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warc | 201704 | Hi Everyone,
As I have already told you there is soon going to be a marriage season in my family. The cherry on the cake is I will be at the bride’s side in all these marriages. Is not that sound lots of fun? Shopping trips, skin pampering, makeup, girl talk, and what else we would be discussing these days! During one of the skin care discussion sessions we listed some points that my brides-to-be are rigorously following for impeccable glow and complexion. Hence, I thought to draft a post so that everybody could take benefit from these tips.
Sweat it out: The first step to attain healthy skin is to sweat it out. You should get indulged in some exercises, brisk walk, power yoga or a simple walk to the market so that your skin sweats and pores get unclogged. This makes skin breathe that in turn results in healthy and supple layer. Not only that if, you make your skin sweat every day you will notice remarkable difference in your complexion as well and would not require any skin whitening creams to lighten the complexion. Just dab on sunscreen before you step out; even if you are walking under the sun your complexion will get one to two tones tighter. Drink water: Just like we have this saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” there is another one I invented “3 liters of water a day keeps the dermatologist away”. Water is the key element of human body. Up to 60% of the adult human body is water, and that is the only constituent that gets drained out at the earliest. So to keep up the hydration level of your skin you should drink as much water as you can, but yes of course there is a lower capping. Homemade vegetable juices: Raw vegetables are as significant sources of nutrients as fresh fruits. The more colors you add to your diet, more supple and healthy your skin will become. Dark color veggies such as tomato, bottle gourd, etc. also have the tendency to defer ageing. To take the best benefit out of them you need to eat them in liquid form. All you need to do is drink tomato and bottle gourd juices on empty stomach on alternate days.
For tomato juice: Grind one tomato, add some water and filter the juice. Now, add a pinch of black pepper and some lemon juice. Drink this concoction every alternate day on empty stomach
Bottle gourd Juice: Grind three inch cube of bottle gourd and add some water to it. You do not need to filter its juice, just add pinch of black pepper and lemon juice before drinking. This too has to be taken every alternate day in the gaps of tomato juice drink.
Personally, I like tomato juice more as it is slightly sweet n sour. Bottle gourd juice is thick so if you do not like its consistency add more water before drinking.
Fresh fruits and salad: Add lots of fresh fruits and raw vegetables to your diet. You should make a habit of having at least one such portion every two hours. If you do so, it will give satiate signals to your mind so prevent you from eating any junk food which in turn will keep your body fit by shedding off extra pounds. Lower your oil intake: Usually, oil is the root cause of most skin problem such as pimples, overweight or dullness. Even if you do not like adding an extra spoon of desi ghee to your curry it does not mean you are keeping a control on it. Put less oil while preparing food; eat small portions of curry or any food that has oil in it. Once you decrease your oil intake and increase raw fruits/vegetables content you will see significant improvement in your skin health and complexion.
When you change your lifestyle according to these advices, I am sure you will become the owner of an envious skin and body.
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warc | 201704 | By Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes Kings County District Attorney's Office
With the recent events in the news can you describe what your office is doing to address the needs of individual defendants who have mental health concerns in Brooklyn?
In the past, a disproportionately high number of nonviolent mentally ill offenders with a concurrent substance abuse disorder had been denied the chance for treatment as an alternative to incarceration.
To aid in addressing this problem, in 1998 I launched TADD (Treatment Alternatives for the Dually Diagnosed defendants), which is an alternative to incarceration program aimed at treating offenders who are dually diagnosed with drug addictions and mental illness. A severe and persistent mental illness, together with a verifiable substance abuse disorder, generally determines eligibility.
To enter TADD, defendants must plead guilty and agree to participate in a rigorous treatment program monitored by TASC-LINK, a non-profit criminal justice case management agency that reports regularly to prosecutors and the courts.
Additionally, in 2002, New York state opened a special Mental Health Court in Brooklyn. Defendants accepted for court monitored treatment in Mental Health Court must plead guilty and agree to participate in a treatment program for 18 months to two years if charged with a felony, or 12 months if charged with a misdemeanor.
Following the successful completion of the treatment program the case is either reduced to a lesser crime or dismissed and sealed. Alternatively, if the defendant fails to abide by the conditions imposed upon him by the plea agreement, he or she is sentenced in accordance with the terms of the agreement at the time the plea was taken.
For additional information regarding these programs visit www.brooklynda.org.
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Brooklyn District Attorney Recently I read about a program aimed at preventing gang violence and helping people who want to leave gangs. Can you explain how this program works? … | 2,036 | 1,023 | 0.000985 |
warc | 201704 | Rh & ABO incompatibility is rare, however does happen on occasion. Rh and ABO incompatibility is when a pregnant woman’s blood type does not match her baby’s blood type. As a result, this may have devastating effects on the baby, such as destruction of the baby’s red blood cells. In addition, the mother's blood will make antibodies to attack foreign proteins in the baby's blood called erythroblastosis fetalis. Once the antibodies attack the baby’s red blood cells, will occur.
These types of birth injuries are preventable if diagnosed early; a doctor should be able to make a proper diagnosis if regular checkups are being made throughout your pregnancy. The birth injury lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. realize the devastating affects a birth injury can have on you and your child’s life. If you believe you have been the victim of medical malpractice and your doctor either failed to diagnose or improperly diagnosed your condition, our
birth injury lawyers in Michigan have significant experience handling cases involving Rh and ABO incompatibility. Common Symptoms of Rh & ABO Incompatibility
According to research, there are numerous things as a parent to look out for such as:
Before birth:
Anemia (low red blood cell count) Elevated bilirubin (product of red blood cell breakdown) Problems with blood circulation and fast heart rate, which may lead to heart failure Hydrops fetalis (the baby’s whole body becomes swollen) Enlarged organs: heart, liver, & spleen
After birth:
Jaundice (yellow coloring of skin and sometimes eyes) resulting from high bilirubin Mild anemia Enlarged organs (liver, spleen, and/or heart) Small red/brown spots, or purple patches of the skin Trouble breathing Dark, amber colored urine Fatigue Michigan Birth Injury Lawyer No Fee Promise
Our attorneys will represent you in your Michigan birth injury Rh and ABO incompatibility case under our
NO FEE PROMISE. This means that you will not be charged any legal fees whatsoever unless we obtain a settlement or recovery for you. You have absolutely no obligation for legal fees unless we win your case. If we do not obtain a settlement for you, you owe us nothing! Contact a Michigan Birth Injury Lawyer
If your child suffers from birth injuries due Rh and ABO incompatibility because the doctor or hospital failed to diagnose the condition, you should contact the Michigan birth injury firm of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. immediately. Call us now at
(800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced birth injury lawyers about your case. We will start working on your case immediately gathering all the evidence and medical records to prove and win your case. | 2,695 | 1,314 | 0.000773 |
warc | 201704 | In the Grand Rapids, MI market in May, closings of new homes dropped year-over-year, and the decline was by a larger percentage than the April 2016. New home closings moved from 42 a year earlier to 7 after the figure moved from 37 in April 2015 to 10 in April 2016.
A total of 264 new homes were sold during the 12 months that ended in May, down from 299 for the year that ended in April.
Last year, 42 of 1,360 total closings were new homes, and this percentage saw a decline as new home closings this year made up 7 of the 1,220 total closings. For new and existing homes, closings dropped in May after also declining in April year-over-year.
Pricing and Mortgage Trends
The average value of newly sold homes in May 2016 was $224,357, down from last year's $286,376. This followed a 14.1% drop in April from a year earlier.
Average mortgage size on newly sold homes saw a decline year-over-year from $249,298 to $208,489. Average mortgage size on new homes went from $219,332 in April 2015 to $187,828 in April 2016.
Other Market Trends
The share of new home closings made up by attached units has risen while the share belonging to single-family homes has fallen.
The average unit size of newly sold homes fell from 1,678 square feet a year earlier to 1,445 square feet.
Foreclosures and real estate owned (REO) closings continued to fall from a year earlier in May, but did not appear to be dragging the market. Out of all existing home closings, foreclosures combined with REO closings accounted for 12.2% of closings, below 16.0% a year earlier. The percentage of existing home closings involving foreclosures declined to 4.3% in May from 6.9% a year earlier while REO closings as a percentage of existing home closings fell to 7.9% from 9.1% a year earlier. | 1,776 | 814 | 0.001236 |
warc | 201704 | Unless you've faced a reasonable amount of physical and mental adversity, chances are you're going to be lacking in the mental toughness area. That's why I don't think it's necessarily some kind of genetic trait but is learned through experience. I was FAR more mentally tough by my sixth year in the Army versus the first or second. Much of that came from pushing through physical and mental limits induced during training.
The first time I did a 12 mile road march in full gear I was definitely challenged. When I hit a wall half way through my mind was yelling at me to slow down, but knowing that I needed to meet time standards, I kept pushing. Unfortunately I pushed myself to the point of injury in the end, but I got a little taste of the reality that your body can go further than your mind. Jumping forward a few years I was faced with a much more difficult challenge, but this time I was more prepared because I'd already faced similar challenges on a smaller scale and understood how to pace myself physically, how to not let my pain and discomfort sap my motivation, etc. Over time I had developed mental tools to help get me through the challenge. The simplest was breaking up the overall massive challenge into small, digestible pieces. For example, I'd set my immediate goals into something relatively quick to accomplish such as "okay, I just need to make it to this next point" instead of "I've got to get all 9 points before sun-up...ahhhh!" Another thing is to focus your mind elsewhere. Because this particular challenge would be a major accomplishment with a ceremony and pride, when I felt like I was near the breaking point I would just visualize myself at the graduation ceremony, being one of the few who were selected, etc. This would help get me just a little bit farther, while focusing instead on the negative things like "my ****ing feet are bleeding!" and "I could quit and bit warm and relaxed back at the barracks" would just cause me to slow down and get frustrated with myself. It's difficult to trick yourself like that for a long time and it also helps to be in a team of people who can help motivate you or take your mind off of things, but sometimes it's just you for as far as you can see. Lastly, the most important thing I learned with experience that became my own mental toughness mantra is: "All suffering is tolerable when you know that it's temporary." That right there made all the difference for me down the road when faced with physical and mental challenges. It forced me to literally give every ounce I had to complete the mission, knowing that once complete I'd finally be able to relax and feel accomplished.
__________________
--Brando
If you’re driven by partisan tribalism more than ideology, if getting in rhetorical digs at liberals thrills you more than persuading adversaries or achieving policy victories, it makes sense that you would fight substantively inconsequential battles with no more or less vigor than any other… | 3,011 | 1,538 | 0.000656 |
warc | 201704 | Temperate California weather means that many recreational boaters will be out in droves this upcoming season. While boating can be a fun and thrilling activity, serious accidents can occur if the proper safety procedures are not followed. In some cases, boating accidents may even lead to death, according to the American Boating Association.
As a tenant in California, your landlord must ensure that your living space is safe and habitable for all. So what happens when a property owner refuses to uphold those basic requirements necessary to create a safe home? Knowing your rights as a tenant is essential to this end, particularly when a landlord neglects a property to the point that it becomes dangerous.
The onset of Alzheimer’s can be an extremely harrowing experience, for both the person suffering as well as beloved friends and family. If you’ve suffered a significant brain injury in California, you may be concerned about the link between head injuries and this devastating condition. The Mayo Clinic offers some insight into the supposed link, including which type of injuries are most likely to play a role in problems later on.
Sunny Orange County days often bring out motorcycle enthusiasts in droves. While it can be freeing to let loose on the open road, riders must ensure they are implementing these essential safety tips to help reduce the risk of serious accidents from occurring.
Good friends often lend items to each other. But what happens when you let your friend use your car and a crash occurs? To this end, California drivers should be aware of all relevant laws pertaining to accidents involving borrowed vehicles to prevent ruined friendships and much worse from occurring. | 1,721 | 911 | 0.001108 |
warc | 201704 | Across the nation CREW lists data for 5162 neighbourhoods, and this month Qu'Appelle is number 3230 putting it in the bottom half of the country .
In Aug the median listed house price of $182,450 in Qu'Appelle was a below average compared to the rest of Saskatchewan.
Qu'Appelle’s most common listing this month is 3 bedroom properties, less than province’s most common offering of 2 bedrooms.
If you’re looking for a large choice of properties on sale when you’re adding to your real estate investment portfolio, then Qu'Appelle has more than the average number to choose from compared to the rest of the province
Is Qu'Appelle a good investment prospect? It’s never a perfect science, but the data we have given us a number of indicators.
Stock on the market can be an important leading indicator of whether market pressure will be on prices to rise or fall – in Qu'Appelle there is less stock than three months ago. This would indicate home price pressure increasing as housing stock availability drops.
When it comes to the size of the properties currently available to property investors in this neighbourhood, they tend to have the average number of bedrooms than the most commonly available across the nation.
Can we guarantee how well Qu'Appelle is going to do next year? No, but we can look at the data we have and use it as a starting point before doing research.
The amount of homes for sale in neighbourhood has stayed the same over the last three months – this means that supply and demand economics would mean that the pressure on house prices has also remained constant. | 1,630 | 813 | 0.001265 |
warc | 201704 | I don’t believe that chronic fatigue syndrome causes a yeast infection as such, but I certainly see there can be a relationship between them both. And I have seen many chronic fatigue syndrome patients with Candida overgrowth. And one of the main reasons this will occur is due to the immune system being compromised.
When you have chronic fatigue syndrome, there are multiple causative factors and many different underlying issues which will challenge your body, but your immune system is often very much compromised. You’ll have poor adrenal health, low cortisol levels, thyroid can be involved, cortisol production may not be sufficient enough to stimulate immunity which can increase your susceptibility and significantly drop your resistance to Candida as well as SIBO or small intestinal bowel overgrowth.
Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have multiple food allergies, leaky gut syndrome, and many different digestive issues. And as their digestive function becomes increasingly compromised, they become much more susceptible to Candida yeast infection.
So a big part of my treatment with chronic fatigue syndrome is assessing adrenal function and improving this significantly. So I would recommend any patient with chronic fatigue syndrome to do Dr. Wilson’s adrenal fatigue questionnaire. You can read more about Dr. Wilson’s work on adrenalfatigue.org and also to have a look at my yeast infection online survey at yeastinfection.org which will give you some idea if you believe you have a yeast infection, if you’ve got chronic fatigue syndrome.
But there certainly is some correlation between both of these conditions. One of the better ways, in my mind, of improving chronic fatigue syndrome is by working on the digestive health considerably as well as lifestyle factors. It is possible to turn chronic fatigue syndrome around and you can see one of my successes if you go to adrenalnzed; adrenalnzed is the YouTube clip. If you type that into YouTube, you can see one of my first patients that is from New Zealand that I’ve treated on Dr. Wilson’s program, a lady that had chronic fatigue syndrome for many years who is fully recovered now.
If you are looking for solution regarding your chronic fatigue syndrome then I highly recommend following two sources:
1. Dr. James Wilson – AdrenalFatigue.Org
2. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum – EndFatigue.Com | 2,418 | 1,102 | 0.000928 |
warc | 201704 | WOODLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Alongside a flooded field of rice stubble, Jacob Katz dipped a fish net into turbid water and came up with a half dozen or so silvery juvenile salmon.
After a century of watching rivers held back by levees and California wetlands developed into farm fields, conservation groups are having some success reversing environmental consequences -- at least when it comes to sensitive salmon. And in a state where farmers and environmentalists fight constantly over scarce water, finding a way to use the same supply for two purposes could be game-changing.
In February, researchers released 50,000 chinook salmon juveniles into a flooded 20-acre test field lined with canals and levees. On Wednesday, the last of those fish made their way down the Tule Canal toward Northern California's Sacramento River and toward the ocean.
Famers and biologists collaborated to place young salmon in flooded rice fields to mimic the vast marshlands that originally lined the rivers of the Central Valley, where the fish thrived in their natural habitat. The Sacramento River used to spill its banks into rich tule marshes that were five miles wide in places, but it has since been channeled.
"When I look at the fish in the marsh, I say almost glibly that it's almost as if they evolved there, which of course they did," said Katz, a salmon researcher with California Trout.
"We've only recently come to understand that marsh was really, really valuable habitat," said Katz. "Our system of dams and steep levees was built when very little was known about biology and very little consideration was given."
The experiment took place in the Yolo Bypass northwest of Sacramento, a flood plain now home to thousands of acres of rice fields. In wet years, the bypass is a natural haven for salmon because the fish have a steady supply of insects and are shielded from larger predators. But most of the time, it's not flooded long enough to benefit the salmon, so researchers worked with farmers for the past two years to find the right balance.
The participants include California Trout, a nonprofit devoted to protecting cold-water fish species; University of California, Davis; the California Department of Water Resources; and John Brennan of the Knaggs Ranch, one of the participating farms.
The researchers found that over six weeks, the test fish fattened seven times faster and had superior survival rates than their kin left to mature in the harsher deep river channel. The marshland fish grew from 55 millimeters to an average of 90 millimeters in that time.
In comparison, fish in the river grew from 38 millimeters to 44 millimeters over the same length of time. Part of that difference was from the fish's calorie-burning movement as they avoid predators and fight the current. The river fish also are washed out to sea at an earlier stage.
"Historically, those small fish would have been swept into flood plains and would have spent a month or two getting large and robust," Katz said.
Generally about 5 percent of river salmon make it to the ocean, but these researchers are betting that larger, healthier juveniles will more easily avoid predators, thrive in the ocean and return to spawn. About 60 from the experiment were tagged to track progress and to compare their success to a control group released from hatcheries.
Federal and state governments have built hatcheries and gravel beds to encourage spawning, but research shows that an important part of the process has been missing.
"Everyone used to think that the key to salmon success was sparkling water and gravel beds in the mountains," said Katz. "But this is where they packed their lunch for the trip out to sea
The state's rice paddies, which produce much of the sushi rice consumed in the U.S., take up more than a half million acres in the Sacramento Valley.
As Katz watched flood plain-fattened fish begin the months-long swim that will take them out of the Golden Gate, he considered whether salmon raised in the paddies might end up inside a seaweed wrap with the rice grown there.
"Wait three years and ask me again," he said.
___
Follow the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/TConeAP | 4,204 | 2,073 | 0.000486 |
warc | 201704 | If you take some time to ponder crucifixion, to research the how’s and why’s of this type of capital punishment, you might come to the conclusion that it’s pretty close to humanity at its worst. It was a method of execution used by a few people groups (including the Romans) from around the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. The Romans would only hang slaves, pirates and enemies of the state — Roman citizens were generally exempt from such a humiliating execution, except in cases of high treason.
The excruciating pain of being nailed to a cross — often with nails driven through hands and feet — left a person suffering a slow and very painful death. {The term excruciating actually means “out of crucifying.”} Crucifixions were very public executions, meant to be a deterrent, that people might consider the consequential punishment before stepping out of line in the eyes of the government.
Depending on the specific methods used, a person could survive for several hours or even a number of days after being crucified. A platform placed under the feet, supporting the victim’s weight, prolonged the process. Blood loss, shock, or sepsis (caused by infection from the scourging that often preceded crucifixion) were possible causes of death. When things were dragging out past the liking of the executioners, the legs of those being crucified were often broken in order to hasten death.
The more you consider it, the more difficult you might find it to see anything beautiful.
While today we might know how to make capital punishment speedy and less abrasive to our minds and hearts (death by lethal injection, for example) the Romans knew how to make death long, drawn out, and nothing short of
excruciating. Could God take something so ugly — one of the most horrible tortures which has systematically been used as a method of killing — and make it beautiful?
According to historians, many victims of crucifixion were naked. Humiliation accompanied the painful torture: if they needed to urinate or defecate, they had to do so on full and public display. And doing so would probably attract flies and insects that, being bound to a cross, they would be unable to deter.
In many ways the crucifixion of Jesus seemed like a textbook, painful, humiliating, ugly execution. Every gospel mentions the soldiers bartering for His clothing before His death, which may indicate He experienced the humiliating torture naked, as many others experienced it.
For at least three hours He hung there, as the sky darkened in the hours of the day that are usually the brightest. Mocked by passers-by, spit on and put to shame.
If you are who you say you are, save yourself.
We are perhaps at our ugliest as human beings, when we torture one another, and we are perhaps just as ugly when we willingly watch, consenting and even mocking the dying.
What seemed like a textbook crucifixion gradually proved to be anything but. Pilate hung a sign above Jesus’ cross which read in Hebrew, Greek and Latin: “This is Jesus, The King of the Jews.” The Jews argued about this, and asked Pilate to change it to say “He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ” But Pilate refused with the reply:
“What I have written, I have written.”
In language universally plain, the Truth was ironically declared above a dying Saviour– He was indeed more than the King of the Jews. He is rightfully the King of Kings.
The King of Kings who stepped down from heaven to live with us and die for us. The only One who would. The only One who could. God put on our ugliness to give us beautiful.
Like others who’d been crucified before Him, even the others crucified that day, He bled and suffered. But only He asked God to forgive His mockers and executioners.
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. Only Jesus accomplished the work He intended to accomplish: He suffered for you and for me. Death for Him is life for all who believe.
It is finished! Only Jesus hung there for the salvation of mankind, and made even His executioners marvel as He cried out to His Father, proclaimed the work finished, and with a shout — committing His Spirit to the Father — breathed His last. The Centurion would’ve witnessed many deaths, but what he saw in the death of Jesus convinced him of the truth:
Certainly this was a righteous man! Only Jesus didn’t need to be broken — when the legs of the criminals on either side of Him were broken to hasten death — He was already broken. The broken Bread of Life, the Blood shed for forgiveness: Jesus was broken for you and for me.
Pilate marveled that He was already dead.
He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.
We who were once far off — hopelessly begging at the roadside of eternity — have been brought near. By accepting the finished work of the cross, receiving the forgiveness Jesus bought for us, with His own life, the ugliness of our sin is wiped clean. And in receiving the forgiveness bought on the cross, God looks at us and sees us wearing His Son’s righteousness — like the tunic the soldiers cast lots for, because it was a seamless one-piece and tearing it would mean ruining it — so our broken lives become whole, one-piece. Seamlessly glorious to God.
The ugliness of crucifixion makes way for the beauty of redemption. The beauty of salvation. The beautiful reconciliation. One-piece wholeness for you and for me, bought by the One who was broken.
And though the Cross may symbolize the ugliness of humanity at its worst, crucifying the One who came to set us free, to fix our broken world, to reconcile us to our Creator God, yet the Cross is still at the same time wholly beautiful.
Without it, we are hopeless. But through it, the veil is torn — we now have Christ in us, the Hope of Glory, the anchor for our souls. Our broken lives are made whole — only because of the Cross.
And that is how a Good, Loving and Redeeming God took the ugliness of the Cross and the ugliness of our souls, and created a thing of beauty.
Oh, the wonderful Cross! Oh the wonderful Cross, bids me come and die, and find that I may truly live.
Jesus, thank You for the Cross. | 6,340 | 2,886 | 0.000358 |
warc | 201704 | Police are deployed in Meiktila, Burma in March 2013, amid Buddhist-Muslim violence (Photo: Getty)
A new report from the U.S. State Department has found that government-sanctioned discrimination against Muslims and Jews is on the rise in some parts of the world - and that the world has experienced a general decline in religious freedom over the past year.
The latest International Religious Freedom Report points to an increase in anti-Islamic policies and actions by governments in Europe and Asia, and a rise in anti-Semitism at the national level in countries including Venezuela, Egypt and Iran.
Some findings in the report: Muslims face new restrictions in countries like Belgium, where face-covering religious attire has been banned in the classroom. Mangalore, India has also banned headscarves in schools.
Another section of the report focuses on violence and discrimination against Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic group in Burma that the government does not recognize as citizens. The Rohingya people are considered one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
The president of Burma, Thein Sein, was meeting with U.S. president Obama in the White House as the report was released.
Islamic minorities are also being targeted in some majority Muslim countries, the report found, including violence against Shia and Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, the arrest of Sunni Muslims in Iran, and discrimination against non-Sunni Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, according to the BBC.
The report highlights the situation in Nigeria, where Islamic militants Boko Haram have "violently murdered hundreds of Christians and Muslims" - according to an AP count, the group killed more than 620 in the first half of 2012 alone, and some estimates suggest the group is responsible for between 3,000 and 10,000 deaths since its founding in 2001.
Some religious leaders in the country have claimed that Boko Haram "sought to incite hostilities between Muslims and Christians and to spark reprisals" with its actions.
But government reprisals against Boko Haram are also being scrutinized. The New York Times reports that Nigeria has stepped up its campaign against the militant group, with President Goodluck Jonathan declaring a state of emergency in the country's northeast last week.
A Nigerian soldier stands beside a burned down house after clashes between Boko Haram and military forces on April 25, 2013 (Photo: Getty)
In the past, the Times says, the country's military and police forces have participated in "large-scale civilian killings" during their campaign against the Islamic militant group.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. "condemns Boko Haram's campaign of terror," but is also "deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism."
As well as an increase in anti-Islamic policies worldwide, the State Department sees rising anti-Semitism in some parts of the world: "Holocaust denial and glorification remained troubling themes, and opposition to Israeli policy at times was used to promote or justify blatant anti-Semitism," the report says.
"When political leaders condoned anti-Semitism, it set the tone for its persistence and growth in countries around the world."
Egypt, Venezuela and Iran were all singled out in the report, which also described anti-Semitic actions or commentary in France, Greece, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine.
In Egypt, anti-Semitic media reports sometimes include Holocaust denial or glorification. On October 19, 2012, Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi said "amen" after a religious leader called on Allah to "destroy the Jews and their supporters."
Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi at the UN, September 26, 2012
Venezuela's government-controlled media has also published anti-Semitic statements, the report finds, including attacking a Catholic presidential candidate because of his Jewish ancestry.
"Even well into the 21st Century, traditional forms of anti-Semitism, such as conspiracy theories, use of the discredited myth of 'blood libel' and cartoons demonizing Jews continued to flourish," the report says.
Secretary of State Kerry introduced the International Religious Freedom Report, and announced the appointment of a new special envoy on anti-Semitism, Ira N. Forman, a former director of the U.S. National Jewish Democratic Council. He will replace Michael Kozak in the role, which was created in 2004.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at the State Dept. in Washington, May 20, 2013 (Photo: Getty)
As well as documenting rising intolerance toward Jews and Muslims, the report found a rise in apostasy laws - which forbid people from renouncing their religion - and blasphemy laws around the world.
Laws against blasphemy and apostasy are often put in place to target other religions, the report says, sometimes selectively.
"These laws are frequently used to repress dissent, to harass political opponents and to settle personal vendettas," Kerry said at the report's release.
Kerry also acknowledged that America's record on religious freedom is imperfect. But his main message was that religious freedom is a "universal value."
"The freedom to profess and practise one's faith - to believe or not to believe, or to change one's beliefs - that is a birthright of every human being," Kerry said.
"I urge all countries, especially those identified in this report, to take action now to safeguard this fundamental freedom."
Related: | 5,595 | 2,569 | 0.000393 |
warc | 201704 | Because World War II is generally regarded as “the Good War”; because, even in the face of the firebombing of Tokyo and Dresden, the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the alliance with, and subsequent awarding of Eastern Europe to, the rapacious, murderous regime of Josef Stalin, it’s still pretty clearly a good thing that the side that won, won; because it marked the ascension of America as the free world’s undisputed superpower; because, Pearl Harbor and internment camps aside, it wasn’t fought on American soil. Because of all that, it’s easy to forget that it was the most massively, horrifically violent rupture of civilization in all of human history, and that like less favorably viewed conflicts such as World War I, Vietnam and Iraq, any such blow to the world’s societal and moral fabric is going to have devastating consequences for decades or more to come.
This forgotten cost of the Second World War is discussed provocatively in “CBR writer Alex Dueben’s interview with cartoonist Carol Tyler about her recent memoir
You’ll Never Know, Book Two: Collateral Damage, which continues the story of her family she begun in Book One, A Good and Decent Man. This volume focuses on her father’s experiences in the War, and the emotional damage it inflicted, first on him and then, by extension, on Tyler herself. Money quote:
[Dueben:] This volume really makes the connection between this tough, stoic, can-do attitude and this cold, unemotional distance that your father had. What’s interesting is how that attitude has been elevated to this ideal in a way that’s really shaped all of us since. When you started working on this project, were you conscious of the idea that the defining moment for them and all of us since has been World War II?
[Tyler:]I have said that all along. I believe the damage leveled upon an entire generation of (primarily) men by WWII absolutely defined our Baby Boom generation. All that so called indulgence we’ve been accused of. Emotionally shut off children love hula-hoops! And drugs! Look at the bloody trail of bad relationships and general self-destructive behaviors we got into. Book I says, “I hurt you to harm your children.” This is the legacy of war.
Having been sucked in by war fever myself several years ago, I find myself more and more moved by accounts of how even the most well-intentioned conflicts make a rubble of countless human lives, both the ones taken and the ones scarred, physically, economically, or emotionally. I have reservations about Tyler’s comics, but she’s doing vitally important work. | 2,678 | 1,419 | 0.000731 |
warc | 201704 | As the holiday season ramps up, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding Californians about the importance of safe food handling to prevent foodborne illness.
“Thorough cooking, adequate refrigeration, good hand washing and work area hygiene are the key practices to prevent foodborne illness," said CDPH Director Dr. Mark Horton. "Properly prepared and handled foods ensure not only a safe holiday meal, but a safe meal every day." The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths annually in the United States are related to foodborne diseases. Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 are two very common bacterial pathogens that every year are responsible for thousands of cases of foodborne illnesses, caused by ingesting contaminated foods. Contamination usually occurs as a result of poor food handling practices. Symptoms of infection with Salmonella include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea which may be bloody. Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection may include abdominal cramps and diarrhea which is often bloody. Most infected people recover from foodborne illnesses within a week. Some, however, may develop complications that require hospitalization. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for potentially life-threatening complications, such as kidney failure. Foodborne diseases can be prevented by simple safety steps in the kitchen. Wash hands with soap and warm water before and after food preparation, and especially after handling raw foods. Clean all work surfaces, utensils and dishes with hot soapy water and rinse with hot water after each use. Be sure to cook foods thoroughly and to refrigerate adequately between meals.
Click here for recommended cooking temperatures and other food safety tips.
facebook.com/CAPublicHealth
@CAPublicHealth | 1,895 | 980 | 0.001028 |
warc | 201704 | Jim Koch has beer running in his blood. He is actually a sixth generation brewer who he got his start in his own Newton, Massachusetts kitchen brewing the concoction that would eventually come to be known to millions as Sam Adams Boston Lager. Today's Sam Adams is based on a 150 year old recipe that had been gathering dust in his father's attic. But Jim Koch didn't set out to be a brew master or start what is arguably the best known craft beer on the planet. There was a time when Jim was living a fat and happy life as a highly paid corporate consultant. He had a cushy six figure job and a great a career ahead of him. Then, at 35, Jim shocked his friends and family when he decided to give it all up… to follow his dreams. This turned out to be a very wise decision.
Jim Koch (pronounced Cook) was born in 1949 and grew up just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was a fifth generation brew master. Jim would supposed to be the sixth oldest-son in the Koch family to enter the beer business but by the time he came of age, the domestic beer business was on life support. Even decades later, the domestic beer industry was still reeling from the after shocks of Prohibition. Between 1920-1933, brew masters (and other alcohol distillers) were legally not allowed to produce or sell beer in the United States. Even after Prohibition was lifted grain rationing during World War II changed the public's taste from richer-flavored small batch beers, to more watered down, lighter beers. During the 1960s, the U.S. beer industry rapidly consolidated into the hands of a few mega-brewers. When you added it all up, Jim's prospects as the sixth generation Koch microbrewer were not looking good. Jim's own father discouraged him from following in the family footsteps because he felt giants like Budweiser would be impossible to beat.
So instead of learning the beer business, Jim headed off to Harvard. After undergrad, Jim stuck around Harvard to earn an MBA and JD. But before finishing from his graduate studies, Jim realized he didn't want the traditional life he had just set spent years setting himself up for. He dropped out of business school and went to work at Outward Bound, a nonprofit expedition school, as an instructor. He spent the next three years teaching wilderness travel, mountaineering, and whitewater rafting. It was a long way from the Harvard combined MBA-JD program he'd walked away from.
After those three years, Jim returned to Harvard to finish grad school. He graduated in 1978 and became a consultant for the highly esteemed Boston Consulting Group. As a consultant, Jim settled into a cushy life as an advised pulp and steel mills on manufacturing processes.
Now you can imagine that a guy who dropped out of Harvard grad school to teach mountaineering might not be satisfied by this cushy consulting life for very long. After five years consulting, Jim decided he needed a change. And not just new job, but a new career. A new industry. A new life. Jim shocked friends and family when he announced his intention to pursue his frosty passions. He was 35 years old and earning well over six figures every year, with plenty of opportunities for corporate advancement and relatively little stress. But Jim gave it all up. That takes guts!
After leaving Boston Consulting Group, Jim began to tinker with different recipes right out of his kitchen. The Boston Beer Co. was started in that very same kitchen at a time when there were only about a dozen craft brewers in the entire country. There are over 2500 craft brewers in the United States today. Jim quickly put his Harvard MBA to work and wrote the Boston Beer Co.'s first business plan. His goal was to sell
$1 million worth of beer in six years (roughly 5,000 barrels of beer). He planned on having a total of eight employees, and he would pay himself a yearly salary of $60,000.
Jim asked his father for the family's best beer recipe. His father spent a weekend digging in the attic and eventually found a recipe that had been gathering dust for decades. The recipe dated back to the 1860s from Jim's great-great grandfather Louis Koch. That recipe became the basis for Boston Lager. Jim soon hit upon a genius marketing idea: Naming the company's main brand "
Samuel Adams". The real Sam Adams was a Boston-born, Harvard educated Revolutionary War hero. He was one of the Founding Father's of the United States who helped write and eventually signed the Declaration of Independence. Sam Adams was also a brewer.
Jim went door-to-door, or rather bar-to-bar, with his beer samples, convincing bar owners and restaurant food and beverage managers to carry his beer. His business and marketing savvy coupled with his folksy manner (on display in the brand's commercials) helped him pave the way to success for his fledgling craft beer. Within a year, Koch's home brew was named the country's best at a national brewing festival.
This marketing plan worked extremely well. Keep in mind, Jim's goal was to sell
$1 million worth of beer within six years. In the sixth year, The Boston Beer Company actually sold $21.2 million worth of beer. After passing the 10 year mark in 1994, that figure grew to $128 million.
The Boston Beer Co. went public in 1995 on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO offered shares at
$20. Some lucky Sam Adams drinkers actually found offers in six packs that allowed them to buy their stock for $15 a share. Can you imagine? As of this writing, The Boston Beer Company, under the appropriately chosen ticker symbol "SAM", trades at $243 per share. That's a 1115% increase in under a decade. At today's share price, the company has a total market cap of $3.13 billion.
Impressively, even after nearly three decades, Jim Koch has managed to retain 1/3 ownership of his company. Therefore, when the stock price topped $225 in September 2013, he officially became a
beer making billionaire. At today's share price, Jim is worth just slightly under $1.1 billion.
The success of Koch's Boston Lager has helped the American craft beer scene grow by leaps and bounds. American sales of craft beer have grown at least 10 percent a year for each of the past seven years. Remember, when Jim started out there was just about a dozen craft breweries in the US. Now there are more than 2,500–the most there have been at any time since at least 1887, according to records kept by the Brewers Association. Today Sam Adams is one the most recognizable beer brands in America. It is as recognizable as the brands put out by huge beer conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch InBev and SAB MIller.
When Jim Koch started Sam Adams, his dream was to some day sell 5,000 barrels of beer and have eight employees. Today the company brews 3 million barrels and employs around 800 people. Since founding Boston Beer Co. in 1984, Koch has continually grown his product offerings, beer varieties, and networked relentlessly for the best distribution. He has proven that brewing high-quality beer can be a good business model if done right.
Today, 64-year old Jim Koch has one billion reasons to raise a glass of his now famous craft beer. He is actually the first person in history to make a billion dollars off craft beer. Armed with his family recipe, three Harvard degrees (and the intellect to go with them), Koch popularized craft beer in the United States and turned his Boston Beer Co. into the third largest American-owned brewery.
He knew a traditional job and career were not for him but he gave it a brief try anyway before following his passion and starting The Boston Beer Company. Once again, if you have something you're passionate about – find a way to make lots money off of it and you'll never grow tired of your job. Actually, you'll never even consider it a job at all! | 7,809 | 3,689 | 0.000272 |
warc | 201704 | Introduction
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are considered sub-Saharan Africa's anchor states. Each country is the financial and infrastructure hub of its subregion, and each has played a robust role in regional peace and security. The United States has supported these states with the expectation that each would foster stability among its neighbors. Yet with all three embroiled in pressing domestic issues, questions about the utility of this strategy abound. Some experts say the anchor states will continue to play an active role in pan-African issues. Others see a worrying leadership vacuum. While states like Ghana and Tanzania show promise, such mid-sized countries have a hard time projecting influence beyond their immediate neighborhood. Experts agree the current situation bodes poorly for regional security issues and long-term economic growth but are sharply divided on what kind of policy the United States should pursue on the continent.
Share The Anchor States Turn Inward
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya function as hubs in their subregions due to size of population, transportation and communications infrastructure, and financial markets. South African power plants provide much of southern Africa with electricity. Central African states draw their fuel from Kenya's ports. Lagos, Nigeria's sprawling commercial capital, is a burgeoning financial center. By virtue of their strong leaders, South Africa and Nigeria also have been instrumental in promoting continent-wide diplomatic initiatives. Former
All three countries are now preoccupied with internal concerns. South Africa's Mbeki left office in 2008, and the succession battle within his African National Congress provoked the creation of a new political party, COPE, and intense domestic turmoil. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua is seriously ill, and analysts say that as a result, the government has virtually come to a standstill. Meanwhile, armed groups in the Niger Delta continue to launch attacks against oil pipelines. "South Africa and Nigeria need time for internal reflection because previous presidents were very ambitious internationally," says Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House, a British-based think tank. Kenya, which most experts say is the least powerful of the three hubs, is struggling to regain its footing following its disputed presidential elections in December 2007. Its power-sharing government is widely seen as weak and ineffective.
“The African Union can’t substitute for good leadership within the African Union.” – CFR’s Princeton Lyman
Some experts are concerned about the leadership void this leaves on the continent. "It's a dilemma," says CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Princeton N. Lyman, "We are going into a period where we don't have a continent-wide heavyweight." The political crisis in Kenya--which the head of the African Union, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and a group of elders led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan all attempted to mediate before a power-sharing government was formed--starkly illustrated this problem. African affairs scholar Raymond W. Copson, who teaches at George Washington University, points to the conflict in Darfur and the failure to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in South Sudan as other cases of failed leadership.
The African Union led peacekeeping operations in both Darfur and Somalia, but experts do not expect it to play a robust role in maintaining continental security going forward. It is a relatively young institution, as this Backgrounder explains, and its existing commitments have overstretched its administrative and financial capacities. Also, like any regional group, it is only as strong as its member states. "The African Union can't substitute for good leadership within the African Union," says Lyman. While there is some optimism about the body's long-term potential, right now it still has trouble getting members to pay their dues, says Copson.
Subregional, Not Continental, Players
So where are the new leaders in Africa? Mid-sized countries like Ghana and Tanzania hold promise, but their clout pales in comparison to the anchor states. "Leadership follows in a pecking order," says Robert I. Rotberg of Harvard University, "Nigeria and South Africa are the biggest and wealthiest countries around." Experts agree that no matter how skilled the leader of a small country is, he or she will not be able to play the same role as one of the regional hubs. These small countries can't deploy large peacekeeping contingents and have limited financial resources. As a result, they can play a positive role within their subregions, but it is unlikely they will emerge as continental leaders. They can also wield symbolic influence, by pushing for a stronger African Union or serving as role models in dealing with the West, says Lyman.
Experts count Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda among the ranks of a second tier of African leaders. Ghana is considered one of the best-governed countries in Africa and just finished a one-year term as head of the African Union. According to the World Bank, it is on track to exceed the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015. Tanzania ranks fourteenth out of nearly fifty countries on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, and experts speak favorably of its president, Jakaya Kikwete. Ugandan President Museveni has adopted a forward-thinking HIV/AIDS policy, has supported peace activities in Sudan, and is the only country to send troops for the African Union peacekeeping operation in Somalia. However, he still faces the problem in his own country of brokering peace with the Lord's Resistance Army in the north.
“South Africa and Nigeria need time for internal reflection because previous presidents were very ambitious internationally.” – Alex Vines, Chatham House
Experts say that Ethiopia could play a more significant role on the continent, but much of its military might is focused on maintaining its own security in relation to Somalia and Eritrea. It also must contend with a burgeoning insurgency in its eastern Ogaden region. There is a cadre of small but economically successful countries like Botswana and Malawi that could serve as role models, but experts say the larger countries do not view them as leaders, per se, and thus will not seek political advice from them.
If one thinks about leadership in a less direct way, however, these smaller countries may ultimately influence positive developments on the continent. Christopher Fomunyoh, senior associate for Africa at the National Democratic Institute, a U.S.-based nonprofit group that promotes good governance, suggests that Namibia's independence in 1989 precipitated the end of apartheid in South Africa, and a 1991 national conference held in Benin to end one-party rule prompted similar actions across West and Central Africa.
The Need for Regional Economic Cooperation
The dearth of continental leadership has implications not just for regional peace and conflict resolution, but for long-term economic growth. Because so many African countries are small and landlocked, they rely on their coastal neighbors for market access. Without regional cooperation, these countries will never be able to create markets large enough to be competitive with the rest of the world. While most subregions have economic groups, these bodies have yet to prove themselves. The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, shows signs of cohesion, and the South African Development Community, SADC, has plans to develop a common market in southern Africa, but its reputation has been marred by its mediation failure in Zimbabwe. The East African Community was making encouraging progress, experts say, but Kenya's political troubles will delay further regional integration efforts.
World Bank economist Harry Broadman says for business on the continent to become internationally competitive, regional solutions are needed for infrastructure and regulation. African businesses in different countries, he observes, are perfectly happy to seek advice from one another. "They will be one another's best clients," he says. But they need regional infrastructure to develop successfully. Such projects require political collaboration, however, and Africa's political leaders are not as willing to work together. Broadman compares this situation, where economic and political interests are "bifurcated," to the one that arose in the Balkans post-conflict. For instance, in southern Africa, Botswana and Zambia want to be as economically successful as South Africa. Although businesses among these countries collaborate, resentment of the political power of the South African government prevents public policy changes that would further economic integration.
African countries could also benefit from consulting one another on China's activities in their countries, suggests Chatham House's Vines, but this has yet to happen. In Angola, for example, China is building a railroad, but the Angolan government has no idea what kind of goods--if any--it will transport because it has not consulted with neighboring countries.
“There is no alternative but to keep on supporting the hubs and hoping for the best.” – Raymond Copson
Bilateral or Regional: Options for the United States
The ambivalence African governments seem to feel toward regional cooperation is reflected in recommendations for U.S. policy toward the continent. Experts disagree sharply on the best course for the United States to pursue in Africa. Some, like Vines and Lyman, believe that focusing on the regional economic communities and the African Union is the best course of action. Strengthening the capacity of these institutions to implement their stated operating principles, which experts say are quite good, will strengthen regional cooperation and help spur economic development. Others, like Harvard's Rotberg, view these groups as ineffective and instead advocate a bilateral approach. He suggests that the United States support the countries on the Ibrahim Index that are ranked just below the top ten to help them reduce corruption and strengthen good governance. For countries like Liberia, which ranks low on the index because it has recently emerged from conflict but has a strong, visionary leader, he thinks that one or two years of assistance would be useful, but the aid should have a clear time frame.
The United States already has a program, the Millennium Challenge Account, to award aid to countries that meet good governance measures. Many sub-Saharan countries have signed compacts or threshold agreements, which provide limited assistance to countries that do not yet qualify for compacts. Experts praise the program, but "unfortunately, Congress is not very happy with the Millennium Challenge Account," says Lyman. Rotberg says the concept is good, but the execution has been "appalling." The fate of this program under the Obama administration is unclear.
Another school of thought argues that the United States should invest its resources in supporting the anchor states, given their inevitable status as continental leaders. "There is no alternative but to keep on supporting the hubs and hoping for the best," says Copson. Several experts suggest the United States should put more effort into assisting Nigeria with the security situation in the Niger Delta. One vehicle for such support might be the newly formed U.S. military command for Africa, Africom.
Whether the United States adopts bilateral or regional policies, experts caution against holding different countries to different standards. "There should be basic values on which the United States takes a consistent position," says Fomunyoh. When the United States did not object to Uganda's Museveni changing the constitution in 2005 and failed to criticize the flawed Nigerian elections in April 2007, this sent a signal to other African leaders that they too could abuse their leadership responsibilities. Kenya's political crisis, he suggests, was a direct outgrowth of that belief. | 12,177 | 5,266 | 0.000192 |
warc | 201704 | Nut butters are not just for sandwiches. I love swirling almond butter into my oatmeal and adding a few spoonfuls of cashew butter to my stews. I’ve also sometimes use nut butter in the place of oil in baked goods such as muffins and banana bread. Robin Robertson’s new book
is chock-full of recipes that use nut butters in creative ways. The Nut Butter Cookbook
The Nut Butter Cookbook contains recipes for everything from soups and starters to main dishes and desserts. It also contains instructions for making your own nut butters, nut creams and nut cheeses. The Plant-Based Dietitian Julieanna Hever wrote the book’s forward, explaining the health benefits of nut butters and dispelling some nutty nutrition myths. (Pun intended.) There are handy charts at the back of the book that contain information about nuts, such as how much protein, calcium, and zinc can be found in a one-ounce serving of almonds, and how many calories are in a serving of peanuts. The book also contains helpful indexes of gluten-free and soy-free recipes, for those with food sensitivities. The recipes in The Nut Butter Cookbook are versatile, so if you want to make a recipe that calls for cashew butter, but all you have on hand is almond butter, you can make a swap and the dish will still taste delicious. Seed butters can be swapped for nut butters for those who may have nut allergies.
When a new cookbook arrives, I usuall sit down with it and a stack of sticky notes and mark the recipes I want to cook, but I haven’t been able to do that with
The Nut Butter Cookbook because every single dish looks delicious! Since it’s summertime and the weather has been warm, I’ve been eating quite a lot of salads, and I really love the recipes in the salad chapter. I can’t decide which one is my favorite – Could be the Indonesian Gado–Gado which is made with shredded cabbage and carrots and drenched in a spicy peanut sauce? Or maybe the Roasted Niçoise Salad with a creamy Cashew Goddess Dressing that I want to pour over everything? Perhaps it’s the classic Cold Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
Of course, you’ll find far more than just salads in
The Nut Butter Cookbook. Thai Tofu Vegetable Wraps have become a lunchtime favorite of mine. Penne Primavera with Avocado Cashew Cream is super quick and easy to make, and it seems like the quintessential warm weather pasta dish. The Cashew Queso Sauce that accompanies the Quinoa and Black Beans dish is so good that I caught my naughty cat Archie on the counter licking the pot. But my favorite recipe in The Nut Butter Cookbook is hands down The Sichuan Stir-Fry with Fiery Peanut Sauce. If I was forced to pick just one meal to eat for the rest of my life, it would that one. It’s a mix of tofu and veggies cooked in a deliciously spicy peanut sauce and it’s my favorite recipe in the book.
Robin has graciously given us a copy of
The Nut Butter Cookbook for one lucky Chic Vegan reader. Follow the instructions below to enter. U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends at midnight eastern time on Sunday, September 7. Good luck! | 3,153 | 1,543 | 0.000665 |
warc | 201704 | Think twice before going prepaid, Gov warns benefits claimants
THE Government is concerned that benefits claimants may be losing out by having their entitlements credited to prepaid cards, an internal email reveals.
In the email, the Department for Work and Pensions warned one benefits office that the charges incurred by using the cards might render them unsuitable vehicles to receive state benefits.
Prepaid cards are a relatively new concept in the UK, although they are well-established in the US.
As we explain in more detail in this guide to prepaid, the basic idea of these cards is that users can load on their own cash and then use it as they would a standard debit or credit card, albeit while incurring a number of charges for the privilege.
Government Warning
Many consumers aren't fully aware of the costs involved for using prepaid cards, ministers said.
These charges typically include an initial card purchase cost, a monthly fee, charges to credit the card with money and charges to make purchases with the cards.
Even more worryingly, it seems that some prepaid card companies are targeting benefits claimants - known as one of the most financially excluded groups - in particular.
According to the BBC's Money Box programme, the Clyde and Fife Benefits Delivery Centre recently received nearly 100 requests from people wishing to have their benefits paid directly on to one particular brand of prepaid card from a company called Go: Money.
When benefits office employees contacted the customers who had made the request they found that many were not aware of the charges.
Go: Money says that it has changed its sales practices and no longer uses the sales company apparently behind the influx of confused customers.
Despite the change, however, Steve Tobin, sales director at the company, defended the use of the cards for benefits in general.
"We are giving people a choice," he said. "People can use the accounts to buy things on the internet and pay bills over the phone. We are providing a quality service. There are intrinsic costs involved, but where the benefits outweigh these costs that is the choice the consumer makes."
The prepaid problem restated, therefore, is not 'why are people using these cards?' but 'why are people
having to use these cards?' Alternatives: basic bank accounts
Mike Dailly, the principal solicitor of Glasgow's Govan Law Centre told BBC reporters that he was concerned about the fees charged by these cards.
However, he added: "I would accept that we do have problem with basic bank accounts not being available enough and not being promoted enough for people on low incomes."
Frequent use of prepaid cards is aimed at consumers who are unable to apply for a current account with a debit card at a bank either because they are too young or because they have a poor credit rating.
The cards are particularly attractive in that they allow people who don't qualify for a debit card to buy things online, by telephone or, as in this case, to receive a regular payment such as monthly pay or benefits.
But some have pointed out that the high charges associated with the cards make them too expensive to be of use and that there should, instead, be much better basic bank accounts offered by the mainstream banks.
As our guide shows in more detail, basic accounts come without overdraft facilities or additional features such as chequebooks but, because they cost the bank money to provide, they're rarely advertised. | 3,497 | 1,703 | 0.000592 |
warc | 201704 | The bull market in many parts of Asia has been declining with a suddenness that has left management and investors confused and reeling. After almost two years of irrational market exuberance when almost any strategy worked, companies are facing the challenge of certain Asian economies beginning to show signs of slight reduction in GDP growth.
As a result of this, we are headed towards a maturing growth mode versus a historical growth mode. In India, for instance, the month of January 2008 produced an increase of industrial production by 5.3%; however, in January of 2007, industrial production had increased by 11%.
With the increased volatility of the stock markets, each correction in stock price adds another element of mystery in how the markets value organisations in many corporate boardrooms. As a result, many organisations have concluded that over the long-term (which in Asia is defined as 12-18 months), the primary business strategy will be executed on the lofty promises made to the markets and investors.
In this environment, strategy execution is even more precarious, demanding talented and experienced managers and visionary leaders. But the challenge becomes how to retain these executives, motivate them to achieve new strategies and reward them for their success? The challenge is even greater given that the use of long-term incentives is still in its infancy stage in many parts of Asia, and long-term incentives are what each executive wants as they have seen their Western counterparts get rich by such incentives in the similar growth phase of the mid to late 1990.
Executive pay in Asia is changing by the minute. Long-term incentives, and in particular stock options, have been the incentive vehicle of choice for the past several months for most private and public companies. However, many investors are questioning the alignment of stock options with the operational performance of the business, as all of them have a strong pay-for-performance mindset. With this mindset, companies are beginning to look at alternatives as to how they assess and reward performance.
What incentives will best motivate executives and other employees? The answer is a balanced incentive portfolio. By offering a combination of incentives, each tied to specific goals, you can tailor-make compensation packages that put the right amount of pay at risk in order to motivate people. Rather than rewarding only an increase in the stock price, a balanced portfolio seeks to align people with company goals and with the interest of shareholders.
It engages people’s commitment by specifying what they have to gain if the company achieves specific targets, and what they stand to lose if it does not. With a balanced incentive strategy, you can determine the optimal mix of cash, options, restricted stock, and other incentives that best meet your goals and match your strategy and culture.
Whatever the choice, equity-based incentives will play a key role. The chance to earn a stake in the company remains a powerful incentive. An equity interest ties an individual’s wealth directly to the company’s fortunes. When something is earned, not merely given, there is a greater emotional connection. Equity interests offer a reward for what is done and an incentive for innovation that makes the company grow. We have identified six incentive imperatives that should be evaluated relative to your company’s culture and strategy, and built into a balanced combination of incentive vehicles.
