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warc | 201704 | Behavior Design Bootcamp with Stanford’s Dr. BJ Fogg
I was recently in Northern California by way of an invitation from Dr. BJ Fogg, head of Stanford University's Persuasive Technology Lab, to study and learn his new behavior design methodology. In addition to his landmark successes at Stanford and in industry (like groundbreaking research and several patents), BJ travels the globe training innovators at large, consumer-facing companies on how to build products and experiences that create new behaviors. Admittedly, behavior design can sound a bit “heady.” Don’t let it throw you. BJ’s students have sited his instruction in persuasive technology and behavior design as key tenets in the success of their ventures. I’m talking about things like sitting atop the New York Times Best Seller list and founding companies like Instagram, 4INFO, Pulse, Friend.ly, and LikeALittle, among others. From what I already know about BJ and his thought leadership in psychology, technology, and innovation, I’m positive that my observations and notes from the behavior design bootcamp experience will yield a tremendous amount of application whether you’re an entrepreneur, designer, developer, VC, technologist, communicator, marketer, or any combination thereof. As an experience designer operating at the four-way intersection of design thinking, human behavior, technology, and systems thinking, I jumped at the chance to join nine others from around the world to be one of the first to participate in BJ's behavior design bootcamp of sorts. Over the course of a few days, nestled along the shore of the Russian River in Sonoma wine country (sounds rough, I know), I studied BJ's research and insights into human psychology that have shaped a new discipline called Captology (Computers As Persuasive Technology), as well as his methodology for evaluating opportunities and creating solutions faster. BJ promised to teach us "to see what others don’t," and to think systematically about behavior change. We studied his methods for creating new products that influence people, along with the three elements that must converge to cause behavior: motivation, ability, and triggers. Using start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, and products alike as case fodder, BJ shared his approach to mapping target behaviors, the key to prioritizing them, and his step-by-step process for designing and testing solutions that until now has been reserved only for students enrolled at Stanford. Before I left for San Francisco, my four-year-old daughter, Ellie, instructed, "Dad, as soon as you're back from your conference I want to know all the names of your new friends." That’s her new thing- she always wants to know the names of my new friends. My obligation to Ellie notwithstanding, I'm thrilled to be able to share my learnings with the Technori community and look forward to serving up insights with real-time application relevant for engineers, designers, and founders alike. So, here we go!
Behavior Design Bootcamp: Day OneTen of us and BJ settled in around a large table in the dining room of BJ's guest home. After short introductions (more in-depth explanations would come later), we dove right into the first exercise. The entire day was spent becoming familiar with BJ's Behavior Theory - his understanding of behavior and human nature, and learning how we too can be successful in designing for impact. BJ made it clear at the outset that the point of Day One was to learn, understand, and apply how behavior works. We would be required to deliver a diagrammed explanation of his model to the group in exactly two minutes. To make this happen, we spent the day working on individual exercises, partner activities, group projects, and delivery of the model. This is Not Design ThinkingI think it makes sense now to call attention to the distinction between Dr. Fogg's Behavior Theory - the emerging discipline of behavior design - and the widening concept of design thinking. In my mind, both occupy some similar space but are not mutually exclusive or competing thought architectures. BJ and I briefly discussed how design thinking and behavior design relate to one another, and he admittedly has not arrived at a definitive relationship, though he believes they are complimentary. I'm hopeful Dr. Fogg is willing to have an ongoing conversation with me about their relationship, and work with the design community to develop a framework in which behavior design and design thinking can be successfully leveraged together. Held in comparison, behavior design fits quite nicely into the larger DesignThinking or Human Centered Design process, and can be employed with great effect as part of a design thinker's arsenal. Yes, behavior design is like a lot of other great theories and equations: its simple mechanics are capable of quickly exploding beyond linear explanation once considered in practice and explored in application. First, I’ll tackle the behavior model and unpack each of the three elements of behavior. I’ll follow-up that explanation with the basics of BJ’s Fogg Behavior Theory, which envelopes the model quite nicely. And finally, I will leave you with a handful of soundbites as food for thought. The Behavior ModelBJ says behavior happens when three things converge in the same moment. If a behavior does not happen, at least one element is missing. The key, he says, is to put "hot triggers" in the path of motivated people. BEHAVIOR = MOTIVATION + ABILITY + TRIGGERLet's unpack the formula in reverse: TriggersA "trigger" is simply what many of us label a "call to action." We can also call triggers prompts or cues. A trigger is the mechanism that precipitates an act. Easy enough. MotivationHere's where we go astray. By and large, we spend altogether too much time attempting to influence and move motivation levels. Efforts meant to appeal and elicit spikes in someones motivation are otherwise known as marketing, advertising, or promotions. We work tirelessly to appeal to our customer's points of pleasure or pain, to inspire hope or spike fear, and to intimate social acceptance or rejection. AbilityMotivation is a slippery construct, and Dr. Fogg proposes our time is better spent designing with more attention to ability. In other words, simplifying—making things easier to do—yields more desired outcomes (results) than attempting to convince your audience that they care or should care. When it comes to the behavior design equation, ability > motivation. Above, you'll see "motivation" and "ability" on x-y axes. Behaviors dynamically fall along an ability continuum extending from "hard to do" to "easy to do." Here's an example: it's easier for me to make a donation to President Obama's re-election campaign online than it is to drive it up to his house on Pennsylvania Avenue. The motivation affecting behavior can also be visualized along a spectrum, dynamically ranging from low to high. If I'm an Obama fan boy, you know my motivation is sky high. If I'm the leader of my local tea party, I'm likely not motivated to be as benevolent to Obama's 2012 campaign. When we consider motivation and ability together, triggering a behavior that someone cares about- and is easy to do- will likely produce the desired outcome. If I've signed up for emails from Barack Obama, I've given an indication of my motivation level- it's pretty high, right? So, when I get an email following President Obama's weekly address and his campaign team recaps the address with key points and weaves in a $50 donation request that's easy for me to act on, the likelihood of me engaging in that act goes up. In contrast, if I received an email following the President's address and instead asks me for $10,000, I'm exponentially less likely to make a donation because I don't have the ability to make a $10,000 gift. As you've probably noticed through my Obama campaign example, there's a tradeoff between motivation and ability that's visualized as a near 90 degree slope on the x-y axes. Dr. Fogg calls this slope the activation threshold, and the area above it indicates the "place" where triggers succeed. Put another way, that's your market. As marketers, we're looking for people who have the motivation and ability to do what we're asking them to do. If you haven't thought about your market along these dimensions or in the context of the behavior design equation, it can be pretty helpful. Consider again the email I received from the Barack Obama campaign. Instead of underscoring the salient points of the weekly address (tying them to the need for my donation), let's say the email promoted the video of the address and subsequently saved the solicitation for $50 until after the video. In this case, the likelihood of the behavior occurring is much lower. Why? Even though I may have the motivation and fiscal ability to make the gift, perhaps I'm not able to play video on my device, or I am riding on the quiet Metra car, or maybe I just didn't have the time to watch the video. This example demonstrates the possibility that a trigger can be too ambiguous, too broad, or unable to adequately drive to the desired end result. Fogg Behavior TheoryIt's certainly a simple equation, but it becomes much more complex in practice. It was interesting to experience the waves of understanding come and go throughout the first day of bootcamp. There were definitely points when I felt I had a handle on the approach, and other times when I thought it was too obtuse or exclusive. Dr. Fogg breaks the equation out into these three precepts as part of his behavior theory: The easier the behavior is to do, the more likely a person is to do it. The more motivated someone is, the more likely a desired behavior is to happen. No behavior happens without a trigger. Closing Soundbites (For Now)In closing, here are a few “soundbites” to help reframe the core principles I wrote about above with some fresh precepts: Simplicity changes behavior. Break it down. Make it tiny. “Crispify,” as BJ likes to say. Behaviors achieve outcomes. Contrary to popular belief, attitudes do not. Geography (context) is a huge predictor of a particular behavior's success. Focus on ability/simplicity, not motivation. Focus on gateway activities that trigger domino effect behaviors. | 10,398 | 4,791 | 0.000211 |
warc | 201704 | A shuttered St. Charles Avenue fountain store that began life as a gas station decades ago should not be torn down to make room for a new condominium building, the City Planning Commission has recommended.
The building at 7901 St. Charles Ave. was most recently used to sell French fountains and other decorative stone, but its former use as a gas station dates back to at least 1937, according to city documents. Oster Development, based in Old Metairie, is proposing to tear down the old shop and erect a three-story, six-unit condo building on the property.
Don Oster, of Oster Development, told the Planning Commission on Tuesday that he is aware of the neighborhood’s attachment to the building, so he looked into whether it could be moved to another site. Unfortunately, he said, the building’s design and its deteriorated condition make moving it impossible.
“The building is in disarray and could not withstand the attempt to move it,” he said. “The building is full, and I do mean full, of active termites. … If I could figure out a way to move the building, I would be happy to do it.”
Oster’s plan drew the support of one nearby neighborhood group, Maple Area Residents Inc.
Dorothea Martin, the group’s president, said it seems unlikely the old building will be renovated and that if a new use isn’t found, it will simply continue to deteriorate.
“As the streetcar goes by, you’ll be able to point to a ruin,” Martin said.
The city planning staff had recommended against the project, citing a number of issues. First, the zoning in that area of St. Charles permits apartments only in historic buildings, not in new construction. Second, the specific type of zoning Oster is requesting is usually reserved for much larger developments — those that take up a half a city block or more.
Some neighbors were upset about the size of the proposed building and the loss of the unique little building that has for so long been part of the St. Charles Avenue landscape at Fern Street.
“The idea of a six-unit facility on this tiny little lot is so upsetting to me,” said Courtney Bullock, who lives on Fern. “I can’t believe someone would want this as their neighbor on this cute, quaint street.”
Dennis Herlihy, of the Uptown Triangle Neighborhood Association, said he attended an informational meeting hosted by the developers, and the majority of the neighbors there were opposed to the project.
“The major concern was the neighborhood’s emotional attachment to that property and its value, seeing a developer coming in and attempting to demolish a part of our culture,” Herlihy said.
Oster said he understands neighbors’ concerns about parking but that the condo proposal calls for 12 parking spaces on the site — two for each condo. Any new commercial use of the site, he said, would cause more parking congestion in the neighborhood than his condo plan.
“Any use I can think of for that commercial building is going to generate a much larger parking nightmare for that neighborhood than these six condominium homes would,” Oster said.
The City Planning Commission members were more swayed by the technical arguments against the proposal made by the planning staff, which Commissioner Robert Steeg called “clear in its reasoning.” The commission voted 7-0 to deny the developers’ request, but Commissioner Kyle Wedberg urged neighbors to be realistic about the future of the property.
“At some point, a developer is going to come in front of you, and it would behoove the neighborhood to get behind some alternative use,” Wedberg said. “It sounds like ... this structure ... doesn’t have much longevity left as a commercial structure.”
The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be sent to the City Council for a final decision. The site is in Councilwoman Susan Guidry’s district.
UptownMessenger.com is an independent online news site serving the Uptown neighborhoods of New Orleans. | 4,095 | 1,905 | 0.000552 |
warc | 201704 | Australia's booming wedding industry is worth $4.3 billion a year, with the average wedding costing $36,000, according to the market research group IBISWorld.
That figure marks a 6.5 per cent rise from 2010, and is predicted to grow to $4.7 billion in five years.
Scores of businesses attuned to this massive market target their marketing at the bride, while the beefy side of the bargain, the groom, goes neglected - or did.
Welcome to Essential Groom. The online guide for grooms offers leads on everything from attire to honeymoon destinations. It also gives advice on every challenge from pre-nup contracts to black tie dress code and bucks party lap dancing alternatives; fancy a crocodile cage diving session anyone?
Until the Woolloomooloo-based start-up debuted this June, about the only resource for budding Aussie hubbies was men's magazines obsessed with “grooming or getting a six-pack”, says Essential Groom co-founder Arian Neiron, 32.
Two years before, when newly engaged, the finance industry veteran was chatting to his future business partner, self-styled “internet adventurer” Anthony Salamon, about his big day which Neiron eagerly anticipated with one key qualm.
Neiron had no idea what was expected of him as a groom. Scouring the web and a local newsagent's magazine rack for insight, he encountered a “void” - the only remotely relevant fodder was abs-fixated men's lifestyle magazines. Neiron and Salamon decided to plug the gap in the market.
Print was out, they reckoned, because no Aussie male would be seen dead reading a glossy wedding magazine. “So we decided digital was the way to go,” Neiron says.
He and Salamon then searched for a chief editor and picked then
GQ associate editor Matthew Paroz. The launched proceeded on the back of a modest $35,000 in savings.
Neiron says the hardest part was “pioneering the space”.
Because few Australian firms service grooms, convincing clients that a market existed for the new niche enterprise proved tough.
“When you take the plunge, you have to really persist,” Neiron says.
Essential Groom is set to turn a profit this year, according to Neiron, who describes his operational style as striking a balance between supplying good service, innovating and having fun fuelled by the booze in the company fridge.
One of Essential Groom's best moments, he says, came after it appeared in a
Today show 'groomzilla' feature. Scores of female viewers Tweeted their glee about the emergence of the online portal that sets out to coach and inspire wedding grooms.
But the worst moment for Essential Groom was the same
Today show episode. “What's happened to Australian men?” host Kyle Stefanovic asked at the end.
Neiron says he found it frustrating that a famous presenter, “who is more 'metro' than the average Australian bloke”, recognised neither the light side of the story nor the point of the business.
Grooms need professional help, according to Neiron. Hurdles that a groom has to face include buying the ring, funding the honeymoon and contributing to a wedding budget that he likens to a home loan deposit.
Male marriage jitters: a wedding day groom's top five worries 1. I really hope the best man has brought the ring. 2. I hope I'm not so nervous that I sweat profusely at the altar in front of everyone. 3. I wonder what on earth the best man plans to say in his speech. 4. I'm really not so sure about the idea of eternal commitment. 5. I wonder what the final damages will be for the whole shebang. | 3,583 | 1,843 | 0.000558 |
warc | 201704 | I'm frankly rather shocked that Steve Pearlstein would say something like this in a radio interview:
SIEGEL: If in fact this is part lobbying, part trying to generate the argument in Washington that business needs a better environment to encourage them to spend, is it something that's going to last a few months until the end of the elections, say? Is there a political calendar driving what becomes of that $1.8 trillion?
Mr. PEARLSTEIN: I don't think so. I don't think they're that Machiavellian and manipulative. What may be driving it is the annual budget reviews at most companies. And so in the fall, they'll decide to do stuff that they might have decided not to do last fall when the economy really looked a lot weaker than it does. So some of these is the natural budget cycle.
And some of it, to be quite frank, Robert, is an appalling lack of imagination and guts on the part of these same CEOs who are complaining and pointing the finger at every else. You know, these guys are very good at cutting. They're very good at blaming others. They're a little less good at coming up with creative new products and services, and they've got a little flabby in that regard in the last few years where the focus has been on surviving and cutting, as it should had been. But they're not the gutsiest group of people in the world.
And by the way, they get into this group think which you - you know, the fact that they all say it, it's sort of like a notion that starts in the country club locker room, and everyone is nodding, and then the one passes it on to the other. And now, you know, this similarity of the comments betrays this sort of group think that is almost self-fulfilling at this point.
Look, do you hear Steve Jobs complaining out at Apple about this? No, he's busy trying to figure out how to fix the antenna and produce more of those iPads, which he, you know, he can't get enough of.
This is the business reporter equivalent of an economic commentator asking why all those lazy slobs collecting extended unemployment benefits don't get up off their asses and find a goddamn job rather than whining to the government for a handout, because after all, LeBron James just got a new job and a raise!
Apple's a great company, but it's hardly an example that many American firms are going to be able to emulate, for reasons that anyone who writes a business column presumably understands--and any business columnist who's confident that he could easily imitate one of the most successful companies in the world should probably stop grinding out columns for chump change and go found his business empire. On the other hand, if Steve Pearlstein, like most of the rest of us, does not know how to go about creating blockbuster new products, then it seems kind of fatuous to deride executive worries on the grounds that they wouldn't have to
worry if they'd just invent an iPad now and again.
I myself have long been skeptical of the Amity Shlaes thesis on the Great Depression--but not skeptical enough to make fun of CEO's fighting a collapse in aggregate demand and a hostile new regulatory environment for being a bunch of unimaginative ******s who spend too much time listening to the boys down at the country club. If there's one thing that business school taught me, it's that running a company is really hard, and that most people who think they could do better are merely displaying their ignorance of what's involved.
Don't get me wrong--I find the conservative "if corporations did it, it must have been the profit-maximizing thing to do" equally grating; corporations make plenty of stupid mistakes. But there's plenty of reason that corporations should be worried about government regulation--you've got a sweeping new health care program, a pretty wide-reaching financial reform, and a host of changes in other industries that should give many different companies pause when they thing about expanding their organizations. I see no reason to believe that it's a primary driver of the recession. But given what we know about corporations, capital, and uncertainty, I also have a hard time believing that the regulatory environment is making no difference whatsoever.
More to the point, when executives tell me that they're worried about regulations, I see no reason to disbelieve what they say in favor of concocting imaginary scenes in country club locker rooms. | 4,401 | 2,165 | 0.000463 |
warc | 201704 | I am buying a house, and am therefore faced with the choice between a 15 year mortgage at 2.875% and a 30 year mortgage at 3.49% (as of a couple of days ago; those rates have probably changed a little by now).
The main advantage of the 15 year mortgage is that it comes with a lower interest rate and, because I’m making larger monthly payments, it keeps my money out of the stock market, which is good if the market tanks. The main advantage of the 30 year mortgage is that it allows me to keep more money in the stock market for a much longer time, which is good if the market does well.
How should I weigh those factors? Economics tells me that I will solve this problem by forecasting the return on equities over each of the next 30 years, and computing, on the basis of my forecast, which mortgage will leave me richer in the long run. No, that’s not quite right. Actually, economics tells me that I’ll make
many forecasts, assign each one a probability, and thereby compute two probability distributions for my future net worth and then choose the distribution I prefer.
Now let’s get serious. | 1,125 | 595 | 0.00172 |
warc | 201704 | International News
Zambia: Government's SMS System for HIV Test Results
March 29, 2010
Zambia's Ministry of Health is piloting a project that sends newborn HIV test results back to community health centers via text messaging, shortening to three to five days a process that used to take up to 10 weeks and getting infected babies onto antiretroviral (ARV) treatment earlier.
Victor Munkonka, director of public health in the ministry, noted that the delay in administering ARVs in children who are less than 18 months old was contributing to high infant death rates in Zambia. He is optimistic that the program, once implemented nationally, will help reduce the country's infant mortality rate by more than 50 percent.
Felistus Chipako of the Media Network on Child Rights and Development said the government's introduction of SMS as a way of addressing pediatric HIV is an encouraging development. Zambia's child mortality is among sub-Saharan Africa's highest, with 119 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2008, she said.
"The system also calls for intensive counseling for mothers on how to handle the whole thing when given the results," Chipako added.
Adapted from:
Inter Press Service
03.24.2010; Violet Nakamba Mengo
This article was provided by CDC National Prevention Information Network. It is a part of the publication
CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update. | 1,389 | 834 | 0.001212 |
warc | 201704 | Hepatitis A appears to be more resistant to heat than other viruses. Alaboratory study by Peterson et al. (1978, as cited in Gerba et al., 1985)showed that hepatitis A viruses in infected oysters were inactivated afterheating at 140°F for 19 minutes. Therefore, mollusks which are steamed onlyuntil the shells open (a common cooking practice) are not exposed to heat longenough to inactivate hepatitis A viruses.Norwalk virus was first recognized as a pathogen during an outbreak ofgastroenteritis in Norwalk, Ohio in 1968 (Adler and Zicki, 1969, as cited inGerba et al., 1985). It is now considered a major cause of non-bacterialgastroenteritis. From 1976 to 1980, the CDC reported that 42% of the outbreaksof non-bacterial gastroenteritis were caused by Norwalk virus (Kaplan et al.,1982, as cited in Gerba et al., 1985).
Contaminated Species
Illness from norwalk virus has been associated with eating clams (both rawand steamed) (Morse et al., 1986; Porter et al., 1987), oysters (Gunn et al.,1982; Eyles et al., 1981) and cockles (Appleton and Pereira, 1977, as cited inGunn et al.,1981).
Symptoms & Treatment
Norwalk virus causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps andoccasionally fever in humans. Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually begin within40 hours (range 12 - 72 hours) of consuming contaminated food. Gastroenteritiscoused by norwalk virus is a self-limiting illness which usually persists <48 hours, but can last a long as 1 week.
Poliovirus
Some of the more frequently recovered viruses from shellfish are thepolioviruses because of the common practice of immunizing American childrenagainst polio (Larkin and Hunt, 1982). The vaccine consists of live attenuatedviruses that replicate in the intestine but produce few or no clinicvalsymptoms. Children who have been immunized excrete viruses (from 1000 to1,000,000 viruses/gram feces) for several days after the vaccine isadministered. An examination of 20% of the polioviruses isolated from the TexasGulf showed that all were of vaccinal origin. Since the viruses in the vaccineare modified, they present no health hazard if consumed by humans.
Bacterial Contaminants
Listeria Monocytogenes
In the early 1900's Listeria monocytogenes was recognized as abacterium which caused illness in farm animals. More recently it has beenidentified as the causative agent of listeriosis in humans.
Listeria is ubiquitous in nature and has been isolated from soil,vegetation, marine sediments and water (Peters, 1989). It is a gram-positive,non-spore forming, motile rod (Gellin and Broome, 1989). This facultativeanaerobe, can grow between 1 - 45°C (Peters, 1989), with an optimal growthtemperature of 30 - 37°C (USFDA, 1987). The pH range for growth ofListeria is also tolerant to salt (Peters, 1989).
Contaminated Species
The greatest threat of listeriosis is from ready-to-eat products which do notrequire further cooking at home. Listeria in raw food is less of aconcern to the food industry since the bacteria are killed when cookedthoroughly. Listeria has been isolated from dairy products (MMWR, 1989),vegetables (Hughey and JOhnson, 1987), seafood (Lennon et al., 1984), beef andpoultry (Peters, 1989). Seafood that have tested positive for Listeriainclude: raw fish (NFI, 1989), cooked crabs (Anonymous, 1987), raw and cookedshrimp (Anonymous, 1987), raw lobster, surimi and smoked fish (NFI, 1989).
Although the USFDA has isolated Listeria from seafood, listeriosis hasnot been directly associated with the consumption of finfish or shellfish. It isnot understood why Listeria has been recovered from seafood but has notcaused illness. The USFDA has proposed a number of theories to explain thisphenomenon (USFDA, 1987). It is posible that cases of listeriosis have occurredfrom seafood but have been unreported or misdiagnosed. It has also beensuggested that Listeria may not be virulent in all foods. Seafood maycontain components that reduce the virulence of Listeria; or converselymilk and vegetables may contain components that enhance the virulence.
Geographical Area
Listeria is a contaminant introduced to foods during processing.Therefore, no particular geographic areas are especially susceptible tocontamination. Listeriosis is reported to occur most commonly in the summermonths, but a consistent seasonality has not been observed in systematicallycollected data (Gellin and Broome, 1989).
Symptoms & Treatment
The incubation period of Listeria is estimated to be between 4 daysand 3 weeks (Gellin and Broome, 1989). Exposure to the bacteria does notconstitue disease. Pathogenic strains of Listeria have been recoveredfrom the gastrointestinal tract of asymptomatic individuals (Lamont andPostleth-Waite, 1986, as cited in Gellin and Broome, 1989). Most healthyindividuals are either unaffected by Listeria, or experience only mildflu-like symptoms (Peters, 1989).
Victims of severe listeriosis are usually immunocompromised. Those at highestrisk of contracting listeriosis include: cancer patients, individuals takingimmunosuppressive drugs, alcoholics, pregnant women, patients with diminishedgastric acidity (Ho et al., 1986, as cited in Gellin and Broome, 1989) andindividuals with AIDS (Mascola et al., 1988, as cited in Gellin and Broome,1989). Severe listeriosis can cause meningitis, abortions, septicemia,encephalitis, endocarditis, abscesses and local purulent lesions, malaise,fever, vomiting, violent or bursting headache and convulsions (Lennon et al.,1984; Gellin and Broome, 1989).
Stastistics
Since 1981 there have been three major outbreaks of listeriosis in NorthAmerica (Gellin and Broome, 1989). The three outbreaks were traced tocontaminated coleslaw (occurred in Nova Scotia, Canada), milk and Mexican-stylecheese. Aside from these major outbreaks, listeriosis is generally a sporadicillness (Gillin and Broome, 1989). Recently there was an isolated case (a femalecancer patient in Oklahoma) of listeriosis which was traced to contaminatedturkey hot dogs (Anonymous, 1989). A recent epidemic of perinatal listeriosis inNew Zealand was loosely linked to the consumption of shellfish and raw fish, buta definitive connection to seafood could not be drawn (Lennon et al., 1984).
Detection & Protection
Sterile-site cultures can be used to detect Listeria monocytogenes.This method requires 10 days for negative results and 14 days for presumptivepositive results (USFDA, 1988). More rapid results are now possible withcommercial DNA hybridization kits (Gene-Trak) (King et al., 1989; Klinger etal., 1988; USFDA, 1989), or ELISA kits (Organon Teknika) (Mattingly et al.,1988; USFDA, 1988).Listeriosis can be prevented by thoroughly cooking food, and by preventingcross contamination once the food is cooked.
Vibrio cholerae
Vibrio cholerae is an autochthonous bacteria of brackish water,estuaries, and salt marshes of temperate zone coastal areas (Hood and Ness,1982; Colwell et al., 1981). Unlike the other vibrios, Vibrio cholerae(and Vibrio mimicus) does not require salt for growth (Blake, 1983). It is aGram negative, curved, rod-shaped bacterium which is actively motile (Morris andBlack, 1985). It has been suggested that V. cholerae exists inassociation with copepods since the bacteria produce chitinase and exhibitsimilar seasonal fluctuations (Shandera et al., 1983). Higher densities of V.cholerae are recovered during warmer months (Blake, 1983).
The Icons below will guide you to the other Seafood Safety Pages | 7,471 | 3,382 | 0.000297 |
warc | 201704 | Our nation depends on truck drivers to deliver goods and services safely and efficiently. Yet, crashes involving large trucks continue to take a toll on truck drivers, their passengers, other road users, businesses, and the community. Overall, 317,000 motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks were reported to police in 2012, according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimated cost of truck and bus crashes to the United States economy was $99 billion that same year. About 2.6 million workers in the US drive trucks that weigh over 10,000 pounds. After dropping to 35-year lows in 2009, the number of crash fatalities of truck drivers or their passengers increased between 2009 and 2012. Approximately 700 drivers of large trucks or their passengers died in crashes in 2012, and an estimated 26,000 were injured. About 65 percent of on-the-job deaths of truck drivers in 2012 were the result of a motor vehicle crash. More than a third of the drivers who died were not wearing a seat belt.
“We know that using a seat belt is the single most effective intervention to prevent injury or death in a motor vehicle crash. However, in 2012 more than 1 in 3 truck drivers who died in crashes were not buckled up, a simple step which could have prevented up to 40 percent of these deaths” said CDC Principal Deputy Director Ileana Arias, Ph.D. “Employers and government agencies at all levels can help improve truck driver safety and increase seat belt use among truck drivers by having strong company safety programs and enforcing state and federal laws.”
This Vital Signs report includes data from the National Survey of US Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury, conducted by CDC at 32 truck stops along interstate highways across the United States in 2010. Key findings from the survey include:
An estimated 14 percent of long-haul truck drivers reported not using a seat belt on every trip.
Over one-third of long-haul truck drivers had been involved in one or more serious crashes during their driving careers.
Long-haul truck drivers who reported not wearing seat belts also tended to engage in other unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding and committing moving violations. They were also more likely to work for an employer that did not have a written workplace safety program.
Long-haul truck drivers who lived in a state with a primary seat belt law – the law that allows police to stop motorists solely for being unbelted – were more likely to report often using a seat belt.
“Using a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in the event of a crash,” said Stephanie Pratt, PhD, coordinator of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Center for Motor Vehicle Safety. “The smartest strategy for overall safety is to prevent truck crashes from happening in the first place. Employers can help prevent crashes and injuries through comprehensive driver safety programs that address other known risk factors such as drowsy and distracted driving.”
What can be done to reduce the risk of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths among truck drivers?
States can help increase seat belt use by truck drivers through high-visibility enforcement of seat belt laws by state troopers and motor carrier safety inspectors.
Employers can establish and enforce company safety policies, including belt-use requirements for truck drivers and passengers as well as bans on text-messaging and use of handheld phones.
Employers can educate truck drivers about ways to avoid distracted and drowsy driving.
Engineering and design changes that provide increased comfort and range of motion and allow adjustments for diverse body types might increase use of seat belts by truck drivers.
For more information on motor vehicle safety at work, including trucker safety, please visit the NIOSH Motor Vehicle Safety page. Released in conjunction with this month’s Vital Signs is the NIOSH Long-Haul Truck Drivers page. Both these topic pages offer research results, resources, and useful links for employers and workers.
********** Published: March 12, 2015 - Volume 13 - Issue 48 | 4,242 | 1,910 | 0.000532 |
warc | 201704 | It is a privilege asserted by celebrities. On occasion, before you sit down with a movie star who is in the midst of a troubling personal situation - say, an action hero in marital meltdown from too much action on the side; or a starlet recently sprung from the clink after a spot of shoplifting - a personal publicist will pull you aside and try to insist you not ask "personal questions."
But what is to be made of an international economist who begins a conversation with the same suppressing stipulation? The other day, the author Dambisa Moyo was still settling into a banquette at the French bistro Le Select in downtown Toronto to discuss her new book,
How the West Was Lost when she said, "I don't know whether they told you - I suppose it depends where the conversation goes - but I don't do personal."
What does that mean? "My whole personal life. I just don't think it's relevant or interesting."
Is Ms. Moyo being coy? Willfully naive? For her status - indeed, one might say her celebrity, or her brand - is indubitably due in part to her unusual biography.
Two years ago, she became the It Girl of the popular economics press for her first book,
Dead Aid, which argues that development aid to Africa had bred corruption and dependence on the West. While a number of Western thinkers had made the same case, here was a native daughter of Zambia finally giving them cover from accusations of racism and stinginess. Forbes ran an excerpt. The New York Times called her "the anti-Bono." Time magazine put her on its list of the world's 100 most influential people of 2009. The book became a bestseller and was translated into Chinese, German, Greek, Italian, and other languages.
Born in Lusaka, Ms. Moyo, 42, spent her early years in the United States, where her father earned his PhD. The family returned to Zambia when she was 8 years old. Her mother took a job in banking, eventually becoming the chairwoman of the state-owned Indo-Zambia Bank; her father heads a local anti-corruption organization. At age 19, Ms. Moyo followed her parents' expatriate inclinations, leaving Zambia to work at the World Bank. She received a masters of public administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, an MBA in finance at the American University in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in economics from Oxford University.
After working about eight years for Goldman Sachs in capital markets, primarily conducting bond issues for emerging economies such as Turkey, South Africa and Israel, Ms. Moyo left the bank upon the publication of
Dead Aid to pursue life as a public intellectual.
If it seems a glamorous existence, it can also be gruelling. Before her 24-hour stop in Toronto, she'd been on the road for six weeks. Still to come in the next seven days was Ottawa, Boston, New York, Houston, Bogota, Cartagena and Atlanta. She wouldn't be home in London for another week after that. A cold she'd picked up along the way was sapping her energy and appetite, leaving her poking dutifully but without enthusiasm at a goat cheese omelette.
Dead Aid still alive and well
While her new book is causing a stir, the bulk of the crowds flocking to hear Ms. Moyo - including about 150 at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management on the evening before this lunch at Le Select - want to talk about
Dead Aid. And though she's adept at conspicuously dropping the titles of both her books into conversation, she still seems more animated by the issues in Dead Aid than in discussing how the United States could recover from decades of fiscal mismanagement, the subject of How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly - and the Stark Choices Ahead
She says that may be because "there's much more discourse around the things in the second book." Nevertheless, she says she doesn't think people in the United States "really understand how bad it is." (She was speaking before this week's credit downgrade warning from Standard & Poor's vaulted the U.S. national debt back into the news.)
How the West Was Lost offers a greatest-hits package of the policies that have helped put some of the world's largest economies in a historic bind: cheap money, a preference for consumption over investment, a gutting of the public education system, and the Ponzi-like schemes of unfunded public pension liabilities. (She writes of "Western economies," but her focus really is the United States.) The book argues that, unless the West takes drastic measures, it will be surpassed by the emerging economics of China, India, Russia and Brazil.
Ms. Moyo says the two books are joined by the theme of unintended consequences: Just as billions sent to Africa helped create a culture of corruption, misaligned incentives for home ownership created a devastating housing bubble in the U.S. While she believes it is the place of government to create a strong regulatory environment that allows appropriate incentives to flourish, she disagrees with government itself creating those incentives. "I do not believe in any forms of policies where I fear that government gets involved and alters, manipulates - in any manner - encourages us to make different decisions than we otherwise might have," she says.
While that may seem sensible enough,
How the West Was Lost has received some withering reviews, including a critique by the Economist that noted numerous factual errors and one by the Financial Times' international economy editor that suggested Ms. Moyo deployed "distortions and inventions" to justify her extreme theories. Hard to pin down
But though she says she writes her books to draw people into a debate and persuade them "based on logic and evidence," it can be frustrating to try to divine her exact position. The cover of her new book features a U.S. $100 bill with a picture of Mao Zedong in place of Benjamin Franklin, but when asked about the rise of China, she says, "I just think there's almost an overobsession with what's going on with China."
And while she decries the sound-bite-oriented culture that makes it difficult for a national government to have a mature, honest conversation with its citizens about economic priorities, she concludes
How the West Was Lost with four scenarios that seem designed to attract shocked attention, including what she argues is a strong possibility for the U.S. to default on its debt.
But when pressed on the relative likelihood of each scenario playing out, she offers a mild defence of their inclusion in the book. "Policymaking is not absolute science," she says. "Who's to say? If I say, doggedly, 'Oh, the U.S. is never going to recover' - they could tomorrow change their policy stand and become much more aggressive on education and energy policy, and the outcome would be completely different."
Awkward moment
Still, there is only a single moment when lunch turns notably awkward. While discussing her work at Goldman, I ask, off-hand, "Good money?"
"What does that mean?" she replies, her vowels tightening up. "Is there a threshold?" I explain that investment banking has a reputation of attracting people interested in making money. "I didn't go there for the money," she says. And then, an upbraiding: "I lived in the U.S. for 15 years, and 11 years in Europe, and I've always thought it was bordering on bad manners to ask people about their incomes or how much they earned."
Talk turns to other matters: her extensive travel through Asia, how often she gets back to Zambia to visit with her family, and her position as a non-executive director of multinational companies. Last year she was appointed to the board of Barclays Bank, becoming the only woman in that position. She is also a board member of SAB Miller. "It's a global company. A big chunk of the bottom line comes from the emerging markets, that's my background," she explains.
"My remuneration is public," she adds wearily. "In case you want to know."Report Typo/Error
Followon Twitter: | 7,997 | 3,947 | 0.000256 |
warc | 201704 | Whether you’re bored from doing the same exercise every day for the past 5 years, or you’re just wondering where to start, it can be hard to build up the confidence to try a new type of exercise. (picture source)
But if you don’t continue to mix up your routine, you may end up bored, injured, burned out, or missing out on a form of exercise that you really love! (See this post on the benefits of mixing up your workout routine and this post on how to increase your exercise without getting injured for more information).
On Monday, you may have seen on Instagram that I went to Body Pump for the first time in about a year. I got really into Body Pump in the summer and fall of 2012 and was going consistently, but then I fell off the wagon at the beginning of 2013. Of course, I’ve stayed in shape with running, biking, yoga, circuit workouts, bodyweight strength training, and who knows what else. But something about going back to Body Pump really intimidated me! What if I couldn’t lift as much as I used to be able to lift? What if the instructor realized that I hadn’t been there for a year? What if the routines were so different that I didn’t know what I was doing? What if I accidentally took “the” spot that someone stands in during every single class, and they were glaring at me the whole class? (picture source)
Well, I decided I needed some strength training, and I walked into class anyway.
You’ll never believe what happened… No onecalled attention to the fact that I hadn’t been there in a year. The instructor smiled and said hi when I walked in. No onereally even looked at me – everyone was minding their own business and enjoying their own workout. I started with lower weights than I was used to so as not to hurt myself, and no onewas judging me for using light weights. I still got an amazing workout, and felt a bit sore yesterday without feeling like I had overdone it or couldn’t walk. I had a blast, and remembered why I enjoyed going to Body Pump so much in the first place!
I know, it’s shocking. (Have you gotten my sarcasm yet?) It was so fun that yesterday, I decided to try another new thing, and went to a new-to-me yoga studio that I’ve heard so much about. I went through the same emotions (“What if
this yoga studio is different than the dozens of other yoga studios I’ve been to, and I somehow end up looking like a total idiot?”), but it turned out great! (picture source)
So please, try something new this week. Go in, tell the instructor you’re new or ask for help, start out slowly, and then put one foot in front of the other and just do it! If you don’t like it, you can always try something else. If you mess up and look stupid, you’re probably the only one that notices. If you can’t run for more than 10 seconds or can’t get into a yoga pose or can’t lift a weight that everyone else is lifting, well, at least you have something to work towards now! And I guarantee you that you’ll feel more accomplished for trying something new than you would have if you had stayed on the couch. (picture source)
**If you happen to be in Austin, check out the *free* Texas Training Kick-Off Party that’s happening Sunday, January 26th. It’s going to be a great time full of running, new friends, and refreshments – wish I could be there! And remember, if you’re up for the ZOOMA Texas Half Marathon in Austin on April 12th, use discount code TXAMB8 for 10% off!** So tell me in the comments … Are you good at stepping out of your “fitness comfort zone”? What’s the last new thing you tried, fitness or otherwise? | 3,730 | 1,778 | 0.000591 |
warc | 201704 | Beyoncé Before and After the Master Cleanse
A lot was written about Beyoncé's weight loss (losing 20 pounds in 10 days) on the Master Cleanse for her movie role in "Dreamgirls" where her character first appears on screen as 16 years old, then later as 36.
While it was true that Beyoncé was 14 pounds lighter and looked 10 years younger for shooting the younger part, there were many misconceptions in the articles that I'd like to clarify.
Misconception #1: "Health experts claim that this diet sends each of its followers in a hospital if they try it more than 10 days." (originally written in www.playfuls.com and then reprinted in www.chinadaily.com.cn).
The truth: Literally thousands of people do the Master Cleanse for anywhere between 10 and 40 days and feel better afterwards. I personally have done it 18 times and 6 of those were for more than 10 days. I have never been to the hospital since I started eating better (predominantly raw vegetarian, but not completely) and doing regular Master Cleanses (about 1 every 3 months). Many more experiences can be found in my book, Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days. (Click here to buy it.)
Misconception #2: "People would start to feel very lethargic and would be unable to concentrate... They will probably end up in hospital, especially people who try it for more than 10 days." (from the same article)
The truth: I do it to have more energy and think more clearly. In an informal survey in January 2005 of 141 people who had completed at least one Master Cleanse, more than 3/4 had more energy and more than 90% were happier!
Misconception #3: "The problem is not what's in the diet but what's not. There are no fats, proteins, vitamins or minerals and the only carbohydrate is in the form of sugar." (from the same article)
The truth: Most people know that citrus fruit (including lemons) are a good source of vitamin C. What many people do not know is that lemon juice is also a good source of potassium. However, that's beside the point. The idea that people cannot exist without protein for 10 days may be a dream of the meat industry, but it is not true. Fasting, as recommended in the Bible, has been recognized by many doctors for hundreds of years. The most current, visible American MD who is a major proponent of fasting is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live and Fasting - and Eating - for Health. He has had numerous successes curing with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In Europe, there are many health spas run by doctors that practice fasting for healing and rejuvenation.
Misconception #4: "The diet was presented for the first time by a Swiss health company in 1985 and reached a high popularity very fast." (from the same article)
The truth: The Master Cleanse was first developed by Stanley Burroughs and later appeared as The Master Cleanser, first published in 1976.
Misconception #5: "The cleanse became popular again with the 2004 publication of Peter Glickman’s Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days. (Click here to buy it.)." (www.calorielab.com)
The truth: I appreciate the publicity. (They never even called or emailed. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this.) However, the Master Cleanse has consistently grown more popular due to the great word of mouth from the hundreds of thousands of people who do this detoxification diet every year and discover its benefits.
Misconception #6: "The lemonade (which you drink 6 to 8 glasses per day) is made from 2 tablespoons of Grade A maple syrup, juice of ½ lemon, 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 quart of spring water." ("Hot Stuff" New York Daily News, August 17, 2006)
The truth: I appreciated the reporter, Jane Ridley, giving my website a direct link from the article, but "1 quart" should read " 8 ounces". I don't know what would happen to a person if they drank 8 quarts of water every day for 10 or more days, but I wouldn't want to be the one to find out. "6 to 8" should read " 6 to 12 glasses per day".(By the way, Burroughs recommends Grade B organic maple syrup because it has more minerals, but says any grade will work.)
Misconception #7: " 'I ate everything when it was over...the second I looked at a donut, it came back! I gained back all the weight, even the weight I didn't want to come back!' she says, laughing." ("Beyoncé: 'I'm in no rush to get married'" The Belfast Telegraph, August 25, 2006)
The truth: I believe weight gain is a result of accumulated toxins. It's been shown that the body protects itself from toxins that are too numerous for the liver to handle by putting them into fat cells. That's why going on a raw vegan diet results in people losing weight. The liver is finally able to handle some of these stored older toxins because it doesn't need to handle as many from the raw vegan diet. That's also why people who go back to eating the Standard American Diet (lots of artificially flavored, colored and preserved food that has been heavily processed and practically no fresh, raw greens, vegetables and fruits) immediately regain any weight they lose on any diet, let alone the Master Cleanse. The better your diet afterwards, the less weight you put back on. The informal survey of 141 Master Cleansers mentioned earlier discovered that the average woman completing the Master Cleanse lost about 12 pounds and regained about 6. The average man lost about 16 pounds and also regained about 6. Interestingly, most people reported they ate a healthier diet after completing the cleanse.
Misconception #8: The Master Cleanse is for everyone.
The truth: The Master Cleanse is great, but it's not for everyone. It is probably the second most powerful (read that as the fastest) way to detoxify the body. Only a water fast is more powerful. If a person has a great deal of stored toxins, releasing them too quickly results in detox symptoms, such as headaches, rashes, tiredness, irritability, even vomiting. Those people should not do the Master Cleanse. They should detoxify much more slowly with a better diet. Also, people recovering from surgery need large amounts of protein to regenerate tissue and so should not do the Master Cleanse until they have completely recovered from surgery. Pregnant and nursing women should not do it either, as there is a remote possibility that the toxins may find their way into the infant. Although, I have never heard of such actually occurring, but better safe than sorry. For the rest of us, the Master Cleanse is really amazing!
Click Here For The Master Cleanse Book & Ingredients Kits | 6,651 | 3,069 | 0.00033 |
warc | 201704 | Intel on Europe: The Internet of Things could SAVE US ALL Apply clever tech to lift economic gloom, says chip giant labs chief Dublin up
Curley’s an Irishman, so it’s perhaps no surprise that he has helped establish a number of pilot programmes in Dublin – “it’s our our testbed, our petrie dish”, he says – in partnership with the city’s council, the local Trinity College and Irish energy companies. They have worked, for instance, to devise a context-aware e-car system that monitors usage and uses that data to predict EV charging requirements and then align them to grid utilisation.
The upshot: an ability to predict with 90 per cent accuracy when a punter is going to need his or her car, ensuring it is already fully charged and was topped up when power was at its least expensive. It’s about balancing load at home and in the community. Curley claims the results show a clear 44.5 per cent reduction in the cost of charging an e-car for the owner. Battery longevity is increased by 50 per cent.
Curley reckons this technology can be used to put an extra 250,000 e-cars on the road without the need to spend a single cent building extra power generation capacity - and thus at no increase in "green" costs - and with no risk of saturating the grid.
Of course, e-car ownership is low so a doubling of usage doesn’t represent a significant power drain, but then the technology being used to keep them charged is in its infancy.
Curley and co have already begun extending the approach to storage heating with, he says, some very promising results - encouraging enough to warrant the commencement of a 1,000-home trial next year. It’s not hard to think of many other examples in the home, in the office or out of them where sensing resource-usage patterns and the ability to intelligently respond to them can help reduce direct monetary costs and longer-term environmental expenses.
Real cash savings
In-the-pocket savings like these are the carrots Curley thinks will have consumers and city councils queueing up to adopt this kind of technology. A saving of a few percentage points won’t make a difference, he rightly says, but a big saving makes ordinary punters take note.
Dubliners are keen, Curley says. At the May 2013 launch of the broader initiative of which these two schemes are a part, visitors to a tech showcase showed an overwhelming interest in establishing their city as a testbed for new technology. That’s easy to say when you think someone else will pick up the tab, but the early work suggests there will be a direct benefit to Dubliners’ wallets too.
Better still, it has provided an incentive for folk to adopt more sustainable behaviour. It hasn’t foisted such upon them with rules and fines, or taxes. That, says Curley, is a key part of Plan C – to provide a way for people to do the right thing themselves: carrot not stick.
And not just in Dublin. Intel will establish similar research in London next year. A trial in and around Hyde Park will follow soon after. Curley says the company is talking to other European cities too.
Wherever Intel and others establish first pilot and then larger-scale SISes, the citizens are a key constituency, says Curley. Money and motivation will come from government, both local and national. Expertise will come from academia, implementation from industry.
But people will play a part too: using apps to actively provide data and generating it indirectly too – for example with GPS trials that reveal how public transport might be better scheduled, or the harvesting of tweets to reveal fly-tipping, bad parking and other urban nuisances.
Citizen collaboration
This is merely an extension, says Curley, of what folk are already doing on the internet’s numerous social, sharing and collaborative platforms, from Lego’s Create and Share - the best results of which are turned into real kits - to the Apple and Google app stores, and to Wikipedia.
Naturally there are very real privacy issues that need to be tackled here, but Curley says the Dublin experience shows people have a willingness to engage with this kind of technology for sustainable living and to collaborate to make it work optimally.
Of course, it also takes companies to invest in the technology and build it out. It’s an opportunity too, to take the technology and create products and expertise that can be exported globally. There’s plenty of work to do - the risk is that it won’t get done in time because the bureaucrats have spend too much time talking about it.
Curley claims Intel is pushing them along. True, he has involved the chip giant in the Union’s various digital society and sustainability initiatives, and even jointly established the Open Innovation 2.0 scheme with the European Commission - “it’s about developing a new business model for Europe - no one had done that before”, boasts Curley. So it's hard not to take the cynical line that the bureaucrats and lobbyists will end up fiddling while Europe burns. ®
Sponsored: DevOps and continuous delivery | 5,163 | 2,539 | 0.000406 |
warc | 201704 | The question is: do these tactics really save significant money? Is it enough to make the move worth the hassle? Let’s dig into five of these methods and find out.
In order to do some of the calculations below, I had to make a few basic assumptions.
First, I’m using a cost of $0.0015 per gallon for the water. I obtained this estimate from offline research materials provided by the American Water Works Association. This means that 1,000 gallons of tap water will cost you about $1.50. Second, I did usage counts in our own home in order to make calculations. I basically assumed that my own family is the “average American family,” in other words. Ways to Save Putting a plastic bottle in your toilet tank.
The average home toilet tank uses roughly a gallon and a half of water per flush, though older toilets often use substantially more. When you flush, this water goes straight down the bowl, costing you roughly two-tenths of a cent.
However, for almost all flushes, one does not need nearly that much water to expel the contents of the bowl. The solution often prescribed for this unnecessary water usage is to take a plastic soda bottle, fill it with water (and perhaps a few pebbles to weight it down), then put that bottle into your tank. This reduces the amount of water in the tank at all times and thus reduces the total amount of water your toilet uses.
How much does this actually save? Let’s say you put in a 20 ounce soda bottle into your tank, which is 0.16 gallons. This would reduce your average flush from 1.5 gallons down to 1.34 gallons of water used.
How many times do you flush? I did a count at our home and counted a total of sixteen flushes over a day-long period at our home (two adults, two children).
Using that metric,
putting a bottle in our tank would save us 2.56 gallons of water per day. Over the course of a full year, that’s 934.4 gallons saved. In dollars and cents, that bottle would save us $1.40 a year.
