getting a job is a major concern for young australians. last year ’ s national survey of young australians showed a large rise in the proportion of young people valuing getting a job, from 16 % in 2010 to 22. 7 % in 2011. the recently launched 2012 youth survey, which focused on young people aged 15 to 19, suggests that some need to find work to help pay for household bills, school books and other necessities. for many young people, getting a full - time job or even enough part - time work is a challenge. youth underemployment is in part linked to long - term changes to the labour force, as well as more recent instability in the wake of the gfc. for growing numbers of young people, the transition from school to work will involve one or more part - time jobs. the 2012 edition of how young people are faring, published by the foundation for young australians ( fya ), indicates that the number of teenagers in part - time work and who were not in education increased from 8. 7 % in 1986 to 30 % in 2012. the proportion has more than doubled for 20 to 24 year - olds from 8. 3 % to just over 19 % during the same period. this reflects a long ‐ term pattern of replacement of full - time employment with more part ‐ time jobs within the teen and young adult labour markets. abs data indicates that in 2011, a third of the 814, 700 part - time workers who would prefer to work more hours was aged 15 to 24 years. while just under half of those aged 15 - 19 years preferred to work less than 30 hours per week, around 28 % of underemployed part - time workers in this age group had insufficient work for a year or more. beyond the gfc teenagers face particular challenges. as the fya report suggests, more than one in five teenagers not engaged in education indicated they were trying to find full - time work. but the number of teenagers in full - time employment has declined from almost 550, 000 in 1981 to almost 200, 000 in 2012. a large proportion of this drop can be accounted for by the growth in the numbers staying in school. however, this decline in full - time work has implications for those teenagers not in study or training. combined with higher unemployment rates than other age groups, these labour force trends signal a labour market in which youth unemployment and involuntary part - time work continues to be significant. the concentration of young people in part - time work in australia includes a significant proportion in


combined with higher unemployment rates than other age groups, these labour force trends signal a labour market in which youth unemployment and involuntary part - time work continues to be significant. the concentration of young people in part - time work in australia includes a significant proportion in involuntary part - time work. the oecd defines involuntary part - time work as comprising : those who usually work full - time but who are working part - time because of economic slack ( i. e. unused proportion of economic capacity ) ; those working part - time but have fewer hours in their jobs because of economic slack ; and those working part - time because full - time work can ’ t be found. according to this data, the share of involuntary part - timers aged 15 - 24 in the labour force was just over 13 % in 2011. the percentage of involuntary part - time workers has at times been higher in australia during the last decade compared to some other oecd countries for which comparable data are available. the share of involuntary part - timers aged 15 - 24 as a percentage of part - time employment was just under 35 % in 2011, compared to 4. 8 % in norway. while these figures serve as a starting point for understanding the challenges of youth underemployment, they are by no means perfect indicators. ( the measure of “ involuntary part - time work ” is itself contested. ) they do not necessarily capture the acute challenges facing certain young people in the australian labour force – in particular, teenagers who have left school and young women in general. school leavers who want full - time work, but have to take part - time jobs instead, can remain vulnerable to marginalisation from secure work for years. some research suggests that amongst those in part - time work, many women in their late teens would prefer to work more hours but do not have opportunities to do so. snakes and ladders while part - time work is important to the personal development of young people in that it gives them key life - experience and material gains, it may not be a stepping stone to full - time work. the evidence suggests that teenagers in part - time jobs are only slightly more likely to move into full - time employment than those who are unemployed. a major concern is for those who are discouraged by the inability to get sufficient work and give up looking. combine this with significant levels of long - term youth unemployment ( notably that between 2008 and 2011 the percentage of young australians without a job for a year or more nearly doubled ) and this concern is intensified considerably. the proportion of part


and give up looking. combine this with significant levels of long - term youth unemployment ( notably that between 2008 and 2011 the percentage of young australians without a job for a year or more nearly doubled ) and this concern is intensified considerably. the proportion of part - time workers who are underemployed generally decreases as they get older, but the experience of insecurity or dissatisfaction with working life during these formative years is not without negative consequences. i have written elsewhere in the conversation about some of the impact of the fluidity of working life on young people. with part - time work comes instability and difficulty in planning ahead socially, financially or to start a family because of the fluidity of contemporary working life. young people, like most, seek security, connection and a sense of where they are going in life. compelling young people to stay in school or post school study and training — though beneficial for most — isn ’ t enough. particular challenges confront those living in regional and remote areas and those experiencing disadvantage, in which the risk of marginalisation is often concentrated. it has been suggested, rather too casually i think, that young people should migrate to where the work is. this strikes at real and complex tensions, between addressing the challenges of marginalisation by those who never move beyond their suburb and the socioeconomic disadvantage associated with their marginalisation, and the idea that we reduce success in life to being economically “ fit for purpose ”. the evidence indicates that young people see more to life than fulfilling economic need or the product of “ slack ”. ( data from the world values survey, for example, indicated that three quarters of young adults prioritised the need to protect the environment over economic growth. although, concern amongst teenagers appears to have fallen significantly since 2011 according to the 2012 youth survey, which found a substantial number nominating ‘ the economy and financial matters ’ over the environment as a major issue of national importance. ) i think that many of us abhor the idea that mobility is dictated exclusively by labour market need and relentless economic growth. the challenges of underemployment must therefore be located in a richer world of values, contexts, expectations and possibilities for young people to participate in the economy and society of the 21st century. connection and belonging are foundational to individual and social well - being. more than their marks there is another possible dimension to underemployment that provides food for thought. during the last few years, national school retention levels reached the highest levels ever recorded. participation in study by degrees continues to rise, as many


earlier today i had to take a cab from the commercial terminal to another airport nearby where there was no commercial airline service, but where the airplane i was to fly was parked. i had the most interesting cab driver ; we covered a few interesting topics on the ride over. for example, he asked me at what altitude we flew the citation x, and i told him 51, 000 feet ( though we don ' t usually fly that high ). he was very surprised, and i told him that the commercial airliners usually fly in the upper 30, 000 foot range, and at the altitudes above are a lot of business jets. then he told me about a show he watched about an experiment in the 60s. now, i vaguely remember a long ago experiment of a guy jumping of an insanely high altitude. but the cab driver said he thought it was like 140, 000 feet and it had taken the guy 27 minutes to get down. so he was curious, if they said the guy was traveling at up to 650 miles per hour, why did it take so long to travel this distance ( 1 mile = 5280ft, so 140, 000ft = about 26 miles )? i gave him the best answers i could, based on my limited knowledge, but i promised him ( and myself ) that i would look it up when i got back. here ' s the story : ( wikipedia ) on august 16, 1960 colonel joseph kittinger made the final jump from the excelsior iii at 102, 800 feet ( 31, 300 m ). towing a small drogue chute for stabilization, he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds reaching a maximum speed of 614 mph ( 988 km / h or 274 m / s ) before opening his parachute at 18, 000 feet. pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent, and his right hand swelled to twice its normal size. he set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest drogue - fall ( 4 min ), and fastest speed by a human through the atmosphere. so, the cab driver thought that the experiment was to find out more about high altitude bailouts and wondered if the special space suit was really necessary. i told him that at the very least, people needed to be protected from the cold. for example, the temperatures at the altitudes commercial airliners fly are usually around - 40 degrees celsius. brr! can you imagine how cold it was at the altitude that kittinger jumped? well, given


many scientific facts point to a younger age for the earth than evolutionists want to believe. in many mountain areas, multiple rock layers have been bent and folded without fracturing. this is evidence that all the layers were deposited before any of them hardened. if this had taken place after the layers had hardened, they would either have been crumbled, or the heat and pressure would have transformed them into metamorphic rock. some fossils, found in these rock layers believed to be millions of years old, can actually be dated by radiocarbon dating. when this is done, the ages are shown to be only thousands of years. if the earth were as old as evolutionists claim, the radiocarbon should have disappeared long ago from fossils, coal, diamonds, oil, and such. likewise, there should be more helium in the atmosphere, and much less in the earth ’ s crust. i would like to furnish the long list of evidences for a young earth, but i don ’ t have much time right now. they can be found scattered throughout creationist literature. as is the case with all science, you have to be careful of outdated or incorrect information. the oct. - dec. 2012 edition of answers magazine gives what they believe to be the 10 best evidences for a young earth. the answers magazine also shows the weakness of some of the evolutionary arguments against the evidences. the following is not on the answers magazine ’ s list, but i think one of the most important evidences for a relatively young earth is the slowing of its rotation. simultaneously, the moon is receding from the earth. this can ’ t have been going on for billions of years. you ’ ll find a lot of conflicting, and confusing, information if you research this. the following quote is from the article “ earth, ” in a 1971 set of encyclopedia britannica ’ s. later estimates show a larger rate of slowing. referring to three factors contributing to a slowing of the earth ’ s rotation, the article says, “ this effect amounts to an aggregated time change of about 30 sec. per century. however, if this phenomenon is assumed to have existed throughout the earth ’ s lifetime, the earth must once have rotated much more rapidly than it does now. ” that doesn ’ t mean that at the end of a century, each day is 30 seconds shorter than before. each day averages only a small fraction of a second shorter, yet over enough time the effect would be tremendous. i haven ’ t given precise numbers because there ’ s so


