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warc | 201704 | I've had a bedtime routine for the Mini Mes since they were newborns, keeping the same pattern each evening results in a peaceful nights sleep fro everyone! But with the sudden temperature rises they have become restless in the evenings and it's often been 10/11pm before they have settled to sleep... resulting in grumpy children the following day.
You can see leading child development expert Jacqueline Harding and the lovely Jess McGlynn from Catch a Single Thought today, as Nick Jr has launched their new campaign Step-by-Step Explore with Dora to help parents navigate key development stages and teach their children key skills including keeping a routine and the importance of doing so.
Show details:
How important are routines for children?
How to implement beneficial routines for your little ones and what to do if they don’t take to them immediately
Show date: 8th July Show time: 12pm
Show time: 12pm
Whether your child or children should have a routine or not is an age old debate amongst parents. Do children flourish under a clear routine or do you think it’s better to follow your child’s own natural rhythm and let them take the lead?
Although predictability can be viewed as monotonous for adults, many parents believe that children flourish on repetition. Providing routines can also help kids deal with change. However some parents prefer to adopt a more varied attitude.
How do you strike the balance between child-led activities and consistency? What do you do if your child doesn’t take to a routine? Do you feel like a failure if your kids don’t follow the routine you’re trying to implement? At what age is having a routine most important?
To access a whole range of Dora themed assets to encourage and reward children on their developmental journey www.nickjr.co.uk/step
Click here to submit questions before the show: For more information:
Website: www.nickjr.co.uk/stepbystep
Hashtag: #dorastepbystep
How important are routines to you? | 2,010 | 1,051 | 0.000974 |
warc | 201704 | Displaying articles for: September 2011
‘Doing well by doing good’ can result in not just profitability, but also shareholder value. In fact, according to Paul Herman (founder & CEO of HIP Investor), companies can experience lower profitability and higher valuation because investors see CSR as a path to future earnings. That’s just one takeaway from the CR Commit! Forum , which I attended earlier this week in New York.
The two-day event showcased a variety of case studies and best practices in CSR and inspired lively conversation, including an Oxford style debate on whether or not CSR destroys economic value. The debate included none other than University of Michigan professor Dr. Aneel Karnani, who sparked much reaction in the media and blogosphere with his comments in the Wall Street Journal.
Here are a few more nuggets:
CSR can be as simple or as hard as you make it. –
Bart Alexander, CRO, Molson Coors
Make your CSR efforts organic and true to your brand –
Felicia Hill, Manager of Brand Experiences, Virgin Mobile
The ‘shared value’ approach to CSR (profits & social good) tells us the why, but not the how. –
Martin Reeves, Senior Partner & Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group
Activists and investors now have equal influence on corporate strategy –
Oliver Phillips, Partner & CSR Lead, Brunswick Group
Evaluate the ROI of your CSR program, not the individual projects under that umbrella. –
Curtis Ravanel, Global Head Sustainability Group, Bloomberg
CSR is moving beyond compliance and risk management to a full strategic element. It’s no longer just a cost center, but also drives ROI and should be factored into decisions and processes at all levels (R&D, marketing, distribution etc…) – J
ohn Cusack, President, Gifford Park Associates
Employee engagement means seeing your work as your cause. –
Tim Mohin, Director of Corporate Responsibility, AMD
The following is a guest post by Jocelyne Daw, a leading expert, author and consultant on building powerful business-community partnerships and on the integration of branding, corporate citizenship and social purpose. She is author of Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion and Profits (Wiley, 2006) and co-author of Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results (Wiley, 2010).
Recently a community investment professional in my city confided that her company had so much going on it was difficult for her program to stand out and get attention. It’s a common concern, especially if a CI program is viewed as peripheral to the core business.
I am a passion advocate for the need for nonprofits to strategically build and manage their brands. But community investment professionals must also embrace a brand mindset. They need to communicate and demonstrate that they are delivering value – for both the company and the community.
Embracing a brand mindset
A focused compelling brand defines who you are and what you stand for. It compels attention. It demonstrates your unique value and expresses it in a relevant and differentiated way. Done well, it tells a story that drives engagement and impact. It maximizes the trust and loyalty required to secure the continuing flow of resources necessary to fulfill your company’s social purpose.
What is YOUR CI brand?
The fact is, your community investment program has brand –whether you manage it or not. A brand is more than a logo or communication tool. It’s what people say about your program when you’re not in the room. It’s your reputation, identity and goodwill with internal stakeholders and in the community, formed by every action, communication and interaction.
Ask yourself - what are the perceptions of the community investment program?
Can people clearly describe what you stand for or is it invisible? Is it known for creating value or giving out money? Is it seen as a central part of the company’s work or as an “add-on” to the “real work” of the company? Is it an integral part of your company’s brand, strategy and culture or is siloed?
Your answers will determine if your community investment has a brand that makes it an easy target for tough economy cutbacks or one that breaks through as a valued asset and even a strategic competitive advantage.
From traditional to a CI brand that breaks through
A breakthrough CI brand has a discernible difference in the way it walks and talks, a palpable shift away from traditional community investment positioning to a focused, strategic approach:
1. From giving out money to standing for something
In traditional CI money is handed out to many organizations based on a company’s pillars. In many cases the pillars are not clearly defined with a specific focus and clear outcomes. As such almost any application can fit, leading to an array of disjointed program support. Leading CI programs have clearly defined who they are and what they stand for based on their company’s strengths. They focus each pillars around a cause and the outcomes they seek. They select organizations that bring their shared commitments to life. Stand out CI programs have a sense of purpose and clarity around what they want be known for.
2. From supporting nonprofits to driving impact
A traditional CI brand focuses it support on nonprofits. A standout brand focuses on making a credible impact. It puts its efforts on critical community issues where the company can make the maximum impact. It finds the right organizations, acts as a partner to leverage internal resources and brings like organizations together to advance even higher impact and increase credibility and capacity.
3. From communicating activities to selling benefits
There is an old saying that activities tell and benefits sell. Rather than just reporting on activities and programs being supported, a breakthrough CI brand focuses its communications on the benefits and outcomes that deliver value for the company and the community
.
4. From organizational silo to integration
In traditional approaches, the CI team is singularly responsible for the program. While they are critical in shaping it, all-out efforts are made to ensure the program aligns with the company’s brand and business strategy. The best outcomes are delivered by aligning with a company’s core competencies and business strengths. This ensures cohesion and operational effectiveness. Leading CI brands make a concerted effort to break down internal silos and bring the organization together around shared needs, values and commitments.
5. From being well-known to well-owned
Being better known does not equate to being better understood or valued. Awareness is helpful, but does not necessarily lead to support and even less surely commitment. A stand out CI brand spends as much time engaging internal communities around what they stand for. They believe in the power of many and involve their internal community in a way that creates pride and a sense of ownership. Meaningful two-way engagement accomplishes far more than any controlled messages ever could.
How-to advice
Building a focused, compelling CI brand starts from the inside and moves out. It takes deep introspection and careful research to understand and define what your CI program stands for. It takes courage and commitment to focus efforts, align resources and drive true impact.
But it’s worth the effort. A stand out CI brand wins mindshare, loyalty and resources by authentically conveying relevance, by demonstrating value and identifying ways to drive engagement. It thrives by appealing to the head, heart and hand. Watch for my next blog on a “how-to” process to create a stand out CI brand.
Robert Egger, founder of DC Central Kitchen, wants us all to break the compromises inherent in ‘traditional’ business models and find new ways to reallocate or combine existing resources to solve social problems. That’s just what he did when he created the DC Central Kitchen model back in 1989.
I had the pleasure of hearing Robert keynote at the Idaho Nonprofit Conference last week and am inspired by his market-driven and creative approach to tackling the hard issues of hunger, poverty and homelessness.
Robert opened the talk by saying, “Hello, my name is Robert, and I’m a recovering hypocrite.” He never intended to become a beacon for social change – no, back in the 1980s, Robert was an aspiring night club owner in DC. One night, he was guilted into helping serve meals to the homeless with a local meals-on-wheels program. And that was the start of a lifelong commitment to the cause.
“It’s right and just to feed someone, but that’s just the beginning.”
Robert began to catalog all the existing resources in DC: kitchen space, leftover restaurant food, agencies purchasing food for hunger programs, chefs who could give people jobs and train them in useful culinary skills, volunteers to help with programs, hungry people in need of a hand up. He thought the solution was obvious: rearrange those elements to create a sustainable cycle to feed people and give them opportunities to eventually be able to feed themselves. But the answer was not so obvious to everyone else. In the end, Robert had to build the business himself to prove to the skeptics that it could work.
DC Central Kitchenturns leftover food into millions of meals for thousands of at-risk individuals while offering nationally recognized culinary job training to once homeless and hungry adults. The organization even has its own catering company that provides a source of earned revenue to support other programs.
Now, the graduates of the DC Central Kitchen training program earn a collective $2 million per year – money that is pumped back into the DC economy through rent, food etc… Not only that, the payroll taxes on those salaries return $200,000 to the DC government, proving the program's value to the city and giving DC Central Kitchen a seat at the table to influence policy. Robert made the business case to compliment the emotional appeal of helping the hungry to ensure that his program became indelibly entrenched in the community.
Robert urges all social businesses and nonprofits to focus on three things:
Know your impact on the economy – prove the business case and claim your seat at the table. Get in the marketers mindset to communicate your value in compelling ways. Merge ideas, best practices, business models, organizations. Don’t be afraid to rearrange the resources to do more with less.
The following is a guest post from Joe Waters. Joe Waters shows organizations how to use cause marketing and social media to establish, grow and deepen relationships with donors and consumers. He is co-author of Cause Marketing for Dummies and the blogger behind the cause marketing blog, http://selfishgiving.com/. He tweets at joewaters. @
Businesses are abuzz about cause marketing, and rightfully so. It's a powerful marketing strategy that connects cause to commerce to raise money for nonprofits and drive sales for businesses.
Developing and executing a cause marketing program is challenging, but it doesn't have to be hard or complicated. If it is, your interest will quickly wane. Here are five tips to make sure your next cause marketing program isn't your last.
1. Keep your program simple. Choose one that is closely connected with your business and aligned to what your consumers and employees care about. Here are a few ideas:
Can you incorporate cause marketing into your existing social media outreach strategy? Think: Levi’s Water>Less campaign or Target’s Bullseye Gives program Can you reward consumers with a charitable gift with purchase? Think: Clinique’s ‘Happy to Give’ campaign or Legal Seafoodholiday gift card program, which donates a portion of sales Boston’s Children’s Hospital Can you ask consumers to join you in supporting a cause? Think: UNICEF’s Tap Projectthat asks diners to include an extra dollar two in their check to support a good cause. 2. Lead with emotion. Regardless of what type of cause marketing program you choose, lead with a strong emotional message that grabs people's attention and tugs at their heart strings. An emotional lead is your vanguard – your best force that will lead your company forward. Slicing through consumer apathy and indecision, it turns the former into interest and latter into resolve.
A great example of a nonprofit spearheading with emotion is
The Jimmy Fund, the fundraising arm of Boston’s famed Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. While the mission of The Jimmy Fund is to raise money to fight adult and pediatric cancers, their cause marketing campaigns lead with emotion: sick kids with cancer. The campaigns work because they focus our attention on one child - giving a face to the disease - and frame a call to action that is tangible and relevant to us as individuals. Emotional appeals speak to one person and illustrate the challenge ahead without overwhelming us with statistics and facts – they are personal.
For many years The Jimmy Fund has had a successful cause marketing partnership with movie theaters in the northeast. In 2010 alone, the program raised over half a million dollars. Here’s how it works. Ushers or volunteers collect the change and bills in canisters after moviegoers watch a short trailer on
The Jimmy Fund’s mission and services. These trailers are moving and persuasive because they feature the children the institute helps. Watch one my favorites, Strong as Iron , and you’ll see why leading with emotion steals the show.
3. Have FLW. Famous last words are what you want the shopper - and potential donor - to notice and remember above all else. If you choose a point-of-sale program, for example, limit your ask to one sentence. “Would you like to donate a dollar to make sure our kids have parks and playgrounds to play in.” Drive your ask home with a simple, powerful and memorable sentence.
But don’t stop there. Make sure the donor isn’t so swept up in the ask they miss or forget the cause their supporting. Give them a takeaway with all the key details about the program. (Here are a
few suggestions on what you should include.) You can also use a QR code, as Whole Food recently did, to link donors to information and to even answer their questions.
4. Strive for a program that feels natural. Naturalness may seem like a strange thing to expect of a cause marketing program. But it’s not when you're like me and have seen so many programs that are forced and unnatural. That’s why it’s important to pick a cause that resonates with you, your employees and customers. Your cause partner is an extension of your brand and makes the inclination to promote and support it, well, natural
5. Choose a cause that’s unselfish. This sounds strange coming from a guy that writes the Selfish Giving blog. But most causes are so focused on themselves, their mission and fundraising that they’ll never stop to think about your business, your welfare or how a cause marketing program can benefit you. The only hand they’ll ever extend is the one to take a check.
Choose a cause that’s committed to your interests right from the start and treats your business like a real partner. The nonprofit to choose is the one that wants you BOTH to succeed and has a plan to succeed.
Beware the selfish nonprofit. Partners need to be committed to mutual success. “Together wing to wing and oar to oar.” You’ll be amazed how far and fast you can go when you pull together.
The following 7-stage process was featured on Mashable and written by Simon Mainwaring, the author of a new book, We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (Palgrave Macmillan). He blogs at simonmainwaring.com and tweets @simonmainwaring.
Regardless of where your company falls in the ongoing CSR debate sparked by University of Michigan business school professor Aneel Karnani in the Wall Street Journal, it’s clear that consumers and employees care about the social responsibility of the corporations they support. Research from Cone, Edelman and others demonstrates that consumers increasingly look for products and brands that support a cause or make a social impact. Likewise, research shows that employees overwhelmingly prefer to work for a company that is socially responsible and helps them do good in their communities.
If your company is ready to engage with consumers and employees through thoughtful, strategic and bottom-line driven CSR initiatives, but doesn’t know where to start, the following orientation will help. The 7-stage evolutionary process defined by Simon Mainwaring serves as a guidepost to know where you are on the CSR spectrum and help you decide where you want to be (given your leadership’s commitment and available resources). Moving from one level to the next will take time, buy-in from leadership and coordination across your company. Don’t be afraid to start slow, but do get started! Remember that how you talk about your CSR efforts – and champion the contributions of your consumers and employees – will go a long way to galvanizing support and reinforcing your own CSR evolution.
The 7-Stage Evolution of a Socially Responsible Brand
The process of becoming a brand leader in the next decades will be an evolutionary one involving at least seven stages. Each stage is defined by its unique leadership style, brand vision, social media commitment and level of engagement with the brand’s customer base:
Unsustainable corporate self-interest: This is where most organizations sit today. They donate to philanthropy or practice some type of cause marketing but they largely define their success in terms of monetary returns for shareholders. Self-directed engagement: A growing number of organizations are moving up to this stage, recognizing that changing their social responsibility profile can earn benefits. But most of their outreach efforts at this stage are still done for image management in the public eye. They are still motivated mostly by self-interest and the desire to avoid bad publicity. C-suite reflection: In this stage, the corporate leaders of the brand begin to reflect deeply on their vision for the brand. A few leaders among them will put together a proposal for the company’s future based on fulfilling greater social responsibility benchmarks. Consumer facing self-interest: At this stage, the brand begins moving toward an authentic commitment to socially responsible behavior. However, it still fails to make all of its consumer-facing outreach consistent. As a result, consumers (and employees) often experience a disconnection between what the company says it stands for and its actions, including its supply chain and the products and services it offers. Self-directed reform: Here, a brand examines the details of its mandate — its core values, purpose and consistency of its messaging. It starts making serious changes such as changing suppliers, imposing strict ethical standards and hiring new leadership to reformulate its vision. These changes are mostly unseen by the public. Brand leader: At this stage, the corporation embraces the need to share stewardship of their brand with their consumers. It recognizes the need to be transparent, accountable, and authentic. The brand endeavors to become a pacesetter for others in its socially responsible behavior. Its employees rank it as a great place to work, watchdog groups give it high marks as a responsible company, and consumers hold it up as a leading purveyor of positive social impact, by talking about the brand in their blog posts, tweets, and across their social networks. Brand visionary: In this final stage, the brand is well respected for carrying a strong, long-term vision of a better world that it seeks to bring to fruition. It quiets shareholders who clamor only for short-term profits. It conducts a regular dialogue with its consumers, who willingly co-create the brand’s story, while being loyal fans of the brand and driving its profits. In achieving this brand visionary status, its customers form a global synaptic network that is always in support not just of its products but also the core values of the brand, which become meaningful in their lives.
You can read the full Mashable post here.
The following is a guest post by Jocelyne Daw, a leading expert, author and consultant on building powerful business-community partnerships and on the integration of branding, corporate citizenship and social purpose. She is author of Cause Marketing for Nonprofits: Partner for Purpose, Passion and Profits (Wiley, 2006) and co-author of Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results (Wiley, 2010).
Recently I spoke at a conference on cause marketing trends and best practices. It’s always fun to present, but I deem a presentation successful if the attendees are engaged and ask lots of questions. At this session I was not to be disappointed. One question that popped up and generated a great deal of good discussion was “
What is the difference between sponsorship and cause marketing?”.
In my perspective, the difference between the two is simple. It’s in the tactics and the benefits of each execution.
Let’s look at cause marketing
Let me start with my definition of cause marketing. This sets the stage for differentiating between these two growing forms of corporate community involvement - methods that go beyond traditional corporate philanthropic donations.
I define cause marketing as
a mutually beneficial business and nonprofit partnership that sees a company put the power of its brand and marketing behind the cause to generate profits for both. In cause marketing, the company uses the cause as the focus of its marketing tactics. Think the traditional 4 P’s of marketing: product, price, promotion and place. Product ties to a cause. Price includes a donation or percentage to the cause. Promotion focuses on the cause connection. Place reaches consumers in an untraditional way and place with cause messages often supported by in-store point of purchase advertising.
The company’s expectation is that it will directly earn profits from the affiliation. The cause tie helps the product and company to stand out in the crowded marketplace. It demonstrates an alignment with the company and customers’ values. Research proves that if price and quality are equal, the cause differentiator will (in more cases than not) result in a sale.
Sponsorship on the other hand …
Sponsorship sees companies providing financial contribution to a nonprofit event or program. In return, the
nonprofit uses its marketing and communications tools to promote a company’s involvement and support of the cause. The tools could include featuring the company’s logo on a poster, t-shirt, brochure or other nonprofit marketing and communications material. In the end, it’s really just another marketing and promotional tool for the company. Similar to the way TV advertising or social media is used to reach a distinct audience.
Profits, on the other hand for the nonprofit are less ambiguous. They receive a payment – in the form of a non-tax receipted contribution. It is essentially an advertising expense paid in a commercial exchange for a corporate recognition tied to the cause. Benefits for the company come in the form of reaching a target audience in a unique way and creating community goodwill. Neither is seen as a competitive advantage that will guarantee a sale. Generating corporate profits are less direct than in the case of cause marketing.
The difference is clear, but can still be blurry
While my definition clearly differentiates between the two business-cause partnerships, there are occasionally blurry lines. Take Komen
Race for the Cure® and Yoplait’s involvement.
Yoplait has been the main sponsor of the race for a number of years. Komen promotes their support through the organization’s various race marketing and communication vehicles. Yoplait’s logo can be seen on the Komen
Race for the Cure® t-shirt. It is featured on the poster and as in the picture the on-site race banners. However, during the month of October, Yoplait parallels its race support with a cause marketing in-store promotion – “ Save Lids, Save Lives.” People see both. Some call their support “sponsorship”. Others call it “cause marketing”. In fact, it’s a smart use of both that leverages Yoplait’s cause involvement in the breast cancer movement. By doing so, it turns the entire involvement into something that is bigger than the sum of individual parts.
In the end, both cause marketing and sponsorship are commercial, mutually beneficial relationships between companies and causes. We know both are growing. When done right, they provide powerful shared value and reflect shared values.
Monday night, I spent an evening at the University of Maryland being inspired by Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics, former Vice Chairman of AOL, award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur. “An Evening on Filmanthropy and Leadership” was hosted by the University of Maryland Colonnade Society and School of Public Policy and featured a short presentation by Mr. Leonsis on SnagFilms and an interview about his perspective on doing well by doing good.
Mr. Leonsis was quick to assert that success follows happiness (happiness does not necessarily follow success) and that businesses with a double bottom line perspective are more successful than those with just a profit focus. He used the example of Starbucks offering free Wi-Fi for customers as an example of putting social priorities first and building a stronger business as a byproduct. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, felt it was important to give people a people a ‘third place’ to go - especially in a tough economy - so they can search for jobs and maintain a professional routine in hard times. He doesn’t care if they buy one cup of coffee and stay all day. It’s the right thing to do and turns customers into loyal community members.
Similarly, Mr. Leonsis has his sports franchises prepare three income statements with metrics on game track records (wins/losses, championships), financial performance (ticket sales, revenue) and - perhaps most importantly - community impact (philanthropy, player community engagement). Each of his business initiatives measures success by both financial and social return and he takes the responsibility of community pride to heart. As Mr. Leonsis states, he’s not in the sports management business - he’s in the immortality business. He’s creating a community legacy through the power of sport and that matters more than any revenue number can.
That philosophy translates to his recent social venture, SnagFilms. SnagFilms provides a platform for filmmakers with important stories to tell about social causes. Individuals don’t always have time or money to support a cause, but they have pixels (a new currency) and can give bandwidth to compelling films that foster advocacy and awareness for powerful issues. People can even save favorite films to their own virtual movie theater and leverage social networks to keep the conversation going long after the film ends.
Want to be like Ted Leonsis? Here are his recommendations to chart your own path to happiness (and success). And he promises that these qualities translate to healthy and happy businesses, too.
1. Be an active participant in communities of interest.
2. Express yourself. Be heard. 3. Empathize. Understand the position of others. 4. Get out of the "I" and into the "We" 5. Pursue a higher calling.
You can get more insights like this from
The Business of Happiness here.
Companies for Good was recently named as one of the top 25 Social Media for Social Good blogs by Ventureneer. Additionally, staff members Katya Andresen (Chief Strategy Officer) and Jocelyn Harmon (VP Marketing & Sales) were also included on the list for their blogs on nonprofit marketing. We are honored to be listed among such a cadre of thought leaders at the intersection of technology and social good.
Here are some of the fellow honorees who create content relevant to corporate cause marketers and social impact enthusiasts. If you are looking for ways to champion your company’s good works and engage your consumers and employees around cause through social media, the experts below can help.
Chris Brogan www.chrisbrogan.com Geoff Livingston www.geofflivingston.com Joe Waters’ Selfish Giving www.selfishgiving.com Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert www.convinceandconvert.com Social Media Today www.socialmediatoday.com Francisco Rosales’ Social Mouths www.socialmouths.com/blog Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact http://impact.webershandwick.com/ John Haydon www.johnhaydon.com The Dragon Fly Effect www.dragonflyeffect.com/blog | 29,477 | 12,170 | 0.000084 |
warc | 201704 | Patient influx reaches pressure point
Bluewater Health
Bluewater Health has opened extra beds in Petrolia to help make space for emergency department admissions and surgery patients at its crowded Sarnia site.
Currently there are 101 patients, or 30% of the Sarnia hospital’s 326 beds, being occupied by Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patients.
These patients are classified ALC because they could otherwise be cared for in a long-term care facility, or at home, if space and resources were available.
The bed shortage, which reached a 34% peak in September and October, has impacted access to care, said Jennifer McCullough, director of performance management.
Nine in 10 people wait 20 hours to be admitted from emergency, she said — still one of the best rates in Ontario — and there were less than five cancelled surgeries because of bed unavailability this year.
“We make every effort to avoid cancelling surgeries,” she said. “Part of that effort is exactly what you're seeing here.”
Over the past week, six patients were moved to newly opened beds in complex continuing care at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital (CEEH) in Petrolia — also part of Bluewater Health — boosting the unit to 18.
“We had reached a pressure point,” McCullough said, noting officials added five extra beds in the medicine and surgery units in Sarnia until the bed boost in Petrolia.
“That's how serious this surge has been.”
The ALC spike is significant because it costs far more to care for patients in hospital than at home or in long-term care.
Rates grew substantially from the 3% to 9% range last year and 80% of the patients are waiting for long-term care spots. As many as five patients are homeless, McCullough said.
Often a sick family member's home is sold to eliminate cost while the person waits for a long-term care placement, she said.
“In the course of waiting a year or two ... some folks get better and could return home, but they no longer have a home.”
In deciding who to transfer to Petrolia, officials consider visitor proximity to CEEH, the patient's condition, and what other options are available, McCullough said.
There’s no guarantee where a patient may be located when admitted.
The cost to provide additional services has been accounted for in the budget, she said, noting the switch doesn't change overall ALC rates, but does provide more room for patients in Sarnia.
And it's not the first time the strategy's been used, she said. Rates were similar in 2008.
The extra beds are expected to stay open for six months, helping with increased ER demand during flu season.
Lambton County's Community Health Services Department reports two lab-confirmed flu cases in Sarnia-Lambton so far this season.
The planned 72-combined-bed expansion opening at Fiddick's and Vision nursing homes in the spring should also help alleviate the problem, McCullough said.
Bluewater Health works with community partners, including the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), and March of Dimes to find solutions for patients, she said.
“The ALC issue manifests in our hospital,” she said. “The solution though is well beyond our walls.”
Part of that is a care philosophy that includes getting patients home as quickly as possible, she said.
ALC RATES AT BLUEWATER HEALTH BY UNIT:
-Acute: 29 patients or 15% of unit beds;
-Mental health: four patients or 15% of unit beds;
-Rehab: three patients or 11% of unit beds;
-Complex continuing care: 65 patients or 86% of unit beds.
tyler.kula@sunmedia.ca | 3,674 | 1,817 | 0.000571 |
warc | 201704 | BEVERLY HILLS, CA—Children who do not receive corrective cosmetic surgery before puberty run a serious self-esteem risk "from which they may never recover," claims a study released Monday by a team of leading Beverly Hills plastic surgeons.
According to the report, pre-teens forced to grow up without plastic surgery are 10 times more likely than their surgery-enhanced peers to feel hideously ugly during life's most crucial period of social and sexual development, causing them to go without dates, become sullen and withdrawn, and be incapable of giving or receiving love.
"Without appearance-enhancing surgery during the formative 5- to 12-year-old stage, children grow up feeling unloved and worthless," said Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stan Gaines, co-author of the report. "Their enormous, misshapen noses and flat, lifeless, collagen-deprived lips make them virtual pariahs at school. It's sad to say, but for most of these children, the chances of growing up to marry a doctor or lawyer are virtually nil."
The report, compiled by seven Beverly Hills doctors over a five-year period, was the result of extensive research and hundreds of interviews with children, both with cosmetic surgery and without.
"In all cases, the children whose parents refused to provide them with cosmetic surgery expressed feelings of disappointment, rejection and a profound lack of parental love," the report stated, "not unlike children who are deprived of birthday ponies."
Dr. Fima Abalhu, Beverly Hills liposculpturist and report co-author, said: "My heart goes out to these children. They will grow up knowing that their uncaring families did not make any effort to ensure their well-being. Many will never have the self-confidence necessary to wear a string bikini or embark on a modeling career."
Among the serious long-term psychological damage outlined in the report: an unwillingness to go in or near the pool; lack of confidence in tanning, in some cases leading to pale, lackluster skin tone; lack of interest in spending money on clothes; and unenthusiastic participation in gala award-show celebrity photo-ops.
"I have seen these children stand unsmiling and dejected in full view of the paparazzi," Gaines said. "No doctor—and no parent—should ever have to see such a thing."
The report also found that a whopping 96 percent of non-cosmetically-altered children interviewed had frequent thoughts like, "I hate Mommy," and, "Daddy never buys me anything I want." Even more serious, such children were found to run a 200 percent greater risk of associating with the help.
While cosmetic surgery is important for all children, it is especially critical for girls, the study said: Over 85 percent of participating 10-year-old girls who did not receive breast enhancements felt dissatisfied with their breasts.
"Without surgery, these girls have no chance of developing breasts before their bodies mature sexually, which often can be as much as four or five years later," Gaines said. "We're talking about girls who are 8, 9, even 10 years old, who have absolutely no breasts whatsoever."
"The conclusions of this study are clear," Beverly Hills eyelid specialist Dr. David Willoughby said. "Millions of children are going without surgery vitally necessary for them to feel attractive and desirable amongst their peers. If you or someone you know has children who still haven't received any rhinoplasty, liposuction, prominent-ears correction or any other cosmetic surgery, for God's sake, talk to them right away. And get them to one of our seven convenient area locations for a free consultation before it's too late." | 3,683 | 1,853 | 0.000548 |
warc | 201704 | Before there was sex, before there was the city, there was just a girl with a dream. Candace Bushnell, a columnist for the New York Observer. Writing about the adventures of her and her friends, she soon reshaped the definition of a modern woman with her sensational series “Sex and the City”. How did she do it? Drawing on her personal experiences, coupled with her talent for writing, she created the timeless Carrie, a character many today still relate to.
Many of us, like Carrie Bradshaw, a small town girl with big city dreams want to be a writer. Be it writing novels, nonfiction books, op-ed pieces, the desire to express oneself on paper is the same.
Anyone can become a writer. The hard part’s being a writer, continuing your stories, creating new material, and seeing projects through to the end.
Calling all Rory Gilmores and Carrie Bradshaws, this is the recipe to literary success.
Write Every Day
This is self-explanatory; if you aspire to improve your writing skills, they must be practiced. Daydreaming about writing the next great American novel is one thing, but putting pen to paper is another. Want to write a novel before you finish high school? Then get to it! Start off by writing a short story every couple of weeks to bring your stories together and practice character development, plot line, and story flow.
Draw On Personal Experiences
Write about what you love, not what’s popular. If angst-riddled teenage vampires aren’t your cup of tea, don’t fret! Create stories based on your life and interests, pour your genuine passion into it and the readers will come. Writing is a personal experience, and as long as your heart is in the story, someone will read it.
Learn How to Write
Sure, we all know how to write essays for our English classes. But tackling the beast that is a novel is whole other story (pun intended). Writing is a technical skill, and in order to be a good writer you must be able to manipulate the rules of story telling to suit your needs. Take a writer’s workshop class, pick up a craft book, and learn how to make your ideas come to life.
Share Your Ideas
Finished writing two or three chapters? Ask a friend to read them over! Having others involved in your book writing adventure will keep you accountable to your timeline and helps build your story. Receiving advice and suggestions will help you see your story from another perspective and will improve you story.
Failure is Your Friend
The unfortunate truth is that you will fail. Repeatedly. Your first story may not sound that great on paper as it did in your mind, or you might not get that editorial position on your school newspaper. The best way to overcome these types of situations is to fake it until you make it. Have confidence in your ability and remember that from mistakes you will learn and become a better writer. Keep your goals in mind and have faith in yourself.
Patience is Key
Talented writers don’t appear overnight. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in order to create decent stories. Your first attempt may not be your best work – and that is perfectly fine! The key to becoming an author is to persevere and keep writing even when it becomes frustrating. Do not fixate on being published; focus on creating the best work you can. The trick to becoming an established writer is having the proper mindset to work through challenges and not become discouraged. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your story.
Find Inspiration
Stay motivated to write by reading works by your favorite author, or scrolling through the motivational quote tag on Tumblr. Write a note to yourself to remind you that you are able to do anything you set your mind to. Listen to TED talks and remember that the struggle is what makes you stronger.
Write, Write, Write, and Read, Read, Read
Stick to your craft, and keep writing, even through the writer’s block. Find opportunities to voice your opinions and be recognized for your work (like The Prospect’s high school writing program!). Also, unleash your inner Hermione and read whatever and whenever you can. The best way to improve your writing quality is to absorb what the prolific authors of the past and present have demonstrated in the their works.
So if you are an aspiring writer, channel your inner Nike t-shirt slogan and just do it. Grab a piece of paper and start writing. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, so no matter how intimidating it may seem, take the plunge and consciously work on becoming a fantastic writer. | 4,609 | 2,238 | 0.000455 |
warc | 201704 | The Challenges of Taxing Investments in Offshore Hybrid Entities:A South African Perspective
Introduction
Tax avoidance (by contrast with tax evasion) involves using perfectly legal methods of arranging one’s affairs to pay less tax. This is done by utilizing loopholes in tax laws and exploiting them within legal parameters. So for instance, taxpayers often exploit the fact that there are tax variations across international borders and international tax systems that can be used avoidtaxes. This article deals with the resulting tax avoidance when taxpayers invest in entities that two or more countries classify differently for tax purposes. These entities, often referred to as ‘hybrid entities’, are basically legal relationships in which the entity is treated as a taxable entity (eg, a corporation) in one jurisdiction and as a transparent (non-taxable) entity inanother. In a treaty context, the different tax treatment of these entities maybe used to take advantage of treaty benefits and even to avoid taxes. Hybrid entities usually take the form of trusts or partnership structures. This article covers only partnership structures. In South Africa, the topic of the taxation of hybrid entities has received little attention, and there is no legislation in place dealing with the taxation of these entities. However, a number of South African residents have been known to invest in offshore hybrid entities whereby it is possible to avoid South African taxes on their income. This article discusses the difficulties oftaxing partnership hybrid structures and the methods of manipulating these difficulties to avoid taxes. The challenges of taxing these entities in South Africa are also discussed, and recommendations are provided on how the ensuing tax avoidance can be prevented.
Source: By Annet Wanyana Oguttu (University of South Africa)
Section 240A of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 (as amended) requires that all tax practitioners register with a recognized controlling body before 1 July 2013. It is a criminal offense to not register with both a recognized controlling body and SARS. | 2,128 | 1,043 | 0.000968 |
warc | 201704 | Leading from the front
Don't focus all your efforts on the back garden. Alison Weir explains how to cultivate a good first impression
Front gardens proclaim their owners’ taste and style long before visitors reach the front door. However, many householders neglect the importance of first impressions, lavishing time and attention on back gardens, but treating front ones like a poor relation, adorned only with scrubby shrubs or an inherited and neglected rockery.
A front garden needs to have structure, as it is inevitably close to a building. Soft grasses and wafting perennials are enchanting in a meadow but can look insignificant against the architecture of a house. Evergreens with bold foliage such as phormiums, iris, Euphorbia characias, hellebores and a wide range of shrubs will balance the house’s visual impact.
A geometric parterre of low box hedging is an effective way of creating structure in a front garden. Its dimensions can match those of architectural elements of the house — for example, the width of a bay window — to tie the elements together | 1,095 | 623 | 0.001644 |
warc | 201704 | If California’s film and TV production tax credit extension clears the state Legislature before it ends its session late Friday, you’ll hear more sighs of relief than champagne corks popping.
For while Its backers say it is essential legislation if the state is to halt the production exodus that threatens its status as the world leader in TV, film and commercials, even they admit the program is under-funded and over-subscribed.
The legislation, which will require Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature to go into law, would extend the state’s $100 million tax-credit fund for two more years, taking it through 2015.
California producers are allowed a 20 percent or 25 percent credit against income and sales and use taxes.
There are actually two bills, a Senate and Assembly version, that are nearly identical. The Assembly bill is headed to the Senate for a floor vote expected Friday. The other still has to clear Assembly panels.
“It may be under-funded, but it’s absolutely necessary for Hollywood and the state,” veteran producer Michael Helfant ("Very Bad Things") told TheWrap.
It's not surprising Helfant's a believer; the program turned the tide for one of his films, the upcoming thriller “The Hive.”
In March, he and his team were days away from heading to Ottawa, Canada, when he received a call from the California Film Commission telling him that his project was eligible for credits.
“I’ve been making movies here for 25 years, and to see so many projects leaving the state has been a terrible thing to watch," he said. "We were ecstatic that we could stay.”
“The only reason we were able to shoot in L.A. was the tax credit,” Helfant told TheWrap.
The two bills originally called for a five-year extension but were scaled back earlier this year by budget-conscious legislators. The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program is currently scheduled to end in fiscal year 2014-15, with the last of the credits allocated by July 2013.
Brown signed a one-year extension last year, but his approval isn’t a given this time.
While he counts Hollywood and the labor unions that back the bill among his supporters, he’s also concerned with maintaining a hard line on budget expenses during a period when the state is furloughing workers and cutting services. His own office of finance opposes the bill.
Skeptics note that the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the Hollywood studios' lobbying arm, commissioned the report, but a Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. study found that the tax-credit program pumped $3.8 billion into the California economy and created more than 20,000 jobs in its first two years.
The extension is particularly important for TV dramas, which are increasingly finding out-of-state homes in places like New York. While the Big Apple was hitting record production levels in the past year, California’s output of TV dramas fell more than 11 percent.
“TV series need to be able to plan ahead for two or three years,” said Nancy Rae Stone, program director of the California Film Commission, which oversees the credit program. “If we can’t guarantee these incentives are going to be in place for the next three years, they won’t even consider us.”
TV series are among the most desirable projects for the state because they employ more people for a longer period of time than movies or commercials do.
California’s incentives pale in comparison with those offered by other states. New York has made more than $400 million available and recently added a 30 percent incentive for post-production work. Louisiana and Georgia offer 30 percent to 35 percent tax incentives and are uncapped.
And that’s just the domestic competition. The U.K. , Canada and Sri Lanka have begun offering incentives, and other countries like New Zealand have ramped up state-of-the-art production infrastructures. Even Iceland recently lured the HBO series “Game of Thrones” and the feature films “Noah” and “Prometheus.”
So how does the California fight that?
“We’re still the film capital of the world,” Stone said, pointing to the state’s large number of studios and soundstages and its extensive and long-established pre- and post-production industries. “We have the largest and best talent base for casts and crews,” she said,. “And don't forget our weather.”
One of the bill’s authors, state Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Los Angeles), agreed that California doesn’t need to match other states’ packages to compete because of its built-in advantages.
“People’s families in the industry, a large part of the infrastructure that is available to the industry is already in California," Fuentes told TheWrap. "And if we can just stay competitive, that will make California the choice for the industry.”
Producer Helfant, who received tax credits of around $1.5 million on "The Hive," agrees.
“We might ultimately have spent a little more by staying here, but we were glad to do it because it made the movie better,” he said. “We tweaked the script and our director Brad Anderson made the city of L.A. a character in the film. We were able to use the best production and crew members and we employed 100-plus people.”
There are advantages to playing on the "home field," particularly for smaller projects. California productions that remain in-state don’t have to pay for transportation and lodging to take crews and casts to other locales or ship equipment. And the talent pool here remains the nation’s largest.
“A number of smaller productions simply wouldn’t happen if they couldn’t shoot here, because of the cost and the difficulty of putting together a cast.” Stone said.
There are far more applicants than the program can handle, so many that a lottery is held in June for access to the credits. In the most recent round, 28 projects initially were selected from a record 322 applications. Productions that didn’t make the cut are wait-listed, so they can step in should a project fail to come together. .
In the program’s most recent year, 51 feature films, 13 TV movies, 8 TV series and one miniseries all took advantage of the program. One series, ABC’s “Body of Proof” (
pictured left) relocated from Rhode Island. Those productions are estimated to have spent $1.07 billion in the state, according to the film commission.
“There’s no doubt we could keep more productions if we had more resources,” said Stone, program director of the California Film Commission, which oversees the credit program. But she knows that’s not going to happen anytime soon, given the state’s financial woes.
There are opponents to the plan. State Assemblyman Chris Norby (R-Orange County) has voted against the incentives and maintains that the economic gains are not worth the cost to the state.
“Rather than try to out-subsidize competing states for their irresponsibility — like South Carolina, New Mexico, Louisiana and New York — we should simply allow those programs to implode and rely on the natural advantages of climate and talent and infrastructure that California already has,” Norby said.
Others believe that pitting states against each other is not the best approach and the federal government should play more of a role.
Documtentarian Michael Moore, for example, is on record as favoring a federal incentive program.
“We’re all Americans, and it’s pitting states against each other,” he said in an interview with Michigan's Grand Rapids Press. “In Canada, you can’t close a factory in Vancouver and move it to Toronto. I can see (adopting) a stronger, federally controlled tax program.” | 7,937 | 3,677 | 0.000287 |
warc | 201704 | There was once what could only be considered a heretic from the Univ of Chicago who said financing doesn’t create value. He won the Nobel Prize for this observation. An observation that seems forever lost on the Washington\Wall Str Nexus and American economy in general.
Nowhere was this principal made more clear than in the recent mortgage “situation” that wiped out $12 trillion in home values over 10’s of millions of homeowners. Derivatives, pass through securities a’la CMO’s and other Mortgage Backed Securities, Credit Default Swaps, etc. all illustrate Wall Street’s errant ways.
But Wall Street wasn’t the only industry fueling the belly-flop in values felt primarily by the 99% and the once upon time middle class. Don’t get me wrong, the second great depression wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t of been for Wall Street, but let’s not forget that the Residential Real Estate Sales Industry played just as important part. And yea, sadly neither industry has changed it’s ways.
I recently had an affiliation with a real estate sales person that was very enlightening. She was utterly and constitutionally incapable of discerning the difference between the price based upon the maximum mortgage amount I could afford at the start of my ownership and the true value of the home. Basically, given the interest rate and other terms of the loan being offered I could qualify for a mortgage loan of a certain size and this loan, when added to my equity portion, was the total price I should be pay for the home.
We went around and around on the “safety” of this method of assigning a value to home. I asked her, “what happens during negotiations if interest rates go up and the same maximum monthly payment that I can afford relates to a lesser mortgage amount? According to you the value of the home will go down. Does that mean the seller is going to, say, remove the fireplace and some kitchen cabinets to keep the value of the residence that I am willing to pay before the interest rate jump on par with the cumulative lower price of the physical features I’ll be receiving after the rate hike pushes my mortgage amount down?” And “what about the fact that Wisconsin is arguably the worst labor and wage market in the nation right now? Does that explain why there is no-one bidding against me? Driving the prospective value of the home ever higher”.
She just sat there looking at me like I was speaking Klingon. The value of the home is the maximum you can afford to pay based upon your mortgage terms and that was that – it was not even a point of debate. And if I didn’t believe her, well, here were some comparable sales with prices reflecting similarly inflated values based upon the ease and availability of credit. All the comparable sales she showed me were rather recent – as they should have been – but thinking back the interest rate and credit terms that prevailed during the time of these comparables wasn’t really that much different than now. These other sale prices had been determined by the maximum-affordable-credit-terms method when credit terms, most notably interest rates, were pretty much the same. These prices were inflated to the extent that the price suggested based upon credit terms diverged from the value of the home dictated by Labor and Wage prospects, amongst other things, over and after the holding period of the home.