Is it worth doing? Considering it’s something you can do in a minute and that it lasts for years and years, it’s probably worth the time. There’s no real downside to it, either – for virtually all flushes, the small fraction of water saved will make no difference at all. For us, it was a no brainer –
we did it. Installing a low-flow shower head.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission reports that a normal shower uses 8.5 gallons of water per minute. In comparison, a low-flow showerhead uses (depending on the model) 1 to 3 gallons of water per minute. Our home currently has a mix of normal flow and low flow heads.
I asked around for a recommendation for a low-flow shower head and a friend pointed me toward an Alsons 657CBX – which allows you to switch between 1.85 and 2.5 gallons per minute. The plumber liked this model because, as he put it, some people don’t like the low flow setting but enjoy the higher flow one. The model costs $25 via Amazon and is easy to install.
So, what do real-world showering times look like? Over the course of a week, I estimated that there were thirteen showers taken in our home, averaging twelve minutes in length per shower, a figure that my wife concurred was “reasonable.” This adds up to 156 minutes of showering in a week and, thus, over the course of a week, the shower head above will save us 1037.4 gallons of water (assuming we are replacing a high-flow showerhead).
That adds up to a savings of about $81 per year!
However, there are some drawbacks here.
Replacing the shower head in your home might not save you that much water.
If your initial shower head is reasonably efficient, your savings won’t be that tremendous.
Second, low flow showers can be unappealing to some bathers.
I don’t mind them (except for washing my hair, which takes a bit longer), but others can be frustrated by them.
Don’t get an ultra low flow showerhead.
It can be worthwhile to get a lower flow showerhead – and it can save you significant money, indeed – but don’t jump on board the lowest flow head you can find or it may seriously degrade the quality of your showers.
Taking “on the clock” showers.
For a long while, I got in the habit of taking very brief showers. I used a timer and established a routine of taking five minute showers, shaving seven minutes from my shower time. Now, I don’t worry about it quite as much – I take quick showers if I need the time, but quite often I take showers around ten minutes in length.
So, let’s say you’re able to shave two minutes off of your daily shower and your shower head is an average one – 8.5 gallons per minute. That means in an average week, you can save 119 gallons of water –
saving you about $9.31 per year.
What I found is that
shaving a small amount of time from your shower doesn’t make a noticeable difference and can easily become the norm without any quality reduction. However, if you shave a lot of time, it can really cut into your ability to adequately get clean. My Suggestion: Try shaving just a minute or two off your shower.
One good way to do it is to just consciously keep moving while showering – scrubbing away instead of just standing there.
Washing only full loads of clothes.
My wife and I tend to naturally run full loads with every load we run, so this tip didn’t particularly impact us. Of course, I know of at least one person who refuses to run a load much larger than half a basin, claiming that it doesn’t get clothes adequately clean.
So, let’s say an average load actually fills up three quarters of a bin and you do two loads of laundry per week – 104 loads per year. Filling up the bin each time would thus save 26 loads per year. Using the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission numbers, a load in a top-loading washer uses 60 gallons, which would thus save 1,560 gallons a year – $2.30.
My take? It’s not enough of a cost savings to drastically change how you wash your clothes
Especially if the strict cleanliness of your clothes is something of personal concern to you. The more direct change you can make is simply to add an item or two to your loads without overloading your washer.
Shaving with a basin rather than a running tap.
The city of Tampa reports that an average tap dispenses three gallons of water per minute. When I shave at the sink, I usually spend about four minutes shaving, meaning that a running tap wastes twelve gallons of water.
Alternately, I could run a gallon of water into the basin, turn off the tap, and simply use the water in the basin, saving
eleven gallons of water per shave. If you shave every day, that simple change would save 4,015 gallons of water per year – $6.03. This is a simple change that you can use with many common tasks. Fill the basin instead of running the tap when you brush your teeth, wash your face, shave, do dishes by hand, and so on.
What’s the general conclusion here?
One time fixes and minor behavioral changes when it comes to your water use are usually worth it – but only over the long haul. | 7,183 | 3,245 | 0.000319 |
warc | 201704 | It's a Friday morning (TGIF!), you're stoked about the weekend (RIGHT?!!) and about the baked eggs and ham thing you just ate (FUCKIN' YUM), and you're cruising for a little light reading to aid the digestion process.
How about all these horrific Reddit stories from rapists detailing why they rape?
...it's impossible to talk about the reasons people rape without involving rapists in the discussion. Rapists aren't hiding in the bushes: around two-thirds of rapes are committed by someone known to the victim, and 73 percent of sexual assaults are perpetrated by a non-stranger. It's a mistake to think we're justifying rapists' actions by listening to their stories. Some of them are tough to read, but
their brutal honesty effectively illustrates how a lack of communication and education perpetuates rape culture. Ignoring or dismissing these men (and women) out of hand may be an effective coping strategy for a given individual, but not for society. It gets us nowhere.
So why'd they do it? What were they thinking?
I couldn't get through very much of the Reddit thread, but Jezebel highlights a few and parses through the rapists' underlying justifications—I got mixed messages! My hormones got away from me!
I was peer pressured into raping that girl!—which is really what we need to be focused on. Just as women should know to use the talking point "no means no," both men and women should be made aware of the cadre of bullshit excuses used by men to justify sexual assault, because women don't rape themselves. | 1,542 | 878 | 0.001154 |
warc | 201704 | Festivals are big in the Philippines and it’s something that every Filipino looks forward to attending every chance they get. Some are even lucky to be able to attend most (if not all) the grand festivals that each province has. Whether it be grand or simple, the display and celebration of each festival shows how beautifully diverse our cultures and traditions are.
The last festival I attended was this year’s Sandugo Festival in Bohol just last August. While most festivals are rooted in Christianity dating back to the Spanish colonial period, there are a few whose main objective is to give awareness and importance in preserving the environment. And the
Pawikan Festival in Morong is one of those. Support the Pawikan Festival
The Pawikan Festival was organized to intensify the information campaign and generate public awareness on the importance of endangered marine turtles (mostly from the Olive Ridley specie) in our eco-system.
This weeklong Pawikan Festival celebration is highlighted by a ceremonial releasing of Pawikan hatchlings in the open sea headed by no less than the Bataan Governor Albert Garcia.
These marine turtles help in maintaining ecological balance in international waters. The manure of the marine turtles serves as nutrient in the ocean. It acts as a fertilizer on seagrass beds.
And off they go!
Morong is fast becoming a marine sanctuary. Even the Pawikan Conservation Center is also located in Morong which is manned by former poachers and turtle egg collectors who eventually turned into conservation advocates. Their duty is to secure the eggs laid during the nesting season and transfer them into the hatchery for breeding.
The Pawikan Festival is recognized as one of the best tourism events by ATOP and DOT in the reclassified Eco-Environmental Tourism Category (Provincial Level).
During the Pawikan Festival event, Koro Bangkal Magbikin of Bataan which are composed of Aeta children of Brgy. Bangkal in Abucay performed a beautiful song number. They were formed through the initiative of the Bataan Tourism Council Foundation, Inc., the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish and the Bataan Provincial Tourism Office.
This festival won’t be complete without other activities like a street dancing competition where some participants were dressed in turtle-like costumes and colorful ensembles.
There are other activities such as a Walk For A Cause, Trade Fair, Beach Volleyball, Graffiti Painting Contest and more.
What I learned about the Pawikan Festival is that it isn’t enough to just attend the festival and join the merry festivities. We, us citizens, should actually take action and help in preserving the environment. We should educate everyone (young ones and young once alike) on why we should save the marine turtles, how to preserve them, and explain the positive effects it will bring to the environment. We all should act as Pawikan Guardians and keep these marine turtles away from poachers and other forms of danger. The Pawikan Festival is meant to create positive noise – to bring attention to this wonderful cause and to ultimately be able to get added assistance. I encourage everyone to support this noble cause!
The event is a joint project of the provincial tourism office, Bataan Tourism Council Foundation, Inc., municipal tourism council and LGU of Morong.
How To Get To Bataan:
Private Vehicle: Take either the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) or Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
Bus: Take a bus from Cubao in Quezon City that will take you to its capital Balanga.
Contact Details
Bataan Tourism Center
Roman Super Highway, City of Balanga, Bataan Philippines – 2100 T: +6347 2374785 / 2374476 / 935-0364 E: [email protected] Twitter: @1Bataan Instagram: @BeholdBataan / @1Bataan facebook.com/BataanTourism www.bataan.gov.ph | 3,874 | 1,946 | 0.000521 |
warc | 201704 | Trooping out of town with the family – tips to enjoy a summer vacation on a budget
Traveling with the whole family in the summer can be expensive. Very few people can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a Euro-trip. However, there are ways to enjoy you free days with your loved ones without breaking the bank. Plan ahead, settle on a budget and choose your destinations wisely. The following tips will help you organize the best summer vacation for you and your family without going beyond $1000.
Choose a destination wisely
Prior to doing anything else, you should settle on a destination. Make a smart itinerary and keep it as organized as possible. For example, if you’re planning on exploring Europe this summer, you should know which countries balance affordability with beauty. Eastern Europe in particular, prides with cheap but comfortable accommodation, as well as with magnificent attractions and places of interest. Poland, Romania, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia all have special deals for families that don’t go beyond $800 a package. These countries boast with magnificent culture, rejuvenating scenery, great entertainment and convenient lodging.
Off-season traveling
For many people, summer starts in June. Prices for dining and lodging sky-rocket and the activities are incredibly expensive for families with families with over 4 members. A great idea would be to hunt for off-season deals. At the end of August, prices will start dropping. A 7-day vacation to Bulgaria’s Golden Sands costs $1,000 per family in mid-July. However, the price significantly drops as summer comes to an end. With a bit of luck, you might score a deal at $600 at the end of August.
Stay away from hotels
Lodging at an exclusive hotel is a dream come true for many people. But for a family traveling with the kids, it can be a real nightmare. Prices are too high in the summer, not to mention that most hotels don’t include free meals. To save yourself a significant amount of cash, you should explore the alternatives. Rent an apartment with at least 2 months in advance, or check services provided on airbnb.com and couchsurfing.com. These allow travelers on a budget to benefit from comfortable lodging at extremely convenient prices.
Avoid dining at restaurants
If you can’t afford to dine in restaurants, avoid them; stay far away from bistros in city centers too because those are the most expensive. In Europe, dining out will cost a family with two kids $100 on average. If your vacation is 7 days long, you certainly won’t be able to afford spending $700 on food alone. Save cash by cooking your own food; or find affordable food booths and cafes out the city centers.
Choose travel destinations with free attractions & places of interest
When planning a summer holiday, you are advised to pick a destination with lots of free attractions and points of interest. Museums, galleries and amusement parks are quite high-priced; especially in the summer. Choose cities with lots of parks, hiking spots, and attractions that are free of charge. Or at least, explore destinations that feature affordable city passes to help you save more cash.
Keep an eye on discounts and special prices
Europe is a highly-preferred travel destination in the summer. The activities abound, the attractions are spectacular, and the weather is really pleasant. That being said, many agencies will try to convince you that their deals are the best. Choose an offer that comes with a special price. Compare more than one offer, and decide on the one that lives up to your expectations.
Negotiate
When traveling with the family on a budget, you can always negotiate the overall price for a holiday package. Apart from bargaining with your travel agent, you can also bargain for better deals at flea markets when purchasing souvenirs.
As you can see, enjoying an affordable holiday with the kids is not impossible. Make plans with a few months ahead, and set some priorities. Taking the bus or walking can be a lot more convenient than taking a cab. Rather dine at restaurants, buy pre-packaged products to make your own food; or check eateries outside the city. Last but not least, have a daily budget too, and try not to exceed it. This way everyone will be happy and both you and your family will enjoy the best holiday without overspending.
By Edward Francis and VoucherLab.net! | 4,419 | 2,089 | 0.000485 |
warc | 201704 | Phalaenopsis: A Monograph
Without a doubt, the most widely grown orchids in the world are the species and hybrids of
Phalaenopsis, the "moth orchids." Since their discovery by western botanists in the 18th century, phalaenopsis were considered aristocrats even among orchids and were eagerly sought out by the most discerning — and wealthy — of collectors. With advances in orchid propagation and breeding in the middle 20th century, however, these orchids became accessible and affordable to anyone with an eye for exceptional beauty. Few floriculture crops have swamped the marketplace as suddenly as phalaenopsis has in recent years, with millions of plants being produced for the mass market annually. Moth orchids have helped eliminate the misconception of orchids as temperamental conservatory plants only for the very rich. In the words of author Eric Christenson, we are witnessing "the makings of an orchid revolution."
Against this backdrop of change and ferment, Christenson set out to write a definitive monograph of the genus
Phalaenopsis, the first thorough treatment since Herman Sweet's revision in 1969. Focusing mainly on the forebears of today's omnipresent hybrids — the species — he always keeps an eye on the characteristics that species might bring to today's hybridization programs. With extensive keys and detailed reviews of the taxonomy of the genus, Christenson provides a thorough picture of the current scientific understanding of these remarkable plants.
In addition to its scientific content, this book offers a wealth of practical information for the orchid hobbyist. A useful chapter on cultivation techniques is included, as is a chapter on hybrids in their many forms, shapes, and colors. More than 200 color photos and 60 drawings enliven the work and provide a fascinating visual overview.
With the full sponsorship and support of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance, Christenson has written an extraordinary book reflecting years of botanical research and horticultural experience with the genus. No orchid specialist will want to be without it.
Format:Paperback Pages:396 pp. Book dimensions:5.5 x 8.5 in. (215 x 140 mm.) Images:213 b/w photos, 86 b/w illustrations ISBN-10:1604691719 ISBN-13:9781604691719 Product code:689171 Book preview
Want to see inside the book?View book preview.
Media reviews
"Research taxonomist Christenson offers a scientific understanding of these plants as well as hybridization and cultural tips."
—
Library Journal
"This complete work on
Phalaenopsis is an essential reference, offering keys to the species, descriptions of each, taxonomic notes, and hybridization and conservation."
—
Orchids
"Congratulations, Eric, for a job well done."
—Yoneo Sagawa,
Hawaii Orchid Journal
"Eric Christenson has written an extraordinary book reflecting years of botanical research and almost 30 years of horticultural experience with the genus. No orchid specialist will want to be without it."
—
Biology Digest
"Eric has sculpted a very fine book that will be the bible for species growers for decades to come. ... It was worth the wait and I recommend it most highly."
—Harold Koopowitz,
Orchid Digest
"
Phalaenopsis: A Monograph is an essential addition to the libraries of hobbyists, commercial growers, judges, Affiliated Societies, and anyone with an interest in this genus of Old World orchids."
—
American Orchid Society BookShop
"The first thorough update of the genus since Herman Sweet's revision in 1969."
—
Plant Talk
"A long–needed revision of the genus
Phalaenopsis ... Highly recommended."
—
Choice
"[The author's] definitive work promises to enlighten aficionados ... A wealth of stimulating data to assist in the cultivation of these distinctive plants."
—
Booklist
"Orchid scientists and growers alike will want to own a copy of Eric Christenson's new monograph of Phalaenopsis."
—Kenneth M. Cameron,
Brittonia
"A book that stands on its own merits, with no need of validation from any source ... Phalaenopsis enthusiasts will want it as the latest and greatest on their favorite plants, while others will find it an indispensable guide and resource to the world's most widely grown orchid plants."
—Ned Nash,
Orchids
"The author draws on his extensive botanical research and almost 30 years of growing this genus. His love for these plants is evident throughout this book."
—Eileen Herring,
Hawaii Horticulture
"An important book for anyone who takes a serious interest in growing this colorful, adaptable, long living plant which flowers reliably in winter months."
—Jack Webster,
Orchidacea | 4,748 | 2,172 | 0.000478 |
warc | 201704 | No.
Thank you, I will not commit to doing that.
No.
That makes me uncomfortable.
No.
I wouldn’t have time to do that well and still meet my other obligations in a satisfactory manner.
No.
I don’t have the skills necessary to do that job.
No.
I’m pretty sure I’m just not going to do that, so you’d be better off asking someone else.
We, sweet, eager to please, eager to accept authority people that we are, we need to learn to say “no.” If it helps, we can explain why we are saying no, so long as we are clear that it is not an invitation for the other person to attempt to persuade us.
I was talking with a lovely relief society president last week who said that one of the things she has learned is to say is “No. I cannot do what you are asking. But this is what I can do.” And then she gives options to the supplicant, things that she can do that would be helpful. It may be “No, I cannot go buy groceries for you, but I can help you with a food order form.” Or it may be “No, I cannot give you a ride right now, but I could help you after my husband gets home from work with the car.” (Once I did say this to a woman who called asking for a ride home from the mall a mile and a half away. She got pretty angry at me, perhaps because I also recommended a good walking route home, the one which I had just walked earlier that day with all of my children. She hasn’t called me for a ride since.)
We have got to learn to say no in a church setting without fear that we will be damned for being unwilling to serve. If you don’t know how to play the piano, and you know that there are other people who do play the piano, I think you can say “no” to that calling. Sure, there may be exceptions, like if you are in a branch where no one plays, and you are called to learn. But the option to decline must be real.
If you accept an obligation, you should do so with at least the intent to fulfill it and with a reasonable expectation that it is possible for you to do so. You wouldn’t volunteer to take meals to someone during the week that your family is out of town on vacation, would you?
And I absolutely hated it when, as a primary president, I had cub leaders or teachers who were flaky about doing their callings. I can understand that you don’t find a substitute if you suddenly come down with food poisoning, but when you don’t bother to let anyone know that you’ll be out of town for a planned trip? When you don’t make any effort to see that the children in your class will have a teacher, the same children you have accepted a stewardship over for just two hours a week, I get frustrated. And if you do it habitually, I get annoyed in a pretty unChristlike manner. I would worry and pray for you and the children you were supposed to teach, but often my hands were tied. I had to trust you to do your calling, and sometimes, even when I knew you needed out, I was prevented from releasing you immediately by the slowness of finding new people willing to accept your calling.
Perhaps you’re just trying to get released in a passive aggressive way. I hate that there is something in our culture that makes people feel that is the only way out of a calling they find intolerable. Please tell your leaders unambiguously when you are struggling with a calling. If they can’t give you the support and help you need, ask directly to be released. But continue do your job as well as you can as long as you have it or state clearly that you have no intention of doing it at all so they know definitely that they need to make other arrangements. Don’t be vaguely unreliable.
It’s not just the primary that has problems with people failing to fulfill their callings. The calling of visiting teaching supervisor can seem like a bit of inconsequential busywork, but it is possible to do a great amount of quiet good in that little calling through the real work of being sure that the sisters within your district are being cared for and receive the help they need, and on the other hand, there is also the bureaucratic hassle of getting reports turned in on time that can cause others a great deal of frustration and worry when you fail to keep your part of the system running smoothly.
I don’t think we should only accept the callings that we want to have. There is great opportunity for us to grow beyond ourselves, to learn through loving and serving people in ways that we had not previously envisioned for ourselves. Callings may be hard and frustrating and still entirely worthwhile. We should endeavor to serve. But if we know we can’t, or won’t, it’s much better to be honest with ourselves and others about that than it is to set ourselves up for failure that will result in feelings of guilt for us and disappointment for them. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to say “No. I can’t do what you asking, but this is what I can do.” | 5,023 | 2,299 | 0.000452 |
warc | 201704 | Pesticide issue raised at NYS bee health task force Panel on protecting pollinators urged to have state block use of controversial neonicotinoids Published 6:48 pm, Saturday, August 15, 2015 Albany
A national and international debate over a controversial pesticide, linked to the mysterious bee malady Colony Collapse Disorder, may play out on a state task force created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to find ways to protect honeybees and other pollinators critical for agriculture.
During the group's inaugural meeting this month, a key adviser on bee health to the state Department of Agriculture called for New York to withdraw approval for a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, which have been restricted in Europe since 2013 over concerns about honeybee die-offs.
"The state should cancel registration of all systemic, persistent insect neurotoxic pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, until there is clear, replicable scientific evidence of no near- or long-term effects on honeybees and other wild pollinators," said Stephen Wilson, a longtime Altamont beekeeper who also is chairman of the state Apiary Industry Advisory Council, which reports to Agriculture and Markets.
Wilson belongs to a task force created by Cuomo on Earth Day in April to study health threats to honeybees and other pollinating insects that are critical to important state crops like apples, grapes and strawberries. The crops contribute about $500 million a year to the economy.
More Information
Nationwide, honeybees have been dying in disturbing numbers from a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. Bees leave hives never to return, and the queen and remaining young eventually die of starvation and neglect. Annual hive losses have been running at 30 percent or more, which is about double historical rates.
Cuomo's task force, headed by officials from Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation, held its first meeting Aug. 6.
Also on the task force are two Washington, D.C.-based pesticide industry groups — CropLife America and Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment — whose members, companies like Monsanto, Bayer and DuPont, produce neonicotinoids and other pesticides.
Neonicotinoids can be either sprayed on crops or applied to seeds for corn, cotton, wheat, soybeans and sorghum, making the chemical pervasive in plants, including in the pollen, which is harvested by bees as their food. Neonicotinoids attack the insect central nervous system, and there is some evidence that the chemical damages a honeybee's ability to navigate and find its way back to the hive.
CCD has claimed tens of millions of bees nationally since surfacing in commercial beehives in 2007. Last summer, the loss rate for the first time topped 40 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Annual hive losses above 18 percent are "economically unacceptable" for beekeepers, according to USDA.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which first approved neonicotinoids in the late 1980s, is now re-examining the chemicals' potential impact on honeybees, and is also looking at other potential causes, including parasites, diseases, habitat loss and poor diet.
Concerns that pesticides may be driving CCD have prompted major retailers like Home Depot and Lowes to either stop selling such neonicotinoid-treated plants or require explicit labels so consumers who choose so can avoid buying those plants.
In 2013, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment unsuccessfully opposed a vote by Seattle city lawmakers to ban neonicotinoid use on city property. The industry insists the chemical is safe when used according to directions and argue that clearer federal labeling standards would be sufficient to protect bees and other pollinators. "Farmers need pest control products and some products may present risks to individual pollinator insects if used improperly. But we know that crop production and pollinator health are compatible," said Rebeckah Adcock, senior director of government affairs for CropLife America, during the state task force meeting.
That group's president, Jay Vroom, has blamed scrutiny on neonicotinoids on "activist campaigns in the U.S. courts, federal agencies, and the media," in a November 2014 statement on the CropLife website. Efforts to restrict the pesticides "do little to advance solutions for improving pollinator health and threaten to reduce agricultural production."
CropLife was also a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an industry group that works closely with pro-industry federal lawmakers to eliminate regulations, and has been linked financially to the Kansas petrochemical billionaires David and Charles Koch.
Another state task force member, Margaret Brown, a staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said there is "a strong scientific connection" between neonicotinoids and declining honeybee populations. "We should reduce the use to only what is absolutely necessary. Maybe we don't need to use neonicotinoid-treated seeds," she said.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball, who headed the task force meeting, said the group will take a "comprehensive look at the issue ... this is just not one thing, not just a pesticide exposure issue, not just a lack of bee forage issue, not just a disease issue, and not just a parasite issue."
He said the state needs a plan to protect honeybees and other pollinators because those insects are responsible for about 70 percent of the state's agricultural crops. DEC can ban a pesticide over safety concerns, even if it has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, added Ball.
Ball said he was hopeful that the task force will be able to reach a consensus, and issue a draft plan for public review sometime this fall. "I was bit anxious going into this meeting," he said. "But now I feel quite heartened. I think we will be able to move forward a bit faster than I first thought."
Ball is a produce farmer, and since 1993 has owned Schoharie Valley Farm, where he also keeps commercial beehives on the farm for pollination. While he does not apply neonicotinoids to his crops, Ball said, "I don't want to imply that is the only answer. ... I am not prepared to say whether they are good or bad."
DEC Deputy Commissioner Eugene Leff said the state wants an "effective and balanced plan," adding that bees are under stress from other factors like climate change and habitat loss as well as from pesticides.
"Certainly, pesticides will be part of the issue ... and part of any protection plan," said another task force member, Jennifer Grant, director of the state Integrated Pest Management program at Cornell University. "Some things are known, some things are not known. We should implement what we already know."
bnearing@timesunion.com • 518-454-5094 • @Bnearing10 | 6,913 | 3,227 | 0.000313 |
warc | 201704 | OK, so the other day I wrote about speaking from outside the system, the unique posture that Christians can have when they refuse to align themselves with political parties or candidates and merely speak on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
If you think about it, that’s quite a responsibility. As ambassadors of God, we have to choose our words carefully (something that I’m admittedly bad at). We also need to choose our subjects carefully. What sort of things do we speak out about?
Part of that depends on who our audience is. Our speech differs when addressing believers, that is, people who present themselves as trying to follow God. John the Baptist challenged Herod on his improper marriage, yet we have no record of Christians challenging the Roman authorities on similar issues. Herod presented himself as a Jew. Paul did speak to Felix about such things, though it was in private meetings.
Believers are held to a higher standard, at all levels of the political process. Both elected officials and voters are to hold to biblical principles at all times. This is especially true as regards their personal lives and behavior.
But what about politicians and government in general? What helps us decide when to speak out and when to let the “dead bury the dead” (let the world deal with problems of this world)?
I say that we are to speak in favor of values that reflect the nature of God. An emphasis on principles like truth and life. A defense of justice, particularly towards the weakest of society: widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor.
I think we need to immerse ourselves in the prophets, learning from men like Isaiah, Amos and Malachi about the things that God wants addressed. Our situation won’t be the same, yet we can learn the principles that matter to God, like mercy and justice. From God’s messages to foreign nations, we can learn about what standards even non-believers are expected to live up to.
We can’t expect political platforms to set the proper agenda for our speech. Whether or not an issue will impact an election does not determine our choice to address it. We must step outside the process and stand for values that transcend parties and elections, speaking eternal truths to a world focused on temporal problems.
Those are some initial thoughts. What are your suggestions? How do we speak out, not as Americans nor Democrats/Republicans, but as Christians? | 2,440 | 1,258 | 0.00081 |
warc | 201704 | Chess Forum
Chad Lieberman
A chess player should never underestimate the power of a strong tactician. Having an ability to recognize tactical situations is a priceless tool to have in your chess arsenal. Exhaustively knowing tactics can pull you out of a strategic jam or even save a completely losing game.
How does one develop this faculty of tactical recognition? As with other subjects of study, there are several ways to do this. You must find the method that is most effective for you. Some people will choose to solve hundreds or even thousands of tactical puzzles and others prefer to create their own. Whatever works, you must internalize the tactics.
A great way to do this is to create a pocket-sized book of diagrams and puzzles. Whenever you have a free moment, you can spend several minutes studying these themes. This will allow you to fully grasp the geometry behind the position and then recognize similar instances in future games.
Another great way to learn how tactics come about in real game situations is to study the games of the grandmaster tacticians that preceded us.
My favorite is Mikhail Tal. This week's game was played in the Candidates Tournament in Bled in 1965 against the famous Bent Larsen. These two players put on a tactical fireworks display.
Good luck on your tactical endeavors and please never forget the undeniable truth: tactics win games. | 1,392 | 769 | 0.001309 |
warc | 201704 | Now that the noise has died down and fewer executives are complaining about the expense and pain of implementing Sarbanes-Oxley measures, there's news that the SOX rules appear to have played a role in slashing potentially one of the biggest risks a company can face--accounting-related fraud. According to a recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, accounting fraud in the U.S. decreased by almost two-thirds--with 13% of responding companies saying they experienced it, down from 36% in 2005 when the consulting firm last conducted the poll of senior executives.
SOX controls contributed significantly to the drop, says Steven Skalak, global investigations leader for PWC, but he
notes that interviews indicated that just as important was the new risk management climate that has encouraged a more proactive approach and a strong corporate culture of transparency. "The tone at the top and communications of the code of conduct is an absolutely essential adjunct to an organization's control structure," says Skalak. "A culture that supports a holistic compliance program together with a clearly understood, and lived, code of ethics, creates the true foundation for an effective anti-fraud program." That's one reason why encouraging a culture supporting whistleblowers can be critical. A broader global survey of 5,400 executives in 40 countries reveals that 30% of the fraud incidents that came to light in 2006 were first reported to whistleblower hotlines. About 19% of fraudulent activities were detected by internal accounting departments; another 14% were uncovered as a result of external tips. But while there are fewer companies reporting fraud, those committing it seem to be getting a bit greedier. In the past two years, the loss per company from fraud averaged $2.42 million, according to those surveyed, up from $1.73 million between 2003 and 2005. "A big reason for the increase is that more and more companies are doing business in the emerging markets, and economic crime is more expensive in those areas," says Skalak. | 2,050 | 1,107 | 0.000908 |
warc | 201704 | November 2011, TruckingInfo.com - Feature
It's a story we've heard before, but a pretty good one: Sales are up, products are improving, and buyers have many choices of trucks to do their hauling jobs
For years, Ford’s F-450 and F-550 SuperDuty trucks have led the Class 4 to 5 segment.
, even if prices have climbed, especially for diesels.
Builders of North American conventional-cab midrange trucks (Chrysler, General Motors, Ford, Freightliner, Hino, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Navistar International) say 2011 sales are better than 2010, sometimes substantially so. And 2010 was better than 2009. This reflects a slowly improving economy and the need to replace aging trucks that users hung onto through the recession.
Importers (Hino, Isuzu, Mitsubishi Fuso and UD) generally report healthier business situations with their low-cab-forward models, with exceptions. One said it's seeing lots of interest, but some buyers, spooked by an uneasy business climate, are shying away from ordering trucks. Midrange engines
Domestic and imported trucks got EPA 2010-legal diesels this year or last, and like their Class 8 cousins, the new diesels carry hefty upcharges. The higher prices have made gasoline engines more popular in lighter-duty trucks. Ford will soon offer its 6.8-liter gasoline V-10 in the F-650, and it can be equipped to burn propane. A compressed natural gas engine is offered in the F-250. And Isuzu has resumed offering an NPR Gas model using General Motors' 6-liter gasoline V-8.
But if you haul or pull heavy loads or run a lot of miles, a diesel still does it better. So diesels remain the preferred power in the upper end of Classes 3 to 7. Diesels are the only engines available in most models from the importers, because that's what's used in trucks in their home countries.
Diesels in most trucks now use selective catalytic reduction to meet 2010 emissions regulations, along with the diesel particulate filters that appeared in 2007. Navistar alone has avoided SCR, and its executives credit its "in-cylinder only" approach to 2010 emissions limits for helping it to achieve greater market share in Classes 6 and 7. They say buyers like the idea of not having to bother with diesel exhaust fluid, and upfitters like the absence of fluid injection equipment because it leaves more room on the chassis for mounting bodies.
Classes 6 and 7 have shrunk somewhat as users either went to lighter, less costly trucks or quit using midrange models entirely, Navistar says. Some have gone to Class 5 trucks whose drivers don't need commercial driver's licenses, except in New York or if they haul hazardous materials. Others moved into "Baby 8" trucks, which have beefier chassis but are powered by midrange-size engines.Baby 8s and more
Most domestic builders offer Baby 8s. Paccar siblings Kenworth and Peterbilt recently expanded their product lines with them. KW's T440 and T470 trucks start at the top end of Class 7, with gross-weight ratings of 33,000 pounds, but most are built with heavier axles and/or tandem rears that push them into Class 8. A recently introduced model from Peterbilt, the 382, is similarly outfitted. The 8.9-liter Cummins ISL9 is their largest engine. These join the builders' previous but recently updated Class 5, 6 and 7 models that use Cummins-made Paccar PX diesels.
Mack and Western Star also announced Baby 8 conventionals early this year. Western Star believes its 4700, which is now going into production, will provide a healthy boost to its overall sales. Top executives in the Daimler organization see a trend toward this type of vehicle by several types of users who want heavy duty capabilities with lighter and less costly but still adequately powerful engines.
Mack sees the same trend, so came out with its Granite MHD, for medium-heavy duty. Like others in this category, the Western Star and Mack trucks use the Cummins ISL9.
Freightliner continues with its Business Class M2 series in Class 5 to 7, but is in the process of splitting general hauling models from vocational versions with the expanded SD (for severe duty) series. New this year is the medium-duty 108SD, which will gradually take sales that have been directed to the M2-106V (for vocational). The new heavy 114SD will take over from the current M2-112V, which is usually a Class 8 model. The M2-Vs will eventually be phased out.
At the other end, Navistar has expanded downward with its Class 4 and 5 TerraStar conventional. It wants some business now held by Ford, by far the market leader with its F-450 and F-550. Navistar thinks its TerraStar is superior, with features such as a tilt hood, a roomy upright cab and a medium-duty-based chassis. Its MaxxForce 7 V-8 diesel was extensively redesigned for 2010 and doesn't need SCR. By mid 2012 there'll be a 4x4 option; it was supposed to be out early this year, but it was delayed while Navistar switched suppliers for the front-driving axle and transfer-case.
Ford reports sales increases of 110% for its F-350, F-450 and F-550 conventionals. It has suitably updated them to meet the latest exhaust emissions limits and to keep the trucks competitive in the marketplace and useful to buyers. The main engines now are its 6.2-liter gasoline V-8, 6.8-liter gasoline V-10 and the company's own 6.7-liter PowerStroke V-8 diesel.
Ford says sales of its heavier F-650 and F-750 are up by 15% over last year. For now they are diesel-only, with Cummins' ISB in several ratings as the offering. Soon it will add gasoline power to the F-650 in the form of the V-10, which can be upfitted to burn propane. This was requested by customers and dealers. Orders for a gaseous-fuel prep package - mainly hardened valves and valve seats - have more than doubled, from 3,500 last year to 8,000 this year.
Ford is still looking at the possibility of adding tandem rear axles and beefier chassis and suspension components to create an F-850, but nothing is planned.Production move
Ford announced it will move production of its F-650 and F-750 from Mexico to the U.S. The switch will take work done by Navistar employees in Escobedo, Mexico, and give it to United Auto Workers members in Avon Lake, Ohio. This is the result of a new contract just ratified by UAW members.
(The contract will also see UAW members begin building the European-style full-size Transit van, also at the Avon Lake plant. The Transit will gradually replace the E-series van, which will be phased out over the rest of this decade, Ford said. It already sells the compact Transit Connect, which is built in Turkey, in North America.)
Current F-650 and F-750 models use Ford cabs and the Cummins ISBs on Navistar chassis. Ford isn't saying what it will use for a chassis, or if other components will change. But it will end the Blue Diamond joint venture under which Navistar has built the Ford mediums at Escobedo. This is a logical outcome of the soured relations between the two companies since the dispute over the PowerStroke diesel and Ford's going its own way with its own engine.GM and Ram
General Motors remains in medium-duty by way of its Chevrolet and GMC 3500 series chassis-cab models with either 6-liter Vortec gasoline or 6.6-liter Duramax diesel, both V-8s. For 2012 the HD models get higher tow and payload ratings, both claimed to be "best in class." Rumors about GM returning to Class 4 and 5 have quieted, and GM execs say that while they continue to look at possibilities, they have nothing to report on it.
Ram, Chrysler's relatively new truck brand, also reported sales increases, and though it's more modest at 11%, it's still in the right direction.
Ram recently announced a 30,000-pound gross combination weight rating for its Heavy Duty 4500 and 5500 chassis-cab models with the Cummins Turbo Diesel. Up from 26,000 pounds GCWR, the MaxTow rating is made possible by recalibrated software for the Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission and a 4.88 axle ratio. A stronger transf | 7,974 | 3,858 | 0.00026 |
warc | 201704 | While talking with the salesperson at the kickboxing gym I recently visited, one thing that he mentioned that made sense was that many people stretch at the wrong time. I have always been under the impression that stretching before any workout is good for you. In general it is, but the key question is:
When is the best time to stretch? Stretching while your muscles are cold could lead to tearing and muscle strain. Cold muscles do not have sufficient blood supply and are not as flexible.
From what I have been hearing and reading, a better time to stretch is after a warm-up consisting of light exercises. A nice warm-up increases blood flow to your muscles making them more pliable. It is important to keep the stretching light to moderate as over-stretching can lead to injury as well.
Below is a video of of and showing examples of warm-up exercises with Sydney Harbour as his background. | 900 | 520 | 0.001934 |
warc | 201704 | Yes, that is the cost which, hopefully, will only go down.
The accuracy of the sensor is directly related to the accuracy of the calibration process which you must carry out 2-4 times a day with a regular Glucometer. This is not as straight forward as it seems, and takes some time to get it correct. Also, the information you get from the CGMS is delayed about 15mins from real time. Yes, I do feel a bit like a cyborg and juggling skin real estate is something I am still getting used to. CGMS is not a magic bullet, you need to have carb counting, basal adjustment, bolus adjustment and all the other diabetic basics clearly understood, not neccessarily under control, before you might benefit from a CGMS. If you haven't done it, I would highly reccommend DAFNE training. Also, have a look at hypoactive.org.au to see what other Australian diabetic atheletes are up to. | 876 | 524 | 0.001915 |
warc | 201704 | There is no question that members of the United Church of Christ care about God’s mission in our world. After ten years of serving the UCC through Global Ministries as a missionary in South Africa and Mozambique, I can personally attest to this fact. Many conferences and churches have relationships with international partners through Global Ministries and, through these partnerships, are able to both share and receive the gifts of the global church.
But what do we mean when we say we “receive” the gifts of the global Church? While serving Global Ministries in Africa, we hosted many church groups who came to visit. One of the most common gifts that guests said they would take away was the African spirituality and beautiful singing that are generally a ubiquitous part of African worship. And while these are indeed gifts to receive, it seemed that other possible “gifts” were harder to identify or take away from these experiences.
We live in a world that is rapidly changing. While not a new phenomenon, the economic downturn and subsequent slow recovery of the past few years have caused many to realize that the United States’ place in the world is changing. Mission internationally is not about a North American or Western “center” helping those on some distant “periphery.” The periphery is everywhere. Millions of US citizens live on the economic and social margins of society. There is no mission field somewhere “out there”; now, more than ever, the whole world is a mission field. In missional church language, we live in the midst of the “abandoned places of empire.” Chris Hedges, in his book
Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, calls these places “sacrifice zones” which he describes as “those areas in the country that have been offered up for exploitation in the name of profit, progress, and technological advancement.” For years, many of the organizations and churches with which we partner have been doing vital and transformative ministry in places which even today continue to be affected by colonial and neocolonial exploitation. Now that many communities in the United States are facing the same social degradation (and for many of the same reasons!), we have the opportunity to learn models of ministry which have been tested and developed by friends in the global South. What could the pastor of a local church situated in an area of the US where mining is pervasive learn about ministry from her counterpart in Guatemala or China? Could a church located in inner-city Newark, Detroit, or Los Angeles pick up ideas for ministry from forming relationships with sisters and brothers in San Paulo, Nairobi, or Delhi? Might a conference whose churches now minister in communities dealing with large influxes of immigrants be helped by connecting with people of faith from Mexico, Ghana, or Syria?
The world in which we live our faith is constantly changing. Issues of justice around poverty, immigration, the rights of women, children, and minorities, and the environment, issues which are of vital importance to members of the UCC, are not distant but very real to the communities in which we serve. Can we as a church tackle these global challenges without global insights? For more information about exploring the resources for being a global mission church, go to http://globalministries.org/about-us/.
The United Church of Christ has more than 5,300 churches throughout the United States. Rooted in the Christian traditions of congregational governance and covenantal relationships, each UCC setting speaks only for itself and not on behalf of every UCC congregation. UCC members and churches are free to differ on important social issues, even as the UCC remains principally committed to unity in the midst of our diversity. | 3,856 | 1,845 | 0.000556 |
warc | 201704 | Tried and tested tips to get you more self-disciplined today
We called Alan 'lucky'. At school we thought of him as an incredibly 'gifted' guitarist and he's since gone on to travel the world making a very good living at what he loves to do.
I became good friends with him and soon learned the truth. I stayed over at Alan's house one night and was awoken at 6am (on a Saturday morning) by the melodious sound of his singing guitar. "What are you doing?" I yawned. "It's 6am."
"I always start the day with two hours of practice and do three hours in the evening. If I didn't I'd be hopeless!"
Then it hit me. Alan
was gifted, but this was a gift that had started out small, perhaps even insignificant, to which he'd added, built upon, and massively extended. Alan had made his own gift.
That taught me something profound. Sure, there is such a thing as natural talent but:
Natural talent counts for little unless it's supercharged by self-discipline. Self-discipline can, to some extent, overcome lackof natural talent.
Exercising self-discipline can make the difference between an averagely talented person doing something amazing with their lives and a naturally talented person realizing very little of their potential.
Over the years I've come to see self-discipline as an invisible magic. You can't see, taste, or smell it, but its effects are huge. It can transform fat into slim, sag into buff, uninformed into expert, poor into rich, misery into happiness. It's the submerged part of the iceberg others don't see when they see your 'genius'.
Yes, luck plays its role and who doesn't need the 'lucky break'? But self-discipline prepares you to ride that break all the way to the shore. Self-discipline makes you happier; it gives you that sense of real achievement earned through sheer intensity of sustained focus.
If you really want to succeed at a task then self-discipline is essential. We were wrong about Alan to assume that his guitar magic had somehow been dished out to him like a Porsche given to an indulged adolescent on reaching eighteen. We had fallen for the biggest myth in the book.
The myth of easy success
Celebrities have never been more visible in our culture. Famous sportspeople, wonderful actors, and musicians are all over the media. But what we
don't see are the thousands of hours of super-focused work these people have put in behind the scenes.
It's easy to feel that success comes easily; that it's just a question of self-belief. But anyone who has achieved anything has done so because they've been able to control and direct their own inner lives and actions to the extent that has enabled them to become super-able at what they do.
Life is not a waiting room
Life isn't some waiting room in which to 'kill time' with repetitive self-amusements.
Self-discipline, like a muscle, can be developed. If we were raised in a disciplined environment, we may find it easier to be self-disciplined, but we can
all develop more.
The following self-discipline tips have been gleaned from how top achievers manage and develop ability. Try them:
1) Don't wait to 'feel like it'
In some ways, exercising self-discipline is harder than ever before. We're all encouraged to feel something should
entertain us before it is worthwhile. We become brainwashed with messages like:
"Don't do it unless you feel like it!"
"If it feels good, do it!"
"Yeah, the money's good but I'm not getting up at that time!"
Choosing to do something or not based on whether it feels comfortable/pleasurable or not is a disaster. If I waited to 'feel like it' before exercising or working or making that tricky phone call or putting in the occasional all-nighter to meet a deadline, then I would be much less disciplined than I am now and believe me that would be really bad. : o
"Don't have a wishbone where your backbone should be!" 2) Finish what you start (as a point of honour)
Winston Churchill could only offer the British people 'blood, sweat, and tears', but victory was the greater goal for the whole nation. Really think about:
A, How much you want to achieve a greater goal (be it weight loss, a finished novel, new business, or mastering a musical instrument).
B, How serious you really are.
You may
think you are serious and even tell others how serious you are, but only your actions really convey how genuine you are. Better you keep silent and get on with it than delude yourself and others.
Focus on the long-term 'big outcome' and self-discipline will naturally follow. Every morning, get up (yes
do please get up!) and tell yourself: "Today is not over until I have done..." – whatever you need to do that day. Literally, you can't finish your day until what you set out to do has been done. I'm not kidding. Respect yourself enough to keep your own promises to yourself. 3) Dump the excuses
Be honest with yourself. Do the following sound familiar?
"I don't want to overdo it!" "I'll start it when the weather gets better!" "Well it's too late now to do it, anyway!" (Remember: your day ain't over 'til it's done.) "I'm not getting support from others so I won't bother then!" "I'm not going to do it at all now if you're going to take that attitude!"
Now, lest you think I'm holier than thou – perish the thought. I have used all the above excuses and many more besides to mask my own laziness or fear.
But if you are going to make excuses, don't fall for them yourself. Don't believe your own PR.
In fact, start being honest. Tell yourself:
"I'm not going to go for the run now because I'm too soft and lazy."
Or: "I've decided not to give that speech now because I'm too cowardly!"
I've tried this and you know what? Honesty can be hard to take. Harder, in fact, than actually doing the thing you're trying to avoid. Stop mistaking excuses for credible reasons.
4) Sorry, it's non-negotiable
When we start to question whether we are really going to get down to some work, whether it's too late to make a start, whether we should watch the James Bond movie on TV instead, we start to 'leak' motivation. Make self-discipline 'non-negotiable'. I'm guessing you don't um and ah about whether to clean your teeth or pull the chain in the toilet (I'm hoping) – these things are unquestioned by you. Likewise, tell yourself: "I'm not going to listen to excuses or wimp-outs – this is
non-negotiable!"
Remember the words of Abraham J. Heschel: "Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself."
5) The pull of the external deadline
Alan made promises to
himself and he had enough self-respect to keep these promises. No one else put pressure on him to practice so much. But if he had a concert coming up, he worked even harder. External deadlines – working to deliver what others expect from you – can massively boost your drive to succeed. If there are no external deadlines, then make some.
Maybe you do contract work or a publisher is expecting your work by a certain time, so you already have an external deadline. But if you don't, then create an
internal one (such as "by July the 1st I'm going to be 12 pounds slimmer") and make it external by telling as many people as possible.
If you need to write 100,000 words in two months, tell other people that on a certain date you are going to get back to them to tell them you've done it. Print off a letter of intent, sign it in front of a friend or several people, and ask them to remind you of your deadline when it arrives and sign again that you have completed it. External deadlines work.
6) Ignore the naysayers
Other people can exert an immensely negative effect... if we let them. Don't let them. Don't let words or even negative facial expressions deter you. Seek the advice of experts by all means and learn from the best, but never accept negativity from people who haven't themselves achieved what it is you are set upon achieving.
If people say what you plan is not possible or sneer at your efforts, don't be deterred by this; rather, use it to fire your energy and strength. Proving others wrong is a greatly underrated pleasure.
7) Don't get hijacked by trivia
We all have a need to complete things, be it a story we are reading or an opera we are composing. If someone starts to tell you a joke (or a piece of gossip), they set an expectation in your brain that you really want fulfilled. But if you have important things to do, things to learn, an important project, then trivial things can 'hijack' this need for completion. Playing endless computer games or watching TV thrillers can leave you feeling satisfied because
something has been completed. This is like meeting your physical hunger by eating junk, then no longer wanting to eat real nutrition.
By cutting out (or down) your consumption of TV, gaming, or even newspaper reading, you leave your need for completion free to work on what you really need to be focusing on. You need to feel that things remain unfinished to keep focused and you need to devote valuable time and energy where it's really needed.
Self-discipline is the fuel that gets you places. The happy by-products of discipline are success, self-respect, and improved physical and mental health.
As Alan said: "I have to be true to myself, else I feel like a fraud."
Get your success on!
Click here for motivating, focusing success tips in your email from our co-founder Mark Tyrrell, taken from all he has learned from creating a 7-figure business from nothing and helping clients succeed for over 15 years. | 9,615 | 4,518 | 0.000224 |
warc | 201704 | Regional workshop discussed ICT in Education policy, infrastructure and ODA
On March 5
th and 6 th, the ICT-in-Education division of UNESCO Bangkok, with the generous support of the Korean Institute for Science and Technology (KIST), convened a Regional Consultation Workshop on ICT in Education Policy, Infrastructure, and Official Development Assistance Status. The workshop was attended by delegates with expertise in ICT-in-Education from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with senior staff from KIST and UNESCO Bangkok.
The workshop was a final step in the review and updating process of a forthcoming publication by UNESCO Bangkok on the status of ICT-in-Education in selected ASEAN countries. In his welcoming address, Etienne Clement, Deputy Director of UNESCO Bangkok, noted the that ICT-in-Education was a primary driving forces behind the realization of UNESCO’s mission to achieve universal access to quality educational opportunities. This mission was continued in a speech by Byung-Ok Yoon, Secretary-General of KIST, who described the need for research to link educational outcomes to innovative technologies such as robot-enhanced learning.
Representatives from KIST provided a demonstration of their research on the contstruction of robots for use in early childhood education. The robots facilitate basic administrative tasks while providing a flexible and adaptable source of lesson material. Early research results have shown great potential for the use of these robots with children with learning differences. While country delegates agreed that the universal application of ‘r-learning’ was not yet a possibility, the demonstration provided a strong reminder of advances being made at the frontiers of ICT-in-Education.
The assembled country delegates then provided a series of frank assessments on recent changes to the overall policy environment regarding ICT in Education, including focal points and key decision-making criteria. Those countries receiving official development assistance (ODA) described the successes and failures of their interactions with the international community, closing with firm recommendations for best practices moving forward. As expected, each nation had unique challenges to confront in its quest to provide the best possible education for all students. The workshop results will be synthesized into a final report by UNESCO Bangkok which will be published within the year.
Given the successful sharing of information and building of relationships, workshop participants agreed to work towards developing annual meetings. There was firm agreement that the development of a network of connections between ministries, schools, and educational organizations across the ASEAN region was critical to meeting each nation’s goals for the development of ICT-in-Education.
