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warc | 201704 | Abstract
Abstract Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) prevents brain aging, enhances the cerebral metabolism and interacts with energy substrates. The interaction between lactate and DHEA on glucose uptake and lactate oxidation by various nervous structures was investigated and results demonstrate that the 2- 14C-deoxiglucose (2- 14C-Dglucose) uptake was stimulated by 10 mM lactate in the hypothalamus and olfactory bulb, inhibited in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, and unaffected in the hippocampus. We also show that, in both the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus, 14C-lactate oxidation was higher than 14C-glucose oxidation ( p ≤ 0.001), demonstrating a relevant role for lactate as energy substrate. The interaction of lactate and 10 −8 M DHEA was tested and, although DHEA had no significant effect on uptake in the cerebellum, hippocampus, or hypothalamus, 10 −8 M DHEA increased the 2- 14C-Dglucose uptake in the cerebral cortex in the presence of lactate ( p ≤ 0.001), and in the olfactory bulb in the absence of lactate ( p < 0.05). However, DHEA had no significant effect on 14C-lactate oxidation. We suggest that DHEA improves glucose uptake in specific conditions. Thus, DHEA may affect CNS metabolism and interact with lactate, which is the most important neuronal energy substrate, on glucose uptake. | 1,338 | 619 | 0.001644 |
warc | 201704 | OBJECTIVE:
To determine whether the presence of an on-site, organized, supervised critical service improves care and decreases resource utilization.
DESIGN:
The study compared two patient cohorts admitted to a surgical intensive care unit during the same period of time. The study cohort was cared for by an on-site critical care team supervised by an intensivist. The control cohort was cared for by a team with patient care responsibilities in multiple sites supervised by a general surgeon. The main outcome measures were duration of stay, resource utilization, and complication rate.
SETTING:
Study patients were general surgical patients in an academic medical center.
RESULTS:
Despite having higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, patients cared for by the critical care service spent less time in the surgical intensive care unit, used fewer resources, had fewer complications and had lower total hospital charges. The difference between the two cohorts was most evident in patients with the worst APACHE II score.
CONCLUSIONS:
Critical care interventions are expensive and have a narrow safety margin. It is essential to develop structured and validated approaches to study the delivery of this resource. In this study, the critical care service model performed favorably both in terms of quality and cost. | 1,351 | 709 | 0.001422 |
warc | 201704 | Since the poliomyelitis eradication program began in 1988, the number of poliovirus infected continents and countries have decreased from five to two and from greater than 100 to 53, respectively. A nearly 90% reduction in the incidence of polio has been achieved with a corresponding decrease in virus genomic heterogeneity. Major challenges to eradication remain in south Asia and Africa in those areas with hot and humid climates, high population density, and high birth rates. Of particular concern are countries with ongoing social unrest and poor health infrastructure. With the approaching eradication of polio, post-eradication issues are now being addressed. The World Health Organization (WHO) draft plan for containment of wild polioviruses has been published for comment. Commissions and committees for certification of eradication have been established. Still under discussion is the question of the appropriate strategy for stopping oral polio vaccine (OPV) immunization. Studies are underway to determine whether vaccine-derived polioviruses will continue to circulate after OPV cessation and the potential disease consequences of that circulation. | 1,165 | 651 | 0.001539 |
warc | 201704 | Zocor is available as a film coated tablet for treating high cholesterol. It can be easily purchased from Onlineclinic, quickly with delivery as soon as next day without the need to see your doctor first. It contains the active ingredient Simvastatin, known for its successful use in lowering cholesterol. As a result it can reduce the chance of patients developing complications related to high cholesterol when taken daily.
You can order Zocor online in 10, 20, 40 and 80mg tablet packs of 84 per pack and have it delivered to your door the very same day within the London postcode area. If you live outside of this area, you can still benefit from a speedy service receiving your medication in discreet packaging the next day.
Zocor can be purchased online for the treatment of high cholesterol after filling in just a short health form. It can be purchased in a single pack containing 84 tablets in strengths of 10,20,40 and 80mg. by visiting Onlineclinic to make your purchase you don't need to worry about fitting an appointment in around your usual schedule. Zocor is an effective way to treat high cholesterol in conjunction with a healthier lifestyle thus helping to prevent heart attacks, strokes and other associated ailments. Once you have ordered your first pack of Zocor, you can then use the repeat order service making the process even faster. To make ordering your next pack even easier there is a useful reminder service so you will never be without.
All you have to do to buy Zocor online is fill in the fast online consultations form. This will allow the trained doctors to ensure this is the right treatment for you. Once your request has been approved your order will be mailed discreetly to your home address, quickly and free of charge.
Zocor belongs to a type of medication known as 'statins'. The active ingredient Simvastatin has been used successfully to help lower the levels of cholesterol in the blood. In doing so the medication is able to prevent serious health problems including heart and circulatory problems that can lead to erectile dysfunction. You can buy Zocor online at Onlineclinic to effectively reduce the chance of cholesterol becoming so bad that it completely blocks blood flow.
Short facts about Zocor How to take
Zocor tablets should be swallowed whole with water once a day at evening time. If advised by your doctor the dose may be increased to one tablet twice a day.
How it works
Zocor works by lowering bad cholesterol and fats and increasing good cholesterol that your body needs. It can also help the body to process cholesterol more efficiently.
Effectiveness
Because Zocor reduces bad cholesterols and increases those that the body can utilize it can significantly reduce the chance of suffering cholesterol related health problems. Heart disease, strokes and heart disease are the main problems caused by having too much bad cholesterol in the blood. The average reduction of bad cholesterol is between 25 and 30%.
Dosages
Zocor tablets can be bought at Onlineclinic in doses of 10,20,40 and 80mg.
Side effects
Although the side effects of taking Zocor are uncommon, there is a slight chance of getting headaches, nausea and indigestion. This usually dies down once the body gets used to the dose.
Zocor works by stopping the cholesterol controlling enzyme from being produced in the liver at the same rate. They replace the existing enzyme and the liver senses that there is a reduced production of the cholesterol controlling enzyme. More receptors are produced instead to help break down bad cholesterol at a faster rate leading to a lowering of cholesterol in the blood.
Zocor should be taken exactly as prescribed. The usual starting dose is 10-20mg after which there should be an improvement of around 25 to 30%. If this is not achieved the dose can be increased to a higher dose one or even twice a day. it should be taken whole with water each evening, unless instructed differently. Once the target cholesterol level has been achieved Zocor should still be taken unless instructed differently by your doctor to maintain a healthier level of cholesterol in the blood.
Zocor for high cholesterol tablets come in packs of 84. The strength is 10,20, 40 and 80mg depending on prescribed dose.
When taking Zocor, there are a few people that experience mild side effects when they begin the medication. Once the body has gotten used to the medicine and dose the side effects should reduce and disappear. The most common side effects are stomach problems such as diarrhea, constipation and nausea. In rare cases an allergic reaction to the medication can present as a rash, swelling and other signs of skin irritation.
You should get further information on taking Zocor if you fall into any of the following categories
Reachable and friendly patient supportPatient Service online now: Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00
All inclusive service - No hidden feesAll prices include shipping & prescription
Next day deliveryGuaranteed to all orders before 4.30 pm | 5,027 | 2,205 | 0.000456 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Measurements of near-infrared scattered circular polarization Raman optical activity (SCP-ROA) are presented using laser excitation at 780 nm for samples of <i>S</i>-(−)-α-pinene and L-alanyl-L-alanine. These are the first measurements of ROA outside the blue-to-green visible region between 488 and 532 nm. Comparison of Raman and ROA intensities measured with excitation at 532 and 780 nm demonstrate that the expected frequency to the fourth-power dependence for Raman scattering and the corresponding fifth-power dependence for ROA are observed. It can be concluded that, to within this frequency dependence, the same level of efficiency of Raman and ROA measurements using commercial instrumentation with 532 nm excitation is maintained with the change to near-infrared excitation at 780 nm.PDF Article | 829 | 479 | 0.002121 |
warc | 201704 | Unified Agenda - Table of Contents 1850. ELECTRIC POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION; ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTOther Significant. Major status under 5 USC 801 is undetermined. Priority:
Priority:
Unfunded Mandates:Undetermined Legal Authority:29 USC 655(b); 40 USC 333 CFR Citation:29 CFR 1910.136; 29 CFR 1910.137; 29 CFR 1910.269; 29 CFR 1926 subpart V; 29 CFR 1926.97 Legal Deadline:None Abstract:Electrical hazards are a major cause of occupational death in the United States. The annual fatality rate for power line workers is about 50 deaths per 100,000 employees. The construction industry standard addressing the safety of these workers during the construction of electric power transmission and distribution lines is nearly 30 years old. OSHA is developing a revision of this standard that will prevent many of these fatalities, add flexibility to the standard, and update and streamline the standard. OSHA also intends to amend the corresponding standard for general industry so that requirements for work performed during the maintenance of electric power transmission and distribution installations are the same as those for similar work in construction. In addition, OSHA will be revising a few miscellaneous general industry requirements primarily affecting electric transmission and distribution work, including provisions on electrical protective equipment and foot protection. This rulemaking will also address fall protection in aerial lifts for power generation, transmission and distribution work. Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite NPRM 04/00/03 Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required:Undetermined Government Levels Affected:Undetermined Agency Contact:Steven F. Witt, Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N3605, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202 693-2222
Fax: 202 693-1663
RIN:1218-AB67
Unified Agenda - Table of Contents | 1,969 | 1,039 | 0.000967 |
warc | 201704 | This content will become publicly available on September 9, 2017
Plant-Derived Terpenes: A Feedstock for Specialty Biofuels
Research toward renewable and sustainable energy has identified candidate terpenes capable of blending/replacing petroleum-derived jet, diesel and tactical fuels. Additionally, despite being naturally produced and stored by many plants, there are few examples of commercial recovery of terpenes from plants due to low yields. Plant terpene biosynthesis is regulated at multiple levels leading to wide variability in terpene content and chemistry. Advances in the plant molecular toolkit including annotated genomes, high-throughput omics profiling and genome-editing provides an ideal platform for high-resolution analysis and in-depth understanding of plant terpene metabolism. Concomitantly, such information is useful for bioengineering strategies of metabolic pathways for candidate terpenes. Within this paper, we review the status of terpenes as an advanced biofuel and discuss the potential of plants as a viable agronomic solution for future advanced terpene-derived biofuels.
Authors:
[1]; [2]; [3]; [4]; [3]; [5]; [1] Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biology and Soft Matter Division Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia). Research School of Biology Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Department of Plant Sciences Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). School of Forest Resources and Conservation Publication Date: OSTI Identifier: 1327615 Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725 Type: Accepted Manuscript Journal Name: Trends in Biotechnology Additional Journal Information: Journal Volume: -; Journal Issue: -; Journal ID: ISSN 0167-7799 Publisher: Elsevier Research Org: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) Sponsoring Org: USDOE; ORNL LDRD Director's R&D Country of Publication: United States Language: English Subject: 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES specialty biofuels; Eucalyptus; plant secondary metabolites; systems biology; synthetic biology; terpenes | 2,202 | 1,192 | 0.000841 |
warc | 201704 | Cell phones are great for so many things. They keep us in touch with our friends, help us check up on the kids, and even provide organization and entertainment. In fact, cell phones are so popular, it seems like
everyone has one, including younger children!
But what about grandparents?
Seniors tend to get overlooked when it comes to technology. But really, several older adults use mobile phones, too. After all, it’s one of the best ways to stay connected to kids and grandkids, especially if the family lives in different locations. And with providers starting to acknowledge senior cell phone use, there’s no better time to buy Grandma or Grandpa a cell phone.
In fact, one such provider, Pure TalkUSA, is going a step further by redefining how service providers speak to seniors. Pure TalkUSA is discouraging stereotypes surrounding seniors and technology by creating a special resource section on their blog just for seniors. They also carry Senior AddVantage plans that feature several different plan options for every type of phone user – from texters, to talkers, to data-lovers. These plans are inexpensive, easy to understand, and incredibly flexible, all without pinning seniors in one category of cell phone use.
However, in order to take advantage of a great plan, seniors need cell phones! If you’re on the hunt for a cell phone for grandparents, how do you know what to look for? With so many options and phone features, it can be hard to nail down just what you need.
First things first, you need to know how your loved one plans to use their phone. Do they love to text the grandkids? Do they want to stay connected with you on Facebook? Or, would they rather use their device for chatting? Perhaps your senior only wants a cell phone for emergency use. All of these factors will help determine what type of features you need to look for in the cell phone.
Texters
If your senior loves to text, you’re going to want a device that has a senior-friendly keyboard. The buttons should be large and easy to press. As for the screen, look for one that is clear, bright, and displays text clearly (and in large font, if needed). Don’t think this limits your loved one, though! High tech devices like the iPhone include a zoom feature, so you can enlarge your keyboard
and whatever is on the display screen.
Talkers
Now, if Grandpa or Grandma prefers to chat on the phone, they may be better off with a more basic device. There’s no sense in spending an arm and a leg if they won’t use the majority of the phone’s features! For talkers, look for a phone with a clear speaker and a speed-dial feature for important contacts. If your loved one is hard of hearing, make sure the device has a great speakerphone – those handset speakers can be pretty small!
Data-Lovers
For the data-lovers, go with a device that is able to support a data plan and has plenty of room to store apps (like Facebook). A good screen will come in handy here, as well, especially if your loved one is using their phone to stream movies. A camera phone might also be needed, especially if they want to take (and post!) pictures, or video chat with the grandkids.
Emergency Users
Sometimes, people want a cell phone just in case of an emergency. This especially pertains to elderly adults who may have health issues. If your loved one wants (or needs) a device for emergency communication
only, there are some specific features the phone should have. First and foremost, look for a device that includes SOS. This is designed to call emergency services or pre-set emergency contacts with the press of a button. A phone with voice command can also come in handy for emergency situations, especially if your family member is physically unable to dial a phone number. Keep in mind that emergency phones don’t have to be the fanciest — older phones will work just fine for such communications.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to finding a device that fits your loved one’s lifestyle — whatever that lifestyle may be. Don’t get caught up in the stereotypes around seniors and technology. The focus shouldn’t be on what Grandma and Grandpa
can’t handle, but what they can. If your relative wants to be technologically savvy, encourage them to do so!
And if you’re looking for ways to help them, check out Pure TalkUSA’s senior section of their blog. The change is refreshing! | 4,475 | 2,031 | 0.000505 |
warc | 201704 | If you're a normal red-blooded investor then you want to make money. Yet too many of us throw money down the drain of the financial services industry.
Some of the best ways to throw money away in my opinion include:
Mortgage or loan payment protection insurance has to be the worst insurance ever. It is overpriced, and riddled with exclusions and get-out clauses. For most people it's a better investment to build up an emergency fund, which would cover you for three months.
Floating interest rates are almost always higher than fixed rates. So keeping the bulk of your home loan floating doesn't make sense. But don't be in too much of a hurry in the next few weeks to re-fix. The Reserve Bank is expected to drop rates in September.
Extended warranties. Shop staff love to sell extended warranties thanks to the commissions they earn. The fact is that modern appliances don't break down that often. Even if they do, you may be able to get redress under the Consumer Guarantees Act – or simply get it repaired for a lot less than you paid in insurance.
Cash advances on credit cards can prove very costly. You'll be charged up to $5 for getting cash out on your credit card. But the real sting is that you pay interest from the date of the cash advance – and that's often more than 20% per annum.
Guaranteed rents sound like a great idea for the first-time property investor. But the reality is that property prices are jacked up with these deals and you pay for your own guarantee.
Expensive fee-laden current accounts. If you don't watch it, it's easy to pay $20 or more a month in banking fees. Yet if you shop around you can get capped fees of $5-$10 a month or even pay nothing at all if you're really clever.
Mobile phone insurance. You're better off making sure your home contents insurance covers your phone.
Buying travel insurance if you have a credit card. Most gold credit cards have travel insurance as part of the package. If you travel regularly then it makes sense to switch your credit card and take advantage of the "free" insurance. Just make sure you read the fine print.
Rolling charges and insurance into a loan. Mortgages and personal loans are expensive enough. If you're charged fees on top, try to pay them up front, don't roll them into the loan or they'll cost you a small fortune by the time you've paid them off.
Life insurance churning. Life insurance sales people love to tell you they've got a better policy for you. That's because they get another bit at the commission cherry every time they "churn" you, but you risk being turned down for claims if your health has changed in the meantime.
Do you have other examples of poor value financial products? | 2,717 | 1,369 | 0.000738 |
warc | 201704 | The symptoms and issues affecting people with dementia, their carers and families
Dementia is a term that is used to describe a collection of symptoms including memory loss, problems with reasoning, perception and communication skills. It also leads to a reduction in a person's abilities and skills in carrying out routine activities such as washing, dressing and cooking.
The most common types of dementia are: Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia and Dementia with Lewy bodies. Information is available on the Alzheimer's Society website on types of dementia.
Dementia is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms are likely to get worse over time. The progression will vary from person to person and each will experience dementia in a different way.
The number of people with dementia is increasing and presents a significant and urgent challenge to health and social care, both in terms of the number of people affected and the associated cost.
Dementia has particular implications for family members or friends who are providing care and are directly affected by the changes that dementia can bring about. However it is important to be aware that with the right help people with dementia can be supported to have a good quality of life and experience a sense of well-being.
A survey of people with dementia and carers was carried out in 2011. A range of approaches were identified as important in delivering better care for people with dementia and their families/carers while in hospital. These included education and training of staff; involvement of family carers; skilled assessment, individualised care and availability of a specialist.
Staff understanding and time were the two most frequently mentioned barriers to the delivery of care. To find out more about the survey results, read:
Findings from both surveys of professionals were presented to a range of stakeholders including people with dementia and carers, to develop key messages. These have been used to develop a commitment to improve care for people with dementia in general hospital settings.
People with dementia and their carers (family members and friends) have the same human rights as every other citizen. However, it is widely recognised that, in addition to the impact of the illness, they face cultural, social and economic barriers to fulfilling these. This includes the right to a proper diagnosis, access to information and support from a range of informed, skilled professionals who are able to provide individualized care.
See the National Dementia Declaration and the Scottish Charter of Rights which are aimed at protecting the human rights and ensuring equal access to care for people with dementia and their family carers. | 2,763 | 1,290 | 0.000779 |
warc | 201704 | I had BA surgery 7 weeks ago, and I think they're too big. I am 5'3, 108 lbs, and the doctor used 350-375 high profile mentor silicone implants inserted under the muscle. They haven't completely dropped yet, especially the right one (which is my dominant side.) I feel huge. I am especially upset because I made it clear at the time of my consultation that I didn't want a dramatic change, and I feel like that's exactly what I ended up with. I'd like a revision ASAP.
I Had BA Surgery 7 Weeks Ago, and I Think They're Too Big? (photo) Doctor Answers 10 I Had BA Surgery 7 Weeks Ago, and I Think They're Too Big
It would be helpful to know how the sizing decision was made. One guideline many surgeons use is to limit the implant size such that the implant is not wider than is the breast. These implants would be about 11.5 cm, but we don't know the breast width.
I like to have patients try on implant sizers to help choose the implants.
At this stage, obviously there is asymmetry, with the right implants seeming not to have dropped as much as the left. That may well improve with time.
If the left breast is satisfactory in size, I would urge patience. If clearly the left side is too large, 2 months is enough. Figuring how much smaller is a real challenge. Goal photos may be the best bet, since there are no mechanical options.
All the best.
I Had BA Surgery 7 Weeks Ago, and I Think They're Too Big
It is still quite early in your recovery. Your #healing will continue for 2-3 months for the early period. This includes some #swelling, bruising, malposition, color differences. It is certainly feasible to #downsize to smaller implants and also alter the positioning; if possible. However, decreasing is size may also require a Breast #Lift to #tighten loose skin, better optimize the end result. Any #revision has risks of unhappy outcome or other complications. Also, the right implant for the revision is contingent on shape of body and your desired outcome. Typically, it's best to wait 6 to 12 months depending on the reason for #revision. Matters such as sagging or drooping and size change will not improve with time. As with all cosmetic surgery, results will be rewarding if expectations are realistic.
Not Happy with Breast Augmentation Results?
As you have likely heard, it is too early to evaluate the end results of the procedure performed. Hopefully you are aware that it is not uncommon for patients to feel that they are “too big” or “too small” during the first few weeks after breast augmentation surgery. These same patients, after a period of physical and psychological “adjustment”, often are quite pleased with the long-term outcome of the procedure.
At this point, I would suggest that you continue to exercise patience and continue to follow up with your plastic surgeon. Communicate your concerns in a calm/constructive fashion and avoid any major decisions for now.
Best wishes.
You might also like... 7 weeks out and one side high
I'm sorry to hear of your plight but I would hope you had an active role in deciding on what size implant you were going to get. On the otherhand, you are asymmetric and your implants have not settled completely. I hope you are working with your surgeon on maneuvers that can help resolve your issues. Though less likely to occur, you can still experience significant settling with diligent exercises/massages/strap use/etc. As for a revision ASAP, doing it early makes it more difficult to predict your outcome later and you can be trading one problem for another. Get a second opinion in your neighborhood if your surgeon dismisses your concerns.
When to exchange?
Hello and thanks for your post and photos. It looks like your implants have not fully dropped. You might want to wait until you're about 12 weeks ago, but see what your PS says are your options. Best wishes, Dr. Aldo.
Revision breast surgery if implants are too big
Hi - although for some breast aug patients it is part of the normal post-operative course to feel "too big" at times, it sounds as if you feel pretty strongly about your size. For now, it is too soon to revise the implants - I would wait at least 3 months. At that time, they will have settled into place a bit more, and you will have had time to mentally adjust to their size as well. You also had a high profile implant placed, so if you do desire a revision in a few months, I might suggest a moderate profile, as this will give you the same "base width" but much less volume and projection.
Implant choice for breast augmentation
I think it is a good idea to wait at least 3 months before any revision to change size. Also, do not judge your overall result until the implants are settled into place. The volume of the implants is one factor in the appearance of the implants, and another is the profile. High profile implants project more (stick out further from the chest wall), and are more narrow, than moderate-plus or moderate profile implants. The width of the implant seems appropriate for you, so if you want to downsize I would switch to moderate-plus profile, which would be around 275-300 cc for the same width, and gives a more natural looking appearance. Choosing implant size can be tricky, because there is not a great way to describe breast size. People often use cup size, saying they would like to be a full D for example, but if you ask the same patient to bring in photos of what they mean, the photos are often entirely different. In general about 150-200 cc adds one cup size, but it is not an exact conversion and depends on your frame. Often patients wish they went a size larger after they have healed, so give it some time. You may be pleased once they take on their final position. If not, revision is an option. Keep in touch with your surgeon and let him or her know your concerns.
Breast Implant Too Large
Thank you for the photos. At this point given how early you are in the process I would ask to wait until you are at least 4 months out from your surgery. At that point the implants have shifted and things do look very different. At that point you can discuss this further with your plastic surgeon to see how things look and see if you still feel that way. I know that is a long time to wait, but it really is in your best interest. Hope that helps.
Revision
Its only been about 7 weeks, give it some time for the implants should fall. Would recommend message three times per day. Also consider using a bra strap. I would not recommend revision for at least 6 months.
Large implants may take longer to settle
Sorry that you are unhappy. With this large size and your small chest, it will take some time for the swelling to subside and the implant to drop. Choosing implant sizes is critical and a necessary part of the preoperative discussion. I'm not sure what your dialogue was, but there may have been a disconnect. You will need to let everything heal up and the swelling subside before you want to consider revision. I wouldn't entertain this until it has been about 6 mos. Best of Luck!
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship. | 7,365 | 3,330 | 0.000303 |
warc | 201704 | Continue Reading
Some advantages to teamwork are greater resources, a wider range of ideas and a broader skill set, all of which lead to increased productivity. A group working as a team is usually able to resolve issues and complete tasks more quickly and more efficiently than an individual working alone.
An increase in resources means that more manpower can be applied to the task at hand. This helps increase the rate at which any task can be accomplished as it facilitates the meeting of deadlines and reaching of goals. Additionally, individuals within a team are able to support each other's efforts, further increasing their chances of success.
Because teamwork enables the tapping of multiple minds, more ideas that serve the interest of the group are available for consideration, making brainstorming sessions ultimately more fruitful than those held in private by a single person. This, coupled with the broad skill set of team members, allows for a greater set of achievements in a shorter period of time.
Teamwork also has a direct effect on team members. Sharing accomplishments with others lets people experience enhanced enjoyment in a job well done. However, teamwork only works when all members concentrate on efforts as a whole, putting aside individual goals that may conflict with group objectives.Learn more about Managing a Business | 1,362 | 729 | 0.001378 |
warc | 201704 | Continue Reading
The word "carnivore" can refer to one of two things: a predatory animal or mammals that are classified as members of the order Carnivora. Most members of Carnivora are flesh-eating, so listing these animals as examples would cover both definitions.
The members of Carnivora include some very familiar domestic animals as both cats and dogs belong to this group. Their relatives are also included, so wolves, foxes, coyotes, lions, tigers, and panthers are all possible examples.
Other members include hyenas, weasels, seals, bears, raccoons and the mongoose. The members of this order are characterized by their enlarged fangs or canines, specialized sharp molars and three incisors in both the top and bottom jaw. Almost all members of Carnivora eat flesh. One example of a member that does not eat flesh is the panda; however, it did have flesh-eating ancestors before it adapted to eating bamboo.
Some carnivores that are not members of Carnivora include Tasmanian devils (they are mammals like the others, but as marsupials they are only distantly related to Carnivora), monitor lizards, hawks, eagles and sharks. Carnivores as flesh-eating animals are also called predators, and in ecology they are called consumers. Most carnivores of the general type have sharp teeth and claws for grasping prey and causing fatal injury.Learn more about Zoology | 1,377 | 715 | 0.001407 |
warc | 201704 | Most Letting Agents will ask students to pay certain fees when renting a house through them, and this is part of how they generate revenue as a business. The fees charged vary from agency to agency. Agencies are within their rights to ask for these fees in return for their service, however, it is important to remember that they have a commercial interest in levying such charges. Ensure you are aware of
ALL fees and obtain confirmation in writing as to under what conditions this money will be returned.
There are no fees to use the Student Accommodation office's private sector website HouseSearch. This site displays adverts of properties for rent in the local area. You can deal directly with the landlord and there are no fees to students. Any fees the landlord may charge should be clearly detailed on the advert. | 825 | 483 | 0.00208 |
warc | 201704 | Inflation
Inflation is the devaluation of a currency. The dollar may devalue for many reasons, including an increase in the money supply because of lower interest rates or because countries sell off their dollar reserves. The noticeable effect of inflation is a rise in prices; the same dollar that could buy two bananas a week ago may now only be able to buy one. However, inflation is not always bad; low interest rates that sometimes correspond with inflation allow businesses easier access to credit, which may stimulate the economy. The level of inflation varies depending on economic conditions. James D. Gwartney, author of "Economics: Private and Public Choice," explains inflation from 1956 to 1965 was just 1.6 percent, but it skyrocketed to an annual rate of 9.2 percent from 1973 to 1981. From 1983 through 2006, inflation was 3.1 percent.
Rate of Return
The rate of return is the expected or desired amount of money a person receives from an investment in a savings account, mutual fund or bond. The rate of return is expressed as a percentage: Thus, if you invest $100 in a savings account with a guaranteed yearly compound 3 percent rate of return, your investment will be worth $134 in 10 years.
Effects
Inflation has the power to erode a person's annual rate of return. When the annual inflation rate exceeds the rate of return, the consumer loses money when they invest it because of the decline in purchasing power. For instance, when hyperinflation ravaged countries such as Germany after WWI and Brazil in the 1980s, people with money in low interest-bearing savings accounts lost significant amounts of money. In cases of high inflation, people should spend money in the present to avoid having the money be worth less in the future. On the other hand, people have an incentive to invest money when their investment yields a greater return than the rate of inflation.
Considerations
Knowing when to save money or spend it is difficult due to the unpredictability of the economy. No single party can control the rate of inflation, though some parties and institutions may try to control it through various actions and policies. For instance, the Federal Reserve may raise nominal interest rates to offset inflation concerns. When financial institutions expect a rise in inflation, they may offer higher interest rates to persuade investors to place money in their accounts. Thus, banks typically try to offer a rate of return on-par with the expected rate of inflation. If the interest generated from an investment is not guaranteed or otherwise unknown, as is the case with stocks and mutual funds, the investor may earn more or less than the expected rate of inflation. | 2,703 | 1,280 | 0.000784 |
warc | 201704 | Michael Bahrke, co-editor of the 2002 book Performance-Enhancing Substances in Sport and Exerciseand former project director for a large National Institute of Drug Abuse study on anabolic steroid use, offers this insight.
During the 2006 Tour de France, Floyd Landis's ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone (an inactive steroid isomer of testosterone), the so-called T/E ratio, was higher than 4 to 1, the limit considered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as proof of steroid use. (Some reports say Landis's level was as high as 11 to 1.) Later, additional investigation using carbon isotope ratio testing revealed a foreign, prohibited substance as the likely source for the positive test.
Because Landis previously tested within the acceptable ratio limit, speculation as to why a spike in the ratio occurred centered around the possible use of a testosterone patch or gel, which typically provide a relatively low dose of testosterone.
Is it possible a small, single dose of testosterone produced such a quick recuperative effect resulting in a sensational turnaround in performance? Physiologically speaking, most likely not. But it is feasible that the improved performance could have come as a result of a shift in mood level.
Although research indicates that use of large doses of testosterone can significantly increase muscular strength within six to 12 weeks of administration, it is not clear if the performance-enhancing benefits are evident following shorter periods of administration, such as within a few days. One recent study, however, found significant effects in muscular strength (one repetition maximum) and cycle performance (10-second sprint) following three weeks of testosterone administration. Surprisingly, almost half of the subjects (four of nine) remained under the current WADA T/E ratio limit despite receiving testosterone injections. (Additional research is needed to determine if similar results can be produced employing even shorter administration periods, such as within 24 to 72 hours.)
At this time, and with large doses of testosterone, most researchers, clinicians and recipients would generally consider the performance-enhancing effects—especially increases in muscle strength, endurance and size, as well as mood changes and recuperative abilities—to manifest following chronic (that is, weeks of) administration rather than acute, or within hours of, administration. In other words, testosterone would not be used so much for recovery and increased work output during a single Tour stage as it would be for maintenance and improved performance over the course of the entire race. | 2,651 | 1,302 | 0.000773 |
warc | 201704 | Filter Results: Publication Year
2006
2015
Publication Type Co-author Key Phrase Publication Venue Brain Region Cell Type Method
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Unravelling regulatory programs governed by transcription factors (TFs) is fundamental to understanding biological systems. TFCat is a catalog of mouse and human TFs based on a reliable core collection of annotations obtained by expert review of the scientific literature. The collection, including proven and homology-based candidate TFs, is annotated within… (More)
Here we present the Transcription Factor Encyclopedia (TFe), a new web-based compendium of mini review articles on transcription factors (TFs) that is founded on the principles of open access and collaboration. Our consortium of over 100 researchers has collectively contributed over 130 mini review articles on pertinent human, mouse and rat TFs. Notable… (More)
The identification of over-represented transcription factor binding sites from sets of co-expressed genes provides insights into the mechanisms of regulation for diverse biological contexts. oPOSSUM, an internet-based system for such studies of regulation, has been improved and expanded in this new release. New features include a worm-specific version for… (More)
BACKGROUND Orthologs (genes that have diverged after a speciation event) tend to have similar function, and so their prediction has become an important component of comparative genomics and genome annotation. The gold standard phylogenetic analysis approach of comparing available organismal phylogeny to gene phylogeny is not easily automated for genome-wide… (More)
In the central nervous system (CNS), myelin is produced from spirally-wrapped oligodendrocyte plasma membrane and, as exemplified by the debilitating effects of inherited or acquired myelin abnormalities in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, it plays a critical role in nervous system function. Myelin sheath production coincides with rapid up-regulation of… (More)
Transcription regulation is mediated by combinatorial interactions between diverse transacting proteins and arrays of cis-regulatory sequences. Revealing this complex interplay between transcription factors and binding sites remains a fundamental problem for understanding the flow of genetic information. The oPOSSUM analysis system facilitates the… (More)
We have previously shown that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) is important for oligodendrocyte (OLG) differentiation and myelination. However, the precise cellular mechanisms by which p38 regulates OLG differentiation remain largely unknown. To determine whether p38 functions in part through transcriptional events in regulating OLG identity,… (More)
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This peer-reviewed article was published immediately upon acceptance. It can be downloaded, printed and… (More)
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warc | 201704 | Filter Results: Publication Year
2004
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The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of icariin on the learning and memory abilities in Alzheimer's disease model rats and explore its protection mechanisms. Beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) is a key etiology in Alzheimer's disease and targeting on Abeta production and assembly is a new therapeutic strategy. Six-month (400-600… (More)
The present study was undertaken to investigate the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced Parkinson's disease in rats. 6-OHDA-induced Parkinson's disease rat model involves chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, and the loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is the… (More)
1. The present study examined the protective effects of icariin against the learning and memory deficits in aluminium-treated rats and its potential mechanisms of action. 2. Qualified rats were treated with 1600 p.p.m. AlCl(3) in drinking water for 8 months and the ability of spatial learning and memory was tested by the Morris water maze. In the place… (More)
The effects of icariin (ICA), a major constituent of flavonoids from the Chinese medical herb Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, on spatial memory performances and expressions of hippocampus brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase TrkB (tropomyosin receptor kinase B) were investigated in d-galactose (d-gal)-treated rats. Subcutaneous… (More)
P2X receptors participate in cardiovascular regulation and disease. After myocardial ischemic injury, sensory–sympathetic coupling between rat cervical DRG nerves and superior cervical ganglia (SCG) facilitated sympathoexcitatory action via P2X7 receptor. The results showed that after myocardial ischemic injury, the systolic blood pressure, heart rate,… (More)
BACKGROUND This study was aimed to examine circadian variations of hepatic antioxidant components, including the Nrf2- pathway, the glutathione (GSH) system, antioxidant enzymes and metallothionein in mouse liver. METHODS AND RESULTS Adult mice were housed in light- and temperature-controlled facilities for 2 weeks, and livers were collected every 4 h… (More)
Determination of sequence similarity is one of the major steps in computational phylogenetic studies. As we know, during evolutionary history, not only DNA mutations for individual nucleotide but also subsequent rearrangements occurred. It has been one of major tasks of computational biologists to develop novel mathematical descriptors for similarity… (More)
Within graph theory and network analysis, centrality of a vertex measures the relative importance of a vertex within a graph. The centrality plays key role in network analysis and has been widely studied using different methods. Inspired by the idea of vertex centrality, a novel centrality guided clustering (CGC) is proposed in this paper. Different from… (More)
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies with a 5-year survival rate less than 15%. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ESCC becomes critical to develop more effective treatments. Mcl-1 expression was measured by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Western blotting. Human Mcl-1… (More)
The centrality of vertices has been a key issue in network analysis. For unweighted networks where edges are just present or absent and have no weight attached, many central-ity measures have been presented, such as degree, betweenness, closeness, eigenvector and subgraph centrality. There has been a growing need to design centrality measures for weighted… (More) | 3,852 | 1,909 | 0.000534 |
warc | 201704 | What is Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome?
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency disorder. A person with this condition has an immune system that does not work properly to protect the body from infections.
Children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome are also at risk for the following:
infections autoimmune diseases (conditions in which the immune cells mistakenly attack a person’s own normal body cells, tissues and organs) lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system cells bleeding problems
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome belongs to a larger family of conditions called
WAS-related disorders. These conditions are all caused by harmful changes (mutations) in a gene called WAS. The WAS gene is located on the X chromosome, which is one of the two types of sex chromosomes. Therefore, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is known as an “X-linked disorder.”
