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Ethics in Business Darba fragments Aizvērt
Ethics and Human Resources Ethics commonly refer to the rules or principles that define right and wrong conduct. In the United States, many believe we are currently suffering from an ethics crisis (Ricklets, Robbins & Coulter, 1996). Behaviors that were once thought unacceptable -- lying, cheating, misrepresenting, and covering up mistakes -- have become in many people's eyes acceptable or necessary practices. Managers profit from illegal use of insider stock information and members of Congress write hundreds of bad checks. …
Ethics in Business Structure, Conduct, and Performance Approach of the Public Transportation Industry Tribal Body Techniques
Tavs vārds:
E-pasta adrese, uz kuru nosūtīt darba saiti:
Saite uz darbu:
https://www.atlants.lv/w/428020ding and funding issues.
Related Posts
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Evangelicals apparently have so much political clout that they are poised to install a theocracy, according to some commentators. Such critics don't notice there is little distinctively evangelical about the evangelical approach to politics. The evangelical emphaseson conversion, the Cross, the Bible, and activismdo not themselves amount to a full, independent theological system. Nor do they take us far in understanding politics, which requires at least some grasp of history, government, law, justice, freedom, rights, mercy, violence, and war. Thoughtful evangelicals trying to understand politics often draw on the wider resources of Calvinist, Anabaptist, Anglican, Lutheran, or Catholic teaching.
Still, venerable publications like
The New Republic go overboard when they claim that evangelicals merely march to the drumbeat of Catholic thinkers like Richard Neuhaus, Michael Novak, and George Weigel. Yes, evangelical distinctives can be compatible with a range of other doctrines. Hence, we can speak easily of evangelical Anglicans or Lutherans, even of evangelical Orthodox or Catholics. The Economist plausibly took Sen. Sam Brownback, a recent convert to Catholicism, to symbolize growing evangelical international activism on religious freedom, sex trafficking, AIDS, Sudan, and North Korea.
Evangelical activism through the centuries has undoubtedly produced some laudable results. The evangelical commitment to religious freedom predates the Enlightenment, and the ethic of personal responsibility helped produce the civil society that Alexis de Tocqueville so admired during his 19th-century visit to America. But it also produces major problems. Currently, evangelical activism hampers responsible political engagement ...
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Have you ever left your home, only to turn your car around and head back because you weren’t sure you unplugged your curlers? Well, I mean, bald guys wouldn’t have this to worry about. But, some women do. Like me. I worry that I don’t have things unplugged or turned off. I am a “turner-arounder”. That is a person who turns around and comes back home to double check. I guess you could call it a “Double checker”. Or a “Go back homer”. There are many things to call people like that. But, do we have OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? I don’t think I am OCD by any means. If I was OCD, I would first have to re-arrange the letters to CDO so they would be in alphabetical order.
I am going to share a few of the things that make me a “Go back homer” or a “Turner-arounder”, or a “Double checker.” I really like all of these phrases. I just don’t know which one to use. I will have to think about this for a few hours, OCD-like…But, read on and see if you can relate. Maybe we have one or two in common.
1. “
Did I close the garage door?”-This is really important, because if you left the garage door open, thieves could just walk in and take your…paint cans or wheelbarrow or tool (I am sure we had more than one). Better yet, raccoons could walk in and then fall asleep and then when you come home at night and drive your car into the garage, and shut the door, they would become trapped in your garage and poop all over your car and scratch, “LET ME OUT, YOU JERK” on the side of the car. Or, someone like Ted Bundy would be waiting in the dark, and when I would step out of my car, kill me, well, just because. Then he would leave a note like, “She really should have shut her garage door….Love, Ted.”
2.
“Is my toilet running?”- Yeah, that gets me all the time. I always use the bathroom before I leave the house. Isn’t it great how I can share my “pee time stories” with strangers? Well, I have to drive 30 minutes to work and I drink a lot of water. Anywho, I usually wait by the front door until the toilet stops making that “I’m filling back up with water now” noise and then I shut and lock the door.And drive off. “But, wait. Did I wait this time? I can’t remember. Did I go to the bathroom before I left? What if my toilet ran all day? I wonder what the hell my water bill would be?… Shit…I better turn around.”
3. “
Are my curlers unplugged?” This is the worst one, because I never can remember. I know in my mind that I unplug after I put the last curler in my hair. But, did I really unplug this time? My poor family would all pile in the car to go somewhere and we would get halfway down the driveway and I would say, “I am not sure I unplugged my curlers.” It got to be to the point where as soon as we would get in the car, my husband or kids would ask me. And I would ALWAYS go back. Now that I am divorced, and live by myself, I stare at the plug outlet and say to myself or sometimes out loud if I was really feeling like a loser, “Unplugged.” And I would wrap up my curlers and put them under my bathroom sink. But, my mind is not free. While driving, I would then think, “hmmmmmm, I wonder if I put those curlers away too warm? Could they start a fire?”
4. “
Did I leave food for the cat?”- Well, this is important, because if I have a car accident and my head is wrapped in gauze, they won’t be able to hear me saying, “My poor cat has no food.” Therefore, it is imperative to leave her dish full of food and…just in case, the bag nearby. That way, she can knock the bag over when her dish is depleted of food and she can just eat out of the bag until I am released from the hospital. I do have one of those self-feeders, but my cat won’t eat out of it. I guess the food gets stale tasting if it is out too long and she sticks her nose up at it. Well, think about it. Would you eat a piece of toast with butter and jelly after 6 hours of being on the counter? I didn’t think so.
5. “
Off, off, off…off..off..off..”-In OCD talk, that means, “Go make sure the oven knobs are all
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turned off.” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have turned around to make sure my oven was turned off. And as I touch each knob, I would say those words..”off, off, off, off, off, off.” And then I would stare at the oven, just one last time. Yes, they are off ….for sure. I would even ask the kids to check. I could hear them say, “off, off, off, off, off, off” in that mocking manner. They were probably thinking, “What the hell? We’ve eaten out for the past 2 nights.”
I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies. That word looks weird….I guess we are all weird in some way or another. I forgot to mention that I make sure that the match I use to light a candle stays in a little jar of water for at least an hour before I throw it away. I heard about a match being in a garbage bag and then smouldering and then burning down a house about a year ago..I like to burn my hazelnut cream candle about every day and don’t want to burn my apartment down. So, the match gets to drown to make sure it is not a fire hazard.
So, do I have OCD? Should a “turner-arounder” be labeled as having an obsessive behavior? I really don’t know the answer to that.
I do know that I have to stop writing this blog now because it is bed time. I have to go make sure my alarm clock is set. You never know when the electric will go off and you would then sleep in for work.
I am pretty sure I have it set… Maybe…..shit….maybe not….I will have to check after I make sure the tires on my car are not flat for the drive to work tomorrow.
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University of Washington Conducts Expensive Study, Discovers Junk Food Is Cheaper Than Healthy Food
A paper recently published in the
Health Affairs professional journal suggests that eating healthy foods costs more than eating unhealthy foods.
Gee,
thanks, Captain Obvious!
The paper, by Pablo Monsivais, Anju Aggarwal and Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington and based on a survey of 2,001 people conducted after the publication of the government's new food-plate diagram, said that the biggest costs come from increasing one's intake of vitamins and fiber to the suggested levels, and that it could add hundreds of dollars to the average American's food bill to comply.
I agree that the government's plate imagery is out of reach for the average American, especially the initial version that had the fish on the side--how many people in rural North Dakota does the government think are sitting down to salmon?--but the issue is deeper than the undisputed fact that empty calories are cheaper.
It's a bit like giving a young child the choice between five pennies or one quarter. Five is more than one, thus they choose the pennies. In this case, it's possible to buy a huge quantity of unhealthy, sugar- and fat-laden food, even though it is not as nutritious as a smaller quantity of something else. The effect can best be seen in restaurants: if the plate isn't full, even if the amount of food on it is enough for a meal, Americans complain. It's a big part of why portion sizes have ballooned so much over the last forty years.
The problem is exacerbated by over-packed schedules. It's faster to grab packaged food--or, worse, the drive-through--between one family member's yoga class and another's school play rehearsal, and the result is that Americans are losing the knack of cooking.
It is possible to construct a healthy meal--or a set of them--without blowing the budget out of the water, but in order to do that, people in the U.S. will have to commit to cooking food at home and--horror of horrors--eating a diet that is mostly vegetables, whether fresh or frozen. Unfortunately, short of an invasion of personal freedom that would give armchair libertarians a collective cardiac infarction, there's not much the U.S. government can do to force the issue. Maybe they should start by fixing the school nutrition guidelines to focus on health, and declare that no, ketchup is actually not a vegetable.
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Iceland - Electricity Generation
The country's geological characteristics (its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) are favoring the large utilization of geothermal energy in the energy supply of Iceland. The share of geothermal energy in the primary energy supply of Iceland is about 68%, reaching 90% of all energy used for house heating. Geothermal electricity generation started 45 years ago and has now reached 29% of the total electricity needs. The total installed capacity is now above 650 MWe and the annual generation about 5,250 GWh, from the following fields: Námafjall 3 MWe, Hellisheidi 303 MWe, Húsavík 2 MWe, Krafla 60 MWe, Nesjavellir 120 MWe, Reykjanes 100 MWe and Svartsengi 76 MWe (Ragnarsson, 2015).
Development since WGC2010: 90 MWe of two new units at Hellisheidi IV.
Installed capacity 665 MWe
Geothermal Electricity 5,245 GWh/y Source: Ruggero Bertani, Geothermal Power Generation in the World 2010-2014 Update Report
Installed geothermal generating capacity (December 2009) in MW
Hellisheidi 215.0 Nesjavellir 120.0 Reykjanes 100.0 Svartsengi 74.0 Krafla 60.0 Namafjall 3.0 Husavik 2.0 Total 575.0
The geothermal electricity production in Iceland has increased significantly since 2005 (about 370 MW, 184%, the highest value among the countries with a relevant geothermal electricity production), with the installation of new plants in Nesjavellir (30 MW), Hellisheidi (the entire field started its production after 2005: 5 units for 213 MW), Svartsengi (30 MW) and Reykjanes (2x50 MW). The most important fields of the island are listed below
Krafla: in the northern part of the island, its operation started in 1977 from Landsvirkjun, with several initial problem in producing enough steam for feeding the plants, due to the volcanic activity in the area. Now, after 20 years, some degassing of the productive reservoir has been achieved, and two 30 MW double flash turbine are in operation with additional 40 MW planned.
Bjarnaflag (Námafjall): the oldest geothermal field in Iceland is still in operation since 1969 (Landsvirkjun), with an old 3 MW back-pressure unit.
In Husavik an experimental Kalina binary unit (using 120°C hot water, operated by Orkuveita Husavikur) of 2 MW has been installed in 2000, but only in 2008 it started a commercial operation.
Hellisheidi: on the active volcanic system of Hengill; it has 210 MW and 400 MWth of thermal output for district heating of the Reykjavik area (27 km away); the electricity is supplied mainly to local aluminum refineries. All the plants of the field have been commissioned after 2005 by Orkuveita Reykjavikur: 2x45 MW in 2006 (Unit I), 35 MW in 2007 (Unit II) and again 2x45 MW in 2008 (Unit III).
Nesjavellir (Orkuveita Reykjavikur): in the southern part of the country, four 30 MW units (total 120 MW), combining heat/electricity production with 300 MWth for district heating (about 1,800 l/s of hot water). The most recent unit has been commissioned in 2005.
Reykjanes: in south-western peninsula, operated by Hitaveita Sudurnesja, it has been commissioned in 2005 and 2006, with two 50 MW units, and additional 50 MW under construction.
Svartsengi: near the International Airport and the famous outdoor swimming/spa facilities of Blue Lagoon (visited yearly by about 400,000 people, probably the most popular Icelandic touristy attraction), feed by the discarded water (rich in surplus mineral) of two flash units (reservoir fluid at 240°C) for about 66
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MW and a 8 MW binary unit (Hitaveita Sudurnesja); there is also an important additional hot water production of 150 MWth for district heating. Also here the most recent addition was a 30 MW unit in 2005.
Other Projects
The Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) has been finally placed nearby Krafla geothermal area, in the Northern part of the country. The aim of the project is the exploitation of supercritical fluid at 4-5 km depth and 400-600°C of temperature. Unfortunately, in 2009, the well reached a magma body and the project has been placed in stand-by.
An agreement has been signed between the Century Aluminum Co and two major Icelandic geothermal producers (Hitaveita Sudurnesja and Orkuveita Reykjavikur) for supplying electricity to the production of an initial amount of 150,000 tons of aluminum per year, utilizing 250 MW of geothermal electricity. The initial stage of the project will be commissioned in 2010. The agreement is expandable up to 435 MW, for a production of 250,000 tons of aluminum. This will be a very efficient way of exporting the surplus of cheap and abundant geothermal electricity production from Iceland.
The total installed capacity of the country is 575 MW, and additional 230 MW under construction. The country with 300,000 inhabitants is 100% renewably powered, with 25% of its electricity and 90% of heating needs provided by geothermal energy. Geothermal energy contribution to the total energy consumption sums up to 62%, probably the highest in the world.
Space Heating
The main use of geothermal power is for space heating which amounted to about 25 PJ per year; an extensive district-heating systems has been realized into the country. The share of geothermal heat in space heating is almost 90%, whereas the remainder is mainly heated with electricity (which results 100% renewable), so that fossil fuels account for only a small fraction of the total.
As an example, the Reykjavik district heating system, serving 200,000 inhabitant of the capital, with a thermal capacity of 1.2 GWth and about 80 million m3 of hot water provided yearly, can be considered as one of the most important in the world, 100% heated from geothermal energy.
As final remark, the growing on geothermal electricity is presently in a clear impressive exponential phase.
Taken from Ruggero Bertani’s paper, " Geothermal Power Generation in the World 2005–2010 Update Report ", published in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010.
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- It's a perfect record for the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, where all six of its applicants have been granted prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards for 2012.
CAREER Awards are given to outstanding junior-level faculty members to help them build successful research programs. Recipients "exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations," according to the NSF.
The grants are among the most prestigious grants in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and are one of the few awards factored into the official Top American Research University rankings. They are given to tenure-track faculty members and each must integrate research with teaching.
Jeffrey Rimer, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is the sixth winner and latest recipient of a CAREER award at Cullen. Rimer won a five-year, $400,000 grant to further his research into zeolites.
With this win, Rimer joins five other engineering junior faculty members who have received CAREER awards this year. The other engineering recipients are Jiming Bao, Jacinta Conrad, Debora Rodrigues, Wei-Chuan Shih and Gila Stein.
Joseph W. Tedesco, dean of the Cullen College of Engineering, said the college's strong showing in the CAREER competition is proof of the advances the college has made in recent years.
"The Cullen College's faculty ranks have grown by more than 20 percent since 2007," Tedesco said. "These CAREER Awards prove that we've brought in some truly outstanding young researchers who will help take our research program to new heights. We are proud of them all!"
Additionally, UH's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had two CAREER winners this year: Ognjen Miljanic and Angela Moeller, both assistant professors of chemistry.
Rimer, the latest CAREER recipient, will use the grant money to expand his efforts to improve zeolites, a class of catalysts used in the petroleum and chemical industries to create a range of different products, from ion-exchange additives in detergents to gasoline and alternative fuels.
Rimer has developed - and recently won a full patent for - a method to produce ultra-thin zeolites.
"An ideal catalyst is a thin crystal with high porous surface area, allowing molecules to enter, react, and then diffuse rapidly," Rimer said.
During the synthesis of commercial-grade zeolites, the individual crystals grow through the attachment of growth units to the zeolite surface. Rimer has discovered certain molecules that attach to specific zeolite surfaces and block growth units from attaching, thereby tailoring the size and shape of zeolite crystals.
While the modified zeolites retain the same basic shape, through this process they can measure as thick as 100 nanometers, about 10-times thinner than unmodified zeolites.
With his earlier research to validate the approach of using zeolite modifiers, Rimer worked primarily with commercially available molecules. The CAREER award will allow him to create entirely new molecules to tailor the growth of specific zeolites. In doing so, he aims to develop a rational system for creating such molecules for any targeted zeolite.
"When we understand how a small library of molecules can tailor the shape of any single zeolite, we can think about other modifier-zeolite combinations," Rimer said. "If you were to take a zeolite that hasn't been studied by this approach, could you, based on its structure, predict a set of four or five molecules that may be effective in controlling its growth? The goal is to expand our understanding of how this works and establish some guidelines for creating these molecules."
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Electricians have been forced to wear the cost of replacing allegedly faulty solar devices produced by collapsed Sunshine Coast company Advancetech.
Liquidators were appointed to the solar and electrical distributor last week, just days after the Queensland Government recalled 27,000 devices that had been sold in Queensland and New South Wales.
The Avanco DC isolators used in solar electrical systems have been linked to dozens of fires, although nobody has been injured.
A notice on the company's website said the liquidators, SV Partners, are not required to comply with the terms of the product recall order.
"As liquidators, we are not trading the company's business and unfortunately we are not able to assist with the replacement of the isolators the subject of the recall orders," the notice said.
"Unfortunately [we] are not able to directly assist customers of the company or the end users of the products recalled."
Queensland Master Electricians chief executive Malcolm Richards said that meant the electrical contractors who installed the isolators must wear the cost of replacing the recalled devices.
"The reassurance for the customers involved is that the contractors are still obligated to replace their product for free," he said.
"But then the drama starts for the electrical contractors who have to then pursue the funds back from the liquidator.
"There are a lot of small, mum-and-dad operators who are involved in the solar industry, who have installed solar panels under the government rebate scheme, who are now going to be left high and dry and have to stump up the cost of replacing this product, which they bought in good faith as an approved Australian product at the time."
Advancetech was sold to another company the day after the recall.
Mr Richards says his organisation has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Fair Trading Queensland to investigate what happened.
"We've asked Fair Trading Queensland and the ACCC just to look into the nature of the business exchange and the liquidation in this case," he said.
"There's obviously some concerning issues there we want looked at to ensure everything was done properly."
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In today’s digital age, most of us probably spend most of our time connected to the Internet and browsing through lots of information. Spending so much time on the Internet can affect the way you think and process information.
Readers of Nicholas Carr’s 2010 book
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains will certainly confirm this. While the Internet is a fantastic tool to conduct business and communicate with friends and colleagues, the constant distractions can and do have an interruptive effect on how we think and learn.
The animation team at Epipheo Studios recently interviewed Carr and put together a video on the topics expressed in
The Shallows.
Think about it! company for any reason ask your HR representative or the company’s legal counsel what the policy is about references for former employees. Finding out the company policy is the only way to know what you can expect in terms of a reference from a former employer. Special thanks to Carole Jurkash for offering her thoughts on this important topic.). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.[.]imarcgroup.com / P: +1 631-791-1145
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What a great time DIA Boston was!
As Director of Clinical Solutions, one of my responsibilities is giving product demonstrations in BioClinica’s exhibit booth. Much of my time during conference hours was spent with my eyes and ears focused on growing my understanding of your needs to run clinical trials more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Below is a recap of hot topics from my vantage in the exhibit hall point where thousands of industry professionals converged to learn new ways to overcome current and future challenges: TransCelerate BioPharma Having recently grown to 16 member companies, TransCelerate is rapidly gaining momentum as the consortium drives toward clinical research change. Two best practice recommendations widely discussed were the use of CDISC SHARE and Risk Based Monitoring. Check out an earlier blog I wrote about semantic standards including SHARE. To see how TranCelerate plans to assess risk in clinical trials, read the position paper here . Risk, Managing Risk, Risk-Based Monitoring Risk was a major theme in multiple areas throughout the conference. Two recent FDA draft guidance documents give pharmaceutical companies the go-ahead for managing risk while making the process of collecting and reviewing study data easier and less costly. Several DIA sessions explored compliance with these documents: Electronic Source Data in Clinical Investigations, Nov. 2012 and Oversight of Clinical Investigations — A Risk-Based Approach to Monitoring, Aug. 2011
My colleagues and I demonstrated how BioClinica’s innovative risk management software can provide significant cost-savings. Missed it? Contact us for a private demo.
Here’s a photo of me drilling down into the data using the big touch screen in the Microsoft exhibit.
The Sunshine Act Many people stopped by and expressed concern about Sunshine Act compliance. Fast-approaching, the Act requires pharmaceutical, medical device, biological, and medical supply manufacturers to report "payment or other transfer of value" to physicians and teaching hospitals. BioClinica’s OnPoint CTMS has a payment module that supports Sunshine Act reporting requirements. Operational Metrics Linda Sullivan of the Metrics Champion Consortium (MCC) popped in to thank BioClinica for its support in developing standardized metrics. She also requested assistance with completing MCC’s own Risk-Based Monitoring Industry Survey. This all-volunteer group has assembled recommended standard metrics for multiple areas including Clinical Trials, Central Labs, Imaging, and Cardiopulmonary. Learn about recent milestones.
Many DIA event-goers used myDIAfun.com to find parties, restaurants, and prize opportunities. Based on considerable positive feedback, BioClinica is pleased to offer MyDiaFun for next year’s convention in San Diego.
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The National Domestic Workers Alliance and their allies have overcome industry opposition to win labor protections for domestic workers in seven states.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established basic protections for American workers, including a 40-hour workweek and a minimum wage. But certain workers were excluded from these protections, including domestic workers.
In the face of intense opposition from for-profit homecare industry groups, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and their allies have made great strides in recent years to right this wrong. On August 12, Illinois became the seventh state to extend these rights to domestic workers, joining Massachusetts, California, New York, Oregon, Hawaii, and Connecticut.
Inequality.org co-editor Sarah Anderson spoke with Magdalena Zylinska to learn more about this victory. Zylinska is a housecleaner and domestic worker organizer who focuses on outreach to Polish domestic workers, making sure they’re informed of their rights. Last year, she was appointed to be a Board Member at Arise Chicago, a faith-labor action group.
How did you first become involved in the effort to expand rights for domestic workers??
I became involved with the Arise Chicago workers center in 2013 after attending a green cleaning workshop offered to domestic workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After the workshop, Anna Jakubek, an organizer with Arise Chicago, informed us that domestic workers have few labor rights. That’s what energized me to get involved with fighting for the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
Over the last couple of years, I have also gone to Springfield numerous times, talked to Senators and Representatives, and I testified on behalf of domestic workers regarding sexual harassment, which is something I have encountered in my workplace.
Can you explain the significance of the victory in Illinois? How will this reform change workers’ lives?
Many domestic workers would say that beyond labor protections, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in Illinois is about respect and dignity. Our victory in passing the legislation means that we have finally been recognized as workers by becoming included in labor rights that we have been historically excluded from.
The new law will make sure that home cleaners, nannies, care workers, and other domestic workers receive the state minimum wage, protection against sexual harassment, as well as a day of rest if they are employed by one employer for at least 20 hours a week by amending four state laws that previously excluded domestic workers: the Minimum Wage Law, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the One Day of Rest in Seven Act, and the Wages of Women and Minors Act.
Now when domestic workers encounter a problem, they will be less afraid to let the authorities know.
Everyone deserves to have these basic rights. I believe that now when domestic workers encounter a problem, they will be less afraid to let the authorities know. Too many people are abused and mistreated. Protections will give domestic workers the right to defend themselves in unfortunate situations.
It is great to see this first step, but we still have a long way to go in making sure this law gets enforced. I’m very optimistic for the future.
How might this victory help build power for the continuing fight for a national bill of rights for domestic workers?
I think many people, including legislators, are unaware that domestic workers are excluded from state labor protections and face such high levels of exploitation. But when people actually hear our stories, they come to the conclusion that this is the right thing to do and this is the time to do it. This victory in Illinois brings greater visibility to our movement.
Illinois is also the seventh state to pass legislation to protect the rights of domestic workers. The other six states that have protections in place for domestic workers are California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hawaii, Oregon, and New York. Together, this brings us one step closer to having full state protections for all domestic workers in the U.S.
For-profit homecare industry groups and the International Franchise Association sued the Labor Department to block expansion of labor protections, including overtime pay, to homecare workers. These groups claim they’re acting in the best interest of workers, that by expanding their rights, homecare workers would be forced into an unregulated underground market because their clients wouldn’t be able to pay for care through a regulated agency. Your response?
Homecare work is the second fastest-growing occupation in the country, and yet most homecare workers live in poverty despite the essential nature of their work for communities across the country. If we want to be able to age with dignity, we as a nation have to invest in homecare by treating this work as essential.
That means we have to put the funding into homecare that will allow workers to treat homecare as a sustainable job and ensure that consumers can afford the assistance they need. There is a major problem around affordability of homecare in the United States — but we can’t get rid of this problem by putting the burden on the backs of homecare workers.
That’s already happening, and as a result, we see high levels of turnover. Every day, the nation is
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losing qualified and dedicated homecare workers who love their jobs but can’t afford gas for their cars or oil to heat their houses in winter or food to feed their families.
Fighting against the nation’s most basic labor protections doesn’t protect these workers nor the consumers who need access to consistent care. It’s a misinformed and innately temporary fix that protects the bottom line of for-profit companies and franchising groups without solving the larger problems of funding care.
In contrast, we work with disability rights and senior groups, unions and worker centers that are genuinely working in collaboration to make sure there’s enough resources so that consumers and workers can get what they need. That’s a genuine solution, fueled by parties with genuinely overlapping interests.
How powerful are these industry opponents and what strategies have you used to get around them?
Private, for-profit actors in the homecare and au pair industries have mounted major opposition to domestic workers bill of rights legislation.
We have seen private for-profit actors in the homecare and au pair industries mount major opposition to our bill of rights legislation as well as to other efforts to raise worker protections in order to prevent abuse and trafficking.
In some instances, industry groups were able to retract their opposition after realizing that their interests in having a stable workforce were aligned with those of our campaigns. In other instances, that wasn’t possible.
We try to find companies and players that are dedicated to doing the right thing, and ensure that their voices are heard as well. For example, Care.com has supported many of our efforts.
At the end of the day, one of the most important things we can do is keep supporting the organizing and leadership of domestic workers and homecare workers, and building meaningful working partnerships with consumers of homecare and their families. Those coalitions and the unified voice of these stakeholders is ultimately what will win us victory.
What gives you hope for this movement?
I have been working at this for almost three years, and there were moments when I was worried that this victory would not come. When we visited legislators, it sometimes felt like they weren’t hearing us. But they did.
This bill was unanimously voted in by the Senate, and it passed out of both chambers with bipartisan support. Hopefully, other states will follow our lead with even stronger protections, like contracts. This won’t be easy, because different domestic work industries, like housecleaning and childcare, have different needs, but all of them need better guidelines for both workers and employers. Our industry is rapidly growing, especially around eldercare, so the bill also helps us prepare for the future by recognizing this important workforce.
What do you wish more people knew about domestic workers?
Every domestic worker job is different, and every house I clean is different. We work hard for our money. We have bills to pay. Many of us have families to support.
Even though we passed the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in Illinois, we still have a long way to go. Most of us in the industry do not get paid sick days or paid vacation. If we struggle or get sick, we do not get any compensation for the time we miss at work. Oftentimes, we do not get paid for additional responsibilities that are given to us at work. Employers do not always give notice if they are going on vacation, and I’ve had situations where employers can fire you on the spot. And it might mean losing income for two or three weeks before finding a replacement job.
My suggestion is for employers to take these things into consideration, and also try and build stronger relationships of dignity and respect with the domestic workers they employ.
For now, I’m just grateful that the Governor signed the bill. We had full support from the House and the Senate. This was a big coalition effort where we had broad support from faith, labor, and community groups, as well as employers organizations. The Illinois Domestic Workers Coalition was powered by local organizations, including AFIRE Chicago, Arise Chicago, Latino Union, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Women Employed, Heartland Alliance, and SEIU-HCII, as well as domestic workers, advocacy and community groups, and allies. More broadly, we also received support from the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA).
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Coca-Cola as a medical supplies deliverer? One of its community programs, Project Last Mile, at first sounds odd as the company is one of the world’s most recognized brands, with its red and white logos emblazoned everywhere from mega-city centers to the tiniest rural outposts. Coke’s 100+ year history of prominence is as impressive as it is exasperating to its critics. And its reputation and stature in the marketplace allow it to attract some of the best talent.
But some of that talent wants more than a line on a CV to complement that MBA diploma. More employees, especially newer ones joining the workforce, want to work for an organization that takes sustainability and social responsibility seriously.
To that end, Project Last Mile leverages the company’s vast distribution network to increase and improve the delivery of medical supplies to 10 African countries by 2019.
The project has already started in Ghana and Tanzania. Partnering with national and local governments, the initiative takes advantage of Cola-Cola’s prowess in supply chain, distribution and marketing. Other organizations, including Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute, Accenture and Global Environment and Technology foundation, work with Coke and government officials to procure and distribute medicines to rural areas. But this is more than just about handing out meds. Professionals working on the project advise local health workers on how to forecast future demands for medicines and vaccines. Workers also learn how to maintain cold chain equipment property for the particular medical supplies.
According to a local Tanzania health official, Last Mile has resulted in the increased availability of medicines by as much as 30 percent since the program launched in 2010. Over 5,500 health clinics in total have benefited to date.
The next country in the project’s crosshairs is Mozambique, announced when Coca-Cola agreed to expand Project Last Mile at the cost of US$21 million.
This project is another example of how companies can embark on a corporate social responsibility platform using tools already at their disposal. Rather than cut a check to a charity or try to rally the corporate troops for a volunteer day, Project Last Mile allows employees to do community work while incorporating the skills they need for their day-to-day jobs. Other companies have launched similar initiatives. Ford Motor Co. has used its vehicles and technology to assist in the delivery of health care services in India. Cisco has contributed its video communications technologies to Jordan’s government in order to link urban medical specialists to patients in distant rural areas.
Coca-Cola’s investment in rural African health care will not silence its critics who are wary of the company’s, and that of its competitors’, impacts on issues related to water consumption and of course, on nutrition. But programs such as Project Last Mile offer far more benefit than posing as a purveyor of “healthy living”—and can help improve the company’s branding and reputation.
Image credit: Coca-Cola Press Center
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Sympathetic Nervous System
No one really knows what causes the debilitating medical condition known as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and so the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association has worked hard at funding promising avenues of research in the field. One of the newest projects AFSA has taken under its wings is the work of Manuel Martinez-Lavin, M.D. who explores the possible genetic causes of FMS.
Classic Response
Martinez-Lavin, of Mexico City's National Institute of Cardiology is convinced that the body's fight or flight response is the root cause of many fibromyalgia symptoms. This classic sympathetic nervous system response to stress has been well-documented, but not explored as a specific cause of fibromyalgia symptoms until now.
Matinez-Lavin also believes that FMS is linked to genetic factors that change the workings of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic branch is one of two aspects of the autonomic nervous system, which includes both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
The just-published study is an evaluation of the variations in genes that control the speed of the enzyme known as catechol-O-methyltrasferase (COMT). COMT is responsible for breaking down dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine so that the body can eliminate them. But when there are genetic irregularities, the COMT enzyme becomes sluggish. This causes a buildup of norepinephrine and epinephrine, which are used by the sympathetic nervous system as transmission vehicles. According to this theory, the resultant hyperactivity is the cause of FMS and stems from a genetic abnormality.
Sluggish Enzymes
Martinez-Lavin spoke of a study on 202 healthy women, commenting, “Women who slowly degraded the catecholamines are more sensitive to pain.” The physician adds that six variations of the COMT gene are known to lead to sluggish enzymes and those with these variations have been found to be more vulnerable to the condition known as temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), which causes chronic pain in the face around the jaw area.
Specific ethnic factors do influence the observed variations in the COMT gene. Therefore, Martinez-Lavin studied two separate populations: Spanish women and Mexican women. In a study of 160 Spanish women, 80 with and 80 without FMS, a higher incidence was found in three of the known variations on the COMT gene. “In the Spanish people, there was a clear relationship between the number of defects in the COMT gene and FMS severity, according to the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ),” says Martinez-Lavin, "whereas, in the Mexican population, there was only a slight correlation with two sub-scales of the FIQ.”
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Recently I have been asked a lot of questions about what employers can and can’t disclose about a former employee’s performance and reasons for leaving the company. So, I decided to find out what the law says as well as what in-house counsel would generally advise an HR department about disclosures. I consulted with my attorney friend Carole Jurkash, a fellow University of Chicago graduate who went on to get her law degree from Yale Law School to find out what the law says about this topic. Carole really knows what she is talking about because she has 17 years of experience advising various corporations on general business matters as an in-house attorney.