at the end of a century, each day is 30 seconds shorter than before. each day averages only a small fraction of a second shorter, yet over enough time the effect would be tremendous. i haven ’ t given precise numbers because there ’ s so much conflicting data. most evolutionists argue that these effects have not been as great in the past, and that the changes don ’ t add up that much overall. they say the same thing about the recession of the moon. i think it can be proven however, that the earth would have been more prone to a major catastrophe if the forces balancing the earth and moon were much different from today. the jumble of details found in the geological column is evidence of such a catastrophe. all of this gives credibility to the biblical record of a global flood. there are too many unanswered questions about dating methods for evolutionary scientists to reasonably conclude that life is millions of years old. if events within the sun affect the half - life of radioactive substances on earth ( ref. my previous post ), could certain activity within the earth likewise affect radiometric dating? what about the effects of piezoelectricity that would be generated by a major slide of the earth ’ s continental plates? piezoelectricity is thought by some to be the explanation for “ earthquake lights. ” scientists aren ’ t certain of the cause. extreme pressures have been shown to slightly affect radioactive decay rates, but there are many levels of “ extreme. ” what effect would the pressures generated by a major slide of a continental plate have upon decay rates? we know that pressure increases the rate of nuclear fission in radioactive elements. tremendous amounts of material has been transported thousands of miles under very extreme pressures, and many kinds of “ sorting, ” and chemical reactions, occur under such conditions. i ’ m not saying that either of these things accounts for the discrepancies of the dating methods, but these areas would be worth further study. the bible says that whenever we think we know anything, we still don ’ t understand it as well as we should ( 1st. corinthians 8 : 2 ). that is true of the scientist, as well as the preacher. it is true of all of us. if someone isn ’ t wanting to use science as a tool for deception, it would be wise to avoid the absolute statements that evolutionists make about the age of life on the earth. evolutionary scientists should be honest about their time tale. with their level of talent, they could build a case for a young earth as


1. excellence of manners or social conduct ; polite behavior. 2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression. 3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence : a “ colonel ” by courtesy rather than by right. 4. favor, help, or generosity : the costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store. when we teach our young men to live and act with purpose the scout oath and law we must never forget that we are teaching an coaching these men to be gentlemen. a scout is courteous. a scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. he knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along. last night my family and i went to the movies. now, i have a hand full of pet peeves, but the behavior that drives me up the wall is when people are rude or discourteous. there was a guy and his family sitting next to us. he decided to talk through the whole movie, not a whisper, full conversation level talking. i leaned to my son and whispered “ and this is what a lack of courtesy looks like ”. now i am going to make some folks mad here … but i blame parents for a lack of courtesy in their kids. parents should demonstrate what it is to be courteous. when parents show a lack of courtesy, they are telling their kid that this is what right looks like. as a scout leader i see the results of various styles of up bringing. by and large the scouts of my troop are good young men. i am proud of them and the way they are growing up. i hope that the lessons that we are teaching them are sinking in and being a solid augmentation of what they get at home. in scouts we get scouts from every walk of life. every economic status, every race, every religion, and every form of discipline tested. they are all good kids with potential, what and how we harness to be is a challenge, but we have been given a great tool.. the oath and law. when you have to lean over and remind your son what right does not look like, it is the hope of most dads that they get it. courtesy is so simple. it takes little or no effort at all, yet there are some folks out there that are just plain rude. i am not sure why, and have very little patients to figure it out. it is always easier just to do the right thing the first time.. don ’ t you think?


about the trial courts tennessee ’ s 95 counties are divided into 31 judicial districts. within each district are circuit courts and chancery courts, as provided by the state constitution. some districts also have legislatively established criminal courts and probate courts. judges of these courts are elected to 8 - year terms. circuit courts are courts of general jurisdiction in tennessee. circuit court judges hear civil and criminal cases and appeals of decisions from juvenile, municipal, and general sessions courts. the jurisdiction of circuit courts often overlaps that of the chancery courts. criminal cases are tried in circuit court except in districts with separate criminal courts established by the general assembly. chancery courts are courts of equity that are based on the english system in which the chancellor acted as the “ king ’ s conscience. ” a chancellor, the judge who presides over chancery courts, may modify the application of strict legal rules and adapt relief to the circumstances of individual cases. chancery courts handle a variety of issues including lawsuits, contract disputes, application for injunctions and name changes. a number of matters, such as divorces, adoptions, and workers ’ compensation, can be heard in either chancery or circuit court. criminal courts were established by the legislature to relieve circuit courts in areas with heavy caseloads. in addition to having jurisdiction over criminal cases, criminal court judges hear misdemeanor appeals from lower courts. in districts without criminal courts, criminal cases are handled at the trial level by circuit court judges. probate courts were created by the legislature and given jurisdiction over probate of wills and administration of estates. probate judges also handle conservatorships and guardianships.


new discoveries celebrated at special research events 2011 psychology graduate anna reichard is heading to australia for a year - long internship at an anxiety clinic at macquarie university and then plans to apply for a ph. d. program in clinical psychology. she attributes these opportunities for success to the undergraduate research she participated in at appalachian state university. " i have gained an immense amount of knowledge from the research i have conducted as an undergraduate. i have been involved in a variety of projects that have taught me a great deal about ethics, data collection, statistics, literature reviews and critical thinking. i am a better student because of the opportunities i have had to complete research. the faculty members i have had the opportunity to work with have been an incredible resource for me, both academically and personally, " said reichard. her research focused on the development of social competence in preschoolers. she ' s not alone in believing undergraduate research positively shapes students ' education. " i ' ve learned some very important research steps, such as how to prepare samples, keep the lab aseptic and keep a control, " said daniel townsend, a junior biology / pre - professional major. " it ' s been nice to have a professor who is so knowledgeable and so willing to take time to make sure i understand how research is done. " townsend has been studying lateral root development in ferns and flowering plants under the mentoring of dr. guichuan hou in the department of biology. his next research step is to further examine specimens using appalachian ' s state - of - the - art transmission electron microscope. " having that piece of equipment in our microscopy lab is phenomenal, " he said. freshman jenna calamai wants to be a science teacher. her scholarly work with a nasa - funded after - school program called can - doo ( climate action network through direct observations and outreach ) is helping prepare her for that. " i loved going to the schools. the children were excited, and it was empowering to share the knowledge with them through hands - on experiments that they typically don ' t get in science class, " the chemistry major said. why does appalachian value student research? appalachian encourages undergraduates to make new discoveries because it expands instruction and gives valuable experience for jobs and for graduate school. throughout the academic year, students in most disciplines pursue some type of research or creative endeavor alongside a faculty mentor. students frequently present their findings at local, regional and national professional meetings, as well as at special events. " research is the most intense form of learning, and for the faculty member


disciplines pursue some type of research or creative endeavor alongside a faculty mentor. students frequently present their findings at local, regional and national professional meetings, as well as at special events. " research is the most intense form of learning, and for the faculty member it is the most intense form of teaching. there is nothing like it, " says dr. edelma huntley, dean of research and graduate studies at appalachian. as far as having " transforming experiences " while in college, " there ' s nothing better than an awesome faculty member and a student who is eager to learn and intellectually engaged, " says cindy wallace, vice chancellor for student development. " it ' s the best that we are at appalachian. " opportunities at local and national level this april, four major events highlighted the quality and quantity of research performed by both graduate and undergraduate students at appalachian : - two research teams presented at the 7th annual national sustainable design expo on the national mall in washington, d. c., april 15 - 17, 2011, sponsored by the u. s. environmental protection agency. they also competed in the epa ' s p3 : people, prosperity and the planet student design competition for sustainability. - 20 appalachian students were selected to present their work at the 2011 national conference for undergraduate research ( ncur ), held at ithaca college in ithaca, n. y., march 31 - april 2, 2011. the event featured 2, 000 participants. - five students were among 60 unc system students who presented their research projects april 13 at the research in the capital in raleigh. this biennial event at the n. c. general assembly provides state legislators the opportunity to meet undergraduate researchers and to learn about their efforts to address social, economic and cultural issues impacting the state. - 140 student presentations that represented 85 faculty mentors and 20 academic departments were showcased at the 14th annual celebration of research and creative endeavors on the appalachian campus. the students ' research projects contribute to the knowledge regarding topics such as : the health benefits of exercise ; the effect of drought on certain types of plants ; the role of natural killer cells in fighting tumor cells ; energy - use reduction ; the impact of oil production on indigenous peoples in the amazon ; pollutants found in the air in the southeast ; flood plain mapping ; bee colony tracking techniques ; and more. - students develop mobile application for beekeepers - student team to represent appalachian at the 2011 solar decathlon - appalachian receives grant for summer undergraduate research - students work to solve some of today ' s pressing issues - graduate students gain research