21.03.2013 | 2,913 | 1,425 | 0.000709 |
warc | 201704 | Valuable Truth in Unlikely Places Discipleship, Faithfulness, Truth
At the present time a runaway bestseller on the market is a little book called, “The Prayer of Jabez”. This book (or booklet) was written by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and is really just an exposition of one verse in 1 Chronicles 4:10. This verse which has become so popular and is so instructive is found in the middle of nine chapters of genealogical records. These are chapters most of us skim over because they are tedious to read. Yet, here in the middle of this record is a gem that can enrich our lives.
I wouldn’t say that our text this morning is as transforming as the Prayer of Jabez but it does teach valuable truth. But it is truth in an unlikely place because these lessons are found in a story that we may have often read, only to scratch our heads, and go on. Hopefully this morning we will see it in a new light.
Our passage picks up the story right where we left off. God told Moses it was time to head to Egypt and lead the people out of slavery to the Promised land. Moses presents his list of excuses but to no avail. Moses is the man God has chosen. So, Moses heads back home to request a leave of absence from his father-in-law, Jethro.
Before we get into our main text please note two things. First note that Moses doesn’t just walk away from his job. He requests Jethro’s permission and blessing. And by this simple act Moses reminds us that showing consideration is always a part of our Christian witness. A Christian should always be characterized by common courtesy.
Jethro took Moses in 40 years ago and gave him a job and let him marry one of his seven daughters. Moses owes Jethro the courtesy of an explanation. And Jethro not only grants the request but sends Moses, his daughter, and his grandson off with his blessing. It must have been difficult for Jethro, but this Midianite priest had a sense of God’s calling and released Moses from his obligations. I wonder how many people have been turned away from the faith because of rude and insensitive believers.
Second, notice that Moses doesn’t tell Jethro the real reason for his journey. Instead, he says, “Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” He doesn’t say anything about his conversation with the Lord. Now, of course, it is possible that Moses told Jethro all about his experience and it is simply not recorded in Scripture. All we have is the written record and in that written record Moses leaves out some key details. Why? I can think of only three reasons
He didn’t think it was important. We don’t always have to tell everyone everything we know. But it is hard to imagine that Moses considered a conversation with God insignificant. He was afraid Jethro would think he was crazy and wouldn’t let him go. Put yourself in Jethro’s shoes. Would you have wondered if Moses had been in the sun too long? Would you have been a little concerned for the welfare of your daughter and grandsons? He was reluctant, skeptical and afraid to head to Egypt and doesn’t want anyone else to know his plans.. Maybe this explains what we read next,
Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, “Do not be afraid to return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.”
God understood that Moses was reluctant. When he left Egypt 40 years earlier he was a wanted man. His picture hung in post offices throughout Egypt and perhaps was even on telephone polls next to the pictures of lost donkeys. The Lord understands and graciously calms the fears of Moses by letting him know that the people who were after him have died. The outstanding warrants have expired. With new confidence in his heart, Moses loads up the family in the station wagon of the day (a donkey), and heads to Egypt.
It is during the journey that we read an odd account that I will focus on for the rest of our time. We find it starting in chapter 4 verse 24.
At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)[Ex. 4:24-26]
God sends Moses to Egypt and then along the way the great “I AM” strikes Moses down and was ready to kill him. There are three obvious questions,
why did God send Moses to Egypt if He planned to kill him? how did Moses and Zipporah know that it was God who sought to kill him? why did Zipporah turn to circumcision as the “cure” for Moses? There are some weird things in some books on alternative medicine but I’m guessing you won’t find this remedy anywhere.
We are not given the answers to these questions but we can hazard a credible theory. It would seem reasonable that an angel or some other “theophany” (or manifestation of God) appeared and struck Moses down. It would also appear that the angel was quite specific that the reason for this assault was because one of Moses’ sons was uncircumcised. So, to save the life of her husband, Zipporah herself circumcises her son. After she does this surgery on her son she says to Moses, “surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
It is most likely that Zipporah said these words out of anger. It is like she was saying, “Look at what I had to do because of you!” The customs are strange to our ears, but the lessons we learn are potent for our lives. I see two valuable lessons.
“LITTLE THINGS” ARE IMPORTANT
The first lesson we learn is that little things are important to the Lord. Circumcision was a sign of a person’s participation in the family of God. I suspect that while Moses’ mother was raising him the symbol was explained to him. Yet, we can see why Moses might think it wasn’t that big of a deal. Though Moses would have been circumcised as an infant, he grew up in Egypt. Later he moved to Midian. In both locations circumcision was not important. Moses may have considered it a little thing. He was wrong.
Jesus told his disciples,
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. [Luke 16:10]
If Moses was going to be a leader he must be a leader in the little things before he could lead in the big things. If he was going to be faithful in the big tasks, he had to learn to be faithful in the everyday decisions of life. If we want to serve the Lord we must show our faith through the little things such as,
reporting our business expenses accurately listing our hours honestly avoiding things like gossip, exaggeration, and “white lies” being on time for work maintaining purity in public and in private keeping your promises and fulfilling your commitments being faithful in our worship and our giving.
Our society may consider these things unimportant. They may adopt the attitude that right and wrong is a matter of what you can “get away with”. But this is not to be the way with God’s people. Serving the Lord begins in the little things.
This makes sense if you think about it. In the mundane things of life we develop the habits that really determine our character. Think about it this way: suppose you were sending a rocket to the moon. And suppose you were one degree off when you set the trajectory of the rocket. One degree doesn’t seem like much. However, by the time you get to the moon that one degree will lead to a thousand mile miss of the target.
So it is in our spiritual lives. If we want to honor and serve the Lord we must begin by honoring and serving Him in the little things. If we are off in the little things it will lead to our drifting in the big things. Satan is much more likely to attack us in the little things than the big things. He will seek to unravel our private life even as the world cheers for us in our public life. We may look spiritual to those around us while the cancer of neglect eats away at our spiritual vitality from the inside out.
So, let me ask: how is your private life? Are you getting lazy in the little things? Are you putting all your effort into putting on a good show for the world while the cancer of disobedience eats away at your life from within? Maybe it is time to do a personal inventory.
do you make promises you don’t intend to keep? does your spiritual life consist only of the public times of worship or are you developing your personal relationship with God? would you be ashamed if people knew what you did in private when no one was looking? Is there something in your life right now that is gnawing at you? Something you know isn’t right but you keep making excuses for it?
Little things matter to God because they are the foundation for the rest of your life. Any builder knows, if the foundation of a building is bad it doesn’t matter how wonderful the rest of the structure looks . . . eventually the building will have problems . . . all because the foundation was bad.
FAITHFULNESS MUST BEGIN AT HOME
I think there is a second lesson here. Before Moses could faithfully serve the Lord in Egypt he had to have his own house in order.
We are told that Moses loaded up his “sons” (plural). Why was only one circumcised by Zipporah? It seems only reasonable to conclude that one son was circumcised and one was not. Maybe he had begun to drift a little in his faith since he had been away from his family for so long. Maybe he received grief from his family after the first circumcision and sought to avoid conflict by not circumcising his second son.
To not circumcise his son was like the President of Chrysler motor company appearing on television to talk about the superior products and Chrysler and then drive away in a Toyota. It is inconsistent. In the same way, to talk about the Lordship of Christ and not make Him Lord in your home is inconsistent.
The apostle Paul understood this principle. He told Timothy,
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) [1 Timothy 3:2-5]
You cannot lead others until you are able to lead your own home. Notice how prominent the family is in the qualifications for leadership
he is to be a husband of one wife. Joe Aldrich writes, “A one-wife kind of man has eyes for no other woman than the one he married. There is no room for a sensual ladies man on a leadership team. Many men have never divorced their wives or been “unfaithful,” but they are not one-women men, and their wives know it.” [Life Style Evangelism p. 148] he is to manage his own family well. Aldrich remarks that “The greatest challenges, the greatest pressures we face are behind the front door!” In fact, Paul writes, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” his children obey him with proper respect.
Moses needed to learn that faith begins at home. And let’s face it, it is a message that we need to remember as well. How often do we live double lives? We proclaim Christ’s goodness but our home is falling apart. We serve Christ in the public arena but there is no sense of His Lordship in their household.
As you look through the Bible you will see that when this principle is violated disaster results. The priest Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They were dishonest and perverted the things of the Lord and God had them killed. We read on several occasions that Eli knew what the boys were doing but said nothing. He fell down in his ministry at home and it cost him his sons.
The great prophet Samuel also had two sons that were corrupt. Is is possible that Samuel spent too much time on the road and not enough time at home?
In the story of David we read that David’s son, Ammon raped his half-sister Tamar. David heard about what happened, but did nothing. As a result Tamar’s brother Absalom killed his half-brother Ammon and all kinds of turmoil began in the household of David.
The home is the laboratory of faith. It is in the home where we learn about love, forgiveness, grace, accountability, fiscal responsibility and so much more. It is more difficult to be a Christian at home. Why? Because it demands a greater level of consistency than is needed with the rest of the world. We can pretend when we are in public, but we can’t pretend at home. We must learn, like Moses, that our first responsibility is the home.
How are things at home, my friend?
are you practicing the values you profess? are you spending too much time at work and not enough time with your family? are you leading others to Christ while your own children drift toward the Devil? CONCLUSIONS
So, here we have it. One of those odd stories that we find in the Bible. But as usual, when we think about what is going on and why, we find that God is teaching us things we really need to know. This morning we have focused on two very important principles of discipleship.
First, we were reminded that discipleship begins in the little things. Is there some matter that you need to get right before the Lord?
a debt that needs to be repaid an apology you need to extend a sin you need to address a wrong you need to right a promise you need to keep
If so, don’t wait for some dramatic event to get your attention. Avoid the heartache by taking care of these things now.
Secondly, Discipleship begin at home. Does your home life square with your profession in the church? Are you honoring God by
cherishing your spouse training your children in the things of God using your time and money responsibly making worship a priority in your home even when it conflicts with other things we like to do praying for and with your family honoring God and others in your conversation at home supporting God’s values in the things you watch, read and listen to making time for your family even though it means saying “no” to other things
The Lord is not looking for plastic Christians. He is looking for those who serve Him with their whole lives. They serve Him in their private life and public life; in their home and in the church. They don’t pretend to have it all together, because they know there is still work to be done. But they are willing for God to work with His surgical precision in their heart and their life.
Are you that kind of Christian? Or are you one of those people who has said you believed in God, but you have never really entered into a relationship with Him? Perhaps you’ve been going through the motions, doing religious stuff, and doing what you can to quiet your conscience. If that describes you, it’s time for you to take the gospel seriously.
Jesus came so that you might have new life. He died so you might be forgiven and He gave His Holy Spirit to live in us and to work in us. What God asks from you and from me is that we trust Him. He asks that we surrender those notions that we could ever earn Heaven. He asks that we abandon the thought that we can “do it on our own”. Instead He asks us to rely on what He has done for us through Christ and what He will do through us in the future.
Have you made that decision? Have you received His gift of grace and life? If not, why not use this quiet moment to open your life to Him? Be honest about your heart, your home, and the struggles you have. Bring these to Him and lay them at His feet. And then receive the forgiveness and new life that He extends. Your life probably will not change over night, but if you are sincere, if you begin to follow Him in public and in private, your life will change. Day after day he will be working to create in you a new heart, a new life, and a new hope.
This passage in Exodus may still be somewhat confusing to you. But I hope you’ve seen this morning that you never know where you might find truth that could change your life. | 16,515 | 7,046 | 0.000146 |
warc | 201704 | WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- Capital Comment -- Daily news notes, political rumors and important events that shape politics and public policy in Washington and the world from United Press International.
General news...
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark continues to raise his profile while officially not a candidate for president of the United States. On May 7, Clark will give the prestigious Morgenthau Memorial Lecture at a meeting of the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs in New York City. The topic of his remarks is Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Conflict, which Clark "recently updated to include his thoughts on the war on terrorism," according to the council.
Comparing Clark to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal says, "It is timely to hear from someone with hands-on experience in waging modern warfare ... No one knows better than General Clark about the lessons the United States ought to have learned from Kosovo. This makes him one of our most credible sources for discussing the ethics of fighting al-Qaida as well as waging war with Iraq."
After the lecture, the council will host a dinner with Clark, providing "an informal venue for continuing the conversation." The conversation, at $350 per plate, will be moderated by former Clinton administration national security adviser Anthony Lake.
Public enemy No. 1...
The Cato Institute, America's leading libertarian think tank, is hosting a book forum May 7 featuring Jack Hollander, author of a new book on the global environmental predicament. "The Real Environmental Crisis: Why Poverty, Not Affluence, Is the Environment's Number One Enemy" has, as its main thesis, the idea that global poverty is in fact the world's most critical environmental problem.
Hollander, professor emeritus of energy and resources at the University of California, Berkeley, examined a wide range of energy, natural resource, and environmental issues before concluding that economic development and technological advances can relieve many pressing global problems including food shortages, deforestation, air pollution, and land degradation. At the same time, he writes, these advances can provide clean water, adequate energy supplies, and improved public health.
He's back...
Having recently reappeared on the political scene while calling for reform of the U.S. Department of State, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now announcing the release of a new book that evolves out of his work at the American Enterprise Institute think tank.
The book, "Saving Lives & Saving Money: Transforming Health and Healthcare," is a citizens' guide that identifies what Gingrich and his two co-authors say are the transforming principles necessary to create a 21st century system of American health and healthcare that will save lives and money. "There is an enormous gap between the quality of healthcare you and your family should have and what you are most likely receiving from the current system," Gingrich said. "We have demonstrated that Americans could have a dramatically better system, which would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars every year."
Saving Lives reviews the successes realized by existing healthcare companies, organizations, and projects to offer proof that a better system is possible and to provide the opportunity for others to study and, hopefully, implement the strategies and tactics of those who are working to reform the system.
On your mark, get set....
Voters in the 19th Congressional District of Texas delivered something of a surprise to the Washington crowd. In the mass primary to choose a replacement for retiring U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, it was developer and ex-Lubbock, Texas, City Councilor Randy Neugebauer and former Bush business associate Mike Conaway at the top of the field.
Neugebauer led the pack of 17 candidates, winning 22 percent of the vote while Conway finished in second place with 21 percent. State Rep. Carl Isett, who had strong backing from Washington conservative groups, finished third place with 19 percent of the vote.
Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, Neugebauer and Conway will face off in a runoff election scheduled for early June.
Corn-fed future...
More than 80 percent of Iowa voters agree the Social Security system is at risk, according to a new poll released Monday by the National Center for Policy Analysis, a conservative think tank. Nearly three-fourths of the respondents indicated a preference when quizzed about three frequently proposed reforms.
Allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts was by far the most popular option, selected by 35.3 percent of those indicating a preference. Another 19.8 percent said they favored raising the retirement age while 18.8 percent favored increasing the payroll tax rate. The NCPA's Matt Moore said the findings indicate, "More and more people are coming to recognize that Social Security is in trouble."
In questions asked to help gauge the perspective of respondents, the poll found that President Bush's job approval rating in Iowa is at 66 percent while among likely Democratic caucus voters, former U.S. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., was the most popular of the Democrats currently seeking their party's presidential nomination.
The poll was conducted April 21-23 and includes completed interviews with 400 likely Iowa voters. The margin of error is plus/minus 4.9 percent.
Got an item for Capital Comment? E-mail it to CapComm@UPI.com. | 5,628 | 2,813 | 0.000358 |
warc | 201704 | Two of Europe’s largest publically traded companies experienced wild market swings of nearly 10% in less than a matter of seconds, a move that was quickly dismissed as a “fat finger” mistake but is being questioned by a High Frequency Trading (HFT) expert as a potential planned trading strategy.
Price swings in London stock exchange
In London trading today, HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) (LON:HSBA), the large investment bank with its own proprietary trading division, rocketed 9.9% higher at approximately 11:20 a.m. in London before falling back in price minutes later, according to a report on Bloomberg. This market activity comes two hours after the world’s largest distiller, Diageo plc (ADR) (NYSE:DEO) (LON:DGE), dropped 11% in a matter of seconds on the London exchange before rebounding five minutes later. The moves on the European exchange triggered trading halts in the stocks and influenced the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) and ISHARES STOXX 600 (EPA:SXP) stock indexes, among the biggest gauges of equity performance in Europe.
Speed of correction cited as reason to label event as “fat finger”
“Looking at the speed of the correction in the shares, it’s pretty clear that it was a fat-finger trade,” Alastair McCaig, a market analyst at IG in London, said to Bloomberg to explain both events. This sentiment was echoed by Saul Taylor, vice president and equity trader ConvergEx Ltd in London.
Not so fast, says HFT expert Eric Hunsader, founder and CEO of Nanex, a technology company that streams US market data to primarily institutional investors. “You can’t say it’s a fat finger unless you see the data,” which isn’t necessarily available in the proper format immediately after the event. Hunsader’s firm doesn’t monitor London markets, but if it did he would be looking for cascading order flow – continuous selling on a millisecond basis. The reasons given by McCaig and Taylor that the event was a “fat finger” had nothing to do with continuous patterns of buying and selling but rather the speed with which the market recovered.
HFT algorithms known to engage in rapid buying and selling
Recovery speed is not necessarily a universal measure to disqualify HFT as a potential cause. HFT algorithms are known to initiate large orders to buy or sell and then continue to swamp the market with orders in one price direction. This is done in an attempt to influence the market making software to the point the bid / ask spread moves prices in the direction of their trade. US exchanges have instituted circuit breakers that halt trading and disallow trades typically past a 10% price movement. European exchanges do not have such circuit breakers in place and, to date, have not been subject to the same known level of HFT activity as US markets.
The latest iteration of U.S. HFT algorithms are known to move to a price target near these circuit breakers, down 9.9%, for instance, and once the level is reached the algorithms switch and begin to make trades in the opposite direction. This is not only a common HFT strategy to prevent the stock from hitting circuit breakers, but also a method to profit on both price directions, up and down. The assertion that the speed of the correction in the opposite direction is proof that the event in question was a fat finger, by itself, is at odds with current HFT strategy design. When contacted, Taylor did not return requests for comment before press time. Brenda Kelly, a press representative for IG, told ValueWalk: “The general consensus had been that a fat finger was to blame for the spike in price. This has been from many different sources not just Bloomberg. Similar explanations have been given from Bloomberg. Alastair’s comments were based off information gleaned from our trading floor. No suggestion has been made that algos failed to make money on the move.”
Wider concerns
Hunsader notes that HFT events are on the rise since the 2008 market collapse. Regulators at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, led by CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton, have taken steps to monitor and regulate high frequency trading, particularly as manipulative trading events could lead to economic damage. Behind the scenes, concern is that such HFT trading strategies could be initiated by enemies of the state to commit acts of terrorism or financial warfare. | 4,446 | 2,167 | 0.000474 |
warc | 201704 | © 2001-Sun Jan 22 13:15:21 EST 2017 Vetstreet. All rights reserved.
Vetstreet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See Additional Information ›
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Should your neighbor’s barking dog get laryngitis, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a blessing. But laryngeal paralysis is something else altogether. The condition, which primarily affects dogs (rarely cats), occurs when the larynx closes when it should open. Difficulty breathing and collapsing during exercise can occur, as well as noisy breathing and gagging. Laryngeal paralysis is a genetic condition for some dog breeds, though it may be caused by disease in others. Treatment ranges from exercise restriction and/or medication in mild cases to surgery in serious cases.
The larynx is the structure at the back of the throat (at the entrance to the trachea) that opens to allow airflow in and out of the trachea and lungs. It also closes to prevent the entry of food and liquids into the lungs during swallowing. Also known as the voice box, the larynx enables dogs to bark and howl.
Laryngeal paralysis is a condition in which the cartilage and vocal folds of the larynx are unable to open fully during breathing, making inhalation especially difficult.
The condition can be inherited in some breeds, such as Bouvier des Flandres, Siberian Huskies, and Dalmatians. In these cases, the condition usually occurs within the first 6 months of life. More often, laryngeal paralysis occurs in large-breed dogs later in Iife. St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Irish Setters are often affected. Laryngeal paralysis rarely occurs in cats.
Dogs with laryngeal paralysis generally experience signs related to breathing and barking. A hoarse, raspy, roaring sound that is most audible upon inhalation is typical. Sometimes, difficulty breathing and collapse (most common during exercise, especially in hot weather) can also occur, as well as gagging and hacking while eating or drinking. The bark may also become hoarse or raspy.
The best way to diagnose laryngeal paralysis is to observe the larynx while the dog is under sedation or anesthesia. Usually, the veterinarian will notice that one or both sides of the larynx do not open normally when the dog inhales. Other diagnostic tests may be recommended to determine if there are underlying diseases or complications that can occur as a result of laryngeal paralysis.
For the Dalmatian, Bouvier des Flandres, Siberian Husky, and some other breeds, the disease can be inherited. In other cases, the cause is unknown or can result from other diseases affecting the nerves and muscles controlling the larynx.
Treatment of laryngeal paralysis depends greatly on how severely a dog is affected. In very mild cases, no treatment may be indicated, apart from exercise restriction and stress avoidance. Sometimes, mild sedatives or anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed. However, in more severe cases that present with acute respiratory distress, dogs may require oxygen therapy, hospitalization, and intensive care management of the condition until the crisis resolves.
Definitive treatment for severe cases involves surgery. A common procedure is to use suture material to tie back one side of the cartilage, creating a larger opening for air movement. Though this surgery makes it possible for dogs to breathe more normally, an unfortunate potential side effect involves the accidental inhalation (aspiration) of food and/or water and the possibility of pneumonia.
For dogs with laryngeal paralysis, episodes can be minimized by reducing stress and exertion, and providing medication when necessary. Dogs with the inherited form of the disease should not be used for breeding.
This article has been reviewed by a Veterinarian.
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warc | 201704 | Short History of Water Gardening
By Kit Knotts
In researching this article, we found many references that referred to "ancient times" and "long ago", but found ourselves continually looking for a frame of reference. To that end, we have largely used material in this narative, in our Water Gardening Timeline (chronology) and in our Tree (relationships) that gives dates. We feel the sources are credible and links are provided to many of them (with as few ads as possible). Certain events may have occurred earlier but we can find no documentation for them.
The search has taken us through numerous books and articles
and to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of websites. Topics have
included geology, archaeology, paleontology, geography, art history,
religion, politics, architecture, landscape architecture, botany,
horticulture, taxonomy and botanical nomenclature. We are unable
to separate water gardening from any of these because they provide
invaluable perspective.
The "lotus", most likely
The earliest planned gardens which included ponds were probably in Egypt, documented as early as 2800 BCE. Decorative ponds and fountains were a major feature in gardens of the Middle Eastern civilizations of Mesopotamia, stimulated by the need for irrigation canals. The design tended to include four water features in the form of a cross, thought to stem from the four rivers of the Garden of Eden and the concept of "flowing to the four corners of the earth". The later Persian and Islamic empires greatly influenced garden design in such nations as Spain and India.
Hinduism had some of its roots in Mesopotamian civilizations as well as in the Indus, where the native Nelumbo was and is today a major symbol in religion. Though its cultivation is not mentioned, we can surmise that it was featured in many gardens. Buddhism, which developed in part from Hinduism in India, also symbolizes the lotus, and made its way to China via the Silk Road.
Lotus seeds were found as a part of the Hemudu Culture in ancient China as long ago as 5000 BCE and presumably were native to that region. Chinese poetry from the Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 BCE) speaks of lotus. The Imperial Gardens developed during the Han Dynasty (from 206 BCE) in China are the first we can find noted for water features.
At about this same time, interest in plants was growing in Greece, though the Greeks were not known for ornamental gardens. The philosopher and botanist Theophrastus wrote De historia plantarum (A History of Plants) and De causis plantarum (About the Reasons of Vegetable Growth). Though it's difficult to tell which plants he was writing about, he can be considered the first botanical taxonomist.
Roman gardens were largely utilitarian though the gardens of the affluent during the Roman Empire assimilated Islamic design, the use of fountains in particular. The collapse of the Roman Empire signaled a virtual end to ornamental gardening in Western Europe until the Islamic conquest of Spain in the eighth century. The pools and fountains of the Alhambra are major examples of that influence as is the Taj Mahal in India.
In 552, Buddhism was introduced to Japan, enhancing the incorporation of water and the lotus in Japanese garden design. Even earlier water was an important element. The lotus first appeared in the art/architecture of Japan in the seventh century.
From the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries, Crusaders brought back from the Middle East a desire to create ornamental gardens with water features. The Renaissance brought with it a resurgence of formal gardens in Europe, in Italy especially. Baroque gardens of the seventeenth century included Versailles.
The seventeen hundreds have been called the Golden Age of Botany, partly because wide
exploration of exotic lands provided material for a growing group
of scientists to study and partly because of Carl Linnaeus, whose Species Plantarum established
the system of nomenclature and basis of taxonomy used today.
In Species Plantarum, Linnaeus named
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a flurry
of
This set the stage for the first waterlily hybrids to be made.
The first generally accepted as a true hybrid was
Though much of the cultivation and study of aquatic plants was going on in England, Belgium and Germany, it was the Frenchman Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac who, at the turn of the twentieth century, created hardy waterlily hybrids that set the standard for all who followed. Another Frenchman, Antoine Lagrange, created wonderful tropical hybrids but almost all of them are lost to cultivation.
Interest in ponds and waterlilies spread to America where Edmund Sturtevant, William Tricker and James Gurney led the way, and Henry S. Conard published his landmark monograph, The Waterlilies, in 1905. George Pring soon made Missouri Botanical Garden the aquatic Mecca of the United States. In the 1930's Martin E. Randig and Otto Beldt introduced their first waterlilies.
This brings us to our contemporary legends of hybridizing and collecting of aquatic plants: hybridizers Bill Frase, Perry Slocum, Johan Harder, Clyde Ikins, Kirk Strawn, Dr. Slearmlarp Wasuwat, Charles Winch; collectors and educators Walter Pagels, Monroe Birdsey and Pat Nutt. And it brings us to the gardens that do so much to showcase aquatics, Kew, Longwood, Missouri, Denver, US National Arboretum, Leiden, Bergius, Gent. All are part of water gardening's past, present and future. | 5,482 | 2,676 | 0.000376 |
warc | 201704 | (BEDFORD) - Purdue Extension is inviting young parents and their children to a block party.
This isn't a block party with a barbecue and bouncy house. This is a party with building blocks.
According to Cheryl Jones, block party specialist for Purdue University Extension, children learn many skills by playing with blocks. They learn about math, science and problem-solving. They also work on social skills and block play nurtures their creativity and early language skills.
The block party is for parents age 24 and under and their children ages 8 months to 8 years old. Two block parties will be held Tuesday at Bedford North Lawrence High School at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Each session lasts one hour.
Parents will learn how their children can learn these skills through block play. They will also be given tips on how to help their children develop these skills.
The first 30 families to register and attend will receive a free set of blocks to take home.
Refreshments will be provided. To register, contact the Lawrence County Extension Office at 275-4623.
Have a question or comment about a news story? Send it to comments@wbiw.com | 1,146 | 629 | 0.001602 |
warc | 201704 | WEATHER
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A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually (but not always) found along the equator. Tropical rainforest climate is a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season - all months have mean precipitation values of at least 60 mm (2.36 in). Tropical rainforest climates have no pronounced summer or winter; it is typically hot and wet throughout the year and rainfall is both heavy and frequent. One day in an equatorial climate can be very similar to the next, while the change in temperature between day and night may be larger than the average change in temperature between "summer" and "winter".
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Af". (Tropical Rainforest Climate).
The average temperature for the year in Bodjosari is 77.0°F (25°C). The warmest month, on average, is March with an average temperature of 78.0°F (25.6°C). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 77.0°F (25°C).
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Bodjosari is 149.3" (3792.2 mm). The month with the most precipitation on average is April with 15.4" (391.2 mm) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is June with an average of 8.5" (215.9 mm). | 1,362 | 652 | 0.001595 |
warc | 201704 | It Is Ok To Be Human November 19, 2009
A week or so I met with a woman whose husband just recently passed away, after they had shared a life together for more than twenty years. She told me of their vacations, and their joys and trials of raising children together. She told me of a lifetime of experiences, and what they have meant and continue to mean to her.
In the hour and a half that I met with her, I was given a brief glimpse into the wonderful world filled with loving memories shared by two people. As this woman shared these memories with me it was clear that doing so was a joy for her.
And as I asked her “how do you feel you are doing now” I watched as that joy faded into something much less pleasant, and she began to cry as she spoke with me. “Horrible”, she replied. She spoke of the waves of crying that hit her, and how difficult it is to get out of bed each day.
She also spoke of how much more difficult everything is now than it was a short time ago, when her husband was still alive. Her memory and attention span, she told me, is non existent…much like her ability to handle “the small things”. She told me of all the things that she should be doing better by now, a month after her husband had passed away.
When someone we care about has died, we need to forget everything we thought we knew about how we cope with obstacles in life. This isn’t losing a job, or being late on a car payment. This is the permanent physical loss of someone we love, and it will likely cause pain the likes of which you’ve not felt before.
So why are we so hard on ourselves, expecting that we will be back to normal in a month…when our lives are so far from it right now?
Everything has changed over night. You need to have patience with yourself, and lower your expectations of yourself just a little bit. Rather than setting the bar at getting through the day without crying, set it at being able to get out of bed and put your clothes on. And if those clothes actually match, well consider that a plus. Nothing is simple now, and you will find that most things are more difficult than they usually are.
Being able to concentrate, having energy, and being able to smile are things that may not be in the realm of possibility for you at this time. But know that you will regain them in the future, just not right now. You may have to do a great deal of faking and acting at this point as you get through the day, and that’s ok.
This isn’t figure skating. There is no panel of judges that is grading you on how gracefully you get through this period. So if you find yourself tripping over your own laces, know that you’re not going to get kicked off of the ice. I am giving you permission to be human. And if any of you need that in writing, come on down to my office and I will gladly write you up a formal permission slip.
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warc | 201704 | A "House Husband", or stay-at-home dad (alternatively, stay at home father, house dad, SAHD, househusband, or house-spouse) is a term used to describe a father who is the main caregiver of the children and is the homemaker of the household. As families have evolved, the practice of being a stay-at-home dad has become more common. In the "modern society" this common practice results in the wife or significant other working and supporting the families needs, which you the house husband, take care of the children and home. In a lot of ways this arrangement can be increasingly beneficial because if you are handy you can also be assured the time to keep up to date on the necessary repairs and maintenance around the house, thus ensuring your families comfort in their home.
Steps 1 Discuss the expectations with your partner.Discuss realistic expectations, and how to meet them as best as you can. The definition of a good house husband depends on which house you live in. It is also very culture-dependent. Do not presume that you have the same expectations because you may find out the hard way (through arguments) that you don't. Sit down and talk it over. What are the things that need to be done to keep up with in the home? What are the responsibilities in the home? If you are primarily responsible for keeping the house clean, others may take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves: putting dirty laundry in the hamper, placing things where they belong after they are finished using them, emptying the trash, putting dishes in the dishwasher, etc. If you are also caring for young children during the day, you may be surprised by how difficult it is to also keep up with household tasks. Others in your family may need to help with the cooking and cleaning, if possible. Be aware that housekeeping is not as simple as it sounds. Men without military training may not have the basic skills to accomplish all the cleaning tasks or even know what they are. If you've never organized a house, shopped for food and household essentials, cooked or cleaned up because your mother did all these things, your results will not be as effective as any adult woman taking on these tasks. You'll take longer doing it and with less effective results. If possible, get your experienced spouse to walk you through how she does all these things. 2 Be loving.Love is an important ingredient for a successful household. Remind your kids and wife or significant other that you love them, often. Pay attention to your wife or significant other and children. Like say that boy of yours is dying to go to the park for some baseball. Make an effort to spend as much time as possible. If you do this, your family will know that they are loved. 3 Take Responsibility for the household!You are now the "homemaker" of your family. Being the homemaker, it is your responsibility to make it a home. Ensure the cleanliness of the home and that repairs and maintenance are completed. One of the greatest advantages to the house husband is that you can now take the time to do the needed repairs or maintenance items that would have taken time away from your family when you were away at work. 4 Maintain a great Appearance.It is all too easy to stop paying attention to your appearance when you have a no reason to "dress to impress" at the office. Try to spend some time each day making yourself look good and well kept. There is no reason why you can't still maintain a good appearance, even if you have no plans of leaving the house that day. Further, your wife or significant other would love to come home to see you looking good -- not dumpy and unkempt. 5 DON'T Forget about the Cooking!Remember when you would work all day, how great it was to come home to a freshly prepared meal. Now that you are a house husband you can ensure your family eats a delicious meal, prepared for them with love, every day of the week. 6 Plan ahead, with the aim to have a delicious meal on the table when your spouse gets home from work.Microwave meals are not suitable cuisine, so find a recipe book you like and start experimenting. Having a great meal ready for your family is good way to let them know that you have been thinking about them. A good meal can be an expression of love and a warm welcome home. Crock pots and other slow cooked meals may give you the chance to get other chores done while the food cooks. They tend to be very tasty. If you want them eating healthier, treats should be something of a special occasion. Everyday snacks could be fruit, vegetables or healthy grains while a big production dessert could take place sometime on the weekend for everyone to enjoy it together. Budgeting for food is another big part of the job. Prepackaged anything costs more, the more home cooking you do, the better the family will eat both in health and in terms of luxury. Buying non-perishables in bulk is often cheaper than small boxes or quantities. 7 Pay close attention to little things.Remember family birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc. Attention to detail adds up to big attention, and you will have a happy marriage as a result. Remember the personal treats that cheer up your loved ones individually. If you remember the kids' favorite foods and fix them regularly or surprise your spouse with flowers from the garden or a candlelit bath - these things create memories. If you do these small affectionate things more often than calendar holidays and birthdays, they create very powerful memories. They don't have to be big, just personal. Keep track of the things that cheer up your spouse and your kids individually, write them down sometimes when they're not home. When they have a really bad day, that's when to trot out the comfort food or the surprise foot rub. 8 Don't Forget the Errands!Remember, there is more to keeping a family happy than what is in the immediate house. Don't forget the important errands that can add up and take a lot of time to do. By doing one or two a day you can keep up with them, and they will not get unmanageable or take up mass amounts of time on weekends or family time. Pick up the dry cleaning when it is ready, Run to the market when you know something is needed, pickup packages and other items that may need to be retrieved. Overall, just make sure that the errands and tasks are done. Your family will appreciate you for it. If you don't like shopping that often, you can reduce the number of errands by planning ahead and doing them in groups. If you want to get in shape, bicycle for perishable shopping and only use the car when you're stocking up non-perishables or big stuff. 9 Organize your time!It may not feel like a job, but there's a reason why half the human race did it full time for a living for so long. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the wide variety of different tasks that need to be done every day, especially maintenance cleaning that gets interrupted by minor problems and crises. Appliances break, the time you take fixing it or running out to replace it means you start dinner late, all of a sudden the stuff that needed to be done isn't all done and there's no food. Folks get annoyed at this especially if they take their own skills for granted and think what you do is a no-brainer. First experiment and find out how much time these tasks actually take, then budget three times that time for how long they really take when everything goes wrong. Life always happens. Budget a small personal treat for the tasks you don't enjoy. It can be small like a pack of gum or non-monetary like taking the time to play a game. Or just put a dollar into a jar till it adds up for something big that you want. Small personal rewards make it easier to motivate yourself to do things that you're reluctant to that need to be done. Change is good for this if you need to break it down to different specific chores and a lot of them need doing. Or when you finish a chore faster than you planned and still did a good job, put a note in the "time bank" and build up to where you can spend most of a day playing a video game or whatever. 10 Be Happy!Anger spreads fast. Remember when mom was furious? What a scary thought! Happiness will be effective tool on your household, and will provide peace in your home. 11 Show Respect.When a child does something good, (For example: Get an A on a test in a class they were failing in, learn to ride their bike, etc...) Tell them how proud you are. Acknowledge your families contributions, no matter how small you may think they are. Community Q&A My partner and I agreed on me being a househusband. We have a daughter with ADHD and processing learning issues, so it's no walk in the park. Now my partner complains that I have it easy compared to what she does as "career mom". How do I handle this?wikiHow ContributorYour partner may be feeling overwhelmed at work or with the demands of juggling work and parenting. It's difficult to do this, but if you can put aside your hurt feelings and defensiveness and gently probe to find out what's happening inside her, you might be surprised at how she responds. After you've shown how much you care, let her know (again, gently) that when she makes comments about your job being easy, you feel undervalued and unappreciated. Tips Feel secure in your masculinity. People who give you a hard time about your new life are being irrational and backwards-thinking. Laugh & Smile - A Positive Attitude Goes a Long Way! Remember: It's now your job to excel, just like when you were committed to a different career. Organize what you're doing. The high side of being a house husband is that you have no boss, you're in charge. The down side is that it's way too easy to be a lousy boss to yourself either pushing too hard, expecting too much or doing too little. The more you plan your time, the more time you can make for the things you enjoy most and will probably specialize in. Take time for your Children in balance with household duties. Tell your Family, "I love you" Learn to clean effectively, and thoroughly. Be a good example One way to stay happy is to give some time for culture in your life. Men especially benefit from looking at fine art, going to concerts, reading good books and other high culture activities. This can also give you the background to share these things with your kids and have something interesting to talk about with your spouse when she comes home. Make friends and socialize with adults who share your interests. Isolation is a risk to anyone who stays home cleaning all the time, so getting involved in hobbies and avocations is a way to find other adult social contacts offline. It's very easy to wind up spending most of your time talking to children and being responsible, which can leave you bored and frustrated, ready to take out those frustrations on your loved ones. Warnings Don't play video games until the chores are done. It's okay to get them done early except for things that take waiting time, just be sure to save game and get the laundry into the dryer when you're using that time for gaming. Don't procrastinate. It gets really bad, really fast if you let things pile up and then it takes a lot more work. Much better to get a lot done early and spend the rest of the day on the things you enjoy. Try to control your anger. Don't assume you know how to clean unless the military taught you! Article Info
In other languages:
Español: ser un buen amo de casa, Русский: стать хорошим домохозяином, 中文: 成为称职的家庭主夫, Deutsch: Ein guter Hausmann sein, Italiano: Essere un Bravo Uomo di Casa, Français: être un bon homme au foyer, Português: Ser um Bom Dono de Casa
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warc | 201704 | Expert Reviewed
Some workplaces have very active rumor mills, and being the subject of a false rumor making its way around work is certainly not fun. But the situation can escalate if the source of the false rumor reports you to management and suddenly your job is at risk. To defend threats to your job due to false accusation, remain calm and gather as much evidence to support your side of the story as possible. Do what you can to manage the situation from within the workplace and speak to an attorney if you feel you may have to take legal action to protect your job or your reputation.
[1] [2] Steps Part 1Building Your Case 1 Gather information about the accusations against you.To accurately evaluate and respond to false accusations, you need to know as much about them as possible. Information may be limited, but you should learn as many details as possible. [3] [4] For example, if your employer has a written report that was submitted by your accuser, ask to see it. Keep in mind that unless a regulatory agency is involved, you may not have the right to see it. Your employer may refuse to share it with you. If this happens, an appeal to reason might work. Explain that you can't respond appropriately until you know exactly what you were accused of doing, and offer that identifying details may be blacked out if your accuser wants to remain unknown. Aside from official channels, you may be able to learn more about the accusation by talking to others in your workplace. Take care not to engage in gossip or get into arguments with people in the workplace (don't "shoot the messenger"). 2 Write down your version of events.If the accusations center around a particular incident, such as an argument with a coworker, write down an account of the incident from your perspective as soon as possible. This can help you remember as many details as possible. [5] Ideally, you should write everything down right after the event occurs. This may be impossible if the false accusation only surfaces months after the alleged incident took place. In that case, write down as much as you can remember. Writing things down can jog your memory and help you unlock other details about the event that you wouldn't have remembered otherwise. Your written account may be helpful later on if, for example, you decide to submit a written response to the accusations to your employer. 3 Look for sympathetic coworkers.Just as there are two sides to every story, there typically will be coworkers on the fringes of the situation who are more sympathetic to your plight. These people can become helpful witnesses and allies for you. [6] If someone tells you that they're "on your side," sit down with them as soon as possible and find out what they know about the situation. Ideally, you should talk to coworkers outside of the workplace so your conversation will not be overheard and you can give each other undivided attention. If meeting somewhere after work isn't possible, try to arrange to have a break together. Respect coworkers' wishes if they tell you they don't want to get involved. Some people may not want to go "on the record," or get in the middle of a dispute between two coworkers. This can be true even for coworkers who privately tell you they are on your side. 4 Go over company policies and employment manuals.If you've been accused of violating a company rule or policy, you have the right to look at the rule itself. Understanding specific requirements also can help you identify evidence that might support your case. [7] If your job is on the line due to an accusation that you violated a workplace rule or policy, you need to know exactly what that rule says. If your actions are within company policies, you can be assured that the accusation is false. You may find out that your behavior actually was contrary to the stated rule or policy, but it was a rule that was never enforced. In that situation, there may be plenty of other employees who do the same thing you do. Keep in mind that this is not an excuse. If your reading of your employer's rules shows that you made an error, let your employer know as soon as possible so you can clear up the situation. For example, suppose a coworker has falsely accused you of taking too long for lunch – or so you thought, until you read the employee manual. You might say "Most people in my department take hour-long lunch breaks. I was following their lead and was unaware the actual company policy was 30-minute lunch breaks. Tell me what I can do to correct this misunderstanding." 5 Make copies of supporting documents.Pinpoint anything that potentially supports your version of the story and make copies to show to your employer. This could include anything from emails to time cards or work reports, depending on the subject of the accusations against you. [8] [9] Supporting documents can be especially helpful if an employee is falsely accusing you of discrimination or harassment. Anything you have that points to fair and equal treatment of that person can help you. For example, suppose you are a supervisor. One of the employees you supervise has falsely accused you of discriminating against her by not promoting her and instead promoting a male employee who had only been working under your supervision for a few weeks. In that situation, you might find documents showing that you had in fact nominated her for the position, but another manager chose someone else. You also may have an email from the accuser in which she stated she didn't want to be considered for any promotions because it would mean she had to work different hours. Any of this type of documentation would be helpful in defending yourself against the false accusation. Part 2Talking to Your Employer 1 Remain calm, courteous, and professional.When talking to anyone representing your employer – whether it's a manager or someone in human resources – your attitude can make all the difference in how you are treated. [10] [11] If you get angry and start lashing out, you may end up inadvertently proving the accuser correct. At the least, you'll give your employer a poor impression of your ability to handle conflict. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the person representing your employer. They are just doing their job and trying to get to the bottom of the situation. They're not your enemy – but if you treat them like your enemy, that may be what they become. If you find it difficult to handle the situation in person, ask if you may submit a written response. Being able to write it out enables you to approach the situation more calmly, without feeling like you're being interrogated. 2 Establish a rapport.The more your employer relates to you as a person, the easier they'll find it to understand your side of the story. This doesn't mean you have to become the top office brown-noser. Just look for things you and the person with whom you're speaking have in common. [12] If you and your employer have something in common, bring it up. Just be careful not to bring it up in such a way that it looks like you're trying to avoid answering a question or change the subject. Some people are all business at work, and don't care for small talk or social chit-chat. If your employer isn't open to more social discussion, drop it. However, if you are able to focus on things you and your employer have in common, it can help your defense because they will see you more as a person like them. This can be especially helpful if the false accusation is related to harassment or behavior of a more personal nature (as opposed to violation of a workplace rule). 3 Stick to the facts.You may be angry or indignant about the false accusations against you, and you may have some choice words to say about your accuser – but keep them to yourself. Bringing emotions into the situation or flinging back false accusations only muddies the waters. [13] False accusations can be more common when you and a coworker don't get along personally. It can be easy to get fired up about somebody you find annoying or vile, but it's important to keep a cool head when your job is on the line. Allegations and accusations are just that – statements that have not yet been proven true or false. Your employer is trying to get down to the truth of the matter. The best way to enable your employer to discover the falsity behind the accusation against you is to point to factual evidence that establishes your innocence. 4 Cooperate with any investigation.Depending on the type of accusations, your employer or the human resources department may launch a full-scale investigation to determine what really happened. Cooperating fully and making yourself available can help your situation. [14] [15] Although the entire situation may be stressful, your full cooperation is the best way to ensure the situation is resolved quickly. If you balk or refuse to participate or answer questions, the investigation will stall. Without your participation, your employer may decide to believe the accusations are true. Your cooperation also signals to your employer that you are taking the situation – and your job – seriously. Your openness and willingness to discuss the accusations shows how much you care about maintaining a positive employment relationship. 5 Volunteer to participate in mediation.In some situations, especially if the false accusations are of a more personal nature, mediation can be beneficial. If you think it might help resolve your problem and protect your job, bring up the idea to your employer. [16] [17] In mediation, a neutral third party works with you and your accuser in a safe, private environment. The mediator facilitates discussion that hopefully will lead to a mutually acceptable resolution for all involved. Many employers already have a mediation program in place for dealing with workplace disputes. If yours does not, you might want to suggest it to your employer. Keep in mind that for mediation to work, you have to keep an open mind about the situation. Even though the accusations may be false, you have to be willing to work with your accuser. This means you may have to accept some blame so that you can move forward, even if you know that you are completely innocent. While this can be a very difficult thing to do, it could potentially save your job. 6 Accept the consequences.Particularly if you are classified as an at-will employee (and most employees in the United States are), you have limited rights when it comes to disciplinary sanctions at work. [18] [19] For example, if your employer writes you up as a result of the accusation, you're not doing yourself any favors by refusing to sign the write-up notice. In fact, courts have held that an employee refusing to sign a write-up notice is sufficient cause to fire that employee for insubordination. You may have legal options you can pursue to clear your name. However, if you truly want to keep your job it's generally best to accept any disciplinary measures taken. Part 3Seeking Legal Help 1 Spot issues in your case.False accusations in the workplace can touch on a number of legal issues. Being able to identify the different types of legal claims you might have can help you find the right attorney to offer you advice. [20] [21] [22] Issue-spotting is a fairly complex procedure that law students tackle extensively over three years of law school – so don't expect to become a master. However, basic issues can be spotted more easily, and point you in the direction of the type of attorney you need to consult. For example, if the false accusations relate to something that harms your reputation, you may have a defamation claim against your accuser. An accuser might file a false report against you to manipulate you into doing something for them, such as giving them a raise or a promotion. That situation involves elements of blackmail or fraud. Your accuser also may have a discriminatory motive. For example, they may have made a false accusation against you because they don't want to work with (or be supervised by) someone of your race or gender. This is an employment law issue. 2 Search for appropriate attorneys.Apart from asking trusted family or friends for recommendations, you also may be able to find attorneys to consult by searching online. Your state or local bar association typically will have a searchable directory on its website. [23] [24] Many bar associations have an attorney-referral service that will do much of that issue-spotting work for you. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your case, typically using an online form, to retrieve a list of attorneys who handle clients with problems similar to yours. Do a little research on the attorneys you find. Look at their professional websites to learn more about them and read client reviews. This can help you narrow down your list to a handful of attorneys who potentially could give you the best advice. 3 Schedule several initial consultations.Most attorneys offer a free initial consultation. You can use this to your advantage to get advice from a number of different lawyers without breaking the bank. This can be especially helpful if your case involves several legal issues and you're not sure which direction to take. [25] If you are seriously contemplating pursuing legal action, and want to hire an attorney for that purpose, you should interview at least three. However, if you're just looking for some general advice on what to do and haven't made up your mind yet what to do, feel free to talk to as many or as few attorneys as you feel is necessary to make an informed decision. When you schedule the consultation, ask if there's any information about your case that the attorney needs before the consultation. Some attorneys have a basic information form they expect all potential new clients to complete. Do your best to get any information about your case to the attorneys as soon as possible – at least several days before the consultations are scheduled. This gives the attorneys plenty of time to familiarize themselves with your situation. 4 Ask lots of questions.Often, attorneys treat free initial consultations as little more than an opportunity to market and sell their services. However, if you come armed with plenty of specific questions, you can get the information you need. [26] [27] If you're planning on hiring an attorney, ask questions about their work and communication style. These consultations will be more focused on finding an attorney with whom you'll have a positive and productive working relationship. The consultation has a different focus if you're still trying to sort out what to do. Ask specific questions about your case as well as whether the attorney believes a lawsuit would be worth pursuing. Contrary to popular belief, most attorneys aren't sue-happy people who are itching to take any and every case that might come their way. If an attorney believes you don't have a case, they'll tell you. Likewise, if an attorney believes you have a case, but it's not a strong one or not one that would be worth the time and expense of a lawsuit, they'll tell you that too. 5 Evaluate your options.After you've finished talking to several attorneys, you have a big decision to make regarding whether you want to file a lawsuit or take other legal action against your accuser. [28] [29] You may decide that you want to sue your accuser, or your employer, or both. Get in touch with the attorney you felt was the best fit for you as soon as possible so you can determine your next steps. On the other hand, if you've decided filing a lawsuit would be too much effort and you'd rather just move on with your life, call the attorneys you met and thank them for their time. Keep in mind that attorneys are experts. If one (or several) attorneys have told you that a lawsuit is not worth pursuing, you're probably better off dropping the issue. Focus on your work and repairing any damage that has been done to your reputation as a result of the false accusation. Community Q&A Sources and Citations ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ http://sacemploymentlawyer.com/when-you-are-falsely-accused-of-stealing-or-fraud-at-work/ ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ http://sacemploymentlawyer.com/when-you-are-falsely-accused-of-stealing-or-fraud-at-work/ ↑ http://www.mediate.com/articles/krivis18.cfm ↑ http://www.epspros.com/NewsResources/Newsletters?find=12002 ↑ https://toughnickel.com/business/Accused-of-Wrongdoing-At-Work-What-To-Do ↑ http://www.w-p.com/Articles/Minnesota-Court-of-Appeals-Denies-Unemployment-Compensation-Benefits-to-Employees-Discharged-for-Refusing-to-Sign-an-Acknowledgement-of-Disciplinary-Action.shtml ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ https://www.workplacefairness.org/workplace-torts ↑ http://sacemploymentlawyer.com/when-you-are-falsely-accused-of-stealing-or-fraud-at-work/ ↑ http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/accused-of-wrongdoing-at-work-21-guidelines-for-responding/ ↑ https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/find-lawyer-how-to-find-attorney-29868.html ↑ https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/find-lawyer-how-to-find-attorney-29868.html ↑ http://sacemploymentlawyer.com/when-you-are-falsely-accused-of-stealing-or-fraud-at-work/ ↑ https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/find-lawyer-how-to-find-attorney-29868.html ↑ http://sacemploymentlawyer.com/when-you-are-falsely-accused-of-stealing-or-fraud-at-work/ ↑ https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/find-lawyer-how-to-find-attorney-29868.html | 18,886 | 6,937 | 0.000146 |
warc | 201704 | Expert Reviewed
Historic preservation efforts allow for the rehabilitation, conservation, and maintenance of historic buildings, as well as the designation of historic sites and the documentation of history through images, audio, photographs and oral histories. Rehabilitation of an historic building can be costly and often requires not only preservation and rehabilitation of the exterior but also major renovation of the interior so that the building can be used and maintained for commercial purposes or as a private dwelling. Depending on the type of rehabilitation, those in the U.S. interested in funding for historic preservation can seek federal tax credits to offset the cost of rehabilitation. They can also seek federal, state and local grants. Before beginning a rehabilitation on a historic building, it is important to investigate the types of funding available for the project.