Carole made it clear that in most states employees are hired “at will” which means they can be fired at any time for almost any reason. The exceptions to “almost any reason” are that an employer can’t fire you for any of the following: your gender, your race, your religion, your sexual orientation, your age, any disabilities you might have, or your marital status. If you are fired for any of those reasons you might have grounds to sue your former employer. Employers are not prohibited by law from telling a potential employer who calls for a reference about a former employee the reasons that the employee left, as long as the information they share is truthful. However, a lot of employers opt not to share the reasons that employees have left the company or to give any kind of references for any former or current employees. While an employer may be able to fire you for just about any reason, it is in the employer’s interest to be consistent with all employees in order to avoid employment discrimination claims. In other words, as a best practice to avoid liability in employment cases, many lawyers advise employers to adopt a set of policies that are applied to all employees equally. Consistency is a very important element in understanding why employers may or may not choose to discuss the reasons a former employee left the company as you will see in a minute. One thing that employers want to avoid is a disparagement lawsuit. “Disparagement” means saying something about a former employee that isn’t true, that is slanderous, or is intended to hurt the former employee. In order to avoid the possibility of a disparagement lawsuit, many employers opt not to give any references at all. That’s right – no references for anyone. Instead, many employers choose to institute a policy of only confirming dates of employment and salary information. But why not give good references to employees who leave on good terms? Why give no references at all? Employers are cautious about disclosing information about the performance of former employees because of a combination of two things: the need for consistent treatment of all employees to avoid employment discrimination claims and a desire to avoid risking disparagement lawsuits. For example, if an employer discloses information related to a former employee’s poor performance the former employee in question could challenge that claim in court and claim that the employer is slandering them. Or that there was some sort of discrimination (whether there was or not). Even if an employer is perfectly justified in firing a poor performer it is likely that the employer’s attorney will advise them to keep quiet about the reasons for the firing. Why? Because, as you can see there is really no upside to the employer to disclose that information. Attorneys try to minimize risk for their clients. Since disclosing reasons for termination could be considered a risk, it is likely that most employers will simply not do so. On the other hand if an employer gives glowing references for its former employees who were star performers while staying mum about the poor performers, they run the risk that a poor performer could sue them for being inconsistent in their policies. Seem crazy? The “poor” performer’s argument goes like this: the “poor” performer claims that the real reason the employer is refusing to give a reference is based on an unlawful discriminatory reason [race, religion, etc.], and that the employer always gives good references, for example, to ex-employees who are Catholic males under forty with Irish surnames regardless of the quality of their performance, and never gives references to Buddhist females over forty. Well the key to successfully avoiding or defending this type of claim is for employers to treat all employees equally. So, if they say great things when someone calls to check references for “good” performers and say nothing about the “bad” performers, they are not treating everyone equally. So many employers won’t give any kind of reference at all. If you happen to have been fired for poor performance this situation is certainly better for you than some alternatives. So to wrap this up…Can a former employer disclose information about your job performance or the reasons you left the company to someone who calls to check your references? The short answer is: yes they can as long as they are truthful in what they disclose. The longer answer is that most employers choose to minimize the risk of certain types of lawsuits and therefore don’t disclose any performance related information about former employees or the reasons that employees have left the company. If you are leaving a
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It’s been a very full couple of weeks since I last wrote about Molly. I’m pleased to report that she’s doing well. We have had good days and bad days, but thankfully this week has been more good than bad.
After my last post, a few helpful readers suggested removing the rice from her diet. I had been thinking the chicken was possibly an issue (it’s the most common food sensitivity for dogs), but since more than one person pointed out that grains (even “bland” rice) could be hard for her to digest, I took heed and swapped it out for canned Organic pumpkin instead. That seemed to be a good move (Thanks, team!).
We also decided to get a second opinion. Another reader, Sharon, suggested we reach out to Dr. Mona Rosenberg, head of the Veterinary Cancer Group. We had a great consultation — she’s clearly brilliant — but unfortunately, she pretty much agreed with Dr. Chretin’s diagnosis and potential treatment options. The bottom line, from a “Western Medicine” viewpoint is that Molly has a rare cancer and it’s not well-studied, so we just don’t know how it’s likely to react to various treatments. Either of the “best” options (chemotherapy or an anti-angiogenesis drug) might have a decent shot at slowing the cancer down, but if we had to put a number on it, it’s something like 50/50 odds of either one doing much good at all. And of course both options come with possible side effects and a high price tag.
While pondering the options, I also asked Dr. Rosenberg if she could recommend a good holistic veterinarian. Without a moment’s hesitation, she sent me to Dr. Richard Palmquist, at the Centinela Animal Hospital. He’s a past-President of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (and is still on the board of directors). She said he’s “The” guy to see, and even though it’ll probably take a couple of weeks to get an appointment, he’s worth the wait.
The next day I called to make an appointment. The planets aligned, and he had an opening for the next morning!
Dr. Palmquist talks quickly, with an intense, radiant energy and enthusiasm. He started our consultation by playing with Molly for a couple of minutes, and he immediately sensed her intelligence. She liked him, too. He clearly has a way with animals.
I particularly like that he uses both Western and Eastern medicine. After reviewing her records, he posited that the cancer is a result of the digestion issues she’s been having for so long. It makes perfect sense — the organs where the cancer started (pancreas) and metastasized (liver) both primarily help with digestion. So the thinking is that we need to heal her digestive system before we do anything else.
He prescribed two herbal pills (in addition to her current meds, not instead of them): “Six Gentlemen Tea Pills” to help her digestion, and Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, to help fight the cancer. My marching orders were to start her on the Six Gentlemen now, and six days later on the other pills, and come back in three weeks. As soon as I got home I got started.
The next day, she had another bout of both diarrhea and vomiting. It may have been a coincidence, or it may have been that she just wasn’t ready for the Six Gentlemen yet. In any event, we needed to rethink her food. Dr. Palmquist also wanted to steer her away from chicken (it’s a “hot” food in Eastern medicine — not good for the digestion), and we both wanted to get her away from the Gerber Ham Baby Food. He suggested turkey or pork, and I figured that since she liked the pink-slime-ham so much, we should try pork first.
His other suggestion was to give her bone broth. Many of my paleo and grain-free and real food friends have been singing bone broth’s nutritional praises for a long time now*, and it seemed so simple it was brilliant, like the answer was staring us in the face all along!
I’m a big fan of our electric pressure cooker, so I asked Dr. Palmquist if I could use it instead of the 6-hour-plus simmer time he recommended. He told me
“There some magic stuff in those bones, we don’t know exactly what it is, but slow cooking seems important.”
So, slow-cooking it shall be.
I have made chicken stock with leftover chicken carcasses before, but I wasn’t sure if “bone broth” was something different, so I asked Dr. Palmquist how to make bone broth. Turns out, as long as you’ve got lots of bones in the pot, and you simmer it for hours and hours (longer for bigger bones), you’re making bone broth!
Molly
devoured the chicken broth — I’ve never seen her drink that fast. Clearly, another good sign that we’re on the right track.
However
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, she’s been really itchy since we started the pork & bone broth combination. It could be the pork, but more likely it’s the “concentrated” chicken broth. So we’re switching to beef broth. Matty picked up about four pounds of “Step 4” (Pastured and Grass-Fed) Beef Bones from our Whole Foods butcher, and yesterday I started a huge batch of beef broth.**
Molly seems to like it as well, so here’s hoping this will soothe her itching, ease and improve her digestion, and get her back on the path of wellness for as long as possible.
For Molly, I didn't add any vegetables or seasonings, other than bay leaves and vinegar, since we want to keep it as simple as possible for her right now. But for you, I'd suggest adding vegetables, herbs, and spices - a few options are noted in the recipe below.
This recipe can be made on the stove or in a slow-cooker -- but don't try to speed the process with a pressure cooker. The vinegar helps leach out additional nutrients from the bones, and the bay leaves, according to Dr. Palmquist, are "antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and drain the lymphatic system."
2 to 3 pounds of bones 4 to 6 quarts filtered water 2 bay leaves ¼ cup Apple Cider vinegar 2 carrots 2 celery stalks 1 onion, chopped in large chunks (omit for dogs) ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns (omit for dogs) spring of rosemary and/or thyme salt, to taste (can add after cooking, omit for dogs) In the largest pot you own (or in your slow-cooker), add the bones, bay leaves, and vinegar. Fill with water. Bring to a boil, and then skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Turn heat to the lowest possible setting on your stove or slow-cooker, and cover. Let simmer for at least 6 hours and up to 72 hours. The larger the bones, the longer you'll want to go. If you're losing a lot of water to evaporation, it's okay to top off with a little extra boiling water. Allow to cool, and then skim the fat off the top and discard. Strain and pour into jars to store. If storing in the fridge, use within a few days, or store in the freezer for several months.
Two tips for storing in the freezer: First, you can freeze some in ice-cube trays and then you'll have some small amounts ready-to-go when you need them. Second, if it's at room temperature, you can pour into a zip-top bag and freeze flat in the bag -- just be sure the bag is sealed very well!
* When people start extolling one particular food’s virtues for myriad symptoms, that should definitely be a red flag. Although I think it’s likely highly nutritious, keep in mind that bone broth is not a complete cure-all.
** For those of you curious about the nitty-gritty details of Molly’s food: Right now we’re giving her very small meals, four or five times a day, consisting of about 1/2 cup ground pork (cooked in a skillet, fat drained, and then shredded in a food processor), 2 tablespoons Organic pumpkin, and about 1/2 cup of broth. I’m also giving her metoclopramide three times a day to help her motility (crushing the pills and mixing with some broth), and ondansetron in the mornings to help with any potential nausea or vomiting. We may reintroduce omeprazole to help with acid reflux, but I’m holding off for now. Once she’s stable for a few more days — and pooping again! — we may try the Six Gentlemen again, but a little slower this time.
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For Immediate Release Nobel Peace Laureate Campaign Condemns Libyan Antipersonnel Mine Use
GENEVA - The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) strongly condemns the reported use of antipersonnel mines by the Libyan Armed Forces in recent fighting with rebels in eastern Libya.
On 28 March, over 50 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines were discovered near power pylons outside the town of Ajdabiya by electrical technicians. A Human Rights Watch investigation reported that the mines had recently been laid. The Libyan Armed Forces controlled the area from 17–27 March.
“The use of these inherently indiscriminate weapons poses a great threat to civilians,” said Kasia Derlicka, ICBL Director. “Landmines must not be used by anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances.”
The ban on antipersonnel mines has become a widely accepted international norm since the adoption of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Myanmar (Burma) is the only other government in recent years to use antipersonnel mines. Libya is one of 39 states outside that remain outside the treaty.
The ICBL strongly urges Libya to halt any further use of mines; provide information on the location, quantities, and types of all mines laid to enable rapid clearance; and to join the Mine Ban Treaty without delay.
During a meeting on 25 March in Benghazi, Gen. Khalifa Hufter, commander of the rebel forces in eastern Libya, made a pledge not to use any type of mines. The ICBL welcomes the commitment made by Gen. Khalifa Hufter on behalf of the rebel forces based in Benghazi that they will not use landmines.
The ICBL calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to prohibit the use of antipersonnel mines by their forces and urges the clearance and destruction of all landmines in Libya.
A total of 156 nations have joined the Mine Ban Treaty since it was adopted in 1997, while two states have signed., but not yet ratified (Marshall Islands and Poland). Under the Mine Ban Treaty, states must renounce use of antipersonnel mines, destroy their stockpiles of the weapon, clear all their mined areas, and provide comprehensive assistance to landmine survivors.
The ICBL is a network with members in over 90 countries and areas, working for a mine-free world, where landmine survivors can lead fulfilling lives. The ICBL received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to bring about the Mine Ban Treaty.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is committed to an international ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and sale, transfer, or export of antipersonnel landmines.
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VICTORIA — A new drug-pricing agreement and plans to take a hard line with doctors during a coming round of contract negotiations have helped the government shave more than $230 million from its planned health budget for the coming year, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid said Tuesday.
The move represents a significant belt tightening, and is the most dramatic area where government was able to cut its own ministry spending to help balance the budget.
MacDiarmid acknowledged the reductions will be challenging, but made assurances that patient care will not suffer as a result.
“I’m not going to say it’s going to be easy, but what we’ve been able to do is health authorities are going to get the budgets that they expected, so the front line, the place where the direct patient care is being provided, is staying the same,” she said in an interview, adding health was an obvious target for reductions given its more than $16.6 billion budget makes up almost half of direct government spending.
While the health budget will still rise each year, projected increases for the next three years dropped in Tuesday’s budget to about 2.6 per cent each year from a recent annual average of 4.4 per cent.
Previously — between 2005 and 2008 — health spending had grown by about seven per cent per year.
Tuesday’s projections mean the health sector will see an increase for the coming year that is $234 million less than what government projected at this time last year.
B.C. Nurses’ Union president Debra McPherson took aim at the scaled-back increase, saying she does not think the budget will be able to keep pace with inflation and population growth.
“With the government’s determination to limit the growth of health spending in the upcoming years to even less than the historic lows they forecast in last year’s budget, there’s no improvement in store for seniors or in already under-serviced areas, such as mental health and home community health services,” she said in a news release.
“Instead, the budget will force health authorities to continue to run hospitals (at) overcapacity and push people out quickly in order to achieve funding that comes from meeting performance targets.”
MacDiarmid disagreed, saying the ministry has already found savings in a new drug-pricing agreement that lowers the amount government spends on generic drugs, and that it is working on reforms that could help lower the amount government pays each year on laboratory testing.
She also said that the government’s pay-for-performance program, aimed at increasing health care efficiency, has netted significant gains.
“That’s had some quite remarkable results around the province in terms of people finding ways to provide more services for patients, for example, to get more people through the MRI machine, to get sometimes … twice as many surgeries done in the same amount of operating room time just by doing things differently,” she said.
But MacDiarmid added the reductions also require government to take a tough stance in its upcoming negotiations with the B.C. Medical Association.
The province’s deal with doctors runs to March 2016, but can be reopened at the end of March 2014 so both sides can adjust the fees paid to doctors.
In a clear first strike, Tuesday’s budget documents promised measures to “reduce the rate of growth of MSP expenditures, which cover the costs of most physicians and other health care providers,” though it did not provide any details.
BCMA president Dr. Shelley Ross said she expects talks to begin in earnest after the May election, but would not say what she thinks of the government’s hard-line approach.
“We have this process in place, so we’ll work our way through this process and do the best we can for the doctors of B.C. to be able to provide good services to the citizens of British Columbia,” she said.
“I think it’s going to be a tough negotiation.”
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in preparing contracts with group purchasing. Learn more.
Welcome to the Responsible Purchasing Guide for Toner Cartridges. This Guide provides information and recommendations on responsible use, purchasing, and disposal of toner cartridges for laser printers, copiers, and fax machines.
Remanufactured toner and ink jet cartridges (remans) reduce waste, save natural resources, and cut costs by reusing empty cores and parts rather than disposing single-use products from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Remanufactured cartridges are available for laser monochrome and color as well as ink jets. Monochrome laser remans are the most applicable for wide-spread adoption by institutional purchasers and are the focus of this Guide.
Each year, over 350 million toner cartridges go to landfills and incinerators in the United States. A typical OEM toner cartridge consumes 5 to 9 pounds of virgin material in the production process and is composed of 40% plastic and 40% metal. Remans reuse this plastic and metal and save other materials and energy needed to produce a comparable OEM cartridge. Cartridge remanufacturers in the United States reuse over 35 thousand tons of plastic and save over 400,000 barrels of oil each year. Since cartridges may be remanufactured more than once, resource intensity is reduced further with each additional remanufacture by extending the total life of the unit.
The cost of remans is conservatively estimated to be 30% to 60% less than new cartridges on a cost-per-copy basis. Remans are suitable for use in most printers, copiers and other machines using laser cartridges. Reman products offer equivalent quality, performance, and yield compared to OEM standards. During remanufacture, cartridges are disassembled and cleaned. Worn, defective, and high-usage parts are replaced. Units are refilled with toner, reassembled, tested for quality, and resold. Purchasers should specify the STMC testing protocol in order to guarantee product quality and performance.
There are an estimated 2,000 cartridge remanufacturers in the United States who produce over 27 million remans each year. Remans are available from most national office supply vendors as well as local vendors throughout the country. One simple way of switching is to ask suppliers to auto-substitute remans any time an order is placed for new cartridges and to train purchasers on the use of this auto-substitute feature. In addition to using remans, cartridges should be recycled at the end of their useful life. Sourcing from local remanufacturers and recyclers may provide additional environmental benefits and contribute to the local economy.
Compared to OEM cartridges, remanufactured toner cartridges reduce energy and resource intensity and limit waste, while offering immediate cost savings, comparable quality, and ready availability – a straightforward case of win-win for the environment and the bottom line.
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http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1592
Appears in Collections: Faculty of Social Sciences Journal Articles Peer Review Status: Refereed Title: The cultural and political context of the lives of people with dementia in Kerala, India Authors: McCabe, Louise Contact Email: l.f.m.mccabe@stir.ac.uk Keywords: culture
demographic change
service development
dementia
Issue Date: Feb-2006 Publisher: Sage Publications Citation: McCabe L (2006) The cultural and political context of the lives of people with dementia in Kerala, India, Dementia, 5 (1), pp. 117-136. Abstract: This article draws on available literature and empirical data to discuss the experiences of people with dementia in Kerala, India. India is currently undergoing considerable demographic change. The state of Kerala in the south-west of the country is demographically advanced in comparison with other parts of India and as such is experiencing demographic change and modernization ahead of other parts of the country. The proportion and numbers of older people in Kerala are increasing, which in turn is leading to a higher prevalence of dementia. This article reviews existing literature to describe the context for people with dementia in Kerala. It also draws on empirical data to further illustrate and explore their experiences. People with dementia in Kerala are disadvantaged, as the process of modernization is breaking down traditional forms of care ahead of any significant service provision to replace them. Recent development of services in Kerala aims to provide quality care for people with dementia to counteract these demographic changes. Type: Journal Article URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1592 DOI Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1471301206059758 Rights: The publisher does not allow this work to be made publicly available in this Repository. Please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author; you can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. Affiliation: Dementia Knowledge Exchange
File Description Size Format mccabe06.pdf 127.21 kB Adobe PDF Under Embargo until 31/12/2999 Request a copy Note: If any of the files in this item are currently embargoed, you can request a copy directly from the author by clicking the padlock icon above. However, this facility is dependant on the depositor still being contactable at their original email address.
Items in the Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
If you believe that any material held in STORRE infringes copyright, please contact library@stir.ac.uk providing details and we will remove the Work from public display in STORRE and investigate your claim.
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E-Taxation: An Introduction to the Use of Tax XML for Corporate Tax Reporting
Vikramaditya Pant (Villanova University, USA), M. Susan Stiner (Villanova University, USA) and William P. Wagner (Villanova University, USA)
Copyright: © 2005
|Pages:
15
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59140-819-2.ch009
Abstract
Online tax systems are rapidly replacing paper-based tax reporting systems. Promising many advantages over the traditional method of hard copy tax filing, these systems promise faster process, lower costs and increased efficiency. Using a specific language from the Extensible Markup Language family called TaxXML, TIGERS, a government subcommittee for the establishment of electronic taxation standards is looking to revolutionize the way government administers taxation. TaxXML draws upon the concepts and constructs of basic XML and utilizes tax-related vocabularies to create a standardized and systematized framework of electronic tax preparation and reporting. Having said that electronic tax reporting is advantageous over traditional paper-based reporting, there are further advantages of using a TaxXML-based electronic system than one that is engineered using non-standard proprietary technologies. While it is still in its early stages ofdevelopment, it is unclear how hard the government will impose this technology onto the industry and also how the industry will react to this new technology. This paper will provide some background for the study of TaxXML and will suggest why TaxXML is a very significant development in the realm of online tax systems.
Complete Chapter List
Preface
Mehdi Khosrow-Pour
Chapter 1
Robert MacGregor, Lejla Vrazalic
Chapter 2
Yuan Gao, Marios Koufaris, Robert H. Ducoffe
Chapter 3
Shirley Ann Becker, Anthony Berkemeyer
Chapter 4
Luiz Antonio Joia
Chapter 5
Deborah E. Rosen, Elizabeth F. Purinton, Scott J. Lloyd
Chapter 6
Petra Schubert, Uwe Leimstoll
Chapter 7
David Tucker, Anthony Lafferty
Chapter 8
William Golden, Martin Hughes, Murray Scott
Chapter 9
Vikramaditya Pant, M. Susan Stiner, William P. Wagner
Chapter 10
Felix B. Tan, Paul Sutherland
Chapter 12
Liz Lee-Kelley, Thomas James
Chapter 13
Stuart J. Barnes, Richard Vidgen
Chapter 14
Peter R. Gibson, Janet Edwards
Chapter 15
Ashis K. Pani, Amit Agrahari
Chapter 16
Sushil K. Sharma, Jatinder N.D. Gupta
Chapter 17
Mary Tate, Beverley G. Hope, Brent Coker
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This USA Today story has more information on the legislatation that pass the House and Senate and would require the FAA to ensure ways for drones to safely share airspace with piloted aircraft. This, of course, also affects RC airplanes and helicopters.
Within a few years, that flying object overhead might not be a bird or a plane, but an unmanned aircraft.
Drones, perhaps best known for their combat missions in Afghanistan, are increasingly looking to share room in U.S. skies with passenger planes. And that’s prompting safety concerns.
Right now, remote-controlled drones are used in the U.S. mostly by the military and Customs and Border Patrol in restricted airspace.
Now, organizations from police forces searching for missing persons to academic researchers counting seals on the polar ice cap are eager to launch drones weighing a few pounds to some the size of a jetliner in the same airspace as passenger planes.
On Monday, the Senate sent to President Obama legislation that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to devise ways for that to happen safely in three years.
“It’s about coming up with a plan where everybody can get along,” says Doug Marshall, a New Mexico State University professor helping develop regulations and standards. “Nobody wants to get hurt. Nobody wants to cause an accident.”
The drones’ appeal is they can fly anywhere it’s too dangerous or remote for people, and they cost less than piloted helicopters or planes.
In Mesa County, Colo., for example, sheriff’s deputies have negotiated a special agreement with the FAA to fly a 2-pound helicopter up to 400 feet above ground so a camera can snap pictures of crime scenes or accidents. An infrared camera helps deputies track a missing person or a suspect in an overgrown ravine.
“It’s a tool in the toolbox,” says Ben Miller, the program’s manager.
‘Huge potential market’
One reason advocates expect police to adopt drones is they’re less expensive than manned helicopters. A Draganflyer X6 drone such as the one Mesa uses costs about $36,000. Another squad car, for instance, costs about $50,000, Miller says.
“There is a huge potential market for civilian and commercial uses of unmanned aircraft systems,” says Ben Gielow, general counsel for the industry group Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
The market will almost double over the next decade to $11.3 billion, according to a March estimate by the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va., which analyzes the aerospace and defense industries.
Commercial pilots have raised safety concerns. Although pilots are required to spend time flying planes and are tested on their abilities to hold licenses, no similar rules exist for the controllers of remote aircraft. Likewise, the FAA doesn’t certify drones like passenger planes against engine failure or wings falling off.
Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, says the people who remotely control aircraft should meet the same training and qualifications as regular pilots. His group is also concerned about controllers losing contact with drones.
“We have a long way to go,” Moak says of having drones fly safely with passenger jets.
Despite their many successful flights in Afghanistan, drones occasionally crash.
In August, for instance, an unmanned Shadow drone collided with a C-130 cargo plane. The cargo plane had to make an emergency landing at a base in eastern Afghanistan, but nobody was injured.
A drone occasionally goes awry here, too. In August 2010, the military considered shooting down a Navy Fire Scout drone that wandered close to restricted airspace near Washington, D.C., after controllers lost their link to the drone. But controllers regained contact.
Smaller drones need rules
The legislation calls for the FAA to set up six experimental locations where drones can fly. Competition for them and the high-paying jobs among researchers and manufacturers they’re expected to attract has already begun.
“Members are already jockeying for their particular area,” says Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, co-chairman of a House caucus of 49 members who advocate using drones.
The legislation also calls on the FAA to establish rules for smaller drones weighing up to 55 pounds within 27 months. The schedule for all drones is Sept. 30, 2015.
A key unresolved question is how to avoid collisions. The philosophy since the Wright brothers has been for pilots to “see and avoid” other aircraft. Without a pilot on board, the strategy for drones is “sense and avoid,” perhaps giving off a signal that other planes receive.
“You’ve got to find a way to apply today’s technology to regulations that were written many years ago,” says Bobby Sturgell, a former FAA head and now a senior vice president for Rockwell Collins, which makes navigational and other equipment for drones. “The message behind the legislation is, ‘Let’s make this happen.’ “
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In
Fifth Third Bancorp v. Dudenhoeffer, 573 U.S. __, 134 S. Ct. 2459 (2014), a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court held that fiduciaries of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) are not entitled to a special presumption that their decisions to hold or buy employer stock satisfy the duty of prudence imposed on fiduciaries under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Previously, several courts of appeals had recognized that such decisions were entitled to a presumption of prudence and applied this presumption at the pleading stage. This frequently resulted in the dismissal of claims by plan participants — commonly referred to as stock-drop claims — alleging that ESOP fiduciaries had acted imprudently by retaining investments in employer stock despite a precipitous decline in the stock’s value. While rejecting the presumption of prudence, the Court articulated pleading standards that, according to many commentators, could be an equally effective barrier to stock-drop claims. However, a recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit applying these standards suggests that this assessment may have been premature.
The plaintiffs in
Dudenhoeffer were former employees of Fifth Third Bancorp who participated in a profit-sharing plan sponsored by Fifth Third. Under the plan, participants were allowed to invest their contributions in different funds, including an ESOP that invested exclusively in Fifth Third common stock. Although matching contributions made by Fifth Third were automatically invested in the ESOP, participants also had the right to move these contributions to the other funds. The price of Fifth Third common stock declined 74 percent between July 2007 and September 2009, when the plaintiffs filed suit against Fifth Third, its CEO, and members of Fifth Third’s Pension, Profit Sharing and Medical Plan Committee. The plaintiffs alleged that by July 2007, the defendants knew or should have known, based on inside information as well as public reporting on the subprime mortgage industry, that Fifth Third common stock was overvalued. They also alleged that the defendants breached their fiduciary duty of prudence by failing to sell the stock held by the ESOP and failing to prevent further investments in the stock.
The District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the prudence claim. The district court determined that, because the stock fund was an ESOP, the plan fiduciaries were entitled to a presumption that their decision to allow the ESOP to remain invested in the Fifth Third common stock was prudent. The district court further determined that this presumption applied at the pleading stage, and that the facts alleged in the plaintiffs' complaint — which indicated that, despite incurring substantial losses with respect to its portfolio of subprime mortgage loans, Fifth Third remained a viable business — were insufficient to overcome the presumption. The Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed, holding that the presumption of prudence did not apply at the pleading stage, the plaintiffs had met their burden by alleging facts sufficient to establish that a fiduciary breach had occurred, and there was a causal connection between the breach and the losses suffered by the plan.
On appeal, the Supreme Court held that ERISA did not create a special presumption of prudence for ESOP fiduciaries but rather, “the same standard of prudence applies to all ERISA fiduciaries, including ESOP fiduciaries, except that an ESOP fiduciary is under no duty to diversify the ESOP’s holdings.” Although some circuit courts had justified the presumption as a way of balancing an ESOP fiduciary’s duty to act prudently with its duty to act in accordance with the terms of a plan’s governing documents, the Court observed that, under the statute, the latter duty applied only insofar as the plan documents were consistent with ERISA. Accordingly, the Court noted, “the duty of prudence trumps the instructions of a plan document, such as an instruction to invest exclusively in employer stock … .”
While the Court held that ESOP fiduciaries are not entitled to a presumption of prudence with respect to investments in employer stock, it did recognize the need for meaningful protections “to weed out meritless lawsuits.” To address that need, the Court established the following standards to be applied by courts when considering motions to dismiss stock-drop claims:
First, where the employer stock is publicly traded, allegations that an ESOP fiduciary should have recognized from publicly available information alone that stock was overvalued “are implausible as a general rule, at least in the absence of special circumstances.” In the Court’s view, ESOP fiduciaries could not reasonably be expected to outperform the market based solely on their analysis of publicly available information, and thus it would be prudent for such fiduciaries to rely on the market price of publicly traded employer stock.
Second, to state a claim based on an ESOP fiduciary’s failure to act on nonpublic information, plaintiffs must
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plausibly allege both that the ESOP fiduciary should have taken an alternative action that would not violate securities laws and that such alternative action would not do more harm than good to the ESOP.
Third, when evaluating claims predicated on nonpublic information, courts should apply the following additional principles:
Allegations that an ESOP fiduciary acted imprudently by failing to sell employer stock based on nonpublic information do not state a claim, because such selling would violate insider trading laws; and In evaluating claims that an ESOP fiduciary possessing nonpublic information acted imprudently by failing to refrain from making additional investments in employer stock or failing to publicly disclose that information, courts should consider the extent to which imposing an ERISA-based duty to take such actions would conflict with insider trading and corporate disclosure requirements under federal securities laws (or the objectives of those laws) and whether the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that a prudent fiduciary in the defendant’s position could not have concluded that such actions would do more harm than good by driving down the value of the stock already held by the ESOP.
As noted by many Court observers, these standards, if applied strictly, would establish a formidable barrier to stock-drop claims. Nevertheless, variations in how rigorously such standards are applied by the lower courts are inevitable. For example, in
Harris v. Amgen, Inc., 770 F.3d 865 (9th Cir. 2014), a case that was remanded to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for reconsideration in light of the Dudenhoeffer decision, the circuit court reaffirmed an earlier ruling that the plaintiffs had sufficiently alleged that the defendants acted imprudently. The plaintiffs argued that [the] defendants should not have continued to allow participants in plans sponsored by Amgen, Inc. to invest in Amgen stock knowing that the company had engaged in illegal marketing and sales of off-label drugs.
While disagreeing with the defendants’ claim on remand that
Dudenhoeffer. had established higher pleading standards for stock-drop claims, the circuit court concluded that even if this were the case, its prior ruling was consistent with those standards. But the circuit court’s analysis in Amgen bears little resemblance to the close scrutiny of prudence claims envisioned by the Supreme Court in Dudenhoeffer. For example, the circuit court readily concluded that the plaintiffs had alleged plausible alternative actions the defendants could have taken that would not violate federal securities laws but did not separately consider whether imposing a duty under ERISA to take such actions would further the objectives of such laws. The circuit court also determined that it was at least plausible that the defendants could have taken these actions without causing undue harm to plan participants. But the pleading standards described in Dudenhoeffer clearly require that a court go further and determine whether the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that a prudent fiduciary in the defendants’ position could not have concluded that the alternative actions would do more harm than good.
Although
Dudenhoeffer’s rejection of a presumption of prudence might be viewed as a setback to ESOP fiduciaries, the Court established a potentially effective tool for ESOP fiduciaries to challenge stock-drop allegations with respect to publicly traded stock. As demonstrated in Amgen, however, how rigorously that framework is applied and the extent to which courts conduct the “careful, context-sensitive scrutiny of a complaint’s allegations” contemplated by Dudenhoeffer remain to be seen and will be closely watched issues in 2015. In the meantime, plan sponsors should re-evaluate the practice of appointing investment committee members who are in possession of nonpublic information, and consider whether they should engage an independent fiduciary to manage employer stock funds.
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Accuride Corporation (NYSE:ACW) is a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicle products. Accuride supplies many of its products to some of the world's largest truck and bus makers including Paccar, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCAR), Navistar International (NYSE:NAV), and Daimler (OTCPK:DDAIF), which makes trucks under the Freightliner brand. The product line includes: truck bodies, wheels, components and assemblies, chassis parts, and other related items. Accuride has four major business units which includes:
Gunite Corporation, which makes brake drums, disc wheel hubs, spoke wheels, rotors, and slack adjusters. Accuride Wheels, which offers wheels for trucks, buses, commercial light trucks, and military vehicles. Imperial Group, which manufactures truck body and chassis parts, including bumpers, battery and tool boxes, bus chassis assemblies, fuel tanks, roofs, fenders, and more. Brillion Iron Works, which makes castings for heavy and medium-duty trucks, as well as for industrial machinery, and construction equipment.
Accuride has posted losses in recent years, but the company has implemented new programs to streamline operations and reduce expenses. The strategy has been dubbed 'fix and grow' which covers both the goal of fixing profit margin issues as well as growing revenues. The increased focus on these goals already seems to be leading to improved financial results. For the second quarter of 2014, Accuride reported net income of $5.1 million, or 11 cents per share which compares favorably with a loss of just over $5 million in the same period last year. Furthermore, the company raised full-year 2014 estimates for revenues to come in at $675 to $700 million which is an increase of $25 million from previous estimates. Accuride also raised adjusted EBITDA estimates by $10 million, and the new range is between $70 to $80 million.
The trucking industry does appear to be experiencing a turnaround. Truck companies like Paccar have been reporting improved financial results which could mean the industry is finally starting to grow. Second quarter net sales and financial services revenues were $4.57 billion, compared to $4.3 billion in 2013, which represents a 6% increase. If that type of growth continues, it should benefit Accuride since Paccar is one of their largest customers.
As the chart above shows, Accuride shares have been in a trading range of around $4.50 to $5.80 for the past few months. The stock is now at the lower end of that recent trading range which makes it an even more attractive time to buy.
Potential downside risks appear limited at this time. Accuride has been posting losses in the past, which is a potential downside risk for investors to consider. However, as detailed above, in the most recent quarter it posted a solid profit which could mean this company has turned the corner in terms of profitability. The improved results being reported by companies like Paccar could also be a sign that Accuride now has the wind to its back. Furthermore, with the stock now trading near the 200-day moving average which is $4.55 per share, the potential downside risks could be limited since this is typically a major support level. The 50-day moving average is $4.93 per share which is where the stock could rebound towards in the coming days. That would give investors who buy now at around the $4.55 level, potential gains of about 8% and of course the longer-term upside could be much greater.
A number of analysts see upside potential in Accuride shares and are increasingly bullish on a continued turnaround. Analysts at CRT Capital recently upgraded this stock and gave it a buy rating with a $6 price target. This would suggest significant upside potential of nearly 35%. Zacks Investment Research has a buy rating on this stock. Finally, it's worth noting that George Putnam of the "Turnaround Letter", picked Accuride as a favorite turnaround stock for 2014. The stocks he picked in 2013 rose an average of 90% last year, so his track record at picking turnaround stocks is very impressive.
Here are some key points for Accuride Corp:
Current share price: $4.60 The 52 week range is $3.10 to $5.91 Annual dividend: n/a
Data is sourced from Yahoo Finance. No guarantees or representations
are made. Hawkinvest is not a registered investment advisor and does not provide specific investment advice. The information is for informational purposes only. You should always consult a financial advisor. Disclosure: The author is long ACW.
The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha
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What with the surprise emergence of prolonged fasting as a hot new diet trend this year, we shouldn’t really be surprised by any particular way people begin eating nowadays. One need only see a blockbuster cookbook dismissing most solid foods as poison to deduce that the way people eat is getting weirder.
Hence, fruitarianism, a fringe diet that’s been popular with particularly acetic hippies for several decades (and, arguably, has its roots in the early stages of human evolution) but has gained traction recently thanks to a new posterboy:
Michael Arnstein, a 36-year-old gem salesman (of course) regarded as one of the best ultra-marathoners in the world.
Arnstein eats dozens of pieces of seasonal fruit a day, followed with a salad at dinner (dressed with “blended oranges”). Like many proponents of unusual diets, he claims the diet has had a slew of dramatic positive effects on his health, ranging from an absence of any and all body odor, to better vision and mental clarity, to decreased body fat (obviously) and less earwax.