roseate spoonbill ( platalea ajaja ) - roseate spoonbills grow to a height of 32 inches ( 81 cm ), with an average wingspan of 50 inches ( 127 cm ). their distinguishing characteristics include their pink body and legs, white neck and breast. pale green bald head, spoon - shaped bill, and bright red shoulder patch. - life history roseate spoonbills eat primarily small fish and crustaceans. raccoons and coyotes eat roseate spoonbill eggs and young. spoonbills reach sexual maturity at approximately 16 weeks. in texas, their mating season lasts from march through june. nests are built in thick vegetation above water ; are well - built, and deeply cupped. females typically lay two to five brown - speckled white eggs, which hatch after about 24 days. in about eight weeks, the young roseate spoonbills are ready to fly. their life span is as long as ten years. unlike most birds, roseate spoonbills are silent and often solitary when they feed. they swish their spoon - shaped bills back and forth in the water to find small invertebrates, fish and crustaceans. during breeding season, the male uses gifts of nesting material to attract the female. once mated, the pair remains monogamous. both male and female take turns sitting on the eggs and feeding the young. spoonbills eat shrimp, shrimp eat algae, and the algae make their own red and yellow pigments, called carotenoids. some scientists believe that the pink coloration that roseate spoonbills acquire as they mature is due to their diet of carotenoid - rich organisms like shrimp. the more they eat, the pinker they get. flamingos are close relatives of the roseate spoonbill. they both have pink feathers, but the flamingos are much larger, with a longer neck. - from march through october, roseate spoonbills prefer the bays, marshes and estuaries along the gulf coast. occasionally they will travel inland through the eastern third of texas. in winter, most roseate spoonbills migrate to central and south america. - the roseate spoonbill is found throughout the entire gulf of mexico coastline, south to central america, south america, and the west indies. - like many other bird species with beautiful plumage, roseate spoonbills were nearly hunted to extinction during the 1800s. their striking pink feathers were popular on women ' s hats, and hunters from all over the united states competed for spoonbill plumes. in the early


in the treacherous and rewarding arena of adult education, trainers often find themselves at a crossroads. on one side lies a bounty of motivated learners ready to engage in the most thrilling of activities, and on the other lies a gray mass of drones preparing to be pushed into the next mandatory session. both groups possess a commonality that is often referred to in adult education, but often misinterpreted. this is the theory that all adult learners are self - directed. malcolm knowles, a central figure in u. s. adult education in the second half of the twentieth century and author of informal adult education ( 1950 ), the modern practice of adult education ( 1970 ) and the adult learner ( 1973 ), moved the field of adult education in a way that has prompted deep thought and discussion. however, while his theory about self - directed learning, which emphasizes that adults are self - directed and expect to take responsibility for decisions, is highly useful, it skews slightly from its target by assuming that self - directedness begins with the decision to engage. here is where the fork in the road takes some learners to the green pastures of self - enlightenment and others to the gray corners of training dismay. to merge their paths toward a common destination, the necessary " road work " must be done before the road forks. though self - directed learning is an ideal that often occurs naturally within the adult learner, forced learning theory recognizes that the self - directed learning knowles talked about is a natural paradigm held by the adult learner once engaged in the learning activity, not an impetus for involvement. what does this mean? though knowlsian followers might criticize the thought that adult learners do not largely " self - direct " themselves, forced learning theory posits that for most adults, involvement in education and / or training programs is externally forced upon them by their organization, the economy, society and / or the culture within which they live and work. the key to forced learning theory is that, by and large, only when forced into the learning environment will the adult learner ' s natural tendency to be self - directed become evident. if the adult learner is only self - directed once engaged in the learning activity, the focus of trainers and other adult educators shifts. rather than seeking to shift the paradigm of the adult learner, we can dig deep and seek to shift our paradigms on how adults respond best when " invited " into a training program. trainers must answer three basic questions to have a greater chance of sparking participants ' self - directed


of the adult learner, we can dig deep and seek to shift our paradigms on how adults respond best when " invited " into a training program. trainers must answer three basic questions to have a greater chance of sparking participants ' self - directedness prior to involvement : why will the adult learner sincerely appreciate this training opportunity? how will the adult learner apply what he learns immediately, and for what personally identifiable gain? what approach to engagement will the adult learner respond to most favorably? organizations know why they want employees to complete a particular training program, so the focus must be placed on approaching the employee in a thoughtful way that ignites self - directedness toward training. only through a critical self - reflective approach and thoughtful, learner - centered implementation of their programs will trainers have a shot at tapping the natural self - directed inclination of the adult learner. it is also critical to realize that human capital is an end product of human development brought into existence best when driven internally by the learner. when we forget to value this truth, we alienate the adult learner and prevent her from engaging cognitively and emotionally, even if forced to do so physically. this recognizes that while " forced " engagement precedes true self - directedness, the crux of the learning activity must still be founded on a more substantial human basis than bottom - line reasoning. as training professionals, we must hold fast to our personal philosophies of adult education. when we are successful in transforming our sincere purpose into trust relationships, engagement becomes less forced and allows for self - directedness to emerge, take hold and grow. nicholas phillips is the ceo and president of hr department unlimited. email @ example. com


comparison of three commercial drain tiles in a heavy clay soil of imperial valley f. e. robinson, university of california j. n. luthin, university of california california agriculture 22 ( 8 ) : 10 - 11. doi : 10. 3733 / ca. v022n08p10. frank e. robinson is assistant water scientist, department of water science and engineering, university of california, davis. james n. luthin is professor of irrigation and civil engineering, department of water science and engineering, university of california, davis. no evidence was found in these tests of real differences in performance between clay, concrete, or bituminous - fiber tiles. differences in tile outflow were due primarily to soil variation and not to tile performance. little actual change in salinity resulted from the leaching operation in the body of soil between the tiles. in most cases as much, and often more, water was lost through seepage as was removed by the tile. much of the water which moved through the soil followed the disturbed trench above the tile, as evidenced by the much lower salinity in that trench. electrical conductivity of the tile effluent was inversely related to both rate and duration of tile flow. each tile showed a unique relationship between electrical conductivity, rate, and duration of flow — probably a reflection of a unique combination of hydraulic conductivities along each tile line.


leds & the environment climate change is commonly accepted to be the greatest threat to our environment. it will result in us all experiencing more extreme weather – with wetter winters and drier summers. this has been caused by the levels of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide ( co2 ), which have been released into our atmosphere. in the uk, business produces almost half of our carbon dioxide ( co2 ) emissions. even one small office can emit three to five tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. it is a known fact that industry can realise significant money savings by simply upgrading old lighting systems with new more energy efficient lighting ; but of greater importance is the reduction in greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere as a result. by drastically reducing the electricity demanded from the power utilities by local authorities and business and industry, a substantial impact can be had on the reduction of co2 emissions released, and on industry ’ s carbon footprint as a whole. add the option for the responsible reuse of the existing lighting system fixture, and project costs can be further reduced while putting even less of an effect on the environment. the environment wins and your project wins considering ukled offers the perfect balance of buying cost, performance and low operating / consumable costs over the long term for a favourably short return on investment time. one kilowatt - hour of electricity will cause 1. 34 pounds ( 610 g ) of co2 emission. a gu10 halogen downlighter rated at 50w on for an average of 8 hours a day will, over a year, cause 195 pounds ( 89kg ) of co2. the 3 - watt led equivalent will only cause 11 pounds ( 5 kg ) of co2 over the same time span, a reduction of around 94 %!. a building ’ s carbon footprint from lighting can be reduced, typically, by between 64 % and 95 % by exchanging all legacy lamps and tubes for new led lamps and tubes.


practice effective academic skills and attitudes ( programs done by ras ) target : male residents description : a bulletin board was setup with slips of paper to post good grades. what worked : there was motivation to recognize the achievements residents had made. how it built community : other housemates were able to recognize the hard work the residents in that house were putting into their schoolwork. challenge / s : not everyone participated. chris frey, ra, bender target : male residents description : the residents played grocery bingo and learned effective study strategies. what worked : i extended personal invitations to the residents. there were food prizes and it was located in our lounge so it was convenient. i had to know the material well so i could turn the suggestions from the book into questions for the residents to consider in their own approaches to school and life. how it built community : it was a great was for the new residents to get to know the older residents. challenge / s : a lot of the guys didn ’ t participate. nicolas determann, ra, bender i ’ m a star target : male & female residents struggling with grades. description : “ i ’ m a star ” was written on the wall with colorful stars in an envelope underneath it. the residents were told that if they got an a on a test to take a star, cut it out, put their name and class they got an a in on the star and hang it on the wall. if there were 30 stars then that floor earned a pizza party. what worked : the stars were located in the hallway so the residents walked past it every day. a food reward is always enticing to the residents. how it built community : the residents could encourage each other to study so the floor could earn the pizza party. while participating in the reward, it gave a chance for the residents to talk and get to know each other. challenge / s : the poster was only located on one side of the hall, so it was often forgotten by the other side of hallway. steph robinson, ra, bender library tour scavenger hunt target : springboard residents description : library tour / scavenger hunt where the winning team gets dinner made for them by the other team. what worked : i had a contact with the library who was really great with the tour / scavenger hunt. also, my floor really responded well to the competition. how it built community : the 2 teams had to work together to complete the scavenger hunt. challenges : i set up 2 different nights ; otherwise residents with night classes / wr


it was back to work for another 50 minutes of silent study time and 10 more minutes of free time. what worked : this program worked because the residents were able to come and go as they pleased. they also knew the time boundaries and what was expected of them. we were all working on a common goal. how it built community : we were all working on goals together. we were working on raising our house gpa as well as individual gpa ’ s. challenge / s : it was difficult to find a two - hour block that met the residents ’ schedule needs as well as the ra ’ s. katie olson, larrabee house ra, rider study town bulletin board target : female residents description : i devoted a bulletin board to building a little town called " study town ". for every hour of studying that my residents did in the lounge, they could decorate and name a little house to put into study town. the goal was to try to get the town as big as possible. what worked : they loved being able to decorate a little house, so a lot of them took their lap tops and drug them down to the lounge just to get out of their room to study in the lounge. it really worked well. how it built community : rather than studying with the door shut in a bedroom where you could easily be distracted, they studied without distraction in the lounge with others. some asked eachother for help if they needed it. and now they have a bulletin board that visually displays their success. challenges : i really didn ' t face any major challenges with this. it was a fairly easy self - running program. rachael mueller, campbell ra - type : academic tools for success - bulletin board target : female residents description : i have made a bulletin board called " tools 4 success " with icons of various tools such as a hammer and screwdriver. the board listed several resources for academic help that my residents can utilize for their academic needs. how it built community : i wanted to make sure they knew where to easily get the help that could benefit their academic life here at uni. challenges : there wasn ' t enough room for all of the information i wanted to give them, so i have supplied more on a need - basis. rachael mueller, campbell ra town of success target : male or female residents. description : there was a house competition for grades called town of success. residents were split into three teams. each team had a bulletin board for their town, which they named and organized with roads made out of construction