And here is the rub. Today’s interest rates are fantastically favorable to home ownership but Wisconsin’s labor and wage market is extremely unfavorable. Worse still, the problem of unfavorable wage, labor and other aspects of the 99%’s wealth isn’t that good anywhere in America right now, and there are still reports of declining home values to prove it. I would overpay for the true value of the home if I allowed my purchase price to be dictated by the maximum amount of the loan I could afford. If I did this, as apparently seems to be the “practice” enforced by the Residential Real Estate Sales market right now, I would then put on record a sales comparable that countless other realtors would then use to enforce the maximum-affordable-credit-terms method of valuation on other buyers. The problem would grow. It would snow-ball with each transaction so determined.
It is important to note that this SalesPerson had a signed buyer's agency with me. She was not just arguing with me in order to obtain the Seller the maximum sales price. The problem with her motivation was that the buyer's agency agreement did not change the way her commission was calculated as a percentage of sales price.
This is how “the rubber met the road” in the recent mortgage fiasco. Such practices by the Residential Real Estate Sales market amplified the loses suffered by homeowner’s that stemmed from wall street’s free and easy credit terms. Credit terms, that is, that technically do NOT create value. | 5,044 | 2,315 | 0.000449 |
warc | 201704 | DEAR AMY: My wife went back to work about a year ago. After being home for about 20 years raising our kids, she is working 30 hours a week. We have two boys who are both in college.She now wants to open her own checking account and have her paycheck deposited into it so that she can spend as she pleases. I work full time and make substantially more than she does, all along depositing my paycheck into our joint account and paying for all our expenses.I would like for my wife to help with the household expenses, but she doesnt think she needs to because I make so much more than she does.Money is not the issue, because we have enough.I never complain about her spending money she just thinks Im always looking over her shoulder.What do you think should we maintain two checking accounts? Financially FrustratedDEAR FRUSTRATED: In my view, everybody in a family who works to earn money (wives, husbands and kids) should have their own account.Maintaining a checking account helps to teach valuable financial skills as people manage their spending and saving.This is a great opportunity for you and your wife to sit down and talk about your individual and family finances. You should agree on how your wife can best use her smaller income to enjoy the money she is making and to contribute to your household.DEAR AMY: My father died 37 years ago when I was 13.I found out recently he molested my sister, his stepdaughter, for 12 years before he died. It started when she was 4 years old.This has devastated me. I am trying to work through it.I am so ashamed this man was my father.I have yet to tell my husband and children about what my father did.I dont know how to tell them about this. Do they need to know what has happened?I feel as if I am perpetuating the secret if I dont tell them. But I am so ashamed and upset about this that I dont want them to know about it. I am hoping you can give me some guidance. Ashamed and BetrayedDEAR ASHAMED: You should tell your husband about this. Anything that devastates you should be part of the ongoing and intimate conversation you two share.You and your husband need to decide together what is the best course in terms of discussing this with your kids. | 2,207 | 1,119 | 0.000894 |
warc | 201704 | A significant anomaly in the domestic water allowances in Munster provided by the county councils to farmers and businesses has been identified. Farmers and businesses in South Tipperary receive only half the allowances of their neighbours in North Tipperary.
Prior to Irish Water, farmers and commercial business owners were already paying water rates but received an allowance for domestic usage from the local authority.
The water allowance allocated to those which fall under “mixed-use customers” is almost 50 percent higher in North Tipperary than the allowance given to those in South Tipperary.
The allowance given to North Tipp stands at €326.40 while those in the South of the county receive €176 on a yearly basis. A spokesperson for Tipperary County Council confirmed the allowances and stated that this anomaly can be traced back to when North Tipp and South Tipp were acting as independent local authorities.
The rates would normally have been harmonised following the merger of the two councils into Tipperary County Council in June 2014.
However the Regulator stipulated that any charges which existed before the creation of Irish Water would continue to apply until a new standard charge is set and as yet the Regulator has not set standard water charges for non-domestic customers.
Although no information was given as to how the rate for North Tipperary was set, the Tipperary Star understands that the domestic allowance in the South was historically based on the average domestic water use per person per year from survey data. It is not known if County Councillors were aware of the anomaly.
Historically non-domestic water services in Ireland were provided by the 34 Local Authorities. This structure resulted in 44 distinct billing authorities, with over 500 different tariff prices and structures in operation for non-domestic water and wastewater services, including charges applied to mixed-use customers such as farmers.
The Commission for Energy Regulation is currently undertaking a review of non-domestic tariffs in a bid to establish a new ‘Non-domestic Tariff Framework’ for mixed use customers such as farmers and business where the domestic dwelling is on the same meter. A spokesperson for Irish Water said they cannot make any further comment until the details of this review are known.
Research carried out by the Tipperary Star has also identified significant anomalies in the domestic allowances allocated by each county council in Munster. In Cork city the annual allowance is €133.59 while in the county the allowance is €211, Limerick City and County provide an allowance of €245 while the allowance in Waterford is €285, Clare is €282 and Kerry is €250.80.
A CER spokesperson said they anticipate a review of charges in the 44 billing authorities by the end of 2016. | 2,882 | 1,290 | 0.000795 |
warc | 201704 | Cargill sees cocoa supply meeting demand London, August 23, 2011
Cargill expects world 2011/12 cocoa supplies will be adequate to meet demand, with the cushion of a sizable global surplus from the previous crop, the US agribusiness giant said on Tuesday.
"Weather has been pretty OK and pretty normal in the main regions, but given the fact that it hasn't been outstanding weather, and given the fact that we are positive with respect to demand, at best we see a balanced picture," Jos de Loor, managing director of cocoa and chocolate at Cargill, told Reuters.
"We will be fine with respect to supply given the surplus we had last year."
Analysts and traders forecast a world 2010/11 cocoa surplus in excess of 300,000 tonnes, after ideal weather led to a record West African crop.
Cargill expects global cocoa demand will continue to be driven by the emerging markets. "Cocoa consumption is following GDP so we have seen the main growth in cocoa and chocolate consumption in the emerging markets - Asia, Latin America, and to a certain extent Eastern Europe," De Loor said, adding he expects global growth of 2-3 percent per year.
When cocoa beans are processed, grinders get butter and cake, which is later pressed into powder for products including chocolate, cakes, biscuits, and beverages. Butter is used to make chocolate melt in the mouth and also for soaps and cosmetics.
Emerging markets consume more cocoa powder-based products, rather than the cocoa butter-based products popular in mature markets, which has led to more expensive cocoa powder prices and weaker butter values.
Historically, butter was the more valuable product from cocoa beans. "In recent years powder demand has definitely outpaced butter demand which has been based on the fact that most of the application in emerging countries are powder based," De Loor said.
"We don't see a reversal in the trend at this particular point in time." -
Reuters | 1,948 | 972 | 0.001041 |
warc | 201704 | The haploid-diploid life cycle is the most complex life cycle and thus has lots of variation. It is also the most common life cycle among plants since all land plants, the vascular plants and the bryophytes, are haploid-diploid. An alternation of generations defines the haploid-diploid, or 1n-2n, life cycle. This occurs when a multicellular 2n sporophyte (SPT) phase alternates with a multicellular 1n gametophyte(GPT) phase.
A bryophyte,
Hornwort
This alternation of generations creates a morphologically complex life cycle, depending on the similarity or dissimilarity of the GPT and SPT, the relationship of these to each other, and the nature of the spores. There can be an alternation of similar generations, isomorphic alternation of generations, where the GPT and SPT are morphologically identical, except for the reproductive structures. On the other hand, there can also be an alternation of dissimilar generations, heteromorphic alternation of generations, when the GPT and SPT are morphologically different.
There are three possible relationships between the GPT and the SPT. The GPT and SPT may be totally independent of each other at maturity, independently free-living. This occurs in pteridophytes, or ferns, although the SPT stage of pteridophytes is much larger and is what we commonly recognize as the plant. The second type involves a GPT that is dominant over the SPT. The SPT is dependent of the GPT, as with all bryophytes. The most common relationship among land plants is when the SPT is dominant over GPT, as is the case with all vascular plants.
A fern,
Polypodium
There are two main natures of spores. Some 1n-2n plants have only one morphological type of spore, and are called homosporous. Heterosporous plants have two morphologically different types of spores. They have male spores called microspores and female spores called megaspores. All GPT dominant plants are homosporous, where as SPT dominant plants can be either homosporous or heterosporous.
Meiosis and Syngamy |Gametes | Evolution of Life Cycles |
| Haploid Life Cycle | Diploid Life Cycle | Haploid-Diploid Life Cycle | | Ecology of Reproduction | Asexual Reproduction | Summary | | Sources | G lossary | | 2,211 | 937 | 0.001073 |
warc | 201704 | Eesti sõnavõtt UNICEFi nõukogu istungil Eesti panuse kohta UNICEFi tegevuse toetamiseks (inglise keeles)
07.02.2013
Mr. President,
Estonia welcomes many efforts made by UNICEF towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and UNICEF contributions to implement the Rio+ 20 outcome. We hope UNICEF continues to be active in the debate on post 2015 agenda to get the important issues such as focus on education, gender, children’s rights and resilience on the new agenda.
Estonia has supported UNICEF’s activities for 15 years and is increasing its core contribution year by year as well as supporting UNICEF’s development and humanitarian aid programmes and projects in many countries. UNICEF has been a key partner to Estonia while channeling its contributions to various projects when crises and disasters have arisen. In 2012 Estoniasupported UNICEF’s activities in 8 different countries with almost half a million euros - the biggest annual contribution we have made to UNICEF so far.
Estonia highly supports the activities and work UNICEF has done in protection of children’s rights and survival of children in the world. We are pleased to see the results achieved in so many areas; for instance strengthening and recognition of child protection and the reduction of child mortality, just to name a few. Estonia hopes that UNICEF will continue to implement protection, health and education programmes for children in conflict and post-disaster/post-conflict countries with a strong focus on gender equality, to have more efforts on preparedness and resilience, to pursue innovations and to respond to the emergency needs of children and women.
Mr President
I am pleased to announce Estonia’s increased core contribution to UNICEF for 2013 by almost 33% with the sum of 60 000 Euros. Estonia also contributes 20 000 Euros to Girls’ Education Initiative in 2013. With the aim to assure predictability of funds Estoniahas already transferred its 2013 core contribution to UNICEF and UNGEI.
Last week in Kuwait Conference Estonia pledged 300 000 euros to support Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. I am pleased to inform you that 100 000 euros from this pledge will be donated to UNICEF to support continuation of education of Syrian children in Lebanon.
Additionally Estonia has contributed 30 000 euros to theViolence against Children Trust Account, managed by UNICEF, to support activities of the Office of the
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General onViolence against Children in 2013.
Our increased contributions shows our confidence in UNICEF’s work in protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Estonia is committed to support UNICEF’s activities also in the future with possible increased contributions.
Thank you! | 2,905 | 1,341 | 0.000765 |
warc | 201704 | In the mid-1990s, as the use of mobile phones started its rapid spread in much of the developed world, few thought of Africa as a potential market. Now, with more than 400 million subscribers, its market is larger than North America's. Africa took the lead in the global shift from fixed to mobile telephones, notes a report by the UN International Telecommunications Union.* Rarely has anyone adopted mobile phones faster and with greater innovation (see
A bank in every African pocket?, Better health at the click of a button).
A similar story now seems again to be unfolding. Africans are coupling their already extensive use of cell phones with a more recent and massive interest in social media — Internet-based tools and platforms that allow people to interact with each other much more than in the past. In the process, Africans are leading what may be the next global trend: a major shift to mobile Internet use, with social media as its main drivers. According to Mary Meeker, an influential Internet analyst, mobile Internet and social media are the fastest-growing areas of the technology industry worldwide, and she predicts that mobile Internet use will soon overtake fixed Internet use.
Studies suggest that when Africans go online (predominantly with their mobile phones) they spend much of their time on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so on). Sending and reading e-mails, reading news and posting research queries have become less important activities for Africans.
In recent months Facebook — the major social media platform worldwide and currently the most visited website in most of Africa — has seen massive growth on the continent. The number of African Facebook users now stands at over 17 million, up from 10 million in 2009. More than 15 per cent of people online in Africa are currently using the platform, compared to 11 per cent in Asia. Two other social networking websites, Twitter and YouTube, rank among the most visited websites in most African countries.
Along with regular citizens, African stars, thinkers, political leaders and companies have rapidly joined the global conversation. The Facebook fan base of Côte d'Ivoire's football star and UN goodwill ambassador Didier Drogba is more than 1 million people. Zambian best-selling author and economist Dambisa Moyo has more than 26,000 followers on Twitter. Media organizations in South Africa and companies such as Kenya Airways are using various social media platforms to interact better with customers and readers. During recent elections in Côte d'Ivoire candidates did not only tour cities and villages; they also moved the contest online, feverishly posting campaign updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Constraints and opportunities
Africa's upward trend in the use of social media is even more striking given the low number of Africans connected to the Internet and the many hurdles Africans face in trying to go online.
Africa's Internet users (more than 100 million at the end of 2010) represent just a small percentage of the 2 billion people online around the world. In the US alone, more than 220 million people use the Internet. Within Africa, one person out of every 10 is estimated to be an Internet user (up from one in 5,000 back in 1998), making the continent the region in the world with the lowest penetration rate.
Among the many reasons for this poor showing are the scarcity and prohibitive costs of broadband connections (the fastest means of accessing the Internet), and the limited number of personal computers in use.
But these challenges simultaneously contribute to Africa's impressive growth rate in the use of mobile Internet, which in recent years has been the highest in the world. "Triple-digit growth rates are routine across the continent," notes Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder of Opera, the world's most popular Internet browser for mobile phones. "The widespread availability of mobile phones means that the mobile Web can reach tens of millions more than the wired Web." Mr. Tetzchner believes that like mobile phones, whose use has grown rapidly in Africa in recent years, the "mobile Web is beginning to reshape the economic, political and social development of the continent."
‘Seismic shift’ coming
Erik Hersman, a prominent African social media blogger and entrepreneur who helped drive development of the ground-breaking platform Ushahidi (see
Young Africans put technology to new uses), is equally enthusiastic. In an e-mail to Africa Renewal he notes that "with mobile phone penetration already high across the continent, and as we get to critical mass with Internet usage in some of Africa's leading countries (Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt) … a seismic shift will happen with services, products and information."
The sense that the future holds more promise is inducing major companies to show special interest in Africa's expanding pool of Internet users. Facebook, after launching versions in some of the major African languages (including Swahili, Hausa and Zulu) in May, has announced it will offer free access to its platform to mobile phone users in various countries around the world, including many in Africa. In October Google started testing a new service for Swahili speakers in East and Central Africa. Tentatively called Baraza ("meeting place" in Swahili), it will allow people to interact and share knowledge by asking and answering questions, many of them of only very local or regional interest.
Africans are also getting ready to benefit from the fast-growing mobile Internet sector. In South Africa, MXit, a free instant messaging application with an estimated 7 million users, is the most popular local social networking platform. From Abidjan and Accra to Lusaka and Nairobi, African programmers are designing, testing and launching new homegrown platforms and tools to keep the African online conversation going. | 5,969 | 2,787 | 0.000363 |
warc | 201704 | Could a strange X-ray signal coming from the Perseus galaxy cluster be a hint of the elusive dark matter in our Universe?
Using archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the XMM-Newton mission, astronomers found an unidentified X-ray emission line, or a spike of intensity at a very specific wavelength of X-ray light. This spike was also found in 73 other galaxy clusters in XMM-Newton data.
The scientists propose that one intriguing possibility is that the X-rays are produced by the decay of sterile neutrinos, a hypothetical type of neutrino that has been proposed as a candidate for dark matter and is predicted to interact with normal matter only via gravity.
“We know that the dark matter explanation is a long shot, but the pay-off would be huge if we’re right,” said Esra Bulbul of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who led the study. “So we’re going to keep testing this interpretation and see where it takes us.”
Astronomers estimate that roughly 85 percent of all matter in the Universe is dark matter, invisible to even the most powerful telescopes, but detectable by its gravitational pull.
Galaxy clusters are good places to look for dark matter. They contain hundreds of galaxies as well as a huge amount of hot gas filling the space between them. But measurements of the gravitational influence of galaxy clusters show that the galaxies and gas make up only about one-fifth of the total mass. The rest is thought to be dark matter.
Bulbul explained in a post on the Chandra blog that she wanted try hunting for dark matter by “stacking” (layering observations on top of each other) large numbers of observations of galaxy clusters to improve the sensitivity of the data coming from Chandra and XMM-Newton.
“The great advantage of stacking observations is not only an increased signal-to-noise ratio (that is, the amount of useful signal compared to background noise), but also the diminished effects of detector and background features,” wrote Bulbul. “The X-ray background emission and instrumental noise are the main obstacles in the analysis of faint objects, such as galaxy clusters.”
Her primary goal in using the stacking technique was to refine previous upper limits on the properties of dark matter particles and perhaps even find a weak emission line from previously undetected metals.
“These weak emission lines from metals originate from the known atomic transitions taking place in the hot atmospheres of galaxy clusters,” said Bulbul. “After spending a year reducing, carefully examining, and stacking the XMM-Newton X-ray observations of 73 galaxy clusters, I noticed an unexpected emission line at about 3.56 kiloelectron volts (keV), a specific energy in the X-ray range.”
In theory, a sterile neutrino decays into an active neutrino by emitting an X-ray photon in the keV range, which can be detectable through X-ray spectroscopy. Bulbul said that her team’s results are consistent with the theoretical expectations and the upper limits placed by previous X-ray searches.
Bulbul and her colleagues worked for a year to confirm the existence of the line in different subsamples, but they say they still have much work to do to confirm that they’ve actually detected sterile neutrinos.
“Our next step is to combine data from Chandra and JAXA’s Suzaku mission for a large number of galaxy clusters to see if we find the same X-ray signal,” said co-author Adam Foster, also of CfA. “There are lots of ideas out there about what these data could represent. We may not know for certain until Astro-H launches, with a new type of X-ray detector that will be able to measure the line with more precision than currently possible.”
Astro-H is another Japanese mission scheduled to launch in 2015 with a high-resolution instrument that should be able to see better detail in the spectra, and Bulbul said they hope to be able to “unambiguously distinguish an astrophysical line from a dark matter signal and tell us what this new X-ray emission truly is.”
Since the emission line is weak, this detection is pushing the capabilities Chandra and XMM Newton in terms of sensitivity. Also, the team says there may be explanations other than sterile neutrinos if this X-ray emission line is deemed to be real. There are ways that normal matter in the cluster could have produced the line, although the team’s analysis suggested that all of these would involve unlikely changes to our understanding of physical conditions in the galaxy cluster or the details of the atomic physics of extremely hot gases.
The authors also note that even if the sterile neutrino interpretation is correct, their detection does not necessarily imply that all of dark matter is composed of these particles.
The Chandra press release shared an interesting behind-the-scenes look into how science is shared and discussed among scientists:
Because of the tantalizing potential of these results, after submitting to The Astrophysical Journal the authors posted a copy of the paper to a publicly accessible database, arXiv. This forum allows scientists to examine a paper prior to its acceptance into a peer-reviewed journal. The paper ignited a flurry of activity, with 55 new papers having already cited this work, mostly involving theories discussing the emission line as possible evidence for dark matter. Some of the papers explore the sterile neutrino interpretation, but others suggest different types of candidate dark matter particles, such as the axion, may have been detected.
Only a week after Bulbul et al. placed their paper on the arXiv, a different group, led by Alexey Boyarsky of Leiden University in the Netherlands, placed a paper on the arXiv reporting evidence for an emission line at the same energy in XMM-Newton observations of the galaxy M31 and the outskirts of the Perseus cluster. This strengthens the evidence that the emission line is real and not an instrumental artifact. | 6,106 | 2,761 | 0.000371 |
warc | 201704 | U of G Scientists Provide Expertise on Deadly Virus Affecting Pork Industry
January 24, 2014 - In the News
U of G scientists are making headlines today, talking about a new disease threatening the Canadian pork industry. The first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) – caused by a virus that’s killed more than 1 million piglets and driven up pork prices in the United States -- was confirmed in Middlesex County by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food on Thursday.
Tests confirming the virus were conducted in U of G’s Animal Health Lab.
Bob Friendship, a Department of Population Medicine professor in the Ontario Veterinary College and a swine health management specialist, was interviewed by CBC news Friday. Earlier, Friendship discussed the topic with CTV, the Globe and Mail and Global News. Davor Ojkic, a virologist in the Animal Health Laboratory, did an interview for CTV News Channel Friday. Ojkic, a veterinarian who earned a PhD in pathobiology from OVC, explained to TV viewers what PED is and why it’s devastating to pig farmers.
U of G's
Ridgetown Campus also hosted a series of town hall meetings for Ontario Pork earlier this month about the economic effects of PED entering Canada.
PED is highly contagious among pigs but poses no food safety threat to humans. Larger pigs can become immune to PED, but the virus kills nearly all infected piglets. The cold weather allows the virus to survive in trucks and on clothing and equipment, enabling its transmission between farms.
Andreas Boecker, a food, agricultural and resource economics professor, did a series of live interviews Thursday morning with CBC Radio stations in 10 locations, including Kelowna, Regina, Thunder Bay and Cape Breton. He discussed consumer responses to a recent finding that pesticide residue is found on nearly half of organic produce. He also talked about implications for Canadian regulation and procedures regarding organic certification and inspection, as well as possible consequences for the organic industry. Boecker studies agricultural economics, consumer behaviour and consumer trends in food purchasing. Larry Harder, a professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, was on CBC Radio's Ontario Morning Thursday. He discussed brownfield developments with host Wei Chen. The subject is making headlines this week as the City of Kingston considers a large, controversial development on former industrial land. Besides teaching at U of G, Harder has advised cities on brownfield redevelopment and urban planning as a consultant and independent landscape architect. Sylvain Charlebois was interviewed by numerous CBC Radio stations across the country Wednesday about butter versus margarine. The age-old debate heated up recently after a leading brand started adding butter to its margarine. Charlebois, associate dean of the College of Management and Economics, discussed the debate from a food marketing standpoint. He also published a column on the high cost of low food prices in the Thompson Citizen . | 3,074 | 1,569 | 0.000644 |
warc | 201704 | White (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services)
This was the challenge White posed to twelve staff members at the Presidents Staff Forum April 29. Presenters were drawn out of 125 staff members who analyzed issues they had pre-identified as crucial to the Universitys success in the next decade. Issues were synthesized on the classification system project, diversity, professional development, tuition and education support, equity, student services, retention, environmental stewardship, ethics, benefits, technology, and regional campuses.
Classification System Project Chief Human Resources Officer Barbara Butterfield was on hand to introduce a project, still in the development stage, that will replace the current formal job classification system. Though its methods are not finalized, the project goal is set: to assist and enable departments to attract and retain competent and committed staff. More information is available at www.umich.edu/~hraa/class/index.html.
White said of the current system, Our classification system [developed in 1973] died 15 years ago, but nobodys buried it yet.
Staff members raised issues about how the new system will be implemented and where it will be mandated. They asked for the incentives of the new system to be made crystal clear, with a solid Universitywide communications planusing Record stories, Web site information, e-mail messages and many open forums. Redundancy, in this case, was seen as a big plus. Group members also stressed the need for time and funding to make a smooth transition, including training at the management level.
Coordinators used index cards, masking tape and markers to construct the panel above for a mock elevator. At the event, White stood with each representative for a 45-second ride to hear elevator speeches.
Professional development Staff members want three things: recognition, respect and inclusion, said the professional development representative. She reminded the group that were the continuity and the memory of the institution. She asked White to involve others and to think broadly about professional development.
Tuition and education support A large group gathered to talk about educational opportunities for staff members and did not lack for recommendations. But, instead of running through a laundry list in 45 seconds for White, they asked for a benchmark study and for a staff survey in order to begin moving forward with positive change.
Equity The round table discussing equity said that before the University can become an employer of choice, it must address inequities in the areas of gender and class, years of service, job classification, differences between units, and market variables. While the new classification system will address some of these issues, group members said a central proactive review of inequities is needed and a means to divide funds more equitably between units.
Student services A representative from student services cited concerns that tuition and living expenses continue to increase and asked White to consider a fund-raising campaign that targets student fellowships. On behalf of her group she also asked for a 50-50 split in student funding, where half could be disbursed for financial need and the other 50 percent could be given as merit awards. She said that if the University is serious about recruiting a diverse group of students, it must first focus on the minority and international students who are already here. She also issued a reminder that Were all here for the students, not for the faculty, not for research.
Retention The representative from the group discussing retention humorously thanked Joe for his buddy getting a week off and for comping in on parkingcompensating an employee for part of their parking costs as a reward for loyalty and service. He said, seriously, that employees wanted to be respected and empowered to make their own decisions. In the unseasonably hot 80-degree weather a couple weeks ago, for instance, the Department of Public Safety officers could not choose to wear their summer uniforms. Instead, because the decision had to be made a couple levels up, they were forced to wear winter uniforms, complete with turtleneck sweaters.
Environmental stewardship In this area, the campus should first take note of whats going on with a well-publicized list of courses highlighting stewardship activities, and by marketing and promoting how-to lists on environmental stewardship, said the speaker for the environment. On its flip chart the group wrote, To be exemplary, U-M must walk the talk at all levels with joy and enthusiasm, and let the world know that were walkin.
Ethics The presenter on ethics complemented White on his recent e-mail messages on University ethics. She suggested that people might be nonchalant in defining gray areas and asked that ethical topics begin to be placed right in mission statements and orientation processes. She asked the University to reach high in this area: Were world-class for ethics. We want to be number one.
Benefits The group concluded that the University has great benefits, but that there are huge disparities between campuses, both between Medical and Central Campus, and between U-MAnn Arbor, Flint and Dearborn. Areas suggested for improvement were retirement, especially in relation to medical benefits and age; credit for prior service after dropping below half time; child care, which is unavailable to many and too expensive for others; tuition support, which seems to be more attractive at other colleges and universities; and parking, or the lack thereof.
Technology A representative from Plant Extension Services talked about technology on campus. He said that information technology (IT) has increased the number of people able to work from home and that the University is moving forward. Challenges are bureaucratic inefficiencies, and vision for the future. Leadership must learn when to hold and when to fold, said the group, giving M-Pathways as an example. It also is essential to listen to staff feedback in IT related areas and to lead by visible example, they noted.
Regional Campuses The biggest issue for campuses in Flint and Dearborn is representation. While many committees have one representative from these campuses, rarely is the representative anyone other than a department head. More representatives would lessen the difficulty of having regional voices heard.
White assured the group present that whoever is appointed president will receive all the input from the forume-mailed issues received beforehand, the flip charts of comments and summaries of the elevator speeches. Butterfield also said the input would be indispensable for HR as it moves forward.
Proceedings from the forum will be available online around May 20 at the Presidents Web site, www.umich.edu/pres/news/. | 6,858 | 3,153 | 0.000318 |
warc | 201704 | Physical media isn't dead yet -- something which collectors are quite happy about -- but digital distribution has grown considerably as access to high-speed reliable Internet has improved. And it's only going to continue growing as we enter the next generation of video game consoles.
There's an interesting contrast in how platform holders such as Sony and Microsoft look at digital distribution when compared to the attitudes of publishers such as Ubisoft, however. While Sony and Microsoft seem keen to make use of digital distribution to make their platforms more attractive via programs like PlayStation Plus and Games with Gold, over the last few years we've seen several of the big publishers experimenting with how Internet-connected computers and consoles can be used to restrict consumers' rights over the software they've handed money over for.
The Give
PlayStation Plus and Games with Gold initially sound like two very similar programs, but there are a few distinct differences between them.
This month's PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection offerings, recently announced by Sony, include PlayStation 4 downloadable games Resogun and Contrast; PlayStation 3 games Ibb and Obb, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (an expanded, enhanced version of the original) and Sega's Binary Domain; and Vita titles Soul Sacrifice and Oddworld: Strangers Wrath HD. On top of that, there's the usual discounted prices on various titles around the PlayStation Store.
Games with Gold, meanwhile, recently announced its rather slimmer lineup for November: A World of Keflings from November 1-15, and Iron Brigade (formerly Trenched) from November 16 until the end of the month.
Sony's offering is clearly superior in terms of the number of titles on offer and their value -- the two Games with Gold titles are normally $9.99 each, while PlayStation Plus covers seven games across three platforms ranging from full-price retail titles to smaller-scale downloadable offerings -- but it is worth noting (and frequently forgotten) that you get to keep any Games with Gold titles you download even if your Xbox Live Gold subscription lapses, while in the case of PlayStation Plus you're effectively renting the Instant Game Collection titles each month; as soon as you cancel your subscription, they're gone until you resubscribe.
There's another difference, though, again in Sony's favor; while Sony's Instant Game Collection offerings tend to be more recent titles, Microsoft's Games with Gold offerings have, to date, been a little older. Gamasutra's Kris Graft discovered a while back that contracts for Instant Game Collection titles were negotiated on a case-by-case bases, ranging from a cut of PlayStation Plus profits to increased visibility; Games with Gold titles, meanwhile, largely consist of games that are several years old and which have probably seen a significant drop-off in sales since their original release, even in the case of the few high-profile releases the program has seen such as Halo 3, Fable III and Assassin's Creed II. This helps give them a new lease on life long after they have ceased to be "relevant" -- perhaps attracting newcomers to popular series or developers in the process.
While Sony's PlayStation Plus offerings have consistently been significantly better than Microsoft's with regard to free content, in both cases you're getting value that's worth more than the price of your subscription each month. These additional incentives to sign up for one, the other or both of the "big two's" premium services are going to be of increasing importance as we move into the next, more digital-centric generation of games consoles; Sony's already fired the first shots with its November PlayStation Plus titles, but it remains to be seen what Microsoft has planned as additional benefits for Xbox Live Gold subscribers -- if anything.
The Take
While Sony and Microsoft compete for the affections of prospective purchasers using their respective premium online services, several of the bigger publishers over the last few years have attempted to take advantage of the growth in digital distribution in order to have greater control over their games and how they are sold. Systems that have been explored range from online passes to pre-order DLC via season passes, and in most cases they've been designed to do three things: encourage sales of new rather than used copies of games; discourage piracy; and continue to make money from players, even after they've purchased the games.
The online pass trend was one of the more objectionable aspects of this period of experimentation for the big publishers, with many games from EA in particular locking off significant chunks of game unless you either entered the code from a new copy of the game, or paid up $10 for the privilege of playing online. In the case of single player-only games such as Dragon Age and Batman: Arkham City, online passes were used to gate off game content that, in many cases, wasn't "essential" to the game experience as a whole, but which were often missed if they weren't present. Imagine playing Dragon Age: Origins without Shale, for example; unthinkable.
It looked like online passes were dead and buried a while back, as EA made a big deal of announcing the fact that it was abandoning the plan, and other companies (including Sony) who had quietly started implementing similar programs also decided to stop engaging in this rather consumer-unfriendly practice.
However, Ubisoft apparently wanted one last try at this, and slipped an online pass system known as "Uplay Passport" into Assassin's Creed IV, locking access to both the multiplayer modes and the Edward's Fleet resource management minigame from the single player mode -- the latter of which had both been a traditional part of the series' single-player experience since Brotherhood, and which also provided a significant source of income for purchasing upgrades and equipment.
Unsurprisingly, fans were rather displeased at this turn of events, and made their dissatisfaction known. To Ubisoft's credit, it has quickly responded to the concerns by not only removing the Uplay Passport requirement from Assassin's Creed IV, but abandoning the program altogether for all future games. In order to access the locked content, you can now download the Uplay Passport for free from Xbox Live or PSN -- if you already paid for one (from a used copy, for example), Ubi says you should contact your local Ubisoft support line, presumably for a refund.
"The Uplay Passport program was initiated as a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses and rewards," said Ubi communications manager Gary Steinman. "Games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is single-player and what is multiplayer. Based on that and the feedback we received from you, we recognized that Passport is no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games."
While it would have been nice if this "feature" wasn't in the game in the first place -- and it's a great game -- it is at least encouraging to see Ubisoft both listening to and responding quickly and decisively to player feedback.
We're in a period of great transition for the games industry, and it's likely that both platform holders and publishers are going to continue experimenting with various business models, technologies and services over the course of the next few years. Some of these experiments will undoubtedly be to the benefit of consumers; others will be less so. Both the Assassin's Creed incident and the growth in popularity of PlayStation Plus make one thing clear, though; as much as it might not seem like it sometimes, companies
are listening and are paying attention to how the public is behaving, so make sure you send a clear message as often as possible: support the things you would like to see more of, and don't be afraid to complain about the things you don't think are good for you as a consumer.
This article may contain links to online retail stores. If you click on one and buy the product we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here. | 8,300 | 3,745 | 0.000268 |
warc | 201704 | An integrated, flexible joint vision—tested through war games and field experiments—is critical to peacetime military innovation. Lacking such a vision in the 1920s and 1930s, Britain's military found itself unable to adapt. It squandered its lead in armor development, for example, and the Germans were able to move ahead in armor doctrine and tank forces. | 369 | 255 | 0.004053 |
warc | 201704 | 1002 UUU - The Marks of a Healthy Congregation Prepared for UUA.org by Jone Johnson Lewis, reporter; Margy Levine Young, editor Speaker: Peter L. Steinke
Dr. Peter L. Steinke continued his topic of "Congregation as Emotional Systems," begun in his opening keynote, in the first workshop in the Congregational Leadership Track for UU University participants.
Steinke began by defining health for congregations as balance. The concept of health applies only to living organisms, and like other living organisms, the congregation's "immune system" is activated when challenged. The "mind affects molecules" in human health, and we've learned that thoughts
and feelings are important to health. Health is enhanced when the congregational community functions well; "poorly functioning congregations don't attract people."
Steinke then outlined the characteristics of health congregations:
Healthy congregations focus on mission.This, he pointed out, does not mean merely that the congregation has a mission statement, but that it uses that mission statement to organize its activities. A good mission statement, Steinke noted, is no longer than a sentence, with no more than one comma, "can be understood by a 12-year-old and can be repeated at gunpoint." Mission helps mobilize the energy of the community; if the congregation isn't focused on mission, it will focus on its past, its budget, problems or something else. Healthy congregations focus on challenge.Most congregations, Steinke pointed out, go under-challenged, but are like people who feel better when they exercise. Congregations sometimes need to create small challenges, and meet them with successes and good outcomes. Healthy congregations focus on strengths.Congregations need to stop trying to recover old strengths they no longer have, but to focus on those they dohave. This means building up options; feeling trapped without options builds anxiety. Healthy congregations manage conflict.It is almost impossible, Steinke told the leaders, to change without crisis. In one study Steinke cited, those congregations that were able to change had strong pastoral leadership, laity with a high level of education and/or a willingness to learn, and were willing to bear conflict. Where change did not occur, there was always an aversion to conflict. Healthy leaders, he added, have a greater toleration of pain in themselves and others. Healthy congregations see clarity.These congregations have clear boundaries, have defined what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and are willing to confront when needed.
Steinke continued with ten principles of healthy congregations. A version of this list is also in his book,
Healthy Congregations. Health is not a static condition. Health is defined in a context and that may change. It is okay to be sick and to have some anxiety. Both sickness and health are adaptations to changing environments. Medicines and physicians themselves do not heal. That which helps during sickness is that which gets the patient's own powers going. Agents of disease are not the causes of disease. Diseases need host cells and environments which allow them to thrive. Steinke pointed out that he doesn't like the book Clergy Killersfor this reason; the whole congregation empowers "clergy killers" and focusing on the agents is not adequate. Silence can say "go for it" and is not helpful in stopping problems. All illness is biopsychosocial. Beliefs are part of an interlocking system, and everything is connected. A congregation, like a person, can be depressed: there is no joy, no spirit. A healthy congregation needs elements of joy and good spirit. Pay attention to small conditions before they grow. Delaying action does not mean that the problem is managed. Steinke later clarified that delay is distinguished from slow process; the latter means that communication is happening; the former is when you're operating as if there's no problem. Every body is different. To solve problems, you can't just get rid of "bad blood" (an old medical myth). The body needs to increase blood flow to ailing parts of the body; so too congregations need feedback loops for health. The human body has incredible communication avenues, and so should the congregation. "You can't overinform" in the church, said Steinke. Health requires proper breathing and tone, which Steinke likened to "good spirit" in the congregation. The brain is an incredible pharmacy, more than a computer. In a congregation, leadership directs so much. Leadership has to function well for a body or congregation to function well; good leadership is not reactive, not anxious, and not afraid.
In the question period, Dr. Steinke responded to several questions on lay/clergy authority issues, pointing out that actually such tension is "pretty ecumenical." Pastors and congregations, he added, don't spend a lot of time defining how leadership and authority will play out.
Steinke also spoke to issues of differentiation for congregation or board presidents. Clarity that the role is being assumed for a limited period of time is helpful, and it's important to stay connected and to be a leader.
He also spoke to issues of democracy. Groups that are Episcopal want to be more congregational and congregational groups want to have bishops; there are built-in tensions. What's important, said Steinke, is to gain and implement clarity, and not violate principles.
Several questions were about how to deal with individuals who'd helped congregations stay together by over-functioning, and now that over-functioning was getting in the way. Steinke pointed out that we can't take care of people's feelings, if they continue to feel dismissed.
In answer to other questions about time, urgency, and those individuals who see the need for change early, Steinke noted that resistance and rejection are part of the process, and it's not possible to avoid misery. Leaders will attract bullets. A congregation has to ask whether the anxiety of those whose tendency is to nay-say (usually about 16%) is going to determine the congregation's future. And if one or a few have a vision, and can find others with the same vision, they should begin to take action. If their vision's not accepted, they may not be re-elected - but that's the risk of leadership. He added that change missionaries need to mobilize change agents to foster the change; this has the advantage of delegating the anxiety and "sharing the bullets." | 6,497 | 2,939 | 0.000342 |
warc | 201704 | If I were teaching a course on value investing, Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, 5th Edition, would be the main textbook that I would use. The authors are all current or former consultants of McKinsey & Company, the renowned management consultancy. When the book was originally published more than 20 years ago it was meant to be a handbook for McKinsey consultants. As the name implies the book teaches you how to value companies based on the principles of discounted cash flow analysis. Value investors in my opinion generally follow two distinct approaches to investing: the Graham “cigar butt” strategy or Buffett’s quality at a discount. If you’re looking for a book on how to find and assess a net-net stock, this book isn’t for you. If on the other hand, you focus on finding “wide-moat” companies and holding them over the long-term this book will help you value companies better. In the 1989 Berkshire Hathaway annual report, Buffett stated the following:
What counts, however, is intrinsic value – the figure indicating what all of our constituent businesses are rationally worth. With perfect foresight, this number can be calculated by taking all future cash flows of a business – in and out – and discounting them at prevailing interest rates. So valued, all businesses, from manufacturers of buggy whips to operators of cellular phones, become economic equals.
I think the biggest mistake that most investors make is that they don’t know how to correctly assess intrinsic value through discounted cash flow analysis.
Valuation will teach how to correctly analyze past performance, forecast free cash flows, estimate the cost of capital and interpret the results of a valuation analysis. After reading this book and understanding it you’ll probably be able to value a company better than 99% of retail investors and maybe some institutional investors.
The book is categorized into six parts. Part one focuses on value creation and how managers create value by generating returns on invested capital that are above a company’s cost of capital. Chapter 2, titled Fundamental Principles of Value Creation, is probably the best explanation I have ever seen of why ROIC (Return On Invested Capital) is the key value driver for any business from both a theoretical and mathematical perspective.
Anyone that has taken a corporate finance course will be familiar with the well-known cash flow perpetuity formula:
Most financial analysts use some form of this formula when deriving terminal values in a typical valuation exercise. The authors then use the cash flow perpetuity formula to derive the key value driver formula, which they reverently have named the “Tao of corporate finance.”
The key value driver formula relates a company’s fundamental drivers to growth, ROIC and the cost of capital.
I would concur with the authors that “this formula represents all there is to valuation. Everything else is mere detail.”
If you’ve read a few a books on value investing they all inevitably begin to sound the same. It’s rare when you come across a book that actually improves your overall investment process. By incorporating the key driver formula into my terminal value calculations, I can honestly say that reading
Valuation improved my investment process.
Part two of the book is basically a self-taught course on discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis. If you’ve never done a DCF, I think it would be difficult to learn how to do it simply by reading the book. However, for experienced practitioners it will serve as a good refresher course.
Part three of the book provides empirical evidence of why stock prices reflect long-term value creation as described in the book. I think most value investors intuitively believe that stock prices should reflect value creation over time. However, it’s always helpful to see empirical confirmation of this belief. The authors also tackle market bubbles in this section of the book. Given the widespread belief in market efficiency it’s always refreshing to see academically oriented writing reflect the fact that mispricing does occur in equity markets. Investors can be swept up in emotions such as greed and fear, which means market prices don’t always reflect underlying fundamentals. The authors take the practical view that mispricings do occur in the market and are eventually corrected.
Part four of the book is written primarily for managers. It deals with the process of value creation when running a company. As a former investment banker, I can testify to the inability of most management teams of publicly traded companies to generate value through acquisitions. The “institutional imperative” as defined by Buffett is too powerful for many CEOs to overcome. For a great explanation of the institutional imperative you should read Robert Hagstrom’s
The Warren Buffett Way. Essentially, most CEOs end up focusing on revenue and earnings per share growth when return on invested capital and cash flow generation should be their focus. As a result, most CEOs end up overpaying when acquiring businesses and returns to shareholders are negatively impacted. This section of the book is an attempt to help corporate managers implement a framework to evaluate corporate portfolio strategy. The individual investor probably won’t get much out of this section of the book. However, it will help to identify managers that are focused on creating shareholder value rather than simply growing their fiefdom.
Part five of the book deals with advanced valuation techniques and deals with more complex issues such as taxes, pension reserves, inflation and foreign currencies. If you’re a professional equity analyst, you’ve probably come across these thorny valuation issues at some point in your career. This part of the book serves as a good source of reference for these issues. Part six of the book is focused on special situation analysis such as valuing high growth companies, companies in emerging markets, cyclical companies and banks. Although I found the bank valuation chapter helpful, I think professor Aswath Damodaran’s book
The Dark Side of Valuation does a better job of laying out the intricacies of valuing high growth and start-up companies.
Overall, I think it’s a good book and is written primarily for corporate finance practitioners. I think the book may be a too technical for a novice investor. However, I think any investor would benefit from reading part one and part two of the book to understand why ROIC is the key driver of long-term value creation for any business. If you’re a novice investor, I would recommend starting with Pat Dorsey’s
The Little Book That Builds Wealth. You can read my review of the book here. If you’re a professional investor or corporate finance professional, Valuation should be in your library. It’s a practitioner’s handbook that has the rare ability to combine theoretical analysis with practical advice. | 7,140 | 3,116 | 0.00033 |
warc | 201704 | HIV/AIDS activists in Zimbabwe are expressing concern that the country may fall short of its goal of providing life-saving antiretroviral drug therapy to an additional 100,000 people this year, following recent comments by the minister of health.