X-linked disorders generally only affect males, not females. A male has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. A female has two X chromosomes. A boy with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome has a mutation in the
WAS gene on his X chromosome, and no WAS gene on his Y chromosome. A girl may have a mutation in the WAS gene on one of her X chromosomes, but she will also have a normal WAS gene on the other X chromosome. She will not have Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. She is a carrier for the condition. This means when she grows up and has children, she can pass the mutated WAS gene on to them. How common is Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome?
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is very rare, occurring in about one out of every 100,000 live births.
What are the symptoms of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome?
Symptoms of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome include:
Having many bacterial or viral infections as an infant or a young child Eczema (red, scaly, itchy patches of skin) Lymphoma (cancer of the immune system cells) Autoimmune diseases (conditions in which the immune cells attack a person’s own normal body cells, tissues and organs) Excessive bleeding and blood that takes too long to clot. This is caused by thrombocytopenia (too few platelets in the blood). Platelets are the cells in blood that form blood clots. How is Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome treated? Bone marrow transplant: The most effective treatment for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a bone marrow transplant. Immune cells are formed in the bone marrow by bone marrow stem cells. A bone marrow transplant gives the person with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome new stem cells from a healthy donor’s bone marrow. Bone marrow stem cells can live for a long time. They make healthy immune cells to replace the missing or non-working immune cells.
A bone marrow transplant is most successful for curing Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome when the donor is “tissue matched” to the person with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Every person has a tissue type, which is also called an HLA type. HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen, a marker your immune system uses to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. An ideal bone marrow donor has an HLA type that matches the HLA type of the person with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Sometimes, the patient’s sister or brother will be a match and can be the donor. Patients without matched sibling donors may have transplants from parents or unrelated matched donors.
If an ideal bone marrow donor cannot be found, then sometimes donor stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be used instead. These stem cells can also work for a long time in the body to make healthy immune cells.
Antibiotics and immunoglobulins: While children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome await transplants, they may need treatment for symptoms of the condition. Infections are usually treated with antibiotics. The risk of infection can be reduced by giving the child regular doses of immunoglobulins. These healthy immune cells collected from blood donors are given to the patient through a vein. Immunosuppressants: Children with autoimmune conditions may need immunosuppressants. These medicines help prevent a patient’s abnormal immune cells from attacking the body’s healthy cells. Transfusions: Sometimes a child with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome who has excessive bleeding may need a transfusion of platelets from a healthy donor. Healthy platelets help the child’s blood to clot more quickly. What are the survival rates for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome?
Long-term survival after bone marrow transplant for children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is over 80%. Children who are less than 2 years old at the time of the transplant have the best outcome, with survival rates over 90%.
Why choose St. Jude for your child’s Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome treatment? The Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at St. Jude is one of the largest pediatric programs in the world. We have performed more than 2,900 transplants since 1982. The Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at St. Jude is approved by the Children's Oncology Group (COG), the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). The program is certified by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT). Doctors in the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program work closely with laboratory scientists to quickly move new discoveries to patient care. The program conducts clinical trials to study these new discoveries. The Transplant Unit at St. Jude is dedicated to the care of patients receiving bone marrow transplants, peripheral blood stem cell transplants or cellular therapy. The transplant team includes doctors and nurse practitioners with extensive training and experience in this lifesaving treatment for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. The team also includes a pharmacist, clinical dietitian, child life specialist and social worker. The 18-bed Transplant Unit is staffed around the clock by nurses who have specific training in the care of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. The standard nurse-to-patient ratio is 2:1. Each patient room in the Transplant Unit at St. Jude has an adjoining parent room that has a bed, bath, television and telephone, so parents can comfortably stay with their child at all times during the transplant process
The St. Jude Web site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through this site should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. | 6,672 | 2,642 | 0.000383 |
warc | 201704 | Comedian Ray Romano said, "Having children is like living in a frat house—nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up." As a proud new parent, you’re about to experience the truth of those words firsthand. Fortunately, technology has come up with gadgets to help reduce the up-all-night atmosphere. Glancing at the list below, you may ask: “Where’s the whizz-bang?”—as in, “I want blinking LED lights, 4K screens, Bluetooth, and a robot nanny.” Our answer: You won’t care about whizz-bang at 2:00 AM when your baby is screaming his or her cute little head off. You will only care about whether the device works. These work.
NoseFrida: "The Snotsucker"
NoseFrida "The Snotsucker" Nasal Aspirator is your go-to "baby booger buster," to quote the company’s own words, proving that there is no tasteful way to discuss this topic. Just accept that this invention is a life-saver for parents and a huge improvement over its predecessor—the dreaded bulb suction aspirator, which could hurt the baby, was far less effective, and ended up covered in snot.
Invented by a Swedish ear, nose, and throat doctor, the snotsucker is a tube that you place on your baby’s nose creating a seal. You suck on a mouthpiece attached to the other end. No snot or bacteria will reach your mouth thanks to a hygiene filter. When done, simply throw away the used filter and clean the rest with soap and water.
Babies can’t blow their own noses. But they produce copious amounts of snot. NoseFrida helps you save your baby from painful headaches created by the pressure of a clogged nose. You’ll also get some much needed sleep, as your baby won’t be crying through the night thanks to your recently discovered prowess at sucking snot. (Yup, still no polite way to talk about this.)
The "Snotsucker" nasal aspirator retails for $16.
GB Pockit Stroller
The GB Pocket Stroller may be the closest thing to nanotechnology without actually being nanotechnology. It won a Guinness World Record for most compact stroller. In two simple steps it folds into a handbag-shaped package measuring 11.8 inches by 7 inches by 13.8 inches. Despite its compact form, it can hold a 55-pound child.
This stroller is perfect for parents who love to travel. As other parents struggle to stuff their bulkier strollers into the overhead bins—blocking the airplane aisle, and banging other people on the head as their stroller slips from their grasp—you can pat yourself on the back for having the sense to invest in a GB Pocket Stroller, as it gracefully slides into place above your seat.
The GB Pockit Stroller is available for $250.
The Noggle
The Noggle is designed to help your baby keep cool while sitting in a car seat. It’s a flexible tube that channels your car’s air conditioning to your baby in the back seat. Installation takes 30 seconds. You zip-tie a plastic "dash plate" to one of your AC vents and attach the tube to the plate. Then simply point the other end of the tube at your baby.
We all know what it’s like to jump into a hot car after it’s been sitting for an hour or two in the parking lot at the mall or maybe outside the pediatrician’s office. If you feel uncomfortable as you wait for the AC to kick in, imagine what your baby in the backseat goes through. With the Noggle, the comfort level goes up right away.
The device comes in three lengths: 6, 8, and 10 feet. Choose the right size for your needs after taking into account how far away the back seat is, whether the baby’s car seat is front- or rear-facing, and whether you need to reach a third row.
The 6-foot version retails for $40.
Baby Brezza Formula Pro
It’s Keurig for babies! The Baby Brezza Formula Pro mixes baby formula and water at just the right temperature and consistency. In seconds, the water and formula mix in the funnel and the machine dispenses a "fresh, perfectly mixed, and heated bottle" every time—with zero water bubbles. You’ll appreciate the speed and efficiency when your baby wakes up hungry and needs that bottle now.
The machine lets you store formula and water inside it, so it’s always ready to go. You can use any type of commercial formula you like. (Extra thick formula may require an additional shake or two.) The drip tray is adjustable and accommodates most bottle sizes. The machine dispenses formula in amounts suitable for for 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, or 10-ounce bottles.
The Baby Brezza Formula Pro won a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval award.
It’s available for $180.
Photo credits: Fridababy, Goodbaby International Holdings Ltd., The Noggle, Baby Brezza. | 4,739 | 2,356 | 0.000441 |
warc | 201704 | Mumbai, Oct. 10: The State Bank of India (SBI) today lowered interest rates on home, automobile and personal loans by 50 to 100 basis points as an offer for the festive season.
The home loans are now cheaper by 0.50 to 1.00 per cent, depending on loan maturities and the amount.
The bank said it would give a discount if the borrower had a salary account with the bank but didn’t quantify it. It also said it would give a higher discount if the borrower put up some margin money.
The rates on new car and two-wheeler loans have been reduced by 1 per cent depending on the amount and maturity period. Loans for new car loans are now available at 11 to 12 per cent.
Similarly, personal loans were made cheaper by 0.5 to 1 per cent. The bank is also offering a 50 per cent concession in processing charges on all the personal segment loans.
The new rates are applicable for all loans sanctioned on or after October 8. The festive offer will be valid till December 31.
However, existing borrowers of the country’s largest bank will pay interest at the current rates.
The SBI also brought down interest rates on deposits of select maturities by 25 basis points. The country’s largest bank announced that it had reduced rates on loans to transport operators and farm mechanisation loans which, it said, are already lower than most private and public sector banks.
The State Bank offer comes in the wake of similar offers from peers such as the Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank and the Housing Development Finance Corporation, which recently cut their home loan rates by half a percentage point.
Bankers say the move by the SBI is another indication that interest rates are peaking out.
While there is abundant liquidity in the banking system, credit offtake has slowed in the past few months, particularly at the retail end because of high interest rates.
Reverse mortgage
The SBI will launch a reverse mortgage loan for senior citizens. People above 60 can get this loan — in monthly or quarterly instalments or as a lump sum payment — against the security of their self-acquired, self-occupied houses. The loan will be offered jointly if the spouse is alive and is above 58 years of age. | 2,220 | 1,120 | 0.000909 |
warc | 201704 | There is still much gnashing of teeth about Bradford & Bingley's bungled rights issue. Representatives of small shareholders and at least one high-profile City banking analyst are calling on investors to vote against the restructured 55p deal and force the underwriters at UBS and Citi to take on the shares they previously guaranteed to buy at 82p. The big loss they would face is their problem. They made a deal and if they didn't find out enough about the horrors lurking inside B&B before signing on the dotted line, then tough.
Some would also like to see the back of the private equity group TPG, lured in to provide £179m in return for a 23% stake, arguing that it has in effect been handed control for little more than pocket money. TPG gets to put two non-executives on to the board and will undoubtedly have a big say in who becomes the next chief executive (and probably finance director too, because the incumbent, Chris Willford, must be calculating the size of his payoff)
There are, however, big holes in the case for turfing out the new rights issue: not least that the previous 82p issue, like Monty Python's dead parrot, is no more. It is extinct.
If shareholders give the new plan the thumbs-down, chaos will surely ensue. There would be no underwriting at the higher price, so B&B would not get its much-needed cash. TPG would disappear. Its involvement is dependent on the 55p rights issue going ahead.
The shares would tank (even further) and the Financial Services Authority would have to organise a rescue takeover. Some shareholders believe the FSA has already been there and failed to drum up any interest, because the TPG deal looks like a second-best solution.
Shareholders certainly cannot expect any support from the FSA. Far from beating the underwriters at UBS and Citi with a stick for reneging on their deal, it seems the watchdog had more than a little sympathy with the predicament faced by the investment banks.
Fearful of a Northern Rock-style debacle, FSA personnel have evidently been sitting alongside the B&B management in recent weeks and tearing their hair out when requests for fairly straightforward business information were met by blank looks. The Treasury has been "monitoring" the situation and the Bank of England has been saying for months that shareholders would have to stump up and feel a little pain.
It is all very well for B&B's chairman, Rod Kent, to promise he is going to hire a "shit-hot new chief executive" and haul the bank's processes into the information age, but it is not apparent why he did not notice the shortcomings over the five years he has been in the job.
The business information vacuum also reflects poorly on the FSA. How can it let a bank it has been monitoring rely on out-of-date information? But then the watchdog's report on Northern Rock demonstrated the utter inadequacy of the FSA's monitoring procedures.
Nevertheless, the watchdog's view - based on first-hand experience of the internal workings of B&B - now seems to be that the bank's shareholders should consider themselves lucky that their bank is worth 55p a share and TPG should be welcomed with open arms.
Energy fatigue
E.ON called yesterday for a "new, balanced and honest debate" about the UK's energy needs. It risks what might be termed "energy debate fatigue" among those who, unlike industry, government and environmentalists, are not locked into this endless discussion.
For most people, the focus of the energy debate is the size of their bills, how likely it is that the lights might go out, or whether we face short-time working because industry's energy supplies have been interrupted to preserve domestic services.
The problem is the next phase. The hard choices over how to achieve lower emission levels, secure supplies, encourage the growth of microgeneration and drive through the introduction of smart meters, all come with a price tag. It is easy to sell the idea that investment now will mean lower bills in the future. It is tougher to persuade people that spending now will mean bills still go up, but by a bit less, especially when they think prices should be going down.
Bargain basements
Are we about to see a whole new scale of Bogof deals? Instead of buy one can of beans and get another free, US housebuilders are starting to offer buy one home, get another one free. To be specific, buy one sprawling $1.6m mansion in San Diego, and get a $400,000 town-centre bolthole for nothing.
What will it be by the time it gets here? Buy a Wag-pad in Cheshire and get a whole block of unwanted buy-to-let Manchester city centre flats for free? There would probably still be no takers. | 4,681 | 2,374 | 0.000424 |
warc | 201704 | A £32bn high-speed rail network linking London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds with 250mph services will radically improve the quality of train journeys between major cities, according to MPs.
The government's support for an ultra-fast rail line has generated considerable dissent within the home counties and on Conservative backbenches, amid warnings that it will tarnish the countryside and waste vast sums of public money.
The House of Commons transport committee is giving the project cross-party support ahead of a critical juncture for the plans, with the government set to approve High Speed Two (HS2) when it publishes its response to a public consultation before Christmas.
Louise Ellman, the Labour chair of the committee, embraced the pro-camp's argument that a new line will eliminate concerns over a capacity squeeze on the west coast main line – one of the UK's main transport arteries. "A high speed rail network, beginning with a line between London and the West Midlands, would provide a step change in the capacity, quality, reliability and frequency of rail services between our major cities," she said.
"A high-speed line offers potential economic and strategic benefits which a conventional line does not, including a dramatic improvement in connectivity between our major cities, Heathrow and other airports, and the rest of Europe."
The Countryside Alliance criticised the committee for failing to consider an upgrade of the west coast line as an alternative to building a new route through the Chiltern Hills, a protected area of outstanding natural beauty, while the TaxPayers' Alliance accused MPs of failing to subject the case for a "dismal white elephant" to serious examination. "Taxpayers will be disappointed the transport select committee haven't done more to hold the government to account, and scrutinise this vanity project," said Matthew Sinclair, a director at the lobby group.
The Association of Train Operating Companies, which supports the line, urged the government to listen to concerns that investment in the existing rail network might lose out to the project. "The committee is right to point out that high speed should not come at the expense of investment in the existing network," said Michael Roberts, Atoc chief executive.
The Department for Transport welcomed the report as it prepares to publish the findings of a two-pronged consultation on high-speed rail, which is scrutinising the route for the first phase between London and Birmingham and asking whether Britain needs a high-speed rail network.
Despite opposition to the plans from Tory MPs and the London mayor, Boris Johnson, the government is expected to give the project the green light.
A DfT spokesman indicated that the response to the consultation has been largely positive. "The report provides a useful contribution to the debate on high speed rail, and echoes a number of the messages coming out from the responses to the public consultation."
• This article was amended on 8 November 2011. The original sub-heading referred to the £250m link from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The cost of the project has been corrected to agree with the text. | 3,227 | 1,589 | 0.000638 |
warc | 201704 | PROTECT YOUR PIPES INSIDE THE HOMEPennsylvania American Water encourages residents to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of freezing and bursting pipes: Before frigid weather sets in: Know what areas of your home, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls, are most vulnerable to freezing. Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors. Know the location of your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately. Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric might also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation, so don't disturb it. When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing: If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing. If your pipes freeze: Shut off the water immediately. Don't attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints. Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended, and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames. Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks. When you are away: Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to ensure that the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen. Also, a freeze alarm can be purchased for less than $100 and will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees. KEEP FIRE HYDRANTS CLEAR OF SNOWPennsylvania American Water reminds residents to clear snow from hydrants. Substantial snow accumulations combined with the after-effects of plowing roads and parking lots can leave fire hydrants partially or completely buried in snow. | 2,345 | 1,214 | 0.000824 |
warc | 201704 | CALL NOW (866) 226-4049
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Your home is your investment. Pest control in Massapequa conducted by Tree Menu’s specialists will ensure that your investment is always safe from harm. Not only are pests damaging to your home, but they can also pose a significant danger to your family’s health and yours as well. Some of them are carriers of harmful bacteria and germs like rats and mosquitoes. If you ignore them, it will not take long before you suffer diseases brought about by these pests.
Find the Best Costs for Pest Control - Massapequa, NY
Massapequa pest control is a good way to eliminate the risk of structural damage to your home and stop further infestation. If you are having hints that your home has been infested by any sort of pests, call Tree Menu immediately.
Last Updated:Jul 30, 2016 Pest Control Exterminating ExpertsBellmore, NY 11710 A & C Pest ManagementLevittown, NY 11756 On Call Pest Eradicating ServicesFreeport, NY 11520 Harrington's Pest Control230 Sheffield Ave West Babylon, NY 11704 Hercules Exterminating Company32 Bond St Westbury, NY 11590 Champion Exterminators CorporationWestbury, NY 11590 | 1,833 | 989 | 0.001021 |
warc | 201704 | For news and views from Triodos Bank, as well as the stories behind some of our customers 96684 1688364 24 https://www.triodos.co.uk:443/en/about-triodos/what-we-do/who-we-lend-to/results/ BioExport Fair trade (Social)
BioExport was founded in 2009 by four Paraguayan entrepreneurs with experience in the agricultural sector who wanted to develop better agricultural practices, while raising the income level in the family farming sector. BioExport’s main export is black and white sesame, but the company aims to further its production of chia, beans and rice, to name a few. Approximately 1,000 farmers are currently organic certified and it aims to add more.
Through financing from Triodos Sustainable Trade Fund, Bioexport will be able to purchase black and white sesame at the very beginning of the harvest, paying an immediate and fair price to the farmers and promoting further the organic practices. KEY INDICATORS as of 31 December 2015: - number of farmers: 14,700 - number of hectares: 25,500 hectares of sustainably cultivated land Fair trade
Smallholder farmers in developing countries do not necessarily reap the rewards of a complex international trade system. So, by financing fair trade enterprises we aim to make sure that individuals and their families are paid fairly for their products. | 1,317 | 771 | 0.001307 |
warc | 201704 | Student or Learner
3.2 QUESTIONAIRE DESIGN Category Scale for single response was used for analysis Part A. This Category Scale is similar to Nominal Scale. Likert Scale was used for analysis Part C. Likert Scale also known as the analysis of the total. The data obtained would be analysed as described. Through questionnaires, Likert Scale was used to obtain responses from the respondents to marked answers on a scale below.
1 2 3 4 5 Strongly disagree Disagree Satisfactory Agree Strongly Agree Table 3.6.1: Likert Scale Measurement is an effort to provide quality on the characteristics of the object. Measurement was done because researchers want to be clear and accurate on the result. According to Robert G. Murdik and Donald R. Cooper; measurement is the process of mapping aspects of an object because other aspects that can be studied quantitatively by researchers. Mechanism or tool was used to distinguish between individual variables for the study. It is available in three types of scales, one of it is an Ordinal Scale which is the scale involves data that are arranged in order starting with the small figure to the larger figure, where small figures represent the value of small and the large figures represent greater value. Ordinal scales are most often used in the questionnaire survey is a Likert Scale. Likert scale is a scale that uses numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to represent the level of agreement of respondents on a question. The descriptive analysis describes the frequency of distribution and percentage. It is also used to analyse the level of consumerís awareness of the effect on plastic bags to the environment. Analysed data obtained by using quantitative analysis. The process of data analysis have been made by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15.0 for the total of frequency and percentage | 1,863 | 929 | 0.001082 |
warc | 201704 | Trying to hear what your friend is saying on a noisy subway or at a crowded restaurant can be tough – even if you have normal hearing. For people with hearing loss it’s especially difficult.
Did cavemen hear better than we do today?
In the past, a windy day meant a day without hearing aids for many people. But thanks to new Widex technology, wind doesn’t have to be a big issue for hearing aid users. It’s all thanks to the Widex Wind Noise Attenuation System Here’s what you n...
Gray hair. Wrinkles. Poor eyesight. Age certainly affects how our bodies function – and your ears are no exception.
Why are my ears ringing? What is the cause of that buzzing sound in my ears? My ears won’t stop whooshing – what is wrong with me?
It’s no secret that hearing conversation at a crowded family dinner can be difficult – especially if you have a hearing loss. While Thanksgiving can be a great way to catch up with family and friends, it can prove challenging and tiri...
It´s no secret that listening to loud music over longer periods of time can cause noise-induced hearing loss – but how loud is too loud? We got the answers from Tino Soelberg, Vice President of Product Development for SteelSeries, a g... | 1,273 | 703 | 0.001503 |
warc | 201704 | Definitions from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia n. A genus of ornamental shrubs and perennial herbs, of the order Leguminosæ, comprising about 80 species, natives of tropical America and northward to the borders of the United States. Several of the species yield an astringent juice. from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. n. any of various shrubs and small trees valued for their fine foliage and attractive spreading habit and clustered white to deep pink or red flowers Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Examples
Nitrogen-fixing trees such as
calliandrahold particular promise for supplementing current reforestation efforts.
Someone offered to donate a ticket to Ethiopia so I could inspect a program we wanted to support --
calliandraand gravillia trees that not only anchored the soil, but produced blossoms for bees to forage, increasing yields in village honey cooperatives.
OTHER USES: Calliandra produces flowers and copious nectar almost all year round, and honey yields from
calliandraplantations are as high as 1 t/ha/yr.
FODDER There initially was much optimism about the forage value of
calliandra, and positive reports of its use have come from different areas.
The use of
calliandrain alley cropping has gained popularity in Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya and elsewhere, particularly in highlands above the usual range of leucaena.
There is a possibility that
calliandracan become weedy.
SOIL IMPROVEMENT: Through biological nitrogen fixation, erosion control, and green manure/leaf litter,
calliandracan improve soil quality and yields from associated crops.
In many parts of Java
calliandrawood has become a favorite fuel.
The small size of the
calliandrawood makes handling and chipping difficult, and therefore the pulps from
One rotation sequence worked out by villagers at Toyomerto involves growing
calliandrafor 4 years, sugarcane for 4 years, and corn for 2 years. | 1,982 | 1,096 | 0.000926 |
warc | 201704 | There has been a significant drop in the number of domestic violence homicides in Wisconsin. A representative for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence [1] says the lower murder rate is due at least partly to the gradual improvement in the economy last year.
The latest statistics are for 2011, when forty people died in domestic violence incidents, including three where the perpetrators also took their own lives. Tony Gibart of WCADV says that is 18 fewer deaths than 2010, and 27 fewer than 2009 when the economy was at its worst. "There is research that economic struggle makes it much more difficult for victims of domestic violence to escape violent situations, and so this kind of spike that we saw during the worst of the economic downturn, I think there is a connection there."
As in past years, the vast majority of perpetrators of domestic violence homicides were male. Eight of the victims were children under the age of six. Eleven of the adult victims were women and 18 were men. Gibhart says it is not clear yet whether the recent deaths of three young boys in a house fire in Argyle will be counted as domestic violence homicides in the 2012 report. Their father has been charged in the case. "We do not include every instance of a homicide that occurs at the hands of a parent to a child. We only include those homicides that fit that category if there was evidence of ongoing abuse in the household."
Gibhart says the 2011 homicide numbers are close to the 11-year average for domestic violence murders in the state. | 1,556 | 795 | 0.001265 |
warc | 201704 | UBS AG (UBS - Free Report) seems to be in sticky waters yet again with litigation issues arising from the sale of mortgage backed securities (MBS). This time, the U.S. regulator for credit unions has sued UBS for misrepresentation of documents while selling MBS worth $1.1 billion to two credit unions - U.S. Central Federal Credit Union and Western Corporate Federal Credit Union, which collapsed later. The Allegation UBS has been accused by the U.S. regulator for credit unions -- National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) of issuing misleading statements and omitting important details from the offering documents of the MBS in question. This led to obscurity regarding the risks associated with the MBS when they were sold. The credit unions perceived them to be less risky when in fact, the securities bore substantial risk. Moreover, UBS has also been alleged of ignoring the underwriting guidelines specified in the offering documents. As a result, when these MBS lost their value for defaults in the underlying assets, the value of investments of the credit unions in these MBS plummeted. Subsequently, the two credit unions collapsed, leading to a crisis in the credit union industry. Others in the Same Boat Similar suits have been filed in the past by NCUA against other big shots like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) , Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc. (RBS - Free Report) , Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS - Free Report) as well as against Wachovia which is now a unit of Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC - Free Report) . Moreover, settlements have been reached by NCUA with Deutsche Bank AG (DB - Free Report) , Citigroup Inc. (C - Free Report) and HSBC Holdings Plc. , worth over $170 million. Our Take Troubles for UBS are far from over as only recently, the company faced the wrath of Sealink Funding Ltd., which sued UBS for presenting misleading documents related to the sale of over $158.1 million in residential mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, the company is also being probed in the LIBOR manipulation scam. We believe that such suits would lead to increasing litigation risks for UBS, which poses a menace for both the company’s image as well as its financials. If found guilty, it is liable to be fined by the authorities.
Often, the company itself opts for settlements in order to reduce litigation hassles. Such a step on behalf of the company exhausts its financials, which could have been instead invested in growth initiatives. We remain skeptical and wait to see what the future holds.
On the other hand, recoveries by NCUA would result in lowering of losses that arose from the failure of the credit unions. The shares of UBS retain a Zacks #4 Rank, which translates into a short-term Sell rating. | 2,742 | 1,330 | 0.000754 |
warc | 201704 | By Scott Abel from www.scottabelfitness.com
Part of the reasons I like to share articles with Matt at 180DegreeHealth is because he “gets” the expansive notion of health and fitness. “Health” has to be about much more than arguing about whether carbs are good or bad and the rest of the noise that passes for “useful information” on the net.
Health must also refer to “being a member in good standing in your own mind.” There are thousands of people out there with million dollar bodies and 5 cent heads. But if you want to achieve a body transformation goal your approach has as much to do with your achievement psychology than it does with mere exercise and diet recipes. So let’s discuss the “ psychology of achievement” here at its very starting point!
I’ve been Coaching people to transform their bodies and minds for 4 decades now. And I can tell you one thing for certain. A transformed body without a corresponding transformed mind – it will never last. You end up being what I call “a weight-loss tourist” – arriving for a while but never staying there in the land of weight-loss as a permanent resident. And I’m not talking just about “competitors” here. The truth is “
mindset determines behavior” and “ .” And there is one essential “ability” required to succeed in the fitness game – whether you call it physique transformation, or long-term sustainable weight-loss goals. quality of mindset determines quality of sustainable behavior
And I will get to this essential “
” in a minute and explain it to you. But first, what you need to know and ponder are these two realities: First – this is an ability YOU ALL have, there is no doubt about that. Secondly – you need to embrace the truth that ability “ability” only becomes “talent” when it is regularly and consistently practiced, exercised and exploited.No ability in the world amounts to much of anything worthwhile if the person with the ability is too lazy or too confused to exploit it.
It is said in the athletic world that “great athletes are born, not made.” And this is relatively true. If you look at athlete icons you’ll see most of them began their sport in their childhood – ability became talent from years and years of consistent exercise and practice of their sport. It has also been shown in brain research that childhood participation in certain sports or creative arts have a very specific modeling effect in the brain. The example often used is that gymnasts must begin training as gymnasts as children: An adult’s brain is unlikely to adapt the same way as a child’s brain does, when it comes to what is involved in being good at gymnastics. Not too many adults can take up gymnastics at age 30 and be any good at it or even competent at it. So yes, when it comes to athletic prowess and high-performance athletics the argument can indeed be made that “great athletes are born, not made.”
But here’s the thing: What I absolutely LOVE about the fitness industry and its common goals of physique transformation and/or weight-loss – this above rule regarding inherent “ability” does NOT apply. To achieve your fitness goals requires one and only one
“ability” that we all have: And that is the beauty of it. starting If you consistently exercise, practice, and exploit this “ability” you will achieve your fitness goals, I promise you. But most people overlook what this starting level “ability”even is. So let me spell it out for you – because it ALL starts right here! Availability!
I am now well into my 4
th decade of Coaching people in physique transformation and weight-loss – check that – “ . And I can tell you emphatically that what separates those who make it from those who do not – is this permanent and sustainable” physique transformation and weight-loss mental fitness component– an ability called – “ .” Well what does that mean, you ask? It may seem to be too trite to be relevant when you consider the modern confusing world of online fitness dogma and complicated programs that require graphs and computations, diet-strategies that demand macro-nutrient breakdowns, and formulas for this and formulas for that. But let’s back up from the complications out there for a minute and address the one “ availability ” that kicks it all off – avail-ability. ability
I ask my clients who struggle with their fitness goals to ask themselves every day “
?” Most who struggle are not either mentally or emotionally available when the struggle presents itself – whether that struggle be sticking to their diet or training on their program, not by just not missing workouts but getting in there and training with verve, and vitality and expectation. This is what it is like to “exploit” the ability of avail-ability and make it become a talent! And too often trainees are too overly focused on the long-term goal only – and this makes you less “available” to invest in the process of what you need to do and consider today and right now. Am I mentally, emotionally and physically available to meet my goals today
Let me give you some history here as an example. Back in 2000 I had a double laminectomy to remove two bulging discs in my lower back – one of which had broken off in to pieces and attached itself to the nerve root. At the time I was quite popular on the seminar circuit and even for guest posing. But at that time the pain and dysfunction was too great to be ignored. The surgeon told me it would likely be about 2 years to a full-recovery – if ever. There were no guarantees. When I was explaining to him my commitment schedule and desire to get back to training – he just calmly cautioned me – “Scott, just keep telling yourself that your body is not currently available for activity.” That sentence stuck with me. It was such a constant reality check and it was true. For the first few months I had to lay on my stomach, eat on my stomach and walk with a cane. It was a constant lesson in humility. Would I ever be able to workout again? There was no way to answer that other than with the reality “I am not available to workout right now.”
But I loved that sentence as a reality check for motivation. I wasn’t available to workout but I
was available to follow a diet-strategy, continue my writing and accomplish other things. I kept asking myself “What can I do today and right now to be available for my recovery?” And that is what I followed. All these years later – I wake up every morning and remind myself what a gift I have at this age to practice my “avail-ability” for training and to follow my diet-strategy. I remind myself that today “I get to” workout and I “get to” follow my diet. These are choices and privileges not everyone has. I don’t “have to” do any of it. I practice daily my avail-ability to it all. And that makes me grateful.
And I see in clients and others who write to me that they are not ready – not mentally and emotionally
for the task at hand. They are always too focused on the end-game and not invested in that one starting ability that sets it all in motion – “avail-ability.” To consistently practice, exercise and exploit your ‘avail-ability’ leads to a cascade of positive effects – and these effects lend to other abilities as well: like to constantly “avail” yourself of the opportunity to invest in the commitment to “showing up.” And to be consistently mentally and emotionally present means to practice “avail-ability” in such a way that you know that the “ consistently available .” Forget about long-term goals and long-term outcomes and practice your “avail-ability” today for your commitment to YOURSELF; the commitment that you express through diet and training consistency and compliance. process is the goal and the goal is the process As you regularly and daily “exploit” your “avail-ability” to the process – this ability becomes a “talent” in and of itself. That’s what so many of you just don’t get when it comes to why YOU struggle and others do not. You have to hone the mental fitness of “avail-ability” first. It all starts with that reality check! And then let me tell you what that leads to: talent
As you turn the ability of availability into a talent – it begets other abilities as well:
Responsibility: When you make yourself available to the daily grind of committing to the process of what it takes to reach your goal, other things begin to happen. You reach that point of no return where you have just invested too much of yourself to turn back. Your avail-ability has now become a talent. And now you start to practice “ ” as well. And this doesn’t just mean personal ownership of your commitment. It also means you stop “ response-ability reacting” to obstacles in your way and you intelligently and maturely “respond” to them instead. You can no longer lie to yourself and others that “the dog ate your homework” and more importantly you don’t want to lie anymore. You own this and you “respond” like you do. And this ‘response-ability’ is also an ability that can turn into a talent. And as you can see this is all about mental fitness. Accountability: When you fully exploit the starting position of full “avail-ability” to your physique transformation or weight-loss goals and you turn that into a talent -> You now have another ability at your disposal as well -> accountability! Accountability is about the ability to ‘account’ for your commitment and your commitment to your goals – today and this week – and creating momentum from it. “ the quality of ” means taking stock in a realistic (not idealistic) way. It’s about checking in on your commitment – not making excuses but making tracks. And if you can’t find accountability for yourself – then hiring A Coach is another way of doing that. I tell people hiring me is a way to be accountable to themselves – not to me. I am just a reflection of that. Account-ability The Great Coach is not just a guiding light – but also a mirror. Reliability: As you begin to deepen your exploitation and practice of avail-ability every day; you doubt yourself less. You start to rely on this inner YOU that dictates to you all the good stuff that keeps you going. You no longer assume anyone else plays a role in sabotaging your way to your goal. Avail-ability that becomes a talent gives birth to reliability as well. And you begin to choose more intelligently who you surround yourself with as well when it comes to your goals. There are energy vampires out there, but you will no longer have time for them. In terms of your goals – you rely on yourself yes – but you also realize there are saboteurs as well. People can feel the fire you have for your goals. And they can either fan those flames – or douse them. Self-reliance means you choose who to let in to your world of goal-attainment. Capability: Once you become someone who fully practices, exercises and exploits your own avail-ability to your cause – in such a way that it becomes a personal talent you possess – well things like fear of success or fear of failure – they no longer “infect” your process. They can no longer contaminate your thinking process. There is little to no more “stinkin thinkin” sabotaging you. Your talent of avail-ability and the other full abilities and capacities it leads to – informs you as you go along that you are “capable” of reaching your goals – no matter what may have been in your way before. You are now in that glorious position most athletes count on from the gut -> conceive it, believe it, achieve it. You now ‘believe’ you are capable and so you just “act naturally” from that premise. There is no more “trying” – there is only “max efforts” expended in the cause and you are fully present – because you’ve turned that inherent STARTING POINT ‘ability’ we all have -> Avail-ability – you’ve turned it into a full-blown talent!
Mental fitness is the starting point for those of you who struggle. Develop that – and the right behavior will follow and your body will follow that. More importantly it all illustrates the higher-echelons of what any fitness goal can and should be about -> CHARACTER-BUILDING!
As usual – some of you will get it – some of you will not.
Oh and what happened to me in the months after my back surgery? Well once I could sit up and walk again – I made a commitment to some contest promoters I knew and 12 weeks later I took to the stage despite still having some training limitations. I just made myself “available” to that commitment and I exploited it. Here is the result to witness for yourself…
And if I can do it – you can do it. Can you practice your “avail-ability?” – well, it all starts there – mentally, emotionally, and physically/behaviorally. Just “show-up” and say to yourself every morning – LET IT BEGIN, WITH ME!
Best of luck in achieving all your fitness goals whatever they may be to you.