Studies show that recognition has a positive impact on performance, either alone or in conjunction with financial rewards. For example, in one study, combining financial rewards with non-financial ones like recognition produced a 30% performance improvement in service firms, almost twice the effect of using each reward alone. The Minnesota Department of natural Resources conducted one study of recognition. Respondents said they “highly valued” day-to-day recognition from supervisors, peers, and team members. More than two-thirds said it was important to believe that others appreciated their work.
— | 4,149 | 1,953 | 0.000518 |
warc | 201704 | What do I learn?
You learn how to deal with a wide range of first-aid incidents and you study a range of subjects, including:
• legalities, responsibilities and reporting
• assessment of the situation
• dealing with an unresponsive casualty
• shock
• control of bleeding
• resuscitation
• bandaging
• heart attacks
• choking
• epilepsy
Teaching/learning methods:
We use interactive and varied teaching methods to give you the experience you need to feel confident in dealing with first aid incidents. The delivery includes practical scenarios, videos and group work.
Assessment methods:
You are assessed throughout the course on your ability to deal with the different types of incident we go through. There will also be a brief written test at the end of day.
What do I gain?
On successful completion of the course, you will gain a qualification to the highest level of first aid which meets the statutory requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
Subject to assessment all participants will be issued with a First Aid at Work certificate (and wallet card) approved by the Health and Safety Executive. This qualification is valid for three years and can be renewed by attending a suitable refresher course.
What do I need?
To do this course you need:
• a reasonable level of fitness
• to be at least 14 years old
No prior qualifications are required. Courses are restricted to 12 students. =
On the day itself, all you need is a pen and a notepad.
What do I gain?
Other courses in college
To gain an even deeper knowledge of first aid and to become a recognised first aider in the workplace, ask about the other first aid training courses we run in the college, such as Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work.
What else do I need to know?
The course runs at our Blackbird Leys campus from 9am until 5pm. | 1,917 | 968 | 0.001085 |
warc | 201704 | INTRODUCTION
Systematic field-survey was carried out in the territories of
Contrada Termine and Santa Lucia, both part of the Comune di Pignataro Interamna. This was done by parallel lines and by putting the surveyors (3-5) at a distance of 5 m from each other (intensive survey). Basic unit of the survey was the individual field defined as a consistent and bounded land plot with even visibility conditions ( Unità Topografica – UT / lit. ‘Topographic Unit’). The ploughsoil assemblage distribution model here adopted hinged on site and offsite notions. Site was defined as a higher concentration of archaeological material with respect to the general situation within the Unità Topografica and therefore possible indicator of a past human settlement. Offsite was defined as a more diffused and less homogenous spread of archaeological material within the Unità Topografica, but nonetheless an indicator of some past human activity (e.g. manuring).
Conditions in the landscape (e.g. ploughing) were much varied and often inadequate in terms of surface visibility. Because of this and in order to achieve the best possible results, the systematic survey was carried out in limited and discontinuous areas. All sites were georeferenced by way of a GPS receiver, whilst altitudes were derived from the
Carta Tecnica Regionale del Lazio Ril.1991 (i.e. the Regional Technical Map from Lazio 1991 edition, 1:10000).
All the following chronologies must be intended as earliest/latest attested dates.
Fig.1: Distribution of Sites (SITO), Sporadic Remains (RS) and Topographic Units (UT) within the survey area (on Carta Tecnica Regionale del Lazio Ril. 1991 – Elementi 403130 e 403140) RESULTS
About 31 ha were surveyed at
Contrada Termine and Santa Croce (Figure 1), for a total of 15 Topographic Units [ UT 1-15], all characterised by excellent visibility conditions (generally recent ploughings): UT 1: background-noise offsite(generic Roman); UT 2: offsiteof SITO 1(350 BC – AD 300); UT 3: offsiteof SITO 2(300 BC – AD 1000); UT 4: background-noise offsite(AD 200-300); UT 5: background-noise offsite(350 BC – AD 1500); UT 6: offsiteof SITO 3(350 BC – AD 600); UT 7: offsiteof SITO 4(350 BC – AD 500); UT 8: background-noise offsite(200 BC – AD 300); UT 9: offsiteof SITO 4(AD 200-1500); UT 10: background-noise offsite(AD 100-1500); UT 11: background-noise offsite(generic Roman and Medieval); UT 12: background-noise offsite(AD 100-200); UT 13: offsiteof SITO 5(50-1 BC); UT 14: background-noise offsite(350-50 BC); UT 15: background-noise offsite/ offsiteof SITO 6(350 BC – AD 1500).
Additionally 6 sites [
SITO 1-6] have been identified (Figure 1): SITO 1(UT 2): small farm (generic Roman); SITO 2(UT 3): small/medium farm (350 BC – AD 800); SITO 3(UT 6): small farm (350 BC – AD 500); SITO 4(UT 7): medium farm (350 BC – AD 500); SITO 5(UT 13): small farm (?) (generic Roman, but contrast with UT 13); SITO 6(UT 15): medium/large farm (350 BC – AD 800).
This area had already been investigated by the Canadian team coordinated by E.M. Wightman and it seems appropriate to compare/contrast the two datasets – with the proviso that the Canadian team georeferenced spots with a 100-meters accuracy. It is therefore possible to suggest the following relations:
UT 4(background-noise offsite) = W353; UT 12(background-noise offsite) = W309 e W312; UT 14(background-noise offsite) = W313-314; SITO 4= W316; SITO 6= W317.
Concerning
SITO 4 our research integrates what was already known with the recovery of black gloss pottery (Republican) and terra sigillata italica (Early Imperial), therefore providing new elements for a more accurate chronology. Nonetheless it is worth noticing that 13 Topographic Units ( UT 1-3, 6-11, 13 e 15) and 4 sites ( SITO 1-3, 5) have been identified and recorded for the very first time. CONCLUSIONS
In general we have observed a high level of archaeological visibility throughout the survey area. This is due to favourable geomorphological conditions (a limited sedimentary process) and to the existence of extensive buried archaeology in connection with an intensive mechanised agricultural exploitation. The ploughsoil assemblage proved remarkable in terms of both quantity (ca. 58 finds/ha) and quality (several diagnostic sherds, ca. 8 per ha). Such conditions prompted the appropriate adoption of onsite sampling as our main collection strategy.
In terms of settlement patterns, our own evidence is still too limited and discontinuous to support any general re-interpretation or fresh argument. Nonetheless, one may notice the marked settlement continuity throughout the whole Roman period – and even beyond it. | 4,765 | 2,135 | 0.00048 |
warc | 201704 | This information has been reviewed and adapted for use in South Carolina by Janis G. Hunter, HGIC Nutrition Specialist, and Katherine L. Cason, Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Clemson University. (New 11/08.)
HGIC 4092
The two-month long “sweet season” begins with leftover Halloween candy and winds down with pumpkin and pecan pie, eggnog, fruitcake and candy. Bite by bite the ounces add up to pounds, unless you find a way to control holiday eating.
Research suggests that the average American gains about one pound during the winter holiday season. This is much less than the five to eight pounds commonly believed.
Unfortunately, researchers at the National Institutes of Health report that most people never lose that extra pound of weight, so it accumulates year after year. Later in life the extra weight may be a major contributor to obesity and the diseases associated with it.
It is unrealistic to try to lose weight during the stressful holiday season, so focus on maintaining your weight. You ’re bound to indulge in many of your favorite foods that are only available during the holidays. It’s hard to stick to a healthy eating plan when there are so many delectable treats at every party and get-together.
Plan ahead so you can enjoy your favorite foods without letting your nutrition goals go out the window. To avoid packing on extra weight, balance what you eat with regular physical activity. You will gain weight if you eat more calories than you burn.
Do you relieve holiday stress by eating some favorite homemade goodies? When your body is stressed, there are actually chemical reactions taking place that cause you to want to eat. It is thought that both sugar and fat release endorphins in the brain, giving a temporary feeling of joy and peacefulness and making you want more of them!
Eating a big piece of Aunt Sue’s peanut butter fudge, which is loaded with carbohydrates or sugar, affects blood sugar levels and makes you crave more carbohydrate-rich foods. Some people crave salty foods (e.g. potato chips, pretzels and dill pickles), relieving stress by crunching and grinding them with their teeth.
Caffeine is another item reached for in times of stress. It provides a jolt of energy, but too much of it may keep you from getting good rest. Without proper rest, it’s hard to accomplish all you need and the stress cycle continues.
Healthy eating is the best way to withstand stress and curb unwanted cravings. Eat a well-rounded diet containing a variety of whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk and lean meats. Keep your energy level up by eating small, frequent meals. This also makes it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight. To avoid grabbing fast food or something tempting from the food court, pack some healthy snacks when shopping or running errands.
Physical activity helps boost your energy level so you can be more productive during the holidays. It also helps your body relax, releases emotional tension, promotes better quality sleep, and creates feelings of psychological well-being. Do some type of aerobic exercise every day, preferably in the morning, because it “jump starts” your metabolism and keeps it elevated for up to 24 hours. You can burn about 225 calories in one hour of walking at a moderate pace. Take a family walk and burn calories while you’re having fun.
In addition to healthy eating and getting enough physical activity, reduce your holiday stress by: getting organized; scheduling your time; drinking plenty of water and getting adequate sleep.
Food is everywhere during the holidays. The keys to controlling calorie intake are moderation and portion control.
Follow these helpful tips for eating sensibly at holiday buffets and parties without depriving yourself or feeling guilty.
Desserts: Consider these options before grabbing the first dessert on the table.
Get plenty of exercise! You gain weight if you eat more calories than you burn through physical activity.
The average Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is notorious for large portions and contains as much as 2,000 calories. This is the entire daily allotment of calories for most men and women, according to www.MyPyramid.gov.
Here are a few ways to reduce the calories that you consume from popular holiday foods and beverages.
Foods: Eat plain, nutritious fruits and vegetables, like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cranberries and green beans. Make sure you eat the outside as well as the inside of the sweet potato, because fiber is located in the skin. Sweet Potatoes: Try mixing pumpkin into some of your favorite bran muffins, soups, or even pumpkin-based pastas. Pumpkin pie has added fat and sugar, but if you must have it, at least skip the crust. Pumpkin: If you’re not a big fan of cranberries on your turkey, eat dried cranberries for a healthy snack. Cranberries: Enjoy fresh, steamed green beans rather than the traditional high-calorie green bean casserole containing mushroom soup, cheese and butter. Or, make a lighter version using almonds, crunchy French onions and light butter instead of the soup, cheese and regular butter. Green Beans: Choose complex carbohydrates that help you maintain a steady metabolism without the highs and lows of blood-sugar swings. Examples include: whole grains; whole-wheat pasta; legumes; oatmeal; sweet potatoes and nut butters. Complex Carbohydrates: Turkey is packed with protein and offers the least amount of fat of holiday meats, if you remove the skin and don’t drown it in gravy. White meat has less fat and calories than dark meat. A 3-ounce portion of meat is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Turkey: Beverages: Remember that your drink choices also add calories that can contribute to holiday weight gain. To help keep your holiday healthy, choose fat-free milk drinks and limit sugar sweetened beverages and alcohol. This is a holiday favorite, but an 8-ounce serving of non-alcoholic eggnog made with whole milk has 342 calories and 19 grams of fat. Add alcohol and the calories increase to nearly 450! Choose or make a low-calorie version using low-fat milk. If you make your own eggnog, leave out the raw eggs, which may contain salmonella bacteria and make you sick. Eggnog: A mocha-flavored coffee drink can add 400-500 calories to your daily intake. That’s as many calories as some people consume at one meal! If your coffee drink is one of those 500-calorie drinks made from whole milk, then you will gain a pound in seven days. An extra 3,500 calories add up to a one-pound weight gain. Coffee Drinks:
When you need a refreshing coffee drink while shopping, consider asking for fat-free milk and no whipped cream. This shaves off about 200 calories and makes it a more reasonable choice.
These two beverages provide the most calories in the American diet, according to Science News. Adults get 14% of calories from sodas and fruit drinks containing less than 10% juice. One 20-ounce bottle of soda contains 250 calories, 16 teaspoons of sugar, and no nutrient value. Drinking one 20-ounce sugar sweetened soda per day packs on an extra pound of body weight in 14 days. Carbonated Beverages & Fruit Drinks: Consume alcohol sensibly and in moderation, if at all. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks for men. For most adults, this amount causes few, if any problems. Alcoholic Drinks:
Alcohol is high in calories, containing seven calories per gram. The average alcoholic drink has 150-200 calories per glass. A drink made with one ounce of vodka (40% to 50% alcohol) contains about 14 grams of alcohol and almost 100 calories. Adding mixers (e.g. soft drinks, tonic water, fruit juice or cream) to an alcoholic beverage can contribute calories in addition to the calories from the alcohol itself. For example, a pina colada has about 300 calories.
Control calories by ordering drinks with diet soda or club soda instead of juice and regular sodas. A 12-ounce soda has about 150 calories, diet soda has about 0-4 calories, and club soda is calorie-free. Consume ice water with a lemon slice between alcoholic drinks or as a non-alcoholic alternative.
Here are some standard servings of alcoholic beverages that contain the same amount of alcohol: 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or a mixed drink made with 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (e.g. vodka, gin, rum and whiskey).
The following groups of people should not drink alcoholic beverages: women of childbearing age who may become pregnant; pregnant and lactating women; children and adolescents; individuals with specific medical conditions; individuals taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications that can interact with alcohol; anyone engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination (e.g. driving or operating machinery), and people who can’t restrict their alcohol intake (e.g. recovering alcoholics).
Refer to HGIC 4055,
Moderate Alcohol for more information on alcohol and cooking, alcohol and your health, and tips on drinking responsibly.
Enjoy a healthful guilt-free holiday by modifying the recipes for some of your favorite holiday foods to reduce the fat, sugar, and salt and to add fiber. These guidelines explain how to change certain ingredients and by how much.
Fat: You save about 120 calories for every tablespoon of oil you omit. Generally the total fat in recipes can be reduced by one-third. In recipes for baked breads, cakes and brownies that call for 1 cup of oil, you can replace ½ cup of the oil with ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce. Make sure you include 2 tablespoons of fat for every cup of flour in cakes and quick breads (e.g. muffins, biscuits and pancakes). Quick bread batters are leavened with baking powder or soda instead of yeast.
Reduce saturated fat in creamy dressing by mixing in nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt.
These lower fat ingredients can be substituted for higher fat ingredients:
Consider using a reduced fat or fat-free product. However, be aware that the liquid in a recipe must be reduced when using a product like reduced-fat margarine, which has water added to it.
Keep your total fat intake between 20 and 35% of daily calories (with less than 10% of calories from saturated fats), and keep trans fat consumption as low as possible.
Sugar: Reducing sugar by up to one-third usually yields good results, especially when vanilla, cinnamon or other appropriate flavoring is added to enhance the flavor. One tablespoon of sugar is needed for each cup of flour in recipes for quick breads and muffins. Use ½ cup of sugar for every cup of flour in cakes and cookies. Salt: Most Americans consume about twice the amount of salt that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends per day. On average, the higher a person’s salt intake, the higher their blood pressure.
Eat more fresh foods and less processed items. Remove all salt from recipes if possible. Add special pizzazz to a recipe by replacing salt with citrus juices, vinegars, herbs, or salt-free spice blends. Sprinkle food with vinegar or citrus juice at the last minute so the flavor is at its strongest. If wine is used as a flavor enhancer, choose table wine rather than cooking wine, which has added sodium.
Although salt can be omitted from quick breads, baked goods containing yeast need it for leavening. The salt in main dishes, soups, salads and many other recipes can be omitted or reduced by one-half. Gradually reduce the salt each time the recipe is prepared, and the taste change will not be noticed. Use low-sodium versions of canned soups, bouillon cubes and commercial condiments.
Flour: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend that we make half our grain choices whole grains. Try replacing one-fourth to one-half the white flour with whole grain or bran flour in recipes. Oat bran flour can replace one-fourth of the flour in a recipe. You can make your own by grinding oatmeal in a blender to a flour consistency. Although these changes don’t save calories, they do add fiber and nutrient value.
How many extra holiday calories do you think you eat by taking only a few “tiny tastes” throughout the day? The following food diary shows how those tastes really add up. The calories are approximate and will vary, depending on brand, recipe, exact serving size, etc.
Taste 1: OOPS! I broke that cookie removing it from the baking sheet. I’ll just eat the half that didn’t crumble. I deserve it for getting up early to bake before leaving for work. Approximate calories: 30 Taste 2: A coworker brought holiday candy to the office today. I’ll just eat one small piece of this homemade peanut brittle. Approximate calories: 80 Taste 3: It’s almost mid-afternoon and I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I’m using my lunch break to pick up a few items at the grocery store before I swing through a fast food place for a quick bite. The grocery store is offering free food samples, so I’ll just eat one small cracker with spread to tide me over until I get to lunch. Approximate calories: 40 Taste 4: The fast food place is giving out ¼ cup samples of its special flavored holiday coffee. I can’t pass that up! Approximate calories: 20 Taste 5: I’m about to leave the office for the day, but it’s still two hours before that holiday dinner tonight. I think I’ll check the break room for new goodies. Wow! Some chocolate-covered cherries have appeared! Chocolate is good for me, right? I’ll just have one. Approximate calories: 60 Taste 6: Maybe I shouldn’t stand near the snack table before the dinner party starts. I’m now dipping my third chip. Approximate calories: 75 Taste 7: Who can pass up old-fashioned eggnog? I’ll just have ½ cup. Approximate calories: 200 Taste 8: There are only two tablespoons of candied sweet potatoes left. I might as well enjoy it so it won’t be thrown out. Approximate calories: 60 Taste 9: While helping dish up the dessert I think I’ll take a little “ preview” taste (using a separate tasting spoon, of course!). One heaping tablespoon of candy cane ice cream coming right up! Approximate calories: 100 Total Tasting Calories for the Day: 665
Source:
Tiny Tastes Can Total BIG Calories Over Winter Holidays by Alice Henneman, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.
Note:
Take this fun quiz and find out how much you know about avoiding weight gain during the holidays.
Answers: 1. c; 2. b (Skipping meals will lead to overeating.); 3. c; 4. a; 5. Cookies (Note: An unfrosted sugar cookie is usually your lowest calorie choice.); 6. a; 7. fruits and vegetables; 8. a. Source: Communicating Food for Health, Nov/Dec 2002. Sources:
Page maintained by: Home & Garden Information Center
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed. | 15,725 | 6,960 | 0.000146 |
warc | 201704 | Today’s average working adult is sometimes characterized as
a routine or inactive person. In between humdrum paperwork, e-mail addictions and
one too many café Americanos, many in the corporate office find little to no
time to kick off their stiletto heels and simply have f-u-n.
While a large percentage of these new-age “worker bees” head to their local gym after work to stay fit, there seems to be a unanimous unawareness of what it actually means to exercise and enjoy oneself in the process. But a new wave of classic schoolyard games and activities is making its way back into the mainstream, giving adult physical fitness the throwback of a lifetime.
Double Dutch, the easily recognized jump-roping game with more twists and turns than a romance novel, is one childhood pastime that’s getting grownups to break a sweat and crack a smile.
Melissa Quayle, an acclaimed Double Dutch junkie and founder of Double Dutch Empire, says unlike traditional workouts at the gym, jumping rope can get your entire body and brain in gear.
“When I teach Double Dutch to adults, they really come alive—every part of their body feels it when they jump in, from their abs to their butt,” Quayle, 31, says. “The best part is that they’re doing something that’s out of their comfort zone and feeling a certain level of childhood joy that they don’t usually get.” | 1,424 | 802 | 0.001315 |
warc | 201704 | Inquiry-Based Learning Inquiry-based learning is an instructional method and form of active learning developed during the discovery learning movement of the 1960s. Inquiry learning emphasizes constructivist ideas of education. Students originate questions, search for information and learn on their own with the teacher’s guidance. Students may work in pairs or small groups to seek solutions while conducting investigations. Progress is assessed by how well students develop experimental and analytical skills rather than how much knowledge they possess. A spectrum of inquiry-based teaching methods has been articulated for science education (Herron 1971). While particularly relevant to science education, inquiry learning methods can be applied across the curriculum. . Guided inquiry provides a support structure for inquiry learning by focusing instructive interventions at each stage of the inquiry process. The teacher begins with a question, and a collaborative instructional team including teacher(s), school librarian(s) and other specialists enhance subject content, connecting it to the students’ world through thoughtful planning and adaptability. Guided inquiry extends the KWL (know, want to know, learn) framework and helps students move through an inquiry process of selection, exploration and formulation leading to deeper understanding of subject matter and skills transferable to other inquiry projects Evidence Base for Inquiry Learning and Guided Inquiry:Articles and Websites
The Buck Institute for Education: http://www.bie.org/. This website has a focus on Project-Based Learning and provides a host of resources for educators along with research on inquiry-based learning strategies.
Herron, M.D. (1971). “The nature of scientific enquiry.” Educational Psychologist 79 (2): 171–212.
McAlpine, Lynn, Maguire, S. and Lee, M.D. “The Pedagogy Excellence Project: a Professor-Student Team Approach to Authentic Inquiry.” Teaching in Higher Education 10.3 (2005) 355-370. Summarizes a two-semester course-based project at McGill University where professors conduct action research with MBA students whose task was to research teaching and learning, and develop recommendations for the McGill faculty.
Ogle, D.S. (1986). “K-W-L Group Instructional Strategy.” In Teaching Reading as Thinking, edited by A. Palincscar, D. Ogle, B. Jones, and E. Carr. Teleconference Resource Guide. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: 11-17.
ReadWriteThink: http://www.readwritethink.org/ . The International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English website provides extensive resources for classroom teachers, professional development, after school providers, parents & community members. Excellent navigation allows site searches by grade level, resource type, learning objectives, or themes. Lesson plans on the site are aligned with state standards and 21st century learning outcomes.
Rhodes, Terrel, ed. 2010. Assessing Outcomes and Improving Achievement: Tips and Tools for Using Rubrics. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Rubrics from the VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) project are available on the following topics: inquiry & analysis, critical thinking, creative thinking, written communication, oral communication, reading, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork, problem-solving, civic knowledge & engagement (local & global), intercultural knowledge & competence, ethical reasoning, foundations & skills for lifelong learning, integrative & applied learning. See http://www.aacu.org/value/index.cfm for the online version.
Rutgers School of Communication and Information: http://cissl.rutgers.edu/joomla-license. The research themes include: dynamics of student learning and knowledge construction, school library programs, inquiry-based learning, reading and literacy.
Swanson, Mary Catherine et.al. The AVID Classroom: a System of Academic and Social Supports for Low-Achieving Students. 1993: EDRS. ED 368 832. The report discusses the origins and early replication of AVID-Advancement Via Individual Determination—a program that places previously low-achieving students in college prep classes. AVID classes emphasize the writing process, inquiry methods, and collaborative groups along with explicit instruction in ‘college knowledge,’ and social scaffolds supporting student placement.
Todd, R. et. al. (2005). “Impact of School Libraries on Student Learning.” Institute of Museum and Library Services Leadership Grant Project Report. Available: http://cissl.rutgers.edu/joomla-license/impact-studies.
Books Barell, John. (2006) Problem-Based Learning: An Inquiry Approach, 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Burke, Jim. (2010). What’s the Big Idea?: Question-Driven Units to Motivate Reading, Writing, and Thinking. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kuhlthau, Carol C. et. al. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Leskes, Andrea and Ross Miller (2006). Purposeful Pathways: Helping Students Achieve Key Learning Outcomes. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. This publication describes how colleges and high schools can work together to design powerful and sequential learning—‘purposeful pathways’—for integrative learning, inquiry learning, global learning, and civic learning outcomes.
Wilhelm, Jeffrey. (2007) Engaging Readers & Writers with Inquiry (Theory and Practice) New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. | 5,665 | 2,739 | 0.000372 |
warc | 201704 | Salesforce had an ill-timed outage recently (particularly painful is that it occurred on the eve of the company's Dreamforce user conference). While any outage is bad, and this is especially the case for cloud-based solutions which demand connectivity to be operational, it isn't a case of the sky falling in. So given that the next few weeks will no doubt see a host of vendors jump in and go on the attack suggesting that cloud is a flawed delivery methodology, here's some clarity around the issues.
First some information about what actually happened. One of Salesforce's 45 U.S. instances was shifted to a new site on May 10. This shift was caused by a power failure at its previous site in Herndon, Va., resulting in the need for a quick move to Washington, D.C. So far, so good.
The problem was that service degradation occurred, resulting in Salesforce suspending some functionality for users on that instance. The root cause of the outage, while still unknown, looks to be an issue with Salesforce's core database, in this case, an Oracle tool (ironically, Oracle is potentially a beneficiary of the press around this outage).
Unfortunately, the fix that occurred had a harsh side effect: the loss of potentially five or more hours' worth of customer data. The resolution to the error, while resolving the file integrity issues, meant that anything written to that particular database instance in the period between move and rewrite would be lost. Loss of data is an absolute poison pill for cloud vendors, which go to great lengths to not only build robust systems but also to ensure the message is well understood that customers' data is inherently safe.
Naturally the Twitter-verse was awash with customers complaining about the situation and venting their frustration at anyone who would listen. And rightly so -- as mentioned, SaaS vendors live and die on the continuity and reliability of their service. But conflating an outage (as regrettable as it is) with an existential issue around the delivery methodology is another thing altogether.
The very nature of cloud applications highlights outages
Make no bones about it: On-premises applications suffer regular outages. Even the largest enterprises have issues, whether it is their email servers, their ERP systems or their e-commerce solutions.
The difference with these issues (excluding, perhaps, e-commerce solutions) is that these outages are predominantly hidden from view. If an enterprise exchange server goes down, the employees of that enterprise might moan a little, but the extent of the issue is far smaller than with a cloud system that might be servicing hundred of different companies.
So when legacy vendors suggest that the Salesforce outage calls cloud into question, they tend to ignore the fact that their own systems suffer regular outages. They just rely on the fact that few people know about them.
SaaS vendors live and die by continuity
If an on-premises application goes down, there are perhaps a handful of employees who may lose their job. Heck, even when a large e-commerce vendor gets hacked, beyond the PR issues the ramifications on the business tend to be minor.
That isn't the case for cloud vendors. Salesforce, Amazon Web Services and other cloud vendors live and die by customer satisfaction. And they're well aware that any outage or security issue gets noticed, and mentioned, en masse.
That is why large cloud vendors invest incredible amounts of money in building robust and secure systems. I've visited some of these companies' data centers and seen how seriously they take security and reliability. As an apples-for-apples comparison, the average cloud vendor has systems and infrastructure far more reliable than that of the average enterprise.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
When Salesforce suffered its first major outage back in 2006, the company set up a standalone website, Salesforce Trust, to enable customers, partners and the general IT public to have a fully transparent and real-time view of service levels.
There is no hiding behind a corporate veil -- this is transparency, front and center. I know many executives within SaaS companies, and performance and availability is absolute a core metric upon which they are judged.
FUD is just that -- but lessons need to be learned
As mentioned, there will no doubt be significant amounts of fear, uncertainty and doubt spread by legacy vendors who see this outage as a chance for them to gain some more customers or prop up their existing business. Such is the way the industry works. But don't confuse marketing spin with reality. Dollar for dollar, cloud vendors deliver better security, availability and reliability than traditional on-premises IT.
That's not to say that Salesforce should get off with no consequences. It lost customer data, and that is a line that should never be crossed by cloud vendors. I expect to see a full and frank assessment of what went wrong, alongside significant strategies to ensure that something like this never happens again.
Salesforce and its executives have significant work to do to rebuild trust and articulate clarity about what went on. But having some gaps to fill is different from negating an entire business model. And no amount of FUD will change that.
This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. Want to Join? | 5,378 | 2,541 | 0.000395 |
warc | 201704 | Forest Research, a part of the UK Forestry Commission is taking part in international research to identify alternative tree species that could be planted in the future climate. Funded by the EU, REINFFORCE is to carry out research trials of 30 tree species at 37 locations on the west Atlantic from the Azores in Portugal to the Isle of Mull in Argyll and the Isles.
There are three trial sites in western Britain: The Isle of Mull (above) in Scotland; Crychan (near Llandovery) in Wales and Westonbirt, the National Arboretum in England.
Alongside the REINFFORCE trials, there are two Forest Research trials in eastern Britain, one at Crowthorne Forest in Berkshire, a part of Swinley Forest affected by forest fires in May 2011, and the other
(below) near Peebles in Scotland. Forest Research is working alongside 11 other European partners to identify species that are likely to be more resilient to pests, diseases and most likely to thrive in the warmer climates predicted as a result of climate change. The impact of recurrent ice ages has left the British Isles with only a small number of native tree species, most broadleaf. Oak, beech, ash and birch make up our native broadleaf forests, Scots pine, yew and juniper native conifer forests. Of these Scots pine is the only native conifer which is used on a wide scale for timber production. So there is a need to identify a wider variety of coniferous species. For centuries new tree species have been introduced for a variety of purposes and the portfolio of commercial forestry species includes Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, larch, Corsican and lodgepole pines. But increase in the number of tree pests and diseases have affected these species and diseases such as Dothistroma needle blight has damaged Corsican and lodgepole pines, Phytophthora ramorum has caused high mortality to larch and bleeding canker has spread among horse chestnuts. The REINFFORCE Project is to help identify which alternative tree species can be planted here with the changing climate and to discover if the existing species are at risk of pests and diseases. Dr Hugh Williams, (right) head of operations at Forest Research, says: ‘Despite the uncertainties surroundingclimate change, it is expected to have a significant impact on our forests over this century. In southern and eastern Britain hotter, drier summers may lead to greater risk of drought stress. Conversely a warming climate may make it easier to grow species that were previously thought to be too tender for southern and western Britain.’ The 30 tree species to be planted in the research include familiar trees like English oak, Scots pine, silver birch and sweet chestnut as well as less usual species such as Atlas cedar and Macedonian, Maritime and Monterey pines. Each of 37 trial locations will contain the same 30 tree species with three seed provenances (seed sources) for each. The research is to measure survival, health, height, trunk diameter and form across a wide range of climates and soil types, as well as how the trees respond to climatic variables like temperature and water availability. The research will then help to decide which forest trees to grow in the future. PEAT MOSS AS BIOLOGICAL INDICATOR Since 1996 the European Union has requested from their member states a continuous monitoring of air pollution, tightened in 2008 with an EU directive to monitor not only nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides but also airborne heavy metals like cadmium, lead and nickel. Existing technologies find this hard to achieve, they are either imprecise or very expensive. Professor Ralf Reski, Chair for Plant Biotechnology at the University of Freiburg, Germany, (and Internal Senior Fellow a Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies (FRIAS), School of Life Sciences) with a team of biologists, are part of a consortium “MOSSCLONE” that has been granted €3.5m for three years to develop a novel, precise and inexpensive method to monitor air contamination, especially by heavy metals. The 10 partners of MOSSCLONE will contribute another approx. €1m from their own resources to this project which is based on the fact that living plants are already in use as biological indicators as they take up and accumulate pollutants. Mosses are especially well suited as bio-indicators for airborne pollution as they have no roots and a very high surface-to-mass ratio.
One foreseen innovation in MOSSCLONE is the cultivation of huge amounts of a peat moss under controlled laboratory conditions.
Subsequently, the moss plants will be inactivated and the surface structures will be transferred to air-permeable bags under fabrication conditions. | 4,684 | 2,275 | 0.000443 |
warc | 201704 | Talk:Democracy
Nothing in the definition of democracy includes "liberal". Lets not get flustered just because democracy and democrat share the same linguistic root. Please feel free to expand the article if you would like to define "liberal democracy".PKBear 00:55, 23 March 2007 (EDT)
Liberal democracy has nothing to do with the Democrats or left-wing politics. I think you're confusing the many meanings of the word 'liberal'. Here, it means the protection of civil liberties, the rights of minorities, freedom of speech etc. I've tried to clear that up in the article. --Rafa 09:04, 25 March 2007 (EDT)
The update I made was entirely consistent with other conservapedia pages,
and I cited my references (indeed, I suprisingly had to add the reference tag to the article...). Why was the change reverted? Contents Democratic Republic
I changed the term "representative democracy" to "democratic republic", which means exactly the same thing. I did this because the Founding Fathers did not once use the word "democracy" in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution and it better reflects the ideals that the Founders had in mind when the nation was born.--Porthos 14:37, 13 July 2007 (EDT)
Heretical but more probable
Though it's popular to proclaim that the U.S.A. is a "democracy" that is untrue. The U.S. Constitution guarantees a "republican form" to the States. The Federal government, itself, is organized as a constitutional democracy, but the U.S.A. is technically not a democracy. The key difference is founded in the distinction between sovereign powers and how they're exercised.
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; ...."[United States Constitution, Article 4, Section 4] REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT. One in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, either directly, or through representatives chosen by the people, to whom those powers are speciallydelegated . In re Duncan, 139 U.S. 449, 11 S.Ct. 573, 35 L.Ed. 219; Minor v.Happersett, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) 162, 22 L.Ed. 627. - - - Black's Law Dictionary, 4th ed.
This is entirely different from the definition for a democracy:
"
DEMOCRACY - That form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens directly or indirectly through a system of representation, as distinguished from monarchy, aristocracy, oroligarchy ."- - - Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition, P. 432
The distinction is found in the identity of the sovereign power and the means of its exercise.
Republican form : People are sovereign, and directly exercise sovereignty. Democratic form : Whole body of free citizens (collectively) exercise sovereignty, indirectly.
As you can see, the court cites AND the definition of the republican form are congruent. The U.S. governments, Federal and State, admit that the PEOPLE are sovereign.
Government is not Sovereignty. Government is the machinery or expedient for expressing the will of the sovereign power.City of Bisbee v. Cochise County, 78 P. 2d 982, 986, 52 Ariz. 1
WHO are sovereign?
"People are supreme, not the state."
Waring v. the Mayor of Savannah, 60 GA at 93.
"The people of the state, as the successors of its former sovereign, are entitled to all the rights which formerly belonged to the king by his own prerogative."
Lansing v. Smith, (1829) 4 Wendell 9, (NY)
"At the Revolution, the sovereignty devolved on the people and they are truly the sovereigns of the country."
Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 Dall. 440, 463
"It will be admitted on all hands that with the exception of the powers granted to the states and the federal government, through the Constitutions, the people of the several states are unconditionally sovereign within their respective states."
Ohio L. Ins. & T. Co. v. Debolt 16 How. 416, 14 L.Ed. 997
In Europe, the executive is almost synonymous with the sovereign power of a State; and generally includes legislative and judicial authority. When, therefore, writers speak of the sovereign, it is not necessarily in exclusion of the judiciary; and it will often be found that when the executive affords a remedy for any wrong, it is nothing more than by an exercise of its judicial authority. Such is the condition of power in that quarter of the world, where it is too commonly acquired by force or fraud, or both, and seldom by compact. In America, however, the case is widely different. Our government is founded upon compact. Sovereignty was, and is, in the people.
Glass vs The Sloop Betsey, 3 Dall 6 (1794)
"...While sovereign powers are delegated to ... the government, sovereignty itself remains with the people..."
Yick Wo vs Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356,370
WHO are not sovereign?
"
CITIZEN - ... Citizens are members of a political community who, in their associative capacity, have established or submitted themselves to the dominion of government for the promotion of the general welfare and the protection oftheir individual as well as collective rights. "- - - Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed. p.244
"
SUBJECT - One that owes allegiance to a sovereign and is governed by his laws. ...Men in free governments are subjects as well as citizens; as citizens they enjoy rights and franchises; as subjects they are bound to obey the laws. Theterm is little used, in this sense, in countries enjoying a republican form of government . "- - - Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition, p. 1425 "... the term `citizen,' in the United States, is analogous to the term "subject" in the common law; the change of phrase has resulted from the change in government."- State v. Manuel, 122 N.C. 122 In essence, though most Americans presume that they're "U.S. citizens" at birth (and obligated to perform), the fact is that freeborn American nationals are people unfettered by compulsory duties. However, they may choose to exercise political liberty (vote and hold office) and drop in legal status, moving from the republican form to the democratic form of government.--Jetgraphics 12:41, 14 November 2007 (EST) Discussion of the merits "Democracy may have its problems; an uneducated populace, for example, is the bane of any democracy, since unless people know what they need, they can not properly elect people to serve these needs." Actually, there is another fundamental flaw - the threat to individual life, liberty and property. Any time a majority can override the minority, or the one, it can result in tyranny. Other problems emerge from a capricious electorate, which caused Winston Churchill to remark that, "Democracy is the worst form of government... except for all the other forms that have been tried," a quote which eloquently notes that, despite its problems, democracy almost universally provides for peace and prosperity. Generally, most Americans are ignorant of the republican form of government, as defined in law. Therefore, they often are misled to argue about forms of democracy which are foreign to the original framework. However, the key feature of the republican form is the sovereignty of the people, and their immunity from depredation by any democratic majority, when it comes to life, liberty and private property. Of course, when the people exercise political liberty, register to vote, and hold public office, they become citizens, subject to the civic duties and obligations inherent with their new status at law.
--Jetgraphics 18:31, 8 December 2007 (EST)
Majority rule
Deleted text:
Majoritarian systems are, however, problematic in that, in theory, they permit a majority to debase the welfare of a minority. In addition, inequalities in wealth can distort the principles of political equality, giving considerable power to the wealthy to control economic policy outside of electoral politics. This may curtail the practical power of groups to effect radical change and to enact measures which might threaten the wealth and power of these elites. Socialists argue that a high degree of socio-economic equality is required for real political equality, but also contend that solidarity and fraternity may be sufficient to overcome the distorting effects of unequal wealth and enact pro-labor policies. Cut from article: In addition, inequalities in wealth can distort the principles of political equality, giving considerable power to the wealthy to control economic policy outside of electoral politics. This may curtail the practical power of groups to effect radical change and to enact measures which might threaten the wealth and power of these elites. | 8,694 | 3,893 | 0.000259 |
warc | 201704 | User:OscarO Deeming resolutions
The Budget Act provided for "deeming resolutions" which means that if one chamber passes the budget resolution, but the other does not, the resolution is "deemed" passed for the purpose of placing mandatory spending targets on each appropriations subcommittee and the Appropriations Committee of that chamber. This does not solve the problem of the other chamber working with a different (internal) set of targets or with targets different from the Administrations budget. The 2010 article refers to an extra twist added to one such "deeming resolution" which was what to do about the ACA. The "payfor" to fund the ACA was very controversial. In effect, some revenue items started immediately and others started on 1/1/13, even though the real health care plan would not kick in until 2014. So if the ACA were repealled totally and immediately before 2014, the Republicans would be giving up the revenue sources that represented the downpayment on future health benefits. This would make the deficit larger than the baseline deficit forecast. Ryan's proposal was to say that ACA repeal would not count for the purposes of the "deeming" resolution and budget measurement if Ryan said it should not.
A historic precedent of similar activity was the Gephardt Rule which was in effect from 1979 to 1995. Under the rule, when the House approved a budget with spending greater than forecasted revenue, the House was "deemed" to agree to raise the debt ceiling by the amount necessary to cover the difference, and then the Senate had to vote to accept that increase (leaving the Senate with dirty hands, but the House members' voting records clean on the debt ceiling issue.) The point is that we can set up cute procedural rules, but that is just for finger pointing rather than taking responsibility to make tough spending decisions. Wschact 21:18, 19 January 2013 (EST) | 1,913 | 995 | 0.001014 |
warc | 201704 | Relationships - When support turns to control
In a relationship support and control often have opposite meaning. Control indicates that one person to some extent is in charge, perhaps the authority in the relationship, and the other is submissive, bending with the wishes made, often without fully realising what is happening. Feeling supported and being supportive are crucial ingredients in a healthy relationship and balanced measures of both give the feeling of equality, mutual appreciation and a sense of working together. It’s one of many important cogs that make the relationship wheel turn smoothly. However on occasion support can turn into control without either partner being aware that it has happened.
In relationship counselling I sometimes see couples who describe their relationship as initially being supportive, that they both used to feel appreciated by the other. Now something has gone wrong and the balance they thought they had initially no longer exists. Confused, they talk about the love they still feel for one another at the same time as saying that the intimacy they once had no longer exists; they feel they have drifted apart.
When we begin to explore their relationship right from moment they first met, it isn’t unusual to find that there may have been a time when one partner needed a little more support than usual. Perhaps an illness, childbirth or redundancy changed the balance of support momentarily. The couple managed to negotiate the change of support, so one took on more responsibility than the other, which worked well and they got through the difficulty they experienced. They talk about how their love grew and that this was a time when they felt incredibly close.
Looking back at the time when the difficulty they experienced went away, we find that the balance of feeling supported and being supportive had not been re-adjusted or negotiated. Their roles in the relationship had changed but the responsibilities had not, resulting in an unequal balance of feeling supported and being supportive.
Gradually their relationship turned into control and submission where one, being used to take the main part of the responsibilities, unwittingly carried on in this role not realising the damage being done to the relationship. The other, embarrassed and not wanting to be seen as ungrateful, held back their need to return to the balance of mutual support they once had.
Resentment began to build on both sides as the mutual appreciation disintegrated and both partners put on a brave front, not wanting to ”rock the boat”. As what should be said remained in silence, the intimacy slowly disappeared, buried beneath unspoken words. Before long they could no longer reach each other through words or touch.
Neither enjoy the roles of control and submission they now find themselves in though neither are able to say what really needs to be said for fear of hurting the other or suffering rejection. It may seem easier to keep quiet and believe that it will all go away with time, but the silence they both subscribe to is poisoning their relationship.
No relationship stays the same, and the ability to negotiate in an open and honest manner, without damaging the trust in the relationship takes skill. Often these are skills that exist in other areas of life and with a little exploration can be brought into consciousness. Once a couple has understood how they have created the situation they find themselves in, putting these skills to use will, after a while, help to reignite the intimacy that once existed.
Related articles from our experts
Counselling Directory is not responsible for the articles published by members. The views expressed are those of the member who wrote the article. | 3,769 | 1,710 | 0.00059 |
warc | 201704 | Inactive IngredientsWhat are the precautions when taking infliximab (Remicade)In addition, Generic Ovral produces alterations in the genital tract, including changes in the cervical mucus, rendering it unfavorable for sperm penetration even if ovulation occurs. Changes in the endometrium may also occur, producing an unfavorable environment for nidation (the organic process whereby a fertilized egg becomes implanted in the lining of the uterus of placental mammals). Generic Ovral may alter the tubal transport of the ova through the fallopian tubes.
Immunologic
portant fact about Naprosyn Each mL of COMBIGAN contains the active ingredients brimonidine tartrate 0.2% and timolol 0.5% with the inactive ingredients benzalkonium chloride 0.005%; sodium phosphate, monobasic; sodium phosphate, dibasic; purified water; and hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide to adjust pH.Use of the anticonvulsant iramate (amax) may cause metabolic acidosis. Symptoms include fatigue and anorexia. Patients using iramate should have blood bicarbonate levels monitored.
HOW TO USE: Take this medication by mouth, usually twice daily at the same times each day, or take as directed by your doctor. You may take this medication with or without food, but you should choose one or the other and take every dose that way. If you take this medication with food, eat the same amount and type of food each time you take it. Swallow this medication whole. Do not crush or chew the capsules. Dosage is based on your medical condition, cyclosporine blood level, kidney function, and response to therapy. Follow the dosing schedule for this medication carefully. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while being treated with this medication unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Grapefruit products can increase the amount of this medication in your bloodstream. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same times each day. This medication works best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this drug at evenly spaced intervals. If you are taking this drug to treat arthritis, it may take 4-8 weeks to notice improvement, and up to 4 months for the full benefit. If you are taking this drug to treat psoriasis, it may take 2-4 weeks to notice improvement, and up to 4 months for the full benefit. Your dose will slowly be increased during your therapy with this drug. Inform your doctor if your condition does not improve after 6 weeks of taking the highest recommended dose. If you are taking this medication to treat psoriasis, do not take it continuously for longer than one year unless directed to do so by your doctor.Generic Tapazole 5 mg is used to treat a condition known as hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid).
Guanfacine causes more sedation than stimulants and atomoxetine. Its duration of action is 18 hours.
Beta-blockers should not be withdrawn suddenly because severe cardiac problems, including heart attacks, may occur. Beta-blockers also should not be used in patients with certain breathing disorders, including bronchitis and emphysema.impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection); orbepridil (used to treat angina);
INVEGA SUSTENNA is available as a white to off-white sterile aqueous extended-release suspension for intramuscular injection in the following dose strengths of paliperidone palmitate (and deliverable volumes of the prefilled syringes): 39 mg (0.25 mL), 78 mg (0.5 mL), 117 mg (0.75 mL), 156 mg (1.0 mL), and 234 mg (1.5 mL). The drug product hydrolyzes to the active moiety, paliperidone, resulting in dose strengths of 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg, and 150 mg of paliperidone, respectively. The inactive ingredients are polysorbate 20 (12 mg/mL), polyethylene glycol 4000 (30 mg/mL), citric acid monohydrate (5 mg/mL), disodium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous, sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate, sodium hydroxide, and water for injection.Prev page:Cheap Cialis Super Active 20mg | 4,091 | 1,990 | 0.000503 |
warc | 201704 | Tips on How to Review and Rate Craft Beer Tips on How to Review and Rate Craft Beer Keep it Casual but Expertise is Welcome
Crafted Pours presents craft beer reviews and ratings for all fans of craft beer. Focus on flavor, aroma, and appearance. Talk about what aspects of the beer you like and what flavors you perceive. Don’t be afraid to describe it as you would to a friend, telling us why the beer was so great.
Crafted Pours provides technical data, as well as ingredients, and descriptions with common beer terminology. Don’t worry if you’re not up to speed on IBUs, malt backbones, hop types, and funky yeast flavors, when you rate and review a beer. Part of the fun in craft beer is learning and as you explore more craft beers all of these terms can become commonplace – or you can just solely focus on flavor and ignore them!
Try to focus your ratings and reviews on Beer Styles you like to drink; IPAs, Sour Beers, Stouts, etc. You may enjoy all, and that is great for everyone using the site.
Expertise is very welcome. If you are a connoisseur of IPAs, you can probably tell us when one has overly harsh bitterness or the body is too thin for the hopping levels of the beer. You can also tell us when the hop aromas are exceptional and the bitterness is just right. Those insights are very helpful.
Avoid rating beer styles or certain beers which do not appeal to you. If you do not like anything bitter -food, drinks, etc, then you may unfairly rate IPAs on the site. If you absolutely hate chile peppers, then you probably do not want to rate beers which are brewed with them.
Rate a Beer in Comparison to other Craft Beers Brewed in the Same Style
When rating an IPA base your score on how it compares to other IPAs. Try to avoid comparing a standard IPA to a Double IPA, as the flavors and aromas in a Double IPA are going to be more intense. The same goes for many other styles, such as rating American Stouts vs. other American Stouts, and not against Imperial Stouts. If the beer is your favorite or the one of a few favorites in a particular style, then you may want to rate it an A.
On the Crafted Pours site the best Cream Ale can be rated with an A, just like an Imperial Stout can. However, when it comes to an A+ rating you will probably not see a Cream Ale, but will see several Imperial Stouts.
When to Rate a Beer with an A+
A+ ratings are meant to be reserved for the best beers in the world. Complex, flavorful, and artfully crafted by world class brewers. For an A+ rating, you will want to compare beers against every other great beer, and determine if you think the beer is one of the very best out of all styles. Many of these beers will undergo long aging periods to build complex flavors, and use special processes such as barrel-aging, lactic-fermentations, and dry-hopping.
Account for How a Beer is Served and in What Setting
Unclean tap lines, dirty glasses, warm and flat beer, or ice cold served beer ,can all impact the flavor and aroma perception. A flat and warm IPA is not going to give you that proper hop bite without the carbonation lifting flavors and aromas. An ice cold Barleywine is not going to display all those wonderful malty and dark fruit aromatics. A dirty or improperly cleaned beer glass (soap residue remaining) is going to affect a beers head. The head allows aromatics of hops and malt to rise from the beer, and provides the start to the mouthfeel and texture of a sip. Try not to penalize a craft beer with a poor rating if it is improperly served, instead talk to the bar or brewery about it.
Finishing a three mile uphill hike in the summertime with a refreshing Belgian Wit, may make it taste like the best beer in the world, whereas that same Wit served on an ice cold snowy day may not be as refreshing. Keeping perspective on your beer reviews will help greatly. | 3,872 | 1,808 | 0.000558 |
warc | 201704 | Body Building 132 Often, one or more of these forms of support are combined, as when anecdotes are used to provide examples or when facts are added to personal experience. Comparisons and Contrasts A comparison points out the similarities between something that is already known and something that is not. A contrast shows the differences between two things. Comparisons and contrasts illu- minate the unknown. For example, a speaker can explain the unfamiliar game of cricket to Ameri- cans by comparing and contrasting it to a familiar American game: baseball. Because comparisons and contrasts draw a judgment based on a single instance, it must be a valid analogy to be believable. The two objects being compared must be closely alike in all essential respects. The question you must ask yourself is, "Do the similarities between the items outweigh any differences that might be important to the conclusion I am trying to draw?" Examples An example is a type of support in which you state several specific, brief instances or facts. It re- counts an incident that brings out the point you're making. Sometimes an example describes a typical instance; in other times, it depicts an actual situation. There are two main types of examples: factual and hypothetical. The former tells what actually happened; the latter, what could happen. To be convincing, a hypothetical example must make sense and match the facts. Hypothetical examples make abstract explanations more vivid and spe- cific, and they're especially useful in explaining a complicated plan. Instead of just outlining the details, you can create a hypothetical situation and trace the process. Class Act Break down a major topic into its components or subtopics. For instance, health care can be subdivided into types and costs. Discuss each topic in turn. Facts Facts are statements that can be proven. Factual examples describe situations that have actually happened. Facts make for a particularly effective means of support because they cannot be easily refuted. The incident becomes vivid to the audience; because it is true, it has great persuasive power. Furthermore, facts create credibility. They help convince your audience that you know what you're saying and that you deserve to be taken seriously. Consider these points when selecting facts: · Is the fact clearly related to the main point of the speech? · Is the fact a fair example? Select representative facts and examples; details drawn from left field have little power because they are anomalies. · Is the fact vivid and impressive? | 2,584 | 1,260 | 0.0008 |
warc | 201704 | The greater presence of women in business has changed many traditional practices, including the use of language. Historically, English grammar called for masculine pronouns (he, him, his, himself) to refer to both men and women. That practice is no longer acceptable. Now writers, including e-mail writers, must look for alternatives to avoid language that could offend clients, colleagues, or hidden readers.
Short of adopting the cumbersome he/she or he or she construction, what’s a gender-sensitive e-mail writer to do? | 531 | 337 | 0.003013 |
warc | 201704 | May 8, 2013 is NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Awareness Day!
The campaign encourages Wisconsin residents to own a
NOAA All Hazards Alert Weather Radio, a 24-hour source of weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and non-weather emergency information provided by the National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“NOAA emergency weather radios save lives”, says Tod Pritchard, Wisconsin Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. “The early warning of possible danger gives you and your family time to act and stay safe.” Pritchard adds this reminder, “Listen, Act and Live! Listen to the weather radio warnings and take action right away. You’ll have a much better chance of surviving disaster.”
Weather radios are “smoke detectors for danger.” A NOAA Weather Radio with an alarm and battery back-up is one of the best ways to protect your family, especially at night when the alarm feature can wake you up during severe weather and give you and your family time to seek appropriate shelter. If there is no severe weather or emergency your radio can be switched to a silent, stand-by mode.
ReadyWisconsin profiles people who survived tornadoes thanks to an emergency weather radio. You can see those profiles at http://readywisconsin.wi.gov
The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network started in 1972 and is the sole government-operated radio system to provide direct warnings for all hazardous conditions that pose a threat to lives and property. There are 37 stations that broadcast weather and hazards information to the residents of Wisconsin, and over 1,000 stations nationwide. Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions and costs. They can be purchased at most electronic stores. Most weather radio receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. The portable weather radios are an important item to take along when you are enjoying the outdoors such as camping and boating. Many receivers have digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) that allows users to program their radios to alarm only for hazardous conditions that affect their county.
For additional information about weather radios including real life stories of Wisconsin residents who survived a tornado thanks to the early warning from an emergency weather radio, go to http://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You’ll also find a Q & A section with the most asked questions about emergency weather radios. For more information contact Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Tod Pritchard at: tod.pritchard@wisconsin.gov.
For the official press release, click below:
For more information, check out our NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards page. This page contains tone alert information, brochures, and station listings & coverage maps (for southern Wisconsin, all of Wisconsin, or any site in the United States). | 2,967 | 1,396 | 0.000731 |
warc | 201704 | Hang power snatch 5-5-5-5-5 reps
Post load to BTWB.