The government has set a target of providing 160,000 people with ARV drug therapy by the end of 2007 compared with around 50,000 people currently. It has been estimated that a half million Zimbabweans or more need such treatment.
Activists expressed discouragement at remarks attributed to Health Minister David Parirenyatwa to the effect that the country faced difficult challenges to increasing ARV access because of the high cost of the drugs, among other factors.
Activists said a failure to expand ARV therapy programs could discourage people from seeking voluntary testing and counseling if their treatment options are limited.
Health Ministry Specialist Physician Tapiwanashe Gwakura said the government is equally concerned about the drug shortages, but that its efforts to expand treatment programs have been frustrated by a lack of funding for pharmaceuticals.
For perspective on the challenges facing the government and those battling HIV/AIDS, reporter Ndimyake Mwakalyele of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe interviewed activists Tapiwanashe Kujinga, chairman of Zimbabwe Activists on HIV and AIDS, and Chitiga Mbanje, training coordinator for The Center, a Harare AIDS care facility.
Mbanje said the situation now facing HIV-positive Zimbabweans is tragic.
More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe... | 1,570 | 842 | 0.001194 |
warc | 201704 | Welcome to the Vote Hemp FAQ page. We hope to answer some common questions about industrial hemp, the low-THC oilseed and fiber varieties of
Cannabis. If you do not find the answer to your question, please contact us at hempinfo@votehemp.com to inquire. Commonly asked questions will be added to this page.
We ask that you first scroll down and have a look below. If you can't find the answer to your question please check out our Myths & Facts page, Site Map, and/or search our Web site to see if you can find the answer yourself.
QUICK CLICK GUIDE — click on the titles below to view summaries
Vote Hemp Related Questions
General Questions
I am a member of the media. How do I get in contact with Vote Hemp's Communications Director? Please see our Media Center & PR page for contact information. There you will also find our latest Press Releases and News Coverage as well as links to many other resources.
How can I help? The best way to show legislators and the public that hemp is a great environmental and economic commodity is to buy hemp products! Nothing talks like money. As the market grows, so does general interest. Please see our What Can I Do? page for more on this and other ways to do something.
I recently watched the documentary "Standing Silent Nation." How can I help Alex White Plume and his family? The best way help is to read this page for contact information and ideas on how to help.
Close-up of the male plants Image by Luke Zigovits for VoteHemp.com
Do you know where I can buy viable hemp seeds that will germinate? No, we don't. Just asking us opens all of us up to possible conspiracy charges under 21 U.S.C. § 846, which is part of the Controlled Substances Act. You may not buy or possess hemp seed capable of germination for planting in the U.S. without a DEA permit unless you are a researcher working on an agricultural pilot program that has been certified by, and registered with, the state department of agriculture in a state that has passed hemp farming laws persuant to Section 7606 of the Farm Bill. Please click here to learn more about the legality of hemp in the U.S. You can find more information on the state hemp farming laws on our State Hemp Legislation page. We can not recommend growing hemp, except for research persuant to Section 7606 of the Farm Bill, until the state versus federal problem is finally resolved. If you choose to do so it's at your own risk.
So, what do I risk for planting hemp under state law without a DEA permit? You are literally betting the farm to see if you can grow hemp under state law without a DEA permit, which they won't give you one of anyway. Federal civil asset forfeiture is not something to mess with. Your assets are considered to be guilty until the property owner prove them innocent. If all of your liquid assets are subject to forfeiture and that's what you need to prove your property is innocent, well, too bad. You had better get a good pro bono lawyer and pray a lot and you may have a slight chance of getting your property back. But, most likely you're not. Oh, and they don't have to file charges against you or prove that you are guilty of a crime to seize your property. For a little more on the subject please see 18 USC § 981 - Civil forfeiture. Also, there are federal mandatory minimum sentences for the number of marijuana plants grown. 1,000 plants, which at oilseed densities of 10 - 12 plants per square foot is only 4 feet by 25 feet, a person "shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 10 years or more than life" according to 21 U.S.C. § 841. Plus, to top it all off any person who is convicted under Federal or State law of planting, cultivation, growing, producing, harvesting, or storing a controlled substance in any crop year shall be ineligible for Federal agricultural program benefits, too.
Why Industrial Hemp? The subject of why or whether to grow industrial hemp in the United States is often debated yet much misunderstood. The controversy surrounding the plant obscures much of its historical and potential impact — and its adaptability to diverse industries. Please click here to download the recently updated one page white paper "Why Industrial Hemp?" for a complete answer to this question. (PDF file 198k)
My friends often ask me why I eat hemp foods. What can I tell tell them about how good it is? The Hemp Industries Association put out a great publication called Hemp is Hip, Hot and Happening, which has a great section on hemp foods that explains a lot.
Where can I buy hemp products? Hemp foods, which are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and hemp body care products are carried by large chains such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's and by thousands of smaller independent natural food chains, stores and co-ops, and even by some mainstream grocery stores.
You can search for local retailers at HempStores.com. Please buy hemp food products from TestPledge Companies. We especially ask that you support Vote Hemp Supporters as without them we would not be able to do our work!
Outdoor retailers, ecological specialty stores and some department stores carry hemp clothing and accessories. You can see the wide range of hemp products available, and their makers, listed in the Hemp Industries Association's (HIA) Members/Product Directory.
I have read that hemp seeds must be sterilized to get into the U.S. does that mean that they are irradiated? No, it does not. Sterilized means unable to reproduce or incapable of germination. You can sterilize seeds without irradiating them. Steam sterilization is the most common method of making whole hemp seeds incapable of germination. The second most common method is oven toasting them. Other hemp seed products are made incapable of germination by pressing for oil (hemp oil and hemp protein powder made from the seed cake), removing the shell (as shelled hemp seed are) or roasting (like for addition to coffee). Also, the standards for the U.S. National Organic Program prohibit irradiated products. The USDA organic seal verifies that irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms were not used.
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana? Marijuana and hemp both come from the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa L., but from different varieties or cultivars. There are different varieties of Cannabis, just as Chihuahuas and wolves are different breeds of Canis lupus.
Marijuana is the flowering tops and leaves of psychoactive varieties of
Cannabis that are grown for their high THC content.
Hemp, also referred to as industrial hemp, is the low-THC oilseed and fiber varieties of
Cannabis, which is grown for their seeds and fiber. Hemp is grown legally in just about every industrialized country except the USA.
Wait a minute, I thought that the difference between hemp and marijuana is that hemp is the male and marijuana is the female, is this not true? There is a misconception that drug varieties are the female plant and hemp is the male. This is incorrect. Industrial hemp, the oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis, is low in THC and high in CBD, both male and female plants. This is true for both the dioecious varieties, which have male and female flowers on separate plants, as well as the monoecious varieties, which have both male and female flowers on the same plant, such as the early grain variety Anka or the French fiber variety Fibrimon.
OK, so I read on the Internet that the difference between hemp and marijuana is that hemp comes from Cannabis sativa and marijuana comes from Cannabis indica, is this not true either? No. While the oilseed and fiber varieties, or cultivars, of Cannabis sativa are industrial hemp, there are also drug varieties Cannabis sativa, often referred to as strains. They are grown in very different manners - hemp is farmed as an agricultural crop and the drug varieties are grown as a horticultural crop. There are also drug varieties of Cannabis indica Lam, too. By the way, the word sativa is derived from the Latin satum, which is the supine of the verb sero meaning to sow, as in sow a crop. It is usually used in the naming of plants that are agriculturally useful. Centuries of selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including drug strains and hemp cultivars for fiber and seed production. The journal article The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa. supports a separation of marijuana and hemp. You can learn more on our Different Varieties Of Cannabis page.
What are the names of the varieties of hemp that are being grown around the world? Some of the most common varieties or cultivars being grown in Canada, in order of predominance are: USO 14, Finola (formerly FIN 314), Crag, USO 31, Alyssa, and Felina 34. These are all on the Health Canada List of Approved Cultivars. The 2012 List of Approved Cultivars (PDF file 98k), as the lists before it, are based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) List of varieties eligible for certification. Cannabis is listed in the list of "Crucifers and other oil or fibre species." (PDF file 236K) The OECD is a worldwide economic development organization based in Paris, France and was founded in 1961. The United States is one of the 30 member countries. Please see our Different Varieties Of Cannabis page for more detailed information.
Can you be more technical, what exactly is industrial hemp? Industrial hemp is the oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis sativa L., which are intended for agricultural and industrial purposes. They are grown for their seed and fiber content as well as the resulting byproducts such as oil, seed cake, hurds, etc. Industrial hemp is characterized by being low in THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and high in CBD (cannabidiol). THC is less than 1% and in Canada and Europe the current legal level for cultivation is 0.3%. The ratio of CBD to THC is greater than one.
Then, what is marijuana? Marijuana is a preparation made from varieties of Cannabis sativa L. that are intended for medical and recreational drug use. They are grown for their THC content, primarily in the flowering tops and to a lesser extent in the leaves. Cannabis sativa L. grown for marijuana is characterized by being high in THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and low in CBD (cannabidiol). The THC content is greater than 1%, usually 3% to 20%. The ratio of CBD to THC is less than one.
Is industrial hemp marijuana? No. Even though they both come from Cannabis sativa L., the varieties that are used to make industrial hemp products (seed, fiber, etc.) and those that are used to make marijuana (flowering tops and leaves) are distinctly different. They are scientifically different and are cultivated in very different ways.
Is industrial hemp illegal to grow in the United States? Technically the answer is no, it is not illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. and it has only been in its current state since the adoption of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970. Tara Christine Brady noted this in her 2003 story "The Argument for the Legalization of Industrial Hemp" in the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review:
"Currently it is illegal to grow hemp in the United States without a special Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) permit being issued."
Renée Johnson, of the Congressional Research Service, also noted this in her 2012 CRS Report "Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity" for the U.S. Congress:
"Strictly speaking, the CSA does not make Cannabis illegal; rather, it places the strictest controls on its production, making it illegal to grow the crop without a DEA permit."
Growing hemp is kind of like driving, you can't drive without a license and you can't grow hemp without a permit. The difference is that it is almost impossible to get a permit from DEA to grow hemp.
Christine A. Kolosov, in her Comment "Evaluating The Public Interest: Regulation Of Industrial Hemp Under The Controlled Substances Act" in the UCLA Law Review, notes that:
"no court has actually considered whether, in light of the CSA's balancing test, the DEA can legitimately deny or delay licenses to cultivate industrial hemp. I argue that it cannot, particularly when states have adopted regulatory schemes like the one enacted in North Dakota."
Ms. Kolosov continues:
"In Part III, I explicate the federal registration requirements of the Controlled Substances Act outlined in 21 U.S.C. § 823(a), and illustrate that the statute's six factors compel the DEA to grant permits to farmers licensed under North Dakota law. I also argue that denying such applications is contrary to legislative intent."
I'd like to learn more about hemp, but I don't have a lot of time. What can I read to get a good understanding of the issues surrounding hemp? Please read Hemp is Hip, Hot and Happening, which was in Utne magazine in September-October 2004. Then read The Vote Hemp Treatise: A Renewal of Common Sense: The Case for Hemp in 21st Century America, written by Erik Rothenberg, President of Atlas Corporation and a former Director of Vote Hemp. Then you should download and read Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity by Jean M. Rawson, a Specialist in Agricultural Policy for the Congressional Research Service. Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity can be downloaded here. (PDF file 392k) If after reading these three documents you find that you would like to know even more please check out our Download Center where you will find even more information about industrial hemp.
Are hemp foods legal to import, buy, and consume in the United States? Yes. The case HIA v DEA established that hemp foods are exempt from control in the Controlled Substances Act and that they remain legal. An excellent overview of the case can be found on the DEA Hemp Food Rules page. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion invalidating DEA final rules can be downloaded here and directly from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals here. (PDF file 72k)
How much is the hemp foods market worth in the United States? The HIA estimates that the total value of annual sales of hemp foods in the United States for 2011 is about $43.5 million. They also estimate that the total retail value of hemp food, supplement, and body care sales in the U.S. to be in the range of $130-152 million for 2011. Sales of all hemp products in the U.S. is estimated to be around $452 million. Market research obtained by the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), collected by the market research firm SPINS, was obtained from natural and conventional food retailers, excluding Whole Foods Market and certain other establishments, who do not provide sales data — and thus underestimates actual sales by a factor of at least three. According to the SPINS data, combined U.S. hemp food and body care sales grew in the sampled stores by 7.3%, or $2.98 million, over the previous year ending December 26, 2011 to a total of $43.5 million.
Does hemp oil cure cancer? Hemp oil, which is also referred to as hempseed oil, is a food-grade vegetable oil that is expeller pressed from low-THC oilseed varieties of the Cannabis plant. There is some confusion about the term hemp oil as some proponents of the medical use of hash oil, which is solvent extracted from the bud and leaves of high-THC varieties of the Cannabis plant, purposely refer to it as "hemp oil" to make their claims. Hemp oil is a quality food product, not medical cannabis. Please also see the statement Hemp Oil is Nutritional Food Grade Oil Pressed From Hemp Seed from the Hemp Industries Association for more information on this subject.
If I recently consumed hemp foods, could I fail a drug test? If the only source of THC in your body is from hemp foods that are produced from Canadian grown hemp seeds and eaten in reasonable quantities, it is virtually impossible to fail a drug test by eating hemp foods.
The TestPledge program is a voluntary commitment by the North American hemp food industry to limit THC concentrations to levels that cannot result in positive drug tests.
We recommend that you read the TestPledge Answers page first. If you need more technical information please download and read the study summary "Evaluating Interference of THC in Hemp Food Products With Employee Drug Testing," which was prepared by Gero Leson, D.Env. and Petra Pless. Please click here to download. (PDF file 21k)
We also recommend that you read Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Content of Commercially Available Hemp Products (PDF file 128k) This is an interesting study that generally shows that trace THC in hemp foods has been reduced and that eating hemp foods "should not be considered as a realistic cause for a positive urine analysis result." (Final sentence of Results and Discussion, pp. 431). The study was published in the July/August 2008 issue of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology. The authors, Justin M. Holler, Thomas Z. Bosy, Christopher S. Dunkley, Barry Levine, Marilyn R. Past, and Aaron Jacobs work for the Division of Forensic Toxicology, The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; the Navy Drug Screening Laboratory; and the Air Force Medical Operations Agency.
I have read that hemp can be used to produce more than 25,000 products. I see that figure quoted everywhere. What is the source of that number of products? The quote comes from the fourth paragraph of the Popular Mechanics Magazine story the New Billion-Dollar Crop that was in the February 1938 issue.
How did the current U.S. policy on industrial hemp come to be? The current government policy comes from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). On July 29, 1997 they issued an ONDCP Policy Statement on Industrial Hemp. On April 10, 2000 a memo was written by ONDCP General Counsel Ed Jurith to U.S. Customs Chief Counsel Alfonso Robles on the subject of Importation of "Hemp" Products. The ONDCP's industrial hemp policy was formalized in the National Drug Control Strategy Annual Reports from 1999, 2000 and 2001. This policy was set under the Clinton Administration, starting with ONDCP Director Lee Brown and was carried on by Director Barry McCaffrey, and continued into the Bush administration by Director John Walters, which culminated in DEA trying unsuccessfully to ban hemp foods. Please click here to download a PDF (540K) compilation of the sections on industrial hemp from the three Annual Reports to see how the policy evolved during this time period just after hemp farming was reintroduced in Canada.
What happened to Vote Hemp's "Allow Industrial Hemp to be Grown in the U.S. Once Again" petition? On August 5, 2010 we had a meeting in Washington, DC with senior policy advisors at ONDCP. We made our presentation and asked for a clarification of current policy as well as changes to allow for hemp farming once again in the U.S. The meeting went very well, but ultimately we never received a clarification of policy, which we were promised. On September 22, 2011 we posted a petition on the We the People petition site run by the White House. On November 4, 2011 we received an email from ONDCP asking for a briefing about hemp for a senior staffer who would would be writing the petition response. We provided him with a half hour briefing on the phone, follow up emails, and a complete set of documents (zip file 29.4 MB) which included all of the documents that we brought to our August meeting plus some updated information. On April 24, 2012, a little more than seven months after we posted our petition, the ONDCP issued a response titled What We Have to Say About Marijuana and Hemp Production. It was just one paragraph and was purportedly authored by ONDCP Director Gil Kerlikowske. America's farmers deserve our Nation's help and support to ensure rural America's prosperity and vitality. Federal law prohibits human consumption, distribution, and possession of Schedule I controlled substances. Hemp and marijuana are part of the same species of cannabis plant. While most of the THC in cannabis plants is concentrated in the marijuana, all parts of the plant, including hemp, can contain THC, a Schedule I controlled substance. The Administration will continue looking for innovative ways to support farmers across the country while balancing the need to protect public health and safety.
This ignorant response was penned by someone oblivious to the facts that we presented to ONDCP and to the fact that DEA lost the case HIA v. DEA. Industrial hemp remains legal for import and sale in the U.S., but U.S. farmers still are not permitted to grow it.
We are currently and will continue to develop this resource. Your donation can help; please visit our Contribute page. Check back again soon! | 20,897 | 8,759 | 0.000115 |
warc | 201704 | Correction to This Article
An earlier version of this story provided an incorrect tally of the House vote on the credit card legistlation. The story has been updated.
With House Passage, Credit Card Bill Sent to President
The House yesterday gave final approval to a bill that will prohibit credit card companies from arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances and charging certain fees.
With a 361 to 64 vote, the House ensured that President Obama will be able to sign the bill into law by Memorial Day, as he requested.
The House had approved a more diluted credit card reform bill last month but chose to send a stronger Senate version to the president instead.
"These are important reforms to protect consumers and to bring some common-sense rationality into our financial system, and the president looks forward to signing it as quickly as possible," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
The legislation approved yesterday, authored by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), will prohibit card companies from raising interest rates on existing balances unless the borrower is at least 60 days late paying a bill. If the cardholder pays on time for the following six months, the company would have to restore the original rate. On cards with more than one interest rate, issuers will have to apply payments first to the debts with the highest rates. Before increasing rates on future purchases, the card company would have to give cardholders 45 days' notice.
Card executives have said the changes would prevent them from properly distinguishing between risky and non-risky borrowers and force them to charge everyone higher rates and annual fees.
Once Obama signs the bill as expected, it will take nine months to go into effect. It provides much stronger protections than new credit card regulations passed by the Federal Reserve in December. Those go into effect in July 2010.
-- Nancy Trejos | 1,957 | 1,022 | 0.000986 |
warc | 201704 | This month, the contingent of PaineWebber brokers who remained at UBS following the 2000 merger will receive the final installment of their post-merger retention bonuses — a chunk of UBS stock.
The expiration of this program, coupled with some general advisor discontent at the firm, could well touch off a mini-exodus of brokers come the first of the year, advisors and recruiters say.
UBS is “one of the better firms but they're going to have an outflow of good people, guys with average lengths of service of 10, 12, 15 years,” says one recruiter who did not want to be identified.
In a statement, UBS says that any assumption that the final round of retention bonuses holds more significance than the previous three is an erroneous one.
“The fourth payment for eligible FAs is a very small fraction of their overall production,” an official says. “It is one of a number of ongoing retention awards and by no means the most significant.”
But one recruiter says the fact that bonuses are closing out is significant enough, noting he's “known unhappy reps to stay three or four months for less than 10 grand.”
At the time of the Paine Webber merger, reps were given allotments of UBS stock based on production and/or length of service, and on a case-by-case basis.
“Reps with $1 million-plus in production could have received as much as $500,000 in UBS stock to vest over the four years,” said Rick Peterson, a Houston-based recruiter, who notes that the stock price was locked in for reps at the time. “Since 2000, the stock has absolutely skyrocketed,” he says.
At the beginning of 2000 a share of UBS stock traded for about $40. It's now 78 percent higher, $71.
“The entire cast of PaineWebber reps are having a final check dangled in front of them, and many of them are disappointed with the firm,” says a recruiter.
UBS has remained largely outside of the regulatory spotlight, but that positive note doesn't resonate with reps. Brokers at the firm are less happy than most, and that has been true for a few years — the firm received the lowest rankings among reps surveyed in the 2003
Registered Rep. broker report cards.
One New York-based UBS broker, who said he intends to stay, acknowledged the coming situation is tempting. “I like it here, but if someone holds that kind of a carrot in front of you, you're going to look long and hard at your options,” he says.
Another said the reps' discontent is related to UBS' continued emphasis on high-net-worth clients, and the brokers that serve them. “It's a great place to work if you're a big producer with a lot of high-net-worth clients. Otherwise, it's not so great,” he said.
Another rep said the salesforce wasn't the only victim of the new culture. “I left the banking side because of what they're doing now,” he says. “They're raising fees, squeezing every penny out of clients and treating them more like numbers — it's just not client-friendly like it was, and a lot of guys are PO'd about that.”
One UBS rep confirmed the push to sell UBS product, saying it was being pushed on to his plate more than ever before. “Increasingly, they're telling me what to do and what to sell,” he said.
“Nothing is going to happen right away,” a recruiter says. “But I'm convinced — starting in January they'll leave in droves.” | 3,458 | 1,684 | 0.000626 |
warc | 201704 | Bovine Colostrum and the Flu
Byron J. Richards, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist
Natural protection against bacterial and viral infection is required for the survival of humans. The undisputed powerhouse in this category is first milk colostrum, a mother’s gift of protection to the newborn child. It is clearly associated with fewer digestive and respiratory infections.
First milk bovine colostrum, since it can be commercially produced and used by humans, has been the subject of many studies. Scientists have identified many of its immune boosting activities and have suggested it as a potential tool to help combat flu
In addition to the natural antibodies present in first milk colostrum a new study demonstrates that it is also the unique carbohydrate structures
This is a very clever mechanism, as a virus is looking for a sialic acid molecule thinking it is a human cell to infect. When it binds on to a food-related look-a-like it is bound up and rendered inert, and politely ushered out of the body without a whimper.
Why would a baby want to battle a virus when there is a way to trick the virus into submission? Thanks mom.
Read More: Immune Health News
Referenced Studies:
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warc | 201704 | Much as adults don't want to admit it, some classes are too boring to get anything out of them. As long as you're careful and don't make it a habit, you can take some time off with relatively low consequences.
Steps 1Leaving During School Hours 1 Know your school's attendance policy.Each school sets its own rules on absences. Find out how many absences you have already, and what the consequences are for the next one. Even if you plan to sneak out without getting marked absence, there's always a chance you get caught. Figure out whether your worst case scenario is a minor mark on your record, or a serious consequence like suspension. 2 Choose which class to skip.If you can, choose a teacher that doesn't take roll every day. In general, you're more likely to get away with skipping a class if the teacher is relaxed and if you haven't been absent from it more than once or twice before. 3 Use an excuse when possible.This is a limited resource; each teacher will only believe your excuses once or twice. But when it works, you have a consequence-free pass from the rest of class. Here are some ideas you can use: Look antsy and say you have "bathroom problems." If you're female, say you are having a bad period or "female problems." Look upset and ask if you can talk to the school counselor. Deliberately leave a bag or other item in another room. Say you've lost it or left it in your gym locker, and claim there's something important inside (keys, wallet, etc — but don't actually abandon these). 4 Don't look like a truant student.Leave your backpack in your locker so you look like someone walking to the bathroom, not someone trying to sneak out. If you are reasonably tall and go to a large school, you can try dressing in smart clothes and pretending to be an adult. This may save you from a staff member's passing glance, but don't expect it to save you if someone stops you. 5 Check for cameras and staff members.After school one day, check all the exits to the school for cameras, security staff, and nearby windows where teachers might see you. There's usually a short fence to climb or a forgotten side entrance to slip through without getting caught. If there's an exit through the gym or off a sports field, that's usually a best bet. 6 Leave your previous class a few minutes early.Tell your teacher you need to use the bathroom five or ten minutes before class ends. Even if the teacher doesn't let you leave, you have an excuse to rush out the door as soon as the bell rings. Your goal is to get as far as possible before passing period is over, while the halls are still full of people. 7 Fake a hall pass (optional).Forging a hall pass could get you in serious trouble, depending on your school's policy. Holding an old hall pass or scribbled-on piece of paper the same color and size can be almost as good, depending on how strict the staff members are about checking. 8 Slip out or find a hiding spot.If staff members watch the exits during passing period, slip into a nearby bathroom or empty room and wait for the next class to start. Sneak out as soon as the exit is clear. If your school has very tight security, or if there's nowhere to hang out near your school, you could spend the whole class in a bathroom stall. You'd better have the best game ever on your phone for this to be worth it. 9 Avoid obvious hang-outs.In some places, truancy is a crime. Getting caught could mean serious punishment, so you've got to be relatively sneaky if you want to hang out with friends. Don't head straight to the pizza place all the kids go to after school, the mall, or the park across the street from school. Get away from the school, stay in quiet neighborhoods, and definitely stay away from places where your parents or their friends might see you. Walk directly away from the school when you leave the school grounds. Don't pass by any windows or chain link fences where a teacher can see you on the other side. 10 Prepare to face your parents.Many schools phone your parents if you're marked absent from a class. It's up to you whether to own up and face the music, or whether to lie your way out of it. You know how your parents will react better than anyone, so use your judgement. Use your knowledge of school policy to your advantage. If the school marks you absent after five minutes, claim you were just late coming from the bathroom or from the previous class. If one parent is much less strict than the other, bring up the subject when only the lenient parent is around. 2Calling In 1 Call yourself out for the entire day or a certain period.If you only want to skip a few periods, say that you have a dentist or doctor's appointment, or that you need to miss school for a family commitment. Usually, you won't want to try to fake a parent's voice — the office isn't stupid — so it's usually best to come up with someone else to cover for you. Older siblings and cousins might be up for calling you out of school, likewise friendly neighbors or a sibling of one of your friends. Make sure they keep the conversation brief and non-specific. 2 Make or fake an appointment.It's best if you can actually have a real appointment or reason to miss school. You might consider telling your parent the orthodontist scheduled you an appointment when you really haven't got one, or that they need to call you out for an appointment with your coach to go over plays for the weekend's game. A call from your parents will seem more real, even if the appointment isn't. 3 Be as general as possible.When you're making a fake appointment, it's best if you can keep it as vague and non-specific as you can to avoid causing suspicion. If you get your brother to call you in and say, "He's got a doctor's appointment this morning and he's not going to be able to make it in today," the office will be unlikely to question it. 3Faking Illness 1 Get your acting face on.If you're acting fine and chatting with your friends in the back of the classroom one minute, then trying to tell your teacher you're about to puke the next minute, no one's going to believe you. To pull off the illness ruse, you've got to lay the groundwork: Stay quiet during the day, with a concerned look on your face. Cradle your head in your hands and sigh deeply. Squint your eyes. Don't rush it. It's best if someone else brings up the subject of you not feeling good. If you lay it on thick enough, keeping your head down and looking ill, your teacher may say, "Is everything okay?" at which point you'll be able to play it off, and say, "I don't know, I just don't feel right. I think I'm okay." It's better to downplay it. 2 Ask to visit the nurse and get a hall pass.After a long enough time has passed during which you can establish that you don't feel good, go up to your teacher: "Actually, I really don't feel well. I've got a bad headache and stomachache. Could I visit the nurse?" Get a hall pass and you're free of the classroom, your first obstacle. For another option, get up in a rush and ask to go to the bathroom. Leave hurriedly, as if something were very wrong, then take your time and head to the restroom slowly. Kill some time in the bathroom, wash your hands, and head back to the classroom after a long enough period of time to vomit has passed. Tell your teacher quietly you just threw up and you'd like to visit the nurse. 3 Describe your "symptoms" to the nurse.You've got lots of options available to you, depending on whether or not you want to be sent home, kill the rest of the class period in the nurse's office laying on a cot, or if you just want to cut out after you get your hall pass: If you want to be sent homeno questions asked, say you vomited. No one's going to make a kid stick around school who just puked in the bathroom, risking getting everyone else sick. The nurse will call your parents and ask if you can be picked up, or let you leave if you drive to school. If you want to kill the rest of the hourgo with a headache. If you just can't stand the thought of another boring lecture on nothing, why not nap it off in the nurse's office? When the period's over, the nurse will probably check on you, at which point you can tell them you feel better and you want to go back to class, or you can say you want to be sent home. If you want to cut the rest of the day without calling homethen just leave instead of heading to the nurse's office. Sign out and head wherever you wish. Community Q&A Tips If you're skipping because someone is harassing you in class, or a teacher is purposely picking on you, discuss it with your counselor. Skipping study hall is usually easier than skipping class — and your parents may not care as much about it, as long as your grades are good. If you drive to school, make sure to park off campus, and far enough away that cameras on the school can't see your license plate. Don't act suspicious. If a teacher walks by, don't duck or run away. Always act calm and casual. Try creating a contact on your phone called "mum" or "dad" with your number in it. That way, you can text yourself excuses to leave school, and your teachers will believe that it's from your parent/guardian. Warnings Truancy is unlawful in many jurisdictions and can land your parents into as much trouble as you. Some schools will mark you absent for the full day if you skip the first class. Article Info
Categories: Skipping School
In other languages:
Español: faltar a clase, Português: Faltar Aula, Italiano: Saltare una Lezione, Русский: прогулять урок, Français: rater un cours, Deutsch: Unterricht schwänzen, 中文: 翘课, Čeština: Jak chodit za školu, Nederlands: Spijbelen
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warc | 201704 | When you run a user group, or any other event that has one or more people presenting topical information to others, you know that your presenter is coming prepared with some great information. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked them to come, right?
At the very least, your speaker is knowledgeable in a specific area, has real-world expertise, is able to communicate to others, and will come prepared with a slide deck, or other visual presentation tools.
However, that’s only half of the battle. Those are simply the things that we as recruiters or leaders should expect and maybe event take for granted in terms of setting these events up. However, it wouldn’t hurt to know those things so you can prepare your venue accordingly. Sometimes, your presenters require a little extra knowledge or preparation. A prime example might be a sound system or room layout. Is there a lectern or a table? There are many questions.
That’s the point! While you as the meeting or event coordinator need to worry about all of the venue minutia, you also need to provide some details and information to your presenters. The quality of the presentation depends on it.
Your designated speakers need to have a set number of expectations and background information. Otherwise, they are walking into the unknown. Yikes! If you’re anything like the other 99% of the humans on the planet, the unknown is a scary thing. Think about the millions of people terrified of things like ghosts – when we still have literally no idea if they even exist! They simply don’t know what to expect, so human nature sets in. We let fear seep in.
At the very least, if you’re doing your job, your presenters should know:
There are many other potential questions, but you should have a template-driven e-mail laying out the answers to these kind of questions once you have a speaker ready to commit to your event.
You might be asking yourself, “Why?” You could be asking that question for any number of reasons. First and foremost, speakers are people just like you. Even the most prominent and well-known speakers like John Chambers (CEO of Cisco) are not 100% confident when they first stand in front of their audience. Sure, they look like it, and you presenter hopefully will look that way too – but the fact is, that look is only because they are well-prepared. This is what you have to facilitate.
Never assume that the speaker will look all of that information up on their own. You should assume the opposite. Every question that you answer ahead of time will simply give your presenter that additional edge that they need to put on a thrilling presentation. Ask any speaker that you know. It’s true. If they don’t need to sit there and wonder the answers to those questions, or go digging around for them, they can focus on making you look like a rock star for bringing in such a top-notch presentation!
Out of anything I have ever blogged about, this is probably the one area where I wish I had paid more attention to. With the exception of the Day of DotNetNuke event that I created, I will be the first to admit that I have traditionally sucked at making this happen. Thankfully, I have been lucky enough to recruit some outstanding speakers that were able to answer those questions on their own. | 3,343 | 1,610 | 0.000636 |
warc | 201704 | Friday, January 29, 2016
Author -
Winscribe
As of April 2015, 98 percent of all hospitals and 95 percent of Critical Access and small rural hospitals have demonstrated meaningful use and/or adopted, implemented or upgraded (AIU) any EHR. But while adoption is at an all-time high, so are hospital costs.
In an effort to achieve revenue gains, some hospitals have turned to improving clinical documentation. Improving the way documentation is created, processed and managed and putting in place a clinical documentation improvement program is a strategy that can lead to long-term financial stability say supporters.
Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) programs can directly drive revenue cycle management. As well, these initiatives fuel correct reimbursement and accurate quality reporting. Still a myriad of people, processes and technology must work together to ensure CDI programs meet these goals. Clinical documentation improvement initiatives must also work in a way that not only eliminates the risk of lost revenue, but also creates minimal impact on the clinicians working on the front lines with patients.
Poor documentation is one of the greatest threats to a hospital’s revenue integrity. Some negative impacts of poor documentation include:
Physicians time is better spent on patient care than as a resource for data-entry tasks. By pairing EHR data management with speech productivity and workflow management solutions, hospitals can reduce their overall operating costs. Implementing strong, physician-focused documentation tools, like dictation and speech recognition, as part of a clinical documentation improvement plan, is an efficient way to improve physician clinical documentation. With intelligent speech technologies and customized templates, hospitals can positively impact their documentation processes.
Advantages include:
View our recorded webinar from December, 2015 to learn more about:
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+61 2 9045 7500
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+64 (9) 486 9010
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warc | 201704 | Learn something new every day
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In the United States, a person can get arrested when there is a warrant for his arrest, or when a police officer witnesses a crime or has a reasonable suspicion that one was committed. During the first few steps in an arrest procedure, a police officer will identify himself, state that he is arresting the suspect, and inform the suspect of his rights. The suspect will then be detained, usually with handcuffs, and transported to a jail or police station. He will then be booked, during which his personal property will be removed, and he will be photographed, and fingerprinting.
A police officer usually must identify himself prior to arresting a subject. This is especially true for officers who are in regular street clothes, like undercover officers. Officers will also state the reason why the suspect is being arrested. If there is an arrest warrant, the suspect has the right to see and read the warrant.
Suspects being arrested in the United States will usually be informed of their rights at this point in the arrest procedure. These are often known as the
Miranda rights. They state that anything a suspect says could possibly be used against him, and that he has the right to legal representation. After this, the officer will usually conduct a pat down search of the suspect to ensure that he does not have any weapons.
To do this, the officer will lightly pat his hands on the suspects clothing. Any hard objects the officer feels, which could possibly be a weapon, are removed. This search is an essential part of the arrest procedure. If an officer failed to perform this search and a suspect had a weapon, this could result in a serious injury or fatality. After a suspect is searched, he is then usually handcuffed.
During this part of the arrest procedure, the officer will usually place handcuffs around the suspects wrists. While a suspect's hands may be positioned in front of him for this, an officer will usually cuff a suspect with his hands behind his back. This can help ensure the safety of the police officers and any bystanders. It will also help prevent the suspect from escaping.
After the suspect is transported to a jail, another, more thorough, search is usually performed. During this search, authorities will take a suspect's personal property, including wallets, money, phones, and sometimes clothes. This property is carefully inventoried and stored until the suspect is released. He will also usually be required to look over an inventory sheet before signing it.
Suspects who are taken into police custody are usually photographed to record how they look at the time of arrest. Fingerprints will also be taken. At this time, suspects will also be asked to provide a variety of personal information, such as their name, address, employer, and Social Security number.
Cageybird
Post 1
Sometimes a person can be placed in handcuffs without being formally arrested, usually for the public's or officer's safety. The officer has an obligation to inform the person he or she is being detained, not arrested. This often happens during a search of a vehicle or immediately after a fight breaks up.
If something illegal is found during the search or a warrant for the person's arrest is discovered, however, a detention can turn into an arrest by following the process mentioned in this article.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK! | 3,634 | 1,617 | 0.000621 |
warc | 201704 | Learn something new every day
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Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) refers to issues that can occur when a fetus is exposed to drugs while still in the mother’s uterus. When a mother uses substances, they pass through the blood stream and placenta and to the fetus. After the baby is born and is no longer receiving the substance, it can experience symptoms of withdrawal, which can be severe and lead to complications. Many substances can cause neonatal abstinence syndrome, including barbiturates, amphetamines, opiates, cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.
The symptoms of this syndrome depend on the substance the mother was using. Symptoms also depend on the frequency and amount of substance use. A baby’s symptoms might manifest anywhere from one to 10 days after birth. Some common symptoms include difficulty sleeping, trembling, fever or sweating, diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration, feeding problems, excessive and high-pitched crying, seizures, blotchy skin and hyperactive reflexes or muscle tone. In premature babies, the most common symptoms are feeding difficulties, high-pitched cries, trembling and rapid breathing.
Physicians have developed a neonatal abstinence syndrome scoring system for diagnosis and to help assess severity. Doctors might also screen a baby’s urine or early stool samples. Determining the substance and syndrome severity can help a doctor plan the course of treatment.
Treatment for this syndrome depends on a child's health and whether the baby was born at full term. In cases of severe withdrawal, a doctor might prescribe methadone, benzodiazepines or other drugs to help control withdrawal symptoms. An infant might need intravenous fluids or a high-calorie formula to help with weight gain. Babies suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome are difficult to comfort, so very basic treatment will include swaddling and rocking the child as well as reducing environmental disruptions such as bright lights.
If a baby receives treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome, it can help manage the withdrawal symptoms, but drug exposure in the womb still can lead to numerous complications. Some babies could be born with birth defects or low birth weight. Drug use during pregnancy also can lead to premature birth or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The most important factor for prognosis is whether or not the mother continues using substances.
With neonatal abstinence syndrome, prevention is key. A woman should stop using substances before she becomes pregnant, or at least as soon as she finds out that she is pregnant. The syndrome can be avoided by not using drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.
Wisedly33
Post 2
@Scrbblchick -- Call me hard-hearted, but I am tempted to say if a baby dies like that poor child did, the mother should be charged with capital murder. She was pregnant and did drugs anyway, not caring if she endangered her child. Child endangerment is a felony, and if the child dies, to me, that's capital murder.
I swear, it's cases like that which make me think forced sterilization is not such a bad idea. People can change, but how many more children will have to suffer because their "mother" can't stay off drugs, and won't get the help to do it? I'm sorry, but why should she be allowed to bring more helplessly addicted, pain-filled children into the world? Withdrawal pain is hell on an adult. I can't imagine what it's like for a newborn.
What kind of world do we live in, anyway?
Scrbblchick
Post 1
My cousin works for child protective services and the things she sees... She said they see addicted babies on a regular basis. They usually place these children in foster homes where at least one parent is capable of caring for these babies' unique needs.
She said one foster parent came to the office, devastated. She had been caring for a baby, when the child went into cardiac arrest in her arms. She called 911, but the baby was gone by the time the ambulance got there. The baby had been born to a female addicted to crack. The withdrawals were just too much for the little boy and his heart couldn't take it. I think my cousin said the baby was three weeks old. So sad.
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Coal is commonly thought of as the dark black rock-like substance that fills the sky with smoke when burned. White coal, also called bio coal, is completely different; for starters, it is better for the environment because no toxic residue results from creating or using white coal. White coal is made by taking trees, plants and agricultural waste such almond shells and drying the plant material. It is used in many applications by many industries and is easily renewable. Aside from being cleaner than regular coal, bio coal also yields more energy and has lower moisture.
To create white coal, all that is needed is plant material and a fire over which to dry the material. The most common materials used to make bio coal are leaves, trees, almond and groundnut shells, and cotton stalks. Industries normally do this in large drying mechanisms that yield a large amount of bio coal. Unlike regular coal, which requires binders and other substances to make the coal usable as an energy source, bio coal does not require any additional substances.
After being dried, the material used to create bio coal is formed into a cylindrical shape, the standard for bio coal production. The formation is not assisted by any chemicals. It is made using powerful mechanical presses.
The uses for white coal are as varied as black coal uses. It is used in homes for heat and cooking, and by many industries that need or produce energy. Anywhere coal is used, bio coal can be substituted. White coal comes from plant waste and material, meaning it is a renewable resource.
Sulfur content is a large problem with regular coal. Bio coal produces no sulfur and, therefore, no pollution when used. Sulfur can also make black coal difficult to store or be around, but white coal does not have this problem.
Another consideration from an air pollution standpoint is the ash created when burning a substance. The ash level in bio coal is usually in a range of 2 percent to 10 percent. This percentage is very low, especially when compared to traditional coal's range of 20 percent to 40 percent ash content when burned.
The energy produced by any substance is measured in kilocalories (kcal). Bio coal is able to produce around 3,800 kcal to 4,500 kcal when used. Black coal typically produces from 3,000 kcal to 3,500 kcal. Combustion also is more uniform in bio coal than in regular coal, making it ideal for applications where the heat has to cover a wide area.
Jacques6
Post 3
@amsden2000 - We might not have room to switch exclusively to white coal, but maybe we could combine it with solar and water energy sources to add up to everything else. You are very right about businesses -- if they can't make even more money than they do, they aren't going to change.
White coal is a greener alternative to black coal, but it's still not 100% clean -- no power source is. Doing less damage is of course better, but solar and water energy sources are even cleaner than white coal. We should try to focus on them first, than white coal.
amsden2000
Post 2
@zeak4hands - The biggest problem that is arising from green and renewable energy sources are two things. One, if the producers can't make more money than they make off of coal energy -- they aren't going to switch.
Two, we just don't have enough space to produce food and green energy sources. The production end of growing and processing all of that biomass is going to be extensive -- not to mention, it will cut into our food growing space.
There just isn't enough room for both right now. So that's what I think we should work on first -- making space.
zeak4hands
Post 1
White coal should be called white gold. It burns like regular coal but it's a green solution to coal power, in my opinion. Since white coal is made out of biomass -- as in, plants -- it is not a limited resource. It is possible to grow new plants for white coal production.
Black coal is going to run out someday -- and our whole society is based on the power it produces. 50% of America's power comes from black coal. We should be try to make as much white coal as possible and not burned through the last of our coal. White coal is cheap and it is far less harmful to the environment -- what are we waiting for?
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warc | 201704 | The industry's best experts give us their advice... We’ve rounded up the best advice for fine thin hair….
