 young men – who endured 72 days of bitter cold, a lack of food and other resources – saw their lives suddenly reduced to the basics of daily survival. The men, most of whom were members of the Old Christians Rugby Club from Montevideo, Uruguay and alumni of Stella Maris College, were on their way to play a rugby match in Chile, were the only survivors of the crash that carried 45 people, including the crew and family members. The others either died during or right after the crash or in a major avalanche that occurred several days later.
"They survived by accessing the resources of their own human legacy, which was enhanced because they were already a team," said Matt J. Rossano, author of the just published book "Mortal Rituals: What the Story of the Andes Survivors Tells Us about Human Evolution."
Rugby was introduced at Stella Maris College by the Irish priests who taught there and favored the game over the Latin American-preferred game of soccer. For this team, Rossano said, rugby was similar to a more ancestral way of thinking and prepared them for the rigors of survival. Rugby, he said, requires a smothering of the ego and complete submission into a team effort.
"Our human ancestors, Homo erectus, were odd-ball primates whose fate depended on their smarts, tools and the ability to work together," he explained. "Left on his own, Homo Erectus didn't have a chance. The group was life, while separation was a death sentence. The same applied to the Andes survivors."
He said the group was saved through teamwork, faith and a well-organized social system that was reinforced by ritual.
Rossano discusses how a hierarchy of leaders and workers was established among the group, which included two natural leaders; several lieutenants, mostly young boys who did the odd jobs assigned by the leaders; the medical crew who took care of the injured; a group he describes as "workers and parasites," the complainers who drifted into complacency and a state of constant complaining; and the expeditionaries, who would be seeking a way through the mountains for rescue.
All of them together formed a hierarchical community with the primary focus of survival, a trait likely inherited from a common ancestor to early man and all the great apes, he explained.
Rossano – who writes frequently on religion, science, evolution and human behavior – relied heavily on first-person accounts of the survival story mainly taken from the books "Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors" by Piers Paul Read and "Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home" by Nando Parrado, one of the survivors.
As the meager supplies in the plane dwindled, the group was forced by the circumstances to decide to break a long-standing taboo, the consumption of deceased fellow passengers.
"Then days into their survival, they confronted what had previously only been private thoughts of just cautious whispers," he said. "That was eating the dead. It eventually was suggested by one of the medical students on the team."
"Certainly this was taboo, but they had to push aside revulsions and their own deep conflicts," Rossano added. "They saw it as the only way to survive. For some of the more devoutly religious ones, it was seen as a moral duty to try to survive. That became the only relevant issue."
As all of the team members were from a Catholic tradition, they employed ritual to keep their spirits up in the face of worsening conditions. Nightly discussions and debate followed by rosary recited in unison in the fuselage of the plane helped maintain a unity of purpose, explained Rossano, author of the "Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved."
"This ritual meant different things to different people," he said. "For the devout, it was a heartfelt petition to their God for strength, mercy and even a miracle. For the skeptical, it was a means of mental relaxation, something that helped preserve their sanity and help them sleep. No one put himself above the ritual. The solidarity of the group was more important than any single person's doubts or misgivings about the supernatural. They used these rituals and routines to recognize their fates were interlocked. They were family."
Ritual was employed by the expeditionaries whose job it was to trek from the crash site, over the mountains in order to find help. Eight times they left the wreckage in attempt to climb the mountain peak and find the valleys of Chile. As each attempt failed, they knew they had to continue.
'Ritual can harness the mind's power to endure," said Rossano. "Their ally was their minds."
Using the ritual of focusing on one step at a time, frequently accompanied by a prayer used as a mantra, the expeditionaries pushed on. Rossano said they learned what Tibetan monks had known for centuries – which ritual can be used as a strategy for overcoming pain and as a way of increasing endurance.
"It's using the mind as a way of coping with suffering," he added. "Studies have shown that meditation can have strong positive health benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, and overall mental health."
Rossano said the community of survivors demonstrated a sense of self that was also known to man's ancient ancestors. "It was a sense of self, not as a separate individual agent, but as someone embedded within a tight-knit community. It was a sense of self cultivated in the game of rugby and essential to the ultimate survival," he said.
"Mortal Rituals" is heavily footnoted, referencing numerous academic sources Rossano uses in his presentation. The book was published by Columbia University Press. | 6,216 | 2,984 | 0.00034 |
warc | 201704 | Prevent, the British government’s counter-extremism strategy, has been controversial since it was first proposed a decade ago. Under Prevent, teachers, lecturers and a host of other professionals have a duty to safeguard individuals considered susceptible to radicalisation. Anyone who appears to challenge British values, or whose behaviour attracts suspicion, can be reported to local authorities for monitoring and re-education. Nearly 4,000 people were referred under Prevent in 2015, almost three times as many as in the previous year. The youngest was just four years old.
spiked has been vocal in criticising Prevent for fuelling bans on campus speakers, monitoring research and creating a climate of mistrust and suspicion among academics and students. Others, such as the National Union of Students (NUS) and the lecturers’ union, UCU, share these concerns and have challenged Prevent for promoting racism and Islamophobia and targeting Muslims. The NUS has been at the forefront of opposition, with its Preventing Prevent handbook and its Students Not Suspects campaign. UCU Left offers advice on ‘Challenging the Prevent Agenda’ and in March this year members of the National Union of Teachers backed a motion calling for Prevent to be scrapped.
In recent years, opposing Prevent has become a central principle of the political left in the UK. Sadly, this has only ever amounted to, at best, a half-hearted defence of free speech; the NUS, for example, fails to recognise that when it comes to banning speakers, Prevent and its own preferred policy of No Platform are two sides of the same censorious coin. Nonetheless, the NUS posed a clear and definite challenge to Prevent.
Not any more. Last week, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott publicly criticised Prevent. Her outrage wasn’t directed at the case of the 14-year-old boy reported for using the French word for ‘terrorism’ to describe an airport sign. In his French class. No, Abbott’s gripe is that Prevent doesn’t go far enough. It isn’t rounding up enough people with extreme right-wing views. ‘The Prevent programme has failed to change the attitudes of those on the far right’, she complained.
An article on
Left Foot Forward, the ‘political blog for progressives’, was more explicit: ‘Prevent gets a bad press but it’s a crucial tool against the far right that killed Jo Cox’, said a headline. Forget for a moment that Cox’s killer, Thomas Mair, is here absolved of all responsibility for his crime; what’s notable is the rehabilitation of Prevent into a policy the left can exploit to serve its own political purposes. | 2,695 | 1,401 | 0.000742 |
warc | 201704 | If the long-range forecasts are correct, we’re in for a chilly, wet spring. While that might sound discouraging, vegetable crops that prefer the cooler temperatures should grow great this year.
Cool-season crops can be planted as soon as the soil in your garden is dry enough to be worked, usually in early to mid-April. Let’s look at some of the most popular crops and recommended varieties of each.
Carrots and parsnips – These have the same growing requirements: Loosen the soil in the bed to a depth of at least 12 inches. Don’t add much manure or high-nitrogen soil amendments as this can cause the roots to split.
Varieties: (carrots) Nantes, Bolero, Rainbow Blend; (parsnips) Harris Model, Hollow Crown.
Lettuce – The only hard part about growing lettuce is choosing from the many varieties available. I plant mine in blocks and thin the plants 4 to 6 inches apart. I harvest leaves rather than the plants to extend the season.
Varieties: Red Sails, Sea of Red, Prizehead, Speckled, Esmeralda.
Onions – These can be started from seeds, bulb-like sets or seedlings. Plant them 2 inches apart and space the rows 6 to 8 inches apart. Harvest every other onion as a scallion, leaving the remainder to grow into large, storable bulbs.
Varieties: Valencia, Red Globe, Walla Walla.
Peas – I start mine indoors since the seeds can rot in cold, wet soil. They will need a trellis to grow up and should be harvested frequently, while they are young and tender.
You will have to choose between shelling, sugar snap or edible pod varieties but they are all fun to grow and productive.
Did you know pea leaves can be used in salads? They taste just like the peas themselves.
Varieties: Lincoln, Mammoth Melting Sugar, Cascadia, Alderman.
Potatoes – Traditionally planted around Good Friday, certified disease-free seed potatoes can be purchased from garden centers. Cut them into chunks that contain two “eyes” each, as that is where the plants will sprout. Let the chunks cure for several hours before planting.
An alternative is to purchase small seed potatoes and plant them whole. Plant them 4 to 6 inches deep and 1 foot apart. Hand-pick Colorado potato beetles if you see any.
Varieties: Yukon Gold, Kennebec, All Blue, or fingerling varieties.
The next seven crops are common targets of leaf miners, aphids and/or cabbage loopers. To avoid this problem, plant them beneath a floating row cover.
This lightweight fabric lets in air, light and water but provides a physical barrier that keeps insects out. Weigh down the fabric edges with bricks or boards.
Beets – Ever since tasting roasted beets, I make room for this crop every year. Prepare the soil deeply for best results and remember that you can harvest the greens as well as the roots.
Varieties: Detroit Dark Red, Golden, Chioggia, Bull’s Blood.
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower – These cole crops should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. I plant mine in a zigzag pattern to squeeze extra plants into my raised beds. All can be started indoors about 4 weeks before our last frost, which is usually in mid-May.
Varieties: (broccoli) Calabrese, Arcadia, Munchkin; (Brussels sprouts) Franklin, Jade Cross; (cabbage) Early Jersey Wakefield, Invento; (cauliflower) Snow Crown, Amazing.
Swiss chard – I grow this in place of spinach because it’s tough and won’t bolt to seed in hot weather. It’ll even grow well into the fall. Space the plants 6 to 8 inches apart.
I harvest leaves rather than whole plants. Try sautéing shallots in butter, then add the chard leaves and let them steam for a few minutes. It’ll make you give up spinach for good. It freezes well, too.
Varieties: Bright Lights, Silverado.
Click here to comment on this story » | 3,839 | 1,964 | 0.000526 |
warc | 201704 | Hemant Shah is the co-founder, president and CEO of RMS, a leader in catastrophic risk modeling. He co-founded RMS in 1989 based on his research work at Stanford University. Twenty years later, RMS is a global leader in developing models for things such as hurricanes, terrorist activity, and earthquakes.
Sramana: Hemant, let’s start by reviewing your background. Where are you from? What is the backdrop to your entrepreneurial journey? Hemant Shah: I grew up on the Stanford campus. I have been here all my life. I was born in Pennsylvania, where my father was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. I went to school here at Gunn High in Palo Alto. I then went on to Stanford for my bachelor and masters degrees. I lived in Palo Alto and Menlo Park before I finally moved to San Francisco. Of course, my mother got upset when I moved to San Francisco because it was so far away! While I didn’t go far, that was the first time I had left the ZIP code. Sramana: Where in this history does RMS start? Hemant Shah: This has been my first and only job. I was one of the founders, and I have reinvented myself in the company a couple of times over the past 24 years since we spun it out of the university. The inspiration came from desperation while doing my masters work in engineering in the late 1980s.
There was a start of really interesting thinking about multidisciplinary education. The business school would welcome some of the engineering graduate students into their courses to get some cross-polinization between the technology community and the business community. One of the classes that my friend and I took over at the Stanford Business School was quite intimidating. It was something like Entrepreneurship and High Technology, and we had to write a business plan for the class. We had developed the business plan for Risk Management Software, which is now Risk Management Solutions.
We wrote the business plan and got some very positive feedback from the faculty, who introduced us to some people. We took that as a starting point and built out the plan. When we graduated in 1989 we started the business.
Sramana: What was your area of research? Hemant Shah: It was in earthquake risk and risk management. The inspiration for that goes to my father, who was and is a highly regarded earthquake engineer. He was one of the pioneers in earthquake analysis and earthquake design. I remember as a young child that any time there was an earthquake anywhere in the world, my father and his grad students would disappear for days and weeks. We grew up around the kitchen table talking about earthquakes and his research, as well as his worldwide adventures.
The idea we had as students was to build a business not around the estimate of earthquake damage, but rather to apply all of this knowledge that exists about earthquakes to help institutions who suffer the consequences and pay the losses manage the financial risks posed by earthquakes. | 2,976 | 1,447 | 0.000695 |
warc | 201704 | WHO director-general Margaret Chan said she believed the spread may have reached pandemic level and would be consulting governments before making a formal announcement.
She said: "Once I get indisputable evidence, I will make the announcement."
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said she had no information about a consultation with WHO.
But said: "The localised cases of swine flu found in the UK have, in the majority of cases, not been severe and we have not seen evidence of widespread community transmission.
"We are continuing to work to slow the spread of the disease and to put in place arrangements to ensure that the UK is well placed to deal with this new infection.
"But we must not be complacent - it is right to prepare for the possibility of a global pandemic.
"Clearly, the WHO declaring an official pandemic would be a serious development. However, the WHO alert levels reflect the global view, and any action taken in the UK would be based on the situation here.
"We are monitoring the situation constantly and if anything changes we will react accordingly."
Yesterday an English school today became the 20th to close since the outbreak of swine flu.
The Health Protection Agency said five schools were currently closed, 15 had shut and had since reopened.
The junior school in Berkshire closed after a pupil contracted the virus on a trip to America.
Berkshire West NHS said the infected child was making "good recovery".
Emmbrook Junior School in Wokingham was open until noon yesterday so children and staff could receive antiviral inoculations but will be closed for a week.
"We had a team of doctors and other clinicians at the school throughout the morning checking all children for symptoms," said NHS Berkshire West consultant in Public health Dr Jane Wells.
"All children and staff were offered antiviral medication as a preventative measure and advised to remain at home for seven days."
Emmbrook Junior School head teacher Paul Rowe said: "We are working closely with Health Protection Agency and on their advice the school will reopen on Tuesday June 16.
"This is to reduce the impact of the possible spread of the infection."
Among the 20 closed education establishments was public school Eton College which had to shut for a week because 31 students and staff were infected with the influenza virus.
A further nine people in England were confirmed with swine flu yesterday, bringing the total in the UK to 675, health officials said.
There have now been 435 confirmed cases in England, 232 in Scotland, six in Northern Ireland and two in Wales, according to the Health Protection Agency.
Another 504 possible cases are under investigation.Reuse content | 2,732 | 1,373 | 0.000739 |
warc | 201704 | Facet Joint Pain Treatment
Facet joints are one of the most common sources of low back pain. The facet joints are the areas in the spine where vertebrae communicate. These joints are almost constantly in motion as the body goes from one movement to another, which places them at high risk for severe wear and bone spur development over the years. This wear can lead to the development of osteoarthritis, reduced mobility, and increased back pain. This pain can be relatively minor or can become debilitating.
Regenerative Medicine Treatment Options
The complex and delicate nature of the spine once meant that there was no available cure for problems with back pain related to the facet joints. Temporary solutions such as chiropractic treatments, cortisone shots, and medications could alleviate the pain and stiffness for a time, but do nothing to address the root cause of pain. The most serious cases require surgical interventions such as bone fusion.
These techniques, however, are very difficult to perform and could even worsen the condition.
Advancements in the fields of science and regenerative medicine have introduced new options for nonsurgical treatment of facet joint pain. The National Institute of Regenerative Medicine has played a large role in the development cell-based treatments, which can not only ease the pain in worn facet joints but also work to regenerate the damaged joints.
Cell Injections for Facet Joints & Back Pain
Treating facet joint pain with cell-based therapy can involve separating certain cells from the patient’s bone marrow and then injecting these cells into the damaged tissue where they help to repair the damaged structure. Cell injections can be followed by injections of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which helps direct the cells to the location of injury and aid in the repair processes.
Cell-based injections for back pain involve very little discomfort and are generally performed with only local anesthetic. The procedure represents far less danger than invasive spinal surgery and may provide noticeable results within only a few weeks. Actual repair of the tissue is completed within two or three months of the initial cell and PRP injections.
Patients need not suffer from the pain and limited mobility of inflamed and arthritic facet joints. Cell-based and regenerative medicine can offer tremendous benefits and should be considered before more dangerous, invasive measures such as spinal fusion surgery.
Please note that while the above conditions represent most of those that we treat using either PRP injections or PRP injection in conjunction with cell-based injections, the specific method of treatment will be based on your age and health at the time of treatment, the severity of a patient’s condition and other factors. Learn if you are eligible for treatment. | 2,848 | 1,351 | 0.000746 |
warc | 201704 | If you had to sum up the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans in
a few words, it would be "healthy eating patterns."
The guidelines are issued by the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Health
and Human Services every five years to reflect the latest research in
health and nutrition science. "In the past, these guidelines have
focused on certain types of food groups or specific nutrients," says
Jason Jilk, MD, an internal medicine and pediatrics physician at
St. Jude Heritage Medical Group. "But the latest edition takes a more holistic focus with its emphasis
on healthy eating patterns, which is what a person eats and drinks over
a long period of time. So it's not looking at fads or the latest diet
trends, but establishing mindful eating habits over a lifetime."
See the graphic below from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion to learn more about how you can follow a healthy eating pattern
over time:
The guidelines also have more specific recommendations on how you can develop
a healthy eating pattern. "The research accompanying the guidelines
shows Americans do not eat enough produce, whole grains, legumes, seafood
and dairy," Dr. Jilk says. "These foods are all important components
in a healthy diet." Dr. Jilk outlines some of the important ways
you can implement healthier foods into your diet to create a lifelong
pattern of nutritional health and wellness that not only nourishes the
body but also decreases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and
other health problems:
* Aim for variety as well as quantity when it comes to eating vegetables.
"According to the guidelines, American mainly eat potatoes, tomatoes,
lettuce and onions when it comes to vegetables," Dr. Jilk says. "There
are so many other types of vegetables out there with terrific health benefits,
such as dark, leafy greens and red and orange veggies. Try to work more
of every kind of vegetable into your diet--for instance, make a spinach
salad with a variety of veggies such as butternut squash or red bell peppers,
blend some kale into a smoothie or mix veggies into soups or sauces."
* Keep your fruit intact. "Whole fruits are best--juiced fruits lose
their healthy fiber, and many processed juices may have added sugar,"
Dr. Jilk says. "As with vegetables, you'll want to eat a wide
variety and incorporate them into dishes in creative ways. Berries can
top oatmeal or yogurt, different fruits can be combined in a fruit salad,
or you can make a fruit salsa using pineapple or mango for fish or poultry.
And fruit always makes a great dessert."
* Know your grains. "Many Americans eat more than enough processed,
refined grains, but not enough whole grains, which are good sources of
fiber and nutrients," Dr. Jilk says. "Whole grains include brown
rice, oats, popcorn, barley and bulgur. When it comes to bread, look for
'whole wheat' or 'whole grain' on the label. If it says
refined or enriched flour, it's not whole grain. At least half of
the grains you eat should be whole grains."
* Go fish. "When it comes to protein, Americans should be eating more
seafood as part of a rich spectrum of foods," Dr. Jilk says. "They're
a great source of omega-3 fats while being low in bad saturated fats.
Other healthy sources of protein include poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans,
peas and lean meats."
* Limit added sugars in your diet. "For the first time, the guidelines
put an actual limit on this, saying these sugars added to foods during
processing should make up no more than 10 percent of your daily calories,"
Dr. Jilk says. "And remember, this doesn't count sugars found
naturally in foods, such as fruits."
* Cut back on saturated fat and sodium. "Like added sugar, saturated
fat should be no more than 10 percent of your daily diet," Dr. Jilk
says. "And watch your salt intake--the research behind the guidelines
stated that adults eat about 50 percent more sodium than is recommended.
You should have less than 2,300 milligrams per day, so be sure to check
labels on food for the sodium levels."
Learn more about
St. Jude Heritage Medical Group. Learn more about
Dr. Jilk.
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
http://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2016/01/07/hhs-and-usda-release-new-dietary-guidelines-encourage-healthy-eating-patterns-prevent-chronic.html
http://health.gov/news/dietary-guidelines-digital-press-kit/2016/01/frequently-asked-questions/ | 4,543 | 2,119 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | The National Rifle Association in its simplest form is the largest gun club in the world. The organization was founded in 1871 by former Union Army officers to encourage sport shooting in order to have a fine tuned militia in case of emergency. The Union officers believed that a well regulated militia was integral for the security of a free state. It is an organization that opposes gun control, it believes in the individual defense of the uses of firearms, and it is interested in all aspects of shooting sports.1
Today, the organization stands with approximately 3.4 million members. Within the NRA, there are four major organs. The Institute for Legislative Action (is the lobbying arm), the political Victory Fund (which is a political action committee), the Civil Rights Legal Defense Fund (deals with scholarly research and legal developments), and the Grass Roots Division (which specializes in raising support through grass roots methods). As a membership organization, the NRA's directions is set by voting members. The direction of the policies are carried out by a 75 member board that is geographically distributed. The Board of Directors are elected by secret ballot.2
Brady Act
The Brady Act was approved by Congress in November of 1993 and was then signed into law by President Clinton later in the month. The act was originally named for anti gun lobbyist Sarah Brady, and not for former press secretary Jim Brady. It was through Jim Brady's support and the media coverage that linked his name to the act. The act requires that there be a waiting period of five state government business days at the time an individual applies to purchase a handgun from a federal firearm license. During the five day wait, the local sheriff or police chief must "make a reasonable effort" to see if the purchaser is prohibited from owning a handgun. The police official may approve the sale before the five day period only if the record check has been completed or if he believes the purchaser needs a handgun immediately to protect himself or his family.3
Presently, the Clinton administration isn't complying with the Brady Act. The act requires that within 60 months of enactment, the Attorney General must establish a national instant criminal background check system that allows federal firearms licensees to have access through some type of electronic method. The reason for the delay lies with the fact that U.S. Circuit Courts have split on whether the Brady Act violates the 10th amendment of the Constitution by allowing law enforcement agencies to conduct criminal records checks in association with the purchase of a handgun.4 It also may involve the access of medical records since some states require that hospitals report mental patients to the state, which may put them in the same database along with felons.5
Why Brady Fails
The Brady Bill is a failure and does not prevent criminals from obtaining handguns. After the enactment of the law for a period of 17 months, only 7 individuals were convicted of illegal attempts to purchase a handgun. By comparison, according to the Virginia State Police during the period between November 1989 and June 1996, the state's instant check system facilitated the arrest of 2,479 persons. Both the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Department of Justice have done studies that only show 7% of armed career criminals obtain firearms from legally licensed shops. The FBI reported in 1993 and 1994 that homicide rates had dropped 5%. Attorney General Janet Reno credited the reduction to community policing, while criminologists attributed the trend to maturing gang members who are now less willing to reside turf disputes violently. Neither attributed the decline to the Brady Bill.6
A National Association of Chiefs of Police Poll was released in May of this year that stated 85% of the police chiefs believe that the Brady Bill hasn't stopped... | 3,931 | 1,933 | 0.000519 |
warc | 201704 | The marketing function plays an integral role in every business within the global marketplace. The marketing department thrives on “thinking outside the box” and pushing the limits of consumer imagination and recognition. To be more specific, the American Marketing Association defines marketing as, “an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders” (Peter, Donnelly, Vandenbosch 3). As the role of the marketing department continues to globally expand on both a consumer and organizational level, the marketing department becomes a key player in a vast variety of decision making processes. These decisions are subject to many internal and external elements, but most importantly the impact of culture and cultural differences. Cultural differences affect the decisions of the marketing department in a number of ways. These affects can be witnessed through the process of ethical decision making, the diverse cultural backgrounds of marketing managers, and advertising initiatives.