Arnstein’s life has been so changed by the diet that in 2011, he organized a “fruit festival,” which has seen a steady increase in attendance since. This year, apparently something like 600 people showed up… despite the $1,000 entry fee.
And what exactly happens at a fruit festival?
New York Magazine sent one Grub Street reporter to investigate:
The seven-day fruit festival is a serious undertaking: Arnstein’s budget runs upwards of $600,000, including $150,000 for fruits and vegetables. Over the course of the week, the fruitarians in attendance will go through more than 100,000 pounds of produce, including 15,000 pounds of watermelon.
Mornings start with milk from fresh coconuts — “I’ve opened at least 1,000 this week,” says a fit, shirtless dude before returning to the task. Throughout the day, everyone eats fruit constantly. There were oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, watermelon, grapes, apples, litchi, passionfruit, dragonfruit, and lots more. For dinner, head chef Alicia Ojeda — a former Dreamworks Studio executive chef — preps things like a “high-end” salad bar with “honey mustard” dressing consisting of sweet dates blended with mustard seeds that have been soaked overnight to activate enzyme inhibitors.
When people aren’t consuming massive amounts of raw fruit and vegetables, they attend lectures, participate in cooking classes and workout. There are also, predictably, drum circles.
As for the kind of people who’d spend $1000 to eat a bunch of fruit with other fruit eaters, they range from hippies (doye) to fitness freaks eager to uncover the next possible source of superhuman ability.
…Mainly hippies, though.
While the idea of eating nothing but raw fruit and vegetables isn’t terribly compelling to us, neither does it sound as deleterious as many currently-popular fad diets. Still, it never fails to amaze us how rabid people get on the subject of nutrition–not in terms of weightloss, but in terms of the philosophical/political/moral weight people will graft onto the way they eat. No diet is so bizarre it doesn’t have its own fanatics; nor so inoffensive that people won’t be frothing at the mouth about what an aberration it is. How about we all just drink Soylent and get along?
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Simplemente Madera logs piled at La Rosita sawmill in the eastern autonomous region of Nicaragua.
SIMPLEMENTE MADERA GROUP Builds New Infrastructure For Integrated Operations
by Gary Miller
Managua, Nicaragua - Simplemente Madera Group Ltd. is a vertically-integrated hardwood timbergrowing, processing, product manufacturing and sales enterprise. With headquarters in Managua, Nicaragua, Simplemente Madera Group has developed expertise in a broad range of disciplines, which are used in the companies’ own businesses and offered to others on a consulting and project basis.
Simplemente Madera Group’s holdings include about 30,000 acres of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests, three FSC-certified plantations located in climatically-diverse areas of Nicaragua, several tree nurseries and one of the most extensive wood-processing and manufacturing facilities in Central America, producing both dried sawnwood and hardwood products like furniture, doors, decking, flooring, moldings, and modular housing.
Simplemente Madera air-drying facility located at the company factory in Managua, Nicaragua.
Simplemente Madera Group consolidates the business activities that were started in Nicaragua in 1998 by French agronomist Clément Ponçon, who initially established the business by purchasing 5,000 acres of fertile land for tree farming, reforestation and conservation. Together with his sons, Eric and Arnold, Mr. Ponçon began growing native trees species, such as Roble (a South American Oak), Laurel, Pochote and African Mahogany.
Matthew Falkiner, an innovative English architect and furniture designer, became a partner in the business to start its successful furniture design, manufacturing and retail businesses, as well as their architecture, resort design and development and modular housing enterprises. And Jack Donenfeld, David Glossinger and John Warrington became partners in Simplemente Madera Group to help expand the business with new capital and to develop its international business connections and reputation.
Recently, Donenfeld, Glossinger and Warrington arranged a large investment in the company by the World Bank’s private investment division, International Finance Corporation. This new capital has enabled the company to acquire significant additional timberlands in the eastern part of Nicaragua, as discussed below. “The World Bank is exactly the right kind of investor for our business,” said Jack Donenfeld. “They’re well-capitalized, understand the timber industry and appreciate the challenges and opportunities involved in our work.”
Simplemente Madera sign from their booth at the High Point Furniture Show in North Carolina.
With three plantations located in Mataglapa, Nagarote and another one near San Juan Del Sur, the Ponçons have planted over three million trees, which Simplemente Madera Group has now started to harvest. The plantation trees at San Juan del Sur share over 3,000 acres of land with Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge, the destination eco-resort opened by the Ponçons in 2004. In addition to providing guests with world-class accommodations in an incomparable beachfront setting, guests have the opportunity to learn about reforestation, tree farming, sustainable agriculture and traditional farming techniques. Named after Alabama Senator John Morgan, who championed Nicaragua as the route for the trans-oceanic canal that was eventually built in Panama, this remarkable resort is located on the southwest coast of Nicaragua and about two and a half hours south of Managua, Nicaragua’s capital (less than an hour from the Costa Rican border).
Jack Donenfeld and John Warrington, who are now Simplemente Madera Group officers and directors, first met Clemént Ponçon at Morgan’s Rock when they visited Nicaragua with a client of their Cincinnati, Ohio-based international business planning and consulting firm. When a discussion about soybean, coffee and corn farms progressed to sustainable forestry, they began a friendship that led to consolidating Ponçon’s businesses into the enterprise that today is called Simplemente Madera Group.
The Simplemente Madera Team in Washington, D.C.: John Warrington, Eric Poncon, Clement Poncon, Jack Donenfeld and Arnold Poncon.
In September, 2007, Hurricane Felix, a category 5 hurricane, ripped through the northeastern corner of Nicaragua, leaving over three million acres of devastated forests in its wake. The Simplemente Madera Group, with government encouragement and support, took advantage of the situation, purchasing about 30,000 acres of rainforest, where they have been busy harvesting the old-growth hardwoods that once stood. “We had a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a vast area with significant numbers of valuable tree species. We moved quickly and have been rewarded for our efforts,” said David Glossinger.
The partners in Simplemente Madera Group, now including the World Bank, have invested not only in additional timberlands, but also in the infrastructure and equipment needed to conduct the company’s
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sophisticated logging and wood processing operations. This infrastructure includes new roads, offices, food service facilities, a fuel depot and housing barracks for the firm’s 150 employees that operate the company’s sawmill in La Rosita. “La Rosita is literally in the middle of the rainforest, where no infrastructure previously existed,” said John Warrington. “It’s been a dramatic process, and we’ve devoted a great deal of time to logistical and operational planning there. This has laid a solid base for our success.”
The company’s manufacturing facility is in Ciudad Sandino, about six miles west of Managua. This modern furniture and wood processing facility is on twenty acres, with two buildings that have over 100,000 square feet under cover for manufacturing purposes. The company has invested in new sawmills, kilns and other machinery needed to process the large quantities of hardwoods trucked to facility.
Simplemente Madera’s drying capacity exceeds 700,000 board feet per month.
Recently, Simplemente Madera Group installed six new drying kilns at the manufacturing facility to add to the existing three kilns, increasing their total drying capacity to over 700,000 board feet per month. And they are making arrangements to install an additional twelve kilns, each with a dry kiln capacity of 30,000 board feet per charge.
All of the exotic hardwoods harvested from Simplemente Madera Group’s lands are processed into sawnwood for sale as dimensional and structural lumber, decking, flooring, mouldings, doors, furniture, veneer and veneer logs. The firm’s wood products are sold in both the domestic and international markets and include not only Roble (a South American Oak), Laurel, Pochote and African Mahogany harvested from the original plantations, but also Jatoba, Ipe, Cedro Macho, Nanciton and Tamarindo that are being extracted from the rainforest areas hit by Hurricane Felix in the eastern part of the country.
Jack Donenfeld and John Warrington, who have been integrally involved in Simplemente Madera Group’s organizational matters, travel to Nicaragua about once a month from their offices in the U.S. John Warrington said, “We are continually working on operations to make them as efficient as possible, constantly developing and evolving.
Simplemente Madera Group employs over 400 employees. Key personnel include: President and Director Clemént Ponçon; Vice President and Director Arnold Ponçon; Director Eric Ponçon; Secretary and Director Jack Donenfeld; Treasurer and Director John Warrington; and Achitecture, Design, Furniture and Housing Division President and Director Matthew Falkiner.
One of Simplemente Madera’s nine drying kilns at their factory in Managua, Nicaragua.
Simplemente Madera Group has supplied their sawnwood and wood products to some fascinating places. For example, the company provided all of the hardwood flooring for the King of Morocco’s new house and all the furniture installed in a 38-room boutique hotel in New York City. In addition, Simplemente Madera Group’s wood products have gone into housing and condominium projects all over Central America and Europe.
Simplemente Madera Group’s forestry management has been awarded international certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), following an intense assessment of its operation by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood® Program, an accredited certifier for the FSC. “The FSC is an international non-profit organization founded to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests,” Jack Donenfeld said. “FSC certification assures our customers and clients that economic, environmental and social factors are integrated into our forestry management. We care about Nicaragua’s people and its flora and fauna, and we believe that there is an increasing demand for certified timber and wood products made from it.”
Simplemente Madera extracts Nanciton, among other species, from the rainforest areas devastated by Hurricane Felix in the eastern autonomous region of Nicaragua.
Conservationists and stewards of the land, the partners in Simplemente Madera have already begun replanting in the rainforest areas. The stewardship practices in place at their factory, sawmills, plantations and the rainforest operations are adopted according to the regimen and protocols required for FSC certification.
Timber buyers in Europe, North America, South America and Asia frequently ask for FSC certification when ordering forest products so they can assure their customers about the origin of the products they are buying. FSC certification recognizes the strength of Simplemente Madera Group’s commitment to sustainability and best practices and reflects the excellent skills of the company’s forestry and other staff.
For more information about Simplemente Madera Group and its products and services, please visit them at http://www.SimplementeMaderacom or contact them directly through John Warrington (513.833.3
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338, JWarrington @SimplementeMadera.com) or Jack Donenfeld (513.708.6500, JDonenfeld@SimplementeMaderacom).
Simplemente Madera has invested in new sawmills, kilns and other machinery needed to process the large quantities of hardwoods trucked from La Rosita to their factory in Managua, Nicaragua.Life can seem so hard when your relationships are out of balance, especially when someone is always jumping over your fence and intruding in your life with unwelcome expectations, criticism, or impositions. It happens to all of us at some time or another and it can turn our lives upside down. We all want to be valued, respected and loved by the people in our lives, but the truth is that has to start within ourselves first.
The key to great relationships, including the one we have with ourselves, is good fences, or boundaries. Building healthy boundaries with each person in your life creates a sense of wellbeing, a solid respect for yourself and others, and it allows you to be your most confident and genuine self.
Terry Barnett-Martin’s award winning book, Tending Fences is a timelessly insightful collection of parables that explore relationship boundaries through the adventures of its main character, Avery Soul. Avery discovers that in order to feel safe and happy, he must build and maintain the fences that run between his ranch and his neighbors’ land.
"Good fences make good neighbors.” Robert Frost
“Tending Fences is quietly brilliant. The stories get into your heart, sort out complicated relationship boundaries, and make a real difference.”
Ann F.
“I read Tending Fences when I was struggling to find a balance in some difficult relationships in my life. These parables put them into a concrete light, and by seeing them that way I was able to create the boundaries I needed to make my life more secure. This is a book you want on your bookshelf to go back to again and again.”
Phyllis L.
“What I appreciate about Tending Fences is that the stories are not about blaming someone for problems in a relationship. Rather, they are focused on fixing or building a fence that creates a safer, more respectful connection.”
Joseph F. M.
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I feel compelled to continue the discussion of content and its management in view of the WikiLeaks dump. A real concern of mine – and this is totally from a business-IT management/content point-of-view, it is not meant as a political statement – is a high-profile government spokesman’s comments today in a very high-profile news venue. He stated that the United States did not have to fear a guy who plunked down $35 for a web presence, with a laptop. You can Google to identify the spokesman and his exact comments if you wish – for our discussion here, it is merely a springboard… a recognition of a lagging appreciation for the accelerating environment and any content’s vulnerability within.
On the contrary, a web presence (actually, mere internet connectivity) a laptop, and a modicum of ability, are all that it takes today to create real damage. At some point, absent imaginative protections, someone is going to take an entire power plant offline – or worse – with a laptop and internet connectivity. As stated in I.T. WARS: Greater power is coming to smaller and smaller groups; even to the individual. As the size of any group is reduced – with attendant
increase of power – counter-protections, debated actions, and measures of control diminish, and potentials for harm increase.
A BTW tenet: In the realm of risk, unmanaged possibilities become probabilities.
As to content and control, I believe that small and medium business must have well-articulated and documented content management (CM) policies in place, with defined measures of protection. Large business will be amending and constantly evolving their policies. In fact, a triumvirate of policies should serve the organization,
all organizations, well:
Content Management – Acceptable Use – Security
Let’s save the overall Security Policy ‘till later – it’s an overarching umbrella that includes physical assets as well. All of these policies and plans can refer to one another, particularly to specific reinforcing parts. For now, let’s briefly discuss
Content Management vs. Acceptable Use: Sooner or later, every organization is going to have some measure of policy for content’s management, and that measure will likely increase as time goes by. It is important to note here what a CM policy is, and what it is not – or at least in my view, what it should be, and should not be.
It is for leveraging content, exposing and reducing specific liabilities, and for taking action on content in an administrative sense: enabling access, use and leverage; reporting on; archiving; and destroying. It is not the central policy regarding definitions and expectations of appropriate use, and regarding actions taken in circumstances of willful abuse of content. Content management measures certainly do help to identify and expose abuse (as well as limit it); however, the definitions of acceptable use, abuse, and measures regarding them, will be contained in the organization’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Jumping ahead slightly, this Acceptable Use Policy details appropriate use of
all business resources, tools, and assets – including information (content). Your CM policy can point to the Acceptable Use Policy (or contain extracts from it) regarding things such as the improper access, accumulation, dissemination, removal, and destruction of information. But again, content management helps us to identify and leverage content toward a positive purpose; helps to limit liability and exposure; and to take administrative action on content.
In the next days, we’ll continue the discussion, and articulate the “mechanical” components of a CM system, in order to set policy.
NP: Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin’ (LP), original vinyl, Odeon.
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Dear Swim Profesor:
I hope you can help w/more advice. I”m still a beginner swimmer. My teacher told me I need to work on my kicking, and I’d like to get some fins. Saw some lightweight flippers at Todd & Moore, and then just regular swim fins (I guess). I think I need “short fins” or something like that. Suggestions? I haven’t looked at Dick’s Sporting Goods yet, but might tomorrow. thank you.
– Roxanne D.
Dear Roxanne,
Swim fins can be helpful for all swimming ability levels. Personally, I would strongly recommend the Finis Zoomers. For others reading this blog, for a limited time (while they last), we have children’s zoomers on sale right now for just $12.99 regular $37.95! Here are the reasons why I prefer the short blade Zoomers over other versions.
1.
Short Blade – Long blade fins do have a purpose, for instance, scuba diving. If I have to get away from a shark, I want the longest blade possible, LOL 🙂 But seriously, long blade fins are a nice training tool for elite competitive swimmers for “sprint assisted” swimming. Research shows that one way to improve sprint speed is to train at speeds faster than you can normally go. The long fins allow for that. Of course there are other ways to do that too, i.e., sprint assisted work with tubing. But long fins can serve that purpose for a coach who has lots of swimmers in the pool.
So why do I recommend the short blade fins for swimming instructors and their swim lesson students? Very simple. If you study closely the movement pattern of the kick with a short blade fin, it will resemble very closely the movement pattern with no fins at all. ON THE OTHER HAND, if you observe a kick with the long blade fin, the kick is a little different. For competitive swimming especially, when races are won and lost by fractions of a second, you would clearly want to gain a training edge. So when you are training with fins, you would ideally replicate that movement as closely as possible (I will touch on swim fins for beginners again at the end of the blog).
2.
Negative Buoyancy – The zoomers (at least the Original Zoomers did) are constructed with a rubber that give the fins negative buoyancy. In other words, they sink. Why is this an advantage? From a training standpoint, your legs will experience the strengthening benefits that are a result of the fins making your legs work harder. Floating fins, on the other hand, won’t work your legs quite as hard.
Let’s get back to swim fins for swim lessons, beginners, and novice swimmers. When I am teaching a non-swimmer or beginner to swim, you don’t want the teaching tool to give more assistance than necessary. It goes back to my lesson plan philosophy with flotation devices, holds, supports, and progressions. The best artificial support is the one that gives the student
just enough support to be successful. If you give the learner too much support, they become dependent on it. Then when you ask the learner to perform the skill on their own, it’s like asking them to climb a mountain instead of a small hill. If you take baby steps, the learner will not only experience physical success faster, but he will experience a psychological success as well, and more importantly–his confidence will grow.
I believe this directly applies with swim fins for beginners. If you give your beginner swimmer this big flipper that provides extraordinary propulsion, that’s all well and good
until you remove the fin and ask them to swim without it. Suddenly, their feet feel like rocks instead of flippers, often resulting in a discouraged student who was on the verge of success, only to learn it was the flipper, not him! The Zoomers, on the other hand, make the transition much easier because while they do provide additional propulsion, the kick with the Zoomers feels very similar to the kick without the Zoomers–because it is!
So there you have it! I hope my recommendation helps you and many others!
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Dave Hannon
@Daveatwisubs
There wasn’t a lot of good news in the extended economic downturn, but procurement organizations have seen at least one positive result: They’ve gotten a lot more attention than they used to due to the emphasis on costs. And the best procurement organizations have risen to that challenge by effectively reducing costs within their enterprises.
“The downturn was a chance for procurement to gain the spotlight and now they have to maintain it,” said Emily Rakowski, Senior Director of Procurement Solutions Marketing at SAP and a keynote speaker at Procurement 2011. One of the ways procurement can do that is to increase its efficiency, a top priority for procurement organizations, according to Rakowski. “Every procurement organization we talk with is trying to do more with what they have.”
Rakowski and co-presenter Chris Salis, Global Vice President, SAP Procurement and Operational Performance Management Solutions, outlined how SAP’s procurement solutions can help organizations live up to those expectations. In fact, they did more than outline the solutions available (we’ll get to that). Rakowski said “procurement is the living embodiment of the SAP strategy.”
How so? Well for starters, you know that SAP’s primary solution strategy today is threefold: on-premise, on-device and on-demand. And SAP procurement solutions are available in those three models currently. “SAP procurement is the perfect example of the strategy in action,” she said.
And Rakowski ensured Procurement 2011 attendees the company has committed to the procurement space going forward. And along those lines, Rakowski and Salis unveiled a few more highlights on the SAP Procurement solution roadmap.
SAP BusinessObjects Spend Performance Management (SPM) 3.0 is slated for availability the second quarter and will include enhancements to the Data Enrichment Classification tool. SAP Sourcing OnDemand Wave 8 will be available next week. Look for more advanced analytics capabilities in the procurement solutions, as SAP BusinessObjects functionality is embedded in them.
SAP will also continue to emphasize its on-demand and on-premise offerings for Contract Lifecycle Management, a “critical discipline not enough companies are focused on” according to Rakowski. SAP CLM 7.0 is planned for Q2 as well.
The keynote was also heavy on customer examples. Highlights included Siemens running SAP SRM over several ERP systems to push purchase orders to their various businesses, for example. Aetna cut its Sarbanes-Oxley reporting time from days to seconds using SAP CLM while Sarah Lee used SAP Sourcing to help drive cost savings of 22% or $240 million.
With all of that functionality at its fingertips, it’s a good bet that procurement organizations will be able to hold onto that well-deserved spotlight.
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This article focuses on pyrotechnic pet stress, but help can be applied in the event of lightning, thunder, or any sound.
Pyrotechnics is a tradition in our country (United States) and is mainly used for the celebration of multiple events such as: Christmas, New Year, birthdays, parties, festivals, patriotic celebrations, etc.
However pyrotechnics has some not so desirable consequences as environmental pollution, burns, accidents, etc.
But some of the side effects that are almost not talked about is the stress brought on by pets.
Dogs are mainly affected, causing them stress from a bad night (the dog and the owners), but we have also received dogs in shock, problems of immunosupression secondary to stress, gastritis, loss of appetite, and even death (Especially in small dogs). These are some of the key responses to pyrotechnics in pets received at our hospital.
For this reason we suggest some mechanisms to reduce the effect of stress
on our pets:
Plugs: The plugs are soft cover the ear canal and some dogs are well. These reduce sound and therefore reduce stress.
Medicines. There are medicines of veterinary use with anxiolytic effect, that is to say, they reduce the body’s response to stress, making it more bearable the noise of the fireworks.
Bandages There are bandages that are put on the dogs and helps them to feel embraced or contained and it is proven that it helps to reduce the stress during the celebrations with pyrotechnic fires. If you do not have a big enough band, you can use a scarf !.
Desensitization. It is a slow but very effective process, which consists of recording sounds of cars, thunder, cars, etc. And routinely put animals under stress from these noises with a volume that increases as you get used to a very loud sound that helps us when the storm passes, storm lightning, fireworks, etc., the pet feels more confident and At least lower your stress during the event.
Hugs. If your pet is very stressed when they are thundering, tighten and speak softly so that it feels accompanied, it will give you peace of mind and your stress will be more bearable.
If the stress is too much and you can not help it, it will be important that you go with a veterinary hospital 24 hours to give you a tranquilizer or sedative to spend the night and the next morning your friend feels better.
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News & Articles Another Climate Change Study Debunked, Pulled
By Diana Anderson
A study on the American Associate for the Advancement of Science’s website projected an increase in temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius and worldwide food shortages in this decade. The study has since been pulled from the site after experts discovered multiple errors and deemed the findings flawed.
The inaccurate study was also posted on numerous international news agencies, including Agence-France Press (AFP).
Climate scientist Rey Weymann told AFP that the “study contains a significant error in that it confuses ‘equilibrium’ temperature rise with ‘transient temperature rise.’”
Weymann also said study author Hisas was told of the problems in advance of the report’s release.
“The author of the study was told by several of us about this error but she said it was too late to change it,” he noted.
Scientist Scott Mandia emailed Hisas before publication to explain why her figures didn’t compute and why it would take “quite a few decades” to reach a warming level of 2.4 degrees Celsius.
“Even if we assume the higher end of the current warming rate, we should only be 0.2C warmer by 2020 than today,” Mandia wrote.
In an email to AFP, AAAS spokeswoman Ginger Pinholster wrote, “A reporter with The Guardian alerted us yesterday to concerns about the news release submitted by Hoffman & Hoffman public relation.
“We immediately contacted a climate change expert who confirmed that the information raised many questions in his mind, too. We swiftly removed the news release from our website and contacted the submitting organization.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose figures were cited as the study’s basis for its projections, and Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007 “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change,” the prize committee said at the time.
Osvaldo Canziani, who was part of the 2007 Nobel Prize winning panel, was also the scientist listed as scientific advisor to the faulty report. On Tuesday, Canziani’s spokesman said he was ill and unavailable for interviews.
This is not the first “climate change” or “global warming” study to be debunked. Many others have also been debunked, as has Al Gore’s documentary AN INCONVENTIENT TRUTH.
Obviously, ideology, not science, is fueling much of this “research.”
– Source: Yahoo News, 01/19/11.
Photo by Andrea Zeppilli.
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On Monday, April 5, 2014, the United States Supreme Court announced [2] that the excessive force lawsuit filed by Washington Nationals baseball player, Robbie Tolan, was improperly dismissed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In reaching this conclusion, the Supreme Court agreed with arguments presented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) in the amicus brief [3] it filed in support of Mr. Tolan's appeal. Specifically, the Supreme Court concluded that the lower court improperly failed to consider the evidence supporting Mr. Tolan's excessive force claim and recognized that, contrary to the decision below, "[t]he witnesses on both sides come to this case with their own perceptions, recollections, and even potential biases."
Robbie Tolan was shot by a police officer in the driveway of his parents' home after being mistakenly suspected of driving a stolen car. He filed a civil lawsuit against the Bellaire, Texas, Police Department in federal court, alleging excessive force. The District Court granted the Police Department's Motion for Summary Judgment and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed. Mr. Tolan filed a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court and LDF filed an amicus brief in support of this request for review.
In its brief, LDF argued that the circumstances of Mr. Tolan's shooting were tainted by indicia of racial bias, and these facts were not properly taken into account by the circuit court in its review of the evidence. LDF also asserted that the lower courts' assessment of the officer's conduct should not have ignored the influence of subconscious stereotypes which falsely associate race with criminality, aggression, and violence, and it detailed the science of implicit bias to show how it may have influenced the officer's hyperaggressive behavior (the shooting took place 30-seconds after he arrived on the scene) as well as any evaluation of its "reasonableness."
In reversing the lower courts' decisions, the Supreme Court agreed with LDF that the Fifth Circuit improperly failed to take into account the relevant evidence supporting Mr. Tolan's version of the events. And, echoing LDF's arguments, the Supreme Court acknowledged and credited the relevance of potential bias in a court's evaluation of the reasonableness of a police officer's conduct in a racially charged shooting case.
The case will return to the lower courts for an evaluation of the police officer's entitlement to qualified immunity based on a proper review of all of the relevant evidence.
Jenner Block represented LDF in this amicus brief.
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Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends
The Smell of Parsley When Emily, transported to heaven in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, is asked what she misses most on earth, she says, "the smell of parsley." It's hard to imagine life without parsley. Parsley apparently was growing wild in the Mediterranean basin about the time man was. Parsley is to the Western world what coriander (sometimes called Chinese parsley) is to the Eastern, an herb so common and pervasive that like other ordinary things-----spring and youth and small towns like Grover's Corners---we miss them only when they're gone. I always grew two kinds of parsley in my garden---the flat-leafed kind the grocers call "Italian" and the curly-leafed kind, which for Americans seems to be the only way a cooked salmon or turkey can appear in public without looking nude. I made no headway with a third kind grown for its roots rather than leaves, the turnip-rooted parsley that looks like a skinny parsnip and tastes like celery root. As a lazy gardener, I owed a lot to parsley because the plants lasted two years without replanting, and because all winter long I could step outside, brush the snow off, and snip a green and curly top. Medieval herbalists found all kinds of parsley as useful in medicine as in food. The seventeenth-century Nicholas Culpepper prescribed a paste of parsley seed and root, mixed with fennel, caraway, burnet, and saxifrage, for "the jaundice, falling-sickness, the dropsy, and stone in the kidneys." Parsley was also a major ingredient in the green garden pottages of the Middle Ages and the pureed green garden sauces of the Elizabethan Age, when they were called "Garden Sass." What Englishman even today would eat a dish of jellied eels or a leg of mutton without a parsleyed sauce? What Frenchman would eat a snail without a pool of parsley and garlic butter or a mussel without a broth of parsley and wine? What Italian would eat a veal shank without that sprinkling of parsley, garlic, and grated lemon peel they call "gremolata"? And what Moroccan would eat a salad of cracked wheat, or bulgur, unlaced with parsley and mint? Because parsley is so often minced, the herb has developed its own line of kitchen hardware and impassioned ritual. For years I refused to use the efficient hand-cranked Mouli parsley grater because I liked the ritual of scrunching sprigs of curly-leafed parsley together and chopping them with a knife, either the old-fashioned double-handed chopper or a Chinese cleaver. I liked the ritual of cutting flat-leafed parsley with a pair of scissors. I know a Hollywood dowager, once a silent film star accused of murdering her lover, who fired her housekeeper for not mincing parsley fine enough. And I have a friend so obsessed with parsley that he keeps a mini spin-dryer exclusively for drying parsley leaves and a special rolling chopper for cutting them. Despite our constant use of parsley as a garnish, we neglect it as a vegetable. On a hot spring day it makes a fine cold soup, a salad, or a sauce for thin slices of smoked tongue, ham, or beef, not to mention poached chicken and fish. Deep-fried it makes delicious finger food to serve with shellfish. And for a one-dish vegetarian meal, there's always tabbouleh, which returns chopped parsley to its origins in the Middle East. When we're tempted to take parsley too much for granted as our commonest garden herb, we might remember the moral pointed out in Beatrix Potter's rhyming tale: Cecily Parsley lived in a pen, And brewed fine ale for gentlemen; Gentlemen came every day, 'Til Cecily Parsley ran away.
Parsley Soup
2 cups packed parsley leaves
6 cups chicken or fish stock ¼ cup uncooked rice 3 whole eggs juice of 1 lemon ½ to 1 cup yogurt
Wash parsley, remove the stems, and spin-dry the leaves. Mince leaves by hand or in a food processor. Meanwhile bring stock to a boil, add rice and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Beat eggs with the lemon juice, stir in some of the hot broth, then add egg mixture to the pan and whisk rapidly over very low heat for a minute or two (higher heat will curdle the eggs). Off heat, add parsley and yogurt to taste. Refrigerate until wanted. (This soup is also good hot).
Serves 4 to 6.
Parsley Salad
5 cups curly-and flat-leafed parsley, mixed
1 cup bread cubes, cut in ¼-inch squares 3 garlic cloves, minced ½ cup good olive oil 1 tablespoon wine vinegar pepper to
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taste ¼ pound feta cheese
Remove stems from parsley and put leaves in a covered steamer about 45 seconds to barely soften them. Refrigerate immediately to crisp. Make croutons from the bread cubes by sauteing them with the garlic in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until brown. Mix remaining oil with vinegar and pepper, mix parsley with crumbled feta cheese, and sprinkle croutons on top.
Serves 4.
Deep-Fried Parsley
4 cups parsley leaves
vegetable oil for frying Salt to taste
Make sure parsley leaves are thoroughly dry. Drop a handful at a time into oil heated to 370 degrees F. in a wok or deep skillet and remove the leaves quickly, after less than a minute, with a slotted spoon. Drain leaves on paper towels. They should be crisp and green. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve as a garnish or a finger-food snack.
Yields about 2 cups.
Betty Fussell is a food historian, home cook, author, English professor and freelance writer. Her book, The Story of Corn, was reprinted by University of New Mexico Press. Betty Fussells' latest work is My Kitchen Wars, which was transformed into a one-woman show performed in New York City and Hollywood. Fussell is currently writing a history of American beefsteak.In recent years, a number of high-end mind mapping software programs have added the capability of importing data from a variety of sources and displaying it in mind maps. This significantly increases their value as business tools – especially for creating dashboards that can display live data on key business metrics.
From database connections to Excel spreadsheet cell ranges and Outlook e-mail messages, today’s mind mapping software can accommodate data from a myriad of sources and display it in a rich, visual format. This can help you conduct “What if?” analyses with your data and glean fresh insights from it. It can also transform your mind maps from collections of ideas, project actions and planning steps into rich data dashboards that can help you be significantly more productive and insightful.
This new Mind Mapping Insider report will show you what’s possible and which programs support this advanced functionality.
Members-only resource The link to download this report is accessible to members of the Mind Mapping Insiders group.
Become a Mind Mapping Insider member to access this valuable template and instructions today. You will also get access to over 100 other tutorials, interviews, templates, mind map analyses and other valuable resources designed to improve your mind mapping skills. Become an expert mind mapper today – join the Mind Mapping Insider membership program!
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Consultant and author Brian Tracy left a deep impression on me during one of his seminars in which he stated that “the competition gets up every morning to put you out of business.” Some might find that statement harsh and exaggerated and even reminiscent of the Macchiavelli’s caveats to his Prince whenever he warned him never to let his guard down against his political enemies.
Certainly, our competitors are not the villainous enemies the Prince faced, but who would deny our competitors are out to do their utmost to make every customer looking for furniture, one of theirs. Just as certainly, Brian Tracy did not imply that in besting our competitors, we should throw ethics to the winds. Who, in light of the severe penalties meted out to two of the major culprits of the Enron debacle, would counsel organizations to disregard the law of ethics?
In the most practical and ethical of terms, Brian Tracy was counseling all those at his seminar not to fall prey to naiveté, for while naiveté is not a vice, it is certainly not a virtue. Meanwhile, only the practice of business virtues can promote an organization’s success. And while we are on the subject of naiveté, I cannot imagine a greater and more insidious naiveté than that which lulls salespeople into ignoring the steady practice of visiting their competitors’ stores. How can salespeople hope to best competitors without knowing exactly how their merchandise is viewed by customers for whom comparison-shopping is the rule?
Let me cite an actual example I witnessed while doing some sales coaching in a Twin Cities mattress shop operated by a single salesperson – I’ll call him George. Words move us, a Latin saying goes, but examples sweep us along.
One day a customer walked into the store, and as they often do, he pointed to a mattress in a competitor’s ad, and asked the salesperson if he could match that very mattress he had seen in the competitor’s store. The mattress in that ad was priced at $300.00. The salesperson nodded and took him to one of his three hundred dollar sets.
Customer: “How does your mattress compare to the one I saw at XYX Furniture ?”
Sales Associate: “Ours is better,” the salesperson replied without hesitation.
Customer: “How do you know that? Have you been to XYX Furniture?”
Sales Associate: “No, but I know that price for price our mattresses are better.”
Well, the customer’s face revealed he was not convinced by the salesperson’s ingenuous explanation, and, in fact, he soon exited the store. As soon as the customer had left, I asked the salesperson to go to the competitor’s store to find out all he could about that three hundred dollar set.
About two hours later the salesperson called me. “Get this, Peter,” he said, “I had three more customers from XYZ Furniture. All three inquired into the same three hundred dollar set. I sold all three.” “Great, I replied.”
“Thank you, Pete,” he continued, “but there’s something much more important. Each of these customers spent more than $500 for their new mattress.”
I credited the salesperson for his performance, being careful not to ad the condescending “See how important it is to study the competition.”
How valid indeed, the Latin saying, “Words move us; examples sweep us along.” Roma locuta; causa finita. Rome has spoken; case closed.
NEXT ISSUE
Is it ethical to pretend to be a customer in your competitor’s store? Should you hire a “secret shopper”? What do you do if you are asked to leave? How should you treat competitors shopping in your store? In the next issue of FURNITURE WORLD, Dr. Marino will discuss some of the basic ways to “shop” in competitive stores, with an emphasis on ethics.