Advice for fine thin hair is here! Bouncy hair that’s full of life is the ultimate youth-boosting style, but not all of us are blessed with naturally thick tresses. We consulted the experts to find out the advice for fine and thinning hair, so you can make the most out of your locks…
Add shape to fine hair “Create long-lasting shape by setting hair with hot rollers on partly dried hair. Roll hair away from your face in sections, concentrating on hair from your forehead to your crown, and let set for15 minutes before removing. Remember, heat styles and cold sets, so make sure you let hair cool before removing the rollers for long lasting volume and thickness,” says Andrew Jose: Brand Ambassador for SALON SCIENCE Go shorter Giving fine hair the chop can suddenly make it seem much thicker. A long bob, that hangs below your chin, is a great style for those who don’t want to go too short. Add colour Some clever highlights and curls will give your fine hair some much needed texture and body. Eat more protein Eating more protein can actually help reduce hair loss. Experts recommend you try upping the protein you eat for a week and see if you notice any difference.
Increase your iron Low iron is one of the main causes of fine, thinning hair so try to reboot your hair from the inside out by eating more iron rich foods. Try spinach, lean red meats and green leafy veggies. Look after your scalp A healthy scalp equals healthy hair so try and keep it hydrated, out of the sun and moisturised. If you have a sensitive scalp or dryness try a product specially designed to help. Boost weak follicles If you’ve styled your hair for years and are noticing your hair thinning because of age, give it a helping hand before you go to bed with a treatment. “I love the SALON SCIENCE Swiss Apple Cellucovery Scalp Tonic Treatment, £22, boots.com” says leading hairstylist Andrew Jose, “It helps to bolster weak follicles creating a lift effect at the root.” Try an updo Fine hair can often be flyaway and unruly, so pulling it back is a good way of keeping your hair neat. For giving an illusion of thicker hair, keep your hairstyles loose, allowing a few strands to fall around your face. Create movement To stop long hair looking thin style the front sections with a loose wave to create movement and texture. Aim high! Try a relaxed topknot if you suffer from fine hair – it’s a quick easy style that leaves hair looks thicker, plus it works for day and night. Add layers Have some layers cut into the front sections of your hair and then style them into flicks so help finer hair look thick. Try a blow-dry A very clever blow-dry can give lank looking hair the boost of life it needs. Flicking out the ends works wonders too! Try a fringe If you have fine, long hair, don’t let the layers get too long – you get more volume if you have soft layers framing the face. Adding a fringe distracts from the fact that the hair is fine too. Go chunky Chunky bobs can be great on fine hair as they give structure and the impression of width. Short choppy fringes also work well because they make the hair look denser and thicker. Try short styles Short styles are good for fine hair as they create movement and texture and are easy to shape and style. Beware that over-styling fine hair can accentuate it’s thinness. Add a graduation The graduated bob is not only one of the most classic haircuts, it’s the perfect cut for fine hair. It keeps a strong shape even when the hair drops throughout the day and when well cut, always looks immaculate. Products our experts love for fine hair: The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Light Aussome Volume Deep Treatment Mousse, £4.99, is a rinse off conditioner containing nutrient rich sea kelp that weightlessly conditions dry, fine hair. You’ll see a gentle increase in volume without weighting it down. Percy Reed’s No Oil Oil, £14, is enriched with Vitamin B5 to nourish and protect your hair, as well as being packed with frizz-fighting pomegranate oil to banish those wayward strands. Fine hair can often be flyaway and unruly, but Percy Reed’s product will help you keep it under control. For an instant, fuss-free boost, Got2B’s Volumising Powder from Schwarzkopf, £4, is the solution. Simply sprinkle into the roots and rub in with your hands to add volume and lift hair from the scalp. Perfect to use before a night out for a little extra hair height. Prep hair before styling with a body building mousse such as the Salon Science Cellumax Volumising Foam, £15,by applying directly to the roots. Dry in the product by flipping your hair upside down trick – It’s an old trick but it works! L’Oreal Paris’ Elvive Fibrology Thickness Booster, £5.99, will give you fuller hair instantly. It contains their highest level of filloxane, a unique molecule that penetrates the hair strands and swells up inside it increasing the hair diameter. It’s perfect pre-special occasion or before a night out. And if you want one kit for all your volume boosting needs… America could hold the solution to your hair thinning problems. Nioxin is the no.1 stylist recommended thinning hair brand in the USA with 70% of testers noticing hair looked thicker in 30 days. The Nioxin Hair System Kit for normal to thin hair, £29, works in three steps to cleanse (shampoo), condition (conditioner) and treat the hair and scalp. | 5,624 | 2,657 | 0.000389 |
warc | 201704 | Fall Prevention For Scaffolders Document Type:Guidance Note Keycode:web only Industry:Construction, Category:Falls Prevention, General, Manual Handling, Division Author:construction Current Version:version 2 - new images Publication Date:05 May 2006 Date First Published:28 September 2005 Summary:This guidance provides information on safeguarding scaffolders from falling during the erection and dismantling of typical prefabricated modular scaffolds.
This Guidance Note was developed in consultation with stakeholders to recommend the highest reasonably practicable level of fall protection for scaffolders when erecting, dismantling or altering scaffolding. It will assist employers of scaffolders, employers engaging scaffolding contractors and scaffolders
in meeting their obligations under the Victorian
Occupational Health and Safety (Prevention of Falls) Regulations 2003. It will also assist health and safety representatives and organisations involved in the training and instruction of scaffolders. Scope This Guidance Note deals specifically with the erection and dismantling of typical independent scaffolds constructed from prefabricated modular scaffolding systems.
It may not be appropriate for unorthodox or unusual scaffold configurations, such as large birdcage scaffolds. Work practices for such scaffolds should be developed by employers on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the scaffolders and their health and safety representatives.
It also provides general advice on safety harness systems for scaffolders.
This Guidance Note supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, WorkSafe's publications:
Prevention of Falls in General Construction(Code of Practice No. 28, 2004), and Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction(Code of Practice No. 29, 2004). Typical Fall Hazards Faced By Scaffolders
A key principle of the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act) is that:
The importance of health and safety requires that employees be given the highest level of protection against risks to their health and safety that is reasonably practicable in the circumstances. [section 4(1) of the Act]
There is the potential for scaffolders to fall from incomplete scaffolds during their erection and dismantling. In particular, scaffolders can be exposed to fall hazards:
during the placement or removal of scaffold planks (internal fall). from the open sides or ends of the scaffold (external fall). in climbing from one lift of the scaffold to the next lift (climbing fall). Controlling the risk of internal falls by fully decking each lift
The risk of internal falls while erecting a scaffold can be controlled by fully decking each lift. This involves:
positioning a full deck of planks at each lift, positioning planks on the next lift whilst standing on a fully-decked platform, and leaving each lift fully decked in place until it is dismantled.
During dismantling of a lift, planks are removed whilst standing on the fully-decked platform immediately below.
Advantages of adopting this method include: scaffolders working aloft cannot fall through the scaffold. principal contractors can authorise work from any given lift of the scaffold without the time delay and expense of having working platforms relocated from one lift to another lift. Note: all platforms will require full edge protection (guardrails-midrails-toeboards or guardrails-brickguards) to enable such authorisation. shade cloth and other types of containment sheeting can be installed safely and easily. there is improved access to scaffolds for routine inspections. Precautions associated with this method include: the scaffold design must be checked to ensure that the placement of a full deck at each lift will not adversely affect the working capacity of the scaffold's standards and/or supporting structure. where the number of fully decked lifts exceeds the number of simultaneously used and/or loaded working platforms that the scaffold can safely support, decks on non-working lifts must be physically closed off and signposted to prevent their inadvertent use. where the provision of additional decks of planks involves hazardous manual handling tasks, a risk assessment must be conducted and appropriate control measures must be implemented. Control measures should be, in the first instance, mechanical aids such as cranes, hoists or forklifts. Where this is not reasonably practicable, consideration should be given to other measures such as increased gang sizes, job rotation or additional breaks. Controlling the risk of external falls by sequential erection
The risk of external falls from the open sides and ends of the scaffold can be reasonably controlled by adopting the sequential erection method.
This method involves the one-bay-at-a-time sequential installation of standards and guardrails (or guardrails alone where standards are already in place). This ensures that scaffolders are not required to walk further than one bay length along an exposed edge of a scaffold platform. Dismantling is simply a reverse of the sequence.
It should be noted that where platform brackets ("hop-ups") are to be installed later, where the adjacent structure is yet to be built or in other like circumstances, internal guard rails should also be installed as part of the above sequence.
The use of the sequential erection method does not preclude the use of alternative methods such as purpose-designed proprietary advance guardrail systems or other systems of work that provide an equivalent level of fall protection. The particular method selected to control the risk of external falls will depend upon the relative feasibility of its application to the scaffold configuration being considered.
Controlling the risk of climbing falls with safe access systems
The risk of climbing falls for scaffolders gaining access from one lift to the next can be controlled by ensuring that an appropriate access system is in place. This can be in the form of a stairway or ladder access that is progressively installed as the scaffold is erected, rather than added on at a later stage.
Employers should ensure that the practice of scaffolders climbing the scaffold framework is expressly forbidden.
In summary The three typical situations where scaffolders can be exposed to a risk of a fall (internal, external and climbing) can be reasonably controlled by a combination of fully decking each lift, using the sequential erection method and progressively providing appropriate access as the scaffold is erected. Fall Arrest & Travel Restraint Systems For Scaffolders
Figure 1: Why harnesses are not acceptable for normal scaffolding work (i.e. scaffolds built from the ground up).
The use of a safety harness as a fall injury prevention system has limited practical application for the construction of scaffolds. A harness should not be used where:
it is possible for scaffolders to hit an object prior to their fall being arrested (see Figure 1). its use would restrict the scaffolder's free movement so as to increase the risk of sprain or strain injuries. its use would present a risk of scaffold components becoming entangled or unbalanced during handling. there is no adequate and correctly positioned anchorage for lanyards or inertia reels.
NOTE: Safety harnesses should not be used in the erection and dismantling of normal standing scaffolds
Safety harnesses systems would be an acceptable control solution in the following situations when erecting or dismantling scaffolds:
on hung scaffolds, where the scaffold is constructed from top to bottom and there is nothing for the scaffolder to strike below in the event of a fall (see Figure 2.) on cantilevered needles (for the erection of the first lift and later for dismantling that lift) and for decking between the needles. when attaching and removing spurs that project from the supporting scaffold or supporting structure. when fixing and removing trolley tracks on suspension rigs. (A trolley track is a suspended rail that supports and guides trolleys for swing stages, work cages, boatswain's chairs and other types of suspended scaffolding.) NOTE: If harness systems are used, in all instances a scaffolder must not be exposed to a fall prior to being securely connected to, or after disconnected from, the anchorage point. Acts and Regulations
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Occupational Health and Safety (Prevention of Falls) Regulations 2003
Acts and regulations are available from Information Victoria on 1300 366 356 or order online at www.bookshop.vic.gov.au.
View the legislation at Victorian Law Today at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.
Standards Australia
AS/NZS 4576: 1995 -- Guidelines for scaffolding
AS/NZS 1891.4: 2000 -- Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices -- Selection, use and maintenance Copies of standards can be obtained by contacting Standards Australia on 1300 654 646 or by visiting the web site at www.standards.com.au. Further information
If you only want to view the legislation you can use the Parliament of Victoria web site; go to
www.dpc.vic.gov.au , click on "Victorian Law Today" and scroll down to the "Search" window. WorkSafe PublicationsPrevention of Falls in General Construction (Code of Practice
No. 28, 2004) Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction (Code of Practice No. 29, 2004) Special note on Codes of Practice: Codes of Practice made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1985 provide practical guidance to people who have duties or obligations under Victoria's OHS laws. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 allows the Minister for WorkCover to
make Compliance Codes which will provide greater certainty about what constitutes compliance with the OHS laws.
Codes of Practice will continue to be a practical guide for those who have OHS duties and WorkSafe will continue to regard those who comply with the topics covered in the Codes of Practice as complying with OHS laws. WorkSafe will progressively review all Codes of Practice and replace them with guidance material and in appropriate cases, with Compliance Codes.
Other useful construction safety information is available on WorkSafe's Construction and Utilities webpage; go to www.workcover.vic.gov.au and click on the Industry Information link.
Victorian Scaffolding Safety CommitteeThe recommendations provided in this Guidance Note have been endorsed by the Victorian Scaffolding Safety Committee. The Victorian Scaffolding Safety Committee includes representatives of the MBAV's Scaffold Association of Victoria, the CFMEU Construction
& General Division's Contract Scaffolders Group, and WorkSafe Victoria. Note: This guidance material has been prepared using the best information available to WorkSafe Victoria. Any information about legislative obligations or responsibilities included in this material
is only applicable to the circumstances described in the material. You should always check the legislation referred to in this material and make your own judgement about what action you may need to take to ensure you have complied with the law. Accordingly, the Victorian WorkCover Authority extends no
warranties as to the suitability of the information for your specific circumstances. | 11,275 | 4,524 | 0.000222 |
warc | 201704 | Voices is an occasional column that allows wealth managers to address issues of interest to the advisory community. Michelle Goldstein is principal of Goldstein Financial Future in Dallas.
In my practice, I have yet to come across a client who wasn't overwhelmed by the financial cost of college. The need to pay for a child's college education often comes just at a time when our clients need to be strengthening their retirement... | 436 | 288 | 0.003496 |
warc | 201704 | South Africa's Sardine Run & Cage Diving; Honduras' Miskito Cays; Mars the Magnificent 16th century wreck in Sweden; Richard Lundgren interview; Washington State's Hood Canal; Namibian Sinkholes; Gary Gentile profile; Ghost Fishing; Basking Sharks; Wide-Angle with Mirrorless Cameras; Scuba Confidential on Breaking the Chain; Tech Talk: Listerners, Watchers and Doers; Michael Frank portfolio; Plus news and discoveries, equipment and training news, books and media, underwater photo and video equipment, turtle news, shark tales, whale tales and much more...
News section:
Pacific reef thrives in acidic water; Palau bans commercial fishing within its waters; Mystery disease wipes out scores of sea stars along America's Pacific coast; Bald reef gets seaweed transplant; The battle of the comb jellies; New species of red coral discovered; Coral reef found off Greenland, a first; Success: First species listed as threathened to go off the list; Alabama's ancient underwater forest could become marine sanctuary; The SeaOrbiter; Coral bleaching turns juvenile fish reckless; Salmon use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. Wreck Rap: Scapa Flow anniversary; Proving the Obvious: How Hard Can It Be? Travel News: Taiwan launches free WiFi for tourists; Über, flight car and Airbrb controversies; European Union strengthens air passengers’ rights; Beware of your soap, shampoo and cosmetics; They may kill the reef; Japanese whaling a threat to Kaikoura tourism; Shark cull in Western Australia will put off tourists, Richard Branson says; Roddenberry Dive Team and X-Ray Mag go to Fiji — Join Us!
Main features in this issue include:
Gary Gentile not only helped pioneer deep wreck diving, but also documented its art and craft, in addition to his finds so that others may follow in his footsteps.
His latest book, NOAA’s Ark: the Rise of the Fourth Reich, which was released in May 2013, details the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations efforts to expand and restrict access to divers and sportsman to the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries.
There are certain images of marine life that consistently conjure up a predicted response from the general public, whether they are scuba divers or not.
These common, daily occurrences are a direct result of the commercial fishing industry and actually pose a greater threat to our oceans than the aforementioned “sensationalized” activities.
Barely beaten tracks are an increasingly rare find for travellers in this ever more accessible world. Yet on the shores of Tomini Bay on the Indonesian Island of Sulawesi, one such place still exists.
Gorontalo Province lies on a peninsula extending from the northeast of the flower-shaped island of Sulawesi, reaching out towards the Philippines.
Is it the agency or the instructor that’s important?
I told her the answer is simple. “But,” I said, “Do you mind if I ask you a really important question before I answer yours? How do you learn? What type of “student” are you?”
The Swedish warship Mars, otherwise known as Makalös (peerless), sank in a sea battle during the Northern Seven Years War in 1564.
The discovery of Mars has not only lifted the city of Västervik to prominence as the base of an internationally reknown dive team but has also contributed a very exciting and important part to the history of the region—a history that the state is now in a position to research and highlight. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Västervik had one of the most significant naval and commercial shipyards in which many of the great ships of the era were built and launched.
Inspired by the magical ambience in the works of early American artists painting scenes with great attention to detail, color and dramatic light, Michael Frank works layer upon layer on canvas to produce brilliant underwater scenes echoing the sumptuous yet mysterious nature of marine life on reefs and in rivers and streams.
"I hope my paintings make people aware of the beauty and importance of undersea life—not just the popular large whales and sharks but the smaller less known delicate wildlife of the deep."
-- Michael Frank
In this article, the final one in the series, I will explain my personal experience with wide-angle underwater photography using the Olympus OM-D EM-5 camera.
With macro photography, the dynamic range is rarely very wide, as there are typically no extreme highlights if an image has been properly exposed, so virtually all modern digital cameras are eminently capable of doing a good job of macro with the right lenses and in the right hands.
Following six flights, two nights and a 30-hour boat trip, I found myself approaching a relatively uncharted group of small coral cays about 60km off the northeast coast of Honduras, not far from the Nicaraguan border.
Embarking on the Caribbean Pearl II from Utila, one of the Bay Islands a few miles off the north coast of Honduras, we made our way along the coast to an area unknown to the region’s tourist diving operations.
Who could imagine for a minute that Namibia is a diving destination?
In the old days of the German colony (1890-1915), the farmers of the north-east would draw water from these sinkholes, with electric pumps, for their cattle and in order to irrigate their farms.
Ask any photographer the one thing they would like to improve in their underwater images and most will likely say, “The lighting.” Lighting in photography is everything and shooting underwater often requires the photographer to read the ambient light and to create durable images on the fly.
Snoots are an effective tool for underwater photography that gives the user precision control of light quality and direction that can be used for creating interesting compositions in macro photography.
You could say that Richard Lundgren’s destiny was cast when his parents took the precocious, then eight-year-old Swedish schoolboy to visit the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.
True to his word, and remarkably, more than 30 years later Lundgren and his team from Ocean Discovery, Lundgren’s not-for-profit organization, discovered the shipwreck in May 2011, 447 years to the month from its sinking.
Last year I was invited to deliver a lecture at the Oztek show in Sydney, Australia. I spoke on the topic “What Makes a Good Technical Diver”, and one particular point I covered on accident avoidance drew a very positive response and provoked a number of questions from the audience.
Every diving accident has a chain of events that lead up to it, but often the chain is only visible afterwards when you reflect on what happened.
The world in one country is an oft-used quote to describe South Africa and is not unwarranted. Along with dramatic scenery and a rich cultural heritage, it is a nation renowned for its diversity of ecosystems and wildlife.
However, its undersea environs rival the terrestrial abundance. From northern subtropical reefs to the chilly waters of the cape, South Africa offers a wealth of marine life few nations can rival.
I had a brief introduction several years earlier, visiting Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks in KwaZulu-Natal and the Kruger National Park [see X-RAY MAG issue #46 –ed].
First scientifically described by Gunnerus in 1765 from a specimen in Norway, there is an earlier published reference to the shark in 1739 in Ireland.
Unlike the scientific findings that there are now recognized several different species of killer whale (orca) there is only one distinct species of basking shark, despite their wide ranging distribution.
Over ten years have past since my last dive in Hood Canal. I’m not sure why, probably because I’ve been so focused on exploring the pristine waters of British Columbia that the extra effort of driving so far south has always deterred me. But when Adventures Down Under, a dive shop in Bellingham, invited me to join their group for a Hood Canal dive charter, I was too curious to say anything but yes.
But for this trip our group of seven met up with Don Coleman, owner and operator of Pacific Adventure at the Pleasant Harbor Marina on the west side of Hood Canal, off Highway 101. It was a typical chilly January day where air temperatures may have climbed to a balmy 30°F (-1°C).
Being swept along on this technical diving thing, has been a long, somewhat twisted, but definitely entertaining journey. If you and I had met when the whole affair started, we could not possibly have envisioned how directly and pervasively, what were then radical activities, like cave diving, trimix diving and rebreather diving, would influence the mainstream dive community.
But perhaps, evolution is too soft a word to describe what’s happened. So many things have changed. Gear, training, the places we visit to dive, how we exchange information, even what form dive magazines and textbooks take: case in point with X-RAY MAG for example. | 9,028 | 4,552 | 0.000225 |
warc | 201704 | Treasurer Scott Morrison failed to tackle the growing woes of first home owners in this year’s federal budget, choosing instead to focus on the merits of negative gearing for those who already own their homes.
For Malcolm Turnbull’s government, backtracking on negative gearing is not an option as this could very well be his electoral poison. Those who are in favour of ending it to make the Australian housing market more affordable to first home buyers should vote Labor in the upcoming elections.
It also does not help that the government is no longer giving handouts for first home buyers. Back in 2000, the Howard government gave $7,000 grants to first home buyers to offset the GST. Kevin Rudd doubled that in 2009, fueling 20 and 13 per cent price hikes in Sydney and Melbourne over the next year.
But now, it seems like the government has given up on helping millennials buy property. Previous Labor treasurer Wayne Swan simply axed the First Home Owners grants without offering any alternative scheme to help.
But thanks to the Reserve Bank, wage earners above $80,000 now have a chance to save up extra money because of tax cuts and low interest rates. Still, those earning less than $80,000 will miss out.
“Lower interest rates and this extra fiscal stimulus in the budget are a positive because they improve affordability for home buyers,” said Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson. “But this isn’t a first home buyer budget.”
It can be confusing to know whether to get a variable rate or fixed rate mortgage, and what features are important. That's why it's important to not only check the right rates, but make sure that you're getting the right features in your home loan. Get help choosing the right home loan | 1,775 | 954 | 0.001074 |
warc | 201704 | Washington Lawmakers and regulators are examining the fees charged by popular college-savings plans, and an investigation of big brokerage firms' sales of the plans has widened.
An investor advocate told a House panel Wednesday that states may have incentives to sponsor so-called "529" plans with high fees and that political factors can play a role in pushing up charges.
"Political considerations ... may influence the selection of money managers and cause states to be less diligent when negotiating fees," Mercer Bullard, a University of Mississippi law professor who heads the advocacy group Fund Democracy, testified at a hearing examining the plans used by parents to save for their children's college tuition.
Bullard cited examples of states favoring investment firms based in the state or firms whose executives contributed to the election campaigns of state officials. He urged the lawmakers to consider imposing limits on fees charged by the savings plans, which are not subject to federal income taxes and sometimes deductible from state taxes.
More than $35 billion is invested in 529 plans, which were established by Congress in 1996 and are named for the corresponding provision in the federal tax code.
At the hearing by a House Financial Services subcommittee, Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, said he had become concerned about several aspects of the plans. Oxley, who heads the full committee, said he wanted to know for example why fees differ markedly from state to state and how clearly they were disclosed.
"Have the fees charged by these state-sponsored plans become so exorbitant that they actually outstrip the tax benefits that Congress has attempted to provide?" he asked.
Securities regulators, meanwhile, have expanded their investigation of brokerage firms' sales of these 529 plans for possible violations that can deprive investors of the very tax benefits that make the plans attractive.
The National Association of Securities Dealers has widened its examination of sales of the plans to 15 major investment firms, up from six as of March, NASD vice chairman Mary Schapiro said. She would not name the firms.
The securities industry's self-policing organization is concerned that brokers may have sold investors out-of-state plans without clearly explaining to them that they could lose the ability to deduct their plan contributions from their state income taxes. Red flags went up, Schapiro said, when NASD examiners found that for some investment firms, more than 90 percent of sales of the plans were going to nonresidents.
"Millions of dollars are poured into 529 plans," she said. "They're a wonderful potential investment tool but ... complicated enough that people really ought to be thinking about this."
Brokers who recommend out-of-state plans that pay higher commissions could cost investors their in-state tax benefit, Bullard said in his congressional testimony.
The 529 plans are offered by every state and the District of Columbia. The plans usually are based principally on investments in mutual funds -- an area in which the issue of fees has long been debated by policy-makers.
While mutual fund companies can raise some types of fees only with shareholders' approval, states generally can increase fees for college savings plans without notifying investors. Some of the money from the fees goes into the coffers of states, many of which are strapped and scrounging for revenue in the current economic climate.
William Donaldson, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, recently established a task force at the agency to examine the plans and how clearly the fees are disclosed.
"The current state of affairs with respect to 529 plans is complicated and likely difficult for parents to understand," he wrote Oxley.
Richard Strong, the founder and former CEO of Strong Financial Corp., who last month agreed to a $60 million fine to settle allegations that he made improper mutual fund trades, had made campaign donations to a Wisconsin official indirectly responsible for choosing Strong's company to manage the state's 529 plan, Bullard noted. | 4,136 | 1,991 | 0.000506 |
warc | 201704 | If the trip lever on your bathtub has stopped working or if water slowly leaks down the drain when the tub is full, repairing or replacing the linkage and plunger behind the trip lever may solve the problem.
Step 1: Remove the two screws from the trip lever faceplate to free the faceplate from the overflow tube. Step 2: Gently pull the face plate away from the tub. If the linkage is still attached to the backside of the face plate, the linkage and plunger should pull up and out of the overflow tube without too much difficulty. Step 3: If the linkage has broken away from the trip lever, set the face plate aside. Use a claw-type extension tool or a wire with a small hook at the end to fish the linkage and plunger out from inside the overflow tube. Step 4: Clean the plunger and linkage with steel wool and a de-liming cleaner such as CLR or vinegar. If the plunger looks worn or the linkage is broken, replace the entire mechanism with a new assembly. Step 5: Replace the old overflow gasket with a new one.
The overflow gasket is located between the back of the bathtub and the front of the overflow tube. Scrape away all remnants of the old gasket before installing the new gasket. Position the new gasket on the front of the overflow tube, with the thicker portion of the gasket toward the bottom to compensate for the slope of the tub wall.
Step 6: Attach the plunger to the linkage and attach the linkage to the trip lever. The linkage is typically attached to the trip lever with a small cotter pin. Slip the pin through the back of the trip lever and bend one or both of its sides up to hold the linkage in place. Step 7: Adjust the length of the assembly by turning the threaded rod at the top of the linkage. Step 8: Feed the plunger and the linkage assembly down into the overflow tube and press the faceplate into place. Step 9: Raise and lower the trip lever to test the functionality. Step 10: Fill the bathtub with enough water to test the seal of the plunger. Adjust the plunger height until a proper seal is achieved. Step 11: Insert and tighten the faceplate screws to complete the job. | 2,116 | 941 | 0.001065 |
warc | 201704 | Endless Possibilities Learning Benefits
Old cardboard tubes, used Styrofoam packing, scraps of yarn ... these may seem like ordinary objects you might naturally want to toss out. Don't. In the hands of your child, they are gold. They are building blocks of a powerful learning experience called
open-ended play.
A child engaged in open-ended play is simply going with the flow. He is exploring open-ended materials — objects that have multiple uses and infinite possibilities, like the ones mentioned above, and others, such as paint, clay, sand, mud, water, blocks, and Legos. There are no expectations, no specific problems to solve, no rules to follow, and no pressure to produce a finished product. It's all about free play — the freedom to invent and discover. He may end up making a cool castle for his action figures, or a funky pile of old cardboard tubes, used packing, and scraps of yarn.
By simply fiddling around with a wide range of materials, your child practices a wealth of brain-boosting skills that will serve him in school and throughout his life. Just think of what it takes for him to make sense of the unstructured nature of the materials — imagination, creativity, vision, and patience. Dealing with the infinite possibilities before him takes a big leap of faith. Making something no one has ever seen before requires trial and error and problem-solving and offers him the chance to create order and express meaning.
Encourage a "Happy Talent"
In her book
Playing to Get Smart, Betty Jones, Ph.D., urges parents to understand that children and adults who are skilled at play with both things and ideas, have the power, influence, and capacity to create meaningful lives. They are more receptive to ambiguity than those who are stuck in the way things are or were. Play is a "happy talent."
Open-ended play helps foster happy talent in a relaxed way. It also supports the mission behind the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2006 Report on the Importance of Play, which emphasizes that all children need free, undirected play for creative growth, self-reflection, and decompression. Here's why it works:
Less pressure.With no predetermined outcome, open-ended play eases off the gas pedal of achievement and allows children to focus on creating based on inner inspiration. During play, children have choices and decisions to make. This format offers great potential for self-discovery. No errors.Since trial and error is part of open-ended play, unintended mistakes cause children to pause and wonder. "Errors" produce fascination and foster new creation. Self-initiating behaviors are developed. Liberty at last.Open-ended play gives children a sense of freedom and autonomy to develop initiative and self-confidence. They enjoy making choices themselves, affirming their ability to be responsible and self-directed. Be an Inspirational Partner
To get started with free play, go on a house hunt for open-ended materials, including plastic caps, fabric, wire, cardboard boxes, blocks, paints, and clay. Try a nature walk where you can gather twigs, leaves, and feathers. The list is endless. You may want to include your child in this stage to invest him early in the process and get him primed for the experience.
Find a safe, roomy work area, set out the items, and allow your child to explore without interruption. You may want to initiate play by saying, "Here are some interesting materials to play with." Then explore the materials with your own hands to see how they feel. Manipulate and play with them a bit to model, but be sure to leave detailed directions out of the mix. Remember, this is your child's playtime.
Some children need adult stimulation to sustain their play. If you find that's the case, you can become an audience member, a comfort, or an interested party who inspires by your presence. Your open attitude fosters exploration. In time, you may want to invite a playmate over who can join in the experience and help sustain play.
You can also engage in "parallel" play alongside your child (build your own cool castle!). You'll find you "re-create" and refresh your own energy while not stifling your child's. Just keep in mind: open-ended play is not a competition. It's a joy. | 4,266 | 2,114 | 0.000478 |
warc | 201704 | Israeli’s posting “dissenting” views on Social media websites such as Facebook are likely to be flagged as a terrorist and monitored by the IDF, a whistleblower has revealed.
Posting statuses that include words such as “demonstration” or “Al Quds” triggers Israeli surveillance technology that monitors social media for potential terrorists.
972mag.com reports:
The employee, who we have agreed not to name, told us about the company’s involvement in security-based projects: “They work with the technology branch of Israeli intelligence… they provide information in Arabic on protests or conversations that include trigger words. The same goes for Hebrew, of course, including information on geographical location of the users, but I am not sure just how far it extends.”
At that same meeting the officers inquired over whether data could be purchased from companies that deal in keystroke logging, in order to tap into all the information typed into tablets or smartphones.
“There are many companies that gather open data from the web,” says the employee. “Take, for example, a company like GetTaxi. The company can ask for conversations about [its own brand], about taxis, public transportation, or any form of transportation, or anything that has been written about it in Hebrew. Technically, there is access to open data in any language of your choosing. It’s just a matter of price.”
But the Israeli army officers were interested in different words, like “boycott” or “demonstration.”
The data they requested included the identities of the authors on social media, his/her profile, the content of what they wrote, as well as their physical location. They requested the raw data without any analysis. Similar conversations took place in at least five other Israeli tech companies.
From ‘suspects’ to criminals
The IDF contracted the services of Israeli tech companies to monitor both open and private posts by Israeli citizens on social media. Army Intelligence filed a request to gather data on Israelis who write about protests in Hebrew on Facebook, WhatsApp, private chats and other networks, as well as data on users who write in Arabic and use words like “the Zionist state” and “Al-Quds” (Jerusalem in Arabic).
The testimonies we collected paint a worrying picture of the level and scope of monitoring and tracking that the security services use against both Jews and Arabs.
It must be stated that these companies are not tracking individuals suspected of any crimes, but rather in the widespread gathering of all public data available in Israel, which isn’t limited solely to posts published on social media platforms.
At its most basic level, the monitoring softwar locates keywords such as “protest” in Hebrew or “shaheed” (martyr) in Arabic. Therefore, any person who writes any of these words is supposed to receive special attention from the company’s information system.
At the highest level of monitoring, the company can recognize groups of people who are talking about a specific subject that interests the security services, allowing them to check semantic similarities between posts on social networks and posts by “flagged” individuals. The circle of “flagged” individuals grows into potential suspects based entirely on their writing style. The monitoring begins through the program’s algorithm before is it taken over by humans at a later stage.
Fictitious profiles
According to the employee, several of the monitoring companies create fictitious profiles as a tracking technique. These profiles connect with specific individuals that the system wants to monitor. This is how the companies “circumvent” privacy mechanisms, so that even when a user marks a specific piece of content as private (intended for his/her friends alone), the companies still have access to it and are able to pass it on to the security services.
After receiving numerous testimonies from employees, we contacted Bazila, an Israeli tech company that takes pride in having a “national security” specialist on staff. The specialist functions as a liaison with government organizations dealing with security in Israel and abroad, and assists in developing the interface of Bazila’s security system.
Following conversations with a number of employees in the company, we were referred to Guy Mor, the vice president of resource development and one of the founders of the company. Mor confirmed that the company works in tandem with the IDF, and that they monitor Hebrew-language users, and specifically conversations regarding boycotts of Israel.
IntuView, another Israeli company, uses a similar practice. The company’s product analyzes the way social media users feel regarding different bodies and organizations, including the state itself. Shlomi Amber, a senior executive at the company who is responsible for technological development, confirmed that the company works with the IDF and other bodies in the security services. IntuView also provides tracking and monitoring for Hebrew-language users.
Among the other companies who work in the field are Taldor, which markets its product, “Kapow” — which analyzes blogs, forums, Twitter and Facebook — in Israel.
First comes the monitoring, then comes prison
It is important to remember that a reality in which the army monitors citizens is not a nightmare that has only recently come true. It has been going on for years, day in and day out, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In 2014, 43 veterans from the elite Unit 8200 signed a protest letter decrying the signals intelligence unit’s abusive gathering of Palestinians’ private information, including on demonstrations, sexual orientation, financial status and anything else that would aid them in blackmailing or pressuring the population to collaborate. The goal is, in the army’s words, to “sear the consciousness” of the subjects of Israel’s military regime.
In 2011, the IDF established an “[anti] de-legitimization branch” as part of Unit 8200, whose stated goal is to gather intelligence on foreign organizations that oppose Israeli policies. The branch focuses on those who criticize Israel, and specifically BDS and flotilla activists, as well as bodies that are at the forefront of legal struggles targeting Israel, such as the International Criminal Court. After Operative Protective Edge in 2014, the unit mainly gathered intelligence that would aid Israel in its struggle against UN reports on war crimes that allegedly took place during the war. This is a clear case of the IDF’s intervention in political, and policy based issues.
The decision to use the army to intervene in inherently political issues is concerning. The IDF takes pride in the fact that it monitors foreigners but the evidence shows that the army also tracks Israeli citizens. Should the army involve itself in domestic issues of opposition to government policies? How about when that opposition is directed at Israel’s military regime in the occupied territories?
But Military Intelligence isn’t the only body involved in gathering data on Israelis through the web. According to information passed on to Local Call, it turns out that uniformed officers serving in the IDF’s research division and the Defense Ministry’s R&D units are acting as liaisons to Israeli tech monitoring companies. In addition, soldiers belonging to units dealing with teleprocessing and communications are also in contact with private tech companies.
The IDF’s cooperation with civilian groups does not end with these companies. Even the cyber department at Ben-Gurion University has contracts worth tens of millions of shekels with the army, and cooperates with the army in establishing lesson plans for the department, such that they will suit the needs of the security services. In a presentation by one of the faculty members on monitoring web data in Arabic, one can see that a study done by the department classified the words “shaheed” and “The Zionist,” among others, as words that ascribe terrorism to the writer.
From the information we have seen, it appears that the monitoring of Jewish Israelis in Hebrew primarily centers on political activity. In contrast, most of the information gathered about Israeli citizens in Arabic is put to use by law enforcement — leading to dozens of arrests and indictments. Authorities use the information even more widely and freely when it comes to Palestinian residents of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
According to data, information in Hebrew is focused on things like incitement, while in Arabic the monitoring extends far beyond, to words and phrases like “shaheed” and “Al-Quds,” which are far more common and widely used in both public and private political discourse. That difference could potentially explain the disparity between the number of indictments filed against Arabs and Jews. In the criminal trials that have taken place in such cases, the security forces have not been asked to explain to the court how they collected the incriminating information, nor what lies behind their selective prosecutions.
We asked the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit whether the army is also monitoring Jewish Israelis who incite to violence against Arabs, but the spokesperson chose not to respond to the question.
One Bedouin activist’s case serves as a good example of how the state makes use of its Internet monitoring of political activism. Roughly a month ago, Israeli Police summoned the activist for interrogation. Officers presented him with printouts of entire conversations from WhatsApp, accusing him of vandalizing a nature site by painting a Palestinian flag in a village inside present-day Israel, which was destroyed in 1948. From the WhatsApp messages, police learned that the activist had made plans to visit the site, but despite that being the only information available to them, it was enough to consider him a suspect and summon him for questioning.
One might be tempted to say it is reasonable to violate someone’s privacy if they are suspected of a crime, and of course we are not condoning the alleged vandalization of a nature site. But if such prosecutions were not selective, then police should also be violating the privacy of half of the Jewish Israeli population on Independence Day in order to investigate similar crimes. We can presume that didn’t happen.
When you cast such a wide net, one which collects information that only slightly deviates from the mainstream, we must presume that information has been gathered on any one of us who has ever said or done anything on the Internet, and that that information is now sitting on an IDF server somewhere. Even if that information was eventually passed on to the Shin Bet or the police for the sake of law enforcement, the fact that information was gathered on civilians by a massive organization like the IDF, which isn’t really subject to any supervision, exposes us all to constant monitoring.
Even if nobody has made use of that information, it is important to remember that it is being gathered. For Palestinians in the West Bank it is illegal to demonstrate against the military regime, and information on such demonstrations enables authorities to act against protesters. It would also not be outrageous to imagine that if and when the boycott picks up steam, such online monitoring might be used against activists under Israel’s boycott law.
It is relatively common to imagine online social networks as a city square, an open and egalitarian space where anybody can stand up and exercise his or her freedom of expression. But with the information exposed here, perhaps a better analogy would be that social networks are more like a closed room subject to constant monitoring, in which every word uttered is collected and, when expedient, used against you. Anybody who was at all outraged by the use of “Raccoon” military surveillance vehicles against social protestsin Tel Aviv, should prepare themselves for a reality in which they are monitored by the army every day, even inside their homes.
This is bad enough when it comes to public content — where the parameters for constant monitoring are determined according to political needs when it comes to Jews, and far looser parameters when it comes to non-Jews. It gets even worse when it comes to things we believe are private, like emails and private messaging apps.
Also outrageous is that the body responsible for this monitoring is the IDF; never mind the fact that in accordance with Israeli law it passes on the information to the Shin Bet and Israel Police for purposes of law enforcement. Just last week, Haaretz journalist Uri Blau revealedthat the army recently attempted to purchase spyware software.
Meretz MK demands answers
In response to this article, MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) submitted a parliamentary question to the Defense Ministry, demanding answers about selective enforcement targeting Arabs on social media.
We presented the results of this investigation to the IDF Spokesperson a week ago and requested a series of clarifications and answers, among other things, about the nature and cost of contracting with private companies, whether any court approved the monitoring of private information, and on the specific flagged words and terms. This is the IDF’s full response:
The intelligence division carries out a variety of collection activities against bodies and individuals that are not citizens of the state of Israel in accordance with Israeli law, in accordance with intelligence questions that require answers. In certain circumstances the intelligence division uses civilian technology, as is the norm among intelligence agencies worldwide.
Latest posts by Sean Adl-Tabatabai (see all) German Supreme Court Rules Measles Does Not Exist - January 22, 2017 ISIS Militant Caught Attending Anti-Trump Protest - January 22, 2017 Study Confirms Holistic Medicine More Effective Than Morphine - January 22, 2017 | 14,324 | 6,131 | 0.000168 |
warc | 201704 | Holding Jackson County To Account
For More Information Visit Our Website Exposing Southern Oregon's Property Tax Scandal.
This is a story of a state that is highly dependent upon property owners and property taxes to keep government infrastructure running. Our state is a troubled state. The housing bubble collapsed and it’s getting harder and harder for those who still own their property.
There has been legislation passed to protect property owners from over-taxation. Measure 50 put a 3% cap on the “Maximum Assess Value” of the property. This was supposed to be the ultimate protection to homeowners. But there’s loopholes. And our tax-hungry government is very savvy at leveraging and manipulating loopholes. It might be through new classification as property or a “clerical error”.
Through revised statutes such as ORS 311.205, the state even exempts itself from being able to give back the full consideration owed to property owners that might have been swindled by local county assessors.
This story is a prime example of how Jackson County and The City of Ashland is manipulating the MAV of properties for increased tax liability. Both the city and county recognize the errors. They cannot provide sufficient explanation for the errors and will not pay back the full consideration owed.
Because of this, I must make it public. I must document their manipulative and scandalous actions and show other property owners how to identify the red flags and protect ones self from the corruption that exists in our tax system.
Our fine state relies too heavily on property owners to be treating us this way. It is never wise to bite the hands that feed you. Does the city and county really wish to drive out all the existing homeowners? What about the prospective ones? What happens when everyone is foreclosed on we find ourselves in the same situation as Josephine County?
Each homeowner that is compromised by our local government brings us closer to the point of collapse. It’s to the point that Sheriff’s office is shooting people over foreclosures. Will I be the next to have armed enforcement agents breaking down my door and swarming my home? Or quite possibly it’s your front door that gets breached with a very uncivil and hostile eviction notice.
It is time we learn what is going on and how to arm oneself against a gung-ho assessors office that knows every dirty | 2,434 | 1,242 | 0.000824 |
warc | 201704 | Security 3,267 views
Posted Monday, August 22, 2016 by RICHARD HARRIS, Executive Editor
Zombie apps appear to be a quite recent and infectious discovery. Once installed, they drain your phone of life. But what are they, and where do they come from?
Zombie apps are the applications that, at first glance, appear harmless. Developers usually create zombie apps as an app that is rarely used – like a flashlight app – but the app’s software constantly works in the background, wreaking havoc on the device.
Once the zombie app is unintentionally downloaded, the app will constantly run, even if the app is not physically opened by the device owner. Zombie apps can consume up to two gigabytes of data and drain the device’s battery, with the device owner not knowing the cause.To make matters worse, the apps are invisible to malware detection programs, so the app will continue to run silently.
Sounds scary? That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Zombie apps mimic random clicks on the app and can open over 700 advertisements in an hour. On a standard (and safe) application, advertisements are displayed once every two minutes. However, these advertisements aren’t visibly opened on the device, so the app can open hundreds of advertisements without the user knowing or seeing them. Zombie apps use bots to act as the artificial ‘users’ on the app, automatically clicking and opening advertisements.
‘Surely I don’t have a zombie app on my phone’, you say? Well, 73% of people admit to not reading the fine print of contracts, and that includes the fine print of installing an application on our devices. Alongside this, many users ignore the ‘permissions’ on apps, which leads of zombie app software sneaking in undetected.