In a multicultural marketing environment, ethical values across global boarders continue to create attention and develop a significant degree of importance in the global marketplace. To clarify, ethical decision making is the process of identifying a problem, generating alternatives, and choosing among them so that the alternatives selected maximize the most important ethical values while also achieving the intended goal (Guy 39). Throughout the marketing department, culture heavily influences the prospect of ethical decision making. To begin with, a key element in ethical decision making within a marketing context is the concept of the establishment of relationships and trust amongst consumers. Cultural differences can have a major impact on the development of decisions relating to such relationships and trust ideals. Marketing personnel need to ensure that when making decisions that affect potential development of relationships and levels of trust, they remain consistent with the general marketing theory. The foundation of this theory states that all exchanges are based on the concept of trust, and that conflict is most likely to occur if buyer and seller are not in agreement with respect to their ethical mindsets. Hence, where conflict exists, trust will not grow and in turn the exchange process will cease and marketing relationships cannot fully develop. A clear understanding of this theory is vital as global competition continues to increase and consumer acquisition costs are consistently on the rise (Srnka 3). A reliance on relationships and trust can be witnessed throughout Latin European cultures (Browaeys and Price 42). Next, the marketing department is faced with making ethical decisions that reflect on the subject of value compatibility. Values can be defined as, “basic convictions that people have regarding what is right and wrong, good and bad, important and unimportant” (Doh and Luthans 101). Compatibility of ethical values within the global marketplace is a central prerequisite for organizational success. As most values differ amongst cultures, it can be understood that this has a major impact on business decision making... | 3,357 | 1,495 | 0.000676 |
warc | 201704 | Mention the word power and what comes to mind? Power is evil, corrupt, self-serving, manipulative, hurtful, and possibly “America’s last dirty word.”1 These words speak to the dark side of power. There is, however, a positive face to addressing power acquisition, power-base development, and power use. The purpose of this article is to consider power as a positive force that is continually used to achieve organizational, group, and individual goals. When power is used in an ethical and purposeful way, there is nothing evil about it. This paper posits that leadership is the exercise of power; and, therefore, leaders must develop appropriate organizational power bases to use effectively their power to influence others. A power-base development model is constructed to show various deployments of power. This model establishes an interactive link between a leader’s power base and alternative influence strategies that produce positive power dynamics. The significance of this proposed model is that it accentuates the leadership role in developing positive organizational and interpersonal relationships that are predicated on the employment of certain known power bases in an organization. The power dynamics described in this model apply to all organizations regardless of size, goal, mission, technology, and so forth. The structure of the model is fashioned from a review of recognized and accepted literature on power theory, power-base formation, leadership, and organizational dynamics. The works of John Kotter, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, David A. Whetton, and Kim S. Cameron were invaluable in constructing an expanded model that displays both the dependent and interdependent relationships considered critical to power acquisition, power transformations, power dynamics, and organization effectiveness. The model’s design will permit the reader to examine both positive and negative power outcomes and provide an accelerated dramatization of known power relationships in complex organizations.
Leadership and Power
Power obviously is a pervasive reality in the life process of all modern-day organizations. Leaders regularly acquire and use power to accomplish specific work goals and to strengthen their own positions vis-à-vis the reading of general or organizational goals. It is possible to see every interaction and every social relationship in an organization as involving an exercise of power.2 Thus, in the context of this paper, the word leadership will be used to mean “the process of using power to obtain interpersonal influence.”3 The question then arises, why must leaders achieve success at influencing the behavior of other people at work? Because, as Harry Truman succinctly stated, “Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do and like it.”4 In short, the core problem for leaders in any organization involves getting others to do what is required to accomplish the organization’s goals.5 There are a number of other reasons to explain why leaders pursue power and view it as an important part of their work. In a general sense, power acquisition and power use can have an impact on career progress, on job performance, on organizational effectiveness, and on the lives of numerous people.6 More specifically, the nature of work in today’s complex organizations requires that we become more enlightened with respect to issues of leadership, power, and influence. John Kotter, writing in Power and Influence Beyond Formal Authority, states: “We can make rigid bureaucracies more flexible, innovative, and adaptive. We can even make the world of work more exciting and personally satisfying for most people.”7 Kotter believes that in today’s complex organizations, the concept of using formal power (that is, legitimate authority) as a sole source of influencing behavior to... | 3,915 | 1,788 | 0.000572 |
warc | 201704 | MULTIPLE CHOICE
What is Perception?
1.What is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment?
a.interpretation
b.environmental analysis
c.social verification
d.outlook
e.perception
(e; Easy; Perception; p. 139)
2.What is the relationship between what one perceives and objective reality? a.They are the same.
b.They can be substantially different.
c.They should be the same.
d.They are rarely if ever the same.
e.They cannot be the same.
(b; Moderate; Perception; p. 139)
3.What are the three classes of factors that influence perception?
a.factors in the setting, factors in the environment, and factors in the motives
b.factors in the perceiver, factors in the target, and factors in the situation
c.factors in the character, factors in knowledge, and factors in experience
d.factors in the personality, factors in the character, and factors in the values
e.factors in the senses, factors in the surroundings, and factors in the lighting (b; Easy; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 139) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
4.Two people see the same thing at the same time yet interpret it differently. Where do the factors that operate to shape their dissimilar perceptions reside?
a.the perceivers
b.the target
c.the timing
d.the context
e.the situation
(a; Moderate; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 139)
5.Which of the following is not a factor in the individual perceiver? a.attitude
b.motive
c.expectation
d.location
e.perception
(d; Moderate; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 140) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
6.David has the opinion that people who drive SUVs are dangerous drivers. He often perceives that people driving SUVs are doing so in a dangerous manner, even when other observers can see nothing wrong with the behavior of the SUV drivers. What factor in David is affecting his perception in this case?
a. his interests
b. his experiences
c. his expectations
d. his motives
e. his background
(c; Moderate; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 140) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
7.Which of the following is not true about our perceptions of a target?
a.Objects that are close together will be perceived together rather than separately.
b.Persons that are similar to each other tend to be grouped together.
c.Targets are usually looked at in isolation.
d.Motion, sounds, size, and other attributes of a target shape the way we see it.
e.Objects that are distant from one another will be perceived separately rather than as a group. (c; Challenging; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 140) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
8.The time at which an object or event is seen is an example of what type of factor influencing the perceptual process? a.perceiver
b.target
c.social
d.reality
e.context
(e; Moderate; Factors Influencing Perception; p. 140)
Person Perception; Making Judgments About Others
9.What is the most relevant application of perception concepts to OB? a.the perceptions people form about each other
b.the perceptions people form about their employer
c.the perceptions people form about their culture
d.the perceptions people form about society
e.the perceptions people form about external reality
(a; Challenging; Person Perception; p. 140)
10.What is the name of the theory that deals with how we explain behavior differently depending on the meaning we assign to the actor?
a.behavioral theory
b.judgment theory
c.selective perception theory
d.attribution theory
e.equality theory
(d; Moderate; Attribution Theory; p. 141)
11.When individuals observe another person’s behavior, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. This phenomenon is most directly relevant to which of the following?
a.the Pygmalion effect
b.projection... | 3,821 | 1,538 | 0.000663 |
warc | 201704 | Why we eat what we eat: social and economic determinants of food choice The article highlighted the need to consider the senses when promoting dietary change. This article focuses on the socio-economic factors that influence food choice and draws attention to the difficulties facing low-income groups in achieving a healthy diet. How social factors influence individual food choice
Social influences on food intake refer to the impact that one or more persons has on the eating behaviour of others, either direct or indirect, either conscious or subconscious. Even when eating alone, food choice is influenced by social factors because attitudes and habits develop through the interaction with others (1). Research has shown that we eat more with our friends and family than when we eat alone and the quantity of food increases as the number of fellow diners grows (2). The economics of food choice
The relationship between low socio-economic status and poor health is complicated and is influenced by gender, age, culture, environment, social and community networks, individual lifestyle factors and health behaviours (4). Population studies show there are clear differences in social classes with regard to food and nutrient intakes. Low-income groups in particular, have a greater tendency to consume unbalanced diets and have low intakes of fruit and vegetables (3). This leads to both under-nutrition (micronutrients deficiency) and over-nutrition (energy overconsumption resulting in overweight and obesity) within the members of a community, depending on the age group, gender and level of deprivation. The disadvantaged also develop chronic diseases at an earlier age compared with higher socio-economic groups; usually identified by educational and occupational levels. Low-income groups
Low-income groups who find it difficult to achieve a balanced healthy diet, are often referred to as experiencing food poverty or food insecurity (5). There are many aspects... | 1,979 | 973 | 0.00103 |
warc | 201704 | Recently I stepped out of my house in Henrico County to find 10 police cars parked on a side street. What, might you ask, was the incident that necessitated such a massive police presence? Was it a raid on a meth lab? A madman taking shots from his attack window? A shootout between rival gangs?
Nope. These Henrico police officers were responding to a domestic violence event. I watched from my window while they used a battering ram to break down the back door of the house next to me. One of them had a Taser at the ready, and four or five of them had their guns drawn and held up.
Domestic violence, to be sure, is a terrible thing that often demands a police response. But it's difficult to understand how subduing a single man would take at least 10 cops. The police, to say the least, overreacted.
This is kind of becoming a thing — not merely in the Richmond area, but everywhere. We saw the insane police response to the Ferguson situation — whole platoons of officers decked out in riot gear, resembling not a small-town police force but an invading army. You can see it in many cities or counties, where a simple traffic stop often can attract at least one extra police cruiser. I recently watched three Henrico police cars pull up behind a car, leading me to wonder what on Earth these police officers do most of the time. Is their schedule free enough that they can hang around with other cops seemingly with nothing to do? What do they do the rest of the time? What is it we pay them for?
Regardless of whether or not most police forces are wasting a great deal of taxpayer money — and I wouldn't need much convincing to believe that's the case — the philosophical aspect of the matter is much more troubling. When 10 police cars respond to a single perpetrator, you aren't really witnessing the behavior of a simple, accountable law-enforcement agency. This kind of swarming behavior is seen most readily and frequently in street gangs: Thugs and gangbangers are protective of each other to such a degree that they usually respond to any perceived threat en masse in order to aggressively snuff out the people they view as enemies.
Police, ideally speaking, are meant to be different. Unless they're getting shot at by some murderous lunatic, they're supposed to view the public — even domestic abusers — not as combatants, but as people to whom they ultimately are subordinate. The function of a police officer is to act as a ground-level mediator between those obeying the law and those who are breaking it. When necessary, officers must enforce the law, sometimes with violence but usually without it. Occasionally this requires a large number of police officers, but usually it shouldn't. And yet police officers frequently resort to such bombastic reactions, as in the case of three police officers pulling over one vehicle, or 10 cops responding to one abusive spouse.
We don't need our police forces treating the citizenry like domestic terrorist threats. It's offensive to our civil autonomy and an indignity visited upon us by those who are supposed to be serving us.
I have a challenge for all police forces in the area: Institute a no-overkill rule within your departments. If a police officer cannot actively contribute to a situation, he or she must move on — to a crime-ridden area where his or her presence is badly needed, say, instead of hanging around talking with other officers. If a crime involves a single person who isn't known to be armed and dangerous, don't send an entire squadron of police cars to crowd our streets and give the impression of an occupying force. If this results in too many police officers with too much time on their hands, you might be ready to consider some downsizing. This will mean fewer tax dollars taken from your constituents, whom you serve, a leaner and more effective police force, and the proper acclimation of your department within the society of which it is merely a part. You aren't soldiers amongst us. Stop acting like it.
S Daniel Payne is a senior contributor for the online magazine the Federalist. He also maintains a blog at trialofthecentury.net. Opinions on the Back Page are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Style Weekly. | 4,269 | 2,107 | 0.00048 |
warc | 201704 | Altabax®
Retapamulin is used to treat impetigo (a skin infection caused by bacteria) in children and adults. Retapamulin is in a class of medications called antibacterials. It works by killing and stopping the growth of bacteria on the skin.
Retapamulin comes as an ointment to be applied in a thin layer to the skin. It is usually used two times a day for 5 days. Apply retapamulin at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use retapamulin exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
The infected area of the skin should begin to look better during the first few days of treatment with retapamulin. If your symptoms do not improve after using this medication for 3 to 4 days or get worse, call your doctor.
Retapamulin is for use only on the infected area of the skin. Do not let retapamulin ointment get into your eyes, or inside your mouth, or nose, or inside the female genital area. Do not swallow this medication.
Use retapamulin until you finish the prescription, even if the infection looks better. If you stop using retapamulin too soon or skip doses, the infection may not be completely gone and the bacteria could become difficult to treat with another antibiotic.
To use the ointment, follow these steps: Use a clean cotton swab to spread a thin layer of retapamulin on the skin that is infected.Cover the treated area with a bandage or clean gauze to protect the area and prevent accidental spread of the ointment to the eyes or other areas, especially in young children.Wash your hands after applying retapamulin if the hands are not to be treated.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to retapamulin, or any other medications. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take.tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding.
Before taking retapamulin,
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not apply extra ointment to make up for a missed dose.
irritation at the in the place where you applied the ointmentblistersburningrednessswellingoozing from the place where you applied the ointmentitchingdiarrheaheadache
Retapamulin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: Retapamulin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your prescription is probably not refillable. If you still have symptoms of infection after you finish retapamulin, call your doctor.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Last Reviewed: September 1, 2010. | 4,369 | 1,981 | 0.000509 |
warc | 201704 | Dear Swim Profesor:
I hope you can help w/more advice. I”m still a beginner swimmer. My teacher told me I need to work on my kicking, and I’d like to get some fins. Saw some lightweight flippers at Todd & Moore, and then just regular swim fins (I guess). I think I need “short fins” or something like that. Suggestions? I haven’t looked at Dick’s Sporting Goods yet, but might tomorrow. thank you.
– Roxanne D.
Dear Roxanne,
Swim fins can be helpful for all swimming ability levels. Personally, I would strongly recommend the Finis Zoomers. For others reading this blog, for a limited time (while they last), we have children’s zoomers on sale right now for just $12.99 regular $37.95! Here are the reasons why I prefer the short blade Zoomers over other versions.
1.
Short Blade – Long blade fins do have a purpose, for instance, scuba diving. If I have to get away from a shark, I want the longest blade possible, LOL 🙂 But seriously, long blade fins are a nice training tool for elite competitive swimmers for “sprint assisted” swimming. Research shows that one way to improve sprint speed is to train at speeds faster than you can normally go. The long fins allow for that. Of course there are other ways to do that too, i.e., sprint assisted work with tubing. But long fins can serve that purpose for a coach who has lots of swimmers in the pool.
So why do I recommend the short blade fins for swimming instructors and their swim lesson students? Very simple. If you study closely the movement pattern of the kick with a short blade fin, it will resemble very closely the movement pattern with no fins at all. ON THE OTHER HAND, if you observe a kick with the long blade fin, the kick is a little different. For competitive swimming especially, when races are won and lost by fractions of a second, you would clearly want to gain a training edge. So when you are training with fins, you would ideally replicate that movement as closely as possible (I will touch on swim fins for beginners again at the end of the blog).
2.
Negative Buoyancy – The zoomers (at least the Original Zoomers did) are constructed with a rubber that give the fins negative buoyancy. In other words, they sink. Why is this an advantage? From a training standpoint, your legs will experience the strengthening benefits that are a result of the fins making your legs work harder. Floating fins, on the other hand, won’t work your legs quite as hard.
Let’s get back to swim fins for swim lessons, beginners, and novice swimmers. When I am teaching a non-swimmer or beginner to swim, you don’t want the teaching tool to give more assistance than necessary. It goes back to my lesson plan philosophy with flotation devices, holds, supports, and progressions. The best artificial support is the one that gives the student
just enough support to be successful. If you give the learner too much support, they become dependent on it. Then when you ask the learner to perform the skill on their own, it’s like asking them to climb a mountain instead of a small hill. If you take baby steps, the learner will not only experience physical success faster, but he will experience a psychological success as well, and more importantly–his confidence will grow.
I believe this directly applies with swim fins for beginners. If you give your beginner swimmer this big flipper that provides extraordinary propulsion, that’s all well and good
until you remove the fin and ask them to swim without it. Suddenly, their feet feel like rocks instead of flippers, often resulting in a discouraged student who was on the verge of success, only to learn it was the flipper, not him! The Zoomers, on the other hand, make the transition much easier because while they do provide additional propulsion, the kick with the Zoomers feels very similar to the kick without the Zoomers–because it is!
So there you have it! I hope my recommendation helps you and many others! | 4,041 | 1,970 | 0.000523 |
warc | 201704 | A proposal to stiffen the inheritance and gift tax laws in Switzerland has sent many wealthy residents running to their accountants for advice.
The people’s initiative, backed by a coalition of left leaning parties, aims a broadside at the assets of multi-millionaires by insisting that they relinquish a fifth of their wealth when it is passed on to the next generation.
The expected SFr3 billion ($3.27 billion) in extra tax revenues would help plug a growing hole in the state pension fund, supporters say. Critics have argued that the adoption of such measures would drive rich individuals and families away from Switzerland, denying cantons much needed sources of income.
At present, the federal authorities do not impose central inheritance or gift taxes if people choose to hand their assets on to others.
All cantons, besides Schwyz, charge varying amounts for passing wealth to the next generation. Most cantons also apply a charge for financial gifts – with varying limits – while the owner of the assets is still alive.
Tackling inequality
But in both cases, most cantons exempt spouses and direct descendants from the tax. Beneficiaries who are not direct descendants, on the other hand, could face a bill of around 50 per cent of the assets they receive.
The initiative wants to harmonise the taxes by charging a national 20 per cent rate on inheritances worth more than SFr2 million ($2.18 million) and gifts of more than SFr20,000 per year.
The Social Democrat party says the changes – if voted in by the public – would bring order to a chaotic system. Furthermore, the measures would bring more equality to Switzerland by ensuring that the rich do not go on becoming richer at the expense of others, the party argues.
“The richest one per cent of taxpayers possess the same wealth as the other 99 per cent,” the Social Democrats stated in its campaign literature. “Since in Switzerland the largest fortunes can be passed on untaxed, this concentration of wealth becomes more pronounced.”
“An inheritance tax on the largest fortunes would counteract this socially harmful development.”
Breaking the trend
While many other countries have central inheritance taxes, a successful vote in the initiative would represent a significant change in Switzerland, according to Frank Lampert, head of international private client services at KPMG Switzerland.
“This breaks the trend from the last few years of reducing taxes to make cantons more attractive to the wealthy,” he told swissinfo.ch. “As a result, Switzerland could become less attractive to wealthy people, particularly those who retire after a successful business life and want to transfer their tax affairs to a more attractive environment.”
In the 1990s and early 2000s, many cantons abolished the practice of taxing fortunes passed down to family members. Cantons have also slashed wealth and income taxes in a bid to attract more wealthy residents.
But the financial crisis has seen a backlash against this so-called race to the bottom with Zurich voting in 2009 to eradicate tax privileges for the rich, and other cantons also threatening to follow suit.
Stampede of fear
The authors of the inheritance tax initiative are currently going through the process of gathering enough signatures to force a vote. Such a vote could not take place for some years with possible changes to the law unlikely to happen before 2016.
But while tax changes are far from a foregone conclusion, lawyers and financial advisors have reported a recent stampede for their services.
The panic has been caused by a clause in the initiative that would retroactively tax inheritance transfers made from January 1, 2012.
The NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported that inundated lawyers along Lake Zurich’s Gold Coast are having to turn away twitchy clients. And incidents of people gifting property to their family have increased from hundreds in normal years to thousands in 2011.
The absence of exit taxes means that wealthy residents could simply sidestep the proposed tax changes by moving away from Switzerland before they die, according to Lampert.
But those who choose to remain could also escape the taxes by moving assets, such as real estate, into trusts or foundations or by signing them into the control of their intended beneficiaries.
The initiative foresees the introduction of a new inheritance tax by 2016, but also calls for gifts to be taxed retrospectively from the beginning of next year.
Lampert urged wealthy people to show restraint before restructuring their assets. Moving wealth around could attract additional taxes, such as capital gains and transfer duties, he cautioned.
In addition, rich individuals could come unstuck by transferring control of their assets to others before they die, he added.
Passing the buck
Switzerland has no central inheritance or gift tax system, but cantons do charge such levies according to their own statutes.
Most cantons have decided not to charge such tax to spouses or direct descendants of wealthy residents. This leniency makes Switzerland an attractive place for rich people to relocate to once they have made their fortunes.
The people's initiative, launched in the late summer of this year, aims to change all that by harmonising inheritance and gift taxes.
The initiative calls for a nationwide 20% tax on inheritances of over SFr2 million. Spouses would continue to be exempt, but not descendants of the deceased.
Gifts of over SFr20,000 a year would also attract the same rate of tax.
If the initiative is successful, it is unlikely to be put into law before 2016. But wealth handovers dating from January 1, 2012 would be retroactively taxed.
Two thirds of the estimated SFr3 billion the tax changes would collect each year would be pumped into the state pension fund.
Cantons, that would be expected to collect the tax, would retain the remaining third of revenues.