- ms 413 zintgraff ( jim ) rock art collection, 6 boxes of photographs, negatives, slides, and transparencies taken by jim zintgraff of native american rock art in the lower pecos region of southwest texas, mexico, and new mexico. - ms 412 caragonne ( alexander ) papers, 7 linear feet of materials from this san antonio - based architect who founded the firm reyna / caragonne architects. includes drawings, sketches, slides, a copy of his work texas rangers, and an unpublished manuscript on teaching architecture. - ms 404 national association for bilingual education records, 22 boxes of nabe records from 1977 - 2009 containing correspondence, administrative files, legislative lobbying materials, audio - visual materials, and materials relating to the administration of its conferences. - ms 405 chapa ( francisco a. ) family papers,. 1 linear foot consisting of copy of ernest marks naturalization certificate, 1856 ; two news clippings ; and two bumper stickers used to demonstrate against destruction of the rivas house. rare books : 15 titles [ april title list ] - la cocinera de todo el mundo … ( 1843 - 44 ), published by juan nepomuceno del valle in puebla, mexico ( 2 volumes bound as 1 ). the vast majority of 19th century mexican cookbooks were published in mexico city. however, this title, issued just 12 years after the very first cookbook published in mexico, shows that not all culinary publications emerged from the capital. as was usual for this time period, la cocinera de todo el mundo orients itself towards europe, advertising its inclusion of the best recipes at the least cost from the cuisines of spain, france, italy, and england, as well as the recipes of mexico. among its hundreds of recipes is the ubiquitous mole poblano and more than two dozen variations of salsa. chapters on carving and alcoholic drinks are also included, as well as a discussion of seasonal foods, organized month - by - month. tomatoes are particularly recommended for january, while march is the time for garlic. this seasonal guide is especially interesting because the cookbook was published in puebla, rather than mexico city, suggesting that the recommendations may be specific to the geography and agriculture of its region of origin. jewish american heritage month was formally recognized in 2006 and pays tribute to the generations of jewish americans who have helped form the fabric of american history, culture and society. a listing of national exhibits and collections can be found on the jewish american heritage month website. on


american heritage month was formally recognized in 2006 and pays tribute to the generations of jewish americans who have helped form the fabric of american history, culture and society. a listing of national exhibits and collections can be found on the jewish american heritage month website. on the local front, there are a variety of materials found within utsa special collections that document jewish life in san antonio, including oral histories, photographic materials and manuscript collections. the institute of texan culture ’ s extensive oral history collection contains several interviews with jewish texans, including tillye hahn adler. ms. adler was born in san antonio in 1894 as the daughter of a jewish immigrant who peddled goods on foot for years before opening san antonio ’ s finest grocery and delicatessen. in the interview, adler tells of her life in the food business. she married groceryman benjamin adler and the couple took over her parents ’ business and continued catering to the most socially prominent san antonio families of the early 1900s. the 4 primary photograph collections include over a 150 images documenting jews and jewish life in texas. quite of a few of the images concern san antonio ’ s temple beth - el, which was founded in 1874 and is one of the oldest synagogues in south texas. the digital repository includes several images of the temple, as well as portraits of 19th century temple presidents and rabbis from 1897 - 1976. from collecting efforts that were part of archives for research on women and gender project in the 1990s, special collections maintains several manuscript collections that document jewish women ’ s organizations, including : - bella glasberg papers regarding san antonio jewish women ’ s organizations, 1936 - 1972 - bella glasberg was an active member of several jewish women ’ s organizations in san antonio. - national council of jewish women, san antonio section, records, 1907 - 2006 - dedicated in the spirit of judaism to furthering human welfare in the jewish and general communities on a local, national and international level. - san antonio chapter of hadassah records, 1921 - 2011 - a non - profit zionist organization supporting the improvement of health services in the jewish homeland of israel. - esther vexler papers, 1950 - 2008 - esther vexler did volunteer work with jewish charities and was the first female president of the jewish federation of san antonio. utsa special collections recently received records that document the institute of texan cultures ’ student intern research project. also known as field work internship program, the student intern research project was chaired by james c. mcnutt, the director of research and collections for the institute of texan cultures. from


the institute of texan cultures ’ student intern research project. also known as field work internship program, the student intern research project was chaired by james c. mcnutt, the director of research and collections for the institute of texan cultures. from 1983 - 1992, interns at the institute worked on folklife projects that documented life among different cultural and ethnic groups in texas. each intern took summer fieldwork with the institute of texan cultures to further cultural understanding of different traditions, ceremonies, and customs in texas that inspired each intern to design an independent research proposal. the research conducted by interns eventually became the basis for content in many of the institute ’ s productions, publications, exhibits, educational activities and audiovisuals. for example, tim davis, dan gelo, and michael stone ’ s research aided the institute of texan cultures ’ reconstruction of a turn of the century adobe house on the institute ’ s grounds. other notable intern projects included field studies of vietnamese refugees in texas, tejano and conjunto music in south texas, hill country dance halls, and trinidadian culture in houston. the student intern research collection includes 11 linear feet of memoranda, personal and administrative correspondence, oral history recordings and transcripts, research files, research reports and photographic materials pertaining to independent student research conducted for the institute of texan cultures from 1983 - 1992. a finding aid for the collection is now available on line. national poetry month is a month - long, national celebration of poetry established in 1996 by the academy of american poets. highlighted below are a selection of our author and literary collections that feature original poetry. nye has has published writings for children, the young adult novel habibi and several collections of original poetry, including different ways to pray, 19 varieties of gazelle : poems of the middle east, a maze me : poems for girls ( originally titled sweet sifter in time ) and honeybee. some of her poetry compilations include i feel a little jumpy around you : paired poems by men & women, the tree is older than you are, and is this forever, or what? : poems & paintings from texas. milligan is the author of five collections of poetry : daysleepers & other poems, litany sung at hell ’ s gate, from inside the tree, working the stone ), alms for oblivion andlost and certain of it ). milligan is also the author of four historical novels and short story collections for young adults, including with the wind, kevin dolan, which


inside the tree, working the stone ), alms for oblivion andlost and certain of it ). milligan is also the author of four historical novels and short story collections for young adults, including with the wind, kevin dolan, which received the texas library association ’ s “ lone star book for young adults ” award. barbara renaud gonzalez is a free - lance writer, journalist and activist. her book, golondrina, why did you leave me? was published in 2009 making her the first chicana author to be published by ut press. since 1997, gonzalez has focused on her writing, which includes journalism, essays, investigative articles, opinions, poetry and fiction. as interest in queer history grows, the need to provide broad access to glbtq publications has intensified efforts to digitize queer materials. last year, utsa libraries special collections began ongoing digitization of queer periodicals housed in its repository as well as those held by the happy foundation archives. you can now begin exploring san antonio ’ s queer past through the city ’ s glbtq serials at utsa libraries digital collections. this post highlights a few of the featured periodicals. published beginning in 1982, the calendar served as the communication conduit for the san antonio gay alliance ( saga ), established by michael stevens, former utsa professor turned gay activist. the publication began its six - year run as a diminutive bi - weekly periodical that fit easily into the back pocket on pair of jeans. that came in handy as the calendar ’ s “ community directory ” listed local queer businesses and organizations and advertisements for gay and lesbian bars pointed the way to the city ’ s thriving queer social scene. short articles and editorials covered news and events of interest to gays and lesbians. as the 80s marched on and aids gripped san antonio ’ s lgbtq community, the disease, its casualties, and attempts to mitigate the destruction it wreaked, dominated the pages of the calendar. sadly, aids decimated saga ’ s board, taking the lives of eight board members including stevens and ending publication of the calendar. between the years of 1988 and 1991, several queer pubs were available in local bars, clubs, and businesses : bar talk ( san antonio tavern guild ), river city empty closet, and out in san antonio were born to keep san antonio ’ s queer community informed and entertained. most were short - lived, sometimes lasting only a few months. in 1992 the marquise cranked out its first volume and began connecting san antonio ’ s queer