About the Author
Scott Abel is a former professional bodybuilder and coach to over 400 fitness and bodybuilding champions at the National level and beyond. Learn more from his broad spectrum of work at www.scottabelfitness.com. You can also hear Scott on the 180D podcast. Enjoy his first Amazon-published book on how to build muscle HERE. | 14,111 | 5,913 | 0.000182 |
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Chemistry Methods and Text Organic and Biochemistry, Measurement Fourth Edition © The McGrawHill Companies. Gilmore explained these gender role discrepancies by a consideration of each cultures means of obtaining food. (An alternative is to build a special class of patterns for a binary options rsi strategy application.Binary options brokers with option builder | 9,369 | 4,521 | 0.000222 |
warc | 201704 | Based on the true story of the Duke of Windsor struggling to overcome a speech impediment it is full of public speaking tips for anyone who aspires to be a better speaker or a great leader.
The movie plot revolves around the challenges in public speaking as actor Colin Firth assumes the throne as King George VI. There are many lessons on overcoming a fear of public speaking.
The script highlights the challenge of how to give a great speech during a time of crisis.
It is a great movie, but what are the lessons for public speaking? Here are 10 presentation tips from the movie.
1. Believe in Yourself
Poor self-image, an internalized negative belief system, and an overall perception of not achieving potential greatness can sabotage a speech.
"Lionel Logue: Do you know any jokes?
King George VI: ...Timing isn't my strong suit."
2. Find Your Voice
In a crisis or during a challenge or major change, leaders need to be visible and strong.
Here's a pivotal scene from the movie when they are rehearsing for the coronation and the soon to be crowned King finds his voice.
"King George VI: Sees Logue is sitting on the coronation throne: What are you doing? Get up! You can't sit there! GET UP!
Lionel Logue: Why not? It's a chair.
King George VI: No, that. It is not a chair. T-that... that is Saint Edward's chair.
Lionel Logue: People have carved their names on it.
King George VI: - Simultaneously - That... chair... is the seat on which every king and queen has... That is the Stone of Scone you ah-are trivializing everything. You trivialize...
Lionel Logue: - Simultaneously - It's held in place by a large rock. I don't care about how many royal xxx have sat in this chair.
King George VI: Listen to me. Listen to me!
Lionel Logue: Listen to you? By what right?
King George VI: By divine right if you must, I am your king.
Lionel Logue: No you're not, you told me so yourself. You didn't want it. Why should I waste my time listening?
King George VI: Because I have a right to be heard. I have a voice!
Lionel Logue: - pauses - Yes, you do. - Longer pause -
Lionel Logue: You have such perseverance Bertie, you're the bravest man I know."
3. Have a Purpose
Every speech needs to have an objective, a goal and a purpose.
For the King, times were changing:
"King George V: In the past all a King had to do was look respectable in uniform and not fall off his horse. Now we must invade people's homes and ingratiate ourselves with them. This family is reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures, we've become actors!"
4. Admit You Need Help
The first step to becoming a better speaker is by learning and looking at feedback as a gift.
"Lionel Logue: What was your earliest memory?
King George VI: I'm not... -here to discuss... -personal matters.
Lionel Logue: Why are you here then?
King George VI: Because I bloody well stammer!"
5. Physical Fitness
Being at top physical condition is critical for delivering a great speech.
Avoid anything that will impact of your physical performance.
"Lionel Logue: - as George "Bertie" is lighting up a cigarette - Please don't do that.
King George VI: I'm sorry?
Lionel Logue: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.
King George VI: My physicians say it relaxes the throat.
Lionel Logue: They're idiots.
King George VI: They've all been knighted.
Lionel Logue: Makes it official then."
6. Warm up Your Voice and Muscles Involved in Delivery
A warm up is essential.
"Lionel Logue: - Bertie is lying on the floor, and Elizabeth is sitting on his chest - Take a good deep breath... - Bertie inhales -
Lionel Logue: And up goes Her Royal Highness... Now exhale slowly... - Bertie exhales -
Lionel Logue: And down goes Her Royal Highness...
Queen Elizabeth: This is actually quite good fun, Bertie."
7. Record Your Speech
Always record your speech for review and analysis.
There is a great scene in the movie when Bertie listens back to his recorded speech that is a tipping point in his relationship with Logue.
8. Practice
It takes 10,000 hours to master a new skill.
The more pressure, the more the need to practice.
"- watching a clip of Hitler speaking - Lilibet: What's he saying?
King George VI: I don't know but... he seems to be saying it rather well."
9. Microphone Technique
There are some great scenes in the movie of broadcasters working on the positioning of the microphone.
These small changes make a big difference to the speech quality.
10. Seek Outside Help
A speech coach, course or mentor can significantly improve performance.
"Lionel Logue: You still stammered on the 'W'.
King George VI: Well I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me."
Please consider:
Tuesday May 17th 2011, Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Powerful and Persuasive Speechwriting. Book here. | 4,842 | 2,326 | 0.000438 |
warc | 201704 | The goal of this site is to provide you with a one stop source for helping you deal with your acne naturally.
What exactly is natural?
What is not natural?
What causes acne?
The new trend in medical circles is to discuss acne as a hormonal imbalance. The previous trend was to talk about pores getting clogged by sebum. Unfortunately, neither of these are causes. What causes a hormonal imbalance? What causes pores to get clogged? That is the goal of this site. To help you come to your own conclusions about what causes acne. It is also to help you find out about the dangerous side effects of prescription medicines. The first step is to get acquainted with our simple No Breakfast Acne Plan. This is a great jumping off point for natural acne treatments. Next is the main part of this site which is our step by step natural acne treatment guide. You will find an extensive resource for getting yourself on the right track to a healthier lifestyle and fantastic skin with this plan. Next, you want to get your fat and oil intake correct. Fats are extremely important for managing acne. Click here for Acne: Fats, Oils... Saturated, Unsaturated... Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9... What does this have to do with Acne anyway?
Then you can see why acne sufferers must supplement with cod liver oil.
Check out our new Review of "Acne No More" an acne ebook! Check to see if this ebook is worth buying!
If you are considering taking Accutane, please be sure to read our reports on a variety of studies done before you do so.
See Accutane Research Here.
Also, here are two of our general acne articles that have been very popular:
Step by Step Acne Report Reveals How to Treat your Acne Naturally!
Sign up today and discover how to:
Sign up for Free Today! ($27 Value) Site Map | Terms of use and Disclaimer | Contact | 1,826 | 985 | 0.001024 |
warc | 201704 | Car magnet ads have several benefits to an ad car that car wraps may not offer. One of which is the arrangement. Car magnets can start out in one spot on your car and later migrate to another. Wherever it’s determined is a more effective spot on your car to advertise, you can move your ad there. Another huge benefit is the ad selection. You can start out with whatever car ad you want and later change it to a totally different ad for a totally different product, service or entire company! That would seemingly give car magnet ads a minor advantage over car wraps.
Car wraps offer equally distinctive benefits that you can’t get from most car magnet ads. Car wraps best attribute are the distances that they can be seen from. This may be the most valuable asset to ad cars that use car wraps. The downside to car magnet ads is that you have to be relatively close to the ad to really reap the benefits of the ad. Another very viable benefit to using car wraps is the fact that it is more of a fixture to your car than an accessory. While it is beneficial in many ways to have the stationary ability of the car magnet ads, there’s not much that can be done to remove the ads from car wraps. While car magnet ads can be stolen, lost, or severely damage quite easily, none of these are problems that one would deal with using the car wrap.
The cost value of each will be relative to the needs of each ad car. For those that are advertising a small business that only need a boost to help out with their ad campaign, car magnets ads will be in your short term budget. The cost of these typically range from around $20 to $150 with sizes ranging from 4” x 12” to 24” x 48” respectively or custom sizes(with custom pricing). But again, the reach is not as far as car wraps. Now, car wraps are a little more pricing, but will create huge conversions for with a good ad. Car wraps typically range in pricing from $2400 to $2800 for mid-sized cars and $3000 to $3600 for Vans/SUV’s. For the audience size these bring in, it’s well worth it for a larger company. The longer the ad car is wrapped, the more cost effective this ad type is.
In the end, neither of these car branding types is better. They are both equally effective in different ways and cost effective for the needs of whichever company. Using car magnet ads or car wraps, ad cars are an overall effective means of advertising. | 2,434 | 1,157 | 0.000882 |
warc | 201704 | Apple Cider Vinegar and fibroids
Although natural
apple cider vinegar and the cure for fibroids are thought to be related with each other, yet there is no scientific evidence that supports the improvement of fibroids, so we can not say it is a nature cure for the disease. It is just an urban myth. Also, we have no proofs that apple cider vinegar is an effective cure of yeast infections.
Cider is a natural beverage that is obtained by the fermentation (microbial decomposition of a substance) of apple juice. It is considered as one of the most popular fermented beverage of North America. Cider vinegar is a type of vinegar obtained from apple cider. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is deemed as multi-purpose tool and is supposed to be instrumental in a number of ailments. For instance, apple cider vinegar is believed to be helpful in shrinking fibroids. Similarly apple cider vinegar is thought to be a cure of yeast infection.
As mentioned above, there is no concrete scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of natural
apple cider vinegar to cure fibroids, candidiasis (yeast infections) etc. On the other hand, it is also true that it has been in use for quite a long period of time for fibroids. It has been in operation since ancient Greeks. These people and many more had employed it for the treatment of a number of diseases. Now the question arises that why these people were using it, if it wasn’t effective?? Why it had been in the annals of the history for a sufficiently long period of time?? These facts indirectly indicates somewhat effectiveness of apple cider vinegar for various ailments like yeast infections etc.
Regarding the chemical composition of apple cider vinegar, it includes a lot of valuable ingredients. It includes minerals, proteins etc for the reason that it is a fermented product. Being fermented creation, it is considered as an ideal candidate for the treatment of yeast infections.
If natural apple cider vinegar is to be used for the treatment of yeast infections (or fibroids), it should be in unprocessed and undistilled form. It really proves to be up to the mark in this way. A good number of people consider Braggs apple cider vinegar an ideal option. It is organic, raw, unpasteurized and unheated. Also, it has proven its worth with the passage of time. It is completely reliable and can easily be obtained from any beverages outlet.
It can be used in various ways. You can either drink it or you can use it directly on the affected area. When it is to be used for drinking purpose, you should make an appropriate mixture of ACV and water. This is because it is necessary to dilute its ACV so that it may not harm you, instead of giving benefits, if any. Drink this mixture at least two times a day. When using it directly on the skin, you can either use a douche bag or you can sit in a bath for 30 minutes.
These days more and more people are using natural apple cider vinegar it for the cure of fibroids or other diseases. You can only be assured of its performance, if it has successfully dealt with the causes of your ailment, besides curing the disease.
If you are interested in natural remedies for fibroids, please have a look at our recommended book | 3,230 | 1,442 | 0.000697 |
warc | 201704 | Nationwide Homeowners Insurance in Meadville, Pennsylvania From Quinn Agency, LLC
Homeowners insurance is a crucial part of owning and protecting a home. That’s why the Quinn Agency, LLC has worked so diligently to understand the insurance priorities of 16335 homeowners and their residential properties. In fact, the exact location of your home may mean your home’s risk profile is slightly different from that of your Meadville neighbors' right down the street. No matter the specifics, Nationwide has coverage that’s right for your Meadville home, and our agents can help further personalize your homeowner’s policy.
How so? Beyond the location, the property itself often has very different kinds of assets that can be protected through home insurance coverage. The structure and dwelling coverage are the backbone of most policies, but Quinn Agency, LLC offers plenty of additional coverage options through Nationwide. These options cover things like a detached garage or other buildings, contents and valuables, or even a number of exclusive coverage programs like Better Roof Replacement®. Plus, if the time ever comes when one or more of our homeowners need to return a home to its former glory, the Nationwide On Your Side® Claims Service offers extra peace of mind.
Our office is located at 285 North St, Meadville, Pennsylvania, 16335. But our home insurance expertise extends throughout the greater Meadville area. Call the Quinn Agency, LLC at (814) 337-2766 to get our take on the best way to protect against potential homeowner damages.
The Quinn Agency, LLC also offers products in Ohio. Please call for information on products in those states. | 1,695 | 871 | 0.001173 |
warc | 201704 | Dogs may suffer from allergies to pollen, fleas
and more.
Veterinarians say there are four main types of allergies that most dogs and cats can get:
Airborne (tree, grass and weed pollen; mold, mildew and dust mites) Fleas Foods Contact (carpeting, detergent or other substances)
The most common reaction is scratching, vets say. Other symptoms may include discoloration of hair between toes, rashes, open sores, watery eyes, ear infections, runny noses, vomiting and diarrhea.
Cats are often allergic to certain foods.
Pinpointing what causes an allergic reaction in pets can take time and money and often has to be done by exclusion.
Most pet owners will try to figure out what the allergy is, vets say.
Source: Myrtle Beach Online Keep indoor air clear of allergens
Having the best possible indoor air can help allergic pets and their owners find relief.
AllerAir offers a variety of
air purifiers for the home and officethat can remove the widest range of indoor air contaminants, including pollen, dust, chemicals, odors, gases, particles, mold and more.
From AllerAir’s powerful base model, the
5000 Exec, to advanced units for those dealing with allergies and asthma (AllerAir’s AirMedic Seriesand AirMedic+ Series), it’s easy to find the right unit for every household.
For more information,
contact AllerAir. | 1,348 | 756 | 0.001355 |
warc | 201704 | Turn your Digital into Vinyl
A German company, vinylrecorder.com, has come up with a home record lathe that takes any digital file and cuts it onto a vinyl disk. You can see an entertaining video about the process at the link below. The man in the video is entirely wrong about digital files and stairstepping or squarewaves–its a complete misunderstanding of how digital audio works. But it’s a common misperception
Although this thing will cost $4000, and requires that it be hooked to a vacuum cleaner (to clear the pieces of cut vinyl away from the cutting head), it’s being aimed at the “home” market–people with a lot of money who want to make records of their digital files. There are others machines to do this available, but they cost more than twice as much. It’s doubtful that taking a modern mp3 or wav file and cutting it to vinyl will make it sound better–it will add some forms of possibly pleasing distortion, but most likely the mp3 file will have been “loudness maximized” and will sound really lousy when it’s cut to vinyl.
But beyond that, it seems like a really odd thing to do. Lets’ say vinyl sounds better–maybe it does, I don’t think so but some people do. Turning your digital files into vinyl is like turning your ballpoint pen into a quill pen. The experience of writing with a quill pen is in some ways much better than the experience of writing with a ballpoint. But there’s the leaks, and the need for an inkwell, and blotting paper, and random blobs of ink, and a pen knife for shaping the nib, and etc etc. I don’t doubt that there are quill pen
aficiandos out there, and that they see using a quill pen as a sign of aficion in the way of Hemingway characters, committed to purity. But turning your ball point into a quill pen won’t replicate the experience of the quill pen, any more than hitching a horse to your Prius will replicate the experience of driving a conestoga wagon. Maybe I could get a device that would attach an earphone on a wire to an iphone, and put a little handcrank on the side?
This seems silly to me. The MP3 file isn’t just music, anymore than a record is just music. It’s a product, a “delivery system,” embedded in a wide range of social and technological systems on which it depends–like the Prius and the horse cart.
Vinyl might sound better, but it’s not because of “stairstepping” or “square waves.” Digital audio depends on the “Nyquist-Shannon Theorem,” produced at Bell Labs in the 1930s by Harry Nyquist and Claude Shannon, one of the pioneering figures in digital computing. The Nyquist-Shannon theorem says basically that to reproduce a sound perfectly, all we need to do is sample it at twice the rate of the highest frequency present. For human listening purposes, the highest frequency present is 20,000 hertz (hz)–we can’t hear above that. Sound comes to us like waves, with peaks and troughs. Think of hz as cycles per second–the number of peaks and troughs per second. 20,000 is the maximum we can resolve–and people over 30 can’t resolve that. CD or mp3 audio is “sampled” at a rate of 44,000 hz, or 44,000 times a second. This is often drawn as a stairstep, as in the link below
But soundwaves are physical artifacts, and how they sound to us is their frequency. If we get their frequency from sampling, we need no other information to perfectly reproduce them. Sound waves don’t suddenly change frequency in the middle of the air for no reason. If a violin emits a single note, the note does not change once it leaves the violin. It has a frequency (or a set of frequencies; a fundamental tone and overtones) and each of these can be sampled and reproduced. All you need is two points to sample a frequency perfectly. Think of it as like a circle–you only need two points to perfectly reproduce a circle. If this doesn’t make sense, here’s a video which explains it beautifully:
There are no square waves or stair stepping in what comes out of your speaker when you play an mp3 file. So there’s no such thing to remove.
If vinyl sounds better, I’d still argue it’s because it’s not overcompressed and loudness maximized.
But it might also be that digital audio is too perfect–it gets into “the uncanny valley.” This is a school of aesthetics that says we don’t want imitations to get too close to the original. A robot or a doll is cute but if it gets too life-like it becomes creepy and “uncanny.” If it’s so good that you don’t notice it, that’s one thing, but if it’s really close but not close enough it falls into the uncanny valley. Computer animators confront this all the time–too real is creepy and off-putting. Alternatively, movies or novels that are too much about real life, too realistic, are generally boring and unappealing
Audio on vinyl is objectively much less realistic than digital audio. It’s full of distortions and artifacts like dust and scratches and wear. It may be that preferring vinyl is like preferring CGI animation that doesn’t look too real. It may be that digital audio is either so realistic that it’s slightly uncanny and off putting, or so realistic that it lacks the interest that comes from mimesis, from imitations which aren’t the same as the things they imitate. You have to get the similar/dissimilar ratio just right.
It would be fun to have your own record cutting lathe. It used to be fairly common, before the advent of tape recording in the 1940s. Alan Lomax used one to record Leadbelly. The “presto” recorder was marketed for home use and field recording starting in the 1930s. Fidelity was low–a professional record cutting lathe like the Scully Lathe required perfect isolation from vibration, temperature control, and literally microscopic control over detail
Notice that the vinyl recording.com lathe has a microscope attached. It probably uses some form of digital compensation to reduce the effects of vibration. The larger question here is “why.” Musicians can already send their digital files to services that will press records. You can buy vinyl copies of a lot of popular music already. I think the appeal of this thing has to do with the failure of digital files as own-able objects. They can’t be displayed, they don’t take up space–they are unsatisfying as consumer goods
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warc | 201704 | Do you want to know what it would be like to be a dinosaur? Journey back in time over 65 million years and Be the Dinosaur!
Discover the science of dinosaurs and their ecosystems as you walk in their footsteps, hunt, eat, hide and survive by using computer simulation and interactive exhibits, and “Be The Dinosaur: Life in the Crustaceous” opening September 28 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.
Appropriate for students in Grades K-8, “Be the Dinosaur” an innovative traveling exhibition combines the excitement of inquiry-based learning with curriculum areas in science, math, art, language arts and history. Students also use skills in observing, analyzing, experimenting, drawing conclusions and communication results, by participating in “Be the Dinosaur” at AMSE through January 6, 2013. All exhibit components are scientifically accurate and based on a well-studied fossil formation in Western North America.
Both traditional and interactive elements provide visitor experiences as the exhibit highlights the most current data on dinosaur biology, behavior, food sources and ecology. In “Be the Dinosaur,” visitors approach the Volcano Gateway and Pterosaur life reconstruction, while moving to the Field Station to find out “How we know what we know” as the life-sized fossil casts of the skulls of Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops prorsus help set the stage for “Be the Dinosaur.”
Throughout “Be the Dinosaur,” visitors explore many of the mysteries concerning how dinosaurs may have lived their lives as 12 major areas of the science of dinosaurs and their ecosystems are linked. Among the questions posed in the exhibit are Do I hunt alone or in packs? How do I behave in groups? How do I find plants to eat? What does this world around me offer? Do I live alone or in groups? How do I use my senses? How do I stay healthy?
Take control of the digital dinosaur in audio-visual simulator pods. The artificially intelligent dinosaurs roam across the realistic terrain. They have simulated muscle and digestive systems. Virtual winds carry digital odors, while plants grow and have accurate nutritional value. The easy-to-use controls allow visitors to manipulate the virtual dinosaur’s limbs, head, neck, jaw and even nostrils. Different settings provide access for young visitors and an “expert” setting to satisfy the most tech-savvy users.
Extend the dinosaur experience at the museum’s Discovery Shop, where visitors can purchase dig a dinosaur kits, dinosaur 3-D books, dinosaur globes, and natural history activity books to take home. The Discovery Shop is open from 10:30 am – 4:45 pm Monday through Saturday and 1:00 – 4:45 pm on Sunday.
The American Museum of Science and Energy, located at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, is open Monday – Saturday from 9 am – 5 pm and on Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. AMSE admission is Adults $5, Seniors (65+) $4, Students (6 – 17) $3 and Children (5 and under) no charge. AMSE members are free. Group rates are available for 20 or more with advance reservations. AMSE memberships, good for 12 months from purchase date, are Family $40, Grandparents $35, Individuals $25 and Family & Friends $75. Members receive unlimited AMSE visits and free admission to 250 museums that participate in the ASTC Passport Program. AMSE members get discounts on Discovery Shop merchandise, discounts on classes, workshops, programs, camps and birthday parties. For more information on AMSE memberships, exhibits, programs and events, go to www.amse.org To schedule an group visit, call AMSE at (865) 576-3200. | 3,706 | 1,839 | 0.000563 |
warc | 201704 | Web analytics data tells many stories. User experience on a website, a mobile app, an e-commerce domain is one of those stories. But if you’re trying to determine from page hits alone whether your website is a hit, you’re going to be hitting your head on a brick wall.
Sport is just a branch of the entertainment industry. As such, I don’t expect that big-data and analytics–a la “Moneyball”–will play a more decisive role in athletic competitions than they do in, say, in determining whether Broadway actors exit stage right or stage left after the climactic scene.
Contending with more content delivery platforms than ever before, the rapid growth in mobile devices, and unprecedented competition for audience attention around the world, Media and entertainment companies are under immense pressure to deliver results. Audience Analytics is the key.
We are a collection of experienced digital media professionals, infrastructure providers, smart marketers and solution architects.
We want to engage in a two-way dialog on the value of analyzing digital media and audience data in order to maximize targeting precision and deliver relevant content.
You know how it goes: "right message, right person, right time, right price." Now, more than ever, this concept matters across the entire advertising value chain. | 1,356 | 743 | 0.001391 |
warc | 201704 | Yesterday, the United States settled its 10,000th Syrian refugee. The resettlement program had gotten off to a slow start, and came about under lots of criticism, but the Obama administration ended up hitting its goal a month ahead of schedule.
Since the Syrian war began in 2011, approximately five million Syrians have fled the country and fallen into an unstable limbo. The United States refugee program represents safety and security for more than 10,000 of those Syrians. For many Americans, though, the question now is how to best welcome them into our society.
In order to help answer this question, A Plus spoke with Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, founder and executive director of the Syrian Community Network (SCN). Based on our conversation (and a pinch of common sense), we've compiled a few tips for greeting your new neighbors if they happen to be Syrian refugees.
1. Organize community events.
"I always tell people to organize and to create some kind of committee," Sahloul said. "Social media is a very powerful tool."
She emphasized that picnics, dinners, block parties, tutoring and cultural training 101 are all great ideas. Even if someone understands American culture, learning everything from English to where the grocery store is can be really beneficial.
Put together an event so the new family can meet their neighbors and get to know other people nearby. The more resources and friends they have, the easier their new life in America will be, and their chances of success in finding work and peace will increase.
2. If you have the means, think about raising money for the family.
Many Syrian refugees are used to a middle-class life, according to Sahloul. They had houses, cars, jobs and education before their world was turned upside down by the war. Now that they have become refugees, they are coming from a life of instability, constant movement, and in many cases, poverty.
When Syrian refugees arrive here, they will be given $1,125 per person. That money is supposed to support their rent for three months, but Sahloul noted that in Chicago — where much of her work is based — the average cost of housing is $1,200 a month. That's why SCN has helped to pay 50 percent of new refugees' rent for their first six months in the country.
"In order to attend programs and learn English, you have to have basic needs met," Sahloul said. "We don't want to enable them by giving too much, but we want to give them a breather so they focus on getting that job, learning their English or getting their family registered in schools."
Sahloul remembered a story where one neighborhood raised $5,000 for a new refugee to buy a car. He used the money to get a Dodge Caravan, which helped him get to job interviews all over the city. Eventually, he landed some work. He ended up using the van to help other refugee families with rides when they needed it.
3. Treat them like any other neighbor.
Go over, introduce yourself, introduce your kids to their kids, ask if you can do anything to help them get settled and open your doors to their family. If they are from a place or culture you don't know much about, then it's even more worthwhile for you to do these things.
4. Talk about the elephant in the room.
By now, most refugees who are coming to the United States probably understand that their arrival is somewhat controversial. One family the SCN featured in a Facebook video said they expected to be disliked by Americans.
If a refugee has just arrived here, understand it probably took them almost two years to get here. Acknowledge and maybe even sympathize with the struggle that they've had to go through. Make sure they feel like you are happy to have them in your neighborhood, even if you privately have questions or concerns.
5. Invest some time in understanding who they are.
Don't just get to know them the way you would anyone else, but take an extra step. Read about the region they're from and try to understand the events that led them to you.
Many refugees came to the United States seeking safety for their families, not just a new life or a chance at work. In fact, many of the refugees that come to our borders are highly educated and qualified individuals; that's probably why they made it through the rigorous vetting system.
6. Smile.
Sahloul remembers working with Fatima and Fadi Omarein, who said they were pleasantly surprised to see Americans smiling at them. Even just making that simple gesture can create a warm and welcoming experience. You can check our Fatima and Fadi's story in the short video below.
Want to help? You can donate or volunteer with the Syrian Community Network here. | 4,677 | 2,304 | 0.000438 |
warc | 201704 | New Delhi, Nov 5 : Ahead of the festive season, the government is caught in a wrath in balancing consumers’ interest with the welfare of farmers who would like more protection by way of increased import duty that may raise the risk of retail inflation.
As per an ASSOCHAM study, India’s import bill on account of vegetable oils is going to increase to USD 14 billion in the current financial year, against USD 10 billion in 2014-15.
“Due to weak global prices and glut in the international markets, prices in India have remained subdued despite a severe shortage of domestic production. For the September, the CPI (consumer price index) marked annualized increase of only 3.6 percent in the Oils and Fats segment,” stated the study.
So far, the government has raised the customs duty on crude and refined edible oils to 12.5 percent and 20 percent respectively. While there is a demand for more such protection for the farmers, the move may lead to spiral in consumer inflation, which the government can ill-afford, learning from the pulses experience.
“A major concern for the policy planners involved in ensuring the domestic availability of edible oils is the fact that domestic prices of oilseeds and vegetable oils are too un-remunerative to enthuse farmers for intensive oilseeds cultivation. That, in a way, is also coming in the way of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition of making India self-sufficient in the area of edible oils, “ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said. (ANI) | 1,538 | 844 | 0.001217 |
warc | 201704 | This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When a "For Sale" sign pops up in the yard of the biggest eyesore in the neighborhood, it can be cause for cautious optimism. There is hope that the new owner will clean up the yard, fix the roof, finally paint the thing, not out of kindness to the neighbors, but for his own benefit.
That is the case with the Chevron pipeline, the one that runs 760 miles from Salt Lake City to Spokane, Wash., with a spur that runs to Pocatello, Idaho. The one that last week sprung its third significant leak in the Salt Lake City area in the last three years, this time fouling the fowl-breeding waters at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
That pipeline, with associated terminals and another spur that carries jet fuel to Salt Lake International Airport, is in the process of being sold, to Tesoro Logistics L.C., for an amount approaching $400 million. If Tesoro is willing to put down that much money for the facilities, there is hope that the corporation sees some value in the system, and that it will do a better job of preventing it from leaking.
After all, the stuff that occasionally pours out of the pipeline and into Utah's waterways and even occasionally is far too often is worth something. That, plus the cost of clean-up, repairs and fines, should be enough incentive for those in charge of watching over their stockholders' assets to do a better job of preventing any such spillages in the future.
Of course, as with the run-down house down the street, there is always some risk that even the most serious buyer will shy away from a purchase once more flaws which mean more costs become apparent. The fact that Tesoro has delayed closing on the pipeline deal from the end of March to, perhaps, sometime before July can cause observers to wonder if the buyers are having second thoughts.
Whoever owns this pipeline system, formally known as the Northwest Products System, should be under much closer scrutiny from federal and state regulatory agencies. Such agencies have been warning Chevron for years that certain points along the line are not up to standard.
Two leaks into Salt Lake City's Red Butte Creek in 2010 followed a much smaller spill in Idaho, an incident that federal officials say has not really been cured after more than two years of corporate review.
The fuels carried by this pipeline are too valuable to the existing economy for it to be abandoned, or left to rot. But if it takes a more aggressive regulatory culture, with much stiffer fines, to push owners into preventing leaks rather than just cleaning them up, then that's what should happen.
No matter who owns the pipeline. | 2,816 | 1,441 | 0.000697 |
warc | 201704 | A state-sponsored study of regional airports has concluded that communities in the six-county Chicago area are not eager to expand local airports, which primarily handle private and corporate aircraft.
Tom E. Willman, chief aviation planner for the Chicago Area Transportation Study, a branch of the Illinois Department of Transportation, said researchers were surprised that ``there is not as much enthusiasm as you`d think`` to improve general aviation airports around Chicago.
The researchers base their conclusions on a recently completed survey of government officials, pilots and business people.
The study was done to determine what changes should be made in area airports by the year 2000, as fewer small planes will be allowed to land at O`Hare International and Midway Airports.
Willman said that overall, government officials indicated that they believe ``general aviation is important and beneficial to their community``
but that only 19 percent said they wanted scheduled air service, such as shuttles, at their airports and that only 23 percent indicated an interest in the construction of a heliport.
Du Page County officials indicated an interest in improving the county airport but were not interested in having commercial flights.
The south suburbs were the most enthusiastic about adding scheduled flights, and McHenry County was the least interested, Willman said.
When asked what problems they had with the current airport system, according to Willman, people in the survey gave conflicting answers. While local officials said they feared the noise and land-use problems associated with airports, they complained that it took too long to travel to airports offering commercial flights.
``Everyone wants an airport, but they don`t want them in their back yard,`` he said. ``People seem to be saying, `My peace and quiet are more important than some wealthy person having an airport nearby.` ``
The business people who responded to the survey were generally
``apathetic,`` and the pilots ``naturally want more airports,`` he said.
``They want to keep the existing airports and improve them.``
He said pilots expressed concern that the number of airports in the six-county area has dropped to 22 from 44 in the last 25 years. | 2,258 | 1,117 | 0.000901 |
warc | 201704 | Toddlers, teenagers and young adults are everywhere at 5232 W. Quincy St., sitting on the front steps and running in and out the front door.
The white stucco house, one of dozens of single-family homes on a well-kept street in the Austin neighborhood, belongs to the children`s
grandparents, Ruby and Johnny Johnson, who have lived there for 23 years.
But the Cook County state`s attorney`s office says the grandchildren, their friends and their associates have been selling crack cocaine from and around the eight-room house for several months. The state has gone to court to shut down the house for a year and board it up under state nuisance abatement laws, which permit the government to seize properties for several causes, including drug activities.
Now the Johnsons, both of whom are in their 70s, may be forced to find somewhere else to live.
Their situation is not unique. In fact, a growing number of elderly homeowners are getting caught between concern for their children and grandchildren and the drug dealing those relatives may bring to their doorsteps.
The problem is increasing throughout the country in areas where drugs and poverty are prevalent, according to police and other law enforcement officials.
The cases represent a particularly thorny dilemma for public authorities. On one hand, there is the right of the community to be free of the public threat of drug dealing and its attendant violence, temptations for children, noise, unsavory traffic and thefts. The Johnsons` neighbors complain of all these problems.
On the other hand, there are the rights of the senior citizens, who stand to lose their property because of illegal activities of their relatives, many of whom are unemployed, orphaned or otherwise destitute.
``Older people have assets, and often the younger people don`t,`` said Sgt. Bob Crawford of the Oakland Police Department, who has lectured police nationally on the problem. ``They move in with their parents or grandparents. If they have a substance abuse problem, it`s a place they can always go.
``And the parents go into denial, much like an abused child or spouse. They say, `It`s my own flesh and blood, I can`t do anything about it.` ``
A few weeks ago, the Cook County state`s attorney`s office prevailed in a similar case regarding a house just a few doors down from the Johnsons`, at 5242 W. Quincy St. The court ordered the landlord, Hattie Griffin, to leave the house, which would be boarded up. Griffin has gone to live with a relative while, police say, some of the drug dealers have moved down the block to live with the Johnsons, longtime Griffin family friends.
The Johnsons` case, pending since July, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. In one month recently, police received 60 calls from neighbors about drug activity at the house.
``These are the worst kinds of cases, but we can`t treat them differently,`` said Wilbur Crooks, supervisor of the narcotics nuisance abatement unit of the state`s attorney`s office, which has been pursuing these cases for two years.
``We have to think about the other people in the community, about the greater good,`` Crooks said. ``Some parents are able to tell their children to get out, but some have lost control and there is nothing they can do to stop the dope dealing. So we have got to do something.``
Parents must apply ``tough love`` to children who are involved with drugs, Crooks said. They must take their keys, change the locks and call police if they try to return home, he said.
``If children have decided to live this way, they should at least have the decency to take it away from their parents,`` he said.
``Who is victimizing these parents? It`s not the authorities. It`s the children.``
The Johnsons, both of whom use canes to walk, look bewildered and saddened by what is happening. They contend that they tried, without success, to get rid of the people who are dealing drugs in front of their home.
``I would hate to have to lose the house,`` said Ruby Johnson, 72, during an appearance last week in Housing Court. ``We`re old. Where would we find a place? Where would we go?``
State nuisance abatement laws-originally enacted in the 1930s to shut down houses of prostitution-are being used nationally to temporarily remove homes and other property from owners in cases where drug dealing and drug use are involved.
``There are many buildings where we work with the landlords and help them to evict people, to get police involved,`` said Sherri Weissberg, the assistant state`s attorney who is prosecuting the Johnsons` case.
``But if the owners don`t take us up on our help, there is only one conclusion you can come to.``
Weissberg said the Johnsons did not take up the county`s offer to help. | 4,784 | 2,257 | 0.000445 |
warc | 201704 | (Baltimore Examiner and Washington Examiner)
The last decade has been a busy one for airline mergers: American and TWA, America West and US Airways, Delta and Northwest, United and Continental. And most recently, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Holdings announced plans to merge.
What do the mergers mean for business travelers? The impact is felt on a case-by-case basis; it usually comes down to where you're coming from and where you're trying to go.
Some cities fare better than others after a merger, which Cincinnati and St. Louis learned the hard way, said Jami Counter, senior director of TripAdvisor Flights. When American Airlines acquired TWA in 2001, it slowly trimmed flights out of St. Louis, which had been a TWA hub.
"Compared to 10 years ago, St. Louis probably has half the flights it did," Counter said.
Similarly, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport was a bustling Delta hub until that airline acquired Northwest. That airport suffered layoffs and loss of flights, while airports in two cities that had a heavy Northwest presence — Detroit and Minneapolis — fared relatively well.
Counter predicted that Cleveland could see a fate similar to Cincinnati's as a result of the United-Continental merger.
"United has said they'll maintain a Cleveland hub, but that's exactly what Delta said about Cincinnati," Counter said.
So doing business in Cleveland might get a little tougher.
But other destinations are likely to do well, including Atlanta, where Southwest has had no presence. If the deal goes through, Southwest will have access to AirTran's gates at that airport, the nation's busiest. It also will have a sudden presence at Washington's Reagan National, the favored airport for many frequent visitors to the nation's capital.
Several experts have predicted that business routes along the East Coast will thrive as Southwest battles with JetBlue in a low-cost war.