The initiative has provisions to exclude the transfer of wealth to charitable organisations or other tax exempt institutions of a similar nature.
People passing on businesses or farms would also receive special treatment to reduce or eliminate their tax bills.
swissinfo.ch | 6,274 | 2,781 | 0.000367 |
warc | 201704 | As customers crammed stores the day after Christmas, waving their gift cards and seeking the latest markdowns, analysts were there, too -- watching. They offered their latest judgment of the Christmas shopping season on Monday: good, but not great.
The analysts, however, were talking mainly about the traditional bricks-and-mortar retail companies. Amazon.com said on Monday that it had set a one-day record during the holiday season of 2.8 million orders (although it did not say which day), adding strength to the strategies of many retailers to beef up or start online stores.
Amazon said its two top-selling categories were books (not surprising) and electronics like DVD players and digital cameras (more surprising).
The other big news on Monday was from Wal-Mart Stores, which reaffirmed predictions that its sales would be in the middle of its revised holiday numbers, that is, 1 percent to 3 percent. Wal-Mart originally predicted a bigger increase, but the US$256 billion chain stumbled over the post-Thanksgiving shopping period, and analysts said they were worried. Monday, some breathed a sigh of relief.
"For all the hand-wringing over Wal-Mart's soft results, the world's largest retailer may be right on plan after all," Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, retail consultants, wrote in a report. Wal-Mart, Johnson speculated, "may be shifting strategies -- at least for its domestic business, which is approaching saturation -- from maximizing sales to maximizing profits."
Yet overall, most analysts took a less-than-cheery approach to this holiday season, and some wondered about the future.
Last night, Brian Tunick, an analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase, issued a report expressing concern that a handful of retailers -- from Chico's to Tiffany to T.J. Maxx -- might soon lower their projections for the fourth quarter.
Despite an acceleration in sales last week and the current strength in luxury goods, Merrill Lynch still projected that holiday retail comparisons for stores open more than a year -- the yardstick retailers prefer -- would increase only 2 percent, down from a 3.3 percent gain in November and December of last year. Elizabeth Pierce, an analyst at Sanders Morris Harris, called her report on holiday shopping, "A Less Than Stellar Finish."
Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, retail consultants, also stuck to his group's prediction of 3.4 percent.
The National Retail Federation, whose president called the season "decent" last week, maintained its prediction for 4.5 percent growth.
All the surveys use different time spans and merchant groups, but do not include online sales. And like the calculations of merchants, they do not count gift cards until they are used to purchase merchandise.
Online sales may have been the true hit of Christmas. A survey released this weekend by MasterCard, predicted an optimistic 8.1 percent holiday sales growth for both online and gift card sales.
Some shoppers said they felt left out with so much Internet shopping, according to both Cohen of NPD and a survey conducted by Sears, Roebuck & Co. The problem with the growth of online shopping, Cohen said, is that fewer shoppers buy those impulse items, for themselves, that the stores count on.
Largely because of the shift to more online holiday shopping, he said, only 18 percent of shoppers said they bought something for themselves -- compared with 29 percent last year. | 3,457 | 1,754 | 0.000574 |
warc | 201704 | If you talk to pay-TV insiders and analysts, the buzz these days is about so-called skinny bundles. With fewer channels and lower monthly costs, almost every pay-TV provider is cooking up a skinny bundle as a way to remain in the bundled-programming business.
But the times are changing, and probably a whole lot faster than the pay-TV industry would like. Soon, even the thinnest bundles may be a thing of the past.
"Skinny bundles are simply a placeholder for a la carte," said Greg Ireland, an analyst at market researcher IDC. "Consumers really want a la carte, so it's hard to imagine we won't get there."
Some of the biggest names in broadcasting already are experimenting with a la carte services abroad, where they're less beholden to the whims of cable and satellite companies. Viacom and Disney are among those giving overseas viewers a taste of the future with online streaming services.
In this country, the pay-TV industry has been insisting for years that a la carte is a nonstarter. It would cause the price of individual channels to skyrocket, industry execs have said, wiping out less popular channels with relatively small audiences.
Those are possibilities, although I suspect a new breed of programming entrepreneurs would emerge and find ways to thrive in this more competitive environment.
What a la carte really would do is put consumers in control of the pay-TV market, ending an oligopoly that for too long has resulted in people being forced to purchase products they don't want.
What a la carte would do is make pay-TV channels work a whole lot harder to attract and hang on to viewers. And from where I sit, that's not the worst thing that could happen. Seems like a surefire way to get better programming.
Nearly half of U.S. pay-TV subscribers would prefer a la carte channels, according to a recent survey by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Pay-TV subscribers are getting so fed up, with about 20 percent saying they'll cut the cable cord this year.
IDC found in a recent survey that 86 percent of cord cutters subscribe to Net- flix, compared with 39 percent who pick Amazon Prime and 30 percent who join Hulu Plus. Each service, for roughly $10 a month, offers a variety of viewing options, including movies, TV shows and original content.
The heavyweight among over-the-top services is HBO Now, which costs $15 a month and provides full access to the cable channel's content. Other premium channels, including Showtime and Starz, are available for closer to $9 monthly.
In Canada, they've just gotten started with a government-mandated system called "pick and pay." Canadian pay-TV providers now must offer a base package of local and educational channels for $25 a month (about $20 in U.S. currency). Beyond that, they have to offer individual channels on an a la carte basis or skinny bundles of as many as 10 channels.
By year's end, every Canadian provider will have to offer skinny bundles and a la carte channels. Current pricing suggests many channels will run about $3 each, and many bundles cost between $10 and $20.
IDC's Ireland has his doubts that a government-mandated a la carte system would fly here. "Programmers would kick and scream," he said.
But he thinks U.S. pay-TV companies eventually will find their way to a similar place, with skinny bundles existing alongside popular a la carte channels.
Thus, sports fans will be able to buy a sports bundle, or entertainment-focused viewers will be able to purchase a bundle containing TNT and TBS. Meanwhile, people with more limited viewing needs could get by with, say, HBO and Amazon Prime, plus an indoor antenna for picking up local channels.
The exciting thing is that, after declaring over and over that there was no way we'd ever see an end to expensive bundles of hundreds of channels, the pay-TV industry is moving toward a new business model based on giving people what they want. | 3,928 | 1,913 | 0.000526 |
warc | 201704 | As the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily battered Haiti, hurricane forecasters are predicting more named storms than expected this season.
The forecast now calls for 14 to 19 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes, with winds of at least 111 mph, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center announced Thursday.
The forecast increases what was already expected to be a busier-than-average season, which started June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
In May, the Climate Prediction Center predicted 12 to 18 named storms in the Atlantic basin, with six to 10 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes.
"The atmosphere and Atlantic Ocean are primed for high hurricane activity during August through October," said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center, in a statement. "Storms through October will form more frequently and become more intense than we've seen so far this season."
Forecasters point to an era of heightened Atlantic hurricane activity, the third-highest temperatures on record in the Atlantic and the possible redevelopment of La Niña as reasons for the more active season. Forecasters also said reduced wind shear and lower air pressure across the tropical Atlantic also support a more active season.
Although the 2011 hurricane season, so far, and the 2010 hurricane season have seen an above-average number of named storms, the United States hasn't been hit by a hurricane since Ike in 2008. | 1,532 | 759 | 0.001332 |
warc | 201704 | Nano-engineered composites promise a boost in efficiency in next-generation solar cells
[2014-03-18] Carbon nanotubes are becoming increasingly attractive for photovoltaic solar cells as a replacement to silicon. Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have discovered that controlled placement of the carbon nanotubes into nano-structures produces a huge boost in electronic performance. Their groundbreaking results are published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials.
Carbon nanotubes, CNTs, are one dimensional nanoscale cylinders made of carbon atoms that possess very unique properties. For example, they have very high tensile strength and exceptional electron mobility, which make them very attractive for the next generation of organic and carbon-based electronic devices.
There is an increasing trend of using carbon based nanostructured materials as components in solar cells. Due to their exceptional properties, carbon nanotubes are expected to enhance the performance of current solar cells through efficient charge transport inside the device. However, in order to obtain the highest performance for electronic applications, the carbon nanotubes must be assembled into a well-ordered network of interconnecting nanotubes. Unfortunately, conventional methods used today are far from optimal which results in low device performance.
In a new study, a team of physicists and chemists at Umeå University have joined forces to produce nano-engineered carbon nanotubes networks with novel properties.
For the first time, the researchers show that carbon nanotubes can be engineered into complex network architectures, and with controlled nano-scale dimensions inside a polymer matrix.
“We have found that the resulting nano networks possess exceptional ability to transport charges, up to 100 million times higher than previously measured carbon nanotube random networks produced by conventional methods,” says Dr David Barbero, leader of the project and assistant professor at the Department of Physics at Umeå University.
The high degree of control of the method enables production of highly efficient nanotube networks with a very small amount of nanotubes compared to other conventional methods, thereby strongly reducing materials costs.
In a previous study (Applied Physics Letters, Volume 103, Issue 2, 021116 (2013)) the research team of David R. Barbero already demonstrated that nano-engineered networks can be produced onto thin and flexible transparent electrodes that can be used in flexible solar cells. These new results are expected to accelerate the development of next generation of flexible carbon based solar cells, which are both more efficient and less expensive to produce.
Original publication:
Nano-engineering of SWNT networks for enhanced charge transport at ultralow nanotube loading. D. R. Barbero, N. Boulanger, M. Ramstedt, Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, J. Yu, Department of Physics, Umeå University . Advanced Materials. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201305718.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291521-4095/earlyview For more information, please contact:
David Barbero, Department of Physics, Umeå University
Telephone: +46(0)70-210-7705+46(0)70-210-7705 E-mail: david.barbero@physics.umu.se
Editor: Ingrid Söderbergh
Link to news:
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warc | 201704 | Bankruptcy Courts Part 3 - Hostess Bankruptcy: Unions, Management or Investment Bankers...Where's the Dough? by Bob Priceon November 19, 2012 at 2:39 PM
A staple food group icon of an overweight America now becomes an example of what is wrong in our business system and bankruptcy processes. In an announcement last Friday, November 16th, Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn, said "
We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision [to shutdown Hostess' entire business], but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike." So how exactly was the money spent after the 2004 restructuring by private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings? Was it well directed toward rebuilding the company's business? The decision to force Irving, Texas based Hostess and their entire brand line of products out of business will mean the end of 18,500 jobs and two billion Twinkies. But who walked away with the dough? BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: According to the Houston Business Journal at 2:50 p.m. today, Hostess Brands, Inc. and the BCTGMI Union have entered into a confidential mediation stopping the planned shutdown of the company.
I learned about the bankruptcy of this Texas-based American icon while digging through news articles on Bankruptcy Law Review during my research of the Delphi and General Motors bankruptcy cases. It seemed there were several similarities in this cases including the linkage of Judge Robert Drain of the Delphi Pension Scandal fame. Once again, Judge Drain went on a pension killing mission discussed later in this article. This begs an interesting question. Why is a bankruptcy trial for an Irving, Texas corporation being held in the Southern District of New York Bankruptcy court instead of one of the Northern District of Texas courts in Dallas?
In reviewing the information about this proposed business closure, there seem to be two schools of thought in the blame game. One school of thought is that stubborn unions refused to make concessions and forced this radical step from management. The other is that the unions have been making concessions for years while Wall Street investment bankers, along with management, have been extracting hundreds of millions in profits. But what about the $130M purchase by private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings in the 2004 bankruptcy restructuring and the fact that Hostess had over $860M in debt earlier this year, making it difficult to operate and be profitable? Was the 2004 restructuring prudently planned and executed for long term operations success? Where is the dough?
For the record, this writer has a life-long predisposition to believe the unions are usually in the wrong. But is that the case in this situation? Members of these unions have been taking wage and benefit cuts for years while executives have been granting themselves massive pay raises. In a statement released last Friday, Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGMIU) President Frank Hurt said,"
...the truth is that had it not been for the valiant efforts of our members over the last eight years, including accepting significant wage and benefit concessions after the first bankruptcy, this company would have gone out of business long ago."
Business Insider reported that an independent consultant for the company advised that the bankruptcy plan submitted by the company to the courts was unreasonable because it did little to reduce the company's debt but unfairly pinched workers. He also cited the Hostess executive's compensation plans. Hurt claims the company is corrupt and was attempting to force "slave wages" on the workers while corporate executives took heavy raises and bonuses.
Is this part of the problem with the Chapter 11 concept of letting the "fox guard the hen house?" It was as recently as 2004 that Hostess went into bankruptcy and extracted $110 million in wage and benefit concessions. Since 2002 the company has gone through six CEO's (all making very hefty salaries and bonuses) while closing 21 plants and laying off thousands of jobs.
Hurt continued, “
The BCTGMIU was informed (via the Unsecured Creditor Committee) that the Hostess CEO was awarded a 300% raise (from approximately $750,000 to $2,550,000) prior to the January 11, 2012 bankruptcy filing. Additionally, at least nine additional top executives also received incredible raises ranging from 35% to 80%. For example, one such executive received a pay increase from $500,000 to $900,000. The chief negotiator for Hostess received a pay increase from $375,000 to $656,256.”
In the meantime, workers were seeking a single digit percentage pay raises. In what could be perceived as bad faith, the company stopped making contributions to the workers pension plans six months before entering bankruptcy. According to Inquisitr.com, when the workers announced a possible strike, the company threatened to close some plants including one in St. Louis, MO. However, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said, "
I was told months ago they were planning on closing the site in St. Louis … And there was no indication at that time it had anything to do with the strike the workers were waging.”
If our bankruptcy courts are now the new vehicle for redistributing wealth, let's take a look at where that wealth redistribution is taking place in this case.
Losing Wealth: Unsecured creditors will lose the money they have loaned to Hostess in the form or products or services sold to the company on payment terms and other forms of unsecured debt. Many of these are small businesses who may have to shut down or lay of workers as a result. Workers of the company, union and non-union, will be laid off and many will lose not only their jobs, but pensions as well as Judge Drain declared their collective bargaining agreements void. Gaining Wealth: Private equity firms make hundreds of millions by purchasing undervalued assets at firesale prices and restructuring the debt. Bankruptcy lawyers on all sides, including the unsecured creditors committee counsel, make tens of millions in billable hours not only during and before the bankruptcy process but after, by coming along and filing lawsuits against shareholders and any other person with assets they can find to sue. Company executives will have earned very nice wages and bonuses on their journey of destroying a company, despite $2.5 billion in sales, that had become an American icon.
While this case may be good for our waistlines, it casts more shadows and questions into the bankruptcy processes in this country and directly on the bankruptcy courts of the Southern District of New York. One thing you should expect from a judge on the bench is consistency in applying the law. There seem to be some very radical swings in the way Judge Drain applies the law in his White Plains, NY courtroom. This will be the topic of the next post in this series.
Related Content:
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warc | 201704 | Methane-producing mineral discovered on MarsMarch 28th, 2009 - 12:43 pm ICT by ANI
London, March 28 (ANI): Scientists have reported the discovery of a methane-producing mineral on Mars.
According to a report in Nature News, the evidence for the existence of the mineral, known as serpentine, was found by Bethany Ehlmann, a PhD student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Ehlmann used a spectrometer on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to identify two small outcrops of the mineral.
Serpentine arises from another mineral, olivine, in a hydrothermal process in which hydrogen gas is produced - a potential energy source for microbes that could in turn produce methane.
The process of serpentinization also produces methane itself, without the need for life. “It was a past source of methane, for sure,” said Ehlmann.
Serpentine can also be altered, in lower temperature water, into carbonate.
However, the finding does not rule out life on Mars today. That depends on whether the presence of serpentine has anything to do with the apparent production of present-day methane.
“It’s certainly an intriguing coincidence that one of the major regions in which we find these minerals has been highlighted as a possible source region of methane. But, there’s this timing problem,” said Ehlmann.
The problem of timing arises because serpentine on Mars is ancient, about 3.8 billion years old, whereas the reports of methane gas are contemporary.
Yet it is possible, according to Ehlmann, that fractures deep underground could be providing the necessary water and heat for serpentine to be formed today, and for methane to percolate up. (ANI)
Tags: bethany ehlmann, brown university, carbonate, deep underground, energy source, hydrogen gas, life on mars, london march, methane gas, microbes, mineral olivine, nature news, phd student, potential energy, providence rhode island, serpentine, source region, spectrometer, temperature water, water and heat | 2,000 | 992 | 0.00103 |
warc | 201704 | Textile students devise anti-radiation shield for astronautsMay 12th, 2009 - 4:39 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, May 12 (IANS) Textile engineering students have thought up of an answer to one of the prime threats bedevilling NASA space missions: radiation.
The students of North Carolina State University (NCSU) have designed a ‘blanket’ that could shield lunar outposts and astronauts’ living quarters from radiation, while generating and storing power.
The ‘lunar texshield’ is made from a lightweight polymer material that has a layer of radiation shielding that deflects or absorbs the radiation so astronauts are only exposed to a safe amount.
Astronauts who been to the moon had little protection against radiation, even though they were only exposed for a short time. NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 - and to potentially keep them there for several months at a time - could be stymied by space radiation.
The surface of the moon is exposed to cosmic rays and solar flares - making radiation hard to stop with shielding.
When these rays hit matter, they produce a dangerous spray of secondary particles which, when penetrating human flesh, can damage DNA, boosting the risk of cancer and other maladies.
Michael Sieber, Ryan Boyle and Anne Tomasevich, recent graduates of textile engineering program at NCSU, designed the ‘lunar texshield’.
It was reviewed by a panel of industry experts and chosen as one of 10 undergraduate abstract finalists in the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition.
“The product needed to be as lightweight as possible to feasibly fit on the transportation module, and have the ability to be easily erected by a minimum number of astronauts for immediate use once landing on the moon,” Sieber said, according to an NCSU release.
“These obstacles are where our knowledge of textile properties will give us an advantage,” added Warren Jasper, textile engineering professor at NCSU and project adviser.
The students will present their lunar texshield at the 2009 RASC-AL Forum slated between June 1 and 3 in Cocoa Beach.
Tags: aerospace systems, cosmic rays, human flesh, landing on the moon, living quarters, nasa space missions, north carolina state university, polymer material, project adviser, radiation shield, radiation shielding, recent graduates, secondary particles, sieber, solar flares, space radiation, surface of the moon, textile engineering, time nasa, warren jasper | 2,544 | 1,242 | 0.000829 |
warc | 201704 | Health benefits of red guava fruit – Guava is a fruit that is loaded with nutrition and a variety of important substances for health purposes. The red guava can easily get in Indonesia because the guava plant can grow in tropical climates, even flourish.
The health Benefits of red guava fruit has many proven. One is to increase stamina and platelets. This benefit is very important for pregnant women, and for patients with dengue fever.
10 Health Benefits of red guava fruit 1. The content of vitamin C in guava very much. Excellent source of Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that is important for the body. The body needs the content of vitamin C for the formation of collagen synthesis. The benefits of collagen as protein needed by the body in maintaining the integrity of the blood vessels, skin, bones and other organs. 2. The benefits of red guava for digestive health. It has been proven by the many natural fiber contents in guava. Useful fibers to smooth bowel movement and ease bowel movements in removing toxins in the body. Also, red guava fruit is also rich in vitamin B complex, so it is useful to maintain a healthy body. 3. Lowering high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the health problems that are very dangerous, because, in some cases these disorders can lead to death. Benefits of guava in lowering blood pressure also already known and proven. High potassium in the red guava fruit may stabilize the blood and prevent high blood pressure. 4. Maintain the function of the thyroid gland. Benefits of red guava are also able to maintain thyroid health. Copper content that contained on guava fruit has been proven to be effective for the thyroid gland, in the event of disruption of the thyroid gland, it will cause the emergence of serious diseases and dangerous. 5. Assisting the absorption of nutrients. The content of manganese in red guava is very important for the body to absorb various nutrients. 6. Treating dengue fever. Symptoms of dengue fever are characterized by the declining health of red blood cells (platelets), red beach appears on the skin and causes sufferers dizziness and nausea. In some cases, DHF patients will experience bleeding. to treat dengue evidenced by the many iron content. This iron will help the formation of new blood cells, so the cells are broken will be replaced with new cells. Health benefits of red guava fruit 7. Guava is rich in magnesium is highly efficacious for relaxation, so it can help the muscles relax the nerves in the body. Also, consumption of red guava fruit after a day of activity can restore the lost stamina. 8. The benefits of red guava fruit for brain health. The content of vitamin B3 and B6 contained in red guava fruit is very useful in maintaining brain function utilizing blood circulation. 9. Red guava fruit is also very beneficial for maintaining healthy skin. Vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants that are a very high role in maintaining healthy skin. Consuming red guava will make skin brighter, softer and away from skin disorders such as acne, dry skin, oily skin and other skin disorders.
{More: Benefits of garlic for health}
10. As Healthy snacks. Benefits of red guava can also be a substitute for fast food snacks. Consuming guava, besides getting the health value can also feel the crispy with its own delights. If you want to eat as a snack, choose which almost ripe guava, in order to feel crunchy.
That’s some of the
health benefits of red guava fruit. Hopefully with the various benefits of this, we like to be able to make guava fruit. | 3,580 | 1,558 | 0.000645 |
warc | 201704 | Severe anemia and MAC
Jun 27, 2002
Dear Dr, My daughter is 25 years old and is at end stage AIDS. She is now living with her father about 50 miles away. I see her every week. It is so sad to see her wasting away. She is a beautiful girl at 140 pounds. She is now at 119. She has had 3 units of blood on May 7th and another 3 units May 24. The three units yesterday brought her to 9.6. She was at 6. We moved her up here from Miami as she was very unhappy and wanted to be near us. She is going to a Infectious Disease Dr in the small town where she is now, but not much confidence there. How can we find her the best Dr in the area? She has been hospitalized longer than 2 months so far this year. We want to do every thing humanly possible for her. This Mac that she has has quite a hold on her. Please we need something to hold onto. Hoping a good Dr will help. Thank you for listening Concerned mom
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello Concerned Mom,
Your daughter's problems are complex - advanced-stage AIDS, wasting, MAC, and now, severe anemia. She needs to be under the care of a knowledgeable and compassionate AIDS specialist. I do not know where you are living, but I suggest you contact local AIDS service organizations for a list of specialists in her area. Another resource to try would be the American Academy of HIV Medicine. They have a website - www.aahivm.org. They can provide you with a list of specialists in her area.
