source stringclasses 1
value | snapshot stringclasses 3
values | text stringlengths 264 621k | size_before_bytes int64 269 624k | size_after_bytes int64 185 235k | compression_ratio float64 0 0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
warc | 201704 | So, Jane and Bob are once again leading a project. This time, they want to make sure they have a team that is more productive and has less challenges and conflicts.
=
There's the million-dollar question. = How do you build a “better" team?
First, Jane and Bob need to understand that putting together an effective and productive team is more than just grabbing available bodies ("Jim, you doing anything for the next 6 months?") and assigning tasks and roles.
Fortunately, Jane and Bob have the option to hand pick their team members. They start with the following:
-> Define a clear objective/goal for the team and the corresponding metrics to know when the objective/goal has been met. Define the tasks to be done and the roles in the project
-> Assess staff to determine each person's strengths
-> Build the team and assign staff to tasks based on the individuals’ strengths
=
Start out strong. =
When assessing strengths, look at
-> Who is a starter? This the person you want leading the team - he'll get everyone going.
-> Who has that exceptional attention to detail? This is the person you want to be in charge of actually getting things done.
-> Who has outstanding analytical skills? This person belongs at the beginning of the project so that she can help get it moving, but her role should end there - she would be bored with the actual implementation.
-> Who is a cheerleader? A cheerleader can be a great asset if you have a tight schedule and absolutely need to keep everyone firmly focused and on track.
-> How long is the project going to take? Along with that, you'll want to factor in the team members’ individual boredom quotient.
=
Tackle those conflicts to the ground. =
Now you have a project with clearly defined tasks and roles, and you've selected team members based on their strengths and how those strengths correspond to the project's needs. Is that it? Does it run smoothly from there? Not always. Jane and Bob have a great team, but they have to keep an eye out for conflicts and challenges that may (and could likely if they don't watch out) come up.
Potential conflicts include:
-> asking a starter personality to do the quality control at the end and handle details. The starter sees things at a distance of 50,000 feet; by asking him to handle details, you're requiring him to also see at 1,000 feet. He can't do it.
-> asking a starter personality to be on this project for an extended period of time. He'll get bored and will lose interest and energy. Eventually, he'll become increasingly less productive. There goes your project.
-> using get-along Suzie (the person who does what's asked and never questions anything) to lead the project. For a leader, you need a big thinker, a person who asks tough questions initially, so that you save time later on by not having to recreate/redo work.
-> creating a team of queen bees - you need more worker bees.
-> not clearly defining roles and responsibilities. By not making it very clear up front what each person's responsibilities on this project are is an easy way for people to not accept responsibility or take ownership.
-> not knowing what kind of person you need to lead the project. For example, if you have a short time frame, you may want a more authoritative/decisive leader - one who is decisive and direct, takes charge, delegates responsibility. Or you may need a persuasive leader - one who builds teams effectively, delegates authority, responsibility and tasks, and influences through determination
By starting out from the very beginning with a clear definition for your project, what's needed, and how your team members will fit those needs, you'll find that your project starts smoother, runs efficiently, and finishes successfully.
Jane and Bob are on to the next project!
Find out more about how Jane and Bob manage teams and create a more efficient work environment. Sign up for “How to Lead Them to Water AND Get Them to Drink" at http://www.incedogroup.com/newsletter.html and manage your own efficient teams!
November 16, 2005(756) | 4,096 | 1,903 | 0.000533 |
warc | 201704 | A good way to determine whether you have a legal problem or need legal assistance is to ask a lawyer. Opportunities for a good resolution may disappear if you wait too long.
How do I prepare for my consultation with the attorney?
When you make your appointment, ask the lawyer some questions, such as:
What papers are they going to need to see?
Do you need to be prepared to pay a retainer, filing fees, etc.?
Should you bring anyone with you?
Is there a guarantee that the lawyers will accept my case?
The simple answer is no. There are several reasons why an attorney may not accept your case. Your case may not meet the legal standard of a meritorious claim, the attorney may have a conflict, or the lawyer may not have sufficient knowledge to handle the problem.
What is the basis for a legal fee?
The most basic ingredient in any fee charged by a lawyer is the amount of time spent on a particular problem. In one important way, a lawyer’s professional services differ from those of a doctor; much of the work is accomplished when the client is not present. Many clients are often unaware that the document and advice given in a few minutes are actually the products of many hours of work. After you have related the facts in your case, your lawyer will give you an estimate of the fee.
How much will this cost me?
Hourly Rate: The lawyer usually computes a fee on an hourly rate. This can range anywhere from $75.00 an hour to more than $300.00 an hour, depending on the circumstances of the case, as well as the experience and expertise of the lawyer. The lawyer’s fee is a result of several factors: time, experience, reputation, results achieved, and operating expense and overhead.
Flat Rate: For certain routine transactions with a predictable time commitment such as residential house closing, or wills, the lawyer may charge a flat rate.
Contingent Fees: "We don’t get paid unless you win.” This is usually a statement you may hear in lawyer advertising and it pertains primarily to injury cases. The attorney will be paid a percentage of the fee won by the client.
Retainer Fee: This is an advance payment to the lawyer for a portion of his or her fee. In many cases, an attorney will ask for this type of fee.
How long will it take to solve my legal problem?
Ask the lawyer how long it has taken him/her to bring cases similar to yours to a conclusion in the past. Ask if your case involves issues more complex than his/her previous cases and whether or not that will affect the expected time to bring this case to a conclusion. Ask if there is anything you can do to speed up the process. | 2,643 | 1,324 | 0.000767 |
warc | 201704 | The trouble concerning Pradaxa® first began in December 2011 when its manufacturer acknowledged that more than 200 patients had died while taking the drug and the FDA issued a safety warning advising physicians and the public. Since that time, patients across the country and their families have filed actions in state and federal courts concerning the drug. As time continues to pass, more information continues to surface regarding the dangers of this drug.
In March of 2012, the American College of Cardiology released a study comparing the bleeding risks of Pradaxa with those of warfarin, the only other anticoagulant on the market in the United States. That study involved 290 patients of the average age of 60. Half received Pradaxa and the other half warfarin for 30 days prior to undergoing a surgical procedure to treat atrial fibrillation. Of the 145 patients in the Pradaxa group,
Nine suffered major bleeding complications as opposed to only one in the warfarin group Twelve experienced minor bleeding complications as opposed to eight in the warfarin group Three experienced embolic complications, including cerebrovascular accidents and transient ischemic attacks, as opposed to zero in the warfarin group
In total, 23 of the Pradaxa patients — or 16 percent of the test group — experienced either bleeding or embolic complications. This stands in stark contrast to the warfarin group, of which only nine — or six percent — experienced similar complications.
As evidence continues to mount regarding the increased risks of Pradaxa in comparison to its competitor warfarin, the FDA continues its investigation. As there continues to be no effective reversal agent for Pradaxa, the number of deaths and serious bleeding complications associated with the drug will likely continue to rise. | 1,832 | 894 | 0.001138 |
warc | 201704 | GENERAL INFORMATION
Both the transistorized and H.E.I. systems operate in basically the same manner as the conventional ignition system, with the exception of the type of "switching device" used. As stated previously, the switching device of a conventional ignition system is the breaker point set. In the breakerless ignition systems, a toothed iron timer core is mounted on the distributor shaft. The timer core is mounted on the distributor shaft. The timer core rotates inside of an electronic pole piece. The pole piece has internal teeth (corresponding to those on the timer core) and contains a permanent magnet and pick-up coil (not to be confused with the ignition coil). The pole piece senses the magnetic field of the timer core teeth and sends a signal to the ignition module which electronically "calls the shots" concerning control of the primary coil voltage. The ignition coil operates in basically the same manner as a conventional ignition coil (though the ignition coils DO NOT interchange), but is controlled by the timer core, pole piece, and module; instead of the breaker points and condenser.
H.E.I. ignitions use a condenser, but it is primarily used for radio interference purposes.
As far as the mechanical advance is concerned, the operation is also basically the same as a conventional ignition system, with the exception that the timer core rotates on the distributor shaft instead of the distributor cam used in conventional systems. The vacuum advance unit moves the breaker plate in the same manner as the conventional system, but the timing changes according to the position of the pole piece instead of the breaker points.
Appearance wise, the transistorized ignition distributor looks very much like a conventional distributor, with the exception of a two-wire lead (with a quick-disconnect plug) coming from the distributor. Also, the transistorized system uses both an externally mounted ignition coil and an ignition amplifier unit which is finned for heat dissipation.
The H.E.I. distributor looks nothing like a conventional distributor. The components of an H.E.I. distributor are all contained within the distributor (pole piece, ignition coil, module, etc.).
None of the electrical components used in either the transistorized or H.E.I. systems are adjustable. If a component is found to be defective, it must be replaced.
HEI SYSTEM PRECAUTIONS
Before going on to troubleshooting, it might be a good idea to take note of the following precautions:
Timing Light Use
Inductive pick-up timing lights are the best kind to use if your car is equipped with HEI. Timing lights which connect between the spark plug and the spark plug wire occasionally (not always) give false readings.
Spark Plug Wires
The plug wires used with H.E.I. systems are of a different construction than conventional wires. When replacing them, make sure you get the correct wires, since conventional wires won't carry the voltage. Also, handle them carefully to avoid cracking or splitting them and
never pierce them. Tachometer Use
Not all tachometers will operate or indicate correctly when used on a H.E.I. system. While some tachometers may give a reading, this does not necessarily mean the reading is correct. In addition, some tachometers hook up differently from others. If you can't figure out whether or not your tachometer will work on your car, check with the tachometer manufacturer. Dwell readings, of course, have no significance at all.
H.E.I. System Testers
Instruments designed specifically for testing H.E.I. systems are available from several tool manufacturers. Some of these will even test the module itself. However, the tests given in the following information will require only an ohmmeter and a voltmeter. | 3,767 | 1,620 | 0.000621 |
warc | 201704 | Why Is Sleep Important? Why is sleepimportant?
Because it makes you happy
,healthy
andsmart
.That's how I answered my son's question the other day.
And it's true, thebenefits
are basic and felt in our everyday lives, fromnewborn through adulthood.
Why is sleep important for your baby?
photocourtesy of a4gpa
It's no secret how important it is is for babies.
As a parent you know how happyand sweet
a baby can be after a good rest - and howcranky and fussy when tired ...
And if she is well rested, you benefit too: you get more rest, which makes you feel better
and keeps you healthy. And that in turn has an important positiveeffect on your child(ren).
But there are even morefundamental benefits
:
Hard work is done in a newborn's brain, andproper brain developmentrequires enough and good quality sleep. When sleeping, a babydreamsmost of the time. Researchers found that dreaming stimulates baby'sbrainand so assists in its healthy development. The first half year is crucialfor developing good sleeping skills. It'sin these early months that baby'ssleep patterns mature most quickly andthe stage is set for the years to come. Poorsleep in infancy has been linked to obesity, as a childand as an adult. [1] Good sleep as a child also decreasesthe chance for generalhealth problems and emotional difficulties likedepression and anxiety. A child who is not overtired, will settle mucheasier and have betternights as well. If your baby is not sleeping well ...
Does that mean your child is doomed to be unhealthy and unhappy? No, ofcourse not. What we as parents call "notsleeping well" is often just fine for an infant
.
She may not be taking any naps at all or may not be sleeping throughthe night at 6 or at 18 months. But that can still be just finefor her and give her enough good quality rest.
What is important is that we give her theright support
togo through that all important development in thefirst half year.
How? By guiding in aloving and determined way
.
Loving means with enoughattention for her needs and natural patterns
.And without forcing her unnaturally
(like overfeeding or certain medical sleep aids).
Determinedmeans you don't necessarily give her all the freedom: you choose whereand how she sleeps, when you put her to bed, when is play time and whenis quiet time ...
That gives your baby the safeand consistent environment
to develop her sleeping at best.
The commonproblems
and sleepingthrough the night
pages offer ideas and tools to get started.
If YOU are tired ...
The first effect ofsleep deprivation
is always emotional: we feel down
, lowon energy and without much confidence in what we do.
It's good to realize this and to think about it when you feel depressedafter many broken nights with your baby. It's only
the lack of sufficient restdoing this - it'snot you
not being strong enough or not trying hard enough.Help yourself
by catching up on rest as much as you can. A quick nap, an early nightor even an hour or so between the last day and first night feed canwork wonders. You may find a couple of simple relaxationtechniques
helpful too.
Also,do not hesitate to ask your partner, family or friends to help you fromtime to time, for example with babysitting while you nap. If you wouldlike support you can also contactme
, I'm always happy to advise.
The answer to the WhyIs Sleep Important?
question is in all of the above.
The best tip I can give is to keep the importance inthe back of your mind, but do not over-emphasize. Keeping arelaxedattitude
will help both you and your little one get more rest.
[1]
Sleep and physical growth ininfants during the first 6 monthsTikotzky L, De Marcas G, Har-Toov J. et al. - Journal of Sleep Research,2009. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00772.x | 3,784 | 1,931 | 0.000525 |
warc | 201704 | With a diligent routine of home care for your mouth, dental decay should not be something that will need to concern you in your life. But sometimes your standards can slip because of a difficult personal time, or general health issues. Dental decay then becomes something that has to be dealt with by a trained, dental professional. Over many years they have built up an arsenal of techniques to restore teeth to health and functionality that have begun to decay.
Tooth can start to decay if they are subjected to too much plaque over a prolonged period of time. The hard, outer layer of your teeth – this is called enamel – is usually very resilient but cannot withstand too much acidic plaque. Once the enamel is worn away or a small hole is created, the inside of the tooth is exposed and decay can start to foment.
Once holes appear in the enamel they must be filled. In their small form they are called caries and if slightly larger they are known as cavities. They can be rather painful because once the enamel is compromised the nerves inside your teeth are exposed to hot and cold food and drink even breathing in cold air on a chilly day.
Your dentist can fill them in using cosmetic bonding. This is a development from the days of metal fillings. Cosmetic bonding utilises malleable, tooth coloured dental composite that is much easier to work with and produces and much more aesthetically pleasing finish. If you think that dental decay is starting to take hold in your mouth, don’t hesitate in going to see your Central London dentist. It will not just stop of its own accord; it needs to be dealt with.
More from my site | 1,654 | 870 | 0.001164 |
warc | 201704 | During my 10 years of serving as a press observer for Bassmaster Classics and Superstars events, my most memorable day in a boat with the pros was June 12, 1993. That's the day I watched Denny Brauer overcome the tough fishing conditions on the Illinois River to catch a limit and win the Bassmaster Superstars tournament.
While I dozed off a couple of times and had trouble deciding whether to eat my ham sandwich or an apple for my next snack break, Brauer kept pitching his jig to any visible cover throughout the day.
I was amazed at how he kept his concentration after two days of line watching on a fishery where bites were scarce for everyone. I recalled Brauer had one brain freeze when he threw a Carolina rig, but after losing the lure in a snag, he got his mind right again and stuck with his trusty jig the rest of the day.
"That was a case when I knew I wasn't going to get a lot of bites and that every bite was a key bite," recalls Brauer. "If you have a lot of options, you can make a lot of changes; but if you don't have a lot of options, then it is time to buckle down on what you have and try to get every bite you can out of the situation and hope for the best."
Staying mentally sharp is often the edge the pros count on to win a four-day Bassmaster Elite Series marathon since all of the contenders are highly skilled anglers. "It is very tough [to stay mentally sharp] because there are so many things that can distract from it," says Brauer. "The physical part of a four-day event may not seem that tough to people outside the sport, but once you participate in a week-long event like that it is grueling." The three practice days are the most important part of the week in getting him prepared mentally and physically for the tournament.
"When we get into this part of the year when there are extremely warm temperatures and very long practice days, you really have to be careful about not burning yourself out. You have to give the best effort you can in practice so that you have got something left mentally and physically for the tournament. So you have to pace yourself a little bit."
Brauer emphasizes avoiding the mental highs and lows that occur throughout a multiple-day event. "Keep your work ethic the same," he says. "Work as hard as you can and try to make as good of decisions as you can." Breaking up the monotony can help you stay mentally sharp. "Every 15 minutes you need to ask yourself if you are in a robot mode or if there is something different you should be doing," he suggests. "If it seems like you are in a trance and just going through the motions with the clock ticking away, maybe it's time to gut out a situation or time to make changes and make something happen."
Setting goals also helps keep you in the right frame of mind in tough times. "When I fish a tournament, my goals are to win, so I am not real concerned about catching a limit of fish to look good or save face," says Brauer. "So my time frame is a little bit different than some people, and I am willing to take more gambles during a day." Concentrating too hard can cause you to lose that mental edge though. Brauer believes experience can help you from falling into this trap.
"Be willing to trust your instincts," he advises. "The more time you spend on the water the more you realize it is those gut feelings that can turn into very successful days." | 3,410 | 1,639 | 0.000617 |
warc | 201704 | Hug your children, parents urged Published 17/05/2013
Parents should give their children "lots of hugs", play games and ensure youngsters get enough sleep, according to new advice from headteachers.
They are also urging families to eat dinner together and make time for homework, reading and talking.
The advice is contained in a new leaflet published by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and Family Action, and comes amid concerns that parents need to take more responsibility for making sure their children are ready to learn when they arrive at school each day.
Pressures on family life mean that high numbers of children are turning up for lessons tired and hungry, and going home to families that do not have routines, or adults that help with youngsters' learning, the organisations warned. They said many parents were not aware of how important they were in making sure their child was ready for school.
The two organisations are set to announce details of their new partnership at the NAHT's annual conference in Birmingham this weekend, along with plans to develop a series of leaflets to encourage parents to work with teachers.
The first leaflet, on school readiness, tells parents that it is "really important to talk to your child and listen to them." It adds: "Finding time for both can be so difficult with busy lives!"
The leaflet warns that too many late bedtimes can make it harder for children to learn, and they need sleep to be able to concentrate in school. Under-fives need up to 15 hours, primary school children 10 hours, and older youngsters need nine hour sleep, it said. The two organisations said the new campaign aimed to help boost attainment in schools.
NAHT president Bernadette Duffy said: "All school leaders know the important role that parents play in ensuring their children come to school ready to learn.
"Some of the advice in the leaflets may seem obvious but for some parents ,especially those who did not receive the advice from their own parents that many families take for granted, getting clear and simple guidance can help them focus on what they need to do to help their children get the best from their education."
David Holmes, chief executive of Family Action, said: "Relatively simple things that every parent can do such as making sure children get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and just talking to children about their day at school can be a hugely important part of getting them ready to learn. We are looking forward to working with NAHT to emphasise these important messages to parents." | 2,598 | 1,272 | 0.000793 |
warc | 201704 | Why I prefer outdoor cats
by GilCatt
(France)
Having grown up with cats in the countryside, I never could get used to even seeing a cat on a leash. I understand the masters' wish to preserve their pet, yet it makes me feel so sad. An outdoor cat is so much more alive and great to learn from.
Buying a pricey cat is no excuse to keep it in-house if you live in the countryside. I'm thinking about the Maine Coon in particular. I've got two - along with ten other cats - spending most of their time hunting squirrels in the trees, quite a sight. Luckily I had the chance to get two coon kittens with a great "outcross" gene pool coming from a very wild mother, and who had had very little contact with humans for the three first months of their life. Oddly enough, the excesses of inbreeding and the resulting slightly degenerated genes of such cats make them socialize easily with humans, to the point that they can almost behave like dogs, which I didn't want. It seems, though, that most breeders prefer to raise them that way. Ultimately for marketing purposes: I guess it is an easier sell. Yet, a Maine coon on a leash, when they can make up to 13 feet leaps from tree to tree ? That's not my idea of a big cat. Granted, indoor cats will live longer, but then so do wild animals detained in zoos. Which life is best? The longest, or the free-est? If you can offer your cat the second option go for it. Most people who have indoor cats don't realize that their favorite pet might become completely neurotic with age. (I am not saying it is always the case, yet sadly it does happen quite often.) A longer lasting fur toy, for sure - although some have been bred by humans over centuries to become just such a companion. I will leave that consideration to everyone's personal taste. If you can stand the shorter lifespan of an outdoor cat - plus/minus 5 years for a male if he's lucky, females do live longer -, I'd recommend to let them live as they would in the wild. It won't make them less friendly at all and natural selection will get rid of the weak ones, as it should. Bad genes are eliminated in very efficient ways. In the wild, for instance, the mother often eats the weakest kitten: more protein and thus more milk for the strongest ones. As a rule of thumb, out of five kitten two will survive and reach adulthood. Cats are very independent creatures by nature, you don't actually own them like you may own a dog, it is quite the other way around. They choose when to visit you, they can survive by themselves and if they were brought up in the fields and the woods you don't even have to bother when going on vacations. They will keep the house for you while you're away, sort of. Of course when you're at home they appreciate all the food you can give them, will eat almost anything as long as it's meat and bones - I sometimes buy them steak to make them happy -, although some will love chocolate or other sugary goodies - but never give them undiluted milk, unless you want them to suffer from acute diarrhea. We sometimes have up to 15 cats around the house in the countryside - it helps to live on a large estate. At night we put them all outside "into the night of the cats", winter included, except for the sick ones who need a rest in the warmth of the house. For the others there's always the barn if they want to. Indeed you'd better give them all the proper vaccines and learn some basic veterinary knowledge to take care of them, such as cleaning deep infected and smelly wounds. A bit of courage is needed there as it can be quite disgusting when you're not used to it. Males fight a lot during the mating seasons; when badly hurt they come home limping to get proper treatment, eat and sleep in for a few days and then off they go again. Sometimes it feels like your house has turned into a field hospital for weary warriors. They do heal incredibly fast though, much faster than humans. Neutered cats are not really welcome in the countryside as they get beaten more often and more badly, while being completely out of the race. I'd rather have the natural selection process do the job and keep the numbers stable. Talking about surviving skills, I've also always been amazed by outdoor cats as great hunters. Mice but also rabbits, squirrels, bats and birds of all kinds whose remains will be at your doorstep the next morning. How sweet. Yet that's life. Watching a mother teaching her kitten how to hunt is truly a wonderful experience. All in all I've learned a lot from outdoor cats. The relationship can be very intense with some of them that I will remember for the rest of my life. Walking in the woods with a few cats who have chosen to come with you is one of the things I like most. They decide, you don't. Yet when they do they are incredibly candid and close to you. They will even take a nap with you in the woods. You do feel chosen by them in such moments and that is wonderful. It can reach very high levels. One of them, a dominant female who had been mildly tolerant with humans so far, spending most of her time in the woods, once decided her duty was to protect our newborn son. Thus she came home, acted as a real bodyguard until he could walk on all fours, came and called us when he was hungry or crying or doing something he shouldn't be doing and so on, insisted in raising her own kittens in the same room. When he started walking she left the house again. I won't ever forget that unique relationship and our son, now 12, still remembers her as her "mother cat" in his very first memories. She died last year at the respectable age of 14 for an outdoor cat. A true family member indeed. In truth I never considered a cat as a pet (even less as a pricey investment). A cat is a cat is a cat. Free, noble and proud. Who sometimes chooses the company of humans, with a unique kind of generosity when it does. I understand not everyone has the possibility to live on a large estate in the wilderness, yet please do not consider cats as furry pets only. I've read such naive things around the web about cats best kept as indoor animals by default, and the need for "safe gardens" and leashes. It just isn't true for most of them. If you don't have a choice, do pick a breed that has been created for such purposes. Understand their true nature, buy them meat, not only dry food, mimic fights (put some gloves on to prevent scratches and bites, yes they will learn how to make a difference with the glove on or not), play play play... and you will have a truly healthy and happy companion. Love and understanding is after all what they need the most from us. | 6,627 | 3,175 | 0.000316 |
warc | 201704 | Why do we Need Trees? Contributed by Andrew Smith, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Queens Domain, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia
The games demonstrated in this workshop attempt to explain the importance of plants. This does not involve discussion about the uses of plants, but rather why they are essential to all life on earth. At the end of the session, time is usually spent discussing how we can all adjust our usage of plants for the sake of the health of the planet. The session also leads onto direct personal action, in the form of growing trees, and is used as a lead-up to the creation of conservation gardens in schools as part of the ‘GreensC’ool’ Program discussed in another paper presented at this Congress (Smith, 1998b).
Setting the Scene
Lay everyone on the grass, with eyes closed. Hold on tight, because the planet we are on is presently speeding through space at about 110,000 km/h. It is also spinning like a top and the whole solar system we are in is turning slowly over and over. Every inch of space we travel through is a new one, we have never been there before. Luckily for us we take along a special supply of energy. The sun. Sunlight powers all life on earth. But can you eat sunlight? Have a go – open your mouth and see if you can catch enough sunlight to chew. So how does the sun power us? How do we get hold of the sun's energy? Well, there is only one group of living things that can turn the sun into energy: plants. Imagine you are a leaf on a tree. Just under your skin there are small green dots called chloroplasts. They are what makes you green. Those green dots are able to catch the sun, mix it with water and carbon dioxide and, hey presto, energy! So soak up that sunlight and make energy for you to grow.
Photosynthesis Game
So what happens inside a leaf? You will need table tennis balls to represent molecules of H2, O, C, O2 and sunlight. These join together with velcro dots to make H20, CO2 and a sunlight ball (a number of each). What does a plant need for it to grow? Pass out the water, carbon dioxide and sunlight molecules. The plant mixes these ingredients to make sugar – CH2O. See if you can fit the molecules together to create a sugar molecule. It will only stick together if you include the sunlight ball (C+sun+H2+O). The sun’s energy has been captured in the sugar molecule. But how do other living things, such as people, get hold of that energy? We eat it, we eat the plants. So we depend on plants for our food.
What is left over from photosynthesis? There should a number of O2 molecules left over. What is oxygen good for? Every living thing on the planet depends on the ability of plants to produce food and oxygen.
Lunch Break The aim: For children to understand that they are individually dependent on plants for food.
Is it true that we depend on plants for food? Well, what did you have for lunch/dinner/breakfast? Did any of your food not come from plants? (Everything originates from plants because they are at the base of all food chains.)
Living Tree The aim: For children to understand that a tree is a living organism and how it works.
We are going to construct a tree using you as the parts. Choose the tallest and strongest person in the class. S/he is the HEARTWOOD of the tree. The heartwood is the strength of the tree, holding the tree upright but the heartwood of the tree is dead. (That is why a tree can be hollow and survive, although structurally weakened – only the dead heartwood is missing.) Around the heartwood is the area of the tree where all the action takes place – the sapwood. This is made up of two sections. The first one is the XYLEM. The xylem is where the water is drawn up the tree to the leaves to be mixed with sunlight. Choose three people to be the xylem by joining hands to make a circle around the heartwood. The second part of the sapwood is called the PHLOEM. The phloem is where the energy made in the leaves (in the form of sugar) flows back down the tree to feed the roots and branches. (The fact that there is sugar can be seen when a tree is injured and the sap flows. In many trees this actually tastes sweet e.g. in maples and eucalypts.) Choose five people to be the phloem by joining hands to make a circle around the xylem. What is on the outside of a tree? The BARK. What does the bark do? It protects the tree from insects and diseases, a bit like a suit of armour. Choose eight people to be the bark by joining hands to make a circle around the phloem. The rest of the children can be the ROOTS (except for two). They need to lay on the ground with arms spread wide (and long hair fanned out as rootlets) to find the water needed to make the whole thing work.
This is how you make the tree live. The roots say “sluuuurp!” The xylem says “sluuuurp” and waves its hands in the air. The phloem gasps loudly (taking in carbon dioxide), says “aaah”, and then sags at the knees. This has to be done in a synchronised way so that the tree sounds like this: "sluuuurp, sluuuurp, gasp, aaah!" Practise for a short time to make sure the tree is working. The two remaining children are INSECTS. Their job is to get to the heartwood of the tree within 5 seconds. If they manage it, the tree is dead. If the tree stops pumping then it is dead. (Choose sensible children to be insects, otherwise rough play will bring the lot crashing down.) Ready, set, go, 1. .. 2 .. 3 .... 4 ... 5, stop.
Other activities related to this are:
catching evaporated moisture from the tree by placing a plastic bag over some of its leaves. Talk about where the moisture would have ended up if you had not captured it listening to a tree's heartbeat with a stethoscope. This is particularly good with smooth-barked trees. A Patch of Oxygen The aim: For children to understand that they are individually dependent on plants for oxygen. And that there is something they can do to stop the loss of trees.
One of the by-products of the tree's life is oxygen. How many trees do we need to produce enough oxygen for one person? An area of plants of about 625 square metres is required to supply sufficient oxygen for one person. If the trees continue to breathe, so does the person. That is a square 25 big steps by 25 big steps (25m x 25m). Step it out at a run, so that everyone is puffed out at the end. Stand in the centre. There is only enough oxygen in this square for one person. So, when I say, everyone has to hold their breath. I will touch one person at a time. When I touch you, you may take two deep breaths but you must then stop breathing again. Continue this until people are obviously no longer able to hold their breath. OK, everybody breathe! So how is it that we can all breathe? There are lots of trees in other places.
Discuss the importance of areas like the Amazon forests as oxygen suppliers. But every plant helps. Discuss the rates of deforestation around the world. Discuss how we all can adjust the things we do in every day life to reduce the amount of forests cut down. Ask for suggestions. Recycling, using less, planting trees. Follow up the session, at a later date, with another to grow a personal oxygen supply (i.e. trees).
The Slishy Sloshy Swamp The aim: For children to understand that animals depend on plants as habitats. And even ugly places are important. And to protect animals we need to protect the places where they live and the other species in those places
Imagine the following place – the Slishy Sloshy Swamp. The Slishy Sloshy Swamp is totaly unique. There is bright orange mud, one-metre deep on the floor of the swamp. It is warm and bubbles slowly. There are giant trees that stretch into the sky for over 100m and create a canopy which blocks out most of the light. So it is dark in the swamp all the time. The animals in the swamp include giant flies which come into the swamp to lay their eggs (the size of hens eggs) in the mud. The warm mud incubates the eggs. There are giant mosquitoes too. And poisonous tree snakes, which luckily spend most of their time in the tree tops, because their venom causes instantaneous death.
Ask each child to design and draw an animal that is capable of living in the swamp. It can have any feature you wish to give it as long as there is a reason for it. It needs some way to eat (hollow fangs to suck the eggs perhaps), protection from its enemies (a shell or spines or a horrible smell), a means of moving around on the mud (big flat feet) and a way of finding its way around in the dark (big eyes and ears, whiskers, sonar, luminous nose) and so on. Compare imaginary animals.
Compare imaginary adaptations with those of real animals. Write a news-article about your amazing animal.
Invent a threat, e.g. someone is going to pump out the orange mud to sell as undercoat paint. What will happen to the swamp if the mud is pumped out? The trees die – so no more shade for the animal, the mud is gone – so no more eggs for the animal to eat. The animal becomes extinct. So, what can you do to save your animal? In this case the best solution is to save the place, that is create a Slishy Sloshy Swamp National Park.
Write articles for the Slishy Sloshy News explaining the need to protect the swamp. Write articles explaining the value of “developing” the swamp’s resources. Conduct a debate between the opposing sides. Look for sustainable methods of development which do not degrade the swamp’s ecological value.
What about if someone came in and cut half the trees down? The shelter is gone and half of the swamp is of no use to the animals. How do you repair the damage? By growing more trees from seeds collected from the trees in the swamp (i.e. a recovery plan working with your local botanic garden).
Is there a Slishy Sloshy Swamp near you requiring your help? What lived in your neighborhood before it became a city/town. How can you go about repairing the damage? Create a Greencare/GreensC’ool group to grow and plant local plant species in the school grounds.
(Please note; the Slishy Sloshy Swamp story and activities are taken from The Amazing Slishy Sloshy Swamp by Andrew Smith, presently being prepared for publication.)
References and Inspirations
Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1988). Rare or threatened Australian plants. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Cornell, Joseph B. Sharing nature with children, Exley Publications.
Corson, Walter H. (1990). The global ecology handbook, what you can do about the environmental crisis. The Global Tomorrow Coalition, Beacon Press.
Department of Arts, Sports, Environment, Tourism and Territories (1992). Australian National Biodiversity Draft Strategy .
Smith, Andrew (1989). Leaf Walk - Plant adaptations. ( Teachers kit). Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart, Australia.
Smith, Andrew (1991). From Small Seeds … a green world grows, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and the Australian Early Childhood Association.
Smith, Andrew, (1990). The amazing sun powered food factory. (Teachers booklet). Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens
Smith, Andrew, (1998b). Creating ex-situ conservation gardens in schools and the wider community. In: proceedings of the III International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens, BGCI
Smith, Andrew (in press). The amazing slishy sloshy swamp.
Van Matre, Steve (1979). Sunship Earth.. Institute of Earth Education, American Camping Association.
Young, M.D., Cocks, C.D., Humphries, S.E. (1988). Australia's Environment and its Natural Resources. CSIRO Australia, Institute of Natural Resources and Environment. | 11,670 | 5,191 | 0.000195 |
warc | 201704 | Vagifem Information:
Vagifem (Generic name: Estradiol Vaginal Tablets) is an estrogen therapy used to relieve the symptoms and discomfort associated with atrophic vaginitis, including dryness, soreness, and irritation. The main active ingredient in Vagifem is an estrogen called Estradiol. Estradiol is naturally produced by your body before menopause. Vagifem is the only vaginal tablet available containing estrogen. Vagifem is cleanly and easily inserted into the vagina, providing local treatment of atrophic vaginitis by providing the estrogen lost during menopause. An improvement in symptoms usually occurs after 2 to 3 weeks of treatment. However, it may take up to 7 weeks to feel the full benefits of Vagifem use. Use Estradiol vaginal tablets exactly as it was prescribed for you.
Vagifem Side Effects:
The most common Vagifem side effects are abdominal pain, back pain, upper respiratory tract infection, vaginal itching, vaginal yeast infection and etc. If you are experiencing any severe side effects such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, lumps in the breast, vaginal and rectum pain, and serious allergic reaction (e.g., rash, hives, difficult breathing, swelling of the lips, throat or tongue), please inform your doctor immediately.
Vagifem Precautions:
Do NOT use Vagifem tablets if you are allergic to Estradiol or Estrogen. Do NOT use Vagifem Estradiol if you are pregnant or breast-feeding or immediately after childbirth. Before using Vagifem vaginal, tell your doctor if you have had any medical conditions such as asthma, blood clotting disorder, breast or endometrial cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol or triglycerides, migraine headaches, liver or kidney disease, seizures, unusual vaginal bleeding and etc. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications you use. They may interact with Vagifem drug, especially of: blood thinner (e.g., warfarin), blood pressure lowering medications, and other vaginal products.
All prices are in US dollars.
The content on this page has been supplied to BigMountainDrugs.com by an independent third party contracted to provide information for our website. BigMountainDrugs relies on these third parties to create and maintain this information and cannot guarantee the medical efficacy, accuracy or reliability of the information that has been provided to us. If you require any advice or information about the drugs on this page, a medical condition or treatment advice, you should always speak to a health professional. Please note that not all products, including any referenced in this page, are shipped by our affiliated Canadian Pharmacy. We affiliate with other dispensaries that ship product to our customers from the following jurisdictions: Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Turkey, Mauritius, and the United States. The items in your order maybe shipped from any of the above jurisdictions. The products are sourced from various countries as well as those listed above. Rest assured, we only affiliate with our authorized dispensaries that procure product through reliable sources.
Back to Drug Categories Page | 3,154 | 1,516 | 0.000662 |
warc | 201704 | 'Bird flu'(avian H5N1 influenza) has not triggered a worldwide human epidemic yet because it rarely passes between people. If it does acquire this ability, it would take 6-8 months to develop a vaccine effective against the new virus. Public health officials therefore need to consider how they would protect people during the first few months of a pandemic. Measures might include the use of antiviral drugs and international travel restrictions. In a new study published in PLoS Medicine, researchers use detailed information on air travel to model the global spread of an emerging influenza pandemic and its containment. They conclude that much will depend on the 'reproductive number' (a measure of how many people an infectious individual infects on average) of the new virus that emerges. If this number is low, it will take many months before the virus spreads w orldwide and there will be plenty of time to bring an effective vaccine into use. But if the number is high then it could be difficult or impossible to contain the virus with vaccination.
Other measures could therefore be crucial, but it is likely that only a few countries will be able to stockpile supplies of drugs active against the virus. In these circumstances, compared with a 'selfish strategy' in which countries use their antiviral drugs only within their borders, limited worldwide sharing of antiviral drugs would slow down the spread of a flu virus by many months, to the benefit of both drug donors and recipients.
'"/> Source:Public Library of Science | 1,541 | 821 | 0.001222 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), an important enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis and a regulator of fatty acid oxidation, is present in at least two isoenzymic forms in rat and human tissues. Previous work has established the existence of a 265000 Da enzyme in both the rat and human (RACC265; HACC265) and a higher-molecular-mass species (275000–280000 Da) in the same species (RACC280; HACC275). An HACC265 gene has previously been localized to chromosome 17. In the present study, we report cloning of a partial-length human cDNA sequence which appears to correspond to HACC275 and its rat homologue, RACC280, as judged by mRNA tissue distribution and cell-specific regulation of mRNA/protein expression. The gene encoding this isoenzymic form of ACC has been localized to the long arm of human chromosome 12. Thus, ACC is represented in a multigene family in both rodents and humans. The newly discovered human gene and its rat homologue appear to be under different regulatory control to the HACC265 gene, as judged by tissue-specific expression
in vivo and by independent modulation in cultured cells in vitro. The Biochemical Society, London © 1996 | 1,174 | 657 | 0.00154 |
warc | 201704 | 1. Answer the following questions briefly
i) What advantage RILs have over DHs in genetic mapping ii) How an F2 population can be immortalized for dissecting both additive and dominance variation iii) How MgCl 2concentration affect the efficiency of PCR iv) What is stuttering and why it happened? v) During DNA isolation , the temperature of extraction buffer is maintained at 65 0C. Why? vi) Why do we need larger population size for fine mapping of a gene? vii) What will happen to PCR, if the template DNA concentration is >200 ng. viii) While constructing a cDNA library, why do we need to isolate RNA from different plant parts and under different stimuli? ix) Why the nucleotide sequence of 3’ end of forward and reverse primers should not be complementary x) What will happen if the nutrient medium used for the tissue culture is not supplemented with glycine? xi) Why is it necessary to culture embryos invitro in intergeneric crosses? xii) Will there be any limitation for releasing glyphosate (herbicide) resistant transgenic rice in Eastern India?
3. What is genetic code? Is genetic code universal? Discuss it with suitable examples?
4. Enlist various approaches used for cloning of genes in eukaryotes. Describe the procedure for map based cloning? What limitation he map based cloning approach has over other methods. Name any five genes that have been cloned in crop plants using map based cloning approach.
5. What is antisense RNA technology? How is it useful in plant improvement? Discuss it with suitable examples?
6. What is binary vector? Discuss the structure and function of binary vector? How it is useful in plant improvement?
7. What are haploids? Discuss various approaches used for the production of haploids in crop plants? What limitations each of these methods have? What uses haploids have in basic genetic studies and in crop improvement?