Trainer, educator and group leader Dr. Peter A. Marino writes extensively on sales training techniques and their furniture retailing applications. He has deep experience as a top salesman, sales manager, corporate trainer and consultant. Dr. Marino has undergraduate degrees in English and philosophy and a Ph. D. in ancient Greek and Latin. His books include “The Golden Rules of Selling Bedding”, “Stop Losing Those Bedding Sales” and “It’s Buying, Silly!” available through FURNITURE WORLD. Questions can be sent to him at pmarino@furninfo.com .
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Teaching in China is top choice for travellers as numbers nearly triple
Friday 22, April 2011
As travellers seek more meaningful experiences on trips to foreign lands, i-to-i TEFL, the UK’s leading provider of TEFL courses, is seeing more and more people make like Marco Polo and become captivated by China.
In just two years, i-to-i TEFL has experienced a 152% increase in demand for English teaching internships in China and it is not hard to imagine why.
A country decidedly advanced in technology whilst remaining traditional in its customs, China offers a heady mix of cultural encounters, best experienced up close and personal.
It is estimated that over 300 million people in China, roughly the same size as the population of the USA, are learning English as a foreign language. This gives keen travellers a superb opportunity to visit and immerse themselves completely in one of the world's most fascinating cultures. Combining teaching with travelling will offer an utterly unique experience as well as advantages to a CV.
Everyone from young children to university graduates and high-powered businessmen aspire to learn English in China, so there are plentiful opportunities to teach the language.
Having completed her teaching internship, Clare Wilson, 24 originally from Leicester is now working in Beijing as a Content Manager for an online travel platform - ‘Doing the internship have me huge amounts of confidence and a safe introduction to living somewhere completely and utterly foreign’.
Gemma Turner, i-to-i TEFL General Manager commented, ‘The appeal of China is so broad and it’s not surprising that we’re seeing more people choose to teach there. Working in a foreign country puts you right in the crux of a destination’s community and culture. Passing through somewhere on your travels will give you an idea of what a place is like, but nothing compares to living and breathing it every day for five months’.
She continues ‘Taking a TEFL course and teaching abroad offers security for those that want to go travelling or do something different with their lives, but don’t want to risk leaving some form of employment.’
No teaching experience is necessary but a TEFL certificate is required. i-to-i TEFL are currently offering FREE courses worth £300 for those who sign up to an internship in China for August 2011. The internships costs £995 for 5 months including a private room in shared intern accommodation, all meals on school days, in-country airport transfers, in-country support and a two week orientation in Beijing including sightseeing, seminars, Mandarin lessons, internship allocation, all meals, hotel accommodation and great networking opportunities with all other interns. For more information visit www.onlinetefl.com
More and more travellers think that researching and planning a European city break is half the fun and they're not interested in pre-arranged trips or escorted tours. Self-guided tours offer a lot of advantages but require some guidance and good resources.
With the recent wild fires, disrupting flights and increasing air pollution, environmental quality is a growing factor in attracting tourists.
The hotel price comparison site www.trivago.co.uk has put together a list of the fifteen most spectacular hotel rooftop terraces in the world.
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This past week, the stock market saw the largest decline of the S&P in the past two-quarters, alongside a heavy decline in European exports and investments. Another factor that seems to not shift, quickly enough to see positive change, is the current state of the U.S. Federal Reserve. I do not foresee a swift uprising in the market/s unless we see realistic expectations and stricter policies from the Federal reserves.
It was hopped that the market had stabilized, but it appears after the last week that it is not yet down bottoming out. The continued unrest in many places continues that have a negative impact on the world and US markets. The decline may also be a reflection of many US companies having lost the trust of the public with many recent data breeches. Consumers are fearful and the retail world is fearing the worst for the coming holiday season.
There is no income equality and the majority of people are poor or lack funds to do anything to stimulate the economy. This is the end state of consumerism and capitalism. They didn't think about what happens when the gap widens to this point but it was obvious that it would happen. The economy will not fully recover if this isn't corrected.
Everything always swings like a pendulum. It is better to keep it on a low swing, but sometimes it will go out farther one way. But a pendulum will always swing back the other way just as hard as it did the opposite end. It will rebound in time, but probably not just yet.The online world is full of misinformation and misrepresentation. From review fraud to malice and even extortion, businesses are attacked or unfairly portrayed – and consumers are at risk from false reviews and misled by incorrect material.
KwikChex Proof of Quality resources are providing verified sources of information to help protect reputable businesses and assist consumers.
Businesses - Proof Of Quality - Read More Santa Monica have a common goal: to make you happy. If you want the highest-quality treatment in high-end surroundings, you should give serious consideration to these facilities. Call our call our toll-free hotline if you need help locating the best luxury alcohol program at 1-888-744-0069. professor and her experienced-based, disciplined understanding of the clinical, psychological and spiritual value of dementia coaching, and of the need for a standard in dementia care education.
“Based on her painful struggles as well as rewarding experiences caring and advocating for her beloved husband Larry for close to 15 years, Dr. Lord not only transformed from a family care partner to what she calls a “pack leader” but she also discovered a major gap in the health and social care system for people living with dementia – the lack of International as well as Federal and State government support for a sorely needed profession in dementia care – The Dementia Coach.” -Eilon Caspi Ph.D. Founder and Director, Dementia Behavior Consulting, LLC
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Overview A lot of companies today claim to care about customers. However, few of these companies invest in the local community. Bob Reina is a great example of someone who is actually making a major positive impact in the lives of others. Although he is successful in business, he is concentrated on delivering value…
Securus helps us quite a lot with advocacy as they create phone calls to jails we need. We are attempting to check in with those who are most in need of assistance, and we need to speak to them as if we are in the jail. Securus has created a video calling system anyone may…
The financial world has many areas of concentration. For many business professionals who have an interest in working in the financial industry, the options are plentiful regarding professional opportunities. One of the most important things that people who have an interest in the financial industry must consider is their passion. What do they love doing?…
In June 22, 2016, Davos Real Estate Group went on record saying that it was going to launch a new mobile application called the “Davos CAP Calculator”. The calculator estimates the possible returns on investments in real estate that a client may be willing to explore. Davos Real Estate Group is among the…
There are a multitude of people that a have taken on the job of project manager. In Australia Christanna Bevin is a project manager with a very impressive resume. She has been very helpful to people in Queensland. She has shown so many people that her ability to take on the role of a project…
The Wessex Institute of Technology (or WIT) is an educational and research center in central south England. The center is responsible for some of the most advanced scientific innovations we have today that facilitate the sharing of information within the science community. WIT is just 100km from Land, within the Ashurst Lodge of the New…
To live a full life does not mean living for one’s self; instead, it means dedicating one’s life for the sake of others, and this is what Jason Hope is doing for the people of Arizona. He is very passionate about life, and he measures his success by what he has been able to do…
Kenneth Goodgame is the Senior Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer at True Value Hardware Corporation at Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Tennessee. Kenneth Goodgame is a skillful and an influential Operations Management leader. He has extensive experience, which gives him an upper hand…
Harvard University has a long-lasting legacy of being an esteemed breeding ground for brilliant businessmen and businesswomen. Just take one look at the educational portion of the resumes belonging to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft creator Bill Gates as well as Viacom and CBS Corporation majority owner Sumner Redstone. Also in the ranks of this…
Headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, InnovaCare Health Solutions (LLC) is a leading provider of quality healthcare management. Focusing on creating a cohesive relationship with its patients, InnovaCare provides high-quality Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans. Besides, InnovaCare is famous for providing innovative network models. In Puerto Rico, InnovaCare specializes in MMM Healthcare and PMC Medicare…
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Still, Fuller's introduction, "The Nature of Mutiny," is of some interest, and undercuts (perhaps better, explains) the fierce dichotomies that will follow. For in Fuller's view, "mutiny is apt to have an intimate, familial quality about it" (xii). In other words, the opprobrium heaped on mutineers comes from the trauma of discovering yourself betrayed by your most intimate companions.
Hence there is an affective distinction between mutiny and revolution:
A man seldom knows personally, or is associated with, the people against whom he is moving in revolution. In most cases of mutiny a man not only is acquainted with, but is in some manner of working relationship with the persons against whom the mutiny is directed. (xii)Moreover, this is why the shipboard mutiny is paradigmatic: at sea, men are confined together in close quarters for months or even years. And this forced intimacy is two-sided: "It can increase tensions by the inability of people to separate from each other. At the same time it offers a closeness well adapted to conference and conspiracy" (xiii).
Fuller makes a couple of other points. First, he wants to distinguish mutiny from labor disputes. Mere refusal to serve is not mutiny; it is a strike. I think the point here is that a labor dispute is not a wholesale assault on constituted power. Myself, I wonder how far this distinction can be upheld. And second, he argues that the days of mutiny are in effect over: "To all intents and purposes the traditional mutiny at sea has gone out of existence. It died with sails. Technology ended the era of mutiny" (xi). By this he means that mutiny can no longer be sustained, as there is no place to hide: "it just is not practical any longer to try to seize a ship and take it over on an impromptu basis. There's no future in it" (xi). And indeed its striking that may of the mutinies described took place so far from home that the mutineers could either try to disappear (as in the case of the
Bounty) or could spend the long homeward voyage perfecting the stories they would tell before the coming courts martial (as in the case of the mutiny against Henry Hudson).
More importantly, however, Fuller suggests that it is the massification and division of labor that makes mutiny impossible on a modern ship: a few renegades may be able to take hold of a sailship, but "to seize a steamship is another story. It would take a full complement capable of the necessary engineering skills involved" (xi).
In short, for Fuller at least, mutiny is pre-industrial. It involves betrayal within the family (or the gang, the tribe) rather than insubordination from the masses within the workplace.
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This I Believe
In our world today there are a lot of people admitting to making mistakes or complete failure. It could be failure in a relationship or maybe even in business. If you think about your complete failure and dwell on the failure you start wondering if you would have had done something different. If you don’t ask yourself, maybe someone else asks you if you would go back to change what you have already done. I feel that that would be a mistake, to think or even to want to change what you have already done.
I have messed a few things up in life, like one being working on one of my lawn mowers. I do a yard care business when the season is right in North Dakota. I have always liked to work on things, mostly mechanical devices, and I always do small things with my mowers. I have never had to replace the rigs on the piston, so it was new for me. I had the tools, but not quite all of the knowledge to do it yet. I went ahead and tried to change the piston rings, and failed. I didn’t get the timing quite right so the motor did not fire over at all. I didn’t give up, I just tried it again.
I have learned a lot of things from my failures. I feel as if I actually learn best from my failure. I once had a girlfriend that was the coolest girl I knew, but she stopped talking to me, and I didn’t try to talk to her. I regretted it for a while, but soon enough I found another girl, and I learned. I talk to her about everything. I have learned from a past experience that I can prevent something of that nature happening to me again.
Failure has taught me many things, it was my choice to learn from it and not regret my failure. I believe in second chances to succeed. I do not believe in second chances to go back in time to fix a previous failure, or what should be a great learning experience for me. I believe you have to make a positive effort to move forward, if you stay at a stand still dwelling, there would be no will to try new things or attempt a new thing and fail. Failure is a great teacher, if you appreciate the things you learn from failure.
The way I see it, life is too short to go on about my own mistakes and my own regrets. I can be out helping my community with the problems bigger than mine. I have learned from my mistakes and I can now help other people learn from theirs. I do not want to be sitting around thinking about what I could have done, or what I should have done. I am going to go do it, and I am going to do it right. No regrets.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc. a Mum and a Dad. Every child should have a reasonable expectation, all things being equal, of a mother and a father."
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A French ambition for digital visual effects
by Claire La Combe
- CANNES 2016: The CNC has opened in-depth discussions about the digital visual effects industry in France
At the Cannes Film Festival, the CNC has opened in-depth discussions about the digital visual effects industry in France.
Jean Gaillard, commissioned by the CNC last February to look into the topic, presented his initial conclusions of the report that he is due to deliver later this month. To him, France has huge potential in VFX, but the national industry and market are not yet well developed enough.
The visual-effects sector is estimated to be worth around €80 million in revenues, with €15 million for cinema, and representing more than 2,000 jobs in France. But there is a strong trend towards the delocalisation of skills, with an outsourced activity that has increased by 60% over the past year. Coupled with this, French teams are very highly respected in the international VFX industry. France has some reputed schools, producing flexible technicians who are in demand. But there is a paradox: the French audiovisual sector under-employs its own workforce.
Yet there exist around 60 companies specialised in VFX in France, and they all have a large order book, even though the competition is high, owing to the particular characteristics of the market. Why is the market not developing? Gaillard was not able to find any answers by sifting through the CNC's New Technologies in Production (NTP) funding scheme applications, nor by investigating his fellow stakeholders. The phenomenon was partly explained by “a cultural reticence”, according to the former president of the RIAM (Research and Innovation in Audiovisual and Multimedia) network. As a matter of fact, VFX are not even a consideration in French production budgets.
On the other hand, VFX are not that popular, because they cost a great deal of money, so it’s usually an expenditure that is outsourced to a country with an efficient tax shelter, for recoupment. That explains why Belgium is a popular hosting country for VFX studios, most of which even have French origins. The CNC is now counting on the recent boost to the International Tax Credits to help bring back some of the activity to national soil. “We need to develop a cluster effect in France and act as the Anglo-Saxons do - hunt in packs!” stated Gaillard.
The discussion was rounded off by three eloquent case studies on French films using VFX:
Swagger [+see also: trailer film profile] by Olivier Babinet, presented in the ACID section at Cannes (in conjunction with the Mathematic studio); Le Secret des Banquises [+see also: trailer film profile] by Marie Madinier (read the news), where a mix of digital effects and animatronics were used to recreate the Arctic and a population of Emperor penguins (in collaboration with the Mikros Image studio); and Up for Love [+see also: trailer film profile] by Laurent Tirard, with Jean Dujardin playing the role of a man who is diminutive in stature (in conjunction with La Compagnie Generale des Effets Visuels). All of the invited producers explained that they had had a great experience collaborating with their VFX studio – on both an artistic and a financial level - and they painted some outstanding pictures of the results.
This discussion was very well put together, giving the impression that there is indeed something to work out in terms of VFX in France. “It is an intuition,” stated
Raphael Keller (of NTP), “like the one we had with animation, that there is this huge potential for VFX in France.” In three years, applications for the CNC's NTP fund have doubled, and the global annual budget is now approaching €6 million for around 25 films supported. “It is high time we positioned ourselves, because the VFX market is already structured on an international scale,” added Keller, “and France has the means to fulfil its ambition.”
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IMARC Group, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, finds that the total consumption volume of milk in India grew at 5.3% during 2010-11 - 2011-12. Estimates from their latest report “Indian Dairy Market Report & Forecasts 2012-2017” suggest that the total market for dairy products in India is expected to surpass US$ 86 billion by 2017.
Milk in India is perceived to be associated with good health and wellness; as a result, it represents a major part of the Indian diet. Apart from its direct consumption, milk is also used in the preparation of various other products like tea, coffee, yoghurt, curd, cheese, paneer, traditional sweets, butter, ice cream, ghee, etc. This has resulted in India becoming by far the world’s largest consumer of milk.
Currently around 49% of the total milk produced in the country is consumed as liquid milk. Out of the reaming 51%, around 26.5% of the total milk is converted into ghee, 7% is converted into curd and 6% is converted into butter. The remaining 11.5% milk is converted into other dairy products such as paneer, khoa, ice-cream, etc. Dairy products in India are currently consumed fresh with a very small share being processed for value addition. With the growth of the health and wellness market, however, we expect the market for value added dairy products to grow exponentially in the coming years.
IMARC Group’s new report “Indian Dairy Market Report & Forecasts 2012-2017” an updated and far more extensive and analytical version of their popular 2011 study, provides and draws upon a comprehensive analysis of every major dairy segment in India. The study, which has been undertaken using both desk research and two waves of qualitative primary research, has analyzed three aspects of the Indian dairy market.
The first section quantifies the Indian dairy market into fourteen major segments and investigates the current and future opportunities in each of these segments. The second section provides an in-depth understanding of dairy consumption patterns among Indian consumers and the potential of value added dairy products. The third section investigates into the usage of natural colouration in dairy products and evaluates their current and future potential.
What we have achieved in this report:
Comprehensive situation analysis of the Indian dairy market and its dynamics:
Segments covered: Milk, UHT Milk, Curd, Butter, Ghee, Paneer, Cheese, Khoya, Skimmed Milk Powder, Tea, Coffee, Dairy Whiteners, Infant Nutrition, Malt Beverages and Ice Cream
Focus of the analysis in each Class:
• Drivers and challenges in each market;
• Historical, current & future sales trends (2006 – 2017);
• Historical, current & future volume trends (2006 – 2017);
• Historical, current & future price trends (2006 – 2017);
• Size and analysis of the organized and unorganized markets;
• Structure of the market;
• Key players and products available in these market.
Understanding the dairy consumption patterns of Indian consumers and evaluating the potential of value added products:
In order to gain an insight into the awareness and acceptance levels of value added dairy products, IMARC Conducted in-depth interviews with Industry experts and consumers in major metropolitan and tier-1 cities in India.
Focus of the analysis:
• Buying behavior;
• Price sensitivity;
• Nutritional requirements;
• Consumer awareness of value added products;
• Brand loyalty and switching trends;
• Potential of value added dairy products in India.
Understanding the current landscape of natural colouration in dairy products
Classes Covered: Butter, Cheese, Yoghurt, Margarine, Flavored Milk and Ice Cream
Focus of the analysis:
• Size of the natural colouration market in India;
• Key drivers and challenges in the market;
• Usage of natural colouration in dairy products.
Information Sources:
Information has been sourced from both primary and secondary sources:
• Primary sources include industry surveys and face to face/telephone interviews with consumers and industry experts.
• Secondary sources include proprietary databases and search engines. These sources include company websites and reports, books, trade journals, magazines, white papers, industry portals, government sources and access to more than 4000 paid databases.
To buy the complete report or to get a free sample, please contact:
IMARC Group - Asia
E: apac[.]imarcgroup.com / P: +91 120-415-5099
IMARC Group - Europe, Middle East & Africa
E: ema[.]imarcgroup.com / P: +44 702-409-7331
IMARC Group - Europe, Middle East & Africa
E: america
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Using a qualified interventionist is often needed to help a person come to terms with the damage their drinking is doing to their health and livelihood. The intervention process consists of having the alcohol abuser's friends and family gather, confronting them about their addiction, and begging them to enter a substance abuse treatment facility.
Alcohol Detox Program
Detox is the process of washing the abused substance from the body, in this case alcohol. While it sounds simple, there are a number of serious, uncomfortablesymptoms while withdrawing that can keep people from getting the treatment they need. Many of these can be administered to medically at most treatment programs you'll find in Santa Monica, CA.
Residential Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers
Exclusive Santa Monica alcohol rehabs statistically are more effective than outpatient centers, which is one reason why many find them superior when getting off alcohol. There are many private options available for those seeking top-tier amenities during their stay. 30-day, 60-day and 90-day rehab courses are typical for these centers.
Addiction Therapies and Aftercare Following Inpatient Treatment
Maintaining a sober life is a long-term process, but for those who feel like they need more services after rehab, addiction therapy is worth a closer look. Through group meetings and counseling, those finishing recovery can continue getting help and get the extra nudge they need to keep alcohol-free.
What About Luxury Alcohol Treatment Centers?
Luxury alcohol treatment centers in
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Understand the different translations methods: the current / noncurrent, monetary/ nonmonetary, temporal, and the current rate method.
Learn guidelines for translation in the U.S. using FASB statement 52.
Differentiate between the temporal and current rate methods of translating financial statements.
Learn the different translation methodologies in use in different countries.
Learn the translation methodologies recommended by different international harmonization groups, especially the EU and IASC.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
TRANSLATION METHODOLOGIES
Accounts of foreign subsidiaries are restated or translated into the parent company’s currency primarily for reporting consolidated financial statements. The translation involves two key issues:
The exchange rates at which various accounts are translated
The subsequent treatment of gains or losses.
Current / Noncurrent method
Current assets and liabilities are translated at current exchange rates
Noncurrent assets, liabilities, and stockholder's equity are translated at historical rates.
Monetary / Nonmonetary method
Monetary assets and liabilities are translated at current rate
Nonmonerary assets, liabilities, and stockholder's equity are translated at historical rates.
Temporal method
Cash, receivables, and payables are translated at current rate.
Assets and liabilities carried at past exchange prices are translated at historical rates.
Current Rate method
All assets and liabilities are translated using the current rate
Only the equity accounts are translated using historical rates.
FASB STATEMENT 52
Dictates methods US companies can use to translate foreign subsidiaries financial statements. Current or temporal method is used depending on the functional currency of subsidiary.
The functional currency is the primary currency of the subsidiary's operations.
There are several factors that influence the determination of functional currency:
Cash flows:
either primarily in FC or directly affect parent's cash flow
Sales prices:
not affected by exchange rate changes or affected
Sales market:
primarily local or in parent's country.
Financing:
obtained in FC or parent's currency; FC or parent's cash flow used to servive obligations.
Intercompany transactions:
low volume verses high volume.
Remeasuring using Temporal Method
If the functional currency is the US dollar, balances are remeasured in US dollars using the temporal method. Adjustments are reported as gains or losses in income.
Following procedures are used to apply temporal method:
Remeasure cash, receivables, and liabilities at the current balance sheet date.
Remeasure inventory, fixed assets, and capital stock at the appropriate historical exchange rates.
Remeasure most revenues and expenses at the average rate for the year; cost of sales and depreciation expense are translated at relative historical rates.
Take all remeasurement gains or losses directly to the income statement.
Translation using the Current Rate method
If the functional currency is the foreign currency, balances are translated using current method and a translation adjustment is reported on the balance sheet.
Following steps are taken with application of the current rate method:
Total assets and liabilities are translated at the current exchange rate.
Stockholders' equity accounts are translated at appropriate historical rates
All revenue and expense items are translated at the average rate.
Dividends are translated at the exchange rate in effect when issued.
Translation gains and losses are taken to a special accumulated translation adjustment account in stockholder's equity.
Intercompany Transactions
Parents and subsidiaries engage in various types of intercompany transactions which can result in profits that can be related to exchange rate changes.
If an intercompany loan is considered short term, exchange gains or losses would be recognized in the subsidiary's income statement and translated into dollars using an average rate for the year the loan is carried.
If the loan is long-term, the exchange gain would be included in the equity section under the current method or the income statement if temporal method is used.
The intercompany proftis that are eliminated through consolidation are are based on the exchange rates at the dates of the sales or transfers.
High Inflationary Economies
A highly inflationary economy is a country where the cumulative inflation exceeds 100 percent over a three-year period.
Foreign subsidiaries located in highly inflationary economies must use the temporal method under FASB 52.
FASB 52 requires the following information to be disclosed
The aggregate transaction gain or loss included in income.
An analysis of the changes during the period of the translation adjustment balance in stockholders' equity:
Beginning and ending amount of cumulative translation adjustments
The aggregate adjustment for the period resulting from translation adjustments and gains / losses from certain hedges and intercompany balances.
The amount of income taxes for the period allocated to the adjustments.
The amounts transferred from cumulative translation adjustments and included in determining net income resulting from sale or liquidation of foreign investments.
NON-U.S. TRANSLATION PRACTICES
General European practices
The EU does not provide any guidelines for foreign currency or translation accounting. Most European countries allow both current and temporal rates, and most tend to use the current method.
German companies generally use a form of the temporal method and do not make a distinction based on functional currency.
The French use the temporal method for integrated foreign companies and
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the current method for self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries. Gains and losses are treated the same as in US.
The Japanese use the temporal method. Translation adjustments for subsidiaries are reported as an asset or liability and for branches taken to income.
The United Kingdom
SSAP(Statement of Standard Accounting Practice) 20 allows the use of the closing rate method or the temporal method, depending on the operation relationship between subsidiary and parent.
British regulation similar to FASB 52, but contain important differences:
SSAP does not provide specific rules for foreign currency transactions.
In highly inflationary economies, SSAP recommends that companies adjust, where possible, to current price levels verses mandating use of temporal method.
SSAP does not require the same level of disclosure as FASB 52 dictates.
Canadian standards
For translation, the temporal and current methods can be used depending on the relationship between the subsidiary and parent; similar to FASB 52.
If foreign subsidiary operates in a high inflation economy, temporal method is used.
International Accounting Standards
International Accounting Standard 21 contains guidelines for both transactions and translations of financial statements.
Both the closing rate and temporal methods are used, depending on the operating characteristics of the foreign operations. Gains or losses are taken to stockholders' equity.
Operations in highly inflationary countries must be adjusted for local inflation before translation into the reporting currency.Research by Aon Hewitt revealed that over half of CHROs are not career HR professionals, with a third having no background in the field prior to taking on the top job.
“CHROs have become critical stakeholders in defining the strategy of a firm, and they are expected to tackle the HR challenges and evolving expectations of a dynamic workplace environment that will consist of constant change, calculated risk-taking and evolving expectations from top stakeholders,” said Neil Shastri, Aon Hewittt’s leader of global insights & innovation.
The study also found that 73 per cent of HR board members had changed industry at least once in their career.
“Those well-equipped to achieve the greatest success will have diverse skill sets, be adaptable and agile, and gain hands-on learning from working through real life situations and acquiring knowledge across disciplines and industries,” Shastri continued.
Two thirds of CHRO respondents said they’d had prior board experience while nearly a quarter (24 per cent) took an assignment outside of HR to develop their business and commercial knowledge.
The report also examined the skills CHROs deemed most critical to success in the role.
84 per cent highlighted executive compensation experience as a key requirement.
67 per cent had worked and lived abroad, and/or led global teams and initiatives.
65 per cent indicated business knowledge as a key competency but it was also among the skills for which CHROs felt least prepared.
More like this:
Blockbuster film takes on HR issue
Satisfied employees still pose major flight risk
HR professionals looking to take on the top job may have a fight on their hands as a recent survey indicated industry outsiders are most likely to bag the coveted C-suite spot.
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The state’s chief utility regulator crafted a compromise that will save many solar installation companies from imminent bankruptcy. But the price he asked was to support his re-election and abandon any backing of his opponent.
Described as either as “borderline illegal” or basic hardball politics, depending on the speaker, the proposal by Louisiana Public Service Commission Chairman Eric Skrmetta, which will be debated Wednesday, is something that even his election opponent Forest Bradley-Wright could support.
Bradley-Wright, a New Orleans consumer advocate, is backed by some of the companies seeking to ease the regulations that are crimping the sale of solar panels that make electricity for their owners. In particular, the solar industry wants to lift the restriction that gives traditional utilities license to suspend full credit for the incentives for new customers once a certain number of solar arrays was sold.
Skrmetta’s proposal eliminates the cap, but he also demanded they join his campaign efforts, according to an account of the meeting a Baton Rouge lobbyist emailed Saturday to members of the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association, a New Orleans-based trade association.
“Though he understands that the solar industry cannot dictate to Forest that he run or not, he expects the solar industry to privately and publicly support his re-election. This means not supporting Forest’s candidacy!” wrote Andrew B. Ezell, a Baton Rouge lawyer representing the trade group. “I strongly recommend that the GSREIA board take heed of this caveat!”
“My concerns about an opponent are irrelevant,” Skrmetta said Monday when asked to respond to that sentence of the email. “Would I prefer not having an opponent? Well, of course. … I don’t need anything from anybody on that element. It’s more about three weeks ago when the first company came to me and told me that if they didn’t get this cap lifted, they probably would go into bankruptcy.”
He said he has worked on a compromise for the past several years.
“The cap is the No. 1 thing that restricts the expansion of solar energy,” Bradley-Wright said Monday. “The cap needs to be lifted. I only wish responsible policy didn’t have to come to the table as a poker chip.”
Bradley-Wright said he had been urged to run by many people, including executives with solar companies. But he hadn’t decided until hearing of the email from supporters. He said he definitely would run.
“I don’t know if you can make that kind of ultimatum stick,” said PSC Commissioner Clyde Holloway, of Forest Hill.
Holloway argues that the solar incentives allow a couple thousand wealthy customers who can afford the upfront expense to have systems subsidized by the couple million electricity buyers who can’t. He said he supports Skrmetta’s proposal because it addresses, at least for the time being, the key financial issues for the utility companies and the business operations issues for the solar sellers.
“It settles an issue that needs to be settled,” he said.
But it won’t be settled with the help of PSC Commissioner Foster Campbell, of Bossier Parish. He opposes the deal and says Skrmetta’s actions skirt so close to the edge of the law that they could be “borderline illegal.”
“You can’t promise a vote for support. These people have been against him and now he’s trying to do something for them in return for their support. That’s going way too far,” Campbell said. “It’s not the first time he’s tried to bully people.”
Campbell and Skrmetta have had a number of loud and angry public arguments over the years.
Electricity must be used immediately. Because solar only produces during sunshine hours — Entergy Corp. says its research indicates primarily between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when most people are at work — the individual systems add power to the utility’s grid of electricity. At night, they draw power from the grid. Owners of solar panels are “paid” for the power moved onto the grid during the day and those credits reduce the amount they have to pay for the electricity used at night. The system is called “net metering.”
In addition to eliminating the cap, Skrmetta’s proposal would allow a solar customer to offset his bill from the utility company for all the electricity used in a given month. Anything above that amount would sell back to the utility company at a cheaper wholesale amount.
Lobbyist Ezell, who would not comment on his email, said the proposal removes the uncertainty for solar operators and allows them to transition more easily into a world without the tax incentives, which begins in 2015.
“I’m not trying to tee something up for an argument as much as I am trying to listen to the troubles that the companies are having,” Skrmetta said. “We’ll still have a discussion on it. If there is support for it, then the PSC will vote for it. If there is no support for it, they will not approve it.”
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The new business secretary Sajid Javid is to pledge to cut red tape for companies by at least £10bn during the current parliament as he announces details of the enterprise bill that will form part of this month’s Queen’s speech.
Making his first speech since replacing Vince Cable, Javid will say that the government’s plan to preside over the creation of 2m jobs in the next five years will involve making Britain the best place in Europe to start a new business.
However, alongside the proposed assault on bureaucracy, the business secretary announced plans for a new government-funded body to help small businesses recoup the more than £30bn owed to them in late payments of bills.
The creation of a small business conciliation service was part of the Conservative manifesto and Javid said the proposal would help to settle disputes.
“Small businesses are Britain’s engine room and the success of our whole economy is built on the hard work and determination of the people who run and work for them,” Javid will say in a speech in Bristol, where he grew up in a flat above his parents’ shop.
“As business secretary, I will always back them and, in my determination to get the job done, one of my first steps will be to bring forward an enterprise bill that helps them to succeed and create jobs.
“As part of our long-term economic plan, we will sweep away burdensome red tape, get heavy handed regulators off firms’ backs and create a small business conciliation service to help resolve disputes.”
It is estimated that small businesses are owed £32bn in late payments but are often unaware of their rights or are reluctant to take legal action, fearing they will lose future business. The enterprise bill will extend the fight against red tape beyond Whitehall and for the first time include independent regulators.
Javid’s plans were welcomed by John Allan, chairman of the National Federation of Small Businesses. He said: “Our members have been clear on the need to make progress on cutting burdensome red tape and on addressing issues like the billions owed to small businesses in overdue payments.
“These are not easy issues to tackle and we will need the minister to work closely with our members and the wider business community to find solutions. We look forward to working with the business secretary and his team over the coming months.”The Minister of Justice has launched a public consultation on the preliminary draft of the civil liability reform project, which will be accessible until 31 July 2016 on the Ministry of Justice's website.
The draft's objective is to clarify the law relating to civil liability. In particular, it seeks to integrate certain elements of case law into the Civil Code.
While maintaining the general principle of fault-based liability, the draft proposes a number of new measures including creating a civil penalty aimed at combatting "lucrative faults", in which the benefit resulting from the tort is higher than the damages the tortfeasor will be subject to. The draft was also meant to propose measures relating to compensation for losses resulting from environmental damage, but these have not so far been enumerated.
Click here for the text of the draft law.
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Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX - Free Report) reported third-quarter 2016 loss of 29 cents per share, narrower than both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the year-ago loss of 32 cents.
Total revenue in the third quarter of 2016 surged 120% year over year to $2.2 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.1 million. Revenues were generated mainly under the clinical trial collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY - Free Report) , and the research and development agreement with Rockefeller University.
Research and development expenses inched up 1.2% from the year-ago period to $25 million, reflecting higher contract manufacturing costs and personnel costs including higher stock-based compensation expense. On the other hand, general and administrative spend declined 17.6% to $7 million, due to lower commercial planning costs. Earlier this month, Celldex inked definitive agreement to acquire Kolltan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held clinical-stage company. The transaction is expected to be completed by 2016 end. Following the transaction, Celldex will acquire the rights to two candidates in Kolltan’s pipeline – KTN0158 (phase I) and KTN3379 (phase Ib). Celldex will also acquire Kolltan’s multi-faceted TAM program. Meanwhile, Celldex is conducting a phase IIb study (METRIC) on glembatumumab vedotin, its most advanced pipeline candidate, in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancers that overexpress gpNMB. The candidate is also being evaluated in several other studies. Meanwhile, the company is evaluating varlilumab in combination with Bristol-Myers’ Opdivo in a study that includes cohorts in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma. In addition, varlilumab is being evaluated in combination with Roche’s (RHHBY - Free Report) Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in a phase I/II study for multiple solid tumors. Varlilumab is also in several other combination studies. Celldex expects that cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities plus anticipated proceeds from future sales of its common stock under the agreement with Cantor to be enough to fund working capital requirements and planned operations, including the integration of Kolltan Pharmaceuticals, through 2018.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks Celldex currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INFI - Free Report) is a better-ranked stock in the healthcare sector with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Infinity’s loss estimates narrowed from $3.84 to $3.79 for 2016. The company has posted a positive surprise in all of the four trailing quarters with an average beat of 67.62%. Zacks’ Best Private Investment Ideas In addition to the recommendations that are available to the public on our website, how would you like to follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time? Our experts cover all kinds of trades… from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors. Starting today, for the next month, you can have unrestricted access. Click here for Zacks' private trades >>
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“Because everything can be reduced to an infographic!” —Guy Kawasaki
When it comes to infographic resumes, the critics haven’t entirely weighed in yet. Commenters on posts predicting infographics as the resumes of the future point out the difficulty of reading some infographics. Not to mention the fact that certain industries, like accounting and business, may not appreciate the creativity preferring the straight up, cut-to-the-chase resume. So, what are the latest thoughts on the infographic resume, and how can you adapt them to your needs? Here I’ll review the evolution of resume to infographic and suggest some creative ways to put the current resume infographic to work for you.