out in san antonio were born to keep san antonio ’ s queer community informed and entertained. most were short - lived, sometimes lasting only a few months. in 1992 the marquise cranked out its first volume and began connecting san antonio ’ s queer residents to the rest of the lgbtq world. the publication covered news stories from coast to coast and often featured headlines from abroad in its “ international news roundup. ” local happenings were reported by gene elder, contributing writer and archivist at the happy foundation archives. the marquise tackled issues important to the city ’ s lgbtq community : gay marriage, lesbians and gays in the military, hate crimes, queer parenting, aids, and anti - gay legislation. while the marquise did carry advertisements for local gay and lesbian bars, activism and serious news stories supplanted tales of drag divas and bar features so popular in local publications during the 1980s. the marquise ceased publishing in 1997 and once again, local queer serials came in fits and spurts, a trend that continued through the early 2000s. one of the periodicals briefly seen on shelves around the city was san antonio community news. it ’ s approach was local and regional, showcasing news and events around san antonio and throughout texas. while utsa ’ s digital glbtq publications collection features primarily san antonio periodicals, issues of queer serials from elsewhere are also represented. several issues of one magazine, the nation ’ s first homosexual publication, are housed at the happy foundation archives and are part of the utsa ’ s digital collection. ongoing digitization of glbtq materials will facilitate wider access to these collections than has previously been available. donations of records and papers from local and regional lgbtq organizations and individuals, such as lollie johnson, the rainbow garden club, san antonio lesbian gay assembly, and the texas lesbian conference, augment utsa special collections digital holdings of lgbtq publications and offer research opportunities for scholars, students, and members of the community. toby johnson, “ michael steve [ n ] s & patrick kerr and san antonio ’ s gay community in the early 1980s ” [ http : / / tobyjohnson. com / michaelstevens. html ], accessed april 17, 2013. one : the homosexual magazine, volume iii, no. 7 ( july 1995 ), 2. - ms 409 petri ( lucie ) papers,. 5 linear feet of scrapbooks containing photographs, wosl materials, and newsclippings - ms 408 rogers ( charles ) photograph collection,


7 ( july 1995 ), 2. - ms 409 petri ( lucie ) papers,. 5 linear feet of scrapbooks containing photographs, wosl materials, and newsclippings - ms 408 rogers ( charles ) photograph collection, 4 inches of photographic prints and slides - ms 407 duggan ( margaret ) papers, 1 box of wosl materials, photographs, and newsclippings - ms 108 national coalition of 100 black women san antonio chapter records, 1 box of reports, programs and administrative records ; 4. 38 gb ( 65 files ) electronic records - ms 022 women ’ s overseas service league records, 1 envelope of materials from the omaha unit - ms 127 hemisfair memorabilia and memories collection, 3 inches of photographs, newspaper clippings and ephemera from hemisfair ’ 68 donated by ann nelson - ua 07. utsa. college of business records, 1 box of minutes and agendas of the university assembly ; council on graduate education minutes ; 1991 graduation list. rare books : 11 titles [ march title list ] utsa special collections holds several dozen books of houseplans documenting home design from about 1880 to 1945, with the bulk of materials from 1900 - 1930. many of these later materials are actual catalogs, from which readers could order blueprints and even ready - packaged building materials, but as illustrated by two of this month ’ s acquisitions, architect - authors in the 1880s still placed a great deal of emphasis on personally consulting and architect to make specific plans to fit clients ’ needs. - cottages : or hints on economical building, containing twenty - four plates of medium and low cost houses, contributed by different new york architects ( 1884 ), compiled and edited by arnold william brunner. - farm homes : in - doors and out - doors ( 1882 ) by e. h. leland. arnold brunner draws a medical comparison in the first chapter of cottages, writing, “ it is by no means claimed that the drawings here given are sufficient for constructing the houses … sensible people, when they are ill, consult a physician and not an apothecary ; and when they wish to plan a house, they take the advice of an architect and not a builder ” ( 8 ) although he emphasizes economy, brunner is clearly writing for a wealthy class of americans who can afford “ country houses, ” and desire libraries, billiard rooms, and indoor plumbing. despite saying that it is for homeowners “ to say what they want ; and how it is to


is clearly writing for a wealthy class of americans who can afford “ country houses, ” and desire libraries, billiard rooms, and indoor plumbing. despite saying that it is for homeowners “ to say what they want ; and how it is to be done, is the architect ’ s province ” ( 9 ) brunner provides a quite of bit of information in a small space on both large decisions such as selecting a site and building material, and small considerations such as the proper way to hang a door and the proper dimensions of certain pipes necessary for indoor toilets. the many pages of advertisements for books on architecture, drainage, and interior design, which might suggest that cottages ‘ target audience might have included provincial architects as well as their clients. writing two years earlier, e. h. leland doesn ’ t even include drawings of house layouts or exterior prospects. farm homes, in fact, is less a book about designing farm houses than about establishing an ideally arranged and managed farm household, with chapters on interior furnishings, the butter and cheese making, flower and vegetable gardens, and even one on the “ rearing and training of children. ” like brunner, leland clearly expects his readers to consult an architect, or at least a carpenter, but he also strongly encourages householders, and especially women, to involve themselves in the design, saying that women, “ they, who live so constantly within doors, should have a controlling voice in all interior arrangements ” because “ they will be naturally more thoughtful … of all details pertaining to comfort, and the easier carrying on of household routine … the one best place for the pantry - window, or the extra door that saves so many steps for tired feet ” ( 12 ). next week we observe the 65th anniversary of the fiesta flambeau parade as an annual event during fiesta san antonio. over 700, 000 spectators are expected to watch the floats, marching units, horseback riders, and musical groups pass along the downtown streets. in early 1948, the fiesta association announced that a new parade would be added to the list of fiesta events. the addition was made in response to numerous requests from people who remembered the popular illuminated automobile parades held during fiesta in 1911 and 1924. reynolds andricks, parade chairman, found participants among various civic and social organizations, commercial establishments, and the military. the parade would be called simply “ illuminated night parade ” and serve as the fiesta grand finale. over 100, 000 spectators came that evening, insuring that it would be held again the following year. with a growing list


john rogers cooke ( 9 june 1833 – 10 april 1891 ), confederate army officer, was born at jefferson barracks, in saint louis county, missouri, and was the son of rachel wilt hertzog cooke and philip st. george cooke, a native virginian and career army officer. he shared his name with an uncle ( 1788 – 1854 ) who served prominently in the convention of 1829 – 1830. his younger sister flora cooke married james ewell brown stuart, later a confederate major general, and became principal of a female preparatory school in staunton after the civil war. his first cousins philip pendleton cooke and john esten cooke both achieved national fame as writers. cooke took preparatory courses at the university of missouri in columbia from 1845 through 1847 and then spent about a year enrolled in school in carlisle, pennsylvania, where his father was post commander. he attended school in alexandria, virginia, for a time and then studied civil engineering at harvard university ' s lawrence scientific school during the 1851 – 1852 academic year but did not graduate. cooke worked on railroad construction in ohio and missouri before his father secured him a commission as a second lieutenant in the united states army on 22 july 1856 ( to date from 30 june 1855 ). he served with the 8th infantry in new mexico territory and texas. cooke was promoted to first lieutenant on 29 march 1861, to date from 28 january. during the secession crisis, he returned to missouri, and after the civil war began, he resigned his commission and traveled to virginia in order to join the confederate states army, actions that caused a bitter division with his father, who remained in the regular army and became a union brigadier general later that year. named a first lieutenant, cooke was assigned to brigadier general theophilus hunter holmes ' s staff. following the first battle of manassas ( bull run ), cooke raised a company of light artillery, which he commanded until february 1862, when he was promoted to major and became chief of artillery in the department of north carolina. in april 1862 cooke was elected colonel of the 27th regiment north carolina infantry. during the antietam campaign his regiment participated in the seizure of loudoun heights overlooking harpers ferry. at sharpsburg ( antietam ) on 17 september, cooke was ordered to lead his men and an arkansas regiment in an exposed attack on a union line of defense. the attack failed after the confederate units exhausted their ammunition. reassuming their original positions, cooke ' s troops, without benefit of shot, held their line against repeated union counterattacks. cooke was promoted to brigadier