8. a) What are transgenic crops? Discuss two major approaches used for production of transgenics. What advantages and limitation each of these approaches have over each other?
b) Area under commercial transgenic crops has increased continuously since the year 2000. Still a large number of NGOs are opposing commercialization of transgenics. What are the major concerns for the opposition? Give your view point for or against each of these concerns?
9. What do you understand by
nifgenes? Now that the genomes of both nitrogen fixing bacteria ( Rhizhobium) and legumes (soybean, Pigeon pea) are sequenced, how do you see the possibility of converting the non nitrogen fixing cereals like rice and wheat into nitrogen fixing system?
10. a) What are SSR markers? Enumerate the procedure for how SSR markers are being developed? What advantage SSR markers over RFLP markers?
b) Enlist any four approaches used for labelling? Describe the procedure for ‘hexamer primer’ labelling of nucleic acids?
b) Enlist any four approaches used for labelling? Describe the procedure for ‘hexamer primer’ labelling of nucleic acids?
11. What are cDNA libraries? Describe the procedure to develop cDNA libraries. What advantage cDNA libraries would have over genomic DNA libraries?
12. What are QTLs? Write down the procedure to map a QTL? How NILs are used for mapping / fine mapping of a QTL. Name any five economically important QTLs so far cloned from crop plants?
13. What is marker assisted selection and how its differs from markers assisted back crossing? If you have the responsibility of pyramiding four genes from four different source into one elite line, which approach will you follow and why?
14. a)Write different steps and enzyme involved in citric acid cycle.
b) How do enzymes catalyze chemical reaction with in a cell? What is Km and how can an enzyme be characterized by this parameter?
15. Promoters are organ specific and extremely important for regulating the expression if a gene. You are given the responsibility of cloning tapetum specific promoter(s) from rice. Write down the procedure in detail? | 4,026 | 1,787 | 0.000566 |
warc | 201704 | Biomass association leaders discuss triumphs, troubles
The U.S. pellet export industry had an outstanding year in 2013.
That’s evidenced by the number of projects that came on line, and the fact that producers are delivering mass quantities of pellets to overseas markets on spec and on time, according to Seth Ginther, executive director of the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association.
Ginther, one of seven trade association leaders who participated in the International Biomass Conference & Expo’s State of the Industry general session on March 25, added that the sector overshot RISI five-year projections by 14 percent, shipping out 3 million metric tons of pellets in 2013.
The main driver behind the industry’s momentum is policy certainty in Europe, Ginther explained. ”We’re beginning to achieve [policy certainty], and that’s what’s needed to get capital flowing, contracts signed and to get assets in the ground.”
Examples of said policy certainty include renewal of the United Kingdom’s Renewables Obligation, a clearer picture of what meeting sustainability criteria entails, and movement outside of the U.K., in markets including the Netherlands and Asia. “In 2013, the Netherland assigned an energy deal that calls for 3.5 million metric tons per year of co-firing,” Ginther said. “Five 500,000-metric-ton plants that would have to be built to supply those plants. All won’t come from the U.S., but I like to think that a good portion will.”
Asia, which is projected to become a 5 million-metric-ton market by 2020, is beginning to realize the need for long-term off-take agreements, rather than trying to source supplies from the spot market, Ginther added. “In the U.S., all of the pellets are really spoken for…you can’t get a consistent supply off of the spot market.”
Pellet Fuels Institute President Jennifer Hedrick and Biomass Thermal Energy Council Executive Director Joseph Seymour had similar stories to share regarding the past year’s successes for the residential pellet and biomass thermal markets—increased pellet consumption, a tax credit in the House and Senate, Farm Bill certainty and a memorandum of understanding with the USDA—and discussed the relevance and importance of the U.S. EPA’s New Source Performance Standards for Residential Wood Heaters, which Hedrick said refers to the PFI’s Standards Program.
Seymour pointed out that wood heater regulations haven’t been updated in a meaningful way for 25 years, and the industry has advanced dramatically during that time. “Wood heating at residential scale has grown 30-plus percent from 2000 to 2010,” he said. “We need to update our regulations, because there are certain counties and states that are looking at prohibiting use of wood heat because of legacy wood heaters that are poor performers and smoking up the air sheds. “
Seymour noted that if the industry wants to continue to see continued growth of residential heating, it needs to ensure that clean, efficient and advanced systems are incentivized through regulations that work and do not make equipment cost prohibitive to consumers.
American Biomass Council Executive Director Patrick Serfass said the biogas industry has made headway when it comes to state policy, but not so much federally, aside from the Farm Bill. It’s been a robust year for project development, he added, and the dynamics of the industry are changing in positive ways, especially when it comes to taking advantage of the value of digestate.
Todd Taylor, representing the Algae Biomass Organization, said the association plans to elect a new executive director in the coming months. While the sector does have reservations and concerns when it comes to federal policy, it received strong support under the new Farm Bill. Taylor added that fuel is the “golden ring” of potential markets for algae, but members are increasingly taking advantages of other nonfuel markets such as nutriceuticals.
Biomass Power Association President Bob Cleaves reflected on the biomass power industry’s booming year, which brought on line over 700 MW of capacity and hundreds of millions of dollars in investments. “Some might look at it pessimistically and say that 1603 has expired, that it was Recovery Act money and aren’t likely to see that level of growth [in the future], but if you look at the overall energy picture in the country, besides natural gas, there’s a real push for renewables. Biomass, being dispatchable—and combined with the polar vortex—will play an important role.”
On the Tailoring Rule and the EPA’s decision on how it will regulate biogenic emissions, Bob said EPA has a deadline of July, and while it isn’t definite that the agency will meet that deadline, it is expected that something will be released this summer, likely a framework.
It will have implications on the entire biomass industry, Cleaves added. “This issue affects everyone on this stage, everyone in this room, anybody that interested in energy from biomass. It affects existing plants…it affects new plants…it affects modifications to existing plants, it affects the RFS, it affects tax reform. It’s the ball game.”
Unlike the other sectors’ relatively successful year, it’s been a difficult 12 months for the advanced biofuel industry, according to Michael McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuel Industry, who provided attendees with a dismal but honest assessment of the state of the sector. “We have a lot of guys who have hit the wall,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of member atrophy because they’ve simply run out of runway, and the financial community has not reacted well at all to the fight between corn ethanol and the oil industry, with respect to the RFS.”
On what 2014 looks like, McAdams said he doesn’t see things changing much. “We have an administration who has said it supports advanced and cellulosic industry, and then puts the rule out that cuts the numbers from actual production in 2013 by 40 percent.”
Besides potentially drastically lowered RVO volumes and the ensuing crash of RIN values, another great challenge rests with the EPA and its inability to deliver pathways , McAdams added. “Just two weeks ago, they said they suggest that nobody send them a pathway request for the next six months, while they figure out a way to fix the system they haven’t been able to run for three years. That’s not exactly a business-friendly approach to building an industry, but we have to work with EPA because they control the marbles…It’s not a charming statement, but it accurately reflects the position we’re in, and it means we all have to work together.
The International Biomass Conference & Expo is being held in Orlando, Fla., and continues through March 26. | 7,007 | 3,236 | 0.000324 |
warc | 201704 | IL-8 mRNA expression in the mouse mammary glands during pregnancy and lactation.
MedLine Citation:
PMID: 23096912 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Interkeukin-8 (IL-8) is an important inflammatory mediator. It is an angiogenic factor associated with inflammation and carcinogenesis. To date, research on IL-8 has been limited to its role as an indicator of inflammation. There has been no systematic research concerning IL-8 expression levels in the mouse mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. Mouse mammary gland samples were collected on days 1, 6, 12, 18 of pregnancy and of lactation (six mice per group). The expression levels of IL-8 mRNA were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, with GAPDH as an internal control. IL-8 mRNA was highly expressed on day one of pregnancy in the mouse mammary glands (IL-8(IOD)/GAPDH(IOD) = 1.68), and then suddenly declined; it reached 0.74 and 0.71 on days 6 and 12 of pregnancy. On day 18 of pregnancy, it started to increase (IL-8(IOD)/GAPDH(IOD) = 1.02). However, the expression levels of IL-8 mRNA were not significant during pregnancy. During lactation, IL-8 expression level was lower than during pregnancy, but it stabilized at 0.32~0.41 (IL-8(IOD)/GAPDH(IOD)) from day one to 18 days of lactation, though the difference was not significant. We suggest that the changes in IL-8 expression level during development is related to its regulatory role in mouse mammary gland immunity.
Authors:
H P Li; Y J Guo; H S Zhu; K Zhong; G M Zha; L F Wang; Y L Wang; W F Lu; Y Y Wang; G Y Yang
Publication Detail:
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2012-10-9
Journal Detail:
Title: Genetics and molecular research : GMR Volume: 11 ISSN: 1676-5680 ISO Abbreviation: Genet. Mol. Res. Publication Date: 2012 Oct
Date Detail:
Created Date: 2012-10-25 Completed Date: - Revised Date: -
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID: 101169387 Medline TA: Genet Mol Res Country: -
Other Details:
Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: -
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document:Sexual dimorphism of STGC3 tumor suppressor function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cells. Next Document:Structure and polymorphism of 16 novel Y-STRs in Chinese Han Population. | 2,536 | 1,352 | 0.00075 |
warc | 201704 | Intraocular pressure efficacy of glaucoma medications versus placebo in phase II compared to later phase trials.
MedLine Citation:
PMID: 23060621 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This review aimed to compare the predictive value between the untreated reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) from baseline or placebo measured in early phase clinical trials to phase III and IV results for glaucoma medicines. Published, placebo-controlled, randomised, parallel, single-masked or double-masked clinical trials with at least one phase II, III and IV study available were reviewed. This study included 50 articles evaluating 9 medicines from 59 active arms and 18 placebo arms. For all studies the phase II IOP reduction from placebo showed less decrease compared to the decrease from baseline (p<0.04). For all medicines, reductions from morning baseline in phase II did not predict better than the decrease from placebo for phase III (p=0.15) or IV (p=0.08) reductions in IOP. In contrast, diurnal IOP reduction from baseline in phase II predicted decreases better than placebo in phase III (p=0.007) and IV (p=0.02). Generally, for prostaglandins, β blockers and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for the morning trough and diurnal curve there was no difference in pressure reduction from baseline for phase II compared to phase III or IV (p≥0.23). In contrast, where comparisons were available for the decrease in pressure from placebo there were differences for phase II compared to phase III and phase IV (p≤0.02). This study suggests that in early phase glaucoma trials, using the reduction from untreated baseline in general better approximates the results of later regulatory and post-commercialisation trials than the decrease from placebo.
Authors:
R Allan Sharpe; Lindsay A Nelson; Jeanette A Stewart; William C Stewart
Publication Detail:
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2012-10-11
Journal Detail:
Title: The British journal of ophthalmology Volume: - ISSN: 1468-2079 ISO Abbreviation: Br J Ophthalmol Publication Date: 2012 Oct
Date Detail:
Created Date: 2012-10-12 Completed Date: - Revised Date: -
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID: 0421041 Medline TA: Br J Ophthalmol Country: -
Other Details:
Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: -
Affiliation:
Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document:Aragonite-associated biomineralization proteins are disordered and contain interactive motifs. Next Document:Risk of psychopathology in adolescent offspring of mothers with psychopathology and recurrent depres... | 2,768 | 1,387 | 0.000734 |
warc | 201704 | By Mark Grzeskowiak
In her book, What Next?, Barbara Moses provides readers with a useful checklist to help them decide if it's time to quit. Mixed in with suggestions such as whether we've tried to make changes at work, recognized the "toxicity" of our workplace, and gotten our finances in order, Moses makes an important, if understated, point: We'll know it's time to leave once we "have obtained an outsider's perspective on [our] situation."
The Shake Up
We know where the supplies are at work. And we can count on a fairly standard variety of duties particular to our unit's patients or our department's function, and our coworkers are familiar faces (and they may even be friends). For most people, the workplace also means a regular amount of hours, and so a regular paycheck each week. We don't even think about these things until something in our stable world of employment changes – there are layoffs, or hours are cut, or we're transferred to another unit. Suddenly, we're anxious.
Similarly, if we quit, the familiarity and comfort are gone: Our routine changes, our consistent money source will be cut off, and we lose the regular access to familiar acquaintances and friends. We're displaced, destabilized, and maybe fearful.
This is why someone at a career crossroads needs good, balanced advice. But the main danger in looking for an outsider's perspective is that we'll look for someone who will tell us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear. So to whom do we go – a career counselor, friend, or mentor?
Advice You Trust
Good career counselors will try their best to look at our situation objectively, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll listen. We may consider their advice to be too generic, too impersonal, too textbook – not enough about us. Or we may think that, whatever they say, they're somehow judging us, rather than just giving advice.
Friends might seem like a good option, but they can't always be counted on to tell us what we need to hear because they don't want to hurt us. That oft-quoted phrase, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," isn't just a quaint exercise in cynicism: You can learn a lot about yourself – particularly your flaws – from your enemies. Your friends, on the other hand, are friends – their advice will be biased because they care about you. They may think twice before confronting you with the hard truth about yourself.
Mentors are probably the best option, because they represent the balance between the totally objective career counselor and the biased friend. A mentor will be familiar with your career goals, and will also be someone whose opinion you trust and respect. And a mentor won't be afraid to tell you like it is. Mentors typically appear at those points in our lives when we're in doubt and wondering how to go forward. They're the teachers, professors, or coaches in our youth that had a real impact on us, despite the fact that they were never as close to us as our family or friends.
Seeking out a mentor later in life requires a bit of networking – such as getting in touch with a professional organization or going back to our old alma mater. In fact, many college or university career centers have contact lists of professionals willing to talk with graduates about their career paths.
Taking Action
Of course, after we've found that outsider's perspective, taking action isn't easy. Most of us tend to be a bit like mythical Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in a pond and didn't want to disturb it. Once we've talked to other people and we "know" it's time to quit, unlike Narcissus, we have to find the courage to stick our hand in the water and break up the image. (But that's another article.) | 3,780 | 1,876 | 0.000541 |
warc | 201704 | Updated on 28 March 2014
Analysis firm Deloitte mentions that weak pipelines and diversification strategies to counter the threat of generic competition are driving life sciences merger and acquisition activity. "Mergers, consolidations,
and alliances will continue to transform the global life sciences market. With low interest rates and considerable cash on hand, global pharma players are penetrating burgeoning emerging markets by acquiring domestic generic manufacturing companies," according to a report by Deloitte. Strategies of Big Pharma Well-established global pharmaceutical brands focused their regional investment strategies in this region to leverage the strengths of the emerging economies and also tap the growing local markets. Acquisitions or alliances provide them easier access to the local market through pre-established markets and facilities. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer, Novartis, and Sanofi Pasteur are among the top pharma giants who have established strongly in Asia by acquiring the domestic companies.
In the last five years, GSK has made aggressive investments by building alliances with regional companies such as Japan-based JCR Pharmaceuticals, Korea-based Dong-A Socio Holdings, China-based Nanjing MeiRui Pharma and with Shenzhen GSK-Neptunus Biologicals. GSK' strategy has been to grow a diversified global business in pharmaceuticals research and manufacturing with direct presence in the target market.
Similarly, Pfizer has made investments in India by acquiring more than 30 percent stake in Pfizer India, to strengthen its India presence. The company also ventured into India's animal health market by acquiring India-based Ventnex Animal and Pfizer Animal Pharma. Novartis reinforced its vaccine capabilities in Asia by acquiring a majority stake in China-based vaccine firm Zheijang Tainyun Biopharmaceutical for epidemic hemorrhagic fever and influenza and India-based manufacturer of anti-rabies vaccine Chiron Behring Vaccines. Sanofi in order to complement its existing R&D strength acquired India-based Universal Medicare's marketing division and Dosh Pharmaceutical's animal division.
"It is likely that many pharma companies will consider restructuring in order to regain their industry dominance. They need to explore options for mergers and acquisitions and/ or execute license deals in order to survive in mature markets and access emerging markets. Meanwhile, generic drug manufacturers will continue to move up the value chain to expand their market share taking advantage of the patent cliff and pricing pressures," said Mr Abhijit Ghosh, pharmaceutical and health- care leader, PwC Singapore.
Editor's Pick
Featured Links
Survey Box | 2,707 | 1,351 | 0.000744 |
warc | 201704 | Relationships in-between humans are rather difficult to decipher and if misunderstood, they have a great potential to initiate so much pain. Every relationship goes through certain “baby” steps, each time becoming firmer and more intimate. As human beings, we are very different, thus at the point when we are only strangers the tendency to be hyper-vigilant towards others is exhausting. Moreover, it is expected of us to loosen up with time and become more relaxed and trusty, and that is hard my friend.
You can never be sure of someone else’s state of mind because it’s so fluctuant and the potential for a surprise is incredibly high. Through struggles of a relationship one can not only create an idea about the certain other, but also one can learn quite a lot about themselves and their stands during the process.
It would be far easier if people’s emotions would be defined by their genetic codes as certain something, and not this weird changeling combination that mutates every now and then, pretty difficult to track. Gosh, would that be boring? Yet enough with the drama. We are as we are and as such we tend to engage in various relationships through our lifetime, relationships that bring all kinds of emotions to our hearts be it joy, sadness, anger and comfort. The miraculous turnover from strangers to intimacy, this electrical mayhem than initiates’ sparkles in our eyes and butterflies in our stomach is still this irresistible mystery we all seek for.
Once the enchanting journey through the clouds of the seventh heaven is over, we stop shitting rainbows and experience a reality check that is much deeper and complex and most importantly real and supposed to follow us through the days to come. A relationship is actually about to start at this particular moment when the smoke has vanished and the air is clear.
You know your relationship is heading for the right direction when you:
1. Feel good in your skin
As long as you feel free to express your true being around your partner, without the need to censorship your thoughts and ideas you are off to a good start. The moment the confusing voices in your head retire is the moment your relationship start to blossom.
You will of course still have doubts and difficulties when trying to make a decision or merely a point, yet no matter how ridiculous they sound, you will eagerly say them out loud without hesitating and laugh together in the end. Together to conquer the world shall be written over your foreheads.
2. Scream indepen-dance
For some time now you feel like you’ve mastered the art of the relationship; there are no more white lies, hiding in the closet, improvised answers or simply hesitation stillness. Finally you have reached the point where you truly open up your heart to the significant other and embrace each other as one whole package. Stop right there.
It does feel good to become one in a relationship, however very soon you will notice how much you’ve missed your old you, your individuality. Its OK to share thoughts and maybe interests along sharing a life together, yet one shall hold on to some of our own personal pursuits.
Before ever being in this relationship you might have been on your own, which can be just as fun as being with someone. A relationship is supposed to bring us to share our whole potential, and not just fill up the semi-empty part of our souls. We are one whole be it in or out of a relationship, yet we seek for the certain someone to encourage all this wholeness drift.
None can fill the blanks for you, so if that’s the case run away and don’t look back.
3. Evolution/Revolution
The moment you realize that your partners success made you feel pride over jealousy is that moment when you’ve accepted him as a part of your own therefore his earnings are to be your earnings as well (not speaking materially). If you are still feeling inferior to your partners growth and secretly wished him to stop and reach out for you than you might consider taking a break and thinking things through. A relationship is when two people try to push each other’s limits for the best and egoistic behavior shall take no place there. And this applies to both of them.
4. No fixing, none is broken.
A relationship is all about trust and patience. Accepting the certain other for who he/she is comes after long and intimate conversations on various issues, personal stands and requests. The moment that you decide to treat each other equally and realize that no matter how much you can disagree on whatever your partner is saying at the moment its worth giving it a shot and carefully listening until the end is the moment that you will realize how important that person is in your life. If you are looking at your partner as a make-over project , unfortunately you will both end up disappointed and hurt in the end.
5. You’re peaceful.
It’s impossible to be happy all the time as it’s impossible to always reach a mutually blissful agreement when in a relationship. As long as you understand and agree that is the best way to do it, no matter without it being your first choice. No one shall force you into doing something you really don’t feel like doing; that is out of the question. However, when in a relationship sometimes one might need to be reminded that the decisions we make from that point on don’t only affect ourselves but also our partners thus there shall be compromise.
You know that your relationship is heading in the right direction if when opposed to a problem, you will rather sit don’t and put your arguments on the table and together decide which way is more beneficial for both, then start acting all selfish and victimizing yourself becomes your best shot.
The idea behind the relationship is to lean on each other when the situation gets out of control instead of trying to put the blame on the partner as a result of some unnecessary anxiety attack.
Again, just as every person is different, every relationship is just as different as the people in it. In every relationship one experiences no matter if its long or short, the chance to learn how to let go of some of your own worthless caprices aiming for a greater peace and serenity is presented. Ergo, from every relationship you might come up with a single piece of the bigger picture.
And that bigger picture is where every relationship shall be heading. | 6,465 | 2,953 | 0.000345 |
warc | 201704 | With the change in lifestyle, weak eyesight is becoming a common phenomenon. It is no surprise considering the amount of time we spend on our television and computer screens.
A person suffering from weak eyesight is either suffering from short-sightedness or far-sightedness. There can be many causes of weak eyesight such as genetical reasons, ageing, and strain on eyes or not taking enough nutrition.
If you are suffering from a blurry vision, watery eye or chronic headache, then you could be suffering from weak eyesight.
If not taken seriously, it can eventually lead to other major conditions like cataract or even deterioration of the eyes.
In Ayurveda, weak eyesight is termed as Drishti Dosha. According to Ayurveda, imbalanced Pitta is responsible for the weak eyesight.
Also Read: 5 Ayurvedic Remedies To Increase Appetite
Eyesight-related issues can be treated by laser surgery, lenses or even glasses. But, if you rather want to opt for the natural remedies, then we'd suggest you opt for Ayurvedic herbs to cure your eyesight.
Yes, it is the best answer for your eyesight-related ailments. Here are some of the herbs and remedies that even Ayurvedic experts would prescribe to cure weak eyesight problem.
Triphala
Triphala is a magic herb that is prescribed by many Ayurvedic experts to cure various ailments. This combination of three fruits can be very effective in curing Tridosha. It is a very effective remedy to treat eye-related disorders.
Usage
Soak a tablespoon of Triphala in water overnight. Filter this water and wash your eyes in the morning using this water. Washing your eyes daily with this will help in improving your eyesight tremendously.
Amla
Amla is a great source of vitamin C and is recommended by Ayurveda to treat problems related to eyesight. If you are suffering from a weak eyesight, we would recommend you to include Amla in your diet. You can eat it in the form of dried amla powder, or consume it in the form of capsules or fresh juice.
Usage
Drink fresh amla juice every day or take 1 tbsp of dried amla powder to improve your eyesight.
Carrot
Carrot is a rich source of vitamin A and is packed with essential nutrients, calcium, phosphorus and iron too. Being a source of so many essential vitamins, carrot is recommended by Ayurvedic experts to provide relief from weak eyesight.
Usage
If you are suffering from metropia or hyperopia, drink a glass of fresh carrot juice every day. You could also take it in the form of salads with your meals for desired results.
Almonds
Not only are they tasty as a snacking option, but they are also packed with vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants that help in improving eyesight and strengthening memory. Regular consumption of almonds can be useful for improving weak eyesight.
Usage
Soak a handful of almonds in water overnight. Next morning, blanch the skin and grind it to form a paste. Consume this paste every morning with a glass of milk to improve eye vision.
Bhirngraj
Eclipta alba, aka Bhringraj, is an Ayurvedic herb used for treating various eye-related issues. It is useful in curing eye-related ailments effectively.
Usage
To improve eyesight, make a paste of the Bhirngraj herb and apply it on your eyes. Regular application can help improve eyesight.
Liquorice
Liquorice, also known as mulethi, is used to treat a variety of ailments. Ayurveda recommends mulethi if a person is suffering from problems such as inflammation and pain in the eyes. Regular consumption of mulethi can help you in improving your eyesight.
Usage
Consume 1 tsp of mulethi powder with cow's milk to improve your vision. You can also consume it with ghee or honey.
Garlic
Garlic is not only used to spice up your food but it can also be used to improve your vision. It is an excellent remedy for those suffering from the problem of weak eyesight.
Usage
Consume garlic juice every day for better vision. | 3,927 | 1,684 | 0.000599 |
warc | 201704 | BookRags. (c)2017 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Describe the behavior of the weaverbirds on page 5. What about their behavior would make them interesting to an epidemiologist?
The weaverbirds make bag-like nests. These nests could contain different types of biological materials that could cause an infection.
2. Why are the workers burning the fields? What impact could this have on the migration of microbes and the biodiversity of an area?
The workers burn the fields in order to make the sugar crops yield more. This could allow for microbes to travel in the smoke and disrupt the normal chain of life in an area.
3. Describe the typical shapes of viruses and how Marburg compares to them.
Most viruses are ball-shaped, but Marburg is the only ring-shaped virus. Marburg is considered to be a filovirus, which means "thread virus". It is a thread virus that often rolls into a loop.
This section contains 2,575 words
(approx. 9 pages at 300 words per page) | 980 | 556 | 0.001819 |
warc | 201704 | One of the toughest decisions I have made in several decades in higher education was recommending an increase in tuition and fees for the coming year at the University of Massachusetts.
I see the stress that college borrowing is putting on students and our economy. I hear from parents who are frightened that rising costs will freeze their children out of a college degree or saddle them with onerous debt.
This issue has vaulted from the kitchen table to the national stage as President Obama has warned that the escalating cost of college threatens the middle class and America’s ability to compete.
Nobody’s dream should die under the weight of higher education costs. I fully understand that the benefit of an affordable education took me from a foundering mill town in Maine to the UMass presidency.
UMass will cost students 4.9 percent more next year. The number — significantly lower than increases elsewhere — was kept at that level only because the state appreciably increased UMass funding for the first time in several years, providing $25 million for deferred union contracts.
As welcome as that funding is, it does not keep pace with rising costs. In fact, expenses in just two key areas — labor and debt service — will be $63 million higher next year.
We are grateful for every dollar we receive from the Commonwealth, but recognize that state funding per student is expected to be $8,130 next year, down from $10,015 per student just five years ago. A decade ago, the state provided 61 percent of the funding for education programs at UMass; students and their families paid 39 percent. Today, that ratio is nearly reversed.
So what were our choices?
On one hand, I was attracted to the idea of freezing student charges — and UMass is pledging to freeze tuition and fees in Fall 2013 and Fall 2014 if the state will simply agree to fund 50 percent of our general education budget.
But this year, with state funding continuing to lag, there is no escaping the enormous downside of such a move.
UMass must be able to attract and retain top faculty; doing otherwise would shortchange our students — and must live up to negotiated contracts with our 10,620 union employees.
And, to be a top-tier public university, we cannot fall behind on student housing, research facilities or classrooms. UMass has invested $2.4 billion in a much-needed building program over the past decade — but shoulders 85 percent of the resulting debt.
If we were forced to cover the cost of labor contracts and construction debt without new fee revenue, students would find a lesser university system this fall. Freezing fees would have forced deep cuts in services, putting us on a road toward a lower quality, less competitive university.
So after much discussion and soul-searching, the 4.9 percent increase (on average, $580 per student), was seen as the moderate course, providing us with some but not all of the money we need — but lower than the near double-digit increases seen in other states.
As costs rise, so too does our determination to help our students.
UMass provided $158 million in direct financial aid this past year and will do more in the coming year. Additionally, we are looking at creative ways to save via administrative cost-cutting and are turning to our successful alumni for more help. We have embarked on a $1 billion endowment campaign and are halfway there.
In my first year as president, I have seen just how much this state has to be proud of in its public university. Yet, my sense is that UMass too often is taken for granted. It is time that this outstanding institution receives the appreciation and support it deserves.
Consider these facts:
• 275,000 UMass graduates live and work in Massachusetts.
• In the educational mecca of Massachusetts, 15 percent of college degrees granted each year bear the name “University of Massachusetts.”
• UMass fuels the state’s innovation economy by attracting more than $500 million in research funding annually and is a national leader in licensing income derived from faculty inventions.
As a state, we need to come together to determine how we can provide UMass with the support it deserves. We must not year after year face the Hobson’s choice of quality or affordability.
I ask Massachusetts residents — all of whom benefit from UMass research, service, innovation and education — to join the chorus of those who value and advocate for our university. Let’s rally behind UMass — and our shared future.
Robert L. Caret is president of the University of Massachusetts. | 4,667 | 2,207 | 0.000466 |
warc | 201704 | Around about the time you are likely reading this, a skilled surgeon is delicately cutting out and removing the brain of former NSW Waratahs coach Barry ''Tizza'' Taylor. By the time of his funeral on Friday afternoon at Manly, that brain will be in ice and on its way to Boston University. Now those who knew Tizza and who were as fond of him as I was may be forgiven for registering some surprise that - ahem - his, of all Australian brains, is the first to be preserved for medical science in this manner. But therein lies a story …
From the age of 10, Tizza was a strong, willing rugby player. Not a world-beater, true, but he never saw a tackle he didn't want to make, never saw a scrap he didn't want to be part of, never backed down to a bigger man. In all of his long career, playing to the age of 33, he never wanted to come off when he'd been hit - even hard - never wanted to sit out a game if ever he could take the field.
And yet, while like all rugby players of his generation he knew that concussion was no big deal, for Tizza that cavalier approach was a point of honour. As the son of Dudley Taylor - the undefeated middleweight boxer and prizefighter in the pubs around Glebe during the Depression - he was a second-generation star graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, and knew that it wasn't how hard you hit, it was how hard you could
get hit and keep coming back for more. In the words of his wife Enid, ''Tizza was concussed many, many times, and just played through it.''
In pure rugby terms, this approach earned him great respect as he formed lifelong friendships, played 235 games at breakaway for his beloved Manly, and learnt enough about the game and the motivations of young men to become a successful Australian under 21s and NSW Waratahs coach (teams that I had the honour to play in under his fine stewardship.)
But did all those concussions all those years ago have a long-term effect on him? It is to answer that question that Tizza's brain is on its way to Boston.
What we do know is that at the comparatively young age of 57 years, back in 1993, Tizza was already showing early signs of dementia. Short-term memory loss was one of the first signs, as was erratic behaviour and odd outbursts of anger from this usually even-tempered and loving family man. At first they thought he was just turning into a ''cranky old man'', and even though by his 60th birthday he was, in the words of his son Steven, ''already quite dotty'', still they thought it was just Tizza being Tizza … only more so. But then his condition worsened, particularly with his loss of memory and inability to control his anger.
''He couldn't remember what he had for breakfast,'' Steven says, ''yet could recall things from 60 years ago with the most minute detail. His condition would decline, then it would plateau for a while, then we'd notice another slip, followed by a plateau, etc, until finally he just wasn't there at all. It's been probably three years since he recognised any of us.''
When Tizza died late last Wednesday afternoon, it was a mercy, for the Tizza we all knew and loved was actually long gone.
In a conversation I had on Thursday morning with his grieving widow Enid, she talked with love but despair of her experience with him over the past two decades. She mentioned that she had seen the story I did for Channel Seven's
Sunday Night earlier this year focusing on the study being done by Boston University on the brains of deceased former NFL and ice hockey players, whereby they test for a condition known as CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy - very broadly, a degenerative brain disease frequently resulting in early dementia, caused by repeated concussions and subconcussive hits. It is like bruising on the brain that doesn't go away, and gets worse with age.
Enid mentioned the symptoms displayed by those players sounded remarkably familiar and, with her blessing and encouragement, I called Christopher Nowinski of Boston University. Gentle calls to Enid and Steven were made in return, and the Taylor family has very generously allowed Tizza's brain to be harvested for their brain bank. The family thinks, as I do, that he would have enjoyed the enormous fuss he has caused even after he has gone, and the old Tizza would have laughed himself silly at the thought that, at long last,
his really was the most studied Australian rugby brain of the lot. (And would still be, Tizza, years after your death!)
None of this is to say that Tizza's dementia was definitely caused by his long rugby career and refusal to bow to repeated concussions. But we will all know more soon.
Vale, Tizza - you dinkum were a one-off, and will long be fondly remembered in rugby, surf-lifesaving and wider Manly circles. You made an impact on rugby, mate, and we just want to know what true impact rugby had on you.
Twitter: @Peter_Fitz | 4,890 | 2,410 | 0.000417 |
warc | 201704 | Just a few inches of floodwater can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage, and your standard property insurance policy won’t cover it. Your Brotherhood Mutual agent can share information with you about obtaining flood insurance to protect your ministry, or you can find more information at FloodSmart.gov.
In addition to flood insurance, ask your Brotherhood Mutual agent if your ministry would benefit from having any of these optional coverages:
Water Damage Coverage Sewer and Drain Back-Up Coverage Interior Building Damage Coverage
Each one covers specific forms of water damage.
Looking for other tips and resources to help your ministry prepare for and respond to water damage? Our Safety Library has several resources that can help:
Ten Tips for Drying Your Church (Article)
Prevent Frozen Pipes (Video)
Hiring a Plumber (Checklist)
Water Damage Prevention (Checklist)
Updating Coverage is Easy
Contact your local Brotherhood Mutual agent to add this coverage to your policy. Not a Brotherhood Mutual customer yet? Contact us and we'll help you get connected. | 1,089 | 588 | 0.001728 |
warc | 201704 | Saudi Arabia tells us that they have lots of oil, but if we look at graphs of their historical production, there is nothing that looks like an upward trend. In fact, recent production is lower than it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This is a graph of Saudi oil production, consumption, and amount of net exports, from Energy Exports Databrowser.
Exports, in green, are down because Saudi Arabia is consuming more and more of its own oil, so there is less available for others. This graph doesn't fit well with what we have been told.
The rest of the Middle East claims huge reserves, too, but looking at the Mideast in total doesn't give a much more favorable picture. While production is a bit higher in total now, exports (in green) are down from the 1970s because of rising consumption.
It is almost certain that the Saudis are overstating their capabilities. The reserves for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East are not audited, nor are their supposed "spare production capacities." They may have some spare capacity, but not the amount stated. When oil prices spiked to $147 barrel in July 2008, Saudi Arabia and others in the Middle East increased their production a bit, did not really come through with a huge surge in production, the way one would expect from their suppose spare capacity.
World oil supply has been roughly flat since 2005. Many are concerned that oil production will actually begin to fall in the next year or two - what is referred to as "peak oil" in the Wikileaks cable.
Links to a Few Posts Relating to Overstatement of Saudi Reserves and Production Capability
The Oil Drum has published many posts over the years relating to Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East's likely inability to produce as much oil as they claim they can. These are excerpts from (or comments about) a few of them. Click on the titles to access the posts. You can access other posts by the same author by clicking on the person's name.
Euan explains why Middle East OPEC reserves are likely overstated, and shows this chart of likely reserves at the 2P (that is, expected) level:
2. ace--Saudi Arabia’s Crude Oil Reserves: Particulars or Propaganda? June 15, 2008
Saudi Aramco has effectively used propaganda methods for at least the last fifteen years to convince many governments, corporations and individuals to believe their statements. However, Aramco’s statement that it is the world’s leading oil producer is now false as it now second after Russia since 2006. Nevertheless, Saudi Aramco’s repeated statement about remaining recoverable oil reserves being 260 billion barrels (Gb) is still generally accepted.
In 2004, Saudi Aramco stated that its oil initially in place (OIIP) has been growing steadily since 1982. There is considerable doubt about the validity of this increase, given the lack of new oil discoveries and the unusual nature of its steady continuous increase. Aramco stated the OIIP was 700 Gb at year end 2003 while a more realistic estimate is 580 Gb.
Aramco may have some high recovery factor fields such as Abqaiq and Shaybah, but an average recovery factor range from 30-37% is assumed for the total OIIP in Saudi Arabia’s fields. The trend of the recovery factor for Saudi Aramco indicates that there has been no effect on the recovery factor by recent technological advances in producing wells. Saudi Aramco has kept remaining recoverable crude oil reserves constant simply by artificially increasing the OIIP each year since 1982, accompanied by an unrealistically high average recovery factor of 52% since 1988.
3. Gail the Actuary -- President Bush Questions Saudi's Ability to Raise Oil Supply--January 17, 2008
Last night, on ABC's Nightline, Terry Moran interviewed President Bush in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during his trip to the Middle East. When discussing what President Bush might say to the King of Saudi Arabia to lower oil prices, George Bush said:
If they don't have a lot of additional oil to put on the market, it is hard to ask somebody to do something they may not be able to do.
We published a Press Release about this post, also.
4. Euan Mearns - Saudi Arabia - production forecasts and reserves estimates--August 30, 2007
This forecast for is on a broad basis (Crude and Condensate and Natural Gas Liquids) for Saudi Arabia.
Forensic analysis regarding how the oil/water mix that is extracted seems to be changing to more water, less oil in Saudi Oil fields. The red portions of the bands are oil.
An attempt to understand depletion levels in Ghawar.
7. Joules Burn--IEA World Energy Outlook 2008 - Fuzzy Focus on Saudi Arabia--November 18, 2008
Throughout the 2008 WEO, Saudi Arabia is cast in a leading role -- both figuratively:
On present trends, just to replace the oil reserves that will be exhausted and to meet the growth in demand, between now and 2030 we will need 64 mb/d of new oil-production capacity, six times the size of Saudi Arabia’s capacity today.
(from the Forward and Executive Summary)
and literally:
Saudi Arabia remains the world’s largest producer throughout the projection period, its output climbing from 10.2 mb/d in 2007 to 15.6 mb/d in 2030. (Executive Summary, page 40)
This post originally appeared at The Oil Drum.
Read the original article on The Oil Drum. Copyright 2011. | 5,355 | 2,588 | 0.000391 |
warc | 201704 | ONEONTA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ioxus, a manufacturer of premium performance ultracapacitor technology for use in transportation, industrial and energy applications, today announced the completion of its series C funding with receipt of $21 million from investors.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector, together with the Westly Group, a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California, led the financing. The company plans to use the funds to expand its customer service, sales and manufacturing in Asia, with a focus on China.
“One of IFC’s strategic priorities is to address climate change and promote the use and manufacturing of environmental technologies in emerging markets,” said Nikunj Jinsi, Global Head, Venture Capital, IFC. “Ioxus’ ultracapacitor technology, seasoned executive team and successful business model is a strong fit with our aim to support companies poised to have an impact on real time issues such as pollution prevention in developing countries.”
China is the number one market in the world for ‘new energy’ buses, passenger rail, automobile sales and renewable wind power generation, and Ioxus products directly benefit those applications. China is a fast developing country with more than four times the population of the United States. With the assistance of IFC, Ioxus will significantly expand its sales, customer service and manufacturing presence in China.