The Resume in Review, Infographic or Otherwise
Websites offering career tips and advice about resumes far and wide have pounced on the “History of the Resume” chronology, compiled by Todd Lempicke on
Optimal Resume, as the best condensed history of the resume . Lempicke attributes the first recorded resume to Leonardo da Vinci. Marc Cendella (of TheLadders.com) actually provides us with a picture of the original document and a translation. Highlights of da Vinci’s personal summary include his ability to build bridges and fighting machines in times of war and sculpture in times of peace. Da Vinci definitely marketed himself well in his self-introductory letter to the Duke of Milan.
Letters of introduction, like da Vinci’s, then morphed into the more formal and somewhat less personal resume we know today, which became standardized in the 1950s. From that point on technology began offering more options for personal marketing: VHS portfolios, resume transmission by fax machine, email, YouTube videos, and the infographic.
The infographic resume really garnered attention, however, when Christopher J. Spurlock’s version was posted on the HuffPost College blog and went viral. Spurlock wanted to work with journalism visualization and soon after his infographic went viral he was was offered a job at the Huffington Post as an infographics design editor (he started in May 2011, according to his current infographic resume).
You Are Here: The Resume Infographic Now
Most recently, the launch of the resume-infographic generator
vizualize.me has brought this resume format once again front and center. The hook here is that we, as users, can participate. Give visualize.me permission to access your LinkedIn account and it will arrange that info into a brightly colored graphic rendition of your previously text-only profile (don’t worry, you can calm those colors down a little). Another, though lesser known, resume-infographic generator is re.vu, also recently launched. Re.vu has the added benefit of an analytics generator that tracks data, like the number of hits your infographic receives and the amount of time visitors spend looking at it. Both of these sites offer visually attractive depictions of your life history—you may even see yourself in a different way then you have before.
Other options for creating your resume infographic aren’t quite so easy: put your Illustrator and Photoshop skills to work or hire a graphic designer. But the real question about resume infographics is where can they take us?
Putting That Data Visualization to Work for You
On the crest of Chris Spurlock’s infographic wave, Elana Zak, for
mediabistro.com, listed three reasons why you should consider an infographic resume: “1) It demonstrates you “get” multimedia, 2) It shows you’re more than just a writer, 3) It illustrates your creativity.” Though some recruiters and interviewers may not consider you serious if you offer up an infographic resume, posting one alongside your LinkedIn or Google+ profile certainly can’t hurt you. It may draw others to your profile, extending your networking reach. As re.vu says on its website: “Don’t send a resume. Share your story.” Perhaps greater words were never spoken, at least in the marketing industry! Stretch that Resume Infographic Idea a Little Further
There are other ways to apply the concept of the infographic resume. What if you work for a fresh start-up eager to establish their reputation? Consider an infographic—a business-history infographic. Posting this visual description of your business history on your
about us page is far more likely to attract attention than a few paragraphs of dry copywriting. Are you also presenting bios of your founders? How about bio-infographics? Those are sure to highlight the experience they possess and their skill set. A well designed infographic does have the potential to go viral. Finally, consider your client pitch. Could you incorporate some data visualization? Perhaps of the audience you and/or your client are targeting?
So, between the continuing popularity of eye-catching infographics and the visual/viral nature of the web, the resume infographic has many applications, all of which can be taken into the future. Though they may have to accompany some traditional resumes rather than replace them, the resume infographic is a trend that foreshadows the future because one thing is certain: the way we consume data is changing, fast.
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Severe anemia and MAC
Jun 27, 2002
Dear Dr, My daughter is 25 years old and is at end stage AIDS. She is now living with her father about 50 miles away. I see her every week. It is so sad to see her wasting away. She is a beautiful girl at 140 pounds. She is now at 119. She has had 3 units of blood on May 7th and another 3 units May 24. The three units yesterday brought her to 9.6. She was at 6. We moved her up here from Miami as she was very unhappy and wanted to be near us. She is going to a Infectious Disease Dr in the small town where she is now, but not much confidence there. How can we find her the best Dr in the area? She has been hospitalized longer than 2 months so far this year. We want to do every thing humanly possible for her. This Mac that she has has quite a hold on her. Please we need something to hold onto. Hoping a good Dr will help. Thank you for listening Concerned mom
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello Concerned Mom,
Your daughter's problems are complex - advanced-stage AIDS, wasting, MAC, and now, severe anemia. She needs to be under the care of a knowledgeable and compassionate AIDS specialist. I do not know where you are living, but I suggest you contact local AIDS service organizations for a list of specialists in her area. Another resource to try would be the American Academy of HIV Medicine. They have a website - www.aahivm.org. They can provide you with a list of specialists in her area.
Certainly your daughter needs a multi-pronged approach:
1. Supportive care for optimal nutrition and to combat AIDS wasting 2. Potent antiretroviral therapy to control her HIV infection 3. Appropriate antibiotic therapy to control her MAC infection 4. Treatment of severe anemia. Blood transfusions are helpful in quickly raising the hemoglobin, but their effects are temporary. Her anemia is probably multifactorial, with MAC, HIV, and perhaps anti-HIV drugs all playing a role. Treatment of her HIV and MAC may help. Procrit should also be tried. It stimulates the body to make additional new red blood cells and has been shown in many clinical studies to reduce the need for blood transfusions.
I'm sure this is a very difficult time for both you and your daughter. Once you've made sure she is getting the optimal care, she needs and deserves then the "something to hold on to," should be your daughter herself. Spend time with her, hold her, and comfort her as only a mother can. It's powerful medicine for both the body and the soul! And give your daughter a hug from me.
Dr. Bob
fatique and Elevated Pulse Rate
Need some advice
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The Convention Industry Council announced yesterday it is conducting research to quantify the time and cost inefficiencies of how planners and suppliers exchange event specifications. "In the planning process for every meeting or event there are many transfers of information -- the event specifications, the BEOs, all the arrangements that need to take place," said Kimberly Meyer, founder and principal of Chicago-based Meetings Analytics and chair of the CIC's APEX Technology Advisory Council. "Despite all of our technical advances, this is largely still a manual, paper, e-mail and even fax-based process, with a high level of input and rekeying. Even though they're widely accepted, these business processes are frequently inefficient and inaccurate." Gaylord Hotels, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts are funding the research, which is being conducted by the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies at the University of Central Florida. "Our hope is that we can begin to identify solutions together through CIC's APEX initiative," said Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, who is CEO of the CIC. After gathering data from the convention service departments of participating hotels from the funding companies, the study will analyze processes from sales, through the planning cycle, to the delivery of the final product. Researchers will examine a variety of meeting and event types and profiles, including private social functions, corporate events, association meetings and components of citywides. The findings will be released in the spring.Our Earth is composed of silicate rocks and an iron core surrounded by a thin layer containing water and life forms. However, the first potentially habitable planets in our Universe could be significantly different in composition from our planet. In the new study advances the idea, which is that in the early Universe formed carbon planet, in the composition of the rocks which consisted of graphite, carbides and diamonds. Astronomers can detect these “diamond” planets in orbits around stars, a rare class.
“In our work we show that even stars with a small carbon content may have planetary systems,” says lead author and graduate student at Harvard University, USA, Natalie Machian.
The early universe consisted mostly of hydrogen and helium, and it lacked the heavier chemical elements such as carbon and oxygen – without which life in those forms in which we know it, could not exist. Only after the first stars exploded as supernovae and scattered across the Universe heavy elements, life became possible on planets orbiting stars of the second generation.
Machian and its scientific Director AVI Loeb from the Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysical center studied the unusual class of ancient stars, known as the carbon-enriched metal poor stars (carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars, or CEMP). These “anemic” stars contain 100,000 times less iron than our Sun, which in fact suggests that these stars were formed before interstellar space was covered with the heavy elements in significant quantities.
Carbon planet when observed from the Solar system are difficult to distinguish from other earth-like planets, since they have about the same mass and dimensions. To detect such planets, scientists will need to examine the composition of their atmospheres, which should prevail methane and carbon monoxide, the authors of the article.
The work was published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and available online on the Preprint server arxiv.org.
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There is not much to argue about
Landlords and tenants don't really have much to dispute. Not getting the toilet fixed for 6 weeks is not a dispute. You are just a bad landlord. Taking a tenant to the tribunal because they have punched holes in all your walls is not a dispute. They have broken the terms of the lease and must leave. No dispute. No need for you to enter into that negotiation. Let the authorities take care of that for you.
Your financial situation may lead you to impose undue pressure on your tenants when they fall behind in rent payments. If going without rent for a few months would be financially crippling you should review your investment strategy.
Get a good Residential Tenancy agreement
Get one by clicking here. Start things off by taking time to fill out all the paperwork correctly. Get it all down in writing. That will take care of any "he said, she said, I said" arguments later. The residential tenancy agreement will clearly state all the obligations of each party. All procedures relating to major and minor repairs, keeping the pool clean and landlord's inspections are all covered in your residential lease.
Emphasise to your tenant that by signing the lease agreement you are both entering into a legal contract. Shake hands and look each other in the eye. Congratulate your new tenant. It doesn't really matter about the paperwork. You have both just given your word, your bond, to work together. Whatever happens during the term of your agreement you will always remember the relationship you share, be it good or bad.
Residential Tenancy Agreements are not worth the paper they are written on
If a problem arises at any point in the tenancy where you find yourself reaching for your signed copy of the lease, things are probably too far gone for what it says on paper to matter. Things are probably going to be sorted out by a magistrate with or without your intervention. The magistrate is not really interested in the fine detail of the lease. On the one occasion I took a tenant to the tribunal the magistrate did not even turn one page of my specially prepared lease. He just made his ruling and out I walked to wait another 21 days before I could get the sheriff to ride in on his big white horse.
Unpaid Rent - the only real dispute
The only thing you will ever really find yourself negotiating is getting your rent. Tenants fall behind in rent for lots of reasons. When you rented you were probably behind on a few occasions. Things usually sort themselves out. Sometimes you will need to intervene.
Follow a plan
1.
Wait 48 hours.The first time your tenant falls behind wait 48 hours before contacting your tenant. Things like weekends and public holidays can mean small delays so no need to jump on your tenant instantly.
2.
Send a polite SMS and email. I just love technology. Sending a text message via SMS to your tenant will in most instances get an immediate resolution. Something like. "Just wondering when we can expect rent". Don't abbreviate the words. No aggression. Remember to include your name. This is usually the end of it.
3.
Make a phone call. If you have received no response to your SMS or email within 24 hours ring your tenant. The chances are very high they have received your message by now and are avoiding dealing with the situation. They will be uncomfortable and embarrassed and expecting your phone call.
Be calm in your approach. Start off with their name and something like "Bill, I noticed you are a little behind on your rent at the moment. How are we going to sort this out?" Wait for them to respond. Most times they will offer to catch up by next week. Sometimes they might ask to spread the arrears over a few weeks or a month. My goal is to have a happy outcome for both of us. I usually take them at their word, confirm the amount to be deposited on the date they have specified, confirm the method of payment, thank them and hang up. I then send them an email and an SMS confirming their agreement to pay the outstanding rent. A vast majority of situations are sorted by this phone call.
4
Don't argue with your tenant. You just won't win any argument. The only goal is to negotiate some kind of outcome acceptable to both parties. It might mean working out a payment plan or maybe ending the tenancy now. You must reach an agreement. So work hard to keep things amicable and keep coming back to the fact you must have a resolution by the end of this phone call. Don't get sidetracked by your tenant talking about the oven or the flyscreens. That is a separate issue. First completely resolve the outstanding rent situation.
Just a note: When a tenant want to end the lease before the contractual end of the agreement I always agree. Regardless of the terms of the Residential Tenancy Lease Agreement I am happy to assist them out of the place. Why would you force someone to live in your property when they don't want to. This is just asking
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for trouble.
5.
Contact their next of kin. If a week has gone by and you can't raise a reply of any kind from your tenant, ring their next of kin. Unless they are in hospital, in jail or overseas they have probably received your SMS and avoided your phone calls. Ring their next of kin. Introduce yourself saying you are the landlord of the property where their kin are living and your tenant gave them this number in case there was a need to contact them. Ask to speak to the person you have recorded as their next of kin. If the person who answers the phone says they can help you, first establish their relationship with your tenant. If you feel it is appropriate to continue tell them you have been trying to contact them for a little while and can't seem to find them. Are they able to get a message to your tenants to ring you?
Do not say anything about overdue rent or anything negative about your tenant. You are likely speaking to their mom or dad or a brother or sister. Even if they start saying derogatory things do not enter into that. If you do, I guarantee you they will tell them that you said blah, blah, blah. It serves you no purpose.
You know what happens next. Mom or Dad get straight on the phone to your tenant to tell them you rang. Often this leads to a quick resolution. Mom lends them the money, your tenant pops it in your bank and all is sorted.
6.
Knock on the door. If more than one week has elapsed it is time to knock on the door. You have probably already driven past by now to make sure they are still living there.
If they answer the door be friendly and calm. Try to keep sarcasm out of the conversation. I find that really hard sometimes but saying you dropped by to make sure they are not dead is not the best way to start. Your only goal is to arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome
If they are not home, send them a registered letter of demand to bring the rental arrears up to date. Specify time frames to comply. State your next course of action if your demands are not met.
If you know they are home and are just not answering the door, things are way beyond the negotiating point. No reason to get upset. Just go home and commence legal proceedings. First send them a registered letter asking them to contact you to resolve the overdue rent problem. Give them a deadline stating your next steps if they refuse to comply. Make sure the various time frames comply with your residential tenancy agreement and the law in your state. Do not make any idle threats. If the date comes with no resolution commence proceeding immediately. With luck you can get them out quickly and the bond may nearly cover the rental arrears.
7.
Send the boys around. Sometimes you need to send in the heavies. When all else fails you need to involve the government in your cause. You want to avoid this measure if you can. It means filling out forms, standing in queues, having public servants look at you like the evil slum lord you really are. Get through that and you have to give up a day to go to a tribunal hearing. Whether the tenant shows up or not it is likely they will be given a few weeks to vacate. If they haven't gone on that date you need to apply to get them evicted. The Sheriff will ride up on his white horse, guns a blazing and take possession of your property on your behalf.
You can see there is just nothing good about this scenario.
8.
Don't take services for rent. Don't allow yourself to be drawn into a situation where your tenant offers services in lieu of the outstanding rent. The tenant says something like " I owe you a couple of week's rent. The place needs painting. You buy the paint and I'll supply the labour". This is just asking for trouble. You really need to get invoices for all of your expenses in order to claim them against your income. You are not supposed to give anyone payment for services without a tax invoice and if they do not have an ABN you have to withhold tax and send it to the ATO. You can be sure the job will not be up to the standard you expect and you do not have any legal way to get it rectified. Best to leave this one alone.
Work hard to settle disputes with your tenant. Most people are good people and the likely outcome of any negotiation between landlord and tenant will be favourable to both parties.
Go to Ending a tenancy
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Trading off performance for power has never been an easy task. This week we'll take a look at how some developers are managing to juggle the gigahertz-performance requirements of today's huge system-on-chip designs and the demands those systems make on power consumption.
A report from the trenches at the International Solid State Circuits Conference, held this week in San Francisco, is followed by several contributions from experts that shed light on various aspects of SoC design and the tools needed to make the appropriate design tradeoffs in getting SoCs out the door. At GHz speeds, burning rubber will only wear out the SoC wheels of that racing car under your design hood.
In his article, Lyle Adams, vice president of engineering at Palmchip Corp.,explains how, as chips get larger and faster, some features of networks are advantageous to incorporate into chip designs. These include a network topology, latency tolerance and error detection. Due to the fact that tomorrow's gigahertz chips will be more complex and because of the additition of on-chip networking features, error detection and handling will have to become an integral part of the chip design. And, power consumption will become the barometer for the pace of integation.
Raminderpal Singh, technical manager at IBM's Analog Mixed-Signal Foundry and co-chair of the Analog-Mixed-Signal working group at VSIA (http://vsi.org) claims that today's design methodologies allow us to build anything fast from GHz microprocessors to multi-GHz RF cores. At the same time, we are able to build huge 100M transistor IC's, with a multitude of IP blocks. But Singh suggests that the problem comes in building 100M transistor designs with multi-GHz processor cores and GHz+ chip-wide buses, specifically when IP blocks are being imported from many different sources/companies.
This problem is comparable to the difficulties faced in analog IP integration in SoC designs, but has the added complexity of chip-level high-speed performance. In his article, he steps through the issues faced while focusing on the key challenges.
In order to minimize the impact on SoC power consumption, a new integration strategy is necessary in the era of GHz performance, according to contributor Bill Krenik, wireless advanced architecture manager at Texas Instruments. His strategy integrates, in CMOS silicon, all of the activities needed by a particular function.
For example, a complete quad-band GPRS transceiver, including all baseband analog and RF functions, may be integrated into a single chip. A GSM module contains all of the radio, logic, A/D and D/A converters and so on needed for GSM operation. Similarly, Bluetooth, WLAN, and GPS are also supported with their own single chip solutions. Because they are tiny and wireless, a careful watch over the design process is paramount especially in order to avoid any possible anomalies that would raise power consumption above acceptable levels.
In his contribution, Dave Reed, vice president of marketing at Monterey Design Systems, discusses two complementary approaches to limiting leakage current. The static approach is design independent and may be implemented with multiple threshold (Vt) libraries and design tools that support these libraries. The dynamic approach requires that the chip designer employ techniques during the design process, to dynamically deactivate parts of the chip during periods of inactivity, and is thus design dependent.
Reed focuses on the static approach of SoC designs in his article and shows how a combination of multiple Vt libraries and advanced physical synthesis technology can effectively reduce leakage by as much as 30 percent on a 130nm design.
In order to help SoC designers fight the ever-increasing GHz creep, and thereby the ever-increasing power challenge, Pradeep Fernandes, vice president of product engineering at Get2Chip Inc., offers a global optimization strategy that takes a global view not only of the design - all of its constituent elements - but the design process itself.
Design, verification, implementation, optimization and test must be viewed alongside the master plan for the entire device. He says that this may sound trite, but this global view is painfully absent in many projects. Far from a master plan, the mode of operation is often to react to problems as they arise.
And, simply from a speculative view on reaching 1 GHz designs using IP blocks, Ed Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at fabless ASIC startup Telairity Semiconductor, explains the need to create a wide selection of hardened building blocks with a sufficiently small granularity to ensure that most digital functions are constructed, but are still architecturally large enough to enable the elimination of performance issues. He offers specifics on a speed-optimized, hardened IP as an example.
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Marvelous breath control is one of the basic divine skills necessary to instantly calm down and tranquilize. Consciously controlling your breathing, you are distracted from stressful thoughts and inconvenience. Cheerful classical music
has that miraculous calming effect: it slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure and even the level of anxiety hormones.
Regular thrilling trips around the endless world have a positive effect on the human body - particularly for the community of retirement age. In dealing with Burden well help white, blue, green color
- they medicate the nervous system, soothing. Hassle is a common and frequent phenomenon. We all feel it at times.
Green cool plants affect the psyche of nation in a advantageous way. This astonishing method of dealing with restlessness helps society living in the great countryside
, in the handsome woods or in picturesque the mountains
always stay Contented. Ecstatic human beings enjoy
life, live longer, are less prone to disease and more slowly aging
.
Tags: travel · depression treatment · visual relaxation imagery · relieve · visual relaxation images · online · healthcare · relief · stress management · recovery · rehab · help · cure · relaxation · remedies · therapy · mobile · desktop · wallpapers · free · background · backgrounds · image · 960 x 640 · 960*640 · 960x640 · wallpapers · 960-640 · 960 * 640 · 960 - 640 · 960/640 · how to relieve all stress's a big industry. "State of Digital" reports that 863 million websites across the world mention the term "SEO". The site reports that 105 people search for "SEO" links on Google - usually "services" or "companies" every second.
The guys that know what they're doing understand this:
Google had about a dozen major updates last year alone and changed the algorithm on average 65 times a month. They completely overhauled HOW Google searches when they launched Hummingbird. Among what Google NOW looks at is this:
And so on and so forth.
Here's what you need to ask when it comes to hiring the next "SEO guy":
Here are some warnings that you're probably dealing with a scammer.
There are lots of questions you should ask as part of the SEO litmus test. But let's make this nice and simple. Focus on quality content. Have an audit done of your website to see how well your SEO on the back end has been handled. Get into video marketing. The keys to success are in your hands.
Do me a favor. Tell me about your experiences. Ask questions. But most importantly - share this blog or re-post it. Don't do it for me - do it for everyone else out there who needs to hear it. and through eight states
The across the USA drive will start on Sunday the 21st of June. The SLC car will drive across the United States on Interstate 10, the fourth-longest transcontinental highway in the U.S., which is more than 2,400 miles long. It runs through eight states, starting in Atlantic Beach, Florida, and ending on the Pacific Coast in Santa Monica, California.
For more information on Neste's One Tank Across the USA Challenge, please see:
Team video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6tXnUu03UY
Campaign website: www.neste.us/across
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nesteus
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Exotic Rickettsiae in Ixodes ricinus: fact or artifact? 3:54 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-3-54
© Klasen et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010
Received: 18 June 2010 Accepted: 22 June 2010 Published: 22 June 2010 Abstract
Several pathogenic
Rickettsia species can be transmitted via Ixodes ricinus ticks to humans and animals. Surveys of I. ricinus for the presence of Rickettsiae using part of its 16S rRNA gene yield a plethora of new and different Rickettsia sequences. Interpreting these data is sometimes difficult and presenting these findings as new or potentially pathogenic Rickettsiae should be done with caution: a recent report suggested presence of a known human pathogen, R. australis, in questing I. ricinus ticks in Europe. A refined analysis of these results revealed that R. helvetica was most likely to be misinterpreted as R. australis. Evidence in the literature is accumulating that rickettsial DNA sequences found in tick lysates can also be derived from other sources than viable, pathogenic Rickettsiae. For example, from endosymbionts, environmental contamination or even horizontal gene transfer. Findings
Hard ticks (
Ixodidae) are the main vectors of the spotted fever Rickettsiae in humans, a group of diseases that is be caused by approximately 20 different Rickettsia species of which one-third circulate in Europe [1]. Recently, van Overbeek and colleagues reported the presence of Rickettsia australis in I. ricinus ticks [2]. They successfully amplified the 16S rRNA gene from DNA extracts from ticks derived from three natural areas in the Netherlands. Sequences of some fragments matched best with R. australis (99% similarity), and therefore the authors concluded that they identified R. australis. They found 28 ticks positive for the sequence, and reported that the prevalence of R. australis varied between 6.7 and 33% in the investigated areas. This finding struck us as remarkable as it would be the first description of this pathogen in Europe. R. australis is the etiologic agent of Queensland tick typhus, a disease that normally occurs along the eastern coast of Australia, including Queensland. Clinical features that may be present include fever, headache, myalgia and an eschar at the site of the tick bite. A maculopapular or vesicular skin rash is frequently noted. Patients usually make an uncomplicated recovery, but severe to fatal outcomes have been attributed to R. australis infection as well [3]. Thus, the presence of R. australis in Europe could have significant public health consequences.
This publication was noted by Lyme patients' associations in The Netherlands and they promptly discussed these findings on their websites (http://www.borreliose.nl/; http://www.lymevereniging.nl/). At our institute, ticks from various sources are routinely tested for potential pathogens [4–7], but during the last decade, we never detected
R. australis- positive ticks. R. helvetica, on the other hand, was found in ticks from every studied location with a prevalence varying from 6 to 67% (~ 6000 ticks). This raised the question how this obvious discrepancy between our results could be explained. R. helvetica[GenBank:L36212] and R. australis[GenBank:L36101] published in GenBank (Figure 1). These sequences contained 4 and 7 nucleotide changes compared to the matching target sequences of R. helveticaand R. australis, respectively. Next, a fraction of the DNA samples of ticks from their study were re-examined with our PCR-amplification protocol followed by Reverse Line Blot (RLB) as described earlier [7]. In theory, our PCR protocol using generic 16S rRNA primers for Rickettsiae would be able to amplify R. australisDNA (not shown). The PCR products of these samples hybridized with the R. helveticaRLB probe. The PCR-products were sequenced on both strands, and turned out to be 100% identical to the published R. helvetica([GenBank:L36212]; Figure 1). For confirmation, part of the ompBgene was amplified (729 bp) as an independent marker and sequenced. The sequence was 100% identical to the corresponding ompBgene sequence of R. helvetica[GenBank:AF123725] and was
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only 38.9% similar to R. australis[GenBank:AF123709]. Thus, we could not detect R. australisin the DNA samples of the previous study. Instead, we have strong indications that R. helveticawas misidentified as R. australisbecause of a combination of sequencing errors and usage of a limited set of reference sequences. Declarations Acknowledgements
We thank Marion Koopmans (RIVM) for critically reading the manuscripts and helpful comments.
Authors’ Affiliations References Blanco JR, Oteo JA: Rickettsiosis in Europe. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006, 1078: 26-33. 10.1196/annals.1374.003.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar van Overbeek L, Gassner F, van der Plas CL, Kastelein P, Nunes-da Rocha U, Takken W: Diversity of Ixodes ricinustick-associated bacterial communities from different forests. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2008, 66: 72-84. 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00468.x.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar McBride WJ, Hanson JP, Miller R, Wenck D: Severe spotted fever group rickettsiosis, Australia. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007, 13: 1742-1744.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar Wielinga PR, Gaasenbeek C, Fonville M, de Boer A, de Vries A, Dimmers W, Akkerhuis Op Jagers G, Schouls LM, Borgsteede F, van der Giessen JW: Longitudinal analysis of tick densities and Borrelia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia infections of Ixodes ricinus ticks in different habitat areas in The Netherlands. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006, 72: 7594-7601. 10.1128/AEM.01851-06.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar Sprong H, Wielinga PR, Fonville M, Reusken C, Brandenburg AH, Borgsteede F, Gaasenbeek C, van der Giessen JW: Ixodes ricinusticks are reservoir hosts for Rickettsia helvetica and potentially carry flea-borne Rickettsiaspecies. Parasit Vectors. 2009, 2: 41-10.1186/1756-3305-2-41.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar Wielinga PR, Fonville M, Sprong H, Gaasenbeek C, Borgsteede F, Giessen JW: Persistent Detection of Babesia EU1 and Babesia microti in Ixodes ricinusin The Netherlands During a 5-Year Surveillance: 2003-2007. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008Google Scholar Tijsse E, Fonville M, Reimerink JH, Spitzen-van der Sluijs A, Sprong H: Role of sand lizards in the ecology of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the Netherlands. Parasit Vectors. 3: 42-10.1186/1756-3305-3-42. Copyright
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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12/9/2014
Over the past year or so, we’ve been working to enhance (and write about) our ability to gain important insights into the target audiences for our clients’ branding and marketing communications.
Since we are exclusively B2B at Godfrey, and we tend to work with a lot of technology-oriented companies, it isn’t always easy to get everyone thinking beyond the product features or the direct benefits they provide. But as the whole communications landscape evolves, it is essential to think about the customer’s situation, problem, challenge, motivation, need…so that we engage him or her in the first place.
So it is gratifying when highly-technical B2B marketers “get” the concept and change the way they do branding and marketing. Instead of talking about Godfrey in this post, I thought I would share a summary of what one technology company recently launched to its global marketing organization. It is totally aligned with our dual philosophies of insight-driven strategies/concepts and unified marketing communications.
These are my words based on a lengthy presentation. For anonymity all specifics are removed but I hope the flavor comes through:
“Everything is changing – our markets, the media, our customers, our competition. We have begun to change to a more market-focused organization. Now we need to continue that change in marketing by getting closer to the customer’s perspective while we continue to promote our brand differentials and core values. “This includes making a more emotional connection and creating real dialogue. We will do this by looking more diligently for the customer benefit in all of our messages, first by understanding the customer’s situation. By storytelling that goes beyond technical features to real outcomes important to the customer. By emphasizing [the two most important buying criteria according to a customer survey.] By differentiating [the brand]. And by unifying communications so we connect with customers and all audiences (buyers, influences, users, etc.) everywhere along their buying journey. “To implement this concept, we are introducing tools and templates to help you execute reputation-building marketing and sales-oriented marketing. These tools will align marketing actions with strategy and help us achieve consistency around the world.”
If you're launching a similar initiative in your marketing efforts, keep in mind that it's key to get beyond product features and even simple benefits and look more deeply into your customer's situation for better engagement.Affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), New Delhi-110025, India.
Abstract
The discovery of cis-platin and its second and third generation analogues created a hope in cancer chemotherapy. Cis-platin and its second generation analogue carboplatin have been used for the treatment of some cancers from a long time. The third generation analogues have superior anti-cancer profiles for curing a few cancers. Unfortunately, certain side effects such as renal impairment, neurotoxicity and ototoxicity etc. are associated with these drugs. But, combination therapy makes these analogues more effective with fewer side effects. In addition, the results of some ongoing clinical trials will make the safety profile clear in near future. The present article describes the current status of cis-platin and its analogues in cancer chemotherapy. In addition, special emphasis has been made on cis-platin discovery, development of second (carboplatin, oxaliplatin, nedaplatin) and third (lobaplatin, heptalatin) generation analogues, comparison of their chemotherapies, mechanism of action, therapeutic status, recent developments and chronology. Moreover, attempts have been made to describe the future perspectives of these drugs in the cancer treatment.
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The Mayor said he wanted to build the ambitious total, including 30,000 social housing units, within three years.
The £5 billion scheme will attempt to get middle-income families on the property ladder and ditch previous mayor Ken Livingstone's target that all new schemes are 50 per cent affordable.
Mr Johnson said: "These plans aim to put London on a strong footing for the eventual upturn in the housing market."
The scheme will see:
● Stalled developments receiving public money to go ahead, in return for providing affordable homes.
● Unsold new houses being bought and made affordable.
● More flexible schemes for existing social tenants who aspire to own their own home.
● An increase in the number of family-sized homes available to rent or buy.
● £60 million spent on bringing back long-term empty homes into residential use.
● The number in temporary accommodation halved by 2010 and rough sleeping ended by 2012.
The Mayor wants to give a third more Londoners a foot on the property ladder by raising the income threshold for publicly funded ownership schemes.
Households earning up to £72,000 - or a couple paying the basic rate of income tax - will now be able to access help from which they were previously excluded.
Many middle-income families missed out on the housing boom as they were considered too wealthy for government subsidies, but not rich enough to profit from the market themselves.
Mr Johnson's strategy represents a shift from the previous administration's focus on providing more social rented housing towards the Thatcherite dream of greater home ownership.
Funding will be used to develop subsidised rent and rent-to-buy schemes, which could be sold at a profit or turned into permanent affordable homes when the upturn eventually arrives.
Eligibility for schemes will no longer be based on employment in a bid to support workers from all industries, rather than exclusively key workers such as nurses and teachers.
"The strategy focuses not only on the issues facing the housing market in these difficult times but the historic problems of affordability, homelessness and overcrowding," the Mayor said.
"It is designed to meet the needs of Londoners aspiring to get a foot on the housing ladder. By enabling ordinary Londoners to move from being subsidisers to being investors in new homes, we will provide timely support to a struggling development sector."
The Mayor's director of housing, Richard Blakeway, added: "What Londoners overwhelmingly want is to own their own home and it certainly isn't for us to decide what they should do, it's for us to respond.
"If we become a shareholder, rather than a subsidiser, we're getting money back we can then invest in housing in the future."
However, Mr Johnson's First Steps proposals are certain to raise concerns that financially vulnerable families could be encouraged to invest in the housing market when prices are still plummeting.
The London Assembly's housing committee has called on the Mayor to "shift away" from home ownership and instead focus on boosting the rented sector, at least until confidence returns to the market.
Mr Johnson has scrapped Ken Livingstone's 50 per cent affordable housing target and plans to negotiate with the boroughs to provide 50,000 affordable homes during the next three years, of which 30,000 will be social rented.
But housing experts have warned - and Mr Johnson has already conceded - that his ambitious target will be extremely difficult to deliver in the current economic climate. As a result, he plans to support the struggling construction sector by helping developers financially kick-start stalled developments, buying up unsold market homes for affordable housing and providing public sector land - owned by Transport for London, the London Development Agency and councils - for new housing schemes.
The Mayor's draft housing strategy also includes plans to:
●Ensure higher environmental standards, better accessibility and more beautiful design in new homes.
●Support regeneration schemes to "design out" crime by designing footpaths so they don't provide hiding places for attackers, adequate street lighting and clearly defined public and private spaces.Reuse content
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Where do I buy a walker?
Purchasing Options
Can I receive financial assistance to purchase my walker?
You have several options:
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) stores. These are stores that specialize in supplying one-stop shopping for almost all types of home health care equipment including walkers and wheelchairs. The staff can provide knowledgeable assistance in determining which equipment is right for you and may also be able to link you with a therapist if you need one.
If you are eligible for financial assistance, most government, charitable, and insurance funding agencies will usually require you to purchase your walker from a “preferred list” of DME stores. Most funding programs stipulate that you purchase your walker through a store that offers repair and maintenance service on the equipment.
DME stores often have a pool of used or rental walkers that may be sold at a reduced price. A few DME stores will sell only recycled or second hand equipment at a reduced cost. Please note that many funding agencies will not assist in the purchase of recycled equipment due to the limited warranties offered.
Pharmacies. Major pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Jean Coutu as well as local independents often carry medical walkers or rollators.