Steps Part 1Using Tax Credits to Fund Historic Preservation 1 Consider the National Preservation Tax Incentives program.The U.S. government supports historic-building preservation through tax incentives. The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program supports the rehabilitation of historic structures of every age, size, shape and style. The goal of the program is to support rehabilitation of abandoned or underused schools, warehouses, factories, churches, retail stores, apartments, hotels, houses, and offices. The National Park Service (NPS) and the IRS administer the program in partnership with state historic-preservation offices. The rehabilitation tax credit can reduce one's federal income tax by 20% of the amount spent in a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic structure. This is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes. This program has been used to help preserve more than 40,000 historic properties in the U.S. since 1976. [1] 2 Meet the requirement of the 20% tax credit.The 20% tax credit is available only for the rehabilitation of historic and income-producing buildings that have been deemed certified historic structures by the National Park Service. The income-producing requirement generally precludes use of this credit for owner-occupied, residential properties. [2] The credit is available to support rehabilitation of income-producing properties used for commercial, industrial, agricultural, or residential purposes. If a portion of a personal residence is used for business purposes, a homeowner may be able to apply for help with rehabilitation of that portion of the residence. [3] 3 Determine whether the property is a “certified historic structure.” A building can be considered a certified historic structure if it meets either of two requirements: if the building is listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places; or if it is located in an area that is a registered historic district and is certified by the National Park Service as contributing to the historic significance of that district. An owner can request a preliminary determination of historical significance from the National Park Service if the building is not yet listed on the National Register or located in a current historic district. This request can be made as part of the application for the tax-incentive program by completing Part 1 of the Historic Preservation Certification application. The application can be found on the National Park Service website. [4] 4 Comply with the certified-rehabilitation requirements.In order for an owner to receive the 20% tax incentive, the National Park Service must approve the rehabilitation plans and certify the finished project. A certified rehabilitation means that the rehabilitation is consistent with the historic character of the property and/or the district in which the property is located. NPS recognizes that buildings will be rehabilitated in a manner that allows for efficient commercial use. The rehabilitation must not destroy, damage or cover interior or exterior materials or features that give the building its historic significance. [5] 5 Photograph the building.It is critical that you photograph all aspects of the interior and exterior of the building before you begin the project and again once the project is completed. These photographs are an important part of your application and necessary for your project to get final approval. 6 Apply for the tax incentive program.Before you begin the rehabilitation you should contact your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and discuss your proposed project. You can either download the Historic Preservation Certification application from the NPS website or request a copy from your SHPO. Review the application carefully, and submit it in the early stages of your project planning. [6] You should not begin any rehabilitation until the project is formally approved in writing by NPS. The application has three parts: Part 1—Evaluation of Significance; Part 2—Description of Rehabilitation; Part 3—Request for Certification of Completed Work. You will submit the relevant parts of the application at different points in the rehabilitation process. [7] 7 Pay the application fees.The NPS requires that all applicants pay a fee. The fees are charged for the NPS review of the proposed project, as set forth in Part 2 of the application, and for review of the completed project, as set forth in Part 3 of the application. Fees vary and are based on the amount of rehabilitation planned. You are not required to pay the fee until NPS requests payment. NPS will not issue its decision until you have paid your fees. You can access a fee schedule on the NPS website. [8] 8 Meet IRS requirements.In addition to the project requirements established by NPS, an applicant must also meet IRS requirements to be eligible for the 20% rehabilitation tax credit. These requirements include the following: The building must be depreciable, which means that the building must be used in trade or for the production of income. The rehabilitation must be substantial, which means that during the two-year period of rehabilitation, the expenditures must exceed the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the building and its structural components. The property must be placed in service, which means that the building is presently being used for income-generation purposes. The expenditures must be considered qualified rehabilitation expenditures. These expenditures include the cost of work on the building, as well as fees for engineers and architects, site-survey fees, legal expenses, and other construction-related costs. Qualified rehabilitation expenditures do not include the building of a new addition or the provision of parking lots, sidewalks, landscaping or furnishings. 9 Claim your tax credit.Once you have received your NPS certification you can apply for your 20% tax credit from the IRS. You must complete IRS form 3468 for the tax year in which the rehabilitated building was put into service. If you have not yet received your NPS certification, you must include Part 2 of the submitted application along with your tax filings. If NPS denies certification of the project, the tax credit will be disallowed. [9] 10 Maintain ownership of the rehabilitated building for at least five years.In order to take full advantage of the IRS tax credit, you must maintain ownership of the building for at least five full years from the time the building was placed in service. If you sell the building within a year, you are responsible for repaying the entire tax credit. For properties held more than a year but less than five years, the tax credit is reduced by 20% for each year less than five you hold the property. [10] Part 2Searching for Federal Grants on Grants.gov 1 Determine whether you are eligible to receive a federal grant.Generally only nonprofit organizations and public agencies are eligible to receive historic-preservation grants supported by the federal government or funded through the National Trust Preservation Fund. While you are able to register as an individual through the federal grant website, you would not be eligible to apply for historic-preservation grants. If you are a nonprofit organization, a public agency, or a native-American tribal government, you would be eligible to apply for federal preservation grants. [11] If you are a nonprofit organization, a public agency, or a native-American tribal government, you would be eligible to apply for federal preservation grants. 2 Apply for a DUNS number.In order to register with the federal grant website, you must first apply for a nine-digit Dun & Bradstreet identification number, known as "DUNS." You can apply for the number in the following ways: You can call 1-866-705-5711 and register over the phone. [12] You can register on the Dun & Bradstreet website. You can call 1-866-705-5711 and register over the phone. 3 Register with the System Award Management (SAM).In addition to obtaining a DUNS number, you must also register your organization or agency with the System Award Management. You can register on the SAM website [13]. You will be required to provide your organization’s name, the name of the organization’s authorized official, and the organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN). [14] 4 Create a username and password on Grants.gov.Once you have obtained your DUNS number and registered with SAM, you are able to register with Grants.gov. When you begin the registration process, you will be required to submit your DUNS number. Once this number has been verified, you will be able to create a username and password for your Grants.gov account. The registration process is typically completed and approved in one day. You will be required to change your password every 60 days. [15] 5 Search for grants.Once you are registered with Grants.gov, you can search the website for potential historical-preservation grants. [16]The website allows you to search by keywords such as "historic preservation" and "building." This search should return open grants that can be used for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Once you have identified a list of possible grants, you can review the specific application requirements of each to see whether you are eligible. Typically the first page of each grant description provides you with an overview of the grant and a specification of who is eligible to apply. If you meet the eligibility requirements, and the grant provides funding for the type of rehabilitation you're proposing, finish applying for the grant. Part 3Reviewing Specific Grants for Historic Preservation Rehabilitation Projects 1 Consider a Challenge Grant.The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funds a grant for public agencies or private, nonprofit organizations called the Challenge Grant. These grants are used to help organizations or agencies secure long-term funding for humanities programs and resources. While the grant is not specifically for historic preservation, under special circumstances the grant may be used to support construction and renovation projects. [17] Challenge Grant eligibility and program requirements change, so it is important for you to review the requirements regularly to see whether your organization would qualify for funding. You can review the eligibility requirements on the NEH website by searching for “Challenge Grants.” [18] 2 Review eligibility for National Park Service grants.The NPS provides matching grants to states for the protection of historic properties. Some states work with nonprofit organizations or agencies to rehabilitate historic-preservation sites. If you are interested in applying for a National Park Service grant, you should contact your SHPO and see whether it works with organizations like yours on rehabilitation projects. 3 Join the National Trust Preservation Fund.The NTPF allows members who are public agencies or nonprofit organizations to apply for NTPF grants that can be used for limited historic-preservation projects. All applicants must match NTPF grant funds dollar-for-dollar, and the funds cannot be used for construction. They canbe used to hire a preservation architect, a landscape architect, a preservation planner, or a real estate development consultant. [21] You can review the specific application requirements and apply for a grant on the NTPF website. [22] You can review the specific application requirements and apply for a grant on the NTPF website. Community Q&A Warnings Carefully read the eligibility requirements for each grant, and make sure your application addresses all of the requirements of the grant. If you fail to respond properly to a question in the application or do not follow the formatting requirements, your grant may be quickly dismissed. Sources and Citations ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ http://www.preservationdirectory.com/PreservationGeneralResources/GrantsFundingSources.aspx#nthp ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ https://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/taxdocs/about-tax-incentives-2012.pdf ↑ http://www.achp.gov/funding-cultural.html; http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=historic%20preservation ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html ↑ https://www.sam.gov ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html ↑ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html ↑ http://www.achp.gov/funding-cultural.html ↑ http://www.achp.gov/funding-cultural.html; http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/preservation-and-access-education-and-training ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=historic%20preservation ↑ https://www.nps.gov/nr/preservation_links.htm ↑ http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/preservation-funds-guidelines-eligibility.html#EligibleApplicants ↑ https://www.grantinterface.com/Common/LogOn.aspx?eqs=wG-r-jJPukaZXX0vZfjnMw2 | 14,635 | 5,099 | 0.000198 |
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This study of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) explains in detail how public officials in the executive branch and Congress overcame strong opposition from business and organized labor to pass landmark legislation regulating employer-sponsored retirement and health plans. Before Congress passed ERISA, federal law gave employers and unions great discretion in the design and operation of employee benefit plans. Most importantly, firms and unions could and often did establish pension plans that placed employees at great risk for not receiving any retirement benefits. In the early 1960s, officials in the executive branch proposed a number of regulatory initiatives to protect employees, but business groups and most labor unions objected to the key proposals.;Faced with opposition from powerful interest groups, legislative entrepreneurs in Congress, chiefly New York Republican senator Jacob K. Javits, took the case for pension reform directly to voters by publicizing frightening statistics and ""horror stories"" about pension plans. This deft and successful effort to mobilize the media and public opinion overwhelmed the business community and organized labor and persuaded Javits's colleagues in Congress to support comprehensive pension reform legislation. The enactment of ERISA in September 1974 recast federal policy for private pension plans by making worker security an overriding objective of federal law. | 1,672 | 891 | 0.001132 |
warc | 201704 | Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/5/2015 (606 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba farmers saw a modest increase in gross income in the first three months of 2015, according to new Statistics Canada data released today.
The federal agency said farmers here reported $1.75-billion worth of farm cash receipts during the quarter. That was a gain of 1.8 per cent from the $1.72 billion reported in the first three months of 2014.
Farm cash receipts measure the gross revenue for farm operators and include money earned from the sale of crops and livestock and from government support programs. They are not the farmers’ bottom line, because farmers still must deduct expenses for items such as fertilizer, farm fuel, loan payments and depreciation in the value of machinery and equipment.
Higher income from the sale of livestock — up 5.4 per cent — and from government support programs — up 68.2 per cent — contributed to the overall gain for the quarter.
Those increases were partially offset by a 3.3 per cent decline in receipts from the sale of grain and other crops.
Although modest, this year’s overall Q1 increase was still a big improvement from a year earlier, when first-quarter cash receipts were down 5.5 per cent from Q1 2013.
Nationally, first-quarter cash receipts for Canadian farmers rose by 4.5 per cent to $14.8 billion from $14.2 billion in Q1 2014. That was also a big improvement from a year earlier, when receipts were down 9.5 per cent.
Statistics Canada also released the initial farm net income numbers for 2014 on Wednesday. They showed realized net income for Manitoba farmers rose by 18.3 per cent to $694.8 million last year from $587.3 million in 2013.
Realized net income is the difference between a farmer’s cash receipts and operating expenses, minus depreciation, plus income in kind.
A combination of things helped to boost realized net income last year. They included a 2.7 per cent increase in farm cash receipts, a 0.4 per cent increase in operating expenses, a 4.7 per cent hike in depreciation charges, and a 37.4 per cent increase in income in kind, the Statistics Canada data shows. | 2,224 | 1,011 | 0.001011 |
warc | 201704 | Learn something new every day
More Info... by email
Anonymous blogging is the practice of writing an online blog or diary in a way that is intended to hide the identity of the writer. These writers may have different reasons for not wanting to disclose their names, as well as different styles of blogging. As blogging has become more popular, programmers have created a variety of tools to simplify the process of anonymous blogging.
The most common type of anonymous blogging is the traditional weblog. These blogs typically run short to moderate length articles on a daily to weekly basis, although longer entries focused on specific issues are not uncommon. Other anonymous bloggers may choose to use microblogging services such as Twitter™ to post more concise messages. Other writers anonymously participate in multiple user blogs, where several authors can contribute to the same articles or write separate articles to be posted to the same site.
There are several reasons why individuals may choose to engage in anonymous blogging. The most frequently cited motive is whistleblowing. Whistleblowing is the practice of reporting unethical or illegal activities of an organization or business. In many countries, there are laws in place designed to protect whistleblowers from negative repercussions, but bloggers do not always feel that these laws will effectively protect them, especially when they are reporting the activities of their employers. For this reason, many choose to remain anonymous.
Another reason that people participate in anonymous blogging is to avoid confrontation when engaging in gossip or complaining. Bloggers with this motive often have negative things to say about the individuals or companies they are discussing, but are not considered whistleblowers because they are not revealing illegal or unethical behavior. These blogs not protected by whistleblowing laws. If the statements made by the authors of these blogs can be proven to be objectively false and damaging, then the authors may be sued for libel.
There are several methods available to remain anonymous. How a blogger chooses to remain anonymous often is influenced by the resources and technical skill of the people who wish to discover the person's identity. In a case where those resources are limited, simply using a false name may be sufficient. In other cases, more technically complex solutions may be necessary, such as always connecting to the blog through an anonymous web proxy, or using a more advanced anonymity service such as The Onion Router (TOR). Even when the best technological methods are used to protect the authors identity, it can still be revealed though accidental release of confidential information. For this reason, some bloggers try to alter any identifying details in stories or articles that they post.
RoyalSpyder
Post 3
Overall, I agree with many of the points that have been made. Not just for with the article, but with Chmander and Viranty as well. Anonymously blogging or not, first of all, always make sure to be careful about what you say, and second, being anonymous is a better solution. Confrontation isn't always the best choice, especially if you're going to discuss religion and politics, two highly controversial subjects.
Hazali
Post 2
I agree that gossip can be a reason why you should choose to anonymously blog. However, as the article states, never let it go to far. There's a difference between speaking negatively about someone, and trying to ruin their reputation (through slander and libel).
Chmander
Post 1
During my last year at college, I did some anonymous blogging as well, but it wasn't for any of the reasons stated in the article. We were doing a group project, and I had chosen to discuss ethic stereotypes in the media. Offensive or not, it was a simple group project, and I decided to remain anonymous because I didn't want confrontations with anyone who viewed my blog. Sometimes people online can be very rude, and it's best not to get involved in what they have to say.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK! | 4,296 | 1,996 | 0.000504 |
warc | 201704 | If there is a poster child for foods that are perceived as unappetizing to children, certainly spinach would be in the running for the title. The vitamin- and iron-rich green, leafy dish is sometimes considered vegetative proof that tastiness is inversely proportional to nutritional value, the kind of food that gives “it’s good for you” a bad name.
The word spinach comes from the Persian “aspanakh,” which means something like “green hand.” The fact that consumption of spinach is believed to have originated in Persia, i.e. present-day Iran, a country currently ruled by a fanatical leader intent on acquiring nuclear technology, is probably just a coincidence. By the late 12th century, spinach was known in Moorish Spain, home of agronomist Ibn al-’Awwam, who is said to have referred to it as “the captain of leafy greens.”
It was not a captain but a common sailor who attempted to popularize spinach in the United States during my childhood. Popeye pushed spinach somewhat less subtly than Bugs Bunny promoted carrots. Perhaps I should have noticed that there was a pattern here. Children’s programming was constantly attempting to influence our eating habits, but in those days I took my cartoon characters at face value and could not imagine them having ulterior motives. That went double for Santa Claus, whose Joe the Motorists’ Friend incarnation also belonged to this cabal, although he tended to emphasize quantity rather than quality, an approach about which the jolly old elf’s girth should have served as a warning, but in those days no one seemed to make the connection.
Carrots, at any rate, were already a part of the menu at our house, and I liked them, so Bugs was covered. Spinach was not, and I succumbed to the Sailor Man’s endorsement, begging my parents to serve it. But it was unfamiliar to them, too, and the first time my mother made it, she got it the way it was generally available in our town at the time, and the way Popeye ate it — from a can — and did what she would with any vegetable, i.e., boiled it. There it lay, a soggy, dark green mass on my plate. I ate at least some of it as a point of honor, but I couldn’t guarantee I finished it. In any case, I never asked for it again.
A few years later, my mother tried serving spinach a different way, this time with bacon dressing. But it was not enough to overcome the memories of that great disillusionment with a cartoon hero who had sold out and become a pawn of an adult nutritional agenda. How could I ever again trust anything they recommended?
It wasn’t until many years later, at the Berghoff, a traditional German restaurant in Chicago, that a friend was able to convince me to try the creamed spinach. When I protested that I detested that vegetable, he confessed that he always had, too, but that this was different. It was only because of the recommendation of a kindred spinaphobic spirit that I was willing to take the previously unthinkable step of sampling a mouthful. It was everything the slimy mass I remembered from my childhood wasn’t — not only edible, but actually tasty.
Once that barrier was broken, it was only a matter of time till I had opportunities to try things like spinach quiche. Or spinach omelets. Or my caterer sister-in-law’s spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts. Or those little triangular spinach-filled phyllo pastries that I used to call spanakopita but which I’ve recently seen tagged with the Albanian name börek, perhaps because Albania is no longer the renegade state that once broke with its only remaining ally, China, for not being Maoist enough.
And I’ll try anything “à la Florentine” (though “alla Fiorentina” sounds classier), which indicates it’s prepared with spinach and Mornay sauce. The name stems from Florence-born French queen Catherine de’Medici’s love of spinach, reportedly so great that she insisted it be served to her on a daily basis.
Though I’ve come to terms with spinach and now enjoy it in many forms, it’s unlikely I’ll ever reach her level of appreciation. But I bet old Cathy never had to eat it boiled from a can.
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warc | 201704 | YODO is the hot new thing when it comes to talking about death - that's if people are willing to talk about it at all.
So, do you only live once or do you only die once? That's the question that seems to be popping up in the media in recent weeks, as a new trend, YODO - "You Only Die Once," a play on YOLO or "You Only Live Once" - has begun spreading across the United States and much of the United Kingdom. Not only has the #YODO hashtag taken off on Twitter, but it's been a centerpiece of "Dying Matters Awareness Week," which occurred last week in the United Kingdom, The Huffington Post reported. Jaweed Kaleem wrote for HuffPost that "more than 100 sites around the United Kingdom" would be spreading that message. It has little to do with religion. It's more about discussing death, Kaleem wrote. "Most of the British public still doesn't want to talk about dying," said Joe Levenson of the Dying Matters Coalition to HuffPost. "We want to raise awareness and help people come to terms with dying and bereavement." In fact, a recent study by ComRes, a research company in the U.K., Europe and Asia, found that 83 percent of people in Britain are uncomfortable speaking about death. And more than half have partners who don't know their partners' death wishes, the study found. "Despite this widespread reluctance to talk about dying and plan ahead, 80 percent of the public believe all adults should be required to have a will to avoid disputes after they have died," the study read. "There's also a real desire for doctors to receive support in talking about dying: 90 percent of the public agree that all healthcare professionals should receive compulsory training in how to talk sensitively to people who are dying and their families." Aiding people in the discussion of death is something that's been creeping into the mainstream of American culture. Movies like "Heaven is For Real" offer a peek into what America thinks about the afterlife and death, and other films and TV shows constantly show death. But there's more than that. Erick Eckholm of The New York Times reported in February about assisted dying, where those with terminally ill conditions who are on the brink of death can get help from others. "There is a quiet, constant demand all over the country for a right to die on one's own terms, said Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion & Choices, and that demand is likely to grow, she said, as the baby boomers age."%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif%3Fcid%3D172204%26pid%3D46%22%20/%3E | 2,571 | 1,363 | 0.00074 |
warc | 201704 | McDonald's tells suppliers to phase out antibiotics July 01, 2003 - by Emily Buckley
OAK BROOK, ILLINOIS, U.S. — McDonald’s Corporation has announced plans that call for its suppliers worldwide to phase out sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics that are also used in human medicine.
Frank Muschetto, senior vice president of Worldwide Supply Chain Management at McDonald’s Corporation said McDonald’s has asked producers that supply over 2.5 billion pounds of chicken, beef and pork annually to take actions that will ultimately help protect public health.
McDonald’s Europe began phasing out growth promoting antibiotics during 2000. At the end of 2001, all European-based suppliers for poultry had eliminated growth-promoting antibiotics for use in chicken feed. In 2001, McDonald’s USA decided to discontinue all uses of the antibiotic class of fluoroquinolones with its poultry supply.
McDonald’s policy will have the greatest effect in the U.S., and seriously undermine the feed industry’s fight to keep antibiotics available for use in feed. The prophylactic and growth promoting use of antibiotics in animal feed is a widely contended issue. According to U.S. feed association, AFIA, who supports their continued — but prudent — use, loss of these products would cost U.S. feed producers and the drug industry millions, while compromising the quality and cost of meat, milk and eggs, with no basis in science for the loss of the products. | 1,498 | 792 | 0.001312 |
warc | 201704 | As 2013 draws to a close, we speak to seven practices around the world to find out how business has fared this year, what is predicted for the AEC industry in 2014 and what to gifts are most favoured by design professionals…
Shaun Killa, Atkins
What has been the highlight of the year for your office?
The year started with several exciting master plans in and around Dubai were we could create true live-work-play environments. These have evolved in numerous interesting mixed use, hospitality and cultural building projects which have created an encouraging optimism in our staff and our clients. The year culminated in the announcement of the Dubai Expo 2020, which has accelerated the optimism within the region.
What shifts/trends have you witnessed in the global market in 2013?
There is strong sentiment that there is a real turn in the global markets with regards to property prices and the appetite to start developing sustainable and economically sensible projects. We have seen that China, India, several African countries and parts of the Middle East are accelerating this growth.
What are your predictions for the AEC industry in 2014?
Compared to the last six years, I believe that the AEC market will have a prosperous year ahead as property developments and government infrastructure locally and abroad become a necessity for sustained growth. I believe skilled architects and engineers will become a challenge however an opportunity for young talent to explore new cultures. We are optimistic that clients have learnt that quality developments have greater longevity and economic sense when cultural enrichment, improved education, sporting facilities and leisure are an integral part of any new master planned development.
Where would your ultimate festive getaway be?
Sailing on a 50 to 60 foot yacht with my family and friends with islands to explore and miles away from any blackberry signal.
What design present would you most like to receive this year?
A spatial 3D scanner with voice commands and hologram interface that that can fit into my pocket and builds 3D designs while describing it. I may have to wait a while.
More industry insights…
David Cole, BTI
Daniel Safarik, CTBUH Shaun Killa, Atkins Elliot March, March & White James Zheng, Goettsch Partners Caroline Bos, UNStudio Paul Nulty | 2,344 | 1,235 | 0.000819 |
warc | 201704 | Close cooperation between the two institutions will support sustainable infrastructure development WASHINGTON, September 9, 2016— World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and New Development Bank (NDB) President K.V. Kamath today signed a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions, to strengthen cooperation in addressing the world’s enormous infrastructure needs.
The memorandum formalizes the World Bank Group-NDB knowledge partnership that has accompanied the establishment of the NDB and paves the way for the two institutions to explore country-level cooperation.
“I’m delighted that today we are formalizing our partnership,” Kim said. “ Signing this agreement enables our institutions to strengthen our collaboration. When the world’s multilateral banks work closely together, and support development that promotes inclusive growth in low- and middle-income countries, the poor and the vulnerable benefit the most.”
NDB and WBG’s cooperative efforts will focus primarily on infrastructure. Currently, 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity and 2.4 billion lack basic sanitation services. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, the World Bank Group invested $25 billion in infrastructure.
The agreement between the NDB and WBG highlights potential common areas of interest including exploring and pursuing opportunities for the co-financing of projects; facilitating knowledge exchange regarding their operations, in accordance with their respective policies and procedures; exploring and pursuing opportunities for advisory services; and facilitating secondments and staff exchanges.
"I am very pleased to sign this memorandum of understanding together with World Bank Group President Kim," Kamath said. "We greatly appreciate timely support offered by the World Bank Group throughout our establishment process, and look forward to advancing and deepening our cooperation. We at the NDB, will listen, learn and collaborate to promote sustainable infrastructure development in our member countries."
The NDB, located in Shanghai, aims to promote infrastructure and sustainable development with an initial focus on BRICS countries, complementing the efforts of other financial institutions to realize the common goal of global growth. In February 2016, the NDB became fully operational. | 2,371 | 1,130 | 0.000907 |
warc | 201704 | Hewlett-Packard plans to cut its global energy use by 20 percent by 2010.
Energy consumption has become a big issue in information technology and a major marketing push for vendors. While HP's goal is commendable it will also be used as a marketing pitch. After all, if HP can cut energy consumption by using its own products and processes the company will be sure to pitch technology managers on the same solutions. AMD has also used the energy consumption playbook in recent years to better compete with Intel.
HP plans to hit its target by delivering energy-efficient products and services to customers making its facilities more efficient.
Here's how HP plans to reach its goal by 2010:
Introduce select HP desktop business PCs that offer 80 percent efficient power supplies. The new power supplies are 33 percent more efficient than their predecessors; Use HP's energy management system--Dynamic Smart Cooling--to cut energy costs. Use redesigned print cartridge packaging for North America that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 37 million pounds in 2007.
HP's statement then goes on to outline a series of product pitches that can help customers cut energy consumption. Rest assured you'll be seeing more of these announcements--in fact IBM and HP have already sparred over energy claims and data center cooling. If vendors can convince CIOs that their gear can cut energy consumption they'll benefit greatly. A decrease in energy use may be able to justify the return on investment for a host of IT projects. | 1,542 | 821 | 0.001224 |
warc | 201704 | Promises, Promises!
By
Cognitive Dissonance
Even when we know otherwise we still tend to think about big picture problems (i.e. The Fed’s money printing, out of control US Government debt, student loan bubble/defaults, corporate/governmental corruption etc) as if they are being rained down upon us and not as if we are in any way responsible for the problems
or the solutions. In other words we tend to see the world and its troubles from the point of view of a victim rather than a participant, let alone a partially responsible party.
There is no doubt that the sociopaths are now running the insane asylum and that we are entering the parabolic blow off phase of social and financial dysfunction. And I would also agree that sociopaths in general are an opportunistic lot and will actively seek out and exploit strife, stress and social dysfunction wherever they can find or foment it. Simply put they strike while the iron is hot and light fires when it is not.
But there are always sociopaths lurking in the shadows of society waiting to pounce whenever there is an opening. Even during the best of times they are salted throughout business, academia, government and politics, always working people and situations to their advantage. That’s just who they are and what they do. So why do we seem to have a bumper crop growing amongst us at this point in time?
It is said that power abhors a vacuum, that in the absence of an expressed or perceived form of ‘leadership’ (it doesn’t matter in what structure it presents, albeit monarchy, republic, dictatorship etc) one will quickly form or appear to fill the void. The same might be said for sociopaths filling the (increasing) void, but what exactly is this so called ‘void’ and how does it form?
Codependent dysfunction
Several weeks back I returned to the Northern Virginia/DC area on business and stopped to visit an elderly family friend who was recovering in a rehabilitation center after falling and severely injuring herself. For the sake of clarity and flow let’s call my friend Diane.
When I visited Diane she was three weeks removed from her accident and rehabbing well……or at least as well as can be expected from someone in her mid 80’s with a multitude of chronic health issues. But she was in good spirits and her only real complaint was with the food and a few less than attentive nurses.
However she was quite concerned about her daughter (let’s call her Sue) who has been visibly and openly angry with Diane over the circumstances of her fall. Without going into details while Sue might be factually correct regarding her mother’s fall and fading cognitive facilities, Sue’s continuing angry response appeared a bit irrational and misdirected. After talking to my friend for a while and reading between the lines I felt I better understood the underlying issue behind Sue’s anger.
It seems that well over twenty years ago Sue made a solemn promise to her mother, one that was repeated often both publically and privately. Sue promised she would never allow her mother to be sent to a nursing home to live out her remaining days and that she would always take care of her mother. Of course, Sue’s promise was made when Sue and Diane were both in good health, totally independent and self sufficient.
But times and circumstances have changed dramatically for mother and daughter, in particular because Diane
and Sue are both struggling with health and financial issues. With it now clear that Diane can no longer safely live alone it is time for Sue to keep her promise and take her mother under her wing. And to her credit Sue was already taken steps to do precisely that when her mom is released from rehab in a few weeks. But it seems the tension between the two is thick and unsettling.
In my opinion the issue was obvious though neither really wanted to talk about it to the other. And the solution, or at least the only solution they could see, was unthinkable to both parties. Since neither could go there, both were triggered by what neither wanted to talk about. To be fair Diane was fairly coherent in her thinking, at least when she was discussing this with me. As well, I was not able to speak privately with Sue to sound her out. But I suspect that given the chance Sue would also unburden herself and speak plainly and frankly with me. Of course I wasn’t the one she needed to talk to.
The End Game
From my point of view the dysfunctional energy was coming from both sides. While Sue was sincere when her promise was made (and constantly reaffirmed) all those years ago, and her intention to honor it now is equally sincere, the strain to do so is at times psychologically and emotionally overwhelming. While she believes she wants to keep her promise (because that’s what you do when you make a solemn oath, especially to a loved one) in truth she doesn’t really desire to do so because of her own serious personal issues.
Worse, the amount of the ‘due bill’ has been building for years as her mom’s health steadily declined and the need for Sue to ‘pay off’ on her promise became ever more apparent. Simultaneously with Diane’s increasing ‘need’ Sue’s ability to ‘pay’ declined as the years progressed. And both parties recognized this, both on a conscious and subconscious level.
When the promise was made to Diane all those years back, while she was grateful and a bit relieved since she was single with no plans to remarry, she still had many years ahead of her and didn’t seriously consider the gravity of the promise made. However as the years progressed she began to count on Sue being there when she needed her.
In fact, knowing that her daughter’s safety net was there allowed Diane to splurge quite a bit more beyond her original plans during her late 60’s and 70’s and travel around the USA and several foreign countries. I suspect she spent more money than she would have if Sue’s safety net had never been offered.
So here we are at the end game. Diane is now at that point in her life where she needs ever increasing assistance with several aspects of daily living. While she informed me that it would be OK if she did not move in with her daughter she did not have all the financial resources to pay for the care she needed. She didn’t wish to be a burden, but either she moved in with another family member or friend or she required additional financial assistance to purchase the care she needed from professionals.
The bottom line was that Diane really did want her daughter to keep her promise since Diane had counted on it being kept. Sue was facing the pressure created by her promise and the added stress from this predicament was enormous when added to her ‘normal’ daily issues. These cognitive disconnects were creating a growing neurosis within both of them which if not settled now, would only grow and fester until it blew up and out.
Truth and Reconciliation
Earlier I mentioned that power abhors a vacuum. In the case of Diane and Sue the term vacuum or void is better conceptualized if we see it as an unbalanced equation or energy level. If Diane did not need ‘help’, starting from this point right up to when she eventually died, there would be no ‘need’ for Sue (or anyone else for that matter) to fill, no vacuum or void to equalize. It is Diane’s ‘need’ that creates the imbalance in the present status quo, in the level of power, in the equation. That giant sucking neurosis was air rushing into the vacuum to equalize the pressure.
It is this powerful imbalance that is creating (or more accurately fanning the flames of) the cognitive dissonance in both of them, this desire both to do and not to do what each feels compelled by conflicting desires to follow. This in turn is fostering the neurosis that presents as anger and psychological discord. Left to fester in this state for too long, serious dysfunctional behavior eventually expresses. What is rarely discussed is how this core cognitive dissonance affects in ways large and small nearly all aspects of a person’s ability to live a happy and healthy life.
We cannot ‘make’ another person ‘willingly’ change (the only type of change that is transformative and lasting) without their consent. We can force their body and condition their mind, but a true metamorphosis only occurs when we willing participate for our own inner reasons. However, we can be a catalyst for another person’s change, especially if we are part of the problem. But this requires that first we transform ourselves and most importantly our transformation cannot be initiated for others or with the intent to influence others.
What Diane and Sue are unable to see is that they are both locked into a narrow behavioral range; their choices are limited by the promise. Since neither can ‘change’ the other, the only way out is to make the decision to break out of the box and face what they are both avoiding. Neither can fundamentally change the fact that Diane is elderly and unable to fully care for herself. The only thing they can ‘change’ is how they perceive and then react to this reality.
Once they cease pounding on the locked door directly in front of them and look around they will find dozens of others doors unlocked and available…..including the formerly locked door they were just pounding on. These alternatives have been there all along; it is our narrow range of perceptual vision that blinds us to the blatantly obvious and sorely needed.
Free Yourself
After Diane had finished unburdening herself to me she fell silent for a moment, and then quietly asked what I thought she should do. Instantly I knew what to say, but hesitated for a moment because I did not expect my answer to be welcomed. “
You must release your daughter from her promise. Only you can do this. I know it’s difficult and unfair, but Sue is unable to find the courage to ask to be released and the burden of the promise is too great for her and you to carry.”
I paused and waited for Diane to protest, but she remained silent, seemingly willing to hear more.
“It will be extremely difficult for both of you. Sue will insist that she keep her promise; you must insist that the promise has already been discharged so there is nothing to keep. Most likely Sue will not accept your release and that’s OK, since the real purpose of your release is not to free Sue, but to free yourself from the burden of the false hope that what was promised can and will still be delivered.”
Once again I paused and this time Diane replied.
“But I’ve told her several times that she doesn’t have to take me in, that I could find somewhere else to live.”
Her facial expression was almost childlike, hoping that her answer was enough to satisfy me while at the same time knowing it would not. It was a response I was expecting. False hope binds us to impossible situations and accepting that we are not being, and have not been, truthful with our ‘self’ often dies a hard and painful death.
I slowly took a deep breath, gathered up my own courage and pressed on. No one wants to tell anyone what they don’t want to hear.
“Was it a sincere offer? Were you ready and willing to find another place if she accepted or were you simply saying it to help both of you feel better about the burden you believe you’re placing on her?” Diane winced when I said that and I immediately wished I had been gentler. Honesty was needed, but bluntness was not and being so can at times be cruel.
“
Before you say anything to Sue you must be completely settled with yourself on this matter and be willing to accept any and all consequences of your actions, even if that means moving into a state paid nursing home or seriously damaging the relationship with your daughter. I paused to gauge her response, and then continued on when she said nothing. If you cannot find peace with this before speaking with her you will not be able to fully and completely release yourself, and by extension her, from the damaging hold the promise has on both of you. You must become willing and able to do what at this moment you are unwilling to do. Consider how much power this has over you if you can’t bring yourself to release its grip. Then consider how free you will be once you have dismissed the promise that binds you to your distress.”
After a few moments of silence I gently changed the subject. Diane will have plenty of time to wrestle with her demons after I am gone. No sense forcing the issue anymore. Truth is instantly recognizable for its self evident nature. The difficulty isn’t in knowing what to do; the difficulty lay in doing what needs to be done.
Self Betrayal
During my six hour drive home I had plenty of time to mull over my visit and what I had said. I was struck by the parallels between Diane and Sue and the promises made by society to society, oftentimes hidden in the guise of public government or private corporation’s promises to “We the People”.
Regardless of whether the promises come in the form of financial, governmental, regulatory, judicial or political, they have not and will not be fully kept from this point on. We cannot force those who have no intention to keep them or can’t keep them to perform even if they actually wanted to do so. Nor would shaking awake the slumbering majority to the approaching crisis force the promises to be kept. If anything that would just accelerate the crisis since the entire system operates as a confidence game. Shake confidence and you break the game board.
The exponentially increasing Federal government’s (and private corporation’s) spying on its own citizens, public and corporate corruption and crony capitalism, glaring judicial injustice, blatant police state tactics and escalating social safety net breakdowns are the symptom, not the disease. ‘We the People’ have known for decades, or should have known if we had not outsourced our own personal responsibility to know what was being done (or not done) in our name, that promises were being made that could not be kept.
Rather than step forward and demand accountability from our so called ‘leadership’, something that also demands accountability from ourselves for believing the lies of the sociopaths that it will all work out if we just leave it to them (when obviously it would not), ‘We the People’ pursued a policy of don’t ask, don’t tell and narcissistic naval gazing while growing fat and increasingly unhappy. The neurosis feeds upon itself in a positive feedback loop until it reaches the blow off phase and the social organism collapses.
This is the disease.
The runaway train has now reached the terminal fascism phase and the collective and individual courage to step onto the tracks and meet the problem head on is lost and nowhere to be found. The general public, including you and me (I do not exclude myself from blame) have resigned ourselves to our lot in life and are hunkering down (or exploiting the final frenzy for personal gain) to wait out the explosive destruction with the hope of surviving to live another day. Once again it is selfish pursuits that stand in the way of solutions.
In the face of mass self betrayal, all you and I can hope to do is work towards releasing ourselves from ourselves. We must release ‘them’ from the false promises they have made so that we may release ourselves from the anger, resentment and false hope that currently has us all tied up in neurotic knots and dysfunctional depression. We must release ourselves from the past in order to move each other forward into the future.
It all begins within.
01-07-2014
Cognitive Dissonance | 16,038 | 7,054 | 0.000146 |
warc | 201704 | What is Zero Valent Iron?
What is Zero Valent Iron?
Zero Valent Iron (ZVI), elemental metallic iron, reduces waterborne inorganic ions, releasing soluble Fe(ll) in their place, which oxidizes further into Fe(III). Coal mining drainage is an example where ZVI has treated contaminated water safely, effectively and economically.
In chemical terms, ZVI describes the elemental form of iron, and refers to the zero charge carried by each atom—a result of the outer valence level being filled.
These characteristics allow ZVI to convert oxidized elements—which may be toxic and soluble in water—into immobile solid forms. ZVI chemistry allows for effective, reliable reduction of waterborne contaminants that works for industry as well as the environment.
Taking advantage of these properties, Zero Valent Iron Solutions has engineered field-proven water treatment systems that harness the reductive power of ZVI in above-ground, flow through reactor based systems. Zero Valent Iron Solutions systems effectively and reliably reduce contaminants such as selenium (Se), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) and many other pollutants.
Another common use for ZVI is iron wall remediation. This technology uses ZVI to form a permeable reactive barrier (PRB). The iron reacts with contaminants in groundwater, leaving only decontaminated groundwater on the other side of the PRB.
WATER SOLUTIONS PART OF CRITICAL FIELD TEST
Our water solution team led by Dr. Raymond Lovett is currently involved in a project with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The agency is currently field-testing our water solutions to facilitate the expedited development and implementation of solutions in districts where water pollution is a growing problem. This collaboration is just one of example of ZVIS’ ongoing commitment to applying science and technology that protects industries and the environment.
Download whitepaper | 1,955 | 1,027 | 0.000989 |
warc | 201704 | Rabbit’s foot fern, Davallia fejeensis (Polypodium aureum), gets its name from the fuzzy rhizomes that creep over the edge of pots. They are also known as hare’s foot fern, and will make great hanging baskets, as will other ferns such as asparagus fern. Conditions for Growing Rabbit’s Foot Fern
This fern grows from 8-12” high and may reach a width of 1-3’ wide. It grows in a mounding form with a fine texture. Rabbit foot’s fern makes its best growth when it is in bright, filtered light. It performs well in home temperatures from about 55 degrees at night to as high as 85 degrees during the day. It needs high humidity too.
Care of Rabbit’s Foot Fern
This is an epiphytic fern that grows on the sides of trees when it is in the wild, so try to keep it moderately moist. Use an Epiphyte mix when adding soil. It has a resting period from October to February when it needs little water. Feed with a foliage plant food at half the recommended dose from April through September. ‘Tip burn’ results from being fed too much.
The fern’s “rabbit’s foot” rhizomes will quickly grow over the edges of their pots, so be careful to not cover rhizomes with potting soil. You should just let them creep where they want. The rhizomes are succulent and can break, so instead of repotting the entire plant, push new potting mix between the rhizomes when the old potting mix begins to break down.
Pruning- Rabbit’s foot fern seldom needs any type of pruning but may need yellowed fronds removed occasionally. Propagation of Rabbit’s Foot Fern
Propagation is done by rhizome division. Simply cut pieces of a rhizome and pin them to moist soil. This fern can also be propagated by spores.
Pest and Diseases
Rabbits foot fern may have spider mites as a pest problem at some point, especially if the humidity is too low. Control them by showering off the plant regularly and keep the humidity high. You may also notice browning fronds when the humidity is too low.
Rabbit's Fern as a Terrarium Plant
Rabbit's foot fern makes a great plant for a terrarium since it requires high humidity. Try not to get it overly moist for a prolonged period as this may bring on browning and disease. Try to open the lid periodically to keep moisture from building up too high.
Related Species to Rabbit’s Foot Fern
Deer’s foot fern (D. Canariensis) has narrow, triangular fronds. Polynesian foot fern (D. Solida) has more leathery types of fronds. Squirrel’s foot-fern (D. Trichomanoides) has diamond-shaped fronds.
Yardandgardenrescue.com also has articles on other types of ferns such as, cinnamon fern and asparagus fern as well as other plants suitable for hanging baskets, shady areas, or for terrariums and houseplants.
You might want to try your hand at growing Rabbit's foot fern: | 2,863 | 1,377 | 0.000754 |
warc | 201704 | Pseudo Science, the Internets and Politicians
A while back, I was at a party with some smart non-scientists who happen to be extremely paranoid about health issues.
They were ranting about organic food this, pesticide-free that, traces of pharmaceuticals in the water supply, genetically-engineered plants, etc. Unfortunately, I was getting frustrated because they didn't seem to know what they were talking about.
Gradually, as I argued with them, I came to realize that they had been reading about these things on the internets, and getting their information largely from one-sided documentary films and whatever the water filter guy in Home Depot told them they needed to buy.
They didn't understand what genetically engineered actually means. Sure, it sounds kinda scary. But they didn't seem to know what "DNA" is, relative to "genetic". They were throwing around these terms about genes being "different" from ours without knowing that our most important genes are all conserved.
And they had seen some documentary about the potential evils of bionic alien plants, or whatever, which got them off on this kick of being very anti- almost anything scientific.
"It's not natural!" they kept screaming, and I really should have asked them if they use birth control (they don't have any kids, so I'm pretty sure they do). But I think you'll agree that some people believe that birth control of any kind is not "natural", either.
Or indoor plumbing. Or tv. Or microwaving.
I guess if they keep going on this path, they'll insist on joining the Raw Food movement and living in the forest, or something.
Mostly I was amazed at how much it annoyed me that they were vehemently arguing with me. Not because they were arguing, but because they were so dramatically misinformed.
And it breaks my heart a little, because I think they would make great scientists. Here's why:
1) They are interested in getting information, going to great lengths to learn about how the world works (however inept they were at determining the quality of what they found).
2) They are unrelentingly skeptical, not caring one whit for academic reputation or the Establishment.
3) They are passionate about their cause.
4) They have no investment in doing science to make money.
I always draw the analogy between science and government. If you've studied American History, you know that members of Congress were not supposed to serve lifetime appointments the way they tend to do now. There were supposed to be term limits for a reason: to avoid having career politicians (the way we do now).
I still think maybe the idea of science as a temporary position is not such a bad one, and we kind of already have it with most of our scientists working as terminal postdocs (but without the prestige of serving our country). I have to wonder if it's not the career scientists who do the most damage, just like career politicians?
And yet, as I ranted about on my last post, we're really doing a terrible job of educating the public. Instead, we're taking some of the most intelligent, vocal, self-directed amateur researchers and letting them feed on junk information.
If only they were as scrupulous about their reading as they are about their food. | 3,245 | 1,648 | 0.000612 |
warc | 201704 | What’s the green smoothie hype all about? This is what you need to know about green smoothie recipes and benefits of drinking them. Check them out now!
The smoothie trend is here to stay and if you’re looking for a delicious smoothie made from recognizable and affordable ingredients, then look no further.
Let’s unpack the phenomenon that has revolutionized the use of blenders everywhere; let’s dig into the green smoothie.
A green smoothie allows you to sneak nutrient-rich vegetables into your diet without bringing too much attention to the veggie in question.
You can hide the texture and taste of almost any leafy green vegetable when blended with the right ingredients and complimentary flavours.
Why do we want to get more greens in our diets?
Green leafy vegetables will always be considered a so-called superfood. A superfood essentially refers to a food that has a high nutrient to calorie ratio. In other words, you get a big bang of nutrients for your calorie buck.
Kale is currently one of the most popular and trendy superfoods, and for good reason. Kale is bursting with phytonutrients that boost big time benefits like cancer-fighting antioxidants.
All greens, however, have phytonutrients that combat free radicals, energize, and nourish; reasons why we want to emphasize them in our diets and tuck them into our smoothies.
Smoothies not only provide an opportunity to fit greens into our diet but a blended green smoothie also helps with digestion once the greens meet your belly.
The tough fibers in vegetables are difficult to digest for many people, especially when eating raw greens. Plant cell walls are made from cellulose, which the human digestive system has trouble breaking down.
If the leaves of these nutritious greens go undigested, we aren’t able to absorb their valuable nutrients, which defeats the purpose of eating them.
This is where the blender comes into play.
Blending does part of the digesting for us! The blades of the blender break down plant cell walls and pulverize the fibres that like to challenge our digestive systems.
This allows for quick and efficient access to all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants we’re hoping to absorb and assimilate.
A blender also provides an opportunity to incorporate more raw vegetables into our diets. Raw veggies and leafy greens are rich in live enzymes and other nutrients that are denatured by the heat of cooking.
By tossing raw veggies in our smoothies we’re guaranteeing nutrient diversity and ensuring a good balance between raw and cooked food.
So the green smoothie gives us the superfood leafy greens we want, the live nutrients we need and helps with the digestion of both.