“I believe we have without question the strongest set of financial backers of any company in our industry, with the likes of GE, Alstom and now IFC with its presence in China” said Mark McGough, CEO Ioxus. “Our technology sets us apart from the competition; for instance our iMOD™ product can cut emissions
72% on every diesel bus in China. Customers love what Ioxus designs and they are driving our supercharged growth.” Additional Ioxus Information: Ioxus data sheets: http://www.ioxus.com/data-sheets.html Buy Ioxus products: http://www.ioxus.com/wheretobuy.html Ioxus on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ioxus About Ioxus
Ioxus
® cylindrical and THiNCAP ® pouch cell form factors. Ioxus ultracapacitors have higher power and energy density compared to other ultracapacitors with smaller, lighter weight iMOD ® modules and the new iMOD X-Series™ family of module systems. Ioxus ultracapacitor products are uniquely optimized for high performance with low resistance, ideal for delivering high power bursts for acceleration, energy recapture, peak load shaving and high power applications. Ioxus is headquartered in Oneonta, N.Y. For more information, visit www.ioxus.com. About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in more than 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. In FY13, our investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $25 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. | 3,306 | 1,618 | 0.000637 |
warc | 201704 | Why Squid Change Color CALIFORNIA MARKET SQUID+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font One of the oldest fisheries in California, the market squid fishery began in Monterey Bay in 1863. Chinese fishermen rowed the bay at night in skiffs, with a blazing torch mounted in the bow to attract the squid. Accompanying skiffs set a small purse seine around the congregated squid and pulled net by hand. The catch was dried in nearby fields and exported chiefly to China. The market squid is smaller than many other squid species, reaching a length of 12 inches, including its eight arms and two feeding tentacles. Market squid have a short life span, perhaps one year or less. Squid die after spawning. The market squid harvest fluctuates widely due to natural cycles, such as El Niño events. The fishery also fluctuates depending on international market forces. Typical of short-lived, highly fecund species, the market squid resource appears to recover fully in a relatively short time period. Consequently, squid may be harvested more intensively than longer-lived marine species. Even so, federal regulations established a precautionary 30 percent egg escapement in the fishery, and the State’s Market Squid Fishery Management Plan implemented weekend closures and other harvest restrictions, including marine reserves where harvest is prohibited. The squid FMP also enacted a limited entry plan, reducing the squid fleet from 164 purse seine vessels to 77 transferable permits. During the 1990s, market squid ranked as the largest commercial fishery by volume in six years of the decade (1993-2000, excluding 1998), and in four of those years (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000) ranked as the state’s most valuable fishery resource. Among US exports of edible fishery products in 1999, market squid ranked 6th by volume and 16th by value, higher than any other commercial fishery in California. Squid has continued as California’s most valuable fishery in the 21st century (in non-El Niño years). In 2005, market squid landings exceeded 122 million pounds, with a dockside value of more than $31 million. Between 1989-2000, California market squid contributed about 66 to 75 percent of the value of total California exports in the wetfish industry (except for El Niño years, e.g. 1997-98). Squid again contributed more than two thirds of the total value of California wetfish exports in 2005. | 2,405 | 1,216 | 0.000833 |
warc | 201704 | Doctors and health advocates launched a campaign Wednesday calling on Alberta to phase out coal-fired power plants.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, the Asthma Society of Canada and The Lung Association took out newspaper ads across the province featuring a girl with an inhaler and the phrase, "Coal makes her sick."
Citing a report published in March, the coalition claims that each year emissions from Alberta coal plants cause more than 4,800 days in missed school or work for people with asthma.
"Coal is responsible for over one hundred Albertan deaths [annually]," said Beth Nanni with The Lung Association.
"These are huge health costs that Albertans are paying for with their health and with their lives."
According to provincial statistics, Alberta contains 70 per cent of Canada's coal reserves and uses more than 25 million tonnes of coal annually to generate electricity. The coalition says Alberta burns more coal than the rest of Canada combined.
The group claims coal is responsible for a number of potentially deadly health conditions.
Coal industry improving: province
Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen defended the industry in a statement, saying that Alberta was "the first jurisdiction in North America to put a price on carbon and introduce mandatory greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for all large emitters – including coal-fired electricity plants."
The health coalition is urging increased conservation and more investment in renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
It hopes its campaign will cause the public to pressure Alberta to take the lead from Ontario, which plans to become the first coal-free jurisdiction in North America, after all its coal-fire plants close in 2014. | 1,775 | 918 | 0.001105 |
warc | 201704 | Last Updated Sep 22, 2011 6:49 PM EDT
Before we dig into the conclusions of this paper, let's briefly review the four percent rule, which goes like this:
Invest in a portfolio balanced between stocks and bonds Withdraw four percent of your account in the year you retire Give yourself raises for inflation each year thereafter.
One common analytical argument for the four percent rule goes like this:
Look at every possible 30-year retirement period in the past, for as many years for which reliable, historical investment data is available. Assume you invested in a specific asset allocation between stocks and bonds and earned historical rates of return. Calculate the safe withdrawal rate for each of these periods, given the specific asset allocation.
Another common analytical argument for the four percent rule constructs a probabilistic model that prepares 500 to 1,000 projections of investment returns over 30 years based on historical returns and potential deviations from these returns. The probability of failure (i.e., outliving your retirement savings) is then estimated under various withdrawal rates and specific asset allocations. These models deem a withdrawal rate to be safe if the estimated failure rate is below certain thresholds, such as one out of 20 (5 percent) or one out of 10 (10 percent).
Both types of analyses can be used to analyze periods of retirement different from 30 years, and as you'd expect, shorter retirement periods can generate higher safe withdrawal amounts, and longer periods lower safe withdrawal amounts.
With this background in mind, let's now look at the paper that calls into question the safety of a four percent withdrawal rate in today's economy.
Next: Why four percent may not be a safe withdrawal rate in today's environment | 1,792 | 864 | 0.001164 |
warc | 201704 | President Barack Obama joined Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in declaring "deepened cooperation" in preparing for the resurgence of swine flu today.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
In a statement released by the White House, the North American leaders said that they will "work together to ensure that we have effective strategies, grounded in the best available science" to address the H1N1 pandemic.
Mr. Obama, Calderon, and Harper met in Guadalajara, Mexico Monday to discuss issues facing their respective countries, including economic recovery and climate change in addition to the possible spread of swine flu in the fall.
The full statement is below:
Joint Statement by President Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Aug. 10, 2009, as released by the White House.
We, the leaders of North America, have come together in Guadalajara to promote the global competitiveness of our region, foster the well-being of our citizens, and make our countries more secure. We build our collaboration on the understanding that our deepening ties are a source of strength and that challenges and opportunities in one North American country can and do affect us all. North American cooperation is rooted in shared values, complementary strengths, and the dynamism of our peoples. We are confident that working together we can help our societies thrive in the challenging, competitive, and promising century ahead.
North America's coordinated response to the initial outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus has proven to be a global example of cooperation. We set an example of a joint, responsible, and transparent response, enabling other regions to react quickly to protect their populations. Through planning and foresight, we were quickly able to put effective health measures in place. We will remain vigilant and commit ourselves to continued and deepened cooperation. We will work together to learn from recent experiences and prepare North America for the upcoming influenza season, including building up our public health capacities and facilitating efficient information sharing among our countries.
Promoting recovery from the current global economic crisis is a priority for each of us. By working together, we will accelerate recovery and job creation, and build a strong base for long-term prosperity. We look forward to the coming G20 Summit in Pittsburgh and will join efforts to ensure that the G20 continues to advance effective global responses to the crisis, including working to strengthen international financial institutions that are vital to assisting countries to restore economic vibrancy. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of the crisis in the Americas, particularly for the most vulnerable citizens of our Hemisphere. We support an accelerated review of the IDB to ensure it has sufficient short-term lending capacity.
Our integrated economies are an engine of growth. We are investing in border infrastructure, including advanced technology, to create truly modern borders to facilitate trade and the smooth operation of supply chains, while protecting our security. Building on these investments, we will work together to strengthen the resilience of our critical infrastructure, which transcends borders and sustains the well-being of our communities and economies. We will cooperate in the protection of intellectual property rights to facilitate the development of innovative economies. We commend the progress achieved on reducing unnecessary regulatory differences and have instructed our respective Ministers to continue this work by building on the previous efforts, developing focused priorities and a specific timeline.
North American trade is a vital component of our economic well-being and we pledge to abide by our international responsibilities and avoid protectionist measures. We reiterate our commitment to reinvigorate our trading relationship and to ensure that the benefits of our economic relationship are widely shared and sustainable. We will seek to promote respect for labour rights and protection of the environment with a continuing dialogue to address the functioning of the Labor and Environmental side agreements. This dialogue must result in mutually agreeable and cooperative activities with the aim to enhance the well-being and prosperity of our citizens and the economic recovery of our countries.
We recognize climate change as one of the most daunting and pressing challenges of our time and a solution requires ambitious and coordinated efforts by all nations. Building on our respective national efforts, we will show leadership by working swiftly and responsibly to combat climate change as a region and to achieve a successful outcome at the 15th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We also recognize that the competitiveness of our region and our sustainable growth requires a greater reliance on clean energy technologies and secure and reliable energy supplies across North America. Today, in agreeing to the "North American Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change and Clean Energy", we reaffirm our political commitment to work collaboratively to combat climate change.
Transnational criminal networks threaten all three of our countries. To dismantle them and to make our populations more secure, we will continue to deepen cooperation built upon the principles of shared responsibility, the strengthening of national institutions, and respect for our respective national legal frameworks. Canada and the United States recognize the commitment and the sacrifices of the Mexican people and Government as they confront the cartels threatening society, and we pledge to them our continued support. Our three governments recognize that we cannot limit our efforts to North America alone, and we have agreed to instruct our respective Ministers to strive for greater cooperation and coordination as we work to promote security and institutional development with our neighbors in Central America and the Caribbean.
We are deeply committed to helping strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law throughout the Americas. We support a leading role for the Organization of American States (OAS) as we work together to strengthen implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. We have thoroughly discussed the coup in Honduras and reaffirm our support for the San José Accord and the ongoing OAS effort to seek a peaceful resolution of the political crisis - a resolution which restores democratic governance and the rule of law and respects the rights of all Hondurans.
We recognize and embrace citizen participation as an integral part of our work together in North America. We welcome the contributions of businesses, both large and small, and those of civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, academics, experts, and others. We have asked our Ministers to engage in such consultations as they work to realize the goals we have set for ourselves here in Guadalajara.
President Calderón and President Obama welcome Prime Minister Harper's offer to host the next North American Leaders´ Summit in 2010. We will continue to work through this North American Leaders' Summit process, in an inclusive and transparent manner, for the common benefit of the people of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. | 7,502 | 3,233 | 0.000311 |
warc | 201704 | Last Updated May 29, 2014 1:00 PM EDT
The White House on Thursday brought together more than 200 sports officials, parents, youth athletes and others to bring awareness to sports-related concussions, promote ways parents can keep their children safe, and shine a spotlight on the gaps in medical research on the matter.
Kicking off the event, President Obama said he probably suffered from multiple "mild" concussions when he played sports as a child, but he didn't think anything of it at the time. In addition to doing more research to understand head injuries, Mr. Obama said it was time to change the culture "that says you suck it up."
Still, the president encouraged kids and parents to continue to engage in sports, noting that pickup basketball games and golf are ways he clears his head.
Mr. Obama also noted that a better understanding of the science behind traumatic brain injuries will help protect both America's kids and the U.S. military.
The president became interested in hosting the summit, the White House explained, after discussing the issue with his press secretary, Jay Carney.
"The president and I are obviously both parents," Carney explained to reporters Thursday. "As parents tend to do, we talk a lot about our children... and we also talk a lot about sports."
"I know parents across the country are making decisions about whether or not they want their kids to play football or other sports... in which concussions can happen," he added. The first-ever White House Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit is the "perfect opportunity," he said, for the White House to bring attention to an issue "that really is a topic of conversation across the country."
Young people make nearly 250,000 emergency room visits each year because of sport or recreation-related brain injuries, the White House notes. Yet according to a report published last fall by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, there is a significant lack of data on concussions, particularly among youth.
In conjunction with the summit, the White House on Thursday is announcing several private-public partnerships designed to tackle that problem. For instance, the NCAA and the Defense Department are committing $30 million to the most comprehensive clinical study of concussion and head impact exposure ever conducted. They're also issuing an Educational Grand Challenge aimed at improving concussion safety behaviors in college sports and the military.
The NFL, meanwhile, is contributing $25 million over the next three years to help promote safety in youth sports. That includes providing funding for new pilot programs that will expand access to athletic trainers in schools, among other things. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health is using $16 million it received from the NFL (as part of a larger $30 million contribution) to study the chronic effects of repeated concussions.
"What we want to get out of this is for parents to have a better understanding of what the risks are, how to ameliorate the risk, and also to understand where the gaps [in information] are," White House spokeswomann Jennifer Palmieri told reporters.
The summit, she said, represents one more way Mr. Obama is trying to use his unique powers to unilaterally bring about change.
"We talk a lot about the president using the pen, using the phone, in terms of trying to accomplish action this year," she said. "This is a good example of that."
The president, however, isn't the only Washington official to take an interest in this issue. The well-being of young athletes has been a topic of conversation on Capitol Hill this year since a member of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that football players at Northwestern University could create the nation's first college athlete's union. The university challenged the ruling, but the full NLRB is expected to approve it.
Earlier this month, schools officials and other experts testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about the impact unionizing could have on college sports. Andy Schwarz, an economist who wrote the book "Excuses, Not Reasons: 13 Myths About (Not) Paying College Athletes," told Congress that giving student-athletes the chance to be part of a free market or a union would "provide athletes with a voice" when it comes to issues like safety standards.
As it stands, he said, the NCAA is a price-fixing cartel intent on dodging legal responsibilities for athlete safety and medical expenses.
"Far more effort was spent to determine whether Johnny Manziel received a market rate of compensation for his autograph than was spent investigating whether Matt Scott of Arizona, who showed clear signs of concussion during a televised game (that I myself watched), was put at risk by quickly returning to play in the same game," Schwarz said in his prepared statement to Congress.
Congress has explored the issue beyond college athletics. In March, a subpanel of the House Energy Committee held a hearing called "Improving Sports Safety: A Multifaceted Approach."
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said that Congress needs to ensure that neuroscience research is well funded. "I am encouraged by the potential of radiological and longitudinal research methods leading to earlier, more accurate diagnosis, to a better understanding of risk factors, and eventually to treatment options for brain injuries," he said. | 5,462 | 2,676 | 0.000377 |
warc | 201704 | No mention of breaking down any of that meat?
My first "promotion" from commis (in 1972) was to add "boucher" (under tons of suspicion -- whoops! -- supervision) to my other duties. That's when and where I learned to sharpen better than the average bear; and a lot of things about food in general.
In terms of chef's knife prep knife skills (not butchering red meat, or breaking down poultry and fish) there are some basics that aren't taught well in school or in most kitchens. You want a very sharp knife, soft enough so you can use a very soft grip. You want a soft, pinch grip (it helps with control, prevents fatigue, and keeps your hand healthy). You want to learn to use a "claw" with your offhand, well enough so that gauging thickness is more tactile than visual; and you want to learn to "cut and retreat" with the claw.
Sharpen and practice your knife skills at home where no one's yelling at you. Murder lots of cucumbers and carrots. Don't move on to "planks," "sticks" and "dice" until you have enough control to cut "coins" consistently. A big part of knife skills is learning to use the space on your board so you're not running over work you've already done or being crowded by uncut food on the board.
You should be able to do your kitchen's basic cuts -- whether or not they're the "classic French cuts" -- in your sleep. Onions, onions, onions. If you can't chop half dozen onions without crying your knife is dull. Sadly, most professional cooks have don't use a sharp knife.
Bring your line knife home every night and sharpen it. When I say "sharpen" I mean stones, not a steel. Not a "Sharpmaker" or "Crock-Sticks" either. I forget what knife you have, but if it's one which benefits from steeling, learn to use a steel the right way -- nearly everyone does it wrong. If you want to know one of the best ways, read my article "Steeling Away."
Buy a 5lb bag of rice and a skillet shaped like those you use at work. Practice toss turning outside until your arms fall off.
Paradoxically, the best way to develop speed is to not push, but to focus on being smooth. After awhile you'll have thought enough about whatever task that you stop thinking about it. That's when speed starts to come. Just like sports and every other physical task, once you get a basic understanding -- your brain is not your friend.
Speaking of over-thinking... You'll be called on your faults and get corrected a lot. I'm not suggesting that criticism should go in one ear and out the other, but it's important not to dwell on the past, but stay in the present and maybe the next 15 seconds of the immediate future.
Get in the habit of touching (nearly) everything. Most times on the grill or the line, touch beats a thermometer by light years. Taste everything. Learn your restaurant's seasoning levels; taste everything and adjust.
Ask questions at work, but don't make suggestions.
Ask questions here. If you're doing "fine dining," pay extra attention to people with fine dining experience. If you're doing volume, pay extra attention to people with volume experience. The two are not always the same. I imagine there are some specific ins and outs for "chain" as well, but don't know enough about it. I'm maundering, but you get the point.
Learn to listen, talk and work at the same time. Answer all questions immediately and honestly -- even if the answer is something you think chef doesn't want to hear. Nothing screws up a kitchen worse than lack of communication. Nothing makes a problem easier to solve than knowing it exists.
Mise en place, mise en place, mise en place. Those three things may well be the biggest keys to speed and quality.
Of nearly equal importance: Invest your time wisely. Keep your station neat and clean,
always. A straighten and wipe during or after is a good idea. 60 seconds to get rid of dirty pans and wipe down -- even during the crush... Hell! Especially during the crush -- will boost your quality immeasurably and save every ticket at least 5 minutes over the next 15. You do the math.
Never send food that's under-seasoned or over-done.
When you start having fun, don't let it show. They'll make you pay them.
BDL | 4,204 | 2,095 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | [T]o forestall more serious, systemic environmental issues, Beijing will have to be preemptive rather than reactive with regulation. In everything from modernizing its recycling industry to improving regulations on rare earth mining, the costs of waiting and testing out new ideas are high. Especially in terms of human health, delays from experimenting with environmental reforms…
Philips brought a new onboard air purifier to the Chinese market on Sept 11 in an effort to expand its business in the automotive industry. The latest product can eliminate 99 percent of PM 2.5 as well as chemical pollutants and other odors, according to the company. Philips breathes life into onboard air purification – China…
Pollution in China has been a hot topic for a couple of years now, following the Winter of Doom here in Beijing a while back and a similar bad run of polluted days in Shanghai later on. Scary stuff, and the PR has led some MNCs to address the issue within the context of retention…
No, I’m not talking about myself, although I am a Californian and I am suffering through the Biblically nasty Beijing Airpocalypse. Rather, I’m talking about actual residents of the U.S. West Coast, which is apparently enjoying all kinds of icky goop that floats across the Pacific Ocean from the PRC and into U.S. airspace. They…
So yeah, we’ve been having a bit of bother here in Beijing with our air. Not exactly a new development, although this particular episode is rather alarming when you look at the numbers. If you’ve seen the press coverage, you’re probably aware that the tracking system the municipal government here uses to measure air quality…
China Daily tells us that perhaps we shouldn’t drink tap water in Beijing. {Gasp!} I guess it’s better than not that this sort of “news” gets in the paper. In the old days, we wouldn’t have seen this kind of negative coverage of public services at all. On the other hand, I don’t know anyone…
After so many recent high-profile environmental protests in China, it appears that the government is looking for a systematic way to avoid these “mass incidents.” The solution? Better vetting of projects at the local level.
China’s Nimbies are happy today, but how are local governments going to respond to future pushback?
If we want to hold companies responsible for the bad acts of their suppliers, how close should the relationship between the two enterprises be?
We are about to find out whether clean air and traffic reduction are more important than propping up auto sales.
Beijing’s having trouble getting people to sort trash. Time to bring out the big guns – from the 70s.
Can the government slow new car ownership in Beijing, or are the lobbyists already too powerful?
Those impressive energy efficiency targets in China’s Five-Year Plan may turn out to be a bit too ambitious. | 2,966 | 1,553 | 0.000674 |
warc | 201704 | I’ve been trying to lose a little weight, but it hasn’t going very well for me thus far. I’ve got the exercise thing down, as I workout 60-90 minutes a day. Locking down what I eat has been a completely different story.
After the rest of my family had gone to bed on Thursday night, I decided to have a snack. A small bowl of ice cream lead to a bowl of chips, and ended up with several raids on the bowl of left over Halloween candy. As I was unwrapping a fun-sized candy bar, a simple question popped into my head.
Are my actions consistent with my goals?
The simple answer is, it wasn’t. My late night gorging of snacks completely negated a day in which I had eaten fairly healthy, and had logged a six mile run.
A similar experience occurred over the weekend. Friday evening my wife and I went to a movie, but the way the schedule played out we didn’t have a chance to eat dinner before the show. We ended up stopping at a restaurant after the movie for a late night, mediocre dinner. The next day, we were out shopping and my wife’s mother called and asked if we wanted to meet them for a drink which also turned into dinner. Sunday featured stopping to eat somewhere on our way home from church. As I took my last bite of a fast food burrito, I stopped and asked myself that same question again:
Are my actions consistent with my goals?
Except this time I thought of not only my weight loss goals, but also our finances. Every meal was completely unnecessary, and literally ate up all of our discretionary funds. I won’t even go into the completely unhealthy food choices I made.
On Sunday night my wife and I did our usual weekend spending budget breakdown. While we stayed within our budget for the weekend, neither of us were happy with the spending choices we made. We both agreed that we could make much better use of our funds than just blowing it on junk food at restaurants that we could make ourselves at home. We have a common goal to spend our money on things that bring value and enjoyment to our lives. Our restaurant choices gave us convenience, but didn’t give us any value at all.
So we came to an agreement. Each time we are discussing spending some of our hard earned funds one of us has to throw out that question that had popped into my head twice over the last week:
Would this be consistent with our goals?
We hope that this will help us make better decisions with our money. Hey, it may even help me with my waistline as well.
Are your actions consistent with your financial goals?
Brought to you courtesy of Brock | 2,597 | 1,288 | 0.000793 |
warc | 201704 | FDA approves Ravicti for urea cycle disorders
FDA Approves Ravicti for Urea Cycle Disorders
HealthDay News -- The FDA has approved glycerol phenylbutyrate (Ravicti, Hyperion Therapeutics) to treat certain urea cycle disorders (UCDs) in patients aged 2 years and older.
UCD is a rare inherited condition that involves a lack of enzymes that help the body remove ammonia from the blood. The body typically produces nitrogen as a waste product during protein metabolism. Nitrogen is normally converted to urea and excreted, but in people with UCDs, nitrogen accumulates as ammonia, and can lead to coma, brain damage or death, the FDA said in a press release.
Glycerol phenylbutyrate aids in removing accumulated ammonia, and is indicated for people with UCDs whose disorder cannot be managed with a protein-restricted diet or amino acid supplements alone. The liquid formulation is designed as an adjunct therapy to be taken three times daily with meals.
"Ravicti provides another treatment for chronic management of urea cycle disorders, a group of life-threatening conditions," said Donna Griebel, MD, of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The drug was reviewed under the agency's fast track program and had been granted orphan drug status.
The approval was based on clinical trial results in 44 adults who had been receiving sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl) for UCD. Patients were randomly assigned to continue taking the older drug or to receive glycerol phenylbutyrate for two weeks. Participants were then crossed over to the other treatment for two additional weeks.
Glycerol phenylbutyrate was just as effective as sodium phenylbutyrate in lowering levels of ammonia in the blood, the researchers found. The most common side effects were diarrhea, flatulence and headache.
"The approval of this new therapeutic option demonstrates FDA's commitment to providing treatments for patients suffering from rare diseases," Griebel said.
The FDA will require drug-maker Hyperion Therapeutics to conduct additional post-marketing studies to assess safety, ammonia control, drug interactions and more. Glycerol phenylbutyrate will be available in 1.1g/mL liquid in 25mL multi-use glass vials. It is expected to be available by the end of April 2013. | 2,276 | 1,135 | 0.000887 |
warc | 201704 | In the past, I spent considerable time trying to work out an optimal way to answer the find an idle node problem. Each time I thought I had found "the way" my approach got more and more complicated. Finally, at one point, I thought, all the fancy ideas seem to no better than just picking any node. Then it dawned on me, the simplest way to find a free node is to pick a node at random. Pages of code became victims of the delete key due to this simple idea. In my later years, I have learned that randomness is a powerful tool when facing problems that have no easy solution. A dart thrown at the stock listings always seems to better than the best stock broker. (Hint: Place a dart board behind the stock listings, don't have the stock broker hold then up.)
About that heartbeat idea. It may be better to call it a handshake instead of a heartbeat because both the master and worker can benefit. Master nodes can send their workers a periodic handshake. If the node does not reply, the master knows for sure that the node is dead and the nodes work must be redone (on the master or on another worker). On the worker node, if a worker stop getting a reply from the master, then it can assume the master is dead or has finished without the worker, and stop working. The node then become free to do other work.
We can now come back to issue of redundant work. A very valid point. A possible refinement is to assign a limit to the number of worker nodes a master may use. lets call this a Branch Number. If this number is zero for all branches (loops), then the program runs on one node. If it is equal to the number of nodes in the cluster, then the program could flood the cluster with redundant work. There is probably an optimum number for each branch point in the program. How is this number determined? There could be several ways, a compiler could guess at this, but it is hard to know how the program will behave for a given cluster at runtime. Another way is to let the program optimize these for a given cluster. It may take several runs, but the program could optimize itself for a specific cluster. All that would be needed is set of list of Branch Numbers for that particular cluster. Dynamic behavior would also help load balance the cluster. If you think of two or more dynamic programs running on a cluster, then they could easily be competing for resources. The end result is a single binary that adapts at run-time to various cluster hardware, cluster loads, and to node failure. Just what I wanted.
As to issues of interconnect type or processor speed. A self tuning dynamic program will run as best it can within a given hardware environment. This means that the number of nodes a program uses will depend on the cluster internals. The idea is that instead of writing codes to use a fixed number of nodes, the program will find the best number that will work on the cluster at hand.
You Have Finally Lost Your MindSo there you have it, the path is clear, dynamic execution can give us what we really need in the cluster world. (well, at least what I want). Of course, many of you now believe I have have gone off-the-deep-end. Furthermore, I am sure you may have questions or polite insightful comments about this approach to computing. (All of which I would love the hear about, you may contact me through clustermonkey.net). My goal here was not to design new algorithm per se , but rather to throw another log on the cluster discussion fire. {mosgoogle right}
Actually, I must confess, some of the ideas are not that new. A similar type of problem occurs every day in the networking world. As you know, a network is a shared device. How do arbitrary computers connected to an Ethernet network handle the traffic on the network. Instead of some complicated algorithm or central control device that helps manage traffic (that would by itself generate more traffic), Ethernet uses the power of randomness. If an Ethernet device finds the network busy, it waits for a random amount of time, and then retries. Simple, robust and low overhead.
In the future, I believe cluster computing can work the same way, but there is one more thing that has to happen before we can become the ultimate master of our nodes. Next month, we'll talk about how to express your problem so that it is more amenable to dynamic execution. Warning: Some of you are going to get upset.
Note: This article is the second of three part series. The first and third parts are:
Part One: Cluster Programming: You Can't Always Get What You Want
Part Three: Cluster Programming: Explicit Implications of Cluster Computing
This article was originally published in Linux Magazine. It has been
updated and formatted for the web. If you want to read more about HPC
clusters and Linux you may wish to visit
Linux Magazine.
Douglas Eadline can be found swinging randomly through the trees at here at ClusterMonkey
<< Prev Next | 4,924 | 2,333 | 0.00043 |
warc | 201704 | Computers and decimalization have chipped away at the ranks of human traders in the past decade. Now, smarter machines are taking aim at the very people who analyze a company's merits and who make buying and selling decisions based on that analysis.
"I spoke with a high-ranking member of the trading community this weekend," said Michael Murphy of Rosecliff Capital, a fundamentally geared hedge fund. "His large firm sees an end of stock-picking. They see passive, ETF-style investing as the new normal."
Exchange-traded funds, which blindly buy whole groups of securities or futures as easy as single stock, have garnered $65 billion of inflows this year alone, while traditional equity mutual funds haven't seen a three-month period of inflows "in years," Colas said.
On top of that, layer algorithms executing trades in milliseconds based on complicated fundamental and technical models, and simply front-running people before the human eye can read company or government news releases.
This kind of trading accounts for up to 70 percent of volume on some days with the full support of exchanges, which allow the purveyors of this trading to have their servers to be located right next to theirs so the high speed action can take place.
"It depends on your time horizon for investment," said Tony Wible, a media stock analyst for research firm Janney Montgomery Scott. "I think the number of permutations gets harder for machines the longer out one goes."
Some investors are already throwing up their hands at what they see as a market that is so detached from fundamentals and simply based on computers owned by hedge funds pinging each other back and forth.
"There's just no new names, no new energy, no new opportunities, and that's a problem," said Mark Cuban, an avid trader, entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks. "That's a reflection of the lack of trust, the fact that we don't know what business the markets are in, and there's so much algorithmic trading and technology-driven trading it's created downstream problems."
Earlier this month, The Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked. The anonymous group sent a message styled like a headline that there had been two explosions at the White House. It sent markets reeling for four minutes as some traders say algorithms picked up on the tweet first, or at the very least they started to instantly sell when the market ticked lower.
This follows the so-called flash crash in May 2010 that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1,000 points in a matter of moments. The cause of that event is still not totally known, but high-frequency trading certainly played a part, most say.
It isn't just machines killing the analyst star. Social media has made keeping information behind a paywall for investment banks virtually impossible. It's also created a community of analysts on Twitter and other social networks (many of them former professionals) giving away their analysis for free.
"People that want to be tapped in now follow the right people on Twitter and obviously other networks like Stocktwits which offer communication, context and community," wrote Howard Lindzon, the founder of StockTwits.com, in a blog post. "Everyone is connected, not just the people 'in the know.' Of course with everyone 'holding hands' in this new world, the reactions like the AP hacking will be more volatile and the recoveries that we saw after, just as fast."
That could be the happy ending to this story. After a rough transition period, social media eventually reinvigorates fundamental analysis amongst the people, allowing anyone with a computer to capture big followings and become the Peter Lynch of tomorrow.
Under this scenario, capital will be guided to its most efficient place through the ultimate free marketplace where the information playing field is level between participants.
But this assumes there will be enough homegrown analysts and retail traders to outweigh the incredible boom in electronic trading on Wall Street. This could be an optimistic view.
"Can anything change this glide path to an ever more technology-based system of stock analysis?" Colas asked in his note. "I can only think of one: a very large system failure that causes a recession in the U.S."
For the best market insight, catch "Fast Money" at 5 p.m. ET, and the "Halftime Report" at 12 noon ET each weekday on CNBC. Follow @CNBCMelloy on Twitter. | 4,453 | 2,291 | 0.000441 |
warc | 201704 | Long Beach, California (CNN) -- Can something be in two places at once? Can you make a hamburger without harming a cow? Can one man conduct a chorus of 2,000 voices scattered in dozens of countries around the world? And can art change the world?
The answer to all four questions is yes, as speakers demonstrated in the opening days of this year's TED conference, the premier annual event organized by TED, a nonprofit whose tagline is "Ideas worth spreading."
Grouped under the theme "The Rediscovery of Wonder," speakers whose expertise ranged from the world of physics to the business of restaurants told an audience of nearly 2,000 about the ideas that animate their work. Many of them work at the leading edge of their fields, using their intelligence, massive computing technology and the wisdom of the crowd to ignite ideas that inspire wonder on many levels. (TED has a partnership with CNN in which talks from its conferences are published weekly on CNN.com.)
In the final session Wednesday, streamed over the Web, anonymous street artist JR concealed his features with hat and sunglasses but laid open his plan for a radical worldwide art project to change perceptions.
JR was awarded the 2011 TED Prize: $100,000 and a wish granted to him. The 27-year-old, who began his work as a teenage graffiti artist in Paris, said, "I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project."
He unveiled a website (http://www.insideoutproject.net/) to which people can submit portraits they would like to see printed as giant posters suitable for display in their home cities.
JR has masterminded art projects around the world, pasting up posters on the street to change perceptions of the world. In Face 2 Face, a project in the Middle East, his team posed Israelis and Palestinians who have the same occupations -- lawyers and cabdrivers, for example -- and got them to make faces. The posters have been displayed on both sides of the wall separating Israeli and Palestinian populations. He says most people couldn't tell which were Israeli and which were Palestinian.
JR's talk put him in the company of other speakers describing leading-edge projects:
A nonviolent revolution that toppled dictatorships: Speakers Wael Ghonim, who helped create the uprising that toppled Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, and Wadah Khanfar, the Al-Jazeera network's director-general, gave separate talks on the extraordinary upheaval in the Arab world. "The future we dreamed of has arrived in the Middle East," said Khanfar, crediting a new generation that seeks a better life without subscribing to outworn ideology. In a speech taped in Cairo, Ghonim, a Google executive on leave, described how a largely leaderless movement used technology to unite and achieve things that would have been considered impossible only months earlier. In the process, he discovered, "the power of the people is much stronger than the people in power." A hamburger that bleeds, a cow that doesn't: Chef Homaru Cantu, of Moto Restaurant in Chicago, created a hamburger made of three ingredients cows find delicious: beets, barley and corn. The bleeding hamburger didn't require slaughtering a cow, with all the environmental damage that entails. "We've taken the cow out of the equation," he says. His team is experimenting with replacing threatened tuna with a specially seasoned and prepared form of watermelon. And perhaps most wondrous -- or scary -- of all, Cantu has created a Cuban pork sandwich in the shape of a realistic-looking Cuban cigar, served in a $1.99 ashtray. Puppets that breathe: South African puppeteers Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler, of the Handspring Puppet Company, demonstrated how they brought realistic-seeming breath and other lifelike qualities to puppets, such as a horse that will be used with human riders in "War Horse," a play about to open in New York. Things that can be in two places at once: Physicist Aaron O'Connell explained how he created a demonstration of a phenomenon in quantum mechanics that enables microscopic particles to be in two places at once. O'Connell built a small diving board-shaped object, mostly out of aluminum, and put it in a dark vacuum at a temperature just above absolute zero. The result: a visible object that could rotate and not rotate at the same time. The ink cartridge that traveled the continent, twice: Carlo Ratti, who heads MIT's Sense-able City Lab, put sensors on trash in Seattle and discovered where things people discard wind up. Many objects were disposed of locally; electronic products seemed to follow a long and sometimes tortuous path -- for example, an ink cartridge made its way to the East Coast before winding up in Baja California. A virtual, worldwide chorus: Composer and conductor Eric Whitacre showed how he selected and conducted singers for a chorus composed of people who have never been in the same room but whose voices blend together into a harmonious and at times otherworldly video. His first such video, "Lux Aurumque," with 185 voices, went viral, and he's working on another ("Sleep") with more than 2,000 voices. From "gaga" to "water": Deb Roy, a scientist at MIT's Media Lab, installed cameras throughout his home to track the development of his infant son and family. More than five years later, he has 90,000 hours of video showing child development in extraordinary detail, including how his son learned and perfected pronunciation of the word "water," which he first pronounced "gaga" as a 1-year-old. In a "wow"-inducing video that ended his talk with a standing ovation, Roy is seen with his son as the camera captures his first series of extended steps. Why doodling is vital: Sunni Brown made the case that doodling, far from being a waste of time, is an essential method of processing information that can lead to inventing new ideas and products. Tell that to your seventh-grade teacher. A car executive who doesn't want to sell too many cars: Bill Ford, great-grandson of auto industry pioneer Henry Ford and executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., says he was warned when he joined the company in the 1970s not to "associate with known or suspected environmentalists." Ford has sought to put his company on a path toward reducing environmentally harmful emissions and now is focusing attention on the dangers presented by a world in which the number of cars could grow from 800 million to as many as 4 billion. He called for ideas to cope with rising congestion that could choke mobility. One idea: a smart network in which cars "talk" to each other. "A green traffic jam is still a traffic jam," Ford said. A YouTube revolution in education: Salman Khan, a hedge fund analyst, used lessons he created on YouTube when he was based in Boston to tutor his cousins in New Orleans in math. Today, more than a million unique users a month go to the Khan Academy for chalkboard-style lessons narrated by Khan. He gave up hedge funds to run his nonprofit, which has created software that teachers can use to track students and help them master subjects on an individual basis. "You just got a glimpse of the future of education," said Bill Gates, who picked Khan as one of four speakers for a session he curated. A devastating disease the world could eradicate: Epidemiologist Bruce Aylward, another speaker at Gates' session, said the world has made remarkable progress against polio. Twenty years ago, the virus paralyzed 1,000 children a day; today, the toll is 99% lower. Stamping out the remaining pockets of the disease is vital; if people blink at the challenge, Aylward said, the toll could spring back to 200,000 children a year. A nation that is making massive progress on health care, poverty and transparency: Amina Az-Zubair, a special adviser to the president of Nigeria, is using a debt relief fund that provides a billion dollars a year to invest in projects that have sharply reduced child and maternal mortality, increased educational opportunity and attacked corruption. She said Nigeria is on track to meet the Millenium Development Goals for social and economic progress by 2015. A life form that thrives on arsenic: NASA biochemist Felisa Wolfe-Simon is studying alternative forms of life that exist on Earth and could populate the universe. Her team found a microbe in California's Mono Lake whose growth is stimulated by arsenic, a toxic element. What makes Bobby McFerrin wonder? The 60-year-old Grammy-winning singer and conductor's answer: "Waking up every morning." | 8,548 | 4,279 | 0.000235 |
warc | 201704 | More Bipartisanship, Less Stimulus
Determined to pass something in the way of a stimulus package, Senate Democrats on Friday bartered away key elements of the more robust plan approved by the House.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and his caucus colleagues got what will be called a "bipartisan agreement." But this is not a case of less being more.
The Senate's $780 billion plan is still a budget buster.
However, in order to get two Republican votes (those of Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania) that were needed to break a threatened GOP filibuster, Reid surrendered an estimated $110 billion is proposed stimulus spending. In doing so, they cut not just fat but bone. The plan is now more weighted than before toward tax cuts (which will account for more than 40 percent of the overall cost of the package) that will do little or nothing to stimulate job creation for a country than lost almost 600,000 positions in January alone. As French President Nicolas Sarkozy, no liberal, said Friday of countries that opt for tax cuts rather than stimulus: The approach "will bring them nothing" in the way of economic renewal.
The Senate's increased emphasis on tax cuts comes at the expense of the sort of aggressive spending that might actually get a stalled economy moving.
Spending for school construction that would actually have put people to work -- while at the same time investing in the future -- has been slashed.
Title I funding increases have been cut.
Supplemental transportation funding has been hacked.
Axed, as well, has been $90 million that was to have been allocated to plan for and manage a potential flu pandemic that economists and public health experts worry could shutter remaining businesses, bring the economy to a complete standstill and throw the country into a deep depression.
The bottom line is that, under the Senate plan:
* States will get less aid.
* Schools will get less help.
* Job creation programs will be less well funded.
* Preparations to combat potential public health disasters -- which could put the final nail in the economy's coffin -- will not be made.
In every sense, the Senate plan moves in the wrong direction.
At a time when smart economists are saying that a bigger, bolder stimulus plan is needed, Senate Democrats and a few moderate Republicans have agreed to a smaller, weaker initiative.
And Republicans are still delaying passage. It could be Sunday, even Monday, before a vote is taken. And who knows what more will be lost -- in time and stimulus spending before President Obama signs a bill.
These are the fruits of bipartisan fantasies and the compromises that follow upon them. President Obama, who should have been on television addressing the nation and doing everything in his power to rally support for a sufficient stimulus plan, will be lucky if he gets anything by the President's Day deadline he set. (Even after the Senate measure passes, a difficult process of reconciling the very different House and Senate bills must take place. Then there will be more votes before any legislation gets to the president's desk.)