"Some markets will benefit, but that's the exception more than the rule," Counter said. "Southwest is obviously positioning this as good for the consumer because it spreads out the brands and gives consumers more choice. But whenever you take out competition, I'm not sure it's truly doing that."
Joel Wartgow, director of air consulting for the CWT Solutions Group, a consulting division of corporate travel-management company Carlson Wagonlit, took a rosier view. Not only is there no "compelling data" that mergers mean higher fares, they can mean cheaper tickets, he said.
"If Southwest is entering a market where they haven't had a presence, there's an advantage there," Wartgow said. "Bringing the strength of the Southwest network to a city benefits consumers because there is competition putting downward pressure on fares."
The Southwest merger also could lead to the very competition some lament is being lost, he said; fewer airlines with broader networks create more robust competition than more airlines with smaller networks.
"Combining two carriers opens options for business travelers," Wartgow said. "If you've flown a lot on Delta and they merge with Northwest, you suddenly have a lot more cities available to you."
Either way, the effects of the United-Continental and Southwest-AirTran mergers probably won't be felt until well into 2011.
Do you have ideas or suggestions about business travel? Write to Josh Noel at
jbnoel@tribune.com. Include "Business Class" in the subject line. | 3,458 | 1,704 | 0.000595 |
warc | 201704 | Maternal and Child Health
ASTHO’s Maternal and Child Health program addresses issues affecting families, women of reproductive age, infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special healthcare needs. It works to increase state capacity to develop and implement policies and programs in support of maternal and child health. It builds opportunities for state health agencies and others to work together to improve maternal and child health across the nation.
Breastfeeding Promotion and Support
Through a learning community model, ASTHO is working with 18 states and the District of Columbia to increase access to breastfeeding promotion and support. These resources highlight best practices and current efforts at the state and federal level around breastfeeding activities. Read more »
Increasing Access to Contraception
Through a multi-state learning community, ASTHO is working to improve the capacity of states to successfully increase access to contraception. These resources highlight current efforts at the national, federal, and state levels. Read more »
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
In-utero opioid exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) are public health issues that the majority of states are facing today. A statewide approach to NAS can address several levels of intervention. Read more »
Newborn Screening
Brief overview of newborn screening and the strategies that State Health Agencies are using to improve processes and reduce screening delays. Read more »
Safe Sleep Resources
These materials highlight the important role that state health agencies have in reducing the rates of SUID/SIDS and sleep-related infant death. Read more »
ASTHO Healthy Babies Initiative
Healthy Babies Initiative
In September 2011, ASTHO President David Lakey (TX) issued his President’s Challenge, the Healthy Babies Initiative, with the goal of improving birth outcomes by reducing infant mortality and prematurity in the United States.
Recent Webinars on Key Topics
Recordings, slides, and supporting resources from past ASTHO webinars about maternal and child health topics. Read more »
More Resources
ASTHO has developed issue briefs, fact sheets, and state case studies and stories about maternal and child health projects, including 17P, early elective deliveries, tobacco cessation during pregnancy, and more. Read more »
Staff
Lisa Waddell
, Chief Program Officer, Community Health and PreventionChristi Mackie
, Senior Director, Family and Child HealthEllen Pliska
, Director, Family and Child HealthClaire Rudolph
, Senior Analyst, Maternal and Child HealthSanaa Akbarali
, Analyst, Maternal and Child HealthEighmey Zeeck
, Analyst, Maternal and Child Health | 2,768 | 1,236 | 0.000831 |
warc | 201704 | In this blog, I have been tracking the 50th Anniversary of events leading up to the Apollo moon landings.
The reason I am tracking these events in this ethics blog are (1) because I am interested in space travel and this is my blog, and (2) it demonstrates the power of the method of knowledge that relies on experimentation, observation, and hypothesis.
At no time in the Apollo program did researchers look for supernatural explanations. If a rocket blew up, the cause of the accident was never found to be because of God's anger or the presence of supernatural entities. The engineers looked for the cause of failure in the the material rocket itself and the environment it was working in.
Fifty years ago today those engineers would make their first test flight of the rocket that was supposed to put Americans into orbit - the Mercury Atlas rocket.
In 8 years, 11 months, and 17 days they would be going to the moon. Today, they just wanted to go into orbit.
It failed.
One minute into the flight, there was a "structural failure at the forward end" of the rocket. As a result, the rocket became eratic and was destroyed.
The capsule that would have been carrying the astronaut crashed into the sea in pieces. However, information from the rocket showed that an abort signal had been given as soon as the structural failure became evident. The abort system itself had been intentionally disabled to prevent a failure in that system from destroying the test - as had happened on earlier test flights.
Armed with the data from this test failure, the engineers went back to the drawing board.
The next test flight in the Mercury program is more than 4 months away - on November 8th. | 1,697 | 864 | 0.001166 |
warc | 201704 | Fortress Campus and the Power Relations of a Google Bus Window Molly Hankwitz Americans, Fees, and Corporate Media
Many of our finest American university and community relationships began long ago as part of political rights to which wealthy forefathers were privy whilst they invented American democracy. Early American sense of place was a quilt-like town planning of ever-so-slightly-manicured fields and dirt roads woven together with central, well-appointed stone buildings where our early system of Law, Order, Learning, and Governance was embodied by white, wealthy, mostly male participants. The fairy-tale history of the colonists obscures what was a system already steeped, from their European roots onward, in patriarchy and racism. We do not need to go to Egypt, for instance, and think of slaves sweating out a grueling tomb construction. Many of our own greatest democratic institutions were built with slave labor; our finest politicians, themselves, owned slaves.
Perceived threat of campus crime spurs on blockbuster-type showdowns in the conservative news between outsider Other terroristic forces and civilized insiders while at the same time campus police are given power to patrol communities with loaded guns. College towns consist of over-priced amenities (and a service population) catering to privileged students often at the expense of longer term and poorer residents (living in another time frame) who are squeezed out by gentrification. (Gentry, alone, a term reserved for lower-end nobility who managed land; a petite-bourgeoisie)
But, resistance to these traditions of university land-control abound. The declaration of a 'free space' at Berkeley's Peoples' Park in the sixties and the recent militancy of the Berkeley community to generate a "free university" on Nov. 15th, 2011 during Occupy Cal have something in common. In the first and largest gathering of Occupy, cancelling of classes at UCBerkeley was one of a long line of actions towards equitable, meaningful higher education in the UC system. And at Columbia University (I went to Barnard) socio-economic and racial tensions have long been present. The mere presence of an expensive, mostly white, western-canon oriented institution with costly admissions fees amidst ethnic and racial degradation and squalor is highly problematic. Columbia is also a major landlord on New York's upper West Side. Such tensions do not subside simply by reading political literature or by offering free lectures to the public however. Rather, they are the direct byproduct of obvious exclusion which Affirmative Action and multiculturalism did something to redress, but which did and do not go far enough. I argue that it has to do with the priorities of knowledge-production. Knowledge for whom and for what?
Bumping up against the social horror of lumpen outsiders, whether lying on the street, or begging, or as part of the clearly deprived and oppressed urban milieu, seems to scare up a certain social demand for privilege and protection in the management/administration types of the current class system. The "college town" mentality, in the case of Columbia, has gentrified block after block of Upper Broadway into a carefully orchestrated Potemkin Village. Worried parents, the dominant customers and fee-payers, can now leave their sons and daughters more or less comfortably albeit near Harlem and Morningside Park. Safety of young people is a good thing, as is the preservation of civilizations and I am not an advocate of violent interludes and campus-shootings by any means, but, I do often wonder, from the perspective of someone who has lived my entire adult life, when not in universities, in poor and ethically mixed urban neighborhoods, what would happen if knowledge-makers paid more attention to the ways that these communities work and rewrite research agendas to boot.
Rhetoric of Class Affinities and Campus Life
Taking up the rhetoric of safe and privatized campus life, corporations have modeled their offices and their business ethos on ideas of campus-like workplaces where knowledge-making, innovation, athletic activity, collaboration and green transportation systems appear to converge and to connect workplace camaraderie with clubby college memories in a hegemony of power.
Thomas Jefferson's pastoral master plan for the University of Virginia, contains all kinds of longings to be away from "the mob" (to borrow Jefferson's own rhetoric) and this idea underpins my overt distaste for Google's buses as they glide, dark and silent, through the streets of San Francisco. The black-glass window, like a celebrity's private limosine, makes a distinct separation of Google and its workforce from the rest of us. We don't mingle with them on sidewalks, or travel with them on buses and trains. From my perspective all that black glass indicates is sinister rejection of the exterior world by one of the most globally-influential corporations, a corporation which should be trying hard to get down with the people, and, yet, with this one gesture, this first step towards Mountainview, rejects the actual people living and working here. As once-editor of "The Bay Guardian" Tim Redmond implied years ago about the slick new townhouses along Third Street, Silicon Valley is utilizing San Francisco as a bedroom community. The city is serving as a farm for Google's harvesting of hip, college-educated tech people. Their perverse fleet glides through our city streets carrying these workers—-mostly young...white...and male...to and from their campus in a ritual as old and oppressive as Jefferson's brain.
Class and Architectures of Control
Populations which benefit from Jefferson's "academical village", those matriculated, tenured, hired by and serving the institution, the store owners and restauranteurs of college town food malls are social agents of a specifically protected, language of privilege. They preserve an image of control and stasis; future and wealth, that preserves the future of the value of the picture of education in the mind of those buying it. And that idea, that image, arguably, is already pre-ordained with inclusion/exclusion based on class. The commercialized college town marketed to the student is a learning lab from which to study their own expectations of the future thus the preservation of class. The elitism of this traditional social organization and its history in white male power relations, was actively thwarted by Affirmative Action, the set of progressive social-engineering laws which created enrollment quotas for women and African Americans in higher education. Yet, the problem rests with more than simply better admissions policy for marginal groups. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, and leader of the way towards the proposed Renzo Piano design for a new West Harlem Columbia University campus, and new paradigm for university culture, has been, while at University of Michigan and now at Columbia a strong proponent of Affirmative Action. His driving support for MANHATTANVILLE, the project which will essentially raze whole portions of West Harlem where neighborhoods have existed for better or worse for decades, can be amply criticized for what will be a promise of alienation of the poor and working class, gentrification, and raised rents in the surrounding zone of the university. Others have already written about the gentrification of Harlem. Where does the do-gooder spirit of inclusion at the level of admission policy go when in other arenas, urban spatial control /revitalization is at the heart of what black people have long called "Negro removal?" (New York Times, 2006)
In many cases the barrier(s) about which I write are simply symbolic iron and stone walls/fences which in their very literal presence reinforce long suffering social injustice to those kept out, kept down, not unlike Robert Moses' extensions of concrete highway which now cut across New York City ghettos. Bollinger, who confesses to being somewhere between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses in his urban planning, epitomizes the problem of the university campus in the city or elsewhere. On the one hand, he and his cohorts envision the campus as a place to remove students temporarily from society such that they can come back as intense and engaged contributors,(NYT,2006)yet the new campus for Columbia seems to express its intellectual alienation from the city in the form of an island culture with potentially 25 story towers and carefully manicured and controlled gathering spaces. At the same time, it has been designed as a space supposedly for the local people. This set of values is the litany of gentrified discourse. The same argument is given here in San Francisco, while 8,000 Latinos are moved out due to rising rents. It seems also to be behind global economist Saskia Sassen's denial of the word gentrification when associated with projects she was reviewing at a European festival a few years back in defense of designers for their acts of good will. (critiqued in nettime posts) But should a university president act as an urban planner? Is there no way for smart, important human beings to pull together to end poverty and degradation in neighborhoods without razing homes, architecture,places of meaning, in giant bold gestures and relocating long-term residents and their valuable memories? What would it take to rid cities of crime without ridding them of the
criminalized poor?
Stereotypes also play a role in this conundrum. As phantoms of the justifying imagination, they are a psychic symbolism which serves denial and which can assume and be passed on quickly through images in monstrous proportions. They create barriers to difference, compassion, language, and the silenced creativity of the people at whom they are directed. Urban throngs, thus, are treated as unwanted mobs. Locals are discussed as if they weren't in the room. They become lumpen, ignorant urban hordes; a mass of human beings who (usually not supplied or spoken by them) will remain eternally un-bettered to become feared over and over as any unknown mass would be. But what horde, and for what reason? And, shouldn't we fear proclivities for leveling sameness upon populations and generalizing about whole groups of people?
One reason City College in San Francisco has historically been so loved and so successful, and has come under neo-liberal attack from the conservative, private sector ACCJC, is precisely because of its all inclusive admissions policies, cheap tuition, many critical, community-based programs which challenge a status-quo idea about what education is, i.e. Labor Studies and Womens' Studies, and quite probably its large chunks of desirable Bay Area land. San Francisco's City College has historically been a place where the so-called lumpen mass has been given the means and the power to represent itself. It functions as a place where that Other, so deplorably stereotyped in the mainstream, is able to flourish; to see itself and hear itself think.
Separation of the Classes
Separation of one kind of person from another kind of person for reasons of purity or class or race or gender is a form of violence. The cost of American universities and the standards of acceptance to them (often in direct relationship to their cost) frequently underscore a culturally-pervasive logic of insiders and outsiders that cuts across society; those who can "get in" and those who cannot; who can afford, and who cannot. Now that the smart campus of surveillance cameras, swipe identities, campus police communications, and other security apparatus has arrived and is being put into place as "state of the art", does higher tuition seem more justified? Are universities a new paradigm as panopticon? Has the security of greater long-term wealth and higher education merged so fully in the new 'smart' class that elitist values are controlling in new ways? Perhaps through debt? Deleuze writes in his post-script to
A Thousand Plateaus that the society of control is the society of debt. Knowledge Making
Are universities quickly becoming places which require increased costly protection and security? The feeling that they are in near present danger is generated by news reports of shootings and “campus crime,” while 'smart' campus security systems provide new means to locking down the flows of life. But, the question remains how much of the current fervor is a byproduct of other social ills such as pro-gun fever, rise of gun/tasers for campus security guards, corporate-model privatization, and blatant cultural stereotypes which reinforce fear about what outsiders may bring (as lifestyle or critique?) to the campus or are doing in communities nearby. Stereotypes also come about in too much “sociological" thinking--in the over-attention to demographic analyses, data-gathering and statistics on "who" does "what”. Indeed, culturally, are we developing formulaic ideas about our population which lead to what some call the development of a near ‘third-worldly’ underclass in contrast to the 1%? Recent attacks on progressive university professors and their research (deemed wrong by conservative politicians or ignorant parents in the case of Ricardo Dominguez and the Transborder Tool Project and his more recent debacle with nakedness in his Performance Studies class at UCSD), the rise of gun/tasers for campus security guards and national gun-fever are symptoms of right-wingdom. So, the question remains: To what extent is the spin on “campus crime” and parent-as-customer critique of Faculty, a function of rising, privatizing capitalism and corporate control of education?
With increased corporate privatization of higher-ed we get increased knowledge-for-profit and research-for-profit. We get knowledge-factories, not human libraries or non-profit classrooms. We LOSE public discourse about privatization and we become enmeshed in the language and vicissitudes of privatized THINKING. Yet, tragically, human progress, for this writer, does not exist there. It exists in the political functioning and failures of human neighborhoods and streets, in the good and bad functioning of low-income people, who are adept at using resources well for the good of themselves and others. Social eco-systems are demonstrations of how humanity works. Even ineffective projects and failed utopias tell us about what worlds are possible. Some of the best ideas were never formulated by anyone at a university or with a degree. Perhaps its time for a new architectural plan. A people's plan.
Molly Hankwitz holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communications and is an activist, writer, editor, independent scholar, and technology teacher in San Francisco.
Image credits:
1. Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Mather Brown. (wikicommons)
2. "Smile You are on CCTV" generic security signage. (wikicommons)
3. Thomas Jefferson's drawing for Library porch/columns at University of Virginia. (wikicommons)
4. Google bus on Valencia St. photo from article by sustainabile transport activist, Drew Reed on thisbigcity.net, entitled, "Thinking Outside the Bus: San Francisco Deals with Google Buses." | 15,238 | 7,127 | 0.000141 |
warc | 201704 | David Sloane is Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy for AARP. He is responsible for federal and state government relations, as well as the Association’s grassroots, e-Advocacy and voter education programs.
With more than twenty-five years of experience in the public affairs arena, Mr. Sloane has held numerous positions in both the public and private sectors. More than half of his career was spent in government service, including as a Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs to President George H. W. Bush; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Governmental Affairs for Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Hanford Dole; and Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff to the late Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Island. Mr. Sloane also has held lobbying positions for several business interests, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Wholesaler Distributors and GTE Corporation. He is a graduate of the School of Government and Public Administration, The American University, Washington, DC.
What is the best approach to shedding pounds in a state where cuisine is part of its culture?
Comments •
PARTICIPATE BY TAKING THE SURVEY HERE! January heralds the beginning of a New Year and for many, a resolution to practice a healthier lifestyle. According to the 13th annual State of Obesity report, Louisiana now has the highest rate of adult obesity in the country. So, what is the best approach to shedding pounds in a state where cuisine is part of its culture? Which diet is the most effective for losing weight? What weight loss surgeries are available and how safe are they? And what role does exercise play in the health equation? Louisiana Public Square searches for answers on “Healthy New Year!” Wednesday, January 25 at 7pm on LPB HD and in New Orleans on WLAE. (Recording Tuesday, January 24) Do you have a story of weight loss challenges and success that you want to share? Be a part of our audience when we record “Healthy New Year!” on Tuesday, January 24 at 7 p.m. at LPB. Email your contact information to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Seating is limited, so reply soon! Our panelists are: • Drake Bellanger, M.D., Weight Loss Surgical Centers of Louisiana • Catherine Champagne, Ph.D. , Pennington Biomedical Research Center • Stephanie Elwood, Southern University AgCenter • Rudy Macklin, Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports LPB CEO, Beth Courtney and family physician and author, Dr. Rani Whitfield, moderate the discussion. Louisiana Public Square can also be heard on public radio stations WRKF in Baton Rouge; Red River Radio in Shreveport and Monroe; and WWNO in New Orleans. Check the station websites for schedules.
What challenges do our returning veterans face?
What can be done to improve trust among the police and the public they serve?
What challenges do our returning veterans face?
What lessons did residents and state officials learn from this historic event and what challenges remain?
What concerns are on citizens’ minds as they go to the polls this fall?
How well is the state’s public school system really performing?»»» View all Topics! | 3,274 | 1,665 | 0.000618 |
warc | 201704 | Die Zeit, April 26, 2012. Or, "That’s the way to make 'Kohle': UBS's role in making whole mountains disappear in North America" (the German word “Kohle” has two meanings: Money and also Coal)
*
UPDATE: Translation posted by my friend artist, activist and farmer William Isom, II on April 30:
That’s the way to make 'Kohle': UBS's role in making whole mountains disappear in North America
It began with a mountain of letters and red hearts made out of paper: unknown people had placed them in front of the entrance of a UBS Branche in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“We love our mountains” was written on these letters, or “Your greed brought us here”. 3 Weeks later, on the 8thof March 2012 the next campaign took place in front of the UBS Building of Johnson City, Tennessee. It was a small campaign, a Reporter of Johnson City Press counted 40 People. Protesters knocked on the glas door holding signs saying “Better Invest in our Future” or “UBS finances Destruction” or “no coal”. An approaching Policeman send people away from private parking zones.
In Chattanooga and Oak Ridge, in Asheville or Lexington more campaigns against UBS are scheduled for the next days, rather small campaigns. It appears to be a regional conflict, it’s about protecting the environment, Mountains, Coal, something like that.
Looking at it from this side of the Atlantic Ocean, for instance from the UBS Headquarter at Zürcher Paradeplatz, only one fact seems to be gob smacking: There are UBS Branches in Places like Chattanooga, Johnson City, Asheville or Oak Ridge, who would have guessed? A universal bank , a global player. This corporate group a main financer of American mining, according to those letters and protest signs. And Swiss bankers seem to have become part of politics in Kentucky, West Virginia or Tennessee, somehow. In these mountains mining companies started to use brute mining methods. To get to the coal they simply blow off the mountain top, the cheapest method. Huge Komatsu-Trucks collect the boulder and cover the surrounding valleys with it. The rest of the mountain including the coal is ablated.
“UBS would never finance this kind of method in the Alps” says William Isom, Member of the NGO Mountain Justice in Kentucky. “Never, unthinkable something like that would be approved in Europe.
But the US are a big country, there are many remote places in these mountains, economically drained, with little job opportunities. But right here the major coal sources of the US are to be found. Since the eighties mining companies ablated 5500 square kilometers of hilly landscape in the Appalachian mountains, almost the size of Kanton Bern, and according to calculations by the US Government a 1000 kilometer of river disappeared. Groups trying to protect the environment came up with data stating that the explosive power used on one day equals the power of the Hiroshima bomb. Dozens of different species of animals and plants our threatened by extinction. The ground water around the mines shows too high levels of Arsenic, Lead, Barium and Manganese. The People in the neighborhood have to keep living in a place that quakes on the bottom, is covered by ash clouds and soon reminds of the landscape of the moon. Most people decide to leave their homes.
The business heavily relies on funds and here lies the weakness of mining companies:
They depend on banks that offer huge credit limits, like Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, the Bank of America and UBS. So young protesters in Tennessee, Kentucky or Wets Virginia rather gather in front of Banks than in front of the iron gates of mining companies. “ By putting pressure on the creditors we slow down the mining companies” says Ricki Draper, member of Mountain Justice in Knoxville. And as a matter of fact several banks have already pulled out. Credit Suisse announced in September 2010, to quit financing and counseling those companies which do business in mountain top mining. The spotlight is on UBS now, being one of the few remaining banks with branches overseas. “Foreign Banks have no ties with our community”, “But we have to watch whole communities being turned into solitude” says Ricki Draper in Tennessee. It sounds like the echo of manager wisdom: each business is local, despite globalization.
The corporate management in Zurich took note of these circumstances. For 2 years the notion “Mountain Top Removal” found its way into the annual report in which UBS keeps promising an improved process in regards to examining diligence and the grants. According to an official statement on the 9th November 2010 the Bank intends “to engage to more watchfulness, reviewing to what extend companies build their business on MTR-mining and if they tend to reduce this method of mining over time.” It sounded like a promise”. Just the day before, on the 8th November, UBS granted a 200 million dollar credit to Massey Coal in Virginia, the leading MTR-Company in the Appalachian mountains. In the 151 pages long credit contract the notion MTR appears not even once.
Soon after, in January 2011, UBS Investment Bankers from Stamford and New York flew to Virginia, to handle and advise the Merger between Massey and Alpha Natural Resources, giving birth to a Mining giant owning a quarter of the US MT-mines.
Seven weeks later, beginning of march, UBS together with Deutsche Bank helped the mining corporation James River Coal with an acquisition granting a 375 million dollars credit. The passed year James River increased the production of MT coal to 986 000 tons, 350 000 tons more than 2010, 50 per cent plus. These numbers were researched by Rainforest Action Network; James River doesn’t want to comment on it. The UBS statement seems rather misleading. The SEC and Bloomberg numbers state clearly that in the passed year UBS was business partner with 4 of the nine biggest MT-corporations. Only a few weeks ago UBS renewed a credit for a big player in MT-mining, Patriot Coal in Saint Louis.
“UBS destroys our mountains” protesters say, “UBS go home”, you can hear in front of UBS branches. By the way the banks dilemma is that its employees perceive hostility from private customers due to the banks business deals. They face different and partly odd interest groups, amongst them groups such as the green Christians or a priest who founded a church against consumption. These groups use Facebook and other websites, pointing out, that UBS is the third biggest financier for the environment sacrilege in the Appalachian mountains, UBS also made number one.
Amanda Starbuck, observing the Energy and Finance Business for Rainforest Action Network, says that UBS doesn’t stick out anymore, today it is the Bank of America, Citi, Morgan Stanley and PNC that stick out, when it comes to financing MTR.
But: Like UBS these banks have recently announced the same promises. The Bank of America announced to not prolong contracts with MTR-corporations. Citi, PNC and Morgan Stanley promised a stricter reviewing process. PNC and Morgan Stanley even announced to no longer finance corporations which do mainly business with MTR.
After all one can imagine that the citizenship and responsibility Reports of these banks in reality are rather meaningless. Where does responsibility begin in a global investment bank? When making deals with a corporation whose subsidiary company produces cluster bombs, deals with a resources corporation, whose copper mines release yellow acid into the Congolese river?
A Banker said: “ You always need to consider the regulatory circumstances in those matters”. In other words: It is about politics. It is no coincidence that the notion MTR appeared in the banks annual reports in the last 3 years. In Summer 2009 the Obama government started to tackle the problem MTmining. With the existing water protection laws they are trying to limit mining projects, new mountain blistering are examined more strictly. It is an ongoing struggle. The concerned states have no interest in putting a halt on the black of income. 3 Weeks ago the parliament of Tennessee put off a new law, forbidding the MTR technique.
National, regional or local: Which side should a global player take?
To come to a conclusion, the department of responsibility at UBS had several talks with environment organizations. From UBS point of view: No, we don’t destroy mountains. “UBS cooperates with mining companies world wide” says Christian Leitz, head of the department for responsibility.” But we have not financed any MTR project directly. In fact in Northern America you will find no mining company which exclusively does business with MTR. These companies have usually many divisions and locations, often on different continents. On the other side UBS has an investment bank , which acts globally; aiming to be under the top ten in regards to company transactions; the energy and mining business, from a global point of view, is one of the most important business sectors. And coal is a material with a future.
It is hard to believe, when listening to politicians or believing the media, rather talking about renewable energy; the facts show: Coal consumption will increase by a fifth within the next years, this is the estimation of the international Energy Agency. The number of Coal power plants in the USA increased since the year 2000 from 1000 to 1400.
Until 2020 Europe will have 80 more new built coal power plants, 3 times more then in the last decade.
The USA is, thanks to the big resources of coal, something like the Saudi Arabia of Coal. Who doesn’t want to take part? | 9,783 | 4,504 | 0.000228 |
warc | 201704 | The title of Irene Vilar's new memoir,
Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict, is a bit misleading. Although Vilar chronicles 15 abortions over 15 years, "addiction" as a diagnostic category is only hastily grafted onto her tale of existential angst. Cynical readers will wonder whether the packaging of this story as "abortion addiction" originated in the writer's workshop or the marketing department.
Whatever the intentions behind the title, it has provoked pro-life ire--one blogger refers to Vilar as a "serial killer"--and pro-life smugness--a spokesperson for Americans United for Life points to
Impossible Motherhood as proof that "abortion is part of a very sad story for women."
There has been favorable coverage of the book as well--most notably a
Washington Post story that portrays Vilar, now a mother of two daughters, as a woman who has finally "embraced the role of motherhood" and given reign to her "maternal instincts." The accompanying slide show features romantic photos of Vilar in the nursery, surrounded by her children and their toys. In coverage like this, we can witness the power of motherhood as redemptive fetish.
As a mother, a lesbian, and a feminist, I'm always suspicious of sentimental depictions of motherhood. In the back of my mind, I hear feminist theorist Lauren Berlant, who reminds us that sentimental appeals to the universal goodness of motherhood and domestic values are politically volatile--they can be used for both radical and conservative ends. (One need look no further than the recent battles over marriage rights to understand how such appeals have been used to support both expanding and restricting civil rights.)
It's hard to believe that Vilar herself can stomach the saccharine aftertaste of such sentimental appeals to Motherhood with a capital M. Her first memoir,
The Ladies Gallery, chronicled her complex relationship with her mother, who committed suicide when Vilar was eight, and her grandmother, Lolita Lebron, the Puerto Rican nationalist activist who served 27 years in a U.S. prison. In contrast to the earlier work, which located personal biography in the context of imperial and familial history, Impossible Motherhood is much more an individual drama of self-making.
The plot revolves around Vilar's fifteen-year relationship with her former professor, a man who used a mishmash of existentialism and Romanticism to bend Vilar to his own narcissistic whims:
He spoke as if his life had been weighed down by the burden of these lives bound to his and he acted as if this weight of responsibility obliged him to move cautiously through life and set his freedom above love and the like.... He called a house a coffin and often made the point that homes stifled his imagination and turned it into a meander of useless thoughts on the past.
In this passage, and many others like it, threats to freedom are gendered as feminine: home, domesticity, love, tradition, maternity.
When I read the professor's justifications, I couldn't help thinking of my first college encounter with
Being and Nothingness, when I realized that, in Sartrean thought, threats to freedom were not-so-subtly gendered with language like slimy, cloying, clinging, voidlike. Luckily, I found feminist critics who helped me analyze the metaphors and make sense of the feelings of self-loathing that they evoked. Vilar was not so lucky. In the preface to Impossible Motherhood feminist author Robin Morgan writes, "I kept wondering where was the Women's Movement as a support/sanity making/survival factor in Vilar's life?" Morgan ponders whether it was "the" Movement's ethnocentrism that failed to connect, but the time that Vilar chronicles in her memoir, which begins in the mid-1980s, was a period of intense cultural and intellectual activity among U.S. Third World feminists and postcolonial feminists. However, Vilar describes a life of total emotional, social, and financial dependence. Her former professor turned husband controlled what she read, whom she met, and even how she wrote.
In fact, Vilar's relationship to her previous memoir, which she wrote and revised under her then-husband's tutelage, is perhaps the most interesting part of
Impossible Motherhood. In an era when Oprah can interrogate James Frei as if memoir is some kind of contract rather than a literary genre, Vilar's reflections on the limitations of memory, her acknowledgment that she has shaped her story different ways for different ends, reminded me of the more sophisticated days of Mary McCarthy's Memories of a Catholic Girlhood.
The publication of Vilar's initial memoir and its subsequent translation are part of the story of Vilar's eventual liberation from her relationship and from the cycle of pregnancy and abortion. The book can be read a
künstlerroman or story of the education of a young artist. In telling this story, Vilar leans heavily on her own version of the existentialism that justified her husband's controlling behavior. She quotes Camus, de Beauvoir, and existentialist theologist Paul Tillich. She frames her multiple abortions as failed acts of transcendence: "I could impregnate myself and abort; no one else could control my fate when I showed such strange ownership." Later, Vilar learns from her therapist that "I was to assert my own freedom and responsibility by self-assertion, no matter the anxiety."
Until the very end of
Impossible Motherhood, I waited for Vilar's rebellion against this existentialist language of freedom, responsibility, choice, and self-creation. I longed for some acknowledgment of how gendered this language can be and had been in Vilar's relationship with her husband. In my opinion, existentialism's emphasis on individual freedom is ill-equipped to deal with the action of larger forces like colonialism, racism, poverty, and sexism on individual biography. Perhaps that's why Vilar's consideration of the history of U.S. imperialism and the mass sterilization of Puerto Rican women feels more like an addendum than a thread that weaves its way through her story. There's a moment, however, when Vilar's critique of the rhetoric of reproductive choice promises to tie it all together:
I can't think about my mother and in general Puerto Rican women without thinking about 'choice.' The language of choice invokes free will based on individual freedom, obscuring the dynamics between social constraints and human activity. Choices are framed by larger institutional structures and ideological messages.
This is a familiar point to anyone who has followed
feminist critiques of mainstream, white, U.S.-based feminism's narrow focus on abortion as "the" reproductive issue. In the context of Impossible Motherhood, it also serves as notice that Vilar is complicating--but not discarding--her existentialist framework.
By the end of the book, Vilar has recast motherhood itself as the ultimate act of existential bravery, the ultimate resignation to one's circumstances.
Survival is a phenomenon of consciousness, a discovery of oneself as a tenacious entity. I was not a survivor until I overcame my fear of mothering the child in my womb. It was halfway through my sixteenth pregnancy that I found peace with my maternal desire and fell in love with my situation and the future gestating in me. My daughter Loretta Mae became the coherence emerging from the shameful mass of thirty-five years.
Thus, Vilar manages to recast the terms of the heroic, to depict motherhood as an act of authenticity that redeems the false consciousness of the abortion years. As a reader, I found myself wondering whether she had really dismantled the master's house with the master's tools. To speak the language of existentialism, this version of motherhood sounds suspiciously like a predetermined essence. On the last page of the book, Vilar addresses her infant daughter: "It also occurred to me that one day not in the distant future, you would stand by a crib watching your own child asleep..." Although the baby is only a few months old, it's already a given that motherhood will be her future. If opponents of abortion rights wish to use the book as justification for restricting abortion access, they probably won't care about Vilar's project of authentic self-making. But her depiction of motherhood as destiny will give them plenty to work with. | 8,395 | 3,954 | 0.000255 |
warc | 201704 | LIMA, Peru—Despite no movement on the issue of REDD+ safeguards in discussions in Lima this month, experts on a panel at the Global Landscapes Forum on the sidelines of the UN climate conference (COP20) said progress on safeguards on the ground in some countries offers hope.
“It is an exciting time for REDD+ and for safeguards with all this experience coming out,” said Joanna Durbin, Director of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), which alongside CARE International serves as the secretariat of the REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (SES) Initiative—and which organised the panel along with CIFOR.
“We’re in an initiative of exchange and learning between countries that is leading to new emerging good practices—and it really helps to emphasize how REDD+ can be part of a broader sustainable development strategy,” she said.
REDD+ safeguards are measures that mitigate potential social and environmental harms that could result from the implementation of REDD+, a voluntary mechanism that incentivizes developing countries for avoided deforestation.
“When REDD+ got going, lots of people were worried about how it would be implemented, and whether it would throw indigenous people off their land, or big private companies would come in, or that trees would be planted in monocultures,” Durbin said.
At COP16 in Cancun in 2010, a set of seven general safeguards was agreed upon, covering governance, rights, participation, consent, environmental and social-co-benefits, permanence and leakage.
“So [safeguards] are not only a kind of add-on, prerequisite checklist that you do, they’re an integral part of making REDD+ more effective, and making sure it delivers a whole suite of sustainable development objectives.”
SHOW ME THE WAY?
Last year, at COP19 in Warsaw, countries agreed that governments ‘should’ provide information every two years on how they’re complying with the Cancun safeguards to be eligible for results-based payments.
That measure of compliance is known as Safeguards Information Systems (SIS), which was approved at COP17 in Durban.
We need to have very clear rules and the first element of this is that the system has to have a compliance and enforcement mechanism
At the moment, countries largely develop their own systems—and discussions at this year’s COP in Lima centered on whether there should be more international guidance on what SIS summaries should contain.
This is what caused the sticking point in the negotiations.
“Many countries think that it would be very helpful to have more guidance because then they would know what they have to provide to the outside world, and donors and financing agencies would know what is good enough,” Durbin said.
“But there’s also a push back from some countries who are implementing REDD+ and don’t want to be told what to do.”
YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY
In the meantime, she says, countries are innovating and developing their own Safeguards Information Systems. Learning from those experiences, along with looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities of operationalizing safeguards more broadly, was the focus of this GLF panel.
Novia Widyaningtyas, Head of the Climate Change Division at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, told the panel that donor countries can learn from East Kalimantan’s experience—and the process of developing SIS should be bottom-up.
“Global institutions and donors that have or are currently developing their own safeguards framework would benefit from aligning them with those developed by REDD+ countries to ease implementation,” she said.
But keeping the system operational is challenging, Widyaningtyas warned, and requires passion and resources—leaving countries like Indonesia hoping the investment in these systems will be rewarded by performance-based payments under REDD+ or a similar scheme.
Recent research looking specifically at Kalimantan by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has found that there is potential to hold REDD+ Safeguards to standards as rigorous as those for carbon measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)—but as funding at national and subnational scales is likely to be very low, systems need to be low-cost, rigorous and sustainable.