To minimise the risk of downloading a zombie app, scan through the terms and conditions and make sure that you uninstall any apps that you don’t use, or have had for months without upgrading. ‘Dead apps’, the apps that have been revoked or stopped by their developers, are as much of a risk as zombie apps.
Getting informed and being aware of the dangers of zombie apps and other malicious software is crucial in today’s highly automated, unsecured world. Since we install and update new apps every day, it’s worth spending a few more seconds before clicking the ‘accept’ button.
Editors note: Contributed by Jaroslaw Czaja, CEO of Future Processing | 2,485 | 1,251 | 0.000837 |
warc | 201704 | (CNN) — Humans don’t always remain faithful to just one mate for life, but many — at least theoretically — subscribe to the idea of monogamy.
Scientists are still asking: Where did this tendency to form lasting relationships with just one other person come from?
Two studies published this week address the question of why social monogamy evolved in some mammals. But they don’t agree on the answer: One says dads stick around to protect their kids from being killed; the other says it’s because of resource distribution and the female diet.
Why, or why not, monogamy
About 90 percent of bird species demonstrate social monogamy; this is true for less than 3 percent of mammals.
Living in pairs makes sense for birds because successful child rearing requires both parents to incubate and provide food for the babies, which hatch from eggs. On the other hand, in mammals, the fetus grows inside the mother, and she lactates to feed the baby — activities in which males don’t play a role.
“We would predict that males should have additional time and additional energy, which they might use to increase their fitness by mating with additional females,” said Dieter Lukas, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of zoology at the University of Cambridge. “Why then do males in some species stick around rather than try to find additional females?”
Typically, male mammals mate with multiple females in a single breeding season, a system called polygynandry. If a male animal’s evolutionary goals are to survive and reproduce, monogamy represents a problem; staying with one partner limits his seed-spreading potential.
In primates in particular, however, about a quarter of species display social monogamy. The phenomenon appears to have developed about 16 million years ago, which is relatively late in the history of primates, according to a new study led by Christopher Opie at University College London.
This breeding structure is also seen in wolves, jackals, beavers, meerkats, spiders, shrimp and many other animals. So there must be an important evolutionary reason (or reasons) that males of some species stay with just one female partner until one of their deaths. But what?
Because of male infanticide?
Opie’s study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on primates, a subgroup in which humans fit, along with relatives such as chimpanzees and gorillas. It’s important to note that the researchers used “social monogamy” in this context to mean “living in pairs.”
Researchers analyzed the family tree of primates and used a statistical technique to gain insights from what we know about the genetics and behaviors of 230 primate species. They posited that there are three possible explanations for social monogamy in this group.
One is parental care — that the father sticks around to help carry the children; for instance, some monogamous New World primates often give birth to twins.
Another idea is that females are spread out in the territories that they occupy, meaning males have a hard time claiming more than one female.
The explanation that these researchers favor, however, is that a male that lives with a female mate can protect their offspring from other males, that might want to kill these children.
Why? Mammals usually don’t get pregnant while they are lactating, so a male that is not the father might increase his chances of mating with the mother if he kills the offspring while she is still weaning these children. Infanticide is not advantageous in seasonal breeders, however, since everyone will have to wait until the next breeding season for copulation.
Although parental care and dispersed female ranges are also traits of social monogamy, male infanticide is the one that appears to have preceded, historically, the shift to social monogamy, the researchers say.
“Our analyses suggest that socially monogamous species are much more likely to have low male infanticide rates,” study authors wrote.
The risk of infanticide goes down because one or both parents can defend a child against another invading male, they argue. It also appears that species practicing social monogamy have a relatively shorter lactation period, which allows fertility to resume more quickly and reduces the incentive for other males to swoop in and kill offspring.
This may be an uncomfortable thought, but researchers suggest that male infanticide may have put pressure on our ancestors to stay in long-term couples. There is evidence that Australopithecines and early modern humans displayed monogamous behavior. In humans in particular, researchers have proposed that the transition to social monogamy depended on females choosing to stay faithful to males — and that may be because they wanted to protect their children.
But Maren Huck, primate researcher at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom, doesn’t entirely buy this story. She finds the classifications of key characteristics of various species in this study “questionable.” Given that, she said in an e-mail, “It would be premature to confidently claim that infanticide was the key factor in the evolution of social monogamy in primates.”
Because of territory and food resources?
The conclusion of Opie’s group’s study also diverges from what a different group of scientists concluded in a separate study in Science this week. The second study looked at the family trees relating to more than 2,500 mammals. This represents a much larger cross-section of animals than Opie’s team’s analysis, but this time, humans were not included.
“I’m far from convinced that humans are really monogamous,” said Tim Clutton-Brock, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Cambridge.
Lukas and Clutton-Brock view “social monogamy” somewhat differently: as a breeding male-female pair ranging together, with or without their offspring, associating with each other for at least one breeding season.
They suggest that in some mammalian species, females started finding higher-quality foods in areas that were farther apart from each other. As a result, the females would aggressively defend territories that contained this food, keeping other females out.
“As they then started to spread out further, that’s when males seem to have changed their mating strategies,” said Lukas, lead author of the study.
Other species that came to specialize in more abundant food, particularly in the grasslands, evolved to be polygynous, Clutton-Brock said.
The Cambridge team did a separate analysis of primates — using more species than Opie’s group did — and did not find the same association between social monogamy and male infanticide as the other study. They haven’t pinpointed the discrepancy, but the independent research groups may have classified species differently, or it may have to do with different sample sizes, researchers said.
Huck also had issues with some of the assumptions regarding various species in this study. It also appears, she said, that these results focus on mating monopolization — breeding with only one mate — rather than how some animals evolved to live in pairs.
“Unless we are clear about the classifications and what exactly we are talking about, we cannot be clear in what the results we get out of a complicated evolutionary model actually signify,” she said.
What about humans?
Clutton-Brock cautioned against drawing any definite conclusions about humans from the study but said it is possible that the dietary and resource patterns his paper described could have something to do with the evolution of human breeding strategies, as well as a need for extended paternal care in our species.
Given that other great apes are polygynous and that human males and females differ so markedly in their average body size and longevity, Clutton-Brock says “the ancestral condition for humans is probably polygyny.”
Clutton-Brock and Lukas said they were unaware of Opie’s team’s study until just a few days ago; otherwise they would have hooked up beforehand to compare notes.
It’s not too late. The Cambridge scientists say they intend to connect with Opie’s group to trace the origins of their differences, which may in turn put them closer to the roots of human togetherness. | 8,538 | 3,771 | 0.000275 |
warc | 201704 | The best low-carb guide just got better. Nationally known nutrition expert Jonny Bowden’s bestselling low-carbohydrate eating plan is now both more flexible and more effective at fighting appetite cravings.
Whether you’re searching for a practical weight-loss program, simply want to eat better, or are already a committed low-carber looking for ways to make the lifestyle work for you, bestselling author and nutritionist Jonny Bowden reveals the secrets to finding and sticking with a healthy controlled-carb program. This newly revised and updated edition covers the truth about low-carbohydrate diets and reveals the major culprits in a high-carb diet, offers new information on the addictive properties of wheat and fructose and Bowden’s take on
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Cut through the confusion about low-carb diets and how they work. Compare twenty-three diet programs and choose the one that’s right for you. Get insider tips and tricks for maintaining a low-carb lifestyle. Find out how to overcome common obstacles to low-carb dieting. | 1,163 | 634 | 0.001612 |
warc | 201704 | According to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the spike in edged weapon attacks in the Big Apple are a result of the city’s gun control efforts being so successful.
Yes, he really is that delusional.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says the explosion in random slashings this year shows the city is getting guns off the streets, but critics say it’s another NYPD policy that is driving the blade attacks: The end of stop-and-frisk.
De Blasio’s claim earlier this month that violent criminals are using knives, razor blades and boxcutters to maim strangers because they can’t get their hands on firearms prompted skepticism from law enforcement experts. Slashings have jumped about 20 percent this year compared to the first three months of 2015, with attacks occurring on the subway, at tourist attractions and in outer borough neighborhoods long plagued by crime.
“I’m not a criminologist,” de Blasio told reporters in response to a question about the knife attacks. “But I can safely say that guns are being taken off the street in an unprecedented way. Some people, unfortunately, are turning to a different weapon.”
That’s one theory.
Here’s another that’s based in reality.
Precisely nothing de Blasio has done has impeded the flow of weapons and drugs into New York City. Instead, he’s ended the NYPD’s “stop and frisk” policy, and made it much easier for criminals and crazies to carry weapons without significant risk of being stopped.
These edged weapon attacks are part of a wider spike in violent crime that is a direct result of the “Ferguson Effect,” where criminals have become the new protected class. Criminals are now afforded more rights and preferential treatment by government non-government agencies (NGOs) than law-abiding citizens or law enforcement, thanks to deranged social policy emanating from the left wing fringe of the Democrat Party. It is this sort of deranged social policy which is giving criminals the confidence to carry weapons of all kinds in a society poised to embrace anarchy as official public policy.
De Blasio and generations of Democrats before him have emboldened criminals by making it nearly impossible for law-abiding citizens to legally carry concealed handguns for their own self-defense. Knowing that good people have been disarmed by law, and that the NYPD have been handcuffed by policy, the criminals and the crazies are reacting much as they did in the 1980s, under the crime spree that was David Dinkins Administration.
Slashing attacks are up 20% in New York City so far this year, and it’s only going to get bloodier as the weather warms up. | 2,709 | 1,359 | 0.000766 |
warc | 201704 | With the business name, “BeverlySpeaks“, it’s not surprising that I am often asked for tips on giving a speech. Those in any type of leadership are usually called on to do this at least occasionally. With proper preparation, you can do it and you can do it well.
Here’s 3 simple tips to help you on your way. Archive for the ‘Coaching’ category
With the business name, “BeverlySpeaks“, it’s not surprising that I am often asked for tips on giving a speech. Those in any type of leadership are usually called on to do this at least occasionally. With proper preparation, you can do it and you can do it well.
You made a quick judgment when you read that, whether you realize it or not.
I’ve been pondering how the beliefs we each hold about money are formed very early in our lives and are so woven into our thinking that they are rather hard to change.
We all like money. Having it certainly makes life easier. I’ve always laughingly said, “money is not the most important thing in life but if I eliminate that as a problem, at least I can have my other problems in style.” And like many, I’ve had desert seasons in life when there was barely enough and I’ve enjoyed abundance. Abundance is more fun, hands down.
But some of us aren’t really comfortable with confessing that we want more. We think that’s not very spiritual, or perhaps might even be morally wrong. That belief system can wreak havoc on your success in business.
I find it interesting that we can give mental assent to the fact that creating wealth is good for the economy, good for our families and a blessing to the community, yet if our deeply held heart’s belief doesn’t line up with this, we will sabotage our efforts to change our financial picture. And even when you make the mental decision to shift your thinking about money, it takes daily intentionality to synchronize your deeply held beliefs with your intellect and affect your actions.
For example, have you ever struggled with forgiving someone? I recall a time when I was deeply hurt and offended by someone. I wanted to forgive them, I needed to forgive them, and thus chose, as an act of my will to forgive them. Did that instantly change my feelings, responses and everything was just fixed in that relationship in a snap? Nope. It took work.
I would still find my gut clinching and old feelings surfacing when I was provoked. It was as if there were deep ruts in my thinking that my thoughts slid into if I wasn’t careful. It took time and effort to renew my mind, heal my heart and truly erase the old pain.
And that’s the way it works when you embrace prosperity and have to work past an old poverty mind-set. It takes time and it takes effort.
Revelation on a subject will lead to inspiration and application. If you want revelation on this subject, I suggest “Thou Shall Prosper“, by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. If you are in business, this is a “MUST read”!
“Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail” – Richard Friedman
You can have both.
For more thoughts on this subject and releasing the wealth within you, join me on 4/11 for a Tele-Conference Call: Where Dreams and Dollars Meet. Register HERE
I heard that when I was in my twenties and it caused an ache in my heart. I made a lasting decision to not let that be said of me. The idea of being buried with your best music still in you was especially meaningful to me because I’m a musician. I’m bilingual and English is not my first language, music is.
Did you know that our DNA is actually a musical coding that vibrates at a unique frequency? You are created to emit a sound like no one else’s. Consider the Latin root of the word “person”. “Per” means passes through. “Sona” is sound. Person literally means one whom sound passes through.
So what about you? Are you going to release the sound that is coded into your DNA? You carry a message in the earth that no one else carries.
There’s numerous ways you can lose your song. Sometimes it’s because your DO has become your WHO. You can fall into the trap of letting your daily duties define you. For instance, let’s say you get a job right out of school that is not really what you want but hey- it’s a paycheck. You figure, “this will work for now. ” You get busy with life and before you know it, 10 years have slipped by. If you’re not careful, you can allow a job to begin to define you. That’s especially dangerous if it’s not connected with your passion, talents and gifting.
That can cause you to lose your “song”, both literally and figuratively.
And then somehow, you can be deceived into thinking that even if you COULD create an income from doing what you love, that it would be wrong to make money through your gifts. The reason we have the gifts is to help others, and in our culture, we think that means we have to give it away. (We’ll have that discussion another day, because it’s a long one.)
In an ideal world, you wouldn’t have to separate your WHO from your DO. However, that’s not where we live. So how do you find your song, if you’ve lost it, or never acknowledged it?
Start by not being be confined or defined by what you do. Dig deeper. Listen to your heart. We all want new, but our minds think in the old. There’s a new song in you! Hearing it, then tuning our hearts and minds to that same song, creating rhythm and harmony between the two, takes practice. And it’s not a class they’re teaching at the local college. (Though they should be.)
Good news – I know where you can be discovered!! Your song, your talents, your gifts are your wealth. And that can and should translate into money. Your life is an untapped well of abundance. It’s going to be fun to see the gusher come forth.
In poetic terms, I have a minstrel’s school on the mountain of business success. You’ll find it extremely refreshing.
I’m spring cleaning my business – I bet yours needs it too. It’s more fun to do with someone else so let’s get to it.
P.S. I’ve been studying the pros and cons this week of using “real” clips on You Tube vs. going to a studio and having videos professionally shot. The consensus seems to be that if you’re making a TV commercial, you really need to choose a studio. But the web crowd likes to “keep it real” and You Tube is definitely authentic.
So I chuckled when I realized the mistake I made in this video AFTER I uploaded it to You Tube. See if you can find it.
You can’t buy a ticket to success since it’s not a destination. If you could, it wouldn’t be a one- way ticket and it wouldn’t be a direct flight. Have you ever had an itinerary that included multiple stops – even some that required you to deplane? And you complained! Well, forget the plane, we’re talking bicycle today.
A cycle is something that rotates or moves in sequence and can be either a circular or spiral arrangement. Sometimes the motion is repetitive but there
is a destination. That defines the cycle of success and it often leaves me frustrated. There have been times when I’ve worked long and hard and have agonized over my lack of measurable progress. I’ve chastised myself and wondered what lesson I had failed to master to allow me to proceed to the next level.
Webster’s Dictionary gives several definitions of cycle including this one:
“a series of narratives dealing typically with the exploits of a legendary hero.”
In the story of your life,
you are the hero. And you know that no heroic story is complete without obstacles, setbacks and harrowing times when you wonder if you’re even going to make it.
The progress toward our goals and the fulfillment of our dreams is never a smooth, easy journey. It’s a cycle of ups and downs . Days of great victories are punctuated by heart-breaking disappointments sandwiched between days that can seem monotonous. You not only wonder if you’re ever going to arrive, you question whether you’re even on the right road.
All of us are trailblazers when it comes to our dreams. And the trail up the mountain is not straight up. (Unless you’re an extreme sport kind of rock climber. And they have an unacceptably high mortality rate.) The ascent up the mountain of your dreams is most often accomplished by traveling in a gradually ascending spiral or on switch-backs.
Both paths will cause you to feel like you aren’t making progress if you look at just one course of the journey. Success is a cycle. Embrace the process and savor the journey. You will pass never pass this way again. | 8,886 | 4,068 | 0.00026 |
warc | 201704 | I’ve found myself using a pattern quite often recently, which I’ve been calling “git stash driven development” – that is, relying heavily on the magic of git stash as part of my development workflow.
Normally I follow what I think of as a fairly typical TDD workflow:
Write next test, watch it fail Write code to make it pass Commit Refactor Commit Push
This cycle can repeat very frequently – as often as every couple of minutes. Sometimes this cycle gets slowed down when the next test to write isn’t obvious or the refactoring needs more thought. But generally this is the process I try and follow.
Quite often having written the next test which takes me forwards on my feature I hit a problem: I can’t actually make the test pass (easily). First I need to refactor to make the problem easy. In that situation I can mark the test as ignored, commit and come back to it later. I refactor as required, commit, push; then finally unignore my test and get back to where I was before. This is a fairly neat process.
However there are a couple of times when this process doesn’t work: what if I’m part way through writing my test and I realise I can’t finish without refactoring the test infrastructure? I can’t ignore my test, it probably isn’t even compiling. I certainly don’t want to commit it in its current state. I could just bin my test and re-write it, if I’m following the 15 minute rule I’m not going to lose much work. But, with the magic of git stash, I can stash my changes and come back once I’ve refactored the test code.
The more annoying time this happens is when I’m part way through a refactor step. This happens more commonly when I’m really going through a design-change – this isn’t really refactoring as it often happens outside of the normal TDD loop. I’m trying to evolve the design to somewhere different; sometimes this is driven by tests, sometimes its a non-feature changing refactor. But often there are non-trivial changes happening across numerous source files. At this point it is very easy to get part way through a refactor and realise that something else needed to have happened first. I could bin my change, I only stand to lose 15 minutes work – but why throw it away when I have git stash?
So I git stash my changes, go and make the change I needed to have happened first. Then, all too commonly, I get part way through this second change and realise something else needs to happen first. Well, git stash again! This stack of git stashes can get quite deep, if you’re not careful. But once I’ve bottomed the stack out, once I’ve managed to commit a refactor that frees up the step above I can git stash pop, complete the next refactor, commit, git stash pop; and so on up the stack until I’m done.
Now, arguably, I’m discovering the refactor in reverse order, but this seems to me often how I find it. I could have spent more time analysing the change in detail, of course. Spent time planning out my change on paper before embarking on it in the correct order. However, this is always time consuming and there’s still the risk that I miss something and come at a change “backwards”. I find that using git stash in this way lets me discover the refactor that I need to make one step at a time. Each commit is kept small, I try and stick to the 15 minute rule so that no single commit loses more than 15 minutes. Ultimately the design change is completed in a sequence of small commits, each of which builds logically on the one before. They’ve been discovered by exploration, the commits were just discovered in reverse order.
The danger is always that I find a refactor step I can’t complete the way I’d imagined – now I can’t unwind the stack and potentially all the previous git stashes aren’t committable. Whenever this happens I normally find going one or two levels up the stack will present a different approach, from where I can continue as before. | 4,089 | 1,817 | 0.000578 |
warc | 201704 | The News Roundup is back and this week we have a variety of articles to share. From the detailed checklist for planning a successful webinar to broad strategy on event content and social media.
Here’s a statistic that might surprise you: in a 2014 study from the Content Marketing Institute, more than 60% of B2B marketers said they use webinars as part of their marketing strategy.
That suggests two things:
Webinars are an effective marketing tool. And, depending on your industry, your webinars may face a lot of competition.
One speaker’s perspective on the effects and benefits of using social media for events. Social media shouldn’t be something that just “sorta happens” at your event, but should be endorsed and embraced.
Done well, a webinar can help you move your buyer’s sales needle from “just researching” to “ready to buy now.” In the latest CMI research, two-thirds of B2B marketers used webinars and 66% found them to be effective. This article by the Content Marketing Institute provides a checklist for every planning phase.
Why interactive? Through user experience research, along with our own insights from previous experiences, we found that users are more likely to engage with and consume content when it’s presented in a fun and intriguing way. Not only does interactive content look better aesthetically, but it also reduces the amount of information your audience has to process at one time.
No one sets out to make events that don’t engage, they don’t! But it happens, doesn’t it? We’ve all been to one. Why does it happen? With the need for engaging content becoming even more valuable, are we are at risk of just broadcasting ‘content for content’s sake’? How can we event planners ensure we remember the heart of where our content comes from? | 1,872 | 965 | 0.001094 |
warc | 201704 | 2. Case Study Analysis
Based on the attached PDF file see the Hewlett-Packard-Supplying the DeskJet Printer in Europe case study located at the end of the attached file,Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word analysis pertaining to the selected (HP)company in which you address the following: a. Summarize the case. b. Determine which of the four primary forecasting techniques is the best choice for the company, and justify your selection. c. Explain the impact of aggregate planning on workforce size inventory quantity and production levels for the company. d. Weigh the various cost factors associated with carrying inventory. e. Explain how the concepts discussed in the case can be applied to your workplace. f. Make recommendations for the organization based on your experience and reading
I would like to ask for your help in this case study in order for me to write my own paper perfectly.
Solution Preview
The response addresses the queries posted in 1737 words with references.
//As per the directions, we will write about the summary of the given case concerned with the Hewlett Packard: Supplying the DeskJet Printer in Europe. It will assist in gaining an insight about the overall case study and the processes used by the company for managing its supply chain. //
Summary of the Case
In the case, there is explanation about the introduction of DeskJet printers of the company, Hewlett-Packard. It was proved to be a successful product of the company in the market and the sales increased at a steady pace. The distribution centers of the company were full of inventory level, but there was a requirement of the company's product (DeskJet printers) in the distribution centers of the European markets, so that the product can be easily accessible to the customers. The supply chain of the company for DeskJet printers comprises of the interconnected system of suppliers, manufacturing locations, distribution centres, traders and customers. The main levels of manufacturing process are printed circuit assembly test (PCAT) and final assembly test (FAT) (Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, 2005).
The case also summarizes the selling requirements of the DeskJet printers specifying the language and power supply channels. The localized versions of the DeskJet printers were available in the European market, such as A, AA, AB, etc. The case also provides the analysis of the overall supply chain activity time of DeskJet printers to the customers present in the European market. For becoming competitive in the market, the company provides substantial inventory to the distribution centres, so that proper availability of DeskJet printers can be maintained in the market.
According to the case, the company is facing problems in managing the demand of some models in the European markets and requires focusing on maintaining the optimum level of inventory, so that the safety stock level can be fulfilled. The company has established a team of experts for assessing the safety stock levels and making forecasts. Along with this, the distribution process of the company for the DeskJet printers is also standardized, so that the product flow from the manufacturing house to the dealers can be effectively managed and distributed (Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, 2005).
//After summarizing the case, we will write about the primary forecasting techniques and suggest the best suitable forecasting technique for the company Hewlett Packard. It will assist in understanding the importance of forecasting technique for the company, so as to attain competitive advantage.//
Primary Forecasting Techniques
Forecasting techniques are generally used by the management of the business organizations for forecasting the demand and sales of their product in the market. It assists in making decisions regarding the future prospects of the demand and ...
The response addresses the queries posted in 1649 words with references. | 3,919 | 1,670 | 0.000601 |
warc | 201704 | Large electricity users can choose power suppliers by December
Large electricity users will finally be able to choose their own power suppliers beginning December 26, when the government implements the open access system.
In a decision dated June 6, the Energy Regulatory Commission said that day would “mark the commencement of the full operations of the competitive retail electricity market in Luzon and Visayas.”
“All electricity end-users with an average monthly peak demand of 1 megawatt for the 12 months preceding Dec. 26, 2011, should have the right to choose their own electricity suppliers and are, thus, enjoined to exercise such right to their full benefit,” the ERC explained.
Initially, only large power users will be able to choose their power suppliers. However, households will eventually enjoy the same arrangement later. Under the current system, consumers have no choice but get power from the suppliers that have jurisdiction over their respective areas.
The open access regime is expected to further encourage competition among power industry stakeholders, resulting in fair electricity prices.
ERC executive director Francis Saturnino Juan, however, is encouraging large power customers to start looking for and contracting with suppliers of their choice as early as now.
The ERC decision further assured the public that there was sufficient power supply to meet the surge in demand to be brought about by the open access regime.
The ERC, the decision stated, also directed NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines) to submit its list of projects aimed at improving the transmission capacity of the Luzon and Visayas grids.
The decision identified as another important component of the retail market the customer switching system. This should be supported by a business-to-business system that will be maintained and operated by an entity managing the central registry for the retail market. The B2B system is intended to be an information technology supported hub for retail market participants mainly for information exchange for switching, billing and settlement purposes. | 2,134 | 1,048 | 0.000968 |
warc | 201704 | Do you think customers rock? I do. So does Becky Carrol:
Do You Want My Business?
Times are tough. Competition is fierce. Customers have high expectations. With all of these factors in play, businesses can’t afford to treat their customers with anything other than respect and great customer service. If you aren’t sure whether you want your customer’s business or not, take a step back and look at it from their perspective. Here are some tips to make sure you are ready to meet and exceed customer expectations.
Hire a mystery shopper to check out all aspects of your customer’s buying experience. Notice I didn’t say your sales experience; again, you need to look at it from the other side of the table!
Talk to customers who have purchased from you recently. How was their experience? Were their needs met? What could have been better? You might not want to hear all the answers, but if customers aren’t happy, they probably won’t keep buying from you. Even worse, they could say bad things about you to others.
Get your best customers to come in and meet with you and your sales team (or do it via phone conference). It gets sales teams all jazzed up to hear positive feedback from customers, and you will get ideas on what works in your customer’s buying experience.
Create customer profiles of different customer groups and their needs. Make sure your sales team understands how they are unique and how their sales approach should change in each instance.
Train sales in WOW customer service and relationship building techniques. Customers should be viewed as people, not transactions.
Too much to think about? Simply put yourself in your customer’s shoes and take one step at a time.
We at Creative Fusion Media think Customers Rock too. Social media is one key aspect of creating one to many communication that allows you to get inside the head of your customer and to help their thoughts tailor your products and services. | 1,988 | 994 | 0.001035 |
warc | 201704 | We really shouldn’t be surprised to learn that 1.4 million Americans have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis since both diseases are linked to stress and diet. The typical Western diet is atrocious on a good day, and our stress levels are higher than they have ever been.
While stress and diet are not the only things associated with these diseases, the fact that they are linked should be a good indicator that we need to, at the very least, make changes in these areas.
The typical Western diet is atrocious on a good day, and our stress levels are higher than they have ever been. While stress and diet are not the only things associated with these diseases, the fact that they are linked should be a good indicator that we need to, at the very least, make changes in these areas.
Crohn’s disease is also thought to have an environmental association. We know that the rates of Crohn’s are higher in developed countries, urban areas, and northern climates for instance.
While researchers say none of these things together or alone, are the only causes of the disease, 700,000 Americans still suffer from Crohn’s every year. And the number of people suffering from the disease has increased by a whopping 74 percent in just 12 years, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (1). What’s worse, doctors are essentially at a loss when it comes to this disease, especially since they say there is no cure (2).
One sixteen year old boy disagrees, however. He says that while conventional medicine may not know how to cure Crohn’s disease, nature certainly does. Diagnosed at 11 years old, Coltyn Turner turned to cannabis when conventional medicine failed him—and he has never looked back.
What Is Crohn’s Disease?
Once diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, doctors say you will have it for the rest of your life. This often debilitating condition causes inflammation in your digestive tract, or gut.
What most people don’t know, though, is that Crohn’s disease can actually affect any part of your gastrointestinal tract (GI), which means anywhere, from your mouth to your anus (3).
Most cases, however, occur in the last part of your small intestine and the first part of your large intestine (4).
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease can be horrific in severe cases. This inflammatory disease can cause excruciating pain, depending on what part of the GI tract is affected.
People also experience bloody diarrhea, gut and or mouth ulcers, anemia brought on by extended diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, rectal bleeding and anal fissures, loss of appetite and extreme weight loss.
As the disease progresses, you can also expect to experience arthritis in some cases, as well as skin rashes, inflamed eyes and even liver damage. In children, Crohn’s disease can lead to delayed growth or sexual development.
It can take a while before doctors can make a diagnosis, since Crohn’s is typically diagnosed by ruling out other diseases. So, people often undergo a long series of tests and screenings before they are given an official diagnosis.
Once diagnosed, conventional treatment includes an array of drugs including anti-inflammatory medications such as Humira, corticosteroids (drugs that contain cortisone and steroids), immunosuppressant drugs, which can cause vomiting, nausea, and a weakened immune system, antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medications.
In the US, people with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease that don’t respond to the above medications, are typically prescribed Remicade (5). This drug can cause numerous side effects from rashes, stomach pain, sore throat and sinus infections to liver damage, Lupus and even cancer.
And even after all of these drugs, about 70 percent of Crohn’s patients ultimately need surgery at some point. If you’re lucky enough to only need part of your intestine removed, research shows that inflammation will often come back, typically to a place near the area you had removed.
Because of this, some Crohn’s patients need more than one operation. In fact, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, close to “30 percent of surgical patients will have a flare-up within three years, and 60 percent will have one within 10 years.”
In a worst case scenario, you may need a colectomy, which is the complete removal of your colon in which case you will also need to have a bag attached to your side to collect feces for the remainder of your life.
Any way you look at it, the outcome is not great, something Coltyn knows all too well.
At Death’s Door
While doctors may not know the exact cause of Crohn’s disease, they do think in Coltyn’s case, a near-death experience at Boy Scout Camp triggered his Crohn’s, which lay dormant up to that point. After almost drowning in the camp’s lake, doctors think bacteria in the water kick-started the disease.
Coltyn underwent the standard array of tests (stool and blood tests
, biopsies, various scopes, x-rays, CT scans etc.), and a slew of medications, none of which helped.
“I just got sicker and sicker, I wasn’t getting any better.” He adds that he was put on drug after drug and none of them worked. “I was tired. I was always in pain…always in the bathroom. And with my Crohn’s disease came rheumatoid arthritis.” (6)
Speaking as a patient advocate at the 2015 National Cannabis Summit, Coltyn says that eventually he was put on Remicaide, “a chimeric monoclonal antibody biologic drug.” (7) “It gave me medically induced Lupus.” He says that just one dose of another drug gave him a nose bleed for 15 minutes straight. He was also put on prednisone, which he says caused the bones in his heel to deteriorate to the point he had to wear a special boot for several months (8).
At this point, doctors decided to put Coltyn on Humira, which he says may have helped him grow a little, but that was the only positive effect.
Cancer Scare
In 2013, Coltyn went to a summer camp for kids with Crohn’s disease. Because people with Crohn’s typically have lowered immune systems, they easily catch viruses and bugs. So, after coming home from camp, Coltyn’s lymph nodes swelled “to the size of golf balls.” Doctors ultimately thought it was lymphoma. “It [Humira] actually gave me a T-Cell lymphoma scare,” Coltyn says, referring to the common side effect of this drug (9).
He was immediately taken off Humira and told he needed surgery to remove the lymph nodes in his neck. When Coltyn woke up after surgery, doctors told him they accidently removed his salivary glands as well.
Three Options
Wasting away, and now in a wheelchair, doctors told Coltyn he essentially had three options. They said they could put him on another biologic drug similar to Humira. ”If I took another pharmaceutical, it would have increased my chances of developing T-Cell lymphoma by 66 percent,” Coltyn says.
The second option was a colectomy, which would require him to wear a bag on his side to collect feces for the rest of his life. His last option, according to doctors, was alternative medicine. And that is exactly what Coltyn chose.
Cannabis, A Crohn’s Treatment
While doctors won’t outright tell you to try cannabis for Crohn’s disease, especially since it is still illegal in most states, when they have exhausted everything else, like in Coltyn’s case, they may suggest, “looking at alternatives.”
The alternative for Coltyn was cannabis. “At the time, I didn’t know what cannabis really was. All I knew was that it was bad and I should just stay away from it. But, when my dad said, ‘Hey, we’re going to go try cannabis,’ really, my only concern was what are the side effects?” And when Coltyn and his family decided that the only side effect was that it may not work. They realized they didn’t have much to lose.
They did some research and came across several studies. In one particularly convincing study, Israeli researchers found that “a short course (8 weeks) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 10 of 11 patients with active Crohn’s disease, compared with placebo, without side effects.” (10)
Convinced cannabis was the answer, Coltyn and his father left Illinois for Colorado where they would have access to legal medical marijuana. He started by eating cannabis brownies and then moved up to medical grade cannabis oil, which is more effective for Crohn’s.
A picture is worth a thousand words. And that is exactly what Coltyn shows anyone who wants to know how he is doing today.
He starts by telling people, “I came here [Colorado] in a wheelchair because I was so weak. I had already written my will.” He then shows them two pictures. The first is a picture of his colon before using cannabis. It is ulcerated, bleeding and horribly inflamed. He says, “This was my colon.” Coltyn then shows people a capsule and says, “This is cannabis.” Finally, Coltyn holds up another picture of a completely healthy, pink colon, and says, “This is my colon with cannabis.” He ends by saying, “Any questions?”
Illegally Alive
Coltyn started taking cannabis on March 4, 2014 and by October 2014, he says, “we went from ulcers and inflammation to completely clear [of Crohn’s] in just a few months .I have been on cannabis for two and a half years, and I can now officially say that I am in clinical remission.”
Coltyn routinely shares his story online via
Illegally Healed a website that shares studies and stories of people healed by cannabis (11). He directly attributes his newfound health to cannabis and now 16, he is a strong advocate for this healing plant. He hopes his story will reach other people who are suffering and hopefully point them to an “alternative.”
And when it comes down to whether cannabis is illegal or legal, his logic is simple.
“I’d rather be illegally alive than legally dead.” | 10,199 | 4,394 | 0.000239 |
warc | 201704 | Cycles of Civilization in Northern Mesopotamia, 4400-2000 BC
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Title: Cycles of Civilization in Northern Mesopotamia, 4400-2000 BC Author: Ur, Jason Citation: Ur, Jason. Forthcoming. Cycles of Civilization in Northern Mesopotamia, 4400-2000 BC. Journal of Archaeological Research. Full Text & Related Files: Ur JAR Cycles of Civilization.pdf (889.0Kb; PDF) Abstract: The intensification of fieldwork in northern Mesopotamia, the upper region of the Tigris-Euphrates basin, has revealed two cycles of expansion and reduction in social complexity between 4400-2000 BC. These cycles include developments in social inequality, political centralization, craft production and economic specialization, agropastoral land use, and urbanization. Contrary to earlier assessments, many of these developments proceeded independently from the polities in southern Mesopotamia, although not in isolation. This review considers recent data from excavations and surveys in northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey with particular attention to how they are used to construct models of early urban polities. Published Version: http://www.springerlink.com/content/u423066748kl93v5/?p=74dff5d53bd648b9a263eb810fd1370d&pi=1 Terms of Use: This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA Citable link to this page: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3210514 Downloads of this work:
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warc | 201704 | Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change. —Bene Brown
In a comment on last week’s post on self-care Jim Knight made an important distinction between guilt and shame which caused me to think more deeply about the importance of that distinction and how it can have a profound effect on both our personal and professional lives.
Sometimes people confuse what they do with who they are.
For instance, more than once I’ve heard someone say: “When I get angry I just say whatever comes to mind [other problematic behavior can be substituted here]. That’s just who I am.”
The distinction between guilt and shame is reflected in that confusion.
Guilt, as I understand it, occurs when we have done something to violate a moral code. We have done something we regard as wrong.
Shame is when we are what is wrong. We are the mistake, not our behavior.
Children are shamed, for example, when in response to a misdeed they are asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Once shame has become well established within a child or adult’s neural networks it can be very challenging to help that person separate their behavior from who they think they are as a person.
As a result, even a request for a conversation about “improvement” or change can activate shame and make it very difficult for the person to attend to the conversation.
Once we become aware of this distinction we are more likely to notice the presence of shame within and around us.
But what can we do about it?
First, be very careful with the language you use when speaking to others and in your self talk. When we are concerned about someone’s actions, focus on observable behavior. Don’t contribute to anyone’s shame by digging deeper for their “issues,” a task far better suited for professionals.
Second, when shame has been triggered anticipate the possibility of a defensive response: “Why do you think there’s something wrong with me?”
Third, to minimize defensiveness ensure that the conversation remains focused on behavior. Because people who are accustomed to being shamed may find it very difficult to separate their behavior from who they are as a person, it may be necessary to repeatedly remind them of that distinction.
I encourage you to think deeply about how shame and guilt affect your life, both at home and at work, and how you might counter it. | 2,458 | 1,202 | 0.000874 |
warc | 201704 | Cell phone use is not allowed in Air crafts since it may interfere with the signaling system of the Air craft through Electromagnetic compatibility. EMC is the ability of Electronic or Electrical equipment to operate in their intended electromagnetic environment. Most of the electronic equipments are designed to operate within a defined margin of safety and performance without causing breakdown due to the interference of electromagnetic field.
The strong
electromagnetic field from Mobile phones, Radio transmitters, Wireless devices etc creates the Electromagnetic pollution, the commonly called “Electronic Smog”. As a result of these emissions, normal working of other sensitive electronic devices will be affected. More and more Microprocessor based electronic equipments are now in use and these electronic systems are susceptible to interference from radiating devices. The presence of EMC can cause sudden breakdown of delicate microprocessor based equipments. . Let us see the facts behind the Electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is a self-propagating wave in space or through transparent matter. EM radiation has an electric and magnetic field component which oscillate in phase perpendicular to each other and to the direction of energy propagation.
Electromagnetic radiation includes radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x rays and gamma rays. The electromagnetic spectrum extends from below the frequencies of radio waves at the long-wavelength end through gamma radiation at the short wavelength end. Human body is exposed to different kinds of EM radiation that includes the natural radioactivity in the earth, cosmic rays from outer space and also manmade radiations coming from electric and electronic instruments. Diagnostic X ray machine, television sets, computers, microwave oven, radar devices, laser devices, mobile phones etc, generates radiations of different frequencies which exists in our environment as
‘Electronic Smog’. Sources of EMF 1. Power Lines An enormous amount of electricity is created at power generating stations and sent across the country through wires that carry high voltages. All power lines radiate electromagnetic fields. 2. Transformer EMFs near a transformer can be quite high, but due to its small structure, the field strength diminishes rapidly with distance, as it does from any point source. 3. Home Wiring Loop wiring in the home may create large e.m.f 4. Computers Computers are a complicated subject. Know this: EMFs radiate from all sides of the computer. Thus, you must not only be concerned with sitting in front of the monitor but also if you are sitting near a computer or if a computer is operating in a nearby room. 5. Electric Blankets and Water beds Electric blankets create a magnetic field that penetrates about 6-7 inches into the body. 6. Electric Clocks Electric clocks have a very high magnetic field, as much as 5 to 10 mG up to three feet away. If you are using a bedside clock, you are probably sleeping in an EMF equivalent to that of a power line. 7. Fluorescent Lights Fluorescent lights produce much more EMFs than incandescent bulbs. A typical fluorescent lamp has readings of 160 to 200 mg 1 inch away. 8. Microwave Ovens and Radar Microwave ovens and radar from military installations and airports emit two types of radiation–microwave and ELF. 9. Telephones and Answering Machines Telephones can emit surprisingly strong EMFs, especially from the handset. This is a problem because we hold the telephone so close to our head. 10. Electric Razors and Hair Dryers Electric razors and hair dryers emit EMFs as high as 200 to 400 mG.
Ways to protect from harmful radiations
Several problems have been observed in people who spend more than four hours a day in close proximity to an unprotected video terminal that uses a CRT based monitor. Stress, headaches, irritability, insomnia, eye strain, abnormal general fatigue, decrease in natural immunity, hormonal disturbances, disorders in the menstrual cycle are some of the ill effects of radiations.
Even more disturbing fact is that, exposure to radiation for long periods reduces Spermatogenesis as observed in experimental animals. As the principle of precaution says
“Faced with the risk of serious and irreversible damage, we cannot wait until we have all the scientific evidences before taking precautionary measures”. “Absence of certainty must not delay action”. Then what can we do? We can do something to protect ourselves. 1. Don’t sleep under an electric blanket or on a water bed. If you insist on using these, unplug them before going to bed (don’t just turn it off). Even though there is no magnetic field when they are turned off, there may still be a high electric field. 2. Don’t sit too close to your TV set. Distance yourself at least 6 feet away. 3. Rearrange your office and home area so that you are not exposed to EMFs from the sides/backs of electric appliances and computers. In the home, it is best that all major electrical appliances, such as computers, TVs, refrigerators etc, be placed up against outside walls. That way you are not creating an EMF field in the adjoining room. 4. Don’t sit too close to your computer. Computer monitors vary greatly in the strength of their EMFs, so you should check yours with a meter. 5. Don’t stand close to your microwave oven. 6. Move all electrical appliances at least 6 feet from your bed. 7. Eliminate wires running under your bed. 8. Eliminate dimmers and 3-way switches. 9. Unplug all electrical devices which are not using. 10. Get rid off microwave oven. It uses heat generating radiations for cooking. If the appliance is not well protected, microwaves will leak out. 11. Avoid using watches with radium dial. 12. Remove computer and TV from bedroom. During sleep, normal detoxification process takes place in the liver which may be blocked by the electromagnetic stress. Electromagnetic radiations from wiring cables, CRT monitors, Mobile phones etc, impinge on the pineal gland of brain suppressing its melatonin hormone. This hormone is important to regulate our biological cycles including sleep. 13. Do not use computers or TV in children’s room. Children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of EMFs 14.Do not keep mobile phones close to you while sleeping. Its emissions can alter your sleep physiology. 15. Do not give mobile phones to children. 16. Expecting mothers are more susceptible to the ill effects of radiation. The soft tissues of the fetus may develop abnormalities if the tissues get radiation. So it is necessary to avoid environments that contain high intensity electromagnetic radiations. What EMF Level Is Safe?
There’s a heated debate as to what electromagnetic field (EMF) level is considered safe. Since the experts have not come to a consensus, you’ll have to decide for yourself… Many government and utility documents report the usual ambient level of 60-Hz magnetic field to be 0.5 mG. Thus, any reading higher than 0.5 mG is above the “usual” ambient exposure. Many experts and public officials, as well as the few governments that have made an effort to offer public protection, have adopted the 3 mG cutoff point. | 7,366 | 3,358 | 0.000302 |
warc | 201704 | Definitely, Migraine is a headache in our life. At any time it can break in Migraine prone individuals with moderate to severe headache in association with many psycho somatic symptoms. The word Migraine came from the Greek word Hemikrania meaning pain on the side of the head. Migraine attack is usually unilateral affecting one half of the head with painful throbbing and associated symptoms like Nausea, Vomiting etc. Photophobia (aversion to light), Phonophobia (irritability to sounds), Visual disturbances, Fatigue etc are also associated with the Migraine attack. Around one third of people with Migraine, perceive an Aura which is a transient visual, motor and sensory disturbance indicating the starting of Migraine attack. As experts say, Migraine is not a disease but a condition triggered by multiple factors which may vary from persons to persons. Let us see the reasons, symptoms and methods to avoid migraine attack. Difficulty in reading the matter? Relax … download the word file Why it is attacking some persons only?