Hello Athletes! Do to this crazy spring Colorado weather, Verve will be closing its doors at 4pm today- Wednesday 3/23/16. All evening classes and 8pm open gym will be canceled. Our last class being held today will be 12:30pm followed by open gym from 1:30-4:00pm. Thank you for your understanding. Be safe out there, and stay warm!
Here we are for
Week 2 of our new blog edition of “What Are Those?!”. Here in Week 2, we will be discussing the benefits of the Safety Squat Bar and what populations this bar is targeted for. First of all, what is so special about the Safety Squat Bar? The Safety Squat Bar has a camber that creates a weight distribution that falls between the front squat and the high-bar back squat to vary your power output training. Why would we want to use the Safety Squat Bar?1. First of all, aside from crushing your lower body, the safety squat bar is great for strengthening your back. The bar is held a bit higher than a standard bar and the camber pushes you forward, forcing you to fight to stay upright. This replicates the back position in a deadlift, and the extra difficulty in this form of squatting will directly improve your pull.
2. The second advantage of the safety squat bar also has to do with the camber pushing the lifter forward. Most people associate a failed squat coming out of the hole with a weak lower back or lower body, when in fact, most of the time the failed lift is due to the chest caving in. Chest caving is due to weak traps and lats and the safety squat bar works to rectify that. You will have much more trunk stability and strength after using a safety squat bar.
Who should use the Safety Squat Bar? Again, the Safety Squat Bar is great for those with a weak upper back. However, it is a great tool to keep an athlete squatting through an upper body injury (shoulder, elbow) or has certain mobility limitations. This bar is low stress on the shoulders, which means athletes usually find this bar to be a go too choice if the volume overhead has been particularly high lately. Will the Safety Squat Bar translate to a Straight Bar Squat? Absolutely. Although this bar is a safer option for intense squat progressions or maximum load lifts, it is also known to increase your maximum working weight when compared to the traditional back squat.
Here is Mark “Smelly” Bell, owner of SuperTraining Gym, giving a quick demo of how to use the Safety Squat Bar: | 2,497 | 1,267 | 0.000799 |
warc | 201704 | Yemolla, Ethiopia — Water is a precious commodity in these dry highlands of Ethiopia, as in many other parts of Africa. Women walk hours round trip to get it, carrying it home in heavy pottery jugs on their back. Usually, it is dirty, drawn from streams shared with cattle. Health specialists says that this, and poor personal hygiene, are leading causes of disease and death in Africa.
But here, in this isolated village, things are different. There is clean water flowing from spigots nonstop and villagers' hygienic habits are improving. There is even a public shower - something very unusual for a village.
The source of the water is a spring. A few years ago, the water just bubbled up in a practically useless marsh. With the help of Save the Children (US), the water has been directed through spigots, to the shower, and to a reservoir pool from which it flows to surrounding farms for irrigation. (Save the Children has also installed 32 hand pumps in other villages in the area).
The clean water project here is one of several efforts by Save the Children and the Ethiopian government to improve health of the villagers. There is also a small health ``post'' here for basic care, such as childbirth, and dispensing of some medicines. It is one of 45 such health posts Save the Children has helped set up in this area.
Debritu Belete, a Save the Children employee living in nearby Efeson, teaches villagers here personal hygiene, using the health post as a base. She first instructed eight villagers, who in turn have instructed 82 other villagers. ``It takes time to change their attitudes,'' said Ms. Belete. ``But I've seen some changes.'' People are building more latrines designed to reduce the presence of flies, dividing their own living space from the areas used by cattle, and venting the smoke in the huts to keep it from their eyes. Most important, clean water is now only minutes away. | 1,916 | 1,000 | 0.001006 |
warc | 201704 | Why beer brands side with gay community, not St. Patrick's parades (+video)
Guinness, Heineken, and Boston Beer Co. (maker of Sam Adams) all pulled their sponsorship from St. Patrick's Day parades due to anti-LGBT parade policies. Generational shifts and the group's growing purchasing power are pushing corporations to be more inclusive.
What’s better than getting your brand in front of the eyes of the millions of people that descend upon the south side of Boston and midtown Manhattan in New York City, two of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country?
Doing right by the LGBT community, according to several beer companies.
Iconic Irish beer brand Guinness made waves after it pulled its sponsorship from New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday, because the parade excludes LGBT groups. This move came just days after Boston Beer Co., the parent company of Sam Adams, announced it would pull its sponsorship from the Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade. Heineken pulled its sponsorship for New York parade for the same reason. Experts say generational shifts and the growing purchasing power of the LGBT communities and their allies has become too big a factor to ignore.
“Corporations are much more engaged in LGBT life,” says Bob Witeck, president of Witeck Communications, a marketing group focused on the LGBT demographic. “They are some of the biggest change agents in LGBT [communities], because they realize that gay people can be their biggest champions or biggest critics.”
This year, LGBT rights issues have played prominently in headlines, from the knockdown of the federal Defense of Marriage Act to the legalization of gay marriage in a slew of states to the backlash over Russia’s antigay policies in Sochi. This, in turn, has put the spotlight on companies' LGBT rights policies more than ever before.
Much of this is due to a younger demographic where LGBT issues, like gay marriage, are overwhelmingly a nonissue. Nearly three-quarters of Millennials support gay marriage, according to a 2013 Gallup poll.
"[LGBT economic power] isn’t the overarching driver – it is generational,” says Mr. Witeck. “What corporations see are the large numbers of younger consumers who are very passionate about human rights and nondiscrimination. Sending a message that anyone is not welcome is wrong.”
That being said, the LGBT community is growing when it comes to purchasing power. Witeck’s firm estimates the LGBT buying power in 2013 was $830 billion, and that isn’t including LGBT allies who may also make purchasing decisions along these lines.
“LGBT buying power is diverse in ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and we are an incredibly loyal constituency,” says Justin Nelson, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) co-founder and president. “At NGLCC, we have more than 140 corporate partners that recognize not only the influence of the LGBT dollar, but the economics of inclusivity.”
Within the alcoholic beverage world, being gay-friendly isn’t necessarily something new, says Mr. Witeck. For example, Absolut Vodka has been marketing to the LGBT community for over 30 years, and Anheuser-Busch provoked controversy in antigay circles with its 1996 ad in gay media with the tagline “Labels belong on beer, not people.” The backlash from antigay groups didn’t translate into lost sales.
“The blowback that Budweiser or that any companies had over the years didn’t dent sales,” he says. “People made decisions based on a lot of things but not that Budweiser was a ‘gay beer.’”
The beer companies' parade decisions did create some backlash, however.
Cornerstone Pub in South Boston says it is boycotting Sam Adams beer due to its decision, because pulling the sponsorship takes money away from veterans, which the parade benefits.
“Sam Adams doesn’t support South Boston,” Tommy Flaherty Jr., co-owner of the Cornerstone Pub, told the Boston Herald. “They don’t want to support veterans like my father and uncle, so they can go sell their beer elsewhere,” though he adds his family, and establishment, has no problem with gay people.
The controversy didn't seem to affect the New York and Boston St. Patrick's Day parades, which both drew immense crowds.
There are mixed feelings about marketing alcohol to the LGBT community. Studies suggest the LGBT community has higher rates of substance abuse issues than other demographics. Some say heavy marketing efforts by beer and liquor brands have played a role. | 4,664 | 2,156 | 0.000486 |
warc | 201704 | Fed chair Yellen continues to preach patience about interest rates (+video)
Her remarks come at a delicate time for the Fed. After winning praise for how she handled her first year as head of the central bank, Janet Yellen is facing a tougher challenge this year.
Washington — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Tuesday that the US economy is making steady progress, but that for now the Fed is will remain patient about raising interest rates because the job market is still healing and inflation is too low.
In her semiannual economic report to Congress, Yellen sought to explain how the Fed would begin raising rates from lows near zero and what it would do to prepare financial markets. Its continuing use of the word "patient" means a rate hike is unlikely for at least the next two meetings, she said.
But even when the Fed eventually drops the use of "patient," Yellen said that will not necessarily translate to an imminent rate increase. Rather, it will indicate that the Fed can start considering rate hikes flexibly on a "meeting-by-meeting basis."
Her remarks come at a delicate time for the Fed. After winning praise for how she handled her first year as head of the central bank, Yellen is facing a tougher challenge this year. She must navigate a transition from record-low interest rates to a period when the Fed will start raising rates while trying to keep financial markets calm and maintain economic growth.
To some private economists, Yellen appeared to be positioning the Fed for a rate hike in June.
Yellen's upbeat assessment of growth and the labor market, as well as her comments on inflation, are "a clear sign that March is very much in play for dropping 'patient' and, hence that June is still in play for the first hike," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
Other economists, however, forecast that a rate hike won't happen until the second half of the year or later.
Inflation will "worrisomely" continue to weaken in the months ahead, "making liftoff a late-summer event," said Gregory Michael, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Yellen's reiteration of the Fed's patience bolstered Wall Street. Major U.S. stock indexes were higher, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 79 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,196 in midday trading.
As expected, Yellen stuck closely to the views revealed by the minutes of the Fed's Jan. 27-28 meeting, in which Fed officials recognized that the economy was finally gaining momentum nearly six years after the country began to emerge from the worst recession since the 1930s. Yet it signaled that it was in no hurry to raise interest rates.
But Republicans, who now control Congress, have complained that the Fed's cautious approach is fueling the risk that inflation could accelerate to worrisome levels in the future, forcing it to push rates up more quickly.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, said in his opening remarks that a prolonged delay in raising rates "could lead to a more painful correction down the road."
Shelby was also critical of what he described as secrecy at the Fed.
"What the (Fed) is thinking and how they are analyzing this very difficult problem set remains a mystery," Shelby told Yellen. "I would argue ... that there is an even greater need now for additional oversight by Congress and further reforms" of the Fed.
Conservative Republicans in both the House and Senate have been pushing for legislation that would grant the Government Accountability Office the power to audit the central bank's decisions on monetary policy. Yellen and other Fed officials have opposed the proposal, saying it could compromise the Fed's independence.
The bill would "politicize monetary policy and bring ... political pressures to bear on the Fed," Yellen said, repeating her staunch opposition to the bill.
In her testimony, Yellen delivered a relatively sunny summary of the U.S. economy. Since the Fed's last report to Congress in July, the job market has improved "along many dimensions." She noted that the unemployment rate is down to 5.7 percent from a high of 10 percent in late 2009. Long-term unemployment has declined substantially and fewer workers are reporting that they can only find part-time work, she said.
But balanced against those improvements, Yellen said that "too many Americans remain unemployed or underemployed, wage growth is still sluggish and inflation remains well below our longer-run objective."
One of the Fed's primary goals is stable prices, which it defines as inflation rising at 2 percent annually. But for more than two years, inflation has been rising well below that level and has retreated further from the Fed's target in recent months.
Yellen attributed the development to the big plunge in oil prices and a rising value of the U.S. dollar, which has strengthened as the U.S. economy has outperformed other countries. A stronger dollar holds down inflation by making imports cheaper for Americans.
Yellen noted that foreign economic developments posed risks to the U.S. outlook, although she said the pace of growth overseas had improved slightly in the last half of last year.
She said the foreign challenges included the threat that the Chinese economy, the world's second largest, could slow more than anticipated. She also mentioned on-going threats in Europe, though aggressive efforts by the European Central Bank to boost growth should boost growth in the euro area.
Yellen will follow her appearance Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee with testimony Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee. | 5,668 | 2,676 | 0.000377 |
warc | 201704 | Scientific publications An open, randomized, multicenter clinical trial of oral tacrolimus in liver allograft transplantation: a comparison of dual vs. triple drug therapy. González MG, Madrazo CP, Rodríguez AB, Gutiérrez MG, Herrero JI, Pallardó JM, Ortiz de Urbina J, Paricio PP. Liver Transplantation Unit, Gastroenterology Department, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain. Magazine: Liver Transplantation
Hepatology
Date: May 1, 2005
Triple therapy combining an anticalcineurin agent, corticosteroids, and azathioprine (AZA) in liver transplantation has been frequently applied, particularly in Europe. Debates have arisen concerning the use of a third drug (AZA), mainly in patients receiving tacrolimus (TAC).
An open-label, multicenter, prospective, and randomized trial was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of TAC and corticosteroids (dual therapy [D]) vs. TAC, corticosteroids, and AZA (triple therapy [T]) in liver transplantation. A total of 180 patients were randomized, 92 in D and 88 in T group. Patients were followed during 3 months for efficacy and safety and up to 24 months for patient and graft survival assessments.
The rate of biopsy-proven acute rejection was higher in D than in T group (40.7% vs. 24.4%; P = 0.021). A higher incidence of positive HCV status in D group (55.6% vs. 40.7%; P = 0.049) may explain this difference, since significantly more patients of this HCV subpopulation experienced acute rejection when treated with D therapy (48% vs. 20%; P = 0.008).
No treatment differences were apparent for HCV-negative patients. The 24-month graft survival tended to be inferior in T group, 69.8% vs. 75.8% (P = 0.283). Similar results were observed regarding patient survival at the same time point, with values of 72.9% vs. 76.9% (P = 0.573), favoring D group.
Both regimens showed comparable safety profiles with the exception of hematological abnormalities, which were more frequently observed in T group. In conclusion, both regimens were shown to be effective although increased toxicity and a trend towards a lower graft and patient survival were observed in T group.
CITATION Liver Transpl. 2005 May;11(5):515-24 you mayBE INTERESTED
The Clínica is the greater private hospital with technological equipment of Spain, all in a single center.
The professionals of the Clínica perform continuous research and training, always to the benefit of the patient.
Learn why we are different from other healthcare centers. Quality, speed, comfort and results. | 2,547 | 1,337 | 0.000762 |
warc | 201704 | Each sperm carries with it an X or a Y chromosome. Each
unfertilized egg, an X. When conception occurs, and the egg and sperm come
together, the sex of the offspring is determined by the comingling of those two
chromosomes. XX will become female and XY will become male. This one difference
is expressed in every single cell in the body—including the ones that make up
the brain. Yet, historically, most in the medical and scientific communities
have believed that meaningful differences only manifested themselves in the
“bikini zones,” or the parts of the body specifically involved with
reproduction. As such, most biomedical research, to date, has been conducted
solely on male tissues, animals, and human participants.
But we are learning that meaningful differences are not
limited to the sexual organs. In fact, over the past two decades, scientists across
disciplines have found a variety of important sex differences in the size,
connectivity, and activity of different brain regions; in the prevalence and
severity of disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease; and in the
response to different medications and medical interventions.[i]
,[ii],[iii]
Such findings, argues Jennifer Plank-Bazinet, a Health Scientist Administrator
who contributes to the Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) efforts at the National
Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), are
showing today’s scientists that both sexes need to be included in future
research to not only further our understanding of the body and brain—but also
to develop more effective treatments for disease.
“We now know that women metabolize nicotine faster than men,
so nicotine replacement therapies may be less effective in women.[iv]
We now know that men and women respond differently to pain—recent work suggests
that different cells drive pain processing in male and female mice[v],”
she says. “Without studying both sexes, we would never know if we’re taking the
right steps towards appropriate clinical interventions for both men and women. So
you can understand why we need to make sure that biomedical research is
considering SABV in future studies.”
To that end, the NIH announced a sweeping policy change in
2014 mandating that all future biomedical research funded by the agency address
sex influences.[vi]
,[vii]
But while the list of studies showing that sex differences exist outside the
“bikini zone”—and the acceptance of how important these sex differences may be
to our understanding of both brain and behavior—is growing, how the research
community should address SABV remains hotly debated. His and Her Brains?
In 2014, Larry Cahill penned an essay for
Cerebrum, entitled, “Equal ≠ The
Same: Sex Differences in the Human Brain.”[viii]
He made a strong case that sex matters quite a bit in most areas of
medicine—and that continuing to ignore these differences was doing a great
disservice to the health and wellbeing of women and men. While a lot has changed in the two years since Cahill
wrote the piece—including the NIH mandate, he says that there is still a fight
ahead.
“The new regulations whereby all grants at NIH are supposed
to actively consider sex influences is important. Now it’s something that
people have to deal with, when before they could just ignore it,” he says. “And
while it is forcing science to turn a corner that cannot and will not be
unturned, it does not mean the game is over. The status quo has not changed. The
majority of the field still does not understand the incredible importance of
the issue.”
It’s a valid concern. At Neuroscience 2016, the annual
meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, less than 300 of the more than 15,000
scientific abstracts presented at the meeting explicitly investigated sex
differences. And that may be because many young scientists are still trying to
avoid dealing with them—often for political reasons. Emily Jacobs, a
neuroscientist at the University of California Santa Barbara, says she tried to
avoid sex differences herself—until her work with dopamine kept showing
important estrogen variations that needed to be taken into account. Her
research suggested that 17β-estradiol, or the estrogen that fluctuates across a
woman’s menstrual cycle, affected dopamine release and performance on a working
memory task. She said it was an “a-ha”
moment for her and her body of work.[ix]
“Initially, I was averse to studying sex differences. It seemed
like a politically prickly topic that I didn’t want to engage with. But I realized
that the dopamine system was ripe with sex-specific mechanisms that existed
whether I took the time to look or not,” she says. “It is critical for the
field to understand the way males and females do—and do not—differ. That
knowledge carries profound clinical implications for the treatment of diseases
and for the theories that shape our basic understanding of science.”
But,
beyond politics, some worry that sex is a bit of a loaded variable—and mandates
like the NIH’s regarding SABV may be letting the pendulum swing too far in the
other direction by placing too much emphasis on differences between males and
females when there are many, many similarities. Daphna Joel, a neuroscientist
at Tel-Aviv University in Israel, as well as one of a group of researchers who
wrote a response to Cahill’s
Cerebrum essay[x],
says that there is a danger in thinking of male and female brains as two
distinct entities. Rather, she argues each individual brain, regardless of sex,
is a “mosaic” of features based on the interaction of genetic and environmental
factors.[xi]
That mosaic will influence both the development of disease and the outcomes of
specific treatments. Simply focusing on one sex or the other will not provide
the precise, personalized treatments that so many patients need.
Furthermore,
she argues, one must be careful with correlation/causality issues. Differences
observed between males and females may correlate with a sex category but may
actually reflect a separate risk factor. She offers cardiovascular disease as
an example.
“It would be easy to say that the risk is different because
of sex. But when you look deeper, you see that it is not about sex. It’s about
height. Women, on average, are shorter than men, and therefore have a different
risk,” she says. “We are learning that how sex may affect the brain depends on
other factors. It is an interaction of biology and environment that can
manifest itself in many different ways. So you need to look beyond just sex as
a categorical variable. You need to look at the other variables associated with
sex, too.”
Just Add Females?
Another concern for researchers like Geert de Vries, director
of the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University, is methodological. He
says successfully considering SABV in studies is not as simple as just adding
females to existing study paradigms—one has to appreciate that some differences
show an amazing spread between the two sexes while others do not. In fact,
depending on what you study, there is often more variability within one sex
than between the two. As such, methods matter, and will matter greatly moving
forward.
“This is not as simple as just including both males and
females in a study. Studying sex differences is complex,” he says. “And while
the NIH mandate is a good one, even they would tell you that getting the right
guidance on how to interpret this mandate, and how to do a good study, is
important.”
Jill Goldstein, director
of research at the Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, agrees. “Just adding more women into a study does
not address many of the critical methodological issues involved in designing
studies to identify sex effects,” she says. “Sex impacts every level of
analysis and therefore must be systematically incorporated into the beginning
of the study. Understanding how to design a study that incorporates sex effects
begins with education about these strategies.”
She and others at
the Connors Center offer workshops on how to design good sex difference studies—with
guidance on how to manage and control for issues like reproductive status and
regular hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle.[xii] And Plank-Bazinet says
that the ORWH is working closely with the NIH Office of Extramural Research and
the NIH Institutes and Centers to provide their own guidance as well—a variety
of tools and resources are available to researchers on the Office of Extramural
Research’s web page on Rigor and Reproducibility.[xiii]
“We’ve published
papers, we’ve given presentations to a variety of different scientific societies,
and we give workshops. And we are continuing to find ways to reach out and
provide this information to the community,” she says. “There is actually a lot
of information out there on how to design experiments to effectively study sex
differences already. But we want to make sure that scientists have the
resources they need to do these studies in the right way.”
The Time Is Now
While Cahill says
there is still quite a bit of work to do, he believes the pieces are starting
to move into place to make the required “sea change” happen, including the NIH
mandate and continuing changes in journal and peer review policies to address
sex influences.[xiv][xv] And Jacobs believes with
those changes, tomorrow’s studies will help pave the way for better medical
interventions in the future.
“The best thing
we can do right now is to be honest about what we know and what we don’t know. And
we don’t know a lot,” she says. “We need to be explicit in the way we design
and interpret studies. Scientists also need to be careful in the way we
operationalize the phenomenon we’re studying.”
She says she
hopes to see a revolution in women’s health—and a greater understanding of how
sex influences the brain, behavior, and health in the process. Goldstein says that,
after more than thirty years in the field, she is very optimistic about what
the future holds.
“Our time is now.
Historically, there has been so much push-back when it comes to studies of sex
differences. The current climate feels like there is greater acceptance. Not
just that sex differences exist but that they do matter in terms of health and
medicine,” she says. “We are finally in a place where we are being
encouraged to do this kind of research. Now that we are having these
conversations, now that we have some real investment in these studies, it’s my hope
that we can capitalize on this in order to translate our work into the
development of more effective and precise therapeutics.”
[xi]
Joel D, Berman Z, Tavor I, Wexler N, Gaber O, Stein Y, Shefi N, Pool J, Urchs
S, Margulies DS, Liem F, Hänggi J, Jäncke L and Assaf Y. Sex Beyond the Genitalia:The Human Brain Mosaic.
Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA. 2015 Dec 15; 112(50): 15468-73.
[xii] http://www.bwhresearch.org/sex-differences-methods-workshop-embracing-a-sea-of-change-in-biomedical-research/
[xiii]
https://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm | 11,655 | 5,315 | 0.000199 |
warc | 201704 | Islam's ideals are manifold and they are clear; but how do they work in practice, how fully have adherents implemented them? ... a distinction must be drawn between private and public precepts. Premodern Muslims generally considered themselves successful at living in accordance with regulations concerning private life. Vastly disparate peoples around the world adopted stringent Shar'i restrictions, even where these conflicted with their own inherited customs. Polytheists became monotheists, monogamists became polygamists, matrilocals became patrilocals, matrilineals became patrilineals, cow-worshippers became beefeaters, bride prices replaced dowries, and fruit juices replaced alcohol.
A qadi (Shar'i judge) listens to a petitioner.
Muslim experience with the public precepts was another matter, however. The study of any period or region of premodern history shows that Muslims persistently failed to live up to the public regulations to their own satisfaction. From the seventh-century caliphate to the fundamentalist movements of the eighteenth century, the Islamic state proved elusive. If premodern Muslims were able rigorously to implement the Shari'a here and there for brief periods, their overall experience was one of frustration; in general, Shar'i public ideals remained beyond the umma's reach. Dramatic contrasts between the implementation of private precepts and the non-implementation of public ones led Joseph Schacht, foremost historian of the Shari'a, to write:
We can distinguish three different kinds of legal subject-matter ... according to the degree to which the ideal theory of the shari'a succeeded in imposing itself on the practice. Its hold was strongest on the law of family (marriage, divorce, maintenance, &c.), of inheritance, and of pious foundations (wakf); it was weakest, and in some respects even non-existent, on penal law, taxation, constitutional law, and the law of war; and the law of contracts and obligations stands in the middle.
...
Non-implementation of the Shari'a confronted Muslim peoples with a choice of two responses, one conservative, the other radical: they could acknowledge human foibles, resign themselves to the imperfect circumstances in which they lived, and accept the status quo; or they could struggle relentlessly to suppress these failings, align Muslim society with Islamic ideals, and create a Shar'i utopia. Because the latter option meant rising up against existing governments and violently overthrowing them, bringing massive unrest and possibly destroying the Islamic way of life, Muslims rarely took this route, more often preferring to accept things as they were. Through most of Muslim history, the urge to rebel against unrighteous governments was rejected in the interests of avoiding
fitna. [As H.A.R. Gibb explains,] "So long as the secular governments did not interfere with the social institutions of Islam and formally recognized the Shari'a, the conscience of believers was not outraged and the task of building up a stable and universal Muslim society could go on."
A balance between Shar'i goals and human realities emerged; this is what I call the
medieval synthesis, an immensely stable and attractive combination of ideal goals and pragmatic actions which held in several continents and over many centuries. This willingness to accept imperfect conditions will be referred to as traditionalist Islam. Traditionalists were Muslims who, finding the medieval synthesis satisfactory, did not attempt to implement the sacred law in its entirety. For them, the preservation of Muslim society took precedence over complete implementation of the law. They did pressure for improvements, but in careful, gradual ways, making sure not to ruin a tolerable situation in the pursuit of a better one.
An Ottoman member of the 'ulama' with a student.
On the public level too, no serious attempt was made to effect the Qur'anic or
Hadith doctrines in their entirety. Muslims came to terms with the fact that many kings ruled, not one caliph; that the umma was irrevocably split; that Shar'i-sanctioned taxes did not suffice; and so forth. The scriptures may have "a strong tendency to put the collectivity above the individual and to treat individual believers as equals," [Elie Kedourie notes,] but "these tendencies have not usually had political or economic consequences in traditional Islam." Specifically with regard to wealth, "no serious, sustained attempt was made to translate the Brotherhood of Believers into economic terms."
In politics, the 'ulama came to accept almost any ruler[, as Bernard Lewis notes]:
Successive jurists made [sundry] accommodations with a deteriorating reality, until finally the whole system of juristic constitutional theory was tacitly abandoned, and a new approach devised, based on the principle that any effective authority, however obtained and however exercised, was better than unrestrained private violence. "Tyranny is better than anarchy," became a favourite theme of the jurists.
This eventually became the prevailing attitude of Muslim subjects toward their governments. Among Muslims living in Dar al-Harb, similar realistic attitudes developed and they endured kafir rule far more often than they rebelled.
Non-implementation became so universal that the more a Muslim appreciated the sacred law per se, the less he expected it to be applied. According to Snouck Hurgronje, "all classes of the Muslim community have exhibited in practice an indifference to the sacred law in all its fulness, quite equal to the reverence with which they regard it in theory." Knowledgeable about the law as they were, the 'ulama were "the last to contradict" the general awareness that the Shari'a had "never been put in practice"; instead, they emphasized "the fact that the laws expounded by them are only fitted for a better society than that of their contemporaries" and relegated the fully Shar'i society to the remote future. Discussions about the law "are full of sighs of despair over the ever-wider cleavage between ideal and reality," yet the Muslim legal experts accepted this condition as normal and natural.
Acceptance of the medieval synthesis meant that Muslim peoples, whether in Dar al-Islam or Dar al-Harb, usually submitted to the control of existing governments, however deficient these might be from a Shar'i viewpoint. As Shar'i goals were subordinated to the need for stability, obedience to the political authorities became the norm and preservation of the status quo became an end in itself, creating an overwhelmingly conservative political environment. | 6,635 | 3,101 | 0.000324 |
warc | 201704 | So far we have discussed production in the context of one person converting his time into some service such as lawn mowing. While that is a useful place to start, it ignores two important features of production--the use of more than one input in producing an output and the cooperation of more than one person in production. In this chapter, we will explore production in the more complicated case of the firm--a group of people combining inputs to produce an output.
Why do firms exist? Part of the reason is suggested by Figures 6-5 and 6-6 of Chapter 6--because two people coordinating their production can do better for themselves than if they act independently. In Chapter 6, the coordination occurred through trade. Individuals produced independently but, in deciding how much to produce of what, took into consideration the possibility of trading it for something else. In a firm, the cooperation is closer. Typically many individuals work together to produce a single item. The obvious reason is that they produce more that way. This is, in large part, a result of the principle of division of labor--if each of us specializes in a particular part of the productive process, he can be much better at it, hence more productive, than if each of us has to do everything. It is difficult to imagine one worker, however skillful and well equipped, producing an automobile in a year entirely by himself, yet an automobile factory produces several automobiles per worker per year.
In the production of automobiles, some of the division of labor occurs within the firm and some between firms; General Motors does not, for example, produce the steel from which its cars are made. One could imagine a society in which there was a high degree of division of labor, all of which occurred between firms, with each firm participating in only one part of the productive process and perhaps consisting of only one person. That possibility, and the difficulties it would create, are discussed in the optional section at the end of this chapter.
In discussing consumption, we reduced the individual to a set of preferences and his environment to a set of prices and a budget constraint. In discussing the firm, we follow a somewhat similar process--how similar will be clearer by the end of the chapter. We start with a production function, which describes the ways in which the firm can convert inputs (labor, raw materials, the use of machinery) into its output (the product it produces); we assume, for simplicity, that each firm produces only one product. The production function, plus the assumption that the firm is trying to maximize its profits, describe the firm; the prices the firm faces, for both its inputs and its output, describe its environment. The combination of the two tells us what the firm will do--how much it will produce and how.
We begin with a production function, which tellshow a firm can transform its inputs into the goods it produces. Youcan think of a production function as an explicit function,Q(x
1,x 2,x 3,. . .), where Q is theamount produced and x 1, x 2, . . . are theamounts of all the different inputs that can be used to produce it.Alternatively, you can think of a production function as a very largetable listing all possible combinations of inputs and, for eachcombination, the resulting quantity of output. Table 9-1 is part ofsuch a table for a firm manufacturing clay pots; the explicitproduction function is given at the bottom. Each row of Table 9-1shows the number of pots that can be produced in a year with aparticular collection of inputs--so much labor, so much use ofcapital, so much clay.
A
1.00
$10.00
100
$5.00
1.00
$4.00
$19.00
B
0.25
2.50
400
20.00
4.00
16.00
38.50
C
4.00
40.00
25
1.25
.25
1.00
42.25
D
2.00
20.00
200
10.00
2.00
8.00
38.00
E
4.00
40.00
100
5.00
1.00
4.00
49.00
F
1.00
10.00
100
5.00
16.00
64.00
79.00
G
1.00
10.00
1,600
80.00
1.00
4.00
94.00
H
3.00
30.00
300
15.00
3.00
12.00
57.00
I
9.00
90.00
100
5.00
1.00
4.00
99.00
J
4.00
40.00
100
5.00
5.06
20.24
65.24
K
4.00
40.00
225
11.25
2.25
9.00
60.25
L
1.00
10.00
8,100
405.00
1.00
4.00
419.00
M
4.00
40.00
400
20.00
4.00
16.00
76.00
N
9.00
90.00
178
8.89
1.78
7.12
106.01
O
0.946
9.46
94.6
4.73
1.18
4.72
18.92
P
1.89
18.90
189
9.45
2.36
9.44
37.84
Q
2.84
28.40
284
14.20
3.55
14.20
56.76
R
3.78
37.80
378
18.90
4.73
18.92
75.68
The table also shows the cost of the inputs; we assume that the firm is a small enough part of the market so that the prices at which it buys its inputs and sells its output are a given, not something affected by how much it buys or sells. The price of labor is $10/hour, the price of clay is $4/pound, and the price for the use of capital (strictly speaking, its rental) is .05/year. The meaning of the first two is obvious; the third, the price of capital, is an interest rate. If the interest rate is .05/year (or, more conventionally stated, "5% per annum"), then using $100 worth of capital for a year costs you $5--the interest you would pay if you borrowed the money to buy the $100 worth of machinery that you must use for a year ($100 x 1 year = 100 dollar-years of capital) in order to produce a pot using input bundle A. At the end of the year, you could either resell the machinery and pay back the loan or keep the machinery for another year and use another 100 dollar-years worth of capital to produce another pot--at a cost, for capital, of another five dollars interest on your loan. If you find it odd that your inputs consist of pounds of clay but dollar-years of capital, and that you have used capital as an input even if you give back the machine when you have finished with it, consider that exactly the same thing is true of the third input--labor. Your input is not workers but man-hours, and you return the worker (to himself) when you have finished employing him.
The firm must figure out how much to produce and how to produce it. A sensible first step, on the principle of dividing hard problems into manageable pieces, is to pick a level of output and figure out, given the production function and the prices of inputs, how to produce that quantity at the lowest possible cost. To do so, you start by considering all of the different combinations of inputs that would produce that quantity of output. On Table 9-1, for example, input bundles H, I, J, K, L, and Q can each be used to produce three pots. Next you calculate the cost of each bundle. This is just like calculating the cost of a consumption bundle; you multiply the quantity of each input by its price to find out how much you spend on that input, then add the figures for all the inputs to find the cost of the whole bundle, as shown on the table. Mathematically this gives us
C = P
1x 1 +P 2x 2 + P 3x 3 + . ..
C is the cost of that particular bundle. But there are usually many different combinations of inputs that will produce the same output. By using more labor, for example, you can minimize wastage and so reduce your consumption of raw material; whether that is worth doing depends on how expensive raw material is in comparison to labor. By using more machinery (ultimately capital--you will have to wait until Chapter 14 for a clearer explanation of what capital is), you may be able to economize on labor, raw material, or both. There are many kinds of raw material you can use (substituting among plastic, aluminum, and steel, for example, in making an automobile), and each of them comes in many different forms at different prices. Figuring out how to produce 73 television sets is an immensely complicated process with no single answer--there are many ways to do it. Typically, however, there is only one least expensive way, which is what the firm is looking for.
Comparing, on Table 9-1, the different bundlesthat can be used to produce one pot, you find that bundle O does itat the lowest cost; similarly bundle P is the least expensive way ofproducing 2 pots, Q of producing 3, and R of producing 4. Figure 9-1shows the
total cost curve (total cost as a function ofquantity) implied by Table 9-1. Total cost for producing clay pots. Thefigure shows the cost of the least-cost bundle of inputs forproducing each quantity of pots.
Since the table shows only a few of the possible ways of producing any particular number of pots, you cannot tell whether you have found the least costly input bundle or only the least costly of those shown. That is one of the problems with using a finite table to represent an infinite number of alternatives. In the optional section of this chapter, I show how one can use calculus to find the lowest cost bundles of inputs to produce various levels of output. The results of those calculations, for output levels of 1, 2, 3, and 4, are bundles O, P, Q, and R. They represent only a slight improvement over bundles A, D, H, and M, the lowest cost found without calculus. In this case, at least, one can come fairly close to achieving the perfectly rational decision by simple trial and error.
It may have occurred to you that the way in which we use Table 9-1 to find the least-cost way of producing pots is very similar to the way in which a similar table was used in Chapter 3 to find the most attractive consumption bundle. The logic of the two problems is almost exactly the same. In Chapter 3, we compared all the consumption bundles with the same cost to find out which produces the greatest utility; in this chapter, we compare all the input bundles producing the same output to see which has the lowest cost.
Having analyzed the production function, there are now two directions to go. We will first analyze the firm's behavior as a buyer, in order to deduce its demand curve for steel, labor, and the other inputs it uses in production. We will then analyze its behavior as a producer and seller, in order to deduce its supply curve for its output. As you will see, the two sides are connected, since the price for which the firm can sell its output is one of the things determining its demand for inputs.
Geometry I: Isoquant curves and Isocostlines. In Chapter 3, after recognizing that the table showed onlya tiny sample of the possible consumption bundles, we went on toanalyze the same problem geometrically, using budget lines andindifference curves. The same approach applied to production is shownon Figure 9-2; just as in the case of consumption, the fact that weare drawing our curves on two-dimensional paper means that we canonly show two variables at a time. Here the two variables areinputs--labor and clay, used to produce pots. We may imagine eitherthat there are only two or that we have already decided on the amountof the other inputs, such as capital, to be used.
In Chapter 3, the individual maximizes his utility subject to a budget constraint; here the firm minimizes its "budget"--its total expenditure--subject to a fixed level of production. These represent essentially the same process. The individual consumer tries to get as much of something (utility, happiness, "his objectives") as possible while spending a given amount of money; the firm tries to spend as little money as possible while getting a given amount of something (output). Figure 9-2 is the equivalent, for a firm, of the indifference curve diagrams of Chapter 3.
The contour Q
1 is called an isoquant. It shows the different combinations of the twoinputs that can produce a given quantity of output (73 pots). Theblue lines are isocost lines; each shows all the input bundlesthat can be bought at a given cost. The isocost line is straight forthe same reason the budget line is; we are assuming that the firmbuying inputs, like the consumer buying consumption goods, canpurchase as much as it wants at a constant price per unit.
In Chapter 3, we had a given budget line and were looking for the highest indifference curve that touched it. Here we have a given isoquant and are looking for the lowest isocost line that touches it. That is why the figures in Chapter 3 showed one budget line and several indifference curves, while here Figure 9-2 shows one isoquant and several isocost lines. In Chapter 3, the solution was to find the (indifference) curve that was tangent to the (budget) line; the optimal consumption bundle was at the point of tangency. Here the solution is to find the (isocost) line that is tangent to the (isoquant) curve; the optimal input bundle, the lowest cost bundle of inputs to produce that quantity of output, is at the point of tangency.
Isoquant/isocost diagram for two inputs.Each isocost line shows the different bundles of inputs that have thesame cost. The isoquant, Q 1, shows the different bundlesof inputs needed to produce a given quantity of output. The point oftangency is the optimal (i.e., lowest cost) input bundle forproducing that quantity of output.
Suppose the firm has figured out the lowest costway of producing a particular output: 73 television sets, a millioncars, three pots, or whatever. It repeats the calculation for everyother level of output it might consider producing: 74 televisionsets, 50 television sets, 900 television sets. At the end of theprocess, it has converted its production function into a
totalcost function--a function that tells it how much it will cost toproduce any level of output. Scale expansion path and total cost curve forthe case of two inputs. The scale expansion path (SEP) in Figure9-3a indicates the input bundles that would produce the variousoutput quantities at the lowest cost. Figure 9-3b shows the resultingtotal cost curve. Figures 9-3a and b show how this would work for the case of two inputs, X and Y, with prices P x=2, P y=3. I havelabelled the isoquants and some of the isocost lines on 9-3a. Thepoints of tangency show the input bundles that would produce thevarious output quantities at the lowest cost. Line SEP, which linksthose points, is the scale expansion path; it shows how theconsumption of the inputs X and Y would increase as output expanded.Figure 9-3b shows the resulting total cost curve. Point A onFigure 9-3b, for instance, shows total cost of 30 for producing aquantity of 34. It corresponds to point a on Figure 9-3a,where the isoquant for producing 34 units is tangent to the isocostline for a cost of 30. The effect of a change in input prices.When the price of X rises and the price of Y falls, theoptimal inputbundle for producing 34 widgets changes from A to B. The firmsubstitutes the input that has become cheaper for the input that hasbecome more expensive.
Figure 9-4 shows how the inputs used to produce agiven quantity of output (34 widgets) would change if the price ofthe inputs changed. Point A shows the input bundle that produces 34widgets at lowest cost if P
x is 2 and P y is 3;point B shows the lowest cost bundle if we reverse the prices. As onewould expect, when the prices change, the firm shifts to using moreof the good that has become cheaper (Y) and less of the good that hasbecome more expensive (X). This factor substitution effect isprecisely analogous to the substitution effect in consumptiondescribed in Chapter 3. There we were rolling a budget line along anindifference curve, here we are rolling an isocost line along anisoquant.
In Chapter 3, we were able to use figures similar to this (3-8a and 3-9a) to derive the individual's demand curve for a good. Can we, in the same way, derive the firm's demand curve for its input?
The answer is no. Figure 9-4 shows the inputs thatthe firm would use to produce
a given quantity ofoutput at different input prices. But as input prices change, sodoes the cost to the firm of producing its output, and hence thequantity that it chooses to produce. We would have to take account ofthat effect if we wanted to derive demand curves forinputs.
How would we do so? We have just seen how, for a given set of input prices, the firm calculates a total cost curve. In the next section we will see how, from the total cost curve and the market price, the firm decides how much to produce. In order to calculate the firm's demand curve for one input, say steel, we would simply repeat this analysis for a range of different steel prices, holding the prices of all other inputs fixed. For each price we would calculate the profit-maximizing quantity of output (say automobiles), and for that quantity we would calculate the quantity of steel in the least-cost bundle of inputs.
I Knew I Had an Equimarginal Principle LyingAround Here Somewhere. The same argument that led us to theequimarginal principle in consumption applies in production as well,if we replace marginal value with marginal product--afterfirst defining the latter. The marginal product of an input is therate at which output increases as the quantity of that inputincreases, all other inputs held constant. You may think of it as theincrease in output resulting from one additional unit of that input.If adding one worker to a factory employing 1,000, while keeping allother inputs fixed, results in an additional 2 cars per year, thenthe marginal product of labor is 2 cars per man-year.
How can you produce two more cars with no more steel? The answer is that for small variations in inputs, one factor can substitute for another--in this case, labor for raw materials. One of the things the additional labor may do is improve quality control, so that fewer cars have to be scrapped; another is to make possible a more labor-intensive production process that produces cars with slightly less steel in them. Table 9-1 shows the same thing happening with the manufacture of pots. As you go from bundle A to bundle E, for example, the amount of clay and of capital used stay the same; the amount of labor quadruples, and the output rises from 1 pot to 2. Perhaps what is happening is that in A, many of the pots crack when they are fired; in E, the workers are spending four times as much time on each pot, and as a result they have doubled the percentage that survive firing. Going from A to E, labor input increases by 3 man-hours and output by 1 pot, so the marginal product of labor is 1/3 pot/man-hour.
If we consider large changes in inputs, thisbecomes less plausible--it is hard to see how one could produceeither pots or cars with no raw materials at all, however much laborone used. This is an example of the
law of diminishingreturns, which plays the same role in production as does the lawof declining marginal utility in consumption. If you hold all factorsbut one constant and increase that one, eventually its marginalproduct begins to decline. Each additional man-year of laborincreases the number of cars produced by less and less. However muchfertilizer you use, you cannot grow the world's supply of wheat in aflowerpot. In just the same way, as you hold all other consumptiongoods fixed and increase one, eventually the additional utility fromeach additional unit becomes less and less. I will not trade my lifefor any number of ice cream cones.
The equimarginal principle in consumption tells usthat if you have chosen the optimal consumption bundle, the value toyou of an additional dollar's worth of any good in thebundle--anything you consume--is the same. The equimarginal principlein production tells us that if the firm is minimizing its costs for agiven quantity of output, the additional output produced by adollar's worth of any input it uses is the same. Algebraically, ifMP
x is the marginal product of input x and similarly forinput y, we have:
MP
x/P x=MP y/P y.
The argument, which should seem familiar, goes as follows: If the firm is already producing its output at the lowest possible cost, there can be no way of reducing its cost any further while producing the same quantity of output. Suppose there are two inputs whose marginal product per dollar's worth is different--an additional dollar's worth of input A increases output by 4 units; an additional dollar's worth of input B increases output by 3 units. To reduce cost while producing the same amount of output, use $0.75 more of input A and $1 less of input B. Output goes up by (4 units/$'s worth) x (3/4 $'s worth) = 3 units, because of the increased input of A. It goes down by 3 units because of the decreased input of B. So the net effect is to produce the same output with $0.25 less expenditure--which is impossible if the firm is already producing at minimum cost.
If you find it confusing to use a "dollar's worth" as a unit to measure the quantity of input, we can use physical units instead. Input A costs $1/pound and its marginal product is 4 units per pound; input B costs $2/pound and its marginal product is 6 units per pound. Use 3/4 of a pound more of A, 1/2 pound less of B; output remains unchanged and expenditure has fallen by $0.25.
In this case, just as in the similar proof in Chapter 4, the argument only works precisely if the amount of the change is infinitely small, so that the marginal product of an input is the same whether we consider an increase or a decrease. The larger the size of the changes in inputs we consider, the less precise the argument becomes. But in order to prove that the firm is not producing at minimum cost, all we need show is that there is some change that lowers cost while maintaining output--even a very small change will do.
We have shown that if the marginal product of adollar's worth of input is not the same for all inputs, or in otherwords if the marginal products of inputs are not proportional totheir prices, it is possible to alter the bundle of inputs in such away as to reduce cost while maintaining the same output. It followsthat for the
least-cost bundle--the bundle of inputs that aprofit-maximizing firm will choose--the marginal products of inputsare proportional to their prices. That is the equimarginal principlein production.
If you look back at Figure 9-2, you will see thatwe could have derived the same result there. The slope of the isocostline is the ratio of the prices of the two inputs. The slope of theisoquant at any point is the ratio of the marginal products of thetwo inputs: the
marginal rate of substitution in production.It shows the rate at which inputs substitute for each other in theproduction function (how much you must increase one input to balancethe output loss due to a unit decrease in another) just as themarginal rate of substitution in consumption showed the rate at whichconsumption goods substitute for each other in the utility function.At the point of tangency, the two slopes are equal:P x/P y=MP x/MP y. If, inequilibrium, it requires a two-unit increase in input B to make upfor a one unit decrease in input A, then input A must cost exactlytwice as much per unit as input B.
Income comes from owning factors of production, such as your own labor, savings, land, or the like. The amount of income you get from the factors you own depends on how much you can sell or rent them for. The equimarginal principle in production, which tells us the relation between the prices of factors and their marginal product, will turn out to be of considerable interest when we discuss the distribution of income in Chapter 14.
Geometry II: Marginal Revenue Product and theInput Demand Curve. Just as in the case of consumption in Chapter4, we can carry the argument one step further. The marginal productof an input, say steel, is measured in units of output: 1/2automobile/ton of steel, say. The marginal revenue product(MRP) of the input is its marginal product (sometimes called its marginal physical product) multiplied by the additionalrevenue the firm gets for each additional unit produced--the price atwhich it sells its output. If an automobile sells for $10,000 and anadditional ton of steel increases output by half an automobile, thenthe marginal revenue product of steel is $5000/ton.
Suppose steel costs only $4000/ton. If the firm uses an additional two tons of steel while holding all other inputs constant, its production cost increases by $8000, its output increases by one automobile, its revenue increases by $10,000, and its profit increases by $2000. As long as the cost of steel is lower than its marginal revenue product, profit can be increased by using more steel. So the firm continues to increase its use of steel until the marginal revenue product of steel equals its price: MRP=P.
The argument should be familiar--it is the same one used in Chapter 4 to show that P=MV. There is one essential difference. Consumption goods are bought with money but used to produce utility. In order to go from marginal utility to marginal value, we needed to know the rate at which the consumer could convert dollars into utiles, which depended on the tastes and opportunities of that particular consumer. Input goods are bought with money and used to produce output goods--which are then sold for money. We could not predict how many dollars worth of utility the consumer would get from a given quantity of apples, but we can predict how many dollar's worth of automobiles a firm will produce with a given quantity of steel. The rate at which the firm can convert automobiles into dollars is simply the price of automobiles.
This is one example of a more general difference between the analysis of individuals and of firms. While we assume that individuals have relatively simple objectives, we do not know just what those objectives are. The objective of the firm, on the other hand, is known--at least, it is known in economic theory, and the theory seems to do a reasonably good job of explaining the real world. The objective of the firm is to maximize its profit. From that assumption plus the firm's opportunities, as embodied in its production function, the prices of its inputs, and the price at which it can sell its output, we can calculate what the firm will do.
In Chapter 4, we used the relation P=MV to derivethe individual's demand curve from his marginal value curve. It wouldseem that we could, in exactly the same way, use the relation P=MRPto derive the firm's demand curve for its inputs. We simply draw theMRP
s curve, showing marginal revenue product of steel as afunction of its quantity. At any price, the firm buys that quantityof steel for which P s=MRP s. So the firm'sdemand curve for steel, D s, equals the MRP scurve, as shown on figures 9-5a and b. The Marginal Revenue Product curve for steeland the demand curve for steel.
There is one problem with this. The marginalproduct of one input depends on the quantity of other inputs. Inorder to draw the curve MRP
s on Figure 9-5a, I must firstdiscover, for any quantity of steel, how much of each otherinput--rubber, labor, capital, etc. --the firm would choose touse.
To answer that question we again use the equimarginal principle. We know that, in equilibrium, the marginal physical product per dollar's worth of every input the firm uses must be the same. So for any given amount of steel, we use the production function to find the quantities of the other inputs at which the ratio of marginal product to price is the same for all inputs. At those quantities, we calculate the marginal revenue product of steel and put it on the graph.
Why did we not do the same thing in Chapter 4, when we were calculating the demand curves for consumption goods? In principle, we should have. Where two goods are closely related in consumption--bread and butter, for example, or gasoline and automobiles--the demand curve for one must take account of that relation. To calculate the marginal value of bread one must allow for the fact that as you increase your consumption of bread you also increase your consumption of butter--otherwise (assuming that you only like buttered bread) your marginal value for bread would drop off rapidly as you ran out of butter.
But in the case of consumption, such interdependencies are the exception, not the rule, so we could and did ignore them in Chapter 4--especially since, at that point, we were trying to describe a very simple economy. In the case of production, the interdependency of inputs is far more important--the marginal product of steel drops off very rapidly if you cannot hire additional laborers to make it into cars.
Warning. You should not interpret what wehave done so far in this chapter as implying that an actual firm, sayGeneral Motors, has a list somewhere describing every possible way ofproducing every conceivable quantity of output and a room full ofcomputers busy twenty-four hours a day figuring the least costly wayof doing so. GM is profoundly uninterested in the cost of producingseven automobiles per year or 7 billion, and equally uninterested inthe possibility of making them out of such inputs as bubble gum,lettuce, or the labor services of phrenologists.
Just as in the case of consumer behavior, our assumption is that people (and firms) tend to end up making the right decision, which in this case means producing goods at the lowest possible cost so as to maximize their profit. To figure out what that decision is, we imagine how it would be made by a firm with complete information and unlimited ability to process it. In practice, the decision is made by a much more limited process involving a large element of trial and error--but we expect that it will tend to produce the same result. If it does not, and some other practical method does, then some other firm will produce cars at lower cost than GM. Eventually GM will either imitate its competitor's method or go out of business.
Figure 9-1 showed the total cost function for the pottery of Table 9-1. A total cost function is enormously simpler than a production function, since it has only one variable; you may, if you wish, think of it as the production function for producing automobiles (or anything else) using only one input--money. The single input is used to hire labor and machinery and to buy steel, glass, and other inputs, which are then used to produce automobiles. For most of the rest of this chapter, it is only the cost function and not the full production function that we will need in order to understand the firm's behavior.
Figure 9-6 shows total cost as a function ofoutput for a hypothetical firm producing widgets. Fixed cost (FC) isthe height of the total cost curve where it runs into the verticalaxis--total cost as we approach zero output from the right. For thefirm shown by TC
2, total cost goes to zero as output goesto zero. For the firm whose total cost curve is TC 1, theability to produce anything at all involves a substantial cost(FC 1). An example of such a fixed cost would be the costof designing a new computer, which the firm must pay whether it isgoing to produce a million computers or only one.
One of the things not shown on the figure is theinfluence of time on costs. Cost of production really depends on
rate of production (automobiles per year) as well as on amount of production (automobiles); the cost of producing1,000,000 automobiles in ten years is very different from the cost ofproducing them in one year. The cost of producing different levels ofoutput also depends on how much time the firm is given to adjust tochanges. If GM has been producing 5,000,000 cars per year andsuddenly decides to reduce output to 2,000,000, there will be manycosts it cannot get out of--expensive factories standing empty,executives with long-term contracts who must be paid whether or notthere is any work for them, and so on. If GM decides that over thenext ten years its output will gradually fall to 2,000,000/year, itcan gradually reduce its scale of operations to something moreappropriate to the new rate of production.
Going in the other direction, if GM wishes todouble its rate of output over a period of a few months, it will findit difficult and expensive; factories will be running all night,workers will have to be paid for overtime, and suppliers will have tobe paid premium prices to get them to provide large quantities atshort notice. If the same increase occurs gradually over a period ofyears, the cost is much less. In general, we would expect the totalcost curve to rise more steeply with increasing quantity, and fallmore gently with decreasing quantity, for short-term changes than forlong-term changes. Curve TC
SR on Figure 9-6a shows such apattern, with A the point at which the firm is presentlyproducing. Total cost curves with (TC 1 )and without (TC 2 ) fixed cost. 6b is an expandedview of the section of 6a inside the square, showing the relationbetween the precise definition of marginal cost (slope of total cost)and the approximate definition (increase in total cost with aone-unit increase in quantity).
While the distinction between long-run and short-run cost curves is worth noting at this point, it need not be dealt with here. At this point, we are still considering a perfectly static and predictable world in which tomorrow is always just like today. In such a world, production decisions are made once and for all and never changed. The cost curves in this chapter describe costs for a firm that expects to produce the same quantity of output in the same way forever. In Chapters 12 and 13, we will finally drop that assumption. At that point, it will be necessary to return to the distinction between long-run and short-run cost curves; until then, we can ignore it.