Certainly your daughter needs a multi-pronged approach:
1. Supportive care for optimal nutrition and to combat AIDS wasting 2. Potent antiretroviral therapy to control her HIV infection 3. Appropriate antibiotic therapy to control her MAC infection 4. Treatment of severe anemia. Blood transfusions are helpful in quickly raising the hemoglobin, but their effects are temporary. Her anemia is probably multifactorial, with MAC, HIV, and perhaps anti-HIV drugs all playing a role. Treatment of her HIV and MAC may help. Procrit should also be tried. It stimulates the body to make additional new red blood cells and has been shown in many clinical studies to reduce the need for blood transfusions.
I'm sure this is a very difficult time for both you and your daughter. Once you've made sure she is getting the optimal care, she needs and deserves then the "something to hold on to," should be your daughter herself. Spend time with her, hold her, and comfort her as only a mother can. It's powerful medicine for both the body and the soul! And give your daughter a hug from me.
Dr. Bob
fatique and Elevated Pulse Rate
Need some advice
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warc | 201704 | Creative Literacy, something readers may have wondered about since a Letter to the Book Chook two days ago.
Why do you read?
I can't help myself! Seriously, I love reading and have been an avid reader since I was five. I read:
• for information. Whenever I want to learn something new, I borrow a library book, or google my topic to find out about it.
• for entertainment. When my work is done for the day, even though my work is mostly reading and writing, I turn to books as distraction and a source of pleasure. Adding chocolate just makes it an unbeatable combo! My favourite books are those that make me laugh, and those that make me feel good.
• to experience thrills and danger, solve mysteries, be swept on a tide of high-octane adventure. I don't have the courage for those thrills in real life!
• to enter the mind, the feelings and the experiences of other people. Maybe I have voyeuristic tendencies, who knows, but I enjoy books that make me forget my reality for a little while, and allow me access to the endless fascination of someone else's life.
Why is reading important for kids?
I think of reading as the magical key to the Kingdom of Education. And I truly believe that a child's future success and happiness depend on their education. That education doesn't have to take place in a traditional school, but it does rely on a child being able to read in order for them to access the knowledge, skills and understandings they will need.
Why is creative literacy important?
Functional literacy is important too, but creative literacy is another of my many passions. Functional literacy means that kids can read and respond to forms, access a bus timetable, or scan a newspaper for an article of interest.
Creative literacy, the way I define it, is reading, writing, and communicating beyond the purely functional level. It involves higher order thinking skills like experimenting, designing, creating and evaluating. In practical terms, it can mean encouraging children to write their own poetry, use a picture book as a model for their own writing, or produce a podcast about sport in their neighbourhood. Linking writing or reading with art, drama, dance, architecture or even tiddlywinks can be motivating for kids. It gives them a chance to engage with an authentic audience, and link a personal interest or talent with literacy skills.
I believe there is a huge well of creativity inside each of us. For many reasons, lots of us don't have the chance to express our own creativity. And it is that very quality of creativity that is needed for our society to survive. We need people who can think outside the box. We need scientists who can find creative solutions to the problems that plague us. We need inventors and artists and statesmen and engineers who can design, mix, re-mix, experiment and persist until they reach a resolution.
So to me, creative literacy is a no-brainer. Let's encourage our children to involve themselves in all sorts of creative activities. Let's link creativity and literacy at every opportunity. Let's show them our own engagement with text and media, and encourage them to think about their involvement with it. In practical terms, this might mean reading a picture book about trains aloud. We can ask questions to provoke thought after reading - why do you think the little train was sad? if you were a train, where would you like to go? We can suggest followup activities - how could we make a track for a train on our floor? what if a train went under water? can we think of a way to keep our toy train dry in the bath tub? Let's tell Grandma about the train book. How can we send her a message?
One thing that excites me most about being alive right now (and I'm so excited to be alive right now!) is what technology offers young readers, writers and communicators. I particularly adore the websites that encourage and motivate kids to create stories. Story - I am not just talking books, story is as old as the caveman and as modern as Youtube - is inherent in human beings. Every culture revolves around story and its transmission. From creating their own digital picture books at Storybird, to using Doink to animate their favourite robot, to videoing plays they've created themselves, kids are learning and practising literacy skills almost without realising. Technology is accessible to a wide range of young people, and gives them a vehicle to express themselves creatively. It also gives them the head start they will need for 21st C professions. A win-win situation!
Anyone else think creativity and literacy are a perfect combination? What are some activities you or your kids enjoy that combine the two?
Image Credit and text: www.thebookchook.com | 4,754 | 2,248 | 0.000448 |
warc | 201704 | The Center for American Progress, a Democrat-oriented think tank, issued an excellent new paper this week on the 2012 presidential election.
Ruy Teixeira and John Halpin have long advocated that a new Democrat majority is in the offing:
“[T]e shifting demographic composition of the electorate – rising percentages of communities of color, single and highly educated women, Millennial generation voters, secular voters, and educated whites living in more urbanized states or more urbanized parts of states – clearly favors Democrats and has increased the relative strength of the party in national elections in recent years. In contrast, the Republican Party’s coalition of older, whiter, more rural, and evangelical voters is shrinking and becoming more geographically concentrated and less important to the overall political landscape of the country.”
In short, the Democrat base is growing in swing states while the Republicans are shrinking or becoming increasingly geographically isolated.
There is considerable support to the idea that a permanent realignment to a Democrat majority is underway, driven by these demographic changes.
However, this demographic shift is running up against the reality of a stalled recovery in key battleground states.
Unemployment is at 9 per cent in the United States, and no president in the past 50 years has been reelected with unemployment as high as that.
President Barack Obama’s public opinion support is also running below 50 per cent in most states. Were the election held today, and his job approval shifted over directly as the Democrat vote, Obama would not be reelected.
The situation is especially grim because the slow recovery is being felt heavily in many of the key swing states. Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Nevada all have double digit unemployment.
Teixeria and Halpin note that if the Republicans can make the election a referendum on the economy, they will be able to maximize their chances of winning.
Of course, forecasting elections a year away ignores the impact of a campaign. By spending a record amount, the Obama campaign’s impact should be powerful.
The Obama strategy is obvious. They will raise a record amount of money and use it to demonize the Republican nominee in key swing states, turning the referendum on Obama into a choice between the lesser of two evils. “I may have gotten some things wrong, but (Romney/Perry/Cain/Gingrich) will get everything wrong.” That could boost Democrat turnout while minimizing losses among independents.
Demographics will boost the Democrats in the long-term, but in 2012, the election will depend on the psychographics that inform a hard-hitting negative ad.Report Typo/Error
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warc | 201704 | During the last ten days of January, cities around the U.S. conduct what are called "point-in-time counts," to provide documented estimates of the numbers of homeless individuals living in that region, required for any city that receives federal funding for homeless services. In San Diego, our count is done annually, and also includes in-depth confidential interviews with homeless, unsheltered individuals, to better understand the issues. This effort requires collaboration among several local agencies, and the work of hundreds of volunteers.
I signed up to help out this year, because homelessness is a problem I care a lot about, and something that usually makes me feel pretty helpless. I spend part of nearly every day of my life running or walking in Balboa Park - a place where the issues of homelessness can't possibly be ignored. As I run among the manicured gardens, well-maintained trails, and cultural institutions, I also run among scores of people who slept there the night before. The joy of running in my favorite place is always mixed with twinges of sadness and frustration. But I'm an action-oriented kind of gal, and when things upset me, I'm compelled to find a way to contribute to the solution. And conducting street surveys seemed like something that I, a social worker who loves pounding the pavement in my running shoes, was pretty well suited to do.
I went to a training earlier in the month, to learn about the questionnaire we'd be using, and the goals of the surveys. And then on Saturday morning, I laced up and headed out to the meeting spot where we were "dispatched" in teams to go find homeless individuals who were willing to participate in the survey, and document what we could. Who are the homeless? Where are they staying, and how are they getting by? What factors led to their homelessness? What health, financial, or other challenges are they currently facing? I was thrilled when I was randomly assigned to go survey in Balboa Park.
It was interesting talking with my "walking partner," to find out his motivation for volunteering. He described moving into a new apartment when he first arrived in San Diego, and being furious with the homeless people who were out raiding his trash and recycling bins in the pre-dawn morning. But instead of getting mad about it, he decided to channel that energy into
doingsomething about it. My people! We got to the park and had no problem quickly finding some people who were willing to talk with us. We had hygiene kits and $10 Subway gift cards to give to those who participated, but I found that everyone we approached seemed equally glad for the opportunity to tell their story, to contribute to the body of knowledge about homelessness.
I met some fascinating people that morning, bright and resourceful individuals with great insight into their problems, and the problems of those they see around them. Some were homeless due to catastrophic health events, some due to mental illness and chronic unemployment, and one was homeless by choice. I sat in the grass and talked with them, conscious of my feet warm and comfortable in my expensive running shoes, my stomach full of the toast and peanut butter I'd made in my kitchen that morning. We didn't just run through the surveys, but had conversation, connecting on subjects like the companionship of dogs, or a shared love of a hot cup of coffee. They have ideas about how these problems can be solved, and I hope we'll listen. All those faces that I run past in the park will never look the same.
-----
I thank the San Diego County Regional Task Force on the Homeless for this opportunity to contribute, and look forward to participating in future counts and surveys. For more information about homeless Point-in-Time Counts around the country, visit the HUD Homelessness Data Exchange website. | 3,852 | 1,897 | 0.000529 |
warc | 201704 | What if there was concrete scientific proof that shamans, energy workers, psychics, and other traditional healers were truly tapping into a higher realm to help others? Well, it looks like we may have finally gotten there.
For centuries, scientists have been searching for the ultimate ‘theory of everything’ and there have even been times when they thought they were getting close to that holy grail. Only recently have we really begun to appreciate the extent of what we don’t know, as space probes and telescopes have expanded our access to the macrocosm whilst quantum physics and nanotechnology have expanded our access to the microcosm.
Today, we have proven the existence of ‘non-locality’ – the implication of the mathematics underlying quantum physics that led Einstein to reject the theory because it led to quantum entanglement, or as he described it, ‘spooky action at a distance.’ As this appeared to contradict his belief that nothing could travel faster than the speed of light, Einstein rejected quantum physics. But technological advances have given us proof of non-locality in the lab as well as in the world of abstract mathematics.
Spinning Wheels
Simplistically, if you shoot two electrons out of a single source in opposite directions, and then change the direction of spin on one of them, regardless of how distant they are, the other simultaneously changes direction as well. That is non-locality.
But how does the one know what the other is doing?
An early answer was energetic entanglement at the quantum level. Professor David Bohm explained this using the metaphor of the holographic universe (which has many names such as inforealm, collective consciousness or Akashic field, depending on the branch of science). Metaphysically it is an aspect of God, Brahman, Spirit, Creator.
The basic idea is that if a hologram is smashed into millions of pieces, each contains the whole picture but from a different perspective. This non-locality theory started to explain how each one of us, as a shard of the holographic universe, is capable of accessing all the information that exists – if our brains can tune in at the right frequency.
Much of the recent research has been pulled together by Professor Ervin Laszlo
(1,2). He writes, “Just as electric and magnetic effects are conveyed by the EM-field, attraction among massive objects by the G-field, and attraction and repulsion among the particles of the nucleus by quantum fields, so we must recognize that a universal in-formation field conveys the effect we described as ‘nonlocal coherence’ throughout the many domains of nature.” A Deeper Dive Into Consciousness
The concept of non-locality is spilling over from physics into a field theory of mind and consciousness. I want to briefly mention three lines of investigation.
1. Pim van Lommel is a Dutch cardiac surgeon. He writes, “Based on my NDE research, I conclude that our waking consciousness, which we experience as our daily consciousness, is only a complementary aspect of our whole and infinite nonlocal consciousness. This consciousness is based on indestructible and constantly evolving fields of information, where all knowledge, wisdom, and unconditional love are present and available, and these fields of consciousness are stored in a dimension beyond our concept of time and space with nonlocal and universal interconnectedness.” 2. Neuroscientist Karl Pribram initially proposed a model in which the brain and its distributed memory storage are likened to a holographic storage network with memory encoded in the brain’s synaptodendritic webs. As with an optical hologram, every piece of a long-term memory is distributed over the entire dendritic arbor in a neural hologram so that each part contains information about the whole event.
Later, Pribram questioned whether the holographic wave-patterns are actually stored in the brain at all? He concluded that the brain is a receiver and interpreter of wave-forms rather than a storage system. With David Bohm he described the brain as picking up wave-forms from the ‘implicate order’ of the super small, multi-dimensional quantum scale, rendering them ‘explicate’ in three dimensional everyday reality.
3. Physicist Sir Roger Penrose and anaesthetist Dr. Stuart Hameroff have collaborated for many years to investigate consciousness. They developed the hypothesis that resonant microtubules within the brain are the physical body’s link with consciousness – the mechanism by which the holographic storage is downloaded. Hameroff elaborates in great detail in a highly technical website paper (3) with a very specific description of how the brain’s microtubules send and receive coherent waves which link from the supersmall quantum scale inside the brain to the surrounding in-formation field.
He writes,
“In a panpsychist view consistent with modern physics, Planck scale (4) spin networks encode proto-conscious experience as well as Platonic values. Particular configurations of quantum spin geometry convey particular varieties of proto-conscious experience, meaning and aesthetics. The proposed Orch OR events occur in the brain, extending downward to processes in an experiential Planck scale medium. The basic idea is that consciousness involves brain activities coupled to self-organizing ripples in fundamental reality.” Why Should We Care?
Most non-local effects have been assigned in the Western world to the realm of the paranormal and have frequently been ridiculed. But being able to tune into the inforealm is exactly what the shamans and healers have done for centuries. It’s something we are all capable of.
If we can learn this access, then healing non-locally outside conventional space and time becomes possible, including work with karmic and genealogic ancestors. We step into co-creating our health and wellbeing instead of being victims of our conditioning and society.
Interested Now?
A former economist, journalist and live financial TV correspondent, Evelyn Brodie had a life-changing experience, prompting her to embark on a dual track quest for shamanic knowledge whilst investigating the science (quantum physics, psychoneuroimmunology and neurobiology) underpinning this ancient and re-emerging practice. Now a modern day shamanic practitioner, she lives and runs a successful integrated healing practice and training programme in London, England. Her website is www.balanceandpurpose.co.uk | 6,570 | 3,126 | 0.000327 |
warc | 201704 | Dr Know
Q I often suffer a racing pulse, chest pain and nausea lasting for five minutes. What's wrong with me?
FC from London
A This sounds like a classic panic attack - an extreme form of anxiety that occurs without warning or apparent trigger. The physical symptoms of anxiety, which also include sweating, dizziness and hot and cold flushes, can be so severe as to make you think you're dying.
It can be successfully treated in various ways, including medication (antidepressants), counselling and hypnotherapy, and the more you understand the problem the quicker you get better. Untreated, such attacks can lead to phobias and depression. See more at www.nomorepanic.co.uk.
Q Every few months I have to do two weeks of night shift, which leave me run down and often cause a cold. Is there anything I can do?
LM from Newcastle
A To help prevent feeling so run down, get as much | 889 | 552 | 0.00183 |
warc | 201704 | Do You Need An Alternative Type Of Meditation? Try Coloring!
According to psychologists, coloring can replace meditation, since they have similar effects. Unbelievable, isn't it?
The reason why coloring is so good is the fact that it helps you release your creative self who had been hidden inside of you. Creativity is really important, since it relieves any tension you might feel and makes you less anxious.
In addition, coloring is a kids' hobby, so it can make you feel young again, when everything was easier and you felt completely free.
As psychologist Antoni Martínez states, coloring is a
relaxation technique, that can help us enter a more creative, freer state. Martínez recommends coloring in a quiet environment, even with chill music. As he says, "let the color and the lines flow".
Did you know? 6 out of the top 20 selling books on Amazon are adult coloring books. Coloring is considered to be an easy means to express oneself and reduce anxiety.
Another psychologist, Ben Michaelis, mentions that
"there is a long history of people coloring for mental health reasons. Carl Jung used to try to get his patients to color in mandalas at the turn of the last century, as a way of getting people to focus and allow the subconscious to let go. Now we know it has a lot of other stress-busting qualities as well.”
That means that you can let yourself grab some crayons and color for a little bit or more, especially during a long, hard day at work!
Based on: Ayurveda Stars, Huffington Post, Jamolina Creative
Image Credit
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Do You Need An Alternative Type Of Meditation? Try Coloring! Reviewed by Katerina Pap on 6:23 AM Rating: | 3,037 | 1,633 | 0.000622 |
warc | 201704 | ALEX BRUMMER: Oil and toil sinks UK growth
The Office for National Statistics is not inclined to provide opinions when it releases its quarterly output data.
But like other watchers of the British economy, it is puzzled by the contrast between buoyant job numbers, growing at the fastest year-on-year rates since the 1980s, and the stagnation of output over the last 18 months.
Many analysts have belittled the jobs numbers arguing they represent falling levels of productivity.
Coming to an end: The rapid loss of North Sea oil capacity partly explains why the Government and energy companies are so keen on fracking
In its January Economic Review the ONS suggests that the weakness in productivity may not be as negative as critics of the Government would argue.
Firstly the fall in productivity can be partly attributed to the first rise in manufacturing employment in more than a decade.
Secondly it suggests the numbers are misleading in that in the period since the 2008-09 recession pay growth failed to keep up with inflation and that affects the way productivity is measured. Stripping out erratic factors, namely the Olympics and the Jubilee, 2012 was a zigzag year for output.
However, the ONS also identified a secular trend that has absolutely nothing to do with the current Government’s policy.
More from Alex Brummer for the Daily Mail... ALEX BRUMMER: Fresh fire for Rolls-Royce as Thailand and Indonesia probe aircraft engines deals 20/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: Silence of the grandees - 'None of these dogs seemed to have barked' 19/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: Cleaning up way companies spray cash to gain business abroad will improve governance in nations with which we trade and aid 18/01/17 Scale of bribery, corruption and deceit at Rolls-Royce is mind-boggling, says ALEX BRUMMER 17/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: If you think Trump's been bold so far, you ain't seen nothing yet! 17/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: A dark day for Rolls-Royce as it stumps up £671m to settle bribery and corruption charges 16/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: Trump rally is driven by proposals to cut corporation tax, deliver tax relief to middle-income Americans and a splurge on infrastructure 13/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: St Michael’s cup overflows as M&S celebrates a record increase in same-store clothing sales 12/01/17 ALEX BRUMMER: Trump's risky loose lips spell a roller-coaster ride for financial markets 11/01/17 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE
The North Sea oil and gas bonanza that propped up the Thatcher, Major and Blair-Brown governments is coming to a staggeringly fast end.
Output is 40 per cent down from the peak of 1999 and is tumbling by 6 per cent a year.
Indeed, if oil and gas is excluded from the output data the economy actually recovered by 4 per cent from the trough of the great recession in the second quarter of 2009.
It is still 2.3 per cent below peak output but the decline is far smaller than the numbers bandied around for political purposes.
The rapid loss of North Sea oil capacity partly explains why the Government and energy companies are so keen on fracking.
But given Britain’s statist planning arrangements, nimby behaviour and environmental concerns there can be little chance, without a show of willpower from a flaccid government, that this energy weapon will be unleashed.
There does, however, seem to be some rebalancing of the economy with manufacturing jobs up for the first time since the 1990s.
Unfortunately some of them tend to be in low productivity areas such as textiles and chemicals. But transport equipment, including cars, is seeing output rising faster than employment.
Labour’s mistake in government was to put all its eggs in the City basket creating the biggest, unsustainable boom of modern times.
There are now the germs of a broader based upturn, despite the loss of energy output. That is why the Government needs to act to ramp up production through infrastructure investment and faster tax reforms.
Shale fallout
Shale oil and gas and fracking may be the saviour for the American economy, with lower energy prices boosting household incomes and lowering manufacturing costs, but it is less advantageous for the established oil giants.
So while the world coos at the prospect of US self-sufficiency and wonders about its impact on Middle East oil politics, Shell is having to contend with lower prices for its product in the world’s biggest energy marketplace.
The average gas price in US trading was 31 per cent lower in 2012 than in 2011. Low prices meant that Shell’s upstream businesses that sell oil and gas to home and business consumers had their second consecutive quarterly loss.Not that this has put Shell off the idea of expansion in the US.
Despite the setback in the Arctic, still the subject of various local and government probes, it is showing undimmed enthusiasm.Regardless of all the ecological obstacles the Alaskan wastelands still offer a more alluring investment opportunity than the oligarchical-capitalism of Russia.
And Britain? Shell fancies the fracking opportunities here. But we shouldn’t hold our breath.
Right spirit
Given the fast disappearing Southern European market, Paul Walsh of Diageo has done a good job of re-orientating the Johnnie Walker and Guinness-maker towards the new wealth creating nations that now account for 50 per cent of revenues.That does not mean he has given up on more mature markets.
The company’s premium offerings are still big in the US where Walsh is on the lookout for add-on bourbon brands and the company is quietly plotting its tequila comeback post the breakdown of its Jose Cuervo relationship.
The great news for Britain and especially Scotland, if it should ever secede from the UK, is the company’s faith in Scotch.It is doubling up existing distilleries as well as building two brand new facilities at an investment cost of £1billion.
With just 7 per cent of Diageo’s income coming from the UK, that investment, with tax reliefs, reduces its UK tax liability hugely. But as far as Britain’s sagging trade balance is concerned the more single malts the merrier. | 6,138 | 3,015 | 0.000337 |
warc | 201704 | When I married my husband, I didn’t even think about changing my last name. He asked once or twice, just to make sure we were on the same page, but it was a non-issue for both of us. Of course, both my family and his address all my mail to Mrs. Swenson, but no one else seems particularly concerned with my decision either way.
But this week, I’ve been thinking about what names really tell the people we talk to, especially online — most of our interactions are text, so we all make judgment calls based on names and tiny profile pictures. I even wrote about whether a male name has an affect on business over on Grow Smart Business earlier this week. But there are far more factors than just whether or not you have a feminine name. Your surname can play a part (and in ways you might never expect).