attack on a union line of defense. the attack failed after the confederate units exhausted their ammunition. reassuming their original positions, cooke ' s troops, without benefit of shot, held their line against repeated union counterattacks. cooke was promoted to brigadier general on 1 november 1862. at the battle of fredericksburg in december he fought at the stone wall on marye ' s heights. two of his regiments suffered heavy casualties, while he sustained a serious wound just above his left eye. cooke recovered sufficiently to resume command of his brigade early in 1863. his troops, stationed for a time in south carolina, saw little action until they fought at bristoe station, in prince william county, virginia, in october 1863. the brigade sustained heavy casualties, and cooke received another severe wound that kept him out of action for the remainder of the year. on 5 january 1864 in richmond he married nannie gordon patton. they had five daughters and three sons. cooke returned to the battlefield in the spring. his north carolinians performed admirably at the battle of the wilderness in may 1864. after receiving a leg wound at spotsylvania court house, cooke became incensed when a superior presumed to assume command of his troops and lead them in an attack while cooke stayed in the field. he fought at the battle of reams ' s station, in dinwiddie county, on 25 august 1864. his brigade remained at petersburg until the union army breached the confederate defenses early in april 1865. during the retreat cooke successfully extricated his troops from sutherland station, in dinwiddie county. on 9 april 1865 he surrendered the 560 men left under his command at appomattox court house. after the war cooke worked in richmond briefly as a route agent for a company that handled business along several area railways and then for about four years managed a large agricultural and stock - raising operation in king william county. by 1877 he had established himself as a richmond grocery merchant. active in local and civic affairs, cooke was a member of the city ' s democratic committee and served as president of the board of directors of the state penitentiary. remaining devoted to the confederate cause, he was the third commander of the r. e. lee camp, no. 1, confederate veterans, and helped found and served as manager of the r. e. lee camp, confederate soldiers ' home, in richmond. cooke was a member of the association of the army of northern virginia and sat on the executive committee of the southern historical society. he acted as chief of staff at


once again, race is front and center at the u. s. supreme court on wednesday. and once again, the bull ' s eye is the 1965 voting rights act, widely viewed as the most effective and successful civil rights legislation in american history. upheld five times by the court, the law now appears to be on life support. the provision at issue in wednesday ' s case applies only to specific parts of the country where discriminatory voting procedures were once rampant. it covers all of nine states, mainly in the south, plus parts of seven other states. to head off discriminatory voting procedures before they happen, the law requires covered areas to get approval from federal officials before changes can take place. so, for example, if an alabama town wants to change polling places, or to change from an elected board to an appointed board, or to annex another part of the county, it has to first get permission from the justice department or a federal court in washington, d. c. congress came up with the formula in 1965 to cover areas of the country that had a history of blatant, even violent discrimination in voting ; but the formula has not been changed since 1975, and it still relies on election data from 1972. that ' s the crux of the issue before the court now : whether times have changed so much that congress, in reauthorizing the law in 2006 without updating the formula, violated the constitution. the congressional vote in 2006 was overwhelmingly and astonishingly bipartisan, with the senate voting unanimously to extend the law and the house voting 390 - 33. " what the 12, 000 pages of hearing [ testimony ] showed " is that for many of the jurisdictions, " there still was pervasive discrimination, " says republican rep. james sensenbrenner of wisconsin, who led weeks of hearings in the house as chairman of the judiciary committee. under the law, any jurisdiction with a clean record for 10 years could bail out, and some have done just that. there is also a provision to bail in jurisdictions that can be shown in court to have consistently misbehaved. but basically the law was unchanged — all the areas that had been subject to preclearance before 2006 still were — and congress simply extended it for another 25 years. that prompted a legal challenge. but when it reached the supreme court in 2009, the justices dodged the major issue in the case, ruling instead on a lesser question. at the same time, though, chief justice john roberts ' opinion for the court expressed serious doubt


a legal challenge. but when it reached the supreme court in 2009, the justices dodged the major issue in the case, ruling instead on a lesser question. at the same time, though, chief justice john roberts ' opinion for the court expressed serious doubt as to whether the law was justified anymore, and it all but invited a future challenge if congress did not act to change the coverage formula. ' the south has changed ' congress, of course, did not act, and now the issue is back in a case brought by shelby county, ala., a once rural and now more suburban community south of birmingham. frank " butch " ellis has been the shelby county attorney since 1964, the year before the voting rights act was enacted. " the south has changed, " he says, adding that there is no more discrimination in the south than anywhere else. " there ' s probably bits of it everywhere, but there ' s no evidence that it ' s more prevalent in these covered jurisdictions than it is in the noncovered jurisdictions. that ' s our complaint. " others disagree with that assessment. " shelby county still advertises itself as the heart of the heart of dixie, and that tells you that some things have not changed, or at least haven ' t changed enough to take the bandage off the wound, " says pam karlan, a voting - rights expert who has written a friend of the court brief on behalf of rep. sensenbrenner and a bipartisan group of lawmakers involved in the 2006 reauthorization. she notes that shelby county could escape the preclearance requirement if it could show it had a clean record for 10 years, but the county can ' t make that showing. she points, for example, to a municipality within the county called calera. when calera " redrew the boundaries for their city council districts, they did it to make sure that the one black member of the city council couldn ' t be re - elected, " karlan says. that black council member, ernest montgomery, says he didn ' t even know that there was an effort to change his district until after the justice department rejected the change. county attorney ellis, however, forcefully objects to the notion that shelby county tried to use artifice to prevent a black candidate from winning an election. he notes that in a county that is 90 percent white, there have been multiple elections in which black candidates defeated white candidates. " in any race, you show where you had a minority candidate happen to lose, i can show you two


an election. he notes that in a county that is 90 percent white, there have been multiple elections in which black candidates defeated white candidates. " in any race, you show where you had a minority candidate happen to lose, i can show you two where they won with a 90 percent white population, " ellis says. he maintains that because the voting rights act has not been updated in its coverage formula since 1975, the law amounts to an unjustified violation of states ' equal sovereignty. " all of our states are equally sovereign, and if you ' re going to impose a current burden, " he argues, " you ' ve got to have a current justification. you can ' t use a justification that ' s 49 years old. " significance of case defenders of the law counter that the post - civil war amendments to the constitution explicitly give congress the power to enact appropriate legislation to enforce and protect the right to vote. as for shelby county ' s equality argument, it treats the constitution " as if it ' s about equal protection for the states, not about equal protection for people, " karlan says. the shelby county case is a microcosm of what the legal debate over the voting rights act is all about. " the case has enormous real and symbolic significance, " observes nyu law professor richard pildes. at the same time, it " symbolizes different things to different people. " to some, he says, " the case is all about whether there continue to be any problems with race in voting in these parts of the country. " to others, " the case symbolizes whether the political process today can recognize that anything significant has changed with respect to race and politics " in the south. to alabama solicitor general john neiman, for instance, it makes no sense that congress in 2006 simply extended the law without looking at how things have changed in the south and other covered areas. the problem " in terms of the outright defiance by officials of federal voting rights " that congress was concerned with in 1965 just doesn ' t exist anymore, he says. but rep. sensenbrenner disagrees : " almost the entire congress was convinced that [ the states ] hadn ' t cleaned up their act. " high court ' s view? the supreme court, however, has hinted strongly that it is not similarly convinced. in 2009, when the high court upheld the voting rights act, chief justice roberts seemed to foreshadow many of the arguments that will be made by shelby county on wednesday. " things have changed in the south


that it is not similarly convinced. in 2009, when the high court upheld the voting rights act, chief justice roberts seemed to foreshadow many of the arguments that will be made by shelby county on wednesday. " things have changed in the south, " roberts said in announcing the decision. the " burdens " imposed by the law " must be justified by current needs. " the voting rights act, he said, " differentiates between the states in ways that are in tension with our fundamental tradition of equal sovereignty among the states. " and, he added that these distinctions " may no longer be justified by current conditions. " to sherrilyn ifill, president of the naacp legal defense fund, those sentiments are just plain scary. she says that without preclearance, known as section 5 of the voting rights act, there is no way to challenge all of the legal twists and turns that can be used to deny minorities the right to vote and be represented. " the reality is without section 5, you can ' t keep up, " ifill said. " we can ' t keep up. no civil rights organization could keep up with all the minute changes that could happen in thousands of jurisdictions throughout this country, and that ' s why congress created it. "


usgs groundwater information u. s. geological survey karst interest group proceedings, shepherdstown, west virginia, august 20 - 22, 2002 structure and genesis structural and lithologic control of karst features in northwestern new jersey by donald h. monteverde and richard f. dalton development is rapidly replacing farmland in western new jersey with new housing tracts. much of this new suburbia is underlain by carbonate bedrock so the understanding of karst formation and control is important in pre - development planning. we have initiated an ongoing study of karst, including sinkholes, caves and springs in an attempt to characterize the karst potential for these carbonate rocks. carbonate rocks crop out in the northwestern part of new jersey along the regional, northeast - southwest appalachian structural trend. the wisconsinan terminal moraine bisects the outcrop belt into a northern glaciated sector and a southern unglaciated sector. the rocks range in age from middle proterozoic to middle paleozoic. the varied structural and metamorphic histories influence their nature of karstification. the franklin marble and wildcat marble, here combined as franklin marble, are of middle proterozic age ( drake and others, 1991 ) and are at least 350 m thick locally ( drake and volkert, 1993 ). they underwent amphibolite - grade metamorphism during the grenville orogeny that erased most evidence of original sedimentary features. calcitic marble dominates the white, very coarse to coarse to locally fine grained franklin ; though dolomitic bands or zones have been identified ( haque and others, 1956 ). foliation measurements parallel the transposed dolomitic bands ( r volkert, personal communication 2002 ). the taconic and alleghanian orogenies also impacted the franklin. lower paleozoic carbonate rocks include the cambrian and lower ordovician kittatinny supergroup and the unconformably overlying middle ordovician jacksonburg limestone. the kittatinny is as much as 1312 m thick while the jacksonburg ranges between 41 and 244 m thick ( drake and others, 1996 ). the kittatinny is fine - to medium - grained, thin - to medium - bedded dolomite. limestone that escaped extensive dolomitization only occurs as isolated lenses. the jacksonburg contains a lower crystalline limestone that grades upwards into an argillaceous limestone. these rocks experienced two strong deformation events in the taconic and alleghani