The White House still wants to advance this measure, as do Senate Democratic leaders. And, considering the urgency of the moment, they are probably right to try to do something. But if the final "stimulus package" proves to be insufficient to jump start the economy -- and if what is left of public confidence in the prospect of turnaround collapses as a result -- this Friday night compromise will be remembered with pained regret.
© 2009 The Nation | 3,607 | 1,810 | 0.000558 |
warc | 201704 | With the fast pace of technological development in the world, we believe our students need to use technology in and beyond the classroom. A blended learning approach is a combination of face-to-face interaction and computer-based activities during lectures, which leads to an enhanced learning experience. Using this approach, students can be provided with multimedia-rich and interactive content at any time.
At Concordia, we feel the following blend will provide a complete learning environment for our students:
Full provision of module-related documents in electronic format, including videos
Highly engaging and supportive classroom sessions
Opportunities for students to collaborate and learn from each other
Regular formative assessment with feedback
Personal development planning
A comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) to support all aforementioned aspects of blended learning
With this advanced interactive approach students will be able to:
Access all learning content throughout the day
Measure their progress against learning outcomes and receive supportive feedback
Participate in interactive learning opportunities during face-to-face sessions
Engage in collaborative learning that goes beyond classroom discussions
Create supportive learning networks accessible at the time or place that best suits them
Gain a better understanding of their progress to become more efficient and successful learners
Through the same system, parents and teachers will be able to:
Monitor student progress
Obtain information and feedback so that corrective measures, if any, may be applied in a timely manner | 1,633 | 824 | 0.001228 |
warc | 201704 | Study your flashcards anywhere!
Download the official Cram app for free >
Shuffle Toggle OnToggle Off Alphabetize Toggle OnToggle Off Front First Toggle OnToggle Off Both Sides Toggle OnToggle Off Read Toggle OnToggle Off How to study your flashcards. Right/Left arrow keys: Navigate between flashcards.right arrow keyleft arrow key Up/Down arrow keys: Flip the card between the front and back.down keyup key H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key A key: Read text to speech.a key
1/30
30 Cards in this Set Front Back
Average residence time
the amount of time it takes for the total stock or supply of material in a system to be cycled through the system
· T = S/F
(T: residence time, S: total size of stock, F: average rate of transfer)
Carrying capacity
the max number of a population of a species that may be maintained within a particular environment without degrading the ability of that environment to maintain that population in the future
Doubling time
time necessary for a quantity of whatever is being measured to double
Earth systems science
study of earth as a system
Environmental crisis
refers to the hypothesis that environmental degradation has reached a crisis point as a result of human use of the environment
Environmental geology
application of geological info to environmental problems
Environmental unity
principle of environmental studies that states that everything is connected to everything else
Exponential growth
type of compound growth in which a total amount or number increases at a certain percentage each year, and each years rate of growth is
Gaia hypothesis/ James Lovelock
a series of hypotheses that explain how earth as a system may operate with respect to life. Metaphorically earth is viewed as a giant organisms consisting of various interactive systems with distinct feedback and thresholds that result in producing an environment beneficial to many life forms on earth, life is an important ingredient in producing that environment
· Earth is an organism
· Life significantly affects the Earth’s environment
· Life modifies the environment for the betterment of life
· Life deliberately or consciously controls the global environment
Geologic time
time extending from the beginning of the earth to the present, determined in part from earths history as recorded in the rocks and sediments that have been deposited and formed at various times, the geologic time scale is the chronological arrangement of rocks of various ages generally from the oldest event to the youngest
Geology
the science of earth including its structure, composition and history
Growth rate
a rate usually measured as a percentages by which something is changing
Hypothesis
a statement intended to be a possible answer to a scientific question, the best hypotheses may be tested ,often multiple hypotheses are developed to answer a particular question
Input-output analysis
a type of systems analysis in which rates of input and output are calculated and compared
Land ethic
ethic that affirms the right of all resources including plants, animals, and earth materials, to continued existence, and at least in some location, continued existence in a natural state
Law of faunal assemblages
also known as the law of faunal succession, this is a general law of the geological sciences that states that the fossils or organisms succeed one other in an order that may be recognized. The fossils content of sedimentary rocks suggest the rocks relative age
Scientific method
method by which scientist work, starting with the asking of a question concerning a particular problem. Followed by a development and testing of hypotheses
Sustainability
refers to the development or use of resources in such a way that future generations will have a fair share of earth resources and inherit a quality environment, Refers to types of development that are economically viable, do not damage the environment and are socially just
System
any part of the universe that is isolated in thought or in fact for the purpose of studying or observing changes that occur under various imposed conditions
Theory
a strong scientific statement, hypotheses may become a theory after it has been tested many times
Uniformitarianism
concept that the present is the key to the past, we can read the geologic record by studying present process
Atmosphere
layer of gases surrounding earth
Continental drift
movement of continents in response to seafloor spreading, the most recent episode of continental drift supposedly began about 200 million yrs ago with the breakup of the super continent Pangaea
Convection
transfer of heat involving movements of particles, for example, the boiling of water in which hot water rises to the surface and displaces cooler water that moves towards the bottom
Core
with the respect to the interior of earth the central part of earth below the mantle, divides into solid inner core with a radius approximately 1300 km and a molten outer core with a thickness of about 2000 km, the core is thought be metallic and composted mostly of iron
Crust
the outermost layer of the solid earth, embedded in the top of lithosphere that varies in thickness from 6 to 7 km below the oceans to as much as 70 km beneath continental mountain ranges
Hot spot
assumed stationary heat sources located below the lithosphere that feeds volcanic processes near earths surface
Lithosphere
outer layer of earth approx 100 km thick, that comprises the plate that contain the ocean basin and continents
Magnetic reversal
involves the change of earth magnetic field between normal polarity and reverse polarity, also sometimes known as geomagnetic reversal
Mid oceanic ridge
a topographic high commonly found in the central part of oceans characterized by seafloor spreading, ex. Mid Atlantic ridge | 5,879 | 2,674 | 0.000381 |
warc | 201704 | Make educating yourself about money a priority. Start simply with your bank relationship, reading the business section of your daily newspaper, and subscribing to a business or investment magazine or online newsletter. If you can attend investment seminars at no cost or low cost to you, do so. If you are new to investing, find a broker that you can feel stupid in front of, as I did. Be comfortable asking questions and if you are feeling intimidated, check your broker and yourself (you aren’t expected to know everything at this early stage). If the broker is not willing to explain things in a way that you can understand, find someone else who will. Let the broker know of your income potential and build a relationship based on trust and growth for both of you.
At one point, early on, my portfolio took a dive because I was invested in bonds during the worst bond market since the Great Depression. As I read my statement, I panicked and flew out the door to my bank and other financial professionals for advice and opinion. All anyone could say was, “This is a disaster.” It might not have been a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but it was all of my money. I didn’t change brokers then, but we did make a deal. I took responsibility for not being more involved with my money. It was my money, after all, and he was a broker, not a financial planner who worked on a fee basis. | 1,419 | 766 | 0.001327 |
warc | 201704 | Before running the tests with actual participants, you should carry out a pilot test with two or three people. In this case, coworkers and friends are OK. The key is to get used to the procedure of running a test and to work out any bugs in your procedure. A pilot also helps you figure out how long the test will take so that you know whether you need to cut or possibly add more tasks.
After you have finished the pilot tests, try analyzing the collected data. This data should not be used in the final analysis, but you should do the analysis to make sure that you are collecting the right data. For example, once when we were evaluating a Web site, we asked people to sort a list of features according to importance. Although the exercise was useful, it turned out that the data we had gathered was extremely difficult to analyze properly. One person mentioned that only the top two things in the list were really important to her; another identified the top four items as important. In retrospect, a better way of gathering this information would have been to ask people to rate the importance of each feature from 1 (not important) to 7 (very important). If we had tried analyzing data from the pilot test, we would have caught the problem before conducting the real test. | 1,281 | 673 | 0.001489 |
warc | 201704 | Average card rates remain stuck at 14.99 percent
The national average APR for new credit card offers remained locked in place Wednesday for the fourth consecutive week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.
Average card rates held steady at 14.99 percent.
Most issuers left card offers alone this week. However, Barclaycard recently cut off applications for the Visa Black card, but the move is only temporary, according to Barclaycard spokeswoman Nicole Dye-Anderson. "We've temporarily closed acquisition channels while we work to enhance the product," said Dye-Anderson in an email. "We have a lot of great things coming up."
To reflect the interim closing, CreditCards.com removed the Visa Black card from the CreditCards.com database and replaced it with the Citi Prestige card, which charges a slightly higher APR. The switch resulted in some category APR changes, but didn't affect the national average.
Card usage bounces back Consumers are relying more heavily on their credit cards, according to multiple reports, causing balances to soar to levels not seen since 2010.
According to the Federal Reserve's latest consumer credit report, revolving debt -- which is mostly made up of credit card debt -- expanded to a more than five-year high in April after decreasing earlier in the year.
By the end of April, consumers owed their card companies more than $899 billion -- up from nearly $891 billion in March.
Year-over-year, card balances have increased substantially as consumers become more comfortable padding their balances and paying them off more slowly. In April 2014, consumers owed approximately $870.8 billion on their cards -- nearly $29 billion less than they owed this year.
According to the financial analysis company Trefis, part of the reason card balances are increasing is because people are doing more of their shopping online. "With the sharp growth in e-commerce sales giving people an additional incentive to switch from cash payments to the use of cards as well as Internet banking options, the size of outstanding card balances and card payment volumes have risen steadily over recent years," said Trefis in a June 4 research note.
Data released by Trefis showed that consumers spent nearly $462 billion in the first quarter of 2015 on cards granted by the seven biggest issuers, including Chase, Bank of America, Citi, American Express, Capital One, Discover and U.S. Bank. In the first quarter of 2014, by contrast, cardholders spent approximately $433 billion.
According to Trefis, card spending has increased by approximately 6 to 7 percent every year since 2011. "We believe that this 6 to 7 percent annual increase in purchase volumes will continue over the coming years," wrote Trefis in a research note. "But a faster-than-expected improvement in economic conditions could boost card usage at a faster rate."
A separate report released June 8 by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that consumers expect to spend more over the coming year, which could translate into fatter balances in the future. However, consumers' spending plans are still relatively conservative compared to previous years when they were much less cautious with their spending.
Younger consumers and people with less money were somewhat more optimistic about how much they'd be able to spend, according to the survey. In contrast, consumers with more education and higher incomes were more conservative with their plans.
Meanwhile, consumers are fairly confident they'll be able to repay what they owe, according to the survey, but they don't expect lenders to make it any easier for them to borrow. Consumers typically felt that it was at least somewhat easier to get a loan now than it was a year ago, but most don't expect credit standards to loosen significantly any time soon.
CreditCards.com's Weekly Rate Report
Avg. APR
Last week
6 months ago National average 14.99% 14.99%
14.95%
Low interest 11.62%
11.62% 10.37%
Cash back 15.27%
15.26%
14.94%
Balance transfer 14.12%
14.13%
12.73%
Business 12.85%
12.85%
12.85%
Student 13.14%
13.14%
13.14%
Airline 15.10%
15.10%
15.46%
Reward 15.13%
15.12%
14.89%
Instant approval 17.93%
17.93%
23.33%
Bad credit 22.73%
22.73%
22.73%
Methodology: The national average credit card APR is comprised of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category listed above. (Introductory, or teaser, rates are not included in the calculation.)
Source: CreditCards.com
Updated: June 10, 2015 See related: Credit card delinquency statistics | 4,671 | 2,208 | 0.000459 |
warc | 201704 | Working for a credit union used to be a 9-to-4:30 job. Today, people work considerably longer hours, snuggle in bed with their Blackberrys, and cope with more stress because there is so much more to do. And this heavier workload probably isn't going to change. If anything, it will continue to grow. So how can credit unions work smarter and get more “bang” for their resources spent?
Now is the season when most credit unions put their pencils to their Excel spreadsheets and ask themselves some important questions: Are we getting pretty much the same budget we had last year? Does our strategic plan list more and/or bigger initiatives than we've had in the past?
Just like other industries, credit unions are at a time in their history when improving productivity is an important factor in determining success. Improving productivity is not just working faster. It means generating better results
without more people, more resources, more money, more time, or more energy. And in every credit union, as strategic plans are being developed, there is always more and more work to do.
There are four areas to help you boost your productivity that simply requires putting some standards around the work you do right now:
1. Team Leadership: Leadership in a highly productive organization is the result of the leadership capabilities of everyone in the organization who holds in any kind of supervisory role. According to current research, how effective a credit union's leaders are can be determined by how well they “communicate and engage” employees in the following areas: the organization is and teams' purpose/goals; specific goals/accountabilities for each employee; on-going feedback between boss and employee regarding the employee's work, employee recognition; employee support (processes, tools, etc.); employee recognition and rewards; and employees meeting their customer's needs and expectations.
Ultimately, being clear about the work you want people to do, having an accountability system in place to ensure the work gets done, and requiring behaviors that are critical to the culture of the organization always rank at the top of good leadership skills. Use Employee Engagement surveys to identify areas that need improvement and work on getting employees deeply engaged in the business.
2. Project Management: More work is being done through formalized project management. Significant productivity gains will follow when the credit union that standardizes a project management process (standardized like the lending process) throughout the credit union – including department projects. Industry research has shown that financial institutions have done a poor job of post-project evaluations and consequently missed critical benefits of real potential value. Steps in a basic project management process should include: project filter, business case and ROI, prioritizing projects, project scope, project phases, project tasks (issues and risks), project meetings and communication, and project close-out and lessons learned.
Each step is scaleable within the breadth and importance of the project. Standardizing the project process will actually yield 30 percent more projects completed at a higher quality – and provide managers about 10 percent
back in time to do other more important things. Determine a project management process and make sure everyone is trained on the process, and that it is used throughout the enterprise for ANY project undertaken – and ensure there are consequences for not following the process.
3. Running Meetings: Most research finds more than 50 percent of management's time is spent in meetings. The first questions usually asked are, “Is this meeting necessary? Can we accomplish our goals without spending time in a meeting?” The following are some tips to improving the productivity (and quality) of people's time spent in meetings. Common keys to successful meetings include:
Set a firm agenda – make sure the agenda is prepared and communicated ahead of time. Agendas are a good tool to force people to think about what they want to accomplish in the meeting.
Assign a note taker – capturing the notes of the meeting can be invaluable as archives for decision-making outcomes, as well as providing outcomes from the meeting for those who could not attend or those who have an interest in the outcome.
Stick to the clock – this is important key as it forces people to start the meeting on time and end it when the meeting is set to conclude. This makes everyone much more efficient if they don't have to waste time waiting for the meeting to start or end.
Manage all three parts effective meeting management – the actual time spent in meeting is only a third of the time necessary for productive meeting results. This includes keeping to the agenda, and taking meeting minutes to share with others after the meeting. The other two parts include: preparing for the meeting (agenda preparation, meeting logistics, meeting materials, etc.) and meeting follow-up (distributing the minutes, tracking/following up on actions established in the meeting, determining next steps). Use a check list as part of the minutes to rate the last meeting – are you following the best practice steps for productive meetings?
4. Managing Your Time: The first step in effectively managing your time is to identify what your goals and priorities are – and the clearer those are, the easier managing your time will be. In your work environment, several categories of work that need to be managed together. They are not discrete elements, as you are the one person doing the work: your job responsibilities, your committee and project responsibilities, your meeting follow-up responsibilities, and your personal responsibilities. Use tools available to “capture” the work required for each of these categories – then if there are conflicts, use the reports from those tools to “manage up” and help reset the priorities looking at your entire “plate” of work.
So if you find yourself consistently working longer hours and/or habitually snuggling in bed with your Blackberry because there is so much more work to do, consider the four areas discussed above to help you boost your productivity, lower your costs, and enhance your operation efficiencies. It simply requires placing some standards around the work you do right now.
For more information on impacting your credit union's productivity by working smarter, please contact Jim Cardwell or Karla Norwood at Cardwell, 800-395-1410. Or visit our Connections Online website: www.connectionsonline.net. | 6,711 | 3,006 | 0.000339 |
warc | 201704 | September 6, 2007
Table Talk
“For the Lord God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NKJ) Devotion:
I have found that teaching my children about the presence of God in their lives has been a difficult thing. While there are signs giving evidence to the fact that God’s presence is all around us, we have to open our eyes to see Him. We must be alert to the presence of God and His work in us and around us. Otherwise, we will miss Him altogether and the blessings that God’s presence brings.
One way that I teach my children to notice God’s presence in their daily lives is by sharing His activity in mine. The meal table is a great place to talk about God with your children. Sometimes at the dinner table I will say, “Guess what God did today?” Then I will proceed in sharing my encounter with God. Other times, I try to help my children see God through what they have experienced. For example, if one of them notices it’s a beautiful day outside, I simply agree by adding, “Yes,
God did create for us a beautiful day today.” When appropriate, I also share my failures with them and the lessons that I learned as well. Table talk about God is one great way to settle in our children’s hearts and minds that God is always with us.
One day, God confirmed in my heart that my children were not only learning about His daily activity in their lives, but they were beginning to see it for themselves.
It was a Wednesday night and my three kids and I were on our way to church. We were having a good time laughing and cutting up in the car. Instead of paying close attention to the curvy road, I was watching their smiling faces in the rear view mirror, unaware of the danger ahead. Suddenly, I looked up and saw a big truck coming at us head on. I immediately jerked the wheel to the right turning the car into a neighbor’s yard. The laughter that had filled the car was silenced while everyone was trying to catch his or her breath. From the back seat of the car, my daughter’s voice broke the hush as she exclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus, for being here to protecting us.” At that moment, we all became aware of God’s presence in the car and gave thanks, too.
While I was grateful for God’s protecting presence that day, I was also pleased to know that our table talk about God was becoming a reality in my children’s lives. What about you? Is God’s presence a reality in your life? Do you take time to notice His protection and provision each day? If so, in what ways are you making God visible to your children and others? Don’t miss out on God’s daily presence in your life—it’s really something to talk about!
Dear Lord, I find comfort in knowing that Your presence is always with me. Open my eyes so that I can see Your daily activity in my life. Then, give me the courage to share my encounters with others so that You may be visible to them as well, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Application Steps:
Watch for God’s activity in your life. If you ask Him to do something, watch what happens next. It’s God at work in your life! Next, make God real to others by sharing your experiences with them.
Reflections:
What keeps you from seeing God’s presence in your life? Is it doubt, fear or sin?
If God promises to be with us always, then where can you go that He is not?
If you’re always in the presence of God, whether you acknowledge it or not, how can that affect your life?
What adjustments need to be made in order to make God’s presence a reality in your life?
Power Verses:
Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (NKJ)
Acts , “'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'” (NIV)
Romans 8: 31, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries 616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road Matthews, NC 28105 www.Proverbs31.org | 4,112 | 1,962 | 0.000536 |
warc | 201704 | God and your finances Larry Burkett Co-CEO of Crown Financial Ministries 2000 4 Jan
COMMENTS
In reality, we have only one purpose for anything we do in this lifetime: to glorify God. If our day-to-day lives don't reflect that service, then we're not serving God.
There is a great deal of false service by many who profess to serve God but actually want God to serve them. They will give, but they always expect to be repaid. They will help the needy, but it's to keep God from allowing some tragedy to befall them. The list could go on and on and would eventually touch every one of us. Why? Because I believe so few really understand the function that finances play in our spiritual lives.
The financial principles given throughout God's Word are not there to see if we're strong enough to live by them; they're given because God knows that they are the best for us. God's principles of finances are not an arbitrary set of rules by which to govern us; they are a loving Father's wisdom to those who will listen and trust Him. The problem is that we get so caught up in the material world around us that we follow its "wisdom." If we listened to the world's wisdom about morals or even about God, where would we be? Why then do so many Christians assume the world's values about money? Probably because the world seems to be good at making money. But when any thinking person, Christian or not, examines where we are today financially, he or she has to doubt that this world really has wisdom. We have built an affluent society based on a "sand" foundation of future debt. All that we have is in danger of being wiped out by any financial crisis, even a relatively minor one. Not so with those who observe and obey God's financial wisdom. God's financial wisdom builds to last, not to impress others.
Why did Christ teach on finances?
It surprises many Christians to learn that approximately two-thirds of the parables that Christ used in teaching deal specifically with finances. The reason for this is very simple: He chose a topic with which everyone could identify to use as an example. After all, a parable is a form of teaching in which a well-known topic is used to explain a relatively unknown topic. Christ was describing a spiritual kingdom that is actually more real (and older) than this material kingdom. But in order to relate to worldly people, He had to use a worldly example: money.
Christ never said money or material things were problems. He said that they were symptoms of the real problems. He constantly warned us to guard our hearts against greed, covetousness, ego, and pride, because these are the tools that Satan uses to control and manipulate this world. Christ warned us a great deal more about materialism than He did any other sin.
"He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions' "(Luke 12:15). In fact, in the parable about salvation in Matthew 13:18-23, "the deceitfulness of riches"is given as a cause for unfruitfulness (verse 22).
Satan has taken the very riches provided by God to enhance our lives and bring others to salvation and has diverted them for his use. Today, even Christians evaluate (or value) others on the basis of how much they have and how successful they are in worldly terms. The poor are thought to be losers--less spiritual than the winners. If an affluent Christian family has a child who chooses mission work as a life's vocation, family members try to talk the child out of it, because it pays so poorly. We say we want the "best" for our children, and yet too often the best is measured by temporal values, rather than eternal values.
Is it wrong to be rich?
"Rich" is a very subjective term, but here it's used in context with having enough money to meet all of your reasonable needs and still have funds left over. Clearly, God's Word teaches that many of His people will fit into this category. They not only will be able to meet their needs, but they also will be able to help others who have needs. The entire 25th chapter of Matthew's gospel is dedicated to teaching the management and distribution of a surplus.
Obviously, in God's economy, He must either provide a material surplus to some Christians to meet the needs of others, or He must provide manna from Heaven. God's plan is clearly stated in 2 Corinthians 8:14-15: that our abundance at the present time will meet the needs of others, and later their abundance will meet our needs (a good alternative to welfare within the church).
Christ warned those who are rich to always be on their guard (Luke 12:15-21). There is a great temptation to trust in the security that a surplus can provide. The greater the surplus, the greater the temptation. That's why those who are rich (most of American Christianity) must guard their hearts and minds with the principles from God's Word.
Finances - our spiritual barometer
A definition of "faith," according to Hebrews 11, is trusting God totally. It means trusting God for things you cannot see or manipulate into happening. Most of us truly desire to be able to exercise this faith. But the world around us tells us to do just the opposite. If you don't have the money for what you "need," borrow to get it. If it's too expensive for your income, so what? You deserve it; besides, you have to stretch yourself if you want to be successful in this world.
God's Word tells us to learn to be content and dedicate ourselves to serving God. In Hebrews 12:1 we are told
"Let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."Instead, we encumber ourselves by following the worldly advice that says bigger and more are better. Just about the time most of our children are grown and leaving home, we can "afford" a big home and more cars, so we expand our lifestyles, rather than simplify them.
The worst sign of worldly values in Christianity is the love of money that is apparent today. This is manifested in fear of the future. This fear dominates the attitudes of most believers today. The evidence of this is the mania over guaranteed incomes and retirement plans. Neither of these is necessarily wrong in itself. Obviously, most Christians would like a steady income to provide for their family's needs, and that's not unscriptural, except when they compromise God's Word for fear of losing their tenure in an education job, or when they fear speaking out against obvious sin. The examples are abundant today in government, medicine, law, sales, or other areas.
Retirement planning so dominates the thinking of Christians who have sizeable incomes that they overkill this area enormously. The fear of doing without in the future causes many Christians to rob God's work of the very funds He has provided. These monies are tucked away in retirement accounts for 20 to 40 years. God's Word does not prohibit but, rather, encourages saving for the future, including retirement (see Proverbs 6:6-11, 21:20), but the example of the rich fool, given by the Lord in Luke 12:16-20, should be a clear direction that God's balance is "when in doubt, give--don't hoard."
The greatest need
The greatest need in our generation is for God's Word to be taught clearly and undiluted. The next greatest need is for Christians who will demonstrate that it works. In Romans 10:14, we are told that for the unsaved to believe, someone must tell them about Jesus. The book of James tells us that we are the walking, talking evidence before the unsaved world that God's Word is true. As I think about our witness before the unsaved, it would appear to be evident that in our most visible area, finances, we don't have much of a witness.
In great part, this is because Christians just haven't been taught what God's Word says. A few examples from the Word should clearly point this out.
Borrowing- We are told to borrow very modestly and cautiously, always repaying what is owed (Psalm 37:21; Proverbs 3:27-28). Lending- Christians are to lend to one another without interest and are not to engage in lawsuits to recover losses (Deuteronomy 23:19-20; 1 Corinthians 6:1-7). Sharing- Christians should provide for every legitimate need within their own fellowships. This would include funds for illnesses, unemployment, or old age. (2 Corinthians 8:14-15). What should we do?
As a teacher, I would be negligent if I concluded this study of how finances reflect our faith without pointing out some simple steps to start applying God's wisdom.
Study the available materials on God's principles for managing finances. You could glean all of the principles out of the Bible yourself, and many Christians have. However, an organized study can reduce the time involved and give additional insights from others who have applied the principles. Apply godly discipline to your lifestyle. It's clear that God doesn't demand the same lifestyle for any two families. Each of us is to witness to those whom God has placed around us. So there will be Christians at every level of income and society. But God's Word makes it very clear that lavishness and waste are worldly, not godly, values. Each Christian family must look at their spending habits, and particularly their waste, and give an account for their stewardship to God. Teach your children God's principles. The toll that worldly financial values place on young families today is enormous. More than one-half of their marriages will fail because of unnecessary financial pressures. The vast majority could be avoided or salvaged if they are taught (early) how to anticipate and avoid these problems. When a young couple wants to develop a budget prior to marriage, I work with them and monitor the budget for the first year, and the financial problems are reduced dramatically. Christian parents should never let their children leave home without equipping them with the fundamental knowledge of finances that they will need to survive in a materialistically insane society. Teach your neighbors. There are now several hundred Christian couples who regularly teach courses on God's principles of finances and basic budgeting in homes and churches around the country. Those who feared they would meet with indifference or disinterest found themselves swamped with requests for counseling and advice. Millions of people are hurting and don't know where to go for help. They will respond, not only to the financial advice, but also to the Gospel message that always must go with it. To read other stewardship articles by Larry Burkett, click here. | 10,684 | 4,889 | 0.000205 |
warc | 201704 | US cloud providers could miss out on billions of euros of business from European customers due to data privacy fears around the Prism surveillance programme, the European Commission has claimed.
The Commission's vice president Neelie Kroes said in statement that reports of the US government spying on servers held by US cloud providers are creating an "atmosphere of distrust" around cloud services.
"Why would you pay someone else to hold your commercial or other secrets, if you suspect or know they are being shared against your wishes?" Kroes said. "Front or back door - it doesn't matter - any smart person doesn't want the information shared at all."
Kroes added the privacy concerns are likely to impact the business US cloud providers, with European firms boycotting the use of cloud servers based in America as a result of the National Security Agency's surveillance strategy. It is claimed that the NSA has had access to the servers of a number of large IT firms including Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Yahoo.
"If businesses or governments think they might be spied on, they will have less reason to trust the cloud, and it will be cloud providers who ultimately miss out," Kroes said.
"If European cloud customers cannot trust the United States government or their assurances, then maybe they won't trust US cloud providers either. That is my guess. And if I am right then there are multi-billion euro consequences for American companies."
She added: "If I were an American cloud provider, I would be quite frustrated with my government right now."
Kroes also warned that the concerns raised around cloud security could lead to European policy makers introducing legislation to ensure the security of information. This would affect the open market for cloud services, she claimed, and create difficulties for US firms to sell to European customers.
European cloud providers should be looking to take advantage of increased interest in privacy protection from customers, Kroes highlighted. | 2,024 | 1,011 | 0.001 |
warc | 201704 | Just 17 percent of UK business leaders see cyber security as a major priority, compared to 41 percent in the US, according to BT research.
The research, which assessed attitudes to cyber security and levels of preparedness among IT decision makers, highlights that UK businesses are lagging behind their US counterparts and others in crucial areas.
For the research IT decision makers across seven countries were questioned, and the UK was at the bottom of the pile when making cyber security a priority.
Just one in five (21 percent) respondents in the UK are able to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their cyber security measures compared to nine in ten (90 percent) US companies.
Also, 86 percent of US directors and senior decision makers are given IT security training, compared to just 37 percent in the UK.
More than half (58 percent) of IT decision-makers globally stated that their boards underestimate the importance of cyber security. This figure increases to 74 percent in the US, but drops to 55 percent in the UK.
The difference in levels of preparedness correlates with attitudes to threats, BT said. Non-malicious insider threats, for instance, accidental loss of data, are currently the most commonly cited security concern globally, being reported as a serious threat by 65 percent of IT decision makers.
But in the UK this falls to 60 percent and is followed by malicious insider threats (51 percent), hacktivism (37 percent), organised crime (32 percent), nation states (15 percent) and terrorism (12 percent).
In the US, the proportion of IT decision makers who see non-malicious insider threats as a severe threat increases to 85 percent and is followed by malicious insider threats (79 percent), hacktivism (77 percent), organised crime (75 percent), terrorism (72 percent) and nation states (70 percent).
Mark Hughes, CEO of BT Security, said: "The massive expansion of employee-owned devices, cloud computing and extranets, have multiplied the risk of abuse and attack, leaving organisations exposed to a myriad of internal and external threats - malicious and accidental."
He said, "US businesses should be celebrated for putting cyber security on the front foot. The risks to business are moving too fast for a purely reactive security approach to be successful. Nor should cyber security be seen as an issue for the IT department alone."
In response to emerging threats, three quarters (75 percent) of IT decision makers globally say they would like to overhaul their infrastructure and design them with security features from the ground up.
And 74 percent would like to train all staff in cyber security best practice. | 2,674 | 1,234 | 0.000816 |
warc | 201704 | GREENFIELD, MA. AUGUST 20, 2009. On Wednesday August 19, 2009, Chief Presiding Officer Salvatore M. Giorlandino of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution issued his recommended final decision that a water withdrawal permit DEP issued to Russell Biomass Inc., in July of 2008 be upheld.
The Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC), Trout Unlimited, Concerned Citizens of Russell and local residents had appealed the permit out of concern that the allowed withdrawals, especially during droughts, would severely impact a river that already experiences low flows and has impaired water quality from nutrients and suspended solids. The appeal partly hinged on whether the DEP conducted a proper safe yield analysis for the basin, which enables resource managers to project how much water can be allocated for use without impacting the quality and biological integrity of the Commonwealth’s waters.
CRWC says DEP granted the permit without measuring actual flows at the site, or assessing the effects of water withdrawals on the entire basin. The Westfield River is a biologically rich tributary of the Connecticut that holds federal “wild and scenic river” status. Another concern is that the permit allows plant operators to withdraw water until the Westfield River reaches the lowest flow ever recorded, and the 50-MW plant can withdraw even more during an emergency override, without any public input.
“We were simply asking them to follow their own regulations and to use current science,” says CRWC’s Massachusetts River Steward Andrea Donlon, “This decision, if finalized, unfortunately lowers the bar for water resource protection.” According to Donlon, five new power plant proposals totaling 815 megawatts have cropped up in the Connecticut River Valley in the past year, all requiring water for cooling. Attorneys Meg Sheehan of Williamstown and Anne Bingham of Sharon represented the groups in the appeal. Sheehan contends that Giorlandino’s decision is rife with legal defects, both procedural and substantive. “The decision is completely arbitrary and capricious. The presiding officer threw out testimony of six of seven of our witnesses on the issue of whether the company’s actions will make pollution in the Westfield River worse. Yet, he allowed and used the testimony of the company and the state on this very same issue. This alone is a serious procedural defect.”
Leading up to the DEP adjudicatory hearing in January, Giorlandino granted Russell Biomass and DEP extra time for filings, while denying the conservation groups the same, accusing them of foot-dragging. CRWC River Steward Andrea Donlon said that the end result was that several arguments and exhibits were thrown out because of small errors, and “It seems ironic to get this decision now, after the promised decision was originally due in early May and then postponed at least three times by DEP’s Presiding Officer.” Next, DEP’s Commissioner Laurie Burt will make a final decision on the appeal. Parties then have 30 days to decide whether to appeal the decision to Superior Court. | 3,218 | 1,631 | 0.000631 |
warc | 201704 | P&S Journal: Spring 1995, Vol.15, No.2 P&S News New Center Targets Mental Health for Homosexuals
P&S has started New York's first academic center for lesbian, gay, and bisexual mental health to deliver mental health services to the homosexual community and help scholars get support for research that could help improve the lives of members of this community.
"The lesbian and gay community has long been estranged from psychiatry," says the center's director and founder, Dr. Justin Richardson, instructor of clinical psychiatry. "The distrust of the profession is a product of psychiatry's not-so-distant past, when it supported attempts at sexual orientation change and espoused a developmental theory that ratified anti-gay bias."
The profession's understanding of gay and lesbian individuals has advanced since homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Dr. Richardson says, but gay men and women have not fully benefited from the changes. Instead, they avoid treatment rather than risking discriminatory care.
Also, academic institutions have offered little support for scholars interested in gay and lesbian mental health, leaving researchers to pursue their work in private without the benefit of scholarly dialogue and collegial support.
The Department of Psychiatry opened the Columbia Center for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Mental Health in July 1994. One of the first such centers in the United States, it offers psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and group therapy. Of the center's patients, approximately 25 percent are HIV-positive and 20 percent are Columbia students. Demand for clinical services has increased since the center opened. In the first month, the center operated at 8 percent of capacity. By the end of December, that figure was nearly 70 percent. The center is now operating at full capacity, and a waiting list of patients has been started.
The center's consulting faculty is made up of established scholars and researchers in the fields of sexual orientation, HIV treatment and prevention, and psychotherapy for gay men and women. Research topics include lesbian and gay mid-life transitions, medical treatment of depression and anxiety in gay men, and the alleviation of internalized homophobia through psychotherapy.
This winter, the center created its Adolescent Identities Project, a program aimed at helping teens through the difficult process of forming a healthy sexual identity. Scholarship in the field reveals that hardships facing these teens may be responsible for their dangerously high rate of suicidal thoughts and acts. "Unfortunately, the time of greatest risk for adolescent suicidality is the period before they come out to others," says Dr. Richardson. "Thus, we need to treat the very teens who can't identify themselves to us."
The center has begun to put in place a school-based prevention program. Members of the center have met with the heads of numerous independent schools in the city and are training teachers to create a safe atmosphere where teens can develop their sexual identity. The adolescent team, headed by child psychiatrist Dr. Stewart Adelson, offers school consultations and individual, group, and family therapy at the center for teens who are able to enter treatment.
Two projects on the drawing board are the parenting project and integrated HIV care. The parenting project would facilitate the healthy growth of families in the gay and lesbian community. The HIV project would provide multidisciplinary health care for HIV-positive individuals.
To carry out its educational mission, the center hosts monthly clinical case conferences, and two psychiatric residents have joined the center.
The center faculty includes Dr. Richard Isay, author of "Being Homosexual"; Dr. Richard C. Friedman, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at P&S and author of "Male Homosexuality"; Joyce Hunter, co-founder of the Harvey Milk High School and president of the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association; and Dr. Anke Ehrhardt, director of Columbia's HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies.
The center seeks financial support to expand its programs of treatment, research, and education. Information is available from Dr. Richardson at (212) 326-8441. | 4,299 | 2,033 | 0.000495 |
warc | 201704 | Sign language has been a proven useful tool for parents and kids for many years. Apart from needing sign language as a method of communication for parents and kids who having hearing loss, sign language can be used in any family to help kids better communicate at a younger age and give families a way to connect. Sign language can be beneficial in any home, but still there are many families who are reluctant to use this tool or who struggle to get their kids to use it. There are a lot of things that parents can do to help their kids learn sign language. Parents not only want to help their kids master the art of sign language, but they also want them to enjoy the experience of learning and using sign language inside and outside the home. Parents can use different ideas to accomplish all of these things and make sign language a fun part of their family. Here are five tips for helping kids learn sign language.
Start at a young age
Sign language is a great way to communicate with kids even before they are old enough to talk. Some kids are able to learn sign language as young as 6 months old. Parents can start with simple signs that indicate typical needs and work their way up to more complex ideas. This is a simple way for any parent to communicate better with their children
Use Video and TV shows
There are a lot of great videos online that can help parents and kids learn sign language. Simply following along to a video every day can help anyone pick up the basics of sign language right away. Additionally, there are some channels Dish Network in your area that will have sign language lessons for kids, making learning sign language a fun break from everyday learning.
Use verbal communication and sign language simultaneously
Parents can help their kids learn sign language faster and remember it longer by giving them the sounds with the sign every time. Parents can either say the words themselves or use a recording to help kids understand the connection between spoken language and sign language right away. This is a great tool to use throughout life to help people learn sign language quickly and easily.
Make learning into a game
Learning something new should be fun for everyone. Parents can create games centered on learning sign language to make learning new signs fun and exciting for the whole family. Parentscan create competitions on who can remember signs the fastest and give prizes to the winners.
Utilize sign language apps
There are a lot of great mobile apps that parents and kids can use to help them learn sign language. These apps give kids fun games to play that help them learn and recall the signs that they will use most often. This is a great idea for long road trips or other down times.
Categories
All | 2,767 | 1,199 | 0.000838 |
warc | 201704 | Taking away someone's ability to reproduce is essentially taking away their right to be a creature on this earth. Reproduction is one of the basic necessities of life, and taking that away from people is unethical. However, I somewhat agree with MasturDbtor on the idea that people who have consistently demonstrated they are unfit to parent should not be allowed to raise children. It is unfair to allow someone to have parents who will greatly diminish their chances of a happy life as well as the length of their life depending on how bad they are treated. Abuse should not be tolerated and neither should the inability to raise a child. Therefore, if the person is unable to raise the child because of quantifiable reasons such as the inability to provide due to disability or the lack of mental maturity to handle being responsible for another human life (severe autism). However, the ability to reproduce should not be impeded by the government. That WOULD be in the mindset of Adolf Hitler.
Ah yes, sterilization of the disabled to create a stronger race: the rhetoric of Adolf Hitler. Though it may be a wise decision for such individuals to avoid procreation and instead adopt if they really want children, this is not a liberty we can strip from the people. It also gives the government the power to decide who can and cannot reproduce, a dangerous power to grant. As far as blindness, deafness, missing limbs, this is absolutely ridiculous. These are usually not inherited from parents.
I understand that we should give equal opportunities to people with disabilities. But from a eugenics standpoint, it is not appropriate. Even adopting kids is not good, because it can be very challenging to raise the kids with a physical disability. A physical disability can be epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or muscular/skeletal conditions, such as missing limbs. Kids are very expensive to raise. A disabled person might have problems finding employment, and this can affect income. | 1,982 | 1,009 | 0.000993 |
warc | 201704 | Inside Out, the latest creation from Pixar, enters the mind of eleven-year-old Riley, and personifies her five dominant emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. The five characters in Riley’s head, led by Joy, man a control panel that guides her through life, forming memories, the strongest of which form islands of personality that define Riley (silliness, hockey, friendship, and family).