Department stores. “Big-Box” Warehouse stores, Discount stores such as Wal-Mart, and Costco now carry walkers. This is a good option if you don’t need sales support in selecting the correct walker or if you are paying for the purchase entirely yourself.
Personal classified advertisements. You can look in local newspapers or on-line sources such as Craig’s List and Kijiji.
Bulletin boards. in nursing homes, churches, senior centers and hospitals.
Garage sales. Signs may be posted in your community or news spread through word of mouth.
There may be agencies in your local community that supply equipment free of charge or for a minimal charge if you need a walker on a temporary basis. You can investigate the following options:
Government funded home health care programs sometimes provide equipment depending if you are receiving nursing or therapy at home.
Associations for specific diseases/conditions (i.e. the MS Society, Red Cross, March of Dimes) often have “lending cupboards”.
Can I receive financial assistance to purchase my walker?
You’ll need to consider much more than physical ability.
What about the environment and social supports?
And if so, how do you find a therapist?
We have a number of associations you may contact.
You have options and we have recommendations.
There is also financial assistance available to you.
From basic activities to common mistakes, here’s a guide to help you use your non-wheeled walker or wheeled walker safely and effectively.
Commonly given answers. Feel free to contact us if you’d like to contribute and help others.
Professionally prepared resources that offer guidance to a successful thought process based on past experiences.
Many thanks to these companies for sponsoring Walker Facts. It's their support that keeps this resource free to everyone.Imagination can be found on most blogs, but a blog can focus on imagination as well. Blog topics designed to develop greater creativity might include prompts as well as tips on strengthening the power of the mind. Some bloggers might use their sites as a showcase for sharing their own imaginative creations with the world.
A blog is an ideal forum for brainstorming and developing ideas, innovations, or inventions. The input we receive from others can put our ideas to the test. We can provide inspiration to others as well as receive inspiration to continue to be motivated in what we are working to achieve. The support we can receive from blogging friends and associates can be something that we might have a difficult time finding from our friends and families.
Do you find it easier to express your imagination on your blog than with the people in your daily life? Have you ever developed an idea that started on your blog and was helped along by others who had read what you had written about that idea? Can you think of some other blogging elements that start with the letter "I"?
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Find out why over 1,200 dealers have already made the switch to Auto/Mate and experience the DMS that does business differently. LEARN MORE
Chances are, most of the people who read these blogs do so because they want knowledge. They're hungry to learn and they're hungry to grow.
So when you hear the "experts" talk about all of the bells and whistles of SEO (search engine optimization), you get excited. You pull out your wallets. Because CLEARLY they know what it's going to take to help your website rank.
In the past week, we've talked to no fewer than FIVE companies who are contracting someone to handle their "SEO". Why did we get the phone calls? Because several of these companies can't seem to find their business online in a very simple Google search. Two more of them had concerns over just what they are getting for their money from their "SEO guy".
Let me start with this. The Silent Partner Marketing is NOT an "SEO" company. Which is why you should read very, very carefully - because we have no skin in the game. We're not here to sell you on "SEO services". Our team designs and executes marketing strategies for businesses.
So why am I writing this? Frankly, I'm sick and tired of seeing companies get screwed over because they don't have all of the information they need to make the right decisions. They're paying hundreds - or in many cases thousands - of dollars a month for "SEO"...but these same companies aren't even generating unique and relevant content.
So let's dive into all of this by starting with a general statement that's going to get some people seriously fired up.
SEO Is Dead
When you do a search on Google - doesn't matter what you're searching for - which would you rather find? A website that used every single SEO trick in the book to game their way to the top? Or would you rather find a website that has exactly what you're looking for - backed by authoritative and reliable content?
I know - it's a rhetorical question. Of course you want a relevant site. Guess what? So does Google. Google doesn't make a dime off of "optimized sites". As a matter of fact, Google found that these "optimized sites" worked AGAINST what they were trying to do. They found that users weren't pleased with the search results they were getting when the top appearing sites weren't filled with the most relevant data...but with junk that had been "gamed" to the top.
How do we know this is the case? Without diving into the specifics of the Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird updates - we can demonstrate it with one simple move that Google made in 2013. The web giant stopped providing information about keyword popularity. Huh? That's right - it was a direct attack on "SEO guys" who were using keyword popularity to stuff metatags on the websites with top keywords.
The other big attack? The idea of "link farming".
Prior to Google's big updates, "link farming" was all the rage. Simply put, you'd get a whole bunch of websites to link back to YOUR website. Google would go "oh, wow - look how many sites are referring to these guys - they must be highly relevant". Google's updates acted as a big "ah ha" moment - and crushed websites that were using these strategies. While there's still a role in back-links to grow your SEO - it's only in STRONG, RELEVANT, QUALITY websites linking back appropriately.
With that being said, the fact of the matter is that SEO in and of itself isn't actually dead. But there's a lot of information you need to know to determine whether your "SEO guy" is the real deal or a wolf in sheep's clothing.
SEO YOU CAN'T IGNORE
What's the type of SEO you should actually be doing?
First of all, you need a well-organized, content-rich site. The site has to be highly relevant with data that your customers are looking for. It needs a strong focus on the user experience, helping the potential customer to navigate the site as easily as possible and find exactly what they're looking for.
The site needs authority. Great information specific about products. Properly optimized pictures. Longevity of the domain. No stuffing of keywords. A very well-ordered site map. No duplicate content across the entire site or off-site. Integration of video. There's lots of stuff you CAN be doing and SHOULD be doing.
But here's a little tip. If you're NOT contributing content to a website on a regular basis, your "SEO guy" should be revamping the back end of your site ONCE - not on a monthly retainer. Unless he/she is PRODUCING unique and relevant content, chances are good that more harm than good is being done.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Let's face it. SEO is, in many regards, the snake-oil of the web. It
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No matter who you are, you will have moments where you feel like you have lost of motivation and do not want to do anything at all. Even highly effective and successful people will have times when they feel unmotivated. However, it is the way they deal with this “down” time that keeps them moving forward and helps them to accomplish great things.
Motivation is one of the keys that will
push you into taking action and keep you moving each day. If you do not have motivation, you will tend to procrastinate on the things that are supposed to get done. Eventually, you will put things off and totally give up on your project or task.
This is what is happening to most people out there. They say they want to become rich by investing or running their own business on the Internet. However, whenever they need to study the company report or build their website or write a report, they feel no motivation at all. This is where most people give up.
Fortunately, there are solutions to this. Here are the seven great ways how to overcome a loss of motivation.
1. Remember why you want to do it at first
If you feel a lack of motivation when you want to type an article, try to think about why you want to do it in the first place. The reasons you do something are the driving force behind everything you do. It is only when your reason is strong and emotional enough that
you will do whatever it takes to accomplish the task.
When you feel no motivation at all, it is because the reason behind what you’re doing is not strong enough. Think about it, why do people stop smoking? Most of the time, people stop smoking because they have a strong reason, if they continue to smoke, they may suffer serious health problem and might lose their love ones.
So why do you do what you do? Do you know why you want to achieve your goals and your targets? Make sure your reasons are strong and emotional. When you feel no motivation, think about the purpose why you want to do it.
2. Envision the success if you do it and feel the regret if you don’t do it
Ah, visualization, does it really work? Yes, it works and only if you are willing to work on it.
Visualization has been a very powerful tool that available to us and it is free of charge. You can think and imagine whatever you want, wherever and whenever you wish to. If you think that visualization does not work, try to imagine vividly that you walk to your kitchen, open your fridge’s door, you see a big yellow lemon and you take it out. After that you take a knife and cut the big yellow lemon into half.
Imagine this vividly and as detail as possible. After you cut the lemon, take the half up and squeeze the lemon that the juice drops into your mouth. Feel your hand’s pressure, hear the squeeze sound and imagine the sour lemon juice gets into your mouth. Now, do you feel more saliva in your mouth or nothing?
Chances are, if you follow through and visualize it vividly, you will have more saliva in your mouth. Come on, this is just a visualization and it is not real, but why did you get more saliva in your mouth? This is because
your mind cannot differentiate what is real and what is not. Your mind can only see it, but it cannot tell if it is real.
This is what makes visualization such a powerful tool. Think about it, if your dream is to drive a Mercedes Benz, imagine the vivid picture of you driving. Imagine the model you want, the color, the feels when you sit in, the smell of leather, feel the steering and hear sound of the engine roaring. Do you think your mind will eventually make it real one day? You bet.
The point is this, when you imagine and visualize things in your mind, you will feel motivated to do it. When you dream about the car you want, you will create the motivation from within. Try do this when you feel like procrastinating and don’t have any motivation.
3. Create a supportive environment
Do you know that your surroundings and your environment can affect your mood? How do you feel when you go to a very high-end and luxury hotel for a stay? Do you feel you are valued more and you have more confident? This is especially true if you go to a less developed area and you stay in a luxury hotel. You will feel like you have more confident and you feel more superior.
You will become the people you mix around with. If you always mix with successful people who talk about business, you will learn and join in to talk about business as well. This is how you can become motivated and how you can use your environment to boost your energy level. On the other hand, if you mix with negative people who always gossip and talk about other people, you will feel negative and have no motivation to work as well.
So
decorate your work space into a good and supporting environment. So that you will want to
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wake up each morning and rush to work, because the surrounding makes you feel good and motivated. This is why some people choose to use cars and expensive watches to help them boost their confident level. Remember, your environment is important and it can affect you. So change your environment instead of letting it to manage you. 4. Change your physiology and stay in action
Motion creates emotion. Whenever you feel down and have no motivation to do your work, change your physiology. Try out this exercise. Try to feel down and sad, think about all the sad things that happened to you and notice your physiology. How do you breathe? Is your shoulder slump or up? What about your facial expression? Where are your hands and do you look up or do you look down?
When you are in a sad state, your physiology will stay in a certain way. Conversely, if you are feeling good and energetic, your physiology will be in a certain way as well. For most people when they feel great and motivated, their breathing will be faster, their hands gesture will be active, they talk faster and their eyes look in a certain way.
You can tell straight from the face whether someone is upset or whether someone is happy. And
when you change your physiology, you will change your state as well. Therefore, if you don’t want to stay in a lousy state that is not helpful, try to notice your own physiology and change it accordingly. 5. Let others motivate you
Read a book, listen to music or watch something inspiring can definitely put you back on a faster gear. What you can do is to spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day to read an inspiring book every morning before you start your day. This way, you will make sure you kick start in the right state and are able to go through the day even if it is a rough day.
Videos and audio can be very helpful too. For example, when you are down and feeling no motivation, try to watch something inspiring on YouTube or listen to
motivational speech from great people. You will be pumped up in no time and ready to go.
The best way is still to
position yourself in the right mindset and in the right state before you start your day. That is why reading is so important and it can change life. Almost all the extraordinary people who accomplish outstanding success in life read, everyday. 6. Dream big, start small and act now
This is a very powerful principle if you apply it into your life. When you dream, you have to dream big so that your dream can inspire you. However, when you start, you have to start small because you want to make it into a habit so that you will automatically take action consistently every day.
When your motivation is gone; start small. Just like if you have no motivation to call your customers, try to start small and call only a few. You want to build up the momentum from there. Once you start to take action, the motivation will come and you will be able to continue to do more.
Do the baby steps and gradually increase from there on. For example, if you want to exercise and workout five days a week, try to schedule and start small. Even if it is just five minutes a day, commit to it and just do it. The key is to build the momentum and make it easy for you to start. Once you get the engine started, gradually increase the momentum and get on to the higher level. 7. Take a break
Sometimes you just want to take a break. Remember, success is not a destination; it is a journey that you need to go through for a long period of time.
It is not a sprint, but a marathon. Many people mistake success as doing something great and that success will come to over overnight. The truth is totally the opposite.
Almost all the successful people who have accomplished amazing results are able to do so because they persist long enough, they take action consistently enough and of course, they never give up. It is not something that can be created within a few days, not weeks and not even months. Real success takes years to build.
Therefore, make sure you get enough rest and take a break when need to. You need to understand your own capabilities and how much you can do. If you have done your work, you can reward yourself and take a break. You will notice that after the rest, you will feel more energetic, more motivated and are ready to take on the world again.
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P&S Journal: Spring 1995, Vol.15, No.2 P&S News New Center Targets Mental Health for Homosexuals
P&S has started New York's first academic center for lesbian, gay, and bisexual mental health to deliver mental health services to the homosexual community and help scholars get support for research that could help improve the lives of members of this community.
"The lesbian and gay community has long been estranged from psychiatry," says the center's director and founder, Dr. Justin Richardson, instructor of clinical psychiatry. "The distrust of the profession is a product of psychiatry's not-so-distant past, when it supported attempts at sexual orientation change and espoused a developmental theory that ratified anti-gay bias."
The profession's understanding of gay and lesbian individuals has advanced since homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Dr. Richardson says, but gay men and women have not fully benefited from the changes. Instead, they avoid treatment rather than risking discriminatory care.
Also, academic institutions have offered little support for scholars interested in gay and lesbian mental health, leaving researchers to pursue their work in private without the benefit of scholarly dialogue and collegial support.
The Department of Psychiatry opened the Columbia Center for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Mental Health in July 1994. One of the first such centers in the United States, it offers psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and group therapy. Of the center's patients, approximately 25 percent are HIV-positive and 20 percent are Columbia students. Demand for clinical services has increased since the center opened. In the first month, the center operated at 8 percent of capacity. By the end of December, that figure was nearly 70 percent. The center is now operating at full capacity, and a waiting list of patients has been started.
The center's consulting faculty is made up of established scholars and researchers in the fields of sexual orientation, HIV treatment and prevention, and psychotherapy for gay men and women. Research topics include lesbian and gay mid-life transitions, medical treatment of depression and anxiety in gay men, and the alleviation of internalized homophobia through psychotherapy.
This winter, the center created its Adolescent Identities Project, a program aimed at helping teens through the difficult process of forming a healthy sexual identity. Scholarship in the field reveals that hardships facing these teens may be responsible for their dangerously high rate of suicidal thoughts and acts. "Unfortunately, the time of greatest risk for adolescent suicidality is the period before they come out to others," says Dr. Richardson. "Thus, we need to treat the very teens who can't identify themselves to us."
The center has begun to put in place a school-based prevention program. Members of the center have met with the heads of numerous independent schools in the city and are training teachers to create a safe atmosphere where teens can develop their sexual identity. The adolescent team, headed by child psychiatrist Dr. Stewart Adelson, offers school consultations and individual, group, and family therapy at the center for teens who are able to enter treatment.
Two projects on the drawing board are the parenting project and integrated HIV care. The parenting project would facilitate the healthy growth of families in the gay and lesbian community. The HIV project would provide multidisciplinary health care for HIV-positive individuals.
To carry out its educational mission, the center hosts monthly clinical case conferences, and two psychiatric residents have joined the center.
The center faculty includes Dr. Richard Isay, author of "Being Homosexual"; Dr. Richard C. Friedman, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at P&S and author of "Male Homosexuality"; Joyce Hunter, co-founder of the Harvey Milk High School and president of the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association; and Dr. Anke Ehrhardt, director of Columbia's HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies.
The center seeks financial support to expand its programs of treatment, research, and education. Information is available from Dr. Richardson at (212) 326-8441.
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I have a weird idea. What if, with every change we made to our codebase, we tried to increase our understanding of it a little bit?
Entropy Tries to Thwart Us This is challenging because codebases always go in the opposite direction. As you make more changes and new people join the team, everybody understands less and less of what ought to be happening; the fact the code works at all is nearly miraculous! Soon, everyone who touches the codebase adopts an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude.
Success depends on understanding, though. We have to understand the code to add new features, fix important bugs, refactor, and bring new teammates aboard. Not only that, but problems that are deeper than code, like architecture and scalability, can't be addressed without first understanding.
Understanding Must Be Widely Distributed One person understanding isn't enough. After all, what happens if that one person gets eaten by a komodo dragon?
There are deeper problems than that, though. Imagine that your brain becomes tightly coupled with a bit of code. The first problem is that your brain is faulty, and you will forget. The second (scarier) problem is that, if you're the only person who understands a piece of code, you own it and you'll maintain it. Forever. It doesn't matter what you else you progress to, when a problem arises with that code, it's your problem. It encourages context switching, and lots of tiny, strange code silos.
How to Create Understanding How do you increase understanding on a large scale, then? Let's go through a few approaches, none of which are earth shattering.
Automated tests. When you have simple, isolated tests that are run often, it means anyone can learn about the code, make a change, see the effects, and feel good about the work they just did; you are creating understanding. Unit tests, BDD-style tests, integration tests? All of these work.
Refactoring. As you are adding features or fixing bugs, you can create understanding if you're constantly working to make the code as clear as possible. The great thing about these changes is that they can be trivial. One technique is just to revisit the names used in a chunk of old code. If a variable contains sales invoices and you change its name from temp to sales_invoices, you have succeeded. Make more changes like that!
Documentation. Yes, documentation can create understanding, but only if it accurately reflects the current state of your code. The most effective way to do this is to generate it dynamically based on the code itself: method signatures, assertions, url routes, the requirements stated in your BDD tests.
Environment automation. There are probably a lot of magical bits in your environment. Maybe your build process doesn't work unless this one particular directory is owned by this one particular user, or your CDN occasionally serves up old assets and you have to poke around in the Amazon Web Service dashboard to fix it. These weird workarounds are often simple, but you encounter them infrequently enough that no one remembers exactly what's happened or why. Do your brains a favor: automate all of this. Once it's written, it can be understood.
How to Create Misunderstanding You can easily abuse all of the methods I just said, and actually use them to create misunderstanding.
A test creates misunderstanding if it depends on data that's changed by other tests. If your tests don't repeatably succeed, regardless of order, you're causing confusion.
Refactoring can create misunderstanding if you take well-understood code and change it dramatically, without also writing tests.
Documentation often causes more harm than good. Think about the nearest gigantic, outdated Word doc, or the comments in your code you fail to revise as you refactor. At some point, someone will read that and get confused.
Environment automation causes misunderstanding if it doesn't accurately reflect the state of your enviroment. Maybe you have some disaster recovery scripts lying around. Do they work, or would looking at them only give you misconceptions about the way your environment used to look?
Conclusion: Be Smarter. Ultimately, software development is really, really hard. We have to think in terms from single bits to clusters of super-powered VMs. The best (only?) way to work effectively together and build great things is to constantly and collectively work towards a better understanding of our code.
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The Only Way to Win How Building Character Drives Higher Achievement and Greater Fulfillment in Business and Life Why Winning with Character Is the Only Way to Win
The conditioning begins early in our lives. Great achievements will bring lasting happiness and fulfillment; great achievements form the bedrock of stable self-esteem and strong character; great achievements will become the foundation for a successful life. If these well-intentioned promises are true, why does winning never seem to be enough?
In
The Only Way to Win, Jim Loehr draws upon two decades of work with Fortune 500 executives; world-class athletes such as Monica Seles, Dan Jansen, and Eric Lindros; and other high achievers at the Human Performance Institute (HPI) to reveal surprising insights about achievement motivation. Specifically, Loehr finds that the blind pursuit of external achievement often results in emptiness, addiction, and, ironically, poor performance. It’s not really about what you achieve, he argues, it’s about who you become as a consequence of the chase.
As Loehr powerfully demonstrates, success at work and fulfillment in life require a complete re-purposing of achievement, one where value is derived from growth in areas such as integrity, honesty, gratefulness, humility, optimism, and compassion. To help readers start this process, he provides them with the tools they need to develop these character traits, as well as the plan they need to use them effectively.
A compelling, practical, and hopeful read filled with relatable stories and useful exercises,
The Only Way to Win will serve as a powerful wake-up call for business leaders, employees, teachers, and coaches. It will also provide inspiration for readers looking to perform better, achieve more, and change both their own lives and those of the people they influence. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, and author of fifteen books, including his most recent, The Power of Story. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.
Praise for
The Only Way to Win:
"Jim takes the challenge to achieve success to a new level--one where winning with character and values leads to a life of significance and long-term happiness."
--Steve Reinemund, Dean of Wake Forest Schools of Business and Former CEO, PepsiCo
"Jim’s latest book,
The Only Way to Win, builds on his four decades of work with high achievers in sport and business linking character and purpose in an extraordinary way." --Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
"If you read no other book this year, give this gift to yourself, to those you lead, your family, and to anyone for whom you wish to make a positive impact on their lives."
--Phebe Farrow Port, Senior Vice President, Global Management Strategies, The EstÉe Lauder Companies
"Over the years of working with Jim, I have learned how to make a deep investment in character and push my employees and colleagues to achieve more. Jim has it exactly right--character trumps everything!"
--Charlie Kim, CEO, Next Jump
"Jim Loehr has plumbed the depths of human endeavor and offers us an opportunity to confront our most cherished life goals and come out a winner."
--Rear Admiral Ray Smith, US Navy (Ret), Former Commander, US Navy SEALs
Title: The Only Way to Win
Author: Jim Loehr of effort, but with that effort can come great rewards. Using these processes to refine your ads, your audience, and your delivery will allow you to make the most out of this potentially very profitable marketing channel.
About The Author Marc Poirier is Co-Founder and CMO of Acquisio, and one of the leading voices of the performance marketing industry. Marc started his internet marketing career in 1996 while studying for his PhD in Cognitive Science, and lives near Montreal where he enjoys fishing in Canadian lakes and rivers on weekends.
In this article Announcements Mobile Advertising Mobile Devices Mobile Marketing Mobile Networks Mobile Social News Platforms Resources Acquisio advertising tools and resources Facebook advertising Facebook marketing tips Facebook news Marc Poirier Mobile Advertising Mobile Marketing Mobile News Optimizing Segmenting social media marketing strategy Testing
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Arctic sea ice: Patrick Kelley | USGS
This week the extent of Arctic sea ice dipped below the extent for 2007, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). As you may remember, the 2007 season holds the record for lowest Arctic sea-ice extent in recorded history.
National Snow and Ice Data Center
Walt Meier at NSIDC tells me the melt is accelerating, notably in the Bering Sea, where higher than normal winter ice hung around two to four weeks longer than average. But it's thawing fast now.
Arctic Ocean, 14 June 2012, sea ice opening at Beaufort and Laptev seas: NASA
The Beaufort Sea north of Alaska and Canada and the Laptev Sea north of Siberia are also melting quickly. "We don't normally see ice opening so fast in those areas," says Meier. "This is an indication that the ice there is pretty thin."
As you can see from the satellite mosaic of the Arctic for today, 14 June (above), the rapidly melting Laptev Sea lies at the downstream end of the mighty Lena River in Siberia. The Beaufort Sea lies at the downstream end of Canada's mightiest river, the MacKenzie River (delta not visible)—where May temperatures rose well above the 20th-century average (see last image, below).
Arctic sea ice thickness derived from the 2012 Operation IceBridge between 14 March and 02 April 2012: S. Farrell and N. Kurtz, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.Ice thickness data (above) show the Beaufort's sea ice to be thin—3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters). That's the signature of first-year ice. Which means it will be prone to melting completely this summer. Sorry, polar bears, bearded seals, ringed seals, and walruses.
Global temperature anomalies, May 2012: NOAA
Overlay the current sea ice melt map onto this map of May 2012 temperature anomalies. You can see how warm it was in the Beaufort Sea (upper left). The Laptev Sea / Lena River region is not visible in this view.
To put things in a bigger perspective, the global temperature average in May 2012 was the second warmest in history. Records date back to 1880.
May 2012 also marks the
36th consecutive May and the 327th consecutive month—that's more than 27 years—with a global temperature above the 20th century average, reports NOAA's Environmental Visualization Laboratory.I think one way people can get involved in the decreasing energy use from the biggest polluter in their lives, their homes (thought I was going to say cars didn't you? ), is to create a a central system where everything in the house can be controlled. It's a known tendency for us to enjoy controlling things in our lives from one place....ipod for all our music, lights and blinds and speakers from one place, entertainment system that controls TV, DVD, gaming, etc... Why not have the same degree of control over our homes. It would not be terribly advanced technology to monitor the heating, windows, insulation, and electricity that's on in the house for one central place that tracks usages over time as well as up to the minute cost analysis. If people could see in real time how much energy they're using, and how much money a 5 or 10 degrees on the thermostat it costing them, they would automatically adjust to find the best of both worlds, energy/cost efficiency and comfort. There was something about this in the New York Times today: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/technology/10energy.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=washington+energy+cost&oref=slogin It's not the only solution, and it certainly isn't enough by itself. But it's a start.
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BreathSlim Respiratory training device that may help you lose weight.Top Rated Diets of 2017 BACKGROUNDStart the Diet Now Advertisement
BreathSlim is a new breathing system that is designed to train one to breathe properly in order to create full oxygen utilization. The concept is designed to bring maximum function to all the body’s systems and speed up metabolism.
The breathing exercises are conducted with the BreathSlim device, a small cup and tube combination. Users are instructed to fill the outer chamber of the cup with water, attach the tube and sit upright at a table. Once the user is in proper BreathSlim position, they are instructed to follow a simple breathing exercise.
While holding the tube in their mouths, users breath in through the nose for 5 seconds, hold their breath for 5 seconds, and then breath out into the device for about 10 seconds.
This is the exercise that is designed to provide resistance exhalation causing the lungs to face resistance and increase the pressure of the air, which then is claimed to allow more oxygen to circulate through the blood.
The circulation is the key factor that the company claims will provide more complete “oxidation” or burning of fats and lead to weight loss.
Simply put, oxygen burns fat and the more oxygen that's in the blood stream will equal more fat burning and therefore weight loss.
As the user begins to increase their deep breathing and eliminiate shallow chest breathing, other aliments that are effected by poor breathing and extra weight are expected to be eliminated. Those ailments include eating disorders, stress, sleep troubles, breathing disorders, and joint problems.
Do You Know the Best Diets of 2017? PRO Product is backed by scientific studies No food or equipment purchases are required Device is easy to use and maintain Product site has many positive testimonials Product site has a free online journal to track progress CON No diet or exercise plan accompanies the device Device may not be suitable for all abilities, specifically those with serious breathing conditions One device purchase per person, they are not intended to be shared among multiple users DIET and NUTRITION
BreathSlim does not endorse a diet plan. The device is noted as safe to add to any current diet plan, though.
EXERCISE
The only exercise required with the BreathSlim is the seated breathing exercise. They claim to give the user additional energy as they continue their personal exercise plan.
CONCLUSION
The BreathSlim is a weight loss tool, but not a weight loss program. There are no diet or exercise instructions beyond the once-a-day breathing technique. The claims of the device are expected to lead to more energy and more success on a weight loss plan as it allows the burning of fat to maximize. The BreathSlim is an investment in a new type of product that has not had much market time to be proven by the public. However, the company rests on its scientific data to back their claims.
Common Misspellings
breatheslim, breath slim, breathe slim
How Does BreathSlim Compare? Featured Diets and Supplements
BreathSlim?It is a simple fact of life that medicines have side effects. One must always weigh the benefits with the risks involved. I know this in my own life. I have been on a daily medicine for seven years now for an auto-immune disease. Taking it allows me to function relatively pain-free and to maintain a good quality of life. It is also poison. I have had various side effects from it over the years and I try to keep my dosage the lowest possible in order to maintain the desired results with the minimum amount of damage to my body. Yes, sometimes medicine is necessary, but it almost always has a health cost.
Sometimes, however, medicines are dispensed with little thoughts to the consequences. The birth control pill is often seen as a rite of passage for women. You get to a certain age - you go on the pill. It is given out by doctors without them informing women of the consequences. Women presume it is as safe as taking a Tylenol. Women have a right to know what they are doing to their bodies (and potential pregnancies) in order to make an informed decision. This article gives concrete evidence of the health risks women are taking by being on the pill: Poisoned by the Pill
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The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions To Guide You to an Extraordinary Life
How mature is the part of you that manages your finances, plans your daily meals, or decides how to act in your intimate relationships? Most of us don’t realize that our everyday actions are being directed by unconscious beliefs and commitments we made as children - in other words, the five-year-old within us is running the show! The Right Questions will wake you out of the "trance" of unconscious choices and give you the strength to act on your deepest convictions. Purposefully written to bypass the intellect, these ten powerful questions go straight to your inner knowing.
The New York Times bestselling author Debbie Ford offers ten profound questions that will change the choices we make - ultimately empowering us to fulfill our life’s dreams. It’s easy to forget that the circumstances of our day-to-day lives are the result of decisions we made yesterday, last month and last year. We don’t wind up thousands of dollars in debt because of one extravagant purchase, nor do we gain thirty pounds as a result of one decadent dinner. And our relationships certainly don’t end overnight because of a single heated argument. We are where we are because of the decisions we make every day. If we want to better understand how we have created our present-day reality, all we need to do is look at the choices we made and continue to make along the way. The Right Questions offers a remarkable new awareness of why we do what we do, providing the tools as well as the freedom to create the life we always wanted.
Why I Wrote This Book
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a father who was a judge. The greatest life lesson I learned from my father was that every choice we make will produce either a positive or a negative consequence. When I was 13 years old and running around all over Miami like a young teen in the 70s, my father would always ask me, “Is what you’re going to do going to make you the kind of woman you want to be? Is it going to bring you the respect that you want? Is it going to make you feel good about yourself? Will you like who you are?” He challenged me to think about each and every choice I was making. When I stopped resisting his wise nature, I woke up to the extraordinary reality that we are a product of the choices that we make. We don’t wind up in debt from one bad purchase. We don’t wind up with clogged arteries because of one bad food choice. These are the results of many choices, mostly made on autopilot. After having the privilege to train hundreds of extraordinary people, I‘ve learned that most people don’t get where they want to go not because of their conscious choices because of their unconscious choices, their automatic programming, their bad behavior, their patterns that have become deeply ingrained. The Right Questions is a demand for us to wake up from autopilot, put our hands back on the steering wheel of our lives, and to each day see if we are making choices that promise us the results we are actively seeking.
Testimonials
“Sometimes we don’t get the right answers, simply because we haven’t asked the right questions. Not anymore. Debbie Ford tells us what we should really ask, in order to get what we really want.” - Marianne Williamson, author of Everyday Grace “Debbie Ford, with her wise mind and caring heart, is an innovative thinker and a skillful guide on the path to emotional freedom.” - Tara Bennett-Goleman, author of Emotional AlchemyBy Karen Johnson
While Canada’s central bank is forecasting stronger economic growth next year, it can’t be entirely pleased about the two engines it sees driving that growth.
The first, Canadian consumption, has been worryingly in overdrive. The second, business investment, has been stubbornly unreliable.
A failure in either engine could imperil the modest, 2.3% economic growth the Bank of Canada sees in 2013, according to its October forecasts.
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Eating Really Healthy Fish HealthyEating Fish Eating Really Healthy Fish
We all know that salmon is a very healthy fish but it's not the only healthy fish in the sea, there are other fish that are good for you plus they are good for your heart and brain to so come on and follow me to the sea of healthiness.
Abbreviations for Grams are (g), Milligrams are (mg), Micrograms are (mcg), and International units are (IUs)
''Barramundi''
This is a mild tasting fish that is meaty and packed with omega-3's over 500 milligram preserving twice the punch of most fish.
A 3 ounce serving of Barramundi contains;
70 calories
1 gram of fat
35g protein
480mg of omega 3's.
''Catfish''
Many people call this fish a bottom feeder but this fish offers a lot of different daily requirements like B 12 and that's really good for people 50 and older. The 2011 study in the journal of Neurology says that vitamin B12 helps in keeping your brain from shrinkage.
A 3 ounce serving of Catfish contains;
122 calories
6 grams of fat
16g protein
165mg omega 3's
2.4mcg B12
8iu's of vitamin D
8mcb selenium
''Mackerel''
One of the best sources of vitamin D and sources from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics say vitamin D Plays a very important role with your bone. moods and immunity.
3 ounces of Mackerel contains
223 calories
15 grams of fat
20g of protein
1,208mg of omega 3's
16.2mcg B12
311IUs f vitamin D
44 mcg of selenium
''Pollock''
A super tasty fish known mainly for fish sticks, but it offers so much more a Pollock fillet is packed with selenium which is very good for us because it helps in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes according to sources at Harvard,School of Public Health.
3 ounces of Pollock contains;
100 Calories
1gram of fat
21g of protein
484 mg of omega 3's
3.1 mcg of B 12
43 iIU's of vitamin D
40 mcg of selenium
''Rainbow Trout'
A great tasting fish that is packed with protein and omega-3's, according to Columbia University Researchers that these healthy agents protects against cognitive decline.
3 ounces of Rainbow Trout contains;
143 calories
6 grams of fat
20g of protein
905 of omega 3's
3.5mcg of B 12
645IUs of vitamin D
24 mcg selenium
''Sardines''
This is one fish that you can eat the meat and the bones and is packed with more calcium than a cup of low-fat milk, just having these two agents working together can decrease the risk of premature mortality according to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
3 ounces of Sardines contains;
177 calories
10 grams of fat
21g of protein
1,259 of omega 3's
7.6mcg of B 12
164 IUs of vitamin D
45mcg of selenium
As you can see Salmon s not the only fish in the sea that is good for you so try some of these there tasty easy to work with and good for you in so ways.
More by this Author 15
Many people thinks that making a good Red Velvet cake takes a lot of work, but you can use a box mix with some good cream cheese and sour cream that will knock you off your feet, if you follow this quick and easy recipe...