jersey caves are south of the glacial terminal moraine yet dalton ( 1996 ) suggests increased sinkhole development in the south possibly due to a more mature weathering profile. glacial deposits south of the wisconsinan moraine has been correlated by stanford and others ( 2001 ) to be late pliocene age which would yield over 2 ma of weathering for these carbonates. work continues to better characterize the karst formation in new jersey. dalton, r. f., 1976, caves of new jersey, new jersey geological survey, bulletin 70, 51p. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1996, karst geology of new jersey and vicinity, in dalton, r. f., and brown, j. o., eds., karst geology of new jersey and vicinity, thirteenth annual meeting of the geological association of new jersey, whippany, nj, p. 21 - 38. dalton, r. f., and markewicz, f. j., 1972, stratigraphy of and characteristics of cavern development in the carbonate rocks of new jersey, national speleological society, bulletin 34, p. 115 - 128. drake, a. a., jr., and volkert, r. a., 1993, bedrock geologic map of the newton east quadrangle, sussex county, new jersey, us geological survey, geologic quadrangle map gq - 1707, 1 : 24, 000. drake, a. a., jr., aleinikoff, j. n., and volkert, r. a., 1991, the mount eve granite ( middle proterozoic ) of northern new jersey and southeastern new york, in, drake, a. a., jr., ed., contributions to new jersey geology, us geological survey bulletin 1952, p. c1 - c10. drake, a. a., jr., volkert, r. a., monteverde, d. h., herman, g. c., houghton, h. f., parker, r. a., and dalton, r. f., 1996, bedrock geologic map of northern new jersey, us geological survey, miscellaneous investigations series, i - 2540 - a, 1 : 100, 000. epstein, j. b., 2001, stratigraphy in the region of delaware water gap national recreation area, in, inners, j. d., and fleeger, g. m., eds., 2001 - a delaware river


epstein, j. b., 2001, stratigraphy in the region of delaware water gap national recreation area, in, inners, j. d., and fleeger, g. m., eds., 2001 - a delaware river odyssey, guidebook, 66th annual field conference of pennsylvania geologists, shawnee - on - delaware, pa, p. 1 - 13. haque, j. m., baum, j. l., hermann, l. a. and pickering, r. j., 1956, geology and structure of the franklin - sterling area, new jersey, geological society of america, bulletin, v. 67, p. 435 - 474. stanford, s. d., ashley, g. m., and brenner, g. j., 2001, late cenozoic fluvial stratigraphy of the new jersey piedmont : a record of glacioeustasy, planation, and incision on a low - relief passive margin, journal of geology, v. 109, p. 265 - 276. u. s. geological survey karst interest group proceedings, shepherdstown, west virginia, august 20 - 22, 2002, water - resources investigations report 02 - 4174 the use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not consitute endorsement by the u. s. government.


injectable nanogel can monitor blood - sugar levels and secrete insulin when needed. mit ' s department of electrical engineering and computer science and ibm have announced the recent completion of the first course in the united states structured around the capabilities of the cell broadband engine ( cell / b. e. ), the microprocessor that powers the new playstationa®3 computer entertainment system. during the four - week independent activities period course in january, students not only learned about the new microprocessor, they designed and implemented projects to run directly on playstationa®3 consoles. the student team with the best project - - a 3 - d version of the classic pong game - - later presented its work and discussed the experience at the game developer conference in march. the course, which focused around introducing parallel programming to students, was taught by saman amarasinghe, a professor in mit ' s department of electrical engineering and computer science, and rodric rabbah of ibm. " the fact that students - - with no background in parallel programming or the cell broadband engine - - were able to get their projects done from scratch in just about one month largely goes to show the capability and determination of our students, coupled with the availability of a robust toolchain for cell development, " said amarasinghe. throughout the course, students became familiar with the cell / b. e. and how its design choices compare to other emerging architectures. students also formed small project teams and participated in a course - long project to develop applications to run on the cell broadband engine using the ibm cell sdk available from ibm developerworks. " the cell broadband engine is going to be an underlying architecture that has the potential to be included in a wide range of industry applications and solutions in the future, " said rabbah. " this course was able to break down the details of a highly complex microprocessor and challenge students to see where the performance, power and versatility could be applied outside of gaming. based on the feedback we received from the students, it was a tremendous success. " a web site hosted by the computer architecture group at mit posts information on the course, including lectures and recitation plans. it has been visited more than 100, 000 times since the completion of the course. ibm and the department of electrical engineering and computer science, with sponsorship from sony, plan to jointly offer the course again in 2008. more information can be found at cag. csail. mit. edu / ps3 /. ibm is also


avian & pandemic influenza the risk to humans from avian flu ( commonly known as bird flu ) is currently low, so there ’ s no reason not to travel to affected countries. there ’ s comprehensive advice and information on the current situation and background on the world health organisation ( who ) website, including a map showing where there have been outbreaks. despite the low risk, you should still take precautions if you ’ re travelling to an affected country : - consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice and further guidance if you have specific concerns - check our travel advice for the relevant country before travelling - avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you might come into contact with wild, domestic or caged birds - avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with animal faeces or fluids - avoid eating or handling raw and undercooked poultry, egg or duck dishes ( normal cooking destroys the virus ) - wash your hands regularly, especially before eating or preparing food - don ’ t attempt to bring any live poultry products back to the uk. because of the low risk, uk ’ s health protection agency does not at present advise tourists visiting affected areas to carry anti - viral drugs. avian versus pandemic flu it ’ s important to distinguish between avian flu, the current disease affecting mainly birds, and pandemic flu, which would affect mainly humans and is at this stage only a possibility. the world health organisation ( who ) warns recent outbreaks of avian flu could trigger a future human flu pandemic, by combining with the influenza virus. it is impossible to predict when this might happen, but if it did, it would be much more serious. there is presently no vaccine against any future pandemic flu strain. anti - viral drugs such as oseltamivir ( tamiflu ), may be effective in reducing the severity and duration of an influenza illness, but this has not been proven in a pandemic situation. their effect may be limited if a resistance is developed to the drug. further medical information is available from the department of health. how we ’ ll help in a pandemic we ’ re working with the department of health to prepare for a possible pandemic. as a precaution, we have obtained courses of the anti - viral drug oseltamivir ( tamiflu ) for treatment of our staff working overseas should they fall ill in the event of a pandemic. this should enable our staff at overseas missions to continue to work and provide consular assistance to british nationals


viral drug oseltamivir ( tamiflu ) for treatment of our staff working overseas should they fall ill in the event of a pandemic. this should enable our staff at overseas missions to continue to work and provide consular assistance to british nationals overseas. it also fulfils our duty of care to our staff, in line with the actions of many other organisations and uk companies with operations overseas. as far as possible, we ’ ll continue to deliver a consular service for british nationals resident or travelling overseas through our network of embassies. but this may be limited, depending on the scale and severity of the virus in some countries. in extreme cases we may even have to offer evacuation for our staff and their dependents. british nationals living overseas if you live in a country affected by avian flu you should be prepared to take personal responsibility for your own health and consider whether you would have access to anti - viral medicine in case of a pandemic. in a pandemic you should seek medical advice before using anti - viral drugs. british nationals working overseas should speak to their employers about the contingency plans in place for a flu pandemic. such plans may include access to anti - viral treatment for employees and / or repatriation to the uk. a flu pandemic could spread extremely quickly and with little warning. many countries will not be sufficiently prepared and the availability of anti - viral drugs may be limited. our embassy staff may be able to provide advice on the availability of local medicines or healthcare but we cannot provide medical treatment. some countries might close their borders, international transport could be severely disrupted or halted, and travel could become medically inadvisable. we will not be in the position to offer repatriation to british nationals during a pandemic. don ' t forget the travel insurance! our guide offers advice about cover


most active stories shots - health news mon december 17, 2012 experts argue against proposed ban on vaccine preservative originally published on mon december 17, 2012 8 : 55 am an old complaint about the safety of childhood vaccines is finding new life at the united nations. the u. n. environment program is considering a ban on thimerosal, a vaccine preservative that is widely used in developing countries. the program expects to make a decision sometime after a final meeting on the issue in january. thimerosal, which contains a form of mercury, was removed from most childhood vaccines in the u. s. and europe more than a decade ago, amid public fear that it could cause autism. several large studies later found no risk from the preservative and that removing it did nothing to change autism rates. now the proposal before the u. n. has public health officials once again trying to reassure people that thimerosal is safe. three separate papers in the journal pediatrics argue against an international ban. " this is critical, " says dr. walter orenstein of the emory vaccine center at emory university, and an author of one of the papers. " lives potentially would be lost if we banned thimerosal from vaccines. " thimerosal keeps vaccines from going bad in parts of the world where other options, such as refrigeration or single - dose vials, aren ' t practical. the proposed ban is part of a larger effort to reduce exposure to mercury, which can affect brain development. and public health experts strongly support most aspects of that effort, orenstein says. " but when it comes to thimerosal in vaccines, the benefits far outweigh any risks, " he says, adding that a ban could mean the return of diseases that used to kill millions of children each year in developing countries. " pertussis or whooping cough could really resurge in these areas, " orenstein says. but orenstein and other experts weren ' t always so certain about thimerosal. in 1999, they asked vaccine makers in the u. s. to stop using the preservative in childhood vaccines. at the time, some parents of children with autism were alleging that the thimerosal in vaccines caused the disorder. also, researchers realized that some children could be getting more mercury from vaccines than the environmental protection agency deemed safe. so orenstein says he and others erred on the side of caution. " at the time, we just didn '