The movie entertains and inspires in fresh and thoughtful ways. It seeks to engage us all — young and old, children and parents, and everyone else — in a way that will change us. After watching, you likely will not witness (or unleash) a temper tantrum or tear-filled meltdown in the same way again. The writers and animators do an excellent job exposing and making us all feel the absurd, but real tensions inside the human heart.
A Joy to Believe In
The hallmark of
Inside Out is the grounding of happiness. In a society that seeks joy in comfort, silliness, and diversion, Pixar presents a different picture of the full life. Being happy is not about eliminating or even minimizing emotions not named Joy. No one in history has ever succeeded with that approach. Inside Out refreshingly declares that the good life — at least the one that really happens on this planet — is not free from sadness or anger, but allows joy to live in a harmony with those other less comfortable emotions.
The film fearlessly enters the dark, detached mind of a preteen whose life has been disrupted by a cross-country move. The film’s brilliance is in embracing the brokenness we all face. We all experience it, and yet so few stories in television and at the theaters help us process and endure it. In
Inside Out, life is hard, but not hopeless. Grief and sadness are meaningful, even valuable experiences.
Joy in comfort, in silliness, in sports
can be truly happy for a time, but there are no roots, at least not strong ones. It’s fragile. One embarrassing moment in front of the class and it all comes crashing down. If life is about preserving that simple, child-like, playful happiness, then we’re all lost and helpless. Eventually — and sometimes very early on — life removes its kiddie gloves — the unexpected move, betrayal, divorce, sickness, failure, loss. Life will steal a child’s happiness at age seven or seventeen or thirty-seven, and if we don’t have a plan for joy after sadness comes, we’ll be left frustrated, confused, and bitter. The film displays the futility of shortsighted, over-protective happiness.
The story begins with Joy frantically — though relentlessly cheerfully — micromanaging the team of emotions, striving to keep everything and everyone calm, predictable, and happy. The simplicity of a child’s life lends itself to lots of simple and repeatable pleasure. By the end, though, Joy cherishes and cooperates with the others, seeing their inevitable and even critical roles in Riley’s life. Pixar has created categories to help children face depressing, scary, revolting, and infuriating realities of a fallen world without giving up hope for real happiness.
Riley’s Roots Inside Out grounds joy — which in and of itself sets it apart from so many other movies — but still leaves it rootless. The joy is real, and even mature, but it’s not safe or reliable. It’s not made or even expected to last the stormy waves that will crash into our lives. When one island of personality falls — whether silliness or hockey or friendship — we’ll start building another.
Pixar beautifully illustrates the problem, but doesn’t present a satisfying solution. I’m not sure it can. Think about it: The savior in
Inside Out is an imaginary elephant friend named Bing Bong.
Now, to be clear, I’m not expecting cartoon Jesus to show up just outside the chamber of abstract thought, riding in on Donkey from
Shrek. But as a lover of Jesus, I’m always fascinated to watch where the world looks for hope and rescue. For Inside Out, it’s the fond, if silly, memories of an imaginary childhood friend or the consistent warmth of a mother or Riley’s superior ability in hockey. The heroes are adorable, but short-lived. The hope for children is in a steady stream of heroes — always something new in each season of life to encourage or comfort or inspire. As believers in Christ, we can do far better than Bing Bong.
Parents, Pixar has helped your kids understand themselves better. They’ll now be able to imagine Joy and Anger and Sadness — little yellow and red and blue action figures inside their brain — when those emotions begin to emerge and overwhelm them. But Pixar can only point us inside ourselves.
Inside Out will not set us right-side up, with our eyes fixed on God. That doesn’t make it a bad or inadequate movie. The film is a fantastic chance for you to take your child’s heart and imagination deep inside themselves and then out and upward to a real, reliable, satisfying Savior. Child-Like Joy
The message of
Inside Out says that joy in this life can be real even when mixed with darker, harder memories and experiences. The film creatively and effectively protects us from thinking life is meant to be easy, fun, and care-free. True joy, the kind that survives suffering and endures pain, is not cheap or easy. It’s laced — woven through and through — with sadness. So it is with Christ in an even more profound way. We are “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10), and our joy is all the deeper and more enduring because of the grief.
The hope for Christians, though, is that there is even better news than real-life, down-to-earth, grounded-with-grief joy in this world. The joy Riley experienced before her family’s move — a child-like, uninhibited, uncontaminated happiness — is not so far off from the hope of heaven. The full and forever happiness we will have with God in his presence will not be ruined by sadness or distress or disgust, but enriched by them. One day, God
will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4) — no fear, no sadness — and amazingly we will be eternally better for having cried.
Our joy, then and there, will be truly free, fearless, and full —
childlike, but untouchable. | 6,401 | 3,055 | 0.000342 |
warc | 201704 | The
offsetting obligation to pay claims is contingent, unfixed and off on the horizon.
After two years, the middle-class cuts would also expire unless Congress paid for them with
offsetting savings or tax increases.
When it comes to
offsetting the negativity of disgust, does pride really work just as well as serenity?
But as the economy strengthens, interest rates will rise,
offsetting some of the recovery's beneficial effect on the deficit.
Collective buying has also been a factor in
offsetting the inroads of the "chains."
No care need be taken to prevent "
offsetting" of the colour while printing.
Bore a few different-sized holes through it and you will have a very handy device for
offsetting pipe.
There is a little trick in
offsetting pipe that one will have to practice to obtain.
There were ways of
offsetting them, however, and in this particular instance Congress was the way.
There is no balance, no justice, no
offsetting the indecent by that which is noble and good.
1550s, "act of setting off" (on a journey, etc.), from off + set (adj.). Meaning "something 'set off' against something else, a counterbalance" is from 1769; the verb in this sense is from 1792. As a type of printing, in which the inked impression is first made on a rubber roller then transferred to paper, it is recorded from 1906.
offset
A shoot that develops laterally at the base of a plant, often rooting to form a new plant. Many succulents and cacti are propagated by removing offsets and planting them elsewhere. See more at vegetative reproduction. | 1,577 | 870 | 0.001173 |
warc | 201704 | We all use them – “I’m tired.” “I’m sore.” “I don’t have time.” – and the worst of all, “I deserve a break.” We all use excuses to not go to the gym, to not workout, and to not be healthy. But why? One reason may be that workouts can be boring, tedious, and down right dreadful. Well, from personal experience, workouts can be all of those things, but they don’t have to be.
When you start feeling the gym blues, it may be time to shake things up. Changing your workout routine has a few benefits.
First, a new routine will keep you entertained for a little while, and hopefully make your gym time a tad more exciting. And secondly, but more importantly, when you change your routine, you keep you body guessing. You start hitting muscles from a different angle and force them to adapt and grow. Changing your workout regimen from its normal daily grind can also help bust through the dreaded weight loss plateaus.
If changing your routine isn’t your thing, try listening to some music, or different music when you workout. My entire gym experience is based off of playlists on my MP3 player. And I seriously mean everything. Driving to the gym, warm-up runs, lifting, cool-down runs, long jogs, short runs, driving home, they all have a different set of songs. Try to find tunes that really get you going and into a workout. Studies have shown that listening to your own music preference while exercising increases productivity. So listening to something you enjoy will get you moving faster, burning more calories, and hopefully enjoying your exercise experience more.
If you hate music and change, try getting a workout buddy. Having someone to exercise with can help tremendously. Having someone to exercise with, to push you, to get you going, even when those excuses come creeping up, is a great, great, help.
So in a nutshell, when the workout woes start to set in, and you really just don’t want to exercise, try one of these three things. Change your workout, change your music, and find some friends.
If you have any other questions, tips, or areas you want covered, leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to get back to you.
Until next time, DIRnation.
– Mike Morelli | 2,278 | 1,106 | 0.000946 |
warc | 201704 | Does Parmesan cheese go bad? That is the question anyone who uses this very hard cheese asks themselves when it comes time to cook with it. The first mention of Parmesan cheese in history was in the fourteenth century, but it has been used for centuries. The answer to this question is simple, and there are many ways that this cheese can be stored to guarantee it a long life in your refrigerator. Because of that, you can buy Parmesan cheese in pretty big amounts if you use it a lot. What is the best way to store Parmesan cheese?
You can buy Parmesan cheese in blocks, but the most popular way is those cans that have the powdered version of the cheese. Does this really make a difference in how long it lasts? Parmesan is a hard cheese; people usually buy it by the block then simply keep it in an air tight storage container or an air tight Ziploc bag. The cheese can last for months like this, if any moldy spots do appear then all you need to do is cut that part out and the cheese will still be edible. Usually, the best method is to grate it. When you grate Parmesan, there is less of a chance of it developing mold. As strange as this may sound, the freezer is the best place to put the bag or container of grated Parmesan. There is no need to worry, the cheese will not freeze, and it will keep for a very long time there. If you do not want to put it in the freezer it will stay fresh in the refrigerator as well.
Image used under Creative Commons from Robin Ellis What is the shelf life of Parmesan cheese?
Parmesan is a hard cheese, which means that it tends to last a very long time in block form. Just how long does Parmesan last? For those cooks that like the block cheese, and keep it in a sealed container, the shelf like can be from three to six months past any sort of expiration date. If a mold spot then appears then it can be cut out and the cheese will continue to be just fine in the refrigerator. Those that prefer to grate (you can also buy grated Parmesan cheese) the cheese and place it in the freezer have reported their Parmesan has lasted up to a year; the cheese was still good, but they made the decision to dispose of the cheese for safety reasons.
How to tell if Parmesan cheese is bad?
Usually when a cheese goes bad, it is easy to see the mold spots. With hard cheeses like Parmesan, the mold spots can be removed, but what if the cheese is grated? When grated, Parmesan is white to beige in color. If you are wondering if your grated cheese has gone bad, open the container and check the color and smell. Parmesan going bad will smell funny, and the color will look different. Instead of looking white or beige, the color of the powdered cheese will be more of a yellow or darker beige.
What is another simple way to tell if the Parmesan has gone bad?
Look at the grated cheese closely, is it still loose or has it become clumpy? Parmesan grated can be clumpy, but a shake of the container will break up those little clumps. Every kitchen has moisture in the air and the refrigerator especially, so it is normal to see the grated Parmesan turn into little balls. The difference between moisture causing those little clumps and spoilage is that they won’t break up when you shake the container and they will feel spongy or wet to the touch. If those Parmesan clumps stick and do not break up, then it is a good idea to throw the cheese away rather than risk getting sick.
Summary Parmesan cheese has been used in cooking for centuries because of its distinct flavor that makes any meal even more delicious. The cheese is sold either in blocks or grated inside a container. Many people who buy it often ask, does Parmesan cheese go bad? Any cheese can go bad whether it is in block or grated form, but Parmesan can last longer if it is kept in sealed container. Parmesan cheese grated and kept in a container in a freezer will make the cheese last longer, even up to a year before you may want to consider throwing it out. | 3,976 | 1,737 | 0.000578 |
warc | 201704 | High blood pressure
When your blood pressure is too high, it means that the blood’s pressure flowing through your veins and pushing against your arteries is intense. Higher than normal pressure causes damage to the vascular walls. Even though to high blood pressure more commonly called “hypertension” is not considered a disease, hypertension does however significantly increases the risk of heart disease.
High blood pressure can happen unexpectedly. Obesity, lack of exercise, kidney impairment, unhealthy diet and excess alcohol consumption are all factors that contribute to high blood pressure There are several medications that can help you reduce high blood pressure. The most common drugs are ACE inhibitors, diuretics and beta blockers. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) such as Amlodipine and Losartan can also aid in reducing blood pressure. In the overview below you will find all the medications at a glance. Note: Diet and exercise lifestyle changes are extremely important for managing blood pressure for a longer term. A lot of times your blood pressure at the doctor's office will be higher than at home. Many people unknowingly experience stress at the (family) doctor, which makes your blood pressure rise. With your own blood pressure meter, you can give yourself an accurate picture of your blood pressure at rest. At Doktoronline you can also order blood pressure meters (sphygmomanometers) for managing blood pressure for a longer term.
Pharmacy product(s) in this category
Drugstore product(s) in this category | 1,598 | 812 | 0.001248 |
warc | 201704 | With South Carolina set to offer "I Believe" license plates containing an image of a crucifix, might we want to concede that perhaps Justice Scalia was onto something in suggesting that nonsectarianism means monotheistic nosectarianism (as discussed here)? In defending these specialty plates, SC State Senator Lawrence Grooms (quoted in the NY Times) contended that such license plates are no different from the use of the motto "In God We Trust" on the currency. Indeed, everyone---including people who don't believe in a single (or any) God or if they do, don't trust Him---must use the currency, whereas only people who choose the "I Believe" plates need to do so. South Carolina offers a wide range of specialty plates (see full list here), including an "In God We Trust" plate and a "Sons of Confederate Veterans" plate, and makes it easy for organizations to order specialty plates. Thus, one plate is sponsored by the Secular Humanists of the Low Country, and includes the motto, "In Reason We Trust." (Note that the "I Believe" plate pictured above is from a failed effort to introduce them in Florida. The SC design is not yet available.)
Accordingly, it's plausible to defend the "I Believe" plates on the ground that South Carolina has created a forum for private speech, and that, given the diversity of plates, "I Believe" plates do not reflect government endorsement of religion. Were the Supreme Court writing on a blank slate, it might want to say that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment permits a state to include the "I Believe" plates among an assortment that includes other religious and nonreligious messages, but that the Free Speech Clause of the same First Amendment also permits the state to take a more strictly separationist view by excluding all religious messages. In other words, we might want to say that there is some policy space between what the Establishment Clause and the Free Speech Clause respectively require. The Court has said something like this occasionally, and perhaps will clarify the law in this area in the pending Summum case (which I've discussed here, here, here and here). For now, though, I want to assume away all of the questions about when government restrictions on speech in a public setting convert otherwise private speech into government endorsement, and suppose a hypothetical variation designed to put Justice Scalia's view in the best possible light: Suppose that the federal government replaced "In God We Trust" on the one dollar bill with "I Believe," and replaced the (somewhat creepy) pyramid-and-eye Great Seal with a crucifix image. Surely that would violate the Establishment Clause, even if "In God We Trust" does not. But how can explain this difference except as an application of Justice Scalia's view that government endorsement of generic monotheism is acceptable, while endorsement of any particular monotheistic sect is not? One possibility, to which I referred in my FindLaw column last week, is that "In God We Trust" can be fit into the limited exception to the non-endorsement principle for "ceremonial deism," whereas the crucifix image cannot. But this strikes me as completely ad hoc. Or it strikes me as emphasizing the wrong aspects of the ceremonial deism exception. Here I would instead rely on a point made by Justice Breyer in his concurrence in the Van Orden case: There is a difference between maintaining the staus quo with respect to religious imagery and making a change. If license plates had contained crucifixes for over a century, then perhaps that would now be widely seen as de minimis, in the way that "In God We Trust" largely is. After all, no one seems to pay any attention at all to the fact that our official calendar reckons years from the birth of Jesus. If it seems implausible that a crucifix on the currency could ever be seen as anything other than impermissible government endorsement of religion, then perhaps we should rethink the acceptance of official generic monotheism as well. Posted by Mike Dorf | 4,070 | 1,872 | 0.000539 |
warc | 201704 | Editor’s note: These abstracts have been edited for space and clarity. This program is current as of 15 January 2013. Additions, withdrawals and other changes to the conference program after this date may not be reflected. Click here for the most updated program. TECHNICAL SESSION 18: TUBULARS SPE/IADC 163566 Dynamic Model for Stiff String Torque and Drag, V. Tikhonov, K. Valiullin, Aquatic Company; A. Nurgaliev, R.A. Gandikota, L. Ring, P. Chaguine, C.A. Cheatham, Weatherford International
A stiff string torque and drag model is presented that uses steady state dynamic equilibrium of the drill string as its basis for calculations. Results are compared to previously published torque and drag models that are based on static equilibrium. The novelty of the new dynamic model is in the ability to solve torque and drag operations of the entire drill string in reasonable time using standard engineering computers. The new approach is based on a 3D-transient dynamic model of drill string and BHA in an elastic borehole.
SPE/IADC 163518 Safely Exceeding Buckling Loads in Long Horizontal Wells: Case Study in Shale Plays, S. Menand, Drillscan; D. Chen, Hess Corp
This paper shows a case study in shale gas wells for which helical buckling load has been exceeded without compromising the success of the operations.
Drilling data from long horizontal wells in US shale plays have been gathered, analyzed and compared to an advanced drill string mechanics model that enables to calculate simultaneously torque, drag and buckling.
SPE/IADC 163407 Drill Pipe Riser Intervention System Successful Experience in Offshore West Africa, C. Rohart, H. De Fonvielle, VAM Drilling; W. Campbell, TOTAL
While offshore intervention on subsea equipment is quite common, the increasingly deeper water operations require light weight intervention systems, while meeting safe and stringent operating specifications. For these new deep offshore challenges, the conventional risers are becoming a more costly and less desirable solution.
The solutions that were used by TOTAL in Angola are drill pipe risers with a proprietary double shoulder connection and featuring a Teflon seal ring close to the external shoulder. Intensively used in West Africa since 1999, the solution has shown robustness and reliability on several projects such as Girrasol and Rosa and now GirRI. The paper draws a summary of these operations and field use feedback, as well as maintenance costs and the financial benefits of using this product.
SPE/IADC 163441 Brittle Failures of Oilfield Components Due to Improper Testing Methods, S.R. Koneti, S.R. Gokhale, T.H. Hill Associates
Oilfield tubular components can fail through brittle cracking due to poor fracture toughness of the material. For heat treated material, most vendor and user manufacturing specifications, including API, require the mechanical test specimen to be removed from either a sacrificial production part, a prolongation removed from a production part, or from a quality test coupon (QTC) from the same heat.
In certain cases, manufacturers prefer to perform all mechanical testing on a QTC. However, case studies indicate that material test results on the QTC, especially Charpy V-notch impact energy values, which point to the fracture toughness of the material, may not accurately represent the material properties of the actual component.
This paper presents case studies and lessons learned from the analysis of failures that were found to be related to this discrepancy.
SPE/IADC 163535 The Stability of a Pipe Stand Racked in a Derrick, Part 2 – A General Pipe Stand Model, S.J. Sawaryn, P. Pattillo, BP Exploration
This paper builds on the information contained in Part 1 and presents a general pipe-stand model. The model is based on the Fourier series solution of the energy equation for calculating the deflection and buckling condition of an inclined, non-uniform pipe stand with an arbitrary number of intermediate loads and stick-up above the top racking board. Full details of the derivation and algorithms are included in the paper. This flexible approach is used to examine more complex, practical situations, including the buckling sensitivity to the position of the upper support and added loads, such as tool joints or running tools racked with the stand.
SPE/IADC 163478 Analysis of Torsional Shock During Drilling, T. Collins, E.M. Elhassan, Schlumberger
Recent developments in drilling techniques such as rotary steerable tools, aggressive diamond drill bits and dual-diameter drilling tools have greatly improved the speed of drilling wells and have allowed efficient drilling in very difficult environments. These have created a new set of conditions that the bottomhole assembly must withstand: a combination of high rotary speed and high, unsteady reactive torque, which have given new importance to an understanding of drill string dynamics.
Dynamic loading of drill strings has previously been studied using application-specific models and numerical methods. This paper demonstrates the application of some simple methods borrowed from acoustics, which allow approximate but very general solutions to the dynamic effects of torsional shock loading.
The results are illustrated with a case study from a well where unexpected geological features led to very high torsional shock, which caused severe equipment damage. The dynamic loading was shown to be well beyond the accepted design parameters. The new methodology can account for this loading as well as providing the design tools to withstand it.
E-POSTERS: SPE/IADC 163484 The Stability of a Pipe Stand Racked in a Derrick, Part 1 – Foundation, S.J. Sawaryn, BP Exploration
The paper presents an exact analytical solution using higher order functions for the deflection and buckling of a simple pipe stand in a derrick, modeled as an inclined slender column, with self-weight and pinned at both ends.
The results are consistent with industry practice where an intermediate finger board is used to support 93 ft stands of both 2
3/8-in. and 2 7/8-in. steel pipe but is not required for 3 ½-in. pipe. These observations suggest a suitable safety factor for application in other cases. SPE/IADC 163480 Analytical Model to Estimate the Drag Forces for Micro-hole Coiled-Tubing Drilling, Y. Zhang, Y. Hao, University of Houston; R. Samuel, Halliburton
Micro-hole coiled-tubing drilling is a new technology that provides added advantages while posing numerous operational challenges. This manifests in a number of ways, all adversely affecting the efficiency of the drilling process.
The problems include increased wellbore friction, poor hole cleaning, tubular failures and associated problems during tripping operations. Presently, conventional torque-and-drag models are used to calculate the drag forces and surface loads. Estimates of surface loads predicted using conventional torque-and-drag models are under-conservative as a result of the residual bend in the small-size coiled tubing on the reel and gooseneck. In such circumstances, an improved model and more comprehensive analysis is required.
This paper documents the comparison between the predicted mathematical simulation results with the actual well data from wells describing the accuracy and applicability of the model. The analysis results and comparison are presented along with three examples. | 7,424 | 3,485 | 0.000289 |
warc | 201704 | About Dumex
Dumex is part of Groupe Danone, a Fortune 500 company and one of the most successful healthy food companies in the world.
Danone is an international company present on all 5 continents. The group holds top positions in healthy food through four businesses: Fresh Dairy Products, Baby Nutrition, Bottled Water, and Medical Nutrition. Its mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
Danone counts over 190 production plants and around 102,000 employees. In 2012, the company generated sales of over €20 billion, of which more than 50% were in emerging countries.
Listed on Euronext Paris, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, ASPI Eurozone and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.
A specialist in child nutrition, Danone Dumex has been the trusted brand in baby and child nutrition in Singapore since 1959.
Our Vision
We believe we have a responsibility in shaping the nutritional habits of Singapore children, in line with our mission: to stand by parents to nurture a healthier and gracious generation.
In business for over 50 years, our priority has been to provide babies and children in Singapore with the right nutrients during their growing up years, and the well-being of mothers. This is in line with our vision of spearheading nutrition for healthier children in Singapore. We take this role seriously and are devoted to ensuring we consistently deliver quality and reliable products which meet the needs of parents and their children.
Children are the foundation of a healthy Singapore, allowing us to grow, transform aspirations into realities, and develop happiness. We believe we have a responsibility in shaping the nutritional habits of Singapore children, in line with our mission: to stand by parents to nurture a healthier and gracious generation.
We constantly bring innovations in our products and services to parents and health care professionals, so as to meet the needs of babies and children in Singapore. Our products are formulated based on International Standards and with reference to Singapore Recommended Daily Dietary Allowance. We have achieved many milestones in our product range, which are led by discoveries from our extensive research in early life nutrition. During the whole research and innovation process, we place special effort to ensure the safety and quality of our products in order to deliver our best for our consumer. For example, since 2011, we started to introduce reduced sucrose and sucrose-free growing up milks for children in Singapore.
Charting Industry Firsts
Among our many firsts was our breakthrough discovery that children of different ages have different nutritional requirements and the introduction of ‘stage tailored nutrition’ with the first 1Plus, 3Plus and 6Plus growing up milk.
Continuing Commitment to Research & Development
Through sustained investment in research and development, we endeavour to ensure there is a suitable product formulated to meet a child’s nutrient requirements at every stage of their growing up years and in turn, secure a strong nutritional foundation for their future health.
Uncompromised Commitment to Quality Nutrition
Dumex embraces and sets global industry standards for quality. We put health and safety at the heart of everything we do. We have developed some of the most rigorous safety procedures in the world – click to find out more about our 5 Steps Quality Assurance Programme.
Social responsibility
We are proudly committed to good corporate citizenship with an established program to guide the implementation of social and environmental policies in Danone businesses worldwide. Each subsidiary assesses its own performance against over 100 criteria, covering key areas such as food safety, human resource policies, the environment and relationships with suppliers and customers. This results in the creation of action plans, which take into account the socio-economic environments in which they operate.
Our Heritage
It all began in 1896 in The Netherlands with two brothers, Jan and Martinus van der Hagen. Jan was a medical doctor and had attended a medical conference in Germany, where he learned of a new concept. He returned to his brother Martinus, who owned a dairy factory, where together they developed the first baby milk formula, at a time of high infant mortality. They maintained their dedication to creating innovative nutritional concepts and herewith lies our heritage and commitment to the science behind our baby products on the market today.
Milestones
1959
Dumex milk was introduced in Singapore
1991
Introduction of Dumex 1Plus, the first nutritionally stage tailored milk
1996
Launch of Dumex 3Plus milk for children 3-6 years
1998
Launch of Dumex 6Plus milk for children 6 years and above
2003
First to fortify milk with DHA as part of the Maxi-Q
TM formula
2007
An internationally patented prebiotic blend (GOS & lcFOS) was introduced into our milk formula
2009
Awarded Hitwise Top 10 websites in Singapore in Food & Beverage – Brands & Manufacturers Industry
2010
Launch of all new Dumex
® Mamil ® Gold Growing Up Milk with 5 x DHA
2011
Opening of Danone Research center for Asia Pacific, dedicated to maternal and baby nutrition, and supporting Dumex
® Sciences Institute in Singapore’s Biopolis Launch of Dugro Formulas with Healthier Choice Symbol
2012
Launch of new and improved Dumex
® Mamil ® Mama and Dumex ® Mamil ® Gold PreciNutri TM Danone Dumex Singapore awarded silver award for Singapore Health Award Excellence in workplace health.
2013
Danone is ranked in the Top 30 of Global RepTrak
TM 100's list of the World's Most Reputable Companies. Dumex is recognized as being one of the Top 200 of the Asia's Top 1000 Brands list.
Dumex Dugro Step 4 was announced the Merit Award winner of the SIFST Food Product Award “Healthier Choice” Category for 2013-2015
Dumex also provides an advisory service to Singapore families, focusing on providing support to soon-to-be parents and carers of babies and toddlers. An experienced team of nutritionists, mothers, and caregivers are available for free one-on-one advice, tips and reassurance along the journey from pre-conception to parenthood.
As part of Dumex’s continuous support of mothers, the Heart Knows Best community website was formed in 2013. This online community provides parents with a unique place to connect and share about anything they wish to know in their motherhood journey from pre-conception to parenthood. Heart Knows Best aims to provide a wonderful online social experience for parents to find useful reviews and ratings by our team of advisors as well as other mothers in Singapore.
Dumex also provides parents with access to our free Careline service, staffed by an experienced team including nutritionists, and mothers. The service is one-to-one to ensure complete privacy and can be accessed by calling 1800 265 3188, via email or Live Chat, Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm (excluding public holidays). | 7,178 | 3,235 | 0.000315 |
warc | 201704 | Arthritis is the most common cause of canine joint pain in middle-aged and older dogs, causing stiffness, inflammation and pain. Other conditions causing joint pain include hip and elbow dysplasia, panosteitis, Lyme disease, injury and cancer. It's critical to work with your veterinarian to determine the root cause. Once you have a treatment plan, there are many options for joint pain relief.
Other People Are Reading Weight Loss and Exercise
The single most important thing you can do for an arthritic or mildly dysplastic dog is keep it lean. Almost two-thirds of pet dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. The extra weight puts a lot of stress on painful joints. You should be able to easily feel every one of your dog's ribs. Exercise is also an important component, so get your dog out walking, running and swimming as tolerated. Strong muscles will compensate for weak joints, increasing your dog's comfort and mobility.
Prescription Medications
Your veterinarian can prescribe several effective medications for joint pain relief. She will probably suggest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Rimadyl and Deramaxx. Another option is Adequan injections. Adequan is injectable glucosamine, which lubricates creaky joints. Also ask about Cosequin, a prescription glucosamine-chrondroitin formula. These medications may be used in conjunction with each other for greater effectiveness.
Natural Remedies
The gold standard in joint pain relief supplements is glucosamine-chrondroitin, available in chewable formulas that most dogs find very tasty. Also give your dog omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil pills. Fish oil is an effective anti-inflammatory supplement and also beneficial for skin and coat. While some dog food contains omega-3, it is not a therapeutic dose. Dosage recommendations vary, but 1,000 mg per 13.6kg. of your dog's weight is a good rule of thumb.
Diet
You can also try eliminating grains from the diet by feeding a high protein, grain-free kibble or a raw diet. A host of studies and research indicates that grain-based diets may increase inflammation. Check the strategies link in the Resources section below for more natural remedies and diet advice.
Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Massage
Some dogs experience great pain relief from acupuncture, chiropractic adjustment and canine massage. Find a practitioner using the Resources link below.
Surgery, Stem Cell Injections and Emerging Therapies
If the root cause of your dog's joint pain relief is a malformed or dysplastic joint, surgery may be your only option. Go to your nearest veterinary school website (often the most reliable source for up-to-date information) and look for articles on the different surgical techniques available. Other therapies include stem cell therapy, where stem cells are drawn from the dog's abdomen and injected into the inflamed joint, laser pulse therapy and gold bead implants.
Don't Miss 20 of the funniest online reviews ever 14 Biggest lies people tell in online dating sites Hilarious things Google thinks you're trying to search for | 3,103 | 1,580 | 0.000636 |
warc | 201704 | Mint is a rapidly-growing herb that can be grown in containers or a backyard herb garden. Mint is best harvested in the morning hours when oils are at their most fragrant and just before the flowering stage. Fresh leaves are often used in fruit salads, to flavour iced tea and other drinks or as garnish. The fragrant oils of the mint leaves release a fresh crisp scent, so working with mint in your kitchen will make the whole room smell minty.
Skill level: Moderately Easy Other People Are Reading Things you need Fresh mint plants Small scissors or garden snips Cold water Paper towel Salad spinner (optional) String Brown paper lunch sacks (optional) Oven or dehydrator (optional)
Show MoreHide
Instructions 1
Harvest the mint just before the flowering stage. Cut each stem at the base of the plant. Be careful not to crush or break the mint leaves during harvesting.
2
Rinse the cut plants well in cold water; warm or hot water can leach out essential oils. Remove and discard any damaged or discoloured leaves.
3
Pat dry with paper towel, then lay out the washed plants in single layers on more paper towel to dry. Allow to dry for at least two to three hours until completely dry; if moisture remains on the plants, they may become mouldy. You can also dry them in a salad spinner, then finish drying on paper towels.
4
Gather eight to ten stems of the dried mint; tie the sprigs together at the bottom. Hang the tied bunches upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated room. Allow the mint to air-dry for one to two weeks until completely dry.
5
Strip the leaves from the dried bunches; be careful not to crush the leaves as you remove them from the stems. Discard the stems. Store the dried mint in airtight containers in a cool dark location.
Tips and warnings If you live in a high-moisture climate, air-drying may not be possible. Place washed and dried mint sprigs in a single layer on a dehydrator tray or a baking tray. Dry on low temperature in dehydrator or in warm oven. Preheat oven to "warm" for 20 minutes, then turn off oven. Put the baking tray of mint sprigs into the warm oven and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. You can put each bunch of mint into a brown paper lunch sack before you hang them upside down to dry. The bags catch any leaves that fall off during drying, precluding the need for clean-up, and also help retain the fragrant oils during the drying process. Paper bags, however, do not provide adequate storage for dried mint or other herbs. Mold can form in mint leaves which contain even slight traces of moisture, so be sure to completely dry the leaves after washing them and be sure the bunches of mint sprigs are completely dry before removing and storing the leaves. Don't Miss 20 of the funniest online reviews ever 14 Biggest lies people tell in online dating sites Hilarious things Google thinks you're trying to search for | 2,883 | 1,398 | 0.00072 |
warc | 201704 | Extra Mucus
Post nasal drip can end up leaving you with extra mucus in the back of your throat. This may make you uncomfortable and cause you to try to spit it out.
Sore Throat
Post nasal drip causes the extra mucus that has built up to exit down the throat instead of out the nose. The constant running of mucus down the throat begins to irritate the throat, which is not use to having it there. It is almost like the mucus is an invader. The sore throat may be minor or irritating, but shouldn't be as painful as having strep throat.
Stinky Breath
Post nasal drip is known for causing bad breath. The clinical term for bad breath is halitosis. The mucus that keeps passing through your throat and entering your mouth is what causes the bad odor. The only way to get rid of the bad breath is to get rid of the post nasal drip. Brushing and mouthwashes can mask the odor, but they can't get rid of it.
Coughing
The mucus tickles the back of your throat and can cause a scratchy feeling. This leads you to cough to try and eliminate the itch.
Vomiting
Mucus travels down the throat and esophagus to the stomach. When too much mucus builds up there, the stomach will want to get rid of it. Its natural reaction is to expel the mucus from the body by causing vomiting. It this continues to occur you will need to contact your doctor for some muscle relaxants.
Congestion
Post nasal drip can cause a person to experience congestion, which causes difficulty breathing. One may try to blow one's nose to find some relief, but the congestion just returns. There are some vapor machines and vapor creams that may help open up the nasal passages for an hour or two.
Photo Credit Paulo Gonçalves How Does GERD Affect Sinuses?
GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux, is a condition where stomach acid travels up the esophagus and damages the lining. Acid...
How to Treat Post Nasal Drip in Children
Post nasal drip occurs when a large amount of mucus gathers in the back of the nose and throat, giving the sensation...
How to Treat Post-Nasal Drip in Children
To treat post-nasal drip in children, it's important to determine the source of the nasal secretions. Find out how to treat your...
How to Treat Vomiting in Children
To treat vomiting in children, you'll most likely want to start oral rehydration therapy with them. Get your child back to normal...
Remedy for Nausea Caused by Post Nasal Drip
Post nasal drip occurs when the sinuses create too much mucus, causing a build up in the back of the nose and... | 2,546 | 1,177 | 0.000859 |
warc | 201704 | Humidifiers can be a helpful appliance for those who are suffering from respiratory problems, allergies or for individuals who live in a dry climate or during cold weather. A humidifier is filled with water and dispenses a steady stream of mist into a room or home to increase the overall moisture content in the air. Because water sits in the humidifier tank, bacteria and mineral scale can grow easily and may affect the performance of the humidifier and may even release deposits or germs into the air. Demineralizing a humidifier on a regular basis is an important part of maintaining the device.
Things You'll Need Vinegar Bleach Measuring spoon Clean cloth(s) Soft brush(es)
Turn off and disconnect the humidifier. Lift off the water tank and empty any remaining water into a sink. Drain any water from the base.
Clean the exterior of the base with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Fill the base with vinegar and scrub with a soft brush. Empty out the vinegar and rinse well with water. Dry with a clean cloth.
Mix together ½ tsp. chlorine bleach with ½ gallon warm water and fill the water tank. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes and then scrub thoroughly with a soft brush. Rinse until no more bleach can be smelled and dry with a clean cloth.
Lift out the water float, located on the bottom of the humidifier, and clean with vinegar and a soft brush or cloth. Rinse with water and replace.
Reassemble the humidifier and fill the tank with clean, cool water. Restore power. | 1,490 | 754 | 0.001342 |
warc | 201704 | Lightning, which is caused by a natural electrical discharge, can damage electrical appliances both inside and outside the home. During a storm, lightning can strike your central air conditioning unit. The lightning may fry the inner workings of the air conditioner causing the appliance to work improperly or causing irreversible damage.
Document The Damage
Document the damage done by the lightning before you assess all the damage to your air conditioner. Write down the day and time the storm occurred and note any hail or high winds that accompanied the storm. Include any information about what happen during the storm, such as the electricity going out or any odd noises you heard. Take pictures of the damaged central air conditioning unit. All of this information will help you in a claim to your insurance company.
Check The Air Conditioner
Check the thermostat to see whether the light is on and has power going to it. Set the thermostat temperature so the fan unit comes on. If the thermostat does not turn on, make sure the breaker connected to the unit is flipped to the "On" position. If the thermostat is battery powered, replace the battery with a new one. Once the fan unit starts, you should hear the condenser start up. Check the unit breaker by following the gray electric whip running to the panel and check the breakers located inside it if the fan doesn't start. Switch the breakers back on if they are in the "Off" position. If the central air conditioning unit still does not function properly, contact a heating and cooling technician.
Preventing Damage
Hiring a heating and cooling technician to install a surge suppressor may greatly lower the risk of expensive damages caused by lightning strikes or other power surges. Also, turning the air conditioner off during the storm will help prevent power surges caused by a lightning strike. However, this will not stop the lightning from striking the air conditioner unit.
Considerations
Your homeowner's insurance policy may cover damage to an air conditioner caused by a storm; however, many policies only cover the damaged parts to be repaired or replaced. Sometimes the condenser, fan or motor may fail months later because of the damage it sustained during the initial lightning strike. Unfortunately, the insurance company may not pay for these repairs. Keep this in mind when the heating and cooling technician is working on the unit and ask whether he can test the other working parts.
Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images | 2,527 | 1,129 | 0.000891 |
warc | 201704 | It was going to come around sooner or later.
After a labor protest led to higher wages across the US, it’s paying off for the New York fast food workers who started it.
On Wednesday, a panel appointed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recommended a US$15 hourly minimum wage for employees of fast food chain restaurants throughout the state by 2018.
The New York Times is reporting that wages will be raised faster in New York City than in the rest of the state to account for the higher cost of living there.
It’s a triumph for advocates who have rallied burger-flippers and fry cooks to demand pay that covers their basic needs.
They argued that taxpayers are subsidizing the workers of some multinational corporations such as McDonald’s that are not paying enough to keep their workers from relying on food stamps and other welfare benefits.
The US$15 wage is up more than 70 percent from New York’s current minimum wage of US$8.75 an hour.
Advocates for low-wage workers said the mandate will quickly spur pay raises for employees in other industries across the state.
Cuomo predicted that other states will follow his lead.
“When New York acts, the rest of the states follow,” said Cuomo, citing the state’s passage of the law making same-sex marriage legal.
“We’ve always been different, always been first, always been the most progressive.”
– Contact us at [email protected]
FL/RA | 1,446 | 780 | 0.001346 |
warc | 201704 | A simple plasma globe would amaze you enough. All you have to do is to find an ordinary electric bulb. Since these bulbs are filled with gases to prevent the filament from corrosion and make it much brighter, you can ionize the gas in the bulb and turn it to a plasma globe.
Not all of the bulbs have the same gas composition so you may have to search for.
This circuit is grounded. You are grounded too and this means there is more availability for current to pass through your body. Take precautions for the high voltage cable and the conductive parts of the bulb so prevent yourself and other ones touching them. When you approach your fingers to the bulb you’ll observe plasma attracting there. As you dare to touch the glass you may find tiny sparkings hitting your finger without pain but they will burn out your tissue. Intense lightning hitting a point in the glass sphere would cause that point to heat. With the tiny coil, haven’t seen this caused the glass to break but it’s possible. If the glass breaks then there will be a chance that sparkings may jump from the bulb’s wires to your fingers. Another danger is ozone, produced by the corona built up at the outer surface of the glass, that is harmful to your lungs. Also ultraviolet emission is very high for your eyes in this operation. So run your globe only for a short period, in a well ventilated place, avoiding to touch the bulb, and at an optimum voltage so it won’t break and hurt you.