Migraine prone individuals have a
familial history which is genetical and involves the activity of a gene. In such individuals, a number of factors can induce migraine attack. Hormonal changes, Environmental factors, some food materials, over stress and over excitement, fear etc can trigger the migraine attack. Migraine attack is more in boys than girls before puberty but in adults, its rate is higher in females than males. The exact reason for the migraine attack is still unknown but it is believed that it is a Neuro vascular disorder involving brain cortex and arteries of the fore head. The pain is induced by the irritability on the pain neurons present in the Trigeminal nucleus of the brain stem. From where it comes? How it is going? These are the possible questions of a Migraine prone individual. Actual reason for migraine attack is still unknown but possibilities, case studies etc revealed the involvement of mind and physiology as triggering factors. Migraine is considered as a neurohaemal condition involving brain cortex, brain stem and peripheral blood vessels. Brain cortex is the seat of both sensory and motor activities and brain stem is the part of emotion, anxiety etc. Over activities of these centers release some neurotransmitters like Serotonin (the sleep inducing hormone) and agents stimulating the pain centre of brain. These chemicals have an influence on the arteries mainly those present in the Meninges (outer coverings of brain) and the peripheral arteries of the forehead. So the arteries will dialate and contract unnecessarily creating the throbbing which induces pain and associated symptoms. The whole process develops in the presence of any one of the triggering factors like, stress, food, environmental factor etc. After the disappearance of the triggering factor and the removal of neurotransmitters and other chemicals released, the symptoms of migraine disappear. So it is a short living physiological condition which may not results in a disease unless other neuronal conditions are involved. How can we classify Migraine?
The symptoms, severity, duration etc of migraine vary from person to person. The original classification of migraine came on 1988 and in 2004, it was classified as the Primary head ache along with the Tension head ache and Cluster head ache. Generally two types of Migraine attack are common.
Migraine with Aura and Migraine without Aura. 1. Migraine with Aura
This is the
Classic Migraine with an Aura before the pain breaks. The aura may appear without a head ache or with a non migraine head ache. Migraine with aura may be Familial Hemiplegic migraine or Sporadic hemiplegic migraine in which the person feel motor weakness. Another kind of migraine with aura is the Basilar type migraine in which the person feel difficulty to speak and show symptoms like world spinning, ringing in ear etc. Some brain stem related symptoms may also appear like spasms in the basilar artery supplying blood to the brain stem. 2. Common migraine
This migraine head ache is without an Aura and may be severe or less severe.
Symptoms
Migraine attack is a recurrent headache with associated autonomic symptoms. About 15-30 % people experience
Aura before the migraine starts. Sometimes they also experience migraine without Aura. Usually the migraine headache is short duration one lasting few hours but if it prolongs more than three days, it is termed as Status Migrainosus. There are 4 possible phases of Migraine. 1. Prodrome phase
This phase starts two hours to two days before the Aura or pain. The symptoms include altered mood, irritability, depression, fatigue, craving for some kind of food, muscle stiffness, constipation, diarrhea, over sensitivity to smell and sound etc. These symptoms may also appear in migraine without Aura.
2. Aura phase
It is a transient Focal neurological phase before the starting of headache. The symptoms last few minutes or less than one hour. Symptoms can be visual, sensory or motor. Many people experience more than one symptom but visual effects are seen in 99% of cases. Visual effect is characterized by the appearance of a
Scotoma which is an area of partial alteration of the visual field with flickers. The Scotoma is scintillating and starts from centre of vision as a small flickering which then spread out to the side of the visual field with zigzagging lines. The flickering is usually black and white or yellow in colour but other colours may also appear. During the growth of Scotoma, some people lose part of visual field known as Hemianopia while others feel blurring. As the aura phase advances, the flickering Scotoma acquires a C shape and finally vanishes from the periphery of visual field. Usually the whole process lasts less than 20 minutes. The visual disturbances are not related to eye problems and will not affect vision. 3. Pain phase
After the disappearance of Aura, pain starts. This is
unilateral, throbbing and moderate to severe in intensity. Usually it appears slowly but aggravated in physical activity. Bilateral pain and neck pain also may occur sometimes. Bilateral pain is common in migraine without aura. Occasionally pain starts in the back or top of the head. The pain lasts for 2-72 hours in adults but less than 2 hours in children. The frequency of attack varies considerably from a few attacks in a life time to several in a week or one in a month. Pain is associated with Nausea, Vomiting, sensitivity to light (Photophobia), sensitivity to sound (Phonophobia), irritability, fatigue etc. In Basilar migraine, neurological symptoms may also appear which includes, sense of world spinning, light headedness, confusion etc. Nausea occurs in more than 90% cases but Vomiting occurs about one third cases. Other symptoms include blurred vision, nasal stiffness, frequent urination, diarrhea, neck stiffness etc. 4. Postdrome phase
This phase appears after the Aura and pain phase which is the sensory aura characterized by the feeling of
pins-and-needles on one side of hand and arm which spreads to face on the same side. Postdrome phase last from few hours to few days. Numbness usually occurs after the tingling passes with a sense of loss of position. Other symptoms include disturbances in speech, world spinning, motor symptoms like weakness. Sometimes Aura reappears without pain. This is the Silent Migraine. Some people have a sore feeling in the area of migraine while others feel impaired thinking for few days after the migraine attack. Some people may also feel tired or hung over, cognitive difficulties, gastrointestinal disorders, mood changes etc. In short, some people may feel refreshed or Euphoric ( A medically recognized mental and emotional condition in which a person experiences intense feelings of well-being, happiness, excitement, and joy), while some feel depression after a migraine attack.
In summary, the stages and symptoms of
Classic migraine are 1. Prodrome stage – Up to 24 hours before migraine. Heightened or dull perception, irritability, withdrawal, food craving. 2. Aura phase – Up to 1 hour before migraine. Flashing lights, shimmering Zig-Zag lines, luminous blind spots aura around objects, numbness and pins in hands. 3. Pain phase – Headache lasting 4-72 hours, pulsating, throbbing pain either unilateral or both sides of the head and behind eyes. Light and sound intolerance, nausea, vomiting, and occasionally speech difficulty. 4. Postdrome phase –Up to 24 hours after migraine attack. Achy muscles, tired, drained, some have a period of Euphoria (Feeling of well beings and happiness). Abdominal Migraine
Interestingly, migraine is also there in abdomen. Frequent spasms, pain etc in the stomach may be a kind of migraine. It also causes headache. Gastrointestinal problems, constipation, diarrhea etc may be the reasons. Fibre rich food, drinking excess water, fruits etc can help a lot.
How it is affecting some people only?
Migraine attack is common in many people but varies in symptoms and severity. The underlying cause of migraine is unknown but experts say that there are multiple reasons of which familial history is the most important. In migraine prone individuals one or more unfavorable factors can trigger the attack. A number of physiological and psychological factors can induce migraine attack. The important causes are
1. Heredity
Genetic factor is one important cause of migraine. Studies have revealed that genetics can influence the likelihood to develop migraine and this genetic relationship is more in migraine with aura.
Single gene disorders like Familial hemiplegic migraine is caused by an Autosomal dominant gene but it is rare. The disorder is related to variants of gene coding for proteins involved in ion transport. 2. Psychological factors
Many psychological states like, Anxiety, Depression, Fear, Excitement, Over stressed condition can induce migraine attack.
3. Neurological factors
Over activity in the
cortex due to Tension, Stress, anxiety etc causes the release of neurotransmitters especially, the Serotonin which can cause migraine attack. Cortical spreading depression is the burst of neuronal activity followed by a period of inactivity which is common in migraine with Aura. There are explanations for this and most accepted one is the activation of the glutamate receptor NDMA (N-methyl-D-aspatate) which is mainly involved in S ynaptic plasticity and Memory. Activation of NDMA causes the opening of Ion channel. The release of neurotransmitters causes vasodilatation of blood vessels especially in the fore head followed by vasoconstriction. The blood vessels will throb leading to the migraine attack. The pain is induced by the peripheral activation of sensory nerve fibres surrounding the blood vessels like Dural arteries, Pial arteries (Meninges arteries) and Extracarnial arteries like those of the scalp. 4. Environmental factors
Environmental factors like sunlight, humidity, cold, air-conditioning, pungent odour of chemicals, perfumes etc can trigger migraine attack. Poor indoor air quality, poor light, flashing lights, light from computer screen, CFL etc can also cause migraine attack.
5. Food
A number of food materials can act as triggers for migraine attack.
Chocolate, Ice cream, cocoa, food preservatives, flavoring agents, sauce, chilly, spicy food, Mono sodium glutamate, calcium rich foods like milk, egg etc can trigger migraine. But this varies from person to person and also in the same person at different times. 6. Physiological factors
Many physiological factors are also involved.
Calcium loading in the cells, hormonal variations, hunger, gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation or diarrhea, hormone treatment, influence of contraceptive pills etc can induce migraine attack. How to cope up with the situation?
A
Migraine prone person should realize that he has the tendency of migraine attack if there is over activity and other unfavorable situations. The best way is to avoid such situations and make the life stress free. What will we do if there is a migraine attack? As you know, migraine headache can appear at any time if there is triggering factor. The following tips will be useful if there is a migraine triggering.
1. Classic migraine is more severe than simple migraine since it involves visual disturbances along with headache. So complete rest without any physical activities for half to one hour is necessary.
2. Rest in a room with low light for half an hour till the aura completely disappears. You can have meditation, relaxation techniques or even a sound sleep.
3. Soft music in low volume will also help to relieve the anxiety during the migraine attack.
4. Drink sufficient cold water (not too cold) to eliminate the accumulated chemicals during the migraine. Frequent urination is one condition after the migraine to eliminate wastes from the body.
5. Ask your family members or colleagues not to disturb for some time because physical activity or even talk can change the mood which can aggravate the condition.
6. Do not read or write till the aura disappears and the Postdrome symptoms diminishes. This will take 20 minutes to few hours.
7. Do not watch TV or use Computer till the visual field is ok because direct light to the eyes can increase the photophobia.
8. Do not drive vehicles during a migraine attack since cognitive functions will be disturbed during the migraine attack.
9. After the migraine attack, there will be hunger and craving for some kind of food (interestingly , such foods may be the triggering factor for the migraine). So it is better to have a soft vegetarian diet with raw vegetables and fruit juice. A cup of coffee has a stimulatory effect on nerves, so it is better. Avoid spicy food and pungent odors (as that of fast food) for few days after a migraine attack.
10. Bath in cold water (not ice cold) will make the body and mind fresh. But bath should be few hours after the migraine attack.
11. Medication is required only if the condition is recurring many times in a day or appearing repeatedly.
12. Preventive medicines do not abort migraine attack but reduces the chance of its appearance by changing the vascular conditions and permeability of cells. So prolonged medication for 6 months or higher is practiced in preventive therapy.
13. Along with preventive therapy, it is also necessary to keep the body tension free and avoid situations of hard physical activity and stressful situations.
14. If the Prodrome symptoms start appear in the morning just after wake up, it is necessary to take complete rest on that day to avoid the triggering of migraine.
How to solve the problem?
Migraine attack is mainly a condition due to genetic reason. The other factors only accelerate its occurrence and act as triggering factors. But if we know, we are prone to migraine; there are methods to prevent its frequent occurrence. Preventative methods include medication, life style changes, nutritional supplements etc.
1. Medication
Preventive medicines are available for migraine.
Remember, the preventive medicines do not abort the migraine but changes the physiological conditions responsible for migraine. Drugs like Flunarizine (Sibelium) act as an effective calcium antagonist. It prevents cellular calcium overload by reducing excessive transmembrane calcium influxes. It acts on the cells and open the calcium ion channel to release calcium ions from the calcium over loaded cells. Drugs like Paracetamol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen etc are used as analgesic drugs to relieve pain. 2. Lifestyle
Lifestyle change can reduce the chance of migraine attack. Tension free job, relaxation excises, yoga, massaging, daily exercise, bath in cold water, relaxing with soft music, sufficient sleep etc can reduce to frequency of migraine attack considerably.
3. Nutritional supplements
Good food habits, vegetables, fruits, minerals, vitamins like B complex can reduce the frequency of migraine attack.
As many people think, migraine is not a disease unless it is caused by other problems in the body. So try to realize the condition and learn to cope up with the situation. | 16,231 | 6,557 | 0.000153 |
warc | 201704 | SHEPHERD, E., 2006. Innovations in E-assessment. IN: Danson, M. (ed.). 10th CAA International Computer Assisted Assessment Conference : Proceedings of the Conference on 4th and 5th July 2006 at Loughborough University. Loughborough : Lougborough University, pp. 391-394
Abstract:
The cornerstone of successful education is the effective use of assessments.The 21st century offers a real opportunity to use technology to makeassessments more widely available and more successful for those involved inthe process. In a world where you cannot know everything, assessments willbe used to guide people to powerful learning experiences, reduce learningcurves, confirm skills, knowledge and attitudes, and motivate by providing asense of achievement. | 747 | 463 | 0.002171 |
warc | 201704 | Epsom salt is a common DIY ingredient found in everything from home gardening to non-toxic cleaning products. However, where it really shines is with maintaining your health. Epsom salt is a pure mineral made up of naturally occurring magnesium and sulfate. The salt gains its name from a similarly named saline spring in Surrey, England. Regardless of its history, the salt continues to have a following with those interested in natural health remedies. Here’s six of the most common health uses for Epsom salt.
Sun Burns
When dealing with a sunburn from unprotected time in the sun, Epsom salt can be combined with other natural relief products like aloe vera to help treat your burn and reduce inflammation. Combine 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt with one cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture over the skin. Do not rub the mixture into the skin as any remaining coarse salt granules may irritate the burned skin.
Bug Bites
Whether dealing with a spider bite or the onslaught of summer mosquitoes, epsom salt are a natural alternative to medicinal bug bite sprays. Simply mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in 1 cup of cold water. Take a clean cotton cloth and soak it in the mixture. Hold the cloth against the bitten area for itch relief and to help reduce swelling.
Exfoliation
As a coarse product, Epsom salt effectively works as an exfoliant. Exfoliating is important for keeping your skin looking young and healthy. The coarse nature of the salt removes dead skin cells, leaving the skin feeling fresh. This action also initiates the production of new elastin and collagen, which reduces the looks of fine line and wrinkles and helps prevent new wrinkles from forming. The salt is especially effective on the feet.
Hair Volume
When excess oil builds up on your scalp, it can lead to heavy, flat hair. Combine equal parts Epsom salt to your conditioner and apply once a week to help remove this excess oil and leave your scalp feeling better and your hair with extra volume. For best results, try leaving the conditioner mix in for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Laxative
Epsom salt work well as a natural laxative. This effect is due to its abilities as a oral hyperosmotic laxative. In other words, when you ingest the salt, the sulfate causes water to increase in the colon. At the same time, the magnesium softens the stool and contributes to muscle contractions to help move the digestive tract along towards a bowel movement.
Psoriasis
For those suffering with psoriasis, Epsom salt can help bring relief. Add 1 to 2 cups of the salt to your daily baths to help remove scales and reduce skin inflammation. Do not use Epsom salt in jetted tubs or hot tubs unless the manufacturer has stated it won’t damage the tub.
As with anything taken for health or medical reasons, it’s important to talk to your doctor before including Epsom salt into your health routine, especially if you plan to take them orally. | 2,950 | 1,421 | 0.000711 |
warc | 201704 | Which Joe gave his name to ‘sloppy joes’? We look at five interesting sandwiches and their lexical origins.
noun
[mass noun] Radioactive decay in which an electron is emitted.
‘After chains of beta decay (electron emission), the decay product is a stable neutron-rich nucleus.’ ‘The core of the exploding star was converted to neutrons during the explosion when protons and electrons were forced together in reverse beta decay, producing the neutrinos.’ ‘In early tests, nearly all electrons emitted during the tritium's beta decay were absorbed.’ ‘It was at this conference that Klein suggested that a spin - 1 particle mediated beta decay and played a role in weak interactions in a similar manner to the photon in electromagnetism.’ ‘They are formed by a kind of reverse beta decay: a proton becomes a neutron.’ ‘The cascade of gammas that follows each beta decay occurs so quickly that in practice these are attributed to the iridium decay even though they are really coming from daughter products.’ ‘Physicists originally had a lot of trouble reconciling relativistic quantum field theory with the weak interaction that is responsible, for example, for what is called beta decay of neutron into proton, electron and neutrino.’ ‘There are two types of radioactive decay, alpha decay (ejection of a nucleus of helium, two protons and two neutrons tightly bound together) and beta decay (ejection of an electron).’ ‘In 1931, he predicted the existence of the massless neutrino to explain away mathematical problems with beta decay.’ ‘As beta decay does not change the atomic mass, the isotope of the new element number 93, neptunium, also has mass 239.’ ‘In fact, stripping an atom entirely of electrons has speeded up beta decay by a factor of a billion.’ ‘If one well is filled higher than the other, you tend to get a beta decay to even them out.’ ‘There are various mechanisms and forms of beta decay (e.g., negative beta decay, neutron beta decay, double beta decay, inverse beta decay, etc.).’ ‘This interaction is also about 10 times weaker than the electromagnetic and is responsible for the beta decay of particles and nuclei.’ ‘Some atoms can undergo radioactive beta decay, in which a neutron decays into a proton, an electron and an electron-antineutrino via the weak nuclear force.’ ‘Experiments on radioactive beta decay, where one element spontaneously converts into another with the emission of an electron, appeared to violate the laws of conservation of energy and momentum.’ ‘More detailed explanations of beta decay were developed in the late twentieth century, following theories of the existence of unique particles that transmit the weak nuclear force.’ ‘The existence of neutrinos was first proposed by the Austrian theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 in his examination of a form of radioactive decay known as beta decay.’ ‘The beta decay of a cobalt 60 nucleus prefers a direction dependent on whether the interaction is left or right ‘handed’’ ‘Whatever carbon - 14 was present at the time of the organism's death begins to decay to nitrogen - 14 by emitting radiation in a process known as beta decay.’
We take a look at several popular, though confusing, punctuation marks.
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, discover surprising and intriguing language facts from around the globe.
The definitions of ‘buddy’ and ‘bro’ in the OED have recently been revised. We explore their history and increase in popularity. | 3,693 | 1,687 | 0.000635 |
warc | 201704 | CONSUMPTION AS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
which they may meet in every-day life. As the numbers of women in the universities increase, and the influence of educated wives and mothers is more widely felt, there will be an adaptation of university work to the needs of women as well as of men. The now scarcely perceptible tendency to emphasize the profession of wifehood and motherhood in its proper relations will be increasingly controlling in all education of women. Surrounded by the atmosphere of generous culture, molded by men and women of varied abilities, guided in the special preparation for her future, the young woman will soon be able to obtain as broad and as specialized a training as her profession shall require—a training which shall put her in touch with the best of the world for the benefit of her home and her children.
CONSUMPTION CONSIDERED AS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
A FEW years ago the newspapers were discussing rumors of the advent of leprosy in this country. Many were apprehensive of an epidemic of this disease, whose very name suggests all that is unclean, horrible, and loathsome. Although official reports made it certain that the lepers who had reached our shores were few, and that comparatively simple precautions could prevent the spread of the disease, public sentiment demanded the most rigorous quarantine and the sending back of those lepers who had already landed.
But there is in our midst another leprosy whose victims we meet, not outside the city wall warning us of their presence with the cry "Unclean! unclean!" but who walk the public streets, whom we meet in our places of business and amusement, in social gatherings, and, too frequently, in our very homes. It is doubtless a surprise that consumption should be mentioned in terms applicable to leprosy, but investigation shows that a close analogy may be drawn between the two diseases. Consumption or phthisis, as either word implies, is a consuming or wasting disease, characterized by a progressive failure of strength and an almost certain tendency toward death. Although the exact lesions differ in different cases, the essential nature of consumption is in inflammation, excited by a small germ which, magnified five hundred times, is just visible as a minute hyphen, usually tilted up at one end.
The same germ the—
Bacillus tuberculosis—may lodge in bones, joints, the intestines, the membranes of the brain, and, in fact, in | 2,454 | 1,278 | 0.000791 |
warc | 201704 | ERIC Number:ED338001 Record Type:RIE Publication Date:1991 Pages:83 Abstractor:N/A Reference Count:N/A ISBN:N/A ISSN:N/A
Methods for Managing Stress in the Workplace: Coping Effectively on the Job.
Casey, Anita; And Others
This manual is intended for use by persons with psychiatric disabilities who are employed in the community but need help in coping with daily stressors at work. It is designed to be taught to mental health consumers by mental health consumers. Each session includes a review of the previous session; objectives; a list of materials needed; and exercises that involve role plays, discussion, questionnaires, rating scales, and problem solving. The course is divided into 10 sessions covering the following topics: identifying internal and external sources of stress; the three stages of stress and the physical stress response; identifying personal responses to stress in the workplace; learning to relax--progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises; understanding the importance of self-enhancing statements; self-enhancing statements; assertive behavior and stress management; four techniques of assertive behavior; learning to retain stress management techniques; and summarizing and evaluating the course. Appendixes contain a task and stress analysis checklist and a list of approximately 25 suggested readings. (DB)
Descriptors: Adult Education, Adults, Assertiveness, Coping, Interpersonal Competence, Interpersonal Relationship, Lesson Plans, Mental Disorders, Postsecondary Education, Relaxation Training, Self Esteem, Stress Management, Vocational Adjustment
Thresholds National Research and Training Center on Rehabilitation and Mental Illness, 561 West Diversey Parkway, Suite 210-A, Chicago, IL 60614 ($12.95 postage included).
Publication Type:Guides - Classroom - Learner Education Level:N/A Audience:Students Language:English Sponsor:Department of Education, Washington, DC. Authoring Institution:Thresholds, Chicago, IL. Note:For a related document, see EC 300 742. | 2,027 | 1,121 | 0.000896 |
warc | 201704 | ERIC Number:ED451739 Record Type:RIE Publication Date:2000 Pages:47 Abstractor:N/A Reference Count:N/A ISBN:ISBN-1-56377-049-0 ISSN:N/A
Departmental Assessment: How Some Campuses Are Effectively Evaluating the Collective Work of Faculty.
Wergin, Jon F.; Swingen, Judi N.
This study assessed the ways in which academic departments in U.S. colleges and universities are evaluated through a survey of about 130 institutions across the Carnegie university categories. This survey and literature review were supplemented by site visits to eight universities. The authors were surprised to find a great amount of departmental evaluation going on at the universities. The collective work of faculty is evaluated in as many as five different ways and some campuses use all five of these approaches. The problem is that these methods are disconnected from one another. The methods are: (1) program review; (2) outcomes assessment; (3) specialized accreditation; (4) financial accounting initiatives; and (5) internal quality assurance. The research suggests that effective departmental assessment depends on: (1) the degree to which the organizational and cultural setting promotes an atmosphere conducive to evaluation; (2) the credibility and fairness of the evaluation policies and practices; and (3) the validity and reliability of the evaluation standards, criteria, and measures. The study concludes unit assessment that takes place in a climate supportive of quality improvement, enhances organizational motivation by treating the department as a collective, gives maximum flexibility to identify and answer their own evaluation questions, and takes seriously issues of data quality and credibility that will be both effective and growth-producing. (Contains 2 tables and 28 references.) (SLD)
Descriptors: Accreditation (Institutions), College Faculty, Departments, Evaluation Methods, Higher Education, Institutional Characteristics, Outcomes of Education, Surveys, Teacher Evaluation
American Association for Higher Education, One Dupont Circle, Suite 360, Washington, DC 20036-1110. Tel: 202-293-6440; Fax: 202-293-0073. Web site: http://www.aahe.org/catalog.
Publication Type:Reports - Research Education Level:N/A Audience:Administrators; Practitioners; Teachers Language:English Sponsor:Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, PA. Authoring Institution:American Association for Higher Education, Washington, DC. Note:Companion volume to "The Collaborative Department: How Five Campuses Are Inching toward Cultures of Collective Responsibility" by Jon F. Wergin. | 2,573 | 1,359 | 0.000739 |
warc | 201704 | New Zealand recently broke ground on its first pre-fabricated steel court building. This steel court building is one of the first of its kind. Most courthouses across the world are built with concrete, utilizing more traditional construction methods that fits into the framework of similar types of buildings used for the government. If completed on schedule, this steel courthouse will open between June 17 and June 19, 2015.
This pre-fabricated steel courthouse is one of the first of its kinds across the world. It’s completely pre-fabricated, built with steel similar to modular homes with courtrooms, meeting rooms and other areas you’d find in a typical courthouse constructed and put together on-site. The last court case in the district will be held June 11, 2015, before moving into the new courthouse once it’s open to the public.
That’s one of the most amazing things about steel. It really can be used for any building type when designed and built right. Whether you’re looking to replace old, downtrodden buildings in your city or go with something more traditional like warehouses or gymnasiums, steel can be used in a variety of ways that can replace more familiar building types.
Courthouses, like any other government building, can be built from the ground up with steel for cheaper and much quicker. As small towns realize they can benefit from steel, they’ll turn to steel buildings as a way to save taxpayers money and get the perfect government building they need. Taxpayers will appreciate the benefits of using steel as opposed to more traditional building methods, because it’ll save them money and put taxpayer funds to more efficient uses.
Steel is becoming a popular option for buildings you wouldn’t think would normally be built with steel. When you think of a courthouse, you don’t think of steel. That’s changing slowly as New Zealand becomes one of the first countries to use steel this way. As the use of steel becomes more popular, perhaps pre-fabricated steel courthouse buildings will be used elsewhere in the world with more frequency. | 2,128 | 975 | 0.001053 |
warc | 201704 | Baked cinnamon apples are a fall and winter favorite, but you can enjoy them all year! Traditional recipes use sugar, which you can do. But to cut down on calories, this recipe offers an alternative: artificial sweeteners. At 100 calories, each serving is comparable to one fresh Granny Smith apple — the spices and flavorings don’t add any extra!
Ingredients
4 medium Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 2 tbsp Splenda® or Stevia® Water Preparation Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice apples into thin slices and place in a 9×9 baking dish or pie dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and Splenda or Stevia. Mix so that all apples are coated. Place a small amount of water in the dish (about 1/4 in). Bake apples uncovered for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and break apart easily. Nutritional information Serves 4 Serving size: 1 apple
Total calories: 100
Total fat: .5 g Saturated fat: 0 g Sodium: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 27 g Fiber: 6 g Sugars: 19 g Protein: 1 g | 1,007 | 611 | 0.00169 |
warc | 201704 | Nuclear Weapon Personnel Reliability Program: Cocaine History a Disqualifier I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze;. Not smack, though… (Barack Obama, “Dreams From My Father,” page 93, paperback edition. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByAlpha.asp?strTerm=B, “Blow” = “Cocaine; to inhale cocaine; to smoke marijuana; to inject heroin”) maybe a little blow when you could afford it
The Obama campaign at least sanctions (and may promote actively) the spread of rumors to the effect that John McCain has a neurodegenerative disease, usually by citing age as a risk factor for such diseases. Dozens of posts to this nature appear at my.barackobama.com,
over which the official campaign exercises editorial control. At least one such post links to a YouTube video with background music about an old mother with silver hair in an old rocking chair. We must therefore remind our readers that cocaine users also are at higher risk for brain damage and mental deficiencies. We will then show that even pre-service cocaine use disqualifies Armed Forces personnel from access to nuclear weapons, which suggests that Barack Obama is not qualified to control weapons of mass destruction either.
Taking cocaine could cause irreversible brain damage, scientists from Edinburgh University have warned.
Tests on genetically modified mice showed that cocaine inhibited the brain by destroying a key protein responsible for learning and memory.
Abusing the highly addictive drug can lead to long-term memory loss and learning difficulties, say experts.
Many prominent individuals such as Ted Kennedy (b. 1932) and Dianne Feinstein (b. 1933, 3 years older than John McCain) are mentally capable in their seventies and even beyond. The Obama campaign and its following, however, seems to want to argue that the country should not risk the election of an “old man” like John McCain because age is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. Although not every cokehead suffers permanent mental impairment from putting the white powder up his nose,
Barack Obama is similarly in a higher risk category for mental disabilities. As stated above, cocaine use increases the risk of long term memory loss and learning disabilities. Per “Researchers See How Cocaine Affects the Brain,”
It’s eerie to look inside the brain of a heavy cocaine user. Blood flow is sluggish and abnormal compared to the brain of a non-user.
Such an abnormality may underlie memory loss, learning problems, attention deficits, and even strokes.
Furthermore, present or even past cocaine use seems to be an automatic
disqualifier under the Nuclear Weapon Personnel Reliability Program. Control of nuclear weapons is of course part of the duties of the President of the United States. If Barack Obama is not qualified to perform this aspect of the job to which he aspires, he is not qualified for the job itself.
(2) Drug Abuse
(a) See definition 15. in enclosure 2. It is not the intent of this Directive to automatically render ineligible for the PRP any individual who, before the effective date of this Directive, has disclosed pre-Service drug abuse, or who has not yet been asked to make such disclosure,
and who is currently certified for PRP duties after having been formally screened in accordance with then-existing guidance. Further recertification of such individuals for future PRP status shall be in accordance with this Directive, except that previously disclosed and considered drug abuse and pre-Service drug use not required previously to be disclosed, shall not be sole grounds for denial of recertification or for mandatory decertification.
(b) Except for the category of individuals identified in subparagraph B.2.a.(2)(a), above, or otherwise provided in this Directive,
any pre-Service use, admitted or otherwise discovered, of illicit drugssuch as heroin, heroin derivatives, cocaine, “crack,” phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ecstasy,” or other “designer” drugs, amphetamines, barbiturates, or other narcotic drugs not prescribed by proper medical authorities, and anabolic steroids shall render an individual ineligible for admission to or retention in PRP duties. The individual shall not be certified into the program or shall be permanently decertified, and those actions shall be made a matter of permanent record.
The reference adds that prior marijuana use (to which Bill Clinton as well as Barack Obama admitted) is
not an automatic disqualifier. The bottom line is, however, that prior history of cocaine use disqualifies a member of the Armed Forces from touching a nuclear launch key, or indeed any access to weapons of mass destruction. The idea of giving someone with that kind of history the authority to order the use of such weapons, or even access to the codes for launching such weapons, should therefore appall all Americans. This document from the Secretary of the Navy adds,
b. Drug Abuse. Drug abuse is a violation of the law. It demonstrates a behavior pattern or action which is reasonably indicative of a contemptuous attitude toward the law or other duly-constituted authority. Any conduct which falls within the definition of drug abuse may be grounds for disqualification or decertification.
(1) Any personnel determined to have pre-service or inservice abuse of any drug will be disqualified prior to initial assignment to a PRP billet or, if currently assigned, will be
permanently decertified except:
(a) pre-service or in-service cannabis use which was acceptably screened under previous PRP guidance will not be the sole basis for disqualification or decertification,
Again, PRP refers to the (Nuclear Weapon) Personnel Reliability Program. | 5,834 | 2,715 | 0.000375 |
warc | 201704 | International Integration and Growth: a Survey and Empirical Investigation
After surveying the theoretical and empirical work, we attempt a comprehensive assessment of different forms of international integration on growth. In particular, we consider the impact of trade, of inward foreign direct investment, of preferential treatment of less developed countries, and of membership in trade blocs.
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Length: 35 pages Date of creation: 1998 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:fth:purkib:98-003 Contact details of provider: Postal: Purdue University, Center for International Business Education and Research, Krannert Graduate School of Management, 1310 Krannert Building West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1310.
Web page: http://www.krannert.purdue.edu/
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warc | 201704 | By Joseph Moss – International Banker
“The Malaysian people were defrauded on an enormous scale”, was the recent assertion by Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe in reference to an international banking scandal that has now rumbled on for over two years, and looks set to continue for some time. With investigations being conducted by several countries into the dealings of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (or “1MDB”), Malaysia’s state development fund, it is widely believed that over $3 billion was misappropriated from the Malaysian government. During this time, many Malaysian authorities have remained entrenched in a battle to save their positions, none with a higher profile than Najib Razak, Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Chairperson of 1MDB’s advisory board.
1MDB was initially set up by the oil-state Terengganu as a sovereign wealth fund, before being turned into a state-owned development fund by Najib back in 2009. The stated intention in doing so was so that the potential benefits of the bank’s projects could reach the general Malaysian population, rather than just the citizens of Terengganu. The bank could provide a conduit for foreign investment into Malaysia, principally through the formation of strategic global partnerships designed to promote long-term economic development. The money that would purportedly be raised from such projects in energy, real estate and tourism could then produce more employment and prosperity for Malaysians.
The reality that has transpired since then, however, appears to be in sharp contrast with such a vision. Fast forward to 2016 and the US Department of Justice (DoJ) moved in July to seize over US$1 billion in assets connected with money laundered from 1MDB, as part of the $3.5 billion it claims was misappropriated between 2009 and 2015. To date, it has been the largest ever case brought by the DoJ’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative (KARI), which was launched 6 years ago in a bid to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption which made their way through the US financial system, and to restore the funds to those people affected. The 136-page complaint filed by the US outlines an intricate international network of players and institutions that worked to hide bilions of dollars worth of stolen assets.
The first half of the decade would see 1MDB rack up substantial levels of debt, which ballooned to 42 billion ringgit (US$10 billion) for the year ended March 2014. The 2012 acquisitions of Tanjung Energy Holdings and Genting Group’s Malaysian power generation assets for 8.5 billion ringgit and 2.3 billion ringgit respectively, as well as the 1.2 billion ringgit purchase of a 75% stake in Jimah Energy’s coal-fired power plants one year later, were seen to be key contributors to this mounting debt. However, it was not until mid-2014 that the bank began to raise eyebrows after allegations about the misappropriation of state funds were published by investigative journalism blog “The Sarawak Report”. Suspicions were further raised after 1MDB began to miss payments on what was owed to its creditors, such as bondholders and banks. A 2 billion ringgit loan initially due in November 2014, for example, was eventually settled by 1MDB several months later, but only after it missed two repayment deadlines.
Although the scandal has far-reaching implications for a number of parties, it is the partnership between 1MDB and Saudi Arabian oil company PetroSaudi International that initially drew the most attention from officials, especially after a former PetroSaudi executive leaked extensive email correspondence which was published by the Sarawak Report. The joint venture with the Saudi firm was the first major deal signed by the bank back in 2009, and one in which it agreed to pledge $1 billion in return for proceeds from mineral extraction activity which PetroSaudi would conduct in Turkmenistan and Argentina, and valued at $2.7bn. According to the DoJ, however, only $300 million made it into the joint venture. The DoJ also alleges that $24.5 million was sent to the Riyadh bank account of an unnamed PetroSaudi prince who co-founded PetroSaudi. It is likely that the co-founders of PetroSaudi referred to in the DoJ complaint are Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz, son of the late Saudi King Abdullah, and former banker Tarek Obaid, although neither have been officially accused of malpractice. $20 million of the $24.5 million was then moved on again to an unnamed Malaysian official, dubbed “Malaysian Official 1”, whose description was that of “a high-ranking official in the Malaysian government who also held a position of authority with 1MDB”. The description corresponds to that of Prime Minister Najib Razak, although he has not been specifically named in the suit.
One of the central figures in the scandal is Jho Low, the Malaysian owner of private equity investment and advisory firm Jynwel Capital. According to the Justice Department’s lawsuit filed in July, Low and his associates helped to embezzle at least $3.5 billion in total from 1MDB, despite the financier having no official position at the bank. Low has been involved with 1MDB since its nascent days, initially playing an advisory role in the establishment of the Terengganu Investment Authority fund. He is also a family friend of Najib; indeed, both Low and the prime minister were present at the initial meeting in August 2009 to discuss the joint venture with PetroSaudi International, a meeting which also included the co-owners of the oil company. Once this deal was signed, moreover, the DoJ believes that the $700 million which did not reach the joint venture was sent into a shell company based in the Seychelles, called Good Star Ltd, which was owned by Low and which received an additional $330 million at a later date.
A large proportion of the embezzlement, it is believed, has been spent on extravagant purchases in the US including luxury New York apartments, expensive artworks by Van Gogh and Monet, opulent residencies in Beverley Hills and even a private jet. Prosecutors allege that some funds also went towards financing the Hollywood film
The Wolf of Wall Street, with the Red Granite studio company which produced the film being run by Riza Aziz, the stepson of Najib and friend of Low. As such, investigators now believe that much of the financing behind Jynwel Capital has come from 1MDB’s illegally diverted funds, with the financial source of major Jynwel investments having their origins in money illegally diverted from the development bank. Such investments include a hotel in London’s Park Lane, one in Beverley Hills, and an investment in music giant EMI Publishing. Indeed, the DoJ court filing states that Low laundered over $400 million into the US, $106.7 million of which was used to acquire the EMI stake.
Both Jho Low and Riza Aziz are specifically named in the US lawsuit, along with Abu Dhabi government officials Khadem Abdulla al-Qubaisi and Mohammed Ahmed Badawy al-Husseiny. At the time, al-Qubaisi was managing director of the government-owned International Petroleum Investment Co. (IPIC), an $80 billion sovereign wealth fund, while al-Husseiny was the chief executive of IPIC subsidiary Aabar Investments. Through Jho Low, 1MDB tapped up these Abu Dhabi contacts to help raise funds, which resulted in the announcement that IPIC would invest in power plant development in conjunction with 1MDB, and the development bank would send $1.4 billion to IPIC as a “refundable deposit”. The funds never arrived, however. Instead, the DoJ suspects that they went to a shell company in the Virgin Islands called Aabar Investments PJS Limited, named as such to give the impression it was associated with the real IPIC subsidiary Aabar Investments. Both al-Qubaisi and al-Husseiny are thought to be directors of the offshore company, which was then used to transfer $238m to Red Granite, and from where funds were used to finance The Wolf of Wall Street and buy property in Manhattan, Beverly Hills and London. According to the US court action, al-Qubaisi received $473 million of diverted funds directly into his bank account. He has since been arrested by Abu Dhabi police, sacked from his role at IPIC and had his assets frozen.
Goldman Sachs is also under the spotlight for its dealings with 1MDB. The US banking giant currently faces questions from the New York State Department of Financial Services in relation to the due diligence it carried out as part of three bond sales it helped 1MDB to issue in 2012 and 2013, with IPIC guaranteeing two of the sales in 2012. The three sales totalled $6.5 billion, while Goldman reportedly made about $500 million from the bond sales, or 7.7% of the securities’ face value. Although it does not face any specific citation for malpractice, Goldman has been questioned about whether it failed to sufficiently inform investors about the nature of the bonds, and whether it acted illegally in failing to notify regulators when proceeds of the bond sales disappeared. The DoJ has asserted that Goldman’s offering circulars for the two IPIC-guaranteed bonds contained “material misrepresentations and omissions” regarding the intended use of the bond sale proceeds, as well as the nature of the relationship between IPIC and 1MDB.
More recently, New York’s banking regulator has been seeking clarification from Goldman about its role in the third bond sale in 2013. The sale raised $2.7 billion, some of which was used to purchase power plants, but $1.2 billion of which was diverted into offshore shell companies overseen by Low and his associates, according to the DoJ. One associate of Low is named as Eric Tan, whom the DoJ alleges controlled the Tanore Finance account into which the funds were diverted, and from which Najib received $681 million. The prime minister continues to contend that the funds were a gift from the Saudi Arabian royal family, a position that has been supported by the Saudi foreign minister and Malaysian attorney-general. A further $100 million is believed to have been used by Tan to purchase art on Low’s behalf.
It should also be mentioned that the US is not the only country to be holding an official investigation into 1MDB’s dealings at present. Today, investigators in at least seven countries are still working on accounting for all the money that went missing. Singapore and Switzerland, in particular, are now carrying out extensive investigations of their own, and have begun criminal proceedings against Swiss private bank BSI SA for allegedly failing to prevent suspected money laundering and bribery related to its dealings with 1MDB. According to Swiss regulators, approximately 100 client accounts at BSI were involved with 1MDB, of which 18 were opened by Low in a single day. Documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal show that hundreds of millions of dollars moved through the BSI accounts of Low and associates. A former BSI banker, Yeo Jiawei, has been charged in Singapore with money laundering in connection with 1MDB, while the Singaporean government has also seized US$89 million worth of assets from Low. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has additionally found that Standard Chartered and two other banks failed to report suspicious 1MDB-related transactions; as a result, they would face “firm regulatory actions”.
Doubts now prevail over the extent of the value of the funds that can be recovered by KARI. During its 6-year existence, the initiative has frozen $2.8 billion stolen by foreign officials across the globe, from Honduras to South Korea. To date, however, a mere 5% of those funds has been recovered and sent back to its rightful owners. While much of the remainder of the funds are still tied up in court proceedings, and therefore could still be recovered in the future, it does underline the difficulty facing the kleptocracy unit’s challenge in recovering the funds in a timely manner. With 1MDB, a myriad of legal challenges will undoubtedly have to be addressed by KARI, particularly given the global nature of the misappropriation and the sheer size of the case, one which dwarfs all previous cases overseen by the unit. Moreover, the $1 billion in assets being seized by the US is just a fraction of the money that was stolen from 1MDB. The chance of recovering the full $3.5 billion that is estimated to have been misappropriated from the bank, therefore, seems increasingly slim.
One of the rare bright spots to have emerged from this entire affair, however, is the demonstration of considerable strength from Malaysia’s economy. A recent report from political consultancy Global Risk Insights concluded that despite 1MDB attracting the headlines within the country and beyond, the economy has remained “remarkably resilient”. According to the consultancy’s analyst Alexander Macleod, investors continue to have confidence in Malaysia’s regulatory framework, while the stock market has regained much stability in recent times, “Malaysia has seen the worst of this political and economic storm, and will seek to renew its status as an exciting emerging market”.
Nevertheless, the scandal has highlighted the sheer magnitude of some of the money laundering operations currently being carried out within the global financial system – with a host of international banking institutions deemed to be involved in the web of 1MDB transactions – as well as illustrating the various creative ways in which stolen money can be hidden. It has also inflicted scars on Malaysia as a nation, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets to call for Najib’s resignation. Although he was internally cleared of any wrongdoing earlier this year by the newly appointed attorney-general, news sources continue to allege that Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission privately recommends he faces criminal charges. Whether the country’s financial and political reputation can recover any time soon remains to be seen; in the meantime, however, a greater degree of financial transparency within the county seems the most appropriate first steps in restoring public confidence. | 14,348 | 6,289 | 0.000162 |
warc | 201704 | The Internet of Things (IoT) is enabling manufacturers to be more efficient, productive and profitable in the face of increased competition worldwide. We look at five reasons why manufacturers are betting big on these new technologies. Productivity
Productivity is arguably the main driver of IoT in manufacturing, as companies recognise that the sensors and collected data enable them to be more efficient, minimising loss and waste, and making their workers’ more effective.