Less Professional Respect with a New Name
Among other things, studies imply that a woman who keeps her name after marriage has a better chance of landing work and earning more:
Women who took their partner’s name appear to be different from women who kept their own name on a variety of demographics and beliefs, which are more or less associated with the female stereotype (Study 1). Subsequent studies show that women’s surnames are used as a cue for judgment (Studies 2-4). A woman who took her partner’s name or a hyphenated name was judged as more caring, more dependent, less intelligent, more emotional, less competent, and less ambitious in comparison with a woman who kept her own name. A woman with her own name, on the other hand, was judged as less caring, more independent, more ambitious, more intelligent, and more competent, which was similar to an unmarried woman living together or a man. Finally, a job applicant who took her partner’s name, in comparison with one with her own name, was less likely to be hired for a job and her monthly salary was estimated €861,21 lower (calculated to a working life, €361.708,20).
Source: “What’s in a Name? 361.708 Euros: The Effects of Marital Name Change” from Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Volume 32, Issue 1 March 2010 , pages 17 – 25 via Bakadesuyo
I’d love to see a similar study on women who freelance: I’m not sure how the numbers would actually play out. After all, most freelancers have already proved that we’re more ambitious just by striking out on our own. There are definitely other factors at play.
The Marketing Cost of a New Name
One of the issues that I’ve been hearing more and more when I talk to freelance writers who work primarily online, interestingly enough, is that not every woman feels like changing her name is even an option now. When you’ve invested years in building profiles on social networking sites, making sure your name can be found in any search engine and telling editors just how to spell your byline, the idea of changing names is downright scary. And what if you fall in love with someone whose last name happens to be Smith? Good luck landing a domain name then!
Women in academia have been dealing with this question for decades: when you’ve published under your maiden name, trying to get recognition under an entirely different name can’t be easy. But I think personal branding and search engines have brought the question to a whole new level. I don’t think I could afford to change my name if push came to shove.
The solution, for some women, has been to change their legal names while continuing to use their maiden names professionally. It’s an option, but not the only one.
A Side Note
I don’t think this is simply a question for women planning to get married. I’ve got plenty of friends of both genders who have changed names — two of my friends both changed their last names when they got married, a (male) cousin of mine changed his last name so that a family name would not die out, and so on. | 3,955 | 1,937 | 0.000535 |
warc | 201704 | As an introduction to Food For The Poor, the group was shown a video documenting the charity’s 30 years of service to the destitute. The ministry, through its dedicated donors, has built more than 77,000 homes, sent more than 60,000 containers filled with essential goods to the 17 countries it serves, and has delivered more than $9 billion in aid since its inception. Optimistic about the challenges that lay ahead, Food For The Poor shared its goal for 2012 to build 12,000 homes, dig 1,200 water wells, and ship 1,200 containers of food to help the destitute.
During the group’s orientation, they heard about the harsh realities of life in developing countries and firsthand accounts from the South Florida-based charity’s President/CEO, Robin Mahfood. One of the photos shared with the group was of a young Nicaraguan girl. Mahfood explained how destitute families do not enjoy the luxury of access to water in their homes with the simple twist of a faucet. As part of their daily chores, little girls in developing countries often have to carry heavy water buckets on their heads for miles over rocky ground to gather water for the family to drink, cook and clean.
“Her chore of fetching water perpetuates poverty,” said Mahfood. “If you are not educated, it is hard to rise above a life of poverty.”
Through the installation of water wells in remote villages, and the implementation of school feeding programs, students from Saint Andrew’s learned how the charity is working to eradicate poverty – one person, one family at a time.
Michelle Blum, one of the Saint Andrew’s faculty members, said the idea of not having access to clean, safe water is hard for most people to imagine.
“Tonight, I ask all of you to tell your parents that you are a philanthropist,” said Paul Kane, Food For The Poor’s Manager of Church, School and Community Development. “To be a philanthropist means, to love human beings. We at Food For The Poor do all that we do because we love others.”
The orientation concluded with a tour of Food For The Poor’s facility and distribution center.
You can learn how to involve your school in Food For The Poor’s mission by calling 1-877-654-2960, ext. 6641 or emailing
churchschool@foodforthepoor.com. | 2,321 | 1,180 | 0.000884 |
warc | 201704 | Nov. 25 2003
Washington, DC — Congressional leaders appear to have decided to move the omnibus appropriations bill without a tobacco quota buyout. This decision preserves an historic opportunity for Congress early next year to pass comprehensive tobacco legislation that protects the public health by granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration meaningful authority over tobacco products and provides more generous economic assistance to tobacco farmers. Our public health organizations have been committed and remain committed to working with tobacco farmers to achieve these goals.
The recent activity around the omnibus bill has increased the likelihood that Congress will act both to help tobacco farmers and promote the public health. The need for action on these issues has been brought to the attention of Congressional leaders like never before. It is also clearer than ever that the best way to achieve both goals is by building a broad, bipartisan coalition that includes Members of Congress who represent tobacco growers and Members who support meaningful FDA authority over tobacco products. Our public health organizations have demonstrated a strong commitment to help tobacco farmers and have endorsed and worked to pass legislation to do so. We would welcome the opportunity to work with tobacco-state lawmakers to pass tobacco buyout legislation in conjunction with a meaningful FDA bill.
Contrary to some published reports that discussions ended regarding legislation to grant the FDA meaningful tobacco authority, public health groups over the last seven weeks have continued to engage in substantial discussions with members of Congress, and we have made significant progress toward agreement on strong FDA legislation that can gain broad, bipartisan support in Congress. This progress is one more reason for optimism that Congress next year will finally take action to address the nation’s leading preventable cause of death, while also providing much-needed assistance to tobacco farmers. | 2,027 | 950 | 0.00106 |
warc | 201704 | Spaghetti loves company, so don't leave your pasta while it is cooking, for timing is all.
• Cook pasta in
an abundant quantity of water, which means more than you'd ever imagined. One and a half gallons of water is about right for 1 pound (500g) pasta.
• Add
a good quantity of salt to the water, for without salt, the pasta will taste bland. I recommend 2 shy tablespoons coarse sea salt to 1 1/2 gallons water. (If using commercial salt, which I never recommend, use half the amount.)
• Make sure the
water is boiling vigorously before adding the pasta. Add the pasta slowly so it moves around in the water rather than forming a large clump at the bottom. Stir the pasta once it is added to the water so it cooks evenly.
•
Time the pasta carefully—whether fresh or dry, it will take much less time than you think. Fresh pasta is cooked almost as soon as it is in the water—1 1/2 minutes, maximum. Dry pasta, depending on the brand, takes 7 to 8 minutes for al dente, which is the only way to eat good-quality dry pasta. If you are adding pasta to a sauce and heating it together, undercook the pasta by about 1 minute. It will continue to cook in the sauce, absorbing flavor as it cooks.
• When draining pasta,
use a pasta cooker with a colander that fits right inside the water (get a big one—the smaller ones are only large enough to cook pasta for two people). Otherwise, use a large strainer with a handle or slotted ladle to remove the pasta from the water so you can avoid hefting a heavy pot. That way, you can also save the pasta water, which is an invaluable ingredient in many pasta dishes.
•
Fresh or dry pasta—which is best? The answer is, it depends. Fresh pasta melts in the mouth, and is wonderful with certain sauces. It is hard to generalize, but in my book you will find everything from a rustic yet sophisticated bean ragu to a light and sprightly lemon and pine nut sauce for pasta—both are oodles better with fresh than dried pasta. On the other hand, a vigorous eggplant and mint sauce, or the Peduzzi's cherry tomato and pepper sauce, is better over dried pasta, which stands up to and complements the sauce.
• For dry pasta, which brands are best?
The best dry pastas are the most expensive, from Italy. I prefer either Latini or rustichella, both "boutique" dried pastas in lovely packaging. They are made with fine, hard wheat that is dampened before being processed to remove the bran, then ground and sifted many times over before being combined with water and run in small quantities through bronze dyes for shaping. The pasta emerges with a rough, porous surface, which captures the sauce and provides a satisfying, toothsome texture. The pasta is then slowly, evenly dried in huge ovens, where it moves as it dries. If your budget doesn't allow, however, for such artisanal perfection, DeCecco brand is perfectly acceptable, as is Barilla.
• How much to cook? If you are serving pasta as a main course,
1 pound (500g) will easily feed four hungry people. As a first course, you can double the number of people.
•
How much sauce to use? In Italy, the pasta is the thing. Sauce is vital, of course, but pasta is considered a delicious food, not simply a vehicle for other flavors, so sauce quantities are less rather than more—enough to season but not overshadow.
• If a pasta sauce is dry, what to do?
Add pasta-cooking water, judiciously of course, to moisten a sauce.
•
When to use flavored pastas? I never do, but as an example of how to use them, do as they do in Abruzzo, where pasta flavored with pepper, spinach or tomatoes is traditional, and the sauces are dressed with simple but spicy sauces. | 3,747 | 1,808 | 0.00057 |
warc | 201704 | Thinking of getting married? Get out your wallet.
The average cost of a wedding is as high as $28,400 by one estimate, and close to $26,000 by another. After plummeting in the wake of the financial crisis, spending on nuptials resumed its rise in 2010, and is once again approaching the record set before the financial crisis.
"In today's environment, the bride and groom are paying more of the cost. When the economy was different, that's why you saw it go down," said Shane McMurray, president and chief executive of theweddingreport.com. Now "they're willing to spend a little more."
The substantial spending on weddings comes as consumers are generally regaining confidence, so in that sense it is just part of a larger trend. But the increase has also been abetted by the companies that sell wedding accoutrements, from gowns to ring pillows, for the big day.
(Read more: These Four Companies LOVE Wedding Season)
Then there are the social media sites where couples planning weddings can find endless ideas for attire, entertainment, décor and more—with no price tags attached. The wedding boards at Pinterest, for example, drive significant traffic to purveyors of wedding-related goods.
(Read more: Will Pinterest Ruin Your Wedding?)
If you are determined to keep your wedding costs in check despite the various pressures to spend big, experts have a slew of suggestions.
For starters, size matters. "The number one thing you can do to keep your wedding costs down is to keep your guest list down," said Dena Davey, director of marketing for the Association of Bridal Consultants.
Spending per guest reached $204 in 2012, according to the wedding website theknot.com, which conducts an annual survey of wedding costs. So the potential savings from a smaller ceremony are clear.
Another way to save is to think outside the box when it comes to timing. Saturday evening weddings tend to be the most expensive, Davey said, since they usually involve a dinner reception and event spaces often charge more for that time. "Fridays and Sundays are really popular right now."
You may also be able to find bargains if you get married in the off season. June and December are the most popular months for weddings, so vendors may be more willing to negotiate if you are talking to them at other times of the year.
McMurray suggested taking a look at the elements of the wedding that don't have to be custom made or individualized as areas for savings.
"When it comes to the dress and other specific, custom things, there is not a lot of room for DIY," he said. "Invitations and favors—all of those components are very easily made with today's technology." The range of options for photography and music are also wider, he added.
Flowers offer additional opportunities for curbing costs. Something pretty is blooming any time of the year, and if you stick to seasonal blooms, you will save.
And remember, while there are plenty of blogs and websites that spur you to spend, there are also lots of sites that point to ways to save. Bridalbrokerage.com lets you buy up the fixings for weddings that got cancelled, and tradesy.com offers a range of almost-new wedding dresses. Projectwedding.com offers tips on how to resell things, like unused table linens.
( Read More: Budget Brides Save by Buying Canceled Weddings)
The biggest savings suggestion? Focus on what you're doing, not the things you'll have around you. Perfect flowers or not perfect flowers, your wedding day is likely to be magical. | 3,538 | 1,820 | 0.000557 |
warc | 201704 | The three-year-long initiative will utilise the profile and expertise of the Premier League, BT Group, professional football clubs and BT Sport to inspire disabled people to become more active as well as develop new skills and confidence.
Tottenham Hotspur has a wealth of experience in delivering inclusive sports for people living in the local community and internationally and this was showcased at the launch event held at the London Stadium yesterday.
Over the last 10 years, the Club, through its charitable body Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, has delivered over 13,000 opportunities to people with disabilities through sport.
Leading by example, Ledley introduced BT Ambassadors and two of his former England teammates, Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves, to a game of visually impaired football led by the Foundation.
Ledley said: “We were all blindfolded to restrict our vision and had to try and shoot the ball in to the goal – it was much harder than it looked. There is a lot of skill required to control the ball but it was great to see the young people playing to such a high standard and more importantly, enjoying themselves.
“The projects delivered by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation clearly demonstrate the number of benefits sport can bring to people with disabilities, particularly in helping to increase confidence, raise aspirations and promote skills that many of us take for granted such as being able to work in teams.
“An increased investment in disability sport will certainly help to inspire the next generation of Paralympic athletes.”
Following an independent funding application assessment process, successful Premier League clubs will employ a dedicated Disability Officer responsible for co-ordinating the programme and promoting inclusion. Disability Officers will work with local agencies to amplify existing work and deliver programmes that engage disabled people through sport. Sport will be used to provide a range of opportunities such as volunteering, education, employability, and apprenticeships. Programme areas will include:
•
: opportunities for disabled people to take part in sport and physical activity Sport • ensuring that staff make reasonable adjustments to make activities inclusive to all Inclusion: • ensuring disabled people have a positive experience of the programme Engagement: • clubs will deliver activities to raise awareness of their work in this space. The Premier League and BT will organise a national event at the end of each season, to give participants the opportunity to come together and mark their achievements Events:
BT Sport will produce and broadcast short films on the individuals and storylines involved in the initiative, raising the profile of the project and clubs’ broader inclusion work to millions of people. BT Group will enhance delivery of the project by contributing thousands of hours of additional manpower through its respected employee volunteering programme.
Richard Scudamore, Executive Chairman, Premier League, said: “Premier League clubs already run a wide range of excellent programmes that provide sporting and educational opportunities for disabled people. This innovative new partnership means even more will benefit from our clubs’ expertise and the unique attributes that sport delivers, as well as opportunities across all club community areas, from coaching through to employment.
“BT has a strong track-record of supporting community projects through BT Sport’s The Supporters Club and a commitment to inclusivity, which is why our clubs are so keen to work with them to help disabled people get more opportunities through sport.”
Gavin Patterson, chief executive officer, BT Group, said: “BT is a long-term supporter of disability sport and is passionately committed to inclusion and diversity for our people and customers. Our partnership with the Premier League underpins BT’s firm belief that disabled people should have every opportunity that non-disabled people have. We have a strong commitment to an inclusive culture by improving the experience of our disabled employees. BT is firmly committed to serving our disabled customers appropriately through our innovative Customer Inclusion Panel which develops the best experience and choice for all customers.
“As BT Sport continues to grow and establish itself within the sporting landscape, this initiative typifies how BT will use the power of sport as an enabler of social change. We are thrilled to deepen our long-term partnership with the Premier League and proud that this initiative is another step in BT’s journey towards our goal of generating more than £1 billion for good causes by 2020 through our people, fund-raising, skills and technology.” | 4,833 | 2,176 | 0.000471 |
warc | 201704 | The research report on the global personal hygiene market provides unique consumer characteristics by tracking the consumer behavior towards its real value impact on the market. The report provides its readers with a broadly based data analysis of the market, which allows the application of unique marketing strategies and tactics that can be updated at any time with the help of the latest consumer trends assessments.
The report generates a bold overview of the global personal hygiene market by elaborating on its most important areas of consumer demographics, application, and major products. All values, both estimations and actual figures will be provided in USD. Our analysts discuss the finer details of this market with respect to its growth rate and overall capabilities, and expand on each topic in the intelligence report. It investigates both historical and current data to offer the most unique perspectives on the global personal hygiene market, by involving all known growth drivers and restraints experienced by it.
The report provides a broad gauge of information supply, arranged in a simplified format for faster ease-of-use. It utilizes Porter’s five force analysis, the SWOT analysis and an in-depth assessment of the value chain. This can help you gain steady momentum in the personal hygiene market by keeping a close tab on predicted advantages, opportunities and competitive threats in the market.
Overview
Maintaining a positive personal hygiene is one of the top concerns for most people. It is the surest way to good health and lessens discomfort during illnesses. The market is revealed to be concentrated by most of the top brands holding a majority share, with little room to spare for minor global and regional brands.
Key driving factors for the global personal hygiene market are increasing public awareness and concern for improving health and quality of daily life, along with competitiveness for product innovation fueled by better research and changing consumer trends. The major restraints for this market include possible low value for money products, market penetration for lesser known products, and a general lack of concern especially in younger consumers.
The global personal hygiene market can be segmented according to the products used and the consumer demographic. By product, the market is categorized into soap, bath and shower products, deodorants, and antiperspirants. By demographic, the market is categorized into groups of age, gender, location, level of education completed, daily life quality, and income bracket. Other segments include depilatories, male grooming, oral care, general hygiene kits, skin care products, and sun care products.
Companies mentioned
Key players mentioned in the report include Wal-Mart, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Carrefour, Proctor & Gamble Company, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Helen of Troy Ltd., Auchan, Costco, Safeway, Godrej Industries Ltd., and Publix, among others.
Major geographies analyzed under this research report are: Europe North America Asia-Pacific Rest of the World This report gives you access to decisive data such as: Market growth drivers Factors limiting market growth Current market trends Market structure Market projections for the coming years Key highlights of this report Overview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growth Up-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvements in the personal hygiene industry Pin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edge An analysis of strategies of major competitors An array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segments Detailed analyses of industry trends A well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysis Offers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segments | 3,891 | 1,819 | 0.000552 |
warc | 201704 | Last year, the Education Office of UCDSU was divided into the Undergraduate Education Officer and the Graduate Education Officer. As of yet, it is not clear if this undertaking was the best possible course of action. Of the two, the undergraduate role is seen as the more important.
This year, there are two candidates for this position, fourth year Business and Law student Amy Fox and second year History and German student Bill Thompson, but neither one really stands out as the obvious choice. Both candidates have rather unspectacular manifestos, a fact some might argue is befitting of the position they hope to hold.
Where Fox hopes to stop fees from increasing at all, Thompson seems more resigned to a coming change in the way Irish students pay for their education and has said he would be open to seeing the Australian scheme being adopted, although that does not match the current SU mandate.
Both candidates stress the importance of cooperation with the University on a number of issues, but it is unclear if either of them have the necessary experience to know what to do if negotiations break down.
Thompson hopes to open more libraries than just the James Joyce on Sundays. While his proposal to re-allocate hour from other days might be accepted as it would not increase labour costs, it may not fix the problem, but just move the problem around to a different time to where it currently is.
Fox’s most ambitious goal is arguably her intention to have UCD issue a separate transcript for extra-curricular activities, such as a student’s involvement in societies and sports clubs.
There is certainly a theme this year of the two candidates proposing ideas that have been proposed (and failed) many times before. While it is true that there has been a change in the management structure of the University, a lot of the hurdles to things such as a 24-hour study area are still in place.
One of the biggest criticisms of the previous Education Officers has been their lack of visibility on campus. Fox hopes to become more visible by posting “viral videos” to “highlight issues”, although she admits this is a bit vague. Her idea of holding an education clinic every fortnight in every building seems a little ambitious, but it is a step in the right direction.
Thompson, meanwhile, does not give much information on this in his manifesto beyond the seemingly compulsory claim that he will have more office hours and will be “open and available” to students who need him. He appears to believe that giving more responsibility to class reps will held counteract this.
In what has traditionally been a low-key position in the Union, we have two candidates who have so far failed to make themselves stand out. With low voter turnout already an issue for the Union, it’s hard to imagine either of these candidates inspiring the notoriously apathetic UCD student populace. | 2,936 | 1,461 | 0.000698 |
warc | 201704 | PC ADDICTS DESTROY COMPUTERS
Some 300 self-described computer addicts in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, participated in the "First Open Computer Destruction Championship," to destroy their PCs.
The event, organized by a radio station, tried to raise awareness of the dangers of spending too much time in front of a computer, the BBC reports.
Participants competed by throwing a keyboard, kicking a computer mouse and the "creative destruction" of computer monitors.
"After sitting at the keyboard all day, I needed revenge," according to one competitor.
Ironically, each of the competition's winners won a new computer.
TOURISTS IN MEXICO EXPLOIT CHILDREN
A seminar and vigil was held in Nogales, Ariz., to call attention to the growing problem of American tourists traveling to Mexico to sexually exploit Mexican children.
Singer and actor Ricky Martin has voiced support for the effort.
"I started to find out about child sex tourism, the practice of traveling abroad to sexually exploit poor children," Martin says in a statement. "The numbers involved in this terrible form of tourism are horrifying."
Internationally, about 25 percent of the people who travel abroad to abuse children are Americans, according to the ECPAT-USA, an New York City organization to end childhood prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes.
CHILDREN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO BANKRUPTCY
Today's two-income families earn 75 percent more than their single-income counterparts of a generation ago, but have less disposable income.
According to "The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke," families with children are now twice as likely to file for bankruptcy as families with no children.
The authors, who derived their statistics from three decades of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, say 1 out of every 7 couples with children will go bankrupt by the end of the decade, the New York Post reports.
The authors say this generation has had a 600 percent rise in consumer debt and a 400 percent increase in bankruptcies over the last generation.
BIG DIG REACHES 20TH BIRTHDAY
The Big Dig in Boston is turning 20 years old, but there is no cake to celebrate, just an urgency to get the public works project done.
In September 1983, then Gov. Michael S. Dukakis pronounced he would dig a tunnel beneath the harbor to Logan Airport, and "save the region from death by gridlock."
The price tag 20 years ago was $2.2 billion and the project had a completion date 1995, the Boston Globe reports.
The completion date is now 2005 at the earliest, and the price tag is almost $15 billion. | 2,678 | 1,471 | 0.000689 |
warc | 201704 | WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The Obama administration called on the business and non-profit sectors Thursday to put poor and "disconnected" young Americans to work this summer.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in a teleconference with reporters the administration had already worked with corporations and non-profits to come up with nearly 180,000 paid and unpaid opportunities for youths this coming summer and wants to boost that to at least 250,000 in the coming months through its "Summer Jobs+" program.
The administration's goal is for at least 100,000 of the placements to be in paid jobs and internships. The rest would be non-paid internships, and other mentoring and life- and job-skills learning situations.
Solis said the effort came about after Congress last year declined to approve President Barack Obama's proposal to spend $1.5 billion on summer and year-round employment for low-income people ages 16-24.