Visit Here for more. | 1,509 | 793 | 0.001287 |
warc | 201704 | Piping Design CourseDistance Learning Programs
Price on request
Important information Course Online New delhi Duration: 1 Year Frequent Asked Questions · Requirements
Engineering graduates or Polytechnic diploma holder with 3 years of relevant experience
Course programme Need of the course:
The Piping term comes in the sectors related to chemical processing, petrol chemical, irrigation and power plants. And piping engineering is necessary for these industries in building pipes for transferring raw material and end-products. There is increase in demand for pipe design professionals due to this reason in petrochemical, nuclear energy plants, pharmaceutical industries, LPG and fertilizer industry.
However the process of piping design is just one part as multidisciplinary effort is needed for building an entire process plant. For example, if we consider petrochemical plant, the facilities include many things including pipeline, which should have the safety features in a cost effective way. So, the Piping design course can be done by any candidate who is already in chemical, mechanical and petrochemical industry and wants to acquire skills required for piping design.
For piping design, many aspects should be consider before designing like cost, material of pipe, stress analysis, insulation and trouble shooting capability. All these factors are covered in the piping design course which after completion can give confidence in handling problems like corrosion, leakage, cleaning, blending and welding. | 1,531 | 816 | 0.001237 |
warc | 201704 | Tuesday, September 25, 2012
eMarketer: Magazines to See Positive Ad Spending Growth in 2012 Newspapers not so lucky as declines continue NEW YORK, NY (September 25, 2012)—Although both newspaper and magazine publishers are encouraged by positive trends in device adoption and consumer behavior, the continued growth of digital ad revenues has not yet made up for declines in print ad revenue for newspapers.
But it has for magazines.
According to new estimates from eMarketer, US ad revenue growth at magazines is expected to increase from 1.9% in 2011 to 2.6% this year, as revenue reaches $18.33 billion.
Print ad revenues at magazines will increase marginally to $15.19 billion in 2012 from $15.15 billion in 2011, according to eMarketer. In the same period, digital ad revenues are expected to grow to $3.14 billion from $2.72 billion.
The new forecast for 2012 US magazine ad revenue is marginally down from eMarketer’s previous estimate of $18.65 billion from January 2012—a result of slightly slower growth than previously expected.
At newspapers, the picture isn’t quite as rosy. US newspaper print ad revenues are expected to drop significantly in the coming years, slipping to $16.4 billion in 2016 from $19.14 billion in 2012. Digital revenues, which include all digital platforms, will edge up to $4 billion from $3.4 billion, so they will not cover losses from print.
eMarketer previously projected in January that US newspaper ad spending would reach $23.1 billion this year. The new forecast has been revised slightly downward based on faster-than-expected declines reported by eMarketer’s benchmark source, the Newspaper Association of America, for which the last full year measured was 2011. The newspaper figures include classifieds, national and retail advertisements.
eMarketer forms its estimates through an analysis of various elements related to the newspaper and magazine ad spending market, including macro-level economic conditions; historical trends of the advertising market; historical trends of each medium in relation to other media; reported revenues from major ad publishers; estimates from other research firms; consumer media consumption trends; and eMarketer interviews with executives at ad agencies, brands, media publishers and other industry leaders.
About eMarketer eMarketer is the authority on digital marketing, media and commerce, offering insights essential to navigating the changing, competitive and complex digital environment. By weighing and analyzing information from different sources, eMarketer provides businesspeople, marketers and advertisers with the most complete view of digital marketing available. www.eMarketer.com | 2,713 | 1,284 | 0.000789 |
warc | 201704 | Posts tagged “Bakken” A Williston Basin Primer
In my previous article Addressing the World’s Flare Gas Problem, I discussed my current project, which recently took me to the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. Today, I will discuss the region’s shale oil boom in greater detail. In Part 3 of this series, I will conclude by delving into the economics of shale oil production.
The Williston Basin underlies parts of North and South Dakota, Montana, southern Saskatchewan, and southwestern Manitoba. Within the Williston Basin is the Bakken Formation, which first produced oil over 60 years ago. It was on North Dakota farmer Henry Bakken’s farm in 1953 that Amerada Petroleum — later acquired by Hess (NYSE: HES) — discovered oil at a depth of about 10,000 feet. The Bakken Formation is to date the source of most of North Dakota’s rapid oil production growth, but underneath the Bakken Formation is the Three Forks Formation, which has also begun to produce oil:
Source: US Geological Survey CONTINUE» Status Update
I don’t generally use this column to discuss the projects that I am working on. In fact, it’s been more than 2 years since I did. But I often get inquiries about where I am and what I am doing, so in today’s column I thought I would update readers who may be interested.
Since I graduated from Texas A&M in 1995 with my master’s degree in chemical engineering, I have worked for 5 companies in 10 different locations — including 3 foreign countries. Most of my work has been on energy projects. I am not going to run through my entire career here, but I will explain what brought me to my current job. If you want a full accounting, please refer to my CV.
From 2009 to 2014, I worked for a company in Hawaii called Merica International. Merica was essentially a holding company for a German entrepreneur who lived in Hawaii and invested in energy companies and technologies. Most of the published biographies for me still list Merica as my employer. In my role as Chief Technology Officer for Merica, I had the responsibility for conducting due diligence and making investment recommendations. When I joined the company, one of the major holdings was the German company Choren, which produced diesel from biomass. I first wrote about Choren back in 2008 before joining Merica. Long story short, as is often the case with new technology, startup issues dragged on and on and we finally made the decision to shut the plant down. I documented the timeline for these events in What Happened at Choren? CONTINUE»
Favorable Economics, the Permian, and Choices
In July, I wrote about the ramped up activity in the Permian Basin. The point of that story was to merely observe and document that period of time in the Basin. In the data offered over the course of several articles, the conclusion was clear: the U.S. is in the early period of another boom from U.S. production of oil, and Texas is largely the zone for the majority of the production capacity. While the Bakken Shale and the Eagle Ford receive numerous well-deserved headlines, exploration and production (E&P) firms were busy making new history in the Permian Basin.
The largest producer in the Permian Basin is Occidental Petroleum, also known as Oxy. This also makes the firm the largest producer in Texas. Pioneer Natural Resources, Apache and Kinder Morgan Production follow behind Oxy in Permian Basin production for 2012. According to the Energy Information Agency, in 2012 the U.S. imported approximately 10.6 million barrels of crude oil per day. The ratings agency Moody’s recently made an announcement about the impact of the “Permian revival” on exploration and production (E&P) firms. In their communication, they mention producers speculate that the full development of the Wolfcamp Shale could result in 2 million barrels a day — more than the 1970s peak for the entire basin. That is nearly 20% of U.S. daily imports. When might that happen? Hard to say.
Later this week I intend to start a series covering the recently released BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2013. However, first I want to follow up on last week’s post The Increasing Irrelevance of the Keystone XL Debate. With few exceptions, the post was well-received by people on both sides of the debate. There was some reasonable debate on the post on my Twitter feed, and much less rancor. I think only one person accused me of being an “enemy combatant” while most recognized that I am sincerely trying to shine a light on a problem that I see as orders of magnitude worse than Keystone XL.
The primary objection to my argument over the irrelevancy of Keystone XL is the same one that has been voiced in the past. It is that the Keystone XL project itself may be relatively insignificant, but add up many Keystone XL projects and you get a big effect. The only problem is that this really isn’t even true.
In last week’s article I referenced a 2012 paper by Neil C. Swart and Andrew J. Weaver from the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria published in Nature Climate Change. That paper contained a graphic that I shared on Twitter, and it got quite a bit of commentary. The graphic shows the relative potential warming contributions of various fossil fuel resources:
Keystone XL’s Insignificant Contribution to Climate
Last week President Obama unveiled a new plan to combat climate change in a speech at Georgetown University. While there is generally broad consensus that his comments further threaten the already battered US coal industry, his comments on TransCanada’s (TSX: TRP, NYSE: TRP) Keystone XL pipeline project had pundits guessing at his meaning. Here is what the President said in his speech about Keystone XL:
Now, I know there’s been, for example, a lot of controversy surrounding the proposal to build a pipeline, the Keystone pipeline, that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands down to refineries in the Gulf. And the State Department is going through the final stages of evaluating the proposal. That’s how it’s always been done. But I do want to be clear: Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest. And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward. It’s relevant.
The reason that there have been widely differing views on the President’s intentions boils down to his use of the phrase “only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.” The State Department’s Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Keystone XL Pipeline project already concluded that approval of the project would have little impact on global carbon dioxide emissions or on the development of the oil sands because of their view that the oil will get to market one way or another. More on that below. CONTINUE»
Last week the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided an update of oil and gas resources in the Bakken region. This was their first update since a 2008 report that estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.65 billion barrels of oil and 1.85 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the region. The new estimate includes the Three Forks formation which largely lies underneath the Bakken in the Williston Basin that sprawls across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and southern Saskatchewan.
The new USGS assessment stated that the Three Forks formation had not been previously assessed, but that an assessment was warranted based on a rise in drilling and production in the formation. Inclusion of the Three Forks formation added an estimated mean resource of 3.73 billion barrels of oil to the estimated 3.65 billion barrels of oil in the Bakken formation for a total estimated resource of 7.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in the two formations. The two formations were also estimated to contain a mean of 6.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids (NGLs). CONTINUE»
Since 2005, the “total oil supply” for the United States as reported by the Energy Information Administration increased by 2.2 million barrels per day. Of this, 1.3 mb/d, or 60%, has come from natural gas liquids and biofuels, which really shouldn’t be added to conventional crude production for purposes of calculating the available supply. Of the 800,000 b/d increase in actual field production of crude oil, almost all of the gain has come from shale and other tight formations that horizontal fracturing methods have only recently opened up. Here I offer some thoughts on how these new production methods change the overall outlook for U.S. oil production.
Let me begin by clarifying that “shale oil” and “oil shale” refer to two completely different resources. “Oil shale” is in fact not shale and does not contain oil, but is instead a rock that at great monetary and environmental cost can yield organic compounds that could eventually be made into oil. Although some people have long been optimistic about the potential amount of energy available in U.S. oil-shale deposits, I personally am pessimistic that oil shale will ever be a significant energy source.
The Difference Between Oil Shale and Oil from Shale Formations
There has been some confusion lately about the overall extent of U.S. oil reserves. Some claim that the U.S. has hundreds of billions or even trillions of barrels of oil waiting to be produced if the Obama Administration will simply stop blocking development. So, I thought it might be a good idea to elaborate somewhat on the issue.
Oil production has been increasing in the U.S., primarily driven by expanding production from the Bakken Shale Formation in North Dakota and the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas. The oil that is being produced from these shale formations is sometimes improperly referred to as shale oil. When politicians speak of hundreds of billions or trillions of barrels of U.S. oil, they are most likely talking about the oil shale in the Green River Formation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Some have assumed that since we are accessing the shale in North Dakota and Texas, the Green River Formation and its roughly 2 trillion barrels of oil resources will be developed next. But these are very different types of resources. CONTINUE»
Here’s my suggestion for how to become rich: buy low and sell high.
It’s a strategy that works for individuals, and can work for the entire nation as well. If you can figure out a way to find resources whose value in their current use is not very great– in other words, if you buy low– and redeploy them somewhere else where their value is much greater– in other words, sell high– then you will not only add to your personal wealth, you will be creating new wealth for society as a whole. The process of allocating resources to their most efficient use is the heart of what drives economic growth. The fact that individuals have a strong personal incentive always to be looking for better ways to do that is the primary factor responsible for the standard of living that we enjoy today.
Let me give a concrete example of what I’m talking about. On Friday, you could buy a barrel of light, sweet crude oil produced in North Dakota for less than $81. On that same day, oil refiners in Port Arthur on the coast of Texas were paying around $110 to import a similar grade of oil produced in Nigeria. That’s $30 worth of incentive to you to try to figure out a way to transport oil from North Dakota to Port Arthur in order to replace a barrel of imported Nigerian oil with Williston sweet. As a nation, if we could divert some of the resources we are currently devoting to pay for oil imported from Nigeria, and use them instead to enable the Port Arthur refinery to get its oil from North Dakota, we will become richer.
Buy low, sell high.
So there’s a very concrete mission. How can you go about implementing it? | 12,478 | 5,470 | 0.000188 |
warc | 201704 | Posts tagged “energy storage”
Every morning after I wake up, I have a routine. The first thing I do, regardless of how sleepy I might still be, is slip on my shoes and run a mile. This erases the fog of sleep and gets me ready for the day. As an aside, I can highly recommend a quick run in the morning for just about everyone. The time commitment is minimal, it’s good for the heart, helps with stress, and it kicks the brain into high gear much faster than a cup of coffee can (which I still have later in the morning).
When I am traveling, I will often use a hotel treadmill, and catch up on the news for a few minutes as I run. But when I am in Hawaii, I run outdoors in all but the worst weather. The town I live in — near the north end of the Big Island — is known for the wind. In fact, the school mascot where my children have attended school for the past five years is “Ka Makani”, which means “the wind” in Hawaiian. There is a 10.6 megawatt (MW) wind farm — Hawi Renewable Development Wind Farm (shown in the picture above) — 20 miles north of where I live.
While the wind there blows enough to support a wind farm, and more often than not I have to run against it during some part of my run, on some mornings everything is dead still. On those mornings, I know I can look to the west and see black smoke rising into the sky. CONTINUE»
Obama harshly criticized his political opponents for attempting to block the administration’s clean energy policies in Congress.
There is a good overview in today’s Guardian regarding the status of affairs with respect to electricity storage technologies: The challenge for green energy: how to store excess electricity So with grid parity now looming, finding ways to store millions of watts of excess electricity for times when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine is the new Holy Grail. And there are signs that this goal — the day when large-scale energy storage becomes practical and cost-effective — might be within reach, as well. Some technologies that can store sizeable amounts of intermittent power are already deployed. Others, including at least a few with great promise, lie somewhere over the technological horizon. I have used the “Holy… Continue»
Will be the world’s first power station to produce clean energy, heat, and hydrogen capable of being stored for use at a later time.
I attended a presentation last year where a number of alternative energy technologies were discussed, and I was asked whether any major topic had been missed. I responded that I felt like the single most important topic had been missed: The enabling technology of energy storage. An efficient and cost effective energy storage solution is critical for smoothing out the intermittency of solar, wind, and tidal energy. This is the one advantage that biomass does have over these sources: Biomass may be inefficient at gathering solar energy, but it does store nicely. How important is energy storage? I think it is absolutely crucial, but largely overlooked in alternative energy discussions. It simply isn’t as sexy as solar, but without a… Continue»
First, thanks to all who provided input for the renewable diesel essay. The comments were useful, and will help me to strengthen the chapter. Second, I had said that today I would comment on Benjamin Cole’s Seamless Transition to a Post-Fossil Economy. Frankly, I think other readers adequately addressed this, and even Benjamin realizes that a seamless transition is unlikely. So I will leave that one as is. One of my major interests is storage systems for renewable energy options that would be characterized as intermittent. Solar and wind would fall into this category, and their intermittency really limits their ultimate potential. If wind turbines must be backed up by coal-fired power plants, it lessens the benefit. Therefore, the development… Continue»
I have always been a big fan of wind power. But one of the knocks on wind is that it is intermittent. Since electrical demand probably won’t match up very well with wind fluctuations, installed wind capacity does not displace conventional power generation in a 1 to 1 ratio. For example, I have seen it claimed that 2,000 megawatts of installed wind energy still requires 1,800 megawatts of standby power for when the wind isn’t blowing. (1) Clearly a storage system is needed. During times of high wind flow and low demand, the excess energy could be stored in something akin to a giant battery. When the wind isn’t blowing, users would pull from the “battery”. I have given a… Continue» | 4,744 | 2,304 | 0.000452 |
warc | 201704 | Nutella has been on the U.S. market for more than 25 years and throughout that time it has been a widely celebrated Italian import. Recently, however, the classic chocolate and hazelnut spread has experienced a bit of a rebirth with a significant surge in popularity. Type "nutella" into Pinterest and up pops an overwhelming wealth of recipes for cookies, cakes, brownies, cheesecake, truffles, banana bread, smoothies, hot chocolate, doughnuts, and even cocktails and dips, all built around Ferrero's beloved spread.
But Nutella isn't the only chocolate-hazelnut spread in town. We easily found almost half a dozen Nutella alternatives, plus a couple more options that are tweaks on the original concept. Most of these new spreads promise a more natural, less sugar-loaded product; some are even organic, raw, or vegan. Of course, none of those qualities matter much if they can't stand up to the famous original, so obviously a taste test was in order.
Four brands all came within tenths of a point of one another, so there actually wasn't a clear winner. While it might be useful to have a top pick, this really just means you have more awesome options to choose from. Read on for our four favorite Nutella alternatives, plus tasting notes.
Nocciolata Organic Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa & Milk: Made using the Rigoni family recipe, this spread is certified organic, and made with all natural, raw ingredients. It's also GMO-free and contains no palm oil. Our tasters described Nocciolata as "creamy," "milky," and "incredibly smooth." We also found it had a perfect balance of chocolate to nut. This was one of the sweeter options, and deemed the most similar to Nutella. ($8.25 for one 9.52-ounce jar) Barefoot & Chocolate Hazelnut Chocolate Spread: Made with Fair Trade and organic cocoa, cane sugar, and vanilla, Barefoot & Chocolate's spread has more than twice the nuts and 20% less sugar than the leading chocolate spread. We found this spread to be rich, creamy, and wonderfully thick, with an almost whipped consistency. It was considered similar to Nutella, and scored points for its strong hazelnut flavor. ($15.98 for two 10-ounce jars) Askinosie Hey, Hey Hazelnut! Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: This 2011 Silver Sofi Winner is made completely from scratch, and contains just four ingredients: hazelnuts (oil and butter), cocoa powder, organic cane sugar, and roasted cocoa nibs. Tasters found Askinosie's spread to be thick and dense, but still easily spreadable. It won raves for its rich, chocolate flavor with slightly bitter notes. "This one was clearly made with high-quality chocolate," noted one editor. Only one con was mentioned: "Could use a bit more hazelnut." ($13 for one 6.5-ounce jar) Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter: This spread stands apart from the previous three, because it also contains almonds, which do make their presence known, but only subtly. Tasters pointed out that this spread is grainier than the others, but this was not a negative; in fact, many editors liked that about it. We also found it to be slightly less sweet with an earthier flavor than the other spreads. ($9.99 for one 16-ounce jar)
The following Nutella alternatives (listed in no particular order) were not among our top picks, but each one has a number of attractive qualities:
Jem Hazelnut Raw Cacao Butter: Raw, vegan, and certified organic, Jem's take on Nutella is one of the more natural versions we tried. We found it had a nice chocolate-to-hazelnut flavor ratio, but could use a touch of salt to pull everything together. For more on Jem, see Kemp Minifie's earlier review. ($12.99 for one 6-ounce jar) Rapunzel Choconut Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter: This spread has a slightly longer ingredient list than some of the others, but is organic and still far more natural than Nutella. Our tasters enjoyed the smooth and easily spreadable consistency, but found this brand too sweet and also a little fake tasting. ($6.59 for one 8.8-ounce jar) Nutzo Chocolate Seven Nut & Seed Butter: With an ingredient list that features peanuts, cashews, almonds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds, along with dark chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and hazelnuts, Nutzo is in a class of its own. It's also 100% organic, packed with protein and Omega-3s, and very low in sugar. We had a little trouble comparing Nutzo to the other chocolate-hazelnut spreads, but on its own, we found it incredibly nutty, rich and thick, and not at all sugar-y. Available in crunchy and smooth. ($12.99 for one 16-ounce jar) Olivier's & Co. L'Extreme Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: The addition of extra-virgin olive oil sets this spread apart, and also meant that it got mixed reviews. Several tasters loved the oil, but others weren't into it at all. This spread has a beautiful sheen and a looser consistency, both perhaps due to the olive oil. It's not super nutty, but is rich in chocolate flavor. ($20 for one 8.4-ounce jar) Rawmio Beyond Gourmet Raw Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Butter: With stone-ground hazelnuts, organic cocoa nibs, and coconut sugar, this spread is definitely for the all-natural crowd. It was called, "very nutty" and "not too sweet" but several tasters pointed to a bitter aftertaste." ($13.95 for one 6-ounce jar)
You can use whichever Nutella alternative you prefer, or the original, of course, to make any of these Nutella recipes.
(Photos: Sara Bonisteel) | 5,413 | 2,520 | 0.000399 |
warc | 201704 | The Cleaning Show 2017 14th of March 2017 London, UK» Read More ECJ celebrates its 20th birthday this month. To celebrate our birthday we look back at the key trends affecting the industry over the last 20 years, with the help of some of the best-known names in the industry. Today, Ruediger Schroeder of Roots Multiclean.
The cleaning industry has developed a really professional approach over the last 20 years. The FMC’s have increased the standards of cleaning and hygiene tremendously whereas the manufacturers of cleaning equipment have developed better, cheaper, more operator friendly and more ecofriendly machines. In addition the product offering has increased so much that for every job a nearly perfect machine can be bought.
The most positive change has been the development from simple machine solutions to comprehensive systems operating with less energy, better cleaning results and more environmental awareness.
Cleaning is still very labour intensive - one part of that is architects still don’t take the follow-up cost of cleaning into their design stages As expectations of cleanliness and hygiene standards are increasing this issue has to be addressed.
The cleaning machine industry will continue to be a mixture between worldwide operating companies and smaller entrepreneur driven regional ones. This will bring new innovative products and systems to the market with better features, less energy required and better operator comfort. However I also see robotics coming into the cleaning field in the next 20 years. | 1,559 | 815 | 0.001244 |
warc | 201704 | Electric fires are becoming more common as appliances and electric feeds are used more and more in our daily lives. Like other fires, the root cause of an electric fire is the introduction of heat, oxygen, and fuel. In electrical fires, the heat is released as electricity is dissipated through a resistive element, while the fuel may come from the surroundings or from the material that makes up the appliance. When analyzing an electrical fire, it is important to find the origin of the fire as well as the safety precautions that could have prevented the fire. Some common causes of electrical fires and explosions include insufficient insulation and improper grounding.
Expertise Questions Answered We have experience in many aspects of electrical fires and explosions including: Case Examples Circuit Breaker Explosion:
A man was exposed to 4000 amps when he accidentally dropped his screwdriver into a live industrial electrical panel. When this happened, several metal parts in the circuit box vaporized causing an explosion. Initially, he was thought to have suffered an electric shock. Our investigation revealed that his injuries had all been caused by secondary explosions. He was not hurt directly by the electricity in any way. This information was needed to show that the wiring installation was not sufficiently grounded.
Dr. Irving Ojalvo is Chairman of Technology Associates (www.technology-assoc.com), a forensic engineering firm with offices in New York City, Connecticut, and Florida. The firm's technical personnel, all of whom have advanced degrees, perform accident reconstruction involving issues of biomechanics, mechanical, traffic, and human factors engineering.
©Copyright - All Rights Reserved
DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION BY AUTHOR. | 1,789 | 970 | 0.001038 |
warc | 201704 | Employees can now take the promise of flexibility at work into their own hands. This Toolkit offers workers a blueprint for making workflex a reality in their careers, and it provides a realistic perspective on what workflex options are possible for the companies that employ them. It features real-world advice and guidance from workplace experts including self-assessment tools, directions on how to ask for workflex and how-to’s on making it work once implemented. It’s a valuable workflex resource for every worker and manager striving for flexibility at work.
For more workplace effectiveness and flexibility resources, please visit the When Work Works website. | 679 | 408 | 0.002499 |
warc | 201704 | On 26 October 2011, the Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) hosted a discussion and workshop entitled Wild Meat, Bushmeat, Livelihoods, and Sustainability: Implications for Food Security, Zoonoses, Food Safety, and Biodiversity Conservation. Over 40 participants from FAO attended the event at headquarters.
The goals of the workshop and discussion were to (1) share knowledge, perspectives, and views regarding this transversal issue and (2) to identify synergies and opportunities for further in-house collaboration.
This event helped narrow this complex issue into four core themes: Diseases, Food, Incomes, and Conservation. These themes came up repeatedly in the presentations.
Diseases: Over60 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans areof animal orgin; ; of these, 70 percent have a wildlife source;
Food: Wildlife hunting, handling, meat preparation, and consumption have implications for both food safety and food security;
Incomes: In addition to being a subsistence source of protein, wildlife is harvested for household incomes and livelihoods. The wild meat value chain is very well-organized and informal. People are also willing to pay more for exotic animals or wild meat compared with what they will pay for livestock;
Conservation: Overexploitation threatens species survival, biodiversity, ecosystem services, food security, and livelihoods.
FAO’s focus on wildlife harvesting falls within the remit of the evolving One Health approach due to its multidimensional links to biodiversity conservation, diseases, health and well-being, gender, livelihoods, nutrition, food safety and food security, as well as emerging trends on all these aspects, including globalisation.
List of presentations
Wild Meat and Sustainable Diets
Sustainable use of wild meat/bushmeat: a transversal
issue for FAO Food and Nutrition Security Implications
Disease Implications (Part I)
Disease Implications (Part II)
Food Safety Implications
Wildlife and Conservation Management
Social and Economic Implications
Managing Overexploitation (Part I)
Managing Overexploitation (Part II) | 2,217 | 1,108 | 0.000913 |
warc | 201704 | Sympathetic Nervous System
No one really knows what causes the debilitating medical condition known as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and so the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association has worked hard at funding promising avenues of research in the field. One of the newest projects AFSA has taken under its wings is the work of Manuel Martinez-Lavin, M.D. who explores the possible genetic causes of FMS.
Classic Response
Martinez-Lavin, of Mexico City's National Institute of Cardiology is convinced that the body's fight or flight response is the root cause of many fibromyalgia symptoms. This classic sympathetic nervous system response to stress has been well-documented, but not explored as a specific cause of fibromyalgia symptoms until now.
Matinez-Lavin also believes that FMS is linked to genetic factors that change the workings of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic branch is one of two aspects of the autonomic nervous system, which includes both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
The just-published study is an evaluation of the variations in genes that control the speed of the enzyme known as catechol-O-methyltrasferase (COMT). COMT is responsible for breaking down dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine so that the body can eliminate them. But when there are genetic irregularities, the COMT enzyme becomes sluggish. This causes a buildup of norepinephrine and epinephrine, which are used by the sympathetic nervous system as transmission vehicles. According to this theory, the resultant hyperactivity is the cause of FMS and stems from a genetic abnormality.
Sluggish Enzymes
Martinez-Lavin spoke of a study on 202 healthy women, commenting, “Women who slowly degraded the catecholamines are more sensitive to pain.” The physician adds that six variations of the COMT gene are known to lead to sluggish enzymes and those with these variations have been found to be more vulnerable to the condition known as temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), which causes chronic pain in the face around the jaw area.
Specific ethnic factors do influence the observed variations in the COMT gene. Therefore, Martinez-Lavin studied two separate populations: Spanish women and Mexican women. In a study of 160 Spanish women, 80 with and 80 without FMS, a higher incidence was found in three of the known variations on the COMT gene. “In the Spanish people, there was a clear relationship between the number of defects in the COMT gene and FMS severity, according to the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ),” says Martinez-Lavin, "whereas, in the Mexican population, there was only a slight correlation with two sub-scales of the FIQ.” | 2,706 | 1,304 | 0.000777 |
warc | 201704 | Should you burn eucalyptus firewood? If you asked this question to a handful of people there's a good chance you will get mixed opinions. Overall, I'd say the general answer would be yes.
Why such mixed opinions ? Firewood in general is a controversial subject.
One type of wood might be cherished by one person and hated by another.
Price, availability, heating capabilities and overall ease of use play a factor when choosing the best firewood.
Overall, eucalyptus is a good choice for firewood. The wood produces heat somewhat comparable to oak and it leaves a nice bed of hot coals.
However, most people won't forget the first time they tried to split it. Do you want a little exercise? Grab a maul and go split some eucalyptus by hand.
Many species of the eucalyptus are referred to as
gum trees. They're known for their fast growth and oil that can be used for cleaning or as a natural insecticide.
Overall, there are around 700 different species of eucalyptus. Most are native to Australia but a small number can be found in outlying area's like Indonesia, New Guinea and the Philippines.
In the mid 1800's the eucalyptus was introduced to California during the gold rush. Since then, mixed opinions have been formed about the tree and its ability to compete with other native trees.
Eucalyptus firewood is
known for burning very hot. The oils in the wood along with the ability to create an intense flame has led some wood stove distributers or chimney sweeps to recommend not burning the wood.
Others who live in a region where eucalyptus is prevalent have
used the firewood for years, have not had any issues and love it. If your concerned about the wood creating to much heat, mix the eucalyptus in with other firewood types.
Eucalyptus is hard to split. The best way to split the wood is about 5-7 days after it has been cut. Small cracks will appear in the wood but overall it will still be wet. The cracks will help you "
read" the wood. When eucalyptus dries it's extremely hard to split. The grain begins to twist and splitting a dry piece of the wood is not easy.
To have the best experience with eucalyptus, let the wood season for 2 years....preferably more if you can. Attempting to burn the wood before it's well seasoned will have disappointing results. | 2,295 | 1,163 | 0.000867 |
warc | 201704 | Incredible Edible Egg
http://www.aeb.org/
Recovering from bad press for many decades, new research has indicated that, in moderation, eggs can readily fit into a heart-healthy, nutritious diet. Now that eggs have been given a break, celebrate the good news by exploring one of the best egg sites on the net, the
Brought to you by the American Egg Board, the
Love eggs and want them to be part of your diet? Then, clear up any confusion in the Food/Nutrition section. Here, you'll discover why eggs are one of nature's most nutritious creations. Protein-rich, low in sodium, many people on a low-fat diet can still eat one or two eggs a day without measurable changes in their cholesterol levels.
Including eggs in your diet also means observing smart food safety practices. This site presents a wealth of information when it comes to the safe handling of eggs. Food safety tips you'll find on this site include packing cold egg dishes with ice (or commercial coolant) in an insulated cooler for picnics or outdoor parties, and using an inexpensive egg separator to separate yolks and whites so that contents don't come into contact with the shells.
The site's best feature is the recipe archive loaded with practically every egg recipe worth tasting and without a lot of fuss. Whether it's eggs for breakfast or eggs for a snack, each recipe on this site comes complete with a photo and serving suggestions. Breakfast highlights are recipes for Asparagus Crepes and Gingerbread Waffles, while main dishes worth sampling are Fajita Frittata and Vegetable Rice Quiche.
Still want more? Then, check out the Eggcyclopedia for facts and figures, definitions, and diagrams-all related to various aspects of the egg. Or, browse some of the Free Stuff including online clip art with over 50 images (not just eggs) that you can download.
Easy to navigate and full of handy information, the | 1,890 | 1,038 | 0.000969 |
warc | 201704 | William Shakespeare expertly inserted a play into his play in
Hamlet, permitting layers of drama to unfold onstage in unison.
While a coal company can hardly be expected to rival Shakespeare's eloquence,
Peabody Energy Joy Global POSCO The play Wall Street, too, has an undeniable flair for drama. Peabody's earnings and additional production cuts displeased the analysts, so the market promptly removed 9% of the company's value upon the market opening Wednesday. A 200% increase in earnings provided no appeasement, nor did the doubling of cash flow to $220 million atop a 15% rise in revenue.
The additional production cuts are both modest in scale and entirely prudent. For context, consider that Peabody shares are now languishing more than 70% below their peak 2008 levels, while benchmark prices for both thermal and metallurgical coal are poised for settlement at levels above the historical mean. Following earnings growth rates in recent quarters between 700% and 1,000%, I can understand why analysts aimed high with projections for Peabody's earnings, but I believe that Fools and analysts alike need to sit through the play once more to decide whether the sell-off was warranted.
The play within the play The dichotomy of coal demand shaping up between Asia and the U.S. continues to gather steam, and corroborating evidence for this predicted trend is Peabody's play within the play. Among steelmakers, we find scrappy stalwarts like Nucor U.S. Steel Massey
With a foot in China's door, and spare domestic capacity awaiting the long-term impacts of underinvestment in future supply, Peabody Energy is far more stable than Hamlet ever was.
Further Foolishness: | 1,682 | 937 | 0.001073 |
warc | 201704 | A bunion is a common problem that comes in all shapes and sizes. When they hurt, something should be done to ease the pain and make life more comfortable.
But bunions don't always mean surgery. There are several helpful strategies to ease bunion pain without surgery.
It is always best not to ignore a bunion. They don't go away, and are slowly progressive. At University Foot and Ankle Institute, we are happy to help with conservative management as well as a comprehensive and personalized surgical approach. | 514 | 332 | 0.003036 |
warc | 201704 | Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
WHICH OBAMA WILL America and the world get now? Will the President preside as a left-wing "progressive" in the style of FDR? Or will he govern as a centrist in the manner of JFK and Bill Clinton?
That's the traditional political way of looking at Obama's choices. But there's a more useful way for entrepreneurs and investors to assess Obama 2.0. We should ask whether Obama will be pro-future or pro-past.
Back in the 1990s the pundit Virginia Postrel (then editor of
Reason magazine, the libertarian journal) wrote a book called The Future and Its Enemies (Free Press, 1998). It defined two philosophies of political and economic governance in a technological age.
One philosophy was of a dynamic future that embraces change and growth but is hard to predict. Postrel called this the "dynamist" viewpoint. The other philosophy says change makes people insecure and governments unstable. Therefore, change must be managed, even at the expense of growth and dynamism. This, said Postrel, is a "stasist" outlook. Her root word is "stasis"—one letter removed from a supporter of big government, a statist. In the real world stasists need the help of statists to tamp down dynamism.
Like all larger-than-life politicians, Obama is a Rorschach test: His fans see what they want to see in the man. The liberal dynamists in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Seattle, Boston and Manhattan see Obama as one of their own—intelligent and creative, a man who embraces the future. But the same is true of the stasists who dominate private- and public-sector unions, green lobbies and government-funded community organizations. These groups don't like dynamic risk; they much prefer security. Yet they embrace Obama and see him as a kindred spirit, as much as do the dynamists in Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
How should Republicans work with Obama 2.0? The most useful role would be to do everything they can to make sure the dynamists prevail over the stasists in Obama's second Administration. Here are some of the key questions that will pit dynamists against stasists.
• What are the best tax, regulatory and monetary policies to encourage dynamic innovation?
• How should patent and copyright law be changed so that they don't favor the deepest pockets, thereby ensuring stasis?
• How can we bring a Silicon Valley pace of dynamism to health care? The Apple iPad Mini and the Microsoft Surface each start at under $500, yet offer tens of thousands of dollars in 1990s-vintage computer and networking capability. How can we get the same price-performance curve in health care?
• What kind of education system will best equip young people to embrace and thrive in a thrilling but uncertain future?
• How can we reform immigration so that the U.S. is once again the recruiting magnet for the world's most dynamic people?
• What can the Obama Administration and Congress do to encourage dynamism in the economy's older sectors? Innovation in software, the Internet and financial algorithms is one thing—these are largely unregulated fields with low capital costs. But innovation in energy, transportation, health care and education has suffered too much stasis because of higher capital costs and regulatory burdens.
• How can dynamists win the public debate and the Washington-insider game? The forces of stasis—private and public unions, environmentalists and lobbyists for every sort of entitlement—are well organized. The dynamists are a potentially larger group but are loosely scattered and focused on other matters besides policy.
If the dynamists don't come together, the stasists will win the day (and forfeit our future).
REAL LIFE FLIGHT IF YOU LIKED Flight, the new Denzel Washington movie, dip into Final Approach (CreateSpace, 2011), a memoir by Lyle Prouse. Don't recognize the name? You'll remember the scandal: Prouse was the Northwest Airlines pilot who spent 14 months in prison in the 1990s for flying drunk. His subsequent story of recovery and redemption will light up your holiday reading. {{article.article.page + 1}}/ {{article.article.pages.length}}Continue | 4,260 | 2,193 | 0.000466 |
warc | 201704 | Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
For the fifth year in a row, password management security company SplashData has scraped password dumps, primarily from hacked sites, and scoured through the data to find the world’s most common passwords. This year’s compilation was drawn from about 2 million passwords—minus the ones from adult sites, which CEO Morgan Slain says tend to skew the results.
“In this year’s research, we believe about three percent of the total passwords are represented by this top 25,” Slain told me. “In years past, that was as high as five percent, so I think it’s getting better over time, though not as fast as we would like.”
Like 2014, ‘123456’ and ‘password’ topped the list. All but one of the numeric patterns were in last year’s top 25 oft-repeated passwords, including ‘12345678,’ ‘12345,’ ‘123456789,’ ‘1234,’ ‘1234567,’ and ‘111111’. New this year, though, was ‘1234567890.’
This list, of course, included a slew of very obvious words: ‘qwerty,’ ‘welcome,’ and ‘letmein.’ The list also includes a couple of sports (‘football’ and ‘baseball’), and, of course, ‘abc123.’ The passwords ‘dragon,’ master,’ and ‘monkey’ came in at numbers 16 to 18. But there were some new passwords on the top 25 list this year, including ‘welcome,’ ‘login,’ ‘princess,’ ‘qwertyuiop,’ ‘passw0rd,’ and the Star Wars-inspired ‘solo,’ and ‘starwars.’ (Interestingly, a lot of those would have been created before the movie came out.) The one that had me perplexed was ‘1qaz2wsx,’ which, it turns out, is just the first two columns on a keyboard.
The new passwords replaced 2014s’ ‘Mustang,’ ‘access,’ ‘shadow,’ ‘Michael,’ ‘superman,’ ‘696969,’ ‘123123,’ ‘batman,’ and ‘trustno1.’ Although this year’s set had some longer passwords, clearly the ones on here aren’t exactly stronger. “If you’re just using a numerical progression that’s 10 characters long, that’s not really a good password. You’re not really getting extra strength from the length if it’s just a simple keyboard pattern, or a numerical pattern, or a word from the dictionary,” said Slain.
It’s unclear whether folks are picking what they think may be stronger passwords in a misguided attempt to be more secure, or because they’re being forced to. A 2015 study from researchers at Concordia University showed that strength measurements on password strength meters on popular websites and password managers were highly inconsistent and may even lead users astray, since they relied on length, variety of characters, and sometimes common words or weak patterns, but failed to identify other weak patterns and did not account for “Leet transformations” (where the letter O could be replaced with the number 0, for example), even though anyone trying to crack a password certainly would.
“In our large-scale empirical analysis, it is evident that the commonly-used meters are highly inconsistent, fail to provide coherent feedback, and sometimes provide strength measurements that are blatantly misleading,” the study read.
Your best bet is the same as ever: create complex password phrases, and use a unique password for every account. That’s because reusing passwords on multiple accounts leaves
all of your accounts vulnerable if just one gets hacked and the passwords get dumped. To make things easier, store your passwords in a password manager like KeePass or 1Password (or TeamsID).