Win, win, win!
To make a healthy green smoothie you do need a blender. However, you do not need to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
You can get affordable blenders that do the job quite nicely. If you see yourself doing a lot of heavy-duty blending, like pureeing nuts to make smooth sauces and feel like a higher end blender is worth the investment, then, by all means, go for it! I use my high-powered blender every day.
However, for months I went without and used a personal sized blender and it got the job done, and done well!
A good place to start is a small blender with multiple functions, one that comes with blending and grinding blades. One of these will run you about $100 but it is a great tool to have, especially in a small kitchen.
If the correct way to drink a smoothie seems obvious, hold up, it’s not!
Many self-proclaimed smoothie aficionados blend up their smoothie concoction and then suck it back within a few minutes. Yet, to get the full benefit of the smoothie and to feel your best post smoothie, you should take it slow for a few reasons.
First, we have digestive enzymes in our saliva and upper digestive system that are activated by chewing. So yes, even though your smoothie is blended, it’s still beneficial to give each sip a little chew to help break down macronutrients and ignite the digestive process.
Secondly, you don’t want to overwhelm your belly. Avoid pounding that green smoothie, no matter how delicious, because drinking it too fast will result in your belly’s version of an ice cream headache. Too much, too fast will cause some tummy aches, nausea,and even fatigue.
Before your smoothie, you’re most likely hungry and your stomach is empty. If you chug that smoothie, your belly goes from bored to overwhelmed! You’ve shocked your stomach with too much work in too short a period of time.
To get the most from your healthy green smoothie drink slowly, over 20-30 minutes or so. This gives your gut a manageable workload and enough time to get the digestive job done at a reasonable pace.
Smoothies are a staple in the diets of healthy foodies everywhere. They’re usually categorized as a breakfast option but can also be enjoyed as a light meal or hearty snack.
A healthy green smoothie is usually built from, but not limited to, the following components
Altering these ingredients, changing their ratios and pairing different flavours are ways in which you can make a million versions of the green smoothie.
Feel free to mess around and find your personal favourite or, if you need some green inspiration, check out the suggested combinations below.
(Serves 1)
This smoothie is for the green beginner. If you’re just starting out and the idea of a green smoothie is still a little suspicious then this one is for you.
Spinach is the least green tasting leafy green and is the perfect choice when you’re not used to the earthy-er flavours of kale and swiss chard.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
(Serves 1)
This smoothie has a combination of spinach and antioxidant rich kale. It gains more superfood status by the addition of hemp seeds, which are a fantastic source of anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids.
Feel free to swap almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Now, for those green lovers, those who are green at heart, this one is for you. There’s a load of green going on here and the resulting color is just divine.
Avocado is used to achieve a creamy texture and also provides healthy, monounsaturated fats. And remember, don’t fear the fat!
Fat in a smoothie is important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) as well as for the proper functioning of countless metabolic processes in our bodies, the structure of our cell walls and so much more.
(Serves 1-2)
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Start with 1 ½ cups water and add more as needed to get desired consistency.
Keep these three healthy green smoothie recipes in your collection of smoothie alternatives and please share your favourite green smoothie combo below!
Hi! My name is Ashley. I’m a pharmacist, plant based chef and holistic nutritionist. Creating health supportive, plant based and gluten free cuisine is my calling, my jam, my vegan bread and butter. You can find me blogging, sipping a green smoothie and pondering the big questions in life.
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This article may contain affiliate links, which pays us a small compensation if you do decide to make a purchase based on our recommendation. Our judgement is in no way biased, and our recommendations are always based on the merits of the items. For details, please read our Privacy Policy. | 8,656 | 3,900 | 0.000262 |
warc | 201704 | Another interesting post, today written by the media-communication student Shraddha Ganwani. Lucky for you, she joined our blogging-team and will stay at CEE until the conference. Sustainable development- Most of you must have come across this phrase in Middle school, but none of us actually ponder over it or contribute in the process of attaining it. We hear about deliberations taking place in summits and meets, we know how important is the climate protocol, and what can be the consequences like, still we are not that affected because ultimately our life moves on.
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come. In order to help achieving the goal of sustainable development, we have to learn our way out of current social and environmental problems and learn to live sustainably; therefore the concept of ESD came into existence.
Education for sustainable developmentaims to help people to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions.
But how effective ESD will be, is completely dependent on our approach, perceptions, willingness to contribute towards the environment and conscionable community, and resolution to be the change that we want to see. We being the new age youth are smart, savvy and are ready to push our boundaries to attain our personal goals isn’t it our duty to offer a helping hand towards improvement of standard of living, and survival of the mankind. Today we the youth in the new era, can make the utilization of all renewable and non-renewable resources, we live in the world where with the help of development of technology communication has become rapid and human effort required to accomplish a task has reduced tremendously, but what is the use of this technology and training that we have imbibed if we can’t save the earth and its resources.
Is it going to help, if we remain blinded towards the hurdles faced by the environmentalists just because it doesn’t affect our day-to-day routine? Is it going to help if we act as spectators when the trees are being cut, or if we cover our face with masks when come across pollution? Is it going to help to have deliberations on what should be the percentage of carbon emission by industries rather than executing it? Isn’t global warming a result of our skewed approach towards environment? We need a solution…and we can be the solution. It’s time that we identify that there is an alarming need for the youth to participate in such drives for protecting the environment and conserving natural resources? Is the youth ready to procure education on sustainable development and incorporate it in the activities undertaken for achieving the goal? | 2,946 | 1,421 | 0.000712 |
warc | 201704 | The motto for the Canadian Ski Patrol is Safety and Service. Since its inception more than 60 years ago, the CSP has had as its primary mission the prevention of injuries and the provision of first aid in cases of injury or sudden illness. In the past few years, the snow sports industry had turned more and more to the CSP as the front line of promotion of injury prevention and safety, because we are highly visible, present on the majority of trails and looked up to by skiers, boarders and the public in general. CSP members promote safety in three key ways:
By setting an example through their own actions; By educating skiers through talks, presentations and discussions, and By on-snow actions both in regard to the conditions and in dealing with dangerous or hazardous skiers.
Safety on those snow sliding boards - double or single - starts well before you get to near the white powdery stuff. The season has started, and even if you have had a few runs already, it is still time to give ALL your equipment a check over.
Start with you. Clothes, undergarments to Ski Jacket. Gloves, hat or Helmet. They should all be given a close look over to make sure there are no frayed seems, bits dangling to catch on chairs etc. And Clean.
Boots and Boards. Make sure they are cleaned, bindings properly set and working as they were designed to. A quick tuning at the Hill's ski shop will do wonders to your style - and comfort.
I know you know all this. We all do. And that is precisely why we need to be reminded. That old saying "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" is all too true when applied to serious sports equipment and your safety. So have a humble fit, and do check it all out.
Safety on the hill starts with you...
"Accident" is a term used to absolve responsibility. How many drivers say: "I had an accident because of the weather." That's a real cop out. Blame the weather - not the fact that they were driving too fast for the conditions, their car was not properly equipped for winter driving with proper winter tires, they didn't check the road surface for icy patches, their defrosters weren't working properly causing impaired vision, they just didn't know how to drive in winter, etc.
Airplanes don't have "accidents" - they crash, and the reason for those crashes usually include human error, or mechanical failure - and the various authorities work very hard to determine those causes for future reference. Bad weather doesn't cause crashes, but not responding adequately to it, or making wrong judgment moves, does.
The same goes for winter sports. Skiers and Snow Boarders don't have accidents. They crash - due to poor judgment, skiing or boarding beyond their capabilities, not looking where they are going or checking for up-hill skiers when entering trails or changing directions, skiing out-of-bounds, etc.
Accident is a word that should not be part of a Ski Patrollers vocabulary - or anybody's. Always look for the cause, and sometimes that could point to a solution for an unforeseen problem. Yes, we have "Incidents" on the hills, often causing bodily harm which we are called upon to respond to with out training, and that is a valid term, often caused by a skier or border "crashing". There is a cause, which you must become aware of so you can properly report that incident.
Incident - Not Accident. Erase that "A" word from your vocabulary - when Patrolling - or anytime. It is amazing what you will learn, and knowing those causes, and acting accordingly, could perhaps sometime save you from serious injury - or even save your life.
Although we have several safety programs aimed at younger skiers and boarders, and most of them ski and board relatively responsibly, kids tend to be more focused on what they are doing and on their friends, than what is going on around them.
This is most apparent on hill when they come to a stop to wait for their friends, or just take a break and chat. They stop where they are - whether it is in the middle of the run, partially blocking passage at the top of a run, at the junction of two runs, or when they get off the chair lift. The problem is more apparent with snow boarders - not because they are different from skiers, or less aware, but because it is much easier to flop down and sit on the snow with your board on, than with skis on your feet.
The danger is that they are low on the ground, often just below a rise, where they are not very visible to approaching skiers and boarders, even though they are partially blocking the trail - or trails. Add some novice skiers and boarders who are unsteady and slow at turning and stopping, and we are building a nice scenario for next year's practicals.
They kids just aren't aware - so we have to keep our eyes open and point out to them the potential dangers of their position.
So here's a hint - instead of just telling them to "move or you might get hurt" or something like that, quietly suggest to them that they should move over to the side of the run while they are talking or waiting for their friends. Why? - say you are concerned because there are some novices on the hill that are just learning to ski or board, and they can't stop or turn too well, and they could get hurt if they collide with our stationary skiers or boarders. That way you get the kids on your side, helping you keep the hills safer for the "novices", which implies that they are better skiers or boarders, and therefore in a better position to help. They usually move quite willingly, and quickly.
Collisions are a growing concern for on-hill safety, and this is just one way we can help defuse that problem. | 5,649 | 2,645 | 0.000381 |
warc | 201704 | Abandoned Property – Abandoned Property Self Storage – Virginia Note: This summary is not intended to be an all inclusive discussion of abandoned property law, but does include basic provisions. You should check the State Laws for updates. Code of VirginiaTitle 55 – PROPERTY AND CONVEYANCES.Chapter 23 – Virginia Self-Service Storage Act Short title. This chapter shall be known as the “Virginia Self-Service Storage Act.” Title 55, Chap. 23, §55-416. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
1. “Self-service storage facility” means any real property designed and used for renting or leasing individual storage spaces, other than storage spaces which are leased or rented as an incident to the lease or rental of residential property or dwelling units, to which the occupants thereof have access for storing or removing their personal property. No occupant shall use a self-service storage facility for residential purposes.
2. “Owner” means the owner, operator, lessor, or sublessor of a self-service storage facility, his agent, or any other person authorized to manage the facility or to receive rent from any occupant under a rental agreement.
The owner of a self-service storage facility is not a warehouseman as defined in § 8.7-102, unless the owner issues a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title for the personal property stored, in which event, the owner and the occupant are subject to the provisions of Title 8.7 dealing with warehousemen.
3. “Occupant” means a person, his sublessee, successor, or assign, entitled to the use of a leased space at a self-service storage facility under a rental agreement.
4. “Rental agreement” means any agreement or lease that establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, or rules concerning the use and occupancy of a self-service storage facility.
5. “Leased space” means the individual storage space at the self-service facility which is leased or rented to an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement.
6. “Personal property” means movable property, not affixed to land and includes, but is not limited to, goods, wares, merchandise, motor vehicles, and household items and furnishings.
7. “Default” means the failure to perform on time any obligation or duty set forth in the rental agreement or this chapter.
8. “Last known address” means that address provided by the occupant in the rental agreement or the address provided by the occupant in a subsequent written notice of a change of address.
Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-417.
Lien.
A. The owner shall have a lien on all personal property stored within each leased space for rent, labor, or other charges, and for expenses reasonably incurred in its sale pursuant to this chapter. Such lien shall attach as of the date the personal property is stored within each leased space, and, to the extent the property remains stored within such leased space, as hereinafter provided, shall be superior to any other existing liens or security interests to the extent of $250, and the lien shall extend to the proceeds, if any, remaining after the satisfaction of any perfected liens and the owner may retain possession of such proceeds until the balance, if any, of such charges is paid.
B. In the case of any motor vehicle or watercraft which is subject to a lien, previously recorded on the certificate of title, the owner, so long as the motor vehicle or watercraft remains stored within such leased space, shall have a lien on such vehicle or watercraft as provided for herein to the extent of $250. In addition, such lien shall extend to the proceeds, if any, remaining after the satisfaction of any recorded liens and the owner may retain possession of such proceeds until the balance, if any, of such charges is paid.
C. The rental agreement shall contain a statement, in bold type, advising the occupant of the existence of such lien, and that the personal property stored within the leased space may be sold to satisfy the lien if the occupant is in default.
Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-418.
Enforcement of lien.
A.
1. If any occupant is in default under a rental agreement, the owner shall notify the occupant of such default by regular mail at his last known address. If such default is not cured within ten days after its occurrence, then the owner may proceed to enforce such lien by selling the contents of the occupant’s unit at public auction, for cash, and apply the proceeds to satisfaction of the lien, with the surplus, if any, to be disbursed as hereinafter provided. Before conducting such a public auction, the owner shall notify the occupant as prescribed in subsection C of this section and shall advertise the time, place, and terms thereof in such manner as to give publicity thereto.
2. In the case of personal property having a fair market value in excess of $1,000, and against which a creditor has filed a financing statement in the name of the occupant at the State Corporation Commission or in the city or county where the self-service storage facility is located or in the city or county in Virginia shown as the last known address of the occupant, or if such personal property is a motor vehicle or watercraft required by the laws of Virginia to be registered and the Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Game and Inland Fisheries shows a lien on the certificate of title, the owner shall notify the lienholder of record, by certified mail, at the address on the financing statement or certificate of title, at least 10 days prior thereto of the time and place of the proposed public auction.
If the owner of the personal property cannot be ascertained, the name of “John Doe” shall be substituted in the proceedings hereunder and no written notice shall be required. Whenever a motor vehicle or watercraft is sold hereunder, the Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Game and Inland Fisheries shall issue a certificate of title and registration to the purchaser thereof upon his application containing the serial or motor number of the vehicle or watercraft purchased, together with an affidavit by the lienholder, or by the person conducting the public auction, evidencing compliance with the provisions hereof.
B. Whenever the occupant is in default, the owner shall have the right to deny the occupant access to the leased space.
C. After the occupant has been in default for a period of ten days, and before the owner can sell the occupant’s personal property in accordance with this chapter, the owner shall send a further notice of default, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to the occupant at his last known address. Such notice of default shall include:
1. An itemized statement of the owner’s claim, indicating the charges due on the date of the notice and the date when the charges became due;
2. A demand for payment of the charges due within a specified time not less than twenty days after the date of the notice;
3. A statement that the contents of the occupant’s leased space are subject to the owner’s lien;
4. A conspicuous statement that unless the claim is paid within the time stated, the contents of the occupant’s space will be sold at public auction at a specified time and place; and
5. The name, street address, and telephone number of the owner or his designated agent whom the occupant may contact to respond to the notice.
D. At any time prior to the public auction pursuant to this section, the occupant may pay the amount necessary to satisfy the lien and thereby redeem the personal property.
E. In the event of a public auction pursuant to this section, the owner may satisfy his lien from the proceeds of the public auction, and shall hold the balance, if any, for delivery on demand to the occupant or other lienholder referred to in this chapter. However, the owner shall not be obligated to hold any balance for a lienholder of record notified pursuant to subdivision A 2, or any other lien creditor, that fails to claim an interest in the balance within thirty days of the public auction. So long as the owner complies with the provisions of this chapter, the owner’s liability to the occupant under this chapter shall be limited to the net proceeds received from the public auction of any personal property, and as to other lienholders, shall be limited to the net proceeds received from the public auction of any personal property covered by such superior lien.
F. Any public auction of the personal property shall be held at the self-service storage facility or at the nearest suitable place to where the personal property is held or stored. An advertisement shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city or town in which the public auction is to be held at least once prior to the public auction. The advertisement must state (i) the fact that it is a public auction; (ii) the date, time and location of the public auction; and (iii) form of payment.
G. A purchaser in good faith of any personal property sold or otherwise disposed of pursuant to this chapter takes such property free and clear of any rights of persons against whom the lien was valid.
H. Any notice made pursuant to this section shall be presumed delivered when it is deposited with the United States Postal Service and properly addressed to the occupant’s last known address with postage prepaid.
Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-419.
Other legal remedies may be used. The provisions of this chapter shall not preempt or limit the owner’s use of any additional remedy otherwise allowed by law. Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-419.1. Care, custody and control of property. Unless the rental agreement specifically provides otherwise, the exclusive care, custody, and control of all personal property stored in the leased space shall remain vested in the occupant. Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-420. Savings clause. All rental agreements, entered into prior to July 1, 1981, which have not been extended or renewed after that date, shall remain valid and may be enforced or terminated in accordance with their terms or as permitted by any other statute or law of this Commonwealth. Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-421. Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-422. Effective date and application of chapter. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all rental agreements entered into or extended or renewed after July 1, 1981. Title 55, Chap. 23, §§55-423. | 10,675 | 3,863 | 0.000266 |
warc | 201704 | In the beginning of November I travelled to the eastern and central parts of Eagle Ford. I have now complemented that trip by visiting the western part. The USA’s western border in Texas stretches along the Rio Grande and the western border of Eagle Ford stretches between the towns of Eagle Pass and Laredo. The northern part has oil and the southern part dry gas. Between them one finds condensate and a mixture of oil and natural gas.
We travelled south on IS35 and then drove west out on road 57 a little north of Pearsall towards Eagle Pass (If you wish you can follow our route on Google Map). Road 57 marks the northern border of Eagle Ford. Since we could only travel on public roads we had to look everywhere we could to find fracking activities. We saw some drilling rigs but mainly we saw trucks bearing water, sand and chemicals. There were also signs advertising land to lease and water to buy. When one looks at a map showing the location of wells one sees that they appear very densely distributed. In reality, each well is a small dot and the distance between each drilling site is quite great.
One aim of our trip was to visit Crystal City. Since the beginning of the 1900s the town is known as the world’s capital city for spinach. For 100 years they have filled cans with spinach and Pop-Eye has tried to convince us to eat it. Crystal City with its 7,000 inhabitants lies in the middle of western Eagle Ford and it is already being spoken about as the next boom town in Texas. (Read Wikipedia regarding the internment camp for the Japanese, Germans and Italians during WWII.) In future they will not only be filling cans with spinach but also larger cans, drums, with crude oil. When we drove around the town there was no doubt that it had seen better days but indications of a different future were new areas for parking mobile homes and newly built barracks where one could hire a room. Western Eagle Ford is an enormous area and there is room for thousands of new wells. If the price of natural gas rises then even the southern areas will be drilled and the entire area will become a new “black gold-rush” area.
A little south of Crystal City I filmed my most westerly oil pump in Eagle Ford and the truck traffic supporting fracking activities increased markedly. At the end of December there were 269 drilling rigs in Eagle Ford and those wells that have been drilled will then be fracked. Every fracking site has at least 20 trucks present, many delivering products and equipment so let’s assume that every rig and each site’s subsequent fracking activities requires 40 trucks. If that is the case then 12,000 trucks are required to service Eagle Ford’s fracking activities. Everywhere one can see parking spots for trucks and trucks in motion. The various wells are not connected by a pipeline but, rather, most of the oil is collected in cisterns near the wells’ pumps (see the image above). A tanker truck can carry approximately 40,000 litres or 250 barrels of oil. If a tanker truck makes four collections per day this will amount to 1,000 barrels. If 500,000 barrels is to be freighted every day that will require 500 trucks. Of the approximately 160,000 new jobs created in the area, truck driver is one of the most common. What I have written above is a very crude estimate but it gives us an idea of what is required to produce one million of the 19 million barrels of oil per day that the USA consumes. In Three Rivers there was a large collection station for oil and they are now planning to build a pipeline from this station to a suitable refinery. The surrounding roads are showing very significant wear and tear and a current political discussion is what increased fees will be required for road maintenance in Texas.
Our final goal of the day was to reach Rio Grand and Laredo that mark the southern border of Eagle Ford. We travelled along road 133 out to IS35 and there the activity was markedly greater. That the southern region produces gas was displayed by the fact that we began to see compressor units for pressurisation of gas pipelines.
The next day we travelled south along the Rio Grande and even there they were planning for fracking. The most common sign there as in all of Eagle Ford was closed gates to the various sites. The image above is of an entrance to a large area with many operators.
During a number of days I have travelled through all of Eagle Ford. Obtaining “on location” information on these activities is very important! The fact that the shale area, in principle, stretches across the entirety of Texas means that its area is enormous. The thousands and thousands of wells that have been drilled are scattered here and there but one cannot state that they have markedly changed the landscape when one drives along the highway.
If one uses Google Map to look for Three Rivers in Texas one can follow IS37 north and then road 99 east using the satellite image. Then one can see fracking sites in an area where they are most dense. This activity will expand over all of Eagle Ford and many experts that I have spoken with mention that Eagle Ford will achieve a maximal production of 1.5 Mb/d. In ten years the peak will be passed and production will then decline. The now overfull parking areas for mobile homes and trailers will empty. The barracks will possibly remain as memorials to today’s oil rush. “Boom” will have been transformed to “bust”. Uncategorized | 5,517 | 2,534 | 0.000401 |
warc | 201704 | Such attitudes seem to me always to depend on, or even simply straightforwardly to translate to, the ugly awful fervently held faith that there will always be someone else around to clean up our messes for us.
This expressed disdain for the very idea of limits always amounts to and sometimes baldly testifies to a disdain for the actually-existing living plurality of people who are superfluous to or at odds with the streamlined trajectory at which our stubbornly insensitive, er, "motivated," go-getter imagines he is getting himself to.
Nowhere is this disdain more conspicuous to me than among Superlative Technocentrics, nearly all of them caught up in a frenzy of self-promotion, self-selection, and delusive mutual reinforcement as they handwave from the palpable and urgent reality of ongoing and emerging disruptive technoscientific change to what is instead an essentially irrational and certainly pseudoscientific transcendentalizing talk of omni-predicated technologies delivering post-bodily "immortality," post-embodied "consciousness," post-economic "abundance," post-historical "singularity," and so on.
While I am quite conscious of the ways in which the overwhelming inputs from planetary networked media, the biomedical intervention into customary understandings about when lives can properly be said to begin and end and with what expectations about capacities and changing function we might properly invest them, the intervention of instrumental rationality into production at incomparably small and large scales, the unprecedented appearance on the scene of weapons of massive and insane destructiveness and so on, are all deranging our collective sense of the limits that hitherto have been taken to define the human condition. That this sudden, intensive, and extensive transformative technodevelopmental storm-surge has been treated by some as a portent of an upcoming overcoming of human finitude as such, as the looming confrontation with a techno-transcendentalizing overcoming of the very idea of limits altogether has always seemed to me a curious confusion. And given the frequent coloration of such claims by fairly conventional theological notions of omni-potence, omni-science, and omni-benevolence this curious confusion seems to me all the more curiously conventionally religious, especially considering the barking militant anti-religiosity of so many who seem to indulge in this sort of handwaving technology-talk in the first place. To me, it has always seemed more sensible to say that the technodevelopmental derangement of customary limits is experienced quite as much as the emergence of a new limit -- the loss of our ability to claim with the sort of confidence we've sometimes depended on just what our definitive limits actually will consist of in matters of political and ethical concern that perplex us -- as it is the more emancipatory overcoming of certain old limits.
Be that as it may, I'll admit that it is easiest to focus one's critical attentions on the flabbergasting practical naivete of Superlative technodevelopmental accounts that rely on loose analogies (there are, to be blunt, differences that make a difference between human brains and computers, biological organisms and nanofactories, aging bodies and well-maintained mansions, stakeholder deliberation and the unilateral implementation of optimal outcomes deduced from ideal formulations), accounts that overestimate the state of our knowledge of the relevant technoscience, accounts that overemphasize the smooth function of technology in general, accounts that underestimate the role of social, cultural, and political factors on the vicissitudes of technoscientific change and its impacts, and accounts that treat complex dynamisms as linear processes and complex phenomena as simple monoliths.
It is also easy to focus on the, shall we say,
symptomaticdimensions of Superlative Technology discourses, with their bevy of boastful boys, with their curiously conspicuous comic book iconography, with their eager self-marginalizing subcultural politics (hence the incessant vulnerability to and defensiveness about charges of weird Robot Cultism), with their non-negligible exhibition of body-loathing (from their occasional expressions of old-school Cyberpunk disdain of the "meat-body" to their widespread ongoing incomprehension of disability activists who quite righteously insist, "nothing about us without us"), with their ongoing difficulty in nudging their demographic much beyond its conspicuous -- tho' admittedly not exclusive -- white maleness in a world in which whites and males are minorities otherwise, with the lingering presence of "market fundamentalist" intellectuals among them and being taken seriously by them as they are almost nowhere else (after all, the neoliberal and neoconservative policies which gave "anarcho-capitalist" and "free-market" abstractions the only actual life they ever had or will ever have were undertaken by incumbent interests with the cynical understanding that these "ideas" provide ideal cover for confiscatory wealth concentration, but there are few actually intelligent people who still believein these market fundamentalist pieties on their face, if anybody ever did, apart perhaps from a few awkward earnest Randians, poor things).
But the actual focus of my own critique of Superlative Technology discourses (even if I'll admit I have often directed my jeremiads against these more conspicuously vulnerable dimensions of Superlativity) is on their pernicious anti-politicizing and, more specifically, their almost always anti-democratizing force. Needless to say, I do indeed think the highly fetishized, irrationally hyperbolized, faithfully transcendentalized, falsely monolithicized, obsessively singularized technodevelopmental outcomes that preoccupy Superlative Technocentrics are the farthest thing from plausible in their specific Superlative formulations. But even if I were to grant them more than the negligible plausibility of logical possibility (which is quite enough for most Superlative Technocentrics, and I'll let the reader puzzle through the implications of that low bar given the force of True Belief it seems so often to underwrite), the fact remains that I still do not agree that Superlativity provides the best discursive lens through which we would best cope with the extraordinarily sweeping implications typically attributed to these outcomes by the Superlative Technocentrics themselves.
(A side note: Exactly in analogy to the "New Normal" of contemporary terror-alerts, the attribution of such sweeping implications to what amount at best to thought-experiments and at worst to science-fictional vignettes -- only without the accompanying pleasure of narrative or characterization -- is precisely what functions to make the Superlative demand for a substitution of a focus on proximate for projected and idealized outcomes the hallmark of "seriousness" by their lights, contrary to all sense and in fact in a way that is immune to the interventions of common-sense, strictly speaking.)
If the Superlative Technocentrics were actually right to imagine that billions of people now living will find themselves all too soon living in a future transformed by Friendly or Unfriendly post-biological intelligences, nanotechnological superabundance, biomedical immortality, or the like (and I do think they are far more likely to be wrong than right and I think this matters enormously), even granting them this, I think they are profoundly wrong to imagine that our best way to facilitate the best, least violent, most fair (or whatever) versions of these Superlative outcomes is to contemplate and prepare for the Superlative outcomes themselves, in the abstract, as these outcomes suggest themselves to us in our own impoverished vantage (an impoverishment exacerbated all the more by marginal and anti-democratic modes of Superlative deliberation). Such contemplation and preparation circumvents the ongoing and plural stakeholder contestation that will certainly articulate the unpredictable developmental forces and the dynamic developmental pathways along which such outcomes would actually "arrive" (were they to do so), ignores the practical, scientific, technical, pedagogical, regulatory, cultural knowledges arising out of our collective day to day responsiveness, competition, and collaboration in the plural presents from which no less plural futures will present themselves, that will not only shape but actively
constituteour foresight and provide the living archive to which future generations or the communities in which we will ourselves later belong will make our collective recourse as we struggle to cope with these outcomes and their alternatives.
To be sure, this is not the denigration of foresight as such that Superlative Technocentrics will be sure to accuse it of being, but simply an insistence that foresight properly emerges from the ongoing contestation and deliberation of the plurality of actually-existing stakeholders to the emerging technodevelopmental terrain rather than from an idealized projection of Superlative outcomes onto the future by the impoverished perspective of a marginal minority and from the impoverished position of that future's past. This means that serious futurists (Jamais Cascio provides a well-respected example here) would always propose multiple technodevelopmental outcomes in their proposals, no one of which solicits identification but all of which, taken together, capture the texture of an upcoming technodevelopmental terrain in its dense plurality. And so, too, serious futurists would always stress the contingency, non-autonomy, and diversity of the impacts of technodevelopmental outcomes from the perspective of the plurality of their stakeholders. Serious futurists, finally, should always understand and emphasize that the rationality of foresight is more inductive than deductive; and, to the extent that such futurism would be democratizing rather than merely profitable for incumbent interests (and, hence, strictly speaking, better described as
retro-futurism), futurists must grasp that the pragmatic point that deliberative foresight foregrounds induction over deduction translates in political terms to a foregrounding of openness over optimality.
(Regular readers may be surprised to see me talk about the very possibility of a "serious futurological practice" given all the abuse I tend to heap on self-identified futurists here... but the simple truth is that it seems to me there are good reasons to think that futurism, so-called, might very well manage for another generation or so -- as psychoanalysis managed to do for well over half the twentieth century -- to remain one of the few places where something like actual philosophical thinking might take place in a way that will be taken seriously even by anti-intellectual Americans. That is more than enough to get me to pay serious attention to it.)
Again, the simple truth is that I think that the preoccupations of no small amount of Superlative Technology Discourse is symptomatic rather than serious. As often as not, it symptomizes (as does so much literary sf, much more provocatively) the fears and fantasies of people caught up in disruptive technoscientific change, it symptomizes (as does so much neoliberal discourse, which remains complementary and often still explicitly correlated to technocratic discourses generally and Superlative Technology discourses particularly) the social, subcultural, and political marginality of many of the personalities drawn to these discourses.
But if the outcomes the Superlative Technocentrics have battened on to really were to come about in some form, the facilitation of best, safest, fairest, most democratic versions of these outcomes will arrive from ongoing plural stakeholder discourse rather than from the unilateral implementations of elite and abstract discourse. That is why my own technoprogressive politics (which is no less technocentric than that of the Superlative Technology discourses when all is said and done) would direct its energies to securing, subsidizing, and celebrating peer-to-peer formations of technoscientific practice, education, regulation, funding, and of p2p education, agitation, and organizing for radical democracy (including the democratization of the planetary economy) in general as a more practical technodevelopmental politics -- more practical even in the event that technodevelopmental outcomes come to assume anything like the contours that preoccupy the imaginations of Superlative Technocentrics.
If Singularitarians, so-called, really are as worried about scary Robot Gods as they seem to be, then it seems to me a far more practical focus for their attention and action would be to participate in contemporary anti-militarist and anti-globalization movements to diminish the role of the secretive and hierarchical command formations in the midst of our democratic society and to overturn the legal fiction of corporate personhood with all its pernicious antisocial and antienvironmental implications -- which are the locations in society out of which anything remotely resembling the Superlative fears and fantasies of these Singularitarians are likeliest to emerge. Otherwise, the ongoing regulation and monitoring of already existing and actually emerging malware seems to me incomparably more likely to provide the practical resources to which we would make collective recourse were we eventually confronted with recursively self-improving software, whether rightly taken to be intelligent or entitative or not, rather than whatever our own abstract fancies might now offer up to those -- including, as likely as not, some of us -- who inhabit days to come (between now and which there would be, after all, many intervening days filled with people quite as intelligent as we are, but incomparably better informed, and directing themselves to these actually urgent problems according to the terms in which they actually occur, likewise coping with ongoing and emerging malware and so on, peer-to-peer).
If Nanosantalogists really want nanofactories to incubate a high-tech gift society without reducing the planet to goo, then it seems to me a far more practical focus for their attention would be to participate in the contemporary copyfight and access-to-knowledge movements that would keep the nanofactory instructions out of the hands of incumbent elites, and to participate (as it seems to me my friends at the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology already often do, at least when they are
at their best) in movements to empower planetary regulation and oversight of pandemics, tsunamis, climate change, weapons proliferation, the manufacture and trafficking in toxic substances, and so on, since it will be the experiences and insights we acquire in these fraught and urgent already ongoing efforts that will provide the real archive on which we would really, truly depend were we to find ourselves confronting the Superlative fears and fantasies of these Nanosantalogists.
If Technological Immortalists, so-called, really want to inspire and fund and implement a SENS program to overcome the suffering and pathologies we customarily associate with human aging, then it seems to me a far more practical focus for their attention would be to embrace the rhetoric of the Longevity Dividend, to refigure what deGrey describes as the Seven Deadly Things (or whatever number this eventually amounts to, a habit of qualification and caveat being a welcome thing from especially speculative scientists) as seven separate medical conditions among countless others likewise demanding elaborate foundations and diverse research teams, and, above all else, to refrain altogether from idiotic talk of "living forever" or "immortality" in the first place (given the admission by most Technological Immortalists that theirs is not a program that would elude disease, violent, or accidental death even if it managed to achieve its already implausibly Superlative ends, it is curious -- that is to say, importantly symptomatic -- that they should be so reluctant to eschew these essentially faithful rather than factual discourses). But more to the point, it seems to me that enthusiasts for longevity and rejuvenation medicine should be devoting considerable efforts to movements to secure universal healthcare, to address neglected diseases among the planetary precariat, to provide clean drinking water and basic healthcare to everybody on earth, to defend the informed nonduressed consensual recourse to wanted therapies (whether normalizing or not) and protection from unwanted therapies (whether normalizing or not) in the context of contemporary modification medicine, to end the so-called war on (some) drugs (together with the fraudulent marketing and mandated use of other drugs) wherever its racist anti-democratizing tentacles reach, and so on.
Superlative Technocentrics are likely to recoil from suggestions like these, dismissing them as stealthy, well-nigh "closeted" half measures, but the truth, I'm afraid, is that their own monological fixations and hyperbolic derangements of these sensible -- even urgent -- recommendations bespeak either a profound misunderstanding of the complex, dynamic, ineradicably politicized technodevelopmental terrain as it actually exists, or a derangement that symptomizes their own irrational passions, born of social marginalization, short-sighted greed or hostility, neurotic fears of contemporary change and lack of personal control, straightforward narcissistic personality disorder, or the like.
It is well known (that is to say, known among the few odd people like me who keep up with this sort of thing at all) that I advocate what I describe as a technoprogressive political viewpoint which regards ongoing and emerging technoscientific change as at once the most dangerous and most promising field of contemporary democratic-left and emancipatory politics. For me, "progress" has come to be a matter of technodevelopmental social struggle first of all, the contestation of a plurality of stakeholders to the ongoing articulation and distribution of technoscientific costs, risks, and benefits. It is from this perspective in particular that I understand the urgent struggles against neoliberal corporate-militarism, environmentalist movements, planetary human rights and social justice movements, and so on.
While this perspective is no less technocentric than that of the Superlative Technocentrics I so regularly critique our differences could not be more stark otherwise (but this one point of continuity is enough to keep me on my toes lest my own technoprogressivity drift here and there into a problematic Superlativity quite in spite of myself). Not only do I think that the best, most democratizing, most emancipatory technodevelopmental outcomes can be facilitated by politics that are perfectly intelligible to the democratic-left progressive mainstream imagination (as Superlative Technocentricity very definitely is not), but I also think that there is an emerging technoprogressive mainstream on the American political scene and elsewhere around the world that is conjoining the forces of the left blogosphere and Netroots and other emerging p2p democratic formations, the defense of consensus science, copyfight, free press and open media, access to knowledge (a2k) movements, commitments to a politics of choice that encompasses both abortion and ARTs and consensual drug policy, growing demands for renewable energy and sustainable production, and other strands of the contemporary technoscientific tapestry, from the ground up, peer-to-peer, all around us, right here, right now.
Why Superlative Technocentrics would prefer their far-flung and hyperbolized futures over these actually-existing popular technoprogressive energies is entirely beyond me. No doubt only their therapists (or possibly, for a few of them at least, their financial advisers) know for sure. | 20,144 | 8,186 | 0.000123 |
warc | 201704 | After receiving many an invitation, I finally opened an account at Goodreads. I had nothing against opening an account there – I read a lot and I like to have a place to list my books online. But I already had an account with Anobii and didn’t want to multiply the accounts. But since many friends were on Goodreads and Anobii had been a little disappointing lately… Goodreads had me at
hello… create a free account.
Then what? What’s the link with the book review announced in the title of this post? Let’s keep a long, off-topic story short: I noticed that Goodreads had giveaways of review copies of books that were released. I entered for a couple of books I was interested in and was the lucky winner of a copy of “True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure” by Andrew Weil, Sam Fox, Michael Stebner, and published by Little, Brown and Company.
My mother has long been a fan of Dr. Andrew Weil. I was hence eager to discover this recipe book with such a colorful, yummy bowl on the cover.
On the other hand, I was a little concerned that “true food” could mean, like it sometimes is these days in recipe books, difficult-to-find ingredients used in complicated recipes.
The truth (no pun intended) is that “True Food” simply means true, yummy, everyday ingredients (understand unprocessed vegetables, fruits, fish, a little meat and a little chocolate) prepared in simple yet incredibly delicious ways.
This book of recipes and its title did not come out of the blue: they are inspired by or part of the menu of the True Food Kitchen, a restaurant founded by the authors. Here is a quote from the restaurant’s website:
You don’t have to be a die-hard Yogi to dine at True Food Kitchen. You need only a desire to give your body nutrients, and your palate something memorable. The basis for Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet isn’t meant to deprive a healthy body of great flavors, it’s meant to take popular trends in cuisine and pair them with healthy living. Try the kale and quinoa, you’ll live longer. Drink the seabuckthorn and acai, you’ll feel better. At True Food Kitchen, we want you to feel better, live longer, and make your mouth happy in the process.
The recipes of the book, like the restaurant’s menu, are based on Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet.
This is a beautiful, 200+ pages, cooking book, full of colored pictures of the recipes. I also liked the matt paper used. As opposed to glossy paper, you won’t get traces of fingerprints on it. Plus it gives a somehow vintage look to it.
The book is divided into ten recipe sections from “Breakfast,” to “Soups & Chilis,” to “Vegetables,” to “Desserts” and “Basics.” The “Basics” section includes recipes of vinaigrettes, sauces or stocks used in other recipes of the book. The book also starts with an introduction in form of an interview of the three authors: “The Doctor, the Chef, and the Restaurateur.” Finally, a very useful “True Food Pantry” section lists food that may be new to some readers. Very practical.
I wanted to try several recipes before writing the review. I more or less picked them here and there in the book rather than choosing them. They were all easy to prepare and never necessitated a huge amount of time in the kitchen. All recipes also turned out delicious (more than simply good) and nutritious. I especially loved the salads (add me to the list of raw kale salad fans!).
I was slightly disappointed by the two desserts I tried though, finding them good but almost difficult to digest. My husband liked them very much though so it might be only me!
If I had a 1-to-5 rating scale, I would give it a firm 4.
Now if you would excuse me, I have some more recipes from the book I would like to try A.S.A.P. ;-)
***Disclaimer: I received the book for free thanks to Goodreads First Reads. This review is my opinion only and receiving the book did not influence it. Pictures are pictures I took myself of the book and of recipes I tried from the book.*** | 4,165 | 2,031 | 0.000518 |
warc | 201704 | Discuss the obstacles and provide recommendations for effectively managing a virtual team.
Solution Preview
Let us first look at the sweeping changes taking place in front of our very eyes.
"The Virtual Team" is a concept that has become extremely popular in various forms. First propounded by GE CEO Jack Welch in 1990 as the "Boundaryless" organisation, the idea has caught on extremely fast amongst global majors.
A key concept behind Virtual teams is how multiple entities can come together, without the end consumer even realizing it at times, to provide the consumer with the final product, creating a win-win situation at all times. Such a move would obviously require immense sharing of responsibilities, information; traditional boundaries as we know between organisations will become immaterial.
Why virtual teams !
The reasons for the emergence of virtual teams are as follows:
First, the business space is changing at an exponential increase in velocity, complexity, unpredictability and hyper competitiveness in the global arena. There is greater thrust on better quality at less cost.
Secondly, newer and more stringent standards in quality and processes will keep everyone on their toes. Quality will be a passport for entry but not a license for continuing business.
Third, global business requires a global workforce with mix from all geographies. People processes and practices must straddle cross-cultural gaps.
Finally, there are some who predict that the entire nature of the organization will change. Rigid structures is giving way to velcro-like relationships. Roles are becoming become fluid.
The management ...
This job includes recommendations for effectively managing a virtual team. | 1,728 | 933 | 0.001083 |
warc | 201704 | Hi. I just received my PhD in Urban Planning and Development at the Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California and am currently the Scholar-in-Residence at USC’s Bedrosian Center on Governance for which I’m producing a limited series podcast, Los Angeles Hashtags Itself, an interview-based look at how people use digital communications for urban and social placemaking. I’ll talk with cultural producers, community organizations, real estate developers, transportation experts, and gig economy representatives. This podcast underscores my broad research agenda. That is, I look at how people can and do use media arts to foster community engagement and participatory planning, as well as how real estate developers use websites, social networks, and the constituent media for marketing or to reinforce power.
I believe emergent media hold promise in that they engage with such planning phenomena as identity, participation, and process, and uphold context as a decisive factor in all. But just as we extol the virtues of the information age, we planners must not forget planning’s complicated history owes in part to its uncritically technophilic tendencies. Thus, I am both optimistic and circumspect about technology in planning. We must recall the causes and implications of the digital divide and power generally, and shape our participatory processes accordingly. In support of my research, I study community planning, the cultural economy, cultural landscapes, digital media, media arts, public space, the public realm, and comparative urbanism.
I came to LA in 2008 after years in arts fundraising to get my Masters in Planning at USC. I realized at once that the only thing I want to do with the rest of my life is study urban planning and its implications for healthy communities. In addition to my doctoral fellowship, I received a 2014 National Endowment for the Arts Research: Art Works Grant, as well as the 2016 John Dyckman Award for Best Dissertation, and the California Planning Foundation Academic Achievement and Promise for Graduating Master of Planning Student awards in 2010. For more information about my research, publications, and presentations, please see my CV.
I am an unabashed plannerd. Beyond my official interests, I love any conversation involving public transit, the ports, the built environment — anything plannerly — and rejoice that travel is research
eo ipso. Finally, while my love for all cities is assured, I still think Los Angeles might be the greatest city going. Greater still, maybe, for all its complexities and contradictions. Oh, and I wish the Out the Window project ran forever and my husband, son, and I are always waiting for the next CicLAvia.
All header images by me, except those of me. They’re by Colin Peeples. | 2,837 | 1,456 | 0.000697 |
warc | 201704 | http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/ethiopia-stops-coffee-exports/
IP watchers (and coffee aficionados) will be interested in developments in the Ethiopian coffee sector. Ethiopia is one of the few coffee producers to trade mark what are, effectively, regional coffee varieties (e.g., Yirgacheffe) in the hope of increasing prices. Ethiopia’s move to develop IP protection for its premium coffees sparked a pitched media battle between Oxfam and Starbucks in 2005, and big coffee (the National Coffee Association) filed a 300 page Letter of Protest claiming that the names were all generic. The history – and outcomes – of this initiative likely have a bearing on any attempts by developing countries to trademark agricultural products in the West.
For more information:
http://www.lightyearsip.net http://www.ethiopiancoffeenetwork.com http://poorfarmer.blogspot.com
Shlomo Bachrach, a long time Ethiopia watcher and editor of East Africa Forum comments as follows:
“The surprising report that Ethiopia has suspended coffee exports — its primary source of export income — is easily misunderstood. In part this is probably a case of irresponsible reporting and both contradicts what the government has been demanding from its coffee exporters and is almost certainly inaccurate.
Ethiopia is desperately short of hard currency. This is the consequence of many factors, including the worsening global economic decline, Ethiopia’s policy of deficit- financed budgets (which the IMF and others have been warning would worsen inflation, which has now declined to 32%, the government proudly announced this week), the inevitable need for foreign capital to finance infrastructure and other development, etc.
Ethiopian businesses are starved for foreign currency to finance imports of raw materials. Coca Cola (an African-owned franchisee) has temporarily closed its bottling plant because it can’t pay for the syrup from the company. This is only a particularly visible impact of the hard currency shortage.
Prime Minister Meles, desperate for export revenue, has taken control of the coffee owned by exporters and held in the new Commodity Exchange warehouses. He accused the owners of ‘hoarding’ the coffee in the hope that coffee prices, now far below last year’s prices (down from $1.60/lb+ to below $1.20), will rise. They claim that they will lose money if they sell at current prices. But Ethiopia is not suspending coffee exports. It is suspending the freedom of the owners of the coffee to trade in their own coffee, and asserting the government’s right to do so on their behalf, for the good of the country. The exporters will get the proceeds, in local currency. Whether the exporters lose money or not doesn’t matter. The government wants the hard cash right now.
The issue is financial and political, not agricultural. It is probably not a permanent move into coffee marketing. But who knows? It’s an ominous precedent, as any potential investor will tell you. Ethiopia needs a lot of investment in the coffee sector. The long term benefits are probably huge. The benefit of this strong arm intervention will be short, the damage is likely to last longer. If the government is capable of this, goes the obvious reasoning, what else might it do? This is the kind of action that is hard to undo.
In Seattle, home of Starbucks, where the press probably knows the coffee business better than most, a newspaper noted that Starbucks had recently announced that it had ‘postponed’ the creation of its promised Farmer Service Center in Ethiopia, intimating that the company might use this as an excuse to drop the plan altogether. Starbucks has already invested in a bigger Farmer Service Center in Rwanda’s fast-growing coffee sector.
The coffee sector has reason to wonder what might come next. Meles regularly defends the right of his government to manage and intervene in the economy in a form of ‘state capitalism’. He was an avowed socialist for many years, becoming a reluctant free marketer when his rebel movement took over the government in 1991 and he needed foreign assistance from the US and Europe. (His socialist roots are not entirely without benefit: Ethiopia has spent heavily on health, education, infrastructure, etc., though it remains relatively underdeveloped because it started from such a low level.) The government controls key economic sectors like banking and internet/telecommunications. Internet and cell phone service are, consequently, exceptionally poor in Ethiopia compared with its neighbors, who allow foreign investment and competition, and where service is cheaper, better, faster and more widely available.”
Post written by Peter Bloch, consultant to CAS-IP | 4,823 | 2,345 | 0.000437 |
warc | 201704 | You have all heard about cell phone trackers, where you can locate your phone in case you lose it. However, with the advent of technology there are applications that can help you track your employee activities as well. Business owners can enjoy a multitude of benefits tracking their employees using efficient text message spy. This is especially if you want to boost your workforce’s productivity. The major obstacles that hinder employee motivation to work and decreases productivity are social media networks.
Therefore you can use a good cell phone spy application to monitor your employees and what they do during work hours. This way, if you see that an employee is consistently using different social media application during work you can block his access and send him a warning. When he knows he is being tracked on his smartphone, he will refrain from wasting his time.
You can even block access to popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In order to successfully monitor your employees you need select the best in cell phone monitoring applications. Plus, you need to look for applications that offer the following tracking features:
· GPS tracking for location
· Call log monitoring
· Text message tracking
· Call recording
· Video log monitoring
Using an app to spy on text messages, employers can easily measure each individual employee’s strengths and weaknesses. This in turn helps them to determine what it will take for them to work as a team to meet daily work related goals. Spy applications help business managers to take note of productive employees and then measure how each employee handle their assignments and get work done on time without any distractions.
They do so in order to select a benchmark that can allow other less productive employees to follow suit. All workplaces these days have internet, which means employers need to be more proactive in their approach if they want to increase productivity. There is no doubt about the fact your employees can get easily side tracked using the internet and hence waste time. Accounting for the time wasted using different social media sites and playing games can be hard. The only way you can truly gauge what is going at the workplace is through a top-notch spy application.
Being able to account for wasted company time can be difficult because wasteful activities can be largely unnoticed. Employers can increase productivity by using employee monitoring software to map out how time is being spent by each employee. You can then put a stop to all unnecessary activities and prompt your workforce to be more productive by trying Sure Point cell phone monitoring software. Looking for the perfect app for cell phone spy? This is it.
Plus, there are employees who also manage to access immoral websites, which can be threatening to your company. Using a cell phone monitoring application you can block pornographic websites and other malicious websites. Furthermore, a lot of people tend to play games as well, so using a tracking application you can put a stop to that too.
So, these are some of the ways you can use your SurePoint software to spy text messages and increase employee productivity. | 3,241 | 1,456 | 0.000697 |
warc | 201704 | Low-resource countries face daunting obstacles to meeting the health care needs of their people. For example, countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from 24% of the global disease burden, but have only three percent of the global health workforce to provide necessary services. An effective and well-managed health workforce is critical for improving countries’ health care outcomes. There is a globally recognized need to improve health systems’ productivity, incentives, management, leadership, and performance management. Meeting this need begins with a strong national Human Resource Information System (HRIS) for the health workforce.