Figure 9-7 shows the
marginal cost curvecorresponding to TC 1 on Figure 9-6a. The relation betweentotal cost and marginal cost is the same as the relation betweentotal utility and marginal utility, total value and marginal value,or total product (quantity of output) and marginal product. Marginalcost is the rate at which total cost changes with output; it may bethought of, somewhat imprecisely, as the increase in total cost whenoutput is increased by one unit. Just as marginal value is the slopeof the total value curve, so marginal cost is the slope of the totalcost curve.
Expressed in numbers, marginal cost at an output rate of 1,000 is the difference between the cost of producing 1,001 units and the cost of producing 1,000. Just as with marginal value, you should not try to associate marginal cost with a particular identifiable unit--a particular car, say. All the cars rolling off the assembly line are identical; the marginal cost of a car is the cost of making the total number of cars coming off that line larger by one.
A marginal cost curve. MC is the marginalcost curve corresponding to TC 1 in Figure 9-6.
Figure 9-6b is an expanded view of the part ofFigure 9-6a inside the square; it shows the relation between theprecise definition of MC (the slope of TC) and the approximatedefinition (increase of cost with a one-unit increase in quantity).The slope of TC
1 at point D is [[Delta]]Y/[[Delta]] X. The increase in cost per unit increasein quantity, the slope of the dashed line BC, is[[Delta]] TC/[[Delta]] X.[[Delta]] X is one unit. The solid and the dashedline are almost exactly parallel, so their slopes are almost exactlyequal.
So far, I have defined total cost (TC) andmarginal cost (MC). There is a third kind of cost curve that we willfind useful--
average cost (AC). The average cost to produceany quantity of output is simply the total cost divided by thequantity; if it costs $10,000 to produce 500 widgets, then theaverage cost is $20/widget. Figure 9-8 combines curves from Figures9-6a and 9-7 and adds AC, putting all three cost curves on one graphso as to make it easier to see the relations among them. Total cost, marginal cost, and average cost fora firm. Because the firm has positive fixed cost, average costgoes to infinity as quantity goes to zero. Average and marginal costintersect at point H, which is the minimum of averagecost. Total cost, marginal cost, and average cost fora firm with no fixed cost.
There is also a useful relation between AC and MC that you may have noticed on Figures 9-8 and 9-9. Where marginal cost is above average cost, average cost is rising; where marginal cost is below average cost, average cost is falling. Where marginal cost is equal to average cost, at points H on Figure 9-8 and J on Figure 9-9, average cost is neither rising nor falling; it is horizontal.
Why? At an output of 150 widgets on Figure 9-8, total cost is $1,500 and marginal cost is $10/widget. Average cost is $1,500/150 widgets = $10/widget. If you increase output to 151, total cost increases by $10--that is what MC = $10 means. But if the average is $10 and you increase quantity by 1 and cost by $10, the average stays the same; you are averaging in one more unit whose cost is exactly the average of the previous units. If average cost does not change when you add another unit, then average cost is independent of quantity--the line is horizontal, as at points H and J.
Consider a different point on the graph, one at which output is 100 widgets, total cost is $1,250, and marginal cost is $3/widget. Average cost is $1,250/100 widgets = $12.50/widget. If you increase output to 101, total cost increases by $3--that is what MC = $3 means. But if the present average is $12.50 and you increase quantity by 1 and cost by $3, the average must fall. You are averaging in one more unit whose cost is less than the average of the previous units, so you are pulling the average down. The same thing would happen if you calculated the average height of a basketball team and then decided to average in the coach as well.
If MC is below AC, each additional unit of output pulls down the average. If an increase in quantity lowers average cost, then the AC curve is falling. So when marginal cost is below average cost, average cost is going down. Similarly, if marginal cost is higher than average cost, then increasing quantity means adding more expensive units to the average, which pulls the average up. So if marginal cost is above average cost, average cost is rising (getting higher as output gets higher).
Average cost is rising when it is below marginal cost, falling when it is above marginal cost, and level when it is equal to marginal cost. Now that you know the pattern, you should be able to see it easily enough on Figures 9-8 and 9-9. You should also be able to see that when average cost is at its minimum, it intersects marginal cost.
Why? Just before it reaches its minimum, average cost is falling; just after, it is rising. When it is falling, marginal cost must be below it; when it is rising, marginal cost must be above it. So marginal cost must cross average cost from below just at the minimum of average cost. A similar argument demonstrates that at a maximum of average cost, marginal cost crosses it from above. Running the same argument in the opposite direction, it is easy enough to show that these are the only two situations in which marginal cost can cross average cost; if the two curves cross, it must be at a minimum or maximum of average cost.
Students who try to memorize these relationsfrequently find them confusing; there are, after all, three differentcurves involved (TC, MC, AC) and two different kinds ofcharacteristics (above/below, rising/falling). A better policy is togo over the argument until you can reproduce it for yourself, then doso when necessary. There are lots of relations that
couldexist among the curves, but only a few rather simple ones that do. While at this point they may seem to be the sort of thingthat only a professor or textbook author could find of interest, theyturn out to be surprisingly useful. In Chapter 16, the fact thatmarginal cost intersects average cost at the latter's minimum turnsout to be a key element in the proof of what may be the mostsurprising, and important, result in all of economics. Staytuned.
We have now derived the cost curves of the firmfrom its production function and the prices of inputs. The next stageis to use the cost curves to derive the firm's
supplycurve--the relation between the price at which it can sell itsoutput and the amount it chooses to produce. The final step in theanalysis is to combine the supply curves of many firms into a supplycurve for the entire industry; doing this will turn out to involvesome additional complications.
In Chapter 4, we derived the demand curve of theconsumer from his marginal value curve; now we will use almostexactly the same argument to derive the supply curve of the firm fromits marginal cost curve. Figure 9-10a shows the same curves as Figure9-8; the only addition is the price P at which the firm can sell itsoutput. We assume (as I mentioned earlier) that the firm, likeindividual producers in Chapter 5, is producing only a small fractionof the industry's total output, so that its decision of how much toproduce has a negligible effect on P; from the firm's point of view,it can sell as much as it wishes at the market price and nothing atany higher price. For the same reason, we assume that the quantity ofinputs the firm buys has no significant effect on the price it mustpay for them. Each input has a market price; the firm can buy as muchas it likes at that price and none at any lower price. Theseassumptions--that the firm cannot affect the price it can get for itsoutput or the price it must pay for its input--are the centralfeatures of what economists call
perfect competition. Theeffects of dropping those assumptions will be discussed in the nextchapter.
The firm considers producing a quantity,q
1, at which MC is lower than price. If it increased itsoutput from q 1 to q 1 + 1, it would sell onemore unit, increasing its revenue by P and its cost by MC. Since P islarger than MC, revenue would go up by more than cost, so profit, which is revenue minus cost, would increase. Obviouslyq 1 is the wrong amount to produce. The same argumentapplies at q 2. It continues to apply as long as marginalcost is less than price--MC < P. So the firm should expand itsoutput up to the point at which MC = P. That is q 3 onFigure 9-10a.
If a firm always produces that quantity for which MC = P, then its supply curve--the amount it produces as a function of price--is equal to its MC curve, just as a demand curve is equal to an MV curve for a consumer. This is almost correct, but not quite. Typically, MC first falls (as the increasing size of the firm produces advantages--more efficient production on a larger scale), then rises (the firm has taken full advantage of large-scale production; further increases in size mean more and more levels of administration between the president and the factory floor, leading to less efficient production). There may be prices at which, rather than producing a quantity for which MC = P, the firm prefers not to produce at all, thus saving the expense of producing units for which MC is higher than P. This occurs when, at the "optimal" quantity of output (MC = P), profit is still negative. One would get a similar effect with a demand curve if MV, instead of sloping steadily downward as shown on Figure 4-4, first rose and then fell. There would be prices at which, rather than consuming the quantity for which MV=P, the consumer would prefer to consume nothing in order not to have to pay for units whose marginal value was less than their price.
The firm's profit is the difference between whatit takes in (
total revenue--the quantity produced times theprice for which it is sold) and what it spends (total cost). If therewere no fixed cost, then total profit from producing quantityq 3 on Figure 9-10a would be the colored area F minus theshaded area G. Starting at an output level of zero and expandingoutput up to q o, each additional unit costs more toproduce than the price it sells for, contributing a (negative) profitof P - MC; adding all those little rectangles together gives us thearea G. If the firm chose to produce a quantity q o, itsprofit would be minus G. As it continues expanding output beyondq o, the additional units sell for more than they cost toproduce; again each unit increases profit by P - MC--but this time itis positive, since between q o and q 3 marginalcost is less than P. The profit from expanding output fromq o to q 3 is the sum of all those littlerectangles--the colored area F. So the total profit from producing aquantity q 3 is F - G.
Seen this way, it becomes obvious why producingthe quantity for which P = MC results in the maximum profit. If youproduce less, you are giving up the opportunity to produce units thatwill sell for more than they cost to produce; if you produce more,expanding output to q
4, the additional units cost morethan they sell for, lowering profit by the area H. The argumentshould be familiar; it is essentially the same as the derivation ofconsumer surplus in Chapter 4.
So far, we have calculated what profit would be ifthere were no fixed cost. Fixed cost is the amount you have to pay inorder to produce anything at all; it does not depend on how much youproduce. Total cost is fixed cost plus
variable cost: TC = FC+ VC. Since fixed cost does not depend on how much you produce, ithas no effect on the marginal cost curve, which shows the additionalcost of producing one more unit. It does affect the average costcurve, since average cost is total (including fixed) cost divided byquantity. And since profit is total revenue minus total cost, fixedcost also comes out of profit. So if we include the effect of fixedcost, profit on Figure 9-10a is F - G - FC. The effect of quantity on profit. If thefirm produces q 3, where MC = P, profit is maximized.Expanding output to q 4 decreases profit by H; contractingoutput to q o decreases profit by F. Figure 9-10b showsanother way of calculating profit--as quantity x (price - averagecost).
Earlier I showed that the firm, if it produces atall, maximizes its profit by producing that quantity for which MC =P. It may have occurred to you, looking at Figure 9-10a, that thereare two quantities, (q
0 and q 3) for which MC =P. How does the firm decide which it should produce? The answershould be clear from the previous few paragraphs. If, in the regionbetween the two points, the marginal cost curve is below theprice line, then producing those units will increase profit--by areaF on Figure 9-10a. So the firm is better off producing q 3instead of q o. If, in the region between the two pointswhere marginal cost equals price, the marginal cost curve is above the price line, then the firm is losing money on thoseunits and would be better off producing the lower quantity. As youshould be able to see for yourself, this implies that the firm shouldproduce a quantity at which the marginal cost curve crosses the priceline from below--as it does at q 3 on Figure9-10a.
Figure 9-10b shows another way of calculatingprofit--one that can be done from the figure without knowing the sizeof fixed cost. Average cost is, by definition, total cost divided byquantity. So total cost is average cost times quantity. Total revenueis price times quantity. So profit--total revenue minus totalcost--is simply quantity times the difference between price(P
1) and average cost; it is shown as the shaded area onFigure 9-10b. That makes sense--price is what you get for each unitproduced and average cost is what it costs you to produce it, soprice minus average cost is your per-unit profit. Multiply that byquantity and you have total profit.
So profit is negative when price is below averagecost; the firm would do better by shutting down entirely, eliminatingits fixed cost by selling off all its facilities, and going out ofbusiness. If profit is negative for all quantities the firm couldproduce--if, in other words, the average cost curve is everywhereabove the price line, as it would be if the price were P
2on Figure 9-10b--the firm's optimal decision is to go out of businessand produce nothing--or better yet, never to come into existence inthe first place. Whether or not that situation exists depends both onthe firm's cost curves and on the market price.
We now know, for any price, how much the firm willproduce. We have deduced the firm's supply curve. The firm producesnothing if the price is below the minimum of average cost. If priceis above minimum average cost then there is some range of outputquantity for which the firm can make positive profits; the firmmaximizes its profit by producing the quantity for which marginalcost equals price. So the firm's supply curve is the rising portionof its marginal cost curve above its intersection with average cost.Figure 9-11a shows a series of different prices, P
1,P 2, P 3, P 4, and for each, thequantity the firm chooses to produce. Figure 9-11b shows theresulting supply curve.
On Figure 9-11b, and on similar figures in Chapter 5 and later in this chapter, the horizontal section of the firm's supply curve is shown as a dashed line. This is to indicate that the supply curve does not really exist in that region; if price equals minimum average cost, the firm will produce either nothing at all or the quantity for which average cost is minimum--making a profit of zero in either case. It will not produce any intermediate quantity, since that would result in negative profit.
The analysis we have just used to demonstrate therelation between the firm's marginal cost curve and its supply curveis the same used earlier to show that the individual's demand curvewas equal to his marginal value curve. The only important differenceis that we assumed marginal value always fell with quantity, while weexpect marginal cost to first fall, then rise; the result is that thefirm may have to produce over a range of output at which it is losingmoney on each additional unit (between zero and q
o onFigure 9-10a, where marginal cost is greater than P) in order toreach a level of output where it is making money on additionalunits.
In this section, I have derived an important relationship linking the cost curves of the firm to its supply curve and to the amount of profit it makes. We will use these results repeatedly in this chapter and later in the book; you may want to go over the analysis again to be sure you understand it before continuing.
You may also find it useful to see how the analysis of the individual producer in Chapter 5 fits into this chapter as a special case--a one-person firm using a single input. The individual producer of Chapter 5 also had a supply curve that was equal to a marginal cost curve--the marginal cost to him of his own time. I explained the horizontal segment of a firm's supply curve by saying that below some price, the profit from producing is negative, so it is better not to produce. I explained the horizontal segment of the individual supply curve by the existence of a price for one good below which the producer is better off producing something else.
Deducing a supply curve from a marginal costcurve. Figure 9-11a shows, for each price, the profit-maximizingquantity. Figure 9-11b shows the resulting supply curve, S.
The two explanations seem different, but they are not. One cost of using your time to dig ditches is that you are not cooking meals at the same time. How great is that cost? It is equal to what you could make by cooking meals. If the hourly return from digging is less than the hourly return from cooking, then digging produces a negative profit--when the opportunity cost of not cooking is taken into account. In Chapter 5, it was convenient to think of the "cost of working" as the "disvalue of labor"--sore muscles, boredom, and the like. But that is only one example of a more general sort of cost. The cost of mowing lawns is whatever you give up in order to do so, whether that is the pleasure of lying in bed reading science fiction books or the income from washing dishes.
We now know how to derive the supply curve of a firm from its cost curves. The next step is to go from the supply curve of a firm to the supply curve of an industry made up of many firms. In doing so, we will encounter a number of complications. I will start with the simplest case and build up from there.
We begin with an industry made up of ten identicalfirms. We assume that the number of firms is fixed by law; it isillegal for anyone to start a new one. Figure 9-12 shows the supplycurve for a single firm, S
f, the supply curve for theindustry, S i, and the demand curve. S i issimply S f multiplied horizontally by ten--the number offirms. If, at a price P, a single firm produces a quantityq f, then ten firms will produce 10 x q f. We areadding together, horizontally, ten identical supply curves, just aswe added supply curves in Chapter 5. To find the market price, wesimply look for the intersection of the supply curve and the demandcurve, as in Chapter 7. It occurs at point E on Figure9-12.
A number of points are worth noting here. The first is that although price is independent of output from the standpoint of the firm, the same is not true from the standpoint of the industry. The output of any single firm is too small to affect the price significantly, so each firm takes the price as given and adjusts quantity accordingly. But the output of the industry as a whole does affect price. If all the firms increase output, price falls; if all the firms decrease output, price rises. In Chapter 11, we will see what happens if the firms act together to restrict output and drive up price. In this chapter, we assume that the number of firms is sufficiently large so that each individual firm merely concerns itself with its own output and takes the behavior of the other firms as given.
If there are only ten firms, that assumption is a somewhat dubious one. I used ten firms in my example because for much larger numbers it becomes difficult to plot the firm supply curve and the industry supply curve on the same graph, as I did for Figure 9-12. You should really think of the analysis as applying to an industry with many more firms--hundreds or thousands of them. That is why, in drawing industry supply curves, I ignore the complications associated with small quantities of output--where there can be one firm producing, or two, but not one and a half.
Deducing an industry supply curve from a firmsupply curve in an industry with closed entry. The industry hasten identical firms. Its supply curve, S i, is thehorizontal sum of ten firms' supply curves, S f. The figureassumes that the quantity of inputs used by the industry has noeffect on their price.
In deriving the firm's supply curve, we assumed that both the price at which it sold its output and the prices at which it bought its inputs were unaffected by the firm's decisions. While this is a reasonable assumption from the standpoint of one firm in the industry, it is less reasonable for an entire industry. If one farmer decides to double the amount of wheat he plants, he need not worry about the effect of that decision on the price of fertilizer or the wages of farm laborers; but if every farmer decides to double his planting of wheat, both fertilizer prices and farm wages are likely to rise.
It may seem inconsistent to say that no firmaffects the price of its inputs but that the industry, which is madeup of all the firms, does. It is not. From the standpoint of a singlefirm in an industry containing many firms, the effect of its demandon the price of inputs may well be negligible, so it can ignore thateffect in deciding how much to produce. The same is not true for theindustry as a whole. Each increase in the purchases of one firmcauses a small increase in prices, which must be paid by all theother firms as well; this is called a
pecuniary externality(an externality is a cost or benefit imposed by one firm orindividual on another) and will be discussed in Chapter 18. Theeffect on one firm of the increased price of inputs caused by theincrease in that firm's consumption may be negligible, while theeffect on all of the firms of the increased price of inputs caused bythe increased consumption of all of the firms is not.
Figure 9-12 takes no account of any such effect. It was drawn on the (unstated) assumption that the cost of the industry's inputs was unaffected by the amount of them that the industry bought--or, in other words, that the supply curve for the inputs is horizontal. This assumption is reasonable for some inputs to some industries--increased production of watches is not likely to have much effect on the price of steel, although steel is used in making watches--but not for all.
Figures 9-13a and 9-13b show how we can, ifnecessary, deal with this complication. Figure 9-13a shows supplycurves for a firm, one of whose inputs (iron) becomes more expensiveas the industry uses more of it. S
1, S 2, andS 3 are three different supply curves for the same firm,corresponding to three different prices of iron--$1/pound, $2/pound,and $3/pound. Figure 9-13b shows the supply curve for iron.QI 1 on Figure 9-13b is the quantity of iron produced ifthe price of iron is $1/pound, and similarly for QI 2($2/pound) and QI 3 ($3/pound). Q 1 on Figure9-13a is the quantity of output that results in the industry buyingQI 1 of input; Q 2 and Q 3 are relatedto QI 2 and QI 3 similarly.
S, the supply curve of the industry on Figure9-13a, goes through three points marked A
1, A 2,and A 3. A 1 shows the price (P 1) atwhich the industry will supply quantity Q 1. It is theprice that corresponds to quantity q 1=Q 1/10 onfirm supply curve S 1. Similarly, A 2 is atquantity Q 2 and price P 2, where P 2is the price at which a firm with supply curve S 2 producesquantity q 2=Q 2/10; A 3 has the samerelation to Q 3, P 3, andS 3.
Each of the points A
1, A 2,and A 3 represents a possible price/quantity combinationfor the industry. In each case, at that quantity of output, theindustry uses an amount of the input (QI 1, QI 2,QI 3) resulting in a price for the input ($1/pound,$2/pound, $3/pound) that results in a supply curve for the individualfirm (S 1, S 2, S 3); the quantityproduced by the industry (ten firms) is simply ten times the quantitythat a firm with that supply curve would produce at thatprice. From the firm's supply curve to the industry'ssupply curve, taking account of effects on input prices. As inFigure 9-12, there are ten identical firms, and no new firms canenter. S 1, S 2, and S 3 are the firms'supply curves corresponding to prices of $1, $2, and $3/pound foriron. As total industry output expands from Q 1, toQ 2 to Q 3, the price of iron rises, as shown onFigure 9-13b, moving the firms from S 1 to S 2 toS 3.
In comparing Figures 9-12 and 9-13a, there are twothings you should notice. The first is that S
2 on Figure9-13a, the supply curve for the firm when iron is at $2/pound, is thesame as S f on Figure 9-12. The second is that S in Figure9-13a rises more steeply than S i in Figure 9-12. To makethis clear, I have shown both S and S i together on Figure9-14.
To see why S rises more steeply than S
ion Figure 9-14, we must go back to Figure 9-13a. When quantity fallsfrom q 2 = Q 2/10 to q 1 =Q 1/10, price must fall first to P' 1, the priceon S 2 corresponding to a quantity of q 1, thenby an additional amount P' 1 - P 1 to get fromS 2 to S 1. At the lower quantity(q 1), the industry uses less iron, the price of iron istherefore only $1/pound, and the firm's supply curve islower--S 1 instead of S 2. Similarly, whenquantity rises from q 2 to q 3, price must go upby enough to not only increase quantity on S 2 but alsorise from S 2 to S 3. So price rises more rapidlyas quantity is increased above Q 2 on S than it does onS i, and it falls more steeply as quantity is decreasedbelow Q 2. So S is steeper than S i.
Why are S
1, S 2, andS 3 arranged in the way shown on Figure 9-13a? BecauseS 3 corresponds to a higher cost for the input thanS 2, and S 2 higher than S 1. Thehigher the cost of the input, the higher the marginal cost ofproducing the output, hence the higher the supply curve. Industry supply curves with (S) and without(S i ) effects on input prices. The producersurplus calculated from S i is equal to the summed producersurpluses of the ten firms of Figure 9-13a. It is less than theproducer surplus calculated from S; the difference representsproducer surplus going to the iron industry of Figure 9-13b.
By introducing the possibility that the industry may have to pay a higher price for its inputs if it consumes more of them, I have considerably complicated the problem; I could have saved both myself and you a good deal of work by assuming the problem away, just as I assumed, for the purposes of this chapter, that variations in output by a single firm did not affect the prices at which it sold and bought. The reason I did not do so is that, in exchange for the additional complications of Figure 9-13a, we get two important results. One will be postponed to the next section; the other will be discussed here.
Back in Chapter 5, we saw that the producer surplus calculated from a supply curve representing the total supply of several producers was the same as the sum of the producer surpluses for all the individual supply curves of the individual producers. This is true for Figure 9-12; the industry supply curve is simply the firm supply curve multiplied horizontally by 10, so the producer surplus (profit) of the industry at any price is ten times the surplus of the firm. It does not, however, appear to be true for Figure 9-13a.
Suppose the price of autos is P
2. Theauto industry produces a quantity Q 2 (point A 2on Figure 9-13a). It consumes a quantity QI 2 of iron at aprice of $2/lb. At this price the firm's supply curve isS 2, which is identical to S f on Figure 9-12 andso implies the same amount of producer surplus. But the industrysupply curve S on Figure 9-13a is not the same as S i onFigure 9-12, as you can see on Figure 9-14, which shows both. S andS i intersect at point A 2 where price isP 2 and quantity is Q 2. Since S is steeper thanS i, the corresponding producer surplus at a price ofP 2 (the colored and gray regions on Figure 9-14) is largerthan the producer surplus at the same price calculated fromS i (the gray region). If the producer surplus forS i is ten times that for S f, the producersurplus for S must be more than ten times that for S 2. ButS 2 is the supply curve faced by a firm in the situationdescribed by point A 2 (price of iron = $2/pound). Thereare ten such firms. It appears that the producer surplus of theindustry is greater than the producer surplus of the firms that makeit up! What have we missed?
The answer is on Figure 9-13b. The firms shown onFigure 9-13a are not the only producers who benefit from theiroutput--there are also the producers of iron. The higher the quantityproduced on Figure 9-13a, the higher the quantity of iron used--andthe price (on Figure 9-13b) at which it sells. If we had drawn thefigure precisely and to scale, using actual production functions, thecolored area on Figure 9-13b, representing the producer surplusreceived by the producers of iron when the price of iron is $2/pound,would just make up the discrepancy between the total producer surpluscalculated from S on Figure 9-13a and the producer surplus per firmcalculated from S
2.
I have asserted this result: I have not proved it, nor will I in this book. Figures 9-12 through 9-14 and the discussion of the last few paragraphs should make the result seem plausible, since they demonstrate that the discrepancy exists and that it is the result of the same fact--a rising supply curve for iron--which is responsible for the existence of producer surplus on Figure 9-13b. But a plausibility argument is not a proof.
So far, I have considered an industry with a fixed number of firms; in that context, the supply curve of the industry is simply the horizontal sum of the supply curves of the individual firms, with appropriate allowance for the way in which the firm supply curves shift if changes in the industry's output affect the price of its inputs. It is now time to drop the assumption that the number of firms in the industry is fixed and consider an ordinary competitive industry with free entry; anyone who wishes may start a firm.
Now, when price increases, not all of the resulting increase in output need come from existing firms; some may come from new firms started to take advantage of the higher price. Hence the industry supply curve, which tells us how total output responds to changes in price, is not simply the firm supply curve multiplied by the number of firms. This is the same situation we encountered in Chapter 5, when we noted that as the price of a good increases, more and more people find that they are better off producing it than producing anything else, so a higher price results in output from new producers as well as increased output by those already producing that good. Seen from the standpoint of this chapter, the new producers of Chapter 5 are new one-person firms entering the industry.
The simplest way to derive an industry supply curve is to assume, as in the previous section, that existing firms all have the same production function and that there exist an unlimited number of potential firms each with the same production function as the existing firms. Just as at the beginning of the previous section, we will start by ignoring any effect that the actions of the industry may have on the price of its inputs.
In that situation, the industry supply curve is very simple. If existing firms are making positive profits--if their total revenue is larger than their total cost--it will pay new firms to come into existence. As new firms come into existence, supply expands, driving down the price. The process continues until profit is no longer positive. If, on the other hand, existing firms are making negative profits, then firms go out of business, reducing supply and driving price up--until profit is no longer negative. The equilibrium point is where profit is zero.
There is only one possible equilibrium price--the price at which revenue exactly covers cost. If revenue exactly covers cost, then average cost must be equal to price. We know, from our analysis of the supply curve of the firm, that each firm is producing an output for which marginal cost equals price. So the equilibrium of the whole industry occurs where price, marginal cost, and average cost are all equal.
If marginal cost equals average cost, then, as wesaw earlier in the chapter, average cost is at a minimum (or amaximum, a possibility we shall for the moment ignore). Hence theequilibrium of the industry has each firm producing at minimumaverage cost and selling its product for a price that just covers allcosts. That implies that the supply curve for the industry is ahorizontal line at price equal to minimum average cost, as shown inFigure 9-15a. Increases in demand increase the number of firms andthe quantity of output, with price unaffected. We have described a
constant-cost industry--one for which the cost of anadditional unit of production is independent of quantity.
You may be puzzled by the assertion that new firmscome into existence as soon as existing firms start making a profit;surely entrepreneurs require not merely some profit but enough toreimburse them for the time and trouble of starting a new firm. Butprofit is defined, by economists if not by accountants, as revenueminus cost, where cost
includes the cost to the entrepreneurof his own time and trouble. Hence if firms are making greater thanzero profits, they are more than repaying their owners for the costsof starting them.
There is another way in which the ambiguity in theterm profit"can lead to confusion here; it is most easily illustratedin the case of a company owned by its stockholders. For accountingpurposes, the profit of such a firm is what is left after paying forlabor, raw materials, and the interest on money borrowed by the firm;it is what the stockholders get in exchange for their investment. Foreconomic purposes, however, the capital provided by the stockholdersmust also be considered an input, and its
opportunitycost--what the stockholders could have gotten by investing thesame money elsewhere--is one of the costs of production. The firmmakes an economic profit only if its profit in the accountingsense is enough to more than just pay the stockholders for the use oftheir capital--to give them a return greater than the normal marketreturn on the amount they invested in the firm. Such a firm is moreattractive than alternative investments. So if firms in an industryare making positive economic profit, new firms enter that industry,driving the price down to the point where economic profit is againzero.
The supply curves that I described in Chapters 5 and 7 sloped up; the higher the price, the higher the output. The analysis of this chapter seems to imply a horizontal supply curve, with unlimited output available at one price, as shown in Figure 9-15a. What have we left out?
In discussing the supply curve of an industry withfree entry, we have ignored the effect of increases in the size ofthe industry on the price of its inputs. It is now time to stop doingso. If the output of automobiles increases, so does the demand forsteel, auto workers, and Detroit real estate. As the demand for thesethings increases, their prices rise. As the price of the inputsincreases, so does average cost; the result is a rising supply curve.Figure 9-15b shows this; it corresponds to Figure 9-13a of theprevious section--for an
increasing-cost industry instead of aconstant-cost industry. Deducing an industry's supply curve from afirm's supply curve in an industry with open entry. Figure 9-15ashows the case in which the industry's inputs are in perfectlyelastic supply; Figure 9-15b shows the case where they are not.
What are the differences between the two situations--a competitive industry with open entry and a competitive industry with closed entry? One, which can be seen by comparing Figure 9-13a to Figure 9-15b, is in the relation between the firm supply curve and the industry supply curve. In Figure 9-15b, the individual firm is always at the bottom of its supply curve--receiving a price equal to average cost and making no economic profit. Increased price causes increased quantity not by sliding the firms up their supply curves but by pulling new firms into the market.
The other difference can be seen if we also look at Figure 9-15a. In the previous section, where we considered an industry with a fixed number of firms, the supply curve sloped up even before we took account of the effect of the industry on the prices of its inputs. In this section, it does not. In that section, the effect of a rising supply curve for the industry's inputs was to make a rising supply curve for its outputs rise more steeply than it otherwise would; in this section, it is to make a flat supply curve for the industry's outputs into a rising one.
In comparing the two sections, it is also worthnoting the relevance of the earlier discussion of producer surplus tothe situation discussed here. In a competitive industry with freeentry, profit is competed down to zero, so the firms receive noproducer surplus. But if the industry supply curve slopes up, theindustry as a whole must have producer surplus--shown, for a price ofP
2, as the shaded area on Figure 9-15b. The explanation isthat all of the producer surplus passes through the firms to thesuppliers of their inputs. If the suppliers are themselvescompetitive firms with free entry, it passes through them to theirsuppliers, until it eventually ends up in the hands of the ultimatesuppliers--workers renting out their labor, landowners renting outtheir land, and so forth. This is a point that will become importantin Chapter 14, where I discuss how incomes are determined byownership of the factors of production--the ultimateinputs.
So far, I have explained upward-sloping supplycurves, in the context of a competitive industry with free entry, asa result of upward-sloping supply curves for the industry's inputs.An alternative approach is to assume that some firms have access to"better" means of production than others, giving them betterproduction functions. As the price rises, worse and worse firms arepulled into the market, with higher and higher minimum average costs.The price, at any level of production, must be high enough to coverthe costs of the highest cost firm that is producing--the
marginal firm--otherwise it will not produce. It mustnot be high enough to cover the costs of the next higher cost firm,the most efficient firm that is not producing--otherwise thatfirm would enter the market too. At a price at which marginal firmscover their costs, firms with lower costs than the marginal firmsmake net profits, unlike the zero-profit firms of the earlieranalysis. Figure 9-16 shows how such a situation can be graphed. At aprice P, firm 1, with the lowest cost curves, makes positive profits,shown by the colored area; firm 2 just covers its costs, and firm 3has not yet come into existence. An industry in which different firms havedifferent cost curves. Firm 1, with average cost AC 1and marginal cost MC 1, is making positive profits. Firm 2is the marginal firm and makes zero profit. Firm 3 does not exist; itis a potential firm that would come into existence only at a higherprice.
These two ways of getting upward-sloping supply curves are really the same. The reason that input costs eventually rise with increasing demand for inputs is that there is not an unlimited supply of identical inputs. There are only so many skilled widget makers willing to work for $8/hour. To get more, you must pay more, inducing those presently employed to work more hours and luring additional workers into the industry. The same applies to land, raw materials, and capital goods. The reason firms do not all have the same cost curves is that some possess inputs that others lack--a particularly skilled manager, an unusually good machine, a favorable location. It is the limited supply of those particular inputs which implies that increased production must use worse machines, less skillful managers, worse locations--or pay more in order to attract high-quality inputs away from wherever they are presently being used.
So long as the scarce inputs actually belong to the firm--consisting, for instance, of the talents of the firm's owner or real estate belonging to a corporation--the distinction between having a better production function and having scarce assets may not be very important. Seen one way, the firm receives positive profits from its operations and turns them over to its owners; seen the other, its profits are zero, but its owners receive income on scarce resources that they rent to the firm. It is a more important distinction when the scarce asset belongs to the firm's landlord or one of its employees; when the relevant contracts are next renegotiated, the firm is likely to find that its positive profit was purely a short-run phenomenon.
We have spent most of this chapter deriving the supply curve for an industry made up of many firms; the process has been sufficiently lengthy and contained enough complications and detours that you may well have lost track of just how we did it. This is a convenient place to recapitulate.
We start with a production function--a description of what quantity of output could be produced with any bundle of inputs. For any given set of input prices, we then calculate a total cost curve by finding the cost of the least expensive bundle of inputs necessary to produce each level of output. From that total cost curve--total cost of production as a function of quantity produced--we calculate average cost and marginal cost curves. From those we calculate a supply curve for the firm; each firm maximizes its profit by producing that quantity for which marginal cost equals price--unless, at that quantity, price is still below average cost, in which case the firm produces nothing and exits the industry.
Once we have the supply curve for the firm, we are ready to find the supply curve for the industry. If the industry is closed--new firms are not permitted--the supply curve for the industry is simply the horizontal sum of the supply curves of the firms that make it up, with some possible complications due to the effect of the quantity that the industry produces on the price of its inputs. If the industry is open--new firms are free to enter--then in equilibrium, profit must be zero, since positive profit attracts firms into the industry, driving down the market price, while negative profit drives firms out, raising the market price. In the simplest case--an unlimited supply of identical firms with horizontal (perfectly elastic) supply curves for their inputs--the result is a horizontal supply curve for the industry's output at a price equal to the minimum average cost of the firm. In the more complicated cases, the result is a rising supply curve. Price is still equal to minimum average cost--or if firms are not identical, it is between the minimum average cost of the highest cost firm that is producing and the minimum average cost of the lowest cost firm that is not.
The industry equilibrium we have just described--competitive equilibrium with free entry--has some interesting features. Suppose you were appointed dictator over the industry and told to produce the same output at the lowest possible cost. You would arrange things just as they are arranged in this solution--with each firm producing at minimum average cost.
From your standpoint, controlling the whole industry, there are two marginal costs for increasing output, corresponding to two different margins on which output can increase. One is the margin of the number of firms--output can be increased by having more firms. The cost of the extra units you get by adding an additional firm to the industry is that firm's average cost, so that is the marginal cost to the industry of increasing output on that margin. The other way of increasing output is by having each firm produce one more unit; the cost of those extra units is the firm's marginal cost. Marginal cost is the same on both margins--and must be if goods are being produced at minimum total cost. This is precisely analogous to the argument that showed that the marginal utility per dollar produced by different goods being consumed must be the same if utility is being maximized--it is one more application of the equimarginal principle. I leave the proof as an exercise for you; it is essentially the same as the last two or three times.
Another interesting feature of the competitive equilibrium is that price equals marginal cost; this implies that the price of a widget to a consumer deciding whether to consume one more is equal to the cost of producing it. He will choose to consume it only if it is worth at least that much to him--in which case it is, in some sense, "worth producing." This point will be discussed more precisely and in much more detail in Chapters 15 and 16.
There is a sense in which nothing is produced. The laws of physics tell us that the sum total of mass and energy can be neither increased nor reduced. What we call "production" is the rearrangement of matter and energy from less useful to more useful (to us) forms.
It is sometimes said that only factories arereally productive; middlemen (retailers and wholesalers) merely "movethings about" while absorbing some of what others have produced. Butall
anyone does is to move things about--to rearrange fromless to more useful. The producer rearranges iron ore and otherinputs into automobiles; the retailer rearranges automobiles on a lotinto automobiles paired up with particular customers. Both increasethe value of what they work on and collect their income out of thatincrease.
It is often said that some participants in the economy "exploit" others--most commonly that employers exploit workers. This raises the question of what it means to exploit someone. Two different definitions are often used--simultaneously--in such discussions. The first is that I exploit you if I benefit by your existence. In this sense, I hope to exploit my wife and she hopes to exploit me; so far we have both succeeded. If that is what exploitation means, then it is the reason that humans are social animals and not, like cats, solitary ones.
The second definition is that I exploit you if Igain
and you lose by our association. The connection betweenthe two can be made either by claiming that the world is a "zero-sumgame" in which the only way one person can gain is at anotherperson's expense, or by arguing that if I gain by our association youdeserve to have the gain given to you, so my refusal to give it toyou injures you. The former argument is implausible. The second has acurious asymmetry to it. If I give you all the gain, you have nowgained by our association and should obviously give it all back tome. It may be more sensible to keep the term exploitation out ofeconomics and reserve it for political invective.
Our analysis so far has shown how individuals coordinate their actions through the price system. This raises the question of why any other method is used. Why do firms exist? Why do we not observe an economy in which all producers are individuals, contracting with each other to buy and sell specific goods and services. Why do we observe instead firms, which buy people's time and then tell them what to do with it? Why is the capitalist beach made up of socialist grains of sand?
The simplest answer is that contracting can be costly. In Chapter 6, I described how bilateral monopoly (one buyer, one seller) can lead to costly bargaining as each party tries to get for himself as much as possible of the difference between the value of the good to the seller and to the buyer. While bilateral monopoly is in one sense rare, it is in another sense ubiquitous.
Consider a professor looking for a new job. There are, we will suppose, 20 universities as well suited to me as UCLA, and 200 economists as suitable for UCLA to employ as I am. Suppose I accept a job at UCLA, move to Southern California, buy a house, and spend a year or two learning to know and work with my colleagues and discovering how to teach UCLA undergraduates (by slipping lecture cassettes into their Sony Walkmen). When I came to UCLA, my salary was (say) $30,000/year. Two years later, I am just as productive as expected and enjoy UCLA exactly as much as I expected to. But a problem arises.
The chairman of the department realizes that if I was willing to come for $30,000, even though I had to pay the costs of moving and adjusting, then I would probably stay even if he reduced my salary to $25,000--after all, there is no way I can get my moving expenses back by leaving. He calls me into his office to discuss the tight state of the department's budget.
I am glad to have a chance to talk to the chairman, for I too have been considering the situation. For my first two years, my productivity was reduced by the need to learn the ropes at my new job. If they were willing to offer me $30,000/year, it was probably because, although I was really worth only $25,000/year for the first two years, they expected me to be worth enough more than $30,000/year thereafter to make up for the initial loss. Now that I have an opportunity to talk to the chairman, I will explain that, after considering the difficulty of the work I am doing, I believe I am entitled to a substantial raise. After all, there is no way he can get back the money he has lost on me during the first two years.
What we have here is a situation that was initially competitive but became a bilateral monopoly (with potential bargaining costs) once the trading parties had made costly adjustments to each other. The obvious solution is long-term contracting. When I come to UCLA, it is with an agreement specifying my salary for some years into the future.
This solution is itself costly--it constrains useven if circumstances change so that the contract
should berenegotiated. There is no easy way to distinguish renegotiationmotivated by a change in circumstances from renegotiation designed totake advantage of the bilateral monopoly created by our adjustmentsto each other. We could try to make the salary contingent on relevantcircumstances (cost of living, university budget, alternative joboffers), but there will never be enough small print to cover all ofthem.
The firm is a particular sort of long-termcontract, in which the workers agree to do what they are told (withincertain limits) for a stated number of hours a day in exchange for afixed payment. The central problem of the firm is summed up in theLatin phrase
qui custodes ipsos custodiet--"Who guards theguardians?" Since the workers receive a fixed wage, their objectiveis to earn it in the most enjoyable way possible; this is notnecessarily the same behavior that maximizes the firm's profits. Itis necessary to hire supervisors to watch the workers and make surethey do their job. Who then is to watch the supervisors? Who is towatch him?
One answer is to have the top supervisor be the
residual claimant--the person who receives the firm's netrevenue as his income. He watches the supervisors below him, theywatch the ones below them, and so on. The residual claimant does nothave to be watched in order to make him act in the interest of thefirm--his interest and the firm's interest are the same.
What I have described is a firm run by its owner. This is a common arrangement in our economy. It makes sense in a situation where the worker whom it is most difficult for anyone else to supervise is the top supervisor; since he is the residual claimant, he supervises himself. While it is a common arrangement, it is not a universal one; not all firms are managed by their owners. In some, the worker whom it is most difficult and important to supervise is not the top manager but some skilled worker on whose output the firm depends--an inventor, for instance, with a firm built around him to support his genius (Browning, Ruger, Dolby). It may make sense for him to be the residual claimant--the owner of the firm--and for the top manager to be an employee; that is how such firms are sometimes organized. In other firms, there may be a group of skilled workers who can most easily be supervised by each other. You then get a workers' cooperative, although not necessarily one that includes all of the workers. An example is a law partnership.
There is another common solution to the problem of organizing a firm--a joint stock corporation, owned neither by its managers nor by its workers but by the stockholders who provide much of its capital, and controlled by the managers that those stockholders elect. Considering that solution brings us to some interesting problems--and a historical digression.
Adam Smith, who in the eighteenth century produced the most influential economics book ever written, argued that corporations were almost hopelessly incompetent. With ownership widely dispersed, everybody's business is nobody's business; the managers can do what they like with the stockholders' money. Smith predicted that corporations would succeed only with government support, except in areas that required large amounts of money and very little skill--such as banking and insurance.
Smith was wrong; even where they have no special support from government (save for the privilege of limited liability)--even when government imposes special taxes on them--corporations have successfully competed with owner-run firms and partnerships in a wide range of fields. His mistake was in failing to predict the benign effects of the take-over bid.
Imagine you know that a corporation is being badly run. You buy as much stock as possible--enough to let you take over the corporation and install competent managers. Earnings shoot up. The market value of your stock shoots up. You sell out and look for another badly managed firm. Such behavior is discouraged by securities regulation and vituperated by existing managements, for obvious reasons. It (and its threat, which helps keep managers honest) may be the reason for the success of the corporation in the modern world.
This raises an interesting idea. The same arguments that show that the corporation cannot work apply with still greater force to democratic government. In a presidential election, the individual voter has one chance in several million of deciding the outcome--so why should he spend valuable time and energy studying the candidates and the issues before he votes? Here again, everybody's business is nobody's business. The result is that most voters do not even know the names of many of the politicians who "represent" them.
Is there a reason why the solution to the problems of the corporation--the take-over bid--does not solve the problems of democratic government? Yes. The difference between the two cases is that your "share" in the United States is not transferable property--which may be why, if casual observation is to be trusted, democratic governments are worse run than most corporations.
Your share in the United States is not transferable property--but perhaps it could be. Imagine that it were. Each citizen owns one citizenship, which includes one vote. You may leave the country and sell your citizenship to someone who wants to live here. If the country is badly run, someone can buy up a vast number of citizenships, elect a competent government, and make a fortune reselling the citizenships at a higher price. The country need not be emptied while the operation is going on; the operator can always rent his citizenships out between the time he buys them and the time he sells them.
At the beginning of this chapter, I described the production function of a firm producing clay pots and showed how it could be used to find the total cost curve. One problem with the procedure described there was that Table 9-1 showed only a few of the possible bundles of inputs. Looking over the alternative bundles shown on the table to find the least costly way of producing any level of output only guarantees that you end up with the best alternative among those shown; there may be other bundles, not shown on the table, that are even less costly. Another problem is that the table shows bundles for producing only a few of the many possible levels of output.
Both problems can be eliminated if we use calculus instead of trial and error. The production function, which is given at the bottom of Table 9-1, tells us how much output we can produce from any combination of inputs:
Q = L
1/2(K/100) 1/4R 1/4. (Equation 1)
Here Q is the quantity of output (number of pots), L the amount of labor, K the amount of capital, and R the amount of raw material (clay). Since, according to Table 9-1, the price of labor is $10/hour, the price of capital is .05/year (an interest rate of 5 percent), and the price of clay is $4/pound, the cost (C) of any bundle of labor, capital, and raw material is:
C = 10L + .05K + 4R. (Equation 2)
Our problem is to find the values of L, K, and R that minimize C for a given Q.
The first step is to use Equation 1 to eliminate one of the variables. Rearranging the equation, we have:
R = 100Q
4/L 2K. (Equation3)
Substituting that into Equation 2 gives us:
C = 10L + .05K + 400Q
4/L 2K.(Equation 4)
Minimizing Equation 4 by varying K and L while holding Q constant gives us two first-order equations:
0 == 10 - 800Q
4/L 3K
and
0 = = .05 - 400Q
4/L 2K 2.
Solving those, we have:
L
3K = 400Q 4/5 = 80Q 4 (Equation 5)
and
L
2K 2 = 40,000Q 4/5= 8,000Q 4. (Equation 6)
Taking the square root of Equation 6 gives us:
LK = 200Q
2/5 1/2. (Equation7)
Dividing Equation 5 by Equation 7 gives us:
L
2 =2Q 2/5 1/2.
Solving for L, we have:
L = 2
1/2Q/5 1/4=.946Q.
We can then plug that into Equation 7 and solve for K:
K = 20Q x 2
1/25 3/4= 94.6Q.
We then find R by plugging K and L into Equation 3; the result is:
R = Q(5
3/4/2 3/2)= 1.182Q.
We now have L, K, and R as functions of Q. For any value of Q, they tell us how much of each input is included in the least-cost bundle that can be used to produce that quantity of output; mathematical purists may wish to check the second-order conditions to make sure we have minimized cost instead of maximizing it. Inserting the expressions for L, K, and R into Equation 2 gives us the total cost curve--the cost of producing any quantity of output in the least expensive possible way.
TC(Q) = 10(.946Q) + .05(94.6Q) + 4(1.182Q) = Q(9.46+4.73+4.73)
= 18.92 Q
Bundles O, P, Q, and R on Table 9-1 show the results of solving for Q = 1, 2, 3, and 4; Figure 9-1 shows the total cost curve.
In analyzing the production of pots, our production function was:
Q(L,K,R)=L
1/2(K/100) 1/4R 1/4
This is an example of a type of productionfunction, called a
Cobb-Douglas production function (aftereconomist Paul Douglas and mathematician Charles Cobb), that isfrequently used in economic theory--not because it describes actualfirms better than alternative functions but because it has someconvenient mathematical properties. The general Cobb-Douglasproduction function, for inputs X, Y, Z, ... is:
Q(X, Y, Z, ...) =AX
aY bZ c... (Equation 8)
Consider a function of this form for which the sum of the exponents equals 1; for simplicity I assume only three inputs:
a+b+c=1 (Equation 9)
We have:
Q(kX, kY, kZ) =A(kX)
a(kY) b(kZ) c=Ak (a+b+c)X aY bZ c=kQ(X,Y, Z)
Put in words, this tells us that if the exponents sum to 1, then multiplying all inputs by a constant multiplies the output by the same constant. If we use twice as much labor, and steel, and rubber, we produce twice as many automobiles. A further result, which you could check by redoing our analysis of the pottery production function (Equation 1) for the more general case shown in Equations 8 and 9, is that as the amount you want to produce increases, the amount of each input in the optimal production bundle increases proportionally. If using particular quantities of labor, steel, and rubber is the lowest cost way of producing 100 automobiles, then using ten times those quantities is the lowest cost way of producing 1000.
Such a production function exhibits
constantreturns to scale. The corresponding total cost curve is astraight line through the origin; the average and marginal costcurves are horizontal and identical. Average cost is the same howevermany units you make.
If the exponents of a Cobb-Douglas productionfunction sum to less than 1, doubling all inputs results in less thana doubling of output (
decreasing returns to scale). Ifthe exponents sum to more than 1, doubling inputs more than doublesoutputs ( increasing returns to scale). In all of thesecases, just as in the constant returns to scale case, the ratio ofthe different inputs in the optimal input bundle stays the same asthe scale of output increases. If 10 units of X, 20 units of Y, and15 units of Z make up the least cost bundle for producing 100widgets, then 20 units of X, 40 units of Y, and 30 units of Z is alsoa least cost bundle. Whether that bundle produces 200 widgets(constant return to scale), fewer than 200 (decreasing returns toscale) or more than 200 (increasing returns to scale) depends on thesum of the exponents in the production function.
This implies that, for a Cobb-Douglas productionfunction, decreasing returns to scale (if all inputs are increased bythe same factor, output increases by a smaller factor) imply
netdiseconomies of scale (the cost of producing a given quantity ofoutput, using the least cost bundle, increases with quantity) andincreasing returns to scale imply net economies of scale. For otherproduction functions that relationship might not be true. One couldimagine a case where doubling all inputs resulted in a less thandoubling of output, but where doubling expenditure on inputs (andchanging the mix of inputs) resulted in a more than doubling ofoutput. Consider, for instance, a situation where one of the costs ofproduction is designing the product; it is not necessary to doublethe input of designers in order to double the number of units ofoutput produced.
1. My production function for grading finals is:
F=L
1/2O 1/2
where F is the number of finals graded, L is my labor, and O the number of hours I must spend at my optometrist's to make up for the damage done to my eyes. My labor grading exams is worth $15/hour (writing textbooks is more fun), and the optometrist charges $45/hour.
a. Draw isoquants for F=10, F=40.
b. Draw isocost lines for expenditures of $600 and $1200.
c. Draw my total cost curve from F=10 to F=100. You may use trial and error (a spreadsheet helps), isoquants, or calculus, but you should find at least three points on the total cost curve.
2. Figure 9-17 shows isoquant curves for producing illuminated manuscripts; the inputs are parchment (price P=20)and labor (price W=1).
a. What is the least cost way of producing 10 manuscripts?
b. Show, as a table or a graph, how the number of parchments and hours used varies as the number of manuscripts produced goes from 5 to 32.
c. Manuscripts can be sold for $40 apiece. About how many does the firm produce? How much labor does it hire? How many parchments does it buy?
Isoquant curves from a scriptorium, for Problem2.
3. Figure 9-18 shows the average and marginal cost curves for a firm. At a price of $6/widget, about how many widgets will the firm produce?
4. If additional firms like this are free to enter the market, what will the price of widgets eventually be?
Cost curves for Problems 3 and 4.
5. Figure 9-19a shows a total cost curve (total cost of producing widgets as a function of quantity of widgets produced). Which of the curves shown in Figure 9-19b could be the corresponding marginal cost curve? Which could be the corresponding average cost curve? (The vertical axes of the figures are deliberately left unmarked; answering the question does not require that information.)
Cost curves for Problem 5.
6. Figure 9-20 shows several pairs of MC and AC curves. Which pairs are possible? Which curve in the possible pairs is which? Explain.
7. How does the relation between MC and AC tell you whether AC is at a maximum or a minimum?
8. Demonstrate that the firm always prefers the point where MC intersects P from below to the point where it intersects it from above. What does this imply about the situation where marginal cost crosses average cost at the maximum instead of the minimum of average cost?
Cost curves for Problem 6.
9. Figure 9-22 shows the supply curves for three types of potential firms--type 1, type 2, and type 3. Assume there are 10 of each type; no additional firms are allowed to enter the market. Draw the industry supply curve. Assume that all of the industry's inputs have horizontal supply curves; the amount purchased does not affect the price.
10. What are the essential differences between the analysis of production in this chapter and of consumption in Chapters 3 and 4?
Supply curves for Problem 9.
11. Figure 9-22 shows the supply curve for a pencil firm and the producer surplus that the firm receives if the price at which it can sell pencils is $0.10/pencil. As in several earlier figures, the supply curve is discontinuous; there is no price at which the firm chooses to produce more than zero and fewer than 10,000 pencils per week. The supply curve shows, for any price, the quantity the firm chooses to produce at that price, so in the range of quantity between 0 and 10,000, the supply curve does not exist.
Producer surplus is the area above the supply curve and below the price. In this case, between 0 and 10,000 pencils per week, there is no supply curve for it to be above. Nonetheless, here and earlier, the region representing producer surplus is drawn as if the supply curve had a horizontal section at the discontinuity--as if, in other words, the dashed line on the figure were really part of the supply curve.
Prove that this is the correct way of calculating producer surplus in this case. (This is a hard question.)
(Hint: You will want to use both the marginal cost and the average cost curves of the firm in your proof. Second Hint: What is producer surplus at a price of $0.06/pencil? Why?)
Supply curve and producer surplus for Problem11.
12. The friends who rent our third floor are enthusiastic gardeners; we are not. The result is that we get free gardening and they get free use of a yard to garden in. Who is exploiting whom, in which sense? What might be a better term to describe the situation?
13.Who or what do cats exploit? In which sense or senses of the word?