The labor secretary cited the importance of helping young people develop a work ethic, recounting how her own summer jobs as a youth "put me on the right path to working with youth and eventually to a career in public service."
"There is no replacement for the dignity that comes with earning your first paycheck," she said. "I challenge you to help us to meet this commitment to create more opportunities for young people. Summer jobs are good for our economy, they are good for our youth and they are good for our country."
Asked if the 180,000 positions already in hand were new opportunities or ones that would have been available regardless of the administration's initiative, Solis replied that they are "new opportunities."
"These aren't just things we're making up,' she said. "Believe me, this has been very successful."
Obama said in a statement the youth jobs campaign "is an all-hands-on-deck moment."
"America's young people face record unemployment, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they've got the opportunity to earn the skills and a work ethic that come with a job," he said. "It's important for their future, and for America's."
The administration said as part of its efforts it would start a Summer Jobs+ Bank within 60 days to provide young people with online access to potential employers.
Recovery Act funds were used in 2009 and 2010 to put more than 367,000 young people to work. When that money ran out, the number dropped to about 80,000 last summer.
The administration said 48.8 percent of those 16-24 had jobs last July, down from 59.2 percent five years earlier and 63.3 percent 10 years ago. Only 34.6 percent of African-American youths and 42.9 percent of Hispanic youths had a job in July.
"While young people who are currently disconnected from school or work are not contributing to our economy, we see these young people as 'Opportunity Youth' -- because of the untapped potential they bring to the nation," said Patty Stonesifer, chairwoman of the White House Council for Community Solutions. | 3,009 | 1,494 | 0.000678 |
warc | 201704 | University Of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Researchers Win Grants Funded By State Income Tax Refunds
PITTSBURGH, April 4, 2001 — The Pennsylvania Department of Health's Cancer Control Program has awarded four researchers associated with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) grants to study breast cancer through an initiative funded by taxpayers who donated their state income tax refunds to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Fund. The UPCI researchers received four of the eight grants awarded this year, each totaling $35,000.
The announcement of grant recipients was made by Michele M. Ridge, First Lady of the Commonwealth, and Robert S. Zimmerman, Secretary of Health, as well as by Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC), at a press conference held today at UPCI.
Grants to UPCI investigators all focus on the role of estrogen in breast cancer, including biochemical, genetic and tissue studies that should improve the understanding of breast cancer risk and the development of highly specific hormone-based therapies against this disease.
UPCI's grant recipients are Jean J. Latimer, Ph.D., assistant professor of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Magee-Womens Research Institute; Kenneth McCarty, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Francesmary Modugno, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health; and Mark Nichols, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Latimer's grant was awarded to Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The other three were awarded to the University of Pittsburgh. All four recipients are members of UPCI.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Penn State University received the state's four other awards.
"UPCI investigators have received 12 of the 25 grants awarded in the three years this program has been in existence. The grants are very important in that they enable these researchers to conduct preliminary studies and obtain additional findings that become the basis for obtaining major grant support from sources such as the National Institutes of Health. In effect, each dollar donated through the tax check-off initiative is leveraged to far more research dedicated to the understanding of and cure for breast or cervical cancer," said Ronald B. Herberman, M.D., director of UPCI and associate vice chancellor for research, Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
Taxpayers can indicate their desire to donate all or a portion of their refunds to one of five causes, including breast and cervical cancer research, by “checking off” the line on their state income tax form. During the 1999 tax season, $194,788 was raised; more than $700,000 has been raised since the check-off program was initiated in 1997.
The grants are overseen by the Department of Health's Cancer Control Program. Grant applications are reviewed by the Income Tax Check-Off Committee of the Pennsylvania Cancer Control, Prevention and Research Advisory Board, which is chaired by the PBCC's Ms. Halpin-Murphy, who is also a breast cancer survivor. PBCC was instrumental in getting legislation passed to create the check-off program. The grants are intended to serve as seed money for researchers, enabling them to apply for larger grants from major funding sources.
Descriptions of the four UPCI and Magee/UPCI projects are as follows:
Dr. Latimer’s project looks at what effects the anti-breast cancer drugs known as selective estrogen response modifiers (SERMs) have on breast cancer tissue cultures. Studies of SERMs in culture models she has developed should help reveal how these agents act at the tissue level to enable better treatments for cancer or to prevent its development altogether. A prior tax check-off grant awardee, Dr. Latimer has uncovered important information about the genetic repair mechanisms that go awry and lead to breast cancer. In addition, she has developed one of the few cell culture systems that mimic the structure of the human breast for the study of normal breast tissue, breast cancer cells and non-tumor tissue growing next to tumors. Called mammospheres, these clusters of breast cells not only are three-dimensional, but their long-term viability allows for growth and differentiation into complex branching ducts and lobules that look very much like the milk plumbing system of a normal breast. To aid in her research, Dr. Latimer’s laboratory has been using unique time-lapse digital imaging that captures eight hours of living cell movements and cell-to-cell interactions, such as the formation of the epithelial cell architecture.
Drs. McCarty's and Nichols' projects both focus on trying to understand why some women do not respond to SERMs, including tamoxifen. Through their research, they hope to develop more sensitive screenings to identify those women not likely to respond and by discovering unique aspects of the molecular signaling mechanisms to estrogens and anti-estrogens, their work can enable progress to be made to develop more effective treatments and prevention strategies. SERMs are indicated for women who, through certain tests, are found to have estrogen receptors in their breast cancer tumors. In most cases, SERMs are highly effective in treating breast cancer. But such tests fail to correlate with response in more than 30 percent of breast cancer patients. Addressing this problem lies in determining whether estrogen receptors present in breast cancer cells function normally and therefore respond as expected to tamoxifen. Using a unique assay system, these investigators also are studying how the estrogen receptor functions together with specific co-factors in the cell that control the response of the cell to estrogens. Already, they have identified specific defects in co-activator interactions that should lead to a better understanding of anti-estrogen resistance. Understanding the way that the cells become resistant to the treatment will permit the design of improved therapies that will overcome this resistance.
Dr. Modugno's project looks at the role of body mass index (BMI) and estrogen metabolism in breast cancer associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Through this research, Dr. Modugno and her colleagues may be able to help identify women who would be at an increased risk of breast cancer if they used HRT. HRT is commonly prescribed to alleviate menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures and may have some cardiovascular benefits. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. HRT contains estrogen, a hormone believed to play a role in breast cancer development. In particular, the body metabolizes estrogen to a variety of compounds, and how a woman metabolizes estrogen may affect her risk of breast cancer. Estrogen metabolism is determined by individual biologic and genetic factors. BMI may be one such factor. By identifying factors that alter the risk for breast cancer associated with HRT, this research will help women and their physicians make more informed decisions about using HRT.
Western Pennsylvania’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, UPCI serves a population of more than 6 million people and is a leader in translational research, the conversion of laboratory findings into applications of potential clinical importance. Physicians at UPCI use a wide range of modern technologies and facilities to help each patient receive individualized, comprehensive care. Ongoing studies at the institute lay the foundation for future diagnostic methods and treatments that often become employed nationally and internationally. | 8,067 | 3,520 | 0.000286 |
warc | 201704 | Adoption: An overview Author Elaine E Schulte, MD, MPH
Elaine E Schulte, MD, MPH
Department of General Pediatrics, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Professor of Pediatrics, Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine
INTRODUCTION
Many couples or individuals create or expand their families through adoption. Families may seek to adopt because of infertility, fetal loss, death of a child, or desire for more children. Pediatric health care providers may provide preadoption counseling to prospective adoptive parents, evaluate children after adoption, and/or provide ongoing care to adoptees.
This topic provides a general overview of adoption within the United States and describes the potential role of the primary care provider as an advocate for adopted children and their families. The recommendations below are largely consistent with those of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Early Childhood and Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care [1,2]. Specific infectious disease and immunization considerations in children adopted from outside the United States are discussed separately. (See "International adoption: Infectious disease aspects" and "International adoption: Immunization considerations".)
TERMINOLOGY
General terms — General terms that are used commonly in adoption are defined below [3]:
●Adoption – A legal (formal) mechanism that allows full family membership and privileges to children who were not born into the family [4].
Informal adoption occurs when the birth mother allows another person to take parental responsibility for her child without obtaining legal approval or recognition of that relationship.
Subscribers log in hereTo continue reading this article, you must log in with your personal, hospital, or group practice subscription. For more information or to purchase a personal subscription, click below on the option that best describes you:Literature review current through: Dec 2016. | This topic last updated: Wed Sep 07 00:00:00 GMT+00:00 2016.The content on the UpToDate website is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or conditions. The use of this website is governed by the UpToDate Terms of Use ©2017 UpToDate, Inc.References
Jones VF, Schulte EE, Committee on Early Childhood, Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care. The pediatrician's role in supporting adoptive families. Pediatrics 2012; 130:e1040. Jones VF, Committee On Early Childhood, Adoption, And Dependent Care. Comprehensive health evaluation of the newly adopted child. Pediatrics 2012; 129:e214. Child Welfare Information Gateway Glossary. https://www.childwelfare.gov/glossary/glossarya/ (Accessed on August 04, 2016). Adoption Medicine: Caring for Children and Families, Mason PW, Johnson DE, Albers Prock L. (Eds), American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, 2014. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Council on Foster Care, Adoption, & Kinship Care. http://www2.aap.org/sections/adoption/directory/map-adoption.cfm (Accessed on July 27, 2016). National Adoption Center: Open Records. Pediatrics 2014. Child Welfare Information Gateway. How to adopt. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/adoptive/ (Accessed on August 23, 2016). Bramlett MD, Radel LF. Commentary: Research possibilities using the national survey of adoptive parents. Adopt Q 2010; 13:292. Grotevant HD, Wrobel GM, Von Korff L, et al. Many Faces of Openness in Adoption: Perspectives of Adopted Adolescents and Their Parents. Adopt Q 2008; 10:79. US Department of Health and Human Services. The National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP). Available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/NSAP/index.shtml (Accessed on July 27, 2016). Vandivere S, Malm K, Radel L. Race, ethnicity, and gender. In: Adoption USA: A Chartbook Based on the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents, The US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 2009. p.13. Brodzinsky D. The modern adoptive families study: An introduction. The Donaldson Adoption Institute. September 2015. http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/publications/the-modern-adoptive-families-study-an-introduction/ (Accessed on August 02, 2016). US Department of Health & Human Services. Children's Bureau. Adoption & Foster Care Statistics. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/afcars (Accessed on August 03, 2016). Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Office of Data, Analysis, Research and Evaluation. Recent Demographic Trends in Foster Care. www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/data_brief_foster_care_trends1.pdf (Accessed on October 20, 2015). McKenzie JK. Adoption of children with special needs. Future Child 1993; 3:62. Rosenthal JA. Outcomes of adoption of children with special needs. Future Child 1993; 3:77. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Trends in US adoptions: 2008-2012. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/adoption/ (Accessed on August 23, 2016). Bramlett MD, Radel LF. Adopted children wth special health care needs: Characteristics, health, and health care by adoption type. ASPE Research Brief. US Department of Health and Human Services. Washington DC, 2008. https://aspe.hhs.gov/report/adopted-children-special-health-care-needs-characteristics-health-and-health-care-adoption-type (Accessed on August 04, 2016). Bramlett MD, Radel LF, Blumberg SJ. The health and well-being of adopted children. Pediatrics 2007; 119 Suppl 1:S54. Bryant CA. Nursing the adopted infant. J Am Board Fam Med 2006; 19:374. Wittig SL, Spatz DL. Induced lactation: gaining a better understanding. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2008; 33:76. American Academy of Pediatrics. Medical evaluation for infectious diseases for internationally adopted, refugee, and immigrant children. In: Red Book: 2015 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 30th ed, Kimberlin DW, Brady MT, Jackson MA, Long SS (Eds), American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL 2015. p.194. Hagen JF, Shaw JS, Duncan PM. Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL 2008. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Healthy Foster Care America. Available at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/healthy-foster-care-america/Pages/default.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token (Accessed on July 29, 2016). Juffer F, van Ijzendoorn MH. Behavior problems and mental health referrals of international adoptees: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2005; 293:2501. Weitzman C, Albers L. Long-term developmental, behavioral, and attachment outcomes after international adoption. Pediatr Clin North Am 2005; 52:1395. Szilagyi MA, Rosen DS, Rubin D, et al. Health Care Issues for Children and Adolescents in Foster Care and Kinship Care. Pediatrics 2015; 136:e1142. Jellinek MS, Murphy JM, Burns BJ. Brief psychosocial screening in outpatient pediatric practice. J Pediatr 1986; 109:371. Briggs-Gowan MJ, Carter AS. Social-emotional screening status in early childhood predicts elementary school outcomes. Pediatrics 2008; 121:957. Squires J, Bricker D, Twombly E. Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional, 2nd ed, Brookes Publishing, Inc, Baltimore, MD 2004. Available at: http://www.brookespublishing.com/resource-center/screening-and-assessment/asq/asq-se-2/ (Accessed on June 08, 2010). Brodzinsky DM, Singer LM, Braff AM. Children's understanding of adoption. Child Dev 1984; 55:869. Hersov L. The Seventh Jack Tizard Memorial Lecture. Aspects of adoption. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1990; 31:493. Schwartz EM. Problems after adoption: some guidelines for pediatrician involvement. J Pediatr 1975; 87:991. Nickman SL, Rosenfeld AA, Fine P, et al. Children in adoptive families: overview and update. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2005; 44:987. Harwood R, Feng X, Yu S. Preadoption adversities and postadoption mediators of mental health and school outcomes among international, foster, and private adoptees in the United States. J Fam Psychol 2013; 27:409. INTRODUCTION TERMINOLOGY General terms Confidentiality Types of adoption EPIDEMIOLOGY MEDICAL EVALUATION Preadoption Postadoption - Medical evaluation - Early adjustment issues - Other mental health issues - Developmental delay - Special-needs children DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF ADOPTION COMMUNICATING ABOUT ADOPTION LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES INDICATIONS FOR REFERRAL RESOURCES SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT REFERENCES | 8,752 | 4,027 | 0.00025 |
warc | 201704 | One thing both Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on is that public policy is of critical importance to creating economic and demographic success in various geographies. Of course, they disagree on what the right policy is, but they both seem to believe implementing some set of policies is important. But is that really the case? Let’s take a look.
Firstly, at the national level, we know that there is huge variability demographic and economic performance between states, regions, and cities. So while perhaps national policy can act as sort of general boon or a bane for localities, it can’t be deterministic.
This is also true at the state level. Let’s examine one place that many suggest is doing everything right – Texas. Texas has really been the huge winner in terms of population and job growth in America in the last decade. But a look in more detail shows that this success is hardly uniform. Here’s a map of Texas counties for population change in the last decade.
Change in population, 7/1/2000-7/1/2009. Source: Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Positive growth in green, negative growth in red (Hey, it’s Christmas)
Here’s a similar map of job growth:
Change in jobs, 2000-2009. Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Positive growth in green, negative growth in red.
All that supposedly wonderful Texas state policy didn’t do a lot for much of the state. My own personal view is that state policy needs to follow the dictum “First, do no harm.” I’m not convinced there’s a lot states can do to make localities prosperous. However, there’s a lot they can do to make things worse.
So what about localities? Now it gets interesting. Let’s consider the Midwest/Rust Belt region. I wrote a piece last year called “The Successful, the Stable, and the Struggling” that categorized Midwest cities into those buckets based on population growth. Other than Chicago (a unique beast), this sorting seemed to foot well to conventional views of overall urban success, economic growth, etc.
The successful cities were Des Moines, Indianapolis, Columbus, Madison, Kansas City, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. I noticed that all of these except Kansas City were state capitals with a metro region of 500,000 people or more. (Note that neither Indianapolis nor Des Moines contains their state’s major university.) I called this rule for predicting success my “Urbanophile Conjecture.”
That would imply that policy didn’t matter, but size and being a state capital did. It doesn’t necessarily explain why Springfield and Lansing never made it, but one could easily argue that Chicago and Detroit became colossi that simply sucked up everything that otherwise would have gone to the state capital. Similarly for Harrisburg, and possibly Jefferson City and Frankfort.
One might then proceed to ask why Madison and Columbus didn’t share this fate. Possibly it was the fact that Milwaukee wasn’t a mega-city or that in Ohio there were always many urban centers. But possibly it was also because they did have the state’s major university, which gave them the oomph to push them over the top where they otherwise wouldn’t have made it. (Lansing has a quality Big Ten school, but it is clearly second fiddle to U of M and Detroit is also a colossus).
But there are other ways to look at this successful group that distinguishes them. Though exhibiting a favored quarter development pattern, they all have fairly balanced metro area growth in 360 degrees. Other, more struggling areas are unbalanced in their regional growth. Is this a key?
This immediately leads to the observation that none of these places is on a major geographic barrier such as a lake or huge river that would have caused unbalanced development. Both the Twin Cities and KC were far enough upstream to make their rivers much less of an obstacle. Indeed, in places like Cincinnati and Louisville, river bridges remain huge topics of civic debate. Is it really a matter of geography, not being a state capital?
Or perhaps another matter entirely. The state capitals were chosen to be geographically near the center of the state, whereas the major cities were on the fringes. Why was that? Originally, you needed to be on a major navigable waterway for growth and connectivity. Most of the original cities bloomed early because of this. Beyond that, these water transport routes enabled the development of vast complexes of heavy industry. Those major waterways were not near the center of states, but were instead state boundaries.
I was struck by this map from a recent Brookings Institution study on the Great Lakes. It shows metro areas that were above and below the US average for manufacturing concentration in 1970:
Chicago Fed economist Bill Testa put together a remarkable chart illustrating that this week. In a blog post titled, “Can the Great Lakes Region Break Free of its Long-term Slide?,” he includes this chart of employment growth vs. 1969 manufacturing job share:
All of this suggests a narrative like this. “When creating states, we put state capitals in the geographic center of the state where they were usually on minor waterways. This is because we used the major waters as state boundaries. This left the state’s major cities to develop as non-capitals on the edges, where they grew into major industrial powers. Over time, state capitals that somehow didn’t have to compete with an established major urban center, or which had the state’s principal university, grew into major metropolises in their own right, and also in a geographically balanced fashion. Because they missed the heavy industrialization, they also had a greenfield situation that enabled them to be successful while their industrialized brethren wandered in the wilderness.”
In other words, the good demographic and economic performance of these cities is a result of common outside factors, not policy. Conversely, despite a variety of state and local policies, all of the heavy manufacturing centers have struggled. Only Chicago has partially recovered, based on its global city core that is really a city within a city.
Indianapolis was a manufacturing dependent city, but was never a truly huge industrial power, and otherwise met the criteria for success. Jim Russell notes that on Testa’s map, Indy and St. Louis started off with similar manufacturing job share, but had highly divergent fortunes. He suggests a comparative case study of the two. The only place I might look for policy influencing outcomes is Indianapolis, one reason being that I can point to fairly unique policy turning points like Unigov, the 1970 city-county merger. I get incessantly accused of being an Indianapolis homer, so I guess that’s a risk here too. (I certainly don’t believe Indianapolis overall has superior public policy to other cities today – arguably the opposite).
Looking at things like manufacturing concentration as a predictor of success is a variant of “single variable determinism.” That’s something that has always made me skeptical. As humans we have this overwhelming desire I think to reduce the world to simple cause and effect relationships, when the reality is a vast, complex, dynamic system. Nevertheless, this is interesting.
There’s an entirely different version of single variable determinism at work in the worldview of Harvard’s Ed Glaeser. In an episode of Carol Coletta’s wonderful Smart City Radio syndicated program, Glaeser lays out the case for educational attainment being the overwhelming determinant factor in urban success in cold weather cities.
The variable that predicts success among older, colder cities is overwhelming the percentage of the population with college degrees in 1960 or 1940 – places that had a longstanding connection to high human capital industries.
I’ve made liberal use of this quote myself. Glaeser outlines a similar view of water creating industrial powerhouses. Perhaps the state capital angle is what boosted the educational fortunes of those cities. I don’t know. But this is an alternative view. Still, it doesn’t really posit success as being about any particular public policy.
Yet another version of single or limited variable determinism appears in this week’s New York Times Magazine in an article titled, “A Physicist Solves the City.” This guy seems to be enamored of city size.
For those of us who love to talk about policy – left or right – this is a bit humbling. It implies that all we want to do or not do is simply irrelevant. We shouldn’t shy away from that line of thinking. I’ve long said that one thing urban planning needs to have is a healthy dose of humility and awareness of our own limitations. Too often we fall prey to the belief that we can simply reshape our cities to be the way we would like them too be. The real world isn’t always like that. The failures of urban renewal and the unintended, unforeseen consequences of programs like urban freeways should remind us of that.
The alternative, though, is fatalism. I don’t think we as human beings are programmed to simply do nothing and accept our fate. None of us, even I dare say our physicist friend above, behaves as if we really believe we live in a deterministic universe. If I’m going to go down, I want to go down swinging. While perhaps public policy of all varieties is of far less importance than we might believe, I believe we must continue to strive to improve our civic situations. We just need to do it with the proper perspective, taking due care not to fall prey to the lure of overreach and ultimately do more harm than good. | 9,859 | 4,510 | 0.000229 |
warc | 201704 | UW's King Air Returns to International Skies
King Air's latest research mission was a success. It may also have been a springboard.
The University of Wyoming's uniquely-instrumented research aircraft -- equipped with numerous specialized meteorological sensors and data recording equipment -- made its return to international skies earlier this fall, flying over Finland for five weeks on a NASA-funded experiment that has bolstered King Air's already-impressive resume and rejuvenated its appeal to researchers across the United States.
"This really expands the resume of King Air and the University of Wyoming," says Brett Wadsworth, chief research pilot in the UW Department of Atmospheric Science. "We'd gone overseas in the past, going to Saudi Arabia and going to Japan, with this aircraft . . ."
"But," chimes in Jeff French, project manager for UW King Air, "it was all a long time ago."
Wadsworth speaks up again: "We've refreshed our resume and now we can say, 'Yes, you know what, we can do that again.'"
On its first major research mission since a $470,000 injection of federal stimulus funds from the National Science Foundation facilitated upgrades to instrumentation, radar and the aircraft itself, UW King Air served as airborne headquarters for researchers to compare measurements of cloud particles and raindrops against precipitation models and observations from CloudSat, NASA's first cloud-profiling radar in orbit.