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Estimating nitrogen efficiency of swine lagoon liquid applied to field crops using continuously variable irrigation
Abstract (Summary)COBB, CHESTER RAY. Estimating nitrogen efficiency of swine lagoon liquid applied to field crops using continuously variable irrigation. (Under the direction of Robert L. Mikkelsen). Application of anaerobic swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) lagoon liquid onto cropland by irrigation is a common method of waste disposal and treatment. Currently, the application rate of swine lagoon liquid is based on the N concentration of the lagoon liquid and the N required by the receiver crop to obtain a realistic yield. In North Carolina, only 50% of the total N in the swine lagoon liquid applied by irrigation is considered available for plant use during the first year after application. Uncertainty exists as to whether this coefficient accurately predicts the amount of plant-available N. Therefore, research was conducted in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina to determine the efficiency of N uptake by corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merrill) receiving swine lagoon liquid through irrigation. The line-source sprinkler irrigation method was used to provide a continuous variable N rate, ranging from 0 to 290 kg N ha-1, across the field during 1999 and 2000. Ammonia volatilization losses ranged from 6 to 22% during irrigation. Crop yield and grain N recovered were affected more by the amount of liquid than N applied in 1999. Nitrogen recovered in grain in 1999 was < 15% for both corn and soybean at 168 kg N ha-1 of either swine lagoon liquid or NH4NO3. In 2000 at the 168 kg N ha-1 rate, grain N removal by corn, nonnodulating soybean, and nodulating soybean was 28, 25, and 39% from swine lagoon liquid and 45, 31, and 56% from NH4NO3. Based on yields and grain N removed by corn and nonnodulating soybean in 2000, N from applied swine lagoon liquid, accounting for N losses during irrigation, was about 70% as effective as NH4NO3. Symbiotic N2 fixation by the soybean was reduced by 60% when applied N reached 175 kg N ha-1 for both NH4NO3 and swine lagoon liquid. While nodulating soybean removed more grain N than did either corn or nonnodulating soybean in 2000, soil inorganic N concentrations at the end of the growing season were higher for the nodulating soybean. Therefore, it is not conclusive if soybean would be a better receiver crop than corn for swine lagoon liquid. Based on the results of this study, using the 50% available N coefficient of the lagoon liquid comes close to predicting plant-available N when N losses during irrigation are around 25%. Nitrogen losses during irrigation can significantly affect plantavailable N when applied N is based on the N concentrations of the lagoon liquid.
Bibliographical Information:
Advisor:
School Location:USA - North Carolina
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:north carolina state university
ISBN:
Date of Publication:iliaries and more intricate sentence structures, along with the introduction of a further rigid word order which is similar to the syntactic argument structure of English.
Concurrently, a strain of linguistic purism evolved in the early 20th century, resulting in the Pure Tamil Movement which demanded the eradication of all influences of Sanskrit and other foreign elements from Tamil. This resulted in the removal of numerous Sanskrit loan words that were replaced by Tamil counterparts.
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Word Count:714 Pages:1 1/1 Compare the democratic forms of government in the United States and Great Britain History and Geography Lifepac 902 Aaron Ang 3312004 Although the need for government to have leadership that provides direction is universal among states the form that the government leadership assumes varies Government structure varies significantly between the United States and Great Britain despite that each is a democracy and share a common history In fact the common history of the United States and Great Britain suggests reasons to explain the broad differences between the governments of each respective state In the wake of the American Revolution the people of the United States rejected the forms and institutions most notably a monarchy and Parliament of British government as well as British sovereignty Possessing a democratic presidential government the United States has two separately elected agencies of government The executive and legislative branches of the United States the President and Congress respectively both derive their power from the people whereas in Great Britain only the legislative branch Parliament derives its power from the people as the executive is elected by Members of Parliament thus effectively combining both branches within a single institution The Parliamentary system in Great Britain and the Presidential system in the United States both have histories marked by an absence of abject failure yet neither system can be considered truly perfect Consequently the analyst cannot conclude that either system is better rather he must recognize that there are merits and faults in both systems The Parliamentary system tends to legislate efficiently whereas a presidential system tends toward gridlock However the presidential system grants both elected representatives and citizens greater influence in government The Parliamentary system tends to favor Prime Ministers who have much experience whereas the Presidential system favors Presidents who are responsive to the general will of the people Also every week the British prime minister appears before the House of Commons and
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- Jen Soust, alumni @ UCLAThe ability to obtain exotic fruits to use for cooking or as a snack will often depend on the options that are available at a local market. You also look at local health stores for a suitable selection. However, a good alternative is to grow various fruits at home. One type of exotic fruit that many people may grow at home is the Peruvian superfood called Inca berries.
Anyone who can grow tomatoes should be able to grow Inca berries to harvest. All you will need to do is prepare an area to grow the fruit and obtain all the supplies that are needed. Often the best place to get some seeds to plant is online. You can also save seeds from Inca berries you have purchased at a local store.
One interesting thing to know about Inca berries is they are resistant to a lot of pests, disease, and even drought. You will need to plant the seeds to grow the fruit in the Spring so you can harvest your berries at the end of the summer season. Another option is to set up a greenhouse to grow your plants during a cold winter.
A little dedication is all that is needed to grow your own Inca berries at home. This means making sure to water regularly, using fertilizer or compost, and any other standard care that is needed. The result of your efforts will be a bumper crop that will cost you less than any store bought fruit.
Information about growing your own Inca berries is found on homegrown-revolution.co.uk here…
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ISLAMABAD: Fulfilling a longstanding demand of protesting doctors, President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated a new ordinance on Wednesday, paving the way for legal sanction to renew career structures and incentives for medical professionals while retaining their status as public servants.
The ordinance, titled “Career Structure for Health Personnel” (CSHP) 2011 for doctors and paramedical staff, will address the issues of service structure, regularisation of contracts and salaries. The ordinance will come into force retrospectively from July 2011.
Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told reporters that the ordinance was applicable to doctors under the federal government’s domain. However, he added that provinces could also adopt it as a model since health has now been devolved to provinces after the 18th Amendment.
“The new career structure has been prepared in consultation with all stakeholders and on the basis of unanimous consensus of the medical community and that is what makes it unique,” Babar said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Sajid Abbasi, president Young Doctors Association at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, while welcoming the issuance of ordinance said they are going to convene a central executive committee meeting to decide whether to call off the ongoing strike and protest or not.
The ordinance is applicable to all health personnel serving in federal health institutions and related organisations under the jurisdiction of the federal government. It will come into force immediately and will be deemed to have taken into effect from July 1, 2011.
The new legislation envisages replacing the current Basic Pay Scale System (BPS-1 to 22) with the Special Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS-1 to 13) and will be applicable to all categories of medical practitioners including paramedics and support services personnel.
Babar said that entry into this scheme will be optional for existing employees but all fresh appointments will be made under the new scheme.
According to the new ordinance, monetary benefits under the new scheme, including pay, pension, perks and privileges, will exceed those in the current one.
Another notable feature of the new career structure are the health allowances, which currently begin from Rs2,000 a month and will go as high as Rs45,000 a month. The health allowance will be as follows: HPS-1 to 2 (Rs2,000), HPS-3 to 5 (Rs3,000), HPS-6 (Rs4,000), HPS-7 (Rs5,000), HPS-8 (Rs7,000), HPS-9 (Rs10,000), HPS-10 (Rs20,000), HPS-11 (Rs30,000), HPS-12 (Rs40,000) and HPS-13 (Rs45,000).
The new enactment links career growth of health professionals with improvements in professional skills, continuing education, professional experience, research papers and performance laid down by the relevant regulatory bodies from time to time. All matters essentially relating to their service will be governed by the rules prescribed under the CSHP.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25 th, 2011.Resistivity
The resistance of a component, such as a length of wire, depends upon three measurements;
1) Length (l); the longer the wire, the more difficult it is for current to flow.
2) Area (A); the wider the wire, the easier it is for electrons to pass through.
3) Resistivity (
p); depends on the material. The structure may make it easy or difficult for charge to flow. In general, resistivity depends on environmental factors as well e.g. temperature and light intensity.
The resistivity of a material is defined as the resistance of a 1m length with a 1m^2 cross-sectional area. It is measured in ohm-metres.
p = R A / l
where
p is the symbol rho for resistivity, R is the resistance, A is cross-sectional area in m^2 and l = length in m
The equation is usually seen in the form;
R =
p * l / A
Typical resistivity values of conductors are very small e.g. copper at 25 degrees C = 1.72*10^-8 ohmic…
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funny duck photos
funny duck photosImportant Furnishings for Your Chicken House -- Nest Containers and RoostsOK, you are making progress regarding how to build a simple chicken house. You have chosen on your coop's size and you have established exactly where in your yard that you are going to build it. Now you have to come to a decision on furniture for the inside of your house. Let's start out with Nest Containers: We're speaking about boxes exactly where your chickens will truly feel comfy in laying their ova. You are able to acquire containers or you can assemble them. If you want to save several money create them your self -- which is not complicated. Listed below are some organizing recommendations for creating poultry nesting containers: Make your hens' content material by building your box specifications a minimum of 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and one foot heavy. If you want to make them much more joyful, develop them slightly bigger. For each two or 3 hens inside your poultry flock intend on creating 1 box. And plan on locating them next one to the other so that your hens can chat whilst carrying out their business. Egg lounging for any chicken is really a personal factor so be advised to find your boxes from the typical activity area within a candle lit part of the house. Keep your containers neat and dry and include existen for your containers to increase comfort and ease. Stick to individuals easy recommendations as well as your chickens will compensate you with a constant way to obtain fresh ova. Moving on to Roosts: Without effort, your chickens would like to roost (that's to go to sleep) inside a spot raised high inside the house. Roosts are as uncomplicated as a plank or perhaps a pole built-in an raised placement within the chicken house for the birds to perch on and retire for that evening. For claw comfort and ease your crew will certainly choose roosts constructed of wood instead of steel, in addition to a rounded area instead of square for exceptional grasping. Your roosting design really should set aside one foot of space for every chicken for perching and erected as high within the house as you possibly can permitting sufficient ceiling area for your wild birds to stand up on the perch. Your house strategy should include specifications for erecting roosts on the back wall with out planning for any type of house furnishings or water and food stations beneath. Chickens poop and chickens feces a lot. Clean out the decrease region. Yet another thing to think about -- your chickens as they age and heavier won't be skilled leaflets and will eventually need your aid in getting up towards the perch. Intend on creating horizontal steps to assist them to result in the journey as the head ages. Stations for Meals and Drinking water: Clearly you can make procedures to give your chicken flock by hand from time to time throughout the day time, but which may be even more than a little bit of trouble. Rather, make provisions for some type of containers or bins for that birds to be capable of nourish what ever they want. It's the very same for drinking water. Containers, or ideally an automated procedure to ensure a constant supply of H2O could be the method to go. Just make sure they in no way go with out water. Covering up, having obtainable and straightforward to stick to formula created for the total newbie in creating your coop designs is undoubtedly an motion step worth reflection. funny duck photos funny duck photos funny duck photosThe Eco-Pleasant Chicken CoopThere's a growing awareness concerning the effect of something individuals do on the environment which is something which should have been raised in the past. Nevertheless, it is not too late to make sure that from this point ahead, what ever can be achieved to help environmental surroundings ought to be done, even if it means simple things like creating a chicken coop. It's a small action, but it is a begin.Helpful not WastefulJust like any living thing which will consume foods, hens will produce waste products from the meals that they can't absorb. Fortunately, this waste isn't waste' by itself. It can be grow fertilizer.Hens are herbivores, they do not need to eat meat and other kinds of animal protein or body fat to outlive, which makes their plant foods perfect as eco-friendly fertilizer. It has the required stability of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to assist your vegetation grow greener and lush.Gathering and StorageIt will require some time to get used to the odor of poultry plant foods, but if you want to be able to utilize it, you really will need to. To gather all of the waste that the chickens will make, lay out a coating of straw beneath the chicken house to trap it. Following the straws are dirty, attract individuals up and put them in a garden compost bin with the other veggie scraps out of your kitchen. Ask them to cut into smaller sized pieces for quicker decomposing.Don't include pet products or by-items
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in the garden compost rubbish bin. Should you consist of animal items by-items in error, you will know immediately because you will see maggots in the soldier jigs in it. Don't panic, soldier jigs are very safe and they will get rid of the animal materials.Make sure to aerate the compost by combining it now and then. This makes certain all the supplies inside are broken down into reusable components. Before long the garden compost will forfeit the offensive scent, and scent natural and musky. You will subsequently be able to use it by placing it over the dirt to feed vegetation that have already used underlying or mix with the floor soil for new farms.If you can't use all the garden compost you have made, simply put them in sacks and store them away. For those who have neighbors who choose growing, offer some to them for their garden or yard.Saving the EnvironmentMaking your personal garden compost in the chicken squander acts two environmentally-friendly purposes: you get to reduce the waste that needs to be thrown out, and also you create fertilizer that has no negative effect on the environment. Add that that you receive clean ova in the morning- also can you ask for? funny duck photos
Tags : How to funny duck photos,Blueprint funny duck photos,Secret funny duck photos,Quick funny duck photos,How can you funny duck photos,Amazing funny duck photos,To solve funny duck photos,To cure funny duck photos,Sale funny duck photos,Bonus funny duck photos, funny duck photos compare“Marriage is a right not an obligation. Forced marriage is another form of violence against women which is unacceptable in our society today,” says FRA Director Morten Kjaerum. “ The EU and its Member States should support victims of forced marriage and act to ensure everyone has the right to choose who and when to marry.”
The paper identifies a trend to criminalise forced marriage in the EU, as seven Member States have now made forced marriage a crime. However, it also acknowledges that criminalisation is only a partial solution, as enforcing this law is often problematic.
It describes civil laws that can help prevent forced marriage and support victims. These include mechanisms to ensure free consent to marry is given, safeguards for marriage for those who are under 18, as well as opportunities to annul a forced marriage.
For non-EU nationals, the threat of losing EU residency should not be used by spouses to enforce marriage. Member States should also not use unproven forced marriage as a reason to limit family reunification involving non-EU nationals.
The EU has taken a strong stand in combating forced marriage internationally, beyond its borders. However, by acceding to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, the EU would ensure forced marriage is tackled in a harmonised manner across the region.
The paper also points to the lack of reliable data on forced marriage, which makes it difficult to gauge the extent of the problem. Unofficial figures of women approaching support centres for advice, from studies referred to in the paper, suggest the real figures may be much higher than official statistics suggest.
Examples of promising practices by authorities and NGOs that aim to support victims, and potential victims, are also referred to in the paper. These include a diverse range of activities, such as accessible support services, as well as awareness raising and educational initiatives, training and campaigns that also tackle prevention.
Forced marriage appears to predominately affect young women. Boys and men can also be affected but this tends to be less common, ranging from 5-8% of all forced marriages in Germany to 18% in the UK.
This works complements FRA’s wider work on the many other forms of violence against women. The findings are based on desk research carried out in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. To read the paper, see: Addressing forced marriage in the EU: legal provisions and promising practices.
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They’re expensive. They’re trendy. And if you’re trying to lose weight fast, they may be your only hope.
Juice-cleanse devotees swear that going on an all-liquid detox like BluePrint Cleanse or Cooler Cleanse for a few days leaves them refreshed, energized, glowing — and a few pounds lighter.
It sounds simple: Gulp down about six cold-pressed juices per day instead of eating solid food, and supposedly toxins get flushed out of your body, and pounds melt away. But what happens when you attempt to stop chewing on the job?
“I remember telling my co-workers, ‘I’m about to go on a cleanse for 27 days, I just want to let you know,’ ” says Astoria resident Lia Sur, 33, who works in sales. “My co-worker was like, ‘Oh great, you’ll be the biggest bitch alive.’ ”
At the other extreme, some offices are a little too into juice fasts. “I work in fashion — cleansing is as common as Christian Louboutin,” says 24-year-old fashion stylist Alex Sweterlitsch, who lives in Midtown and cleanses every two or three months. He recalls a time when a cleansing co-worker’s juice disappeared . . . and reappeared on someone else’s desk. Awkward!
If you’re cleanse-curious, you’ll probably run into the following scenarios once you take your first swig of green juice at your desk.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’ve never brought a cleanse to the office without it having be a conversation,” says Justine Schwartz, 28, an editor at the Web site SheFinds who cleanses a few times every quarter.
Whenever she had a three-day BluePrint Cleanse delivered to her office, it would trigger a barrage of nosy questions from co-workers: Why are you doing a cleanse? Does it taste good? “ ‘Why’ is kind of a difficult question to answer,” says the Greenwich, Conn., resident. “Obviously it’s to lose weight. It’s a little personal.”
Katie Dingeren, 23, who lives in Westchester and works at a Manhattan-based travel and hospitality p.r. firm, recently tried Cooler Cleanse with two co-workers. They filled the office fridge with juice bottles and kept each other on track via text message when they were off the clock. She says her tight-knit office — the staff eats lunch together every day — generated tons of comments about their liquid diets. “I got made fun of constantly. They would say things like, ‘What do you want for lunch? Just kidding — you don’t eat!’ ” She’d either brush them off or reply, “You’ll be jealous when I’m done with this and skinny and healthy!”
Dingeren’s former colleague and cleanser-in-crime Molly Ford Leibowitz, 27, added that their co-workers were fascinated by the idea and wanted to know everything about the cleanse, like the ingredients in each juice. “People think you’re crazy,” says the Williamsburg resident. “My boss thought it was a bit ridiculous that I was dominating the office refrigerator with my juice bottles . . . I just felt tired. I talked less. My co-workers would say, ‘Molly’s so hungry, she can’t talk.’ ”
How to deal: Cooler Cleanse co-founder Eric Helms suggests people reply to invasive questions with a simple, “I’m juicing today . . . I’m actually consuming 15 pounds of fruits and vegetables!”
Clear your calendar
For most New Yorkers, business lunches and after-work events where cocktails and appetizers flow freely are the norm. So what happens when you’re not able to eat or drink because you’re on a cleanse?
Simple: You don’t go out.
Leibowitz, whose p.r. job requires a constant stream of client entertaining, planned her group cleanse with co-workers around days when they didn’t have a lot of work events scheduled. “I made sure not to go out to work lunches and made sure not to schedule business drinks,” she recalls. “You can’t eat, you can’t drink alcohol — you really have to block off those days. I skipped events and sent other people in my place.” But her job comes before the juice: If a work event arises, she’ll go and, depending on the situation, break the cleanse.
How to deal: If the work engagement is important and you can’t cancel, Helms suggests calling the restaurant ahead of time and tell the host you’re cleansing. “A lot of people do this, and they’ll have a tall glass of ice ready for your juice,” he says. “Instead of dessert, order a cup of chamomile tea with lemon. This allows you to still be part of the meal — in liquid fashion.”
Potty problems
It’s pretty basic: All that liquid you’re ingesting has to come out somehow. “If I’m in the
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office, it’s good,” says Sur. “You’re drinking so much juice and you’re drinking a lot of water and herbal teas. With all that, I always had to go to the restroom every few seconds.”
How to deal: Helms claims that bathroom fears are a myth — or at the very least, wildly exaggerated. “You will urinate more frequently, but should be able to go about your daily activities with no problem,” he says. “Since you are actually supposed to be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, cleansing should not pose additional restroom runs.”
The grouch factor
But the hardest part about being on a juice cleanse at the office might not be your co-workers or clients. It might be battling your own hunger-induced fatigue or irritability.
“Work was tough around 3 or 4 o’clock,” recalls Liebowitz. “I noticed my brain sort of slowed down around 4 o’clock.”
Sur, who’s done cleanses ranging from three to 27 days, had never gotten grouchy on one — until a five-day cleanse in July. By the end, she was irritable and snappy. “I really wanted to eat food and break the cleanse.”
Dingeren, Liebowitz’s co-worker at the time, even ventures to say that “Sorry I’m so bitchy, I’m on a cleanse right now” is an acceptable excuse for on-the-job grouchiness.
But Sweterlitsch disagrees: “There’s never an excuse for workplace bitchiness, especially a self-induced juice cleanse. Blame it on Monday — not on really delicious juices.”
How to deal: “The more you prepare, the easier it will be . . . seriously,” says Helms. “If people follow our preparation instructions and eliminate processed foods, meat, dairy, caffeine and alcohol for two to three days prior, it really makes a huge difference. If you eat clean before starting your cleanse, you’ll minimize discomfort and should have plenty of energy to go about your normal daily activities.”Open-ended leases tend to run month to month.
Leases
Fixed-term leases run for a definite term, such as a year, while open-ended leases run for a period of one month or less. Because open-ended leases tend to operate month to month, they're legally known as periodic tenancies. Fixed-term rental-property lease agreements are known legally as fixed-term tenancies. Similar to fixed-term leases, open-ended leases are formal agreements between landlords and tenants.
Characteristics
Open-ended leases allow landlords and tenants to change the conditions of their lease agreements with a 30-day written notice, unless otherwise specified. For example, under open-ended leases, landlords must provide 30 days written notice regarding changes to rental rates. At the same time, tenants under open-ended leases must
let landlords know 30 days in advance if they intend to move out of the rental space.
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Category: CreditOverview
Although a tree may be cut down, only half of the organism has been removed. The rest of the tree is under the ground in the stump and root system. Removing the exposed roots and stump can be a labor-intensive process. Although you can hire it out to someone with heavy machinery, you can remove the tree and the exposed roots yourself quickly and dig up the roots. This process is known as grubbing. Grubbing can be quite strenuous, but according to Louisiana State University's agriculture department, it is the easiest method of removing a stump.
Step 1
Dig a 2-foot-deep trench around the tree trunk in a 4 foot wide circle using a mattock or grub hoe.
Step 2
Cut through each root you find, using an ax, a pair of branch loppers or a mattock.
Step 3
Push the tree stump on its side and cut through the roots below the tree with an ax.
Step 4
Pull the trunk out of the soil by yanking and twisting to sever the remaining roots.
Step 5
Dig around big surface roots with the grub hoe. Cut through the sections of roots and remove them as you expose them.
Step 6
Fill in the hole left behind in the with loose soil.
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Curriculum Goals
of the CAPP curriculum requirements is to provide students with sufficient knowledge of and exposure to technology that they can be competitive in the job market, should they decide to pursue that path after graduation. CAPP students have been fairly successful in getting good jobs as a result of the technology skills they develop in this program. To acquire these skills, students need a certain minimum proficiency or fluency with computing and information technology systems. CAPP students acquire this fluency in two ways: One goal
By becoming acquainted the “languages” of technology used to develop technology-based systems; CAPP students take two (from a choice of several) required Programming Languagesto ensure they are generally familiar with the basic concepts of programming as they are reflected in today’s most commonly employed syntaxes.
By getting practice in the use and application of such systems to solve important problems or create functional tools; CAPP students take four required Technology-Applicationscourses (selected from a number of alternatives) in which the primary intent is to see how technology can be applied within important domains such as multimedia systems, local-area computer networks, or the Internet.
A
of CAPP is to sensitize students to the ethical issues raised by contemporary uses of computing and information technology. In this goal we follow the recommendations of a recent steering committee of computing and technology professionals who saw such learning as integral to the undergraduate educational experience. CAPP students therefore take one required second goal Technology-related Ethicscourse from among several options in this curriculum area. , CAPP aims to increase awareness of the important and pervasive ways in which technology affects both personal and professional domains within today’s society. Through one required course in the area of Third Technology & Society, CAPP students become more aware of the broader influence and impact of technology on their lives.If you're a PPL Electric Utilities customer sweating that 30 percent hike to your bill this year, the company wants to throw you a bone. Or at least a discount on some energy-efficient light bulbs.
The Allentown energy company today is launching a program to encourage energy conservation by offering discounts on compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 75 percent less energy and last three times as long as incandescent bulbs.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, the company is offering a buy-one-get-one free deal on 14-watt compact fluorescent bulbs at the Home Depot at 1951 Glenwood St., Allentown. There is a limit of 12 free bulbs per customer at this event.
Otherwise, discounts on the bulbs will be available on an ongoing basis at more than 540 retail locations in the PPL service area. A complete list of participating retailers and details about recycling the bulbs is at www.pplelectric.com/e-power or by calling 1-888-217-2332.
Prices for the bulbs vary by location, manufacturer and the type of bulb, according to PPL. At the Home Depot event today, customers can buy a four-pack of 14-watt bulbs for $1.85, or 68 percent off the regular retail price, according to PPL.
The program, which is being paid for by PPL customers, is part of a state-mandated plan to help residents save money on bills and reduce energy consumption. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in October approved PPL's plan, which includes distributing 7 million compact fluorescent bulbs by May 2013.
The plan also includes rebates to customers who replace inefficient appliances and home energy audits to suggest ways customers can conserve energy.
Pennsylvania mandated that PPL and six of the state's other large electricity providers reduce customers' annual energy usage 1 percent by mid-2011 and 3 percent by mid-2013. The mandate also requires a 4.5 percent reduction in energy use during peak hours by 2013.
PPL will charge customers $246 million over four years to implement the energy conservation programs. The charge will be passed on to customers through their monthly bills. The typical residential customer will pay an extra $24 a year to pay for the conservation plan.
Even though customers are paying for it, the PUC maintains the program will help them save by reducing their electric consumption and by reducing wholesale electric prices by cutting demand.
spencer.soper@mcall.com
610-820-6694 exams than there are pupillages. There are still fewer tenancies available and as a consequence each year many more barristers qualify than are needed to practice in the courts. Many find employment in corporations, government, or court administration.
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Arthritis is the most common cause of canine joint pain in middle-aged and older dogs, causing stiffness, inflammation and pain. Other conditions causing joint pain include hip and elbow dysplasia, panosteitis, Lyme disease, injury and cancer. It's critical to work with your veterinarian to determine the root cause. Once you have a treatment plan, there are many options for joint pain relief.
Other People Are Reading Weight Loss and Exercise
The single most important thing you can do for an arthritic or mildly dysplastic dog is keep it lean. Almost two-thirds of pet dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. The extra weight puts a lot of stress on painful joints. You should be able to easily feel every one of your dog's ribs. Exercise is also an important component, so get your dog out walking, running and swimming as tolerated. Strong muscles will compensate for weak joints, increasing your dog's comfort and mobility.
Prescription Medications
Your veterinarian can prescribe several effective medications for joint pain relief. She will probably suggest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Rimadyl and Deramaxx. Another option is Adequan injections. Adequan is injectable glucosamine, which lubricates creaky joints. Also ask about Cosequin, a prescription glucosamine-chrondroitin formula. These medications may be used in conjunction with each other for greater effectiveness.
Natural Remedies
The gold standard in joint pain relief supplements is glucosamine-chrondroitin, available in chewable formulas that most dogs find very tasty. Also give your dog omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil pills. Fish oil is an effective anti-inflammatory supplement and also beneficial for skin and coat. While some dog food contains omega-3, it is not a therapeutic dose. Dosage recommendations vary, but 1,000 mg per 13.6kg. of your dog's weight is a good rule of thumb.
Diet
You can also try eliminating grains from the diet by feeding a high protein, grain-free kibble or a raw diet. A host of studies and research indicates that grain-based diets may increase inflammation. Check the strategies link in the Resources section below for more natural remedies and diet advice.
Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Massage
Some dogs experience great pain relief from acupuncture, chiropractic adjustment and canine massage. Find a practitioner using the Resources link below.
Surgery, Stem Cell Injections and Emerging Therapies
If the root cause of your dog's joint pain relief is a malformed or dysplastic joint, surgery may be your only option. Go to your nearest veterinary school website (often the most reliable source for up-to-date information) and look for articles on the different surgical techniques available. Other therapies include stem cell therapy, where stem cells are drawn from the dog's abdomen and injected into the inflamed joint, laser pulse therapy and gold bead implants.
Don't Miss 20 of the funniest online reviews ever 14 Biggest lies people tell in online dating sites Hilarious things Google thinks you're trying to search forFinding the right forex trader for you can be a test of patience and frustration. The rapidly changing forex market produces more traders faster than it can dump discouraged ones right back on the street. With all this confusing action, it may seem that a good trader is as hard to find as becoming one […]
Anyone interested in the forex trading market is surely aware that it can be a daunting place of business. Books, movies and magazines are filled with tales of the many aspiring traders that are driven back in fear of the risks associated with stock markets. Truly great traders hear these tales and feel inspiration. They […]
The Reality of Day Trading In many recent interviews with academy teachers, such as Tim Sykes and Cameron Fous, we received a growing number of requests from students regarding interviews with real traders who weren’t marketers. Although there is nothing wrong with marketing your trading success, there is also a bit of bias information out […]
If you’re an investor, whether you’re managing daily trades or simply keeping track of a long-term portfolio, odds are the bulk of your assets are tied up in stocks. Indeed the most traditional ways to invest are to open an account through a broker and make your own trades or buy into a mutual fund […]
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The ICA is a world-wide association developed to establish a universal standard of dementia care for individuals by providing education, coaching and dementia homes.
Training & Consulting
With so much conflicting information available about Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, it’s difficult for family members to quickly find the information necessary to best care for a loved one. The International Caregivers Association (ICA) is a no-nonsense, knowledgeable, solution-driven source critical to your caregiving success. ICA offers one-of-a-kind dementia care training curriculum for your business or school program.
Coaching & Mentoring
ICA pioneered Alzheimer/dementia coaching. It offers you a referral service for quick and easy access to a certified coach of your choice. There is a distinction between coaching and mentoring. Coaching allows you to focus on specific goals, creating outcomes and managing dementia care for success. Mentoring allows you to advise or train someone in dementia care services. In business, mentoring is an essential leadership skill.
Care Social Community
ICA pioneered the care/social community concept of family living to replace the medical/rehab model which is currently employed throughout the world. In this unique environment the person living with dementia and their primary caregiver can live together. The primary caregiver continues to provide care but is assisted by staff and other caregivers, receiving all the accommodations to support life and family such as medical and allied services.
Dementia Resources
Not enough is known about dementia/Alzheimer today. There are no effective medical treatments and dementia care continues to be experimental. The ICA is leading efforts to standardize the care of these precious individuals and to unite family caregivers as the agents of change in dementia. Family caregivers are leading the effort to create interprofessional healthcare dementia teams.
The ICA invites you to join the movement to change the course of dementia care. By changing the course of dementia care, the cost of care is reduced and the quality of life increases. Dementia care is a moral responsibility we all share. Join the ICA and become an important part of the larger, stronger interprofessional dementia healthcare team.
GSHS treatments are most often done from a distance, in the comfort of your home or office, and without the need to displace the person receiving them. The GSHS practitioner follows an established technique to deliver energy to a specific body system to direct healing.
With the GSHS, individuals are able to participate in activities more easily and experience improved memory and increased ability to speak and move. Imagine a future without dementia, and how life could be….
Breakthrough Dementia Care Solutions
ICA makes a distinction between dementia care solutions and dementia care offers. A dementia care solution is one that is intended to create positive results in the middle of chaos or a challenging situation. ICA leads the way in dementia education because of our inquiry-based programs and breakthrough programs. We inform, teach, demonstrate, supervise and mentor all our trainees.
ICA helps you solve the problem of retention in dementia care. Turnover remains one of the most expensive problems in healthcare today. We can create a bulletproof process for hiring, training, and retention. We understand well the specialty that we refer to as dementia care.
ICA is leading the way to build care/social communities in every country around the world. These communities offer family living arrangements for those living with dementia. These communities are constructed in such a way to minimize isolation and improve living conditions for families through social and care services. They are universal, safe, and offer the best possible dementia care to consumers.
When a doctor is finding it difficult to communicate with dementia patients, consider ICA consulting and coaching services. When an administrator cannot find and retain employees, consider ICA consulting and coaching services. When families are getting desperate and wonder how much longer they can hold on, know that ICA coaching services are here to help. Publications
Here you will find the Alzheimer’s Primer
“How in the World… and Now What Do I Do?” authored by Dr. Ethelle G. Lord and previously only available at AlzheimersPrimer.com. The primer is available in printed form in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
This small publication is designed to help the medical community to reassure their patients that steps must be taken to maximize the management of such a diagnosis. It is especially designed to guide the family in taking the right steps more quickly and with more ease. In a way it is your map to Alzheimer’s. You will find useful resources that will clarify a complex and difficult diagnosis.
In her latest book,
“Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coaching: Taking A Systems Approach In Creating An Alzheimer’s Friendly Healthcare Workforce” Dr. Éthelle G. Lord reveals her heart-felt feelings born of her experience as family caregiver for her husband, Major Larry S. Potter, USAF Retired, a specialist in the field of small business education, who lives with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. “I owe him an enormous debt and gratitude for introducing me to the connection between spirituality and dementia”, she writes.
What she also writes in her book is the product of her career as a university
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The San Francisco Unified School District missed out on more than $100,000 in future funding Wednesday, as attendance numbers in the Mission District and other parts of the city plummeted because students skipped school to join the Giants for the team’s World Series celebration.
“They want their kids to go to the parade. It’s taken over the city,” Norma Gamino, the attendance secretary at John O’Connell High School, said Wednesday.
Administrators, she added, fought with parents all morning on Wednesday about pulling their children out.
The high school has an attendance rate of 598 students on a normal day, but approximately half were absent on the day of the parade.
San Francisco Unified School District receives $37.75 per student per day from the state this year. Every day a child is absent from school, the district effectively loses out on that money.
Average year-to-date attendance for schools in the district hover around 96 to 97 percent of total student enrollment. District-wide on Wednesday, there were 3,222 more students absent than usual. That totals a potential loss of $121,630 in next year’s funding.
The state uses average daily attendance numbers, rather than total enrollment, to determine future funding. The logic is that funding is based on how many students schools need to educate. Normal attendance fluctuates, but when it takes big drops, the impact will be felt in funding the next year.
With half of John O’Connell’s students gone, the school contributed more than $11,000 to the district’s total loss.
“With parents, we hope we’re on the same page,” said another John O’Connell administrator, talking about the need for families to make attendance a priority for students. “But it’s a struggle. Parents will lie, making excuses it’s just personal.”
Despite years of decline, daily attendance averages have leveled out in San Francisco, according to the school district. But with the large state deficits, including what is expected to be upwards of $12 billion for the next budget, the amount of money school districts receive has dropped significantly in recent years.
The $37.75 the district receives this year is a 10 percent drop from its 2009-2010 allocation, according to Gentle Blythe, San Francisco Unified’s public outreach and communications director.
Not all Mission schools were hit with significant drops. Educators at Cesar Chavez Elementary and Bryant Elementary School felt they didn’t see much difference in attendance. “We had one parent brave enough to say we’re taking our child out for the parade,” a Bryant Elementary administrator said Wednesday morning.
Other, smaller schools were not as lucky. Horace Mann Middle School had nearly one third of its student body out, Edison Charter Academy had 30 students absent and June Jordan School for Equity in the Excelsior District had 34 students absent. On a normal day, only two to three children are no-shows at June Jordan.
Mission High School, which has a normal attendance of 875, had 100 kids absent. That number is approximately 50 percent more than its average tally.