The following problems refer to the optional section.
14. The production function is the same as for Table 9-1; the price of labor is $5/hour, the price of capital is .04/year, and the price of clay is $6/pound. Find and graph the total cost curve.
15. Prices are the same as in Problem 14; the production function is:
Q =L
1/3K 1/3R 1/3.
Solve for L, K, R, and TC as functions of Q, for 1<= Q<= 64.
16. Your production function is as in Problem 17. You have decided to produce 100 pots; you have already bought 8 pounds of clay, so the only question is how much labor and capital to use. The wage rate is $10/hour, and the interest rate is 10 percent.
a. Use calculus to find the optimal values of L and K.
b. Solve the same problem using an isoquant-isocost diagram similar to Figure 9-2.
Two interesting and original discussions of someof the questions raised in the optional section of the chapter are:Ronald Coase, "The Nature of the Firm,"
Economica, Vol. 4(November, 1937), pp. 386,405, and Armen Alchian and Harold Demsetz,"Production, Information Costs, and Economic Organization," American Economic Review, Vol. 62 (December, 1972), pp.777-795.
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warc | 201704 | A SCOTTISH police force has shelled out £364,000 in the past five years to pay for doors they smashed in.
Lothian and Borders Police knocked down hundreds of doors hunting for drug dealers and other wanted criminals.
But hitting the wrong addresses or failing to find anyone to pay for the damage has left taxpayers with a growing bill.
Police raids which destroy doors have cost the force £364,000
The total cost of securing raided properties was £40,512 in 2007 but that rose £90,552 in 2010 and hit £86,548 last year.
The bill for making good smashed doors in Edinburgh alone was £277,000 between January 2007 and last month.
Three times last year and three times already this year, Lothian and Borders broke in to completely the wrong addresses.
Forces are also liable for the cost if no evidence of a crime is found or it proves impossible to get the owner to pay up.
Lothian and Borders outsource the repair work to a company called Boing Rapid Secure Ltd, based in Norfolk.
One joiner, who asked not to be named, explained why he gave up doing the work.
“I felt we weren’t getting the back-up from police,” he said.
“The police raided a lot of doors and afterwards we would get told, ‘send an invoice to that drug dealer of whoever’. There was no way I was sending out an invoice for £200 to people like that who just had their doors kicked in.”
The joiner added: “I was on jobs a number of times where the wrong door was kicked in. The owners would often go mental. They would have an address on a warrant but the process of getting it took days and by that time the person had moved, or the police would raid their cousin’s house and be told they hadn’t been living there for weeks.”
Lewis Macdonald, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman, said: “The police should always ensure they have the correct address, but that is not going to be possible in 100% of cases.”
Lothian and Borders Police said: “Police have a duty to protect insecure premises and if the owner cannot be promptly traced, the police will take reasonable steps to make them secure.
“While Boing make every effort to recover the costs from the owner of the property, sometimes it is not possible to do so and Lothian and Borders Police is liable.
“On the very rare occasions that Lothian and Borders Police forces a door in error, it apologises and pays the repair costs.”
A Boing spokesman said: “Around 15% of people liable for repair costs refuse to pay. We make up the vast majority of these costs to ensure they are not passed to the taxpayer.” | 2,678 | 1,324 | 0.000801 |
warc | 201704 | “They don’t want us unified” Crips, Bloods look through the divisive tactics of the state and pose a REAL solution to the problem of a racist system.
Baton Rouge, LA — As factions across the country, from the mainstream to the grassroots, attempt to use the recent tragedies to breed divide, an unlikely and inspiring union has emerged. Late Sunday night, during protests in Baton Rouge, Bloods and Crips came forward with a powerful message — black, white, all colors are uniting to fight injustice.
Speaking with 11 Alive news, two individuals dressed in red and blue, claiming membership with the rival Bloods and Crips gangs, said they are unified to keep the peace.
“Crips, Bloods…but you’re putting that aside right now?” asks the reporter.
“Because, black lives….
all lives actually.We’re making a statement. We’re making a point. All this racism, targeting people, individuals, is not cool,” says the man with the blue bandana over his face.
The paradigm-shattering notion of saying all lives matter is likely going to stir controversy. However, hearing it from people who are supposed to be divided is awe inspiring.
“We are all unified as one,” says the female. “We are all moving as one, and it’s so beautiful to see my people, and so many other people and different races coming together and making a stance…saying, ‘you know what? We’re tired. We’re tired of it.’”
The establishment needs a populace divided. When people are isolated and categorized into their various labels by society — they are far easier to control.
Stoking constant fear and hatred for our fellow human is a function of maintaining the status quo. When people begin to look past skin color, they can see the underlying problem of the system.
Let there be no doubt about it, the system of law enforcement in America preys on the poor and minorities. All the statistics show it, and politicians and police officers honest enough to see it hold no punches when pointing it out.
However, only dwelling on that fact, without understanding the weapons the system uses to do this, is futile.
The majority of police work does not involve rescuing damsels in distress or foiling hostage situations. No, the modern day police officer is designed to extract revenue from the population through a series of immoral laws designed for that exact purpose.
Using the war on drugs as a facade to ‘protect’ society, the US government has laid waste to countless lives — including the police officers who enforce it. And, the majority of the time, minorities receive the bulk of the blow.
As former Congressman Ron Paul pointed out:
[Black peope] are tried and imprisoned disproportionately. They suffer the consequence of the death penalty disproportionately. Rich white people don’t get the death penalty very often. And most of these are victimless crimes. Sometimes people can use drugs and get arrested three times and never committed a violent act and they can go to prison for life. I think there’s discrimination in the system, but you have to address the drug war. I would say the judicial system is probably one of the worst places where prejudice and discrimination still exists in this country.
In fact, the State’s drug war came to fruition specifically to criminalize hippies, seen as the radical left, and the black population — and by extension since, every non-caucasian group, as well as anyone opposing government.
“You want to know what this was really all about?” asked John Daniel Ehrlichman, President Nixon’s counsel and domestic policy chief, of Dan Baum for a 1994 article in Harper’s Magazine . “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and black people with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
As minorities get entered into the system for being prosecuted at higher rates for the same low-level drug offenses, they become unemployable. This unemployability creates a hostile environment in which a person must try to survive — without breaking the law again. This cycle of making people unemployable, thus increasing the likelihood of future arrests, is called
recidivism.
Yes, black lives matter, but screaming this slogan in the street without striking at the root of suffering will accomplish very little.
“So, let’s move, let’s do something, let’s change. Today is the change. Now is the change. You are the change,” says the inspiring young woman. And, that change lies in ending the system of oppression — not by asking for equal punishment for all — but through ending the ability of the state to prosecute
any livesfor possessing arbitrary substances.
“So what are you going to do about it?” she asks. That is the real question.
Are people going to continue dividing themselves into groups so the state can maintain its control? Or, will people get past skin color and bring and end to this broken system?
“What will you do to change the world?
We united.So, put your businesses aside, put your hate aside, put your pain aside and let’s move together.”
When ending the interview, the young lady hits the nail on the head. The death blow to the racist system lies not in divide, but in the coming together of free people — united against oppression.
“Unification is something they do not want to see.
They don’t want to see us unified.”
Now, the rest is up to you. Will you heed this profound statement from two people who are supposed to hate each other looking through their differences to fight for peace? Or, will you continue to play into the divisive tactics of the state? The choice is yours.
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Follow @MattAgorist
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.
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warc | 201704 | Since 2007, the NHPPP has been assisting NH Ski facilities with implementation of idling reduction policies. During the First Annual Green Slopes Workshop, “Reducing Emissions One Engine at a Time,” the idling reduction at ski areas was stressed as a number one priority for reducing air emissions and greenhouse gases. Presentations given at the workshop are linked below.
Air Quality, Health, and the Environment (Becky Ohler, NHDES) Turning Off the Engine -- New Hampshire’s Idling Reduction Campaign (Barbara Fales, NHDES)
Resulting from that workshop and outreach efforts, many facilities adopted an idling reduction policy. Before 2007 only three facilities had an idling reduction policy in place. Since then, the facilities below have continued or adopted a plan to reduce their carbon footprint through idling reduction.
Facility Location Idling Reduction Attitash Bartlett X Balsams Wilderness Dixville Notch X Bretton Woods Mt. Resort Bretton Woods X Cannon Mountain Franconia X Cranmore North Conway X Crotched Mountain Greenfield X Dartmouth Skiway Lyme Center X Granite Gorge Keene X Great Glen Trails Gorham X Gunstock Mountain Resort Laconia X Jackson XC Ski Jackson X King Pine/Purity Spring Resort East Madison X Loon Mountain Lincoln X Mount Sunapee Resort Newbury X Pats Peak Henniker X Ragged Mountain Danbury X Waterville Valley Resort Waterville Valley X Wildcat Mountain Jackson X Windblown XC New Ipswich X
From tallying the numbers over the last three years, and calculating a three-month ski season with vehicles that idle an average of 6 hours a day we have extrapolated the emissions reductions. In the last three years these ski facilities have curbed idling for all grooming equipment and fleet vehicles thus reducing emissions by 399 lbs. of particulate matter, 14,625 lbs. of nitrogen oxides and 1,029,184 lbs. of carbon dioxide during that 90-day period.
For additional information on idling reduction please see below:
Anti-Idling Information Climate Change Fact Sheet: Global Climate Change and Its Impact on New Hampshire Skiing (Fact Sheet ARD-24) Sample Anti-Idling Policy Web resources for ski areas
Adobe Acrobat Reader format. Download a free reader from Adobe. | 2,227 | 1,167 | 0.000866 |
warc | 201704 | so muchhappens and so muchchanges--one of those years in which nothing goes according to plan and the universe throws literally everything it can think of at you. But, all of it, in the end, turned out for the best (I think!), and I've taken quite a few important lessons to heart along the way, which I hope you don't mind that I share here. (And, I'd love to hear what you've learned in 2010 in the comments below!) Lesson 1. It's important to be scared.
One of the major changes that happened this year was that I switched from my original and intended field of study in school to a different one altogether, basically upsetting every plan I'd ever made for myself within linguistics. When I confessed to one of my advisors how deathly scared I am of being in this new field, she calmly said to me, "Being scared is good for you, Stephanie. You need it."
My advisor, as usual, was completely right. Being scared really kicked my once-lazy butt into gear. And, having to constantly face up to and overcome things that scare me taught me that, when I put my mind to it, nothing is insurmountable, even if it may seem that way initially. Sure, I'm still pretty terrified about my new position in linguistics, but the important thing is that I'm not
petrifiedby it. Lesson 2. Hard work pays off.
Growing up, my mom always accused me of skating by on "talent," that I never worked hard for anything I did. And I can admit now that she was right. But lacking "talent" in this new field of study I'm in, having to play catch-up this late in my graduate career, and being plain ol'
scaredforced me to work harder this year than I've ever, everworked before. (Side effect, though: sleeping less than I've ever, ever slept before...!) Practice and dedication, it turns out, can make up for a lot.
For example, at the beginning of one of my school terms this year, I remember being so afraid and so intimated by this one professor that I seriously considered dropping out of her workshop because I thought that I just didn't know enough about the topic to keep going. Thankfully I didn't, because by the end of the term, I'd learned and practiced so much that I could carry on a proper and in-depth conversation on the topic with the professor and offer insights that she hadn't thought of! That was one of the best and exciting moments of 2010 for me--realizing that through all of the late nights and painful work, I'd actually improved!
Lesson 3. Be super thankful for the people around you.
I would have never, ever gotten through the vicissitudes of 2010 if it weren't for the incredible support of those around me. At every point throughout the year when things took a turn for the worst, someone always stepped in to help me out of it, making me realize how unspeakably lucky I am to have an invaluable support structure to lean on when I need it most. Now more than ever, I am appreciative of people who have faith in me even when I don't: just knowing that someone out there believes in me forces me to work harder and try to live up to that expectation. It's the one of the best motivators! (On a related note, never let nay-sayers get you down, either!)
For the final recipe of 2010, I really wanted to make macarons because they represent to me a perfect embodiment of the lessons that I've learned this year. I started out 2010 making successful macarons before I had read very much about them. Then, as I started reading more and more about macarons and hearing about how fickle they are, they became incredibly intimidating to me. Suddenly, every batch that I pulled out of the oven was a huge failure--cracked tops, sunken tops, lack of feet, under-baked, completely brown--you name it, it happened. Finally, I just gave up and stopped making macs altogether.
One day, I realized how foolish it was of me to completely abandon macaron making just because I was scared of them, and I decided that I would make macarons and only macarons until I got them perfect again. It turns out that what happened was that I'd memorized the recipe wrong, (stupidly) placing the rack in the wrong section of the oven, but even after I figured that out, I kept practicing batch after batch until the macaron shells came out consistently and to my liking. And now, I can make macarons.
These
grapefruit and white chocolate macarons(grapefruit shells with white chocolate buttercream and grapefruit curd) are for you all--a little tart and sweet (just like 2010 was) to accompany your midnight flutes of champagne--as a thank you for all of the support that you've given me on the blog this year! It's truly been an extraordinary year, and knowing that there are people out there that I can share my love of desserts with (even virtually) is always a comfort for me and makes me so happy! :-D! So, thank you! and Happy New Year to everyone! May 2011 bring us even more valuable lessons--and more importantly, even more delicious sweets and eats!
--Addendum--
In 2010, I...
stayed in the Northern California redwoods--one of my favorite places on earth--for a week.
was cited for the first time in an academic journal.
submitted my first academic article for review.
posted 12 different pancake recipes.
had Korean fried chicken to celebrate Hanukkah.
Read on for recipe... | 5,290 | 2,599 | 0.000387 |
warc | 201704 | Successful organizations need to deliver experience, execution, and equity to continue evolving strategies and capabilities.
Posted Jan 1, 2006
Experience
As products become indistinguishable and markets and geographies converge, it will be the experience that differentiates and drives retention and loyalty among customers.
Consider this example: an entrepreneurial manufacturer who is bringing garage-shop motorcycle design to the mainstream market. In his technology-driven business model, he will provide customers the opportunity to design form-fitting bikes complete with the most intricate artwork and details from custom handlebars to custom gas caps. Before the customer commits to a purchase, one of his approved dealers will provide a digitally created, online, 3D concept model of the bike. The dealer will also provide a simulated ride that mirrors the unique bike design. All the digital information about each design is saved. In addition, he will capture the entire design, build, and delivery experience in a personalized coffee table book that the customer can share with friends and other motorcycle enthusiasts.
This business model delivers on the three core capabilities of experience management. From the personalized design to the visualization of the bike's design and ride characteristics, the manufacturer has created a unique buying experience. The real hidden asset is the book. Through the book, the manufacturer can define a localized market of potential customers with a built-in advocate, building a customer colony. Colonization is distinguished by a high-touch interaction--a dialogue--that shapes the market and creates new opportunities to collaborate with distinct customer segments.
Execution
A growing manufacturer of exhibit booths provides a good example of aligning customer experience with effective execution. This company embarked on an initiative to improve its ability to execute--and to integrate the design and manufacturing processes within its business.
Many booth designers have adopted 3D rendering technology that can simulate the complete trade show experience for their clients. Creating a virtual experience that captures the prospective client's vision of the booth plays to one of the emotional connections so important to the sale. Using 3D technology also creates another opportunity. These high-end rendering tools truly create digital art, but they also facilitate design-for-manufacturability. Our booth manufacturer recognized the value of this technology to enhance the selling process, deliver on the promised vision, and manage the client experience from sales pitch to booth delivery.
The design change process can become the hidden cost of manufacturing an exhibit booth. Frequently designers are contacted directly by clients looking to alter the design. But with no tracking of the change, the change costs were not being passed on to the customer. Without a view of the client-designer interaction, the manufacturer was absorbing all the change cost. To eliminate this leakage, workflow and data management software tools along with the new 3D design tools are being evaluated. The manufacturer's vision is to link these tools to the procurement system and create a means for designers to re-cost changes online, notify the sales rep via email, and request milling and manufacturing estimates to make the change. Sales reps will then have time to contact clients to negotiate the additional charges, review potential timing impact with the client, and release change approval.
Equity
Customer equity is defined as the total discounted value of all of a firm's customers. By that definition, it incorporates quantity of purchases, operating margins, marketing, sales, and service costs (or development, acquisition, and retention costs), and a projection of future purchases.
A leading consumer electronics retailer provides a perspective on the value of a Customer Equity Scorecard. This retailer began implementing a new store model based on a definition of customer centricity. The first step in this process was segmenting the customer base into a series of group profiles defined by buying behaviors, including types of purchases (for example, high-end electronic versus practical appliances), frequency, spend per visit, and return frequency. The development of these customer groups allowed the retailer to then assess the equity being driven by each group, and in turn the perceived value of the group over the long term.
Distinct growth and investment (or divestment in some cases) strategies were devised for each group. The store operating model was then redesigned to cater to a segmented customer base in which offerings were made based on the customer group profile. The results within the 10 percent of the stores operating under the new model were significant--a 300 percent difference in average sales growth year over year versus the existing store operating model.
Capability Continuum
The Three Es create a unifying framework to assess, define, and transform your organization to be experience-centric. Developing a set of strategies to evolve your CRM capabilities can be an effective first step.
About the Author
Christopher Conti is a vice president with TSC and leads its CRM strategy practice. He has worked with executives at John Hancock, Liberty Mutual, Fleet Financial, and others to yield bottom line results from their investments in CRM technologies. He has been an advisor to several start-up software firms in the Boston area and a speaker at various business and software conferences. He can be reached via phone at (617) 964-1565 or by email at chris_conti@techsol.com
Sponsored By: Marketo and Real Magnet
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Popular Articles | 5,830 | 2,655 | 0.000378 |
warc | 201704 | Lemon Law in Arizona Arizona Lemon Laws
An automobile is a major expenditure, so you want to know that you are protected in your purchase. For that reason, Arizona's Motor Vehicle Warranties Law, which is defined under the Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1261 to 1267, outlines your rights in dealing with a "lemon."
If your new car meets the criteria defined in the Arizona warranties/lemon law, you'll be able to fix the issue - either with the vehicle's manufacturer/dealer or through legal action.
On this page you'll find a basic overview of Arizona's lemon law and the steps you can take to remedy the problem.
Cars Covered by the Arizona Lemon Law
Arizona lemon law applies only to
new automobiles. In the case of motor homes, the AZ lemon law applies only to the vehicle and chassis; it does not protect the section used for habitation. Further, the statute does not protect your purchase if it weighs more than 10,000 lbs. or was purchased at a public auction.
If you find your car is a lemon, you can file a consumer complaint with the Better Business Bureau Auto Line on the BBB website or contact an attorney.
Statute of Limitations
If you have purchased a new vehicle that does not "conform to express warranties," the dealer from whom you purchased the automobile is responsible for repairs to make it do so. However, you must report the defects within the first 2 years or 24,000 miles that you have the car or before the end of the express warranty, whichever comes first.
New Cars
New cars are covered by the Arizona lemon law for whichever of the following comes first:
2 years. 24,000 miles. The end of the manufacturer's warranty.
If your car is defective, you'll need to report it to the manufacturer or an authorized dealer.
Used Cars
Under the Arizona lemon law, your used car is covered for the first 15 days or 500 miles after your purchase, whichever comes first.
If your car breaks during this period, you'll need to contact the manufacturer or an authorized dealer. You may be required to pay up to $25 for the first 2 repairs required.
Vehicle Manufacturer Responsibilities
Under the Motor Vehicle Warranties Law, the dealer from which you purchased your defective vehicle is allowed a "reasonable number of attempts" to bring your car to the standards defined by the express warranty; 4 attempts to repair or a combined 30 days in the shop qualify as "reasonable."
If after that number of repairs or amount of time the defect has not been corrected, you are entitled to a vehicle replacement or a refund of the purchase price (minus a fair amount for the time the automobile was used successfully).
Protecting Yourself with Paperwork
The guidelines of the Arizona lemon law seem straightforward, but it is always good to cover yourself with documentation if you find yourself with the pink slip to a "lemon." Keep all documents that pertain to the automobile's purchase and repairs, as well as to any communications with the dealer and/or manufacturer regarding the defect. The documents will come in handy if you need to hire an Arizona lemon law lawyer and go to court.
Hiring a Lemon Law Attorney
If you've got a vehicle that qualifies as a lemon, you should consider getting a lemon lawyer. Lemon laws may seem cut and dry, but when you're dealing with major corporations, things can get complicated.
A lemon law attorney can help ensure you have everything you need to prove your vehicle is a lemon and get the proper compensation you deserve.
Benefits of hiring a lemon law lawyer include:
Negotiating power – A lemon lawyer can help you push your manufacturer to resolve your issue. Knowledge of the law – Your attorney will understand all the factors of the lemon law and how they affect your case. Trusted advice – Your attorney can explain the lemon law to you and provide advice for you on the best ways to move forward.
It's also important to note that it may not cost you anything to hire a lemon lawyer.
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warc | 201704 | “ Brand: Cafédirect. / Type: Filter Coffee „
Those who know me will know that I am a coffee drinker through and through - I have never managed to get into the whole tea drinking thing. Coffee does it for me, and several times a day too - I probably, well definitely, drink too much, but as I don't smoke and I rarely drink alcohol I feel that my coffee habit is justified.....!
Over the years, as my grocery budgets have been stretched and squeezed, I have had a number of weeks when I have had to decide between a jar of coffee and something for dinner, or another box of washing powder..... During one such week, I found myself in the local co-op with a handful of loose change in my purse, needing to buy coffee and something for dinner. I was about to buy a smaller jar of my normal coffee - you know, travel size - when I saw this 100g jar of Fair Trade coffee that was at a bargain price. Fantastic! I could buy both coffee and food, and also, because the coffee was fair trade, I could feel very self righteous in the process......not bad!! So, I got home, got the kettle on and prepared for my much needed cup of coffee....... Now, I love that moment when you open a new jar of coffee and stab the seal with the spoon. The combination of the "ripping" sound of the seal breaking open, together with the instant hit of the coffee smell at it's strongest.....one of life's little guilty pleasures! Except, on stabbing the paper seal on this jar, there was no "hit" of coffee smell! It looks like coffee, dark brown granules, but it really does lack the coffee like aroma. But I had nothing else, so into the mug it went....... As soon as the hot water from the kettle went in, I got a very distinct smell - of cheap coffee. There was nothing rich or smooth about either the smell or the taste. It even looks cheap - a wishy washy colour, not the deep coffee colour I am used to, and was looking forward to! But still I ploughed on.......and struggled to finish my mugful. It was so poor that I decided I would rather go without from then on - there was no way I was going to subject myself to that experience again. I was gutted - a couple of hours previously I felt good that I had got more for my money AND had bought ethically, and there I was, ready to throw the rest of the jar away. I had actually wasted my money.......bah! I didn't throw it away - even though it was crappy, it seemed such a waste, so I put it in the cupboard "strictly for emergencies"..........and there it stayed.....and there it remains. So, if you ever come round to mine for coffee.........make sure I have a jar in, otherwise the "emergency supplies" might have to make an appearance! I have even had friends bring a jar with them, just in case.......the thought of the Fairtrade coffee is obviously just a step too far!
Following on from a recent find that Cafédirect's organic, fair-trade, decaffeinated (i.e. coffee-free coffee) was actually rather good I allowed myself to purchase a jar of their regular fair-trade instant, the classic blend.
I'll confess, there was a certain buzz as I put the product into my basket - a little feeling that, for once, I might be buying something both good and green. Unfortunately, that buzz didn't last long. On opening the jar one senses that all is not well in this world of coffee. The aroma is surprisingly weak and there's an almost tea-like dustiness to the smell. The smell is distinctly understated with no particular bean coming to the fore despite this being an Arabica/Robusta blend which should smell reasonably rich. If I were blind smelling then I'm afraid that I'd probably plump for a stale tea rather than a coffee. The flavour of the coffee matches the scent. Although smooth enough the flavour is thin and undeveloped no matter how much of the coffee you use to make your cup. I've tried the coffee black and white but neither way is acceptable. The instant granules look no different to the bulk of instants, they're slightly darker than their decaff counterparts but lighter than a regular Nescafe offering. Like the decaff version they dissolve incredibly well and there are no grounds left to stir in. Again, there's a slight crema layer on first mixing but this fails to persist. Adding milk results in a "dirty dishwater" coffee which lacks in visual appeal what the scent and flavour lack. At least it's consistent. The lack of depth of flavour means that one can play with this coffee to one's heart's content but unfortunately I've not yet come up with a combination that works. With or without milk, with or without sugar, you're still left with an insubstantial offering. I've even tried using it to flavour a cake but really should have known better. The resultant flavour was lacking in depth and tasted like I'd left half the flavouring out! Unfortunately, there really is no buzz about this coffee after the initial buzz of feeling that you're buying a product that's benefiting the coffee growers. The coffee is widely available from most supermarkets and is priced in line with other premium coffees so it's slightly more expensive than your regular Nescafe but not out of line with the likes of Dowe Egberts, Nescafe premium blends or even some own-brand premium blends. Whatever the price I shan't be buying it again! Not recommended.
Brand: Cafédirect / Type: Coffee | 5,376 | 2,599 | 0.000388 |
warc | 201704 | “ Brand: Boots / Type: Tanning / Subcategory: Tanning Cream / Tan / What it does: Tans, „
I have been using Soltan for as long as I can remember, ever since my childhood holidays! It is the boots own make sun cream, available in a range of factors and even with insect repellent to stop you getting burnt and bitten on holiday.
The bottles are bright yellow in colour so you cannot miss them - rather appropriate for the sunny places you will be taking them too. On the front you can easily view the SPF (sun protection factor). This number indicates the time you would have to spend in the sun (as a multiplier from having no sun cream on) until you would burn (or have too much UV exposure). This cream is available in SPF 4, 8, 15, 30 and 50. I tend to be very safe with SPF 15 cream and sometimes I will lower to an 8 to tan a bit easier - but you shouldn't compromise your safety in the sun too much. The standard bottle size is 200ml, although it is available in a larger 400ml bottle too. The cream is available in a bottle or as a spray. The spray seems to come out a bit lighter and isn't as thick, whereas the bottle cream is squeezed out and you can easily pour too much. For these reasons, the spray may be better. You are supposed to apply the cream around 15 minutes before entering the sun, which is a bit annoying. This gives it time to be absorbed to have full effect. The cream is easy to apply and rubs in reasonably well, although the bottle cream seems a bit heavier than the spray - you only need a small amount to start with! It should be applied to all areas which will be exposed to the sun. It has a typical sun cream smell, which is rather nice and reminds you of holiday even when you're not away! When in the sun, you can certainly feel the difference with this cream applied. You certainly do not burn as easily and the sun doesn't feel as hot and burning on your skin. If there is no breeze, you do sweat a lot and this causes the cream to come out along with the sweat, forming a sun creamy sweaty layer on your skin! Not the nicest thing... If you proceed to keep wiping your sweat away, the sun cream is wiped away too and you will need to reapply before you get burnt. If you go for a swim, this cream is supposed to be water-resistant but I still re-apply after if I will go on and lie in the sun. With all these re-applications it can run out pretty fast! The original price for the 200ml bottle is £8.99, which is quite hefty. On offer (which they usually are at boots), you can pay half the price (currently £4.15, which I bought my latest for). The 400ml ones are usually £15.99 but currently priced at £7.99. This is a lot cheaper than buying abroad, so even if it's a last minute purchase at the airport boots store - you will be saving money! Overall this is an effective and easy to use sun cream. The price is not bad compared to buying on the typical holiday destination, plus it is usually on offer. The cream is absorbed reasonably well and has a pleasant smell. Available in a range of SPFs and with insect repellent, it is suitable for most people. The drawback is that you have to re-apply quite a lot, which uses the cream up quickly.
Have been using Soltan original SPF 35 which works fine for stopping me from burning, but it does cause a horrible prickly burning sensation when I apply it to my face, so much so that I have had to stop using it on my face at all and use something else. It does not cause any redness or rash, and causes no reaction at all elsewhere on my body. I don't have any other particular skin problems or allergies that could make me more susceptible to this sort of effect. I am not that keen on it being so greasy and hard to rub in, leaving a greasy film wherever applied. I always have to wash the grease off my hands after putting it on. I shall probably bin any remaining after this current holiday and not buy it again. As others have said, it also marks light coloured clothing.
I have been using the boots Soltan range for so long and it's done me good! They always seem to be on offer - mixing and matching the range with the buy one get one free offer. They give great protection and today come in a range of different varieties to suit you.
Each 200ml bottle at Boots costs £9.25, which is very expensive. Sun cream is expensive though and with the buy one get one free offer, you're actually paying just over £4.50 a bottle. You can get get larger 400ml bottles for £15.49 - buy one get one free once again. They have a good selection of SPFs from 4 to 8, 15, 25, 30, 40 and 50. There is even an offer for £8.99 where you can get 200ml of SPF 25 sun cream with 200ml of aftersun. The aftersun is much needed to maintain your tan and keep your skin moist and healthy so I'd recommend this too! Boots recommend you apply the sun cream before going into the sun, and then once again in the sun. They also say to reapply every hour and always reapply when you go in the pool or towel off, despite the fact it's 'water resistant'. Personally, I think this is all a bit over the top - especially if you are trying to tan, it would take you months and summer isn't around for long! I tend to apply before I go in the sun so it gives it a chance to sink in and be absorbed rather than being sweated off straight away. I then sit there and only reapply when I feel the need - for example if the sun is very strong or I feel I could be getting burnt. I am quite good at tanning due to my skin, but some people have very sensitive skin and they will just turn into a lobster! For those of you who simply can't tan and just get red or burn, I'd recommend you pretty much follow the instructions mentioned above! The sun cream comes in bright yellow bottles that you will find in a section within Boots. They earn you points too for your Boots card. Some of the bottles are insect repellent and you can even get ones for sensitive skin, scented creams or a 'light' one, which is a little more expensive but is said to be instantly absorbed. I have not tried these yet - I tend to stick to the originals! Anyway, I'd recommend buying from the Soltan range - they are safe and reliable, easy to apply, smell pleasant and do the job. Thanks for reading! :)
During last summer while picking up a few things in Boots,
I decided to purchase a fairly cheap body moisturiser with self tan to add a little colour to my chalk white skin tone. At around the £5 mark for a 300ml bottle, I was more than happy to experiment. The lotion was easy to apply (massaging in circular motions), if not a little runny but had a nice, sweet smell but not sickeningly sweet. After about two weeks of applying the moisturiser, I noticed a slight tan, which didnt make me look like I'd spent 3 months travelling the world but there was a definite change. One thing I did not anticipate was the amount of spots that appeared(most probably caused by the oily solution) around my neck area. One thing I would add is that the bottle needs to shaken before application in order for the lotion to mix with the self tan agent. Available in Boots (sometimes on half priced deal), might be a good idea to top up on your tan from the little sun we got this year.
Your skin is a very important part of your body to protect - especially now that the summer is here! Everyone´s skin is vulnerable to disease and skin cancer, so it is vital that we protect it, safely knowing that it is protected. I trust Boots Soltan tanning cream with all my heart. I have been using it for years, in the hottest of weather and I am very pleased with it. It is quite expensive like any sun cream, but Boots normally do a buy one, get one free deal on selected Soltan items.
It is available in a variety of protection factors such as 4, 8, 15, 25 etc... The higher the number, the more protection it gives but the less likely you are to get a tan. Sun cream is to protect your skin, but this doesn´t mean you aren´t still going to get a tan - especially with this product. I have built up a lovely tan over the years by using this and my skin is in good condition. I advise, as does Boots themselves that you apply this 15 minutes before entering the sun. This way, it soaks in to protect you and will not come off almost immediately through sweat when you enter the sun. Apply it to your whole body that will be exposed to the sun. It soaks in very well but makes you feel oily, but what do you expect? It has a white colour and a rather thin consistency with a fairly nice aroma. It will provide 5 star protection against UVA and UVB waves to protect your skin against burning. A typical 400ml bottle of factor number 25 from Boots will currently cost you 16.39. This isn´t a bad price as the cream should last you a while. Although it makes you sound like a slice of bread, the cream is very "spreadable" so you won´t need to slap on loads. I would definitely recommend it as it does a good job, smells nice and is efficient to use. Thanks for reading
It's peeing down with rain here today with not a hint of sun in the sky, so there's certainly no need for any sun tan cream. Yet there is nothing quite like the smell of the stuff to evoke happy holiday memories, and thoughts of sunnier climes. I do love having a tan - it makes me look and feel healthier, but I do know it's not good for my skin. I've been using Soltan products for nearly 15 years now and always take several bottles of varying factors away on holiday with me. As it's made and manufactured solely by Boots, it works out a little bit cheaper than better known brands of sun care products like Piz Buin or Ambre Solaire. And the best thing of all is that it works. I cannot remember the last time I had a bad case of sunburn (unlike my partner, who always starts off on a low factor cream, gets sunburnt and spends the next three days whimpering in the shade). I always start off on a higher factor and progress down the scale to lower factors as my tan develops.
** WHY USE SUNCREAM ?** According to Cancer Research, skin cancer has become one of the most common forms of cancer in the UK. Most forms of skin cancer are caused by ultraviolet rays from the sun both at home and abroad. As a mainly fair skinned race, we need to take care of ourselves in the sun. Nowadays everyone is at risk from damage through over-exposure to the sun. Although fair skinned people (and those with red hair or blue eyes) are at slighter greater risk, olive and black skins can also develop skin cancer. There is no such thing as a safe tan - after all a tan is purely a sign that your skin has received too much sunlight and has gone brown to try and protect itself. However, using sun protection factor creams is the best way to start protecting yourself from harmful rays. Sun tan creams will also help moisturize your skin, and keep it more supple. Without moisture, your skin becomes thicker and drier and ages quicker, and you'll end up looking like an old leather handbag. ** HOW DO SUNCREAMS WORK ? ** The sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) rays in the form of UVA and UVB and it's these rays that can cause damage to our skin. In the past sun creams used to just block UVB rays, which cause us to get sunburnt. However, increased research into the subject has found that it's the UVA rays that cause us longer term skin damage and premature aging. Therefore, it's really important to find a sun cream with the maximum physical and chemical ingredients in it to provide us with as much protection against both UVA and UVB rays as possible. Most sun care creams, including Soltan, contain a mixture of physical and chemical filters which act to protect our skins from the most damaging elements of the sun. The physical element is zinc oxide, which is responsible for the thin white layer or membrane that sits on top of our skin and which reflects the sun's rays back. The higher the sun protection factor the increased amount of zinc oxide within, which is why some of the higher factors can be so tricky to rub in, and you're left with a sticky, slightly white residue on your skin. The chemical elements are the ingredients that penetrate the skin and act as a "sponge" to absorb the sun's rays so that they do not penetrate into the lower layers of skin and cause damage. ** WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT SOLTAN PRODUCTS ?** For the best type of sun protection, you need a sun cream that offers protection against both UVB and UVA light. All Soltan products contain high enough UVA and UVB filters to reduce the burning effect of the sun on the skin by up to four times. They are also billed as extra moisturizing with added Vitamin E, an antioxidant which helps support the skin's natural defences and prevent any lasting damage. They do effectively moisturise as well - gone are the days when you could literally watch your tan come off on the plane trip home. Your skin definitely feels softer and more supple through using this product, and they definitely help combat the worst elements of the drying effects of the sun. Their suntan creams are also water resistant - which is handy if you're on holiday in a very hot country and need to keep getting in and out of the pool or sea just to cool down. ** COST AND PACKAGING ** I remember the days when you could go into a chemist in the Winter and have trouble finding even the smallest tube of sun cream. Come the Summer, and you'd be offered slightly more choice. Nowadays, you are spoilt for choice even on the darkest December days. There is an impressive array of sun care products to be found on the shelves at Boots - there is something for every different type of skin and holiday. Soltan sun creams come in a huge range of different sun protection factors (SPF) from 50+ down to 2. They are often on special offer (Buy one, get one free) at Boots, so do keep an eye out. The recommended minimum factor with which to start your holiday is SPF 15. An SPF 15 factor will give you 93% protection from UVB and UVA rays. An SPF 30 offers about 96% protection. An average person can spend 15/20 minutes in the sun before they begin to burn. As a simple rule of thumb, the SPF factor in your cream is the increased length of time you can spend in the sun before you begin to burn - i.e. SPF 15 means you can spend 15 times longer in the sun (15 x 20 minutes), before you need to reapply or move into the shade. Sun protection factor 50+ = 200ml @ £9.49 Sun protection factor 40 = 200ml @ £8.99 Sun protection factor 25 = 200ml @ £8.49 / 400ml = £14.99 Sun protection factor 15 = 200ml @ £7.79 / 400ml = £13.99 Sun protection factor 8 = 200ml @ £7.49 / 400ml = £12.79 Sun protection factor 4 = 200ml @ £6.79 / 400ml = £11.19 As you will see from the above list, Soltan creams are sold in a variety of different factors, and they are suitable for all ages and skin types. The thing I like best about Soltan are the bigger bottles. They are ideal for holidays, as everyone can use them, and then either stay safer on the same high factor, or move on down to a lower factor as their tan develops. Soltan products are all packaged in orangey yellow plastic containers with jaffa orange coloured lids. You flick the lid and then squeeze the cream out. The bottles are easy gripped, squeezable and user friendly. My only gripe with the packaging is that it's really difficult to get the last vestiges of cream out the container. A good thump will dislodge some of it but not all. I tend to take a pair of scissors with me on holiday (NOT in my hand luggage of course...), so that I can cut the plastic container open about halfway down. You'll be amazed how much more cream you can get out of the container, thus saving you from having to buy some more if you run out whilst away. ** APPLICATION ** All Soltan products smell of summer to me. They smell fresh and clinical with the vaguest hint of citrus. There is no coconut smell at all to Soltan products, which is probably why I like them so much. The cream is a bright white liquid - not too runny but not too thick either. It is easily rubbed into the skin and absorbs quite naturally in minutes. Soltan should be applied in generous quantities all over your body at least 15 minutes before you go out in the sun. It takes a while to sink in and become effective. The higher factors (such as SPF 15 and above), will take longer to rub in as they are thicker due to increase amounts of zinc oxide. This is the creamy white filter that sits on the top of your skin. It's much easier to apply sun cream to dry skin as it tends to absorb much quicker. It may be an idea to apply sun block or even higher factors to any areas that are likely to burn more easily, such as your nose, ears or neck. Once you are out in the sun, sun cream should be reapplied every 1 to 2 hours and always after swimming. All Soltan products are water resistant, which is most handy if you're in a very hot country and need to keep leaping in and out of the sea or pool every half an hour to cool down like I do. However, despite being water resistant, it's always best to reapply Soltan after a swim or a towel down just in case any of it has rubbed off. I find that it's best to let yourself dry off a little bit after a swim, before you reapply, as the higher factors especially are quite hard to rub into wet/damp skin. They send to sit on top of your skin and don't absorb quite as easily as if your skin were dry. ** THE SCARY BIT ** A word of warning to the wise though, it really doesn't matter how high your SPF is, or how often you apply sun cream, you'll never be 100% protected against the sun. Don't sit in the blazing hot sun thinking you are OK, because you're wearing sun cream. You are still at risk from skin damage. Other tips to avoid skin damage are avoiding the midday sun (mad dogs and Englishmen.....). Do cover yourself up and move into the shade if you feel you've had too much sun. Try wearing a hat or a T-shirt and always make sure you protect your eyes with sunglasses. Skin cancer is becoming one of the most common cancers in the UK and it is responsible for over 2,000 deaths in the UK each year - more than in Australia. There are over 69,000 new cases diagnosed every year, a figure which has double since the early 1980's. There are two main types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma (the most serious type) and non-melanoma skin cancer. The clearest indication of melanoma on our skins is by checking our moles. If you have a new or growing mole it may be worth keeping an eye on it. If the mole has a ragged edge or it contains varying shades of brown (or black), then it may be worth a visit to the doctors. Itchy, bleeding or inflamed moles are another sign that there may be cause for concern. More expert help and information on skin cancer and the Cancer Research SunSmart campaign can be found at www.cancerresearchuk.org/sunsmart. **CONCLUSION ** Soltan products are expensive, but they work out cheaper than other well known named brands. That said, all sun protection products are prohibitively expensive when one considers that all they are is moisturizing cream with added chemicals. But if you want and need a tan, they are an expense worth making. Soltan will protect you and your family against some of the harsher elements of the sun if used correctly - they won't break the bank and they are sold in an impressive array of handy sized containers. And best of all, they provide you with 5 star protection against both UVA and UVB rays, so you and yours can spend the maximum amount of time at the beach, without worrying about the after effects. And whilst you're baking yourself in the sun, you can rest assured that the cream is effectively moisturising your skin and keeping the worst elements of the drying effects of sea, sun and salt at bay. And remember, if you want a tan - do it safety. Always apply a sunscreen (SPF 15+ ideally), and try to avoid the sun between the hours of 11am and 3pm as the rays will be strongest. A cloudy day does not mean that the sun cannot hurt you - there will still be penetrating UV rays in the air. And if in doubt, always adhere to the Australian recommendation to:- ~ SLIP on a shirt ~ SLAP on a hat ~ SLOP on sunscreen The Soltan range of sun care items are sold and manufactured exclusively by Boots:- Address: The Boots Company Plc 1 Thane Road Nottingham NG2 3AA Website: www.boots.com Customer Services: 0845 070 80 90 Thanks for reading and see you by the pool.
We're in the middle of July at the moment but it might as well be February - the weather is absolutely appalling! We've had storms, torrential rain and even lightning, so there isn't really much use for suncream, but I'm off on my holidays on the 25th July and thought I would update a review on an old favourite! My skin tans easily and rarely burns; even without sun lotion I rarely burn, but I use it anyway because I don't want to look like I'm fifty by the time I get to thirty! I am quite careful with my skin, and use a sunscreen on my face every day, as well as my body in summer. I've tried quite a few suncreams, and Boots Soltan Extra Moisturising Sun Protection Lotion in SPF15 (that's a bit of a mouthful!) is the best one I've tried so far. It protects against both UVA and UVB rays; UVA rays cause premature ageing - they're the kind that are used on sunbeds, whereas UVB causes sunburn. It's water-resistant, but NOT waterproof, and is photostable, meaning that the effectiveness of the sun lotion does not break down as time goes by. It also has a cell protection system, which means nothing to me, but you might find it useful! The bottle might put some people off - if you prefer to whip out an discreetly elegant bottle on the beach, then this isn't for you! It's a bright yellow bottle with a lurid orange flip-top. It does look a bit cheap, but it's quite strong and does the job; holds the sun lotion, so you can't really complain! It's available in 200ml and 400ml bottles. It is 'easily absorbed and moisturises continously between applications'. It also contains cocoa butter and Vitamin E. It does actually leave my skin feeling lovely and soft, but
3; never use it in place as my usual moisturiser because I have eczema. I've never had any irritation or eczema flare-ups from using this though, which is good. I love the smell of it, because it reminds me of past holidays! It's quite sweet and clinical, and tinged with a tangerine smell. I think it's fairly inoffensive and it's not that bad that you can't bear to put any on, or anything like that! I've read a few of the ops on this same product, and I have to disagree! Those ops are fairly old though, so maybe it has been reformulated or something. It's a thick, strong-smelling, creamy-coloured lotion that is absorbed easily and quickly and feels quite refreshing when you put any on. It did have a slight greasy afterfeel though. When I was in Tenerife last year, I did burn very slightly on the tops of my feet where I hadn't put any suncream on (who puts suncream on their feet??), but the rest of me was fine, so I assume it did it's job and prevented me from burning, but it's difficult to assess the effectiveness of it because I very rarely burn anyway, and I tan unbelievably quickly! I use this on any exposed parts of the body in the summer, as well as on my face every day, all year round. It does leave your skin feeling a little greasy for a few minutes afterwards, but it does settle down - you could always use a little powder to cover the greasiness, if you like. There are loads of varieties available; coloured children's versions, sprays, etc. The lowest I have seen is SPF8 and the highest is SPF60, so there's something for everyone. Also, I have very sensitive skin, but this was fine and din't irritate my skin. I would recommend it, because it does the job well for an own-brand, but do be aware that you won't look particularly attractive with this slathered all over your face! Mine was on offer at £15 for a 400ml bottle and 400ml aftersun, but I don't think this offer is available anymore. TIPS AND ADVICE ON SUNCARE -Don't skimp on the sunscreen, because you might as well not be using any if you do! It might be slightly pricey but it's worth it if it stops premature ageing and skin cancer when you're older. -If you insist on sunbathing between 11am-2pm, take regular breaks in the shade, drink lots of fluids (not alcohol, coffee or tea) and reapply your sunscreen regularly. -Try not to burn! If you feel your skin is going to burn (it is going red, feels a bit sore), then forget that bronzed tan and go inside, and apply aftersun. I have read that burning increases your chances of skin cancer by 50%, so you have to be careful! -Aftersun just soothes and cools down skin, it does not repair sunburn - some people forget that and don't mind frazzling their skin because they think aftersun will reverse the damage! -Water-resistant is a lot different to waterproof, so remember to reapply your sunscreen after you've been in the water. -Even if you're in England, the rays can be damaging, so at the very least, use a moisturiser with built-in SPF. The UVA rays are invisible but still damaging - that's why suncare specialists recommend using sunscreen even in winter. By the way, the title is from Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrman!
I've said it before but I just love the sun. Give me a beach, sunshine and a thong and I'm in paradise. Though my boyfriend reckons it's just an excuse for me to get my clothes off - as if! I am sensible while I'm in the sun - well as far as my skin safety and its appearance are concerned anyway. I always use, what I consider to be, the right suntan strength lotion and slap it on regularly. When we last went on holiday to Cyprus my boyfriend said he would buy the lotions, so I left him to it. I imagined exotic perfumes, sensual oils and what did he come back with? Boots own brand, Soltan, that's what. "Well they were on special offer", he mumbled looking at my disgruntled expression. So Soltan it had to be, judging by the full plastic bag he was carrying - waste not want not. The Soltan plastic type bottles were a light orange colour with 200ml of 'cream' in each one. "But I like oil", I grumbled, while imagining stretching out in paradise with a glistening, shiny sheen to my sun kissed skin. "Ahh", said clever clogs, "but oils are usually ineffective vehicles for sunscreens. Often a lower level of protection in a cream or lotion will protect you better than an oil with a slightly higher protection factor." Or something like that. He's a right know-it-all at times. I glazed over, decided to shut up and think of some positive aspects to Soltan. Like, erm, it was cheap, especially as I didn't pay for it and, oh yes, it says that it 'rubs in easily'. Mind you, where's the fun in that! It's also supposed to be an 'extra moisturising sun lotion'. Now moist I like, "But 'extra' than what?", I wondered. The first day of our holiday arrived and before we went to the beach I rubbed in the lotion all over. I used a factor 15 bottle as this is generally accepted as being the minim
um level for a high protection sun screen. With Soltan it should be applied fifteen minutes before going into the sun. It actually turned out to be a little longer than that before we finally left the hotel. I think this was because I asked 'holiday man' to rub some on my back that started the delay. The cream did, as it claims, and rubbed in easily. It's white in colour and is like a thick runny lotion. It sort of looked familiar as I squirted some on my tummy, but it was soon absorbed by my skin. Afterwards my skin felt softish and it left a very slight shine, which I quite liked. The cocoa butter ingredient must have done the trick, it's good stuff. In Tahiti pregnant women use it to prevent stretch marks. Soltan also contains vitamin E plus a lot of other things I've never heard of like methyldibromo glutaronitrile for one. As for the smell, it was a typical sun lotion pong. Not offensive, but there again, not exactly the stuff to enflame the senses and make you feel special. It didn't put my boyfriend off his stroke so I guess it was acceptable. Now a problem is always: How often should you apply sun lotion? The bottle recommends that it is re-applied every 1-2 hours. With a 15 strength cream this, in theory, allows you to stay in the sun fifteen times longer than without any protection. But it all depends on skin type, so who knows how long this really is. It's an individual thing. I think the answer is to splodge it on often and especially after going in the sea. Soltan state that their cream is water resistant, but go on to advise that it should be re-applied after swimming. My skin is quite happy in the sun, and I normally have the remnants of a tan. However I'm still always extra careful for the first few days. Especially with some areas of my body such as collarbones, shoulders, shins and areas not normally exposed quite as much, like nipples, breasts and bottom. I u sually have some zinc oxide at the ready just in case it's needed, as this is a complete block. The only problem with this is that it is usually white in colour and can look quite odd when used on the lips or nipples for example. I mean I wouldn't want to draw attention to myself - hee hee! The Soltan proved to be just fine. It did as it should and I ended the holiday with a nice even tan. It seemed compatible for my skin and I got used to the smell. Would I use it again? Well it wouldn't be my first choice but I wouldn't mind. Soltan have various different choices of protection levels (2 to complete block), depending on what you feel is necessary. I must admit that after a week I started using a level 8, unless in the mid-day sun, and again this suited my needs. I didn't burn or go lobster coloured. The Soltan bottles state that the cream has a 'Cell Protection System' which 'helps to prevent longer term skin damage by supporting the skin's natural defence system'. So there you go. There is so much mumbo jumbo written on skin products and I have no idea if there is any truth in Soltan's statement. I'm not even really sure what it means. One thing you should seemingly avoid, with Soltan, is to allow the cream to come into contact with fabrics. Unfortunately my boyfriend didn't want me to strip off completely (on the beach, that is) so I couldn't prevent this from happening. But the lotion didn't appear to have any adverse effect on anything I wore. To sum up: Soltan was a perfectly acceptable sun lotion and a plus was that it was a moisturiser as well. The sun does tend to dry out skin, doesn't it? The smell I could tolerate, but didn't really like. The cream wasn't particularly pleasurable to apply, but it did rub in easily unless the skin was sweaty or perspiring (obviously that would be him I'm talking about and not me!) . It's not very glamorous and does nothing to encourage fantasies of sensual oils being gently massaged into your skin, perhaps that's just my 'thing' though. Also I wish it was properly waterproof. I love the sea and swimming and it was a bit of a nuisance to have to keep on re-applying the lotion. Now if it had been a slinky, nicely perfumed oil I probably wouldn't have minded. To finish with, lets give Soltan some marks: Waterproofing 1/5 Sun Protection 4/5 Moisturising 3/5 Absorption 4/5 Packaging 3/5 Value 3/5 Smell 1/5 Roll on the next trip to the sunshine, with or without Soltan. - Kay
Before I start this opinion, I would like to stress the importance of using sun protection. Even if you have dark skin, you still need to use some sort of protection. If you have very light skin or are a child, sun protection is a must. Skin cancer, is real and it is more common than you may think, the stupid thing is that by wearing sun cream, and avoiding the sun in the early afternoon, you can prevent this killer. I have light skin, and I use Boots Soltan. Soltan offers protection against burning UVB rays. It has a special formula that maintains protection between applications. It also has a cell protection system, which helps to prevent longer skin term damage, by supporting the skins natural defence system. As an added benefit, it has an odourless insect repellent. It moisturises the skin, and it does not block your pores. You have to apply the cream every one to two hours, and after swimming. This cream does work well, it stops you burning, and I feel confident using it. I would like to add one thing, why is sun protection so expensive? Even though this is Boots own brand, it costs £8. If sun protection was cheaper, I am sure more people would use it, and hence we could start cutting the sun cancer statistics. I'm sure sun protection does not cost nowhere near £8 to make, I bet the companies are making a fortune out of it.
Now I am Scottish so I am very lacking in the tanned department, in fact I have a blue shine about me! I was in boots the other week and I have amassed £10 worth of boots points so I decided to splash out on some fake tan. I bought soltan self-tanning mouse. I am very nervous about applying this to regions visible on a daily basis i.e. my arms. S0 I decided I would just do my legs to start with. So I showered shaved, exfoliated, moisturised, some hours later!! And I have still to even begin putting the stuff on! So I sit down ready to go, take the top off and press, Oh my god I think a bit too much mouse for a leg as it wont all rub in so I have this white stuff on my legs. SO I have to rub some off one leg and onto the other. It didn’t take to long to apply after all my preparation! Just be careful when squirting the mouse out as you don’t need all that much. So every hour I was eagerly checking awaiting some marvellously tanned legs to appear from under my tracky bottoms. It said on the tin results will be noticeably after a few hours. Very vague! Anyway I got bored and went to bed. Got up all excited and rushed to gaze at my new found tanned legs. Alas this was not really the case. They were less blue, in I have to say less white, but I wouldn’t say they were tanned :-( I did go for the natural effect so I shouldn’t expect miracles. I think I maybe need to apply a few layers to “build up a nice tan” but it wasn’t patchy or orange. And the results weren’t fake looking. All in all Good things :-) 1)it doesnt make you daygo orange 2)It didnt streak 3)it doesnt smell foul 4)Leaves skin felling smoother than a babys boy 5)Bottle does more than once 6)Fairly cheap 7)If you save adv points you can get it FREE 8) doesnt look to "FAKE" Bad things :-( 1)not much of "tan" 2)Need to put it on a
couple of times a few days in a row to darken it 3)Takes HOURS to show results, best doing the night before But I think I might save up and get St Tropez next its meant to be the best.