Trumpf is one of the manufacturers to have taken the plunge with IoT, harnessing C-Labs’ IoT software to connect equipment on the manufacturing floor at multiple locations with enterprise applications and systems running on corporate IT networks.
Ultimately, manufacturers are convinced IoT can reduce downtime, boost savings and produce more goods, more accurately and with less waste.
New revenue streams
IoT offers manufacturers the chance to drive bigger revenues, not only by being more efficient and saving costs, but also by making intelligent and expensive products.
Konecranes is a good example of this. The Finnish firm has been selling intelligent cranes and reinventing itself as a services company. These ‘intelligent’ cranes are more expensive, but have more features too. They’re able to let the operator know (via sensors) its last known condition, how often it’s used, if it’s overused, improperly used and when it is likely to break down.
Operational savings
The one thing that is going to get your C-level executives on-board with any IoT strategy is the ability to save or make money, and this is certainly the case with manufacturing.
Through the use of sensors on the manufacturing floor, on-site managers can reduce downtime through predictive maintenance, there’s less waste (you make exactly what you need), and staff are working on the things you want them to work on.
Reduced downtime
Predictive maintenance is knowing when machinery is going to break down and fixing it before it does. And this is already a huge boost on reducing downtime, ensuring that operations are smooth and that repairs are done before equipment goes wrong.
TVH Group has a good case study on this, and many more will surely follow in future.
Keeping up with the competition
European manufacturers face a battle against their “low-cost” Asian competitors, but with IoT helping on all of the above matters, the war can still be won through leaner and meaner operations.
The German government has recognised this, and through Industrie 4.0 is trying to help German industrial manufacturing – the backbone of Europe’s largest economy – to keep its competitive edge against labour-cost advantages of developing countries and a resurgence in U.S. manufacturing.
During the next five to ten years, Industrie 4.0 is expected to boost productivity across all German manufacturing sectors by €90 billion to €150 billion. Productivity improvements on conversion costs will range from 15 to 25 percent. When the materials costs are factored in, productivity gains of 5 to 8 percent will be achieved.
Cost benefits like these can only help European manufacturers compete with global competitors. | 3,256 | 1,570 | 0.000656 |
warc | 201704 | Farmers Insurance CIO Ron Guerrier has said the company will look to test Internet of Things technologies to get better insight into motor vehicle damage, as well as use drones to detect wildfire hazards.
In an interview with CIO.com, Guerrier, who recently joined the firm from Toyota, outlined how emerging technologies could help the firm to get better insight into claims – with several of his team attending this week’s CES 2016 exhibition to learn more about IoT tools.
On IoT, he said that the firm could look to deploy solutions to automate the claims management process. For example, if a sensored car is hit whilst the owner isn’t present, the owner could be notified with a smartphone alert and an offer to contact a Farmers Insurance claims representative.
Guerrier said: “Emerging technologies is definitely top of mind for this organization […] We’re looking at where technology can extend our view and better inform the customer”.
Guerrier said that he likes working with cloud providers who know the insurance industry’s regulatory requirements and offer technology that is 80 percent immediately ready for use, and 20 percent with Farmers ‘special sauce’ containing technology modifications. Cloud technology is being looked at by the firm, as well as a possible cloud-based email software which would better support smartphone and tablet access compared to its current system.
He also said Farmers’ IT may help formalise informal innovation projects, which would put Farmers in league with Progressive and their ‘business innovation garage’. Farmers is currently assessing how to use drones to check brush is cleared in neighbourhoods susceptible to wildfires.
You can hear more about how IoT affects claims management and other topics at the Internet of Insurance conference, which features high-level speakers at AXA, Allianz, Google, Marsh, RSA, Swiss Re Zurich and many more. | 1,970 | 1,018 | 0.00102 |
warc | 201704 | What does bartering have to do with creative money management? Over the past few columns I’ve talked a lot about value: valuing yourself, your time, and the work that you make.
Bartering and trading is a way to recognize the value of the work you and others make and exchange that value in a way that is mutually beneficial. To simplify further: bartering is a way to add value to your project or business without exchanging money.
Bartering is great if you have high quality skills or goods to offer, but don’t have a lot of cash on hand. The key to successful bartering is to ensure that what you are offering and what you are receiving are of equal value to each party involved.
For example, when I was regularly publishing a zine I would always offer my zines for trade to other zinesters. I would trade my hand stitched zine with hand printed covers for zines that were just a few photocopied pages because for me personally that the value of a self-made publication based on passion and artistic vision was equal. In addition, it was also important to me to get my zine into the hands of as many readers as possible and build relationships with other zine publishers.
Just like pricing your work or your time, bartering well is a skill that you can develop. I asked Tim and Shana, the founders of the Punk Rope fitness program, about guidelines for bartering, which they have used to to build and expand their business.
Tips for successful bartering From Tim Haft and Shana Brady of Punk Rope Set realistic expectation what you can offer and what its worth Be specific as possible on your terms Be prepared for negotiation Be careful when bartering with friends and mixing business and social relationships Identify people who have the skills that you need. Go to the true experts Examine the motivation of the person offering to barter Avoid one-sided arrangements that only benefit one party
Bartering is still a transaction, even though no money is changing hands. When entering into a barter agreement be very clear when you are trading goods and skills and when you are asking for, or offering, a gift to a friend or colleague. If you are trading be sure to make an agreement about what you are offering, what you will receive, and when you expect to deliver on your promises in writing. While it may seem overly formal at first, having an agreement in writing will help clarify an agreement should questions or complications arise.
You have control over what you offer in trade. You don’t want to lose money when bartering. If there’s something you make you can’t afford to give away, even for something of equal value, brainstorm about what else you can offer. For example, if you can’t afford to give away your handmade blank books, maybe instead you could offer book binding classes or design advice?
Bartering is a great way to build knowledge and goodwill about your project. You may find you get more out of it then the monetary value of what you received or offered in trade.
If you are curious about more models for bartering check out Trade School, an alternative, self-organized school that runs on barter and offers classes all over the world.
Overall, bartering is a creative way to build the value of your project and is another important tool in the creative money maker tool belt.
What are some successful examples of bartering you have experienced? What are your guidelines for bartering? | 3,459 | 1,590 | 0.000637 |
warc | 201704 | After graduate and working for one year, the experience taught me that one must be pro-active in learing skills and acquire knowledge. It’s stated in the 8 outcome of medical programs.
The training of such skill must be started at the medical school.
No tutorial class, 2 hrs of lectures each day and problem-based learning discussion sessions weekly that does the work.
Toward the final years, students being taught of to do research of pubmed and journals and write portfolio and case reports.
This what may perceived as modern med school vs traditional med school. No more bombardment of long lecturers and subsequent tutorial.
So, to learning the fishing skill is far more than to be spoon feed with knowledge. | 726 | 437 | 0.002327 |
warc | 201704 | I’ve been doing some localisation for some new customers recently and, mentioning this on my Facebook page, etc., I realised that this isn’t a well-known process. So, for those of you who are interested, and people who might have documents they would like to work in different regions of the world (there’s a clue!), here’s a quick guide to localisation.
One of the dictionary definitions of ‘localise’ is “to make local in character”, and that’s basically what it’s all about. Say a website, or a brochure, or an advert, or even a novel, has been produced in America. Obviously, the language is going to be American, rather than British English. Eggplant, freeway and optimize, as opposed to aubergine, motorway and optimise. Now, sometimes, the company or publisher putting out that document will want to adapt it for different markets, so that the reader feels comfortable with the text and can understand it without any strain. If the markets are in countries that don’t speak English, then a translator will be called in to translate it for their country. And if the markets are in countries that speak English, but slightly differently, then someone like me is called in to “translate” the text into British, Australian, Canadian (etc.) English.
It’s not just a matter of turning all the “ize”s into “ise”s. There are grammatical differences (“different from” vs “different than”), spellings (“colour” / “color”, “anaesthetic” / “anesthetic”), and terms (“pavement” vs “sidewalk” and so on). Then there are trickier things – would a British reader understand immediately what “resumé boosting” or other very American terms mean? The aim, as with editing in general, is to make the reading experience smooth, so that the reader absorbs the words and their message, rather than being jerked into consciousness that they’re reading a created text, and coming out of the immersion.
Not every editor, or every translator, can do this work. It’s more like translating than editing, and I can do it because I’ve got particular and useful experience working for the UK office of an American company, where I dealt with the two Englishes almost every day for a good few years. Add to that my editorial experience and general language skills, plus attention to detail which means making a list of the words I’m looking out for and making sure I change them all – and that’s why I’ve been praised and will be used again by the two companies I’ve completed localisation projects for so far.
It’s fun, too!
Read more about localisation as a career | 2,782 | 1,329 | 0.000824 |
warc | 201704 | In the present investigation we directly studied the constancy of the relative risks for standard 21 trisomy in Belgium during the period 1960-1978. The relative risk for standard 21 trisomy in different maternal age-groups, as compared to 20-24 years and 40-44 years remained remarkably constant during the period under investigation. The increasing percentage of children with standard 21 trisomy born to younger mothers does not result from an increased risk for mothers of this maternal age-group, but results from the general shift towards a younger maternal age at birth for the total population of births in Belgium. | 625 | 337 | 0.002977 |
warc | 201704 | In my last post, I summarized the overall experience of Twitter Math Camp 2013 at Drexel University. Following is my recap of the sessions that I attended. This conference was unique in that I learned something significant in each session.
Geometry Break-Out #1, Megan Hayes-Golding @mgolding, GA & Tina Cardone @crstn85, MA
After the opening greeting, the first morning session was a choice of break-outs according to course (Algebra 1, Geometry, Stats etc). These were intended to be open-ended discussion/work sessions. In the Geometry session, there was an overwhelming need by the group to wrap their heads around the Common Core Geometry Standards. Megan & Tina wisely went with the flow, and had us jigsaw the standards in pairs and share out. It was enormously helpful for everyone. I was already very familiar with the standards, but I still learned something about the CC standards on constructions. Specifically, the standards not only call for the four basic constructions plus those involving parallel and perpendicular lines, but the students are expected to construct a square, equilateral triangle, and hexagon as well. This was time well spent, with the bonus of getting to know Edmund Harriss @Gelada, Jessica @algebrainiac1 and StephReilly @reilly1041.
Through out the weekend, I had extended conversations with Edmund from which I learned a great deal. Mostly because Edmund is a math professor and as he spoke of his work with the mathematics of tiling patterns, I felt my IQ rise just by listening to him. Much of our discussions centered around the American education, though. Edmund had an interesting perspective, because while he teaches at the University of Arkansas and also leads special math programs for gifted children, Edmund is British. From that experience, he had a great deal to share about “how to run standards based education correctly.” I hope he blogs about that soon.
“I Notice & I Wonder,” Max Ray @maxmathforum, PA
Max Ray is the “Professional Collaboration Facilitator” at the Math Forum at Drexel. In essence, he teaches teachers how to teach problem-solving. I had heard before of starting lessons with “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” This phrase, which was originated by Annie Fetter @MFAnnie, is intended to initiate student thinking on a rich and robust task. That seemed pretty simple, so I wasn’t anticipating much new learning here … Boy, was I wrong! Max started with a picture of 3 glasses and the phrase “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
We were asked to ponder for a moment, then share our thoughts with our neighbors. (Think-Pair-Share). “I notice they have different shapes. I wonder if they have the same volume. What kind of drinks go in each one?” Then he posted the picture of 4 graphs, and again posed the same questions: “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” The ensuing discussion resulted in everything from “I notice the graphs are different colors” to “I wonder if the graphs correlate with the filling of the glasses.” The thing that I noticed about this whole activity is that Max let us mull this over without offering a single number or formula. Nor did he offer a single answer to any of our wonderings. Two pictures and two questions occupied us for 15 minutes. In the era of rushing through content it was
wonderful to be reminded that mathematics starts with an observation and a question. Speaking of questions, my group wondered what glass shape would correlate to the fourth graph… while Max stood at the front of room silently smiling. “Practicing the 5 Practices,” Christopher Danielson @Trianglemancsd, MN
Christopher Danielson is a professor of mathematics at Normandale Community College and also teaches methods courses for elementary school teachers. He shared the research published in
Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. In summary, the 5 Practices are: Anticipating, during planning, student responses to the lesson prompt Monitoring students repsonses during the lesson activity Selecting which student responses are to be discussed publicly Sequencing those student responses chosen Connecting the responses to each other and to the mathematical ideas
Chris emphasized that the first and last of these are the two most troublesome for teachers. Chris modeled all these principles by conducting a math lesson on fractions. He knew what the issues would be with the context. He called us specifically by name to present our responses in an order that allowed the discussion to develop from simple ideas to more complex. I was particularly impressed on how he asked us to compare and contrast the various strategies. This is where I personally saw that I needed to bolster my own efforts on connecting ideas in own my class discussions. I walked away with the understanding that while any class discussion is better than none, there truly is an art form to doing class discussion right.
“5 Ways to Boost Engagement,” John Berray, @johnberray, CA
I have to say that the number one way to boost engagement is to teach like John Berray. The joy that he has for the material and for his students was just bursting out of him. With that said, John had 5 other ideas on increasing engagement:
1) Turn the Mundane on its ear
2) Jump on the timely 3) Bring in the outside world 4) Unlikely objects arouse wonder 5) Spill some paint
Translation: 1) Make it fun, 2)Tie math to current events, 3) Use the internet, particularly video, 4) Be goofy, 5) Connect the material to kid’s lives.
The highlight of the session was John showing how to make a textbook problem more exciting (a textbook makeover). The sample problem asked how many ways are there to take a 10-question true-false test (assuming all 10 question are answered). John asked us, “Who wants a shot at the glory?” and offered $5 to anyone who can match his answer key exactly. We were all prompted to number our papers #1-10 and choose T or F randomly for each. Once we all had our answers to this hypothetical 10-question True-False quiz, we were all asked to stand up. He began to display 10 questions, one at a time, about the participants at the conference. This offered humor and another level of engagement, as we were all trying to guess correctly, even though we had predetermined answers. After the first answer was revealed, all those who answered wrong on the paper had to sit down. We were asked to notice how many were still standing. This routine continued as we went through the entire list. Nobody won. The obvious question is, “How many people would we have to do this with in order to expect a winner?” He had just turned the mundane on its ear.
Geometry Break-Out #2
Our group reconvened with a few new people joining in. It was especially nice to See Peg Cagle @pegcagle after so many years. While the first day was a working session, this day was all about discussion. The group really wanted to talk about how to teach all the standards we listed in the previous sessions, while instilling the CCSS Practices. Teachers shared their various ideas, experiences and techniques. There was also a question on grading practices that revealed the dark side of the MathTwitterBlogosphere … We can be a very opinionated bunch. The hot topic for us was standards based grading. This turned out to be a benefit to the new teachers in the room or to old teachers with open minds, because quite a variety of ideas and positions were shared. It was an engrossing conversation, because no matter the positions taken, they were all shared with a passion for teaching students rich mathematics. The end of session came way to soon.
“Still Keeping it Real,” Karim Kai Ani & Team Mathalicious, @Mathalicious, VA
Mathalicious offers engaging, innovative math lessons with a focus on “real-world” applications. Karim @karimkai led us through two Mathalicious lessons that were solidly based in mathematics and loads of fun. The first,
Datelines, tied the age of potential dates to systems of inequalities. The age gap on a date becomes less of an issue as people get older. For example, a 24-year old dating a 20-year old is less awkward than the 20-year old dating a 16-year old. This is an engaging topic for teenagers that Mathalicious sets to a graph and poses critical questions according to a given rule on dating ages. Like I said … solid. The second lesson, Prisn, used Venn diagrams to analyze the probability of being wrongfully flagged by the governments PRISM program for mining data. This lesson was about as relevant as any can get. It allowed for rich non-partisan conversation on how much error the public will accept. As I told Karim, these lessons are sexy, but have a lot of substance. At the conclusion, he generously gave the TMC participants a free trial subscription to Mathalicious. I intend on checking out more of their work. “Getting Students to Think Mathematically in Cooperative Groups,” Lani horn, @tchmathculture, TN
This one was very special for me, because Dr. Ilana Horn was such an influence on the teacher collaboration model that we have implemented at my high school for the last 9 years. Back in 2004, I was about to be the Math Department Chair for a new high school and was speaking with Jo Boaler about collab models for teachers. She told me that the person to contact was Lani Horn at the University of Washington (She is now at Vanderbilt in Tennessee). A week later, I happened to be vacationing in Seattle, and Lani was kind enough to give up time to a stranger and talk about her doctoral research. She was gracious as well as knowledgeable.
So I was excited to see her again and share how her information helped lead my crew back home to be one of the highest performing schools in the county. She was pleased to hear the news. Her session this time was on student rather than teacher collaboration. The specific model she shared is known as Complex Instruction (CI), in which students are grouped heterogeneously, with intentional methods to have all students participate. The focus of Lani’s session was on how academic
affects student engagement during group work. She was very intentional in telling us that participation is hindered by this status perceivedstatus about smartness, which is too often defined in math class as “quick and accurate.” To help make it safe for everyone to participate, the teacher needs to redefine smartness by acknowledging and rewarding “good questions, making connections, representing ideas clearly, explaining logically, or extending an idea.” Lani shared a video of a group of students working on a math problem, and asked us our thoughts regarding each students level of participation. She also asked us to analyze the teachers interaction and prompted us for alternative responses. This analysis of the work done by each student debunked the conventional wisdom that non-participatory children are lazy, stupid or shy. I had learned as much from Lani Horn on this day as I did in our first encounter.
Due to another engagement, I had to fly home early from the conference so I did not get a chance to attend the last session on Friday or any on Saturday. I heard I missed some great stuff, which I don’t doubt. | 11,448 | 5,320 | 0.000192 |
warc | 201704 | May 6, 2014
TORONTO, ON – People who claim to see “Jesus in toast” may no longer be mocked in the future thanks to a new study by researchers at the University of Toronto and partner institutions in China.
Researchers have found that the phenomenon of “face pareidolia”-- where onlookers report seeing images of Jesus, Virgin Mary, or Elvis in objects such as toasts, shrouds, and clouds -- is normal and based on physical causes.
“Most people think you have to be mentally abnormal to see these types of images, so individuals reporting this phenomenon are often ridiculed”, says lead researcher Prof. Kang Lee of the University of Toronto’s Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study. “But our findings suggest that it’s common for people to see non-existent features because human brains are uniquely wired to recognize faces, so that even when there’s only a slight suggestion of facial features the brain automatically interprets it as a face,” said Lee.
Although this phenomenon has been known for centuries, little is understood about the underlying neural mechanisms that cause it. In the first study of its kind, researchers studied brain scans and behavioural responses to individuals seeing faces and letters in different patterns. They discovered face paredilia isn’t due to a brain anomaly or imagination but is caused by the combined work of the frontal cortex which helps generate expectations and sends signals to the posterior visual cortex to enhance the interpretation stimuli from the outside world.
Researchers also found that people can be led to see different images -- such as faces or words or letters -- depending on what they expect to see, which in turn activates specific parts of the brain that process such images. Seeing “Jesus in toast” reflects our brain’s normal functioning and the active role that the frontal cortex plays in visual perception. Instead of the phrase “seeing is believing” the results suggest that “believing is seeing.”
The research was undertaken by researchers from the University of Toronto, Beijing Jiaotong University, Xidian University, and the Institute of Automation Chinese Academy of Sciences. The findings were published in the journal
Cortex.
Online link to the study: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945214000288
-30-
For more information, contact:
Kang Lee Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto Cell: 647-606-6849 kang.lee@utoronto.ca Website: http://www.kangleelab.com Blog: http://blog.kangleelab.com Languages spoken: English, Mandarin
Dominic Ali
Media Relations University of Toronto Tel: 416-978-6974 d.ali@utoronto.ca | 2,793 | 1,428 | 0.000731 |
warc | 201704 | (HealthDay) -- For patients who undergo instrumented spinal fusion, the rates of infection are higher among those who receive posterior lumbar interbody fusion compared with those who receive posterior or posterolateral fusion, according to a study published online May 10 in the
Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
Dong Ki Ahn, M.D. of the Seoul Sacred Heart General Hospital in Korea, and associates conducted a retrospective analysis of 3,084 patients who had instrumental spinal fusion surgeries between 2000 and 2009. The difference in the rates and characteristics of surgical site infections were compared for patients who underwent posterior or posterolateral fusion (Group I; 974 patients) and those who underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (Group II; 2,110 patients).
The researchers observed a significant difference in the infection rate between groups I and II (0.3 versus 1.37 percent; P = 0.003). Of the infections in group I, 67 percent were wound infections and 33 percent were osteomyelitis. The infections in group II were mainly osteomyelitis (73 percent), with 23 percent wound infections and 4 percent osteomyelitis combined with wound infection. In the single cage group and mainly local bone grafted group, there was a significantly increased infection rate.
"The infection rate of posterior lumbar interbody fusion was higher than that of posterior or posterolateral fusion," the authors write.
Explore further: Study tests unilateral versus bilateral lumbar fusion More information: Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required) | 1,592 | 766 | 0.001314 |
warc | 201704 | Rashid, Abdul (2004):
Sectoral Linkages; Identifying the Key Growth Stimulating Sector of the Pakistan Economy. Published in: Pakistan Business Review , Vol. 6, No. 1 (15. April 2004): pp. 10-39.
PDF
MPRA_paper_27210.pdf
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Abstract
This paper investigates growth linkages among agriculture, industry and different segments of the service sector with a view to identifying the main growth stimulating sector with the highest level of backward and forward linkages in the economy. Time series data is used for the period 1971 to 2002. We estimate growth linkages through OLS regression analysis, also the Granger causality test is used to determine the direction of causality between growth of the different sectors of the economy for Pakistan. Our results suggest that the industrial sector plays an important role in determining the overall growth rate of the economy. The industrial GDP growth rate and service sector GDP growth rate both cause the growth rate of agricultural GDP. This verifies the neoclassical arguments that the higher productivity techniques in industry, (particularly in manufacturing) tend to spill over to agriculture, so encouraging convergent tendencies in sectoral productivity levels.
Item Type: MPRA Paper Original Title: Sectoral Linkages; Identifying the Key Growth Stimulating Sector of the Pakistan Economy English Title: Sectoral Linkages; Identifying the Key Growth Stimulating Sector of the Pakistan Economy Language: English Keywords: Growth; Sectoral Linkages; Pakistan Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O10 - General Item ID: 27210 Depositing User: Dr Abdul Rashid Date Deposited: 04. Dec 2010 20:30 Last Modified: 27. Apr 2015 06:21 References:
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URI: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/id/eprint/27210 | 7,816 | 3,638 | 0.000277 |
warc | 201704 | As ugly as this topic is…people need to know about it because silence and denial perpetuates these crimes.
Gregg Milligan’ mother began to fondle him when he was just four years-old and she began to aggressively sexually assault and beat him soon after. Gregg was sometimes beaten unconscious. Gregg’s father left him when Gregg was two and by the age of eight, Gregg was being sexually abused by men that his prostitute mother brought home to have sex with.
But like most victims, Gregg was too ashamed to reveal what was happening. Not only was he ashamed about being sexually violated but his mother created terrible guilt inside of Gregg by brutally beating him when she could not reach an orgasm while abusing him. Gregg says,
“Through her difficulty reaching climax, she would become frustrated and violent, hitting and punching and slapping not only my genitals, but my face and body.” This heinous act must have created terrible deep-seated guilt inside of Gregg.
What this woman did to her son is beyond the repair of superficial therapy and positive thinking therapy. For a mother to cause violence on the genitals of her son because
not only had to abuse a child for sexual stimulation, but that she could not orgasm, is a traumatic crime –one that probably affected Gregg in ways that we cannot imagine. she “One of the unspeakable secrets in the world of child sexual abuse is that mothers can be molesters. Often, they prey on daughters, but more frequently their sons — who report increased feelings of isolation and sexual confusion along with thoughts of suicide.”
Gregg says,
“Around 10 years old, I started to get this unbelievable feeling of dread that if I don’t get out I am going to die from the decadence, the debauchery, the forced molestations and the beatings that became more severe.” He also said that he suffered for months from “hysterical paralysis.” Gregg escaped at age eleven. Gregg is now forty-six years-old and both of his parents are dead, but this will probably haunt him for the rest of his life.
The Journal of Sex Research found that women, without male accomplices, sexually abuse male children fourteen percent of the time, and that they sexually abuse female children six percent of the time. I am certain that this percentage is an under-estimate. A more recent national survey indicates that around twelve percent of all child abuse cases are committed by women. This sounds more likely but it may even be higher because most victims of sexual abuse by their mothers remain silent about it forever.
Experts agree that sexual abuse by mothers is
“really hard to diagnose — most of the time it’s not witnessed.” Most children have normal physical examinations and any abrasions or redness from the abuse will disappear within 24 hours of the assault.
However, this does not mean that survivors do not suffer most, if not all, of their lives. Gregg Milligan says that he suffered from panic attacks and had wet the bed until he was sixteen years-old. He saw many different child psychologists and therapists. Gregg also endured several foster homes and sheltered himself at the homes of friends or with priests. Although he was able to finally go to college and attend graduate school, Gregg needs medication in order to sleep and continues to suffer from chronic nightmares and anxiety attacks.
Gregg also endured the tribulation of sexual dysfunction. Gregg has had problems with intimacy and his first marriage ended in divorce. He is currently working with a therapist, along with his second wife, in order to help him through his sexual dysfunction. Men who have been sexually abused by their mother will often suffer from sexual problems. Some are hypersexual or addicted to pornography. In Gregg’s case, he has to deal with the fact that he was also sexually abused by adult males. This, coupled with his mother’s abuse, can create severe sexual problems, confusing sexual thoughts, as well as sexual identity issues.
The article also mentions how boys and adult survivors like Gregg are often not believed by anyone in the family, by neighbors, or by society in general. This is why the vast majority of those who are sexually abused by their parent, or an adult of the same-sex, will never speak of it. Society must believe and need to hear the stories of people like Gregg.
I want to thank Gregg for being brave enough to tell his story. Many men and women out there, who have been sexually abused by their same-sex parent, are very grateful for his strength and courage.
To buy Gregg’s book,
A Beautiful World, click here
Source: ABC News | 4,718 | 2,224 | 0.000462 |
warc | 201704 | The SCADA system is the first line of defense for protection and oversight of any pipeline. Monitoring the various alarms and alerts in a pipeline operation’s SCADA system, however, can be like trying to drink from a fire hose. Thousands of alarm points throughout a system, all reporting 24/7, require a significant investment in alarm management, which has become the next area for major developments in SCADA design.
Outgrowing standard control room concept All SCADA systems are rule-based. When liquids in a tank reach a preset point, an alarm notification is triggered in the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) within the control room. All alarm levels – high, high-high, low, low-low – must be determined during set up and configuration of the installation system, along with desired actions (notification, control action or shut-in). This process is very time- consuming and never stops. Design conditions constantly change, as data points are added and alarms are adjusted, set and re-set.
That aggregated information is typically fed through trending tools to compare events to what occurred previously. This analysis provides the basis for making control decisions and dispatching personnel. All this information must be configured based on trending and reaction to alarm notification. Greater accuracy and greater scale within the system means more data points, more configuration and more monitoring are required in order to define the next step – as well as more alarms that must be investigated.
As a result, SCADA systems currently only tell the control room what has just occurred, rather than the conditions leading up to those events. An advance in alarm management can now close this gap. Rather than operating solely on events that have already transpired, this new approach moves decision-making closer to real-time by giving the control room the ability to recognize unexpected behaviors within data as they evolve. Solutions based on this technology extend data collection and rule-based alarm management so that control room operators can immediately identify data patterns that are different from what have previously been observed and make operational decisions based on that improved level of situational awareness.
Machine-learning and behavior recognition The answer to better alarm management comes through machine learning and behavioral recognition algorithms originally developed by BRS Labs for the video surveillance industry. GlobaLogix and BRS Labs have partnered to bring this technology to SCADA systems, allowing operators to know where they should direct their attention. In other words, the system itself gains the ability to identify areas within a very long pipeline which may not have triggered an alarm yet, but may be worth noting because an alarm may be coming.
The system works at a metadata level. When brought online, it immediately begins recognizing normal data patterns and outliers within unusual or abnormal data patterns. Since the system teaches itself to recognize these patterns, rules or complex custom programming are unnecessary. This enhanced level of insight gives operators a view of the pipeline that is very similar to a weather map, showing which trends are coming down the line to indicate events with the greatest nodal consequences.
The nodal aspect is significant in that this new system is quite similar to the best available leak detection technologies. It analyzes data from SCADA systems and, in turn, provides data back into those systems for displays in the SCADA control room without adding instrumentation. Instead, modifications occur in server racks and in development of additional screens that the control room can utilize to make the most sensible responses for specific operations.
Alarm notification improves through an overall system view that shows trends in abnormal behavior, which a user can investigate to identify where in the system these abnormal readings are occurring. Subsequently, these areas of concern are brought to the control room operator’s attention so that existing screens can be monitored to identify unusual events as they occur.
This heightened awareness is a major improvement over the current state of the art, for example, as used in a compressor station’s bank of compressors. When one of compressors experiences higher discharge pressure – or higher discharge temperatures – than others, it may have not reached a critical alarm point. However, unless the rule-based SCADA system is configured to alarm on multiple points of temperature, the operator would not know that its temperature was rising unless he is standing directly in front of the temperature indicator.
With this new tool providing a broader view of the entire system, the operator can see trends in abnormal behavior and decide what actions, if any, should be taken. The final decision is the operator’s, but more timely information should lead to better, timelier decisions.
Example in-progress: Arkansas pipeline system GlobaLogix has worked with BRS Labs to apply the behavioral recognition technology to data pulled from an existing gas gathering/gas delivery system in Arkansas, proving the ability to process very large data sets over long periods of time within the current SCADA system. Historical versus point-in-time comparisons have revealed insights that control room operators would have found very interesting and useful in a full-scale deployment.
A key element in this approach is that the in-progress evaluation is non-intrusive to existing systems – no new instrumentation or databases are required and there is little or no impact on normal operations. The application of the system in this case has proven itself to be intuitive, requiring no new training for an operator to be more effective in driving actions that could avoid major incidents, leaks and/or safety issues.
Multiple benefits The collective advantage of this approach should be greater success and efficiency of control room management (CRM), through strengthening operators’ ability to use data from their systems to anticipate problems instead of reacting after the fact. It will reduce negative impacts such as downtime through early intervention, deliver reduced costs by not requiring a major overhaul of a company’s SCADA system (as an add-on or modular approach) and provide these benefits without impacting existing systems.
Unlike a rule-based system requiring considerable upfront configuration and rules establishment, the artificial intelligence behind this machine-learning system can be installed and fully functional quickly and teaches itself to recognize unexpected activity without human intervention. Finally, the solution supplements the intuition and experience level of the control room operator while leaving experienced human operators firmly in control of actions and response.
A new paradigm Until now, there has been no development in alarm management in any SCADA product that makes use of machine learning or behavioral recognition technology. In effect, this solution adds as many eyes on events transpiring in an operation as there are data points.
A component using behavioral recognition improves situational awareness and supplements alarm management tools in most SCADA systems. The result is a new perspective on operations in the control room that reveals not just what happened, but what is happening right now.
Author Jim Fererro, with 35 years’ experience in natural gas production and gas compression, is Senior Vice President of Houston-based GlobaLogix (www.globlx.com). He can be reached at jim.fererro@globlx.com or 713-987-7634. | 7,723 | 3,374 | 0.0003 |
warc | 201704 | Now That’s an About Face!
It’s been almost two years now that 60 Minutes did a special on ethanol, in which Dan Rather was just bubbly with enthusiasm. He had as a guest Berkeley Professor Dan Kammen, who heads up Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL). (I frequently see visitors from RAEL showing up on my site meter). Anyway, Professor Kammen talked up the virtues of ethanol with Dan Rather, and also spoke very positively on ethanol in this article:
Boy, that takes me back. You have to love the appeal to authority:
Knowledgeable venture capitalists already are putting money behind ethanol and cellulosic technology, as witnessed by recent investments by Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates and strong interest by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla.
How did those investments pan out, fellows? Oh, yeah. But I digress. A couple of Professor Kammen’s Berkeley colleagues, Alex Farrell and Michael O’Hare, also featured in the above report. Well, it seems that they have all gotten religion, as evidenced by a story in today’s WSJ Energy Roundup:
Academics tasked with plotting California’s transition to a low-carbon fuel have delivered more bad news:
Ethanol appears to come with a higher greenhouse-gas price tag than previously thought — higher, indeed, than fossil fuel.
The University of California at Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center told the California Air Resources Board that ethanol could be twice as bad as gasoline, from a carbon-emissions point of view. How? Basically by turning land now covered with trees, grass, and other natural “carbon sinks” into farmland for corn and other crops used for ethanol.
“Simply said, ethanol production today using U.S. corn contributes to the conversion of grasslands and rainforest to agriculture, causing very large GHG emissions,” wrote Berkeley profs Alex Farrell and Michael O’Hare in a January 12 memo to California regulators. “Even if only a small fraction of the emissions calculated in this crude way [through land use change] are added to estimates of direct emissions for corn ethanol,
total emissions for corn ethanol are higher than for fossil fuels.”
Professor Kammen is listed as a co-author on the report, which appears to be an enormous position shift for him. Maybe his Berkeley colleague Tad Patzek finally showed him the light. Or maybe those many visits they made here slowly won them over.
🙂
Of course you had to know that some would immediately reach for the
ad hom:
I would like to know who are backers of The University of California at Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center? Exxon, Shell and Chevron?
Ah, yes. Good times. On the scientific front, this battle is being won. If we could only start convincing those darn lawmakers.
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warc | 201704 | Do you have a $2 bill in your wallet? Apparently quite a few people do and many have family history or personal stories attached.
Christopher Noe, a senior lecturer at the Sloan School of Management, regularly pulls his handy $2 bill from his wallet, a prop he has used for many years to illustrate the concept of fair value accounting. When he pulled that bill out a couple of years ago, he found that a dozen students in his course also had $2 bills with them.
Erik Mintz MBA ’13, who was inspired to further research the $2 bill after taking Noe’s class as part of his MIT Executive MBA program, is helping to promote the film.
Mintz, who also collects $2 bills, was intrigued that day and spent a year researching the currency, according to a Sloan article. He wrote his own article that piqued Bennardo’s interest and led to Mintz’s role in the documentary. Now an associate producer of the film, Mintz introduced Bennardo and Noe. “It’s somewhat surreal,” Mintz said. “I got deeply involved in the movie.” Learn about Mintz’s survey of $2 bill owners.
In 2014, Bennardo filmed Noe giving his lecture where he asks what the $2 bill is worth. It’s a topic that always results in an interesting class debate, Noe said. Typically, a student might answer—correctly—that the bill is worth $2. Noe will agree, but points out that his 1976 bill is nearly 40 years old.
Although Noe’s 40-year-old bill is, of course, worth $2 in cash—it’s worth more as a collectable—$8 in fact.
So what is the value of a $2 bill? There is no simple answer, Noe says, but it illustrates the distinction between historical cost ($2) and fair value accounting ($8). | 1,736 | 923 | 0.001145 |
warc | 201704 | There’s a quote that goes something like this:
In the new book “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” SHiFT: Harness the Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers, Craig Elias and Tibor Shanto will show you how to focus on your timing when you prepare to sell. This is not a new concept – but it has never been presented in such a way that a sales professional or business owner can grasp and implement almost immediately. How I Got to This Book
Maybe the best way to explain how
SHiFT will teach you to use “timing” to get to your prospect at the precise moment that they’re about to buy what you’re selling, is to tell you how I came to know Craig Elias and get this book.
I was in a conversation about strategic ways to use LinkedIn that people hadn’t quite caught on to yet when I heard about Craig Elias and his books
SHiFT. I immediately went to Google and typed in the words “Trigger Events” and “Craig Elias” and came upon a LinkedIn Group. I’d say no more than 15 minutes after I clicked on the LinkedIn Group, my phone rang. It was Craig Elias (@CraigElias on Twitter)! Talk about timing.
When I asked him how it was that he called at that very moment, he mentioned that he had received a ping about my joining the group. He quickly reviewed my LinkedIn profile and decided that I was worth contacting directly. That is the power of trigger events at work.
What’s a Trigger Event, and How Can It Help You Be the Ideal Choice?
A trigger event is the moment when you are no longer just thinking or wishing or searching for a solution. It’s the precise moment when you are motivated to find and purchase a solution to your problem. Imagine wanting to upgrade your computer, but not doing anything, and then having it crash so you
have to buy a new one. Of course, most trigger events aren’t that obvious or immediate. But they are just as powerful. Understanding what triggers a prospect to buy, who they choose to buy from and why is what you’ll learn in SHiFT. A Magical Map to When Your Prospects Need You Most
The book starts with understanding the sales and marketing process
instead of your own. Here’s a closer look: from the buyer’s perspective The Status Quo:If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Your prospects live in this space most of the time. They might have thought about making a change, but any proposed benefit clearly isn’t worth the effort or the risk. Window of Dissatisfaction:Suddenly, the status quo isn’t quite good enough. “ This is the sweet spot for any seller, because it’s at this perfect point that the buyer is most likely to put a higher value on your offer if it shows up on time. The Window of Dissatisfaction occurs AFTER the prospect has experienced a trigger event, and decides that what he or she currently has is no longer good enough, but before they’ve decided to actually do anything about it.” Searching for Alternatives:If no one has approached the buyer during the window of satisfaction, they go on the hunt for an alternative–and their perception of value suddenly shifts into judging mode. That means that it’s just about too late to woo them to your offer. SHiFT: Your Portable Trigger Event Coach SHiFT is not a complicated book. The buying cycle I described above is all there is to learn. This concept is introduced in the beginning; then each chapter gives you tools and insights to help you create your own sales and marketing system that grabs prospects at the very moment they are ready to choose you.
The beginning of each chapter starts with the heading,
and each chapter ends with a summary and a series of action steps for you to take. I could tell that it was written by sales experts because it took into account the fact that most of us want to get to the point and put it into action. “If you don’t read this chapter you will miss out on the following,” SHiFT Will Increase Your Bottom Line
If getting and keeping customers is part of your marketing plan, than
SHiFT is the book for you. SHiFT will make you look like a mind reader because you’ll learn how to track and identify the trigger events that cause your ideal customer to start looking for new solutions. And that’s when you will appear with the perfect solution. | 4,399 | 2,106 | 0.000497 |
warc | 201704 | Littering
Under Western Australia's
Litter Act 1979, littering is illegal. Some of the more common offences and penalties under the Litter Act are: Breaking of glass: $500 for an individual, $2,000 for a Body Corporate or court action Bill posting and particularly bill posting on vehicles: $200 for an individual, $500 for a Body Corporate or court action Depositing domestic or commercial waste in public litter receptacle: $200 for an individual, $500 for a Body Corporate or court action Cigarette butt disposal: $200 or court action Transporting load inadequately secured: $200 or court action.
The most common offence is that of general littering. This can be as a simple as discarding a piece of paper or cigarette butt. Discarding biodegradable matter such as apple cores and other fruit is also classified as littering. If your lawn mowing contractor deposits your lawn clippings onto a vacant block of the land next door, or on the road reserve opposite, they are also committing a littering offence. The act of dumping or abandoning a disused vehicle on the road, verge or a reserve is also littering.
The City’s rangers are authorised to issue littering fines when appropriate. Littering offences can also be reported to the Keep Australia Beautiful Council
If you spot litter or illegally dumped waste, please Report It. | 1,345 | 674 | 0.001497 |
warc | 201704 | October 24, 2012, 10:07 am
Tata Motors, a major automaker in India, recently announced plans to bring its Nano mini-car to the United States within three years. The Nano is smaller than a BMW Mini Cooper coupe but being laid out as a four-door — with a short but very tall profile — can realistically accommodate four adults, which cars like the two-door, four seat Mini (and Fiat 500 and Scion iQ) can only do unrealistically — and two seaters like the Smart car can’t do under any circumstances.
The Nano would thus be the first micro-
sedan sold in the U.S. And thus, the first potentially family-viable/primary car micro car sold in the U.S.
In India, the Nano sells new for the equivalent of $2,500 U.S. dollars — a fraction of the cost of the least expensive new car you can currently purchase in America, the Nissan Versa 1.6 sedan — which lists for $10,990.
But, there’s a catch.
The Nano as currently constituted for sale in India will never pass muster with
Uncle — whose demands that new cars be made “safe” (according to its Rube Goldberg definitions) as well as “emissions-compliant” (even though the emissions output of any car equipped with a catalytic converter and fuel injection system — which means almost every vehicle built since the late 1980s, including the Tata — is negligible) will make it impossible to get the $2,500 Nano here.
Instead, we’ll get a Nano that’s priced closer to the Versa’s $10k MSRP.
If we’re lucky.
Tata’s founder Ratan Tata told
Automotive News as much, hinting at a production car MSRP of around $8,000 or so.
Which is probably optimistic given not just Uncle but also
inflation. The purchasing power of Fed Funny Money is depreciating at a rate of about 6 percent per annum, if you run the numbers honestly (something neither the Fed nor Uncle ever does). That means in three years’ time, a Nano that might sell for $8,000 in Fed Funny Money today will require at least $1,440 more (that’s not compounded — and assumes inflation remains “stable” at 6 percent annually).
That puts us right close to $10k —
before Tata tallies the tab of complying with Uncle’s demands.
The Nano will probably require at least four air bags — and probably six, given it is a very small car and therefore inherently less crashworthy than a larger, more substantial car. (The Scion iQ — reviewed by me here — has no less than
11 air bags.) The car’s body itself will likely have to be changed up in order to comply with the various bumper impact, side impact and roof crush/rollover requirements set forth by Uncle. Plus back-up cameras and probably auto-start, too. All these things will make the U.S.-spec Nano heavier, less efficient and more expensive. It will be nothing less than a miracle if the car can even be made to comply with the sheaves of ukases without Tata having to design and build an entirely new car.
That goes for “emissions,” double-plus good.
I’ve written before about the diminishing returns on that front. Most people outside the car business have no idea how little progress has been made since the late 1980s — because most of the progress was made around that time and since then, the automakers have been chasing literally fractional decreases in tailpipe emissions. When you hear or read about a proposed “10 percent” reduction in the emissions output of new cars, you ought to read the fine print — which of course is never published. The fine print is that the reduction won’t be 10 percent of 100 percent.