If you’re going to ignore password best practices, one way to be a little more secure is to set up two-factor authentication, at least on your email account. Two-factor authentication is a way to keep you safe from someone nefariously trying to reset your password. It adds an extra layer of security by asking for a second factor, in addition to your username and password, to prove your identity. This might be a numeric code sent to you via text message, a code generated on a phone app like Authenticator, or a Yubikey, a small hardware device that can be used to secure passwords on some sites or accounts. If someone tries to reset your password and you have 2FA enabled, it’ll be much harder for them to gain access to your account. And if you have 2FA on your email account, this would at least stop a malicious actor from being able to reset all of your other passwords—unless they can crack them, that is.
{{article.article.page + 1}}/ {{article.article.pages.length}}Continue | 4,929 | 2,256 | 0.000495 |
warc | 201704 | For several years at Christmas time, Fortum has made an annual Christmas donation of 30 000 euro to charity organisations that contributes to a sustainable development. In 2010, 1600 employees in Sweden, Poland and Baltic's voted at Hand in Hand's Village Upliftment Program (VUP) in India. The program aims to improve living conditions for residents in the Mananthal village.
Hand in Hand combats poverty by assisting poor people to start businesses, thus challenging power structures and creating hope and integrity. The initiative gives people the right tools to make a better living for themselves and their families. Hand in Hand’s work includes freeing the village of child labor, improving public schools, eliminating child malnutrition, starting companies through education and external microloans, creating a community centre with computer training, and teaching villagers how to manage waste and to compost.
- We know that improved living conditions are an important prerequisite to successfully work with sustainable development. It is also important that the people living in India are included in the work that affect them. The work Hand in Hand conduct is based on that perspective and has proven to be very successful, says Ann Lindell Saeby, Vice President External Communication and Brand.
Lack in knowledge of environmental and health issues
We are supporting the village of Mananthal over a period of two years. Mananthal is a panchayat (panchayat is the smallest unit of local self governance) with agriculture as a main occupation. The village is unaware of sanitation and environmental issues and that is why this panchayat was selected for our VUP project.
The village has 2118 inhabitants, all of which will be affected by VUP. Women will be educated and trained in entrepreneurship, adult literacy will be provided, more jobs will be created, all (100%) of the children must be enrolled and retained in school. Health and environmental projects and IT/ and democracy project will also be initiated. All the villagers will also be trained in all the above work areas to enable them to create a sustainable development in their village.
- India is a large country with big differences in life conditions and I am proud that Fortum employees choosed to give the 2010 Christmas donation to an organisation that will make a difference. It is particularly pleasing that we contribute to creating better conditions for a sustainable development in the community now when we will open an office in India in 2012, continues Ann Lindell Saeby.
In order to work in a panchayat, you must be assured of support from the local government (panchayat), president and the villagers. It is critical to involve the community already in the beginning of the VUP to understand priorities and articulate its needs to local government. To be able to facilitate this Hand in Hand has established a Village Development Committee (VDC). Members of the VDC consist of self-help group members, village youth, government officials etc., and the panchayat leader is the VDC advisor. The VDC members will be oriented on their roles and responsibilities to uplift the village in partnering with Hand in Hand
The VUP in Mananthal has been ongoing for the last 6 months and below is the list of activities going on so far:
Village Development Committee Formed
3 meetings conducted to involve the community in planning the activities to be implemented under VUP
Self Help Groups and Microfinance
12 women Self Help Groups are functioning with 158 members
123 Self Help Group members were given basic capacity building training
Child Labour Elimination Project
Citizens’ Centre
75 people benefited from computer awareness sessions conducted by the Mobile Citizens’ Centre team.
1 awareness program on Right to Information Act conductedHealth
1 veterinary camp conducted with 580 animals treated
Environment
Attachments:
Hand in Hand quarterly report from July
Hand in Hand six monts report | 4,017 | 1,898 | 0.000532 |
warc | 201704 | The Obama administration is being accused of giving labor groups "special treatment under the law" after formally proposing a change that could exempt union health plans from a pesky ObamaCare fee.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who flagged the obscure rule change after it was filed in the Federal Register (see page 70), blasted the exemption as "crony capitalism at its worst."
"Unions are now experiencing the ugly reality of this law, and they want out," he said in a statement.
Indeed, the AFL-CIO has fought against what is known as the "reinsurance fee" in the Affordable Care Act. The temporary fee would kick in next year and is meant to raise $25 billion over three years, to help pay for the cost of people with pre-existing conditions signing up for coverage through the ObamaCare exchanges.
The proposal filed Monday would exempt certain self-insured plans -- those that do not use a third-party administrator for core functions -- for 2015 and 2016.
Republicans charge this is aimed at unions' so-called Taft-Hartley plans, though union officials had downplayed the change and suggested some of their plans wouldn't be eligible anyway.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said earlier this month -- when the administration first telegraphed that it might craft the exemption -- that the change does not single out the union insurance policies, according to The Associated Press.
A Health and Human Services official also disputed the claim that this is directed at unions.
"This definition would exempt any self-insured group health plan that does not use a third party administrator for claims processing or enrollment, not only union plans," the official told FoxNews.com, adding they are proposing the change to better "align" the definition with the law. "The phrase 'self-insured, self-administered plans' is not synonymous with multiemployer plans, or Taft-Hartley plans."
But Republicans say the change is clearly aimed at unions, particularly after labor leaders made a high-profile push to extract some relief from the health care law.
Trumka and other labor leaders met with President Obama and Vice President Biden at the White House in September, as part of a bid to win additional health care subsidies for their workers. The administration determined it could not give them any more subsidies, but later made clear it would look at providing relief from the so-called reinsurance fee.
The fee would start at $63 per person next year, but then drop to a bit more than $40 per person in 2015. It would drop again the following year.
The proposed change would not provide any exemption in 2014.
Thune and a dozen other senators are pushing a bill to bar the administration from exempting unions. Thune's office said that the senator is concerned the exemptions in 2015 and 2016 will end up forcing other self-insured plans to pay more.
The proposal in the Federal Register appeared to signal this possibility. The proposal said that the Department of Health and Human Services decided not to make any changes for 2014 because it would mean rates "would have to be raised for other contributing entities."
Asked for clarification on how the change would affect other plans' rates and fees for 2015 and 2016, the HHS official said "it is true that the fee will be higher for plans that do have to pay the fee in 2015 because some plans are exempt." | 3,398 | 1,649 | 0.000613 |
warc | 201704 | NEW ORLEANS – So you're a member of a Louisiana deer-hunting club, and your harvest numbers are down. You and your lease mates used to see deer on just about every hunt, but now you're excited if you run across a decent-sized track.
What's the smartest thing to do at that point?
If your lease is like just about every other in the state, your fellow hunters will begin to push for tighter restrictions on doe harvest because, after all, more does mean more fawns, which means better deer hunting in the future.
Right?
Well, according to the Quality Deer Management Association, that may be the absolute worst thing you can do. The organization published an article authored by John Donoughe and Mike Wolf that demonstrates the best course of action when deer numbers decline is often to blast away at the critters.
Seems counterproductive and, at a minimum, counterintuitive, but some knowledgeable deer researchers have demonstrated remarkable improvements in herd size and health by implementing the strategy.
It's germane now since the calendar has turned to August and Louisiana hunters are beginning to improve their woods and set their regulations and strategies for the rapidly approaching season.
The authors admit their strategy is seldom a popular one, particularly with veteran hunters who remember when deer numbers were a fraction of what they are today.
"For decades, traditional hunters have resisted the message of wildlife biologists: When habitat condition is poor, the number of deer often needs to be reduced and maintained at a low level," the authors state. "Only after the habitat improves should deer populations be permitted to rebound."
The problem is that deer will literally eat themselves out of house and home. Their numbers often balloon beyond healthy carrying capacity, and the land simply can't sustain them. Over time, these outsized populations so degrade the habitat that it cannot recover without removing the pressure.
Overbrowsing is often easily spotted by a trained deer biologist, but it can easily be missed by unknowledgeable hunters. They look around and see plenty of green in the woods, and reason there must be plenty for the deer to eat.
But biologists know which plants within a specific tract are desirable, which are undesirable and which are completely unpalatable. They conduct browse surveys to determine the impacts of deer on each within certain transects on the property. If desirable browse is mostly untouched, they know there's some growth potential available in the herd. If the undesirable stuff is heavily browsed, however, they know the population really needs to be whacked.
According to the authors, there are five degrees of browsing: not browsed, light (less than 50 percent of stems browsed), moderate (more than 50 percent of stems browsed), heavy (severely hedged, taller than 6 inches) and severe (severely hedged, 6 inches or shorter).
"If you've ever watched unspooked deer browse in good forested habitat, you've witnessed one of nature's most delicate dances," the authors write. "Deer will feed along slowly, typically into the wind. Their heads bob as they snip off the end buds of trees and shrubs. Their near-constant forward movement distributes browse impact over the landscape. As a deer moves along, nipping an end bud here and there, the impact on individual trees is negligible.
"In degraded habitats, available browse is nearly nonexistent. When a deer finds a morsel within reach, the hungry deer stops and eats every available bud. The result to the tree can be death or 'hedging' -- a disfiguring result of repeated browsing."
Plants that are sustaining heavy or severe browsing can't regenerate enough to feed the population, and they won't do so until the browsing pressure is removed. That's most effectively accomplished at the end of hunters' gun barrels.
"In such conditions, the habitat can get locked in a downward spiral unless managers take corrective action," the authors write. "This may include intensive forest management and providing supplemental forage in addition to judicious antlerless harvests."
Therein lies the rub. Few hunters are studied enough to understand the link between habitat degradation and declining populations. They try to reduce the harvest, which actually has the opposite effect than intended.
For Louisiana hunters, there are two resources that can help. First, biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will often come out and conduct browse surveys on large tracts in the state. The biologists can make very educated guesses about how close your herd is to your land's carrying capacity, and can further recommend what type of harvest protocol your club should implement to meet your management objectives. Everybody wants to grow 160-inch bucks, and lots of them, but that may not be realistic on your tract. The biologists will tell you what IS realistic.
Secondly, every Louisiana hunter should acquire the Checklist of Woody & Herbaceous Deer Food Plants of Louisiana written by former Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Deer Study Leader David Moreland. The book discusses virtually every plant consumed by deer in Louisiana, and includes photos to help identify them. Use it in your tract of woods, and you'll see things you had never noticed before.
The book is available through LDWF. | 5,404 | 2,546 | 0.000396 |
warc | 201704 | Residential Natural Gas Prices (CA)
http://www.socalgas.com/residential/prices/
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
Natural Gas Price Update
Natural gas prices have risen dramatically across the nation over the past few years for a variety of reasons – mostly, natural gas production in North American has decreased while demand has increased. Strong economic growth and higher crude oil prices also affect natural gas prices. Economic growth and higher crude oil prices also affect natural gas prices.
As of October 6, 2005, and based on industry forecasts, customers can expect winter bills around 45% to 55% higher this winter. For example, a typical single-family residential monthly bill could be around $115-$122 this winter, versus $79 last winter. A typical residential bill for someone living in an apartment could be around $50 versus $33 last winter.
October Rate Update
Effective October 1, 2005, the procurement component of the core sales rate will increase 18.607¢/therm: from 83.988¢/therm to 102.595¢/therm. This increase resulted primarily from a 15.5¢/therm increase in commodity prices or about a 18.3% increase in commodity prices. Compared to a year ago, the procurement rate is about 108.1% higher (53.287¢/therm) than what it was effective October 2004.
Combined with the transmission rate, core residential and C&I sales customers will see about a 17% rate increase from last month.
Higher natural gas bills will start hitting California in October
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE,
AP Business Writer Friday, September 30, 2005 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/30/financial/f161732D06.DTL&hw=pge&sn=001&sc=1000
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
California 's natural gas bills during October will increase by more than 70 percent in some parts of the state as the fallout from hurricanes Katrina and Rita continues to fuel higher energy prices.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Friday projected Northern California households will pay an average of $42.10 for natural gas during the first full month of autumn — an increase of $17.45, or 71 percent, from the same time last year. The billing estimate doesn't include charges for electricity usage.
The news was only slightly better in the greater Los Angeles area, where October's average home bill for natural gas is expected to rise 49 percent from last year to $42.23, according to the Southern California Gas Co. San Diego Gas and Electric didn't have estimates available for October, but the utility expects household customers to pay 45 percent more for natural gas during the winter, spokeswoman Denise King said.
Combined, the three California utilities provide natural gas for about 9.6 million customers.
The price shock stems from the devastation inflicted upon the Gulf Coast by Katrina and Rita during September. The twin blows knocked out 80 percent of the daily production in a region that plays a vital role in the nation's natural gas supplies. The Gulf Coast accounts for about one-fourth of the nation's natural gas supply.
With natural gas in shorter supply, its price has soared even further from levels that already were higher than last year. Natural gas futures have climbed by about 18 percent since Katrina hit one month ago, and are about 74 percent higher than they were two months ago.
The California utilities are now passing along some of those higher costs to their customers, as allowed under state regulations. The increases would have been even higher, the utilities said, if they had not been able to stock up on natural gas during the spring and summer months when prices were lower.
The hurricanes also curtailed oil production, driving gasoline prices above $3 per gallon during much of September.
Given that most of California typically remains fairly warm through most of October, the spike in natural gas prices won't hurt as much as it would have had it occurred during winter when heaters are running more frequently.
"We are hoping this is real wake-up call so people can start getting ready for the colder weather," said PG&E spokesman Jason Alderman.
Although natural gas is going to cost substantially more this winter, PG&E expects the percentage increase to retreat slightly after October.
The San Francisco-based utility estimates the average Northern California home will pay about 40 to 50 percent more for natural gas in January, increasing their monthly bill by about $50. The utility also is seeking approval to increase household electricity bills by 11 percent beginning next year.
Southern California Gas doesn't envision much relief for its customers, estimating January's natural gas prices will be 51 percent higher than a year ago, a revision from a projected 33 percent increase that was made two weeks ago.
Fearing Heat Costs, Many Take Preventive Action
By Pam Belluck And Sarah Kershaw
New York Times October 11, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/11/national/11fuel.html?ex=1286683200& en=39fda95e2c57cec0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
BOSTON , Oct. 10 - The price of energy has soared so high that Carol Paige has all but given up dancing.
It was a favorite hobby, twice a week at clubs in Worcester, Mass., almost a 50-mile drive from her home. For Ms. Paige, the drive is now a luxury. She is worried about a more basic need: heating her home. In the face of the surging cost of natural gas and home heating oil, Ms. Paige, a 60-year-old social worker who lives alone, has made other cutbacks, too.
She cut out the monitoring system for her burglar alarm, cancelled her garbage pickup and takes her trash to the dump herself, and plans to discontinue her Internet service.
And last week, fearful of a heating oil bill that could soar to $1,500 this winter from about $1,000 last year, Ms. Paige had a wood stove insert installed in her living-room fireplace at her home in Ashburnham, about 50 miles northwest of Boston. She plans to cut wood for the stove herself from trees on her property and from leftovers at nearby logging sites.
"I have a little electric chain saw," Ms. Paige said. "I'm just trying to keep this house going."
Sentiments like that are being echoed from Maine to Alaska as people, already grappling to keep up with the rising price of gasoline, have been further stunned by predictions of the skyrocketing cost of staying warm this winter.
People who heat their homes with natural gas will pay an average of 46 percent more this winter, with costs in some regions, like the Midwest, expected to be as high as 71 percent more, according to forecasts issued last month by the Department of Energy. Heating oil costs are expected to go up an average of 31 percent. And those figures were released before Hurricane Katrina made the situation worse.
Now, people across the country, as well as state and local governments and school districts, are scrambling to respond. Some are turning away from gas and oil, buying wood stoves, wood-pellet stoves, even corn-burning stoves. Others are replacing windows, buying carpets, adding insulation. Some are rushing to invest in alternative energies like solar, geothermal or biodiesel. And many are tightening their budgets.
"We're going to rob Peter to pay Paul," said Steven Posey, 37, an executive recruiter from Glenwood, Ill. Mr. Posey's family usually goes to Disney World or some other southern vacation spot in January, but not this winter. He and his wife, who have a 7-year-old son and a newborn girl, also said they would not give each other Christmas gifts and would cut nonessentials like their cable television package and video rental membership.
"When it comes down to it," Mr. Posey said, "we'll pay our heat, but something else is going to go unpaid."
That is not to say that everyone is in a fuel frenzy. Energy Department officials say fuel prices shot up because of Hurricane Katrina but will eventually come down. Some people, though, are changing energy sources because the sluggish response to the hurricane has raised questions about whether they can rely on things like oil and gas in an emergency.
Even though crude oil prices dropped slightly last week, officials in Washington are concerned. The energy secretary, Samuel W. Bodman, started a national conservation tour last week at a suburban Boston home-improvement store, demonstrating with Gov. Mitt Romney ways to conserve energy.
Guy Lamoureaux is doing a little bit of everything to save money. He bought a pellet stove for his home, an old farmhouse in Westminster, Mass. Mr. Lamoureaux, 27, said he had also installed new windows and insulation because "all my house had for insulation was newspapers from 1912." And for his 30-mile drive to his job at a grocery store, he swapped his gas-guzzling pickup truck for a used Ford Escort.
A poll conducted in late September for the National Oilheat Research Alliance, a consortium of oil companies, found that 28 percent of respondents planned to take steps this winter to better conserve energy, like installing new insulation, thermostats and furnaces or turning to stoves. Nearly a third said energy costs would cause them to cut back on holiday gifts and dining out.
Low- and middle-income families are not the only ones feeling the squeeze. In Wayland, a well-off suburb of Boston, Energy Unlimited has been seeing a deluge of customers wanting wood or pellet stoves, said Dave Paillier, who works in sales and marketing.
"I would call it borderline panic," Mr. Paillier said. "A lot of people here have very large houses, and big sometimes equals cathedral ceilings or other things that are very hungry in terms of energy. I think a lot of people who look affluent might have bought the biggest house they could afford, and the sticker shock with the gas bills or oil bills can be more than they counted on."
That is what happened to Erik Stauber, a professor of veterinary medicine. Two years ago, he built a 4,000-square-foot dream house in Genesee, Idaho, with a vaulted ceiling, an atrium and 11 skylights. During the first winter there, Mr. Stauber, 69, said he and his wife were "shellshocked" that it cost $2,500 to heat their home with propane, so last year they switched to a wood-burning stove.
Their costs dropped to $1,000, but only one area of the house got warm enough to sleep in, and the labor of hauling and splitting the wood compelled them to switch two weeks ago to an electric-powered geothermal system, which draws heat from well water.
State officials, however, worry the most about low-income consumers, like Mary White, a single mother of three in the Dorchester section of Boston who is on disability because of a brain tumor. Ms. White, 47, a former utility company employee, received fuel assistance last year but still owes the gas company about $1,800.
Ms. White said she feared that her heat would get shut off because she would not be able to pay the bill, let alone keep up with rising fuel costs. To save gas, she tries not to cook, feeding her children mostly food like peanut butter sandwiches.
"I'm really scared," Ms. White said. "I pray for another day of warm weather."
John Wells, who runs the fuel assistance program at Action for Boston Community Development, said the maximum benefit of $609 would not even fill an oil tank and, in a state where winter runs through April, would not last most customers past early February. His agency will install free solar-powered systems in some homes.
John Drew, the agency's vice president, said, "This is the most dangerous winter I've seen, and I was here during OPEC," referring to the oil embargo of the 1970's.
Governors of 28 states have asked for nearly $1.3 billion in additional money for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Eight Midwestern states have started an energy conservation campaign. Some Massachusetts officials have called for making bulk purchases of heating oil or removing sales tax on insulation and energy-efficient furnaces.
Some schools are turning down thermostats, limiting bus service or hiring energy consultants. In Council, Idaho, the schools expect to halve their $10,000 monthly heating bill with a new system that runs on wood chips produced when state crews thin trees along the highways. Last month, Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia closed the schools for two days because school buses were running out of diesel fuel.
In Marengo, Iowa, the county courthouse remains closed on Mondays to give its gas boilers an extra day off, and employees work four 10-hour days. In Marshalltown, Iowa, officials have traded traffic lights for stop signs at six intersections.
Some people are considering more drastic environmental changes like solar panels, wind turbines or straw insulation. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association has had higher-than-usual attendance on tours of "green" homes from Delaware to Maine, said Anissa Sanborn, a program manager for the group.
Jack May of Canaan, Maine, recently bought a pellet stove and is considering solar power. "I'm not an environmentalist from the word go," Mr. May said. "I want to look at my bottom line."
"It was either give it to the oil company, $4,000 a year, or buy a wood stove and have something to show for it after two years," he said.
Some suppliers of the stoves and the pellets and wood they burn are running out of inventory or hiring extra employees to meet the demand. In Walla Walla, Wash., Chris Neufeld, vice president of Blaze King Industries-USA, said his company had a backlog worth $1 million for stoves that cost about $2,000 apiece.
In Waverly, Ill., Don Magelitz, who sells corn stoves, is more than eight weeks behind on deliveries and has a backlog of 200 orders.
Consumer groups and some retailers warn that stoves are not for everyone, because they require money up front and take effort to use. But Ellen Berman, president of the Consumer Energy Council of America, said that when these or other conservation steps were chosen appropriately, people might find that "if they spend $50 today, they'll reap hundreds or thousands in the future."
That is what Mauricio Luzzi of Bayshore, N.Y., is counting on. Mr. Luzzi found a wood stove for $300 on Craigslist last week, and he plans to burn wood scraps from his handyman business and search for downed trees along the roads he travels to construction sites.
"Give me the wood, I'll chop it up, I'll haul it off," Mr. Luzzi said. "We all know it's hurting everything. You raise the price of fuel, and everything goes up."
Pam Belluck reported from Boston for this article, and Sarah Kershaw from Seattle.
Genuine Elections
September 17, 2005
Reprinted with the permission of Ron Resnick
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
I got very emotional voting yesterday in the New Zealand general election. As I biked over to the local Intermediate School – I'm back on my bike having been knocked off in August by a truck and getting a shattered elbow – my dog running alongside me, the sunny bright Saturday was filled with people going about there business which largely included casting their ballot... over 80% turnout.
But what really got to me was taking my paper ballot to the little cardboard 'privacy enclosure' and using a marker to put a tick [check] in the boxes which indicated my choices... KNOWING my vote would be counted MANUALLY... that scrutineers from all the parties would be on hand to oversee the process, and that within hours of the polls closing, a result would be indicated.
It ran through my mind how voting has become such a despicable charade in USA and in places where proportional representation remains elusive or excluded, UK, Australia, USA... funny... that same group of the willing killers and despoilers of Iraq.
Anyway, despite a huge campaign appealing to greed and racism, the neo-liberal opposition looks like it fell just short of forming a coalition. Now we can see what the Germans are deciding today.
What never got mentioned during the election campaign is the rapidly deteriorating balance of payments as the oil import bill blows out. Tourism [NZ’s number one earner of export dollars] will wither and die on the back of much more expensive air travel and the cost of getting NZ's exports to markets [dairy products is number two] will rise rapidly. Any result will have delivered a government having to deal with lots of shit hitting lots of fans... and all within the life of the next three years of government.
Anyone interested in the all guff on the NZ campaign and election and resulting coalition manoeuvrings can find it all at: www.scoop.co.nz
Ron Resnick
Nelson, NZ
First case of bird flu confirmed in Greece
CTV.ca News Staff
Mon. Oct. 17 2005 11:33 PM ET http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/ 20051017/avianflu_who_051017/20051017?hub=TopStories
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
News that a strain of bird flu has taken flight again is causing growing alarm in Europe. Urgent containment efforts are underway after authorities in Greece confirmed that country's first case of the virus.
Greece 's agriculture minister said the H5 virus was detected in one of nine turkeys tested on a farm on the Aegean island of Oinouses, off Chios.
The agriculture ministry said the virus came from a small private poultry farm of about 20 turkeys.
"It is a village of five to six hundred residents, with very few domestic animals," Agriculture Minister Evangelos Bassiakos said Monday. "The site where the sample was found was in an isolated area … and the sample was found in a live bird."
Tests are being conducted for the possible presence of the deadly H5N1 strain -- the virus that health experts fear could mutate into a human form and cause a flu pandemic.
"Since we had three pandemics in the last century, it's highly likely in the next century, we'll have a number of other pandemics," British Medical Research Council's John Skehel said Monday.
The reports come after tests confirmed the presence of H5N1 in Romania and Turkey; however no human cases have been reported in either country.
Romanian officials say the outbreak is under control, but further tests today revealed twelve swans had tested positive for bird flu in the Danube Delta. It is not yet known whether the strain is the deadly H5N1.
World Health Organization officials say there is little risk to the public right now.
"There's no way to predict if this is going to mutate or when it's going to mutate, but for the moment it remains something that's of low risk to the public -- except for those people in contact with diseased birds," said Maria Cheng of the World Health Organization, appearing on CTV's Canada AM.
Health officials believe those who come into close contact with bird droppings or who are engaged in the preparation of birds for food could be exposed to the H5N1 virus.
However, Cheng notes: "We haven't seen any indication that the strain has mutated or evolved to become more adept at human transmission so that is reassuring."
Although not a single European has died, many are rushing to the doctor to get a flu shot, despite warnings it is useless against the avian virus.
"We are seeing people who are genuinely scared that this is the year that there'll be a flu pandemic," Dr. Malcolm Vandenberg told CTV News on Monday.
WHO is urging all countries to develop a pandemic preparedness plan before it is too late.
If the bird flu does become a human killer, millions around the world could die. A British team is traveling to South East Asia to study the virus' original epicenter.
Canada 's Preparedness
Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh told CTV's Question Period that there is a strong possibility bird flu would reach Canada if it were to spread among humans.
"I think that it would be next to impossible to prevent this from spreading (to Canada) if it does mutate -- if it does become easily transmissible from human to human, or birds to humans," the minister said in a show that aired Sunday.
He added that Canada is well prepared for such a pandemic, relative to other nations, and that America is seeking Canada's advice for its own outbreak preparations.
"The (WHO) has said we are by far the best prepared country in the world," Dosanjh said.
"But that doesn't mean we're fully prepared. Nobody ever is fully prepared. That's why we continue to work hard in terms of working with the hospitals, and working with the chief public health officers of the provinces."
H5N1 has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003, along with millions of birds.
While science is working to prepare a vaccine, it could take six months to develop after a mutated virus first appears.
© Copyright 2002-2006 Bell Globemedia Inc.
[The key thing to understand here is that in order to make vaccines to protect against H5N1 (if that is the intent) scientists must achieve something that hasn’t happened yet. They must make the disease easily transmissible between humans, the one thing they are ostensibly most afraid of. Good job Len Horowitz and to Michel Chossudovsky for publishing this important article. – MCR]
The Avian Flu Fright is Politically Timed
A Public Health Warning and Political Essay
By Dr. Leonard Horowitz
October 12, 2005 www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=1071
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
Abstract
The Avian Flu Fright: Politically Timed for Global “Iatrogenocide”
If avian flu becomes more than a threatened pandemic, it will have done so by political and economic design. This thesis is supported by current massive media misrepresentations, profiteering on risky and valueless vaccines, gross neglect of data evidencing earlier similar man-made plagues including SARS, West Nile Virus, AIDS and more; continuance of genetic studies breeding more mutant flu viruses likely to outbreak, inside trading scandals involving pandemic savvy White House and drug industry officials, curious immunity of these pharmaceutical entities over the past century to law enforcement and mainstream media scrutiny, and published official depopulation objectives. With the revelations and assertions advanced herein, the public is forewarned against this physician-assisted mass murder best termed “iatrogenocide.”* This genocidal imposition is expected to serve mainly economic and political depopulation objectives.
Background
In April, 2003, a social experiment called SARS, said to have arrived from Asia, heavily struck Toronto. I was there throughout most of this Asian flu-foreshadowing fright. This bizarre new pneumonia-like illness was named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. It was said to be the latest threat in an ongoing series of attacks on humanity by mysteriously mutating "supergerms."
A careful study of the scientific and medical-sociological correlates and antecedents of this “outbreak” revealed something amiss far more insidious than SARS. I critically considered Toronto’s media reaction as any Harvard-trained public health expert in media persuasion behavioral science might. The scourge had all the earmarks of a novel social experiment conducted by white-collar bioterrorist.
It seemed clear to me that this unprecedented population manipulation effectively indoctrinated the mass mind in support of a grossly ineffective, albeit legislated, public health response in advance of the arrival of "the Big One." Throughout the “SARS Scam,”(1) repeated references were made to biological agents that might facilitate decimation of approximately a third to half of the world's population. Having extensively reviewed political population control literature and contemporary objectives of leading global industrialists, I noted these predictions were in close keeping with current official population reduction objectives.(2)
Canada ’s response to SARS in 2003 was, for the first time in history, directed by the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO). Having reviewed the intimate financial and administrative ties between these organizations, the Rockefeller family, Carnegie Foundation, and the world’s leading drug makers, “the fox,” in essence, reigned over Canada’s “chickens.”
The truth about plagues includes the fact that “no grand pandemic ever evolved divorced from major socio-political upheaval." SARS advanced a political agenda more than a public health emergency. If public health officials earnestly intended to prevent these new emerging diseases, or successfully treat them at their roots, I repeated, they would study their obvious origins from the merged military-medical-biotechnology arena. A basic course in medical sociology simply justifies this utilitarian counsel.
"Experts" had been predicting the arrival of a super-plague for decades. What was HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS about the mysterious and terrifying arrival of SARS, however, was its timing. It synchronously arrived with the global war on terrorism, and the Anglo-American war with Iraq. It seemed a convenient distraction from the fact that the earlier Bush administration had shipped Saddam Hussein most of his deadly biological weapons arsenal including anthrax and West Nile Virus. SARS was pathognomonic (i.e., symptomatic and characteristic) of what I had predicted and explained in the book,
Death in the Air: Globalism, Terrorism and Toxic Warfare (Tetrahedron Publishing Group, 2001; http://www.healthyworlddistributing.com), a prophetically-titled text that predated the 9-11 attacks on America by several months, and provided a contextual analysis of certain globalists’ links to recent “outbreaks.”
In essence, I provided insight into the broad application of a new form of institutionalized "bioterrorism" consistent with state sponsored biological warfare. Saddam Hussein was said to have exposed populations in his and adjacent lands with biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction. SARS and the current avian flu fright is sanctioned by military-medical-pharmaceutical-petrochemical industrialists likewise operating above the law in many documented instances. Having testified before the U.S. Congress, I personally experienced how premiere pharmaceutical industrialists direct our political-economic representatives in government. Emerging diseases complement the political "War on Terrorism," and our bioterror-influenced culture. This agenda serves two primary objectives: profitability and population-reduction.
Political Reality Versus Mass-Mediated Myths
The ever increasing madness around us is eerily consistent with globalist think tank recommendations for the current "conflicts short of war." Beginning in the late 1960s, "economic substitutes for standard militarization" were sought and found by leading global industrialists. New biological threats, the “war on terrorism,” and increasing numbers of “natural disasters” including space-based threats and superstorms were considered economically and politically expedient compared with the first and second world wars. These “conflicts short of war” were decidedly more manageable and economically viable. For this reason, especially their profitability, they were leading options among Anglo-American policy makers.
Nelson Rockefeller’s protégé, Henry Kissinger, for instance, as National Security Advisor (NSA) under Richard Nixon, oversaw foreign policy while considering Third World population reduction "necessities" for the U.S., Britain, Germany, and other allies. This Bush nominee to direct the 9-11 conspiracy investigation, a reputed war criminal, then selected the option to have the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) develop biological weapons, according to the U.S. Congressional Record of 1975. Among these new man-made biological weapons were germs far deadlier than the avian flu.
For example, by 1968, when Kissinger requested and received updated intelligence on useful “synthetic biological agents“ for germ warfare and population control, mutant recombinant flu viruses had just been engineered by Special Virus Cancer Program researchers O’Conner, Stewart, Kinard, Rauscher and others.(3) During this program, influenza and parainfluenza viruses were recombined with quick acting leukemia viruses (acute lymphocytic leukemia) to deliver weapons that potentially spread cancer, like the flu, by sneezing. These researchers also amassed avian cancer (sarcoma) viruses and inoculated them into humans and monkeys to determine their carcinogenicity. In related efforts, Raucher et al. used radiation to enhance avian virus’s cancer-causing potential. These incredible scientific realities have been officially censored and generally neglected by the media’s mainstream.
Similarly, the Institute of Science in Society (IoSS) in London raised the genetic engineering question in the origin of SARS. “Could genetic engineering have contributed inadvertently to creating the SARS virus?” they asked. “This point was not even considered by the expert coronavirologists called in to help handle the crisis, now being feted and woed by pharmaceutical companies eager to develop vaccines.” Those living in glass houses should not throw stones. The above emphasis is added to show IoSS they had “not even considered” intentional SARS deployment in their scientific, allegedly unbiased, purview.(4)
Conflicts short of war, like the "War on AIDS," "War on Drugs," "War on Terrorism," "War on Cancer," and now “War on the Avian Flu” require sophisticated propaganda programs employing fear campaigns for social acceptance and popular support of legislated policies. These psychological operations (officially termed PSYOPS) for “command and control warfare” (technically called C2W), experts advise, best support the emerging "Revolution in Military Affairs" (RMA). The RMA‘s capabilities include "a form of human slavery" in which the world’s captive populations would not know they are enslaved.(2)
The RMA undoubtedly incorporates the use of debilitating biologicals and chemical agents most generously on behalf of drug and vaccine makers. A classic example is the toxic carcinogenic organophosphate pesticides deployed against human populations, said to target “mosquitoes,” in the "War Against the West Nile Virus." Such "non-lethal warfare" agents, as these are militarily termed, are indeed deadly, but mortality results slowly from toxic exposures allowing more profits to be made by allied pharmaceutical and medical industrialists. Victims of the "non-lethal" exposures die slowly from chronic debilitating diseases. Expensive hospitals and long-term care facilities are virtual concentration camps. The ailments generated for “iatrogenocide” include the plethora of autoimmune diseases and newer cancers virtually non-existent 50 years ago. This fact, alone, strongly suggests a genocidal socio-economic and political agenda.
Avian Flu for Profit
In response to SARS, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, Michael Fumento, published an economic thesis in Toronto related to the one I advance here. The "Super-bug or Super Scare," he wrote was published in Canada’s National Post. Canadians were warned to "quarantine themselves," wear masks, and in some cases stay home. The Ontario Health Minister declared a "health emergency," as the media dubbed the "mysterious killer" a "super-pneumonia.” Recoiling from the hype, Fumento asked and answered a few “real questions . . . How lethal, how transmissible, and how treatable is this strain?” The answers, he concluded, “leave no grounds for excitement, much less panic.” The same may be said for this new curse of avian flu.(1)
Lethal?
At this writing, the avian flu is said to have killed “about 65 people” in Southeast Asia during the past two years! Little to no data is available on these individuals who most commonly had immune-compromising medical conditions. Further, all deaths were in Asian countries with questionable health services.
Conversely, other forms of flu kill more than 40,000 North Americans annually, generally the immune-compromised elderly.
Transmissibile?
According to USA Today (October 9, 2005), “European health officials are working to contain the [avian flu] virus, which so far has not infected anyone in the region.” Although, allegedly “more than 140 million birds have died or been destroyed, . . . and financial losses to the poultry sector have topped $10 billion.” This propaganda actually admits, “the current virus, known as H5N1, has not yet mutated to the point at which it can easily spread from person to person.” In fact, it is likely to have never spread from person to person other than during laboratory handling!(5)
Treatability?
“The U.S. Senate has already approved a $3.9 billion package to buy vaccines and antiviral medications, and the Administration is also preparing a request for an additional $6 billion to $10 billion,” according to a current BusinessWeek report.( 6)
“Beam me up Scottie, there is no intelligent life on this planet.” This largely explains why the public puts up with this deadly deception. Even USA Today bemoans, “there is no human vaccine yet.” So how come the U.S. Senate is rushing to spend all these billions for an avian flu vaccine?
I suppose we should overlook the fact that the current frightening strain of H5N1 avian flu virus has never readily jumped from human to human, and not commonly from birds to humans either. Thus, an effective vaccine can only be prepared by mutating this virus, thus creating what the world fears most. Let me explain. . . .
To make the human vaccine specific for the H5N1 mutant virus, you must start with the human virus which does not yet exist, except in perhaps military-biomedical-pharmaceutical laboratories. In fact, this is precisely what is being prepared based on news reports. To produce the human pathogen, the avian virus must be cultured for lengthy periods of time in human cell cultures, then injected into monkey and ultimately humans to see if these experimental subjects get the same feared flu. Thus, the flu virus the world currently fears most is either: 1) now being prepared in labs paid by industrialists with massive wealth-building incentives to “accidentally” release the virus; or 2) has already been prepared in such labs to take advantage of this current fright and future sales following the virus’s release.
Remember, to be effective against a virus, a vaccine is said to require specificity. If authorities were to now have the main H5N1 avian flu strain feared to spread at some future date there’s no assurance by the time they developed the vaccine the strain would remain sufficiently the same for the vaccine to be effective anyway due to expected viral mutations. Viral mutations over time is a function of the agent’s newness. New man-made viruses, laboratory creations, like the ones currently being prepared for vaccine trials, are less stable not having evolved over the millennia. Thus, the entire vaccine effort is largely, if not entirely, a sham with ulterior motives.
Remember too, that a vaccine’s reliability requires years, or at least months, of testing in the targeted population. Vaccine injury data must, or should, be meticulously collected over this period to assure the vaccine is not killing and maiming more persons than it is helping or saving. Can you seriously believe this assurance will be provided by government or pharmaceutical industry officials in this pandemic’s wake? FEMA’s failed Katrina response pails by comparison to this public health liability and vaccine-injury certainty.
I say “vaccine-injury certainty” because of the extensive list of newly developed vaccinations, highly touted when brought to market, that caused horrific results. This list includes the first swine flu vaccine, polio vaccines, smallpox vaccine, anthrax vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, and most recently Lyme disease vaccine that crippled approximately 750,000 people within months of its release and prior to its recall by the FDA.
Most people fail to realize all vaccines carry a list of ingredients that typically increase human disease and death (i.e., morbidity and mortality). These include toxic elements and chemicals such as mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and formalin (used to preserve corpses), MSG, foreign genetic material, and risky proteins from various species of bacteria, viruses, and animals that have been scientifically associated with triggering autoimmune disorders and certain cancers. A growing body of scientific evidence strongly suggests vaccines are largely responsible for increasing cases of autism and other learning disabilities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Lupus, MS, ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, hay fever, allergies, chronic draining ear infections, type 1 autoimmune diabetes, and many, many more pandemics. These chronic ailments are said to require long-term medical care for the patients’ management causing toxic side effects resulting in America’s leading killer--iatrogenic disease. That is, vaccines and other pharmaceutical industry inventions are literally killing or disabling millions with little effort on the part of government officials and their drug industry cohorts to arrest this scourge.
For all we know, governments are ordering an avian flu vaccine that will precisely deliver this pandemic to the world to affect population control. Absurd thesis? Read on.