A mature HRIS for Health ensures a better understanding of the current health workforce picture in a given country. This understanding prepares decision makers to effectively plan for recruitment, training and retention of health professionals. With routine and accurate HRIS data, they will know enough to deploy the right health workers in the right places to meet their health care needs. Governments can better understand the cost benefit of wise, targeted investments in health care. The HRIS can then be used to standardize and support ongoing management and support of the health workforce.
An open source approach to solving health workforce challenges is ideal for developing country environments. Unlike proprietary approaches, open source models ensure a higher level of local capacity-building, innovation and adaptability to local needs. USAID and their portfolio of IntraHealth-led health workforce projects, championed by the global project CapacityPlus, are bringing open source solutions to the health workforce crisis.
In our presentation, we will review the technical, political, and social obstacles to strengthening health workforce information in low-resource countries with infrastructure challenges. We will describe the open source iHRIS Suite of national, district, and local HRIS software, iHRIS Manage, iHRIS Qualify and iHRIS Plan, and how they were designed and developed to meet country needs while facing these challenges. We will explain the role of the iHRIS Appliance in providing a low-cost and low-maintenance solution for providing the iHRIS Suite, as well as review where and how the iHRIS Suite is being implemented.
Finally, we will describe the role of an HRIS as one part of a complete Health Information System (HIS). We will briefly overview some of the other components of an HIS and discuss some of the open standards used for exchanging data between these components, for example SDMX-HD developed by the World Health Organization. We will discuss the Public Health Information Toolkit (PHIT), which aims to ensure the interoperability of globally recognized open source public health software, including OpenMRS, DHIS2 and iHRIS Manage.
Dykki Settle leads IntraHealth and CapacityPlus efforts in health worker informatics, bringing a health worker-centered approach to the availability and use of high quality information for better health.
Settle’s areas of leadership include the development and implementation of open source human resources for health information solutions; helping countries build absorptive capacity for new health technologies; and supporting regional and country health organizations to realize the power of open source for global health.
Settle began his career as the first webmaster for the SunSITE project—now www.ibiblio.org, one of the earliest, largest and longest-running online libraries of open resources.
Carl Leitner, PhD is an open source software developer and mathematician. Dr. Leitner is a member of the American Medical Informatics Association. He regularly oversees human resources information systems (HRIS) development work and health informatics training in Botswana, Ghana, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Uganda. He also works with regional organizations, such as the West African Health Organization, to ensure successful and sustainable HRIS.
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View a complete list of OSCON contacts | 4,508 | 2,055 | 0.000491 |
warc | 201704 | Aside from having the most intuitive, powerful digital self-publishing platform and the majority of the market, Amazon is considered the most “indie friendly” of the retailers.
I don’t mean Amazon necessarily goes out of its way to do us favors, but at least they don’t actively sabotage our visibility like Barnes & Noble and Apple.
When you add all of that to relative ease of marketing to Kindle users compared to other e-reader owners, it’s easy to see why Amazon can be responsible for 80% to 90% of a typical indie’s sales, rather than the 60% or so of the market they are estimated to hold.
However, it should be clear why this situation isn’t healthy. If you sell all your widgets to one client, they get to dictate terms. And when everyone is making widgets, you have no power at all.
Relying exclusively on one retailer or one market leaves you particularly susceptible to outside shocks. But, if you spread the risk, if you develop multiple income streams, you can insulate yourself.
Then, when Amazon holds a Big 6 sale, or a storm knocks out power for 5 million homes on the East Coast, it will only put a dent in your sales, rather than grind them to a halt.
Looking longer term, Amazon might be paying golden royalties now, but that may not be the case forever. Spreading the love will leave you less exposed.
But how do you go about that?
The Magic Bakery
The first step is take all your content, upload it everywhere you can, and sell it in as many ways as you can. Dean Wesley Smith has a nice analogy called The Magic Bakery, which is worth reading in full, and will start you thinking the right way. (In fact that whole series, Killing The Sacred Cows Of Publishing is
essential reading).
Seriously, go read Dean’s post. When you’re done, come back. Just remember that putting the books up for sale on the other retailers isn’t enough. You need to
promote those listings too.
If you think your Nook sales, for example, aren’t worth the bother, ask yourself honestly, what are you doing to promote yourself to Nook owners?
Foreign Markets
What about foreign markets? I don’t just mean having your books on Amazon UK and Amazon Germany (that should be a given). What are you doing to
sell them?
Germany might be tricky, but there are a number of venues where you can promote your work direct to UK readers. The KU Forum is a good place to start.
(As usual, don’t just barge in and plaster buy-me links everywhere. Respect the rules, take the time to get to know the readers on the site, and you will reap the rewards. Doing otherwise is a waste of your time, and annoying for the forum regulars.)
But this is only the beginning. The Spanish Kindle Store will be open before the year is out. Deals have been struck to sell thousands of e-books from the top Italian publishers on Amazon, indicating an Italian Store is on the way. And there were lots of rumors flying around yesterday that the French Kindle Store will open next month.
Your books should be listed there automatically, but to really exploit the potential of foreign markets you will need your work translated. Foreign publishers are one option, but not without their downsides. And anyway, only a limited amount of self-publishers will be approached.
Those of a more pro-active, entrepreneurial bent, may consider something along the lines of what Scott Nicholson outlined on Monday: working with translators on a profit-sharing basis, rather than paying up-front fees.
I will return to this issue again in a future blog post, discussing all the pros and cons of going with a foreign publisher, the ins and outs of hiring a translator, and more detail on the profit-sharing model, but you should start considering this.
Selling Direct
We have covered the issue of selling e-books directly from your website before. While it may not be viable for some writers due to local laws/regulations, for most, you should be thinking about this already.
By selling your own work through your own website, you are not beholden to any corporation. If Amazon changes its policies, algorithms, or royalty rates, that can have a dramatic effect on your income. Same goes for the other retailers.
If you can develop some percentage of your revenue coming directly from readers through your own site, at least some of your income is safe from such changes.
But there are other benefits too: collecting readers’ emails, offering deals, bundled content, selling other formats such as PDFs, or even some form of subscription deal if you have enough backlist.
It can cost you nothing too (other than minor PayPal transaction fees); there are plenty of free, professional-looking solutions out there. If you want to get fancy, only a minor outlay is required.
Collecting readers’ emails should be a priority, right from the start of your publishing journey. I have an occasional newsletter which I use to announce new releases; this has really helped my books climb the charts on day one, giving me instant visibility and reviews (and you have a note in the back of your books requesting those, right?).
I use MailChimp; it’s powerful, the newsletters look great, and it costs nothing. I have an automatic sign-up right here on the blog (with a visible link both at the top and on the right-hand side). You should do the same. I will return to the subject of newsletters and selling direct in a future blog post.
Collaborations
Writing partnerships have been storming the UK charts, and successful self-publishers such as Joe Konrath have long seen the value in putting two names on the cover and doubling both writers’ potential audiences.
If that’s not for you, cross-pollination can occur on a simpler level, through things like blurb-trading, anthologies, and guest posting.
But there are innumerable ways that writers can collaborate, expanding their reach and spreading their message beyond their own audience. Collaborative blogs like Wicked & Tricksy and The Writer’s Guide To E-Publishing are just one possibility.
Networking through forums such as Kindle Boards, and Facebook groups such as Indie Writer’s Unite can lead to all sorts of opportunities, and if you are not active in some form of online self-publisher or writer community, you are missing out.
Traditional Markets
If you are a short story writer, you shouldn’t dismiss traditional markets, which are in reasonable health, especially those that are breaking new ground with online and e-book editions of their magazines.
In fact, you could easily set up a system where you submitted a story to a magazine or anthology, explored any traditional reprint sales when the rights reverted,
then self-published them. This could maximize your return from each story.
You may not want to do it with all of your stories, but you should at least consider it for some. Magazines have their own built-in readership, and engaging their audience should expand your own.
I have a story now in a hardback anthology (for which I got paid, and will receive a share of the royalties). That book will reach readers I never could
and I’ve since self-published the story. Stop Aiming For Home Runs
When I was reading Scott Nicholson’s excellent book
The Indie Journey: Secrets To Writing Success, he said that his aim is to sell 10 books a day each of 10 titles rather than 100 a day of one book.
That, to me, is doable, whereas aiming to sell 100 a day of one title is more like hoping for your lucky numbers to come up. You might hit that now and then, with a new release or some fortuitous promo (like getting featured on KND or Pixel of Ink), but we are looking to build something sustainable here, which requires being realistic.
Instead of spending all your time squeezing every last sale out of one title, you should be focusing on getting more books up. Spread the load. That way, if one has a dip, it doesn’t drag your numbers down disproportionately.
Even better, aim for a mix of stuff: novels, shorts, novellas, different genres. If you are a romance writer and 300 Barbara Cartland backlist books get uploaded at the same time, your sales could be on life support.
But if you have an erotic short, a YA novella, and a romantic suspense novel you wrote for fun, you will have other titles in other genres to keep you going until the storm passes.
Building A Sustainable Business
These are just some of the ways that you can decrease your reliance on one retailer and one market. But the only real limit here is your imagination.
Authors are trying new things all the time (I think Dean Wesley Smith’s e-book as gift card idea is a particularly good one). Keep your ear to the ground. Open your mind to new ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment – especially when it costs you nothing but time.
As with any endeavor, don’t rush into anything without a plan. If you don’t have clear goals, you have no way of measuring if you are using your most valuable resource correctly: your time.
Time spent on anything like this is time spent away from writing. But, if you are hitting your writing targets, you should devote some of your energy to making your business more sustainable.
Doing that will insulate yourself from external shocks by spreading the revenue-earning load around. | 9,396 | 4,344 | 0.000235 |
warc | 201704 | I was answering my eMail, at the reception of the resort in Kerala where I’m staying at the moment, when I heard sweet talk coming from the side. A mother and her teen-age boys were rocking gently on a wooden swing, talking, and sharing.
The photo, taken later, is a bit contrived: the feet are on the floor. The feet should be slightly off the ground, giving each person more of a fetal position.
The multiple-seat swing has a long social tradition in India. Untold Indian miniatures from the past portray people talking to each other as they swing leisurely – probably this movement also provided some cooling air in the hot season. I surmise: the swing was also present in Persia.
If it ever existed there, this socially charged multi-seat swing has practically disappeared from Western furniture. Seats in the West signal individual autonomy and self-inscenation. The way people place themselves in chairs and settees (a raj term) or diwan (a muslim term) is often implicitly confrontational – unless people huddle together in watching TV.
The scene I witnessed brought back an ancient and highly civilized (i.e. human) way of holding conversation. As I heard the voices of mother and sons, the tone struck me as soothing. The three shared points of view, and there was no trace of parental authority. All were welcome to share in the reflection. Physical proximity yielded warm reassurance. Lack of direct eye contact created an ambiguous space surrounding the swing, where opinions, possibilities and conditionalities could be voiced without loss of face. The feet off the ground gave their thoughts the necessary tentativeness that alone can allow a creative thought to emerge and develop.
I would suggest that all negotiating venues have a multi-seat swing: it should be solid and reassuring, yet gently balancing possibilities. An Indian multi-seat swing, carved from fragrant teak or rosewood, would yield a multicultural setting.
Together, senior negotiators might want to swing in them from time to time, feet off the ground for once, and let proximity, and the soothing feel of balance, set the mood (a Western version might be the famed “walk in the woods”). The subtlest aspect is the propulsion. Those sitting on the wooden plank impart the movement together: one moves unthinkingly from coordination to creating synergies. After a while, the smallest push suffices.
What outcome do I expect? As always, small changes have large effects (note the war-like terminology) and may subtly modify points of view. The rest is a path-dependent outcome.
If you press me, here is another allegory from Coconut Lagoon:
Uncategorized | 2,673 | 1,377 | 0.000736 |
warc | 201704 | [First published on January 23, 2006] In Part I, I presented the empirical democratic peace propositions that in their totality imply the democracy is a method of nonviolence. These propositions, however, concerned violence. However, proponents of nonviolence might say: nonviolence is not just the avoidance of violence, it also involves willingness to negotiate and compromise, and to tolerate differences. It is an attitude of peacefulness. Can you say this about democratic leaders?
Yes, and indeed, democratic institutions encourage a democratic culture encouraging these nonviolent behaviors. And we now have empirical evidence of this in a book,
The Democratic Peace and Territorial Conflict in the Twentieth Century, by Paul K. Huth and Todd L. Allee. They focus on the process of international disputes to their ending in settlement or war. I am impressed with the author’s methodological skills in using multinomial probit and bivariate logit analysis, and attention to detail and assumptions. Therefore, I think their empirical findings are solid.
They analyzed all 348 territorial disputes involving 1,528 rounds of talks between nations 1919-1995, each of which is described in the appendices. Territorial disputes are the kind most likely to lead to war. They also analyze 6,542 observations on whether parties to the dispute adopted a status quo stance, sought negotiations, or threatened force. In 374 cases, they led to military confrontations, which in 89 cases escalated to the brink of war or, in 40 cases to war.
Now, as to their results, they further verify the propositions on violence I presented in Part I. Out of the 348 cases, only 16 between democracies involved nonviolent military confrontations (troop movements, military alerts, reinforcing the border, threats), but “there are no cases of mutual decisions to escalate to a higher levels!” (p.251) E.g., to violence or war.
Then, they find that democracies are most likely to initiate talks over a dispute, and to offer concessions. Such, however, or tied into the election cycle in a democracy. After an election, talks and concessions are most likely. This generally supports an explanation of democratic peacefulness in terms of democratic institutions, rather than nonviolent norms among leaders.
Also, democratic leaders are more likely then nondemocratic leaders to favor negotiations over threats of force.
They are more likely to seek accommodations, even in disputes with nondemocracies. The common idea that democracies are only peaceful with each other, and are as aggressive toward nondemocracies as nondemocracies are toward each other is inconsistent with the evidence.
Absence of war between democracies is due largely to their reliance on negotiations. Its jaw, jaw, rather than fight, fight.
Military conflicts short of violence are more likely in disputes between new democracies than well established ones. This provides evidence for limiting the democratic peace propositions to “well-established democracies,” which some researchers do
In disputes between democracies and nondemocracies, when a dispute escalated to the military threat level, it was usually due to the more aggressive policies of the non-democracies.
Among nondemocracies, those whose leaders had particularly violent norms were more likely to initiate violent threats rather than negotiations.
The use of deterrent strategies by democracies is more effective in preventing escalation than those of nondemocracies.
The greater political accountability of democracies enhances the credibility of their deterrence strategies.
Also, because of the accountability of democratic leaders, their concessions and agreements in a dispute are more likely to be believed.
Putting Part I and II together, democracies avoid war with each other, do not murder their own people, have the least severe foreign and domestic violence, and are most likely to negotiate disputes and offer concessions compared to nondemocracies. Since all this is due to their democratic character, it follows that:
Democracy is a method of nonviolence Links to Share
“Stoppa krig och folkmord med ett Demokratiernas förbund” Mathias Sundan has put on his blog the Swedish version of my paper I published here yesterday.
2006 Index of Economic Freedom. The book is downloadable free. On the ratings, Hong Kong and Singapore are number 1 and 2, the U.S. is 9th, below Labor Party governed Britain, former communist Estonia, Catholic Ireland, and Denmark, which is sometimes labeled democratic-socialist.
New Freedom House Website In setting up their new website, freedom house did not include transfer link coding for all old links to their site. So, except to their home page, all my links on previous blogs to their data and reports are invalidated. Best I not comment.
Just in case you missed this. Here is former Clinton aide Nancy Soderberg, author of
“HYPERLINK “http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471656836.html”The Superpower Myth: The Use and Misuse of American Might” (foreword by Bill Clinton, blurb by Madeleine Albright) in an interview by Jon Stewart actually hoping for an American defeat in Iraq, and failure in negotiations with Iran and N. Korea.
“Analyzing The Brookings Numbers [on Iraq] from December” Shows that there is a downward trend in civilian deaths, in terrorist/insurrectionist attacks, but a slight rise in IED deaths. | 5,493 | 2,588 | 0.000393 |
warc | 201704 | From its start, the recall effort against Rep. Mike McLachlan, D-Durango, was reactionary and disorganized. A small group of gun-rights puritans targeted the lawmaker for his votes in favor of a series of reasonable measures that aim to counter gun violence in Colorado and launched a hastily drawn recall campaign. Their rationale for removing McLachlan from office was that he lied during his campaign when he said he supports Second Amendment rights. That was a shaky premise for justifying such drastic means. Voters in the 59th District rightly agreed.
McLachlan’s campaign rhetoric about gun rights was broad and, as such, is useful in illustrating the complexity of the arguments surrounding the issue. His campaign website says: “Mike supports the Second Amendment and the rights of all gun owners.” This position, as interpreted by those who see any gun-control legislation whatsoever – including that which bans gun possession among minors or felons, for instance – as an infringement of a hallowed constitutional right, was violated when McLachlan supported the measures passed by the Colorado Legislature this spring. Those bills, which limit the magazine capacity of guns to 15 rounds, require universal background checks – to be paid for by the purchaser – on virtually all gun purchases and mandate in-person training before gun owners can obtain a concealed-carry permit, represent a reasoned and balanced approach to curtailing gun violence. None will solve the problem completely, but without levying undue infringements on gun owners’ rights, the measures have the potential to curb a devastating trend in Colorado and across the country.
Most important for the recall effort, though, is the fact that none runs afoul of the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Despite a long-held commitment to that amendment’s guarantee of the right to bear arms – affirmed for individuals by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia vs. Heller – the United States has an equally long track record of balancing that right with some limits. That is true for all of the Bill of Rights. None is without any infringement whatsoever, nor should it be.
By that measure, McLachlan’s votes on the Legislature’s gun measures do not run afoul of his claim on the campaign trail to be a supporter of Second Amendment rights. Instead, they reflect his recognition that there is a balance to be struck between freedom and responsibility, and the bills passed at the Capitol passed that test. While that position certainly is something with which many of McLachlan’s constituents have the unfettered right to disagree, it is not one that meets the test of dishonesty, nor the bar deliberately set high for recall efforts to proceed to a vote. With just 8,500 unverified signatures, the organizers were a far distance from the 10,587 needed to put the issue on the ballot. That gap says much about how voters, in general, perceive the legislative process, if not McLachlan’s actions within it.
Interpreting the Second Amendment – and that of all the amendments as well as the Constitution itself – is the ongoing business of the Supreme Court, which consistently has found that there are bounds to the protections offered in the seminal document and its appendices. Attempting to remove an elected official from office for not holding a fundamentalist view of the Second Amendment or any of its cohorts was shortsighted, and overlooked the nuances of lawmaking: namely that representative government necessarily requires legislators to consider input from wide-ranging sources, including their own beliefs and the issues of the day, and make the best decision they can. In this case, McLachlan did that and the failed attempt to remove him from office shows the system worked. | 3,885 | 1,874 | 0.000547 |
warc | 201704 | It’s been a very full couple of weeks since I last wrote about Molly. I’m pleased to report that she’s doing well. We have had good days and bad days, but thankfully this week has been more good than bad.
After my last post, a few helpful readers suggested removing the rice from her diet. I had been thinking the chicken was possibly an issue (it’s the most common food sensitivity for dogs), but since more than one person pointed out that grains (even “bland” rice) could be hard for her to digest, I took heed and swapped it out for canned Organic pumpkin instead. That seemed to be a good move (Thanks, team!).
We also decided to get a second opinion. Another reader, Sharon, suggested we reach out to Dr. Mona Rosenberg, head of the Veterinary Cancer Group. We had a great consultation — she’s clearly brilliant — but unfortunately, she pretty much agreed with Dr. Chretin’s diagnosis and potential treatment options. The bottom line, from a “Western Medicine” viewpoint is that Molly has a rare cancer and it’s not well-studied, so we just don’t know how it’s likely to react to various treatments. Either of the “best” options (chemotherapy or an anti-angiogenesis drug) might have a decent shot at slowing the cancer down, but if we had to put a number on it, it’s something like 50/50 odds of either one doing much good at all. And of course both options come with possible side effects and a high price tag.
While pondering the options, I also asked Dr. Rosenberg if she could recommend a good holistic veterinarian. Without a moment’s hesitation, she sent me to Dr. Richard Palmquist, at the Centinela Animal Hospital. He’s a past-President of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (and is still on the board of directors). She said he’s “The” guy to see, and even though it’ll probably take a couple of weeks to get an appointment, he’s worth the wait.
The next day I called to make an appointment. The planets aligned, and he had an opening for the next morning!
Dr. Palmquist talks quickly, with an intense, radiant energy and enthusiasm. He started our consultation by playing with Molly for a couple of minutes, and he immediately sensed her intelligence. She liked him, too. He clearly has a way with animals.
I particularly like that he uses both Western and Eastern medicine. After reviewing her records, he posited that the cancer is a result of the digestion issues she’s been having for so long. It makes perfect sense — the organs where the cancer started (pancreas) and metastasized (liver) both primarily help with digestion. So the thinking is that we need to heal her digestive system before we do anything else.
He prescribed two herbal pills (in addition to her current meds, not instead of them): “Six Gentlemen Tea Pills” to help her digestion, and Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, to help fight the cancer. My marching orders were to start her on the Six Gentlemen now, and six days later on the other pills, and come back in three weeks. As soon as I got home I got started.
The next day, she had another bout of both diarrhea and vomiting. It may have been a coincidence, or it may have been that she just wasn’t ready for the Six Gentlemen yet. In any event, we needed to rethink her food. Dr. Palmquist also wanted to steer her away from chicken (it’s a “hot” food in Eastern medicine — not good for the digestion), and we both wanted to get her away from the Gerber Ham Baby Food. He suggested turkey or pork, and I figured that since she liked the pink-slime-ham so much, we should try pork first.
His other suggestion was to give her bone broth. Many of my paleo and grain-free and real food friends have been singing bone broth’s nutritional praises for a long time now*, and it seemed so simple it was brilliant, like the answer was staring us in the face all along!
I’m a big fan of our electric pressure cooker, so I asked Dr. Palmquist if I could use it instead of the 6-hour-plus simmer time he recommended. He told me
“There some magic stuff in those bones, we don’t know exactly what it is, but slow cooking seems important.”
So, slow-cooking it shall be.
I have made chicken stock with leftover chicken carcasses before, but I wasn’t sure if “bone broth” was something different, so I asked Dr. Palmquist how to make bone broth. Turns out, as long as you’ve got lots of bones in the pot, and you simmer it for hours and hours (longer for bigger bones), you’re making bone broth!
Molly
devoured the chicken broth — I’ve never seen her drink that fast. Clearly, another good sign that we’re on the right track.
However, she’s been really itchy since we started the pork & bone broth combination. It could be the pork, but more likely it’s the “concentrated” chicken broth. So we’re switching to beef broth. Matty picked up about four pounds of “Step 4” (Pastured and Grass-Fed) Beef Bones from our Whole Foods butcher, and yesterday I started a huge batch of beef broth.**
Molly seems to like it as well, so here’s hoping this will soothe her itching, ease and improve her digestion, and get her back on the path of wellness for as long as possible.
For Molly, I didn't add any vegetables or seasonings, other than bay leaves and vinegar, since we want to keep it as simple as possible for her right now. But for you, I'd suggest adding vegetables, herbs, and spices - a few options are noted in the recipe below.
This recipe can be made on the stove or in a slow-cooker -- but don't try to speed the process with a pressure cooker. The vinegar helps leach out additional nutrients from the bones, and the bay leaves, according to Dr. Palmquist, are "antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and drain the lymphatic system."
2 to 3 pounds of bones 4 to 6 quarts filtered water 2 bay leaves ¼ cup Apple Cider vinegar 2 carrots 2 celery stalks 1 onion, chopped in large chunks (omit for dogs) ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns (omit for dogs) spring of rosemary and/or thyme salt, to taste (can add after cooking, omit for dogs) In the largest pot you own (or in your slow-cooker), add the bones, bay leaves, and vinegar. Fill with water. Bring to a boil, and then skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Turn heat to the lowest possible setting on your stove or slow-cooker, and cover. Let simmer for at least 6 hours and up to 72 hours. The larger the bones, the longer you'll want to go. If you're losing a lot of water to evaporation, it's okay to top off with a little extra boiling water. Allow to cool, and then skim the fat off the top and discard. Strain and pour into jars to store. If storing in the fridge, use within a few days, or store in the freezer for several months.
Two tips for storing in the freezer: First, you can freeze some in ice-cube trays and then you'll have some small amounts ready-to-go when you need them. Second, if it's at room temperature, you can pour into a zip-top bag and freeze flat in the bag -- just be sure the bag is sealed very well!
* When people start extolling one particular food’s virtues for myriad symptoms, that should definitely be a red flag. Although I think it’s likely highly nutritious, keep in mind that bone broth is not a complete cure-all.
** For those of you curious about the nitty-gritty details of Molly’s food: Right now we’re giving her very small meals, four or five times a day, consisting of about 1/2 cup ground pork (cooked in a skillet, fat drained, and then shredded in a food processor), 2 tablespoons Organic pumpkin, and about 1/2 cup of broth. I’m also giving her metoclopramide three times a day to help her motility (crushing the pills and mixing with some broth), and ondansetron in the mornings to help with any potential nausea or vomiting. We may reintroduce omeprazole to help with acid reflux, but I’m holding off for now. Once she’s stable for a few more days — and pooping again! — we may try the Six Gentlemen again, but a little slower this time. | 8,240 | 3,902 | 0.000268 |
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Please try again later. When two very different industries like traditional broadcast television and digital collide, it’s difficult to ignore the implications on both sides.
While analysts predict that 60% of households will be watching internet TV by 2014 and many companies are trying to capitalise on shifting viewing habits, the connected TV market is still in a nascent stage.
To coincide with the recent release of Econsultancy’s Connected TV Smart Pack, we’ve identified five key elements of this emerging ecosystem that any marketer needs to be aware of.
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London's 2012 Olympic Games are fast approaching, and NBC, which has television rights to the Olympics through 2020, is doing everything it can to recoup its substantial investment.
That's good news for viewers in the United States this year because NBC's strategy will make the 2012 Games coverage the most extensive yet.
The internet has arguably been the most exciting new development for advertisers in the past 50 years, but that doesn't mean that online advertising is without its problems.
Arguably, one of the biggest problems is a misalignment of the interests of media buyers and media sellers, with the latter often not appearing to care much about the value the former receives.
But just how well do social media-oriented calls to action on television actually work? According to consulting firm Accenture, they work pretty well.
Air New Zealand has launched a Share & Earn scheme with digitalanimal, tied to the promotion of its 777-300 Premium Economy Spaceseat experience.
Those registered for the programme, which is being trialled in the UK, will receive £50 cash for every share that directly results in a Premium Economy booking for the airline up until 16 May 2012.
A great video strategy can be a lot of work. Coming up with a good concept, producing the video, and editing are all vital steps in the process, but it does not end there.
All too often, businesses will invest serious time and effort into producing great video content only to lose steam once they get the videos online.
Your online video strategy should not end at the upload. Really great content can and often will go far on it’s own, but there many tactics that can be employed online to reach your video’s full potential.
Here are five post-upload steps you can take to ensure your video marketing strategy is a success.
Luxury goods sales through Rakuten LinkShare UK increased 96% in January 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.
Statistics from the affiliate network show that though average item value has dropped 14% year on year, total order value is up 7%.
Rakuten says that the increase shows that luxury shoppers are taking advantage of sophisticated publisher sites that help them browse hundreds of luxury brands.
While Facebook's $1bn acquisition of Instagram may be the biggest red flag yet that we're in a bubble once again, one thing is certain: when the bubble deflates or bursts, countless companies and start-ups yet to be born will come away with more than they came to the party with.
That's because the latest internet boom has brought us a new generation of companies that open source many of the tools and technologies they build to solve their biggest challenges.
There is little doubt that digital is the future of music. The CD may not be dead, but it might as well be.
Its replacement for millions of consumers has been digital music services of various kinds, ranging iTunes and the Amazon MP3 Store to Pandora and Spotify.
The rise of the tablet is one of the biggest trends in computing today and there's little reason to doubt that this trend won't get anything but stronger.
The new iPad smashed sales records, affordable tablets with rich content ecosystems like the Kindle Fire are helping bring these devices to the masses, and Intel is promising a slew of new tablets when Windows 8 is released later this year.
While there is plenty of disagreement among marketers as to the best method to improve your search rankings, there is one specific strategy that is sure to benefit your business. What’s the secret sauce? Believe it or not, leveraging your online videos is often key to increasing search rankings.
We all know that the search engines use social signals as a factor in their overall ranking algorithm, and as the role of social signals becomes increasingly important, so will the role of online video in your overall search and social strategy.
The Associated Press (AP) has launched a Video Hub to allow faster delivery of news content to online publishers.
Though still in beta, the Video Hub will give AP’s digital customers access to world news, sport and lifestyle video.
Journalists in the field will be able to upload content via mobile, where it will then be curated and linked to relevant footage from AP’s archive.
The organisation says that the interface is “simple and intuitive" for users and includes an integration with Twitter so customers can follow a particular story then be updated when new content is available. | 5,508 | 2,715 | 0.000376 |
warc | 201704 | Water right
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(Learn how and when to remove this template message) This article discusses water usage laws in common law. For a discussion of the right to water as a human right under international law, see right to water. Water right in water law refers to the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious. In other areas, especially arid areas where irrigation is practiced, such systems are often the source of conflict, both legal and physical. Some systems treat surface water and ground water in the same manner, while others use different principles for each. Contents 1 Types of water rights 2 History of water rights 3 Water rights in the United States 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Types of water rights[edit]
Fundamental differences exist between the nature and source of water rights in different countries. Generally, water rights are based on the water law that applies in a particular country and, at their most basic, are classified as land-based or use-based rights.
Some countries allow their subdivisions to establish independent water laws. For example, each state and territory of the United States has its own set of water laws that establish water rights that may be land-based, use-based, or both.
Land-based[edit]
Some water rights are based on land ownership or possession. For example, many common law jurisdictions recognize riparian rights, which are protected by property law. Riparian rights state that only the owner of the banks of the water source have a right to the 'undiminished, unaltered flow' of the water.
[1] Finnish water rights[edit]
In Finland, waterbodies are generally privately owned, which is not the case in most EU countries, but Finland also applies the Roman law principle of
aqua profluens (flowing water), according to which the freely flowing water in waterbodies cannot be owned or possessed. This means that the owners of waterbodies cannot prohibit diversion of water for agricultural, industrial, municipal, or domestic use according to the provisions of the Finnish Water Law [2] and cannot prohibit use of the waterbodies for recreational purposes. Community-based rights[edit]
In some jurisdictions water rights are granted directly to communities and water is reserved to provide sufficient capacity for the future growth of that particular community. For example, California provides communities and other water users within watersheds senior status over appropriative (use-based) water rights solely because they are located where the water originates and naturally flows. A second example of community-based water rights is pueblo water rights. As recognized by California, pueblo water rights are grants to individual settlements (i.e. pueblos) over all streams and rivers flowing through the city and to all groundwater aquifers underlying that particular city. The pueblo's claim expands with the needs of the city and may be used to supply the needs of areas that are later annexed to the city.
[3] [4] [5] While California recognizes pueblo water rights, pueblo water rights are controversial. Some modern scholars and courts argue that the pueblo water rights doctrine lacks a historical basis in Spanish or Mexican water law. [6] Use-based rights[edit]
Use-based rights do not relate to land and instead rely on whether the water user has legal access to the water source. As a general rule, use-based rights are usufructuary, fully transferable to anyone.
[1] Under common law use-based rights only apply to navigable-in-fact waterways in which there is a presumptive easement, often referred to as a navigable servitude. Appropriation[edit]
Appropriative water rights are the most common use-based water rights in the United States and are most commonly found in the western states where water is scarcest. “The appropriation doctrine confers upon one who actually diverts and uses water the right to do so provided that the water is used for reasonable and beneficial uses,” regardless of whether that person owns land contiguous to the watercourse.
[7] "[A]s between appropriators, the rule of priority is 'first in time, first in right.'" [8] The modern system of prior appropriation water rights is characterized by five principles: Exclusive right is given to the original appropriator, and all following privileges are conditional upon precedent rights. All privileges are conditional upon beneficial use. Water may be used on riparian lands or non-riparian lands (i.e. water may be used on the land next to the water source, or on land removed from the water source) Diversion is permitted, regardless of the shrinkage of the river or stream. The privilege may be lost through non-use. [9]
Beneficial use is defined as agricultural, industrial, or urban use. Environmental uses, such as maintaining body of water and the wildlife that use it, were not initially regarded as beneficial uses in some states but have been accepted in some areas.
[10] Every water right is parameterized by an annual yield and an appropriation date. When a water right is sold, it maintains its original appropriation date.
Appropriative water rights are not always applied exclusively, as demonstrated by California which recognizes several different forms of water rights concurrently just for surface water. It recognizes a separate set of water rights for groundwater.
In-stream Water Rights[edit]
In-stream water rights are rights that only apply to water in a stream, and cannot be diverted for usage. These rights are most commonly used to protect endangered species or to bolster the number of a threatened aquatic species.
History of water rights[edit]
In Roman times, the law was that people could obtain temporary usufructuary rights for running water. These rights were independent of land ownership, and lasted as long as use continued.
[1] Under Roman law, no land was "owned" by citizens, it was all owned by the "republic" and controlled by politicians.
In Medieval times, the common law of the day treated all freshwater streams as static, meaning landowners owned parts of rivers, with full accompanying rights. Landowners could also seek damages for loss of water diverted upstream. Non-landowners did not have use rights, except by obtaining a prescription.
[1]
Over time, rights evolved from being land based to use based, allowing non-landowners to hold enforceable rights. A reasonable use rule evolved in some countries.
Water rights in the United States[edit]
In the United States, there are two divergent systems for determining water rights. Riparian water rights (derived from English common law) are common in the east and prior appropriation water rights (developed in Colorado and California) are common in the west. Each state has its own variations on these basic principles, as informed by custom, culture, geography, legislation and case law. Californian law, for example, includes elements of both systems. In general, a water right is established by obtaining an authorization from the state in the form of a water right permit. A legal right is formally consummated, or perfected, by exercising the water right permit and using the water for a beneficial purpose.
Under the prior appropriation doctrine, water rights are "first in time, first in right". That is, the older, or senior, water right may operate to the exclusion of junior water rights. The concept of "priority date" is significant. The priority date is generally associated with the date that water was first put to beneficial use, or the date that a successful application for a water right was submitted, and indicates the relative status of seniority among competing users. Older rights are senior. More recent rights are junior.
Water rights are generally established pursuant to state law, but there are exceptions, most notably, the concept of federal reserved water rights. Federal reserved water rights are superimposed over state water systems and exhibit several unique characteristics. They are superior to the rights of subsequent water users, cannot be lost through non-use, and are immune to state-specific standards such as the “beneficial” and “reasonable” use doctrines.
[11] Reserved water rights are rights that are established when the federal government reserves land for a specific federal purpose. Courts have held that there is an implied water right to provide the minimum amount of water necessary to effectuate the primary purposes of the reservation [1]. Examples of reservations include Indian reservations, national wildlife refuges, federal forests and military bases. The federal government has also successfully invoked federal reserved water rights for several entities administered by the National Park Service such as Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks as well as the Red Wild and Scenic River in New Mexico. [11]
Proceedings to determine the relative priority of claims to water rights are known as adjudications. Through Congress's passage of the McCarren amendment, the federal government has consented to having its claims adjudicated in state courts.
All states offer mechanisms for changing how a water right is exercised, e.g., amending the point of diversion or withdrawal, the place of use and the purpose of use. In reviewing such requests, the state must guard against the impairment of other water rights, the enlargement of the water right and injury to the public interest.
Water rights generally emerge from a person's ownership of the land bordering the banks of a watercourse or from a person's actual use of a watercourse. Water rights are conferred and regulated by judge-made common law, state and federal legislative bodies, and other government departments. Water rights can also be created by contract, as when one person transfers his water rights to another.
In the eighteenth century, regulation of water was primarily governed by custom and practice. As the U.S. population expanded over the next two centuries, however, and the use of water for agrarian and domestic purposes increased, water became viewed as a finite and frequently scarce resource. As a result, laws were passed to establish guidelines for the fair distribution of this resource. Courts began developing common-law doctrines to accommodate landowners who asserted competing claims over a body of water. These doctrines govern three areas: riparian rights, surface water rights, and underground water rights.
An owner or possessor of land that abuts a natural stream, river, pond, or lake is called a riparian owner or proprietor. The law gives riparian owners certain rights to water that are incident to possession of the adjacent land. Depending on the jurisdiction in which a watercourse is located, riparian rights generally fall into one of three categories.
First, riparian owners may be entitled to the "natural flow" of a watercourse. Under the natural flow doctrine, riparian owners have a right to enjoy the natural condition of a watercourse, undiminished in quantity or quality by other riparian owners. Every riparian owner enjoys this right to the same extent and degree, and each such owner maintains a qualified right to use the water for domestic purposes, such as drinking and bathing.
However, this qualified right does not entitle riparian owners to transport water away from the land abutting the watercourse. Nor does it permit riparian owners to use the water for most irrigation projects or commercial enterprises. Sprinkling gardens and watering animals are normally considered permissible uses under the natural flow doctrine of riparian rights.
Second, riparian owners may be entitled to the "reasonable use" of a watercourse. States that recognize the reasonable use doctrine found the natural flow doctrine too restrictive. During the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century, some U.S. courts applied the natural flow doctrine to prohibit riparian owners from detaining or diverting a watercourse for commercial development, such as manufacturing and milling, because such development impermissibly altered the water's original condition.
In replacing the natural flow doctrine, a majority of jurisdictions in the United States now permit riparian owners to make any reasonable use of water that does not unduly interfere with the competing rights and interests of other riparian owners. Unlike the natural flow doctrine, which seeks to preserve water in its original condition, the reasonable use doctrine facilitates domestic and commercial endeavors that are carried out in a productive and reasonable manner.
When two riparian owners assert competing claims over the exercise of certain water rights, courts applying the reasonable use doctrine generally attempt to measure the economic value of the water rights to each owner. Courts also try to evaluate the prospective value to society that would result from a riparian owner's proposed use, as well as its probable costs. No single factor is decisive in a court's analysis.
Third, riparian owners may be entitled to the "prior appropriation" of a watercourse. Where the reasonable use doctrine requires courts to balance the competing interests of riparian owners, the doctrine of prior appropriation initially grants a superior legal right to the first riparian owner who makes a beneficial use of a watercourse. The prior appropriation doctrine is applied in most arid western states, including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming and requires the riparian owner to demonstrate that she is using the water in an economically efficient manner. Consequently, the rights of a riparian owner under the prior appropriation doctrine are always subject to the rights of other riparian owners who can demonstrate a more economically efficient use.
Under any of the three doctrines, the interests of riparian owners are limited by the constitutional authority of the state and federal governments. The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate Navigable Waters, a power that Congress has exercised in a variety of ways, including the construction of dams. In those instances where Congress does not exercise its power under the Commerce Clause, states retain authority under their own constitutions to regulate waterways for the public good.
However, the eminent domain clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution limits the power of state and federal governments to impinge on the riparian rights of landowners by prohibiting the enactment of any laws or regulations that amount to a "taking" of private property. Laws and regulations that completely deprive a riparian owner of legally cognizable water rights constitute an illegal governmental taking of private property for Fifth Amendment purposes. The Fifth Amendment requires the government to pay the victims of takings an amount equal to the fair market value of the water rights.
Some litigation arises not from the manner in which neighboring owners appropriate water but from the manner in which they get rid of it. The disposal of surface waters, which consist of drainage from rain, springs, and melting snow, is typically the source of such litigation. This type of water gathers on the surface of the earth but never joins a stream, lake, or other well-defined body of water.
Litigation arises when one owner drains excess surface water onto neighboring property. Individuals who own elevated property may precipitate a dispute by accelerating the force or quantity of surface water running downhill, and individuals who own property on a lower level may rankle their neighbors by backing up surface water through damming and filling. Courts are split on how to resolve such disputes.
Some courts apply the common-law rule that allows landowners to use any method of surface water removal they choose without liability for flooding that may result to nearby property. Application of this rule generally rewards assertive and clever landowners and does not discourage neighbors from engaging in petty or vindictive squabbles over surface water removal.
Other courts apply the civil-law rule, which stems from Louisiana, a civil-law jurisdiction. This rule imposes Strict Liability for any damage caused by a landowner who interrupts or alters the natural flow of water. The civil-law rule encourages neighbors to let nature take its course and live with the consequences that may follow from excessive accumulation of standing surface water.
Over the last quarter century many courts have begun applying the reasonable use rule to surface water disputes. This rule enables landowners to make reasonable alterations to their land for drainage purposes as long as the alteration does not unduly interfere with a neighbor's right to do the same. In applying this rule, courts balance the neighbors' competing needs, the feasibility of more appropriate methods of drainage, and the comparative severity of injuries.
Surface water that seeps underground can also create conditions ripe for litigation. Sand, sod, gravel, and even rock are permeable substances in which natural springs may form and moisture can collect. Underground reservoirs can be tapped by artificial wells that are used in conjunction by commercial, municipal, and private parties. When an underground water supply is appreciably depleted by one party, other parties with an interest in the well may sue for damages.
As with surface water and riparian rights, three theories of underground water rights have evolved. The first theory, known as the absolute ownership theory, derives from English Law and affords landowners the right to withdraw as much underground water as they wish, for whatever purpose, requiring their neighbors to fend for themselves. Under the second theory, known as the American rule, landowners may withdraw as much underground water as they like as long as it is not done for a malicious purpose or in a wasteful manner. This theory is now applied in a majority of jurisdictions in the United States.
California has developed a third theory of underground water rights, known as the correlative theory. The correlative theory provides each landowner with an equal right to use underground water for a beneficial purpose. But landowners are not given the prerogative to seriously deplete a neighbor's water supply. In the event of water shortage, courts may apportion an underground supply among landowners. Many states facing acute or chronic shortages have adopted the correlative theory of under-ground water rights.
Water rights can also be affected by the natural avulsion or accretion of lands underlying or bordering a watercourse. Avulsions are marked by a sudden and violent change to the bed or course of a stream or river, causing a measurable loss or addition to land. Accretions are marked by the natural erosion of soil on one side of a watercourse and the gradual addition of soil to the other side. The extended shoreline made by sedimentary deposits is called an alluvion. Water rights are not altered by avulsions. However, any accretions of soil enure to the benefit of the landowner whose holdings have increased by the alluvion addition.
Although water covers more than two-thirds of the earth's surface, U.S. law treats water as a limited resource that is in great demand. The manner in which this demand is satisfied varies according to the jurisdiction in which a water supply is located. In some jurisdictions the most productive use is rewarded, whereas in other jurisdictions the first use is protected. Several jurisdictions are dissatisfied with both approaches and allow a water supply to be reasonably appropriated by all interested parties. Each approach has its weaknesses, and jurisdictions will continue experimenting with established legal doctrines to better accommodate the supply and demand of water rights.
Resolution of interstate water conflicts[edit]
Because water bodies may cross political and jurisdictional boundaries, conflicts may arise. In the United States, three basic approaches are used to settle such conflicts: 1) Litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States; 2) Legislative resolution by the Congress of the United States; and 3) Negotiation and ratification of interstate compacts between states.
[12] In the western United States, for example, the 1922 Colorado River Compact divides the Colorado River basin into two areas, the Upper Division (comprising Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) and the Lower Division (Nevada, Arizona and California). A comprehensive review of existing interstate water compacts has been published by the Model Interstate Water Compact Project at the University of New Mexico School of Law's Utton Transboundary Resource Center. [13] Limitations on water rights[edit]
In California, courts have held that appropriation water rights may be limited under the public trust doctrine, a common law principle recognized by some courts, which holds that the public has access rights upon navigable waters and that navigable waters are held in trust for the use of the people. The public trust doctrine was invoked by the California Supreme Court in a case restricting the amount of water Los Angeles could divert from tributaries of Mono Lake. The case was filed by the Audubon Society and the Mono Lake Committee.
In the United States, navigable waters are subject to the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. The commerce clause provides the federal government the ability to restrict state issued water rights via, for example, the enforcement of water quality standards via the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act), the Federal Power Act and the protection of endangered species via the Endangered Species Act.
See also[edit] California State Water Resources Control Board Clean Water Report Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States Drainage law Grazing rights Optimum water content for tillage Permanent water rights (Alberta) Right to water Water law Water law in the United States Water privatization in Bolivia Water quality Water resources Water trading Ocean privatization References[edit] Guerin, K (2003). "Property Rights and Environmental Policy: A New Zealand Perspective". Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Treasury. Available online only in Finnish; available in English from email address listed here City of Los Angeles v. Pomeroy, 124 Cal. 597, 640-41 (1899) Hooker v. City of Los Angeles, 188 U.S. 314, 319-320 (1903) City of Los Angeles v. City of San Fernando, 14 Cal.3d 199 (Cal 1978) Text of STATE of New Mexico, ex rel. Eluid L. MARTINEZ, State Engineer, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. CITY OF LAS VEGAS, Defendant-Petitioner. No. 22,283 is available from: Findlaw United States v. State Water Res. Control Bd., 182 Cal.App.3d 82 (1986) United States v. State Water Res. Control Bd., 182 Cal.App.3d 82 (1986) (citing Irwin v. Phillips, 5 Cal. 140, 147 (1855)). Gopalakrishnan, Chennat (1973). "The Doctrine of Prior Appropriation and Its Impact on Water Development: A Critical Survey". American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 32(1). pp. 61–72. Western States Water Laws Western States Instream Flow Summary. "Federal Reserved Water Rights: An Intro". Federal Reserved Water Rights: An Intro. Retrieved 2016-04-16. Sherk, George William. "Dividing the Waters: The Resolution of Interstate Water Conflicts in the United States" http://uttoncenter.unm.edu/ Further reading[edit] deVilliers, Marq. Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource. Mariner Books, 2001. ISBN 0-618-12744-5. Idaho Department of Water Resources: Water Rights Primer Nevada Water Law Overview Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Water Rights in New Mexico Water Rights in Oregon Information Pertaining to Water Rights in California United Nations General Comment 15. 2002. "Substantive Issues Arising in the Implementation of International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights: The Right to Water. New York. Whose right to water? School resource on water rights. Outcome of the international experts’ meeting on the Right to Water (UNESCO) | 24,604 | 9,583 | 0.000105 |
warc | 201704 | ERIC Number:ED041857 Record Type:Non-Journal Publication Date:1970-Jul Pages:19 Abstractor:N/A Reference Count:N/A ISBN:N/A ISSN:N/A
Elementary Teacher Education Models Analyzed in Relation to National Accreditation Standards.
LeBaron, Walt
This report is a cross-evaluation of two significant efforts to improve teacher education in the United States. The USOE models project and the NCATE accreditation standards both recognize that teacher education programs can best be examined as a totality, and both relate program and evaluation of graduates to stated goals. (See also ED037422 for analytic summaries of the models' specifications). The models are not yet operational realities and although their practical feasibility has not been tested, it can be predicted with some degree of certainty in terms of the five major categories in the accreditation standards: 1) curricula for basic programs; 2) faculty; 3) students; 4) resources and facilities; and 5) evaluation, program review and planning. Each of these areas is considered in some detail in the report. The conclusion suggests that, in general, the standards provide a useful mechanism for evaluating the models. Although the ten models have been considered as a group, there are wide differences between them, which will become clear through operation, and the directions indicated will become increasingly useful and will demonstrate the necessity for continued upgrading and improving of standards for accreditation. (MBM)
Publication Type:N/A Education Level:N/A Audience:N/A Language:N/A Sponsor:Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC. Bureau of Research. Authoring Institution:American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Washington, DC. | 1,728 | 941 | 0.001066 |
warc | 201704 | Peer reviewed
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ERIC Number:EJ1004475 Record Type:Journal Publication Date:2013 Pages:10 Abstractor:As Provided Reference Count:106 ISBN:N/A ISSN:ISSN-0968-7637
Applying a Social Determinants of Health Perspective to Early Adolescent Cannabis Use--An Overview
Hyshka, Elaine
Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, v20 n2 p110-119 2013
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. Although the risk of problematic cannabis use is relatively low, the lifetime prevalence of dependence is greater than for all other illicit drugs. As such, the population burden of problematic cannabis use warrants attention. Many health and psychosocial risks associated with cannabis use are exacerbated or predicted by initiation of cannabis use in early adolescence and early adolescent users are more vulnerable to negative developmental outcomes, longer cannabis use trajectories, earlier transitions to heavier use and dependence. This suggests a need for effective prevention interventions targeting this age group. Unfortunately, most prevention efforts focus on individual-level risk factors and evidence indicates that they are not particularly effective for deterring use. This overview outlines a more effective approach for preventing cannabis-related harm. Using a social determinants of health perspective, it highlights peer networks and family structure and quality as the main risk factors associated with early adolescent cannabis use. This article suggests that interventions that targeting these determinants can be effective for preventing cannabis use. It concludes by suggesting complementary harm reduction programmes for older adolescents as a means to further reduce cannabis-related harm. (Contains 1 note.)