caused the disorder. also, researchers realized that some children could be getting more mercury from vaccines than the environmental protection agency deemed safe. so orenstein says he and others erred on the side of caution. " at the time, we just didn ' t know what the toxic effects might be or might not be, " he says. " and one of our concerns was, what if we did the studies and three years later found there was harm? " the studies showed just the opposite, though. and scientists also determined that the form of ethyl mercury in thimerosal is far less dangerous than methyl mercury, the form found in seafood. so the epa exposure limits didn ' t really apply. but groups opposed to thimerosal say they ' re not convinced by the studies. and they say it ' s wrong to give the preservative to children in developing countries, but not to children in the u. s. and europe. the practice is " egregious, offensive and unacceptable, " says eric uram, executive director of the u. s. - based group safeminds. safeminds has played a prominent role in pushing for the international ban. but so far, countries that might be affected by it have been less vocal. uram says safeminds has contacted officials from countries including nigeria and uganda and found they are concerned. but he says they are hesitant to speak up because the world health organization has deemed thimerosal safe. " they defer to who for guidance on health issues, " he says. " so it becomes inappropriate for them to say that the who is incorrect. " uram also disagrees with public health officials who believe the ban would disrupt vaccination programs in developing countries. the ban would be phased in, he says, giving countries time to find alternatives to thimerosal. but right now there is no good alternative, says heidi larson of the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine. in the u. s., she says, most childhood vaccines are packaged in single - dose vials, which don ' t need a preservative. that drives up the cost of each dose and makes it more difficult to transport large amounts of vaccine, she says. also, larson says, there is no scientific reason to ban thimerosal from vaccines. " it would be bowing to public pressure, " she says.


most active stories around the nation sat february 4, 2012 lost malcolm x speech heard again 50 years later last semester, brown senior malcolm burnley took a narrative writing course. one of the assignments was to write a fictional story based on something true — and that true event had to be found inside the university archives. " so i went to the archives and started flipping through dusty compilations of student newspapers, and there was this old black - and - white photo of when malcolm x came to speak, " burnley says. " there was one short article that corresponded to it, and very little else. " malcolm x came to speak at brown university in providence, r. i., on may 11, 1961. burnley noticed that at the end of the article, there was a brief mention of another article — also from the brown student newspaper — written by a senior named katharine pierce. her article was the reason malcolm x wanted to visit brown. he tracked down pierce ' s phone number and gave her a call. " i immediately started asking her what she remembered about provoking malcolm x to come. " it had been 50 years since malcolm x ' s speech at brown, but pierce slowly started to remember how it all happened. " i just felt that integration was a greater path, " pierce says, " more reasonable and a greater path for success. " today, pierce lives about an hour north of new york city. in 1961, she believed the nation of islam ' s message of separation of the races was destructive, so she wrote a detailed critique. somehow, it caught the attention of the nation of islam. two weeks after the piece was published in the brown daily herald, representatives called. " they said that malcolm x wanted to come to brown and defend his views, because katharine ' s essay was so critical of the organization, " burnley says. " well, i think we were quite astonished, " pierce laughs. help from a diplomatic legend - to - be the editor of the student paper was a 19 - year - old named richard holbrooke. yes, the richard holbrooke — the late legendary diplomat. holbrooke and his staff agreed that they should have malcolm x come to the school, burnley says. the problem was convincing the school. the university was worried about possible violence and about upsetting the naacp, which had pressured other universities — including the university of california, berkeley and howard, one of the oldest historically black universities in america — to keep malcolm x from speaking that year. holbrooke met with the university


and about upsetting the naacp, which had pressured other universities — including the university of california, berkeley and howard, one of the oldest historically black universities in america — to keep malcolm x from speaking that year. holbrooke met with the university ' s president, barnaby keeney, at least six times. holbrooke ' s widow, kati marton, recalls that her husband was convincing. " richard, as usual, said, ' what have we got to be afraid of? it ' s better that we let him speak, and it ' s better that the students make up their own minds than if we shut him out. ' " according to burnley, holbrooke took a hard line with the administration. if they didn ' t agree to allow malcolm x to speak at brown, holbrooke would move the student newspaper off - campus — and break its ties to brown. " but in typical holbrooke fashion, he prevailed, " marton says. " he used to recall walking with malcolm x and his gigantic bodyguards from richard ' s office in the brown daily herald to the auditorium, where the students waited. " " that walk left a deep impression on richard who, even as a 19 - year - old, was already a budding historian, " she says. a riveting speech pierce unearthed a recording of that night — a recording she kept in a box in her attic. it ' s an extraordinary historical record — an early window into malcolm x ' s evolving views and the future diplomat who would bring him to campus. " tonight, we present two different viewpoints on the american negro and his future, " said the young holbrooke as the event began. the audience wasn ' t all students and faculty. malcolm x and his entourage purchased 200 tickets for nation of islam members to ride down from boston and attend the speech. " at several points, you hear raucous applause, clearly from the nation of islam members, " burnley says. pierce was allowed to make a brief statement before malcolm x spoke. " for those of us who feel that the negro is an integral part of our culture, and who advocate for integration because we believe in the equality of all men, the black muslims are an indication of the fact that we have not done enough acting to make our position acceptable to the negro dissatisfied with his present situation. " a few minutes later, pierce introduced the main speaker. malcolm x was originally supposed to debate a representative from the naacp. but at the last


that we have not done enough acting to make our position acceptable to the negro dissatisfied with his present situation. " a few minutes later, pierce introduced the main speaker. malcolm x was originally supposed to debate a representative from the naacp. but at the last minute, that representative, herbert wright, had backed out, so malcolm x had hurriedly prepared a speech for the evening. " he reveals a lot of his ideology and positions that are dated to years later in his life, " burnley says. " so the question today is : is the honorable elijah muhammad a bona fide religious leader and are his followers a bona fide religious group? and this is a question that america has got to come face - to - face with. " at other points, burnley says, malcolm x plays to the white audience. he even gets them laughing with a joke about where black people are found. " they don ' t have a history of their own, so they let them tell you what their history is ; and that is in essence that you found him in the jungle somewhere with a spear, chasing white people in a cannibalistic way to try to give the impression that white meat is the only good meat to eat. " the audience gasped when malcolm x admitted some previous vices. " no follower of the honorable elijah muhammad partakes of any alcoholic beverage, reefer or tobacco, which is prevalent in the negro communities across the country, even right here in the city of providence. i myself was one of the foremost practicers or doers of everything that i ' ve mentioned here so far ; now i ' m telling you the truth, and the teachings of the honorable elijah muhammad stopped me from doing these things overnight. " " at several points, he references the 725, 000, 000 muslims across the world versus the 20, 000, 000 so - called negroes, was his quote, in america, " burnley says. " the nation of islam refused the term ' negro. ' they said it was kind of the white man ' s classification of black americans, so that ' s why he said ' so - called negroes. ' " " there are 20 million so - called ' negroes ' here in america. twenty million ex - slaves. twenty million second - class citizens. no matter what other classification you try to put on them, you can ' t deny that we are ex - slaves. you can not deny that we are second - class citizens. and the fact that we are second - class citizens means someone has done us an


what other classification you try to put on them, you can ' t deny that we are ex - slaves. you can not deny that we are second - class citizens. and the fact that we are second - class citizens means someone has done us an injustice and deprived us of that which is ours by right. " burnley interviewed dozens of people who witnessed the speech. they all recalled being riveted — even if they didn ' t agree — by what malcolm x had to say. " he read his audience very, very well as a fine public speaker does, " pierce says. " we who follow the honorable elijah muhammad feel when you try to pass integration laws here in america, forcing white people to pretend they are accepting black people, you are making white people act in a hypocritical way. however, we feel that when you can change both of them and they come together voluntarily, without force or without pressure, then automatically you are furthering brotherhood and bringing about better relationships between the two races. " a dialogue begins again the entire speech lasted just under an hour. afterward, burnley says, malcolm x invited students to come talk to him in the student lounge. " at that point, he conducted an interview with these young white students, " burnley continues. " he was willing to greet them more intimately and in private, and obviously he was seeking publicity. " he wanted to be as well - known as possible, but i don ' t know — it definitely is a gesture to make towards young white students, who, by all accounts, he wouldn ' t really want to have anything to do with, but he was willing to greet them and talk to them in private. " burnley did eventually write a narrative account of the incident for his class assignment. he ' s also writing a much longer version. marton, holbrooke ' s widow, says her husband spoke often about the story, though it ' s unclear whether he ever wrote it down. holbrooke was planning to write his memoirs at the time of his death in december 2010. as for brown university? " in my research, there is no mention in the university calendar for that year or in president keeney ' s notes of malcolm x coming. it ' s essentially just been whitewashed from the university records, " burnley says. but, he adds, that is about to change.