INDIGENOUS: ‘OUR RIGHTS COME FIRST’
Indigenous representatives on the panel stressed their concerns and priorities for safeguards.
Cándido Mézua Salazar, Chairman of the National Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of Panama, told the panel he sees safeguards as a way to protect the way of life of indigenous peoples.
“Full and effective engagement has to be given in all stages and processes of the any REDD+ program—if not then safeguards have no effect,” he said.
“We need to have very clear rules and the first element of this is that the system has to have a compliance and enforcement mechanism.”
“Our rights come first,” he said.
Toby Gardner, a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) said it’s crucial we get safeguards right.
“The language of ‘safeguard’ and ‘information’ just don’t do justice to the importance of the issues we’re talking about,” he said.
“We need to think hard about the most effective and realistic way of developing a participatory process that can liberate and give access to the kind of information that is a precondition to a process being effective, legitimate, and sustainable.”
And what’s most important, Durbin said, isn’t the approval of donor countries.
“It’s important that safeguards are implemented in a way that satisfies the stakeholders, the citizens of the country, who are affected by REDD+ or who can benefit from it,” she said.
“The arbiters of whether it’s good enough are the stakeholders in the country.” | 6,054 | 2,735 | 0.000387 |
warc | 201704 | Strictly speaking, this isn't an infographic in the purest sense. But it's Friday afternoon and I like a visual media gag as much as the next person. Probably one for the digital and IT teams though...
Strictly speaking, this isn't an infographic in the purest sense. But it's Friday afternoon and I like a visual media gag as much as the next person. Probably one for the digital and IT teams though...
I managed to get myself out of the sun and into the Social Media World Forum (or for the Twitterers amongst you, #smwf) this week and I’m certainly glad I did. The atmosphere was, unsurprisingly, very sociable and in fact quite refreshing. It was good to see that those who delve into the world of social media could mingle in the offline world just as well as they do online.
For the most part of the event, there was one predominant theme; consumer engagement. Regardless of platform or business type, it was made clear that in order to build on a brand successfully, consumer engagement was essential. Effective engagement with customers is about enabling contacts, understanding a customer’s context, delivering rich and relevant content and communicating with the consumer on all available points. With the rise in social media, communicating on all channels may be seen by brands as a challenge. The Forum highlighted that this should no longer be looked at as a challenge, and considered more of an opportunity.
Linking the different social media channels is possibly the biggest way to grasp this opportunity with both hands. And though the quantitative data can provide key ways to measure volume, measurements aren’t just about figures and facts. In one track, a speaker asked whether anybody in the room had studied story telling. Three people out of around 100 put their hands up. The point he was trying to make, to a room full of confused faces, was that in order to grasp the opportunities that come with social media, companies need to invest in people who are able to communicate, sometimes in less than 140 characters.
Yes, objectives need to be met and targets need to be set, but ultimately brands need to invest time in communication; that includes reading what people really think about a product or investment. For some consumers, social media is the only direct access they can get to the brand. And for this reason, as time consuming as it can be, social media requires constant engagement and direction. In order to progress, a relationship needs to be built and social media has paved the way to make it easier to connect.
I am a firm believer in the benefits of social media for commercial use, but I do believe that communication is key to ensure the channel is used properly. It is a great way to spread a message across a wide surface, but rather than simply building awareness, brands need to focus on their existing followers and fans to encourage the best possible outcomes.
by Chris Merrington
If you don’t increase your fees, prices or rates each year then this is the equivalent to reducing your fees each year. I come across many companies which haven’t increased their rates or fees for 3, 4 even 5 years, and one that hadn’t increased their fees for 13 years.
Your fees and rates are probably under more pressure than ever. It is highly likely you are not charging high enough fees compared to the value that your client derives. Many businesses under-charge in relation to the end result the client enjoys. It is easy to come down in price and much harder to go up. There are specific strategies that will help you hold and even increase your fees whether in tough times or normal times.
Take time to prepare for price discussions and never apologise for your price or fee. The first person you need to sell your price to is...YOU. Say your price slowly, clearly and confidently.
What is your pricing strategy? Or do you just charge the ‘market rate? Or cost plus a mark up? If you have on-going relationships with your client then the price you charge your client in 2012 will largely dictate the price you will be charging that same client in 2013, 2014 and even 2015. You are not just providing a price today! Today’s price has long term implications for your pricing for that client.
If you under-price to a client you will lose in three different ways!
Reduced revenue on this sale
Reduced revenue on subsequent sales to this client Your relationship will be adversely affected and your confidence will be knocked.
Don’t immediately believe clients when they tell you that you are expensive. Often it is a knee-jerk reaction by them designed to elicit a price reduction in response. It is part of your client’s job to challenge your price. It is part of your job to know how to respond to that challenge.
Do you say ‘yes’ too readily? Your preparedness to say ‘no’ will substantially increase your ability to hold and increase your fees. The challenge is to ‘disagree without being disagreeable’.
What are the dangers of not increasing your fees? Firstly as your costs increase unless you are finding ways to work more efficiently, your profitability will decline the client will think you are weak and your self-belief will decline. In a year’s time it will be a bigger problem unless you take action now. Morale in your business is likely to decline as teams which work on unprofitable clients are often de-motivated.
There are dangers associated with increasing your fees. You may put your fees under the spotlight with the client and may prompt the client to price compare and benchmark you. You could lose a client. So only increase your fees if four conditions are fulfilled; you are delivering immense value, are highly differentiated, provide outstanding results and offer true expertise.
Generally the best place to start if you want to increase your fees is with new clients. Test out a higher rate and gauge their reaction. Increase your fee when you have recently won some new business and you are feeling more bullish.
With existing clients you must increase fees on a regular basis i.e annually. Increase fees with existing clients, one at a time. Start with your least profitable client and increase their fees. Choose your timing carefully. There never is a right time to increase fees. There are just some times which are better than others.
Last weekend, I caught a rerun of
His Girl Friday on TV. For anyone that hasn’t seen this classic movie, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell play two fast talking, wise cracking newspaper reporters whose love-hate relationship plays out against the background story of a murder case. The power of newspaper front pages is largely played for laughs, although the influence of the printed headline in the film’s life or death situation is unequivocal. Obviously this state of affairs doesn’t exist today. Outside of tabloid scandals, newspapers now rarely break the news. Those that are still worth reading have turned their attention to analysis and comment, with the printed medium just one element of the news media company portfolio. This was brilliantly expressed in the Guardian’s recent Three Little Pigs film about open journalism. Despite this shift in the role printed media plays in the modern news landscape, its importance as a method of communication, diversion, education, therapy and talent development is still beyond doubt - at least that’s the argument put forward by Ink-Global in this short video poem, The Journey, about the future of print. One could argue then, that the future of print is a moot point, and if I was being cynical I would probably accuse The Journey of resting its entire argument on the fact that print will survive as people have to switch off their electronic devices during take-off and landing on an aeroplane. This is perhaps natural due to Ink-Global’s role as a provider of in-flight media. The Journey, written & directed by David Bowden @ The Garden Studios
Putting my well-honed cynicism to one side however,
The Journey is actually quite a rousing paean to the virtues of the printed word in its purest form, when ink hits paper and not just text on back lit touch-screens.
Kraft Foods announced the new name of their snack foods spin off last week. Kraft’s Chief marketing Officer described it as “interesting, unique and captur[ing] a big idea."
‘Mondelez’ is said to evoke worldwide deliciousness. If we break the word down, monde means "world" in French, and delez, with a long E in the final syllable, is a play on "delish". But according to Russian speakers, when pronounced "mohn-dah-LEEZ," the name has different connotations.
Certain Russian speakers have claimed that the new name sounds like a term for an oral sex act in Russian.
Leading Russian professor, Irwin Weil, has confirmed that it's a vulgar term. He states "There is a rather vulgar word, 'manda' (манда́). [Mondelez] includes the sound of that word." The second half of the name roughly translates to the act of licking, say Russian speakers.
Behind The News
Kraft has a growing presence in Russia, targeting women with their products. This situation illustrates one of the challenges of applying a single name across numerous countries and cultures.
The name was suggested by Kraft employees and went through all the necessary procedures in testing; comprising two rounds of focus groups in 28 languages, including Russian. The results of the test concluded there was a low risk of misinterpretation in any language.
The name is yet to be fully approved. Shareholders will have the final word on the matter when they meet on 23rd May.
Some businesses are missing out on potential interactions because they are not leveraging the power of social media. Integration on various platforms should work to promote the brand and next week’s European edition of Social Media World Forum, London 27-28
th March, aims to examine the best ways to do this. Cream is a media partner for the event which features over 100 leading speakers in the digital marketing arenas, from Kevin Mathers, Head of Media Solutions at Google to Dan Patton, VP Digital Media at MTV UK and Ireland. Seminars and workshops cover social shopping, brand engagement and social TV for manufacturers and platform providers.
As Cream is a media partner to the Forum, Cream readers can benefit from a 15% discount on tickets at http://www.socialmedia-forum.com/europe/register/workshop-pass by entering the discount code CREAM15.
Find more details about the event at http://www.socialmedia-forum.com/europe/
See more innovative social media campaign case studies on Cream here.
The Why and How of Dynamic Creative Optimisation
It is pretty common knowledge that dynamic display advertising and creative optimisation (DCO) technologies can boost campaign performance. Technology is enabling marketers to reach the right person at the right time with increasing effectiveness. Many case studies show an increase in CTR well above 100% vs. non-personalised creative, and decreases in cost metrics of 60 – 70%.
But in addition to more click-throughs and conversions, DCO can engage the viewer providing an added level of confidence in online advertising and even potentially a competitive advantage for the publisher. For example, the Guardian recently announced more targeted marketing on its website with promotions for its dating service Soulmates and holiday deals tailored based on user behaviour.
Chris Lawson, the Guardian's content sales and marketing director, said: "If we know someone is a new customer that has never visited the site before, is promoting a subscription to our iPhone app to them as relevant as pointing it to someone that's been on the site 25 times? Of course it's not. This is about trying to show users the most relevant offers so they get the most useful experience from our site."
The company hopes the strategy will be a driver in helping digital revenues double to nearly £100m by 2015. How does DCO work?
DCO enables the economical and rapid design, deployment and measurement of an infinite number of creative variations that can be inserted into online ads when and were they are needed.. Using a template approach, DCO provides an ability to generate display ads on the fly, decreasing the cost and time of creative production and media management by automating many of the manual tasks that go into the production of every banner.
With DCO more specific and relevant messages are displayed, for example destinations for travel tickets based on a viewer's location and previous browsing sessions, or the nearest location of a car dealership based on an IP address. DCO might even decide within a product to feature more premium items for more affluent users, or feature images tailored to warmer or colder climates to match the user’s own environment.
Highly interactive user elements and live advertiser product data and promotions are integrated based on external data sources including ad user interaction rates, and user time spent with the dynamic ad, (dwell time). DCO uses advanced algorithms that learn over time – and in real time - which creative is working best with a given audience and automatically substitute the most successful variants for that audience. Should preferences change, the algorithm adapts and conducts further substitutions.
Although the promise of DCO is here, there are changes which need to take place to take advantage of the full opportunity.
Barriers to success have included requiring agencies and advertisers to adapt to a separate workflow that isn’t streamlined with the rest of their marketing activities. In addition, sophisticated creative optimisation campaigns with thousands of different ad variations are still a new and unfamiliar territory that advertisers and agencies alike don’t always know how to handle. Online display campaigns with a limited amount of creative concepts and translated into dynamic creative implementations aren’t the best candidates for DCO.
The new mindset of creative optimisation and changing campaign philosophies: Optimisation doesn’t replace strategy – Advertisers know their audiences best and need to have built in market knowledge to ensure that each ad served will touch a chord with the target audience. Plan target audience messaging strategy – Target audiences and preferences need to be researched thoroughly to generate a large volume of equally realistic potential outcomes Analyse the sales cycle through each stage of the funnel – Promotions need to be created that will drive a conversion or take an audience to the next step. Keep it fresh – DCO messages and promotions need to be fresh and react in real time to ongoing events. Big brother alert – Seeing a message like “Hi David, don’t you want to buy that beautiful sofa you just saw” can make someone really uncomfortable – advertisers need to follow acceptable guidelines and be sensitive to privacy issues. Integration – Dynamic Creative Optimisation tools that are well integrated into ad servers provide efficiency and scale that can boost performance. Article submitted by MediaMind
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Made with Fantastic Thinking | 15,544 | 7,054 | 0.000145 |
warc | 201704 | The real challenge is engagement across many channels
By Stuart Evans (ICLP)
Loyalty strategies were initially only focused on incentivising customer behaviour. Then brands woke up to the need to, and value of, collecting data to build insights. However, this is now coming full circle.
Successful pure-play online brands already know a lot about their customers, even where they don’t have a loyalty programme in place. Online transactions automatically capture personal details that can be cross matched to other data sources to build customer profiles. The loyalty challenge here is building and maintaining customer engagement. Similarly, for multi-channel brands, the challenge is to understand how customers interact with them both online and offline and how loyalty can act as a bridge between both.
For example, having realised the importance of nurturing its ‘omni-channel’ customers, John Lewis installed Wi-Fi in its stores to facilitate price comparison and product research in-store. Having introduced a policy that allocates all online sales in a set geographic radius from its stores against the performance targets for the local store, John Lewis not only provided an enhanced offering to customers but avoided conflict between its channels – a smart use of its data.
HMV has also incorporated free Wi-Fi in-store to integrate loyalty online and offline, as part of the launch of My HMV platform. Consumers entering the store will automatically receive a welcome message from My HMV, inviting them to join the programme. The aim is to make the brand experience more personalised, enabling shoppers to gain instant access content via the online platform, such as music streaming and reviews, whilst in-store.
Today’s customers have a 360 degree view of your company, not the other way round. They expect to have a consistent, value-added and interactive multi-channel customer experience across both directly controlled and indirect channels to a brand. Customers increasingly expect brands to not only have a presence on their social networks, but to use them to engage and feed their needs for interactivity and instant gratification.
Starbucks recognised this through the launch of the @MyStarbucksIdea initiative in the US – inviting customers to submit ideas on how to improve the business via Twitter and crediting the successful pitches on their blog. With over 70,000 ideas submitted in the first year, the successful strategy ensured customers felt empowered and part of the brand experience, building their confidence in the brand.
This paved the way for My Starbucks Rewards loyalty programme, enabling customers to redeem points and benefits for each transaction made with a Starbucks Card. Through developing this further to offer payment via mobile through the Starbucks App, the brand has ensured the customer remains engaged with the brand experience across numerous channels, and importantly, customer data is captured to allow the brand to make more personalised offers in the future. | 3,057 | 1,482 | 0.000684 |
warc | 201704 | July ought not to be a great time to taste a new vintage from Burgundy. Nine months after harvest the wines are still very young – there is a reason why it’s not until November time, when the wines have had a bit longer to settle down in barrel, that the majority of the wine trade decamps to the Cote d’Or.
But this year July was at once both a brilliant and a rather difficult time to visit – for quite different reasons.
It was a difficult time because of the 2012 season. On the final weekend of June, there were dramatic hailstorms in Burgundy. The areas most severely affected were in the Cote de Beaune – 75% of the crop was obliterated in Volnay’s Clos des Chenes, for example – and Pommard, Monthelie and parts of Meursault also suffered significant losses. Clearing up after this added to an already heavy workload for the growers, with lots to do to keep the vines healthy in such a dreary summer (Burgundy has done little better than London this year). In some ways hail can be good news since reduced yields can lead to greater concentration, but good ripeness – and high quality – will require hard work in the vineyard as well as some fine weather in late summer. It would have been entirely understandable if appointments made a month earlier had had to be cancelled. But fortunately everyone managed to squeeze us in; perhaps a welcome excuse to get out of the vineyards for an hour or two!
It was a brilliant time to visit because of the way the 2011s were showing. They were remarkably open and approachable. Perhaps it was partly the comparison with 2011 Bordeaux (which, whatever you might say about them, was definitely not easy to taste). A lot of it was to do with the early malos. These progressed quickly, partly because of warm autumn temperatures and partly because of the relatively low malic acid content of the grapes – so almost all the 2011s had already finished – unlike other vintages where malos can continue into November or even January. The biggest factor though, was the nature of the vintage itself. Both reds and whites have very attractive, juicy fruit. They are fleshy and fresh, with a slightly lower alcohol content than other recent vintages that will be welcomed by many. They may not have the density of 2010 and 2009, but they have a lovely weight and balance; for anyone who prefers tension to fatness, the whites are better than 2009.
The Burgundians have thus done a good job in what turned out to be a more difficult year than initially expected. This has come, though, at the expense of quantity. Although the season started well, with fine weather during the spring and at flowering preparing the way for a good fruit set, things became more problematic with heat spikes at the end of June followed by some cool cloudy and rainy weather in July and August. After the early harvest, sorting was essential for quality: not so much because of rot, which was less widespread than feared, but more because of the unevenness in ripening which meant that green berries had to be removed. Those who wanted to make good wine had to be rigorous! The result was quantities on a par with the 2010 crop at many domaines. With 2012 likely to be small too, that makes three small vintages in a row – and growers might well be tempted to hold a bit more back as a result. Burgundy 2011 could be a scarce commodity indeed. | 3,427 | 1,725 | 0.000591 |
warc | 201704 | Blog 13 January 2010 by Lisa
On January 16th 1876 the Museum’s Director, Reverend Henry Hugh Higgins, and museum assistants John Chard and James Wood, left Liverpool on board the brand new luxury steam yacht ‘Argo’. This had been chartered by Mr Holt of Sudley Art Gallery fame (now called Sudley House), for a cruise to the West Indies and museum workers were invited along to collect scientifically important specimens for the Liverpool Museum (now called the World Museum). The museum authorities allocated Higgins £50 to cover all costs for the three of them and to purchase specimens. He spent £43 and 10d (10 pennies) !
They were especially interested in collecting marine life and they focussed on sponges. A sponge is one of the least complicated of all animal groups. There are lots of cells in the sponge body but there is no organising brain or nervous system and no complicated body organs. The whole body is a mass of small channels lined by cells that have a beating hair. These beating cells draw in water and other cells grab tiny single-celled plants floating in the water, digest the plant cells and pass some of the digested food to their neighbours. Other cells secrete a supporting skeleton of horny fibres or glass fibres.
These sponges may look a little strange but are of inestimable value in the scientific study of sponges. Sponges have strange chemicals in their bodies to stop bacteria and other things killing them and these chemicals are being tested to see if any have properties to attack bacteria or even cancer, that affect humans.
Upon return to Liverpool, on May 27th 1876 the sponges were cleaned, labelled and sent to the national expert Henry Carter, in London. He realised many had never been scientifically described or named. The ‘type’ specimens on which these descriptions were made were returned to the museum. Since then other sponge experts have asked to see them to understand exactly what Carter had in mid when he wrote his description.
As luck would have it, the collection was away in London being examined by the then national sponge expert, Maurice Burton, at the time museum was fire bombed, in May 1941. They were thankfully saved by being out of the city at the time and were returned to Liverpool after the war.
We have many of the documents relating to the voyage and Reverend Higgins wrote a book about it called ‘A Field Naturalist in the Western Tropics’. It must have been a real adventure!
(Comments are closed for this post.) | 2,544 | 1,292 | 0.000791 |
warc | 201704 | An international team of researchers has identified a new virus that attacks wild and farmed tilapia, an important source of inexpensive protein for the world’s food supply.
In work published recently in
mBio, the team showed that the Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) was the culprit behind mass tilapia die-offs that occurred in Ecuador and Israel in recent years. The work also provides a foundation for developing a vaccine to protect fish from TiLV.
“Tilapia is one of the most important fish industries worldwide,” Eran Bacharach, a molecular virologist and one of the lead researchers on the study said in an article. “Moreover, because they eat algae, they are ecological gatekeepers for freshwater and they are an inexpensive, important source of protein in poorer countries.”
According to the article, the tilapia industry is valued at $7.5 billion USD each year. Various countries in Asia and South America are the largest tilapia producers and the U.S. is the largest importer, consuming 225,000 tons of these fish each year.
In 2009, both wild tilapia species in Kinneret Lake, also known as the Sea of Galilee, and fish in commercial ponds in Israel began suffering from an unknown disease with high rates of mortality — up to 70%. Then, a couple of years later, fish in commercial ponds in Ecuador also suffered a mass die-off. The article explains that on first glance, the two diseases seemed unrelated because the fish in Israel showed brain and nervous system symptoms, while the fish in Ecuador suffered from liver symptoms.
Hoping for answers, researchers working on both outbreaks sent diseased fish samples to the lab of W. Ian Lipkin, an expert in hunting down new viruses, in late 2012.
“This was an atypical viral discovery project,” Lipkin said in the article. His team’s usual approach to tracking down which virus is causing a particular disease is to pursue a genetic sequence analysis of blood, feces or tissues from a diseased animal, remove all the known genetic sequences found in normal animals, and then compare what is left to known sequences in databases. “But, in this instance, what my colleague, Nischay Mishra found didn’t look like any previously entered sequences,” Lipkin added.
In this case, the team found 10 short RNA gene sequences. “The more we studied them, the more convinced we became that what we had represented an entirely new virus,” Lipkin said.
The article explains that while nine of the gene segments shared no similarities with any other known viral proteins, one segment looked weakly similar to an influenza C virus protein. The 10 segments also had similar starting and ending sequences, a feature of segmented viruses. In addition, the team showed that the virus replicates itself in the nucleus of fish cells. These characteristics led the team to classify TiLV as an orthomyxo-like virus, related to the same family of viruses as influenza.
The team also showed that the virus expresses 10 proteins that correspond to the 10 gene segments. They also sequenced the virus from tilapia from Ecuador and Israel and showed that it was the same virus causing the fatalities in two locations halfway around the globe.
Because the viruses from the two sites shared almost identical gene sequences, Bacharach believes they came from the same source. How the virus traveled between Israel and Ecuador, and in which direction, is still a mystery, however.
“Our research provides the first means of detection — knowing the genetic sequence of the virus is the first step to designing diagnostic and screening assays,” Bacharach said. Such tests will allow fish farmers to detect when the virus is present in a commercial pond and limit its spread.
The finding brings other practical applications with it, too, Lipkin added: “Building a vaccine would save billions of dollars and preserve an industry that ensures employment in the developing world and food security.”
For more information, click here. | 4,060 | 1,933 | 0.000532 |
warc | 201704 | Wildlife Supporters Join Historic Rally Against Dirty Keystone XL Pipeline
On Sunday, the National Wildlife Federation and our supporters took part in the largest climate rally in history. And
that’s exactly what it felt like: being a part of history. Over 35,000 people came out in the blistering cold to show their unwavering devotion and commitment to our planet and its wildlife. Thousands of us stood in solidarity to push the most powerful man on earth to stand on the right side of history.
If President Obama is serious about tackling climate change, he needs to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Scientists have overwhelmed us with evidence that climate change is happening now and that we need to take serious steps to mitigate its effects. Wildlife all across the country are already feeling the impacts of climate change, and the upstream emissions alone from filling the
Keystone XL pipeline would be equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 6.3 coal-fired power plants or more than 4.6 million passenger vehicles. This project is moving America in the wrong direction. We have a moral obligation to protect our children’s future from climate change. So, what do people do when they want change but their elected officials don’t, won’t or can’t: we move, we march, we build, we take action.
On February 17th, we took to the streets. In a historic moment for the climate movement we stood up and said “yes we can” solve the climate crisis. However,
the fight is not over, and the President still needs to be pushed. In order to move towards a clean energy future we need to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Make your voice heard by telling the President that it is his turn to take action. Share this photo on Facebook to stand up for wildlife at risk from Keystone XL and the climate crisis>> | 1,861 | 959 | 0.001067 |
warc | 201704 | By Hamish Johnston
This week the magazine and journal
Science published an article called “Who’s afraid of peer review?“. It describes a remarkable “sting” operation by the journalist John Bohannon, who submitted a spoof scientific paper to 300 or so open-access scientific journals. The paper claimed to offer evidence for the anti-cancer properties of a naturally occurring compound. It contained several fundamental errors that should have been caught by the peer-review process, not to mention made-up authors working at fictitious institutes. Instead of being rejected by all the journals, more than half of the submissions (157 in total) were accepted for publication.
Bohannon’s efforts have received mixed reviews from bloggers. Writing on
Retraction Watch, medical doctor and journalist Ivan Oransky says that Bohannon “demonstrates an appalling lack of peer review and quality control at the journals he spoofed”. However, Oransky also suggests that the study is flawed because submissions weren’t also made to traditional subscription journals. This point is also made by the biologist Michael Eisen in his blog it is NOT junk and another very good discussion of Bohannon’s sting can be found at The Conversation.
Also this week, thousands of people who work for the US government were sent home thanks to an impasse between the US House of Representatives and President Obama. Many physicists are now on furlough, including Tom Swanson of the US Naval Observatory. Normally an enthusiastic blogger at
Swans on Tea, on Wednesday Swanson wrote: “The pointlessness and selfishness of this government shutdown has absolutely killed my enthusiasm.” Fortunately, he was back on form on Thursday with a link to the blog of NASA’s Les Dawson who has been told that he can’t volunteer to work for the space agency while on furlough.
“Why are there still so few women in science” is the title of a fascinating
New York Times article by Eileen Pollack that has got people talking. Pollack graduated from Yale University in 1978 but didn’t pursue a career in physics. 35 years on, she finds that some things have changed for women, but others things have not.
The article is of epic length and if you don’t have the time to read all of it, Peter Woit has a summary on his
Not Even Wrong blog. The comments and Peter’s attempts at directing the discussion are also worth reading.
One person quoted extensively in the article is Yale astronomer Meg Urry, who has been chosen by
Physics World as one of our “Five people who are changing how we do physics” for her work on encouraging more women to pursue careers in science. You can read about Urry, our other four choices and much more in the October issue of Physics World, which marks the 25th anniversary of the magazine.
All members of the IOP can access the entire new issue right now via the digital version of the magazine or by downloading the free
Physics World app onto your iPhone or iPad or Android device, available from the App Store and Google Play, respectively. | 3,147 | 1,646 | 0.000632 |
warc | 201704 | I recently read an article about “hipsters” and their new trend for “shunning the Internet”. Isn’t this like going back in time, especially in today’s world when everyone has a smart phone, is live tweeting their favorite shows and getting updates from The New York Times sent to their home screen?
James Poulos, the author of “Dave Eggers, Arcade Fire and Other Hipsters Shun the Internet,” says that “the anti-web mentality is primed to go viral.” This got me thinking, of course visiting news sites and being able to have any information at the tip of your fingers is a wonderful thing, but put into the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous, and on a less serious note, cause unnecessary drama .
Just Google your name and you’ll be amazed by what comes up. Facebook photos of you and your friends at the beach on your summer vacation, your tweets about going to the movies with your boyfriend, even your phone number and school identification. With young people posting anything on social networking sites, it’s not surprising that some may want to take a break or delete it for good. But does this mean stop using the Internet as a whole?
Of course it’s nice to be able to do research sitting on your couch, scrolling through the web pages that met your search in Google, but we don’t realize the risk of having it all out there. Anyone can share anything on the Internet. It’s that simple. The million dollar question is: is it REALLY worth it?
If the decline of the Internet is legitimately happening and people stop using social media all together, companies may be faced with an economic problem. While newspapers are expanding their online coverage, and people are constantly coming up with new music sites and social media concepts, they may be investing valuable time and money into something that won’t even be acknowledged. If we stop buying computers what will happen to these companies and their factories? Even worse, where will all those unemployed workers go?
Can you really blame these “hipsters” for their withdrawal of the worldwide web? Or is this just another one of their attempts to “be cool?” | 2,227 | 1,184 | 0.000887 |
warc | 201704 | Recently at 80beats we’ve covered some of troubles China has had with toxins leaking into its waterways from petroleum spills and the environmental degradation caused by mining for rare Earth metals. But in a study this week in
Science, Zhang Fusuo raises another concern: The country’s soil is on the path to being dangerously acidic.
Zhang’s team looked at the government’s research data for soil over 30 years, and also compared a survey of China’s soil conducted in the 2000s to one from the 1980s. For nearly all soil types found in China, soil pH has dropped 0.13 to 0.80 units since the early 1980s [
ScienceNOW]. When soil lowers in pH and therefore becomes more acidic, it becomes more of a haven for pests and nematodes and less of one for plants—most plants prefer the neutral range between a pH of 6 and 8. If the trend continues, Zhang argues that China could have trouble producing enough food for its population.
Zhang points his finger at the overuse of fertilizer; the amount used in China has increased more than 50 percent since the early 1980s, a rapid ramp-up that he says is driving the change. “The average pH in all of China has decreased by 0.5 unit in the last 20 years. Left to nature, a single unit change needs hundreds of years or even over 1,000 years, but we have got this change now due to fertilizer overuse,” Zhang said [Reuters]. Acid rain can also contribute to acidity, but Zhang says the evidence points to fertilizer as the primary culprit.
ScienceNOW cites a few dissenting scientists who say that Zhang’s team’s data needs to be more site-specific, and not just taken from samples strewn across the country, to be truly vital. But they agree with him that fertilizer use in China can and should be cut sharply.
According to Zhang, farmers overused fertilizer in a somewhat haphazard fashion over the years, hoping to increase their yields. But what they got instead, he says, was air pollution and soil dwindling in productivity because of its pH drop. The acidification has already lessened crop production by 30-50% in some areas, Zhang says. If the trend continues, some regions could eventually see the soil pH drop to as low as 3. “No crop can grow at this level of acidification,” he warns [
Nature News].
Related Content:
80beats: 40,000-Gallon Diesel Spill Reaches China’s Yellow River 80beats: 1/3 of China’s Yellow River Not Even Fit for Industrial Use 80beats: Dams May Degrade One of China’s Remaining Healthy Rivers 80beats: Isn’t it Ironic: Green Tech Relies on Dirty Mining in China Discoblog: A Year After the Olympics, Beijing’s Air Quality Back at Square One Image: flickr / kevincure | 2,740 | 1,432 | 0.000724 |
warc | 201704 | Lies, damned lies and CVs
June 30, 2010
Lying about careers is common. Two years ago, I did a blog entry looking at how more people were now lying on the CVs, making up stories about their academic background and achievements.
But then, embellishing the truth a little might be part of human nature, something I examined here. That suggests there are plenty around who bend the truth about their career. How far do people go? When do white lies become a problem?
According to Forbes, the most common porkies on people’s CVs are about academic qualifications, playing with dates, inflating your previous salary, making up job titles you never had, lying about technical abilities, claiming language fluency, providing a fake address and inflating your academic performance.
Of course, there are many who say you shouldn’t do it. For example, this piece from The Wall Street Journal warns that honesty is the best policy and you’ll be found out anyway.
Similarly, academics from the Wharton Business School in the United States warn that it’s dangerous. “Embellishment is part of human nature, experts say, and almost everyone is guilty of it at one time or another. Left unchecked, however, exaggerations that seemed innocuous at first could result in serious, potentially career-ending consequences In today's work environment, where no one comes in for a job interview without being Googled first -- and where small talk in the elevator or comments made at a staff meeting are just a Twitter post away from reaching a global audience -- it's easier than ever to get caught in an exaggeration”
But others take a more nuanced view. Kelly Magowan in the Six Figures blog asks, for example, whether it’s actually lying if we gild the lily a little to make the CV look more interesting. “A bit of embellishment and ‘white lying’ make it far more interesting for the reader and more likely to get you the job. Let’s face it - we all lie. Albeit, the frequency and degree to which we all lie may vary.”
Writing in the Financial Times, columnist Lucy Kellaway says embellishing the truth comes naturally for many. “Lying is surely caused as much by pragmatism as fear. In my experience, it can be jolly useful. And tests have shown that it doesn’t always catch up with you at al.” Kellaway says comoulsive truth tellers don’t last very long in any office. Sooner or later, they are forced out because no one can work with them. “Offices are glued together with lies. We pretend to like people we work with. We must pretend to be satisfied with our jobs. We must pretend to think our company is better than the competition. By accepting a place in any hierarchy, you are bending yourself out of shape.”
At the same time, you would have to say that that in today’s work environment where there is so much pressure to perform, the temptation to bend the truth has never been greater.
So what would you do if there is an inconvenient truth in your past? Do you gloss over it, make something up or come clean? What do you think about bending the truth on a CV? Is it ok, or unacceptable? Do you know of anyone who has? Or have you done it? What did you say? Post a comment Comments Terms & Conditions
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Recent comments Sarah July 02, 2010 02:55 AM
I have never lied on a CV. However, in the position of an employer, I have reviewed many many CVs of people who are a couple of rungs down the ladder from me. Their careers would appear to put mine to shame - not so much because they lie themselves, but because they most certainly talk up what they have done.
eg,
- Worked on the listing of XYZ company
vs
- Was instrumental in the process of listing XYZ Ltd on the Australian Stock Exchange which raised $750 million from Australian and international investors, including restructuring the XYZ group prior to listing; liaising with ASIC, the ATO, the ACCC and other government and regulatory bodies; and directing the inputs of the professional service providers to the listing.
In reality, you might have had quite a limited input into the process and you certiainly weren't making the decisions, but the second sure makes mincemeat of the first - looks like you were driving the whole transaction (and all at the age of 32!). None of it's strictly untrue and it's very unlikely anyone's ever going to directly challenge you about it - you can certainly prove that you worked on the transaction, that you had meetings and correspondence with these people. It's all in the way it's stated.
As such, a CV is very much a creative effort, putting the spotlight on all your best bits!
Daniel Rose July 12, 2010 09:14 PM
I agree with Sarah. There are always a number of CVs that tend to over-inflate previous experience or knowledge. I've found, however, that it's usually quite simple to determine which accomplishments are over-embellished.
As a side note, I think it is much more valuable to state your real accomplishments in your CV. The problem is that many people consider their experience or accomplishments to be trivial. In fact this is likely incorrect.
People in almost every position out there have great accomplishments. Everyday tasks of one job are often significant contributing factors to success in another. The trick is to keep a record of those accomplishments, otherwise you struggle to remember them.
Be honest but, as Sarah said, shine the spotlight on your best bits.
skypunch August 07, 2010 02:51 PM
This trend has eroded the credibility of all applicant, and has made the honest one subject to suspicion and contempt.
My last job was in television and during the interview the Manager kept asking me over and over if the references were true and the letters were real, it was very frustrating to realize that genuine recommendation letters and references that should be like gold were worthless and actually, worked against me. This is the result of the increase of lying, and it effects everyone honest or not. rashmi November 22, 2010 09:03 PM
Remember too that your overall appearance is going to be judged, and this includes more
than the clothes you are wearing. Comments Terms & Conditions
When posting comments on our blogs, you agree to be bound by our terms and conditions. Comments that are offensive, defamatory, unsuitable or that breach any aspects of the terms and conditions will be deleted.
Leon Gettler is a contributor to
The Age, specialising on management issues. His interests include business ethics, corporate governance and the intricacies of the US Sarbanes-Oxley ruling. He is the author of two books, including Organisations Behaving Badly: A Greek tragedy of corporate pathology, which focuses on the forces that lead smart executives to make dumb decisions. Recent Entries Archives August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 | 7,742 | 3,533 | 0.000288 |
warc | 201704 | A growing number of U.S. businesses expect to raise prices in the coming months, according to a new survey by the
National Association for Business Economics.