Lets face it, Boots is the most popular chemist's chain, so most of us probably head straight there when looking for sun cream. Luckily the SOltan products do not disappoint! I havebought several different factors and have foundthem all to be very effective and good value for money. Most importantly the products all have high UVA protection as well as UVB. This is very important since though it is the UVB rays which burn your skin, the UVA rays cause wrinkles and premature aging - I may want a tan, but I certainly don't want to end up looking like a wrinkled prune! The soltan products smell quite nice, go onto your skin really easily and are much cheaper than other brands. Since Boots is such a well renowned company you can also rest assured that the products have been properly tested and do actually protect you from the sun! As an added bonus the creams also come in several formulations including extra moisturising or insect repellent, which is great if you are trying to travel light! Last, but certainly not least, Boots often have buy one get one free offers on Soltan products, so you might pick up an even better bargain!
Boots Soltan spray is probably one of the best sun creams I have ever used. It outshines the rest (Get the pun there?) on several points. The one thing I hate about sun protection is that it is hugely overpriced. We are told that we must cover up, wear sun cream and avoid getting burnt. This is wise advice considering the sate of the Ozone layer. But how many of us heed it? One look at the shelves in Boots and you are put off. £10 will probably buy you enough sun cream to cover your nose with a thin layer of factor 2. However, Boots have addressed that issue, well a bit, by introducing their Soltan range. This range includes a full scale of Sun Protection Factor creams and after-sun lotions. I am a fan of spray on creams, and luckily Boots offer one of those too. The 300ml bright orange spray bottle is the best way of applying a good layer of SPF 15, which is ideal if you’re like me and never tan. The spray allows you to apply cream with one hand, useful for doing your back and shoulders if you’re on your own, and seems to make it last longer. The only downside of the spray on creams is that they don’t come in the higher factors, possibly due to the consistency being too thick. Sun cream is a must have, even if it is a bit overcast, and Boots offer an affordable range. Opt for the own brand price and show those big manufacturers that Skin cancer is not just a problem for those of us who cant afford Nivia.
I spent ages picking a tan looking at the colour the smell and how long it took to dry in the end I pick this one. At first it seamed to work well I loved the colour and was very happy I’d read the instructions carefully and follow them to the letter. After spending a couple of days putting it on and letting it dry till a got the colour I wanted. But then to my horror after just 3 days when I went in the bath most of it washed off it looked like I had had a tea bag in the bath with me. So feeling down hearted I started again then next week to find that one day when I took my make up off that my tea tree face toner took the colour out of my tan like paint striper on gloss. Also after 3 days of having the tan on if was rubbing off on the inside of my new white bra. I find this a real shame as I love the colour it's rich and deep but not to fake looking and it smell pretty good to I’ve tried the mousse form and that is great. I’ll put down to bad luck and try somethink else. I also found out as well as Tea Tree toner Distilled Which Hazel also takes the colour out of the fake tan which might come in usaful if you make a mess around your knees and ankles.
When in a hot country there is nothing worse than being bitten if you're burnt,this lotion is very easy to apply,smells good, and sinks in well,it isn't sticky and stops you ebing bitten too,when on holioday i also use it as a moisturiser as i like it soo much.it doesn't lave your skin feling softer,but as the cream is quite thin,it easy to apply to red skin,a bottle lasts ages,and it doesn't stain your clothes.I always use this now when i go away,it's quite good value for money and the big bottle lasts all holiday for an entire family,always a comfort to know it's boots too.
Boots soltan sunblock is a must for a family with kids. I went out looking for some sun cream for my 11 month old son. As the hot weather had hit unexpectently. So i went into boots and came out this cream. It was very good as it was a total sunblock which i was glad i did as i was in two minds whether too get normal cream or this. It is a 25 factor cream and has maximum protection. I put it straight on my son, it went on very easy but was very messy. Don't put too much on or they go white lol. It is water resistance which is handy for my older two as they are in and out of the pool. It is also UVA and UVB sunscreened. Which means they won't get burned.It is in a yellow container and all you do is flick the lid open squeeze out the cream, and flick shut the lid again so there is no leaks. Which is handy when you got a child that is grabbing at everything. It cost me £2.25 from boots. | 40,288 | 16,742 | 0.00006 |
warc | 201704 | by Sherry F. Colb
In my Verdict column this week, I discuss the case of Marlise Munoz, a young woman who is pregnant and who, tragically, collapsed almost two months ago and is currently being sustained on life support in a Texas hospital. Munoz's family has asked the hospital to remove her from life support, in deference to what they understand to have been her wishes. The hospital, however, has refused to withdraw life support, citing a Texas law that prohibits the withdrawal or withholding of life support from a pregnant patient. In my column, I analyze some ways in which the dilemma posed by Munoz's situation differs, both legally and morally, from the dilemma posed by the termination of an unwanted pregnancy in ordinary circumstances, and I draw some conclusions about the implications of those differences for Munoz's case. Because -- by some reports -- Marlise Munoz has already been declared brain dead, I turn my attention in the post to the more general issue of rights to bodily integrity on the part of the dead. Under existing law, if a person prefers not to donate any organs or tissue after she dies may be buried or cremated or otherwise laid to rest with her organs intact. This means, among other things, that even when there is an organ shortage and people who might otherwise have lived will die without a transplant from a suitable donor, the government lacks the power to take organs from a potential donor who, prior to her death, did not consent to donation. In fact, as I have discussed elsewhere, the legal presumption, in the absence of evidence one way or the other, is that people have refused to donate their organs post-mortem. One way of thinking about this approach is to say that our bodies belong to us, both in life and in death, and we have the right not to share them with anyone else, no matter how helpful such sharing would be or how necessary to save lives. By respecting people's right to refuse to donate organs upon death, then, we are showing respect for each individual's dignity rather than viewing people instrumentally, whether alive or dead, as organ donors. One difficulty with this view is that dead people are quite different from living people, and we do appear to make a variety of demands of the dead in the interests of the rest of the population, demands that we seemingly would not make of the living. One example is that we require people to dispose of their dead in particular ways regarded as consistent with the public health. This means that even if John Doe makes known while alive that he would like his remains to be kept in the trunk of his car in his garage for eternity, his dead body will nonetheless be removed from that trunk and either buried in a cemetery, cremated, or otherwise handled in accordance with the law, notwithstanding his contrary wishes. One response to this reality, though, is to suggest that failing to bury or cremate or otherwise "process" the dead poses a threat to other people's health and wellbeing; at the very least, it creates a nuisance. While an individual has the right to maintain his or her bodily integrity, then, even after death, he or she does not have the right to create hazards for others, including the sorts of infections that could spread as a result of leaving a rotting corpse in a garage. And this is not just true of the dead. A living person too must observe limits on his or her behavior when those limits guard the public health or safety. This is why people with a virulent infection could potentially be lawfully quarantined to prevent a contagion. Donating organs, by contrast, is a very different matter, one might argue, because being buried or cremated intact does not pose a "threat" to others who need an organ any more than living a long life (and not donating organs) poses such a threat. Using or wasting something that belongs to us does not generally constitute a threat to others. The difference between burial and organ donation, then, is the distinction between a prohibition against harming others and a right not to aid others, a distinction that applies to the living and to the dead. Perhaps a better analogy, we might say, is to autopsies. If police suspect that a dead person may have been the victim of a crime (and in various other circumstances), then the medical examiner may perform an autopsy, even over the objections of the decedent's family members (or the expressed intention of the deceased). In this case, burying or cremating the body of the deceased without an autopsy does not pose a threat to anyone, much as bury or cremating a body without donating its organs does not pose a threat. The autopsy is instead a governmental use of the decedent's body to help solve the crime and thereby exact retribution on behalf of the state or perhaps prevent the perpetrator from committing similar crimes against others. An autopsy, in other words, represents a way in which the decedent affirmatively aids others -- both the government and potential victims, and not a manner in which the decedent is stopped from harming others. Does the autopsy requirement not prove that dead people, unlike the living, lack the right to refrain from helping others avoid harm? The answer is maybe not. When it comes to the court system, the distinction between aid and non-harm becomes blurry, even for the living. If you witness a crime or a civil wrong, a party to a lawsuit or a criminal prosecution can subpoena you as a witness, and you must testify if you have personal knowledge bearing on the case. There is a Fifth Amendment exception to this principle for people whose responses to questions are self-incriminating, but otherwise, none of us actually has the right to remain silent, and if our testimony is relevant and we are called as witnesses, we may be legally forced to testify with the threat of being fined or jailed for contempt. We may also be forced to appear for jury duty against our will, another affirmative obligation imposed on the living. What are we to take from this? It does seem that our system currently and consistently respects the bodily integrity rights of the dead to a degree that is substantially similar to the ways in which our system respects the bodily integrity rights of the living, and that includes placing limits on those rights when the court system (including police investigation) is in play. One reason for respecting the rights of the dead may be religious -- many people believe that there is a life of sorts that follows death, and we therefore extend to people the right to control the disposal of their remains as though their bodies continued to belong to someone animate even after death. Another reason for respecting the rights of the dead may be the worry that if we demand organ or tissue donations, there could be a perverse incentive on the part of treating physicians to err on the side of declaring a person whose organs are needed to be dead. Many of us have heard horror stories about people who were supposedly dead and ready to be taken off life support and then, seemingly miraculously, woke up. We would not want to bring about more of those situations. Ultimately, however, I remain concerned about the autonomy we give ourselves over our dead bodies, even in the face of the compelling interest in organ transplants. Even as people have the right to insist on having their usable organs decompose in the ground, moreover, we utilize the organs of sentient nonhuman animals for transplant -- including pigs and cows -- for transplantation, as though they are mere commodities to be used to satisfy our needs. Of course, killing an animal for an organ transplant that would save a human life is far more understandable than killing an animal to consume his or her flesh or secretions (which not certainly not life-saving for the human). Yet if we treated humans' dead bodies instrumentally, in this one limited way, we would be showing greater respect for the lives of the humans who need organs as well as showing regard for the animals whose organs ought to belong to them,, not to us. | 8,118 | 3,580 | 0.00028 |
warc | 201704 | College students are known for their enthusiasm and high energy levels. Because of this, college is often the best time to start a business. Further, there are a number of historical examples of top businesses that were founded while the founder was still receiving an education. The advent of powerful smart phones has given college students a useful tool to use for their businesses; here are three essential apps for starting a business while in college.
1) CampfireÂÂ
Success demands making connections with other collaborators, potential investors and clients. Campfire is useful for creating chat rooms where young business founders can interact with others in a secure, dynamic manner.
Campfire allows users to share files and make comments, and it is a great presentation platform when trying to find funding for the next great idea. With a bit of preparation, college students can make high-quality presentations in between classes or while taking a study break. Campfire also works with some existing customer relation management (CRM) platforms, and crm for mobile devices is expected to become a tremendous boon for both young and veteran entrepreneurs.
2) Google Calendar and Remember the MilkÂÂ
The most difficult problem college students face is organization, and students who are also starting a business will need to be proactive to ensure that they are successfully completing all of their necessary tasks. Google Calendars is an Internet-based calendar program that allows users to note important deadlines and events.
Remember the Milk works in conjunction with Google Calendar to send text messages or emails about important events. Forgetting a deadline can be the difference between securing necessary funding and losing it.
3) SquareÂÂ
Payment processing can be a major hassle for those starting a new business. Credit cards are crucial for success, and finding an appropriate credit card gateway can be a slow and difficult process for new businesses. Square allows users to accept credit card payments for a 2.75 percent of the cost of transactions.
Other venues of credit card processing will eventually be cheaper options, but the reliability and mobility provided by Square allows young entrepreneurs to take payments from anywhere, and the lack of ongoing fees makes it easy to scale.
Starting a business demands boundless energy and late nights; in other words, it is perfect for college students. While enthusiasm and great ideas are necessary, it is also important to slow down on occasion and deal with the minutiae and planning. These apps and others can help convert a business from an idea to reality. | 2,734 | 1,292 | 0.000799 |
warc | 201704 | Right Column Community Based Organizations and Legal Advocates Survey
Each county welfare department is required to provide equal access to its programs and services, and to ensure that the administration of public assistance and social services programs are nondiscriminatory. The CDSS Manual of Policies and Procedures, Division 21, states that no person shall, because of race, color, national origin, political affiliation, religion, marital status, sex, age or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal or state financial assistance through CDSS. County welfare departments are also required to provide interpretive services (written translation and/or oral interpretation) to non-English- and limited-English-speaking clients and to provide reasonable accommodations to the disabled.
If your clients receive public assistance benefits, adult social services or have had CPS involvement, we'd like to get your input on the services provided by the county welfare departments and their contractors. Please tell us of any barriers to participation your clients may have encountered when applying for or receiving benefits and/or services. The input you provide will be utilized to help assess county welfare departments’ level of compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements found in Division 21 regulations. Click on the link below to access our three-question survey. You may check "Yes" or "No" and include any explanation or additional comments you would like us to consider. When you are finished, click on the “Submit” button to send the completed survey.
Thank you for your time and participation. | 1,750 | 905 | 0.00112 |
warc | 201704 | “There’s a growing trend in research,” says Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network—an environmental group based in Washington, D.C.—“that shows that environmental toxins that damage your health may be present at higher levels in the home than outside on the street.” She recommends that all parents:
Ensure that homes have an effective, well-maintained ventilation system.
Avoid smoking anywhere near a child.
Reduce the use of unnecessary chemicals.
Introduce live, growing plants to the home.
Vacuum floors and mattresses regularly.
Earth Day Network
Respond to this article ______________________________ | 664 | 403 | 0.002657 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
The basic aim of this research is to investigate the role of the Church of God educated elite in the social transformation among the Idakho of Kakamega County in Kenya. It is based on the analysis of local written sources, oral sources and archival materials. With the establishment of Christianity in Idakho, Church of God Missionaries quickly realized that in order for Christianity to gain acceptance there was need for social transformation among the Idakho. Their culture had to be transformed through imparting western cultural attributes to the converts in an attempt to undermine their culture. Consequently Church of God missionaries employed a secular policy through the provision of education as an approach to reinforce evangelization and to win converts. The church’s secular policy led to the emergence of pioneer teacher evangelists and educated elite which had comparatively well paid jobs as professional teachers, clerks, local administrators and members of the local councils. These pioneer educated elite and their children consolidated their social and economic power, both in the church and the Kenyan Government and used their leadership positions to harness economic influence in Idakho.
This work by European American Journals is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License | 1,362 | 720 | 0.001398 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
In multivariate sampling, the major interest is on the problem of estimation of several population characteristics which often make conflicting demands on the sampling procedure. In this type of survey, the best allocation for one item may not in general be the best for another. There is the need to come up with compromise solution in a survey with many characteristics under study. This paper focuses on comparing some techniques of optimum sample allocation which are Yates/Chatterjee, Booth and Sedransk and Vector Maximum Criterion (VMC) on five sets of real life data stratified into six strata and two variates with desired variances using: (i.) Method of maximum variances with fixed n and (ii.) arbitrary fixing of variances. The stratum sample size nh among the classes are obtained to ascertain the criterion that will produce the smallest n. Based on the set of data collected and used for the empirical study it was discovered that Vector Maximum Criterion (VMC), Booth and Sedransk are superior to Yates/Chatterjee
Keywords: Compromise Solution, Iterative Solution, Loss Function Solution, Multivariate Stratified Sampling, Optimum Allocation, Strata, Stratum Weight, True Variance, Variate, Vector Maximum Criterion
Article Review Status: Review Completed - Accepted (Pay Publication Fee)
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This work by European American Journals is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License | 1,552 | 830 | 0.001214 |
warc | 201704 | Meet the farmer: Vermont greens grower Pete Johnson In northern Vermont, Pete Johnson has figured out how to work with the seasons.
At an age when most toddlers were playing with blocks, Pete Johnson was pushing around earth in his parents’ plot in Vermont. “I always picked up soil,” he remembers, “and smelled it, felt it, rolled it in my hands.” As a teenager, he experimented with hand-made greenhouses, watching most of them blow away or collapse under snow. “By the time I was 14,” he says, “I remember thinking that I was going to be a farmer.”
Fast-forward two decades—Pete Johnson’s hands are still in the dirt. Johnson, now 36, owns and operates Pete’s Greens, a 230-acre farm in rural northern Vermont. He sells organic produce at a seasonal farmstand and through a CSA program to over 250 members. His greens are featured on the menus of acclaimed restaurants from Vermont to Boston to New York City.
“So much,” says Johnson, “depends on your soil.” He extensively composts his fields to build a base of nutrients. He cover crops—that is, he rotates nutrient-recycling and soil-protecting crops in with his actively producing plants—as a sustainable way to increase and maintain his soil’s fertility. Why the emphasis on his soil? Because produce from small organic farms should be more flavorful and more packed with nutrients. “When I eat food that was grown in lively soil—soil with nutrients that really feed the plants—I can taste the difference,” he says. Most of all, says Johnson, “I can care for every foot of soil in a way that just isn’t possible on a large operation.”
Johnson has to maximize his growing seasons. To protect crops, he designed four innovative 7,000-square-foot greenhouses that slide on metal tracks. He can now plant tomatoes in March or April under cover of one of the structures while frost and snow still cover the ground outside. After harvesting tomatoes in August, he’ll slide the structure over his signature crops—his greens, such as chard, parsley and kale—which will allow him to harvest into December. Meanwhile, the elements will cleanse the newly uncovered soil he holds so dear, and cool temperatures will rid it of the pests that often plague stationary greenhouses.
While Johnson would probably love to grow year-round, his greenhouses are not heated and he isn’t trying to completely defy the northern seasons. “Glory in the limitations of the seasons,” he says, “and fully exhaust what each season has to offer.” Eat it while it’s fresh, and pine for it when it’s not. It will taste that much better when it comes around again next year.
Pete’s Greens at Craftsbury Village Farm
Craftsbury, Vermont (802) 586-2882 petesgreens.com | 2,883 | 1,448 | 0.00074 |
warc | 201704 | While SaaS and cloud computing are game-changing technologies, they are simply enablers for a much broader revolution in the delivery of business services that is just beginning to get rolling. One symbolic straw blowing in this wind of change is this week's announcement that US retailing giant Walmart is opening up its online e-commerce platform to third parties.
This is a portentous development, because hitherto the major platform players in the online world have been dedicated dot-com startups or software vendors. Walmart is demonstrating that established businesses can also use web technologies to give third parties access to their substantial presence, market reach and proven processes for a price.
The broader phenomenon this exemplifies has just been given the acronym of PRaaS, which stands for PRocess as a Service, by French business automation and Web 2.0 guru Louis Naugès, president of Google Apps reseller Revevol. Responding to an earlier post of mine on Thinking Beyond SaaS As We Know It, he says PRaaS brings together the advantages of business process outsourcing (BPO), cloud computing and process-oriented software. He describes a use case that's very close to what Walmart has just done:
"An organization that has a strong expertise in a specialized complex business process can develop and sell a powerful PRaaS to customers all around the world."
Naugès believes PRaaS will become at least as important a category as SaaS, describing it as "a significant innovation, which will play a key role over the next five years." I would go further and argue that it will eventually overtake and subsume SaaS, although SaaS will still be an important component in the stack on which these process services are built. Indeed, his post cites examples of two SaaS providers that offer tools that can be used to create PRaaS offerings.
Many will go further than Walmart in the scope of processes they offer. JP Morgan analyst Imran Khan has noted that Amazon, for example, offers partners a fulfilment service alongside its online e-commerce platform, and thus argues that (as reported by Silicon Alley Insider) WalMart's New Site Is Worse News For eBay Than Amazon. Of course there is nothing in principle to stop Walmart also turning its fulfilment operations (and indeed even its network of physical outlets) into a process platform that it makes available to others as a service. This demonstrates the true power of PRaaS that beyond merely making a cloud-based software service available (as eBay does the bare SaaS model), it makes physical infrastructure and human labor and expertise available as an integral part of the automated, web-connected offering.
This is something that works across all industries, not just retailing. I noticed another example this week in a blog post by Russ Mann, co-founder and CEO of marketing analytics provider Covario. Under the provocative title of SaaS is dead, long live SaaS!, Mann discusses an emerging trend among the company's customers towards demanding complete process solutions:
"... more and more of our clients are starting to say: can you provide us strategic guidance around paid search or SEO, or even display and social media? Can you just go ahead and use your software to run the campaigns or help fix up our websites? In effect, they are looking for partial business process outsourcing (PBPO) where software is used to automate a strategic business process and the overall process is componentized, allowing the client to keep some portions and outsource others."
This emerging demand for finished solutions rather than barebones toolkits is one of the factors that leads me to argue for the demise of packaged software. People these days are hungry for results, and the improved connectivity of the web environment makes it much easier and more economic to deliver those results than ever before. Ultimately, I hope we'll be able to drop the redundant 'as-a-service' tag too, and simply see it as standard behavior to buy reliable, automated business processes via the Web. | 4,083 | 2,039 | 0.000494 |
warc | 201704 | Birt&Tang's Redox herbal tea is formulated to contain high levels of antioxidants, which neutralise skin damage from external forces - such as the sun, pollution and wind - and also from internal factors, such as emotional stress.
Its unique recipe combines familiar sources of antioxidants - such as apple, vitamins C and E and plants extracts called 'polyphenols' - with traditional Eastern sources, such as cleansing green tea, turmeric root, black plum and Chinese cinnamon. For many centuries, Chinese traditional medicine has held that drinking herbal tea can help to counter the effects of ageing. Birt&Tang's Redox tea calls on many of these time-honoured principles to produce a tea that helps the skin resist oxidative damage and reduce inflammation. | 763 | 442 | 0.002271 |
warc | 201704 | As kids, rainbows signified something magical, an etherealness that had to do with fairies and leprechauns waiting at the end of the rainbow with a pot of gold. With age came a more logical explanation of moisture, sunlight and the reflection and refraction of light. But despite our understanding of the phenomenon, rainbows still have the ability to instill awe, similar to how witnessing auroras make us feel. Michael Jones McKean is a man with a passion for rainbows. His interest has led him to develop a system that actually creates a man-made rainbow which can be seen arching over the Bemis Center in Nebraska.
The Micronesia-born artist and Virginia Commonwealth University professor used repurposed rainwater and a solar system to accomplish this feat after having spent a good 10 years of his life researching the possibility. The man-made rainbow will be displayed for all to see twice a day for 15 minutes over the Bemis Center from June-September 2012. McKean’s rainbow installation can be seen from 1,000 feet away. Nine fountain nozzles emit a light mist of the repurposed rainwater into the air with the use of 60HP pressurized jet pumps.
McKean recently conducted a successful test run of his project which saw passersby stop to take pictures of the beautiful phenomenon. Bemis Center’s chief curator, Hesse McGraw, said that since the project doesn’t have to rely on actual rainfall, the system can be run for three-four weeks with no rain. Even if the state of Omaha in Nebraska receives average to below-average rainfall, the project can still operate for over 15 weeks.
After 10 years of research, McKean teamed up with Lindsay Corporation to develop an integrated system comprised of solar panels, commercial irrigation and rainwater collection systems. About 63,000 gallons of water were filtered to six holding bins having a volume of around 10,500 gallons. The water is collected from roof top gutters.
Via: Designboom | 1,965 | 1,038 | 0.000974 |
warc | 201704 | Catching a sight of ingenious manufacturers’ wits being swamped and hustling with churning out unprecedentedly innovative devices is something you should no longer be surprised of. At least, that’s what looks pretty run-of-the-mill when quick mental images get seamlessly transmogrified into an interesting collection of objects. To give you a glimpse of such latest innovation, a creative designer by the name of Fernando Laposse from Central Saint Martins, in London has just amazed all with his new Lufa Series of kitchen and bath products that boasts of loofa qualities.
At sixes and sevens about what exactly makes this series stand apart? Well, the Mexican designer not only reveals an eye-catchy yet green route to everyday lifestyle products, but also grabs attention for exploring the qualities of a loofah or luffa. For those of you who are not really aware, loofah basically is a sub-tropical and tropical vine that embeds a powerful network of fibers or xylem – which was pretty amazingly brought into action whilst creating kitchen and bath products.
To provide a detailed gist, loofah is a quite popular edible fruit across Asia. However, it revolves more around the cucumber and pumpkin clan and tends to grow vertically attaching itself to trees. Although the plant leaves little or absolute no roots at the back, but it is generally yielded and cropped with very minimal impact on the soil. The sustainable fruit can, in fact, even be put under for extensive use and a dynamic array of uses.
Probably having kept its wide usage possibilities into consideration, Laposse explored the hidden prospects of the fruit and rendered a whole new dimension to luffa. Since the sub-tropical and tropical vine integrates natural qualities such as translucency, lightness, heat insulation, and texture and shock absorption, the newly devised Loofah Series features all its natural qualities too.
However as far as its fabrication is concerned, the unique yet extremely purposive kitchen and bath products have been made using flattened loofah – that was sewn altogether and outlined to extend its possibilities. While the entire process of utilizing loofah was somewhat meticulous, the designer however still pulled the right chords and could seamlessly shape each piece carefully using the craftsman’s experience.
But coming to the Series, the desk (as an essential part) reflects depth and remarkable mobility – as Fernando quite intelligently adjusts the dimensions. The terra-cotta and loofah combination, on the other hand, will enhance the appeal through an intriguing contrast. What’s more, you will also get beautiful planter vases that neatly stretch out the look of its function to the natural environment. The designer, in fact, does not come to a standstill there as Lufa Series features several other interesting bath and kitchen products, ranging from the stylishly carved table to beautifully molded containers.
Availability? Well, Fernando Laposse is yet to divulge details there. However, the new and creative Lufa Series made using loofah looks undoubtedly promising for those who have a heart to demonstrate how we use our tolls and what we do with our lives in order to strike a perfect balance with our environment.
Via: FernandoLaposse | 3,306 | 1,672 | 0.000606 |
warc | 201704 | Two years ago The Rezidor Hotel Group launched their Women in Leadership initiative to increase the percentage of women in leadership positions within the company. Since then they have been creating working environments to overcome the barriers that may be blocking women from developing into senior leadership positions.
The latest initiative from the group in the Middle East is a flexible approach to maternity leave provision in order to ensure its female leaders are empowered to grow in their career with the company. Female employees are now entitled to 60 days maternity leave in the UAE, Oman and Qatar while those in Kuwait and Lebanon are entitled to 70 days.
“When it comes to the development and retention of our female leaders we believe in sustainable and lasting change with a focus on long term career planning for all and this, of course, includes support for mothers and pregnant women,” said Mark Willis area vice president Middle East & Turkey. “Our new maternity policy is designed to help working mothers achieve a reasonable work-life balance and to be available to care for their family.”
Rabih Zein, cluster general manager for Park Inn Muscat and Park Inn Duqm said,
“We support this initiative to support the women employees working in our hotels. Diversity and inclusion is the top priority of this programme. Were are working on creative solutions that will empower women to take advantage of the opportunities obtainable such as taking a more flexible approach to working conditions, personalized development palns and more open tactic to agility. This change initiative will be drive by and women in leadership members within the hotel and our sister hotels in Oman not just women.
In addition to the increased maternity leave, expectant mothers will also have the right to a reasonable amount of time off to attend antenatal care appointments and to be paid for this time off. New mothers will also have the opportunity to consider part time work until the child is one year old as part of Rezidor’s new flexible working arrangements.
WiL is part of Rezidor’s Employee Value Proposition, Our Promise, which was developed to attract, retain and develop the best people with a view to becoming the employer of choice in all markets. The programme represents a major, proactive mission to bring about a truly positive change in the company’s Diversity and Inclusion culture. | 2,452 | 1,196 | 0.000853 |
warc | 201704 | Neutralising the smell of rubber can be an important part of good health. Removing the odour is not challenging, but it can take time. The smell will typically dissipate within a couple weeks naturally, but there are ways to speed up the process and eliminate the odour in a shorter amount of time. Floor mats can be slightly challenging, depending on the size of the floor mat, but removing the odour is very important.
Skill level: Moderate Other People Are Reading Things you need Sunlight Fans Mild cleaner Wash cloth Water Odour neutraliser
Show MoreHide
Instructions 1
Set the floor mat in the sun. Sunlight will often minimise or eliminate the odour. If it cannot be moved into the sun, open windows during the time of day when the sun will come in through the window.
2
Provide good ventilation. Not only does this help move the odour and eliminate it, but it also prevents health problems associated with breathing in the fumes of the rubber mats. Opening a few windows and using a few fans to get the air moving should be enough.
3
Clean the floor mats with a mild cleaner. Dish soap, disinfecting cleaner, or any other mild soap with some water will work. Use a wash cloth and apply the cleaner. Rinse the floor mat to clean off the soap. Repeat a few times over the course of a couple days.
4
Spray or pour on an odour neutraliser. There are several brands available and many are sold in a spray bottle. Spray on the odour neutraliser and allow it to sit on the mat. Most odour neutralisers do not need to be cleaned off, although you should check the directions on the bottle to be sure.
Don't Miss 20 of the funniest online reviews ever 14 Biggest lies people tell in online dating sites Hilarious things Google thinks you're trying to search for | 1,773 | 915 | 0.001101 |
warc | 201704 | People have been hurting themselves as long as humans have existed.
I am a particularly injury-prone specimen.
In elementary school, every time I went to gym, I sprained an ankle.
Literally. This was so ongoing and consistent that eventually my pediatrician wrote me a doctor’s excuse from gym class, so long as I maintained regular exercise through swim team. I never went back to gym, and swam competitively through high school.
My brother joked that I could sprain an ankle tripping over a paint stripe. He made this joke, because it actually happened.
Never once did it occur to me to blame the paint stripe, walking, my shoes, my gym teacher, the Universe, the people around me. These things just happened.
However, there was a quiet voice in my head that suggested these things happened to me because I was somehow…disconnected, inattentive, unaware, checked out. I didn’t really know what to make of this idea, at the time.
Discussion in the yoga community is reaching fever pitch about how yoga can wreck your body.
The debate has raised hackles, frightened students, and elevated the visibility of some writers and teachers.
For years journalism has been tracing this theme, with articles I’ve found in Yoga Journal dating back to 1998. This discussion is not new.
Throughout it all I’ve wondered why so many have felt the need to defend yoga’s position as a physical form.
First, sometimes the best defense is no defense. Second, yoga is a technology for healing the spirit, the soul, and the emotions, by way of the body—its physical manifestation is at once immaterial and essential. Coming to yoga’s defense as a physical technology only more firmly entrenches it alongside forms of exercise, a trend that is happening all the more decisively all the time, and in my opinion is tragic.
Why does yoga potentially wreck your body? For so many reasons—allow me to list some of them: Shit happens You came to the practice without a sense of physical awareness in the first place, and over-did it You came to the practice without some baseline fitness, and over-did it You over-did it even though you possess a sense of awareness and fitness Your teacher asked you to do something beyond your capability, and you didn’t or couldn’t discern this, and over-did it You have a lifetime of injury, and something you did in class pushed past your edge You were comparing yourself to the person next to you You were comparing yourself to the teacher You were thinking about something else while practicing, and hurt yourself You weren’t breathing consciously You were holding your breath You were thinking about how great you look in the pose, and then over-did it Shit happens
This entire list really tells you more about
you than anything else. When you hurt yourself using a hammer, you don’t blame the hammer. When you hurt yourself using yoga, don’t blame yoga.
Injury, in any context, gives you an opportunity to look deeply into the situations in which you find yourself, and to learn from them.
Sometimes you have to look very, very deeply, in particular, when you have old history with an injury, and it may take a very long time to unfurl.
Let me tell you a story.
One of my original injuries is a right shoulder injury. I believe it began as far back as age eight when I first developed tendonitis from over-use in the pool. It was continually exacerbated through swimming as well as extensive piano practice—I played every day, and the right often gets more attention than does the left.
In middle school a “friend” yanked on my head while I was standing at my locker. I heard a
crunch in my neck and felt pain in my upper back, but said nothing about it to anyone. As time passed, the pain from practicing the piano turned into a complete numbness in the right mid and upper back. In college I developed ulnar neurosis in my right arm and had to stop playing the piano for a period of time.
After college while at a desk job, my shoulders and neck were so tight that I forced my acromio-clavicular joint back into place with a hobble
pop! that only created worse pain, and the need for some PT.
I don’t think I need to go on, right?
So, does it come as any surprise that eventually I began to have migraine headaches on the right side? Does it come as any surprise that eventually I made the decision to stop playing the piano, in part because it just hurt too much?
Cue yoga practice.
When I began having migraines, I started yoga, upon the recommendation of an ex-Navy Seal acupressurist.
At yoga, and specifically Forrest Yoga, I began to get the tools to heal my body, and also to trace back further into some of the psychological origins of these injuries that I sustained so very many years ago, and as a result to begin to mend the tears in the fabric of my spirit and emotions.
I began to see that the migraines’ onset were the tipping point in my life
and in my body. There were just too many false-hoods happening in my life, and my body said “enough!”
Yoga gave me this awareness and sensitivity.
Just this past year (note the very late date!), I
really felt for the first time what I had been doing to my neck and back, all those years of swimming: with each stroke I was anchoring into my body the conviction I had as a youth of being inadequate. Not fast enough, not slim enough, and therefore not the cool kid on the swim team.
Stroke, “not good enough.”
Stroke, “go faster.”
Stroke, “you’re too fat, that’s why you’re not faster.”
Stroke, “if you were faster, the other girls on the team would like you more.”
Stroke, “if you were faster, the boys on the team would like you more.”
Stroke, “you’ll never be good enough.”
Every. Day. Thousands of strokes.
Where did these thoughts go? Into my neck. Up, up, into my head.
When I realized this, I wept for the girl I was then, who felt these horrible emotions every single day and who burnt it into the cell tissue of her body in ways that poisoned her soul.
These tears were so cleansing, and just began to account for the years of tears unwept by that girl.
I wrecked my body. Not swimming. Not my coaches. Not the pool. I did it. I poisoned my soul. The responsibility is largely mine.
And
yoga gave me the help to see this, and the help to heal and recover, in ways that doctors and medicine never will.
Are my migraines gone? No. But when doctors cannot tell me what they are, where they come from, or even why or how my medication works, I find it tremendously comforting and empowering to have the self-knowledge that I do.
Have I hurt myself at yoga—absolutely. Could I wreck my body—certainly. But, I could also doing this crossing the street, and yoga has given me tools to use wisely to do exactly the opposite.
I now consider my myriad of life injuries as opportunities to study myself, and how I work in the world. Some of them, like the one that I’ve recounted here, are legacies of the past with strong roots in who I am right now. Sometimes when I hurt myself, it shows me the ways that I disconnect in the present, in new ways. Injury keeps me on my toes.
Consider injury to be your opportunity to look deeply into yourself, using yoga as the lens.
Like elephant yoga on Facebook. ~ Ed: Kate Bartolotta hot on elephant
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warc | 201704 | But you may like Matthew Crawford’s recently released
Shop Class as Soulcraft, An Inquiry Into the Value of Work, anyway.
If you work with your hands or make your living in the trades, most of what Crawford says is old news, but it is refreshing to see these views aired in the larger media universe. And you’ll enjoy that he takes the American education establishment to the woodshed for their failure to value people with a blue collar orientation or provide training and education for the same.
Crawford’s main argument is that the white collar life, especially in the high tech global marketplace, has become a soul deadening—too many people doing too many things that don’t matter. Success or failure isn’t really measured and doesn’t really matter because in the end it can all be papered over—much like the upbeat annual financial reports that issue forth from about-to-go-bankrupt corporations. Narcissists, bloviators and big egos thrive in such work cultures.
A carpenter’s level, however, never lies, Crawford reminds us, and failure in diagnosing and fixing motorcycles or erecting buildings leads to immediate and harsh consequences. Accordingly, those who make their living with their hands see the world, and themselves, in a different light, and a much more honest one at that. An honest relationship between people and their work, keeps them humble and careful and drives away the kinds of celebrity seeking characters, the cults of personality that often rise to the top of the big corporations and government.
Crawford got an early taste of wrenching and working as an electrician’s helper before going to college and getting a PhD in political philosophy. The PhD in him shows up a lot. This is to be expected in that the book is directed in part to the education establishment, but at times it reads like an academic treatise. If you’re not familiar with or interested in these big picture intellectual issues then parts of the book are going to be off-putting.
And unfortunately Crawford’s experience in the white collar world was limited to two fairly awful jobs before he ditched the coat and tie and took up what he loved most, repairing motorcycles, for a living. In the abstract, his analysis of the poverty of cubicle life is accurate for some, but he doesn’t realize or at least acknowledge that not everybody in the corporate world lives like the cartoon character Dilbert.
He also criticizes factory labor, assembly line work, as being soul deadening. One hundred or even fifty years ago, he would have been right, and he quotes a lot of turn-of-the-century and post-WWII social theorists on this point. But while factory work today is not the acme of human self actualization, Crawford fails to mention or acknowledge the Toyota-inspired kaizen revolution that’s reshaped so many assembly lines in just the last ten years—a glaring error of omission in the eyes of anybody involved in today’s manufacturing.
Crawford’s book invites comparisons to the 1974 publication
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I still find the older book more compelling, even though it addresses an issue that seems to lost traction over time–the differences between people who are intimidated by technology and those who embrace it. Pirsig’s book got its power from a dramatic narrative. It was basically a non-fiction novel, whereas Crawford’s book is expository in nature. Pirsig seasoned his book with lots of practical observations that drive home his point without need for argumentation. For example, the advice to put down your tools if it’s late in the day and you’re tired and come back to it the next day when you’re fresh. Or the recommendation to develop what the Zen teachers call a “beginner’s mind,” to diagnose some problems. Then there’s my all time favorite Pirsig quote: “Assembly of Japanese bicycle requires great peace of mind.”
But if Crawford’s goal is to expose the biases in the American education establishment, he’s rendered a valuable service. Unlike the trades, the experience of failure seems to be edited out of the education process, Crawford complains. Grade inflation, speech codes, diversity training, and fierce turf wars over insignificant issues—these have come to dominate the culture of the university because, again, like too many corporations, the universities aren’t attempting to measure anything consequential. They reward conformity rather than the independence of the tradesman who calibrates success by concrete measures. And yet high school guidance counselors urge more than 90 percent of their students to go to college, even though they know fewer than 60 percent will ever graduate.
I like Crawford’s conclusions as well, that the university should be reserved for just those few people who really relish high level books and intellectual discourse. He also brings up an issue that didn’t exist in Pirsig’s time, that of the Internet. As many white collar workers in the last ten years have come to realize, a lot of what they do can be done cheaper in India and China. You can’t hammer a nail over the Internet, as one of his sources says, but you can read an X-ray, program software, process data and engineer a steel beam or the geometry of a gear.
This, the outsourcing white collar work, gives some urgency to Crawford’s message. Guidance counselors may have not caught on yet, but many of the college-level, white-collar careers are gone for good. But mechanics, electricians carpenters, plumbers and equipment operators, those jobs can’t be outsourced. And to those lucky enough to realize it, the manual arts can bring the most satisfaction and the best part of what philosophers call “the good life.” | 5,917 | 2,840 | 0.000366 |
warc | 201704 | In 1990, the Transatlantic Declaration formalized relations between the EU and the US . Five years later, the New Transatlantic Agenda outlined a new framework for our relationship, including four areas for joint action: promoting peace, stability, democracy, and development; responding to global challenges; contributing to the liberalization and expansion of world trade; and improving communication and ensuring a long-term commitment to our partnership. 2014 Summit
The most recent EU-U.S. summit was held in Brussels on Wednesday March 26, 2014, following an invitation by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso to U.S. President Barack Obama. This was President Obama’s first visit to Brussels and to the EU institutions. Talks centered on major global challenges, including: sustaining the economic recovery; stemming climate change and ensuring energy security; meeting the challenges of the digital society; and, addressing a number of foreign and security policy issues, most prominently Ukraine. Leaders also took stock of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, characterizing TTIP as a unique opportunity to create jobs and promote growth in Europe, the U.S., and the world.
Ongoing EU-US Dialogues
Thematic dialogues ensure that many actors contribute to the transatlantic political process by encouraging legislators, businesspeople, consumers, scientists, academics, and citizens’ groups to build links with counterparts across the Pond.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Negotiations were launched in July 2013 for the trade and investment agreement known as TTIP. EU and U.S. negotiators meet alternately in Washington, DC, and Brussels, Belgium for talks aimed at removing trade barriers (tariffs, unnecessary regulations, restrictions on investment, etc.) in a wide range of economic sectors to make it easier for EU and U.S. companies to trade goods and services with each other and to invest in one another’s economy. Read more…
The Transatlantic Economic Council advances EU-US economic integration by bringing together governments, the business community, and consumers to work on areas where regulatory convergence and understanding can reap rewards on both sides of the Atlantic.
Chaired by the EU Trade Commissioner and the US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs, the TEC provides a high-level forum to address complex areas like investment, financial markets, accounting standards, and secure trade, along with more technical issues.
The Transatlantic Consumers’ Dialogue, made up of EU and US consumer organizations, develops consumer policy recommendations and promotes consumer interests in EU and US policymaking. Conferences take place once a year, alternately in the US and the EU, and produce recommendations related to food, nanotechnology, trade, health, and intellectual property issues.
The Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TBC), created on 1 January 2013 as the result of a merger between the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and the European-American Business Council (EABC), helps establish a barrier-free transatlantic market to serve as a catalyst for global trade liberalization and prosperity. TABD members include leading American and European companies, both large and small, with strong transatlantic credentials..
The Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue fosters dialogue between the European Parliament and the US Congress, including biannual meetings and teleconferences organized on specific topics of mutual concern.
In addition to such formal mechanisms above, Americans and Europeans are in daily contact at the working level on issues of mutual interest. Bilateral agreements cover issues ranging from agriculture to technology, and most areas in between.
For More Information | 3,937 | 1,906 | 0.000531 |
warc | 201704 | Havas Media, a global media network of Havas, has launched Meaningful Brands, a global framework that offers a new index, analysis and proprietary tools to measure and build brand value in the context of today’s demanding environment.
Worldwide and regional comparisons:
The analysis suggests that the next generation of brands will come from emerging economies. People in fast growing economies, such as Asian and Latin American markets record a stronger and healthier relationship with brands. The proportion of brands making a notable positive contribution to our lives increases to around 57 per cent in China, 30 per cent in Latin America, compared to 8 per cent in European markets, where people tend to be more skeptical and less engaged with brands. In the US, it’s 5 per cent.
Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media Asia Pacific, said, “The findings of Meaningful Brands analysis are especially relevant for marketers in Asia. It clearly shows the seriousness with which consumers in Asia look at the social, ethical and environmental aspects of a brand. As a region, which is growing at a rapid pace, the findings provide a huge opportunity to create the context that promotes the growth of brands. Companies and brands operating in our region can play a big role in transforming the lives of millions of people and contribute to the progress of their societies.”
By contrast, the situation in developed economies is the opposite. He said, “Brands in these regions are no longer seen to improve people’s quality of life. There is an aging and increasingly poorer middle class who are demanding that brands help them to lead and create new lifestyles that fit in to their new expectations and values. In order to survive, these brands must reevaluate their definitions of success and take up the challenge to make meaningful contributions to these people’s lives.”
Meaningful Brands helps brands develop relationship by understanding exactly what people expect from brands. It also helps track how successful companies are responding to these needs by understanding how these companies are contributing to wellbeing, both as citizens and individuals, and how they communicate these values to brands. It also shows that there's a big business opportunity for brands, which are able to satisfy consumers by creating wellbeing in the context of their new values, expectations and local market realities.
Key trends in India and China show that majority of consumers would pay 10 per cent more for socially and environmentally responsible goods in India and China. About 95 per cent and 85 per cent say they trust companies with a responsible or social profile more than those without, in China and India respectively.
For the record, the research was carried out from March to June 2011 across 14 markets - France, Spain, UK, Germany, Italy, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, China, Japan and India. The research took into account the views of 50,000 consumers via online panels. | 3,043 | 1,474 | 0.00069 |
warc | 201704 | Help to Save will be available to millions of people
Millions of workers who receive job benefits universal credit or working tax credits, and save £50 a month over two years through the new 'Help to Save' scheme will be rewarded with hundreds of pounds after two and four years.
This first bonus after two years will be up to half of the saving pot's value up to £600 - meaning a cash payment of up to £300. Savers who continue with the scheme for another two years then qualify for another 50 per cent bonus of up to £600. In total the up to £1,200 on savings of £2,400 will be paid, with savers having a pot of £3,600 by the end of four years. People will still be able to make withdrawals from the account during the two or four years to cover urgent costs, said the Government. And there will be no restrictions over how funds can be used at the end of the term. It's hoped the scheme will reduce the number of people turning to payday lending and other expensive means of borrowings during emergencies, after research showed almost half of British adults have less than £500 in savings available for a 'rainy day'. The Prime Minister today said 'Help To Save' is part of his "all-out assault on poverty" and promised the scheme will be introduced by April 2018. But critics said those on the bread line will find it hardest to give up £50 each month.
Savers will be able to earn hundreds of pounds in bonuses
Danny Cox, chartered financial planner at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Savings incentives clearly work, however the potential beneficiaries of these schemes will be the most hard pressed to get off the mark.
"Instilling the savings habit is not just about attractive products with low minimum contributions, there needs to be an education programmes alongside to promote the benefits of saving - a great habit where oak trees from acorns grow.” The scheme announcement comes ahead of George Osborne's Budget on Wednesday, where campaigners have accused the Chancellor hitting the disadvantaged with his renewed drive to cut state spending.
Mr Osborne today said: "This government is determined to improve the life chances of the poorest in our society and our new Help to Save scheme will mean millions of low income savers across the country could now receive a government bonus of up to £1,200 to help them build up their savings." | 2,416 | 1,220 | 0.000844 |
warc | 201704 | The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries is calling on the Chancellor to tackle the lack of competition in the mortgage market within his Pre-Budget Report.
In the Pre-Budget Report, the AMI hopes to see a review of the current stamp duty process and measures to improve competition in the mortgage market, making it easier for people to get a home loan. Robert Sinclair, director of the AMI, said that because intervention from the Government has resulted in a consolidated mortgage market – where six lenders account for approximately 90 per cent of the mortgages being written – it should take steps to rectify the problems in the market. "This artificial restriction on competition has meant lenders have kept new product costs high and some groups of consumers have been punished. It is essential that the Pre-Budget Report sets out plans to address these issues," he said. In order to increase competition amongst mortgage lenders, building societies and non-banking institutions need to be encouraged back into the market, Mr Sinclair suggests, and the Government should extend the current holiday on Stamp Duty as "an urgent requirement" until the housing market has showed stronger signs of recovery. Stamp Duty places a "disproportionate burden" upon those looking for a first time buyer mortgage, Mr Sinclair explained, because many are unable to extend their borrowing to cover the additional cost. Potential first time buyer mortgage customers need to be given greater incentive to get on the property ladder, such as shared ownership schemes, because helping first time buyers can "revitalise the market," he believes. Meanwhile, the current Mortgage Market Review – which could see the FSA take a more prominent role in regulating mortgage lending, particualrly in the buy to let mortgage sector – should not completely remove the responsibility of consumers for their own financial decisions. The AMI agrees with the proposal to pass responsibility for regulating second and subsequent charge mortgages to the FSA. Commenting on the proposals, Mr Sinclair said: "There is a real danger that the FSA will create a regime in which consumers feel they need to take no responsibility for their own financial decisions and consider borrowing to be risk free. The Government should re-examine the MMR proposals which concentrate on the 5% of the market who exhibit less favourable characteristics." © Fair Investment Company Ltd | 2,478 | 1,207 | 0.000841 |
warc | 201704 | Kombucha is loaded with probiotics, enzymes and B vitamins. It promotes the growth of healthy flora in your gut, acting as an overall natural health elixir.
Key kombucha benefits:
Energy booster Metabolism booster Digestive tonic Helps with detoxification Improves liver health Promotes healthy skin, nails & hair Has a unique, delicious flavour While kombucha is made using sugar, it is still a much healthier alternative to commercial sodas and fruit juices. The sugar is used to feed the Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria & Yeast (SCOBY); during the fermentation process the sugar is “digested” by the SCOBY and only a trace of sugar remains in the finished batch. The longer the fermentation process is, the less sugar there will be. Theonista Kombucha drinks are fermented using raw, unrefined evaporated cane juice. A note on sugar: Bottled in BPA-free plastic; please reuse, repurpose or recycle your kombucha bottle. Keep refrigerated & serve chilled.
Note that small clumps or sediment may form in your raw, living kombucha; this is normal. You can strain your kombucha if you prefer a smoother drink, or give the bottle a gentle shake to mix it up (just be careful when opening a shaken bottle)!
Caution
Although kombucha is natural and healthy it is also very potent; therefore we wouldn’t recommend kombucha for pregnant women, or children under 12, without guidance from a health care professional.
There is no established recommended daily intake amount for kombucha; it is suggested that 250-500ml per day is a good amount.
Ingredients
Theonista raw kombucha (filtered water, organic green tea, non-GMO unbleached evaporated cane sugar, active cultures), organic hibiscus, pomegranate juice (no sugar added). Absolutely no added colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Theonista Kombucha is brewed in a facility where peanuts & tree nuts may be present. Please Note: Please Note:
Faithful to Nature is an online retail store, specialising in a wide selection of natural supplements, vitamins, superfoods and health-related products. Our green team is all about helping you unlock your full potential to live a healthy life; however we are not medical professionals. Please do consult your health care practitioner when seeking medical advice.
Great flavour 24 Jan, 2016, By Nicole Have I recommended this product to a friend? I have and everyone loved it so far! If you are trying to replace fizzy sugary drinks in your diet, this is a great alternative. The same amount of effervescence with more nutrition. Bit pricey compared to standard fizzy drinks but so worth the price. Absolutely loved this flavour. Keep up the good work, Theonista! Tasty and Healthy 18 Nov, 2015, By Heidi So refreshing and a delicious alternative to sugary drinks. Love the natural bubbles. Seems to really help my digestion and energy. All 3 bottles tasted great 01 Sep, 2015, By Ilana I would like to say thank you too THEONISTA for the kombucha. All 3 bottles tasted great. Unfortunately I cannot explain why my body reacted the way it had to the first bottle I had ordered, but I am happy to say that the other kombucha was tasty and a big hit at our house. | 3,174 | 1,649 | 0.000612 |
warc | 201704 | Organizational Strategy ORGANIZATION STRATEGY Know Where You Are Going?
Organizational strategy is concerned with envisioning a future for your family business, creating value in the eyes of your customers, and building and sustaining a strong position in the marketplace.
"As a result of the current market conditions, continued success for many family businesses will be determined by how they can adapt to change - and to be able to do it quickly," according to leading family business expert
Don Schwerzler. Schwerzler has been studying and advising family business entrepreneurs for more than 40 years and he is the founder of the Atlanta-based Family Business Institute. "As we work with our family business clients, assessing their organizational strategy is an important part of our succession management strategy- we consider organizational strategy in terms of four key components, each with critical elements."
Organizational Strategy - Vision, Mission, Competitive Advantage
The first critical strategy element is Vision, Mission and Competitive Advantage, which describe the business a company is in, it's current and long term market objectives and the manner in which it differentiates itself from the competition.
Focused Purpose
Clearly defining short-term purpose
Ensuring mission is realistic
Serving the best interests of all stakeholders
Defining a point of differentiation
Future Perspective
Clearly defining long-term outlook
Appealing to the long-term interests of the company's stakeholders
Providing a foundation for decision-making
Strategic Advantage
Competitive advantage is a key driver to forming an organizational strategy
Competitive advantage is clearly understood by all stakeholders
Employees clearly understand how their role supports the company's organizational strategy
CHAOS BUSTERS 160 Key Business Questions will help you to focus on organizational strategy - external and internal Organizational Strategy - External Assessment
A second key strategy element is External Assessment, which reflects an organization's approach to gathering and analyzing essential market data. Included in this data are developing competitive profiles, studying macro and micro economic information, identifying industry opportunities and threats, and understanding what it takes to be successful in a given market.