Descriptors: Prevention, Adolescents, Early Adolescents, Age Differences, Family Structure, Marijuana, Drug Abuse, At Risk Persons, Intervention, Peer Influence, Family Influence, Socioeconomic Status, Social Influences
Informa Healthcare. Telephone House, 69-77 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4LQ, UK. Tel: 800-354-1420; e-mail: healthcare.enquiries@informa.com; Web site: http://informahealthcare.com/action/showJournals
Publication Type:Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive Education Level:N/A Audience:N/A Language:English Sponsor:N/A Authoring Institution:N/A | 2,329 | 1,219 | 0.000825 |
warc | 201704 | Homebuyers: Do you know what you are buying?
While this would seem to be obvious, purchasers should pay close attention to exactly what they are buying. I am not referring to inspection issues, I am referring to something that seems obvious, but does occasionally come up as a problem.
Here are some real scenarios where an individual bought something that was not exactly what they were expecting.
SCENARIO 1: I bought more land (and headaches) than I thought!
Upon review of the survey, the purchasers realized that the property line in the back of the property did not end at the fence, but continued back another 100 feet. While this sounds great (the buyers bought more property than they intended to purchase), the survey also revealed that the neighbor behind the property built an encroaching fence. The seller’s response was that he never said that the property ended at his fence, and in fact the listing did show the correct property square footage. The buyers were stuck having to deal with the neighbor’s fence.
SCENARIO 2: Where in the world is my parking space?
The sales contract called for limited common element parking space 27 to be conveyed. The buyer never looked at the space, thinking that it was a space just like any other in the building’s garage. After closing, the buyer couldn’t find the space in the garage, and discovered that the space was instead an outside space.
Other variations on this issue: the parking space was too narrow for my vehicle, the parking space was supposed to be near the elevator but was not, the parking space was on a different floor than expected, etc.
Always make sure to inspect the parking space. Limited common element parking spaces are not covered by title insurance, so pay extra attention when purchasing one. (Read more on limited common elements.)
SCENARIO 3: I thought I bought the parking area behind the house!
Just because it looks like you own it, doesn’t mean that you do own it. If there is any question about whether or not something conveys, ask the seller. Further, this is the reason why a location survey is typically obtained.
We have had some recent settlements where the purchaser saved a couple hundred dollars by waiving the location survey, only to later on discover an unexpected surprise and then try to file a title insurance claim. Keep in mind that if the location survey is waived, the title insurance policy will take exception to matters that would have been revealed by the survey, thereby eliminating the ability to file a claim related to a survey matter.
SCENARIO 4: The seller told me that I had an easement!
We hear this one a lot. The seller told me that there is an easement for me to … access the back of my property through the neighbor’s yard, use the neighbor’s driveway to get to my back yard, use the neighbor’s driveway to access the alley, etc.
But then, upon further investigation, no written document turns up. When the seller is asked to provide the easement, the response is, "that’s what the seller told us when we bought the house."
If anybody tells you that a property has an easement, right of way, etc., ask for them to provide you with a copy of the document. If they claim it has been recorded, the title company can provide you a copy of the recorded document.
Do not trust that one exists simply because somebody tells you that you have "an easement." | 3,446 | 1,547 | 0.00066 |
warc | 201704 | View mindmap
Approaches Biological Assumptions Behavioural continuity between species We are innate - inborn Behaviour is inherited and determined by our genes Behaviour has evolved and genes that help us to survive will be passed on Research Surgery and brain scans Twin studies Experiments to test the effect of drugs Strengths Methods are highly scientific Has useful applications e.g. drug therapy Weaknesses Problems with generalising findings from animal experiments Suggests that people don't have free will Assumptions Behaviourist Assumptions Believe in parsimony Only believe in studying overt behaviour Behaviour is learned through classical conditioning Believe in biological continuity Research Laboratory experiments with animals Laboratory experiments Observation Strengths Many therapies have been derived e,g, token economy Uses highly controlled scientific methods Weaknesses Deterministic - behaviour is only determined by our environment Problems with generalising findings from animal experiments Assumptions Social Learning Theory Assumptions Identification - desire to be like someone, so there is a desire to imitate them Vicarios reinforcement - through observations of the consequences of others actions Observational learning - attention, retention, motor production, motivation Behaviour is learned through observation and imitation Research Observations Laboratory experiments Strengths Explains the learning of complex human behaviours e.g. aggression Considers mental processing (mediating cognitive factors) Weaknesses Not all behaviours learned by obsrevation can be copied Doesn't explain individual differences Assumptions Cognitive Assumptions Human mind is comapred to a computer Events within a person need to be studied in order to fully understand behaviour Humans actively process information Concerned with how thinking shapes behaviour Research Case studies Scans Laboratory experiments Strengths Successful therapies have been developed e.g. for depression Considers the role of thinking in behaviour Weaknesses Shows how cognitive processes happen, but ignores why Likens human processing to machines which is simplistic and reductionist Assumptions Humanistic Assumptions Therapy - client centred, holistic, empathetic Behaviour is motivated by hierachy of needs Emphasis is on the self, psychological problems are from differences between the ideal self and percieved self People have free will to choose how to behave Research Observations Case studies Strengths Client-centred therapy is effective for minor problems and has lead to the growth of counselling A person is responsible for their own behaviour Weaknesses Unscientific as it rejects scientific methods and principles Focuses on the individual so generalisations can't be made to all human behaviour Assumptions Psychodynamic Assumptions Defence mechanisms protect our conscious from unpleasant events Personality has 3 parts - id, ego and superego Development takes place in the psychosexual stages, but we can get fixated at stages if the conflict is not resolved Early childhood experiences influence adult behaviour and personality Research Case studies Strengths Freud recognised the importance of childhood experience for later life Psychoanalysis methods are still used in psychiatry today Weaknesses The use of case studies lacks generalisability It is unfalsifiable so also unscientific Assumptions Biological | 3,431 | 1,515 | 0.000661 |
warc | 201704 | Fats and Oils Fats and Oils are essential to out diet They are used in the production for storing energy and for heat insulation Lipase is produced in the pancreas The stomach pH is too acidic for it to work Bile is needed to make an emulsion Bile is made in the liver One product of fat digestion is glycerol Fatty acids and glycerol are easily absorbed into the blood stream
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Digestive Enzymes Starch molecules are the storage structure used by plants Basically they are long, often branched chains of carbohydrate molecules Glucose a sugar is required be the body to provide energy Starch cannot be easily absorbed into the blood stream because the molecules are too big In the mouth, an enzyme called amylase (salivary amylase) starts the digestion of starch by breaking it down into maltose Maltose molecules are also too big to be effectively absorbed Amylase form the pancreas (pancreatic amylase) mixes with starch in the small intestine to produce more maltase The small intestine produces an enzyme called maltose that breaks down maltase to glucose The glucose molecules are then taken into the blood and transpoted around the body to provide energy
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Proteins Proteins are essential in the diet for growth and tissue repair Proteins are large branched molecules (chains of amino acids) found in all types of meat and soya beans Protease are enzymes that digest proteins examples are trypsin and peptidase Proteins are too large to be absorbed into the blood stream Trypsin is produced in the pancreas Trypsin is released into the small intestine and breaks down proteins to form peptides Peptidase is produced by the liver Peptodase breaks down peptides into individual amino acids that are easily absorbed The acids work best at pH acidic
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Similar Biology resources:
Teacher recommended | 1,825 | 812 | 0.001238 |
warc | 201704 | Every day, it’s the same thing for Carrie Strickland.
Every day, her Boys & Girls Club campers clamor to buy junk food at a nearby store.
But Tuesday was different at 43rd Street and Cleveland Ave. in eastern Kansas City, Mo.
“Instead of Hot Chips,” Strickland said, “we’ve got bananas.”
The campers were among the first shoppers at Truman Medical Centers’ Healthy Harvest Mobile Market.
If all goes to according to plan, the refurbished and retrofitted city bus will stop at the Boys & Girls Club site and four others throughout Kansas City each week.
“This is our maiden voyage right here,” said Brendan Cossette, director of Innovation TMC, an initiative that aims for creative solutions to health issues facing Truman’s patients.
With a year-round schedule that calls for three stops on Tuesdays and two more on Thursdays, the Mobile Market will travel to neighborhoods lacking easy access to supermarkets that stock affordable fruits and vegetables.
Shoppers should have little trouble finding the bright yellow bus, adorned as it is in produce-themed vinyl wrap.
Produce bins on each side of the bus take up much of its interior. Customers pay at a register near the back, which market manager Derrick Idleburg Jr. manned on Tuesday. They exit through the bus’s side door.
At least at the outset, the driver will be Daniel Valerio, who has the proper certification to operate the bus, since his main job is driving a patient van at Truman’s Lakewood campus.
Cossette said they would like to serve at least 100 customers at each of the five stops each week. About 50 shoppers came through on the first day near the Boys & Girls Club.
The inventory is supplied by Loffredo Fresh Produce, which is based in Des Moines, Iowa and already was a vendor to Truman. The hospital is selling the produce pretty much at cost, officials said.
Future plans call for the Mobile Market to travel with dieticians and nutritionists aboard who can provide assistance to the shoppers.
The prices stood out for customer Rochelle Howard. Her items included cantaloupe, bell peppers, grapes and apples.
“You get to shop at a bargain price,” Howard said.
The project is a joint venture of Truman and the Hospital Hill Economic Development Corp. About $50,000 in startup funding came from area philanthropies and corporate donors. The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City is a funder.
Truman executives Charlie Shields and CiCi Rojas are chairman of the board and executive director, respectively, of the economic development corporation.
The Mobile Market, they said, was a first step toward Truman’s other goal of opening a grocery store at 27th Street and Troost Ave.
Rojas said the Mobile Market would help acquaint the hospital with some of the ins and outs of running a supermarket.
An even broader project goal, Shields said, is helping revitalize parts of the urban core. That’s a mission shared by the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, one of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s “Big 5” ideas announced in September.
It’s an ongoing debate about whether people follow retail or retail follows people, Shields said, “but in this case, we think rooftops will follow the grocery store.”
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority leapt at the chance to be involved with the Mobile Market. Marketing Director Cindy Baker said its riders were among Truman’s target audience.
“We think it’s a great opportunity to deliver a really terrific service to some of our customers as well as some other people,” she said.
The authority has a 261-bus fleet, and the bus it donated to the cause is a 1996 model that was mothballed after racking up about 500,000 miles in regular service.
Maintenance Director Walt Woodward said two body-shop workers spent about 90 hours over a period of about three week converting the bus. The authority also has pledged to provide ongoing maintenance for a limited fee.
Refurbishment work included changing the electrical system so it could run the refrigerators and cash register. The workers also had to make special brackets to secure the shelving and cabinetry.
“It’s a great project,” Woodward said. “I’m very pleased to be a part of it.”
The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City is proud to partner with the Kansas Health Institute news service to provide weekly health stories about health and policy issues impacting the greater Kansas City region. This News Service is an editorially independent program of the Kansas Health Institute and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and is committed to objective coverage of health issues. | 4,782 | 2,304 | 0.000452 |
warc | 201704 | A Two-Sector Model of Endogenous Growth with Money
Use a two-sector model in which both physical and human capital is employed in the production process, and real money balances function as a Hicks neutral technological factor in the production of physical goods. Even though money has no effect on steady state growth, its inclusion as a production factor forces production parameters to remain within a specific range of values, so that human capital and physical capital grow at different rates. In this model, steady state growth is not influenced (as it usually is) by the parameters by which the willingness to save is determined, such as the rate of time preference or rates of depreciation. Rather, it is determined solely by the form and parameters of the production functions.
Volume (Year): 112 (2004) Issue (Month): 3 () Pages: 255275-255275
Handle: RePEc:vep:journl:y:2004:v:112:i:3:p:255-275 Contact details of provider:
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warc | 201704 | Pricing tranched credit products with generalized multifactor models
The market for tranched credit products (CDOs, Itraxx tranches) is one of the fastest growing segments in the credit derivatives industry. However, some assumptions underlying the standard Gaussian onefactor pricing model (homogeneity, single factor, Normality), which is the pricing standard widely used in the industry, are probably too restrictive. In this paper we generalize the standard model by means of a two by two model (two factors and two asset classes). We assume two driving factors (business cycle and industry) with independent tStudent distributions, respectively, and we allow the model to distinguish among portfolio assets classes. In order to illustrate the estimation of the parameters of the model, an empirical application with Moody's data is also included.
Length: Date of creation: May 2007 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:cte:wbrepe:wb073909 Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.business.uc3m.es/es/index
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cte:wbrepe:wb073909. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Ana Poveda)
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services. | 2,204 | 1,121 | 0.000897 |
warc | 201704 | Video Review Reveals the Benefits of Garcinia Cambogia A new video review reveals the benefits of a weight loss supplement called Garcinia Cambogia, a tropical fruit product that is safe and based on natural plant extracts. Recommending.tk, a new website providing information related to health and fitness today announced that they would release a video review which would contain testimonials about the effectiveness of certain weight loss supplements. A representative of the company said, “As part of our efforts to provide honest, clear, and relevant information on health supplements present in the market, we will be releasing a video review of Garcinia Cambogia.” He further added, “The product has taken the fitness sector by storm and we hope to reveal the reasons why this fruit extract is so highly sought after.” Garcinia Cambogia is a pumpkin shaped fruit that grows in south East Asia and India and is said to have appetite suppressing qualities. The ideal weight loss program is one where fat is lost but lean muscle is retained or increased. This supplement is asserted to do just that. In addition, this extract is considered a low priced item compared too many other products on the market. Sources confirm that the video review will also explain how the product affects serotonin levels in the body which improves mood and promotes better sleep patterns. This is important for emotional eaters. The video is also expected to discuss any possible side effects or contra indications related to the product – a point of view that is often neglected in most other Garcinia Cambogia reviews that are present in the media. The representative further added, “We are investing our time in preparing a video review of Garcinia Cambogia simply because most people are too busy in their daily lives to research the topic thoroughly and make an informed decision. A video review would pass on this information quickly and effectively.” For more information, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/GarciniaCambogiadeal | 2,065 | 1,001 | 0.001017 |
warc | 201704 | In this paper we investigate how moral considerations, modelled as identity effects, affects an endogenous pollution permit trading equilibrium, in which governments choose in a non-cooperative way the amount of permits they allocate to their domestic industries. Politicians might feel reluctant to allow unlimited permit trading and/or may prefer that abatement is undertaken domestically due to ethical motivation. However, once governments have chosen permit allocations, firms trade these permits in an international competitive permit market without moral restraints. We show that governments’ moral concerns may actually increase global emissions but this result depends on the precise formulation of the identity function. Finally, we explore how exogenous technological change affects endogenous permit trading equilibria under identity considerations. We show that decreasing costs of abatement technologies may lead countries to overcome their reluctance to trading emission permits. | 1,001 | 535 | 0.001882 |
warc | 201704 | Faculteit van de Diergeneeskunde, Rijksuniversiteit te Gent
Series Title:
Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift
Abstract:
Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a known problem in the Belgian Draught Horse. Nevertheless, tools for clinical diagnosis have not been standardised, and therefore, the exact disease prevalence and possible risk factors for CPL were not investigated in the Belgian breed. We aimed to assess a uniform CPL clinical examination method to increase diagnostic objectivity and determined occurrence and severity of lesions. The association of age-gender interaction, coat color, location and season with CPL occurrence was examined using univariate and stepwise multivariable logistic regression models. We demonstrated that CPL is highly prevalent in the Belgian Draught Horse: on average 56.55% affected in our total sample, including a large proportion of young horses (< 3 years) and 88.21% in an older subset (≥ 3 years), where lesions were more explicit as CPL is a chronic disorder. Mild clinical symptoms were shown to appear from approximately 1 year in some horses (14% of yearlings), while distinct onset occurred from 3 years onwards. We identified and quantified factors (age-gender interaction, coat colour and season of examination) significantly associated with CPL occurrence. The present paper proposes a standardized diagnostic protocol that will enhance future data collection and, furthermore, this paper offers a basis for quantitative genetic research. This will ultimately help to reduce CPL occurrence in the Belgian Draught Horse by means of selection. | 1,611 | 856 | 0.001176 |
warc | 201704 | The point has been made time and again that humans, too, are as much ‘animals’ as any other member of the kingdom. Yet what separates us is clearly our instinct to civilize, order, and oftentimes subdue any ‘wild’ instinct that might still persist somewhere in our DNA.
Thus, the wildlife that surrounds us, from insects to lions to dolphins to venus fly traps, captivates us not only out of beauty and the wonderment of their existential differences, but from their ‘wild’ core that has no need for codified systems of living, no sense of the world beyond what they have seen and experienced. It is rare that we might observe wildlife and learn nothing of ourselves. | 700 | 430 | 0.002441 |
warc | 201704 | Welcome to Minds @ UW
Critical Thinking: Student Dispositions
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File(s): Author(s) Advisor(s) Marnocha, Suzanne Date Jul 15, 2009 Subject(s) Nursing process.; Critical thinking.; Nursing Education.; Nursing students. Abstract The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has identified critical
thinking as an essential element of baccalaureate nursing framework and curriculum
(2008). The expectation of baccalaureate-prepared nurses is a competency of inquiry,
analysis, critical thinking, and communication within a variety of methods including
written and oral communication.
The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the critical thinking disposition of
baccalaureate degree nursing students, (b) to compare the critical thinking disposition of
first semester baccalaureate degree nursing students with final semester baccalaureate
degree nursing students, and (c) to correlate student critical thinking disposition with
selected demographic variables. Benner's Novice to Expert theory provided the
theoretical framework for this descriptive, comparative study. The California Critical
Thinking Disposition Inventory measured the criterion variable of critical thinking and the
seven subscales: truth-seeking, open-mindedness, analyticity, systematicity, critical
thinking self-confidence, inquisitiveness, and maturity.
The research design for this study was a descriptive, comparative design. The
descriptive design was used to describe the critical thinking disposition of first and final
semester baccalaureate degree nursing students. The comparative design was utilized
to compare the critical thinking disposition of first semester to final semester
baccalaureate degree nursing students.
The sample consisted of 64 students (34 Sophomore II students and 30 Senior II
students) in the nursing program. Results indicate that there is not a statistically
significant difference in critical thinking disposition between Sophomore II and Senior II
students (t[62]=1.96, ns; d=.50). However, there was an increase in the mean
disposition between the Sophomore II students (M=311.15) and the Senior II students
(M=325.03).
There are serious implications for patients' well-being, as well as significant legal
liability for nurses who fail to master critical thinking. Nurses must manage risk, as well
as safe practice, for themselves and their patients. The rapidly changing world of
healthcare increasingly demands nurses to be proficient in managing complex
information, technology, and compounding patient disease states. Nursing students
must rise to this challenge. Description A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
-- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 2009 Permanent link http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/35490 Export Export to RefWorks Part of
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Browse Deposit materials About MINDS@UW | 2,992 | 1,417 | 0.000715 |
warc | 201704 | Over at streets.mn, I ask some questions about the Met Council’s new northeast metro water supply plan. Here is a big one:
Where is the conservation alternative?The cost and feasibility of reducing water use are not analyzed as part of the report. Building nothing and simply asking/incentivizing/requiring people to use less may be the cheapest option. According to the report, water use in 2010 was 92 gallons per person, per day in these communities. The ratio of peak day demand to average day demand ranges from 1.7:1 in Forest Lake to 5.9:1 in Lexington. The report hints that this is “mainly attributed to irrigation and outdoor water use needs”. Sprinkling lawns in other words. Many options exist for conserving (potable) water – from retrofitting toilets, sinks and showers, to using captured rainwater to irrigate, to simply paying people to remove lawns and replacing them with low-water alternatives. For the cost of the alternatives to serve all northeast communities with new water supply (~$600 million), you could pay every household over $1,400 to remove lawn, and keep paying them $40 every year after that. Without an analysis of conservation alternatives, this report seems inadequate. | 1,229 | 688 | 0.001481 |
warc | 201704 | Is there such a thing as bad publicity?
Donald Trump’s campaign appears to be a test case in whether this old adage is true or not. His business interests are intricately linked to the Trump brand, which has been taking a hit as a result of his more extreme statements and proposals on the campaign trail.
At least in terms of political support, his comments have appeared only to improve his numbers. He’s dominated the polls since July, and repeated predictions that the latest remark would send his numbers tanking have all been wrong.
But how long can Trump continue to alienate and disparage various groups without harming his own brand and broader business deals?
‘Not sending their best’
It all started with Trump’s announcement speech in June when he declared:
When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
Based on my many years of working with a wide variety of companies and other organizations, it is clear to me that the values of brands and reputations are closely linked to success. Trump is an American brand, and, if his current campaign rhetoric continues, there could be significant damage to his business.
The fallout so far
So far, the fallout has arguably been minimal. His comments, however, are beginning to prove costly, and the damage may become significant.
We’ve heard reports from Reuters and other sources that billboards with his name and image have been taken down in Dubai as a result of his anti-Muslim comments, although some signage has returned as business partners go to great lengths to distinguish Trump’s business dealings from his political comments.
The U.K.’s
Independent newspaper reported that the Landmark Group announced that its Lifestyle stores throughout the Middle East would stop selling Trump home décor merchandise.
In Europe, the impact has so far been to his house personal reputation. The U.K. Parliament this week spent an hour discussing whether to ban the mogul from entering the country after a petition asking that he be barred entry because of “hate speech” over Muslims received half a million signatures – well over the 100,000 necessary to require the issue be debated.
But the impact has also been felt in the U.S. Macy’s in June stopped carrying Trump-branded merchandise; NBC and Univision announced they would not air Trump’s Miss USA Pageant; and NASCAR decided not to hold its end-of-season awards banquet at a Trump resort.
And back in Trump’s hometown, Bill DeBlasio, the mayor of New York City, said that he would go out of his way to avoid future business deals with Trump—after he found he could not legally cancel current contracts.
Waiting out the storm
As for Trump’s partners and other associations affiliated with Trump, most of them are taking the “no comment” route when asked about the presidential candidate, preferring to wait out the storm.
After all, if he doesn’t succeed, will anyone really remember all of this in a few years? Think about how Sarah Palin’s comments during her run for vice president, while admittedly mild compared with Trump’s, are now a distant memory—and this week, she endorsed Trump for president. On the other hand, if Trump does succeed, keeping those business ties may prove valuable.
The biggest risk for Trump is that more people and groups (that don’t support him) will choose not to book his hotels, lease/buy his condos, play on his golf courses or vacation at his resorts. There’s talk of boycotts, but so far the effects are difficult to measure.
Some stars boycotted Trump’s Toronto Hotel during last fall’s Toronto International Film Festival. Jay Sorensen, the president of the travel consultancy IdeaWorks, has vowed to boycott Trump properties and is asking for colleagues to do the same.
But how many more anti-Latino or anti-Muslim comments will consumers tolerate before calls for boycotts take on momentum?
It’s hard to predict how this will play out—and a lot of it depends on whether Trump’s rhetoric continues—but it is likely that all of the negative publicity he generates will start to have a greater impact on his business.
What the research shows
We’ve seen it happen before with other public figures closely associated with a brand.
Remember when celebrity chef Paula Deen was in the news for making a racist comment? As noted in the Huffington Post, her business suffered and it doesn’t seem like she’s quite back on track.
The BAV Consulting division of the advertising and marketing firm Young & Rubicam found that consumers who could afford to play golf at one of Trump’s clubs, stay at his hotels or buy a condo in one of his developments have lost confidence in the Trump brand since he began his presidential campaign.
Clearly his image has suffered, similar to what we have witnessed with Volkswagen or other corporate scandals. The difference with the Trump brand is that it is his personality that is being measured.
Trump’s advantage
In Trump’s favor is the complex nature of his real estate deals and the way he licenses his brand. It’s one thing not to buy a Trump lamp at a department store, but another to avoid purchasing a condo based on an individual.
Also in his favor is the long-term nature of many of his business deals. If those deals are legally locked up for a certain number of years (like the NYC contracts), it’s unlikely that his statements will have much of a business effect. However, if the deals can be severed, other organizations may follow the lead of NBC, Macy’s, Univision, NYC and the Landmark Group.
It will be interesting to see if Trump starts reining in his comments, or if his rhetoric continues to alienate people. If the latter happens, he’ll eventually hit a tipping point—and the risk to his business may not seem so minimal anymore. | 6,216 | 2,921 | 0.000358 |
warc | 201704 | Research offers important clues about grasshopper population explosionsFebruary 25, 2011 By William G. Gilroy in Biology / Ecology
Literature and films have left us with vivid images of the grasshopper plagues that devastated the Great Plains in the 1870s. Although commonly referred to as grasshoppers, the infestations were actually by Rocky Mountain locusts.
The Rocky Mountain locust became extinct in 1902, but their cousins, grasshoppers and Mormon crickets, today still cause an estimated $1.5 billion (2005 U.S. dollars) in damage to grazing lands in the American West. A long-running research project directed by University of Notre Dame biologist Gary Belovsky, who also is director of the Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC), is examining what limits grasshopper populations and the role played by grasshoppers in prairie ecosystems.
Belovsky first started studying grasshopper populations in 1978 at the National Bison Range, now a location for one of UNDERCs national undergraduate programs. Following the last major Western grasshopper outbreak in 1985, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (UDSA-APHIS) asked Belovsky to help study the grasshoppers feeding preferences and population dynamics in western Montana.
Belovskys research demonstrates that no single factor leads to a grasshopper outbreak, but, rather, multiple interacting factors are necessary. This requires sound understanding of how food and predators influence these native insects in combination with varying climate.
One of his key discoveries is that grasshoppers have a major impact on plants by changing the way nitrogen cycles in grasslands. Where grasshoppers speed up the process of nitrogen recycling by selectively feeding on plants that take longer to decompose, plant production increases. However, if they selectively feed on plants that decompose quickly, nitrogen becomes less available to the soil and plant production decreases.
Belovskys findings helped change the way USDA/APHIS carries out its mandate to control grasshoppers on federal rangeland. Previously, the agency sprayed large swaths of land with insecticides, including areas where grasshoppers were actually befitting plant growth by speeding up nitrogen recycling. USDA/APHIS now relies on more restricted spraying, focusing on those areas where grasshoppers are damaging plants.
Belovsky also used National Science Foundation funding to develop mathematical models to help predict significant spikes in grasshopper populations based on the number of grasshopper eggs. If egg numbers are low in the spring, grasshopper predators like birds and spiders can usually keep the populations under control. However, when eggs in the spring are especially numerous, more grasshoppers hatch and predators are unable to keep the populations under control, which can signal significant problems for rangeland ecosystems. However, if grasshoppers are very abundant, the young grasshoppers may actually compete for the rarer highly nutritious food plants and starve to death before they can grow up and cause damage to the range.
Belovskys research is now the longest running experimental study at a site examining what controls grasshopper numbers and, as such, Belovsky continues to acquire an unusually detailed and rich database of scientific information about Western rangelands. Additionally, UNDERC undergraduates, including a number of Native Americans, learn about this striking ecosystem and some participate in the research.
His research has the potential to make grasshopper plagues, like the Rocky Mountain locust, but a memory.
Provided by University of Notre Dame
"Research offers important clues about grasshopper population explosions" February 25, 2011 https://phys.org/news/2011-02-important-clues-grasshopper-population-explosions.html | 3,875 | 1,805 | 0.000556 |
warc | 201704 | Sometimes the guys I support want to hold my hand or sit beside them while they lie on their bed. Sometimes they want me to massage their neck or arms. I feel a bit awkward doing those things to be honest. Maybe it is because of
their honesty and forthrightness about what they want from me. The fellows I work with can’t communicate very easily with words. They don’t always seem to understand all the things I say to them, but I’m not sure since they don’t answer back usually. Sometimes they do what I am asking sometimes not.
I wonder if hands reaching to hold mine is like God calling to Moses. Here I am, I reply. God appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush. God wasn’t just an idea or a concept. God’s presence was in the bush. Confounding and confusing. When Moses asks what name he should call God by, God gives an even more confusing and mysterious name.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God co-eternal and con-substantial. He is confusing and confounding. He is challenging and terrifying. He is mysterious and beautiful. When I am supporting people with intellectual disabilities I realize the truth and importance of orthodox Christian theology. The Incarnation, The Cross and Passion and the
Bodily Resurrection are Good NEWS, not just some good idea. Rights and privileges are not Jesus’ main concern it doesn’t seem to me. He heals the sick and lame. He raises the dead. He prevents a woman from being stoned to death. He cares about people’s bodies. If I can, at my job, show care and concern for the vulnerable men I support, for their bodies then perhaps even in my stumbling weakness, I am sharing the Good News. Not a good idea about their rights or a good idea about a better funding formula but the Good News that God is with us right here in our bodies. Even if our bodies don’t do what we wish they would do, or look how we wish they looked or even do what we don’t want them to do… God is present with us.
It is Holy Week now, and we are journeying towards The Crucifixion, the torture and death of Jesus’ body. His Holy and broken body hanging on a cross of wood for all to see and mock and pity and stare at in horror and sorrow. That is God holding our hand. He is asking where we are.
Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God | 2,319 | 1,172 | 0.000881 |
warc | 201704 | Earlier today, the House Judiciary Committee passed Representative Martina White’s controversial Fraternal Order of Police sponsored bill by a unanimous 25-0 vote. There was no time for public input before the bill was sent to the House Floor, and given the current political circumstances surrounding police brutality and officer involved incidents, the bill may most likely sail through the General Assembly with little to no input.
When Representative Martina White introduced the bill at two Fraternal Order or Police press conferences in September and while defending the legislation at today’s hearing, Representative White cited protesters, demonstrations, criminals and recent “anti-police fervor” that has occurred in response to recent high profile incidents as reasons to pass the legislation.
The bill was amended at today’s hearing. If an officer is charged of a crime stemming from an shooting or other use of force, his or her name must be released to the public, but if they are not charged with a crime, their name will be made public through the right-to-know process after the conclusion of the investigation, which can take a few days or a few months after an incident occurs.
According to Andrew Hoover from the American Civil Liberties Union, the bill will a detrimental affect to relations between the police and the communities they serve because “it suggests that the police have something to hide.”
Since the introduction of the bill in September, there been no public hearings on the controversial piece of legislation. Hoover states that “it’s not unusual for a bill to get a vote without a hearing,” and “it’s frustrating when it’s something controversial.” House Republican Spokesperson Stephen Miskin stated that bill was introduced on September 11, and that there’s always opportunity for public input.
Representative White’s legislation is that it sets out to fix a problem that does not exist. At the two FOP affiliated press conferences and today’s hearing, White asserts that those who are angry at police officers from recent controversial shootings and incidents that have killed unarmed civilians are making it dangerous for police officers to do their jobs, but this year has been one of the safest years for police officers in decades.
There is reason for concern with this bill going through the legislative process. The overwhelming amount of legislation that goes through the process in Harrisburg usually passes with zero to little resistance. That’s because a bill is either common sense legislation, naming a bridge or highway after someone or it has widespread support. Something like House Bill 1538 can easily breeze through the legislature because organizations representing police officers are constantly lobbying in the capitol and because of the counter narratives these organizations have established in the face of real reforms or in response to highly scrutinized incidents. | 3,029 | 1,406 | 0.000735 |
warc | 201704 | Are eBook prices edging a little too high for people’s comfort? Josh Quittner writes in Time:
If only the Kindle 2 were cheaper! Despite its other shortcomings, Amazon’s new and improved digital-book reading device does enough right that it could become the Model T of e-readers, capturing the imagination–and discretionary spending–of the masses. But in this wretched economy, in which most of us will purchase only nonessentials that save us money or make us money, I doubt folks will pony up $359 for a pleasure-reading gadget. And thanks to Amazon’s mysterious pricing policies, the old argument–that digital books are so much cheaper than their hide-bound ancestors–no longer holds.
Before a recent visit to my dear old mum, I purchased The Kindly Ones, by Jonathan Littell, a 992-page Nazi-palooza that, given the nearly 3-lb. weight of the new English translation, makes for an ideal Kindle selection. But when I got ready to buy it on Amazon, I blanched at the $16.19 price. Every Kindle text I’ve purchased since Amazon started selling the device in November 2007 has been $9.99. Indeed, that was one of the Kindle’s main draws: you could buy books wirelessly, on demand and at a fraction of the cost of their printed peers. Case in point: Littell’s book was listed in Amazon’s Kindle store with a hardcover price of $29.99, making the digital version seem like a real bargain. But later I discovered that Amazon’s bookstore was selling the new hardcover for $17.99. So the Kindle saved me all of $1.80. Big whoop.
Customers aren’t stupid. They realize that an eBook like that on the Kindle or on other electronic bookstores doesn’t cost as much to print, warehouse, or to distribute—because those things don’t cost anything. Quittner himself writes about an “old argument” that “digital books are… cheaper” than print pieces. A lot of people are used to purchasing a large portion of their books at the $9.99 price point on Kindle, because that’s an automatic discount applied to both new titles and to titles on the NYT bestseller list.
What shows the intelligence of the customer is that I don’t recall any publisher
ever saying in public that eBooks would be less expensive than print ones. Amazon makes a big to-do about the $9.99 price point, enough so that Quittner believes in his article that Amazon is also the one who set the list price for the book he was trying to buy. (This is not true; list prices are set by publishers; Amazon decides what the sale price is, at least when it comes to Kindle titles. I don’t know how the print side of things works.) Customers are intuiting that digital books should not cost as much as print ones.
I ran into this myself just a few days ago. Now having the Kindle app for iPhone, I went to look at a few books to see if I wanted to buy anything. I landed on a book that in print is a mass market paperback. Its Kindle price? $7.99—
identical to the pricing of the hard copy version. I don’t think I need to write long on how quickly that decision was made for me.
Companies—and this is not limited to publishers—are underestimating the human desire to own physical objects. To many people (and at least to me), physical ownership of a piece of property, such as a DVD on which a video game is coded, or a stack of paper on which words are printed, is more valuable than a collection of bits that make up even a functionally equivalent electronic version of the same product. In addition, I have more control over the physical piece of property, especially when DRM enters the picture on electronic files and I’m being told what I can and can’t do with it.
What do you think? When you have a choice, which one would you buy? Would you buy both? What do you expect to pay for it?
Discuss, and feel free to answer the poll in the sidebar. | 3,957 | 1,954 | 0.000534 |
warc | 201704 | Browsing History Theses and Dissertations by Subject "American history"
Now showing items 1-2 of 2
Shintani, Kiyoshi (University of Oregon, December , 2008)[more][less]Shintani, Kiyoshi 2009-07-27T23:46:14Z 2009-07-27T23:46:14Z 2008-12 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/9493 vii, 237 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Fannie Farmer of the Boston Cooking School may be the only culinary expert from the Progressive Era who remains a household name today, but many other women took part in efforts to reform American foodways as well. Employing "scientific cookery," cooking based on the sciences of nutrition and physiology, these women paradoxically formed their careers within a prescribed culture of women's domesticity. At a time when the food industry was rapidly growing, culinary authorities engaged in commercial enterprise as intermediaries between producers and consumers by endorsing products, editing magazines and advertising recipe booklets, and giving cooking demonstrations at food expositions. This study examines the role of cooking experts in shaping the culture of consumption during the forty years beginning in 1876, when the first American cooking school based on scientific principles was founded in New York. Consumer culture here refers not only to advertising and a set of beliefs and customs regarding shopping at retail stores. Expanding the definition of consumption to include cooking (producing meals entails consuming foods) and eating, this dissertation also explores how cooking experts helped turn middle-class women into consumers of food. Drawing on cooking authorities' prescriptive literature, such as cookbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, and advertising cookbooks, this study takes a bifocal approach, illuminating the dynamic interplay between rising consumerism and foodways. Culinary experts not only helped develop the mass marketing and consumption of food. They also shaped a consumerist worldview, which exalted mental and physical exuberance, laying the groundwork for consumer culture, especially advertising, to grow. They adopted commercial aesthetics into their recipes and meal arrangements and, claiming that the appearance of foods corresponded to their wholesomeness, culinary authorities suggested eye-appealing dishes for middle-class women to make and consume. The entwinement of culinary and consumer cultures involved cooking teachers' insistence on the domesticity of women, especially their role of providing family meals. This gender expectation, along with consumer culture, characterized twentieth-century America. Culinary reformers helped modernize American society at large at the turn of the twentieth century. Committee in charge: Daniel Pope, Chairperson, History; Ellen Herman, Member, History; James Mohr, Member, History; Geraldine Moreno, Outside Member, Anthropology en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of History, Ph. D., 2008; Modernity Culinary Reformers Consumer culture American history Cooking up modernity: Culinary reformers and the making of consumer culture, 1876--1916 Thesis Ruhl, Melissa (University of Oregon, June , 2011)[more][less]Ruhl, Melissa 2011-08-15T22:01:10Z 2011-08-15T22:01:10Z 2011-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11484 vii, 122 p. : ill. High school student activism at Chemawa Indian School, a Native American boarding school in Oregon, transformed the curriculum, policies, and student life at Chemawa. Historians have neglected post-WWII boarding school stories, yet both the historical continuities and changes in boarding school life are significant. Using the student newspaper, the <italic>Chemawa American,</italic> I argue that during the 1960s, Chemawa continued to encourage Christianity, relegate heritage to safety zones, and rely on student labor to sustain the school. In the 1970s, Chemawa students, in part influenced by the Indian Student Bill of Rights, brought self-determination to Chemawa. Students organized clubs exploring Navajo, Alaskan, and Northwest Indian cultures and heritages. They were empowered to change rules such as the dress code provision dictating the length of hair. When the federal government threatened to close Chemawa many students fought to keep their school open even in the face of rapidly declining enrollment rates. Committee in charge: Dr. Ellen Herman, Chairperson; Dr. Jeffery Ostler, Member; Dr. Brian Klopotek, Member en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of History, M.A., 2011; American history Native American studies Education -- Oregon 1960s Activism Boarding schools -- Oregon Native Americans Students Youth Chemawa Indian School Indians of North America -- Education -- Oregon "Forward You Must Go": Chemawa Indian Boarding School and Student Activism in the 1960s and 1970s Chemawa Indian Boarding School and Student Activism in the 1960s and 1970s Thesis | 4,980 | 2,310 | 0.000434 |
warc | 201704 | Preventing problem behaviors : schoolwide programs and classroom practices Responsibility [edited by] Bob Algozzine, Ann P. Daunic, Stephen W. Smith. Language English. Edition 2nd ed. Imprint Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Corwin, c2010. Physical description xvi, 231 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. Access Available online Education Library (Cubberley) Stacks
Call number Status LB3013 .P69 2010 Unknown More options Contents/Summary Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Prevention Science and Practice What We Know about Prevention Practice What We Know about Response to Intervention What We Know about Behavior and Academics Changing the Lives of Students with Problems An Illustration from Practice 2. Preschool Behavior Support Importance of Teaching Social Skills in Preschool Effective Practices for Teaching Social Skills to Young Children Teaching Young Children How to Behave in Social Settings An Illustration from Practice 3. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Definition and Importance of SWPBS Characteristics and Effective Practices of SWPBS Effectiveness of SWPBS Perspective on School-Wide Positive Behavior Support An Illustration from Practice 4. Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in School Settings Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Theoretical Underpinnings of CBI Current Research on CBI School-Based CBIs A CBI Example Summary An Illustration from Practice 5. Social Skills Instruction and Generalization Strategies Social Skills, Social Competence, and Curricula Generalization of Social Skills and Building Performance Competence Why Social Skills Programs Sometimes Fail Gaining Community Support for Social Skills Training Importance of Improving and Generalizing Social Skills 6. Conflict Resolution, Peer Mediation, and Bullying Prevention Some Program Definitions A Developmental Framework Characteristics of Effective CRE Programs How to Sustain CRE and Bullying Prevention Programs Concluding Thoughts An Illustration from Practice 7. Classroom Interventions and Individual Behavior Plans What Educators Should Know About the RTI Model RTI as a Schoolwide and Classroom Management Approach Effective Classroom Management Approaches Tier 2 Behavior Plans for Students Behavior Planning for Tier 2 Students Summary of Tier 2 Behavior Planning Individualized Behavior Plan (BIP) Conclusion 8. Effective Home-School Partnerships The Importance of Home-School Partnerships Principles and Key Features of Home-School Partnerships Characteristics of Effective Home-School Partnerships Home-School Partnerships and Challenging Behavior Illustration from Practice 9. Community and Interagency Partnerships Poverty, Immigrant Status and Risk Interagency Approaches to Preventing Problem Behavior Core Principles and Governance Structure Linkages to Learning in Action Preventing Problem Behaviors with Community Partnerships 10. Culturally Responsive Teaching Culture and Today's Classrooms Culturally Responsive Teaching Teaching Appropriate Behavior Teaching Behavior to CLD Learners Conclusion Illustrations from Practice 11. Monitoring Student Progress and Evaluating Prevention Practices Evaluating Outcomes of Prevention Efforts Designing Program Evaluations Measurement Issues Common Hazards in Program Evaluation Disseminating Evaluation Information Measuring Success of Preventing Programs 12. Building and Sustaining Effective Prevention Practices Building Effective Prevention Practices Putting It All Together Postscript References Index. (source: Nielsen Book Data)9781412970488 20160604 Publisher's Summary In today's increasingly diverse classrooms, problem behaviours can often interrupt instructional time and disrupt learning. Designed for 21st-century school leaders, administrators, behaviour specialists, and classroom teachers, this research-based guide offers specific strategies and plans for preventing problem behaviour at both the classroom and school level. Based on the premise that early response to problems can lead to better outcomes for students, the book's content is framed around four essential areas: foundations, intervention, collaboration, and evaluation. Within these areas, this accessible guide features: the latest information on the science and practice of prevention; reasons why conflict resolution, peer mediation, and bully-proofing are essential to prevention; effective practices for teaching social skills to young children; proven techniques for implementing schoolwide positive behaviour support; tools for using individual behaviour plans to prevent problems; ideas for home-school and community partnerships and culturally responsible teaching; critical strategies for monitoring student progress and evaluating prevention practices; and, new, updated chapters, including information on preschool behaviour support and RTI. This valuable resource provides all the tools and strategies school leaders and teachers need to keep children focused on learning. (source: Nielsen Book Data)9781412970488 20160604 Subjects Bibliographic information Publication date 2010 ISBN 9781412970488 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1412970482 (pbk. : alk. paper) Browse related items
Start at call number: | 5,212 | 2,171 | 0.000461 |
warc | 201704 | But this was just "slightly rosier" than analyst's expectations.
According to CIMB, it’s tough to be an employer in Singapore. Despite subdued economic growth, the labour market remains tight with unemployment shrinking to a 5-year low of 1.8% SA at end-2012.
As the supply of foreign workers shrank, Singapore’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 1.8%, the lowest for Dec since 2007, and slightly rosier than consensus and CIMB's estimates of 1.9% SA.
Within the resident labour force, unemployment eased to 2.6% SA (2.8% in Sep 12), with an estimated 55.9k residents unemployed as at Dec (Sep 12: 59.6k). The Ministry of Manpower also said unemployment for citizens dipped to 2.9% SA from Sep’s 3.0% SA.
Here's more from CIMB:
Some 33.4k non-construction jobs were added in 4Q12, the most since 1Q10’s +36.9k. Excluding foreign domestic help and construction labourers, 87.2k new jobs were created in 2012 vs. 2011’s 95.6k. Following the tightening of foreign-worker inflows, new foreign employment (ex-construction & domestic) dropped to 32.2k in 2012 from 60.2k in 2011. Employment gains in 2012 were 129.6k, the most in four years. Some 44.5k new jobs were added in 4Q12, the strongest in 17 quarters (55.7k in 3Q08) due to jumps in service (+32.1k, most in two years) and construction jobs (+11.1k, most in four years). Services continued to generate most of the new jobs in 2012 (77.9k or 60.1%), though this was lower than 2011’s 96.1k (86.5% of all new jobs). Manufacturing created more jobs last year, +11.1k (8.5% share) vs. 2011’s 3.5k, with the new jobs mainly in the chemical cluster, offseting job losses in tech manufacturing. Boosted by public-building projects, employment gains in construction jumped to 39.1k last year from 2011’s 22k (2010: 3k). Due to the government’s tightening of foreign manpower, there was a drop in new non-construction and foreign domestic jobs last year. A total of 87.2k such jobs were created in 2012, down from 2011’s 95.6k. Foreigners accounted for 32.2k or 37% of these jobs vs. 60.2k or 63% in 2011. Overall, the growth in foreign employment had eased to 70.4k in 2012 from 84.8k in 2011 while local employment rose 59.2k, up from 2011’s 37.9k. More From Singapore Business Review | 2,309 | 1,140 | 0.000902 |
warc | 201704 | Video camera
A
video camera is camera used to make electronic motion pictures. It captures moving images and synchronous sound. Early video cameras were all analog and most modern ones are digital. Analog video cameras produce signals that can be displayed with analog televisions. The signals can be shown at the time, or can be stored in an analog format on magnetic tape. Digital video cameras produce digital images.
Video cameras were invented early in the 20th century for television use, and by the end of the century, people could buy digital video cameras, which can almost immediately display the image. Video recorders that could record the image on magnetic tape were created in the middle 20th century.
At first, video cameras were large and expensive. Only professionals operated them. As the electronics industry advanced, and solid state circuits with transistors and microprocessors replaced vacuum tubes, video cameras became smaller and inexpensive. Now many mobile phones and other consumer electronic devices include video cameras. In addition, software is now widely available to edit or to compress the output from video cameras.
Uses[change | change source]
Modern video cameras have numerous designs and uses, not all of which resemble the early television cameras.
Professional video cameras, such as those used in television production and sometimes filmmaking in digital cinema; these may be studio-based or mobile in the case of an electronic field production (EFP). Such cameras generally offer extremely fine-grained manual control for the camera operator, often to the exclusion of automated operation. Camcorders, which combine a camera and a VCR or other recording device in one unit; these are mobile, and are widely used for television production, home movies, electronic news gathering (ENG) (including citizen journalism), and similar applications. Some digital ones are Pocket video cameras. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) generally use pan tilt zoom cameras (PTZ), for security, surveillance, and/or monitoring purposes. Such cameras are designed to be small, easily hidden, and able to operate unattended; those used in industrial or scientific settings are often meant for use in environments that are normally inaccessible or uncomfortable for humans, and are therefore hardened for such hostile environments (e.g. radiation, high heat, or toxic chemical exposure). Webcams are video cameras which stream a live video feed to a computer. Larger video cameras (especially camcorders and CCTV cameras) can be similarly used, though they may need an analog-to-digital converter in order to store the output on a computer or digital video recorder or send it to a wider network. Most 21st century video cameras are digital cameras which convert the signal directly to a digital output; such cameras are often small, even smaller than CCTV security cameras, and are often used as webcams or optimized for still-camera use. The majority are incorporated directly into computer or communications hardware, particularly mobile phones, though analog video equipment remains in use. Special systems, like those used for scientific research, e.g. on board a satellite or a spaceprobe, or in artificial intelligence and robotics research. Such cameras are often tuned for non-visible radiation for infrared photography (for night vision and heat sensing) or X-ray (for medical and video astronomy use).
Special uses of video cameras include systems that capture images at the finish line to time races and sporting events. Some toll roads use video cameras to make pictures of the license plate of any car that fails to pay tolls. Computers then identify the drivers and mail enforcement letters to collect the missed tolls. | 3,767 | 1,761 | 0.000569 |
warc | 201704 | “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”[1]
There is an old saying that is sometimes heard among Christians in the southern United States that cautions, “Scratch a saint and you find a sinner underneath.” This is one of those sayings that lends itself to various understandings. Unquestionably, it points out the fact that we are each sinful, though we may be saved. Even the bravest among us can be frightened and act cowardly. Even the boldest Christian can be intimidated into silence. The godliest individual is capable of tolerating and even justifying unthinkable evil.
At a more superficial level, this old saw addresses the fact that not everyone who professes to be a Christian acts “Christianly.” A church always represents a mixed multitude; growing together in God’s garden are wheat and weeds sown by the enemy. In any congregation there will be pretenders, and there will be sheep that are readily influenced to act unconscionably by the actions and pleas of others. Though we must guard against all such infiltration of evil, according to the words of the Master, it is inevitable that such will occur [see
Matthew 13:24-30].