About 43% of companies plan to raise prices in the first three months of 2014, far more than the 20% that said they actually did raise prices in last year’s fourth quarter. Just over half — 56% — expect prices to stay flat and about 2% expect them to fall. | 434 | 282 | 0.003708 |
warc | 201704 | I'm actually kinda taken aback by some of your points/questions as well as by some of the responses.You say: The employer will throw in its contribution ONLY ONCE A YEAR (in December, I think). I would be more apt to contribute if the employer would contribute its share when I did (namely, every paycheck). But this once a year thing I totally disagree with.Yeah, it sort of stinks that your employer is ponying up their cash once a year (and I agree with one of the other posters, check to see if that payment is discretionary or not - some are based on profitability), but nonetheless - subject to my parenthetical - you ARE getting "free" money. In a not-so-distorted way, its like getting an immediate 50% return on 6% of your salary, This comment of your's is disturbing: Yes, free money is good and all, but I prefer to manage my own finances, thank you. I've been investing for almost 7 months now, and I'm up about 60%. Beginner's luck? Perhaps. But I have confidence that I will continue to succeed.Now why would I simply accept, say, a 50-60% annualized return on my 401k contributions, when I could invest that money myself and potentially double my money every year?? Seems like "taking advantage of a 401k" would do more harm than good, in my eyes and in my case. On the one hand - congratulations! On the other hand, as you say nothing to the contrary, IMHO it is EXTREMELY hazardous for anyone to assume that those sort of returns will continue into the future - no matter how you long define "the future." There are tons and tons of posts to this board and others that speak to the historical returns in the equities markets (somewhere in the 11-12% range). One of the "hazards" of this multi-year bull market we are in - particularly the last few years - is for those who got in in the middle of it assuming that these great returns are sustainable. History can be a painful professor if we ignore it! I'm worried you may be falling into that trap. There is no question IMO you are approaching all of this with a great attitude and zeal - realy admirable! Hopefully you're not setting yourself up for some disappointment.My recommendation: do the k!Ken
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warc | 201704 | Last week, the CRA announced changes to Form T661 (the tax form used to file SR&ED claims) that will be mandatory as of January 1, 2014. While the Income Tax Act remains consistent, the updated language on the T661 form requires claimants to disclose information in a new way. For the most part, it will not impact what can be claimed.
We want to highlight two of the major changes that we discovered as well as discuss the implications for your SR&ED claim (in our professional opinion, of course):
#1: Technical Requirements
We have consolidated former Sections B and C in Part 2 so that all claimants answer the same three questions in Section B. We have also changed the order of the questions in Section B.
What does this mean for your claim?
The consolidation of section B and C means that all claims, whether made for scientific research or experimental development, will have to address the same questions. In the past, Scientific Research claims had to answer only two questions as follows: “What advancements in scientific knowledge were you trying to achieve?” and “What work did you perform in the tax year, and how did that work contribute to the advancements described in Line 250?”.
The new form updated the wording and order of the technical submission. The updated section is now written:
What scientific or technological uncertainties did you attempt to overcome – uncertainties that could not be removed using standard practice? What work did you perform in the tax year to overcome the scientific or technological uncertainties described in Line 242? (Summarize the systematic investigation or search) What scientific or technological advancements did you achieve as a result of the work described in Line 244?
The third question used the term “sought” instead of achieved and it was actually one of the first questions asked in this section. Based on our interpretation of this small, but very impactful, language change, the CRA is only looking to fund achievements achieved within the fiscal period. It leaves out the technological achievements sought but not achieved within the fiscal period. made in this particular fiscal year. On previous claims, applicants were able to list the overall goal over a longer time frame (possibly spanning multiple fiscal periods) In our opinion, this seems more restrictive on the eligibility and it will be interesting to see if the Research and Technology Advisors (RTA’s – CRA’s technical reviewers) take a different stance when reviewing the SR&ED qualifying work resulting in a decrease of successful claims.
#2: SR&ED Claim Preparer Information
We have introduced new Part 9 to capture SR&ED claim preparer information.
This change is fairly straightforward to understand: For the first time in the timespan of the federal program, the CRA is requesting information on who is assisting with the preparation of the technical and financial SR&ED information (whether an SR&ED consultant or accountant).
There is a strict penalty included on the form if any of this information is missing:
A $1000 penalty may be assessed if the information requested below about the claim preparer(s) and billing arrangement(s), is missing, incomplete, or inaccurate. Where a claim preparer has prepared or assisted in the preparation of this SR&ED form, the claimant and the claim preparer will be jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable for the penalty.
The CRA has confirmed in industry meetings that the information in Section 9 will be used to asses claim risk. This means that accountants and consultants which charge large fees above the industry average will be reviewed with more diligence.
Additional Changes
Other form changes, effective January 1, 2014, that we would like to highlight include:
Proxy overhead (one of two methods allowed to allocate overhead amounts associated with your R&D) will be reduced from 60% to 55% Can no longer claim capital expenditures or the right to use capital property Federal SR&ED rate for larger corporations will be reduced from 20% to 15%
Now that you’ve had time to review the changes, how do you think this will impact your 2014 claim? Leave your comments and questions below, or contact us to discuss them in more detail. | 4,302 | 1,974 | 0.000516 |
warc | 201704 | Skin rashes are not pretty. Most skin rashes are characterized by red, swollen, crusty skin. Weeping sores, blisters, scarring, lesions, even skin ulcers are also commonly associated with skin rashes. Besides their unsightly appearance, skin rashes are extremely uncomfortable. The skin can burn and itch. Some skin rashes itch so severely the afflicted person cannot even sleep through the sensation. The primary concern of someone who has a skin rash is to alleviate the symptoms and cure the cause.
You cannot always cure a skin rash unless you know what is causing it. Most skin rashes can be treated in the same manner. But if the rash is caused by an irritant which you are still in contact with or exposed to, you won’t get rid of the rash until you get rid of the irritant. The same can be true for rashes caused by fungal infections. Prescription medication specific to the type of fungi causing the rash may be necessary. Curing the rash as quickly as possible can prevent permanent changes to the skin such as darkening and thickening.
See your doctor: If your rash is severe, accompanied by a fever, or has lasted for a prolonged period of time you need to talk to your doctor. A visit to your doctor may not be a bad idea regardless as they will be able to diagnose the type of skin rash you have and what you need to cure it. Witch Hazel: This astringent is effective in relieving the itch from various rashes. It is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants are very helpful in treating, preventing, and eliminating skin rashes. You can boil witch hazel bark to make a more potent wash. Use one pint of water per ounce of the bark. Use a cloth to apply to the skin and let remain for at least 30 minutes before rinsing. Olive Oil: Olive oil is recommended to soothe dry skin and restore moisture. The skin can also benefit from the healing and renewal properties of olive oil. Skin rashes can be treated by applying olive oil to the affected skin. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is another familiar skin treatment option. Besides being a gentle exfoliate, oatmeal will also alleviate inflammation. Try an oatmeal bath. Pour a cup of oatmeal into your bath water and soak for at least fifteen to twenty minutes. Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera has long been used to treat skin ailments. It has many nutrients and properties beneficial to the skin. Aloe Vera is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. It also provides anti-bacterial and anti-fungal aid. Once again, going straight to the source will provide a more potent treatment. Apply the gel from a leaf of the aloe vera plant directly to the skin rash. If you are not able to find one or do not wish to extract the gel yourself, you can find aloe vera extract at many stores. Apply at least 3 times a day. Calendula Essential Oil: This essential oil also provides anti-inflammatory relief. It also possesses properties which can help eliminate the root cause of the rash. Apply the essential oil directly to the skin rash. Baking Powder: Rub baking powder over the skin rash. Baking powder will dry up the rash and help relieve the itching. St. John’s Wort: This popular natural anti-depressant is also an astringent when applied to the skin. It can relieve an itchy skin rash. It will also moisturize your skin. Chamomile: You can use either the essential oil or boil tea bags. Apply the chamomile oil or water to the skin rash. Chamomile also has anti-inflammatory abilites. It will relieve the itch and irritation of most rashes. Jewelweed: Finally a use for those dreaded weeds. The leaves from this plant can be crushed and rubbed over the areas of the body covered by a rash caused by poison oak or poison ivy. It will also help alleviate the rashes caused by insect bites and stings. Wild Pansy: Who said pansies were weak? This pansy can be applied to eczema skin rashes to eliminate skin irritation and itching.
In all cases, you should not use hot water which will aggravate skin rashes. Keep the water warm. You can purchase ointments which will also help relieve the symptoms of skin rashes. Cortisone creams are effective in reducing inflammation associated with skin rashes and relieving the itching. Antifungal creams will help eliminate fungi responsible for causing the skin rash. Applying cold compresses will help cool inflamed skin and reduce swelling. Refrain from scratching as much as possible. The scratching can cause further damage to the skin and, depending on the type of skin rash, even spread the skin rash to other parts of the body.
When it comes to skin rashes, alleviating the symptoms should help lead to the cure. You can and should combine several of the treatments to eliminate the skin rash as quickly as possible. If you are allergic to any of the plants or ingredients in the treatments, do not use that particular treatment. It will only further exacerbate your skin rash. A call or visit to the doctor will often expedite the healing process as it will help you determine the type of rash you have and, therefore, the cure needed. Most importantly, keep your skin affected by the rash clean and dry. Moisture can lead to additional problems. | 5,133 | 2,272 | 0.000442 |
warc | 201704 | In Los Angeles’ Urban Forest, many trees are deciduous, and shed their leaves throughout fall before becoming dormant in the winter season. This process is known as abscission. During this process, the trees decrease their production of chlorophyll, which is a vital compound for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll gives the leaves the green-colored pigments. Consequently, as chlorophyll recedes from the trees’ leaves, other pigments begin to show. These pigments include red, brown, yellow, orange and purple which give Angelenos fall leaf colors in the Urban Forest. | 575 | 352 | 0.002901 |
warc | 201704 | Court: Superior County: Monterey Judge: Robert A. O'Farrell Ct.App. 6 H028021 Super. Ct. No. M54889
The opinion of the court was delivered by: Baxter, J.
Voices of the Wetlands, an environmental organization, filed this administrative mandamus action in the Monterey County Superior Court to challenge the issuance, by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region (Regional Water Board), of a federally required permit authorizing the Moss Landing Powerplant (MLPP) to draw cooling water from the adjacent Moss Landing Harbor and Elkhorn Slough.*fn1 The case, now more than a decade old, presents issues concerning the technological and environmental standards, and the procedures for administrative and judicial review, that apply when a thermal powerplant, while pursuing the issuance or renewal of a cooling water intake permit from a regional water board, also seeks necessary approval from another state agency, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), of a plan to add additional generating units to the plant, with related modifications to the cooling intake system.
Against a complex procedural backdrop, we will reach the following conclusions:
First, the superior court had jurisdiction to entertain the administrative mandamus petition here under review. We thus reject the contention of defendants and the real party in interest that, because the substantive issues plaintiff seeks to raise on review of the Regional Water Board's decision to renew the plant's cooling water intake permit were also involved in the Energy Commission's approval of the plant expansion, statutes applicable to the latter process placed exclusive review jurisdiction in this court.
Second, the trial court did not err when, after concluding that the original record before the Regional Water Board did not support the board's finding on a single issue crucial to issuance of the cooling water intake permit, the court deferred a final judgment, ordered an interlocutory remand to the board for further "comprehensive" examination of that issue, then denied mandamus after determining that the additional evidence and analysis considered by the board on remand supported the board's reaffirmed finding.
Third, recent United States Supreme Court authority confirms that, when applying federal Clean Water Act (CWA) standards for the issuance of this permit, the Regional Water Board properly utilized cost-benefit analysis, and in particular a "wholly disproportionate" cost-benefit standard, to conclude that the MLPP's existing cooling water intake design, as upgraded to accommodate the plant expansion, "reflect[ed] the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental impact." (CWA, § 316(b); 33 U.S.C. § 1326(b) (hereafter CWA section 316(b)), italics added.)
We decline to address several other issues discussed by the parties. For instance, plaintiff insists the Regional Water Board violated CWA section 316(b) by approving compensatory mitigation measures -- a habitat restoration program funded by the MLPP's owner -- as a means of satisfying the requirement to use the best technology available (BTA). The legal issue whether section 316(b) allows such an approach is certainly significant (see Riverkeeper, Inc. v. U.S. E.P.A. (2d Cir. 2007) 475 F.3d 83, 110 (Riverkeeper II); Riverkeeper, Inc. v. U.S. E.P.A. (2d Cir. 2004) 358 F.3d 174, 189-191 (Riverkeeper I)), and it has not been finally resolved.
However, the trial court found, as a matter of fact, that the Regional Water Board had not directly linked the habitat restoration program to its BTA determination. The Court of Appeal concluded that the trial court's no-linkage finding had substantial evidentiary support. Here, as in the Court of Appeal, defendants and real party decline to pursue the legal issue, urging only that the trial court's factual finding should not be disturbed. As so framed, the issue presented is case and fact specific, and involves no significant question of national or statewide importance. Accordingly, we exercise our discretion not to consider it. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.516(b)(3).) By so proceeding, we expressly do not decide whether compensatory mitigation and habitat restoration measures can be a component of BTA, and we leave that issue for another day.
Finally, in its briefs on the merits, plaintiff advances issues it did not raise in its petition for review. Plaintiff now insists the evidence in the administrative record does not support the Regional Water Board's finding that the costs of alternative cooling technologies would be "wholly disproportionate" to their environmental benefits. Plaintiff also urges that even if the board properly considered compensatory restoration measures as a means of satisfying BTA, the record does not support its determination that the habitat restoration project it approved was sufficient to offset the environmental damage caused by the MLPP's cooling system.
These issues are case and fact specific, did not factor into our decision to grant review, and do not currently appear to be matters of significant national or statewide interest. Again, therefore, we decline to address them.
Accordingly, we will affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The MLPP, in operation under various owners for nearly 60 years, sits at the mouth of Elkhorn Slough, an ecologically rich tidal estuary that drains into Monterey Bay between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey. As a thermal powerplant, the MLPP uses superheated steam to generate electricity. The plant's cooling system appropriates water from Moss Landing Harbor, and water from the adjacent slough is also drawn into the system. The MLPP has traditionally employed a once-through cooling system, in which water continuously passes from the source through the plant, then back into the source at a warmer temperature. The thermal effects of the cooling system aside, the intake current kills some aquatic and marine life by trapping larger organisms against the intake screens (impingement) and by sucking smaller organisms through the screens into the plant (entrainment).*fn2
Under the CWA, the MLPP must have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in order to draw cooling water from the harbor and slough. The discharge of a "pollutant" from a "point source" into navigable waters may only occur under the terms and conditions of such a permit, which must be renewed at least every five years. (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311, 1342(a), (b).) In California, NPDES permits, which must comply with all minimum federal clean water requirements, are issued under an EPA-approved state water quality control program administered, pursuant to the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Porter-Cologne Act; Wat. Code, § 13000 et seq.), by the State Water Board and the nine regional water boards. (Id., §§ 13372, 13377; see 33 U.S.C., § 1342(b); 40 C.F.R. §§ 123.21-123.25 (2011); 39 Fed.Reg. 26061 (Jul. 16, 1974); 54 Fed.Reg. 40664-40665 (Oct. 31, 1989).)
In 1999, Duke applied to the Energy Commission for approval of Duke's plan to modernize the MLPP by adding two new 530-megawatt gas-fired generators. These new units would supplement the two 750-megawatt generators, units 6 and 7, already in operation, and would replace units 1 through 5, older generators that were no longer being used. Pursuant to the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act (Warren-Alquist Act; Pub. Resources Code, § 25000 et seq.), the siting, construction, or modification of a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity in excess of 50 megawatts must be certified by the Energy Commission. (Id., §§ 25110, 25120, 25500.) As set forth in greater detail below, the commission's certification must be consistent with all applicable federal laws (id., §§ 25514, subd. (a)(2), 25525), and is "in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any state, local or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law" (id., § 25500).
Concurrently with its Energy Commission application, Duke applied to the Regional Water Board for renewal of its NPDES permit -- which was due to expire in any event -- and to include therein terms and conditions consistent with operation of the new generators. In both applications, Duke proposed various modifications to the design and operation of the existing once-through cooling system, both to accommodate the new generators, and to minimize aquatic and marine mortality resulting from cooling water intake operations.*fn3 However, the proposal did not contemplate conversion of the plant to either a closed-cycle or a dry-cooling system (see fn. 2, ante).
In order to renew the plant's NPDES permit, the Regional Water Board was required, among other things, to determine, under section 316(b) of the CWA, that "the location, design, construction, and capacity of [the MLPP's] cooling water intake structures reflect[ed] the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental impact [i.e., BTA]." (33 U.S.C. § 1326(b); see id., §§ 1316(b)(1)(A), 1342(b)(1)(A).) In the year 2000, when the MLPP's Energy Commission and Regional Water Board applications were pending, there were no federal regulations in place directing permitting agencies how to apply the BTA standard. When lacking regulatory guidance for applying the CWA's NPDES permit standards, including section 316(b)'s BTA standard for cooling water intake structures, agencies were expected to exercise their "best professional judgment" on a case-by-case basis. (See, e.g., Entergy Corp. v. Riverkeeper, Inc. (2009) 556 U.S. 208, ___ [129 S.Ct. 1498, 1503] (Entergy Corp.); National Resources Defense Council v. U.S. E.P.A. (9th Cir. 1988) 863 F.2d 1420, 1425.)
The Energy Commission and Regional Water Board proceedings went forward concurrently, and were coordinated to a significant degree. As noted by the Court of Appeal, " 'the [Energy] Commission and the [Regional Water Board] formed a Technical Working Group (TWG) made up of representatives from various regulatory agencies, the scientific community, and Duke . . . . The TWG worked to design biological resource studies and then validate the results of those studies.' "
On October 25, 2000, after full agency review and opportunity for public comment, the Energy Commission approved the application for certification and authorized construction of the MLPP modernization project. Under the federal-compliance provisions of the Warren-Alquist Act, the commission addressed the BTA issue. In this regard, the commission determined that design alternatives to Duke's proposed modifications of the MLPP's cooling intake system either would not significantly reduce environmental damage to the source of cooling water, or were economically infeasible, and that the proposed modifications represented the most effective economically feasible alternative considered. The commission thus concluded that this proposal represented BTA for purposes of section 316(b) of the CWA, though it "recommend[ed]" that, prior to each five-year renewal of the NPDES permit, the Regional Water Board require the plant's owner to provide an analysis of "alternatives and modifications to the cooling water intake system 1.) which are feasible under [the California Environmental Quality Act] and 2.) [which] could significantly reduce entrainment impacts to marine organisms."
As a separate condition of certification, the Energy Commission specified that the MLPP's owner would provide $7 million to fund an Elkhorn Slough watershed acquisition and enhancement project. The commission concluded that compliance with "existing and new permits, including the . . . NPDES . . . permit[,] will result in no significant water quality degradation." Finally, the commission entered a formal finding that the conditions of certification, if implemented, would "ensure that the project will be designed, sited, and operated in conformity with applicable local, regional, state, and federal laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards, including applicable public health and safety standards, and air and water quality standards."
On October 27, 2000, after similar full procedures, the Regional Water Board issued its revised Waste Discharge Requirements Order No. 00-041 (Order No. 00-041), which included NPDES permit No. CA0006254, applicable to the MLPP. The stated purpose of the order was to permit, pursuant to conditions and limitations specified in the order, the "discharge of industrial process wastewater, uncontaminated cooling water and storm water from the [MLPP]."
In finding No. 48 of its order, the Regional Water Board addressed CWA section 316(b)'s BTA mandate, as required for issuance of the permit. The order recited that the powerplant "must use BTA to minimize adverse environmental impacts caused by the cooling water intake system. If the cost of implementing any alternative for achieving BTA is wholly disproportionate to the environmental benefits to be achieved, the Board may consider alternative methods to mitigate these adverse environmental impacts. In this case the costs of alternatives to minimize entrainment impacts are wholly disproportionate to the environmental benefits. However, Duke Energy will upgrade the existing intake structure for the new units to minimize the impacts due to impingement of larger fish on the traveling screens, and will fund a mitigation package to directly enhance and protect habitat resources in the Elkhorn Slough watershed. . . ." (Italics added.)
In finding No. 49, the Regional Water Board set forth the required cooling system modifications and the environmental results to be expected therefrom. Subsequent findings detailed the features of the habitat enhancement program to be funded by a $7 million deposit from the powerplant's owner.
No person or entity sought administrative or judicial relief to stop or stay construction or operation of the plant additions and modifications under the terms and conditions of the Energy Commission's certification order, nor was any other form of judicial review of the commission's order pursued. The project to install the two new generating units at the MLPP, with attendant modifications to the cooling intake system, has since been constructed, and has been in operation since 2002.
Meanwhile, plaintiff did file with the State Water Board an administrative appeal of the Regional Water Board's Order No. 00-041. On June 21, 2001, the State Water Board rejected the appeal.
On July 26, 2001, plaintiff filed the instant petition for administrative mandamus (Code Civ. Proc., § 1094.5 (section 1094.5)) in the Monterey County Superior Court (No. M54889). The petition claimed that the Regional Water Board had failed to comply with the CWA, in that the October 2000 NPDES permit issued to Duke did not satisfy the BTA requirement of section 316(b) of that statute. The prayer for relief asked that Order No. 00-041, issuing the permit, be set aside. However, plaintiff did not seek injunctive or other relief to halt, delay, or suspend the operative effect of the 2000 NPDES permit while the mandamus challenge was pending.*fn4
Defendants and real parties demurred to the petition, asserting, among other things, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, in that the claims for relief concerned matters determined by the Energy Commission, whose decisions the Warren-Alquist Act insulates from review by the superior court. The commission, as amicus curiae, filed a supporting memorandum. The trial court overruled the demurrers. Duke sought a writ of mandate in the Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District, to challenge this decision. (Duke Energy Moss Landing v. Super. Ct., May 3, 2002, H024416.) The Court of Appeal summarily denied mandate.
The superior court then considered plaintiff's claims on the merits. On October 1, 2002, after a hearing, the court issued its intended decision. In this tentative ruling, the court rejected finding No. 48 of the Regional Water Board's Order No. 00-041 -- the board's determination that the MLPP's cooling water system satisfied BTA -- concluding that this finding was not supported by the weight of the evidence. The intended decision proposed to order issuance of a peremptory writ of mandate, directing the board "to conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of [BTA] applicable to the [MLPP]." However, the intended decision specified that "[n]othing in this decision compels an interruption in the ongoing plant operation during the . . . board's review of this matter."
On October 29, 2002, after receiving initial objections from real parties, the court designated the intended decision as the statement of decision and ordered plaintiff to prepare a proposed judgment for review and signature. Plaintiff submitted a proposed judgment granting a peremptory writ of mandate and setting aside the challenged NPDES permit.
Defendants and real parties objected that a judgment setting aside the permit would conflict with the intended decision's proviso that no interruption in current plant operations was being ordered, and would require the Regional Water Board to start the NPDES permit process over from "square one." These parties submitted an alternative proposed judgment that granted the peremptory writ and remanded to the board "for further proceedings in [the board's] discretion that are consistent with this Judgment and the Statement of Decision," again specifying that nothing in the judgment compelled an interruption in ongoing plant operations pending the board's review.
Ultimately, on March 7, 2003, the court issued an order which (1) stated that finding No. 48 was not supported by the weight of the evidence, (2) remanded Order No. 00-041 to the Regional Water Board "to conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis with respect to Finding No. 48," and (3) directed the board to advise the court when it had completed its proceedings on remand "so that the [c]court may schedule a status conference." Plaintiff's petition for mandate in the Court of Appeal, seeking to set aside the March 7, 2003, order (Voices of the Wetlands v. Super. Ct., Apr. 18, 2003, H025844) was summarily denied.
On remand, the Regional Water Board issued a notice soliciting written testimony, evidence, and argument from the parties -- including, for this purpose, both plaintiff and the Energy Commission -- as to (1) what alternatives to once-through cooling were effective to reduce entrainment, (2) the costs, feasibility, and environmental benefits of such alternatives, and (3) whether the costs of any such alternatives were wholly disproportionate to their environmental benefits. The parties, and the board's staff, thereafter submitted voluminous materials in conformity with the notice.
On May 15, 2003, the Regional Water Board held a public hearing on the issues specified in the remand order. Plaintiff participated in the hearing. The parties had the opportunity to summarize their evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and present closing arguments. Members of the public in attendance were also allowed to comment. The board members' discussion indicated a majority view that closed-cycle cooling, despite its ability to reduce entrainment, would actually have adverse effects on air and water quality and would reduce plant efficiency, and that more expensive cooling alternatives were not justified by their environmental benefits, given the overall good health of the adjacent marine habitat after 50 years of plant operations. These considerations, the board majority concluded, supported the original determination that the costs of alternatives to the MLPP's once-through cooling system were wholly disproportionate to the corresponding environmental benefits. By a four-to-one vote, the board approved a motion declaring that, for the reasons specified in the foregoing discussion, "Finding [No.] 48 in NPDES order 00041 is supported by the weight of the evidence."
Plaintiff filed an administrative appeal of the Regional Water Board's decision on remand. The State Water Board summarily denied the appeal on grounds that it failed to "raise substantial issues that are appropriate for review."
On October 15, 2003, plaintiff filed a second superior court mandate petition (Voices of the Wetlands v. Cal. Regional Water Quality Control Bd., Super. Ct. Monterey County, No. M67321), attacking the Regional Water Board's resolution on remand on multiple grounds. On July 21, 2004, acting on the petition at issue here, No. M54889, the court issued a statement of decision resolving the postremand issues the parties had agreed remained open. In pertinent part, the court ruled that (1) the board's limitation on the scope of the remand issues complied with the court's remand order, (2) in deciding whether Finding No. 48 had sufficient support, the court could consider the new evidence developed on remand, (3) plaintiff was correct that mitigation measures could not be considered in determining BTA (citing Riverkeeper I, supra, 358 F.3d 174), but the board had not used the $7 million Elkhorn Slough habitat restoration plan as a "substitute" for selecting BTA, and the board's BTA determination "[did] not rest on that plan as the basis for its [BTA] finding," and (4) the board on remand conducted "a sufficiently comprehensive analysis of the potential technological alternatives" to once-through cooling, "and the record contains a realistic basis for concluding that the existing modified [cooling] system provides [BTA] for the [MLPP]."
On August 17, 2004, the court entered judgment denying a peremptory writ of mandate in No. M54889. On the parties' stipulation, the court thereafter entered an order of dismissal with prejudice in No. M67321.
Plaintiff appealed in No. M54889, urging that the trial court erred in ordering an interlocutory remand, and in denying mandate to overturn the NPDES permit on grounds that the Regional Water Board had improperly determined BTA. Defendants and real parties in interest cross-appealed on the issue whether the superior court had jurisdiction to entertain the mandamus petition.
Meanwhile, in July 2004, the EPA finally promulgated regulations setting BTA standards for the cooling systems of existing powerplants. (69 Fed.Reg. 41576-01 (Jul. 9, 2004); see 40 C.F.R. § 125.90 et seq. (2011) (Phase II regulations).)*fn5 As explained in greater detail below, the Phase II regulations established national performance standards based on the impingement and entrainment mortality rates to be expected from closed-cycle cooling (see fn. 2, ante). However, the regulations allowed existing facilities to meet those standards by alternative cooling system technologies, or, where reliance on such a technology alone was less feasible, less cost effective, or less environmentally desirable, by using restoration measures as a supplementary aid to compliance. A facility could also obtain a site-specific determination of BTA based on performance "as close as practicable" to the national standards, where, in the particular case, the costs of strict compliance would be "significantly greater" than those considered by the EPA director when formulating the regulations (the "cost-cost" alternative), or than the environmental benefits to be expected (the "cost-benefit" alternative). (40 C.F.R. § 125.94 (2011).)
In 2007, while the instant appeal was pending, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued its decision in Riverkeeper II, addressing the Phase II regulations.*fn6 The Riverkeeper II court concluded that these regulations were invalid under section 316(b) of the CWA insofar as they permitted the use of (1) cost-benefit analysis (as opposed to stricter cost-effectiveness analysis)*fn7 and (2) compensatory restoration measures for purposes of determining BTA. (Riverkeeper II, supra, 475 F.3d 83, 98-105, 108-110, 114-115.)
Thereafter, the Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District unanimously affirmed the trial court judgment in this case. The Court of Appeal concluded that (1) the superior court properly entertained the mandamus petition; (2) the court did not err by ordering, in advance of a final judgment, an interlocutory remand to the Regional Water Board; (3) the board properly considered new evidence on remand; (4) section 316(b) of the CWA does not permit the use of compensatory restoration measures as a factor in establishing BTA (citing Riverkeeper II), but substantial evidence in the administrative record supports the trial court's determination that the board did not employ mitigation measures as " 'a substitute for selecting the best technology available' "; (5) the board could properly conclude that BTA did not require the implementation of cooling technologies whose costs were "wholly disproportionate" to their environmental benefits; and (6) the ... | 25,240 | 9,365 | 0.000108 |
warc | 201704 | We human beings can be clever souls and there’s no end to the number of ways we find to avoid addressing problems. In last week’s post I talked about “externalization” and how people use “externalisation” as a mechanism to avoid blame. While avoiding blame is important to some people I think part of the reason […]
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In last week’s post we discussed “Social Learning” and the use of role models as a learning tool. Another excellent way for organizations to speed up the educational process lies in creating “reference samples”. Reference samples are examples of key deliverables that demonstrate what high quality deliverables should look like. Much like a picture says […]
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As many readers will know, the idea of “continual process improvement” is a pillar of the quality management movement. By improving processes, the root cause of problems that allow mistakes to be made can be eliminated, thereby allowing the organization to produce higher quality goods and services. Although the idea of continual improvement started in […]
Although home renovation projects and IT projects may not appear to have much in common, there is one regard in which they are striking similar, both suffer from undesirably high failure rates. In Canada, TV personality and master contractor Mike Holmes draws attention to failed home renovations projects in his show “Holmes on Homes”. Each […] | 2,894 | 1,390 | 0.000757 |
warc | 201704 | Sacramento Is What's Wrong Katy Grimes: When analyzing the issues of the cities and counties in this state, the city of Sacramento stands out as a textbook example of what not to do, and what’s wrong with local government.
Our current city council is one-party rule (guess which party), and has been for decades. The last city council had one Republican representative, who was impotent to block any bad policy votes.
Sacramento City Council has been a springboard for many of the regions’ politicians, including many members of the Assembly and Senators: Sen. Darrell Steinberg, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (former Assemblyman), former Assemblywoman and Senator Deborah Ortiz, former Assemblyman Phil Isenberg, former Assemblyman Lloyd Connelly, and even the late Congressman Bob Matsui – all Democrats.
Several of the recent council have run unsuccessfully for state legislative offices including former Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, and current Councilman Kevin McCarty.
Former Councilwoman Kim Mueller is now a Federal District Judge, and Connelly is a Superior Court Judge.
Obviously local government is where politicians get their feet wet, and it stands to reason they get solid experience – at what, is open to debate.
However, Sacramento’s council has in the past two decades, expanded exponentially, and most notably under the strange leadership of former Mayor Heather Fargo.
Fargo served on city council from 1989 until she ran for Mayor in 2000, and then served two terms as Mayor until she was defeated after running for a third term, by Kevin Johnson.
Under Fargo’s two Mayoral terms, city government expanded dramatically, as many services were moved from the private sector to the city, increasing the size of and the city’s pension obligation. Fargo’s reign also included salary, pension and benefit increases to the City’s union employees.
Currently, the city of Sacramento claims to be facing a $39 million deficit in its general fund for the 2011-12 fiscal year, but several city management-level employees, who requested anonymity, say that the deficit is actually closer to $60 million, and there is talk within the city that Sacramento’s reserve will soon be down to a record low of $1 million.
And typical of political decisions, Sacramento keeps on threatening and then implementing cuts to police officers, fire fighters, park employees, and has cut back on park maintenance and garbage pickups – always the most public of services, in an attempt to force the residents to agree that tax increases are the only answer.
Local media has blamed the “loss of revenue” (tax income) on declining property taxes due to plummeting property values and mass foreclosures. However, property owners not in foreclosure have been charged property tax on the old higher home and commercial property values. Sacramento County property tax appeals take up to two years to complete, and the property owner is required to pay the old assessed value in the meantime.
And, the other big budget deficit factor is pensions: “The city will have to increase its contribution into the CalPERS system this year to make up for investment losses sustained by the retirement fund. And with so many city employees retiring, City Hall’s contribution to retiree medical benefits will rise by $500,000,” the Sacramento Bee reported recently.
Sacramento’s current city council is now faced with a responsibility that was inevitable, and several old council members have been complicit in creating the problem – they are going to have to address the absurdly high salaries, benefits and pensions, as well as redundant city government positions and services. They can no longer put it off.
Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson has a golden opportunity right now to be the first Mayor in years to do something lasting and positive for Sacramento’s long-range financial health.
Even though Johnson is only one vote on the council, he has demonstrated leadership skills during the recent Sacramento Kings crisis, as well as management of the dysfunctional Maloof family, the owners of the NBA team, the Sacramento Kings.
Now hopefully, Johnson can start working on improving Sacramento’s nasty reputation for being unfriendly to business (the reputation is well-deserved), and start talks with local unions on pension, salary and benefit concessions.
A total city meltdown would be bad for business (putting it mildly). And while several of the city council members deserve to be publicly flogged for their complicity in the crisis (along with Fargo), Johnson and the new council members can and should stop the special interest decision making, end the personal enrichments and force concessions across the board in order to get Sacramento into a leadership position in the state, and back on track financially.
It’s an embarrassment that Sacramento has been such a hotbed of self-serving political leeches over the decades, who have sacrificed the city’s long-range development for their own political aggrandizement.
Johnson has a one-shot chance right now to accomplish two things – he can facilitate saving Sacramento, and capitalize on it politically, should he do the right thing.
Negotiating pensions and benefits is not politically sexy, and political advisors shy away from this tactic, especially in the age of union dominance in politics. But saving Sacramento jobs, businesses, homes, parks, and streamlining city employees, police and fire would be a boost to everyone in the region, and could cause other cities in the state to take notice.
Is this just a dream?
JUNE 6, 2011
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The tax day Tea Party held at the state capitol in Sacramento was a bustling event, attended by colorful, patriotic
When state voters approved Proposition 1A in 2000 — the measure paving the way for the broad expansion of Indian
June 26, 2013 By Chris Reed The howls from California Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were instantaneous over the | 6,143 | 2,884 | 0.000356 |
warc | 201704 | by Matt Slick
4/30/2008
1 Pet. 3:21 says, "And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." This is the only verse that says "baptism now saves you." But, is it teaching that we must be baptized in water to be saved? No. But, but to rightly understand it, we need to look at its context.
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21
And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him," (1 Pet. 3:18-22).
The above translation in verse 21 from the NASB is a good translation: "and corresponding to that, baptism now saves you." The key word in this section is the Greek antitupon. It means "copy," "type," "corresponding to," "a thing resembling another," "its counterpart," etc. It is what the NIV translates as "symbolizes," the NASB as "corresponding to that," and the KJV as "like figure." Baptism, then, is a representation, a copy, a type of something else. The question is "Of what is it a type?" or "baptism corresponds to what?"
If we look at the context, an interesting possibility arises. What does baptism correspond to? Is it the flood? Or, is it the ark? What was it that saved Noah and his family - the flood or the ark? Obviously, it was the Ark. Noah built and entered the ark by faith,and he was saved (Heb. 11:7). The flood waters destroyed the ungodly. Also, Peter consistently refers to the flood waters as the means of destruction of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:5; 3:6) - not the salvation of Noah and his family. Rather, it was the Ark that saved - the ark that Noah entered by faith. It may very well be that baptism refers to the Ark - not the waters which may be why the rest of the verse says, "not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God," which is consistent with what Paul said in Col. 2:11-12 where he equates baptism with being circumcised of heart. In other words, Peter clarifies that it isn't the water baptism that saves but the appeal to the heart.