BusinessWeek expects avian flu vaccine stockpiling by government officials will help the Sanofi-Pasteur company on behalf of Sanofi-Aventis and Chiron. “Tamiflu,” it reported is an antiviral manufactured by Roche, . . . considered effective against avian flu. . . . The U.S. owns enough for 4.3 million people, with more on order.” BusinessWeek failed to report: 1) Tamiflu’s safety and effectiveness has not been determined in people with other chronic medical conditions--a significant percentage of the U.S. population-- and common side effects of this drug include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchitis, stomach pain, dizziness, headaches, and much, much more; 2) Roche (Hoffman-LaRoche) was found guilty of price fixing the world’s supply of vitamins in 1999 as part of the global petrochemical/pharmaceutical cartel evolved from Nazi-Germany‘s I.G. Farben organization;(2)(6) and 3) Sanofi-Aventis’s corporate colleagues include Merck, a company that received a lion’s share of the Nazi war chest at the end of WWII, whose earnings plunged after the withdrawal last year of its deadly Vioxx arthritis drug. According to recent news reports, Merck is partnering with Sanofi-Aventis to produce the world’s first sexually-transmitted-cancer vaccine to be given to prepubescent boys and girls.(7) Merck is infamous for having developed the first hepatitis B vaccines that triggered the international AIDS pandemic according to published scientific research and stunning documents reprinted in this author’s national bestselling book.(3)(8)
In the weeks and months following the 9-11 attacks on America, I traced the widely publicized anthrax mailings "mystery" to U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) commissioned biological weapons contractors with ties to Britain's MI6, Porton Down, and this same Anglo-American pharmaceutical cartel.(9) The anthrax mailings fanned fears of bioterrorism throughout America and economically served primarily vaccine and drug makers with administrative and financial links to these avian flu profiteers.(10)
People willingly relinquish their civil rights and personal freedoms in the wake of such engineered frights. The passage of the infamous "Homeland Security Act" in America, and its counterpart in Canada, are classic examples of this societal direction, forced legislation, and egregious manipulation.
Why Asia?
How convenient that Asia is said to be the origin, as with SARS, of this latest plague when Chinese-Anglo-American relations are strained to say the least.
In the days preceding the emergence of the first SARS cases, America raced to the Pacific Rim to impact escalating aggressions on the Korean peninsula. Communist China--a "most favored" trading partner with America--is politically allied with several American enemies, including those said to possess weapons of mass destruction, including Iraq. Coincidental? Not likely when viewing the larger political picture involving the Ango-American oligarchy's RMA, its global enterprises, and instigated planet-wide "conflicts short of war."
Consider also the fact the media's mainstream has been heavily influenced, if not entirely controlled, by multi-national corporate sponsors protecting and advancing the interests of a relatively small number of global entities. Also recall that the focus of news providers, on any given day or hour, results from intelligence agency directives, according to reputable authorities including myriad retired news officials and intelligence officers. So ask and answer the following intelligent questions:
* Why have American military officials, beginning with Secretary of Defense William Cohen during the Clinton years, publicized America's greatest vulnerability lies in the realm of biological weapons wielded by terrorists? Is this not a form of treason against the United States to relay such sensitive intelligence to potential enemies through the mainstream press?
* Why does the mainstream media continue to foretell of the expected arrival of the "Big One"-an influenza virus that will produce a super-flu that will kill billions of people, like the "Spanish flu" did between 1918-19, while totally disregarding the individuals, organizations, and laboratories that have labored to produce these weapons of mass destruction? Even the devastating Spanish Flu virus has been, literally, unearthed for further study and, do you suppose, deployment?
* Why was the "Spanish flu" influenza virus called the "Spanish flu" when it originated, by historic accounts, in Tibet in 1917? It is said that Spanish newspapers were the only ones reporting on the great plague due to their neutrality over World War I politics. However, Spain was as dear to America then as Communist China is to the United States today. The "Spanish flu" was named such following two decades of disputes between America and Spain over colonization of the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii and the Philippines beginning with the Spanish American war that ended in the Philippines in 1902. In fact, the grand Spanish flu began in military camps. Does this history appear to be repeating?
*Doesn't it make sense that America is being manipulated, if not targeted, for the purpose of advancing globalistic agendas, central among them is population reduction?
The "Big One"
As mentioned above, during the 1960s and early 1970s, military biological weapons contractors with intimate ties to leading drug industrialists prepared mutants of influenza and para-influenza viruses recombined with acute lymphocytic leukemia viruses. In other words, they stockpiled a quick spreading cancer virus which may also be deployed.(3)
Alternatively, many infectious disease experts and government health officials oblivious to this scientific reality say this avian flu might be the 'Big One." Several days ago, the United Nations released a report that stated as many as 150 million people worldwide might die from this avian flu.
Emma Ross of the Associated Press reported on SARS as the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its "crisis plan to attack" the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. WHO, as you may recall, is a U.N. sponsored organization that is rumored to have helped spread AIDS to Africa by way of contaminated hepatitis B and/or polio vaccinations. There is a reasonable amount of evidence to support this contention.(1)
More disconcerting, the U.N. is known to be heavily influenced by Rockefeller family members and their petrochemical-pharmaceutical interests. History shows Rockefeller fortunes built the U.N. building in New York City. During WWII, the Rockefeller family and their Standard Oil Company supported Hitler more than they did the allies according to court records. One federal judge ruled Rockefeller committed "treason" against the United States. Following WWII, according to attorney John Loftus-an official Nazi war crimes investigator-Nelson Rockefeller persuaded the U.N.'s South American voting block to favor Israel's creation only to assure secrecy regarding his support for the Nazis. Earlier that century, John D. Rockefeller joined Prescott Bush and the British Royal Family in sponsoring the eugenics initiatives that gave rise to Hitler's racial hygiene programs. During the same period the Rockefeller family virtually monopolized American medicine, American pharmaceutics, and the cancer and genetics industries.(2, 3)
Today, the Rockefeller family, its foundation, U.N. and WHO remain at the forefront of administering "population programs" designed to reduce world populations to more manageable levels. As per an advertisement in Foreign Affairs--a prestigious political periodical published by the David Rockefeller directed Council on Foreign Relations--the U.S. population is being targeted for a 50% reduction.(2)
"We've never faced anything on this scale with such a global reach,” said Dr. David Heymann, of the WHO, not regarding the avian flu, but SARS.
"This is the first time that a global network of [Rockefeller-directed infectious disease ‘surveillance’ outposts and] laboratories are sharing information, samples, blood, pictures," added Dr. Klaus Stohr, a WHO virologist coordinating labs internationally. "Basically overnight, there are no secrets, there is no jealousy, there is no competition in the face of a global health emergency. This is a phenomenal network.”(1)
* The term “iatrogenocide” is derived from the combination of words “iatrogenesis,” meaning physician induced illness, and “genocide,” defined as the mass killing and/or enslaving of people for economics, politics, and/or ideology.
About the Author Leonard G. Horowitz, D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H., is an internationally known authority in the overlapping fields of public health, behavioral science, emerging diseases, and bioterrorism. Dr. Horowitz is best known for his national bestselling book,
Emerging Viruses: AIDS & Ebola - Nature, Accident or Intentional? (Tetrahedron Press, 1998; 1-888-508-4787) which recently resulted in the United States General Accounting Office investigating the man-made origin of AIDS theory. (See: http://www.healingcelebrations.com/gao.htm ) Dr. Horowitz's work in the field of vaccination risk awareness has prompted at least three Third World nations to change their vaccination policies. His stunning testimony before the United States Congress' Government Reform Committee, literally brought the hearing to a halt. (See: healingcelebrations.com) Dr. Horowitz questioned government health officials regarding a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) secreted report showing a definitive link between the mercury ingredient (i.e., Thimerosal), common to most vaccinations, and the skyrocketing rates of autism and behavioral disorders affecting our children and the future of our nation.
Dr. Horowitz's most recent book is DNA: "Pirates of the Sacred Spiral", a reference text on the electro-genetics of biology, disease therapy, and human spirituality. This work also details links between the anthrax mailings and human genome project heist, and leading intelligence agency, genetics industry, and pharmaceutical company officials.
For more information about Dr. Horowitz’s books, videos, CDs and DVDs link to www.healthyworlddistributing.com and www.tetrahedron.org, or by calling 1-888-508-4787. His official website is www.drlenhorowitz.com.
This article was provided courtesy of Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz and Tetrahedron Publishing Group. It’s copyright is relinquished for widespread distribution.
References:
1) Horowitz LG. “SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome): A Great Global Scam.” Available at: http://www.healingcelebrations.com/SARS.htm
2) Horowitz LG.
Death in the Air: Globalism, Terrorism and Toxic Warfare. Sandpoint, ID: Tetrahedron Publishing Group, (Spring) 2001.
3) Horowitz LG.
Emerging Viruses: AIDS & Ebola, Nature, Accident or Intentional? Sandpoint, ID: Tetrahedron Publishing Group, (Spring) 2001.
4) The Institute of Science in Society. “SARS and Genetic Engineering?” London, England. Article available at: http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/health_risks/sars_engineering.html
5) Knox “ N. Europe braces for avian flu.” USA TODAY, October 9, 2005; Manning A.Government to stock up on avian flu shots. USA Today, Oct 8, 2005.
6) Wang P. “Avian Flu: Inoculate Your Portfolio.” BusinessWeek. Online edition. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/investor/
content/oct2005/pi2005110_4988_pi015.htm
7) CNNMoney. “Merck shares jump on cancer drug vaccine.” October 6, 2005. Available at: http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/06/news/fortune500/merck.reut/
8) For more scientific background on the link between the hepatitis B vaccine and the AIDS pandemic link to http://www.originofAIDS.com .
9) Horowitz LG. “The CIA's Role in the Anthrax Mailings: Could Our Spies be Agents for Military-Industrial Sabotage, Terrorism, and Even Population Control? A Special Report.” Article available at: http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/anthrax/anthrax_espionage.html
10) Horowitz LG.
DNA: Pirates of the Sacred Spiral. Sandpoint, ID: Tetrahedron Publishing Group, 2004.
Please Note This function has been disabled. | 51,378 | 21,601 | 0.000047 |
warc | 201704 | Alli
weight loss pills aid you supervise the gram calorie and fat intake. The effect of these tablets is jeopardized highly if high fat meals are consumed while making use of Alli. Alli slimming medicines can easily not give favorable results unless an appropriate diet and exercising are incorporated with it. Alli really isn’t a wonderful diet pill and it can easily not operate unless you are committed to welcome a healthy way of life…
To maintain your weight loss motivation up and operating, you need to change your diet as well as your way of life. Diet plans that form
weight loss dishes are sugar-less juices which can be made from fresh fruits consisting of smaller sized amounts of sugar and veggies. It not only assists clean your system, however also lessens the craving for undesirable junk food…
You may not believe that these problems might be incredibly quickly be eliminated by this Wii Weight Loss Program. This Program contains everyday physical exercises which might be incredibly imaginative for having the favorable and much less perplex effects on your physique. Lets define you that Wii is the efficient and just real resource to lessen your obesity level and burn your added gram calories which are very unneeded and extremely ineffective for your physique. Wii Weight Loss Program, there are several individuals who believe that these are not efficient and result familiarized methods to reduce your weight problems level or excess mass of your physique but Wii Weight Loss Program is definitely really effective and incredibly expense efficient means of decreasing the additional mass of your physique or fat from your physique. It aids many individuals to acquire there maximum effects from doing this little yet efficient physical exercises of Wii in their day-to-day program of life. Now, it is clear that Wii Weight Loss Program is really useful and consists of charismatic technique to lower their excessive mass efficiently and yet efficiently.
…
The perks of taking CLA are rather common to every other supplement that is taken by mouth. Then you will certainly see
weight loss…
You ought to likewise be accountable for your
weight loss goals. Often, we start something and not proceed as we are not being held accountable for the failure of finishing the job. Therefore, we feel no demand and need to stick to our goals. Dropping weight is no exemption. In the event that there is someone keeping examine us to see if we are doing exactly what we said we would do to lose weight, we are more likely to stick with our plans. So, inform an individual, be it your household or pals what your objectives are, and just how you are visiting achieve them!…
2) Workout to Maintain Weight Loss…
Start bearing an everyday journal regarding why you wish to drop weight, and the great conveniences that will originate from it. You could write about how a lot more energy you will have, how much a lot more pliable and sturdy you will certainly feel, just how much lighter and sexier you will certainly feel, exactly how considerably a lot more confident you will feel, and so on…
It is terrific to have a person who will certainly sustain you in your endeavors. Locate someone with the very same desire to slim down. That somebody ought to also be looking for a
weight loss that will certainly function for the very same target…
Like a lot of
weight loss programs, the fat burning heater concentrates on a combination of exercise and diet. The physical exercise element of the program is stringently weight lifting, which is just what differentiates it from various other weight loss programs on the marketplace. You may conveniently discover a fat burning furnace review with a fast Google search, yet sadly numerous of these review websites are merely sales letters created by associate marketers. To locate exact assessments, you’re better off speaking with somebody that you understand has personally completed the program…
Nonetheless, if the fifteen moment workout is not enough after a few weeks then you need to increase it a degree etc until it operates…
Recent Posts
Weight Loss Archives
About Us
Fujibird is a weight loss programs reference blog. Here you can find more about weight loss guide and tips, diet pills product review and other diet plan products that may offer the best price and the best weight loss results in safety ways. Don't forget to make your review on product listed here if you've been using it before. Share to the world what is the best in your diet programs.
Pages
Regional
© 2012 - 2017 Fujibird. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved. | 4,725 | 2,184 | 0.000467 |
warc | 201704 | FTC Funeral Service Regulations and Prior Approval for Embalming
Funeral service providers can charge a fee for embalming in one of the following three circumstances:
1. State or local law requires embalming under the particular circumstances regardless of any wishes the family might have. If this is the case, the funeral service provider must note on the itemized Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected that embalming was performed because of a legal requirement and briefly explain that requirement. (Also see the discussion in Misrepresentations Prohibited by the Rule.)
Note: Federal law does not require embalming under any circumstances.
2. The funeral service provider has obtained prior approval for embalming from a family member or other authorized person. (The Rule does not address the issue of who is an "authorized person" to give such approval. That is a matter of state or local law.) They must get express permission to embalm; it cannot be implied.
Example: A family states that they want a viewing before burial and asks you to "prepare" the deceased. The funeral service provider must specifically ask the family for permission to embalm and must receive their permission before embalming the body.
In order to obtain the family's express consent to embalm, the funeral service provider must: 1) specifically ask for and obtain their permission, and 2) not misrepresent when embalming is required.
Example: While making funeral arrangements, the funeral service provider tells a family they will be charged for embalming, no matter what type of funeral arrangements they choose. If they agree to the funeral arrangements in general, this does not constitute express consent to embalm. In addition, if providers charge a family for embalming here, they would be charging a second non-declinable fee that violates the Rule.
When an individual makes preneed arrangements and gives express approval for embalming at that time, the funeral service provider does not need to get any additional approval to embalm at the time of death.
The Rule does not require the funeral service provider to get the permission in writing, as long as it is express approval. Some states, however, may require written authorization.
On the Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected, funeral service providers must explain the reason they charged a fee for embalming. The reason may be that the family requested this service. However, if they tell a consumer that embalming is required for a specific reason (e.g., viewing or legal requirement), then they should list this specific reason on the Statement. Simply noting "family consent" for embalming does not convey the reason for embalming, only that the family has consented.
3. All of the following apply:
The required disclosure regarding embalming on the itemized Statement (see Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected: Cost Information and Disclosures under Embalming) will let consumers know that they do not have to pay for embalming if the provider did not get their prior approval. | 3,087 | 1,274 | 0.00079 |
warc | 201704 | According to the Report IT professionals, system engineers, corporate governance and data analysts will be among the one getting the highest salary increases this year
Increase of 45 percent was seen by News Limited and reports that a Robert Walters survey of workers (1800) and hiring managers ( 950) has found salaries of IT professionals in Sydney with an increase
The survey found “IT professionals with niche and emerging skill sets such as Big Data, Develops, Cloud collaboration & cyber security were in high demand and Can command higher rates of pay in 2016,”
This report expects an increase Of hiring in IT, government infrastructure & corporate governance projects. Due to the government investment in the big infrastructure projects there might be command for high wages in construction and engineering professionals
The report said.
“Companies will also seek to hire a commercially aware accountant who has strong technical skills and who can advise on financial issues at a senior or a high level,” And it also suggest that higher salaries may not be enough to attract the best talent .
“While financial reward remains a key incentive for job seekers it is not the only major driver.
“Both technological advancements generational change has influenced job seekers place a higher value on flexibility as well as reward , long-term career development and culture.
“We strongly advise hiring managers …not to just focus on financial incentives or salary but also to become competitive in these areas”
Robert Walters says recruitment in the IT sector and banking has seen higher levels of activity in 2016 with greatest opportunities for professionals with specialist skills, particularly in digital technologies.
However, salaries broadly remained flat for most professionals.
For more details you can mail to: Studytour@futureinaustralia.com, manage@futureinaustralia.com, or call us on 9248344344 or 27074010 EXT: 222, 203
Or Directly Visit our Office at OU Road, Suite no 204B, First Floor, Usha Kiran Arcade , Vidyanagar,Hyderabad-500044, Telangana | 2,122 | 1,118 | 0.00092 |
warc | 201704 | Perhaps no other plant than the palm evokes a sense of the warm reaches of the tropics. By selecting the appropriate species of palm for your home landscape, you can enjoy palms that are in scale with your house and property, and add architectural interest. Visually, palms are a strong vertical element, with an explosive, bold accent of foliage at the top of the trunks.
Row or Formal Allée
One of the easiest applications of palms in a landscape is planting them in a straight line in a row, or if lining a roadway or a walkway, as an allée. Remember the simple guideline, however, that a palm is visually similar to a telephone pole. The stark vertical trunks of the palm can be jarring in a residential landscape, especially if the mature size of the palm is out of scale to the nearby buildings or neighborhood. Royal palms look grand on large thoroughfares, but a foxtail palm is more in scale with the average one- or two-story house.
Clustered Planting
If room allows, planting single-trunked palms in a loose grouping of three, five or seven accentuates the beauty and form of each palm's frond canopy. Robert Lee Riffle dubbed this as "creating a canopyscape," in which palms of varying heights are planted in a cluster so that their mops of fronds are at different levels, softening the trunks. As the palms grow, they remain at different heights and create beautiful silhouettes against the sky.Some plant species naturally clump, such as a lady palm, butterfly palm or paurotis palm. Treat each clumping palm as one plant or vertical element when you design. If the palm has many trunks, a cluster planting may not make sense visually or financially. Remember, other shrubs and flowers can be planted under the palms, which cast a light shade in the garden.
Containers
Small-growing palms or larger palms that are in a juvenile state can be enjoyed in containers on the patio. In regions where palms may not survive the winter, growing palms in containers that are relocated indoors makes sense. Consider using palms in containers in tropical climates, too, as a movable, temporary way to make a patio or an entrance elegant. Palms with exceptionally ornamental trunks or foliage are great in containers, such as the bottle palm or colorful stems of the lipstick palm.
Landscape Specimen
Massive palms, like date palms or bismarkia palms, grow thick trunks and have large rounded canopies of big fronds. Such plants need ample space in the landscape to lend themselves as specimens, grown singularly in a lawn or a garden bed. Keep other trees well away from the specimen palm so that light and soil moisture promotes robust, even growth on the specimen palm. | 2,695 | 1,340 | 0.000752 |
warc | 201704 | Manufacturing will continue to drive growth in Lancashire’s economy throughout the rest of 2015, says one of the county’s biggest employers.
Westinghouse, which operates nuclear fuel manufacturing facility Springfields, near Preston, said the industry remained key to the economic health of the county by outpacing even the powerhouse service sector.
Figures from the Lancashire Quarterly Economic Survey, compiled by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, showed orders both at home and abroad remained strong with manufacturers enjoying stronger confidence and intentions to recruit.
Westinghouse has signed up as a sponsor for one of the North West’s biggest business awards, the Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, which is open for applications for 19 prizes up for grabs at this year’s awards.
Nick Jones, stakeholder relations manager, said: “Manufacturing has consistently been a major employer and economic driver in Lancashire and it remains so.
“The sector finished 2014 on a high and has started this year strongly driven by improvements in the European export market with investment and recruitment intentions.
“It is crucial that we do everything we can at a local, national and international level to continue to power our manufacturing industry which provides employment and prosperity for so many in Lancashire.”
Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor design was chosen for the new nuclear power station due to be built at Moorside, alongside the existing Sellafield site. The firm will be involved in the BIBAs judging process which will get underway after the April 10 deadline for entries. | 1,673 | 872 | 0.001185 |
warc | 201704 | An Australian Catholic bioethicist has claimed that same-sex marriage will lead to the exploitation of women in developing countries through commercial surrogacy.
In an opinion piece published on The National Times website, Michael Cook claimed that same-sex marriage would inevitably result in more same-sex couples seeking to have children.
‘In heterosexual relationships, the birth rate rises when couples are married,’ Cook wrote.
‘One would expect similar dynamics to apply to same-sex couples. For lesbian couples, this is not a huge problem; all they need is a sperm donor. But male couples need surrogate mothers.’
‘Unless the law of supply and demand is repealed, the answer [where] is: where wombs are cheapest. At the moment, this is India, where surrogate motherhood has become a $2.3 billion industry.’
‘Supporters of same-sex marriage must recognize they face a serious moral dilemma. Cheap wombs might bring gay men the happiness of being the father of a child of their own. But the cost of that happiness is often borne by poor and uneducated women.’
However what the article did not reveal is that Cook is a senior member of the ultra-conservative Opus Dei sect of Catholicism in Australia who opposes same-sex parenting, abortion and contraception.
Cook, who is the celibate head of an Opus Dei residence, told the Age newspaper in 2006, ‘As a young person, I found the idea of living out Christianity very attractive.’
‘I also wanted to be a professional person. I didn’t see how the two were compatible, but Opus Dei had a take on it which showed me it was possible.
‘I regard Opus Dei as my family. Most of my friends put all their money to the service of their family; I do the same.’
Cook is the owner and editor of a number of bioethics blogs which advance secular arguments for social conservative causes.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) national campaign director Rodney Croome said there was no credible evidence that legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia would lead more Indian women to enter into commercial surrogacy arrangements.
‘With reforms to Australia’s surrogacy and adoption laws allowing more gay men to become fathers here, and with international surrogacy still prohibitively expensive for most gay men, it is very unlikely we’ll see a sudden increase in the number of gay Australians traveling to India to have kids.’
‘What is a surprise is that someone like Michael Cook, who is billed as a science writer, bases his contribution to this important debate on hearsay rather than hard empirical evidence.
‘I look forward to Mr Cook’s next article about all the heterosexual couples who pay Indian women to have their children and how this is a reason to ban heterosexuals from marrying.’
Commercial surrogacy arrangement have been outlawed in most Australian jurisdictions meaning that parents who entered into such arrangements could face prison time if they returned to Australia with their child. | 3,074 | 1,514 | 0.000689 |
warc | 201704 | Like we said in
Football Workouts for Linebackers… Part 1, knowin’ what scouts look for in middle linebackers is cool, but knowledge is only the key when it’s applied.
So let’s finish-up looking at some more drills that’ll help you develop the skills that scouts look for in middle linebackers.
Balance
The drill below will help you with your balance.
This video starts out with some off-topic stuff, but if you fast-forward to about the 1:50 mark, you’ll find some basic exercises that are really effective at improving your balance. (courtesy renegadehealth.com)
Pass Coverage
This gentleman from Expert Village gives you the basics of playing pass coverage as a linebacker
Loose Hips
Increasing the range of motion in your hips is crucial for outside linebackers. The drills in the video below can help you with that.
You may look funny in the gym doing this one, but it works wonders on helping you get the flexibility in your hips that scouts want to see.
If you have an exercise ball at home, you can do this one at home as well, obviously..
This video gives you some additional stretches you can do to stretch out your hip flexor to increase your mobility in your hips.
Quickness
The plyometric drill in the video below can be done just about anywhere. If you don’t have a platform around the house you can use, you can always do this one on the bench you use for the bench press at the gym.
The drills in the video below can be done without a band, but having a band will make the drills much more effective. (courtesy resistancebandtraining.com)
Quickness and agility kinda bleed together, if you will, but these ladder drills will help you with both. There’s a ton of ladder drills in this video that you can use to work on your quickness.
Body Control
I don’t think much explaining is needed on this one, just watching the video makes it pretty apparent that this’ll help you develop better body control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2k0pnR5a-M
Same thing with this one, which is the same as the drill above, except it’s done with
one leg, instead of two. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4ETafFCUc
This drill helps your body control as well. They use a ladder, but you don’t necessarily need one. You can put some tape on the ground or even some chalk, if you need to.
Disclaimer #2: Again, I’m not a trainer, I just gathered a bunch of training materials that cover drills and exercises that can help you improve in the specific areas that NFL scouts tend to look for when analyzing middle linebackers. Are there any drills that can help middle linebackers get better at these skills that we didn’t mention? Share them in the comments! Follow me on Twitter! @alvingrier Click here to connect with us on Facebook! | 2,823 | 1,341 | 0.000772 |
warc | 201704 | The truly terrifying tales of a toddler’s parents
I will no longer judge those suspects you read about who get pulled over and arrested for drug possession. There’s probably a very good reason they have 300 pounds of narcotics in their trunk and that reason is they have a male under the age of two living in their house.
My son, Ben, is 20 months old. I love him, and hope to one day use this column to shamelessly brag about him while recounting his glorious achievements. Right now, however, I’m considering a paternity test, in that based on the way he acts, I’m pretty sure my wife cheated on me with Satan.
Being the parent of a 20 month-old son means being part warden, maid, cook, teacher, surveillance officer and hazmat crew. Twenty-month-old boys are crazed, idiotic terrors. Granted, I’m going on that based on just one of them, but from what I’ve seen, I do not wish to experience a larger sample.
A few months shy of 2, he’s neither infant nor child, placing him in that awkward age where he’s too old for us to treat him as a baby but too young for us to have him institutionalized.
This is a young man who has bitten his sister’s ear. Among that, his tendency to hit people unprovoked and the way he talks funny, I feel like I’m living with a little white version of Mike Tyson.
A 20-month-old boy has one basic mission in life: destroy everything.
Say you’ve left something on your kitchen table — a cup, pen, piece of paper, whatever. People have basically two different thought process when seeing it:
NORMAL HUMAN BEING: “I’m going to either leave it there or put it away.”
20-MONTH-OLD: “I better throw this down on the floor immediately and try to break it into 47 different pieces — unless it’s an important document, of course, in which case I’ll eat it.”
Oh, he’s quite fond of eating inedible objects. The flavor of paper products are particularly pleasing to his palate. We’ve even made a list.
Things that my 20 month-old will eat:
Dirt, grass, sand, ladybugs, toys, pens, his sister’s toes, bathtub bubbles, tree bark, Crayons, Nerf balls, an old piece of candy on the ground at Sherwood Park, my wife’s flip-flops, books, carpet and my Broncos visor.
Things that he won’t eat:
Food.
Actually, he will eat food, just so long as it’s not nicely presented on a plate. He prefers the taste of things found during one of his many foraging excursions under the dining room table. We’re to the point where to feed him, we just purposely drop a couple of carrot sticks on the floor. “Bon Appetit,” we say, while trying not to kick him.
The havoc wreaked is continuous. Oftentimes I come home after work, only to see widespread disaster. Sometimes there’ll be FEMA trucks in our driveway.
I remember the first time: toys everywhere, paper shredded on the floor, chairs overturned. If I recall, there may have been some dead livestock in the family room.
“What happened?” I asked my wife, who had a look on her face not unlike that of someone you see on the news who is in shock after having just survived a natural gas explosion.
She answered: “Hurricane Ben made landfall.”
Don’t give me the politically correct storyline of how boys and girls are basically the same. I remember my daughter at this age. She would sit quietly on the ground, flipping through a book, or having her stuffed animals give each other hugs, whereas my son often races around screaming, shooting a toy gun and with Barbie’s head in his mouth.
Yet I realize that life is short and we should learn to appreciate this challenging age. Despite the difficulties, this stage of his life will be over soon and we’ll finally be able to relax for a long time.
After all, we’ve got 120 days before the terrible twos begin.
■
Reach Steve at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). | 4,006 | 2,124 | 0.000498 |
warc | 201704 | E-mail letters, July 7, 2010
Maes hasn’t demonstratedexperience to be governor
I’ve heard Dan Maes say being governor is an executive position. I would say that he is the executive of his campaign and after reading the July 6 edition of The Daily Sentinel, he is doing a poor job.
Dan talks about how he has fixed broken companies and that qualifies him to be governor. When he is “fixing” these companies he can hire the people he wants to do the job. The governor can’t hire the legislators that he has to work with, he takes what the voters elect to office. I think that Dan hasn’t figured that out. Dan talks about Amendment 2 and he really doesn’t understand the second amendment at all. It’s not about “deer hunting.” Yesterday, he said that there should not be West Slope — Front Range issues. If he is governor, it’ll be Colorado. The West Slope can’t send the high altitude water to the front range and use the lower quality water that is left over for our use. There is the 1922 water compact that needs to be followed, but has Dan really said that the compact needed to be changed because it’s outdated? There is more to water than turning on the faucet in Colorado. We need to elect Scott McInnis governor. Scott understands that water flows “down” the river, the 2nd Amendment, and with his past experiences, how to lead Colorado forward from where we are now. John Justman Fruita Caskey led the way onimmigration reform
The illegal alien issues are in the mainstream, again. In 2006, the House District 55 Republican candidate researched and saw firsthand the devastation created by the illegal aliens who crossed the border into Arizona. He stood on that border in Arizona. He met with the landowners and heard their stories about how their property was stolen and destroyed. He talked to grandfathers who are afraid to allow their grandchildren to play in their yards
Remember, the word is “illegal.” Bob Caskey used this personal experience to set his platform’s focus for solving the issue. First, we must enforce the existing laws. Second, we must return those who are here illegally to their homeland. For the sake of our agriculture, we must develop an effective guest-worker program. We have waited, for years, for the federal government to address the problem. It has chosen to ignore it. By default, it is left to the states to solve
Had Bob been elected, Colorado may have been the state to take the lead in solving this issue. Arizona and other states would have been jumping on our bandwagon and we all would be four years closer to a solution for the states. Congress and our presidents have side-stepped their
responsibility to protect the citizens from the devastating costs of illegals. It must be our time.
Colorado needs to support Arizona in its bold stand. We need Colorado legislators to step up to the plate and design a guest-worker program and ensure that we do not embrace law breakers within our state boundaries.
Make the calls: What is our Legislature’s position in handling those who break the law? What is their plan to insure that our agricultural community has the workers needed to harvest their crops? How will they ensure those guest workers do not wind-up in our welfare rolls?
Colorado citizen can make the difference; it’s just a phone call away.
Sandra K. Caskey Janet Blackman and six others Grand Junction and Clifton Hickenlooper flip-flopson energy regulations
I was simply appalled to read John Hickenlooper’s weird apology for yet another flip-flop in the July 4 edition of The Daily Sentinel. In this case he explains why he is on both sides of the issue of revising the state’s oil and gas regulations.
Trying to be all things to all people all the time is what politicians do, and it seems like
Hickenlooper is more prone to this problem than most. And it’s the perfect example of why politicians have lost the faith of the voters.
Maybe he can treat the people in Denver like they are stupid, but this issue is one of jobs and our future. Frankly, I expected a much higher level of discourse from Hickenlooper.
Macie Maddison
Grand Junction
There’s little similaritybetween McConnell, Tipton
In the realm of political confusion, it’s frequently necessary to set the record straight. I reference the July 6 Sentinel article, “3rd District candidates voice similar views.”
While Bob McConnell and Scott Tipton may share concern for the nation’s problems and have the same understanding of key issues, that is where the similarity stops.
The Free Dictionary uses an example “all politicians are alike” to define the word “similar.”
That’s definitely not the case here. To set the record straight, the difference between McConnell and Tipton is “day and night.”
Quoting McConnell: “From my perspective, there’s enough space to steer a battleship between us, with room to spare. I am much more conservative, much crankier, and I have no intention of making Congress my career.”
Bob McConnell is a candidate of the people, not the party. Unlike establishment politicians, he’s not obligated nor beholden to anything or anyone. Those attending Bob’s events have witnessed his sincere approach. During his “meet and greets,” he seeks input and feedback, obtaining the views and opinions of his constituency. Then, during his presentations, he’s precise and specific regarding his stance on the issues. There is no guessing on what Bob stands for and there is no question that he is genuinely a “candidate of the people” and represents “the will of the people.” Unlike Tipton, McConnell has no past political involvement, but an incredible background in leadership and accomplishment. He is conservative. Tipton is middle of the road.
As a retired Airborne Ranger colonel, Bob McConnell possesses additional qualities that are so obviously lacking in our congressional representatives. He is a combat veteran who has served to defend and protect, a devoted patriot who loves his country, a dedicated citizen who will fight for his constitutional rights, an accomplished man of substance with moral clarity and so much more.
My bottom line: After a primary victory, McConnell is the man to beat John Salazar because with Bob failure has never been an option.
Richard Doran Parachute Colorado can’t affordnew EPA standards
With people losing their jobs left and right in Colorado, we can use all the help we can get from the federal government. Instead, bureaucrats in Washington have added even more red tape to hinder industries and development.
The most recent burden comes from the EPA, lowering the ground-level ozone standard. This standard, which the EPA has said has no bearing on improving public health, will require companies across the nation to divert funds intended for development and expansion to pay to reduce emissions, costing many their jobs and their livelihoods.
In Colorado alone, nine counties are not in compliance with the old standard and three more
will be added to the list if this new standard comes through. If these counties continue to be in non-compliance, the government could reduce funding for highways and schools and make it more difficult for businesses to expand.
The Colorado Energy Forum estimates that the lower standard will cost Colorado 35,000 jobs, $3.9 billion in gross regional product and $1.8 billion in disposable income over the next 10 years. Can we really afford something this drastic? Or is it time we let Sen. Michael Bennet know that enough is enough?
Mariah Raney Grand Junction Money being wastedon D Road repairs
With all the talk about the budget, somebody decided that D road between 30 and 29 roads needs to be chip sealed. Maybe someone should have looked at D Road first.
The asphalt is crumbling in some places and it is full of repair jobs. So now we are spending money to chip-seal a road that really needs to be repaired and have new pavement put down — a real wise use of money putting a Bandaid over a crappy road.
Rick Waite Grand Junction Community must step upto improve its park lands
I was grateful to read The Daily Sentinel’s editorial in support of, and encouraging some in our community to help raise private funds towards the development of Los Colonias Park. I hope they are successful.
The Sentinel is correct that it has sat vacant for 13 years, but so to have the Matchett, Horizon and Saccomanno park lands.
Burkey Park land was given, not by the state as was Los Colonias, but by a generous and prominent family in 1967. For 43 years it has been an unfulfilled promise of a place for neighborhhod children to play safely.
We need to continue to seek funding sources to finally develop these future jewels. Parks are one of the greatest assets of any community, and to have these lands languish, as the editorial put it, is a shame. Be it a special tax, a budget commitment, or a partnership of some sort, it is time we as a community decide to invest in our undeveloped park land, and our future.
Gregg Palmer Grand Junction | 9,265 | 4,290 | 0.000241 |
warc | 201704 | Delphi Wireless Charging System Product Announcement from Delphi Automotive LLP
Delphi Automotive has equipped several test vehicles with its Wireless Charging System, a highly efficient wireless energy transfer system featuring technology developed by WiTricity Corporation. Delphi will display the technology here at this year's IAA International Motor Show.
"This system represents a significant advancement in our research and development efforts to offer automotive manufacturers a practical wireless charging solution we believe is superior to others being proposed," said Randy Sumner, director, global hybrid vehicle development, Delphi Packard Electrical/Electronic Architecture. According to Sumner, engineers have installed the Delphi Wireless Charging System on multiple test vehicles, and have confirmed that system performance meets automotive market requirements.
In addition to added convenience, a wireless charging system eliminates the need for a charging cord. Drivers can simply park their electric vehicle over a wireless energy source situated on the garage floor or embedded in a paved parking spot. Other wireless charging systems under development make use of traditional inductive charging, the same technology used in electric toothbrushes, which is based on principles first proposed in the mid-nineteenth century. These systems only work over a limited distance range, require precise accurate parking alignment and can be very large and heavy, making them impractical for widespread use on electric vehicles.
"The Delphi Wireless Charging System offers more practical and flexible installation than traditional inductive systems because it uses highly resonant magnetic coupling, a modern technology that safely and efficiently transfers power over significantly larger distances and can adapt to natural misalignment often associated with vehicle positioning during parking," Sumner said. As a result, Delphi charging sources can be buried in pavement, are unaffected by environmental factors such as snow, ice or rain, can accommodate a wide range of vehicle shapes and sizes and accommodate differing ground clearances. The Delphi system is also more forgiving to vehicle parking positions on top of the charger without requiring any moving parts to accommodate. The system transfers energy using an oscillating magnetic field, which is intrinsically safe for humans and animals.
According to Sumner, the system will automatically transfer power to the electric vehicle's battery pack at a rate of 3,300 watts - the same rate as most residential plug-in chargers -- and is able to do so with the smallest and lightest modules possible. These components are important to minimizing overall vehicle weight and cost while maximizing the driving range of EVs, a critical selling point for automakers.
"We are excited by our testing and validation of the system and believe we have a valuable and unique wireless charging solution that offers the most potential for widespread use in the automotive market. With the support of automotive manufacturers, this technology can be integrated into the next generation of electric vehicles," Sumner said.
Wireless charging technology will need to co-exist with plug-in charging solutions, he added, so that electric vehicle drivers have the ability to charge their vehicle when they are away from their wireless charging source.
Delphi also makes a Portable Electric Vehicle Charger that fits conveniently in the trunk of an electric vehicle. The user-friendly, UL-listed charging system plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet to enable safe electric vehicle battery charging at home or away. The charging unit can also be integrated into stationary charging applications. | 3,761 | 1,692 | 0.000594 |
warc | 201704 | 'original, courageous, realistic and fresh' Robert Manne, Professor, School of Politics, La Trobe University Do Right and Left still mean anything in politics? Are environmental issues always 'left wing'? Is it only 'right wing' to worry about the family? In fact, these traditional connections have broken down, but what is taking their place? In Australian politics today a new free market Right holds the ascendancy in ideas, while Labor and the Left struggle with a crisis of belief. David McKnight makes a compelling argument that the new Right has a radical agenda, not a conservative one. He shows how this drives some of the most vexed issues of our time: overconsumption, work-family balance, immigration and the environment. McKnight points to the rise of a new politics based on moral values, and argues that the Left needs to rethink its fundamental ideas. He offers a positive political vision beyond Right and Left which he calls a 'new humanism', based on classic principles of freedom, compassion for others and the common good. Provocative, original and incisive, Beyond Right and Left is certain to spark widespread debate.'Subtle, incisive, courageous; bound to be a watershed in Australian progressive politics' Clive Hamilton, author of Growth Fetish 'David McKnight gives us the tools to work out where we stand and what unites rather than divides us as the struggle to defend our democracy begins in earnest.' Margo Kingston, author of Not Happy John
GST Note: GST is included in the price of this item. GST is included in the freight. | 1,561 | 850 | 0.001179 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.