The clouds studied during the experiment produce light, steady rainfall that contribute a large percentage of the fresh water that supports populations in cities at higher latitudes -- such as Helsinki, the capital of Finland and focal point of the experiment.
"The aircraft was perfect for our purposes," says principal investigator Tristan L'Ecuyer, a research scientist at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins. "It was quite the success . . . We're very confident that the aircraft data will be ideal for our study."
Following a 22-hour trip from Wyoming to Finland -- with stops in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Norway -- UW King Air spent 52 hours in the skies above Finland from Sept. 15-Oct. 20. A typical mission ranged from 3 1/2 to 4 hours, with Wadsworth or one of two other pilots at the controls and researchers working to collect data to measure precipitation in the clouds.
Researchers were funded for 66 hours of flight time, but weather sometimes forced them to scrap plans. It just wasn't the weather that usually prevents planes from taking to the air.
"There was a period of time in the middle of the project where the weather was not conducive for research. It was essentially two weeks of sunshine and blue skies," French says with a laugh. "Everybody was happy about it -- except for those of us who wanted to study the weather."
He adds, "During that time, you would just wait for the weather to get better. Or, actually, worse."
Researchers needed inclement or overcast weather conditions to collect data from high-latitude clouds. The data were then compared to CloudSat measurements to ensure that the radar's predictions and models are working.
L'Ecuyer's research team included two colleagues from CSU -- research scientist Matt Lebsock and graduate student Norm Wood -- as well as scientists from UW, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the University of Helsinki and Environment Canada.
When the experiment was over, Tom Drew and Ahmad Bandani piloted the UW aircraft on a similar route from Finland to its hangar at the Donald L. Veal Flight Research Center at the Laramie Regional Airport.
"The plane," Wadsworth says, "performed as well as we could have expected."
Now, UW King Air awaits its next assignment. And another trip overseas may come sooner rather than later. Based on the aircraft's latest success, French says he's already been contacted about another project in Europe.
"It's still early in the game. But to be able to say, 'Yes, we've done it and here are the results of a recent project,' certainly makes it much more appealing to a funding agency to consider utilizing our aircraft to go overseas," he says. "It's one more thing on our resume." | 4,194 | 2,075 | 0.000488 |
warc | 201704 | Early
Childhood: Family-Centered Services
Instructor Name: Dr. Marrea Winnega
Facilitator Name: Aumony Dahl, M.Ed.
Phone: 509-891-7219
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Monday - Friday
Email: aumony_dahl@virtualeduc.com
Address: Virtual Education Software
16201 E Indiana Ave, Suite 1450
Spokane, WA 99216
Technical Support: support@virtualeduc.com
Introduction
Welcome to
Early
Childhood: Family-Centered Services, a course that seeks to promote the
development of thoughtful,
knowledgeable, effective educators for a diverse society. The course provides conceptual frameworks
for working with families of children from a variety of backgrounds. Course content places an emphasis on
family-centered practices designed to help early childhood professionals
involve and support families in the care and education of children.
This computer-based instruction course is a self-supporting program that provides instruction, structured practice, and evaluation all on your home or school computer. Technical support information can be found in the Help section of your course.
Course Materials (Online)
Title:
Early Childhood:
Family-Centered Services
Instructor Name: Dr. Marrea Winnega
Facilitator Name: Aumony Dahl, M.Ed.
Publisher: Virtual Education Software, inc. 2008, Revised 2012, Revised 2015
Academic Work
Academic work submitted by the individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests) shall be the student’s own work or appropriately attributed, in part or in whole, to its correct source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group prepared) materials as if they are one’s own work is unacceptable.
Aiding Honesty in
Others
The individual will encourage honesty in others by refraining from providing materials or information to another person with knowledge that these materials or information will be used improperly.
Violations
of these academic standards will result in the assignment of a failing grade
and subsequent loss of credit for the course. Level of Application
This
course is designed as one of a five-part series on early childhood
education. Upon completion of the five-course series you will have
covered most competencies found in a Child Development Associates (CDA)
program, however, completion of all five courses does not earn participants a
CDA unless they are formally enrolled in a program that recognizes these
courses within that program. This course specifically covers
competencies 1-9, 12, and 13
(it is recommended you check on individual
state competencies), which all relate to the establishment of
well-run, purposeful programs for young children that are responsive to
individual needs and advance the development of the whole child. This
course also incorporates the applicable Division for Early Childhood (DEC) recommended
practices in early intervention/early childhood special education that were
recently released. It is designed for anyone planning programs for young
children: child-care providers, early childhood educators, and health care or
social services providers, to name a few. Expected Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:
·
Working
knowledge of the major frameworks for understanding about family systems,
transitions, and diversity.
·
Competence
in communicating about the role of families in promoting optimal growth,
development, and learning from pre-birth to age five.
·
Ability
to seek out appropriate local, regional and national resources when working
with families facing special challenges (e.g. children who have teenaged or
divorced parents, are newly immigrated, have experienced abuse/neglect and/or
poverty, or have special needs).
·
Skill
in designing appropriate professional practices related to enhancing and
assessing positive staff-parent communication and involvement.
Course Description Family-Centered
Services
is a continuum of services that employ the family-centered practice approach to
promote the primary goals of child welfare: safety, permanency, and
well-being. A family-centered practice
approach is a way of organizing and delivering assistance and support to
families based on interconnected beliefs and attitudes that shape the program
philosophy and behavior of personnel as they organize and deliver services to
children and families.
Family-centered
service is an approach to service delivery that grew out of family preservation
attempts in the mid-seventies to prevent out-of-home placements of minors.
Since then, family-centered services has expanded from a particular type of
service to an overall philosophy for the delivery of services to families. FCS currently includes a wide range of
programs from
family support prevention
services to family preservation, for
families who are dealing with extremely difficult situations. Family support is largely a preventative
service that focuses on promoting healthy family relationships and child
development. A family support model may
include programs such as peer support groups, Head Start, parent training, and
home visitation. Family preservation, on the other hand, is more concerned with
preventing family breakdown when serious problems arise by providing more
intensive services that help families resolve specific issues (Fuller &
Wells, 2000).
While there are several similar, yet differing, definitions of family-centered services that exist in fields such as social services, child welfare, mental health, and early childhood special education, there is consensus on the principles and values that characterize family-centered services. Descriptors such as “strengths-based, consumer driven, family systems, partnerships, empowerment, enhancement, interdependence, proactive, and collaborative relationships” are all found in many of these definitions (Pletcher & McBride, 2003).
For
the purpose of this class, we will use the terms
Family-Centered Services and Family-Centered
Practice interchangeably, to refer to a way of working with families across
service systems to enhance their capacity to care for and protect their
children, and strengthen their ability to manage their own lives. Family-centered services focus on the needs
and welfare of children within the context of their families and
communities. These services are
accessible and individualized, and are available to families that may not
initially seek services.
Family-centered service providers reach out to families, conveying the message that all families can benefit from support, and that families can learn from one another.
Family-centered
practice recognizes the strengths of family relationships and builds on these
strengths to achieve optimal outcomes.
Family is defined broadly to include
birth, blended, kinship, and foster and adoptive families. Family-centered practice includes a range of
strategies, including advocating for improved conditions for families,
supporting them, stabilizing those in crisis, reunifying those who are
separated, building new families, and connecting families to the resources that
will sustain them in the future. Student Expectations
As
a student you will be expected to:
·
Complete all
·
Complete all
You must obtain an overall score of 70% or higher, with no individual exam score below 50%, and successfully
complete ALL writing assignments to pass this course. *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by
college or university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to
determine what your minimum exam score requirements are.
· Complete a review of any section on which your examination score was below 50%.
·
Retake any examination, after completing an
information review, to increase that examination score to a minimum of 50%,
making sure to also be achieving an overall exam score of a minimum 70%
(maximum
of three attempts). *Please note: Minimum exam score
requirements may vary by college or university; therefore, you should refer to
your course addendum to determine what your minimum exam score requirements
are.
· Complete all course journal article and essay writing assignments with the minimum word count shown for each writing assignment.
· Complete a course evaluation form at the end of the course.
Course Overview Chapter
1: Introduction to Family-Centered Services
Chapter One defines what is meant by Family-Centered Services (FCS) and examines the important role it plays in Early Childhood Education (ECE). We consider the philosophy, core values, and essential elements of best practice in FCS. In addition, we identify several key principles that guide the delivery of Family-Centered Services and provide practical examples of how to implement each principle for those providing services to families.
Chapter 2: Understanding Families
Chapter Two takes a more in-depth look at how we can work together to connect the ECE profession’s standards of quality to the urgent needs of families. This chapter discusses the complexity of family dynamics by examining several factors that contribute to family diversity, such as ethnicity, race, culture, economic differences, gender role identity, religiosity, and geographic region. We discuss the practical implications of such factors and look at family strengths, functions, and structures.
Chapter 3 - Working Together: A Shared Responsibility
Chapter Three takes a closer look at several stress factors, such as family violence, substance abuse, homelessness, disability, serious illness, and immigration, that many families in crisis may face. We discuss the impact of such stressors on both family and child, and identify various ways in which early childhood educators can support and encourage them in their time of need.
Chapter
4 - Building Communities of Care
Chapter Four focuses on the need for Early Childhood Educators and care providers to provide parents with child-rearing information and support. In order to do this, we examine the critical processes for child development, discuss how to develop and implement needs assessments for families with young children, and describe the dimensions of high-quality parent education programs. This chapter also identifies critical components of parenting and discusses methods of parent education.
At the end of each course chapter, you will be expected to complete an examination designed to assess your knowledge. You may take these exams a total of three times. Your last score will save, not the highest score. After your third attempt, each examination will lock and not allow further access. The average from your exam scores will be printed on your certificate. However, this is not your final grade since your required writing assignments have not been reviewed. Exceptionally written or poorly written required writing assignments, or violation of the academic integrity policy in the course syllabus, will affect your grade. As this is a self-paced computerized instruction program, you may review course information as often as necessary. You will not be able to exit any examinations until you have answered all questions. If you try to exit the exam before you complete all questions, your information will be lost. You are expected to complete the entire exam in one sitting.
Writing
Assignments All
assignments are reviewed and may impact your final grade. Exceptionally or
poorly written assignments, or violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (see
course syllabus for policy), will affect your grade. Fifty percent of your
grade is determined by your writing assignments, and your overall exam score
determines the other fifty percent. Refer
to the Essay Grading Guidelines which
were sent as an attachment with your original course link. You should also refer to the Course Syllabus
Addendum which was sent as an attachment with your original course link, to
determine if you have any writing assignments in addition to the Critical
Thinking Questions (CTQ) and Journal Article Summations (JAS). If you do, the Essay Grading Guidelines will also apply.
Your writing assignments must meet the minimum word count and are not to include the question or your final citations as part of your word count. In other words, the question and citations are not to be used as a means to meet the minimum word count.
Critical Thinking
Questions
There
are four CTQs that you are required to complete. You will need to write a minimum of 500 words
(maximum 1,000) per essay. You should
explain how the information that you gained from the course will be applied and
clearly convey a strong understanding of the course content as it relates to
each CTQ. To
view the questions, click on REQUIRED ESSAY and choose the CTQ that you are
ready to complete; this will bring up a screen where you may enter your essay. Prior to course
submission, you may go back at any point to edit your essay, but you must be
certain to click SAVE once you are done with your edits.
You
must click SAVE before you write another essay or move on to another part of
the course. Journal Article
Summations
You
are required to write, in your own words, a summary on a total of three
peer-reviewed or scholarly journal articles (one article per JAS), written by
an author with a Ph.D., Ed.D. or similar, on the topic outlined within each JAS
section in the “Required Essays” portion of the course (blogs, abstracts,
news articles or similar are not acceptable). Your article choice must relate specifically
to the discussion topic listed in each individual JAS. You will choose a
total of three relevant articles (one article per JAS) and write a thorough summary of the information presented in
each article (you must write a minimum of
200 words with a 400 word maximum per JAS). Be sure to provide the URL
or the journal name, volume, date, and any other critical information to allow
the facilitator to access and review each article.
To write your
summary, click on REQUIRED ESSAYS and choose the JAS that you would like to
complete. A writing program will automatically launch
where you can write your summary. When you are ready to stop, click
SAVE.
Prior to course submission you may go back at any point to edit your
summaries but you must be certain to click SAVE once you are done with your
edits. For more information on the features of this assignment, please consult
the HELP menu. You must click SAVE before you write
another summary or move on to another part of the course. Early
Childhood: Family-Centered Services has been developed by Aumony Dahl MS/ED
the instructor of record. Aumony received her
Master’s degree in Exceptional Children from Western Washington University. She is certified to teach in K-12 Special
Education with an additional endorsement in Early Childhood Special
Education. Aumony began her career
working as an elementary special education teacher for several years. She is currently an instructor in the Special
Education Department at Western Washington University, teaching a variety of
classes on topics related to early childhood special education, students with
complex special needs, assessment and evaluation, and program planning. Aumony is also a supervisor for practicum
students who are training to become teachers.
In addition to this course, Aumony has authored another course in this
Early Childhood series called Early
Childhood: Program Planning.
Dr. Marrea Winnega, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with 20 years of experience in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Psychiatry. She consults for schools and agencies serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger’s Disorder. She has also conducted numerous workshops, in-services, and trainings throughout the United States. Please contact Professor Dahl if you have course content or examination questions.
You may contact
the facilitator by emailing Professor Dahl at aumony_dahl@virtualeduc.com or
calling her at 509-891-7219, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST.
Phone messages will be answered within 24 hours
. Phone conferences will be limited to ten minutes per student, per
day, given that this is a self-paced instructional program. Please do not
contact the instructor about technical problems, course glitches or other
issues that involve the operation of the course. Please contact
Professor Dahl if you have course content or examination questions. Technical Questions
If you have questions or problems related to the operation of this course, please try everything twice. If the problem persists please check our support pages for FAQs and known issues at www.virtualeduc.com and also the Help section of your course.
If you need personal assistance then email support@virtualeduc.com or call (509) 891-7219. When contacting technical support, please know your course version number (it is located at the bottom left side of the Welcome Screen) and your operating system, and be seated in front of the computer at the time of your call.
Minimum Computer Requirements
Please refer to VESi’s website: www.virtualeduc.com or contact VESi if you have further questions about the compatibility of your operating system.
Refer to the addendum regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion
Information, Items to be Submitted and how to submit your completed
information. The addendum will also note any additional course assignments that
you may be required to complete that are not listed in this syllabus. Bibliography
(Suggested
Readings)
Arnold, L. (1980).
Preparing
young children for science. New York:
Schocken.
Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1997).
Developmentally appropriate practice in
early childhood programs: Revised
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10.1007/s10826-010-9403-6 Websites
Zero to Three Organization (http://www.zerotothree.org)
A primary site for information on healthy development during the first years of life.
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (http://www.nectac.org)
NECTAC is the national early childhood technical assistance center supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.
ERIC Early Childhood Resources and Link (http://ericeece.org/)
An excellent source when you need to research a topic related to Early Childhood. A large amount of information related to families is included here.
American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org)
This site offers child health information to parents and professionals.
Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2014). http://www.parentcenterhub.org/
The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) serves as a
central resource of information and products to the community of Parent
Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers
(CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children
with disabilities.
Council for Exceptional Children (http://www.cec.sped.org)
A professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for people working with and advocating for students with special needs.
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation (http://www.highscope.org)
This foundation is an independent non-profit research, development, training, and public advocacy organization to promote the learning and development of children.
I am Your Child (http://www.iamyourchild.org)
This site is primarily for students and families interested in information about infants and toddlers. The site was created by the Rob Reiner foundation in order to promote public awareness of the importance of early childhood development, largely in response to brain development research. The Foundation has developed a series of videos and CD-Roms in English and Spanish that can be purchased for $5. This is a valuable resource for sharing with parents and community members.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(http://naeyc.org)
An organization concerned with the quality of early education for young children. NAEYC provides a number of Position Statements that are important for all ECE specialists to familiarize themselves with.
Early Head Start National Resource Center @ Zero to
Three (http://www.ehsnrc.org)
A large amount of information related to ECE, with some topics emphasizing family services.
Floor Time- Stanley Greenspan, M.D. (http://home.sprintmail.com/~janettevance/floor_time.htm)
This site provides an overview of the work of Stanley Greenspan and is particularly relevant to class discussion of parent/child interactions in fostering emotional development.
Vort Corporation (http://www.vort.com)
This site is a company that publishes Information for Parents and Professionals working with infants and young children.
Harvard Family Research Project (2014) http://www.hfrp.org/
Course content is updated every three years. Due to this update timeline,
some URL links may no longer be active or may have changed. Please type the
title of the organization into the command line of any Internet browser search
window and you will be able to find whether the URL link is still active or any
new link to the corresponding organization's web home page.
11/11/16 JN | 28,411 | 11,760 | 0.000087 |
warc | 201704 | Copyright © 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003 by Dorian Scott Cole
Writing It Visually
You know it when you see it. It may be on stage, or on screen, or even in a novel. It's a scene or a story that is so well presented that you are completely immersed in it. The story seems completely real.
You may be surprised that it can be done in a book. No surprise - even plays and screenplays have to be written by a writer first. It isn't the director who makes characters alive - no director yet has been able to raise the dead. If the writer doesn't put life in characters, it isn't there - the readers won't like it - it will never get to the directors and producers. The novel won't get published nor the movie produced.
What it isn't
Putting more words on paper. Tons of description. More dialog. More conflict. More realism. "Bigger" settings. "Bigger" action. "Bigger" drama. More sex. More violence. Longer stories. Different story forms. Of course, some of these things can help a lifeless story.
What it is
Visual writing is the language of stories. This language translates a vision of some potential reality, including settings, events, motivation, and dialogue, into aesthetics, movement, and dramatic action, that can be presented cinematically. If writers were able to do this, they would be writing "shooting scripts" and directing, and their names would be given prominence at the front of the film. But few writers can write visually, so directors have someone else translate the script into visual language, if it gets done at all.
Effective communication has been studied for over a century. What is plain is that the effectiveness of communication is greatly enhanced (up to 90%) by the addition of nonverbal cues: body language, movement, action, etc.
Visual writing's three characteristics:
The word "visual," as I use it on this site, means "The totality of the visual medium in creating an effect," including all things that accompany a visual image to convey a reflection of life. This applies to books as well, because the author's descriptions of settings and drama create mental images. I think that many elements are blended in visual writing. They include the basics first:
What about dialogue, is it visual?
Screenplays that are all dialogue usually aren't very engaging. This doesn't mean that dialogue can't be visual. It's because the writer is simply "telling about" the story through the characters and this is passive, providing more form than content, and lacking vitality; he is not presenting it actively and visually. It's the difference between, "I should eat," and "I could eat a horse." But I include dialogue in my conception of what is visual. Good dialogue is very visual. Dialogue engages the viewer. Dialogue is composed of symbols (words and phrases) that point to experiences within the viewer - experiences that have a visual component - and these experiences relate to previous images in the mind's eye, that is, the effect of previous experiences.
I'm not necessarily referring here to word choices that are "active" or visual, but these are better choices than abstract words, and word choices are important. For example, words that relate to experiences rather than ideas, as in, "I'm starving" rather than "I should eat," communicate better. Prefer "experiential" words and phrases when there can be a choice.
Dialogue creates situations and transcends locations. The characters might be plowing a field, or knocking around Paris on vacation, but consider the impact of the following dialogue: A telephone voice says, "If you don't refinance your loan to make it current, we're terminating the loan on your business." The character replies, "We'll be ruined! We'll lose everything!" We understand "lose everything," regardless of where the character is physically located.
Through these phrases, both the character and audience are transported to another world. The situation created by phrases touches all that the character holds dear, and by extension brings those thing to the mind's eye of the audience. Through the experiences the dialogue touches, we picture the business, financial ruin, family pain, crisis. It is the same as in a silent film when the villianous banker shows up with the mortgage in his hand. The owner, with his family crying at his side, desperately offers a few dollars, and the banker callously shakes his head no and gestures them all off the land. Dialogue touches the same experiences and has similar impact. The more concrete, explicit, and experiential the dialogue, the more it creates a picture. The more abstract, the less it creates pictures.
Additionally, dialogue is presented visually by the actors. Listening to dialogue is a very different experience than hearing it while seeing accompanying images. To help communicate, actors use inflection, pauses, body language, proximity (as in, "in your face"), they do "stage business," and they interact with the set to express meaning if the writer puts this in (or as a choice if the director permits).
Good dialogue is focused so the points that are made are very specific and powerful. The more meaningful the dialogue is, the more it relates to experiences, and the more visual it is. Good dialogue "builds," creating a continuing experience to captivate the audience by the experience by being reactive or proactive, either reacting to the other character in some way, or proactively instigating a response.
So for dialogue to be visual, it should point to viewer experiences by using experiential words and phrases, it should be focused, be reactive or proactive, allow actor choices, and include interaction with the set.
There are at least two paths to visual communication, the direct visual path, and the indirect auditory path which creates visual images. Which one to use is a matter of choice regarding which will be more effective for conveying the image and the action. Or a third alternative is simply exposition, which conveys information without action.
Semiotic approach
The Visual Writer site includes an emphasis on a semiotic approach to evaluating and understanding stories. Semiotics is the study of signs (symbols*). This emphasis is because the vehicle of communication is symbols, both verbal and visual, which each person (both sender and receiver) interprets uniquely. These symbols attempt to convey experience, which is difficult at best, however they immediately touch related experiences within the audience. These symbols participate in our experience in significant ways. What then is effective, and what are the implications? This site examines these questions.
While semiotics has been used in the past in the analysis of film, it ran its course. What I present is not a rehash, but an approach that is more grounded in an experiential association to symbols, which I believe is more effective at conveying understanding and using symbols. In reviewing the literature, I have seen hints of this in other writers on semiotics, but my approach is original to me through my own analysis, and not a rehash or parroting of other's theories. I have found resonant ideas in the works of Umberto Eco and the late French film writer/director Jean Mitry, and in tribute to their mastery, would recommend their books for additional study. My terminology is slightly different from theirs. For my thinking regarding the experiential association with symbols, I am indebted to Eugene Gendlin, who writes on the topic.
* I use the word "symbol" to mean a sign (pointer) that actually participates in experience.