But, to be fair, the Greek seems to imply that the baptism is referring to the water - not the ark. Still, we need to consider this and make some observations. If we were to look at the flood waters as the thing that removed evil from the land, we could say that "correspondingly" the waters of baptism removes the sin from our hearts. Though this reading seems a bit more natural, it, too, as problems.
The water of baptism is not what saves us; the sacrifice of Christ does which we receive by faith. We read numerous verses about justification by faith (Rom. 5:1), salvation by faith (Eph. 2:8), etc., not justification "by faith and baptism" or salvation "by faith and baptism."1 The fact is that salvation is received by faith. Peter, not wanting to declare that baptism itself is what saves us, quickly adds, "not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience." Water baptism, then,
must accompany the work of the Holy Spirit in the person. Peter's explanatory comment shows us that the act of physical baptism is not what saves but the "baptism of appeal to God." This appeal to God is by faith the same as Noah's faith in God led him to build the Ark, enter it, and remain in it. It was the Ark that saved Noah - not the flood waters.
The flood was for Noah a type of baptism even as the passage through the Red Sea was a type of baptism for the Israelites.
"I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same supernatural food 4 and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ," (1 Cor. 10:1-4).
The "baptisms" of both Noah and the Israelites served as types of a transition; that is, they moved people from the old world to the new - from the old covenant to the new covenant. It is not the water that saves but the spiritual thing associated with that water that saves. For Noah it was faith in God. For Moses it, too, was faith in God.
But some may say that the work of the Holy Spirit and the act of baptism are simultaneous - that the Holy Spirit works in and through baptism to bring regeneration. But this cannot be the case since the Bible tells us that salvation is by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8). Besides, we have a clear instance in scripture where people are saved before their baptism.
Acts 10:44-48
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days," (Acts 10:44-48).
In these verses we see that Peter had been preaching the gospel, and the Holy Spirit fell upon the listeners. In verse 45 we read that "the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also." This gift manifested itself in speaking in tongues. This is significant because tongues is a sign-gift given to believers - see 1 Cor. 14:1-5. Also, verse 46 says they were "exalting God." Unbelievers don't praise God. They can't because praise to the true God is a deep spiritual matter that is foreign to the unsaved (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, the ones in Acts 10 who are speaking in tongues and praising God are definitely saved because they are moving in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and glorifying God. It is the Holy Spirit who gives charismatic spiritual gifts to the church (1 Cor. 12:27-28) and not to unbelievers. Now, please notice that it was
after this movement of the Holy Spirit that the believers are baptized. If baptism is necessary for salvation, then how is it that the people were speaking in tongues and exalting God before they were baptized?
If you were to say that the Holy Spirit was simply working upon and through those not yet saved, then remember that tongues and praise to God are for the church - not the unbelievers. The church consists of people who are saved - not unsaved. If they were not saved until they were baptized, then they were not in the body of Christ and would not have moved in the charismatic gifts. Therefore, they were regenerate before they were baptized. This simply isn't an exception. It is a reality.
Conclusion
1 Pet. 3:21 is not teaching us that baptism is what saves us. Rather, it is showing us that the water symbolizes a spiritual cleansing through the power of the Holy Spirit gained through Christ's victory over death. It is the person's appeal to God that saves the soul - not the washing of water upon the body. | 7,785 | 3,252 | 0.00031 |
warc | 201704 | There is a large amount of animals that are suffering due to humans. Pollution, rising waters, and loss of their natural land are problems caused by humans that harm many animals. The animals lose their homes directly when humans move to where they are native to, and change the landscape to where they cannot live there anymore. The animals also lose their homes when humans cut down their homes for farming land or lumber. The worst problem is how human pollution indirectly affects the animals, it ruins their habitat and then it kills the animals before their time. These animals are having a large amount of trouble in trying to adapt to a world that is constantly being changed by humans.
Humans have basically covered the planet, they have changed every piece of it, and there really isn’t anything natural left. The world is completely different than it was even 100 years ago, due to what humans, and the technology that we have created, have done to our earth. This has a bad influence on the animals of earth and many of them suffer due to us. Manatees in Florida have no protection from the humans that are boating, surfing, snorkeling, and other leisure activities that humans do. They are hit by props from boats and fins on surfboards or wakeboards, and can also be hurt by many other things. These manatees use a refuge set up specifically for them when ever humans begin to populate the waters that they normally live in, this refuge gives them a place where all of their needs are fulfilled and where they can stay away from humans. Mowing and flooding of the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico has impacted the native Chufa. The plants all have trouble surviving after mowing or flooding, and this causes the animals to suffer. There are also animals that can adapt to the humans environment, the Key Deer that inhabit the Florida Keys have been losing their native homes to people due to the fact that people are now taking over the previously uninhabited islands of the keys. These Deer seem to be very smart and have adapted to the urban environment by eating the natural vegetation that still exists inside of town. This shows that animals can adapt to humans because even when the humans hand feed the deer illegally, they still continue to rely mainly on vegetation that is growing around the town for food.
The native birds of Hawaii were severely affected by humans moving onto their native land, and in order to save them, the people have had to help out. The use of many wildlife refuges throughout the islands are helping the birds survive by giving them a natural home to feed, breed, and nest. The Seaside Sparrows have always inhabited Texas, but many researchers were surprised when the birds were found in the Rio Grande Delta. These birds have been pushed out of the native lands and found a better place to live in the nearly uninhabited Rio Grande Delta. There is also a large amount of animals that depend on the A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge of the Bayhead Islands, and many Alta Mira Oriole’s have been saved by the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge here in Texas. The United States government has done a lot to help out the animals that have been harmed by humans, there is even a state funded reserve that covers 7.2 million acres in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Human interaction with the earth and its people is something that needs to be fixed. The earth is turning into a bad place and the use of refuges keeps it in its natural state. Florida has set up a wildlife refuge in the everglades that contains cypress swamp, marsh, saw grass, and tree island habitats. this area is used by many animals for their survival and it is all set up under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, they see the harming of the earth by humans as a problem but have found a way to start bringing the earth back to the way that it is meant to be for much of the animals that populate it. Mississippi has wetlands set up for the Sand hill Crane, which fell down to an isolated population of only 30 birds. The birds used a wetland and they have now brought their number to 100, this shows that the use of wetlands helps the survival of animals.
Many humans have done a lot to ensure the survival of many native animals. If more people would participate in feeding, more animals would survive. The Sand hill Crane is a bird that inhabits southern Oregon and they have been losing their nest to many natural predators that live in the areas that they live. Humans have stepped in and removed the predators that had been harming the Sand hill Cranes, allowing them to survive. There have been many times that oil spills caused by humans have harmed the land used by many different animals. It was found that the best way for these harmed areas is to completely burn down the land and let it regrow to a better state. This is a good way to put the earth back to the way it was meant to be, but requires a lot of time and the animals will lose their homes during that time.
Feeding and refuges are two of the best ways to help animals survive. Animals suffer dearly because of the way that humans treat the earth, and humans need to continue to help these animals survive or eventually we will all suffer. If the all of the animals in the world die, then there will be nothing left for humans to eat. If there is nothing to eat then all the humans will eventually die too. | 5,461 | 2,358 | 0.000425 |
warc | 201704 | A bill introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would ban abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation and all abortion procedures in which the fetus is dismembered.
Because medical science has determined a fetus can feel stimulation in the womb after 20 weeks and especially pain, western Pa. Republican Rep. Kathy Rapp introduced House Bill 1948 on March 31 to amend the Abortion Control Act and ban such abortions.
Cosponsoring with Rapp are 100 Democratic and Republican members of the House.
“Dismemberment abortions,” she wrote in a memo accompanying the bill, “occur when a baby’s life is terminated by removing their limbs. As the baby is capable of feeling pain at these gestational ages, it is unconscionable for us to continue to allow them.
“This legislation is focused on protecting the unborn child from pain and the mother from additional complications.”
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference said in a statement that the mother bears increased health risks of complications including infection and laceration from such a late-term abortion after 20 weeks.
Currently dismemberment abortions are allowed in the state until 24 weeks, or about six months’ gestation.
“It’s time to update Pa.’s laws to be in line with the will of most Americans as well as medical advancements that reveal the baby’s ability to feel pain and live outside the womb,” the statement read. “And we should continue to work to support women and men who are faced with unplanned pregnancies, so that they don’t feel abortion is their only option.”
The PCC encouraged state residents to support the measure by sending a message to their representative in the House. | 1,747 | 898 | 0.001174 |
warc | 201704 | Skiing is one of the best family vacations ever. The only downside is that this beloved sport is expensive. Once you add in lessons, lodging, equipment, and tickets, skiing becomes cost prohibitive for families. Fortunately, family-friendly ski resorts are plentiful and many are doing their best to take the sting out of the cost by offering ‘kids ski free’ deals.
At some resorts, this perk is just for very young children so the benefit is short-lived. While at others like Keystone Resort, Steamboat, Mt. Bachelor, Killington, and Sun Valley, school-age kids get a big break too.
Most of us have just a few short weeks before school starts again. After all the non-stop, unstructured family time over these past few months, a bit of routine is welcome again.
September and October are terrific travel months in terms of weather and crowds. Given that days off work and school — at least in early fall — are limited, a 2-3 night getaway is your best chance to work in a back-to-school vacation.
Many of the top-rated family-friendly ski resorts across the US and Canada offer kids ski and/or stay free programs for families with young children. This is a great way to cut some of the brutal expense out of skiing with kids.
We published a Where Can Kids Ski Free in 2010 list last year and it was so popular that I just updated it with 2011 promotions. Good news … | 1,399 | 800 | 0.001279 |
warc | 201704 | Across the US and in Cincinnati home sales increased in December. Nationwide sales rose by over 12%. Although sales were up in the month of December, and had been on an upswing, December 2010 was weaker than December 2009 according to NAR.
5 of the the last 6 months of 2010 have seen an increasing trend in sales volumes. The growth is tied to the slow economic recovery. The sales composition is what is a bit concerning. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $168,800 in December, which is 1.0 percent below December 2009, and now more than 33% of all homes sold are foreclosures, or short sales.
The long term real estate outlook is closely tied to the economy. Look for slow and steady job growth which will be a leading indicator of the housing market. Unlike in prior decades the economy will save the housing market and not the other way around. | 885 | 513 | 0.001958 |
warc | 201704 | Effective self-defense requires using whatever means is necessary and sufficient to provide for that defense. A free people have the right to effective self-defense. Therefore, our citizens have a right to whatever means is necessary and sufficient to provide for their own defense.
Most self-defense laws specify the use of only the force needed for self-defense. I don’t have the right to shoot and kill someone hitting me with a Nerf bat. I do have the right to shoot someone who is pointing a loaded gun at me threatening to shoot me. I’m not required to try a Nerf bat on them first. As the threat and weapon class increases, I am forced to keep-up to provide an effective defense.
Individuals throughout history have tried to make sure they took it upon themselves to be armed with the most advanced weaponry available when their lives depended on it. During the Civil War the standard battle weapon was the painfully slow musket. By mid 1862, the revolutionary Henry lever action rifle was being purchased by individual Union soldiers not satisfied with the risk of the old guns. The Henry was accurate, reliable, and most importantly, allowed for rapid firing of .44 caliber rim-fire cartridges. The Henry was the AR-15 of the 1800’s and, with similar rifles, also significantly influenced the frontier West; and not just for American citizens. Native Americans realized the importance of upgrading their weaponry to keep pace with the invading enemy as their life, liberty, and property were being threatened. With the help of the lever-action rifles, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors destroyed the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn. Using common sense to make sure you were not out-gunned was also the reason why the Texans stole the famous, “Come and Take It” cannon from Santa Anna’s army.
A common argument from the left is that even if you could arm the citizens, what good would that do in fighting off the much more powerful militarized opponent? Thank goodness the actual colonist doing the fighting against the British did not take that position. Or how about the North Vietnamese that defeated America’s advanced weaponry with Sun-Tzu tactics and the Ak-47? Perhaps even more convincing is that our Government’s own bipartisan foreign policy strategy doesn’t buy the “what’s the point” argument. That is why the US arms citizens of
other countries to battle their “tyrannical” governments in an attempt to “promote democracy.” Our own government is trying to promote the second amendment right, for those judged to be on the “correct” side, in other countries. They don’t pass out shotguns and .22s to these rebels, they arm them to compete.
Does anyone really believe that the colonists would not have individually purchased and used any available advanced weaponry options to fight the British? Would George Washington have used a .50 cal sniper rifle or .308 cal assault rifle with hi-tech optics if he had the option? Would he rather have a 4 round, one in the chamber rifle, or a huge magazine cartridge with multiple back-ups?
So why would our own Government NOT want us to have the right to access the same weaponry they would provide to foreign rebels fighting against tyranny?
I also wonder if law-abiding citizens surrounded by gang warfare in Chicago would like to be armed to defend their life, liberty, and property?
With all that in mind, I offer a few suggestions for the necessary and sufficient weapons for our individual defense.
In the home, a nice semi-auto 9mm with a 17 round clip is great to keep by the nightstand, especially if you can put a laser and tactical light combo on it. The recoil is manageable, less muzzle flash, quicker target acquisition than the .45 ACP, the rounds are plentiful and cheap and that allows for lots of inexpensive practice. If the semi-auto scares you, then a good ole fashioned .38 caliber double-action revolver might be just the ticket. It is definitely the easiest to learn and use. In addition, a great pump 12-gauge shotgun, with birdshot, is also handy for bad-guy clearing during a home intrusion or last stand in the closet.
When it comes to concealed-carry, it is mostly about what you feel you can handle and if you can quickly and reliably put shots on target.
For the nightmare apocalypse scenario, whatever that may be, there are still lots of options out there and I’d love to hear your suggestions. Just don’t get stuck with a musket. Personally, I like the Arsenal Firearms double barrel .45 ACP semi-auto pistol.
Whatever you choose, just make sure it provides for a necessary and sufficient defense. It is still your right. | 4,728 | 2,271 | 0.000452 |
warc | 201704 | By Dale Butland
On Wednesday, the Ohio House Tax Reform Study Committee will hold a public hearing in Batavia. Seems the Honorables wanted to hear any ideas you and your neighbors might have for future “tax reform.” I imagine they were hoping you wouldn’t ask too many questions about their most recent “reforms” – or what they mean for you and your family.
Ohio’s new biennial budget contains five of them. The first is a 10 percent across the board income tax cut. The second is a 4.5 percent increase in the state sales tax. Third, there’s a 50 percent tax cut for business. The fourth reduces the number of seniors eligible to claim the “homestead exemption” on their property taxes. And the fifth will hike the cost of future property taxes by 12.5 percent.
Perhaps you’ve detected a pattern. Taken together, these five “reforms” shift Ohio’s tax burden away from the rich and puts it squarely on the rest.
Take the income and sales tax reforms. The Cleveland-based think tank Policy Matters Ohio crunched the numbers and found that on average, the richest 1 percent will net a yearly tax cut of $6,000. Middle class taxpayers earning $51,000 will see a whopping cut of 9 bucks. And some of the poorest Ohioans will actually see their taxes go up.
It gets worse. To pay for these tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, Republicans (who control both houses of the legislature as well as the Governor’s office) opted to “means test” the homestead exemption (which allows seniors to reduce the taxable value of their homes by $25,000) and end the state’s 42 year commitment to defray the cost of local levies. Beginning in November, levies for schools, public safety or other local government services will cost taxpayers 12 1/2 percent more.
The fifth and final “reform” is a 50 percent cut in taxes for certain business owners, which Gov. Kasich and Senate President Faber have claimed will help small business “big time” and create jobs in the “immediate future.”
But an analysis by the Cleveland Plain Dealer found that 80 percent of Ohio’s businesses will get just $372 per year, and no business will receive enough from their tax cut to hire even one minimum wage worker. Some “job creator.”
Of course, a small minority of business filers – the top 1 percent again – will rake in over $7,000 a year. Unfortunately, many of them are either one-person shops (like lawyers or hedge fund managers) who don’t want or need to hire additional workers, or passive investors in out-of-state companies who have no influence over hiring decisions.
If tax policies like these aren’t your idea of “reform,” you may want to ask your state Representative or Senator a few questions.
First, you might inquire why the Ohio tax code still contains some $7 billion in special interest loopholes – and why, before they increased your property taxes, legislators refused to close a single one of them. In fact, Republicans even rejected a proposal to periodically review those loopholes. Some are doubtlessly worthwhile. But do owners of private jet aircraft really need a tax break? How about beer manufactures who pay their taxes a little early? Surely somewhere in that $7 billion there’s room for a little reform.
You may also want to ask why – if the goal is job creation – Republicans don’t enact tax cuts that mostly benefit the middle class. History shows new jobs don’t come from cutting taxes for rich people. They come from rising consumer demand. No company, large or small, will create jobs unless it believes its customers will buy enough goods and services to cover the cost of those new workers. If middle and low income people have more money in their pockets, they’ll spend it buying the cars, refrigerators and washing machines necessary to get our economy humming again. Wealthy people, by definition, can already afford to buy everything they need or want.
Finally, I’m sure you’ll want to thank your elected officials for sending that House committee down here to solicit your views. But you may want to ask why – if they are truly interested in what you think – they chose to eliminate the property tax rollback with no hearings, no debate, and no public testimony. In the future, maybe they should ask what you think about their so-called “reforms” before they’re enacted.
Dale Butland is communications director for Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus. | 4,661 | 2,287 | 0.000462 |
warc | 201704 | From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
A new report says farmers could make an extra $3 billion a year by helping to produce clean energy and by offering carbon offsets to big polluters.
The CSIRO report was commissioned by a group called the Agricultural Alliance on Climate Change, which includes farming and green organisations.
It found that farmers could create carbon offsets for the big polluters and reap up to $920 million a year.
It also found that by harvesting renewable energy farmers could reap royalties from wind farms, and get an annual revenue of $250 million.
The Climate Institute's John Connor says it is a key step needed to cut greenhouse gases.
"The rural sector can play a key role in not just providing bread and butter but providing power and pruning greenhouse pollution," he said.
The study found that a renewable energy target of 25 per cent is cost effective and could deliver farmers wind royalties of up to $250 million a year....MORE | 985 | 544 | 0.001859 |
warc | 201704 | universitystoop to such a thing? Let us first look at it: First, you get the youngsters to imagine that fossil fuels have disappeared, that this is really scary, and that they must come up with ideas to save the world. You pay an outside consultancy to do this, since it is one of their suite of activities for the young, and they no doubt have it down to a fine art. Now by itself, I can imagine really good teachers, with the right type of pupils, engaging their attention in such a way (with no need of course to pay others to do so). It is easy to imagine this could lead to lots of ideas and useful discussions. But what about the rest of it? Second, you bring in people with a vested interest in renewable energy (in this case Aquaterra , Seajacks and a tiny start-up called Wind Elements Ltd) and/or carbon reduction schemes and devices (in this case, Lotus Cars and the University of East Anglia – the UEA, home of the Low Carbon Innovation Centre , commented on here in 2010, and of course of CRU, perhaps most widely known as the source of the Climategate materials ). You arrange for the pupils to speed-date their way amongst them. Third, you alert the press to what you are up to, perhaps invite them to be there. Fourth, you invite a children’s hero to attend, in this case a local footballer, perhaps in order to increase the possibility of a positive response from the press, and maybe even encourage more pupils to attend. First, imagine the capitalists have closed down all their businesses in some yet-to-be-liberated land, and you have to save the people there from starvation. Second, let me introduce Commissar Crulcicski who wishes to tell the class about the new 5 year plan, and the glorious ideals of the Party. You will each have to talk with him. You need pay no attention to the comrade reporter from Pravda sitting at the back, but the famous footballer Stakhanovily Matthewski is here to’) distract deal with any technical questions that may arise. Let us begin. There’s more. The no doubt well-intentioned facilitators of the simulation game (Camouflaged Learning) describe it as follows: ‘As the day begins, the students are informed that the Earth’s remaining reserves of fossil fuels have finally been exhausted and, as a result, the fabric of what we consider normal life has immediately started to crumble. No more light, no more heat, no more iPods. No more anything, in fact, meaning something needs to be done- and soon- before the world falls into total chaos.’
The UEA representative at the event is reported as hyping this up
just a bit: ‘The students must solve the, she said, most catastrophic, significant and terrifying crisis imaginable– a world without power’ ‘…It is essential that they act fast because, unless they’re successful, life as we know it could come to an end.’
If I were of a cynical disposition, I’d call this event ‘
Camouflaged Selling – of renewables by the companies, and of alarmism by the university’. Perish the thought. Who would do such a thing with such young people? Footnote might haveskipped the bit where you first scare the kids: “Days like these are something that pupils will remember for the rest of their lives and it is great that EDF Energy can combine this with a way of getting people together to fight climate change.”
It is hoped that the school’s sustainable efforts will inspire others in the local community to follow in its footsteps and think about what they can do differently in their lives to be greener.
Clive Steed, sustainability manager for EDF Energy said: “
We can only tackle climate change effectively by taking action together. As a leading energy company, EDF Energy has an ethical responsibility and the expertise to inspire people to reduce their carbon footprint, which is why we kicked off Green Britain Day.’ | 3,944 | 2,006 | 0.000515 |
warc | 201704 | My problem:
All my life I have suffered from acne and breakouts. I also have some sun damage, freckles and uneven skin tone from blemishes from picking at every little bump on my face.
What I have purchased?
I have tried a couple of different products to help reduce the appearance of this damage, but nothing really seems to do much to correct it. I have analysed my problem so I purchased
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector probably about a 3 months ago because of some positive reviews I had heard.
I am glad that I did it isn’t a miracle, but I do really like it and it has worked
reduce the appearance of blemishes on my face. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector is pricey. I purchased it for around $50.00 for a 1oz. bottle. It is a serum and you use it twice a day. Sometimes this products can be also seen as a bonus gift but only in sample size.
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Once or twice?
You really need to be very diligent about using this product
twice daily to see results. If you are not, it is a waste of your money and your time. In my opinion, I would rather use a product that you could use once daily. It would be so much easier to remember to apply a product once daily in the morning and not have to worry about applying again.
Therefore, if you are forgetful or not willing to spend some time to really make a skin care routine to help you reduce your dark spots then this product
isn’t for you. Also, if you are not a patient person and if you are someone who wants instant results than you need to look elsewhere. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector only works well if you are patient, use it as directed and use it for at least 4 weeks before you start seeing any visible results. 12 weeks is the time that you actually have to use it before you will see verified excellent results! The results:
I have been using the Clinique Even Better Corrector for 3 months and I can report that I love it. To be honest I need to reconsider my initial thoughts about this product. I really like that it makes my skin so soft after I apply it. I actually think it works
better than expected. After only a couple of days of use I noticed that my skin was softer, silkier, smoother and healthier looking.
I even noticed that my bumps and blemishes started to disappear. Even though it is pricey a little goes a long way. I only use 2 to 3 pumps twice daily and the 1 oz bottle lasts a while. Therefore, the price of the product is definitely worth it because it lasts so long.
The product really absorbs well into your skin and is very absorbent. In my opinion it moisturizes well and while it moisturizes my skin feels so fresh. Clinique Even Better Corrector has a pleasant smell so when I apply it I really enjoy smelling it. I really was really excited when I started to notice my dark spots to lighten up after a week of use.
To me a week of use and seeing results was very impressive. Results after 3 months:
Of course I made sure I used it as directed twice daily. Now that 3 months has past wow my face looks totally different. My
skin tone has dramatically changed. My dark spots are very light and you barely even notice them anymore. The sun damage and the acne blemishes that have plagued my face my whole life have been corrected and are only slightly noticeable.
To say the least, I am very impressed and happy with this product and will continue to buy the product. I am hoping that buy with continued use I will continue to see better results and maintain what results I have already achieved with this product. I have no doubt that with continuous use of this product that my dark spots, sun damage, scars will be almost totally invisible to the naked eye. Once again
Clinique has blown my mind.
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Conclusion
So that was my short revision of this clinique product. If you are ready to commit to taking care of your skin and stick to a skin regime to help reduce your dark spots than I definitely would recommend this product from Clinique. | 4,045 | 1,790 | 0.000564 |
warc | 201704 | Depression's Secret Health Threats
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Depressive disorders can lead to physical symptoms, like migraine and pain. Health risks like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are connected, too. Here's a look at what can complicate depression, and what depression complicates.
Transcript: Nearly 19 million Americans annually are affected by depressive disorders. In addition to depression's...
Nearly 19 million Americans annually are affected by depressive disorders. In addition to depression's often-disabling symptoms, it may also lead to other complications that impact virtually every aspect of your life. Depression is typically characterized by persistent sadness, low energy and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. People with depression are also at risk for a number of serious complications that may result in physical problems, financial troubles, relationship issues or even, in more serious cases, suicide. Often, the apathy, lethargy and difficulty concentrating that typically accompany depressive illness may cause sufferers to be incapable of meeting their day-to-day responsibilities, leading to work or school absences, overlooked bills, arguments at home, and even job loss. Insomnia is characteristic of many forms of depression and being unable to meet the body's need for restorative sleep may lead to a number of complications, including slowed reactions when driving, a compromised immune system and heightened risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Experts also believe depression not only increases the risk of heart disease, but may AMPLIFY the severity of existing cardiac conditions as well. It's also thought that depression changes in bone mass may be accelerated by depression, leading to osteoporosis. People with depression may also experience multiple unexplained physical symptoms including stomach aches, migraines, aching muscles, and severe back or abdominal pain. Research suggests this is because mood and pain use the same pathways in the brain and are controlled by the same chemical messengers. It's also believed that reduced levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, and to a lesser degree, norepinephrine, may prompt stress-related responses in the body that can lead to inflammation and changes in blood clotting, as well as cell and organ damage. Depression sufferers may turn to drugs or alcohol in order to feel better, but this ultimately creates more problems in the long run. In addition, people who are taking antidepressants to treat their depression may be at risk for side effects, such as dizziness, weight gain or loss, tremors, sweating, sleepiness or insomnia, fatigue, or headaches. Another complication is the impact depression may have on a person's sex life, as depression tends to reduce both the sex drive and the ability to enjoy sex. In addition, the side effects of antidepressant medications often include reduced libido and sexual dysfunction. Depression also complicates relationships. Sufferers who are struggling with depression symptoms may be unable to consider the needs of others. At the same time, family members, friends and coworkers may feel hurt and rejected. Often, survival of even the most secure relationships is threatened. Parental depression also takes its toll on children. Depressed mothers may be less attentive to prenatal care or an infant's needs. Having a depressed parent is also linked to reduced social skills and self-esteem, increased stress and vulnerability for depression in children. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are common in many types of depression. Depression sufferers have up to a 15 percent risk for suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, it's imperative to call 911 or a suicide hotline. Fortunately depression can be treated successfully and these complications may be avoided. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, see your doctor or a mental health professional.More »
Last Modified: 2013-10-01 | Tags »
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warc | 201704 | We asked James Beriker, CEO of Simply Hired, to give his commencement speech with advice for the Class of 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, James Beriker.
Let me first congratulate you on your graduation! Be very proud of your accomplishment today. Relish it.
You have done a lot of hard work to arrive at this moment. With that degree in your hand, your real life begins today. You are now one of us.
You are leaving the safety and structure of college to enter the world of work. From this day forward, nothing will seem familiar to you. There are no classes, exams, grades, or a degree at the end of the next four years. You don’t get the summer off. This next phase is unstructured, and your success will be determined by the choices you make.
So, as you move into what must seem like an uncertain future, let me share with you the 10 things I wish I knew when I graduated college:
1. Have a plan — and change it often. You have all been taught to “have a plan.” Go to this high school, take those classes, achieve those grades, go to that college, take that major. When you graduate, get that job, make that salary, get promoted and work your way up the ladder.
While having a plan is good for providing structure and focus, life never follows a plan. There are always twists and turns — and a plan never accounts for how you evolve and change as you move through your life.
So, have a plan and use it as a rough road map. Understand that any plan is a reflection of what you think your plan is at a particular moment in time — and be prepared to change it radically and often.
2. Be the most authentic version of yourself — all the time. If you want to be an actor, go to Hollywood. Everyone else: be who you really are.
You will bring different parts of yourself to work than you do at home or with your family or friends, but you should be your real self all the time. Don’t adopt personas. Don’t read a book about Steve Jobs and decide you want to be like Steve Jobs. There is only one Steve Jobs, and there is only one you. Figure out what is important to you and who you want to be in the world, and live that as honestly as you can. Choose industries, jobs, colleagues, friends and life partners based on who you really are. Don’t put yourself in a position where you have to be an actor. It won’t work.
3. Your first job should be about experience. The best first jobs are not always the highest paid jobs or at top companies or in the best places to live. Your first job should provide the opportunity to work with great people you can learn from, where you receive on-the-job training on a set of core skills, where there is the opportunity for you to develop and grow for at least three years (yes, think in terms of three years), and where success means improving your personal brand. My first job out of law school had none of these attributes. I took a job based on salary, worked really hard but learned very little, and wasted 8 months. 4. There’s no such thing as “work-life balance.” If you want to work with great people, solve tough problems and leave the world better off because of your work, you can’t have “work-life balance.” If you’re at a start-up or want to invent a new technology or discover a cure for a disease, it is all consuming. If you are on that path, work is your life. I’m not saying that you can’t go to yoga, or play a sport, or have a social life or even a family; but, for certain periods of your life, you should plan to be out of “balance.” If you try to “balance,” you will only set yourself up for failure and disappoint yourself and those around you — and something will break. | 3,762 | 1,787 | 0.000581 |
warc | 201704 | As a former high school teacher and a student in a class of 60 urchins at St. Brigid's grammar school, I know that education is all about discipline and motivation. Disadvantaged students need extra attention, a stable school environment, and enough teacher creativity to stimulate their imaginations. Those things are not expensive.
Memory and creativity are essential to education, but if you teach memory incorrectly, it is a total waste of time, and it will inhibit learning.
Education is the foundation for all we do in life, it shapes who we are and what we aspire to be. Creativity fuels innovation, and it's what all states should strive to instill in the next generations.
Common Core reminds us what testing can do right. Modeled on standards of the world's education superpowers, questions demand critical thinking and creativity. Students are asked to write at length, show their work, and explain their reasoning.
Unprecedented technological capabilities combined with unlimited human creativity have given us tremendous power to take on intractable problems like poverty, unemployment, disease, and environmental degradation. Our challenge is to translate this extraordinary potential into meaningful change.
In my experience, poor people are the world's greatest entrepreneurs. Every day, they must innovate in order to survive. They remain poor because they do not have the opportunities to turn their creativity into sustainable income.
We need creativity in order to break free from the temporary structures that have been set up by a particular sequence of experience.
Creativity and insight almost always involve an experience of acute pattern recognition: the eureka moment in which we perceive the interconnection between disparate concepts or ideas to reveal something new.
An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.
We need to have a modicum of faith in people's common sense, creativity and will to survive and prosper even in the face of great difficulties and obstacles. If people could keep society running in the aftermath of the Black Death, they could keep it running after the U.S. government defaulted on its debt.
Creativity is always a leap of faith. You're faced with a blank page, blank easel, or an empty stage.
Faith is almost the bottom line of creativity: it requires a leap of faith any time we undertake a creative endeavor, whether this is going to the easel, or the page, or onto the stage - or for that matter, in a homelier way, picking out the right fabric for the kitchen curtains, which is also a creative act.
My grandfather gave me inspiration to cook, and love food and flavors. My Aunt Raffie, gave me creativity and the inspiration to create new things. My mother inspires me to find simplicity in food.
With the help of this images you can make your own " Creativity Image Quotes"
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We Don't Intend to Showcase Copyright Images, Pictures, Graphics, Arts. The Wallpapers, Arts, Graphics available on our website are for Personal Use Only (For Desktops, Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets Screen Backgrounds). None of the Image should be used for Commercial Purpose. | 3,345 | 1,685 | 0.000597 |
warc | 201704 | Summary of Nov 2nd Wireless Symposium Sponsored by Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Joint Venture Silicon Valley brings together SV leaders in various business sectors to address the areas most pressing problems. One of them is wireless communications infrastructure. It's ironic that SV leads the world in developing new, innovative technologies but is a laggard in deploying them locally. For example, it has taken as long as five years to review and approve an application to build wireless facilities. JVSV says the region must lead by setting an example of how to balance a national imperative with community interests.
A
Wireless Communications Initiative was launched by JVSV in 2010. It's key goals and objectives are as follows: Advocate in the Local Jurisdictions – Provide a strong regional voice speaking to the competitive and economic implications of a robust wireless infrastructure. Educate Public and Private Sector Stakeholders – Identify key stakeholders in cities and educate them on the critical issues affecting the growth of the wireless industry. Similarly, educate the wireless industry on how to partner with cities. Promote Model Ordinances/ Practices – Work with cities to develop best practices and guidelines for wireless technology deployment.
The Wireless Coalition is part of this initiative. The coaltion promotes the deployment of wireless technology as a means to encourage economic growth, national competitiveness and public safety. The Coalition will include businesses, elected officials, individuals, business and community organizations. We see the emerging technology as an opportunity for Silicon Valley to lead a new wave of innovation.
Currently, the Wireless Coalition is working with local government and the wireless industry to promote the deployment of a robust Wireless Infrastructure in Silicon Valley. It's 2012 Activities included:
New Goal – 4G/ LTE available from major carriers in half of Silicon Valley cities by 2014 Increase public awareness through use of media and community outreach Established Cities and Carriers Roundtable Support cities in considering initiatives to deploy wireless technology Completed property value research detailing the impact of wireless facilities. Study revealed no difference in value amongst 70 wireless sites selected in Palo Alto, Redwood City, Saratoga and San Jose, CA
In conclusion, Leon Beauchman; Director, Wireless Communications Initiative wrote,
"Silicon Valley must work towards maintaining its leadership in the evolution of wireless technology. Thousands of
jobs and hundreds of local companies are directly tied to the industry. Our region should lead in deploying a 21 st century wireless infrastructure that will further promote our economic competitiveness." Editors Note: Leon did an outstanding job organizing and chairing this very informative Wireless Symposium!
See below for Congresswomen Anna Eschoo's keynote, link to summary of Google's talk, and information on Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability for public agencies
. There were also many wireless applications discussed at this JVSV Wireless Symposium. More information,including slides of some presentations is at:
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How can public policy expedite building a 21st century communications infrastructure?
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology addressed that topic in her keynote presentation. Her main message: JVSC should focus on what Silicon Valley needs to do inorder to have a world class, 21st century wireless infrastructure. Here were the key points she made: U.S. mobile data traffic grew at almost 300% last year and will grow 16 times by 2016. Freeing up more spectrum should be a top priority for U.S. regulators (FCC and state PUCs) and Congress Only once in a decade does Congress take up reallocation of spectrum, e.g. from over the air TV broadcasters to wireless boradband network providers. That time is now! Congress has worked 15 months to pass bi-partisan legislation which authorized the FCC to conduct incentive auctions of spectrum whereby TV broadcasters would voluntarily release spectrum for use by wireless broadband providers. There's potential to re-purpose 120MHz of such spectrum for wireless broadband access. $25B is expected to be raised by the incentive auctions with $15B of that going to the U.S. government to reduce the national debt. A 21st century spectrum policy must be balanced between licensed and unlicensed spectrum. U.S. is a world-wide leader in use of unlicensed spectrum, with WiFi/Blue Tooth devices generating $50B of revenues for U.S. based companies. Congress should look at how Federal agencies could use the spectrum they own more efficiently. The PCAST committee has made several recommendations related to U.S. spectrum policy.