Customer Profile
Clearly defining reasons why customers buy products or services
Clearly defining benefits that customers seek
Clearly defining reasons why customers would not buy products or services
Assessing customer bargaining power
Knowing customer preferred choice of distribution channel
Industry and Competitive Analysis Is Essential Component of Organizational Strategy
Identifying primary competitors
Identifying potential and indirect competitors
Clearly defining strengths, weaknesses and strategies of competitors
Assessing the threat of substitute products or services or new entrants into the marketplace
Understanding what it takes to be successful in a given market
Comparing customer growth rate with industry standards
Ongoing market evaluation process
Environmental Assessment
Defining and clarifying regulatory requirements
Assessing vulnerability to adverse business cycles
Summarizing opportunities and threats due to:
Economic conditions
New technology
Demographic structure
Legal or political events
The natural environment
Socio-cultural norms
Key Success Factors Are Identified With a Critical Thinking Process
Implementing a critical thinking process
Clearly measuring competitive intensity
Clearly defining product or service demand within your
market
Clearly defining drivers to success within your industry
Consistently monitoring key influences within your industry
Organizational Strategy - Internal Assessment
Internal Assessment is the key strategy element that reflects the company's ability to objectively evaluate its own strengths and weaknesses. This would include evaluating the company's management processes and how effectively it utilizes a "value chain" analysis approach. (Value Chain components are Research & Development, Production, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service)
Finance
Adequate funding of key initiatives
Utilizing a comprehensive pricing model
Consistently performing within a range of financial goals
Having a targeted long-range financial plan
Employing a "Cost / Benefit" approach to resource allocation
Financial plan allowing for economic or environmental disruption
Financial plan allows for flexibility
Employing the "If / Then" model when forming organizational strategy
Research and Development
Fully integrating all appropriate departments with R&D
Maintaining a creative and innovative process
Ensuring R&D has all required resources to successfully fulfill its function
Production
Fully integrating all departments to support production
Strategic partners consistently fulfill production commitments
Production process is cost-effective
Production process is flexible, fast and responsive
Marketing
Coordinating all departments to support marketing
Having a clearly defined marketing plan
Branding plays a critical role
Utilizing a marketing system or database to track customer and market information
Employing an effective product / service management process
"Competitive advantage" is a key driver for all marketing decisions
Employees take pride in the ability to promote products and services
Monitoring the ROI of all marketing campaigns
Sales / Distribution
Consistently achieving sales goals
Ensuring that sales teams / channels possess required skills to achieve plan
Ensuring that sales teams / channels are provided with the necessary information to achieve their goals
Employing a well-defined sales management process
Coordinating all departments to support our sales process
Tracking sales activity from lead generation through close
Does Your Organizational Strategy Emphasize Customer Service?
Clearly defining customer service standards
Meeting or exceeding customer expectations
Measuring customer satisfaction
Managers and employees share a high commitment to achieving customer loyalty
Maintaining a customer relationship management system that provides critical service information to make the best decision
Maintaining a high rate of repeat business, customer loyalty and referrals
Organizational Strategy - Objectives, Initiatives and Goals
Objectives, Initiatives and Goals are the final element of organizational strategy and illustrate a company's ability to articulate what it wants to accomplish, how it will do it, and when it will be achieved. Included in this process are defining direction, aligning financial and human resources, instilling accountability and determining critical measurements.
Organization Strategy Needs Vital Direction
Identifying key strategic objectives
Prioritizing action items by their importance to strategic intent
Ensuring objectives are quantifiable and measurable
Those responsible for implementation participate in the strategic planning process
Plans must specify how each area will contribute to achieving strategic plan
Resource Alignment
Allocating sufficient resources to achieve strategic intent
Clearly defining resources necessary for each objective
Evaluatiing individual or group capacity prior to assigning workload
Organization Accountabilities
Ensuring that employees understand how their roles and responsibilities relate to strategic objectives
Holding individuals accountable for their work
Employee goals reflect accountabilities and timeliness
Employing an internal system to routinely review the status of key objectives
Measuring key financial indicators
Utilizing a uniform format to measure and report performance
For many family businesses, the hope for the 2012 election was for the gridlock in Washington DC to be ended and the country put back on the road to a more fiscally responsible government.
The results of the 2012 election suggest that the next four years will be the same as the last four years – and that does not bode well for many family businesses. For many, the most important concern for family business owners will be survival and not succession.
The question for family business owners – “How will we best shape the future of our business?”
The answer to that question can then determine the organizational strategy needed to make the future vision for the family’s business a reality.
A good first step to the internal discussions about the future of the family's business is to consider engaging an objective business expert, one who understands family business dynamics, to join in the discussions about the future of the family's business.
If your family business is having problems with business strategies or problematic family relationships that are hurting the business, we can help. Use the ASK THE EXPERT form at the bottom of this page to get help!
"WITHOUT A GOOD QUESTION A GOOD ANSWER HAS NO PLACE TO GO..."
Chaos Busters - The Management Guide
Identifies 160 Key Business Questions
160 Key Business Questions are the keys to unlock the hidden potential of your organization!
160 Key Business Questions will stimulate creativity and innovation for your entire management team!
160 Key Business Questions will save you time and make your work more effective!
160 Key Business Questions is a Multi-purpose tool with unlimited applications!
http://www.family-business-experts.com/chaos-busters.html
PAYING IT FORWARD
Family Business Experts
Understands Family Values
Business Systems
and
Questions about your organization strategy? We Can Help!
Return from Organizational Strategy to SWOT Analysis | 9,804 | 3,936 | 0.000259 |
warc | 201704 | Introduction
It has long been known that wild birds represent a reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses worldwide but to date, wild birds have not been identified as the reservoir for the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain that has resulted in the rapid spread of this disease across Asia into Europe and Africa from 2005 onwards in domestic poultry, wild birds, and humans.
This virus is unique among the Avian Influenza viruses in that it has killed thousands of wild birds, resulted in over 200 human deaths, resulted in death or destruction of millions of domestic poultry, impacted negatively on people's livelihoods, commerce and trade, and eliminated a protein source of many people in developing and developed countries. This demonstrates the importance of understanding the ecology of this disease and the interphase between domestic and wild avian species.
Land-use changes resulting in farms and wetlands being closer to one another, and open grazing of poultry in rice fields and wetlands shared with wild birds creates mechanisms for transmission of viruses amongst these sectors. As well, spreading of infected manure as fertilizer, or water run-off from infected farms into natural habitats may also explain possible mechanisms by which disease moves from poultry production operations or households into wild bird habitats.
The unusual outbreak of H5N1 HPAI in wild migratory birds in China in 2005 which lead to the death of over 6,000 wild birds and the rapid geographic spread thereafter into West Asia , Europe and Africa has resulted in the need to carefully evaluate the role of wild birds in maintaining and spreading the H5N1 HPAI virus. While it is known that the legal and illegal trade of poultry and poultry products, or unintentional movement of the virus by humans are the primary sources of disease movement, the extent to which free flying wild birds contribute to sustaining and spreading the disease needs to be determined.
FAO EMPRES Wildlife unit fact sheet (July 2010) | 2,050 | 1,011 | 0.000993 |
warc | 201704 | Assessment methods based as closely as possible to real world experiences are called authentic assessment. Originally these were restricted to internship and apprenticeship experiences but have been expanded to the arts and other performances. The student is observed in action and the instructor provides feedback (direction). Now authentic assessment is being applied to all areas of the curriculum.
Real world experiences or simulations are normally complex and multi-faceted. A system is needed to analyze the complexities and to create clear criteria for student performance or their creation of a product. When provided with the assignment, a rubric establishes expectations. It is an authentic assessment tool which is growing in popularity due to its useful in assessing complex and subjective criteria.
Advantages of using rubrics in assessment include:
The common features rubrics share include:
Research Paper Full Course Assessment Rubric: Digital Video Project Rubrics: Automating Authentic Assessments with Rubrics Rubrics and Evaluation Resources (includes downloadable templates) Rubrics: Your Source for Information about Music Rubrics Weighted Rubrics Creating Rubrics Teachnology: The Online Teacher Resource- collection on rubric generators Rubrics 4 Teachers: Extensive Guide to Educational Rubrics Rubistar: Online tool to help teachers create rubrics Lesson Assessment Rubrics Jon Mueller's Authentic Assessment Toolbox Sample Presentation Rubrics Sample Literature Review Rubrics Sample Reflection Assignments/Reflection Letter Rubrics Sample Project Proposal Rubrics Sample Project Results Report Rubrics Sample Interview Paper Rubrics Sample Essay Rubrics Sample Persuasive Essay Rubrics Sample Library Research Assignment Rubric
Kenneth Teter
College of College of Medicine Engagement is the key to education. In the classroom, I engage my students by establishing a dialogue with them. Instead of simply reciting information, I ask questions. Why is the CDC in Atlanta? Students are surprised to learn that the original goal of the CDC was to eliminate malaria from the southern U...
Denise Gammonley
College of Health and Public Affairs My teaching is inspired by the work of Paulo Freire. I strive to create a sense of shared community within the classroom by promoting thoughtful dialogue, critical reflection, and acquisition of empirically based knowledge. My teaching goes beyond lessons about intervention strategies, research, and theory to inco...
Jacqueline LaManna
College of Nursing I love teaching! I love nursing! Fortunately, the educator role is integral to nursing practice. I have been afforded the opportunity to teach in a variety of positions for most of my nursing career. Each of these experiences has provided the foundation for my philosophy of teaching.I believe that pre-licensure ... | 2,851 | 1,399 | 0.000718 |
warc | 201704 | June is Dairy Month!
According to the International Dairy Foods Association, Dairy Month (originally National Milk Month) began in 1937 to promote drinking milk. It has become a fun annual tradition celebrating dairy's delicious and nutrient-rich contributions to the health, wellness and enjoyment of families across America.
This year more than ever, Dairy Month provides the perfect time to celebrate the nutritional value of milk and milk products for all Americans, especially those who need our help the most.
Domestic hunger is an issue that affects one in six Americans, including more than one in five children. In the land of plenty, this is an alarming statistic.
This means not only are our children are hungry, but they also might not be getting the nutrients they need such as fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium. And, as highlighted in the recent Wellness Impact report, this puts them at risk for adverse effects on their health and academic performance.
However, three out of four of these nutrients are delivered by dairy foods, making dairy an excellent value per calorie. In fact, milk is one of the top five foods requested by the clients of Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks, yet dairy foods only comprise about 5 percent of total pounds of food distributed per year.
That equates, on average, to less than one gallon of milk per year per person.
For nearly 100 years, National Dairy Council (NDC) has been at the forefront of advancing health and wellness, particularly among children, and was founded on behalf of dairy farmers. And dairy farmers believe that our children deserve better, which is why the dairy checkoff program through NDC has joined Feeding America and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to form the Future of Food Partnership.
Together, we are helping ensure Americans have access to one of their basic human needs?food?but also helping ensure that their food is nutrient-rich.
The Future of Food partnership is focused on increasing the availability of nutritious, safe and affordable foods across the country through innovative efforts to help alleviate hunger.
This month, the partnership will award the first ever nutrition initiative grants of $10,000 each to 10 food banks within the Feeding America network. These grants are designated to support nutrition education and increased access to dairy products and other in-demand nutrient-rich foods.
To help meet food banks' demand for dairy, NDC and its state and regional affiliates also are launching grassroots efforts nationwide.
Beginning in June Dairy Month, "Give Good with Dairy" will kick off in local communities to drive donations of milk, cheese and yogurt directly to food banks through retail partnerships, voucher programs and local events.
We also are hosting a photo contest where you can share what you are doing to give good.
So celebrate Dairy Month with us! Join our Future of Food efforts and together we can make a difference for families and children nationwide.
+++
Visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org to learn more about our programs, share our dairy delicious recipes, and connect with us in social media to work together towards building a healthier, hunger-free America.
Jean Ragalie, RD, is the President of National Dairy Council (NDC). In this role, she leads the development and implementation of nutrition affairs strategies and relationships with leading government and non-government health, nutrition and school professional organizations.Tags: Nutrition | 3,535 | 1,746 | 0.000576 |
warc | 201704 | Many are becoming increasingly dependant on air conditioning in everyday life. It is expected, if not demanded, that air conditioning should be everywhere. This has triggered a sizable increase in the amount of portable air conditioners available on the market.
There are many portable air conditioners on the market, some are small and quiet and others are rattlers that produce plenty of cold air but also require a small power plant to run them. What should be looked for in a commercial portable air conditioner?
The key factors to consider for portable air conditioners are efficiency and reliability. Efficiency means the amount of cold air that is produced versus the amount of power required to produce it. Many commercial offices have limited power available, most of which is often used by IT equipment.
Running multiple portable air conditioners can risk tripping out the power. The other factor to consider is reliability. Commercial portable air conditioners are largely used when the building’s main air conditioning has broken down.
With this being the case, the last thing needed is the back up air conditioner to fail. A good all round portable unit is AC 048. AC 048 produces 4.8kw of cooling capacity whilst running at 8 AMPS single phase.
There is a lot going on inside portable air conditioners, so they do create noise. However, Active Air Rentals’ air conditioners have been fitted with additional thermal and acoustic insulation to facilitate silencing.
When purchasing a portable air conditioner care should be taken as all portable air conditioners create hot air as well as cold air and the hot air will need to be exhausted somewhere. Make sure that the air can be vented somewhere away from the area that has to be cooled before renting or buying the unit. | 1,803 | 855 | 0.001181 |
warc | 201704 | Cape Town -The Western Cape economy is still growing, but lack of vigour in themanufacturing and construction sector is a cause for some concern, reckonsEconomists.co.za chief economist Mike Schüssler, who compiles the Sake24 and BoEPrivate Clients Western Cape Barometer.
In May thebarometer's main index fell 0.5% to 107.8 points.
In thethree months to May the regional economy was supported by expenditure growth ingovernment, as well as the transport, electricity and commercial sectors.
But thegrowth failed to create jobs. Unemployment in the Western Capeis currently at 20.5% and the barometer's employment index shows that in Maythere were 9.4% fewer jobs created in the province than a year ago.
It is thisfactor that drove up the barometer's stress index by 2.5% in the past threemonths, despite lower interest rates and inflation.
In thecommercial index the vehicle industry - with sales rising 23.9% in May -contributed to strong growth. Hotel and restaurant activities were 5.3% up.
Construction recovery will take time
The retailsubsector rose a mere 0.4%, but this was the first time in five months thatthis part of the commercial index reached positive territory. Furniture and household goods sales were a particular help.
Schüsslersuspects it was sales of flat screen television sets with a view to the2010 FIFA World Cup rather than furniture purchases which propped up the retailsector.
Thetransport index indicates that activities at the Cape Town, Saldanha and MosselBay ports increased by 3.3%, with passenger traffic at CapeTown and George airports 5.3% up in May.
But theconstruction index is still struggling. Although the number of completed housessmaller than 80m² rose by 2%, the number of bigger ones declined 26% whilecompleted townhouses, in turn, were 107% up.
Schüsslerexpects it will take considerable time for the construction industryto recover. He said the sector has also been affected by the sharp decline in theproperty market - related, in particular, to the reduction in residentialbuilding projects.
- Sake24.com | 2,090 | 1,100 | 0.000924 |
warc | 201704 | Health Conditions That Cause Balance Disorder
Hello Everyone,
Even though, balance wears away quite naturally and gradually with age, several conditions can disturb your equilibrium if they affect another bodily system that helps to maintain proper stability. Here are some common conditions that can mess with your sense of balance…
Diabetes
Uncontrolled diabetes can have a severe effect on the body—causing vision problems, improper functioning kidneys, nerve damage, oral issues, and troubles with balance. Instability typically results from a combination of loss of sensation, or nerve damage and inadequate blood flow to the bottoms of the feet. Unfortunately, unmanaged diabetes can cause serious blood vessel and/or nerve damage, which can ultimately result in severe foot problems and amputation.
Inner-Ear Conditions
It is said that “the ear bone is connected to the eye bone”. That is why the vestibular system, a mazelike bony structure in the ear impacts your vision and works to maintain a proper balance. According to balance disorder specialists at Portland’s Oregon Health & Science University, this is the reason why a simple ear infection can cause Vertigo; an unsteady sensation from any condition affecting the inner ear and overall balance.
Migraines
If you’ve ever suffered from a severe migraine, you can very well understand how the pain can cause motion sickness, vision issues, and even disruptions in balance as the sufferer becomes extremely sensitive to light and sound. Dizziness usually occurs when the body’s visual information system is unable to properly process exterior stimuli through the brain, needed to maintain a proper balance. Findings published in the Journal of Vestibular Research pointed to migraine-associated vertigo, a condition that, like traditional migraines, causes spasms, relaxed blood vessels, and alters blood flow in the brain. However, rather than targeting pain centres, migraine-associated vertigo attacks balance areas of the brain, causing instability.
Foot Pain and Foot Conditions
A very obvious cause of balance issues can be placed on a series of common foot conditions. Food problems—ranging from bunions to corns and hammertoes to foot pain—can all add up with steady footing and increase the chances of a slip and fall.
Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure, an acute condition known as hypotension, occurs when blood pressure in the arteries is low and the brain is robbed of oxygen-rich blood. As a result, light-headedness occurs, causing impaired spatial awareness and dizziness and fainting if sufferers sit or stand up too quickly. Those with low blood pressure typically read under 90/60.
Neurological Disorders
Issues originating in the nervous system can be the reason for many postural and balance problems. For example; Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or other ataxia-related disorders (atrophy of the brain’s cerebellum cells) patients often experience a decline in muscle control in the legs and arms, resulting in loss of balance, and decreasing posture, coordination, and equilibrium.
Certain Medications
While most medications are prescribed to help and heal us—many drugs carry side effects that can cause unfavourable condition for our balance. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to certain sedatives, antidepressants, antihistamines, and blood pressure medications that have been linked to vision issues, drowsiness, dizziness, and to causing damage to the inner ear.
Eye Diseases
We have already established that certain conditions can severely affect our vision and lead to balance issues (i.e. Diabetes). However, the eyes themselves can also be the sole reason for dizziness and loss of equilibrium if vision becomes impaired in some way. Optometrists say that yearly eye exams are vital to identify and prevent conditions like glaucoma and cataracts from messing with depth perception and healthy sight. In most cases, when diagnosed early, successful cataract surgery will help to fully restore balance.
Did you find this post informative about the health conditions that affect balance? You may also like reading- Silva Method Of Meditation For Well Being Beginner’s Guide To Meditation-Practical Steps Heal Yourself With White Light Meditation Workout With Meditation For Fitness Get Fit With Mindful Running Lesser Known Home Remedies Importance of Food Scale For Weight Watchers How Aerobics Helps In Making Body Flexible? Baby Food Diet-Does It Work? Get Fit With Mindful Running | 4,595 | 2,196 | 0.000464 |
warc | 201704 | This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include an upgrade for
Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SCVL), but downgrades for each of ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI). Shoe Carnival stumbles, doesn't fall No two ways about it: Shoe Carnival's fourth-quarter earnings report yesterday looked like a disaster. Revenues dropped 16% sequentially to an "adjusted" $0.16 per share, while earnings were down 73%. The dismal results only met analyst earnings estimates, and actually fell short on revenues. Meanwhile, same-store sales are projected to decline as much as 4% year over year in the current quarter.
And yet, this morning, analyst Standpoint Research looked at Shoe Carnival's results and called the stock a buy. With shares that stumbled not at all on the earnings news, actually perking up on the upgrade and trading 1% higher today, it appears investors agree. Are they right?
I'm not so sure they are.
I mean, on one hand, yes, priced at roughly 14 times earnings, paying a 1% dividend, and projected to grow at 15% annually over the next five years, Shoe Carnival shares
do look attractive at first glance. And if fourth-quarter results looked poor in comparison to third-quarter results, the year-over-year picture's not so clearly bad. While earnings were down from fourth-quarter 2011, sales, at least, were up a good 13%.
Still and all, for me the story here all comes down to cash production -- or rather, the lack of it. Even if Shoe Carnival is still reporting decent "earnings," the company's free cash flow number has turned firmly negative. FCF at the company has been declining for three years running, and last year, for the first time in eight years, Shoe Carnival burned cash rather than generating it. Personally, that's not a trend I want to invest in -- or a stock I want to buy.
ExxonMobil slips Could it be that the right way to invest today is to buy stocks that Wall Street tells you notto buy? If you think that's the case, then you might want to take a look at good old ExxonMobil, subject of a downgrade to "perform" at Oppenheimer this morning. Oppy may be worried by the effects of a big pipeline rupture in Arkansas last week. But investors should focus on whether the stock itself is still intact.
Priced at just 9.4 times earnings, Exxon shares are pegged for only 3.5% long-term earnings growth. On the other hand, they pay a decent dividend (2.5%), and the company's a rich producer of free cash flow -- $21.9 billion over the past 12 months.
Is that good enough, though, to justify owning the stock? Maybe -- if all you're looking for is a steady income stream paying out more than the local bank will give you for holding on to your savings account. Growth-wise, though, I still see Exxon's potential as limited. Even with its strong cash production, this stock costs close to 19 times annual free cash flow, after all. When you get right down to it, therefore, I actually agree with Wall Street on this one. As the preeminent producer of a product the world needs to keep running, Exxon may not necessarily be a stock you want to sell -- but it's simply too expensive to recommend buying anymore.
A Universal, Technical... sell rating I find myself even more in agreement with today's featured sell rating -- this one hailing from the analysts at Argus Research, and targeting vo-tech educator Universal Technical Institute. The company just lost backing last month from a bank that had been providing educational loans to its students. But the real problem here is the valuation.
Universal Technical, you see, costs a whopping 39 times the profits it earned last year. It's even more expensive relative to next year's projected profits -- 55 times the forward P/E. And it's even
more expensive relative to the real cash profits that it's not earning. Free cash flow at the firm, which in recent years had soared as high as $30 million, is now a miserable negative $1.3 million.
Although the company's generous 3.2% annual dividend yield may tempt dividend investors, the risks here look simply too great to justify a buy recommendation -- or even a hold. Universal Technical is now rated a sell by Argus, and it deserves the failing grade.
Fool contributor Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. | 4,477 | 2,175 | 0.000462 |
warc | 201704 | 1 Department of International Economics and Management, Copenhagen Business School2 Department of Strategic Management and Globalization, Copenhagen Business School
Subtitle:
A Process Perspective on Knowledge-Intensive Business Services
Abstract:
Although academic and public interest in service offshoring has increased in recent years, research remains focused mainly on antecedents and benefits of activities, overlooking process aspects. For that reason, we take a process perspective when conceptualizing around offshore outsourcing of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in this research. We characterize and dissect the production process of KIBS into five stages (problem-finding & acquisition, problem-solving, choice, execution, monitoring & evaluation) and consequently are able to analyze how offshore outsourcing differentially affects costs and value creation in the respective stages. The reconceptualization enables us to provide a clearer and more fine-grained picture of the effects of offshoring and outsourcing decisions, thus helping to further develop our understanding of the reasoning to relocate services geographical and organizational.
Type:
Conference abstract
Language:
English
Published in:
Academy of International Business. Annual Meeting. Proceedings, 2012
Main Research Area:
Social science
Publication Status:
Published
Series:
Academy of International Business. Annual Meeting. Proceedings | 1,453 | 758 | 0.001336 |
warc | 201704 | 25, March 2016: Advances in VOIP-COIP technology have been incredible over the past few years, more than in the last decade in many areas. Communications have been advanced to the point that we can now use the internet for all phone calls at a much-reduced price over landlines.
For the first time there are more mobile phones than landlines, so just as we see phone booths disappear throughout the country, we are now seeing the landline phones vanish along with the old phone booths. When we look back over the history of the telecommunications industry, it is amazing how many advances we have seen, including the cellular phones which started out as backpack size devices.
As we are now seeing, cell phones usage continues to grow with nearly 255 million users at this point in time. Given the latest advances, I expect to see even more wireless phones, which are now devices, or computers, not just an old cell phone which was voice only. Texting has also exploded along with the demand for more bandwidth as texting, and these new applications are sucking off bandwidth to a point where we are fast approaching what is called peak bandwidth.
Recently we saw this come to the surface with the introduction of the 3GS iPhone, which AT&T could not support due to lack of bandwidth. Is this just an isolated case, or is it more than that? Experts are saying the bandwidth issue is real and not just impending anymore, but here now, and the above report in the Wall Street Journal indicates the industry is scrambling to expand the bandwidth, but will it happen in time. I think most of us have experienced more dropping of calls and no connections in last year than ever before, so yes, we see the problem surface quickly.
Madden mobile hack tool online no download .
Experts in the industry have already stated that if every cell phone user were to make a call at the same time, less than one in four would get a connection. I know myself I have had more recordings of all circuits are busy, so is this a growing problem with texting being called the bandwidth hog of the cellular industry. After all, who thought texting would explode as it has with the younger users in particular? I know I didn’t, and I have yet to text someone, although I am now getting text advertisements, which is the new spam of the cell phone industry as I see it. | 2,356 | 1,183 | 0.00085 |
warc | 201704 | Dave Ramsey Falters In A Crummy Economy
by, 12-28-2008 at 08:38 PM (4485 Views)
I know many people who are followers of Dave Ramseyís financial advice. Since the economy has tanked, it seems like Iím seeing even more people joining the Dave bandwagon, looking for a way out of the financial messes that they have gotten themselves into. His ďTotal Money MakeoverĒ and the associated baby steps can be a decent starting point for those who have no idea where to start or who have never tackled financial topics before. Itís simple and fairly easy to follow advice. It may be a bit too simplistic and ďone size fits all,Ē but itís not a bad starting point, generally speaking. However, lately Iíve found myself questioning whether or not his advice is still valid given the current economic climate. In a down economy, most of us want protection and preservation. We play defense to save what we have. Daveís advice is more offense-oriented, requiring you to aggressively pay down debt as fast as possible and get on to wealth building. Not a bad idea when jobs are plentiful and salaries keep growing. When money is everywhere, itís easy to dedicate a lot of it to debt repayment and investing. But when the economy is bad and the threat of job losses and declining investments make us want to hole up and hide, other approaches might be saner. Does the current economic situation require a reordering or rethinking of Daveís advice? With so many people looking to clean up their financial houses, is Dave still the best place to start? Let me take a look at each of his baby steps and see if his advice still holds in a down economy. Save up $1,000 to start an emergency fund I have a couple of problems with this bit of advice. First of all, for most emergencies, $1,000 isnít nearly enough, in good times or in bad. It wonít pay for a new roof or a new heating system. It will only pay for a bare bones appliance replacement. If something big goes wrong with your car, $1,000 wonít cover it. $1,000 will barely scratch the surface of most emergency needs. You need a much bigger emergency fund than this and in a bad economy with prices rising daily, you need it sooner rather than later. That brings me to my second problem with this bit of advice. Dave advocates saving up the bigger nest egg in Step 3, after all your debt is paid off. However, in a bad economy, youíd better be saving all you can as fast as you can. If you get laid off or put on a reduced schedule, that $1,000 will be gone in a very short time and youíll be back to living on credit. In a good economy when jobs are secure, you might be able to get by on that $1,000 emergency fund until the debt is paid off. If you want to be secure in a down economy youíd better have that larger emergency fund (or be actively building it) against the day that your job is eliminated. Pay off all debt using the snowball method Paying off debt is good. I wonít disagree with this. And I donít disapprove of the snowball method (in which you pay off the smallest debt first and then add that payment to the payment youíre making on the next largest debt and so on until all debt is paid). However, in a down economy you need to evaluate whether aggressively paying down debt this early in the plan is the best thing for you. (Obviously, you donít want to be incurring any new debt in a down economy if you can avoid it.) If you are facing the prospect of a job loss or pay cut, you might be better served by continuing to pay the minimums on your debt and funneling all your extra cash to your emergency fund. Being debt free is nice, but not if it means that you have no money in the event of a lay off. If that happens, youíll be racking that debt back up in no time. If you still have debt but have plenty of cash on hand, you can at least keep the debt load from growing while youíre unemployed. When things turn better and your job situation is more secure you can turn your attention to this step and pay down your debt. But in the meantime, stash all the cash you can in order to protect yourself. Save up 3 to 6 months of living expenses In a down economy, I donít think this should be Step 3 on Daveís plan. It should be step one. As I noted before, you need to have cash on hand in a down economy to protect you in the event of a layoff. Three to six months is probably too little. Jobs take longer to find in a bad economy because many people are competing for a small number of positions. Iíd aim for six to eight months of living expenses. The more you can get, the better. Start saving this larger nest egg as soon as possible and keep adding to it until you have enough to cover six to eight months of living expenses. This should be your priority in a bad economy. Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement accounts Bad economy or good, I would advise that you contribute at least something to your retirement portfolio at all times. The good news is that in a down market, every bit that you can plow into a 401K or mutual fund IRA is buying you more shares at a deeply discounted rate. You may not reap the benefits immediately but when the market rallies, youíre primed to take advantage. If you wait until all debt is paid off (which for some could be a long time) and you can contribute Daveís full 15%, you miss out on the fire sale and all that compound interest you could earn over time. You also miss out on any free money that your employer might match with yours. You might be drawing on your retirement money for as long as thirty years. You need all the time you can get to save up enough to cover you if you live a long life. If you wait until all the debt is paid off, you are cutting into your prime savings time and missing out on some bargains. If money is tight and you canít do two things at once, save up your larger emergency fund first to take care of any immediate crises and then divide any extra between a retirement plan and your debt repayment. Once your emergency fund is big enough, the debt is paid, the economy is better and you are in a secure financial place, up your contributions until you get to 15%. Save for your kidís college educations In a down economy, I would eliminate this step entirely unless you are very well off and donít have any other needs for the money. Itís great to be able to help your kids pay for school, but not if it comes at the expense of your own needs. I would continue to add to the emergency funds and retirement accounts and pay off my home before setting aside money for college. Your kids can get scholarships and aid for school (and some might not even go at all), but you have to protect yourself first. Pay off your home early A noble goal and one that will free you from a mortgage payment. I would take care of this step before saving for the kidís college educations. Without a mortgage payment, youíll be able to save for college that much faster and your own interests will be protected. In a down economy, being free of a mortgage is a great thing and one that frees you to take lesser paying jobs or work less in the event of a layoff. Invest in mutual funds and real estate to build wealth and give The mutual funds part I agree with, although you need to know what youíre doing or have a trusted financial advisor to help you pick some good ones. You donít want to invest in junk. Even in this economy there are some good mutual funds out there, but youíll probably need direction to find them. If you get into some good funds and have a substantial amount invested, you can live off of the interest, let the principal continue to build wealth for you, and reduce the amount you need to work. Real estate, however? Correct me if Iím wrong, but isnít over-speculation in real estate part of what got us into this economic mess in the first place? Isnít that, at least in part, what drove prices sky high and then caused the bubble to explode? I donít deny that owning some real estate can be a decent investment and right now it is a buyerís market. However, you have to know what youíre doing. Simply ďinvesting in real estateĒ wonít cut it. Are you going to rent the property? Can you handle the landlord aspects? Can you comfortably carry the mortgage(s) until the rental pays for itself? Are you going to sell it? (Good luck in this market.) Do you understand pricing enough to know when youíre paying too much or when something is a deal? Are you going to be a ďflipper?Ē (I hope not because a lot of those people got burned in the recent bubble bust.) Dave says to invest in real estate on the theory that real estate always goes up in value, but weíve now learned that this isnít always true. You can lose your shirt in real estate, particularly if you donít know what youíre doing (and even if you do). I would seriously question this piece of advice before deciding to put much of my nest egg into real estate. The giving part of this step is a good one for those who have reached this point and have the means. In a down economy many people stop giving in order to protect their own finances. However you got your wealth, whether it was by following Dave or hitting it lucky in the lottery, please do give to help others. The idea that you should do one step at a time and not do things in conjunction with one another is where I think Dave falters most in a down economy. Weíre trying to deal with a lot of things at once and some multi-tasking is required in order to make the most of our money and time. Particularly if youíre working against a ticking clock where a job loss is imminent, you may need to allocate your money to several steps at once to prepare for unemployment rather than plodding along through one step at a time. -M. Ellis (Continued in the next post.) | 10,054 | 4,270 | 0.000241 |
warc | 201704 | Summary: Fundraising article by Kimberly Reynolds about the importance of
Return On Investment (ROI) in fundraising. Improve your bottom line by keeping an eye on expenditures.
A business investment consists of working capital, physical assets, and people’s time. ROI is the net gain that results from a business spending money and utilizing physical assets, along with the expenditure of employees’ time, in an effort to produce tangible profits.
So, the “investment” in a fundraiser consists of:
any up-front expenditures that are required the costs associated with the assets that are utilized the value of people’s time spent fundraising Watch Your Fundraising ROI Some key points about ROI in fundraising:
1) Analyze your up-front expenditures vs. your net gain
2) Lowering costs boosts your ROI, but maybe not your net 3) Always consider the hourly value of each volunteer’s time Put an ROI value on upfront expenditures
The most important point is to analyze all of your up-front spending versus the net gain from each expenditure. Obviously, don’t spend money if nothing is actually gained.
One example would be evaluating advertising expenses for a capital campaign. Before you commit to it, run a small series of test ads to determine the response rate.
If you don’t get the desired response, either revise your ad campaign or consider not spending any more money on advertising.
Look for areas where the returns are greatly magnified for every dollar spent. This generally includes effective publicity, quality communication, targeted prospect lists, and timely reminder campaigns.
Put an ROI value on cost reduction vs. net profits
Lowering costs boosts your ROI measurement, but your net can be impacted by the lack of investment. If there is an area where money spent in the past produced excellent results, then be sure that this year’s plan provides additional investment capital for that effort.
A good example involves possibly cutting the funding for your capital campaign mailing. Sure, you can cut your expenses by not mailing to anyone that didn’t respond last year.
However, the law of large numbers will catch up to you. Less people contacted means less money contributed.
Remember, it doesn’t always take money to make money, but not spending money where it is really needed can seriously impact your results.
Put an ROI value on your fundraising volunteers time
Another important ROI point to remember is the value of each volunteer’s time. Each volunteer-hour worked to raise money for your fundraiser should at least be equivalent to minimum wage. Otherwise, your group is wasting their time by not working smart.
An example would be spending a total of 1,000 volunteer hours coordinating an auction event that only raised $5,000. Chances are that many groups would be happy with the $5,000 net, but the ROI on everyone’s time was marginal.
Put an ROI value on your merchant partners
In this instance, you want to maximize the value of everyone’s time by giving them specific tasks and full instructions. Don’t take a scattershot approach by going all the area merchants and asking for donations of merchandise.
Instead, develop rapport with those merchants by providing value for them all year long before you ask them for a large donation.
Ways to improve your fundraising ROI
Focus your efforts where you’ll get positive responses and avoid wasting your time on unproductive endeavors.
Each person who helps out in a fundraiser is offering their time in exchange for something that benefits everyone.
Give them specific assignments that focus on maximum results. Don’t waste people’s time or you will discourage future participation.
Why your fundraising ROI is important
Watch your ROI. It’s a good indicator of the health of your non-profit organization. If the number is too low, your group will be constantly recruiting people to replace those who aren’t interested anymore.
Your donors and volunteers won’t return because their time wasn’t valued, they saw their money being wasted, and they also saw penny-pinching where open purse strings would have been a better solution.
Design your organization to maximize your fundraising ROI and you’ll position your group for success for many years to come. | 4,382 | 2,003 | 0.000516 |
warc | 201704 | Overview
Although a tree may be cut down, only half of the organism has been removed. The rest of the tree is under the ground in the stump and root system. Removing the exposed roots and stump can be a labor-intensive process. Although you can hire it out to someone with heavy machinery, you can remove the tree and the exposed roots yourself quickly and dig up the roots. This process is known as grubbing. Grubbing can be quite strenuous, but according to Louisiana State University's agriculture department, it is the easiest method of removing a stump.
Step 1
Dig a 2-foot-deep trench around the tree trunk in a 4 foot wide circle using a mattock or grub hoe.
Step 2
Cut through each root you find, using an ax, a pair of branch loppers or a mattock.
Step 3
Push the tree stump on its side and cut through the roots below the tree with an ax.
Step 4
Pull the trunk out of the soil by yanking and twisting to sever the remaining roots.
Step 5
Dig around big surface roots with the grub hoe. Cut through the sections of roots and remove them as you expose them.
Step 6
Fill in the hole left behind in the with loose soil. | 1,140 | 611 | 0.001658 |
warc | 201704 | What exactly is a Tree and what are a Trees Life Stages.
Author Message James Kilkelly Rank: Site Admin Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 2142 Location: West of Ireland
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:44 pm Post subject: What exactly is a Tree and what are a Trees Life Stages. What exactly is a Tree and what are a Trees Life Stages.
A tree is a large, perennial, woody plant.
Though there is no set definition regarding minimum size, the term generally applies to plants at least 6 m (20 ft) high at maturity and, more importantly, having secondary branches supported on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance (see shrub for comparison).
Compared with most other plant forms, trees are long-lived.
A few species of trees grow to 100 m tall, and some can live for several thousand years.
Trees are important components of the natural landscape of Ireland and significant elements in landscaping and agriculture, supplying orchard crops (such as apples).
Trees also play an important role in many of the Irelands mythologies, for example the hawthorn
Classification
A tree is a plant form and trees occur in many different orders and families of plants.
Trees thus show a wide variety of growth form, leaf type and shape, bark characteristics, reproductive structures, etc.
The earliest trees were tree ferns and horsetails, which grew in vast forests in the Carboniferous Period; tree ferns still survive, but the only surviving horsetails are not of tree form.
Later, in the Triassic Period, conifers, ginkgos, cycads and other gymnosperms appeared, and subsequently flowering plants in the Cretaceous Period.
Most species of trees today are flowering plants and conifers.
The listing below gives examples of many well-known trees and how they are typically classified.
A small group of trees growing together is called a grove or copse, and a landscape covered by a dense growth of trees is called a forest.
Several biotopes are defined largely by the trees that inhabit them; examples are rainforest and taiga (see ecozones).
A landscape of trees scattered or spaced across grassland (usually grazed or burned over periodically) is called a savanna.
The basic parts of a tree are the roots, trunk(s), branches, twigs and leaves. Tree stems consist mainly of support and transport tissues (xylem and phloem).
Wood consists of xylem cells, and bark is made of phloem and other tissues external to the vascular cambium.
Morphology
Trees may be broadly grouped into exogenous and endogenous trees according to the way in which their stem diameter increases.
Exogenous trees, which comprise the great majority of modern trees (all conifers, and all broadleaf trees), grow by the addition of new wood outwards, immediately under the bark.
Endogenous trees, mainly in the monocotyledons (e.g. palms), grow by addition of new material inwards.
As an exogenous tree grows, it creates growth rings.
In temperate climates, these are commonly visible due to changes in the rate of growth with temperature variation over an annual cycle.
These rings can be counted to determine the age of the tree, and used to date cores or even wood taken from trees in the past; this practice is known as the science of dendrochronology.
In some tropical regions with constant year-round climate, growth is continuous and distinct rings are not formed, so age determination is impossible.
Age determination is also impossible in endogenous trees.
The roots of a tree are generally embedded in earth, providing anchorage for the above-ground biomass and absorbing water and nutrients from the soil.
It should be noted, however, that while ground nutrients are essential to a tree's growth the majority of its biomass comes from carbondioxide absorbed from the atmosphere (see photosynthesis).
Above ground, the trunk gives height to the leaf-bearing branches, aiding in competition with other plant species for sunlight.
In many trees, the arrangement of the branches optimizes exposure of the leaves to sunlight.
Not all trees have all the plant organs or parts mentioned above.
For example, most palm trees are not branched, the saguaro cactus of North America has no functional leaves, tree ferns do not produce bark, etc.
Based on their general shape and size, all of these are nonetheless generally regarded as trees.
Indeed, sometimes size is the more important consideration.
A plant form that is similar to a tree, but generally having smaller, multiple trunks and/or branches that arise near the ground, is called a shrub.
However, no sharp differentiation between shrubs and trees is possible.
Given their small size, bonsai plants would not technically be 'trees', but one should not confuse reference to the form of a species with the size or shape of individual specimens.
A spruce seedling does not fit the definition of a tree, but all spruces are trees.
Bamboos by contrast, do show most of the characteristics of trees, yet are rarely called trees.
Life stages
The life cycles of trees, especially conifers, are divided into the following stages in forestry for survey and documentation purposes, though the boundaries between stages vary among gardeners and foresters:
1. Seed
2. Seedling: the above-ground part of the embryo that sprouts from the seed
3. Sapling: After the seedling reaches 1 m tall, and until it reaches 7 cm in stem diameter
4. Pole: young trees from 7-30 cm diameter
5. Mature tree: over 30 cm diameter, reproductive years begin
6. Old tree: dominate old growth forest; height growth slows greatly, with majority of productivity in seed production
7. Overmature: dieback and decay become common
8. Snag: standing dead wood
9. Log/debris: fallen dead wood
Tree diameters are measured at height of between 1.3-1.5 m above the highest point on the ground at its base (known as "breast height").
The 7 cm diameter definition is economically based, from the smallest saleable stem size (for paper production, etc), and the 30 cm diameter is the smallest base diameter for sawlogs.
Each stage may be uniquely perceptive to different pathogens and suitable for especially adapted arboreal animals.
List of tree species native to Ireland
* Alders
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
* Ashes
Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
* Birches
Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)
* Cherries and Plums
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
* Elms
Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
* Hawthorns
Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
* Hazels
Common Hazel (Corylus avellana)
* Hollies
European Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
* Junipers
Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
* Oaks
o Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)
o Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)
* Pines
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
* Poplars
Aspen (Populus tremula)
* Rowans and Whitebeams
European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) and several related apomictic microspecies
* Strawberry Tree
Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo; Ireland only)
* Willows (Salix spp.; several species)
* Yews
European Yew (Taxus baccata)
Native large shrubs
These larger shrubs occasionally reach tree size:
Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
Naturalised trees
* From Europe
Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster; rarely)
European Black Pine (Pinus nigra; rarely)
Norway Spruce (Picea abies; rarely)
European Larch (Larix decidua)
European Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris; often regarded as native)
European Pear (Pyrus communis; sometimes regarded as native)
Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
European Beech (Fagus sylvatica; widely considered native to Ireland, but probably a Norman introduction)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa; a Roman introduction)
Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
* From Asia
Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi)
* From North America
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Black Spruce (Picea mariana; rarely)
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)
Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa; rarely)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html It uses material from the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree _________________ Gardening books.
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warc | 201704 | Walk into a dark room and flip a light switch on.
This simple action connected an electrical circuit and caused a light to illuminate the room. That switch is a mechanical relay. Relays are fundamental building blocks that allow circuits to be operated and are found in every day products. At GE Global Research, we miniaturized the relay using MEMS technology to create ultra small switches (about the width of a single hair strand) that are able to turn electrical systems, such as a light bulb, on and off. Historically, MEMS devices have been made to sense or control signals. Our MEMS microswitch is able to switch and control power; not just signal power but hundreds of watts, even kilowatts of power.
Now MEMS switches are nothing new, people have been researching and developing this technology for well over a decade. What we have done at Global Research is develop the materials, the designs and the fabrication techniques that extend this miniature switching technology’s power handling capability by nearly 2 orders of magnitude. This enables our MEMS microswitch devices to serve a wide range of applications from handheld electronics such as cell phones, to relays that control lighting and even electrical protection devices such as circuit breakers.
Last week we gave you a glimpse into how we make these metal MEMS devices in a cleanroom. We fabricate these metal MEMS switches on silicon wafers for applications that require higher power (relays) and we fabricate these switches on quartz wafers for applications that require higher signal frequency (RF communications). On a single small chip we are able to pack hundreds of microscopic relays together that work in unison to switch up to 500V and control a few amperes of current. Also, because we miniaturized the relay to be smaller than a human hair it is 1000 times faster than traditional mechanical relays while still retaining the low on state resistance of a mechanical relay.
Imagine what you can do with ultra small switches . . . where can they go? . . . what can they control?. . . We are doing just that every day in our labs at GE Global Research. Now, we are investigating how to apply this technology to improve energy, healthcare and infrastructure challenges facing today’s world.
In following video, we take you inside our lab to show you how these relays are so small, yet so powerful. Take a look and let us know what you think. Where would you use switches like these? | 2,478 | 1,210 | 0.000832 |
warc | 201704 | The global
Glyphosate Market was valued at around USD 5 billion in 2012. It is likely to reach USD 9 billion over the forecast period (2016-2024). Increasing population and the rise in demand for genetically modified (GM) crops are expected to driver of the glyphosate market. Browse Report summary and TOC of “Glyphosate Market”@ https://www.hexaresearch.com/research-report/glyphosate-industry
Increase in crop consumption for biofuels and animal feed can propel market growth in the coming years. Moreover, development in the field of genetically modified crops promoting weed resistance is likely to boost market growth. This product helps farmers in reducing the degree of tillage, further positively affect the market.
Glyphosate is used extensively in gardens and home landscaping. It effectively kills annual and perennial grasses along with dandelions, broadleaf weeds, shrubs, poison ivy, kudzu, and other weeds.
Using this product in a large quantity can lead to an increase in immunity in the weeds. Additionally, it can increase the toxicity related risks can also challenge the growth of the glyphosate industry. The market is bifurcated into applications and regions.
Applications comprise of conventional crops and genetically modified. The conventional crops segment dominated the demand accounting to over 52% of the total consumption in 2014. However, the genetically modified crop based application can exhibit the highest gain over the forecast period.
Regions are divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the RoW (Rest of the World). Asia Pacific held the largest market in 2013. It is expected to continue doing so, over the forecast period, owing to the rapid adoption of the product in countries like India and China.
North America can exhibit substantial growth over the eight years. The growth can be attributed to the awareness of the increase in agricultural yield. However, European glyphosate industry held around 15% of market share in terms of total volume, in 2014. However, it is likely to show less demand due to the unfavorable regulations of the region.
Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group Company Limited, Monsanto, BASF SE, and SinoHarvest Corporation are some of the major competitors of the global glyphosate market. Monsanto is leading the worldwide market, owing to the role in the introduction and adoption of crops that are glyphosate-tolerant. The players engage in mergers and acquisitions as a part of their strategic activities.
Browse Related Category Reports @ https://www.hexaresearch.com/research-category/agrochemicals-and-fertilizers-market About Us:
Hexa Research is a market research and consulting organization, offering industry reports, custom research and consulting services to a host of key industries across the globe. We offer comprehensive business intelligence in the form of industry reports which help our clients obtain clarity about their business environment and enable them to undertake strategic growth initiatives.
More information @ www.hexaresearch.com
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warc | 201704 | 市場調查報告書
非洲地區的汽車排放氣體及燃料相關標準 African Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Standards 出版商 Frost & Sullivan 商品編碼 366622 出版日期 內容資訊 英文 39 Pages
商品交期: 最快1-2個工作天內
價格
本報告提供非洲各國的燃料、排放相關的法律規章及標準調查，汽車的排放氣體的區分和健康受害，各種排放標準概要，合規性要求，監督機關，EU的趨勢等彙整資料。
African Countries to Represent the Largest Vehicle-related Pollutants Markets Worldwide
This market insight covers fuel and emissions standards globally with an emphasis on the adoption in African countries. The study provides an overview of emissions standards as they have developed in developed markets and the requirements of these directives. The research looks to determine if policy directives are adhered to on the ground, i.e., whether the fuels sold at service stations meet the standards voiced by government authorities and how are sulphur levels being reduced on the continent. The study also discusses the emissions elements in detail and looks at their impact on health.
本公司檢索負責人員將免費協助尋找顧客的市場調查資料，提供提議服務。請由下列[免費委託檢索]按鈕詢問。 | 1,848 | 973 | 0.00198 |
warc | 201704 | At about 1PM this afternoon—a piece of an old Russian-built weather satellite sped by the International Space Station, dangerously close to the station. It’s the fourth time that astronauts aboard the ISS have “sheltered” because of space junk.
As NASA explained this morning in a short blog post about the move, the crew aboard the ISS were asked to take shelter in the Russian Soyuz vehicle currently docked on the station. NASA called the move “a precaution due to an anticipated close approach of a piece of space debris to the orbiting complex,” since these vehicles are the safest place to be in the event that the ISS is damaged.
Normally, the spacecraft would simply move out of the way of the debris if it had been spotted soon enough—though sheltering has taken place four times before, including in 2012 and 2011, but manoeuvring around debris is more common. Thankfully, the crew was given the all-clear minutes after the debris passed. But it’s another reminder that space junk is becoming more of a problem every year.
Explaining why we don’t yet have a system for clean up isn’t easy—it’s a mixture of complex technological and geopolitical issues. Last year, io9’s Mark Strauss talked to Theresa Hitchens, who directs the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, about the growing problem with space debris. Hitchens gave us a glimpse into the incredibly complicated world of space junk removal—which involves not only massive resource investment, but delicate political issues, sticky space laws, and the possibility that a space debris removal system could have a dual-use as a satellite-destroying weapon:
In a future era where everyone is armed to the teeth with anti-satellite capabilities, the likelihood of a debris strike being mistaken as a deliberate strike by an enemy skyrockets. It would be a very unstable situation, prone to miscalculation and crisis escalation. In my humble opinion, this is why the development and deployment of overt anti-satellite weapons systems would be a mistake.
In fact, earlier this month we got an update from the Swiss École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne’s Center for Space Engineering, which is developing a satellite specifically to remove an existing Swiss satellite currently in orbit.
Called CleanSpace One, the hoover-sat is designed to use a net to capture the existing satellite and bring it down into the Earth’s atmosphere to destroy it. CleanSpace One is an ongoing project—the centre estimates a 2018 launch—and there’s no guarantee it will work.
The danger from the debris passed earlier this morning, and everyone on the ISS is safe. But the efforts by Switzerland and national space agencies illustrate how difficult the task of cleaning up after yourself in space can be just as expensive and complex as getting there—and proof that the space debris problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
Top image: The Soyuz TMA-15M docked to the ISS in May; NASA. | 3,058 | 1,543 | 0.000677 |
warc | 201704 | Evaporative Coolers Information
Evaporative coolers are cooling devices that use the evaporation of water into the air to cool the air temperature. They are sometimes called air coolers, desert coolers or swamp coolers. Evaporative coolers use a quarter of the electricity of air conditioners and are relatively inexpensive. In addition, they do not use ozone-harming chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Evaporative coolers are best suited for hot climates with low humidity. In such climates, these devices can be used in many locations, including homes, spot cooling locations, industrial plants, commercial kitchen, greenhouses, confinement farming, etc. In areas with high humidity, evaporative coolers do little to cool the air, but can be used for increased ventilation.
Evaporative coolers are available in two basic types: direct and indirect. Direct evaporative coolers contain a blower that forces air through a water-soaked pad. The pad acts like an air filter as it is cooled and humidified. One disadvantage of direct evaporative coolers is that they may increase the humidity. To prevent this problem, indirect or two-stage coolers have an additional heat-exchanging stage that uses a secondary heat exchanger to pre-cool the air. This second stage is the same as a direct cooler. With indirect evaporative coolers, the pre-cooled air passes through a permeable, wet pad and picks up humidity. Because the air was pre-cooled and cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, less humidity is added to the air-stream.
Evaporative coolers differ in terms of materials and construction and mounting style. Most evaporative coolers have an outer casing of metal or plastic with vented sides. The sides contain a centrifugal fan, an electric motor, and a water pump. Cooling pads often consist of a wool and wood mixture, or plastics and melamin paper inside a containment net. When water enters the pad, some of it is absorbed by the wood, allowing it to cool the air passing through. When choosing pads for evaporative coolers pad thickness is an important consideration. Thicker pads can be more effective than thinner pads because there is more material to absorb water. In terms of mounting styles, evaporative coolers can be located on rooftops, exterior walls, or windows. Since the air originates outside of the house or building, there must be large vents to allow air to move from inside to the outside. | 2,452 | 1,135 | 0.000883 |
warc | 201704 | 8th GloPent Conference: Pentecostalism and Development (Report)
About 90 delegates from all six continents gathered at SOAS on 5 and 6 September 2014 to participate in the 8th GloPent conference, which was convened under the theme of “Pentecostalism and Development.
Given the rise of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity, especially in the so-called “developing world”, the conference addressed a highly relevant theme. The conference programme, consisting of three keynotes, one plenary discussion and nine parallel panels, raised a number of specific issues, such as the role of Pentecostalism and shaping the economic outlook of its members, possibilities and limitations in collaborating with Pentecostal development agents, or the impact of Pentecostalism teaching and practices on social mobility, sexual ethics, or health care.
The conference was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at SOAS, Gurharpal Singh, who framed the theme from his own expertise and experience in researching religions and development. This was followed by Matthew Clarke's keynote from the disciplinary vantage point of Development Studies. Clarke, who teaches at Deakin University in Melbourne, advocated finding common ground between religion and development. The sheer size of the movement in Africa, Asia and Latin America necessitates that development actors become “religiously literate” with regard to Pentecostal beliefs to maximise the potential for collaboration with the movement. This was echoed by his respondent, Michael Jennings from SOAS, who pointed to the long historical background of the debate of religions in Development Studies, beginning with the “civilising mission” of colonialism.