Theory
What is visual communication?
"Visual communications," in the sense that I use it on this Web site, I describe as the communication of meaning through images, through touching basic needs (such as love) and experiential memories (knowledge, experience, and emotion). These images may be spatially located, or virtually generated through language and other associations. The images are signs or symbols that are typically spontaneously assigned meaning.
"Signs" point to something else. For example, a personal object that is accidentally left lying on the floor, points to the person that left it, and signifies their prior presence. "Symbols," as I use the term, participate in our experience. Most story images are symbols, pointing to either a basic need, or to an assigned experience to which we can relate.
"Visual writing," I describe as the use of the written medium to virtually generate images. Visual writing focuses the mind, drawing into focus distinct details from the intricately interconnect experiences of the individual.
Visual writing is a good language for storytelling in any medium, and it is the writing form most closely representing the action filmed in a movie.
In film, the dramatic action unravels through images, which is composed of partly spatial images, and partly verbally generated images, which form a coherent story. Written in a visual language, stories are more effectively presented through actors, setting, dialogue, and action.
Visual communication engages meaningful experiences and feelings within individuals through richly embedded image symbols which are conveyed either directly through sight, or indirectly through other communications that trigger images as responses that generate or enhance visual communication.
Meaningful experiences typically convey more than facts or information - when sequentially presented they convey drama. Sight conveys characters, emotion, costumes, settings, situations and culture. Non-sight (dialogue) also conveys characters, emotion, settings (sounds), situations, mood (motif), and culture.
Images can be created by using meaning laden words, and also by description.
In a story the meaning of each image presented to the individual, whether through a film, a picture, or stimulated by language, gains its meaning from the context of preceding images which move the action of the story and continuously change it. No single image, even if the subject, setting, and miscellaneous artifacts are the same, carries the same meaning in all movies. The meaning of story images depends on context.
A story is not a sequence of disparate scenes or images. Each moment of dramatic action, and the accompanying image, has no inherent meaning or absolute meaning. Each is interpreted relative to the context of the story, including previous action and motivation. For example, a picture of a mother crying over a baby may be interpreted as a distressed mother, when preceded by a couple being told that their baby is unable to hear. The same scene might be interpreted as a happy mother when preceded by a couple having their kidnapped baby returned to them. A coherent sequence of images permits movement of the story and dramatic action to be produced.
Stories touch what we have sensed. Still images and moving images are representations that suggest reality and give us an approximate knowledge of real aspects of life. While a single image can tell a highly condensed story with very few details and very little movement, a story enables much greater understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment. Only real life offers real experience that provides experiential knowledge.
When seen from this perspective, telling a story visually is not about composing a perfect scene, but about composing scenes in which visual images relate to other images. Thinking of making images coherent with other images is an entirely different process from focusing on each scene.
One aspect of visual language is that it is a fluid language, spontaneously assigned meaning by the context of the story.
A second aspect of visual language is the composition of images used and scenes to convey meaning. The focus will include some scene composition (not specific shots - leave this to the cinematographers). This is an area commonly handled by the writer, production designer or set decorator, and director. Following are some of the various composition elements:
How much we are affected by an image depends on many factors. That is, how much an image taps in to our emotion laden experience depends on many things. Those can be focus (duration, intensity - repetition and connected emotions in the story), sensitivities, identification, attitude of the presentation (comedy, action, drama), and the viewer's attitude.
The image presented can have the same effect as reality. But usually it is going to have a modified effect that depends on contextual presentation. The story does not accurately represent reality, but a possible reality, a fictitious one, told through the lens of attitude.
A third aspect of visual language is dialogue that uses words that invoke images, which has already been covered.
Images are very subjectively interpreted, even if the objectives are known. Ask a group of people to choose a picture to represent their experience, and the resulting choices vary widely. Show a people a picture that you want to represent some thing or an experience, and some people will love it and think it very effective, while others will hate it and think it very ineffective.
Reactions to pictures are very inconsistent because the content of experience varies so widely. So it is very difficult to compose a picture to which everyone will react in the same way. The composition of any scene and individual shots depends on the context of the story.
How much can be conveyed by the composition of a scene depends on many factors, such as duration, simplicity, focus, and other things which allow attention to be drawn to details. In watching people of high educational level (physicians) trying to grasp complicated charts with many complicated factors, in momentary study, grasp of details, or even understanding, just doesn't happen. The visual message needs to be very easily and quickly grasped.
Only a certain amount of information can be conveyed visually. In a movie with continuously changing images, the audience sees two or three things maximum in a still shot. Additionally the background, setting, and costumes are enhancements to the shot and convey some information and meaning. Objects in scenes, used as symbols, require focus (highlight, duration) to gain perception and meaning.
Visual Science
Are there pictures in the brain? Can we communicate through images? Scientists can tell if you are thinking about a face or landscape by watching your brain activity with an MRI. In more recent experiments (2012), scientists have been able to show pictures on computer screens of what the brain is seeing. At this point in time, there is a large body of theory and research, but no answer. Evidence suggests that we are better able to create representations of objects in our mind if we are more familiar with the characteristics of the object. The better the familiarity, the more accurate the representation. But this is on objects that we perhaps haven't seen, but create from a description (as in architecture).
Research done using MRIs indicates that both seeing an object, and imagining the object, uses the same areas of the brain. But this correlation doesn't mean that an image is stored in the brain, but probably means that visual information, whether seen or recreated because of some stimulus, is processed in the same area.
My suspicion is that the brain's basic mapping function plays a very active role in presenting visual information. Basic "forms" (as in templates) most likely are a learned part of the mapping function and aid in the recreation of basic images. Most objects or scenes are not normally remembered in any great detail, but are reconstructed from basic forms, with important details presented by using remembered position relationship information and emotions that are related to having seen the image. Specific details are only remembered when the object or scene is more memorable, such as during heightened emotion or by familiarity, or by details that are an exception to the norm.
Different parts of the brain do respond to different things, such as outdoor scenes and faces. While images are seen in the visual cortex in two dimensions, images created within the brain are typically in three dimensions. So mental processes seem to differ widely for processing information that seems to us to be very similar. Not only that, long term and short term memory may process images differently.
Additionally, each individual brain seems to fundamentally categorize information through a process that creates categories that are unique to each individual, with each unique category being very extensible, growing as needed before breaking off into another category. The words within a language have unique meanings to each individual that varies according to the individual's unique experience. I think that both images and visually produced language stimulate similar pathways within the mind.
While some general image processes will probably be identified, there will probably be nothing that holds true for every individual. We are unlikely to ever be able to say that a mental process universally responds to the same stimulus in the same way. An image that communicates one thing to one individual is unlikely to communicate exactly the same thing to all other individuals.
Visual perception is the major way in which we perceive our environment. It tells us the location and characteristics of things within our environment, or something imagined. Basic forms become signs that communicate our environment to us. This is visual communications. These signs become symbols that participate in our experience, bringing meaning to us, and becoming a collector of meaning. For example, a sidewalk is a path that comes to mean, "for your safety and quick navigation, walk here." A chair means, "sit here." A person means, "human intelligence, caring, physical capabilities." These objects point beyond themselves to other things. Similarly an image of an object is a sign that points to the real thing that it represents, and to the meaning of the object, even meanings that are unique to the individual.
Perception can lead to profound communication. A smile or a shaken fist communicate emotion and intent. An image of a person we recognize may be a symbol that communicates love, hate, fear, etc. The image of a person communicates all that person has been, and potentially may be, hopes, commitments, etc. The communication is so effective that speaking to the image, such as a dead loved one, may be perceived as actually speaking to the person.
The argument over whether we think in images or words, to me is an irrelevant argument. We seem to think in symbols, regardless of what those symbols might be. We find expression for our ideas, needs, and motivations in both verbal and visual form, depending on the communication channel we are using. Both words and images act as collection points (focus) for meaning. A picture can be worth a thousand words, and a word can be worth a thousand pictures. In a story, a blend of both actions (through images) and words (through dialogue) can very effectively convey meaning, and do so aesthetically. Together, images and words are a powerhouse of communication.
Frequently I am asked questions on the fringes of writing and it makes me think more deeply about visual writing. Art (paintings), still photography, journalism, and documentaries are, to me, solidly entertaining as well as informative. I spend more time watching documentary and news channels on TV than any other type of show. Artists (painters), journalists, photographers, and cinematographers should keep in mind that I am trying to borrow from them, not invade their territory (in which case I would bring out authoritative books). These art forms are very visual, and tell a story often with just one picture. What do these tell us about telling a story visually?
In still photography and journalistic photography (as well as cinematography), I know that professional photographers feel that getting the right shot is both an art and skill that is difficult to define. I think that one good shot often takes a lot of waiting and a lot of film - that is, shooting frequently, take after take, and from different angles, and most of the shots are waste. Catching a moment when people are expressing emotion, even actors, is time consuming, but it shows the human impact of the events that are happening. One expression can tell the entire story.
Capturing a still image while things are in action creates a sense of things happening. And on the other hand, sometimes capturing an object that is still, tells a story, for example, capturing on film something that has been abandoned or symbolically thrown away or destroyed. Photography revolves around human beings and a moment in their lives, capturing what an event means to them, and determining how that meaning can be captured on film. This applies equally to a writer who may have to write part of a scene several times, change the setting, change the physical action, change the props and symbols, and add music or motifs, before he captures just the right nuances to bring the drama to life.
Film, whether still shots or moving, is a visual medium, and stories are told through a combination of visual and other elements, which illustrate the human condition. What still photographers are often doing is trying to catch a moment of human drama to tell a "story" through a captured moment in time. That is a lot to ask, especially to interject yourself into a real dramatic moment in time, wait for a precise moment, and react quickly to capture the spirit of a drama.
An artist faces the same problems, but I think that an artist more often has the element of time on his side. His larger tasks are the elements of composition, creativity, symbolism, motif, and the outward signs of human expression. Keeping in mind that some of the best work on stage is done in limbo (against a dark setting with no props) which focuses attention and harnesses the viewer's imagination, and keeping in mind that it is easy to overload a scene and distract from the action (expression), it occurs to me that a painter (I'm not one) has a place to start with a physical expression of emotion from a character (or subject), an action (reacting in some way to the physical world), that reveals the person's motivation, and a setting that does one of the following: complements the action (such as a motif), contrasts with it (shows what the character can and can't have), showcases it (frames it), or is appropriate to it (shows the cause of the emotional reaction).
Real life stories, such as journalism photography, documentaries, and news stories, are much like fiction stories. These stories are brought to life by the crews who write and film them. In the following paragraphs, I don't distinguish between staff members even though there is often a photographer, cameraman, producer, writer, and an on or off screen reporter involved.
I should note that a news story may be a special class of entertainment. I feel strongly that those who report (photograph) the "news" have two obligations. First is to give a true and accurate report that is not misleading and not influenced by the camera or story. This is a gigantic feat in itself because as soon as people know their story will be reported to others they begin to act differently. Observing the process actually interferes with it. And there is always a temptation to hype the story more than it is worth to get a good audience.
Second, if the event is worth reporting, it is for one of two reasons. First, because the event has impact and relevance to people. Second, because it is "discovery" within pure science, and advances knowledge. But even "discovery" usually has impact on people.
A reporter or photographer in a news story or documentary has the obligation to tell the story that has as its heart the question, "What does it mean to people?" There may be some form of human drama involved in the event, and the reporter can capture that. It may be that the drama will unravel right in front of the camera, such as during the arrest and conviction of a criminal. But in so many news stories the impact comes later, often out of the range of cameras, and it is up to the reporter to understand what the impact will be for people and to somehow work this information into the story. The writer of a fiction story has to answer the same question: "What does this mean to my character?" And then the writer has to illustrate this by showing the impact.
The most straightforward way to tap into the drama as it unfolds, whether real or fiction, is through the following storytelling techniques.
The most difficult part in all of this is for any writer to be prepared - to understand as much as anyone can what are the possible outcomes. Focusing on unlikely outcomes is misleading. What makes this especially difficult in real life is that events happen with very little notice, so a reporter has no time to prepare. This same element of spontaneity and surprise can be written into fiction stories as well, catching characters and the audience off guard. It makes a much better story (and sells better).
Another difficult part is to immediately see real life events as fitting into the framework of a complete story. Stories revolve around some conflict or human dilemma, and have four parts. Stories have a set up that tells what is about to happen. They usually have a long struggle. Then the story comes to a climax, followed by the resolution.Following are some examples:
Example 1, a flood: Example 2, civil crime:
While a story told in time has a beginning, middle, and end, and seems different from a still picture, every scene in a play is actually a microcosm of the whole. Each scene relates directly to character motivation, theme, and plot. A still picture is a microcosm of an unfolding story, capturing only a small amount of story detail, motivation, theme, and plot.
One approach to writing a visually powerful scene is the following: Wife For Sale story, and Writing Electric Scenes in Sequences. | 26,270 | 10,361 | 0.000097 |
warc | 201704 | Boiron
Promotes the healing of bruises.
Helps alleviate the symptoms of growing pains.
Relieves the signs of worry.
Kids First Aid CareKit by Boiron is an herbal remedy that helps relieve pain and heal bruising. It contains Arnica montana, Gelsemium sempervirens and Calcarea phosphoric. Arnica montana helps relieve the pain of bruises while helping them to heal and it also offers help in alleviating pain experienced from other minor injuries. Gelsemium sempervirens effectively relieves children of worrying and it is effective in promoting a child’s emotional health. Calcarea phosphorica addresses the pain associated with growing and teething. The combination of these herbs incorporated in the kit helps to promote the healing of bruises, alleviate the symptoms of growing pains and relieve the tendency to worry.
Suggested Use
: Take 5 pellets of Arnica montana 6C 3 times a day until bruise is reduced (max 7 days).
Take 5 pellets of Calcarea phosphorica 6C with each complaint until growing pains symptoms are relieved (max 7 days).
Take 5 pellets of Gelsemium sempervirens 30C morning and afternoon until symptoms of worry are relieved (max 7 days).
Supplemental Facts Notes: Stop use and ask a doctor if symptoms persist for more than 7 days or worsen.
You may combine these medicines without risk of interaction. Other Ingredients: Active Ingredients
Arnica montana 6C HPUS
Calcarea phosphorica 6C HPUS
Gelsemium sempervirens 30C HPUS
Inactive Ingredients
Sucrose, lactose
The letters HPUS indicate that these ingredients are officially included in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.
QUALITY AND POTENCY GUARANTEED
http://www.kidshealth.org/
http://www.aap.org/ | 1,718 | 831 | 0.001222 |
warc | 201704 | The Zimbabwean government has published regulations for implementation of a controversial 2008 law obliging white-owned companies to put a majority of their shares in the hands of indigenous Zimbabwean blacks, calling for completion of the cession of control within five years.
The regulations promulgated under the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act of 2008 say that by mid-April all businesses must give the government details on the racial composition of their shareholdings.
Based on that the government would determine what stake in the enterprise must be ceded to indigenous Zimbabweans, based on a list of candidates maintained by the Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere. Managers missing the deadline could face penalties of up to five-years in jail.
Harare economist John Robertson said the publication of the regulations in the official gazette will stop new foreign investment dead in its tracks.
Soon after publication of the regulations, the office of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai issued a press statement saying they were null and void because the rules were published without discussion or authorization by the Cabinet.
The promulgation of the regulations comes on the heels of a speech by Mr. Tsvangirai at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, calling for international investors to consider putting their money in Zimbabwe.
Despite the passage of the legislation in 2008, the government had done little since then to signal if it were intent on enforcing the act, and Mr. Tsvangirai's side of the power sharing government had signaled very clearly that moves in this direction would undercut its efforts to revive the economy.
In a statement, Mr. Tsvangirai said that, "I am in charge of all policy formation in Cabinet and neither myself nor the Cabinet were shown these regulations before they were gazetted." The regulations "were published without due process as detailed in the Constitution and are therefore null and void."
Tsvangirai spokesman James Maridadi told VOA: "We are trying to come up with policies that attract investment into the country and the thrust is to portray Zimbabwe as a safe destination for investment. This is counter-productive, it is old thinking."
Maridadi said Mr. Tsvangirai would meet with President Robert Mugabe on the indigenization question, and has also summoned Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kusukuwere for an explanation.
Despite the prime minister's opposition, Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma, a member of Mr. Tsvangirai's MDC formation, told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that the business community is misinterpreting the regulations which will not affect quest for international capital. | 2,735 | 1,297 | 0.000776 |
warc | 201704 | ALBERTO R. GONZALES was vague, unresponsive and misleading in his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the Bush administration's detention of foreign prisoners. In his written answers to questions from the committee, prepared in anticipation of today's vote on his nomination as attorney general, Mr. Gonzales was clearer -- disturbingly so, as it turns out. According to President Bush's closest legal adviser, this administration continues to assert its right to indefinitely hold foreigners in secret locations without any legal process; to deny them access to the International Red Cross; to transport them to countries where torture is practiced; and to subject them to treatment that is "cruel, inhumane or degrading," even though such abuse is banned by an international treaty that the United States has ratified. In effect, Mr. Gonzales has confirmed that the Bush administration is violating human rights as a matter of policy.
Mr. Gonzales stated at his hearing that he and Mr. Bush oppose "torture and abuse." But his written testimony to the committee makes clear that "abuse" is, in fact, permissible -- provided that it is practiced by the Central Intelligence Agency on foreigners held outside the United States. The Convention Against Torture, which the United States ratified in 1994, prohibits not only torture but "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment." The Senate defined such treatment as abuse that would violate the Fifth, Eighth or 14th amendments to the Constitution -- a standard that the Bush administration formally accepted in 2003.
But Mr. Gonzales revealed that during his tenure as White House counsel, the administration twisted this straightforward standard to make it possible for the CIA to subject detainees to such practices as sensory deprivation, mock execution and simulated drowning. The constitutional amendments, he told the committee, technically do not apply to foreigners held abroad; therefore, in the administration's view the torture treaty does not bind intelligence interrogators operating on foreign soil. "The Department of Justice has concluded," he wrote, that "there is no legal prohibition under the Convention Against Torture on cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment with respect to aliens overseas."
According to most legal experts, this is a gross distortion of the law. The Senate cited the constitutional amendments in ratifying the treaty precisely to set a clear standard that could be applied to foreigners. Nevertheless, Mr. Gonzales uses this false loophole to justify practices that contravene fundamental American standards. He was asked if there were any legal prohibition against U.S. personnel using simulated drowning and mock executions as well as sleep deprivation, dogs to inspire fear, hooding, forced nudity, the forced injection of mood-altering drugs and the threat of sending a detainee to another country for torture, among other abuses. He answered: "Some might . . . be permissible in certain circumstances."
This is not a theoretical matter. The CIA today is holding an undetermined number of prisoners, believed to be in the dozens, in secret facilities in foreign countries. It has provided no account of them or their treatment to any outside body, and it has allowed no visits by the Red Cross. According to numerous media reports, it has subjected the prisoners to many of the abuses Mr. Gonzales said "might be permissible." It has practiced such mistreatment in Iraq, even though detainees there are covered by the Geneva Conventions; according to official investigations by the Pentagon, CIA treatment of prisoners there and in Afghanistan contributed to the adoption of illegal methods by military interrogators.
In an attempt to close the loophole, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) sought to attach an amendment to the intelligence reform legislation last fall specifying that "no prisoner shall be subject to torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment that is prohibited by the Constitution, laws or treaties of the United States." The Senate adopted the provision unanimously. Later, however, it was stripped from the bill at the request of the White House. In his written testimony, Mr. Gonzales affirmed that the provision would have "provided legal protections to foreign prisoners to which they are not now entitled." Senators who supported the amendment consequently face a critical question: If they vote to confirm Mr. Gonzales as the government's chief legal authority, will they not be endorsing the systematic use of "cruel, inhumane and degrading" practices by the United States? | 4,720 | 2,165 | 0.000465 |
warc | 201704 | SCHOOLS & LEARNING Breathing Life Into the Lecture Hall Monday, September 24, 2007; Page B01
Nearly 200 students sat in the large lecture hall, staring down at their professor, Edward F. Redish, holding pencils at the ready to take notes in Fundamentals of Physics. It looked like a traditional lecture course, but appearance is where the tradition ended.
Instead of spending 50 minutes putting students to sleep by lecturing about position, velocity and acceleration, Redish, a University of Maryland professor, kept the students awake by getting them actively involved in the lesson -- all 192 of them.
He called on his students by name, having taken and studied their pictures. He frequently directed students to solve a problem with their neighbors or register opinions with a "clicker" system that, within seconds, calculates the answers and shows him the response. Sometimes he performs an experiment or shows part of a movie. And if he sees someone doing a crossword puzzle, he is liable to walk over and help out.
This is Redish's version of the time-honored college lecture course, which is undergoing significant change at some universities because of technological innovations and the desire to hold the attentions of the highly structured 21st-century student.
"Lecturing is not good for children and other living things," said Redish, who spent 25 years in theoretical nuclear physics and now researches how students learn physics. "They don't really learn very much in a lecture."
Once, all professors spent entire classes talking nearly nonstop while students furiously scribbled notes. Today, a growing number of professors are abandoning that tradition, saying there are better ways to keep students focused and learning.
"Sooner or later, you lose track of what the point is of the lecture. Your mind wanders," said Eric Mazur, a Harvard University physics professor whose book "Peer Instruction" is widely used among educators looking for alternative ways to teach. "For some people, it will happen seven minutes into the lecture; for others, 20 minutes. The problem is that when that happens, you are lost."
Or as Wenimo Okoya, 19, a junior in Redish's course, put it: "It's boring. A lot of students fall asleep."
Gideon Haile, a 20-year-old junior, said the reason he loves Redish's class is because he so "interactive." But, he said, "he's the only one."
Professors who have embraced new techniques frequently have turned to PowerPoint, saying it fits the lifestyle of today's students, who grew up with computers, cellphones and other forms of technology and whose lives have been far more structured than those of past generations.
Devon Welsh, 21, a junior and natural resource management major at U-Md., said it allows teachers to "give you the simplified version of what they are saying."
But some professors say it is making a bad thing worse. Students spend all their time scribbling down what's on the PowerPoint presentation, they say, and that leads professors to structure lessons around the visual presentation rather than creating a lecture with a beginning, middle and end that tells a story and can excite students. | 3,187 | 1,674 | 0.000604 |
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