In conclusion, Congresswomen Eschoo said, "Wireless broadband is an engine for job creation and economic growth." She invited interested parties to make their views known to their Congress person for more effective policy toward achievement of this goal.
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Summary of Google's presentation on White Spaces is at:
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Public Safety and Emergency Response: Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority (SVRIA) was formed in 2010 under the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, California Government Code Section 6500 et seq. to provide interoperable communications solutions to its members. SVRIA supersedes the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Project, established in 1998 by the Police and Fire Chiefs Associations and the County and City Managers Association.
Purpose and Mission: The Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority (SVRIA) exists to identify, coordinate and implement communications interoperability solutions to its member agencies. The purpose of these projects is to seamlessly integrate voice and data communications between law enforcement, the fire and rescue service, emergency medical services and emergency management for routine operations, critical incidents and disaster response and recovery. SVRIA also provides strategic planning support for its members. | 6,581 | 2,847 | 0.000354 |
warc | 201704 | 4 Developing and implementing accessible, ICT-connected schools
“Ensuring that children with disabilities enjoy opportunities for learning in an inclusive environment requires changes in attitude, backed by investment in teacher training and learning equipment”.Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010 102
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities contains very specific guidance on the rights of persons with disabilities to enjoy equal access to education, job training and employment. The Convention places a particular emphasis on the provision of accessible ICTs as a key enabler to the enjoyment of these rights. Any policy to implement accessible ICTs in connected schools should be developed within the framework of the Convention, and should be based on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) principles, actions and targets, with due regard to national and regional conditions.
In Section 1 and Section 2, inclusive education – the enrollment of children in mainstream classrooms --was shown to offer a cost-effective approach to reaching the large numbers of children with disabilities in developing countries. Inherent in inclusive education is the notion that reforms and improvements should not only focus on children with disabilities but on “whole-school improvement in order to remove barriers that prevent learning for all students.”
103 This section outlines good practices in policy development for the introduction of accessible ICTs in connected schools. It provides principles and elements that can be incorporated into educational policy reforms in any developing country.
Inclusive education cannot be built and delivered all at one time.
104 To develop sensible and practical policy that is properly embedded into the educational and assistive technology (AT) environment of a country, policy-makers must consider how to transition from their current model to an inclusive model. This will involve considering the development of a national-level statement of principles, intentions, means, objectives and timetables relating to the provision of accessible ICTS in inclusive schools. Evidence-based policy on the successful provision and use of ICTs will require identifying the gaps as they currently exist; research into the current landscape is critical. 102http://www.unesco.org/en/efareport page 12 103Global eSchools and Community Initiative (GeSCI). 2007. Concept note: Developing a model for inclusive education and assistive technology appropriate for teaching and learning contexts in developing countries. Available at http://www.gesci.org/old/files/docman/model_ie_at.pdf 104Lynch, P. (2007) External Trends on Education. (Sightsavers international (internal document). Cited in GeSCI page 6. | 2,801 | 1,350 | 0.00075 |
warc | 201704 | BENAC: Redskins name battle is a complex debate
The Washington Redskins have once again come under fire from Native Americans and civil liberty groups for their team name, a name these groups consider offensive. After all, redskin doesn’t exactly refer to the team’s favorite potato but instead refers to antiquated slang for Native Americans.
The Redskins and other national teams have been pushed to change their Indian-derived names, but most have refused to budge. This latest Redskins controversy arose after an emphatic statement from owner Daniel Snyder.
“We’ll never change the name of the team. It’s that simple. NEVER – you can use caps,” he said in an interview with USA Today.
Snyder’s reasons are simple: he considers the Redskins name to be a tradition and (perhaps more importantly) a brand name. Fans have been attending Redskins games since 1932 when the team was located in Boston and actually named the Braves.
“I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means,” he said.
There is some truth to this argument: names have power. The Redskins have had their successes and failures, but they have maintained a solid presence in the NFL for nearly a century.
In spite of the complexity of the situation, a solution has been proposed for the Redskins situation: a city councilman in Washington D.C. believes they could and should change their name to the Redtails.
Practically, the name change isn’t awful: Redtails will fit phonetically and rhythmically into Redskins chants. The councilman even suggests using a redtailed hawk and keeping the feather on the Redskins insignia.
But what does Redtails mean? What is the history of the word in relation to the Washington Redskins?
There’s no history: it’s a name suggested by a politician, not a sports fan. Are fans going to want to watch the Washington Redtails? Politicians argue yes.
Not according to online sports forum commentators. While this is purely circumstantial evidence, they are saying the Redskins would lose hundreds, potentially thousands of fans who are attached to the name and the tradition of the Washington Redskins and who would be unable to identify with the Washington Redtails.
These fans highlight the belief, held by a wide group of sports fans, that a team runs the risk of losing its identity with a simple name change, especially if the name is steeped in enough tradition.
Fair enough, but consider how offensive it is for the remaining Native Americans in our country to watch a game and hear the word Redskins barked out at them. Or for them to watch the Indians and the Braves and spot the cute, but crude Indian caricatures of their team ensignias.
High school and college teams across the nation have tried to play “fair and understanding,” by heeding the call to change their name. The East Michigan Hurons are now the Eagles. The Oklahoma City Chiefs are now the Stars. Some schools, such as North Dakota now have no mascot, simply dropping the Fighting Sioux from their name.
Other high schools and colleges are going the pro route and are refusing to budge. Central Michigan is still the Chippewas. Escanaba is still the Eskymos. These teams still maintain their team name in spite of pushes for change from community leaders.
One of the big arguments some people put forth against name change is their belief that Native Americans are simply being too sensitive about these team names.
“That happened a hundred years ago! None of us alive ever did any of that stuff! It’s just time to let bygones be bygones and move on. You have rights. You have your casinos! These names aren’t offensive, they’re just fun!”
This argument is more than a little facetious and it’s a hard line for a lot of Native Americans to swallow.
Let’s dip into the history of Native American and European conflict during the early days of European settlement. Stick with me here, we’re going in deep.
The cold hard truth of the situation is that European settlement was… difficult for the Native American population. It’s original population of about 50-100 million before European settlement has dropped to about 2.9 million in 2010. That’s a minimum 94 percent population drop. Native Americans now make up roughly 0.9 percent of the population of the country.
A vast majority of the deaths that occurred in the Native American population were the results of new diseases settlers accidentally brought, which the Native Americans’ bodies weren’t prepared to fight. These deaths aren’t the settlers fault but they did occur.
Most of the remainder of the deaths came in the endless frontier wars and battles between early British, Spanish and French settlers as well as early American citizens. These nasty, bitter conflicts saw horrible behavior on both sides that can’t be denied or explained away, but it was the Native Americans who ultimately lost.
I’m not trying to give readers a liberal guilt trip to make you feel bad about our collective history. One cannot live their lives atoning for the sins of their ancestors. Sadly, there is nothing we can do to change what has happened and no amount of angst-filled hand wringing can change that fact.
However, try to imagine being a modern Native American and being called a redskin. Or even just an Indian. These words rub salt on the wounds of time and although they aren’t quite as loaded with the thick context of hatred that they once were, they are still the phrases of a conqueror that are not easy for the conquered to swallow.
This is why I think the Native American population has a legitimate reason to feel insulted by these team names and why it would be wrong for us as a country to deny this fact or a more troubled aspect of our historical culture.
But now we’re back to tradition, how it forms and what it means. America is a country of great tradition, understanding and respect. We value our tradition and our values and the world of sports is no different.
Early on in sports history, team names changed regularly as they tried to plough a field of tradition. Team names, leagues and even unified rules were being altered on a near daily basis. This was when the name Redskins or Braves were words that suggested a fighting spirit to early sportsmen that they wished to emulate.
Time passes long-held team names start to have an inherent power and a draw that’s nearly like an incantation to a sports fan. It goes beyond simply being a team name and becomes an identity that transcends sports, players and even the team location.
The name Washington Redskins means something positive to millions of people across the country: it is a tradition and changing the name may make it more difficult for fans to relate to the team. The name also means something negative to millions of people who believe it represents racism, oppression and negative cultural thought.
Perhaps more importantly, Washington Redskins is a name that has business power and a corporate draw that brings millions of dollars to Washington D.C. and which creates economic stimulus through employment and tourism. These facts make this debate complex.
Morally, I have many issues with the use of antiquated and racially loaded words like Redskin. Pragmatically, I don’t want a city, town or even a state to fall into an economic slump because they lost their tradition, identity and their sports team.
Imagine Cleveland without the Indians. Or Atlanta without the Braves. These towns have solid business infrastructures, but without the billions of dollars that such big name sports teams bring to the town, they’d be destroyed.
However, I’d hate to be the one trying to explain the pragmatic necessity of the name Washington Redskins to a Native American for whom the name feels like a slap in the face to their entire cultural history, who feels nothing but what they feel is centuries of oppression from such a simple combination of syllables.
That’s the power of words, ladies and gentlemen: the power to divide and the power to unite. It’s why I don’t think this team name debate will ever be settled within our lifetime. The issues are deeper than racism or tradition and stretch back into the heart of our nation’s history. It’s a debate that has no black and white solution and a debate whose end will please nobody. | 8,550 | 3,727 | 0.000276 |
warc | 201704 | “Good-looking individuals are treated better than homely ones in virtually every social situation, from dating to even on a trial by jury,”says Martha Becks, who emphasizes on the importance of good looks.
Flawless features are an integral part of good looks. It comes as no surprise when New Yorkers are resorting to cosmetic procedures for flawless looks and the Nose Job is one the most famous procedure on their list. In a report of American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed every year is of Rhinoplasty.
The paragraphs below are intended to shed some light on this cosmetic procedure performed by a skilled and renowned
Rhinoplasty NYCspecialist and its advantages.
Types of Rhinoplasty and Procedures
The various flaws of the nose, which can be corrected by the rhinoplasty procedure, include low wide bridges, over prominent tip, ski-slope nose, a bumpy nose, crooked nose, droop tip and full tip. The kind of treatment given to any patient depends on the type of the nose and the flaws.
The procedure of rhinoplasty can be either primary or secondary, which means -
Primary Rhinoplasty -If there has been no prior surgery, which has been performed to the nose along with no visible changes is termed as primary rhinoplasty procedure.
Secondary Rhinoplasty -It is the Rhinoplasty procedure, which is carried out when there has been a prior surgery, which has resulted in trauma. Secondary Rhinoplasty is used to correct any ordeal, which had resulted due to primary rhinoplasty.
Advantages of Rhinoplasty It helps in giving an aesthetic balance to the face by restoring the defect of the nose, which is an important facial feature. Breathing problems, which may result in headaches, anxiety, depression and pain, can be solved with the help of Rhinoplasty NYCcosmetic surgeon and the procedure. Birth defects, which may distort the overall appearance of the face, are also treated with the help of Rhinoplasty. Trauma, which occurs from various situations like accidents or fights, can be treated with the help of this cosmetic treatment.
The effective cosmetic procedure performed by a
Rhinoplasty NYCprofessional is helpful to restore the balance of the face and renders a new outlook towards life, bringing positive attitude and much required self-confidence. Visit http://www.naturallookinstitute.com to know about this artistic cosmetic procedure under the expertise of a highly talented and experienced cosmetic surgeon. In New York City, Rhinoplasty is the Trusted Cosmetic Treatm
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warc | 201704 | Let your office make you feel healthier. Your office is the place where you sit and work for about forty hours a week, if you’re a full time worker. Some are in their offices longer, others shorter, but still, most of us have toe work in order to make money. What most people don’t realize is that their office might cause them to become ill. While it might seem as though the office is a place where you are safe, this is not necessarily the case. By learning about the potential dangers of your office, you can begin to take steps to prevent your health from being impacted by your office.
The Stale Air Is Not Good For Your Health One of the main things which can impact your health is the air quality in your office. If your office is older, you might be subject to black mold as well as toxins like asbestos. While offices are supposed to remove these harmful situations, this does not always happen. Most of the time, these problems come to light when workers begin to complain about feeling sick all the time. In order to ensure your office space is as healthy as possible, add a few living plants to your desk and office. These plants will help to naturally detoxify the area by pulling in the chemicals and other problems in the air. While they can’t remove every bad particle, they can vastly improve the air quality. Bad Posture Problems On The Back Of Your Health Sit correctly when working. When you sit at a desk for many hours a day, you might be setting yourself up for troubles with your back, your wrists, and your neck. You need to learn to sit in a comfortable and healthy manner so as to avoid body troubles. If your body is out of line, not only can you feel pain, but you might also have more headaches and you might become prone to a condition called carpal tunnel disorder. This condition causes your wrists to tighten up, which can then only be released by a surgery. To sit correctly: - choose a chair which allows you to place both feet on the ground - sit with your back against the back of the chair - ensure your wrists are resting on the desk as you type. Possible Printer Toxins As You Inhale Do not inhale harmful particles from working laser printer. Some research is also showing the ink particles from laser jet printers can fly into the air and cause lung troubles. To ensure you aren’t putting yourself at risk, try to sit as far away from the printer as possible or open a window near it to dissipate the particles. You might also want to use a fan near your desk to keep the air quality fresh and free of anything which might increase your odds of illness. Monitor Your Daily Stress While Working Monitor and reduce your stress regularly. It is recommended to monitor your stress while working to ensure addressing stress issues as early as possible. This will help you not only increase productivity but also improve your health, normalize blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease. Use Stress Monitor along with Stress Sweeper.For more http://www.healthreviser.com. How Your Office is Harming Your Health
by jhealth0
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warc | 201704 | Not feeling 100%? Are you suffering from low energy, poor sleep, low mood or headaches? Do you have a complex pattern of symptoms that respond poorly to medication?
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Are you struggling with your cycle? Trying to get pregnant? Suffering through menopause? There is a lot that women can do to help themselves. In addition to acupuncture treatment, our holistic plan will help you understand your body's signs and adapt your diet or lifestyle to suit your individual constitution.
... Acupuncturehas tremendously helped in managing my anxietylevels, my sleep is improved and I have more energy!" more... JanWeb Designer A huge thank you for all your support through all this process. Although I originally came for fertility, acupuncture helped my sleep and energy..." more... AlisonHR Manager I 100% recommend Carole's treatment. I could barely walk, sit or sleep for shooting pain down leg and back with sciatica...." more... DawnBC, Canada, travelling through Spain | 1,625 | 883 | 0.00114 |
warc | 201704 | By Chuck Schaeffer
In terms of mobility, 2013 was the year vendors shipped more than 1 billion smartphones. Closely complementing this mobility trend, IDC forecast that tablet sales will reach 227.4 million units in 2013, a whopping 57.7% increase from 2012. Yet for all the mobile adoption, mobile CRM remains sporadic and under-utilized for most organizations, and of the few mobile CRM adopters, most fail to achieve sustained user adoption and a positive ROI.
So what’s the disconnect?
Too many believe that mobile CRM is simply CRM software delivered on a mobile device. This simple thinking fails to recognize that typical CRM objectives such as opportunity management, creating quotes or displaying a 360 degree customer view are seldom well delivered within the form factor of smartphones.
Many mobile apps are simply impractical because the (desktop) application is simply resized to a mobile device. Other mobile apps are visually appealing, but not very smart in that they fail to take advantage of the mobile devices unique strengths. Another common problem is failing to recognize that mobility shouldn’t be applied across the spectrum of CRM business processes but instead focused on the particular mobility-driven use cases that deliver the biggest value.
How to Succeed with Mobile CRM
Here’s some tips for how to succeed with mobile CRM.
Start with use cases. For mobile to make business sense it must be use case driven. Contact center use cases are few. Sales person use cases are many but vary widely in terms of value. The starting point for mobile CRM strategy is to identify those business processes and information requests most facilitated by anytime/anywhere access.
For example, beyond access to simple contact information, field sales people may benefit from having real-time access to the last conversation minutes, outstanding cases, open orders, product deliveries, unpaid invoices, aged receivables, available credit limit and other information which may be requested by the customer or needed by the sales person in order to continue their sales pursuits. The sales person wants to appear informed, and doesn’t want unanticipated questions and an absence of information causing delays to their sales objectives.
Consider ERP integration. Much of the customer information sales people seek while in the field — such as orders, invoices, credit memos, payments, RMAs, product availability, credit availability, shipping timeframes and more — is housed in back-office accounting or ERP software. CRM systems which include tight integration with ERP applications will deliver a richer data experience and support far more business processes for mobile CRM users.
Use the mobile devices unique capabilities. Just pushing legacy CRM software to a mobile device doesn’t produce any synergy. Instead, find ways to leverage CRM data with capabilities that are only available with mobile – such as marrying CRM call plans and mobile geo-location, using a touch screen to update a task or activity, or reviewing contact updates from social networks before walking into the contact’s office. Linking CRM use cases to mobile capabilities such as quick information access, touch screen navigation, geo-positioning and anytime/anywhere connectivity to CRM, legacy and online systems is certain to create efficiencies that users will appreciate.
Focus on the user experience. PC and mobility operation are meant to be different. Pushing a desktop app to a mobile device isn’t going to achieve a positive user experience. To make the smaller form factors and more limited data entry capabilities work for mobile users, the mobile apps should make data contextual, make information entry as automatic as possible, minimize keystrokes and streamline workflow. Despite being seldom used for data entry (in largest part because the CRM software publishers don’t support it), audio is proven to be the least effort and most efficient mobile data entry method.
Filtering and sorting CRM records by user is essential. As smartphones are not well suited for scrolling, don’t display every CRM record but instead limit records to only those assigned to the user, and possibly only those that are active. Sorting data by utilization will further decrease search and navigation time. Avoid making users sift through voluminous records to find what they are looking for – as most users simply won’t go through that hassle. Answering The Call For Mobile
Mobile CRM is on the rise, however, mobile success is not keeping pace. CSO Insights reports that 42% of sales staff now use mobile devices, however, 4 out of 5 are only using basic productivity apps such as email, and only 1 in 5 companies have tried to apply mobility to their business processes.
The bottom line to mobile CRM adoption (and a positive payback) is to recognize that staff will only use mobility if it saves them time, increases their productivity or aids their objectives. CRM analyst Sheryl Kingstone advises that "Employees will only use a mobile system if it somehow reduces the time needed to enter or find information."
For the forward thinking business leaders the upside is clear. According to a Nucleus Research study, sales people achieved a 14.6% productivity increase when using mobile CRM apps. Nearly a third of respondents cited a productivity increase of more than 20%, and only 2% said they saw no productivity benefit. When including a combined mobile and social CRM deployment, sales people incurred productivity increases of 26.4%.
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Mobile CRM is on the rise, however, success is not keeping pace. CSO Insights reports that 42% of sales staff now use mobile devices, however, 4 out of 5 are only using basic apps such as email, and only 1 in 5 companies have tried to apply mobility to their business processes.
Related Articles | 5,932 | 2,608 | 0.000389 |
warc | 201704 | Metaphysical poets, selected poems Contents Introduction Timeline Images Author(s) Donne, John John Donne's early life John Donne - from Catholic to Protestant John Donne's marriage and its aftermath John Donne - The Reverend Dean Herbert, George Crashaw, Richard Vaughan, Henry Marvell, Andrew King, Henry Lovelace, Richard Cowley, Abraham Philips, Katherine Cleveland, John Social / political context Religious / philosophical context Literary context: ideas and innovations Aire and Angels A Hymn to God the Father A Hymn to God, my God, in my Sicknesse A Nocturnall upon St. Lucies day At the Round Earth's Imagin'd Corners A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Synopsis of Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Commentary on Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Language and tone in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Structure and versification in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Imagery and symbolism in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Themes in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning A Valediction: of Weeping Batter my heart Death be not Proud Elegie XIX: Going to Bed Elegie XVI: On his Mistris Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward Lovers' Infiniteness Oh my blacke Soule! Satyre III: 'On Religion' Show me Deare Christ Since She Whom I Lov'd Song: Goe, and catche a falling starre The Anniversarie The Dreame The Extasie The Flea The Good-morrow The Sunne Rising This is my playes last scene Twicknam Garden What if this present Aaron Affliction I Death Discipline Easter Wings Jordan I Jordan II Life Love II Man Prayer I Redemption The Church-floore The Collar Vertue Hymn in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Hymn to St Teresa St Mary Magdalene, or the Weeper To the Countesse of Denbigh Ascension - Hymn Man Regeneration The Night The Retreate The Water-fall A Dialogue between Soul and Body On a Drop of Dew The Coronet The Definition of Love The Garden The Mower Against Gardens The Mower to the Glo-Worms The Mower's Song The Nymph Complaining for the Death of her Faun The Picture of Little T.C. in a Prospect of Flowers To his Coy Mistress Upon Appleton House, to my Lord Fairfax Satyre III: 'On Religion' Satires
Donne wrote a number of satires in his youth. This poem probably dates from around 1594-5, a period when Donne was trying to make a life-changing decision - whether to remain a Catholic, in accordance with his upbringing and family loyalties, or to move (as he eventually did) to become a member of the Church of England. He read widely as he sought to understand the passionately held but widely differing beliefs current at the time and tried to decide between them.
Like elegies and epigrams, satires have their origin in classical literature. Literally, satires are poems which ridicule certain people or human attitudes, often trying to reform them at the same time.
An age of religious controversy
In this, the third satire,
On Religion, Donne addresses the search for religious truth in an age of religious conflict. In Donne's day, people were frequently imprisoned and even killed for their religious beliefs. Donne's uncle and brother had suffered directly for their Catholic faith. Finding and holding to spiritual truth mattered desperately to Donne, and the intensity of his personal struggle and turmoil gives this poem an edge and force not often seen in his earlier work.
The poem has a number of key themes:
A warning to those who fail to see the importance of spiritual truth The challenge to ‘seek true religion' The need to follow one's conscience at all costs or risk damnation A warning to those who fail to prioritise spiritual truth
The poem begins with anguish and anger as Donne states the need to be devoted to ‘faire religion'. He looks back to the pagan philosophers of the classical age (before the coming of Christianity) who greatly valued and pursued virtue. Donne states that human beings should fear to be judged by God for being worse than the pagan philosophers were, despite possessing spiritual knowledge which they lacked. Donne may be speaking of his own father, a Catholic who died when Donne was young. He is, perhaps, envisaging him, safe in heaven, hearing of his son's damnation even though he had passed on to him the ‘easie' and familiar ways of his own religion. The fear of damnation (spiritual condemnation by God) is, says Donne, an appropriate response which needs true courage to face it.
To avoid such a fate, men and women must know their spiritual foes: the world flesh and devil, which will destroy the soul.
The challenge to ‘seek true religion'
The problem is where to look. Donne examines the options on offer under the guise of a series of names. Mirreus is a Roman Catholic; Crantz (a German-sounding name because the Reformation began in Germany) is a Calvinist or Presbyterian; Graius is Anglican; and Phrygius is a sceptic or agnostic. He satirises all these people and their reasons for belief.
Donne therefore sets out the best way to search for truth, a task which will require both care and determination. The reader is urged to ‘doubt wisely' and to consider carefully, yet to get on with the job:
To stand inquiring right is not to stray;
To sleepe, or runne wrong, is.
Discernment and courage are needed. It won't be easy and the journey may be long and arduous. Donne uses an image that has often been quoted:
Cragged and steep, Truth stands, and hee that will
Reach her, about must, and about must goe;
And what the hills suddeness resists, winne so.
By ‘suddeness' he means steepness. For Donne it isn't ‘travelling hopefully' that matters, it is essential to arrive. ‘Therefore now doe' he says, while there is still light.
The need to follow one's conscience at all costs or risk damnation
Donne gives some further guidance: don't blindly follow the authority of human rulers and leaders; it is better to suffer persecution (as Donne's own family had done so harshly) than to risk losing one's eternal soul, by obeying human authorities rather than God. Donne's search for religious truth, therefore, demands an independence of mind and heart, and a refusal to give up.
Investigating On Religion What factors might make some one feel they need to search out the truth about religion? Pick out some of the main strands of imagery in the poem
Which strike you as the most vivid? Recently Viewed Related material Scan and go
Scan on your mobile for direct link. | 6,417 | 3,122 | 0.000324 |
warc | 201704 | Words are but the vague shadows of the volumes we mean. Little audible links, they are, chaining together great inaudible feelings and purposes. ~Theodore Dreiser, 1900
The rarest thing in the world is a woman who is pleased with photographs of herself. ~Elizabeth Metcalf
"Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are" is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you reread. ~Francois Mauriac
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." ~Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Why We Can't Wait, 1963
Like I've always said, love wouldn't be blind if the braille weren't so damned much fun. ~Armistead Maupin, Maybe the Moon
Language is the most imperfect and expensive means yet discovered for communicating thought. ~William James
Staying with people consists in your not having your own way, and their not having theirs. ~Maarten Maartens
I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth, and I am a citizen of the world. ~Eugene V. Debs
Let's be honest. There's not a business anywhere that is without problems. Business is complicated and imperfect. Every business everywhere is staffed with imperfect human beings and exists by providing a product or service to other imperfect human beings. ~Bob Parsons
They... threw themselves into the interests of the rest, but each plowed his or her own furrow. Their thoughts, their little passions and hopes and desires, all ran along separate lines. Family life is like this - animated, but collateral. ~Rose Macaulay
For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously. ~George Gissing, "Winter," The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903
One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate his people's excuses for failure. ~Robert Townsend
Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone. ~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now
AIDS obliges people to think of sex as having, possibly, the direst consequences: suicide. Or murder. ~Susan Sontag
Let not the sands of time get in your lunch. ~Tony Hendra, "Deteriorata" (Thanks Tom) Let nothing which can be treated by diet be treated by other means. ~Maimonides
I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~John Muir, 1913, in L.M. Wolfe, ed., John Muir, John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938
The brain is a commodity used to fertilize ideas. ~Elbert Hubbard
Hunting God is a great adventure. ~Marie DeFloris
A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do. ~Lois Wyse
One of the best parts of growing older? You can flirt all you like since you've become harmless. ~Liz Smith
I believe in the Church of Baseball. I tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want. ~Ben Stein
My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass. ~Terri Guillemets
The outward man is the swinging door; the inner man is the still hinge. ~Eckhart | 3,834 | 2,083 | 0.000485 |
warc | 201704 | When I go to the doctor’s office, I usually see a registered nurse practitioner. She’s a family friend, and frankly, damn good at her job. Since I’m healthy (and clearly in amazing shape), this is almost always better than seeing an actual doctor. The same thing happens when I go to the “dentist.” She usually only shows up at the end,
after the hard work of cleaning my filthy fangs is done by a dental hygienist. The dentist shows up late, prods around a bit in there, tells me to floss more, and is on her way.
But what if I needed surgery? Then, I would certainly
hope that someone highly-trained and certified (yes, some regulations are good!) would be doing the cutting (be that with a scalpel or a laser). But, increasingly, that’s not as clear-cut (pun intended) as it used to be.
An inchoate phenomenon — spurred by a shortage of doctors and an increased lobbying campaign by groups of other medical professionals — has blurred the lines between doctors and other medical professionals. We’ve seen examples of nurses earning their
doctorates, and then started to refer to themselves “doctors.” And we have seen recent examples of state sanctioned conflation of optometrists and ophthalmologists.
This is potentially dangerous. For example, a few years ago, “A Veterans Administration probe found that eight veterans at a Northern California VA facility suffered potentially-preventable vision loss while under the care of optometrists, according to the Associated Press.”
Worries that this sort of thing would spread prompted physician Ford Vox to write this for the
Atlantic,
If you need laser eye surgery in the state of Kentucky, or a little cosmetic work around the eyelids, it now behooves you to ask your prospective surgeon the following question before signing the operative consent form:”Say doc, did you go to medical school?”
Kentucky joined the company of Oklahoma last week as the second state to conflate optometrists and ophthalmologists. Only ophthalmologists are the sort of doctors who graduated from medical school, did an internship, completed a three-year residency in eye surgery, possibly a fellowship after that, and have achieved and maintained national board certification through a program of lifelong learning in their specialty.
This general problem has only accelerated under ObamaCare. As CNS News reported, Under the Affordable Care Act, the Health and Human Services Department is spending billions of dollars to expand community health clinics, which are mainly staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants.”
Which brings us to the today. The Louisiana Legislature passed HB 1065 last week — which would allow optometrists to perform some surgical procedures currently reserved for ophthalmologists. Gov. Bobby Jindal can choose to veto it (though he appears to be disinclined to do so) or, otherwise, it will automatically become law.
So here’s the interesting political part. Jindal is clearly running for president, and it’s probably safe to assume that so is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — an opthalmologist who performed pro bono eye surgery as recently as last week.
Now, I’m not suggesting this issue will dominate the Republican primary contest. But for health care wonks out there, here’s hoping some intrepid reporter, or — better yet — a debate moderator poses a question to these two likely candidates about ObamaCare, the doctor shortage, and the degradation of health care. This could end up sparking an elevated and timely debate about the future of health care in America — and possibly cause us to re-evaluate our expectations regarding the standards of expertise and qualification we should expect from our surgeons before we go under the knife. | 3,854 | 1,935 | 0.000536 |
warc | 201704 | The former California professional triathlete-turned-marathon swimmer is going to attempt to become the first person to swim across the Sea of Cortez from San Carlos to Punta Chivato. It is a daunting task across 76 miles of salty rough water swimming.
Lundgren plans to be the first person to swim across the Sea of Cortez between Baja California and mainland Mexico.
With those plans, what does he plan for?
What must he be prepared for in what is considered to be the world's body of water that is most abundant with marine life?
1. Distance of 122 kilometers. Even at a fast clip of 4 kilometers per hour or a 1:30 pace per 100 meters, that is a swim of at least 30 hours not considering feeding stops or currents or surface chop.
2. Water temperature. He faces the possibility of hypothermia in the middle of the day and the possibility of hypothermia at night, even at a water temperature that will be at least 75ºF (24ºC). While a swim in 24ºC seems warm to most swimmers, Lundgren will face a plunging core body temperature as he naturally tires on the second night due to the wide variance from daytime to nighttime temperatures.
3. Air temperature. The very warm temperatures he will face under the expected cloudless skies will fry his back, neck and legs.
4. Salinity. The high salinity of the water will create havoc in his mouth, tongue and throat so every swig of his drink after 24 hours creates more pain than relief.
5. Marine life. Big dark things with fins and little translucent things with tentacles can be game changers.
6. Currents. 122 kilometers presents a great opportunity for currents to push him off course, especially over the course of 30 or 40 or 50 hours.
7. Winds. Bumpy seas is tough over a mile. Multiply it by 76 and that could result in a bumpy, lumpy crossing.
8. Hydration and Fueling. In a swim that can range from 30-50 hours, Lundgren must plan carefully for sustenance that will enhance his effort and will minimize the pain as he chews and swallows.
Copyright © 2013 by
Open Water Swimming | 2,070 | 1,080 | 0.000942 |
warc | 201704 | Daniel Ramos D.D.S., Ph.D. Integrin regulation of the invasion of tumor cells Tel: (415) 476-2045 Email: daniel.ramos@ucsf.edu Oral Squamous cell Carcinoma Project Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents approximately 96% of all oral cancers. The 5 year survival rate for this disease has not improved in over 60 years and remains at 50%. During oral cancer progression, the cells lose their polarity and become undifferentiated through the process of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). It is at this time when αvβ6 integrin is first expressed. The β6 integrin is upregulated in several epithelial malignancies including oral cancer and is associated with increased EMT. avβ6 can bind fibronectin and the latency associated peptide-1 (LAP) of TGFβ1. Binding of avβ6 to LAP activates TGFβ1. The overexpression of avβ6 on tumors, particularly at the tumor-stromal interface, may reflect a unique mechanism for local activation of TGFβ1. Our recent work has shown that the mesenchymal properties of the tumor cells associated with the invasive oral SCC cells is regulated by the cytoplasmic tail of the β6 and the removal of the tail redifferentiates the cells into a more epithelial phenotype which is characterized by increased expression of E-cadherin and keratin. Melanoma cell project Mucocutaneous melanoma has an extremely poor prognosis due its highly aggressive behavior. The five-year survival rate is less than 10%. Our previous studies in melanoma demonstrate that upregulation of the αvβ3 integrin is required to maintain the invasive phenotype. Invasion requires a continued extension and retraction of the cell membrane that is mediated by the actin cytoskeleton. Cofilin, a 21kD protein, is responsible for both polymerization and depolymerization of actin. We are working on defining the mechanism underlying cofilin function. Our preliminary results indicate that αvβ3 integrin promotes invasion by suppressing the default RhoA/ROCK/LIMK1 pathway. Selected publications:
Siu A, Lee C, Pham E, Ramos DM. Revisiting Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition through Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 2012 Sep; 32(9):3683-8.
Siu A, Lee C, Dang D, Lee C, Ramos DM. Stem cell markers as predictors of oral cancer invasion. Anticancer Res. 2012 Apr; 32(4):1163-6. Ramos D, Ades C. Two-Item Sentence Comprehension by a Dog (Canis familiaris). PLoS One. 2012; 7(2):e29689. Ramos DM, Dang D. EMMPRIN expression in oral SCC is regulated by FYN kinase. Anticancer Res. 2011 Apr; 31(4):1205-9. Lewin B, Siu A, Baker C, Dang D, Schnitt R, Eisapooran P, Ramos DM. Expression of Fyn kinase modulates EMT in oral cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2010 Jul; 30(7):2591-6. Dang D, Sadler S, Ramos DM. Modulation of EGFR by oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. J Calif Dent Assoc. 2009 Dec; 37(12):869-74. Daniel AG, Lucas SR, Júnior AR, Monteiro PR, Ramos D, Pires CG, Sinhorini IL. Skin fragility syndrome in a cat with cholangiohepatitis and hepatic lipidosis. J Feline Med Surg. 2010 Feb; 12(2):151-5. Ramos D, Mills DS. Human directed aggression in Brazilian domestic cats: owner reported prevalence, contexts and risk factors. J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Oct; 11(10):835-41. Dang D, Ramos DM. Identification of {alpha}v{beta}6-positive stem cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 2009 Jun; 29(6):2043-9. Ramos DM, Dang D, Sadler S. The role of the integrin alpha v beta6 in regulating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition in oral cancer. Anticancer Res. 2009 Jan; 29(1):125-30. | 3,587 | 1,811 | 0.000565 |
warc | 201704 | Monmouth Collegeís sociology/anthropology program emphasizes the development of a studentís
ability to think critically, analyze and synthesize diverse social data and concepts, and
conduct research independently and as part of a team. The program also emphasizes a studentís
ability to convey that research through sound and effective written and oral communication.
Sociology/anthropology students engage in research on campus, and through off-campus
programs offered by Monmouth-area institutions, and by the
Associated Colleges of the Midwest in
Chicago, Europe and Asia.
Because we live in a world of diminishing economic, cultural, and national barriers, a
major in sociology and anthropology can lead to a variety of fulfilling careers, such as
social research, social work, education, communication, business management, and health care,
to name a few. The program also prepares students for post-graduate study in a variety of
fields. | 972 | 523 | 0.001971 |
warc | 201704 | Article Title Abstract
Whether they "overperform" or underperform, it is clear that there is incentive for players to do well in their walk year. This same incentive is not present for players either already tied up in long-term contracts or those without enough major league service time to qualify for free-agent status. This paper seeks to test whether the assertion that players perform better and expend more effort in their "walk year" is empirically observable.
Editor's Note: Figures are missing from this article. We apologize for the inconvenience. Recommended Citation
Grad, Benjamin D. (1998) "A Test of Additional Effort Expenditure in the "Walk Year" for Major League Baseball Players,"
University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics: Vol. 2 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uauje/vol2/iss1/2 | 859 | 549 | 0.001852 |
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