The keynote in Religious Studies was offered by Tomas Sundnes Drønen from the School of Mission and Theology in Stavanger, Norway, who demonstrated from his own work in Cameroon that one must consider a large field of economic, social, and interreligious factors in order to fully understand the development potential of Pentecostal churches and adherents in a given context. His respondent, David Maxwell from the University of Cambridge, further illustrated the historical dimension of these factors, linking up the study of Pentecostalism with the longue durée of missions, European influence and local traditions.
The third keynote, delivered by Dena Freeman, Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics, gave an anthropological insight into the local development dynamics of Pentecostals. Comparing two cases from Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia, Freeman argued that while Pentecostals manifest a certain eagerness for new business endeavours and social development, an outside impulse, such as an externally funded small business initiative, was needed in order for these aspirations to be realised and have a wider societal impact. Her respondent, Birgit Meyer from the University of Utrecht, connected these findings to the wider theoretical debate about religion, social mobility and capitalism in Anthropology.
In between the keynotes, 36 papers about specific research on the conference theme were presented and discussed in the following nine parallel panels:
Megachurches and Social Engagement Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements in Contemporary China Pentecostalism and Interreligious Boundaries Pentecostalism, Development and the Welfare-State Pentecostal Entrepreneurship, Development Initiatives, and Social Mobility Pentecostalism and the Politics of Homosexuality in Africa Media, Charisma and the Constitution of Pentecostal Authority Gender in Pentecostal Experience and Development Transcultural Dynamics & Migrant Pentecostalism
The conference closed with a plenary discussion on issues of practice in the development collaboration with Pentecostals. This session was hosted by Carole Rakodi from the University of Birmhingham and featured four experts. Two of them came from faith-based organisations (Claudia Währisch-Oblau from the United Evangelical Mission in Wuppertal and Daniel Akhazemea from the Redeemed Christian Church of God), and the other two represented a governmental (Mike Battcock, DFID) and a non-governmental organisation (Rick James, Intrac).
The keynotes and further publications from the conference will be published in a special edition of PentecoStudies.
The conference was organised by Jörg Haustein and hosted by the Centre of World Christianity at SOAS. GloPent would like to thank the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at SOAS, Brot für die Welt, and the Evangelische Missionswerk Deutschland for their generous support. | 4,657 | 2,157 | 0.000471 |
warc | 201704 | #1
Normally, when your child loses a tooth, you inform them of the Tooth Fairy and all of the magical things that will happen if they put their tooth under the pillow. However, doctors say that you may not want to just toss the teeth because those teeth could actually be quite powerful…
#2
As it turns out, baby teeth are more precious than we think. In fact, these tiny teeth have stem cells in them! Why does that matter? Well, stem cells can create neurons, cartilage and even bones! How incredible is that? | 521 | 344 | 0.002964 |
warc | 201704 | The inaugural participants in the New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA) program, which seeks to make the state a hub for the emerging digital health technology industry, were announced Oct. 15. The eight companies — AdhereTx, Aidin, Avado, CipherHealth, Cureatr, MedCPU, Remedy Systems and SpectraMD — provide services ranging from Web-based platforms to data analytics, and will have access to senior-level health-care providers that will serve as mentors for nine months.
“With its initial investment of $4.2 million, the NYDHA program will create approximately 1,500 jobs over five years,” the New York eHealth Collaborative stated in a press release. “In addition, it is expected that the companies will attract upwards of $150 million to $200 million in investment from the venture capital community post-program.” Along with mentorship, each of the selected companies will also receive up to $300,000. Each company has also committed to opening an office in New York, and participants will have access to the Statewide Health Information Network of New York, an electronic health record platform. “The accelerator provides much-needed, valuable tools for providers in support of New York state's Medicaid redesign initiative," New York Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said. "The initiative, which promotes a shift from the costly fee-for-service model to a more effective and efficient managed care approach, is resulting in better care -- at lower cost -- for patients across the continuum of care. The accelerator is an essential first step to stimulate the market and nurture innovation within the entrepreneurial community.” The program received 250 applications from companies located in 27 states and 10 countries. | 1,776 | 965 | 0.001063 |
warc | 201704 | If you’re one of those people who get nightmares because of their teen/employee/spouse because you can’t seem to figure out where they are or where they went then there are only a few things you can do. One of them is tracing their whereabouts through a cell phone, their own to be more precise. How hard is it to track a cell phone? Not particularly hard if you know what you’re doing.
Monitoring someone’s location with their cell phone can be done in a few simple steps.
1. How Easily Can You Access the Phone?
This is more important than anything else you need to do. If you’re an employer or a parent the likelihood is that you can grab the phone without much of a problem (this is only true in case of employers if the phone in question is a company provided phone). In order to track the phone’s location you’re going to have to install a cell phone spy app onto it. Most cell phone spy apps work in stealth mode and in most cases they just sit on the phone and do their job without getting noticed. For instance, apps such as Mobistealth or Mobile Spy will infiltrate a phone and disappear from the icon list – it takes a true tech genius to notice them, in most cases it’s never an issue.
2. Is Your Target Phone Rooted or Jailbroken?
If it isn’t the likelihood is that you will need to root it if it’s an Android or jailbreak it if it’s an iPhone. Without this most stealth apps cannot function properly because that effectively means that they can’t hide without the phone. Both rooting and jailbreaking help tackle messy phone permissions and allow you to track a cell phone by hiding your app. If you have possession of the phone then this is the next logical step you need to take.
3. Check if the Phone Has a Functioning Internet Connection
This is important because it allows you to decide on which cell phone spy app you have to use to track your target’s location. For instance if the person you’re trying to trace doesn’t have a phone which uses the internet, or if they’re going to be located in an area where their GPS fails then you need to pick out an app that isn’t dependent on the internet connection. Many cell phone spy apps will mark the longitude and latitude of your target though the GPS connection on the phone, but there are some that will use open Wi-Fi connections or satellite towers to get the location and relay it back to you. GPS tracking is more speedy and accurate which is why it’s the preferred mode of tracking, however, there are apps that can tackle your private eye project without falling to a dead GPS connection.
4. Pick an App That Suits You
There are apps which will store all the data that you require in the SD card from where it has to be retrieved later. If you need an overall report than this is the app that you should use because it will use up the least amount of GPS and therefore not create a mess on your target’s bill (which is a clear indication that an app on the phone is up to no good). Time is also an issue, if you need instantaneous updates then picking an app that stores data on the phone’s memory or SD card would be a ridiculous move. Apps such as Mobistealth allows you to track the precise location of a target on an online map with as small as an 8 minute interval. Your own convenience has to be kept in mind when you’re picking out an app.
Author Bio: James Clark has been playing with his words and spinning out one informative piece after another on Mobile Phone Spy Software along with iPhone Tracking for a while now. His work is about all things technology related, especially when it comes to mobiles. | 3,712 | 1,720 | 0.000601 |
warc | 201704 | Why don't we grow our own GM food? 10th February 2010 Writing in The Times, Ross Clark argues that we need to grow GM food.
Britain is a country that should have been leading the way with GM food production.
Some 14 years ago, we were at the forefront of it but allowed the campaigns against “Frankenstein foods” to succeed as protesters trampled down crops and were then cleared of criminal damage by magistrates.
GM research virtually stopped and commercial production never started while elsewhere in the world it became commonplace.
But those who believe Britain is a GM-free zone are deluded because two thirds of soya imported to Britain – a staple ingredient of many processed foods - is GM with many of us eating it.
And we are safer eating GM foods than other novel foods precisely because they have been subjected to exhaustive safety tests.
The same is true of the environmental argument against GM crops as huge efforts are made to guard against contamination of other plants by GM crops. Here, genetic modification offers solutions and protection.
The world will turn to GM crops, leaving Britain behind.
Food production has increased to keep up with population growth, through the increased use of land, pesticide and fertiliser.
But these all have environmental consequences too, so why should we rule out GM technology as well?
I believe that within 50 years most of the world will consume GM crops; that conventional crops will become “heritage food”; and unless we take the argument to the anti-GM protesters, Britain’s agribusiness will have disappeared entirely abroad, leaving us a poorer country.
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Title: Why don't we grow our own GM food?
Author: Mark Nicholls Article Id: 14017 Date Added: 10th Feb 2010 | 1,981 | 1,062 | 0.000966 |
warc | 201704 | The pancreas plays multiple roles in digestion, absorption, metabolism and storage of nutrients. Its diverse functions can be broadly divided into its dual glandular activity :
Exocrine– digestive enzymes secreted into the small intestine. Endocrine– hormones secreted directly into the blood stream. Pancreatic Exocrine Functions
The acinar cells of the pancreas produces enzymes for digesting food in the gut. It is then released into the ductules which empty the contents into the pancreatic duct.
These chemical catalysts are inactive until it enters the lumen of the small intestine, where it is activated by the acidity of the stomach contents or other digestive enzymes. Various enzymes act on different types of food.
The pancreatic enzymes chemically break down the food into simpler substances which can be digested further by other enzymes or absorbed through the lining of the gut.
Protein Digesting Pancreas Enzymes Trypsin Chymotrypsin Carboxypolypeptidase Elastase Kallikrein Carbohydrate Digesting Pancreas Enzymes Amylase Fat Digesting Pancreas Enzymes Pancreatic lipase Cholesterol esterase Phospholipase
The actions and regulation of these catalysts are discussed further below.
Pancreas Endocrine Functions
The islet cells of the pancreas (islet of Langerhans) produce hormones to regulate metabolism and digestion. It also influences the storage of excess nutrients.
The two main hormones are
insulin and glucagon. Insulin increases the uptake of glucose by the cells thereby reducing the blood glucose levels and promoting storage of excess glucose. Glucagon mobilizes glucose from the glucose stores and increases the blood glucose levels. Both these hormones can influence nutrient digestion and absorption to some extent. Somatostatin is a digestive hormone that is also produced by islets as well as the D cells in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. It reduces the secretion of the pancreatic enzymes (exocrine) and stomach acid, inhibits insulin and decreases nutrient absorption from the gut. Somastatin therefore also influences metabolism. What are pancreatic enzymes? Pancreatic enzymes are the chemical catalysts secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum to digest food. This is known as the exocrine functions of the pancreas. Being a compound gland, the pancreas also has endocrine functions which is to release hormones like insulin and glucagon in response to changes in the blood sugar levels. These hormones also play a role in controlling the secretion of digestive enzymes. However, it is the enzymes itself that function in the small intestine to break down foods into simpler nutrients so that it can be easily absorbed into the blood stream. Along with water, bicarbonates ions and mucus, the total exocrine secretion from the pancreas is approximately 1 liter per day.
These digestive enzymes from the pancreas are secreted by the acini within the gland and this empties into the pancreatic duct. From here, it joins the common bile duct and empties into the duodenum of the small intestine. Apart from the enzymes for digestion, the pancreas also secretes bicarbonate ions and water. These compounds are secreted by the epithelial cells that line the pancreatic duct and help to neutralize the gastric acid from the stomach in addition to transporting the pancreatic enzymes out of the pancreas. The pancreatic enzymes do not act in isolation –
digestive enzymes from other structures of the gastrointestinal tract play a role in the complete digestion of food. Types of Pancreatic Enzymes
The pancreatic enzymes can be categorized according to their action on different types of food – carbohydrates, protein and fats.
Pancreatic Enzymes for Protein Digestion
There are three pancreatic enzymes for the digestion of proteins within the food in the small intestine. These type of enzymes are known as
proteases. Trypsin Chymotrypsin Carboxypolypeptidase Elastase
Of these, trypsin is the most abundant. The pancreas do not secrete these enzymes in it active form as this may result in digestion of the pancreas itself. Instead each enzyme is secreted in an inactive form as follows :
Trypsin is secreted as trypsinogen Chymotrpsin is secreted as chymotripsinogen Carboxypolypeptidase is secreted as procarboxypolypeptidase Proelastase is secreted as elastase
Once in the lumen of the duodenum, these enzymes are activated. Trypsinogen, which is the most abundant of the three pancreatic enzymes, is activated by the presence of enterokinase which is an enzyme secreted by the lining of the small intestine. Further trypsinogen is also activated by the presence of trypsin in the gut.
Chymotrypsin, procarboxypolypeptidase and proelastase are in turn activated by trypsin. The pancreas also has other protective mechanisms to ensure that these enzymes do not damage it. The cells of the pancreas secrete
trypsin inhibitor which ensures that trypsin is not activated within the pancreas and it turn, neither are the other proteases. Action of Trypsin, Chymotrypsin and Carboxypolypetidase
Trypsin and chymotrypsin breaks down protein into peptides. Carboxypolypetidase in turn breaks down some peptides into individual amino acids but it is the peptidases secreted by the enterocytes of the small intestine that digest the rest. Elastase is more specific and digests collagen, particularly the elastin that holds fibers in meat together.
Pancreatic Enzymes for Carbohydrate Digestion Pancreatic amylase is the enzyme responsible for carbohydrate digestion. Action of Pancreatic Amylase
Pancreatic amylase hydrolyzes most carbohydrates into disaccharides and trisaccharides. These in turn are digested into monosaccharides by the small intestine enzymes – lactase, sucrase, maltase and iso-maltase.
Pancreatic Enzymes for Lipid Digestion
There are three pancreatic enzymes responsible for lipid digestion, each of which act on the main
types of lipids in the body. Pancreatic lipase Cholesterol esterase Phospholipase
The pancreatic enzymes for lipid digestion are dependent on the secretion of
bile from the liver and gallbladder. Bile acids emulsify fats meaning that it breaks down the fat into smaller globules. This allows the lipid enzymes to act more effectively on fats and sterols in the food. Action of Pancreatic Lipase, Cholesterol Esterase and Phospholipase
The most important and abundant of these pancreatic lipid enzymes is pancreatic lipase. It breaks down
triglycerides (neutral fats) into fatty acids and glycerol. Cholesterol esterase hydrolyzes cholesterol esters in the food while phospholipase acts on phospholipids. The remaining digestive action on fats are handled by the small intestine lipase. Control of Pancreatic Enzyme Secretion
The secretion of digestive enzymes is regulated by nerve impulses and
digestive hormones. When the stomach secretions are stimulated by the vagus nerves and enteric nervous system as discussed under stomach nerves, some of these impulses also trigger the release of acetylcholine in the pancreas. Acetylcholine along with cholecystokinin (CCK), which is a digestive hormone secreted in response to food in the duodenum, triggers the release of pancreatic enzymes into the acini.
Another digestive hormone known as
secretin causes the secretion of large quantities of bicarbonate ions and water within the pancreas. This washes out the pancreatic enzymes in the acini into the duodenum. Secretin is released in response to acidic chyme in the duodenum and also neutralizes the gastric acid secretions that enter the duodenum. | 7,597 | 2,812 | 0.000359 |
warc | 201704 | Hollywood Promotes Health Care Reform; Will It Work?
Newsroom - Healthcare Reform
Hollywood Promotes Health Care Reform; Will It Work?
After months of debate over healthcare reform, celebrities have entered the fray. Actress Heather Graham, best known for movie roles like The Hangover and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, has joined with liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org to create a viral video supporting the public option. Hollywood and progressive causes have gone hand-in-hand for decades, but this level of involvement during an election off-year is unusual. The ad is currently set to air on several national cable networks, with a six-figure production and advertising budget. Marketing and public relations have played a big role in affecting the views of the American people on this issue. Will this ad actually succeed in convincing people to pressure politicians with phone calls and emails?
The minute-long commercial takes place on a running track, and portrays the major for-profit insurers as gluttonous sloths who have literally become bloated from unfettered health care profits. Graham, by contrast, is the sexy and slim public option that leaves United Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and CIGNA in the dust. This is a clear metaphor for the idea that a public option would use the immense size of its insurance pool and lack of profit motive to drive down medical costs. Striking cinematography is combined with an emphatic male voice-over claiming that 70% of Americans have expressed support for a government-run public health insurance option. (While recent figures are not that high, polls from October 2009 do indicate that a majority of respondents are in favor of the public option.) As usual in political ads, opponents are painted negatively; in this case, they are whiners afraid of competition.
There are several inherent dangers involved in using this strategy. While Americans have been accused of being obsessed with fame, will they really trust advice on a health insurance plan from someone who starred in Boogie Nights? Moreover, Graham in particular has played quite a few ditzy roles in her career, which will make it harder for her to be a legitimate voice on health care reform. (For example, Tom Hanks would probably more convincing in this type of advertisement, even though he may not be any more knowledgeable on the topic, since he is often a steady, reassuring presence in his roles.) Even though she didn't write MoveOn's script, her presence could trivialize the issue altogether.
Another problem for those behind this ad is that it effectively plays into stereotypes of the "limousine liberal elites" on the coasts looking down on the rest of America. The motif of overweight insurers is instantly comprehensible, but possibly not the best choice in a nation where about half the population is either overweight or obese. As a result, some viewers will better relate to those characters and their current private system of individual health insurance than the beautiful Hollywood starlet and her unknown public option. Healthcare reform opponents will run with this in order to decrease support for a public option. The involvement of MoveOn, an organization involved in several partisan controversies in the past, will also draw the ire of conservatives. The impact of this particular ad is doubtful, except for its strong chances of intensifying the political war over health care.
(Image: TheeErin under CC 2.0) | 3,490 | 1,762 | 0.000569 |
warc | 201704 | 100,000,000,000,000 reasons to supplement... Your Cells
There are a hundred trillion cells in operation inside you
— each like a tiny factory assembly line, producing a piece of what we call our life. Each of the body’s assembly lines requires continuous supplies of raw materials in order to produce its particular output.
Your Health depends on Your Nutrient Supply Lines
If needed raw materials aren’t available for a particular assembly line then raw materials will be scavenged from your bones, your liver or other of your bodily tissues. If raw materials cannot be scavenged for a cell’s assembly line.... then it’s output stops or (even worse) inferior raw materials are substituted and output continues). If more and more scavenging occurs, or assembly lines stop and/or degrade their output by substituting inferior materials, eventually, we feel the results in terms of energy loss, discomfort, disease or depression. When the DNA in our cells cannot be produced exactly and perfectly any longer... then we permanently and irreparably age towards death.
Eating sufficient nutrients to ensure cellular operations go forward correctly is not easy. Supplementation with concentrated food is the best way to ensure optimal supplies of nutrients.
How do you know if you’re getting all the raw materials your body should be getting?
In case you’re thinking you’ll just
eat plenty of the standard foods to assure your body’s supply of nutrients, at least you’re on the right track — which is getting your nutrition from food. However, in today’s world, getting optimal nutrition without concentrated, high-tech food supplements is close to impossible. Very often, commonly available foods are grown in depleted mineral soils. Unless you analyze your food you won’t know if the nutrients you need are there. So, high-tech, concentrated food supplements provide guaranteed amounts of nutrition. As long as those supplements are in the form of concentrated food instead of laboratory made supplements, we’re getting the our nutrients. So, the bottom line reason to supplement is because we won’t be able to maintain the huge effort to eat optimal amounts of nutrition without easy supplementation.
In case you noticed, we used many times the words
high-tech, concentrated food supplements not vitamins or supplements because man-made vitamins and supplements are in a form contrary to nature... and not very good for you. They are usually mega-dosed as well... so that the body has no chance of using them properly... kind of like if someone dumped a hundred gallons of paint in your kitchen, but no drop cloths, paint brushes, rollers, masking tape, etc. and expected you to paint the kitchen. Your body has the same challenge when you take a typical vitamin capsule... it doesn’t have even close to all the thousands of nutrient tools it needs and yet it has way to much of some... which it has to work hard to discard.
Your health is not worth a chance.
Don’t Gamble Against the Odds
You only have one life. You have more to do with your time than search for optimally nutritious food. Taking a chance on your healthy is not worth gambling against the odds. Would you bet your life at 95 to 5 odds against you? That’s what you’re doing unless you implement the habits of health and optimal Integris nutrition.
The entire list of high-tech, concentrated nutrient supplements that we recommend include the following:
Seven Essentials contains seven essentials for human health: enzymes, co-enzymes (vitamins, antioxidants), cofactors (minerals & trace elements), protein, essential oils, fiber, probiotics. A daily serving of Seven Essentials contains a full daily serving of Deep Sea Minerals, RiSoTriene, Veggie/Fruit Caps Veggie Caps plus much more. Deep Sea Minerals is a balanced load of assimilable minerals and trace elements from 2,000 feet below the surface in area of the Pacific Ocean unattained by pollutants. Extracted from the settled strata of plankton, algae and diatoms, these minerals are highly bio-available. RiSoTrieneis the most potent source of antioxidants available today. It is the extracted bran and germ of organic bran rice, containing nearly 200 antioxidants, minerals, fatty acids, vitamin complexes and amino acids. Digestion Boost fulfills one of the greatest human health needs — cleaning, lubricating and nourishing the engine of health — the digestive system. Comprised of numerous digestive aids, including digestive enzymes, digestive tonics and good bacteria (probiotics), it is designed to be taken daily with food. 8-Day-Cleanse with the cleanse, you are only eight days away from feeling rejuvenated. This program of digestive system tune-up will astonish you with increased energy as you destroy parasites, fungi and bad bacteria that have taken up residence inside you, dissolve the mucoidal gel that interferes with digestion and give your liver a burst of energy. Methylate Me lowers homocysteine, the newly identified culprit in heart disease (100% effective), increases SAMe (a mood elevator) , enhances sleep and increases muscle energy. It is made from beets, natural B-Vitamins and minerals. Collastin is almost a wonder drug, yet it is a nutrient complex, not a drug. It is a premier rebuilder of joints and tendons, rejuvenating the mobility and pain free movement of youth. It is a combination of fatty acid esters (Collastin) and glucosamine. Veggie/Fruit Caps provides thousands of biologically active nutrients that assist in slowing down aging. Created from 19 different fruits and vegetables through a non-heat, non-chemical process, it preserves all the goodness of nature’s creations. Liver Boost assists the liver (the largest internal organ of the body) to do its nearly overwhelming job of purifying our blood by removing toxins. It’s power to assist the liver in detoxifying the blood is so great, that in double blind studies it was proven to effectively neutralize liver stress caused by drinking. Aloe'V'a Power has the full soothing and healing properties of the legendary Aloe Vera plant. Made from a unique processing method that extracts the total goodness of the Aloe Vera plant, and concentrated at room temperature, you’ll get 100% of the Aloe Vera nutrition and healing in a good tasting liquid concentrate. Parasite Cleanse rids both the upper and lower tracts of parasites. CLA Plus focuses on the root cause of overweight conditions — the overproduction of insulin (a fat storing hormone) because of insulin resistance. CLA Plus will help you to gradually lose excess pounds by assisting your body’s cells to transport sugars more easily across their protective membranes.
Medical Doctor Statements concerning some of the High-tech Concentrated Foods that We Recommend
Dr. Mark Drucker, M.D. and Director for the Advanced Center for Medicine in Encinitas, California, states, "While most doctors still practice medicine with the goal of just suppressing symptoms (they have accepted the disease as part of their patient), I've tried to take a more holistic approach. Hypocrites, the father of medicine, said, "Nutrition shall be your medicine." At the Center, we use nutritional products to restore the body's biochemical balance, and we draw on the expertise of different specialists, such as chiropractors and massage therapists, to help people feel better. For a long time we used different combinations of vitamins and minerals, all which had been synthesized in a laboratory. But what we really wanted to find was as natural food product that could achieve the same or better results for our patients. RiSoTriene was our answer. At the center, we first detoxify our patients, because most illnesses and body imbalances are the result of accumulated toxins and a lack of essential nutrients. We then replenish the body with the proper nutrients, allowing it to repair, rebuild, and restore itself. When we began using RiSoTriene in our treatments last year, we found that people had more energy when they used this product during detoxification. Its nutrients are absorbed directly into the bloodstream, bringing fast results.
Dr. Joe Hymer, a medical doctor from Castroville, Texas says, “Patients using RiSoTriene make steady progress - we don't see the periodic plateaus often encountered in other treatment programs. There are also fewer allergic reactions because it's a natural food with no additives. We find that it's almost impossible to get the same results from pills or tablets that have so many added chemicals and fillers. RiSoTriene contains nutrients that fit together to solve the nutritional puzzles of patients with both severe and moderate health problems. These nutrients can do much more than any single nutrient can do on its own. RiSoTriene works.”
Dr. Steve Lutes, a research medical doctor from San Francisco, California says, “I’ve been using RiSoTriene for five years and it's the single best nutritional supplement ever to come along. I developed ‘leaky gut syndrome’ while doing research overseas in the 1970’s and nothing really helped the occasional bouts of acute pain and inflammation or the general lack of energy or quality of life until I started with RiSoTriene. Since then I’ve introduced RiSoTriene to many hundreds of other people with moderate to serious health challenges and watched as they experienced truly life changing results." The conditions where RiSoTriene, alone or with other clinical nutritional products, has worked wonders include diabetes, cardiovascular disease (especially recovery in heart attack and stroke patients), cancers, all types of chronic gastrointestinal tract disorders, etc. This is the natural product I would turn to first to find something can produce spectacular improvements in conditions that others have given up on.” | 9,982 | 4,534 | 0.000225 |
warc | 201704 | Eye health services will improve for around 3 million Cambodians living alongside one of the ancient wonders of the world, Angkor Wat - with the commencement of construction of the Siem Reap Regional Eye Hospital.
The new eye hospital will serve as a base to provide the highest quality eye care services to people living in a region famous for its ancient temples, in north eastern Cambodia.
The hospital is being constructed with funding from the Australian Government under the Avoidable Blindness Initiative (ABI) - and with additional funding contributed by the people of Australia through donations to The Fred Hollows Foundation.
At a ceremony attended by the Cambodian Minister for Health, Professor Mom Bun Heng and Australian Ambassador, Margaret Adamson, The Foundation's CEO Brian Doolan said that the construction of the hospital is just one part of a commitment to providing better eye health services in the region.
"It is not just the building of this hospital that will make the difference," Mr Doolan said. "The real work of fixing eyes is the responsibility of the staff who will work here, the doctors, nurses, anaesthetists and support staff."
"The Foundation's commitment is to further the training of support staff who will be working here."
Mr Doolan said that Fred Hollows would be extremely proud that The Foundation's work is reaching such a large number of Cambodians who currently have very limited eye health care.
"To Fred, all people were equal. To Fred, all people deserved the highest quality eye care regardless of whether they were a beggar, a farmer, or a member of a royal family."
Mr Doolan also acknowledged the Australian Government's contribution to tackling avoidable blindness in the region through the ABI.
"I congratulate Her Excellency Margaret Adamson on the Australian Government's decision to support the construction of this eye hospital and I express our gratitude to the representative of the Australian Aid Agency AusAID, which administers the funding for the Avoidable Blindness Initiative."
"It is an initiative which really is a world leader in the struggle to overcome avoidable blindness," he said.
The three-storey eye hospital is expected to be completed by December this year. | 2,263 | 1,070 | 0.000945 |
warc | 201704 | The Horse Forum( http://www.horseforum.com/forumindex.php) Rider Wellness( /rider-wellness/) How to lose weight( http://www.horseforum.com/rider-wellness/how-lose-weight-101232/)
How to lose weight
I need to lose weight in my thights and stomach. How can i do that easyly i love food and have veggys, and i dont like o exersize all that much...?
Posted via Mobile Device
There is no easy way to loose weight. You need to watch what & how much you eat & exercise. An instructor at the gym I like to go to said half you plate should be veggies, 1/4 a grain or potato & the last 1/4 your meat. Start with some easy exercises, yoga or pilaties. If you can, get an exercise bike, treadmill or eliptical & use that when your watching your favorite show on tv. You'll be suprised how much it helps
I too have that same problem, Im not overwieght by average standards but I would like to lose the fat in my stomach and thighs and tone those mucles. It seems no matter what I do exercise or eat right nothing works. I work hard on our family ranch which is probaly the only reason I have stayed relativley in shape. But Would like I said to tone up more.
Quote:
You cannot lose weight in just certain areas. Your body decides where it comes off and when. If you don't want to give any foods up, try to concentrate on portion control. You can google that and find great articles on how much you should be eating of what kinds of foods. But do try to limit sugar, alcohol, starchy carbs, and try to eat only lean meats. I'm sorry but you WILL have to exercise, or at least move around more often. Try running alongside your horse to make it fun, or try riding bareback to target your core muscles (and leg muscles)! For the first few weeks of "dieting" you will lose the water weight which makes most of us have that "bloated" feeling. Once you lose that, you feel TERRIFIC! So most people (myself included) feel you've done a great job and you can go back to how you were eating, not true! Again, that's only excess water weight. But once you work through that, you'll notice your clothes fitting better and just feeling better in general. Cardio is the best exercise out there (running, fast walk, posting w/o stirrups, treadmill, elliptical, etc) and if you do it in "spurts". Say power walk for 10 min. then do a fast jog for 2 min then back to walking and so on.... I find I lose the most this way. Just remember to keep with it if you want results! It's not going to be easy since you will be making sacrifices whether it be food, personal time, etc. But once you get to your goal you'll be thanking yourself! Good Luck!
I use Ali- its a nonprescription weight loss supplement that takes all the bad fat out of what you eat- Where it wont magically make you lose weight it speeds up the process.
And I don't know if its safe to combine it with the atkins diet (No carbs)- But with them combined your basically only getting protein in your diet. Which then helps toning of the body.
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could stuff ourselves silly with chocolate and sit on the couch all day, but stay skinny and toned ;)
Unfortunately that's not how our bodies work unless you have an increadibly fast metabolism and even then, you'll end up with your arteries clogged with fat from a bad diet!
My body is used to riding 6 days a week, at least 2 horses a day, plus coaching, and doing general work around the property. I started full time (6 days a week!) office work 6 months ago, and stopped riding as I purchased a yearling. The result has been stacking on 10kg, before I even realised, I had really stacked on the weight. My diet is not bad at all, but it really is the inactivity that kept the fat on me.
No pain no gain - you have to work to burn that excess fat off!! I have started running again. Cardio exercise is what is going to burn off the fat. You can run, ride a bike, whatever, just get your heart rate up and break a sweat for 30mins/day.
As someone said above, you can't decide where the weight comes off, but you CAN tone specific muscles. I am trying desperately to get my core back in shape to start riding again this summer (Australia), so have been doing multiple reps of sit ups, crunches and core strengthening exercises such as the 'plank'. Another good one is to sit up with your legs straight out in front of you, lean back on about a 24 degree angle, then lift your legs at the same angle, keeping them straight, so you are balancing on your seat bones. Fantastic for working your core!!
Lunges are brilliant for your legs, as are step ups.
But the cardio is the biggest player for getting rid of the flab. Don't be lazy!!!
If you are looking to lose weight without excercise, my best advice would be to try and avoid carbs as entirely as you can, and try to only eat natural sugars (such as in fruit). I do eat carbs but really only beans and nuts. I also eat a good amount of meat (especially lean meats such as turkey, chicken) because I like to have high protien to keep uo with the energy I expell (I work in a daycare, which is my weekly workout!) Try to also make sure you're getting the right amount of iron as well, if you're a lady this is particularly important and it makes such a difference!
If you aren't interested in cardio maybe you should try something more interesting? I hate, HATE running but I started mountain biking awhile back and now I have a stationary bike I use when it's cold. I also really like to skip and hula hoop (again, fun to do with kids!)
You can get a pretty good workout from horseback riding, too. Just try riding bareback for awhile and flexing your butt, keeping your legs glued and flexing your abs trying to keep your seat! Bareback riding is a really great workout for me at least... haha. If you're long past that maybe try some bareback posting trot?
How I did it was cardio for an hour and a half a day and by tracking my calories on myfitnesspal.com or with the app on my iPhone. It's pretty simple and I lost 30lbs in two months. I did this with eating what I want but just keeping track of my calorie intake
Since then I've learned the importance of eating healthy though. I've kept the weight off too!
1 Attachment(s)
You have to burn more calories than you're taking in. If you don't want to exercise, be prepared to face only 1000-1500 calories a day. You definitely won't be healthy, you'll be "skinny" and have no muscle definition.
Join a gym like Curves or something that has groups where you can join in. A lot of people have an easier time working out if it's done with other people.
Posted via Mobile Device
I have lost 45 pounds over a 2 year period. I don't consider it a diet. It is a lifestyle change. Several things that I do.
1. No alcohol.
2. No fried foods
3. Limit bread, especially white bread
4. Limit sweets
The more I exercise, the more I tend to lose. Like I said, this has taken a long time. I did not change my ways to lose weight, but rather to improve my health. My blood pressure was uncontrollable and I was going to die if I didn't do something. I need to lose more weight, so I hope that this keeps working. If I want to eat something sweet, I do; however, I don't do it every day and I only take small servings. I never eat fried foods or gravy. I almost never eat potatoes, pasta, or rice. Veggies. Small portions of meat. Fruit. It is a very boring way to eat but food is not worth dying over.
The best thing that has improved about my looks is my face. My face was shaped like a basket ball. It is much better now.
I still am not going to make people wreck their cars trying to get a better look on the beach.............
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warc | 201704 | These energy resources and, in particular, the oil and natural gas deposits have now become the apple of discord in Central Asia introducing, according to analysts, a new chapter in the ├Great Game┼ (1) of control over Eurasia.
Although the stakes involved remain the same, i.e., power, influence, security, wealth, the new playing field is further complicated by an array of problems. These include intra-regional conflict, political instability, fierce competition among multinational conglomerates, and a shortfall in commercial expertise and legal infrastructures (2).
Moreover, the fact that the three countries which share the majority of the region┼s energy and resources, namely Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, are landlocked makes them depend on their immediate neighbours for access to the Western markets.
The essence of this new geopolitical game in Central Asia is twofold: first, control of production of the oil and gas, and second, control of the pipelines which will transfer the oil to the Western markets (3).
From a geopolitical point of view, Central Asia has always been important (4). From the middle to the end of the 19th century, while the region was part of the Russian Empire, the oil-bearing areas of Baku were producing half of the world┼s oil supplies (5). In World War II, during his campaign against Russia, Hitler tried to capture Baku and the Caucasian oil fields as part of his strategy for world domination. After the war, the Soviets retained these areas as reserves, choosing to exploit oil deposits on Russian soil, in Tatarstan and Siberia (6).
Following the collapse of communism, the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, especially Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, have been trying to exploit their natural resources, since they consider oil to be the prime means of securing their economic and political independence. According to the estimates of geologists, the oil deposits of the Caspian Sea may not be quantitatively comparable to the deposits of the Persian Gulf, but they are still considered of excellent quality and able to provide a significant alternative source of energy in the 21st century (7). In particular, it is estimated that the entire Caspian Sea is a basin full of oil and natural gas, starting from Azerbaijan and continuing to the opposite shore in the territory of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. These deposits take on enormous importance because of the expected exhaustion of the deposits of Alaska and the North Sea by the year 2015.
The Issue of Production
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan belongs to one of the areas of the world richest in oil and has a long history in the production of oil and natural gas. Despite its age-old production, Azerbaijan still possesses considerable oil deposits, which have remained unexploited. During the 20th century, the oil industry in Azerbaijan drew oil from the deposits in the country┼s land subsoil, while offshore development began only in the middle of our century, and at a small depth. The first major offshore oilfield from which oil was drawn was the ├Oil Rocks┼, in 1949. When this source was exhausted, it was replaced by another offshore oilfield, the ├Guneshli┼, which was discovered in 1980 and by 1991 covered 57% of Azerbaijan┼s output. In addition, offshore exploration for oil deposits in the Caspian Sea had already borne fruit in the 1980s with the discovery of three major oilfields - ├Chirag┼, ├Azeri┼, ├Kapaz┼ - at great depth (8).
The problem was that, even though the Soviet oil industry had successfully developed its offshore oilfields and was even among the pioneers in this field, it had done so through virtually primitive means. The Soviet oil industry was never technologically able to develop offshore oilfields at great depth. Thus, Azerbaijan┼s offshore oilfields have remained, to a large extent, undeveloped. Azerbaijan┼s government has invited major foreign oil companies possessing the necessary technology, capital and project organisation to develop its offshore fields (9). The three biggest Azeri oilfields are being developed by the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, a twelve-company consortium which includes BP and Amoco (10).
The negotiations on the development of these oilfields involve complex legal, technical and commercial issues. The most important problem is the lack of a legal framework for the development and exploitation of Azerbaijan┼s oil. Furthermore, the restructuring of the domestic oil industry and negotiations with foreign companies have been hampered by the frequent changes of government. In order to improve the prospects for foreign investment, Azerbaijan is considering the adoption of a more flexible legal framework on oil contracts. Within this context, the government of Azerbaijan founded in August 1992 a public oil company adopting the norms of modern international oil companies. Every negotiation with foreign companies is conducted through this government company, while the development of joint stock status is being considered.
In order to conform to international practice and complete the negotiations as soon as possible, the government of Azerbaijan has also sought the advice of experienced international consultants (11).
Apart from the development of the oilfields, which has already begun, Azerbaijan continues its explorations for other deposits in the Caspian Sea. In the part of the Caspian belonging to Azerbaijan, around 24 sites have been singled out as suitable for drilling.
It is obvious that the development of the energy sector will have beneficial effects on Azerbaijan┼s economic development, in general. The prospects of Azerbaijan┼s energy sector will depend on whether new projects for the exploitation of the new deposits under the seabed prove to be satisfactory. The oil balance sheet is expected to show improvements compared with the current year, particularly if the exploitation of the ├Guneshli┼ oil field continues unobstructed. In the long run, total oil production is expected to reach 25.6 million tons per year in the year 2000 and 45.2 million tons in 2005, by which time the exploitation of other offshore deposits will have begun. Since domestic consumption is not expected to rise significantly, the total quantity of oil for export is expected to reach 20.8 million tons in 2000 and 39.7 tons in 2005 (12).
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, ranking second -after Azerbaijan- among the oil-producing countries of the former Soviet Union, also commands abundant energy resources. Because of the country┼s position, the transit routes and oil pipelines, Kazakhstan exports oil mainly to the Russian Federation (13). Oil represents 15% of Kazakhstan┼s total exports. If the programme of reforms and the pace of foreign investments proceed according to schedule, it is estimated that in 1998 oil will account for 60% of Kazakhstan┼s exports (14).
Kazakhstan has tried to attract foreign investors with advanced technology and expertise for the extraction of these deposits. A large number of foreign investments are already in progress in Kazakhstan. The most important ones include the agreement with Chevron to develop the oilfield of Tengiz, in western Kazakhstan, and the agreement with a consortium which includes British Gas, Agip and Texaco, to develop the Karachaganak field in northern Kazakhstan (15). Chevron┼s investment in Tengiz began in 1993 and, when completed, it is expected to come up to the level of 20 billion dollars. The investment of the British Gas/Agip consortium is of approximately the same size. The completion of these investments will have important consequences for the oil exports and the economic development of Kazakhstan.
The government of Kazakhstan is also examining various alternative proposals for the construction of an oil pipeline which will channel the oil to the West. The most feasible proposal seems to be the one that entails the upgrading of the existing network which traverses the area around the northern part of the Caspian Sea, ending at the port of Novorossisk, in conjunction with the modernisation of the facilities of this Russian port. This solution entails close Cupertino with Russia and Azerbaijan. Other proposals under examination include an oil pipeline, which will cross the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to end at a Turkish port. Another proposal, which was turned down after American pressure, involved an oil pipeline which would cross Iran, ending in the Persian Gulf.
With regard to the financing of the oil pipelines, meetings are being held and promises made by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The construction of the new pipeline or the upgrading of the existing network for the channelling of oil to the West will undoubtedly be the key to the country┼s economic development.
The issue of pipelines
With deals to develop the oilfields in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan already signed, the biggest problem facing foreign investors is how to transport the oil to foreign markets. Unlike other big oil producers, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are landlocked. The issue of pipeline selection has therefore acquired enormous geopolitical significance for the future of the region. The existing pipeline routes for oil from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan ran through Russia to the port of Novorossisk on the Black Sea, giving Moscow a considerable advantage in the process of pipeline selection (16). Following the agreement between Chevron and Kazakhstan, Moscow initially refused to allow crude oil through its pipeline system. It later placed restrictions on the amount of oil which could be transported through its pipelines and imposed a series of high tariffs. All these manoeuvres resulted in a deal which allowed Russia to become member of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which will build a $2 billion pipeline from Kazakhstan to Novorossisk.
The Azerbaijan International Operating Company┼s ├early oil┼ is being transported along two routes which for the most part use existing pipelines: a northern route through Dagestan and Chechnya to Novorossisk, and a second western route to the Georgian port of Supsa. Oil is already flowing along the northern route, and so far, the Chechens have been bought off with substantial transit fees (17).
These pipeline arrangements are temporary solutions dealing only with the transport of the early oil. The final decision regarding the selection of the pipelines which will carry the main oil is expected sometime in 1998. In theory, new pipelines could go in almost any direction. Northern routes could enhance the existing network and serve Russia┼s needs. Western routes could serve Europe, while southern or eastern routes could serve the Asian markets (18).
The main options are the following: (19)
1. The northern route favoured by Russia. According to this option, Kazakhstan would expand its existing pipelines to link them to the Russian network and Azerbaijan would build a pipeline from Baku to Novorossisk. The shortcomings of this option have to do with fears of establishing excessive Russian control over the pipeline and also the issue of security, since the pipeline would go through Chechnya.
2. The western route favoured by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and the United States. This pipeline route would bring the oil to the Georgian port of Supsa and then ship it through the Black Sea and the Bosporus to Europe. Turkey insists that the straits cannot cope with increased tanker traffic and has proposed, instead, to construct a pipeline from Baku to the port of Ceyhan on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. However, excessive costs (around $2.9 billion) and serious security concerns (this route would pass through unstable Kurdish territory) make this option difficult to implement. Instead, the Bosporus could be by-passed by a pipeline linking the Bulgarian port of Burgas with the Greek port of Alexandroupolis.
3. The southern route. Economically, this is the most viable option, since Iran already has an extensive pipeline system, and the Gulf is a good exit to the Asian markets. The United States, however, has practically vetoed this option.
4. Eastern route. This pipeline would transport oil from Kazakhstan to China. It will be the costliest pipeline (covering 2,000 km in Kazakhstan alone) but the Chinese consider it as a strategic decision and are willing to implement it.
5. South-eastern route. The American oil company Unocal has proposed the construction of oil and gas pipelines from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and later to India. This route makes sense geographically but not politically, since it will have to go through unstable Afghanistan.
The final decision about the pipeline or the pipelines which will transport the Caspian oil will be taken sometime in 1998 and is hard to predict in view of the multiplicity of options and competing interests. Given the strength of the Russian and American support for the northern and the western routes respectively, these pipelines seem to have an advantage over the others.
The Policies of the Great Powers in Central Asia
US Foreign Policy
The structure of the oil industry in the West changed radically and perhaps permanently in 1973. Control of the world┼s oil resources shifted from the big multinational oil companies to a small number of oil-producing countries, most of them members of OPEC. The oil crisis of 1973-4 and the two increases in oil prices which followed, one in 1973 and another at the end of the 1970s, forced the countries of the West to reshape their policy on energy by emphasising alternative sources of energy. Despite that fact, the fall in oil prices in the 1980s, as these could not have remained at the high levels of the 1970s, increased demand and oil imports. Thus, while in 1973 world oil consumption was 57 million barrels a day, in 994 it approximated to 68 million barrels (20).
The USA leads the world in oil consumption, with 17 million barrels a day in 1991. Of this quantity, 50% is imported, so that dependence on oil imports is expected to rise steadily in the next decade. Even though US government committees, examining the issue, have found that dependence on oil imports threatens US national security, American oil policy has not changed radically with regard to imports. These findings have not led to the formation of a new oil policy which would aim at the progressive reduction of oil imports. They have, however, led the American Government to seek diversification of supply, to avoid dependence on a single supplier or team of suppliers. The addition of new exporters, such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, to the already existing oil-producing and exporting countries provides more freedom of choice for importing countries such as the US, while it also helps to keep oil prices down (21).
Within this framework, one can explain the American interest in the restructuring of the Russian oil industry as well as in participation in the development of oilfields in the Caspian Sea and the surrounding countries. These oil deposits constitute new sources of supply from countries outside the OPEC and are, for this reason, extremely important on the political as well as on the economic level. The Caspian Sea basin has attracted US interest for the following reasons:
1. The oil of this region is considered to be of good quality.
2. The biggest part of this oil is intended for export, since the needs of the producing countries are relatively low and are expected to remain low.
3. The fact that the countries of the region lack the capital and the technology to proceed independently to the development of these oilfields offers American companies, such as Chevron, considerable investment opportunities.
In this context, we can better understand the geopolitical and economic aims of the US in Central Asia. At the geopolitical level, the United States wants to help the countries of Central Asia to develop their oil and natural gas industries. According to the estimates of the American Government, this development will bring about economic growth and will help these countries move away from the Russian sphere of influence.
At the economic level, the development of the oil industry of these countries means investment opportunities for the American construction and oil companies. Politically, the United States will be in a position to control these new important energy resources and diversify its own sources supply. American private companies have been supported by the US Government in at least two countries of Central Asia, namely, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Other American political objectives include the containment of Iran and the reinforcement of Turkey┼s role in the region. The US has not only blocked any pipeline route passing through Iran, but has also cancelled Iran┼s participation in the international consortium which has undertaken oil production in Azerbaijan (22).
To sum up, US foreign policy in Central Asia is founded on the following rationale:
Russia
At this point it should be mentioned that control over these energy resources has set off a smouldering rivalry between Russia and the US which has two dimensions: the first concerns control of oil production and the second specific questions relative to the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Russia claims that the Caspian is an inland lake and not a closed sea, which means that it is not subject to the Law of the Sea. Consequently, exploitation of the Caspian resources must be subject to an agreement among all five coastal states.
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan maintain that the Caspian Sea is just that, a sea, and as such should be divided into national sectors. The US holds the same position and it recently took a firm stand on the issue. Glen Rase, the director of international energy policy at the US State Department, declared in March 1995 that each of the countries in the region has the right to develop its own economic resources according to its own best interests... and there should be no misunderstanding. The US recognises legitimate security concerns, but does not recognise spheres of influence. The US will defend its companies┼ interests in the Caspian (23). In this context the American Government has supported the private companies which have undertaken production on behalf of the former Soviet republics of the Caspian Sea. The United States wants to avert Russian control over the Caspian energy resources and will resist it as much as possible.
Russia, on the other hand, is concerned with the attempts to oust it from its traditional sphere of influence but is also worried that investment in the Caspian Sea oilfields will divert Western financial backing and interest from its oilfields in Siberia and the Far East and capture some of its market. In the competition over Caspian oil, therefore, Russia sees both the erosion of its geopolitical position and the loss of key economic resources and their potential revenues (24).
Moscow┼s initial response was an effort to strengthen the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, but this was not successful. Russia is now trying to find ways to deal with its competitors. In this context it has recently co-operated with Iran to offset Azerbaijan┼s and Kazakhstan┼s claims in the Caspian and has participated in the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline in an effort to by-pass Turkey.
In the past, the Soviet Union rarely used oil and gas exports to support her national interests. These exports were viewed as the country┼s best earners of hard currency and nothing more. That approach seems to be changing. Russia has become much more aware of the geopolitical role that energy can play. She intends to use her oil and gas strength as a means of supporting foreign policy aims (25).
It is quite evident that there can be no game unless Russia is invited to the table. Giving Russia a seat at the table means equity participation both in pipeline construction and operation and in oil development projects (26).
Concluding Remarks
Energy resources are reshaping the geopolitical map in Eurasia. Eventual control of the development of oil deposits as well as the eventual pipeline routing will determine the political and economic future of Russia, Turkey and the Central Asian states; it will determine Iran┼s position in the region and its relations with the West; it will determine the realignment of the strategic triangle among the US, Russia and China; and it will have strategic consequences by lessening dependence on Persian Gulf oil.
The importance of the eventual pipeline routings was pointed out by the Russian newspaper ├Izvestiya┼: The struggle for future routings of oil from CIS countries to the world market is entering a decisive stage. The victor in this struggle will receive not only billions of dollars annually in the form of transit fees: the real gain will be control over pipelines, which will be the most important factor of geopolitical influence in the TransCaucasus and in Central Asia in the next century (27). n
1. The phrase Great Game has been borrowed from Rudyard Kipling┼s description of the rivalry between Tsarist Russia, Victorian England and the Ottoman Empire in Central Asia for control of trade routes to India in the 19th century. See Fiona Hill, Pipeline Politics, Russo-Turkish Competition and Geopolitics in the Eastern Mediterranean in Security and Cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, edited by Andreas Theophanous and Van Coufoudakis. (Cyprus: Intercollege Press, 1997), p. 200. 2. Rosemarie Forsythe, The Politics of Oil in the Caucasus and Central Asia, Adelphi Paper, No 300, (May 1996), p. 6. 3. While the Central Asian states have physical possession of their oil and gas reserves, they do not possess the capital and the technology that would allow them to go into production alone, a fact which brings in the foreign companies with a share in production and revenues. 4. Colin S. Gray, The Geopolitics of the Nuclear Era: Heartland, Rimlands, and the Technological Revolution (New York: Crane, Russak and Co., 1977). 5. The Rothschilds, and the Nobel Brothers, first provided Russia with the know-how to develop the Caspian oil resources. See Robert W. Tolf, The Russian Rockefellers, (Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, 1976), pp.50-60. 6. Daniel Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991). 7. Proved and inferred reserves are estimated to be as high as 200 billion barrels, putting the region on a par with Iraq. In addition, the area is rich in natural gas with estimated and proved reserves of up to 7.89 trillion cubic metres - as much as those of the US and Mexico combined. Rosemarie Forsyth, The Politics of Oil in the Caucasus and Central Asia, p. 6. The Caspian Sea oil cannot compete with Persian Gulf oil in terms of easy access to the major world markets, nor will this oil be able to compete in terms of levels of production or costs of production. Once the production of the Caspian region reaches its peak - and that will be of the order of several million barrels per day - its contribution to the world oil supply may not be decisive but it will certainly be important. These reserves are significantly bigger, for example, than Europe┼s proved reserves of about 50 billion barrels of oil equivalent. See Robert E. Ebel, The Dynamics of Caspian Sea Resources, paper presented to a Conference on Conflict Resolution, organised by the Institute of International Relations, Panteion University, on Corfu on 30-31 August 1996. Also see Central Asia: A Survey, The Economist, (7-13 Feb. 1998), p.6. 8. Azerbaijan: Energy Sector Review, Document of the World Bank, Report No. 12061-AZ (World Bank,Washington DC, 1993). 9. For these oil companies, the Caspian holds a further attraction. Unlike the majority of the world┼s proved oil reserves, these resources are available for exploitation by Western firms. Iran and Iraq, the underdeveloped giants of the Persian Gulf, are closed to outsiders, so for the moment the oil firms are concentrating on the Caspian. Central Asia: A Survey p. 6. 10. Ibid. 11. Azerbaijan: From Crisis to Sustained Growth, A World Bank Country Study (The World Bank, Washington DC, 1992). 12. Azerbaijan: Petroleum Technical Assistance Project, Document of the World Bank (The World Bank, Washington DC, 28 March 1995). 13 Kazakhstan: The Transition to a Market Economy, A World Bank Country Study (The World Bank, Washington DC, 1993). 14. Ibid. 15. Central Asia: A Survey, The Economist, p.6. 16. Ebel, p. 6; Hill, p. 209, The Economist, p. 6. 17. Central Asia: A Survey, p. 8. 18. Ibid, p. 8. 19. For a detailed analysis see Rosemarie Forsythe, The Politics of Oil in the Caucasus and Central Asia, pp. 44-55; Central Asia: A Survey, pp. 8-9. 20. Robert E. Ebel, Petroleum: A New Factor in the Black Sea Security Context, unpublished paper presented to a conference on Security and the Black Sea, held in Varna, Bulgaria, 9-10 May 1995; Robert E. Ebel, Michael P. Croissant, Joseph R. Masih, Kent E. Calder, Raju G.C. Thomas, Policy Forum: Energy Futures, The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Autumn 1996): 71-99. 21. Ibid. 22. Ibid, p. 6; Rosemarie Forsythe, The Politics of Oil in the Caucasus and Central Asia, p. 55-58; Hill, Pipeline Politics, pp. 212-217. 23. Ebel, Petroleum: A New Factor in the Black Sea Security Concept p. 7; John Lloyd, Battle Lines Drawn Over Caspian Oil and Gas, Financial Times, 3 March 1995. 24. Hill, Pipeline Politics, p. 216. 25. Ebel, p. 9. 26. Ebel, The Dynamics of Caspian Sea Resources, p. 8. 27. Ebel, p. 9. | 25,962 | 10,055 | 0.000101 |
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