Nevertheless, these are perilous times for Christians. It is not dangerous for Canadians to go to church, nor even to be religious; however, to live a life of commitment to Christ—adhering to His Word and conscientiously endeavouring to do what pleases Him—exposes the child of God to serious risks in the world. Outsiders accuse the people of God of bigotry because they will not approve of the sinful lifestyle adopted by and tolerated in the world. Professed believers are offended because commitment to Christ makes them unpopular with the world. Even fellow believers who indisputably love the Master may become testy if pet doctrines are ignored.
Additionally, there is a constant struggle arising from within the Master’s congregations. At any given time, we will find saved individuals that “will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Among the professed people of God, personal comfort is often of greater importance than is fidelity to the Word or conscientious commitment to the way in which Christ would have us walk. The sentiment is “Tickle my ears, but don’t scratch my heart.”
The Tenuous Hold of Sound Doctrine — “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching.” It is sometimes said that the Faith is but one generation from apostasy; I suggest that a congregation is always one sermon away from apostasy. After a congregation has become apostate, their defection is obvious to anyone with a modicum of spiritual perspicuity. However, when an assembly first begins to tolerate a little bit of error, it is difficult to say with certainty that the congregation is apostate. At first, the subtle deviations from sound doctrine are distractions—bothersome perhaps, but hardly worth rupturing fellowship. As the error becomes more blatant, we find we are uncertain when to pull the plug and leave the fellowship.
The great English divine, Charles Spurgeon, struggled with that very issue in his associations with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. One of the major crises in his life was known as “the Downgrade Movement.” He remonstrated privately with leaders in the Baptist Union of Great Britain, pleading with them to remove pastors and teachers that openly denied the Faith. When that effort was rejected with the plea that they sought to maintain fellowship, he publicly quit the association. His church stood with him in withdrawing from association with error. After the breach was complete, he looked back and wrote, “I have taken a deep interest in the struggles of the orthodox brethren; but I have never advised those struggles, nor entertained the slightest hope of their success. My course has been of another kind. As soon as I saw, or thought I saw, that error had become firmly established, I did not deliberate, but quitted the body at once. Since then my one counsel has been, ‘Come ye out from among them.’”[2]
This battle is not new, it has continued since the earliest days of the Faith. Peter wrote of the saints who preceded him, “False prophets also arose among the people,” and he warned of what awaited those to whom he wrote, “just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them” [
2 Peter 2:1]. Then, in agreement with our text he cautioned, “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed” [ 2 Peter 2:2].
The elders are charged to be ever watchful against infiltration, but the error introduced and tolerated among otherwise sound people is excused because those who are led astray plead, “We know these men!” Paul warned the Ephesian elders who met him as he sailed to Jerusalem, “From among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” [
Acts 20:30]. It would be some who had once stood firmly in the Faith and who had once taught the Word faithfully who would themselves lead the flock astray.
How is this possible? Spurgeon, in the previously cited Sword and Trowel article answered that very question. “Failure at a crucial moment may mar the entire outcome of a life. A man who has enjoyed special light is made bold to follow in the way of the Lord, and is anointed to guide others therein. He rises into a place of love and esteem among the godly, and this promotes his advancement among men. What then? The temptation comes to be careful of the position he has gained, and to do nothing to endanger it. The man, so lately a faithful man of God, compromises with worldlings, and to quiet his own conscience invents a theory by which such compromises are justified, and even commended. He receives the praises of ‘the judicious;’ he has, in truth, gone over to the enemy. The whole force of his former life now tells upon the wrong side. If the Lord loves him well enough, he will be scourged back to his place; but if not, he will grow more and more perverse, till he becomes a ringleader among the opposers of the gospel. To avoid such an end it becomes us ever to stand fast.”[3]
In short, a good man begins to love the praise of men, and in order to secure that praise he makes just a little compromise for the sake of “fellowship.” The members of the congregation are at first somewhat alarmed, but they know him to be a good man—they trust him; and so they dismiss his deviation as transient and momentary. However, they have made a fool’s bargain, exchanging the truth for a lie. Having tolerated “a little bit of error,” they will find it easier still to make the next compromise, though they cannot imagine that they will be required to make more accommodation for deception. Their conscience is quieted as the explanation is provided for why they can accept the error as truth and as God’s will.
Defection from the Faith is more widespread and more commonplace than we might ever imagine, for God has clearly warned that error will be introduced within the congregations of the Lord and even tolerated as the people of God grow quiescent and become spiritually senescent. Near the end of his ministry, the Apostle Paul warned, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” [
1 Timothy 4:1]. Here is a frightening warning that has been issued by the Spirit of God. We saw earlier that even from among the elders some will arise who deceive, but here the Apostle says that from within the Faith there will be ongoing departures.
We know that a person who has been born from above cannot be unborn. These are not lost people who are in view, nor are they people who somehow became “unsaved;” rather, Paul is focusing on believers—members of the congregation, who reject the hardship of the Faith. Paul has in view redeemed individuals who turn from healthy teaching so that they can feed on the sweet sop that they want rather than the healthy foods that they need.
Listen to Eugene Peterson’s interpretation and translation of the Greek behind our text. “You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages.”[4] The Apostle says we can anticipate that some believers will turn away from “healthy teaching.”[5] They will prefer spiritual junk food because they cannot tolerate healthy food. This is an ongoing challenge to the teacher of the Word as he seeks to build the Body and strengthen believers. There will be constant resistance, as some supposedly spiritual individuals channelling Rodney King plead, “Can’t we all just get along?”
To be certain, there are deceivers who sneak into the assemblies and insinuate themselves into positions of prominence and authority. Jude warned against such people when he wrote, “Certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” [
Jude 4]. Certainly, that is the tenor of Peter’s previously cited warning. However, in our text, Paul seems to be warning that it is believers—people that have been born again and who should know better, who will seek to gorge themselves on spiritual junk food.
Because this is a constant danger, the people of God must guard against every deviation. Elders must “preach the message, be[ing] ready whether it is convenient or not” [
2 Timothy 4:1].[6] Members of the congregation must familiarise themselves with the Word, ensuring that what is taught accords with the Word. Together, the people of God must hold one another accountable, refusing to permit errant teaching to slide. Though I recognise that in the popular view this passage is relegated to ordination sermons, the implication of the Apostle’s words is of such significance that all believers must take the teaching to heart. Each Christian must accept responsibility to ensure that this truth is applied consistently in the services of the congregation.
I understand that the Spirit of God guards the congregations of the Master. I understand that we have the Word of God delivered for our benefit and instruction. However, there is obviously a grave danger that believers will ignore sound doctrine, even tolerating speakers at the sacred desk who prove to be “liars whose consciences are seared” [see
1 Timothy 4:2]; otherwise, the Spirit of God would not have appended the warnings which we have just seen, nor would it be necessary to caution those who preach the Word to guard their teaching, being prepared to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” [ 2 Timothy 4:2].
Throughout Canada are multiplied empty church buildings that once housed congregations that stood firmly for the Faith of Christ the Lord. Those congregations defected from the truth and wandered off into myths. Now, the buildings built by these faithful saints stand empty or have been taken over by the world to serve as bars and barns. Who will listen very long to fables? Who can build their lives on fantasy and grow strong?
There are multiple denominations in our nation that were once identified as valiant for the Faith; yet, today within these same denominations one is hard-pressed to find a vibrant messenger of the Faith of Christ the Lord. The people imagined that the finest thoughts of mere mortals were superior to the revealed mind of God. They thought that tolerance of wickedness was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, and so they showed the breadth of their compassion through accommodating practises which are unacceptable to the Living God. We have come to a day in which gathering a crowd is more important than maintaining fidelity to the Word—the size of the crowd is taken as evidence of divine blessing. Whether a preacher is well liked in the community is of greater importance than whether that preacher boldly declares the whole counsel of God. Have such preachers never heard the Word of the Master, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” [
Luke 6:26]?
There is, in the prophecy of Isaiah, a startling description of the condition of God’s people when they insist on hearing what is pleasant rather than what is needful.
“They are a rebellious people,
lying children,
children unwilling to hear
the instruction of the Lord;
who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’
and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
prophesy illusions,
leave the way, turn aside from the path,
let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
[
Isaiah 30:9-11]
There are consequences to such choices, as Isaiah makes clear in the verses that follow.
“Thus says the Holy One of Israel,
‘Because you despise this word
and trust in oppression and perverseness
and rely on them,
therefore this iniquity shall be to you
like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse,
whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel
that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found
with which to take fire from the hearth,
or to dip up water out of the cistern.’”
[
Isaiah 30:12-14]
In his commentary on the Pastoral Letters, Knute Larson, long-time pastor of The Chapel in Akron, Ohio writes, “Nothing has changed. People still like to hear only pleasant things, teachings that correspond to their
own desires. This allows them to continue in the lifestyles and practices with which they are comfortable. The human heart works hard to fortify itself against truth, creating rationalizations and systems of thought to justify selfishness. Unfortunately, there are teachers and leaders who give people what they want to hear, tickling their itching ears with curiosities that allow them to remain untouched by God’s transforming power. They turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths—things devised by man.
“God’s truth, in addition to pointing out error and sin, leads to reality, grace, and freedom. Truth becomes a burden only when we try to reach the beauty of its perfection without the enabling strength of our Creator. Truth, as delivered by God through his ministers and people, becomes the power for living in the fullness for which God created us. But human beings fear exposure, and so we pretend we can hide from the truth. In reality, we only deceive ourselves and lead others astray.”[7]
Long before Paul wrote to Timothy, Jeremiah spoke as a prophet of the Living God in a day of spiritual declension in the nation. His observation concerning the defection of God’s ancient people could readily be applied in this day as well.
“Something horrible and shocking
is going on in the land of Judah:
The prophets prophesy lies.
The priests exercise power by their own authority.
And my people love to have it this way.
But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!”[8]
[
Jeremiah 5:30, 31]
The prophets became concerned with how their message would be perceived, and so they moderated their prophecies in order to make them palatable and so that they would be liked by those who heard them. The priests did not want to make people uncomfortable by being overly strict about what was pleasing to the Lord, and so they changed the commands of God to ensure the comfort of the people. So liturgy and pomp was substituted for contrition and humility. Terrible though Jeremiah’s assessment concerning the religious leaders is, the most appalling statement is undoubtedly, “My people love to have it this way.” A congregation will go no lower than is permitted by the people. If the people permit error to dictate their service, they must ultimately bear culpability, though the false teachers are not excused.
Let me say very plainly that it is a common condition of mankind, and thus a common infection within the people of God, to exchange vigilance for complacency, to barter peace and security for disengagement and ambiguity, to trade freedom for bondage. We grow weary, and because we are tired we withdraw from watching against evil. After a while we choose to ignore the tiny errors that we see creeping in, treating them like termites that though we know they are destructive, so long as they are out of sight we are not disturbed—and being undisturbed is of greater importance than being compelled to deal with the danger than threatens our existence.
The Basis for Resistance to Sound Doctrine — “Having itching ears [Christians] will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” Notice that the Apostle turns the focus to the congregations. Though tolerance and complacency have been a constant danger to the churches of our Lord throughout this Age of Grace, there is no question but that this prophetic word looks forward to the acceleration of this dreadful condition as the end of this present age draws to a conclusion. Rather than being fed by shepherds appointed by God, the congregations will hire whomever they please so that they can hear what they want to hear. They will not tolerate strong meat, insisting rather that they need spiritual pabulum consisting of moralistic platitudes rather than being compelled to confront the message of the Master.
There looms in the future an awful day marked by widespread longing to hear the Word of the Lord. Amos spoke of that awful day when he wrote:
“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord God,
‘when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.
They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it.”
[
Amos 8:11, 12]
The reason the Word of the Lord will not be found is because the “seekers” will have accumulated for themselves teachers to say what they want to hear.
From July, 2002 to March 2003, the research team of Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton representing the National Survey of Youth and Religion conducted 3,290 telephone interviews followed by 267 in-depth interviews with selected participants from the earlier surveys. They sought to discover the religious tenor of American teenagers. What they discovered should be disquieting to every thoughtful Christian. According to the authors, American teenagers, and likely Canadian teens as well, “may actually serve as a very accurate barometer of the condition of the culture and institutions of our larger society… American teenagers actually well reflect back to us the best and worst of our own adult condition and culture.” What did these researchers find that applies to what we are studying in this hour.
Their findings were summarised in a book that shook the religious world in 2005.[9] Their conclusion was that the religion of modern teenagers immersed in the culture of church is best defined as “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.” According to this research duo, modern teens that are active in a church could summarise their beliefs as:
· a rather distant (unless needed to solve one's problems) God, who “wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions” (p. 162);
· “the central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself” (p. 163);
· “good people go to heaven when they die” (p. 163);
· God “designed the universe and establishes moral law and order. But this God is not Trinitarian, he did not speak through the Torah or the prophets of Israel, was never resurrected from the dead, and does not fill and transform people thorough his Spirit. This God is not demanding. He actually can't be, because his job is to solve our problems and make people feel good. In short, God is something like a combination Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist: he is always on call, takes care of any problems that arise, professionally helps his people feel better about themselves, and does not become too personally involved in the process” (p. 165). [10]
“What we heard from most teens,” Smith and Denton say, “is essentially that religion makes them feel good, that it helps them make good choices, that it helps resolve problems and troubles, that it serves their felt needs. What we hardly ever heard from teens was that religion is about significantly transforming people into, not what they feel like being, but what they are supposed to be, what God, or their ethical tradition wants them to be” (pp. 148-149). The youngsters interviewed rarely expressed interest in a religion that “summons people to embrace an obedience to truth regardless of the personal consequences or rewards. Hardly any teens spoke directly about more difficult religious subjects like repentance, love of neighbour, social justice, unmerited grace, self-discipline, humility, the costs of discipleship, dying to self, the sovereignty of God, personal holiness, the struggles of sanctification” (p. 149), or any of the classical themes of Christian discipleship.”
Because their search is for something to make them feel good about themselves, they are uncomfortable hearing the teaching of the Word. Parents want their teens to “be in church,” and so the parents are offended if the preacher should speak pointedly about the biblical requirements for godliness, righteousness and ethical behaviour. Thus, the religious leaders seek to create a religion that will not make anyone uncomfortable, and that will make people feel good about themselves. This is precisely the condition the Apostle foresaw.
It is doubtful that the religion of the modern American teenagers differs significantly from the religious preferences of their Canadian peers. What is presented is a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. Rather than condemning teenagers, I suggest that our youth actually serve as quite an accurate barometer of the condition of the culture and institutions of our larger society. I suggest that our teenagers actually reflect back to us the cultural condition prevailing in the nation.
Rejecting Sound Teaching — Christians “will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” To be certain, we who stand behind the sacred desk are responsible for what we teach. If the Christians seated before us are poorly taught, we bear responsibility since we are accountable to God for what we teach. False teachers and weak teachers will speak for a fee, saying whatever they are paid to say. However, in our text, Paul lays responsibility for the absence of sound doctrine at the feet of professed believers who are unwilling to break free from their old life, giving themselves fully to the new. These wanna’ be Christians grow dissatisfied with the message of life because it is too demanding of them; so they seek a “spiritual answer” that is more convenient. Convenience and personal satisfaction drives their search.
The pious façade that adorns the exterior of many of the professed saints of God is no indication of character. Character is the expression of what lies inside; and the inner man is fortified by the Spirit of God. The Christian that is energised by the Spirit of God seeks truth and gladly embraces the truth though it stings because it condemns unrighteousness and ungodliness; the Christian knows that the truth of God is necessary if he will be godly and strong in the Faith. Those professed Christians who have surrendered to worldly values and sinful desires of various sorts have exchanged the demands of the Word for immediate convenience and personal comfort. Having embraced the values of this dying world, it is the very thing they have embraced that determines what type of teaching they will tolerate.
This is a vital point that must not be overlooked. Those whom Paul describes as deceived have deceived themselves. For having adopted the values and desires associated with this dying world, they no longer are capable of deciding what is healthy; now, they are at the mercy of their own desires which drain them of spiritual energy and renders them ineffectual in their Christian walk. What was then ongoing within the church at Ephesus is seen prophetically—the condition will continue throughout the age, growing more pronounced as the age draws to a conclusion, until during the Tribulation the apostate faith that will then remain on the earth will have no possibility of presenting what is right and healthy.
It is especially tragic that false teachers, perhaps even imagining that they are doing the work of God, will prove only too ready to provide a satisfying alternative to the healthy doctrine that Paul describes. The Apostle identifies these alternatives as “myths” in contrast to the truth of apostolic doctrine. This has been a constant theme throughout the Pastoral Letters. Consider just a few instances. As he opens the first letter to Timothy, Paul writes, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” [
1 Timothy 1:3, 4]. Later in the same letter he warns, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness” [ 1 Timothy 4:7].
The theme of myths supplanting truth is prominent in Paul’s Letter to Titus when he instructs Titus, “Rebuke [insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers] sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” [
Titus 1:13-16].
The theme is echoed by Peter who says of the message he presented together with the other Apostles, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” [
2 Peter 1:16].
Fix firmly in your mind the truth that though “there will be false teachers among [the churches], who will secretly bring in destructive heresies” [see
2 Peter 2:1], these enervating doctrines would never find a place among the churches if the people were not disposed to and insistent on “turn[ing] away from the truth and wander[ing] off into myths.” The healthy doctrine that Paul presented and which is necessary for strong saints, points all to Christ. There is no controversy in this teaching. On the other hand, the myths that false teachers bring and that the people will increasingly demand created “an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth” [ 1 Timothy 6:4].
I want to take one moment longer to speak of the means for guarding against error such as described by the Apostle. First, each member of the Body is responsible to make himself or herself familiar with the Word and the will of God—this is a shared responsibility. Each Christian must ruthlessly reject the temptation to seek what makes him or her comfortable, seeking rather to ensure that the things taught are the will of God. Again, each Christian must accept the responsibility to ensure that what is taught in the congregation accords with sound doctrine. Each of us is responsible to humbly accept the implanted Word which is able to save the soul. Avoid argument; rather examining what is taught to ensure that it agrees with the revealed Word which has been delivered for our benefit.
We must remove from our mind any thought that the congregation is a hierarchy—there are no classes of saints. In the assembly there are only “saints” and “ain’ts.” Either we are redeemed, or we are lost. There are elders appointed by God, but they are members of the congregation. Pastors are not hired; they are supported so they can give their full attention to the ministry of the Word. Every member is a minister—a servant performing the tasks which the Master, the Head of the Church, has assigned. When we truly understand this truth we will see the assembly as the Body of Christ, reflecting the presence of the Living God at work through His redeemed people.
Where has the Master placed you? You are not a member of the church, though your name may appear on a church roll, if you have not been born from above. Your first need is to be saved, through faith in the Risen, Reigning Son of God. Christ died because of our sin and rose from the dead so that we might be right with God. Therefore, the Word of God invites all people to faith in this Living Son of God.
The Word is very clear in stating, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” That passage then cites the words of the Prophet Joel, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [
Romans 10:9, 10, 13].
Our sincere prayer is that you have this faith that saves. If you do, we urge you to seek out a congregation where the sound doctrine of the Word is proclaimed that you might grow and that you might fulfil the service to which the Master has appointed you. Make that decision today. God bless you as you seek His will. Amen.
----
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2]Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Attempts at the Impossible,”
The Sword and Trowel, December 1888, http://www.spurgeon.org/s_and_t/dg12.htm, accessed 22 December 2009
[3] Spurgeon, ibid.
[4] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO 2002)
[5] Roughly transliterated, the Greek
is “hygienic didactics.” hugiainoúsēs didaskalías
[6] The NET Bible First Edition (Biblical Studies Press, 2006)
[7] Knute Larson, Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Broadman and Holman, Nashville, TN 2000) 320
[8] The NET Bible First Edition (Biblical Studies Press, 1996-2006)
[9] Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press, New York, 2005)
[10] Notes on books by Gerald Reed, “Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers,” 04/25/2006, http://reedings.com/soul_searching, accessed 26 December 2009; Scott Korb, “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” 7 April, 2005, The Revealer, http://www.therevealer.org/archives/timeless_001837.php, accessed 26 December 2009 | 32,675 | 13,422 | 0.000077 |
warc | 201704 | March 3, 2008, 4:07 am
In a bid to woo blue-collar voters in Ohio before Tuesday’s presidential primaries, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are locked in a rhetorical race to the bottom to trash free trade and NAFTA.
During their February 26 debate in Cleveland, Sen. Clinton denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement as “flawed” and blamed it for closing factories in Ohio and upstate New York. Not to be outdone, Sen. Obama claimed that “if you travel through Youngstown and you travel through communities in my home state of Illinois, you will see entire cities that have been devastated as a consequence of trade agreements” such as NAFTA.
Both pledged to withdraw the United States from the agreement if Canada and Mexico refuse to add “enforceable” labor and environmental standards.
Obama and Clinton are peddling the false hope that tinkering with a 14-year-old trade agreement will somehow bring an industrial renaissance to Youngstown and other Rust Belt cites.
Why? Because the relative decline of those regions dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, decades before NAFTA, when the American economy began to undergo a structural change away from heavy industry toward a more sustainable, information-based service economy.
The real record of NAFTA is overwhelmingly positive. Since it took effect on January 1, 1994, the agreement has delivered its central promise of more trade and deeper economic integration between the United States and our two next-door neighbors.
IN THE DECADE and a half of the “NAFTA era,” the U.S. economy has added a net 26 million new jobs. The average real hourly compensation (wages and benefits) earned by American workers has climbed 23 percent, while real household income is up 13 percent.
Home values have more than doubled and stock prices have tripled, boosting real median household net worth by a third. Poverty, crime, and divorce rates are all down significantly since NAFTA.
Even U.S. manufacturing has prospered in the NAFTA era. According to the Federal Reserve Board, real manufacturing output in 2007 was 66 percent higher than before NAFTA. In recent years, U.S. manufacturers have enjoyed record output, revenue, exports, and profits.
Since NAFTA, U.S. manufacturing investment in Mexico has averaged a modest $2 billion a year — a tiny fraction of the $150 billion or more those same companies invest annually in domestic manufacturing capacity. American factories actually added a net half a million new manufacturing jobs in the five years after NAFTA.
The loss of manufacturing jobs in Ohio and elsewhere since 2000 has not been because of NAFTA, but because of increased automation and our own domestic slowdown. U.S. factories are producing more and better stuff with fewer workers because their workers have become so much more productive.
Behind the trend has been a shift of production down South to non-union, right-to-work states, and up the value chain to more technology-intensive products.
Ohio workers would pay a heavy price for pulling out of NAFTA. Canada and Mexico are the top two markets for exports from Ohio, accounting for more than half of the state’s exports in 2006.
According to the Ohio Department of Development, 283,500 workers in the state earn their living in the export sector, with machinery, car parts, aircraft engines, and optical/medical equipment among the leading exports. A trade showdown with our NAFTA partners would put those good-paying jobs at risk.
THE IRONY OF THIS Democratic cat fight over NAFTA is that the agreement was one of the most important policy triumphs of the previous Democratic administration. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore fought successfully for the agreement, which passed Congress in November 1993 with the support of 102 Democrats in the House.
Hillary Clinton boasts about the robust U.S. economy of the 1990s as evidence of sound economic stewardship, yet she and Obama now reject the free-trade policies that were an integral part of that record.
In contrast to Democratic backpeddling, Republican front runner John McCain has grasped the free-trade banner. Sen. McCain, like all recent Democratic and Republican presidents, understands that embracing global markets is key to America’s future prosperity. McCain has compiled one of the strongest free-trade voting records in the Senate, while Obama and Clinton have usually voted against trade liberalization.
Democratic opposition to NAFTA and free trade is not driven by any real facts on the ground, but by special interest politics. Led by the Teamsters and the AFL-CIO, organized labor blames trade for declining membership, even though the share of American workers belonging to unions has been eroding steadily since the 1950s.
Backtracking on NAFTA and other trade agreements will not restore a previous era of glory to organized labor or Youngstown, Ohio. It will only slow America’s own economic progress while unnecessarily alienating our closest neighbors. | 5,060 | 2,491 | 0.000408 |
warc | 201704 | Readers of this blog via RSS should know that I have now corrected many typos etc from the last post. I must try to more careful in future!
. “If we work less overtime, it would mean less money,” said Wu, an employee from China’s Hunan province.
Another worker from Hunan, 25-year-old Chen Yamei, said she and others are there to “work and not to play.” She has been an employee at Foxconn for four years, and earns about $634 per month.
“We have just been told that we can only work a maximum of 36 hours a month of overtime,” she said. “I tell you, a lot of us are unhappy with this. We think that 60 hours of overtime a month would be reasonable and that 36 hours would be too little.”
This is the predictable andy deplorable outcome of the monstering of Apple over conditions at the Foxconn plant. This has combined a strong streak of anti-Apple spite amongst a large number of tech commentators who think they can drive traffic up by annoying Apple’s many fans, and a strong streak of anti-capitalism, including a kind of soft anti-capitalism from people who do not condemn market economies as such, but are quick to condemn the way they work in practice to an extent which prevents the real operation of markets, and which would lead us back to state domination of the economy and society if put into practice .
As the result of bad publicity, Apple joined the Fair Labour Association, which audited Foxconn plants in China. Click here to see the FLA report and decide for yourself if it justifies the anti-Apple monitoring. I would say not. The most dramatic finding is that Foxconn is breaking the law in China on working hours which are restricted to 49 hours. The law is not broken because of Foxconn imposed working hours, but because of the demand by employees to do over time. This is hopelessly unrealistic legislation for a high income country, and even more so for a low income country. Low paid workers, which generally means low skill workers, want to to work more than those kind of hours. Increasing basic salaries to counteract that would price such workers out of the market. This kind of legislation leads to institutionalised law breaking. You can be absolutely sure that many Chinese companies ignore that law and treat workers worse than Foxconn. The FLA report certainly suggests, if indirectly, that Foxconn is a one of the more decent employers in China. After the law breaking on hours, the most dramatic FLA criticism is that the company avoided paying 14% (fourteen per cent) of its workers for all overtime worker by only paying for overtime in 30 minute blocks, so that the last 29 minutes worked might not be compensated. Not great, but worth all the outrage in the West? Really?
On the Apple bashing side, the illusion and downright lie has been created that Foxconn is purely an Apple operation. It assembles products for a number of tech companies. The success of Apple and the unusual devotion of many Apple customers to its products, and sense of identity with the company, creates a counter reaction to put it politely. Putting it less politely, a lot to tech journalists, blog commentators, and sometimes anonymous Microsoft employees (yes really, it is well known that Microsoft astroturfs, creates artificial grass roots reactions, against its rivals), lose touch with objectivity to the extent that lies about Apple spread through the web very quickly. Some stupid things are said by Apple fans as well, but nothing as concerted and damaging as false claims that Foxconn is a purely Apple operation, and associated exaggerations about working conditions.
Now it’s reasonable that we should all be concerned with the life conditions of fellow humans all over the world, including working conditions, but there are forms of expressing that concern which harm the supposed beneficiaries of that concern. In the worst case patronising pity, enjoyment of moral superiority, and instinctive anti-capitalism have highly destructive effects. Let’s identify the main misconception.
If people in less wealthy countries have worse salaries and conditions of work than in the wealthy countries, they are being exploited, and something should be done to improve those salaries and conditions.
What is that way of thinking overlooking?
1. Relatively good salaries and working conditions are the consequence of growing wealth, and cannot be achieved except through growing wealth.
2. Following on from the previous point, presuming there is competition between employers, then employee salaries are a reasonable reflection of the productivity of those employees, of the values they are adding while at work.
3. Also following on from the first point, presuming there is competition between employers, working conditions will reflect the trade off workers themselves make between salaries and working conditions. That is workers will accept unpleasant working conditions if that brings down the cost of their labour in a way that will lead to employers hiring them at a salary those workers consider acceptable.
4. There is a limit on what employers can pay employees, and what the conditions of work can be, set by the price that employers can sell products at, and what they have to pay for other inputs. If there is competition between employers then employees will have a salary and have conditions which reflects the maximum that can be charged for products and the minimum that can be paid for other products.
5. Following on from 4, pressure from well meaning lobbies in wealthy countries which push up salaries and/or improve working conditions will lead to less workers being employed by an enterprise.
6. In a low income country, now, like high income countries in the past, many people will be willing to work for very long hours to reach a minimum standard of living, reach the margin beyond pure subsistence which is narrower than in high income countries. That is, people want to work long hours to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living, and the wish to do this is the wish of workers not employers who take pleasure in making workers suffering. Possibly some managers at Foxconn are sadists who want to make workers suffer, but no more so than at any other employer, private or public in the world. Foxconn has workers who work very long hours because those workers prefer it. There is very limited advantage in employers having workers do very long hours of overtime compare with hiring more workers. In fact, the trade off between workers who are less efficient and the costs of hiring more full time workers must often lean in the direction of hiring more workers. However, most employers will feel some need to make existing employees happy and not annoy them too much.
7. When considering salaries and working conditions we must consider the broad alternatives open to workers,and the conditions that they and their parents experienced in recent history. The alternative for industrial workers in urban China has been rural property, the harsh life of peasants. Foxconn is part of the great poverty reduction program created by the liberalisation of the Chinese economy, limited by real, since the late 1970s. Yes the salaries and conditions do not look good by the standards of high income nations, but the important issue is the direction of living standards in China, and what has produced those increasing living standards.
8. Presuming salaries and conditions do improve in a company where they have been at the low end (and it’s not at all clear that Foxconn is in that category within China) what is the overall consequence?. Employees clearly benefit, but who those employees are changes. The workforce becomes ‘gentrified’, that is more highly qualified people from more advantaged groups apply for, and get those jobs. Those jobs are not open for less qualified people, and those who are historically discriminated against in the labour market and in other ways. They may well find that all the remaining jobs for which they are considered have worse salaries and conditions than the ‘exploitative’ enterprise had offered. You cannot legislate all discrimination out of existence by will, an open labour market which does not price disadvantaged workers out, is much more likely to overcome discrimination, by giving everyone a chance to show their worth as employees, though it certainly does not solve all problems.
9. With regard to the point above, there is competition between employers in large cities in China, so salaries and working conditions do reflect a trade off that has been chosen by employees. Of course Foxconn employees would like higher salaries (as the FLA report ‘reveals’), who doesn’t. Of course salaries look terribly low to westerners, but so do all low and middle level salaries in China.
The monitoring of Apple over Foxconn is a long and sordid story. It began with claims that Foxconn employees were committing suicide in epidemic numbers. This was based on ignoring two facts: that Foxconn employs hundreds of thousands of people so that the number of people committing suicide was a lot less dramatic than appeared without mentioning that fact; the fact that the suicide rate was lower than the national average in China, so that story disappeared, at least from the mainstream. Then another wave came, which was partly the consequence of a one man play by Mike Daisey, which was shown to include accusations about Foxconn and Apple based on Daisey’s imagination, not facts. The multiple discrediting and the ‘revelation’ that a lot of Foxconn employees want long hours, may lead some people to think again. I can only hope so.
The new President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Joachim Gauck, quoted the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002), in his inauguration speech of 23rd March. This link leads to a German only text, but GoogleTranslate, and similar services, should make this available to everyone.
This is the vital passage (hat tip to Union of European Federalists via Facebook feed).
Der Philosoph Hans-Georg Gadamer war der Ansicht, nach den Erschütterungen der Geschichte erwarte speziell uns in Europa eine „wahre Schule“ des Miteinanders auf engstem Raum. „Mit dem Anderen leben, als der Andere des Anderen leben.“ Darin sah er die ethische und politische Aufgabe Europas. Dieses Ja zu Europa gilt es nun ebenfalls zu bewahren. Gerade in Krisenzeiten ist die Neigung, sich auf die Ebene des Nationalstaats zu flüchten, besonders ausgeprägt. Das europäische Miteinander ist aber ohne den Lebensatem der Solidarität nicht gestaltbar.
(My rough translation] The philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer was of the view that the shocks of history, there had arisen in Europe a ‘true school’ of being with each other in a limited space. ‘We must live with other as the other of others’. In that he saw the ethical and political concept of Europe. There is also something to beware of in Europe. In times of crisis there is a particularly pronounced tendency to escape into nationalism. The European being with each other is not be conceived without the life breath of solidarity.
Gauck is a priest who lived through the Socialist era in East Germany, and is on the centre-right. I have seen Gadamer quoted by conservative politicians before. Gadamer’s respect for tradition, his preference for a form of Enlightenment that is not negative with reference to what comes before his interest in the continuity, and historically rooted aspect of interpretation (the main focus of his ‘hermeneutical’ philosophy), most notably in his 1960 book,
Truth and Method , makes him a suitable reference for the moderate right. The moderate aspect is reinforced by the consensualist aspect of Gadamer’s thought, which emphasises agreement on interpretation of texts, laws and anything else that might be an object of hermeneutics. There is a theological aspect to Gadamer’s thought, which he puts at the origins of Hermeneutic philosophy, through the tradition of Biblical interpretation. The most obvious message from Gauck’s way of referring to Gadamer is social tolerance , including tolerance of difference, and not in the minimal sense of tolerance, but in a stronger sense of integration into a common ethical and political enterprise. Something for both pure ‘multi-cultıuralists’ who emphasise difference between communities and assimilationists who think communities must be fully part of the dominant culture. Presumably Gauck has immigration and the growth of the Muslim population in mind, amongst other things.
If ı go any further I will go beyond the immediate context of the speech. An interesting moment for those concerned both with philosophy and with political life.
In my usual prolix way, I left a very long response to a Facebook post about Turkey. So I think I should post it on my blog. I’m responding to an article from
The New Yorker, ‘Letter from Turkey: The Deep State, The Prime Minister is revered as a moderate, but how far will he go to stay in power’ by Dexter Filkins (a real New Yorker name).
This is a good article. The one big gap is that they don’t seem to have picked up on the strength of tensions between Gülentists (followers of Fetullah Gülen, who leads the biggest religious community in Turkey, often known just as The Community)and non-Gülentists in the AKP. Also, they left out the ways in which the old ‘Kemalist’ (republican secularists linked to the Army, directly or in sentiments) establishment itself allied with religious conservatives at times. Essentially the article is what I was saying in conversations and in internet forums a few years ago. That is AKP (the governing party in Turkey) is Turkish nationalist and statist at heart, continued a pre-existing reform process, but has no genuine liberalising vision of its own, and is prepared to use unpleasant means to stay in power, and has used a parodic image of Kemalism to get misguided support from liberal opinion inside Turkey, and beyond.. I might seem to be childishly saying ‘I told you so’ (in relation to liberal-left fans of the AKP in general, and both libertarians and some parts of Marxist/Post-Marxist left opinion, yes really they have common ground ), but the fact is I did. There are a few points I would quibble with in the article,
Aydınlık (Enlightenment) magazine could more accurately be described as far left with nationalist leanings, than ultranationalist. Some of the reforms attributed to Erdoğan (e.g. Kurdish language rights) took place under the arch-Kemalist predecessor, Bülent Ecevit. The article hints at, but does not make entirely clear the ambiguity in Turkey about who, and is who not, part of prevailing power. The relation of left-Kemalists to the state in the past is the most obvious example. Underlying the AKP/Gülenist take over of the state has been a division of secular democratic forces between Kemalists and anti-Kemalists, both purveying parodic negative views of each other. I hope we can now start to see a more nuanced debate about the negative and positive sides of Turkish republicanism, and new political groups emerging beyond some of the old divisions.
It’s hard to believe it decades after Civil Rights movement in America and the related legislation that went through Congress, but a white racist vigilante can kill a 17 year old African-American and not even be charged, or detained even briefly, by the police.
An unarmed 17 year old African-American, Travyon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman, a Neighbour Watch leader in a gated community who has been in constant touch with the police for years. Martin was walking home afar buying sweets. A police officer warned Zimmerman not to chase Matin when he phoned to communicate the information that he had seen something suspicious, i.e. a young black man walking through his community. Zimmerman ignored that advice, chased Martin and shot him dead. Not only was Zimmerman armed while Travyon was not, he is a lot bigger and stronger. The police appear to have let him off on the grounds of self-defence while tussling with Travyon. Utterly bizarre. Even in the unlikely event that Travyon was wining the alleged fight, shooting is to say the least a disproportionate reaction. Furthermore the police influenced a witness to revise testimony, failed to carry out basic procedures of testing Zimmerman for drugs and alcohol, and failed to make a medical examination to see if Zimmerman had been hurt in a fight, as he seems to have been claiming. The police also lied at first about Zimmerman’s criminal record, claiming he had none.
The police are now claiming that they cannot arrest Zimmerman because they lack ‘probable cause’. I’m sure that whatever ultra-narrow, and fastidious, definition they are using of ‘probable cause’ would be applied if an African-American shot the 17 year old son of a police officer. (Not everyone gets sarcasm, apparently, so just to be clear that was sarcasm). A police officer has equated the victim with his murderer, by saying that both would wish they had acted differently on the day of the killing.
As one would expect, there is a big reaction to this in America, and appeals are being made to the FBI and to the Federal Attorney General to get involved. So more than 50 years after Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, it may still necessary for federal authorities to intervene in a former Confederate State to obtain justice for an African-American victim of an illegal killing. Despite the outrage, racist killer Zimmerman is still free and the grotesque police officers who have allowed this situation are still employed to ‘protect and serve’.
It’s possible that some facts might emerge to make the killing less heinous than it might seem, but it’s impossible to see how that could leave Zimmerman guilty of anything less than manslaughter. Unless Travyon had a gang of thug friends round the corner ready to punch on him, or Travyon suddenly revealed himself to have superhuman fighting powers. (Sarcasm again).
There is a very little something that anyone can do, sign a relevant petition by clicking here.
Some links about the story
I’ve made the effort to check out what defence there might be of Zimmerman’s action and only a wild contrarian or a grotesque racist would be at all impressed. The only ‘defence’ is that he pulled a gun during a supposed fight with a smaller weaker unarmed man. Maybe Travyan did try to fight back against Zimmerman’s harassment, what defence would that be for Zimmerman?
Just found this in the Spam folder of my university email account.
Hello,
My name is Younan Matta from Syria, I am a top Government functionary in the present government in Syria, I am in a dire need of a trust worthy individual/Organization who can receive and invest the sum of $7,200,000.00 (Seven Million Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on my behalf, the need for this is as a result of the ongoing crisis in my country, Syria and I’m planing to relocate with my family.
For your help and trustworthiness I will compensate you with 30% of the total sum and a stake in whatever business that will be setup by you with this fund in future.
If you are interested and can assure me of your honesty and capability of handling this project, Please get back to me on the following email:mattayounan@yahoo.com for more details, otherwise kindly delete this message and please don’t disclose the content to a third party to avoid putting my life in more dangers.
Thanks
Younan Matta
The struggle of Syrian people for liberty and democracy is a great movement, sadly darkened by the cruelty of the Assad regime and its sadistic thugs. This email may provide light relief, if that doe snot sound offensive. It does show how corruption breeds corruption. The corruption inherent in a regime like that of Assad, which can only stay in power through creating a community of state employees and hangers on united by complicity in corruption and violence. That corruption provides opportunities for fraud by crooks trying to lure the gullible and morally weak, with the promise of a share in the gains of corruption. Just another little reason for wishing for the end of tyranny in Syria, and everywhere else in the world. | 20,661 | 8,876 | 0.000115 |
warc | 201704 | A workshop is not learning. Learning is what happens as you absorb and use the information gained in the workshop to change your behavior, attitude, and world. HOW WE WASTE Three things happen too often in organizations when people attend off-site learning events: 1) They do not learn anything 2) They learn, but are not recognized for what they have learned 3) They learn and are recognized, but nothing else happens WHY WE WASTE The reasons why this is so vary: 1) Those responsible do not set professional expectations for those attending. If the employee has not been told why they are going away or what is expected of them as they return, they will fill that void with their own ideas about what should occur and what is important. This is great for those at the higher end of the self-motivated employee list, but disastrous for most others. 2) Those responsible do not follow-up in a timely or focused fashion with those who attended. Asking and probing about what the employee learned goes a long way toward reinforcing both the focus of the employee’s time away and the importance of what they bring back. Asking a month later doesn’t count … 3) Those responsible do not trust the change process to actually, well, change things. Ever had the experience of coming back from a workshop or conference just brimming with enthusiasm and on fire to make things different … to be eitehr ignored or even worse, told to cool it? To use the professional terminology, that “sucks”. 4) Those responsible do not recognize or accept the value of learning. Sigh … I hate to speak ill of those responsible, but some managers and leaders just do not value learning. Maybe they believe that learning consists of fads which are temporary and just waste time. Possibly they feel that formal learning, as occurs at workshops and professional conferences, is not a valid method for transformation and change. Some may just not be very bright and do not appreciate the value of learning, because their own learning has not been valued by others. Whatever the cause, if the learning brought back by the employee is not valued, it will probably not survive. 5) Those responsible view learning events as just that – events, to be checked off a list or a personal development plan. This reason relates directly to number 4. If learning is not valued. learning events are seen at best as necessary evils. Something to be endured, completed, and filed away. We’ve probably used the term “butts in seats” to describe this mentality, which views the events as the requirement, rather than the outcome of the event. HOW TO NOT WASTE So, some simple guidance: 1) Identify the expected outcomes of any learning event and communicate those expectations clearly to those attending … before the event. 2) Explain specifically how you expect them to meet these expectations. 3) Prepare those attending by providing support materials or preparatory activities to enhance what they will receive at the event. 4) Schedule immediate follow-up after they complete the learning event. No, not the morning after they return … a little later. Let the learning gel for a small amount of time. 5) Listen to what they say. Ask questions and probe to find how their knowledge has changed and how deep their committment is to what they have learned. Reflect on what they now have to offer. 6) Collaboratively plan on how they will share their new knowledge with the organization. Keep in mind: They are now the experts in whatever they were sent off to learn. 7) If legitimate and overriding reasons exist not to use the new knowledge, explain those and thank them for their efforts. These reasons must be compelling and significant. 8) If change is to occur (Best Scenario), support them with resources, action, and words through all levels of the organization. In this day, formal professional development less often comes in the form of a day away at a workshop or a week at a professional conference. The advent of online professional development, distance learning, virtual conferences, and other cost-effective learning events has changed the landscape … in some ways. You still have to plan, follow-up, and support those who learn on behalf of the organization. What have I missed or misstated? Remembering both time-wasting and world-changing conference experiences in the Heartland …. John | 4,436 | 2,018 | 0.000504 |
warc | 201704 | With only one month left in Tabora, I wanted to write a farewell post summarizing the last few months, especially highlighting our progress in January, our most successful since I arrived. In January we almost doubled our profit from December and had our highest revenue ever. January revenue was over TZS 2,400,000, costs around TZS 1,400,000, and profit TZS 1,000,000. In addition to January’s success, the business has achieved relatively consistent revenue and profit in the past seven months. As the graph below demonstrates, revenue from July to December 2015 stayed between TZS 1.2 million and TZS 1.6 million, while profit (except for August) stayed in the range of TZS 350,000 to TZS 600,000. Consistency in profit is difficult to attain because input costs fluctuate dependent on the season, altering the profit margins for each product which creates risk within he business.
Despite the consistent performance, there are a few aspects of the Tabora business that are still fragile. First among the business’s weak points is its checks and balances system. Each Partner has her own bookkeeping responsibilities, summarized in the following table.
On paper the checks and balances system is relatively simple. But in practice the Partners’ due diligence often falls short. I frequently will find small mathematical errors in Mama Tabia’s sales book, which can trickle down and create issues with our buyer’s debts. There is a lot of room for human error, which is why this system has required so much oversight by me and by Ground Team up to this point. However, in order to guarantee small errors do not occur, this checks and balance system is crucial for business’ success.
Another weak point of the business has been aligning production with buyer demand. On one hand, we don’t want to overproduce, driving up costs and keeping too high an inventory since our products are perishable. Yet on the other hand, we don’t want to produce too little and lose out on a revenue opportunity in case a large order comes in. Up to now our production schedule has been set week by week on Mondays. But Mama Tabia often receives calls later in the week from buyers demanding products, and we wouldn’t have enough inputs to fill every order. It was stressful for the Partners. They would want to carry out the sale, especially if it was a slow week, but normally we would not have enough supplies, and we’d lose the order.
A major part of this juggling act involves the reality that transporting inputs and finished products is expensive. For the past few months we have tried to reduce our transportation costs but no system has worked that well thus far. Hesitant to overspend on supplies, we found ourselves buying too little and running out early. We’d then purchase inputs mid-week because we didn’t have enough in our inventory, but we’d take a hit on the extra transportation costs, reducing profit. We needed to find a system that would allow us to consistently buy inputs, minimizing transportation costs, while also allowing for the flexibility of buyer demand. Our new production schedule was designed to tackle both these problems.
I am confident that the Tabora Business will be a successful, self-sustaining business. I have seen my partners work tirelessly to make the business work. They have shown more enthusiasm in recent weeks than at any other time since I arrived in August. The dedication is there; the human capital is there. Now it is a matter of consistency, diligence and working together.The intent of the plan displayed above is to standardize the number of bags we cook each week. The numbers are based on previous months averages, and Week 4 gives the business some flexibility for months that are more or less busy than the average. | 3,835 | 1,827 | 0.000558 |
warc | 201704 | Your little one is growing up. Surely you will miss a lot except his dirty diapers. Maybe it is about time to potty train your kid. How to know if he’s ready shouldn’t be a problem. You will notice a change in his interests and abilities and by that, you can decide if it is time or not.
There is a widespread belief that boys are harder to train than girls. If you have a HE, maybe you are stressed out of this idea. But that is certainly untrue in all cases. No scientific explanation actually supports the thought but rather experiences that coincide with one another.
Potty train boys
Unless you have experienced potty training before, it would be tough enough to know how to potty train boys for the first time.
Tips on potty training for boys Check the timing
The best trick in easier potty training is actually picking the right time. When your little boy seems to put interest in potty training, he starts by updating you about his wet or dirty diapers.
However, boys aged 2-3 are very active so you need to focus on observing the signals they are portraying. Forcing your son is of no help. It is still best not to compare your son with others because every child is different.
Just keep in mind that when a child is physically and mentally prepared, he will be able to control his bladder and bowels to keep himself clean and dry. All children, regardless of age, experience the odd accident particularly when they are excited, upset or in the extremity of their emotions.
Try sitting first
Teach your son to sit first when urinating. Most moms find this effective to start with as this can minimize messes. Using your regular toilet can bring you worries that your little one might fall in so it is practical to buy a good quality potty chair to help your child adapt to this habit based on his height.
Let him observe dad
It is a challenge for your toddler to finally learn to pee standing up
. A number of experienced mothers suggest that in able to help your child, make him observe his dad or other older male children while urinating to set an example. This will motivate your little one to start doing the same. Use the target technique
Make it a fun learning time for your child. One strategy many moms share is the toss a circle shaped cereal into the toilet and let him target-practice.
Encourage your child
Vigorous toddler boys may not want to stop what they’re doing. In order to make them use the toilet or keep on the toilet long enough to rest and go, frequent motivation is very important. You may give him incentives every time he practices the things you are teaching him. Commending him repetitively may also be helpful as it gives your little one the confidence to continue doing such.
Patience is a virtue
Ditching the diapers is one of the things you are eager to do. But how to train your toddler can be exhausting as they are in the rise of their liveliness. Being patient requires you to further understand your little one and this is the best way you can help him learn more quickly.
Common dilemmas in potty training boys Child puts no interest in potty at all
Your child must not be ready yet. Sooner or later, he will be interested. You can use some techniques to motivate him though.
Child is too active
It is common for children to be highly active so just be patient and things will continue to get better.
Just when you thought things are doing well, there’s this odd accident
Don’t expect it to be perfect in an instant. These accidents are common especially when potty training. Your child needs your understanding so be mindful to never reprimand him for this will discourage him and may give him a stressful potty training experience.
Child will be starting school and still wetting
When your child has low control over his bowel or bladder, this will be very frustrating for him so as you will. In this case, show support by telling him not to worry because you’re always there to help.
You may consult to your GP or health advisor to get some guidance in helping you resolve your problem.
Child starts to wet again after a while
Be sympathetic. If this happens, there are probably factors affecting him. It could be emotional— disruption, adjustment on new house, new school, etc. It could also mean he has bladder infection, constipation or other related medical problems. It is better to get advice from your GP about it.
Mothers say: “I have three boys and didn’t have much problems potty training them. Just be patient and things will get along well.”—Jessica D., stay-at-home mom of 3 boys “I bought a potty chair and started potty training my boy when he was 18 months old. It was quite early and I’ve had little problems keeping him dry. Eventually, he began doing things well and I’m proud that he didn’t make it a hard time for me.” — Courtney S., first-time mom of a boy “Reading tips on the internet helped me get an easier potty training experience for my toddler. Even though he’s terribly active, I managed to motivate him and now, he’s 3 years old and doesn’t get wet even at night.” — Christine M., entrepreneur, mom of 1 boy and 1 girl | 5,248 | 2,456 | 0.000419 |
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