It will be 10 percent of the 3-5 percent of the exhaust stream that isn’t either carbon dioxide or water vapor. Everything else has already been chemically scrubbed by the catalytic converter. An ideal air-fuel ratio is perpetually maintained by a modern car’s fuel injection system. Genuinely harmful pollutants — the stuff that forms smog — are virtually nil. Have been nil for decades.
But Uncle can’t admit this — because to do that would mean no more justification for
new ukases.
So, even if the Nano is — like any modern car fitted with a catalytic converter, 02 sensor, and fuel injection — already 90-95 percent “clean” at the tailpipe, that will not be sufficient. It will have to be 96-98 percent clean, as is required of current (and soon to be here) cars — no matter the cost (to consumers).
Just the other day, I was over at my friend Graves’ place. He has a ’63 Buick Special sedan. In its day, this was a modestly priced, middle-of-the-road car. But it had a V-8 engine and a spacious, open-feeling cabin. And even though it only had a two speed automatic, it still could return 20-something MPGs on the highway — because it only weighed about 2,800 lbs (a current mid-sized car typically weighs closer to 3,800 lbs.) And it only weighed about 2,800 lbs. because it did not have to comply with the “safety” ukases in effect today.
And it only
cost $2,600 (base price) back in 1963 because it didn’t have to have air bags, or back-up cameras, or auto-stop. $2,600 is equivalent, in today’s Fed Funny Money, to about $19,662 (see here if you don’t believe me). To put a finer point on it, back in ’63, an American could buy a V-8, rear-drive sedan for about the same money you’d have to spend today to get into a decently equipped four-cylinder powered FWD compact.
Because the Buick did not have “value added” by Uncle.
Just wait till he gets through with the Nano… or anyone else who dares to produce a basic, affordable new car.
END | 5,758 | 2,768 | 0.000384 |
warc | 201704 | Protection has always been big business and when it comes to computer security we're talking about a multi-billlion-gazillion £$€ industry. According to a report circulated in 2006, the yearly cost of malware attacks was close to $13bn. With so much information now being transferred directly across the net, security and prevention from attacks is now more important than ever. Malware is a continually evolving, that's why companies like Kaspersky have to continually analyse and redesign their malicious software detection tools. Like the guy in the video says - malware was once detected by tracking specific signatures, but as malware evolves tracking signatures is no longer enough. Malicious software often involves some sort of intrusion followed by a hook, designed to extract money or details from the infected PC. This usually involves the insertion of a piece of malware, which represents itself as a virus or a piece of virus detection software. The user is then prompted to remove this offending article by purchasing a specific programme - it's a classic bait and switch technique. Most major banks now offer a variety of online banking packages - these types of profiles are often targetted by malicious programmes, such as malware and trojan viruses. There are a number of ways to ensure your safety whilst shopping or interacting online. Security methods include spedically designed card readers, anti virus protection, email phishing filters and several common-sense steps, such as scanning email attachments and limiting the amount of sensitive data you release online. | 1,601 | 863 | 0.001167 |
warc | 201704 | Here is what I came up with for grading my probability and statistics course. First, I came up with standards my students should know:
“Interpreting” standards (these correspond to expectations for a student who will earn a C for the course.
Means, Medians, and Such Standard Deviation z-scores Correlation vs. Causation and Study Types Linear Regression and Correlation Simple Probability Confidence Intervals p-values Statistical Significance
“Creating” standards (these correspond to a “B” grade):
Means, Medians, and Standard Deviations Probability Probability Probability Confidence Intervals z-scores, t-scores, and p-values z-scores, t-scores, and p-values
(I repeat some standards to give them higher weight).
Finally, I have “Advanced” standards (these correspond to an “A” grade):
Sign Test Chi-Square Test
Here is how the grading works: students take quizzes. Each quiz question is tied to a standard. Here are examples of some quiz questions:
(Interpreting: Means, Medians, and Such) Suppose the mean salary at a company is $50,000 with a standard deviation of $8,000, and the median salary is $42,000. Suppose everyone gets a raise of $3,000. What is the best answer to the following question: what is the new mean salary at the company?
(Interpreting: Standard Deviation) Pick four whole numbers from 1, . . . , 9 such that the standard deviation is as large as possible (you are allowed to repeat numbers).
(Creating: Means, Medians, and Standard Deviations) Find the mean, median, and standard
deviation of the data set below. It must be clear how you arrived at the answer (i.e. reading the answer off of the calculator is not sufficient). Here are the numbers: 48, 51, 37, 23, 49.
Advanced standard questions will look similar to Creating questions.
At the end of the semester, for each standard, I count how many questions the students gets
completely correct in each standard. If the number is at least 3 (for Creating and Advanced) or at least 4 (for Interpreting), the student is said to have “completed” that standard (the student may opt to stop doing those quiz questions once the student has “completed” the standard).
If a student has “completed” every standard within the Interpreting standards, we say the student has “completed” the Interpreting standards. Similarly with Creating and Advanced.
Here are the grading guidelines (an “AB” is our grade that is between an A and a B):
-A student gets at least a C for a semester grade if and only if the student “completes” the Interpreting standards and gets at least a CD on the final exam.
-A student gets at least a B for the semester grade if and only if the student “completes” the Interpreting and Creating standards and gets at least a BC on the final exam. -A student gets an A for the semester grade if and only if the student “completes” all of the standards, gets at least an AB on the final exam, and completes a project.
The project will be to do some experiment or observational study that uses a z-test, t-test, chi-square test, or sign test. It can be on any topic they want, and they can choose to collect data or use existing data. The students will have a poster presentation at my school’s Scholarship and Creativity Day.
I would appreciate any feedback that you have, although we are 1.5 weeks into the semester, so I am unlikely to incorporate it. | 3,503 | 1,432 | 0.000731 |
warc | 201704 | Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Tian, Yuying Author's Email Address ytian@vt.edu URN etd-08072000-15210034 Title The use of transgenic tobacco as a production and delivery system for a vaccine against hemorrhagic enteritis virus of turkeys. Degree Master of Science Department Veterinary Medical Sciences Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Boyle, Stephen M. Committee Chair Cramer, Carole L. Committee Co-Chair Pierson, Frank William Committee Member Keywords Tobacco Hemorrhagic Enteritis Turkey Transgenic Vaccine Date of Defense 2000-07-21 Availability unrestricted AbstractHemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) causes an acute viral disease in turkeys characterized by bloody diarrhea and death. Current live HEV virus vaccines are immunosuppressive and predispose turkeys to secondary bacterial infections. Data indicates that the capsid proteins (fiber, penton base, hexon) of HEV are capable of stimulating protective antibodies against an HEV challenge.
Using tobacco as a model, we sought to determine if a plant could be used to synthesize the HEV fiber protein and produce sufficient antigen to stimulate protective antibodies. To introduce the fiber gene into plants, the coding region of the HEV fiber gene was fused to either a constitutive plant promoter (35S) or a wound inducible promoter (hmg2) on plasmids adapted for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Approximately sixty transgenic plants of each construct were generated and determined to contain the HEV fiber gene based on amplification of specific HEV DNA sequences by the polymerase chain reaction. Plants were screened by Northern dot blot to identify lines expressing high levels of fiber mRNA. Expression of fiber protein was observed in selected lines of transgenic tobacco by Western blot analysis using turkey anti - HEV serum. The accumulation of fiber protein in leaves of tobacco transformants was quantified by Sandwich ELISA. Fiber protein from these plants has undergoing large - scale purification and concentration for a turkey immunization trials to determine if plant expressed fiber antigen is capable of inducing protective antibodies against HEV in turkeys.
Files
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds) 28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access PART1.PDF 17.52 Kb 00:00:04 00:00:02 00:00:02 00:00:01 < 00:00:01 part2.pdf 411.93 Kb 00:01:54 00:00:58 00:00:51 00:00:25 00:00:02
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA. | 2,504 | 1,329 | 0.000755 |
warc | 201704 | Artist Quotes (31 quotes)
Jobs:I look at myself as an artist if anything. Sort of a trapeze artist. Levy:With or without a net? Jobs:Without. There is no such thing as a Scientific Mind.Scientists are people of very dissimilar temperaments doing different things in very different ways. Among scientists are collectors, classifiers, and compulsive tidiers-up; many are detectives by temperament and many are explorers; some are artists and others artisans. There are poet-scientists and philosopher-scientists and even a few mystics.
A grove of giant redwoods or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great or beautiful cathedral. The extermination of the passenger pigeon meant that mankind was just so much poorer; exactly as in the case of the destruction of the cathedral at Rheims. And to lose the chance to see frigate-birds soaring in circles above the storm, or a file of pelicans winging their way homeward across the crimson afterglow of the sunset, or a myriad terns flashing in the bright light of midday as they hover in a shifting maze above the beach—why, the loss is like the loss of a gallery of the masterpieces of the artists of old time.
All great scientists have, in a certain sense, been great artists; the man with no imagination may collect facts, but he cannot make great discoveries.
Any artist or novelist would understand—some of us do not produce their best when directed. We expect the artist, the novelist and the composer to lead solitary lives, often working at home. While a few of these creative individuals exist in institutions or universities, the idea of a majority of established novelists or painters working at the “National Institute for Painting and Fine Art” or a university “Department of Creative Composition” seems mildly amusing. By contrast, alarm greets the idea of a creative scientist working at home. A lone scientist is as unusual as a solitary termite and regarded as irresponsible or worse.
Anyone who can leave the Yucatán with indifference has never been an artist and will never be a scholar.
Architecture is of all the arts the one nearest to a science, for every architectural design is at its inception dominated by scientific considerations. The inexorable laws of gravitation and of statics must be obeyed by even the most imaginative artist in building.
Artists are the antennae of the race.
As we cannot use physician for a cultivator of physics, I have called him a physicist. We need very much a name to describe a cultivator of science in general. I should incline to call him a Scientist. Thus we might say, that as an Artist is a Musician, Painter or Poet, a Scientist is a Mathematician, Physicist, or Naturalist.
Don't make me out to be an artist. I am an engineer. I am after the facts, only the facts.
He that knows the secrets of nature with Albertus Magnus, or the motions of the heavens with Galileo, or the cosmography of the moon with Hevelius, or the body of man with Galen, or the nature of diseases with Hippocrates, or the harmonies in melody with Orpheus, or of poesy with Homer, or of grammar with Lilly, or of whatever else with the greatest artist; he is nothing if he knows them merely for talk or idle speculation, or transient and external use. But he that knows them for value, and knows them his own, shall profit infinitely.
How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection. An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step by step, and needs no imagination. That is all wrong. The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers.
In assessing Audubon, whose firm grip on the popular imagination has scarcely lessened since 1826, we must as historians of science seriously ask who would remember him if he had not been an artist of great imagination and flair. ... The chances seem to be very poor that had he not been an artist, he would be an unlikely candidate for a dictionary of scientific biography, if remembered to science at all.
It seems to be considered as a common right to all poets and artists, to live only in the world of their own thoughts, and to be quite unfitted for the world which other men inhabit.
Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that the danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.
No nation can be really great unless it is great in peace, in industry, integrity, honesty. Skilled intelligence in civic affairs and industrial enterprises alike; the special ability of the artist, the man of letters, the man of science, and the man of business; the rigid determination to wrong no man, and to stand for righteousness—all these are necessary in a great nation.
Not since the Lord himself showed his stuff to Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones had anyone shown such grace and skill in the reconstruction of animals from disarticulated skeletons. Charles R. Knight, the most celebrated of artists in the reanimation of fossils, painted all the canonical figures of dinosaurs that fire our fear and imagination to this day.
Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars—mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is “mere.” I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination—stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-million-year-old light. A vast pattern—of which I am a part. … What is the pattern, or the meaning, or the “why?” It does not do harm to the mystery to know a little about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined it. Why do the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?
Science is feasible when the variables are few and can be enumerated; when their combinations are distinct and clear. We are tending toward the condition of science and aspiring to do it. The artist works out his own formulas; the interest of science lies in the art of making science.
The artist does not illustrate science; … [but] he frequently responds to the same interests that a scientist does, and expresses by a visual synthesis what the scientist converts into analytical formulae or experimental demonstrations.
The books of the great scientists are gathering dust on the shelves of learned libraries. ... While the artist's communication is linked forever with its original form, that of the scientist is modified, amplified, fused with the ideas and results of others and melts into the stream of knowledge and ideas which forms our culture. The scientist has in common with the artist only this: that he can find no better retreat from the world than his work and also no stronger link with the world than his work.
The discoveries of science, the works of art are explorations—more, are explosions, of a hidden likeness. The discoverer or artist presents in them two aspects of nature and fuses them into one. This is the act of creation, in which an original thought is born, and it is the same act in original science and original art.
The efforts of most human-beings are consumed in the struggle for their daily bread, but most of those who are, either through fortune or some special gift, relieved of this struggle are largely absorbed in further improving their worldly lot. Beneath the effort directed toward the accumulation of worldly goods lies all too frequently the illusion that this is the most substantial and desirable end to be achieved; but there is, fortunately, a minority composed of those who recognize early in their lives that the most beautiful and satisfying experiences open to humankind are not derived from the outside, but are bound up with the development of the individual's own feeling, thinking and acting. The genuine artists, investigators and thinkers have always been persons of this kind. However inconspicuously the life of these individuals runs its course, none the less the fruits of their endeavors are the most valuable contributions which one generation can make to its successors.
The great men of science are supreme artists.
The lives of scientists, considered as Lives, almost always make dull reading. For one thing, the careers of the famous and the merely ordinary fall into much the same pattern, give or take an honorary degree or two, or (in European countries) an honorific order. It could be hardly otherwise. Academics can only seldom lead lives that are spacious or exciting in a worldly sense. They need laboratories or libraries and the company of other academics. Their work is in no way made deeper or more cogent by privation, distress or worldly buffetings. Their private lives may be unhappy, strangely mixed up or comic, but not in ways that tell us anything special about the nature or direction of their work. Academics lie outside the devastation area of the literary convention according to which the lives of artists and men of letters are intrinsically interesting, a source of cultural insight in themselves. If a scientist were to cut his ear off, no one would take it as evidence of a heightened sensibility; if a historian were to fail (as Ruskin did) to consummate his marriage, we should not suppose that our understanding of historical scholarship had somehow been enriched.
The new painters do not propose, any more than did their predecessors, to be geometers. But it may be said that geometry is to the plastic arts what grammar is to the art of the writer. Today, scholars no longer limit themselves to the three dimensions of Euclid. The painters have been lead quite naturally, one might say by intuition, to preoccupy themselves with the new possibilities of spatial measurement which, in the language of the modern studios, are designated by the term fourth dimension.
The significance of a fact is relative to [the general body of scientific] knowledge. To say that a fact is significant in science, is to say that it helps to establish or refute some general law; for science, though it starts from observation of the particular, is not concerned essentially with the particular, but with the general. A fact, in science, is not a mere fact, but an instance. In this the scientist differs from the artist, who, if he deigns to notice facts at all, is likely to notice them in all their particularity.
The tendency of the sciences has long been an increasing proclivity of separation and dismemberment … The mathematician turns away from the chemist; the chemist from the naturalist; the mathematician, left to himself divides himself into a pure mathematician and a mixed mathematician, who soon part company … And thus science, even mere physical science, loses all traces of unity. A curious illustration of this result may be observed in the want of any name by which we can designate the students of the knowledge of the material world collectively. We are informed that this difficulty was felt very oppressively by the members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at their meetings at York, Oxford and Cambridge, in the last three summers. There was no general term by which these gentlemen could describe themselves with reference to their pursuits … some ingenious gentleman [William Whewell] proposed that, by analogy with artist, they might form Scientist, and added that there could be no scruple … when we have words such as sciolist, economist, and atheist—but this was not generally palatable.
There is a great deal of emotional satisfaction in the elegant demonstration, in the elegant ordering of facts into theories, and in the still more satisfactory, still more emotionally exciting discovery that the theory is not quite right and has to be worked over again, very much as any other work of art—a painting, a sculpture has to be worked over in the interests of aesthetic perfection. So there is no scientist who is not to some extent worthy of being described as artist or poet.
There is an influence which is getting strong and stronger day by day, which shows itself more and more in all departments of human activity, and influence most fruitful and beneficial—the influence of the artist. It was a happy day for the mass of humanity when the artist felt the desire of becoming a physician, an electrician, an engineer or mechanician or—whatnot—a mathematician or a financier; for it was he who wrought all these wonders and grandeur we are witnessing. It was he who abolished that small, pedantic, narrow-grooved school teaching which made of an aspiring student a galley-slave, and he who allowed freedom in the choice of subject of study according to one's pleasure and inclination, and so facilitated development.
[An artist] will sooner and with more certainty, establish the character of skeletons, than the most learned anatomist, whose eye has not been accustomed to seize on every peculiarity.
Asserting his (incorrect) belief that the fossil teeth of the mastodon revealed it was a carnivorous animal.] | 13,669 | 6,214 | 0.000163 |
warc | 201704 | The more likely it becomes that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) will run for president in 2016, the more awful things about his past come out. In 1997, when Walker was a Wisconsin state representative, he supported a bill that would allow pro-life doctors to lie to pregnant women about whether her unborn child would be born with disabilities, reported
ThinkProgress.
The bill, AB 538, was a tactic conceived by Walker and supported by Wisconsin’s pro-life Republicans in an attempt to snuff abortion. Wisconsin Republicans thought that if a pregnant woman learned that her child would be born with a disability, she couldn’t be trusted not to get an abortion.
The easiest answer for Republicans was to pass a law that violates standard medical ethics.
ThinkProgress reported that in 1997, “if a healthcare provider withheld information about a fetal disability while abortion was still an available option, they could be liable for the child’s future medical expenses.” That’s a pretty reasonable law, but Walker sought to change that.
Thankfully, AB 538 was killed in the state legislature and didn’t even receive a floor vote. It turns out that Walker was tampering with some serious ethical ground and went too far. Three years later, Walker resurrected the bill under the title AB 360. However, that bill was also killed by the state legislature.
Walker has tried to make the anti-abortion fight his life’s work. He’s introduced several pro-life bills to the Wisconsin state legislature over the course of his nine-year tenure as a state representative. These attempts failed.
Walker has the backing of the Koch brothers, should he run for president in 2016. Walker would be a dangerous and terrifying president if elected. It’s almost certain he won’t, however. But he is the enemy, and would create an evangelical government if he had the chance. | 1,918 | 952 | 0.001087 |
warc | 201704 | President's Commentary (Summer 2004)
By Jim Nelson
Announcer, Vol. 34, Iss. 2
As a high school teacher, I have been interested in developing a model for the “Ideal Physics Lesson” (IPL). I hope you will allow me the same degree of latitude that might be afforded during a discussion of the Ideal Gas Law. We know that this Law is only a model that describes the properties of a real gas; nonetheless it is useful to help develop an understanding of those properties. Likewise the IPL is a useful guide as I think about my teaching. The IPL has at least three components: content, application, and process.
Content represents the first IPL component. It is important for students to acquire content as a result of studying physics. For example, when studying the refraction of light I hope my students learn about Snell’s law of refraction, the meaning of relative and absolute indexes of the refraction, as well as how different shapes of materials can be used to focus and control the path followed by light rays.
For every lesson, I remind myself—and point out to my students—the content component. Knowing content adds to the background knowledge for the individual. It makes additional learning easier since one has more “hooks” on which to attach future learning.
In my third year of teaching, I began using the then new PSSC
My first inclination that there was more developed as a result of teaching the Project Physics
As I continued to mature as a teacher, application and process began to become more important to my IPL model. Application was the second component to make it into my IPL model. In addition to learning content, I wanted my students to learn how this content knowledge is used to help humans solve practical problems, advance science, and make human life better.
The “Man
Process was the last component to be added to my IPL model, but I now believe it is the most important. I find myself saying, “At the high school level, it is less important what the students learn than it is how the students learn.” It is important for my students to have an opportunity to play the role of junior scientists and to experience how a scientist makes sense of the world.
During the study of refraction, students should have an opportunity to observe and measure the behavior of light as it passes from one transparent medium into another. These measurements need to be organized and analyzed to investigate the underlying general principles involved in refraction. This may include doing laboratory activities, working collaboratively in groups, wrestling with problems, and then evaluating whether the solutions seem reasonable.
Because this component takes time to develop, I must continuously remind myself what it was like for me to learn when I was a student. The following quote by Thomas Young helps: “The most difficult thing for a teacher is to recollect how much it cost himself to learn, and to accommodate his instruction to the apprehension of the uninformed.”
In the long run this may be the most important IPL component. Here is where we help the student become the knowledgeable skeptic that is so important for a member of a democracy. Permit me another quote by Thomas Jefferson, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
More components may be added as the IPL model continues to mature. Today we are finding more students taking high school physics than ever before, and AAPT members are continually searching for ways to best meet their needs.
Three overlapping circles labeled content, application, and process can be used to represent the IPL. At the start of each day, as I think about my teaching, I aim for the region of overlap. I use it to evaluate myself as I reflect on my teaching at the end of the day. I have difficulty reaching the ideal, and many days I fall short, but having an ideal in mind clearly helps me do my best. | 4,035 | 1,903 | 0.000537 |
warc | 201704 | Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram Alternate Names PTCA transhepatic cholangiogram Definition
A percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA), is a special X-ray test used to look at the bile ducts. The bile ducts allow the liver and gallbladder to secrete digestive fluid into the intestines. The pancreatic duct can also be seen and evaluated for disease.
Who is a candidate for the test?
A PTCA is usually ordered when a healthcare professional suspects a condition that affects the bile ducts, such as biliary obstruction, or blockage.
How is the test performed?
An intravenous line (IV) is usually placed into a vein in the arm before the procedure. Antibiotics, sedatives, and pain medications may be given through the IV. The examiner will then clean the skin over the liver, and inject a local anesthetic into the skin to numb it.
A thin needle is then inserted into the liver. The examiner watches the needle with a special X-ray machine. Small amounts of a contrast agent are injected through the needle. A special catheter is inserted into the liver once the needle is in the right spot. More contrast agent is then injected to highlight the bile and pancreatic ducts. X-ray pictures are taken of the bile ducts while they are filled with the contrast agent.
If a blockage is seen, a special tube known as a stent may be inserted to bypass the blockage. If the blockage cannot be opened with a stent, the provider may leave a small drain tube in the ducts to drain bile to a bag outside the body. When the test is over, the person goes to a recovery area until the sedative wears off. The person may be allowed to go home later the same day if he or she is otherwise well.
What is involved in preparation for the test?
A woman who knows or suspects that she is pregnant should tell the healthcare professional because this test can expose the unborn child to radiation. Any allergies to iodine should be mentioned, since the contrast agent is iodine based. Nothing should be taken in by mouth for 8 hours before the test. The healthcare professional will let the person know if other preparations are needed.
What do the test results mean?
A PTCA may reveal a blockage, known as a
biliary obstruction, or other abnormality in the ducts. A blockage could be due to a gallstone, inflammation, or a tumor. Sources
"Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease", 1998, Sleisenger et al. | 2,446 | 1,154 | 0.000873 |
warc | 201704 | After 20 years of steady successes, the checkoff is now facing a worldwide demand that requires a 50 percent increase in protein by 2030. We must continue striving for even greater yields to meet this growing demand while differentiating our U.S. soy products and services in the global marketplace.
What is the soybean checkoff? Like producers of other commodities, such as beef, dairy and eggs, soybean farmers collectively invest a portion of their product revenue to fund research and promotion efforts. This collective investment is called a checkoff. How does the soybean checkoff work? The soybean checkoff is supported entirely by soybean farmers with individual contributions of 0.5 percent of the market price per bushel sold each season. The efforts of the checkoff are directed by the United Soybean Board, composed of 69 volunteer farmer-leaders often nominated by their state-level checkoff organizations, called Qualified State Soybean Boards (QSSBs). The nominees are appointed to the board by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. How does the soybean checkoff support individual farmers? Success for soybean farmers in today’s market takes more than just a good harvest. Increasing demand for soybeans is an essential part of the equation. The soybean checkoff helps facilitate market growth and creation by funding and directing marketing, research and commercialization programs. By building demand both at home and abroad, the soybean checkoff helps ensure a strong and profitable future for U.S. soybean farmers. What’s the difference between the United Soybean Board and the American Soybean Association? The United Soybean Board (USB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) are two different organizations with one focus: the success of U.S. soybean farmers. Both groups serve this purpose in different ways. Whereas USB administers soybean checkoff activities focusing on research and market development and expansion, ASA focuses on state and national policy issues, which, by law, the checkoff can’t. Core Value: The board, with honesty and integrity, collectively and individually, is committed to working within the letter and spirit of applicable law and regulation to achieve maximum value for each soybean farmer’s checkoff dollar. Mission: Effectively invest and leverage soybean checkoff resources to maximize profit opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers. Vision: U.S. soybeans will be the leader of the global oilseed industry. Strategy: Create and maintain partnerships that differentiate and increase the utilization of U.S. soy in a changing global market. Strategic Objectives Meal:Increase the value of U.S. soybean meal to the entire value chain. Oil:Increase the value of U.S. soy oil to the entire value chain. Freedom to Operate:Ensure that our industry and its customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate. Customer Focus:Meet our customers’ needs with quality soy products and services to enhance and expand our markets. Priority Issues Protect and support the U.S. animal agriculture industry. Investment in transportation infrastructure.
United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization
To increase profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers, the soy checkoff is dedicated to building preference for U.S. soy. To do this, it’s addressing and meeting end-users’ needs, specifically in the areas of meal, oil and sustainability.
Guiding these efforts is a long-range strategic plan, put in place by checkoff farmer-leaders, that maps out the checkoff’s goals through the value chain in the areas of supply, marketplace and demand.
Focusing on meal, oil and sustainability, the 5-year plan emphasizes soybean innovation for farmer profit opportunities, including continued high oleic development, soybean-meal-quality improvements, and advancement and adoption of technology as part of a commitment toward meeting sustainability demands.
Core Value:The United Soybean Board works with honesty and integrity to achieve maximum value for the U.S. soybean farmer’s checkoff investments. Mission:Maximize profit opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers by investing and leveraging soybean checkoff resources. Vision:U.S. soy drives soybean innovation beyond the bushel. Strategy:Create and enhance partnerships that increase the value and preference for U.S. soy. | 4,374 | 1,870 | 0.000541 |
warc | 201704 | Electric cars: a flop for many but a top to some!
When were the first electric cars built? Take a guess! Everything already started in Europe in the mid-19
th century. Even more surprising, at the beginning of the 20 th century, electric cars had become the number 1 business mobility choice of the noble class. Frankly, early versions of the petrol engine did not hold a chance against the electric counterparts. In 1911 the New York Times noted that “electric cars are ideal, for they are cleaner, quieter, and much more economical than gasoline-powered cars.” [1] This still holds very true today so why haven’t electric cars taken over yet? Well, the reasons for its little success today are the same that eventually made the internal combustion engine conquer the world. Let’s take a look at what’s causing the problem. Electric cars are still not competitive
The high price of the batteries makes electric cars significantly more expensive than petrol cars. Only the battery packs alone for an electric Ford Focus for instance cost between 12.000 $ and 15.000 $ today. [2] The recharging infrastructure remains poor. Although you can charge your car at home by connecting it to a wall socket this takes around 10 hours to have a full “tank”.
This works way quicker at a so-called charging point, which are distributed across the country. The only problem is that there are still too few. In the UK for example there are currently only 200 electric charging points in comparison to almost 9000 petrol stations.[3] Additionally, electric engines have a lower range than petrol cars so they need to charge more often. From 1910 onwards, the reign of electric cars was doomed to end. Petrol cars became handier because they had improved engines and oil was cheap. They were also heavily promoted by extensive marketing schemes [4].
But: there is business mobility potential
Today, however, some people might very well benefit from an electric car. Many prefer travelling long distances by train or plane and use their car only to commute to work. For this group of people it is unlikely that the lower range of electric cars poses a problem. Upon arrival at work, the car could then be charged at the working place itself and at home during the night. Why not? Business mobility that is comfortable, quick, and environmentally friendly! Yet, the price, the recharging infrastructure, and low range are the reasons why almost everyone still uses “the good old” petrol car. The full transition from petrol to electricity will come but not in the near future. Perhaps that’s why the hybrid car is relatively successful: it eases the transition by combining both electricity and petrol. | 2,742 | 1,403 | 0.000728 |
warc | 201704 | Capa comum:304 páginas Editora:Hachette Books; Edição: 10 (1 de janeiro de 2005) Idioma:Inglês ISBN-10:1401307787 ISBN-13:978-1401307783 Dimensões do produto:14 x 2,5 x 21 cm Peso do produto:322 g Lista de mais vendidos da Amazon:no. 45,714 em Livros (Conheça o Top 100 na categoria Livros) Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Inglês) Capa comum – 31 dez 2004 Frequentemente comprados juntos Clientes que compraram este item também compraram
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Detalhes do produto Descrições do Produto Sobre o Autor Jon Kabat-Zinnis the founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He also travels across the country teaching workshops on stress reduction and mindfulness. He lives with his family in Lexington, MA. Avaliação de clientes
5 estrelas 4 estrelas 3 estrelas 2 estrelas 1 estrela Avaliações mais úteis de consumidores na Amazon.com (beta)
Many have said this: Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks in a no-nonsense tone about mindfulness. This is true. In this book, he guides us to gain direct experience---taking baby steps at first, larger steps later---to gain a personal understanding of mindfulness. Every chapter makes a clear point, and many chapters close with a concrete "actionable item," like a homework exercise to put the concepts and thoughts springing from that chapter into real practice.
I have been an on-and-off meditator for 12 years, and read many many books on Buddhism, much of it from Zen. The thoughts, the concepts have been there in my mind, but my meditation was somehow never cutting it. Restlessness, the inner turmoil, would push me off the cushion. Within the Buddhist literature, Thich Nhat Hanh's books, for instance, Peace Is Every Step (referred to by Kabat-Zinn in this book), do a great job at laying the foundation for kindness and self-compassion which are so crucial for a good meditation practice. Suzuki Shunryu's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, and Not Always So, both provide good concepts and metaphors that support meditation. Deshimaru Taisen's matter-of-fact tone is orienting. Seung Sahn's Ashes on the Buddha startles us with the idea of a not-knowing mind. And of course Ajahn Brahm and others of the Thai forest tradition explain at length the stages of meditation, the techniques that may be most suited to one's circumstances, etc., which are all jewels for the meditator.
But there's one thing that only Jon Kabat-Zinn put down on paper with the scientist's conciseness: whatever you think or feel, hold that in awareness. Awareness is it. And this pieces so much of the bits together for me.
There is nothing magical about the posture like Soto Zen says. There is nothing magical about the breath either. Everything is pointing towards only one thing: finding your awareness, and then staying with it. The breath turns out to be an incredibly useful searchlight when you've lost your awareness. And this is it.
The stories, the poetry, the metaphors, all that Jon Kabat-Zinn trots out to illustrate the power of awareness is overwhelming, and does what it ought to. That is, it motivates you to get yourself on the cushion without having you lost in the forest of fancy words and lofty ideas.
Sheryl, will you marry me?
Take any given moment your in. I take it that you're sitting down somewhere right now reading this review. Focus on your breath. Notice how unaware of your own breathing you were before. Now, while reading this, expand the focus from your breath to the sensation of your body, your bottom against your seat perhaps, or the way the tip of your nose might feel cold or hot. Further expand the field of awareness to the sounds around you. Maybe you hear noise from other people. Maybe you hear nothing except the sound of your own breathing.
Project this mode of being aware into another setting. Perhaps you're at work, and someone is telling you how to do something. You might feel seeds of resentment growing inside you, asking the question in your mind how it is this person has the gall to tell you how do so something. You might feel personally attacked, a little nervous, your breath unsteady. Be aware of these sensations. Don't fight against them. But also listen to what the person says, as much as possible, without judgment. Is what this person is saying really a personal attack? Probably not. And if it is, does it really matter? Does he or she have control of your mind such that he could actually make you feel one way or another? Not if you choose to respond to it in a peaceful, proactive way and just take it for what it is, without judgment.
Maybe the above two paragraphs don't do it for you. Or maybe they do. The important thing is that mindfulness is about being aware and awake, and about choosing to make peace with the way you feel and the way you interact with the world. If you want to, you can always feel swept around by the winds of desire, or pulled around by anger or intense emotion as though there were a brass ring in your nose. Those are always options. But it's also another option to choose to practice inner tranquility. This is what this book is about.
Personally though, if that's you, I'd pick up a copy of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now instead. Much meatier content to think about.
Otherwise, the only way I can recommend this book is as an occasional "back to basics" refresher: pick it up from time to time, read a few pages from anywhere in the book, and try to be mindful that day of whatever simple idea you read.
Much like in college, you can skip the lecture if you master the corpus, but it's best to do both of you can. That said, anyone looking to really understand the methodology behind mindfulness and how it can be applied in a secular way to the suffering of the human condition, must read the aforementioned "Full Catastrophe Living". It's absolutely essential as the single book I would recommend to anyone for learning how to approach working with the present moment in ways that encourage insight and healing.
This book "Wherever you go , there you are" is nice but it won't provide the depth of instruction for practice as used in the medical setting or the science behind the mechanisms that make mindfulness so effective for many people. | 6,831 | 3,372 | 0.000302 |
warc | 201704 | Higher Ground for Questcor Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NAS: QCOR) reported that August shipments of its drug Acthar rose by nearly 33% compared with July. Shares closed up 3.3% on Friday in response to the news after jumping more than 7% at the open. What it meansThe better-than-expected August shipment numbers add to more recent good news for Questcor. Earlier last week, the company announced its eligibility to pay lower Medicaid rebates for Acthar.
Jefferies analyst Biren Amin thinks that the improved August numbers mean that Questcor could significantly beat consensus sales estimates for the third quarter. Analyst Marko Kozul with Leerink Swann concurs. Kozul wrote in a note to investors that the higher shipments indicate a strong third quarter.
While July shipments of Acthar dipped a little from the previous month, the overall trend over the past two years continues to move steadily upward. Paid prescriptions are likewise trending in a positive direction.
Questcor targets Acthar primarily in four markets: multiple sclerosis, nephrotic syndrome, infantile spasms, and rheumatology. Drilling into the estimated August paid prescription numbers for Acthar shows good news on nearly all fronts.
Paid prescriptions for use of Acthar in treating multiple sclerosis grew in August more than 34% compared with July. Growth for nephrotic syndrome exceeded 8% month-to-month. Prescriptions for dermatomyositis/polymyositis (a rheumatology indication) jumped from only one in July to at least 13 in August. Only paid prescriptions for infantile spasms reflected no real growth from July to August.
The bottom line is that increasing shipment volumes and paid prescriptions translates to higher revenue and earnings. That's definitely good news for Questcor.
Looking aheadQuestcor faces competition in its primary markets for Acthar. Other multiple sclerosis drugs include Tysabri from Biogen Idec(NAS: BIIB) and Elan(NYS: ELN) . Novartis(NYS: NVS) makes Gilenya. Teva Pharmaceuticals(NYS: TEVA) sells Copaxone, which has as much as 40% of the $10 billion multiple sclerosis market.
However, Questcor is a serious contender. More shipments and higher paid prescriptions of Acthar could mean this stock is headed for even higher ground.
If you're looking for other stocks poised to move to higher ground, check out The Motley Fool's free report "These Stocks Could Skyrocket After the 2012 Presidential Election." Get your free report now by clicking here!
The article Higher Ground for Questcor originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Keith Speights owns no shares in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a
disclosure policy. | 2,978 | 1,492 | 0.000675 |
warc | 201704 | Q: Hi i am sonalika. I am 15 years old. i am 5.1 . My mom is 5.2 and my dad is 5.9 Is it possible to grow after 15 years of age for girls. I am trying a capsule called more power for height. So is it possible to grow more after 15 years?
A:I do understand that you are concerned about your height. Most girls reach their full height by 17 years of age, although some individuals continue to grow into the twenties. Environmental factors that affect your height include disease, stress, nutrition, exercise and sleep. They are just as important as heredity in determining growth. I would suggest that you eat a well balanced diet, get adequate sleep and exercise regularly to help improve growth in height. Take care.
(*)These Q&A’s are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship. | 996 | 585 | 0.001725 |
warc | 201704 | News Details Aurora Major Crime Continues at Record Low
Reported major crime in the City continued at a record low pace last year, led by double digit decreases in five of eight categories according to 2010’s final crime statistics released by Aurora Police.
Overall, major crime dropped 11 percent compared to 2009. The 4,432 major crimes reported last year were less than the 4,843 reported in 1978, the first year detailed statistics were kept by the Aurora Police.
Aurora’s long-term crime trends show equally impressive declines, especially when considering the substantial rise in population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Aurora’s population has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 99,581 to 197,899. Aurora’s adjusted crime rate per 100,000 population shows that overall major crime has fallen 13.47 percent in the past year, 31.81 percent in five years, 46.84 percent in 10 years and 67.09 percent over a 20-year period.
“Working together with a world-class police force, our community has overcome great adversity,” Mayor Tom Weisner said. “Achieving a 32-year low in crime is a tremendous accomplishment, especially considering that our population has more than doubled during that time. Gone are the days when people could point to Aurora and claim we were an unsafe community – that’s simply not true today. These statistics continue to prove that chapter of our story is behind us.”
Major crimes, known more commonly as “Part One Index Crimes,” include the violent crime categories of murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault/battery; and the property crime categories of burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Compared to 2009, violent crime is down 13.98 percent, and property crime down 10.49 percent. Murders were down 20 percent last year, while robberies were down 18.12 percent. Aggravated assaults/batteries decreased 14.69 percent, thefts were down 14.15 percent and motor vehicle theft declined 29.23 percent.
“The continued drop in major crime in Aurora is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the officers and support staff of the Aurora Police Department, as well as the cooperation between the department, other law enforcement agencies, other City employees, our citizen groups and our residents,” Police Chief Greg Thomas said. “While we focus on impacting crime even further, I think it’s important to celebrate the reduction in crime that Aurora continues to realize, and to take pride in the strides Aurora has made.”
The crime statistics are known as Uniform Crime Report Numbers (UCRs) and are submitted to the Illinois State Police, the FBI and other agencies for official crime reporting purposes. The only three categories showing increases last year were criminal sexual assaults, which went up by 1.59 percent; burglaries, which increased by 8.61 percent; and arson, which went up by 47.62 percent.
Other numbers released today by Aurora Police showed a dramatic drop of 19.4 percent in shots fired and 2 percent fewer vehicle crashes in 2010. The decrease in shots fired to 75 was the lowest number in the City since Aurora Police began tracking the statistic in 1996 when 357 shots fired were reported. Traffic crashes declined from 4,980 to 4,842.
“Today when I walk downtown or stop in at one of our restaurants, I not only see plenty of locals but also a sea of new faces,” Mayor Weisner said. “Thanks to the great strides our community has made, people from all over the region are coming back to Aurora for great shopping, food, entertainment and cultural activities. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together and know the best of Aurora is yet to come.”
Location: Aurora, Illinois General
Release Date—March 7th, 2011 | 3,852 | 1,827 | 0.000566 |
warc | 201704 | Reference and Instructional Services Policy Services and General Philosophy
The Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library offers Reference Services to Library patrons utilizing the skills of professional Librarians who hold master degrees in Library Science. Reference Librarians offer research, instruction and reference services during most of the hours the Library is open. Reference service is offered in the following ways:
A. Reference service in the reference area.
Instruction on accessing and using printed and electronic resources. Reference staff may perform additional Library assigned work during slow times at the desk. However providing assistance to patrons is the priority. Assistance is provided on a first-come first-served basis. When asked legal, medical or business reference questions, reference staff should clarify their role as information providers, but not as interpreters of that information. Reference materials and periodicals do not circulate; however, a reference librarian may sign out an item to faculty of staff for professional use for a limited time using the special permission form. Copyright compliance will be adhered to in all reference transactions.
B. Reference service via telephone
Priority is given to on-site inquiries over telephone inquiries. A maximum of three titles will be checked per call. Only ready reference questions are accepted. Voice mail calls will be answered promptly.
C. Reference service via electronic mail
Priority is given to on-site inquiries over electronic mail inquiries. Electronic mailboxes will be checked daily and inquiries answered promptly.
D. Reference service by appointment
Barry University students, faculty, and staff may schedule an appointment to meet with a reference staff member if they have a special need that cannot be met via an inquiry in the reference area. Meetings will be scheduled with a reference staff member during a time when that person is not scheduled for reference desk duty.
E. On-site Internet service
Reference staff will not provide assistance with chatting. Patrons will be provided with a brief introduction to Internet searching but not extensive instruction. Printer paper is not provided. Information Literacy Policy
Goals and Competencies Toward Implementing Campus-Wide Information Literacy Program. More information regarding the Barry University Information Literacy program is available on the Information Literacy Campus Guide
Program Goals:
Faculty and librarians will collaborate on planning, structuring and implementing an information literacy program based on the following criteria:
Cross-disciplinary Accommodates program, department, and institutional levels Incorporates use of appropriate technologies Addresses competencies in print and non-print resources Recognizes library research skills as an integral component of student course work.
Faculty and librarians will collaborate on the formulation of appropriate assessment tools based on the following criteria:
Pre- and post-test assessments Ongoing process toward improving student learning Assessments will be conducted at the classroom and program level
Competency Goals:
Students will be able to access information in a variety of formats according to the following guidelines:
Life-long, self-directed learning Knowledge of effective database and other online resources computer search techniques
Students will be able to analyze information they have retrieved based on knowledge of the following guidelines:
Keywords and related terms for search strategy Keywords vs. controlled vocabulary Primary & secondary resources Scholarly and popular resources Database searching and selection of appropriate databases for specific subject content areas Thesis statement preparation Plan sequence in which information is located List and analyze components of a topic outlining relationships among these issues Appropriate documentation style and consistency in citing sources
Students will be able to evaluate information they have retrieved based on the following guidelines:
Critical thinking skills
Quality of information retrieved using criteria such as authorship, point of view/bias, date written, and citations
Awareness of social, economic and ethical issues of information
Bibliographic instruction All professional librarians will provide bibliographic instruction. Presentations for classes must be scheduled by the faculty with the appropriate Library staff. Bibliographic instruction will be tailored according to the needs of students in the classes. Bibliographic Instruction will be tailored according to the subject specific class by the library liaison. Statistics on all presentations will be maintained. User education will also be supported via one-on-one instruction, handouts and point-of-use materials. Reference Collection Policy
The reference collection is developed to provide print and non-print resources that will support the educational, research, and general information needs of the students, faculty, staff, and community. Reference librarians and faculty together will select resources.
Guidelines for the evaluation, selection and weeding of reference materials follow the principles stated in the Materials Selection Policy.
Policy updated April 4, 2012 | 5,310 | 2,206 | 0.000456 |
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