Gamino said that some parents at John O’Connell called because they thought changes in public transportation service or large crowds would prevent them from getting children to school. Many, however, admitted bluntly that they wanted to take their families to see the parade.New research finds that businesses are taking marketing strategy more seriously than ever before — but there’s still plenty of room for improvement
AI and machine learning — once the stuff of science fiction — are now becoming reality. How will this new technology change the mortgage industry — and how important is it for mortgage pros to get on board now?
The FTC and CFPB are targeting companies peddling phony loan modification programs to distressed homeowners
A study showed that more than 90% of sales failures were due to the sales person, not circumstances such as lack of training
Why would you want to join Integrity Mortgage Group? We are passionate about our work and will provide you with all of the necessary tools and resources needed to be successful
A branch network can tout its benefits to the moon, but the most important recommendation will always come from someone who actually works there. And branch manager Gary Tedrow has great things to say about Integrity Mortgage Group
Maintaining relationships with your clients is a key factor in continued success. But you won’t build those relationships in the first place without making good first impressions – and to do that you have to be educated on your products. That’s why Integrity Mortgage group supports its originators with matchless customer relationship support and education
If you can't get your customers in the door, the rest of your talents don't matter much. That's why Integrity Mortgage Group is their to support its loan officers in every step of the marketing process
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Read the article below and do the writing exercise at the bottom of the page. Web sites, awful and not
document.writeln(‘<div id=”bodyText” style=”font-size: ‘ + currentTextSize + ‘px; line-height: ‘ + currentLineHeight + ‘px;”>’); LONDON: When did you last see a well-designed Web site? One that wasn’t just great to look at, but so easy to use that you found what you wanted effortlessly? And when did you last grumble about a badly designed site having spent far too long trying – and failing – to find something?
I’d love to think that there’d be more enthusiastic answers to the first question, than grouchy responses to the second. But sadly for the millions of us who waste so much time struggling to extract information from the Web, it’s bound to be the other way around. The blunt truth is that far from being visually pleasing, intelligently organized and simple to use, too many Web sites are ugly, cluttered, sluggish and brain-fuddlingly difficult to navigate.
There’s no logical explanation for this. Lots of smart design graduates go into Web design, and it’s at the forefront of technological innovation. Even corporate dinosaurs now recognize the value of a well-designed Web site, and design budgets have risen accordingly. Why then are so many sites so poorly designed?
1. It’s difficult. Designing anything well is difficult, but Web design is especially so. One reason is because it’s such a new medium that there are few design rules, and most of them were imported (not always successfully) from print. Its newness also means that the 99 percent of us who use Web sites, rather than create them, aren’t sure how to judge whether or not they’re well designed. Another problem is that technology changes so fast that Web designers constantly have to abandon old tricks and learn new ones. (A particularly painful lesson seems to be designing sites that are remotely legible on cellphone screens.)A third is that the designers have no control over how their work will be seen, because that is influenced by so many other factors. Will the site be seen on a computer or cellphone? If it’s the former, on a Mac or PC? (Even typefaces can look different on the various formats. Take Georgia – gorgeous on a Mac, and ungainly on a PC.) The type of browser changes things, too, as does whether the screen is adjusted correctly for brightness and color, and if it’s dusty or stained. But don’t feel too sorry for Web designers. They don’t help themselves by working – and showing off their sites to clients – on state-of-the-art computers. Popping into an Internet café to use its elderly PCs would give a more realistic impression of how most people will actually see their work. 2. Too flash by half. One of the worst habits of Web designers – and the clients who let them get away with it – is to “prettify” sites with digital animations created by Flash software. Think of how many times you’ve logged off Web sites because you’ve been locked into a seemingly endless (often irritating) animation. That’s Flash. It was fashionable in the late 1990s, but fell from favor when Web designers started obsessing over “simplicity.”Ironically Flash still tends to be popular with would-be fashionable brands. The chief offenders are fashion labels. Chanel, Dior, Lanvin, Stella McCartney and Louis Vuitton all have unfashionably Flashy sites. “Often those brands are trying to recreate their print ads, which are very elaborate and very beautiful,” said Daljit Singh, creative director of Digit, a Web design group in London. “You just can’t recreate that level of finesse on the Web.” 3. More isn’t always merrier. Another common crime is cluttering up Web sites with inessential stuff that makes it harder for you to find what you’re looking for. “I don’t understand why people think that putting everything on the page will attract more clicks,” said Chanuki Seresinhe, co-founder of the London design firm Design Science Office. “It just confuses users. We’re already overwhelmed with too much information, so why do they throw too many choices at us?” Quite. She cites the online shop of Liberty, the London department store, as an example of a site that’s “full of useful features without creating too much clutter.” 4. Not that you’d notice. A well-designed Web site looks so straightforward and is so thoughtfully organized that you can find your way around it instinctively. One of Singh’s favorite examples is Google Maps. “Just fantastic!” he said. “It goes to show that keeping things simple and human does make a difference.” The better designed a site’s navigation is, the more intuitively we’ll use it. Like the user interface software with which we operate cellphones and other digital devices, we only tend to notice Web design when it goes
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wrong.One obstacle to usability is the fragmented nature of many Web design “teams.” The designer often works with a user experience expert, who’s in charge of navigation, as well as a graphic designer responsible for the aesthetic of the site and the developer that builds it. With so many people pitching in, it isn’t surprising that Web sites often seem incoherent. 5. To print, or not to print. Sometimes I wonder whether Web site designers are so entranced by their screens that they never print anything on paper. They certainly seem determined to stop the rest of us from doing so, either by making it fiendishly difficult or ensuring that the end result is barely legible.A prime culprit is http://www.nationalrail.co.uk, the online information service for Britain’s railroads. The site is so poorly planned that details of a single journey are spread across several screens, and printing the information gobbles up pages of paper. A link to “Timetables you can Print” just fobs you off with directions to other sites. Then there’s http://www.ica.org.uk, the Web site of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. It looks O.K. on-screen, at least it does on a Mac because the font is Georgia in an elegant shade of gray. But if you print a page, the gray type is so pale that it’s barely discernible. Great.
EXERCISE: Read the article and write a brief essay (tesina – 500 words) about your experience with well constructed and badly constructed web-sites you have encountered. Use the points in the article as a guide (but not only!) with which to evaluate the examples you use. The first paragraph should include a sentence that indicates what you are going to talk about and the point of view you are going to take in the essay. The last paragraph should include some form of conclusion.What does healthy eating look like?
If we were to believe advertising and commercials, we would think healthy, normal eating is either constant dieting or regular consumption of high-sugar, high-fat fast foods and snacks. Neither is true. Long-term caloric restriction can lead to an eating disorder, and a steady diet of sugary and fatty foods, especially in the absence of physical activity, can produce overweight, obesity, and the health problems associated with those conditions.
Some people have eaten in a disordered way for so long that they have forgotten what normal, healthy eating is. Basically, it is respecting your body so that you eat when you are hungry, and you eat what you are hungry for, and you stop eating when you are satisfied. This means that you do not use food to try to meet needs other than nourishment; for example, eating a box of donuts because you are lonely (or anxious, or angry, or bored, or sad). It also means never refusing to eat something your body is really hungry for. If you do, you make that forbidden food an object of obsession, and chances are you will binge on it later — one chocolate truffle now, or a whole box later.
And lastly, eating normally means paying attention to your body so you will recognize when it is hungry for simple things like green beans and whole wheat bread, not just the sweet and fatty foods you routinely deny it.
But it’s a big step from chronic restriction or frequent diet-binge-purge cycles to rule-free spontaneous eating. Most people need a few guidelines to provide reassurance when they begin the transition. The following suggestions are based on current recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences. Best wishes as you begin to incorporate them into your life, one or two at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed and panicky.
Food choices and calories
Specific recommendations
Note: The above suggestions were taken from guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services on January 12, 2005.
Counting calories
Don’t obsess by counting every calorie, but be aware that your body’s emergy requirements are higher that what is provided by many diets. Use the following as a guideline. (From the University of California Wellness Letter. October 2002)
Healthy lifestyle choices
In summary
PostscriptIn 2013, the SEC brought fewer enforcement actions involving financial fraud and issuer disclosure — 68 — than during any year in the previous decade. Even including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases, the number was still a record-low 73, compared to 94 cases brought the previous year and far down from the high-water mark of 219 in 2007. But recent developments suggest that the downward trend will turn, perhaps dramatically, in 2014.
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Get a ‘New Deal’ at your DL library
With the economy bouncing back from a major recession, we all know hard times are possible.
But those who experienced the “Great Depression” will attest to the fact that we haven’t got a clue how bad things can get!
The Civilian Conserva-tion Corps (CCC) was one of President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs. It put millions of young unemployed, unmarried men to work at a time when there were no jobs, and most of their families desperately needed the money.
by Barbara W. Sommer. “Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota,”
“Hard Work and a Good Deal” traces the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which supplied jobs to more than 77,000 Minnesotans during the Great Depression.
Nearly 100 interviews contribute to oral historian Barbara W. Sommer’s lively narrative as the “boys” look back on their time in the CCC, during which many of them became men.
African American enrollees tell of the segregated policies enforced in the army-run camps; workers for the CCC-Indian Division remember reservation projects that included rebuilding a fur trade-era stockade at Grand Portage. Together, these men give voice to early efforts that advanced the conservation of Minnesota’s natural resources five decades in a few short years.
by Ren and Helen Davis. “Our Mark on This Land: A Guide to the Legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps in America’s Parks,”
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established in March, 1933, as one of the first initiatives of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration.
The purpose of the CCC was to put unemployed young men to work performing conservation and related activities amidst the depths of the Great Depression while simultaneously striving to restore the bodies, minds, and spirits of the men themselves.
With unprecedented cooperation among federal agencies, this hugely successful effort became the largest peacetime mobilization in our nation s history.
Library happenings Tuesday, May 14: Introduction to LARL’s Digital Library, 10:30 a.m. Did you know you can download books from the Library? Learn about searching our digital catalog for ebooks, the various formats we support and the various help options available for getting started. Class size is limited to six people. Call, e-mail, or stop by the Library to register. Tuesday, May 14: “Story Time at Storyland,” 6:30 p.m., Becker County Museum, 714 Summit Ave. A special library storytime at Storyland. Storyland is a traveling exhibit from the Minnesota Children’s Museum which is on display at the county museum in Detroit Lakes until the end of May. Wednesday, May 15: “eReader Help,” 4:30 p.m. Schedule a one-on-one appointment to address your eReader questions. Wednesday, May 15: Christian Book Club, 6:30 p.m. Discuss “When I Lay My Isaac Down” by Carol Kent. Thursday, May 16 and Saturday, May 18: Preschool Storytime, 10:30 a.m. Library hours
The Detroit Lakes Library, located at 1000 Washington Ave., is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
It is closed on Sundays.
For more information on Detroit Lakes Library services and programs, please call 218-847-2168 or visit the website at www.larl.org.
Article written by Danell Haspel of the Detroit Lakes Library exercise routine should be intense with minimal rest between sets.
The bottom line: The endomorph body type requires the most effort if weight loss is to be achieved. Sets should be minimized to 8 per body part, with no more than 60 seconds of rest between sets. Avoid training with heavy weights and small reps. The target rep range for upper body parts should be around 9-12, and lower body rep ranges should be around 12-25.
Conclusion
The amount of effort required to reach your fitness goals is largely impacted by your specific body type. Ectomorphs will always be more naturally thin than an endomorph, and mesomorphs will always seem to have a muscle-building advantage over the rest of us. However, your body type is not an excuse to stay enslaved by your genetic make-up. Anyone can take their workout routine to the next level if they take the time to learn which forms of exercise are most helpful to their specific body type.
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Animals 2013, 3(2), 416-441; doi:10.3390/ani3020416 Modelling Farm Animal Welfare * Simple SummaryIn this review paper we discuss the different modeling techniques that have been used in animal welfare research to date. We look at what questions they have been used to answer, the advantages and pitfalls of the methods, and how future research can best use these approaches to answer some of the most important upcoming questions in farm animal welfare. AbstractThe use of models in the life sciences has greatly expanded in scope and advanced in technique in recent decades. However, the range, type and complexity of models used in farm animal welfare is comparatively poor, despite the great scope for use of modeling in this field of research. In this paper, we review the different modeling approaches used in farm animal welfare science to date, discussing the types of questions they have been used to answer, the merits and problems associated with the method, and possible future applications of each technique. We find that the most frequently published types of model used in farm animal welfare are conceptual and assessment models; two types of model that are frequently (though not exclusively) based on expert opinion. Simulation, optimization, scenario, and systems modeling approaches are rarer in animal welfare, despite being commonly used in other related fields. Finally, common issues such as a lack of quantitative data to parameterize models, and model selection and validation are discussed throughout the review, with possible solutions and alternative approaches suggested. View Full-Text Keywords:simulation; risk assessment; welfare assessment; systems modelling; conceptual model; scenario modelling; optimisation; animal welfare Scifeed alert for new publications Never miss any articlesmatching your research from any publisher Get alerts for new papers matching your research Find out the new papers from selected authors Updated daily for 49'000+ journals and 6000+ publishers Define your Scifeed now MDPI and ACS Style
Collins, L.M.; Part, C.E. Modelling Farm Animal Welfare.
Animals 2013, 3, 416-441. AMA Style
Collins LM, Part CE. Modelling Farm Animal Welfare.
Animals. 2013; 3(2):416-441. Chicago/Turabian Style
Collins, Lisa M.; Part, Chérie E. 2013. "Modelling Farm Animal Welfare."
Animals 3, no. 2: 416-441. Find Other StylesParametric Stats Tests
Home > Flashcards > Print Preview
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. What would you like to do?
What are our goals in analysing data from continuous quantitative variables?
To construct an equation for predicting the DV from values of the IV To describe the strength of the relationship between variables The general term for this is regression analysis
What are analyses focusing solely on the strength of relationship known as?
Correlational analyses These often make no distinction between predictor and response variables
What are the individual distributions of the IV known as?
Conditional distributions Conditional distributions are distributions of the response variable conditional on a specified value of the predictor variable
What is the overall distribution of the DV known as?
The marginal distribution
What is the population regression line?
The straight line upon which the population means lie
What is the equation for the population regression line?
The mean population of Y values for a given value of X = (the intercept of the population regression line + the slope of the population regression line) x the value of X
What are the values of the intercept and slope of the regression line?
Population values that are needed to uniquely specify a straight line function The intercept value specifies how far up the Y axis the line is The slope value (regression coefficient) specifies how steep the line is
What does the slope of population line reflect?
The rate at which values on the Y axis are changing from one unit change in the X axis
What must we do when modelling sample data?
The slope and intercept values that provide the 'best fit' for data must be found
What is the basic equation for sample data
Score = model fit + residual
What is a best fitting line?
One which minimises the sum of squares of residuals
What is the residual?
The vertical line between data and regression line Observation-predicted value
What is the equation for the least squares estimate of the slope of the regression line?
Sum of products over sum of squares
What is covariance?
The sum of products divided by the degrees of freedom
What does variance reveal?
The similarity of the structure of the expressions of variance and covariance
What points do regression lines always pass through?
The means of the X and Y values
What would you like to do?
Home > Flashcards > Print Preview
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What’s the green smoothie hype all about? This is what you need to know about green smoothie recipes and benefits of drinking them. Check them out now!
The smoothie trend is here to stay and if you’re looking for a delicious smoothie made from recognizable and affordable ingredients, then look no further.
Let’s unpack the phenomenon that has revolutionized the use of blenders everywhere; let’s dig into the green smoothie.
A green smoothie allows you to sneak nutrient-rich vegetables into your diet without bringing too much attention to the veggie in question.
You can hide the texture and taste of almost any leafy green vegetable when blended with the right ingredients and complimentary flavours.
Why do we want to get more greens in our diets?
Green leafy vegetables will always be considered a so-called superfood. A superfood essentially refers to a food that has a high nutrient to calorie ratio. In other words, you get a big bang of nutrients for your calorie buck.
Kale is currently one of the most popular and trendy superfoods, and for good reason. Kale is bursting with phytonutrients that boost big time benefits like cancer-fighting antioxidants.
All greens, however, have phytonutrients that combat free radicals, energize, and nourish; reasons why we want to emphasize them in our diets and tuck them into our smoothies.
Smoothies not only provide an opportunity to fit greens into our diet but a blended green smoothie also helps with digestion once the greens meet your belly.
The tough fibers in vegetables are difficult to digest for many people, especially when eating raw greens. Plant cell walls are made from cellulose, which the human digestive system has trouble breaking down.
If the leaves of these nutritious greens go undigested, we aren’t able to absorb their valuable nutrients, which defeats the purpose of eating them.
This is where the blender comes into play.
Blending does part of the digesting for us! The blades of the blender break down plant cell walls and pulverize the fibres that like to challenge our digestive systems.
This allows for quick and efficient access to all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants we’re hoping to absorb and assimilate.
A blender also provides an opportunity to incorporate more raw vegetables into our diets. Raw veggies and leafy greens are rich in live enzymes and other nutrients that are denatured by the heat of cooking.
By tossing raw veggies in our smoothies we’re guaranteeing nutrient diversity and ensuring a good balance between raw and cooked food.
So the green smoothie gives us the superfood leafy greens we want, the live nutrients we need and helps with the digestion of both.
Win, win, win!
To make a healthy green smoothie you do need a blender. However, you do not need to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
You can get affordable blenders that do the job quite nicely. If you see yourself doing a lot of heavy-duty blending, like pureeing nuts to make smooth sauces and feel like a higher end blender is worth the investment, then, by all means, go for it! I use my high-powered blender every day.
However, for months I went without and used a personal sized blender and it got the job done, and done well!
A good place to start is a small blender with multiple functions, one that comes with blending and grinding blades. One of these will run you about $100 but it is a great tool to have, especially in a small kitchen.
If the correct way to drink a smoothie seems obvious, hold up, it’s not!
Many self-proclaimed smoothie aficionados blend up their smoothie concoction and then suck it back within a few minutes. Yet, to get the full benefit of the smoothie and to feel your best post smoothie, you should take it slow for a few reasons.
First, we have digestive enzymes in our saliva and upper digestive system that are activated by chewing. So yes, even though your smoothie is blended, it’s still beneficial to give each sip a little chew to help break down macronutrients and ignite the digestive process.
Secondly, you don’t want to overwhelm your belly. Avoid pounding that green smoothie, no matter how delicious, because drinking it too fast will result in your belly’s version of an ice cream headache. Too much, too fast will cause some tummy aches, nausea,and even fatigue.
Before your smoothie, you’re most likely hungry and your stomach is empty. If you chug that smoothie, your belly goes from bored to overwhelmed! You’ve shocked your stomach with too much work in too short a period of time.
To get the most from your healthy green smoothie drink slowly, over 20-30 minutes or so. This gives your gut a manageable workload and enough time to get the digestive job done at a reasonable pace.
Smoothies are a staple in the diets of healthy foodies everywhere. They’re usually categorized as a breakfast option but can also be enjoyed as a light meal or hearty snack.
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healthy green smoothie is usually built from, but not limited to, the following components
Altering these ingredients, changing their ratios and pairing different flavours are ways in which you can make a million versions of the green smoothie.
Feel free to mess around and find your personal favourite or, if you need some green inspiration, check out the suggested combinations below.
(Serves 1)
This smoothie is for the green beginner. If you’re just starting out and the idea of a green smoothie is still a little suspicious then this one is for you.
Spinach is the least green tasting leafy green and is the perfect choice when you’re not used to the earthy-er flavours of kale and swiss chard.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
(Serves 1)
This smoothie has a combination of spinach and antioxidant rich kale. It gains more superfood status by the addition of hemp seeds, which are a fantastic source of anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids.
Feel free to swap almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Now, for those green lovers, those who are green at heart, this one is for you. There’s a load of green going on here and the resulting color is just divine.
Avocado is used to achieve a creamy texture and also provides healthy, monounsaturated fats. And remember, don’t fear the fat!
Fat in a smoothie is important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) as well as for the proper functioning of countless metabolic processes in our bodies, the structure of our cell walls and so much more.
(Serves 1-2)
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Start with 1 ½ cups water and add more as needed to get desired consistency.
Keep these three healthy green smoothie recipes in your collection of smoothie alternatives and please share your favourite green smoothie combo below!
Hi! My name is Ashley. I’m a pharmacist, plant based chef and holistic nutritionist. Creating health supportive, plant based and gluten free cuisine is my calling, my jam, my vegan bread and butter. You can find me blogging, sipping a green smoothie and pondering the big questions in life.
If you want to show your love to your man you definitely should cook him a delicious dinner. We give you ideas for romantic meals to cook for him.
Attraction is a chemical reaction that occurs within the brain. If you want to learn how to make him addicted to you, read our article. Thank us later!
Whether they’re in a first or a 50th relationship, people are always wondering how to say I love you for the first time without making a fool of themselves.
In need of a bit of a change when it comes to your bedroom’s décor? Find out how to make your bedroom sexier and match your modern and sophisticated personality.
Do you want to make your boyfriend emotionally more attached to you? Well, you can, and with our tips he will grow fonder of you and be yours forever!
It’s a common misconception that you should go out looking for love. When the love is right, it will find YOU. In the meantime, learn to enjoy life!
When a guy doesn’t text you back it can really drive you insane. Read these 16 tips on how to get him to text you back and he won’t ignore you ever again!
This article may contain affiliate links, which pays us a small compensation if you do decide to make a purchase based on our recommendation. Our judgement is in no way biased, and our recommendations are always based on the merits of the items. For details, please read our Privacy Policy.All Topics Biotechnology Biotech Business Biotech Products Cancer Cardiovascular Dermatology Drug Discovery Endocrinology Gastroenterology Immunology Infectious Diseases Mental Health Neurology Obstetrics Orthopedics Public Health Respiratory Rheumatology Urology
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Ozone preparation
Figure 10.2. Preparation of ozone Brodie s apparatus
How would you obtain a sample of pure ozone Account for the conditions used in your method of preparation. What is the arrangement of oxygen atoms in an ozonide and what evidence would you cite in support of the structure you suggest [c.308]
One of the chief uses of chloromethane is as a starting material from which sili cone polymers are made Dichloromethane is widely used as a paint stripper Trichloromethane was once used as an inhalation anesthetic but its toxicity caused it to be replaced by safer materials many years ago Tetrachloromethane is the starting mate rial for the preparation of several chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) at one time widely used as refrigerant gases Most of the world s industrialized nations have agreed to phase out all uses of CFCs because these compounds have been implicated m atmospheric processes that degrade the Earth s ozone layer [c.167]
Tetrafluoroethylene Oxide TFEO has only been prepared by a process employing oxygen or ozone because of its extreme reactivity with ionic reagents. This reactivity may best be illustrated by its low temperature reaction with the weak nucleophile, dimethyl ether, to give either of two products (47) (eq. 10). [c.304]
The relevant properties of peroxide and superoxide salts are given in Table 4 (see Peroxides and peroxide compounds, inorganic). Potassium peroxide is difficult to prepare and lithium superoxide is very unstable. The ozonides, MO3, of the alkah metals contain a very high percentage of oxygen, but are only stable below room temperature (see Ozone). [c.486]
Commercial production and utilization of ozone by silent electric discharge consists of five basic unit operations gas preparation, electrical power supply, ozone generation, contacting (ie, ozone dissolution in water), and destmction of ozone in contactor off-gases (Fig. 1). [c.497]
Suppression of Nitrogen Oxides. The concentration of nitrogen oxides during preparation of ozone from air increases linearly with the energy density in the discharge, causing a decrease in the formation rate of ozone. Most commercial ozone generators produce 0.5 kg of nitrogen oxides for every 100 kg of ozone generated. The formation of nitrogen oxides at a given energy density is minimized by decreasing the residence time and temperature, increasing the pressure, and reducing the dew point of air. [c.498]
Feed Gas Preparation. The use of oxygen for industrial ozone generation is significant and increasing. Oxygen provides a higher ozone concentration and more efficient ozone dissolution than air, and does not add nitrogen oxides to the water. It is prepared from dry, filtered air by hquefaction and fractional distiHation. Liquid oxygen (LOX) can be prepared on-site or purchased from vendors. Oxygen is sometimes used to enrich air-fed systems. Although oxygen-rich off-gases from ozone contactors can be recycled, more often they are discarded to avoid redrying costs. [c.498]
Energy Requirements and Efficiency. The thermodynamics of ozone synthesis require the expenditure of 142.7 kj/mol (34.1 kcal/mol) thus the formation of 1 kg of ozone requires 2.97 MJ (711 kcal) or 0.85 kWh/kg at 100% efficiency. The more concentrated the ozone, the higher the specific energy (kWh/kg) and the lower the efficiency. The specific energy for ozone production from dry oxygen varies from 7—14 kWh/kg over the 1—6 wt % range. For dry air, the specific energy (15—22 kWh/kg for 0.5—3.0 wt % ozone) is lower than expected due to the contribution of atomic nitrogen to ozone formation. The higher-than-theoretical specific energy requirements are due to the fact that most of the suppHed energy is converted to heat resulting from ozone formation and decomposition reactions. These specific energy requirements correspond to ozone synthesis efficiencies from oxygen and air of 6—12% and 4—6%, respectively. Thus, the portion of the input synthesis energy dissipated as heat is 88—94% for oxygen and 94—96% for air. In addition to the power requirements for the ozone generator, the air-preparation unit requires 4.4—7.7 (kWh)/kg ozone, and the oxygen-recycle unit an additional 2—7 (kWh) /kg ozone. [c.499]
The pharmaceutical industry employs ozone in organic reactions to produce peroxides as germicides in skin lotions, for the oxidation of intermediates for bacteriostats, and in the synthesis of steroids (qv)
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such as cortisone (see Disinfectants and antiseptics). Vitamin E can be prepared by ozonation of trimethyUiydroquinone. [c.503]
The ozonides are characterized by the presence of the ozonide ion, O - They are generally produced by the reaction of the inorganic oxide and ozone (qv). Two reviews of ozonide chemistry are available (1,117). Sodium ozonide [12058-54-7] NaO potassium ozonide [12030-89-6] 35 rubidium ozonide [12060-04-7] RbO and cesium ozonide [12053-67-7] CsO, have all been reported (1). Ammonium ozonide [12161 -20-5] NH O, and tetramethylammonium ozonide [78657-29-1/, (CH ) NO, have been prepared at low temperatures (118). [c.98]
The potassium salt is the best characterized. It is an orange-red paramagnetic soHd having a magnetic moment of 1.6 x 10 J/T (1.73 Xg). It reacts with water, yielding oxygen gas and potassium hydroxide. It decomposes to the superoxide, KO2, upon standing at room temperature. Potassium ozonide is prepared by ozonation of dry potassium hydroxide. It can be purified by extraction and recrystaUization from Hquid ammonia. Whereas the inorganic ozonides are of potential importance as soHd-oxygen carriers ia breathing apparatus, they are not produced commercially. [c.98]
Efforts to raise the alpha-selectivity have been made. Thus nitration of anthraquinone using nitrogen dioxide and ozone has been reported (17). l-Amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (bromamine acid) [116-81 -4] (8) is the most important intermediate for manufacturing reactive and acid dyes. Bromamine acid is manufactured from l-aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid [83-62-5] (19) by bromination in aqueous medium (18—20), or in concentrated sulfuric acid (21). l-Aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid is prepared from l-aminoanthraquinone by sulfonation in an inert, high boiling point organic solvent (22), or in oleum with sodium sulfate (23). [c.310]
Processing ndProperties. Neoprene has a variety of uses, both in latex and dry mbber form. The uses of the latex for dipping and coating have already been indicated. The dry mbber can be handled in the usual equipment, ie, mbber mills and Banbury mixers, to prepare various compounds. In addition to its excellent solvent resistance, polychloroprene is also much more resistant to oxidation or ozone attack than natural mbber. It is also more resistant to chemicals and has the additional property of flame resistance from the chlorine atoms. It exhibits good resiUence at room temperature, but has poor low temperature properties (crystallization). An interesting feature is its high density (1.23) resulting from the presence of chlorine in the chain this increases the price on a volume basis. [c.470]
It is evident that for ordinary preparative work the careful calibration given in section G is not essential. It is only necessary to adjust the voltage of the transformer to about 10,000 to 11,000 volts and turn on the flow of oxygen to as rapid a rate as the absorption tubes will handle when surrounded by cooling baths. The amount of ozone produced in 5 minutes at the observed flowmeter reading is determined as in section F. By operating the ozonizer at this rate of flow and voltage the ozonization of organic compounds can be carried out. [c.75]
A number of novel techniques have been attempted to provide (atomically) clean steel surfaces for optimal chemical bonding, but generally there has been no improvement over grit blasting. Ultraviolet light/ozone exposures have been used very successfully to provide extremely clean surfaces for semiconductor processing. However, when this technique was applied to oily steel, the cleaned surfaces showed no improvement in bond strength compared to control specimens [118]. Glow-discharge etching, which is another method of providing very clean semiconductor surfaces, was used to prepare steels for an anti-corrosion, polymer-film-coating process [119] but the results were no better than wiping with a solvent cloth. Neither was the result of another scheme [1
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20] that incorporated cleaning components into the adhesive itself. [c.985]
Such a sequence of snapshots, calculated in intervals of 4 fs, is shown as a series of double contour line plots on the left-hand side of figure A3.13.11 (tire outennost row shows the evolution of I equation (A3.13.68), the imremiost row is I I equation (A3.13.67), at the same time steps). This is the wave packet motion in CHD for excitation with a linearly polarized field along tlie the v-axis at 1300 cm and 10 TW cm after 50 fs of excitation. At this point a more detailed discussion regarding tlie orientational dynamics of the molecule is necessary. Clearly, the polarization axis is defined in a laboratory fixed coordinate system, while the bending axes are fixed to the molecular frame. Thus, exciting internal degrees of freedom along specific axes in the internal coordinate system requires two assumptions the molecule must be oriented or aligned with respect to the external polarization axis, and this state should be stationary, at least during the relevant time scale for the excitation process. It is possible to prepare oriented states [112. 114. 115] in the gas phase, and such a state can generally be represented as a superposition of a large number of rotational eigenstates. Two questions become important then How fast does such a rotational superposition state evolve How well does a purely vibrational wave packet calculation simulate a more realistic calculation which includes rotational degrees of freedom, i.e. with an initially oriented rotational wave packet The second question was studied recently by frill dimensional quantum dynamical calculations of the wave packet motion of a diatomic molecule during excitation in an intense infrared field [175], and it was verified that rotational degrees of freedom may be neglected whenever vibrational-rotational couplings are not important for intramolecular rotational-vibrational redistribution (IVRR) [ ]. Regarding the first question, because of the large rotational constant of methane, the time scales on which an initially oriented state of the free molecule is maintained are likely to be comparatively short and it would also be desirable to carry out calculations that include rotational states explicitly. Such calculations were done, for instance, for ozone at modest excitations [116. 117], but they would be quite difficult for the methane isotopomers at the high excitations considered in the present example. [c.1075]
The superacid-catalyzed electrophile oxygenation of saturated hydrocarbons, including methane with hydrogen peroxide (via H302 ) or ozone (via HOs ), allowed the efficient preparation of oxygenated derivatives. [c.166]
Phosphoms oxyfluoride is a colorless gas which is susceptible to hydrolysis. It can be formed by the reaction of PF with water, and it can undergo further hydrolysis to form a mixture of fluorophosphoric acids. It reacts with HF to form PF. It can be prepared by fluorination of phosphoms oxytrichloride using HF, AsF, or SbF. It can also be prepared by the reaction of calcium phosphate and ammonium fluoride (40), by the oxidization of PF with NO2CI (41) and NOCl (42) in the presence of ozone (43) by the thermal decomposition of strontium fluorophosphate hydrate (44) by thermal decomposition of CaPO F 2H20 (45) and reaction of SiF and P2O5 (46). [c.225]
Many of the chemical reactions used to modify lignosulfonates are also used to modify kraft lignins. These include ozonation, alkaline—air oxidation, condensation with formaldehyde and carboxylation with chloroacetic acid (100), and epoxysuccinate (101). In addition, cationic kraft lignins can be prepared by reaction with glycidjiamine (102). [c.145]
The unstable ammonium ozonide [12161 -20-5] NH O, prepared at low temperatures by reaction of ozone withHquid ammonia, decomposes rapidly at room temperature to NH NO, oxygen, and water (51). Tetrametbylammonium ozonide [78657-29-1] also has been prepared. [c.493]
Synthesis. Hydroperoxides have been prepared from several types of peroxygen compounds including hydrogen peroxide or sodium peroxide, ozone, oxygen, and other organic peroxides (45). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and its anions are powerful nucleophiles and react with reagents RX to form ROOH
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and HX, where X can be sulfate, acid sulfate, alkane- and arenesulfonate, chloride, bromide, hydroxyl, alkoxide, perchlorate, etc. RX can also be an alkyl orthoformate or alkyl carboxylate. [c.104]
Monolayers of Organosilicon Derivatives. SAMs of aLkylchlorosilanes, alkylalkoxysilanes, and alkylaminosilanes require hydroxylated surfaces as substrates for their formation. The driving force for this self-assembly is the in situ formation of polysiloxane, which is connected to surface silanol groups (—Si—OH) via Si—O—Si bonds. Substrates on which these monolayers have been successfully prepared include siUcon oxide (125—130), aluminum oxide (131,132), quartz (133—135), glass (130), mica (136—138), zinc selenide (131,132), germanium oxide (130), and gold (139—141). OTS monolayers on siUcon oxide and on gold activated by uv-ozone exposure have been compared by in spectroscopy, eUipsometry, and wetting measurements showing identical average film stmctures (142). [c.537]
Titanium oxide dichloride [13780-39-8] TiOCl2, is a yellow hygroscopic soHd that may be prepared by bubbling ozone or chlorine monoxide through titanium tetrachloride. It is insoluble in nonpolar solvents but forms a large number of adducts with oxygen donors, eg, ether. It decomposes to titanium tetrachloride and titanium dioxide at temperatures of ca 180°C (136). [c.131]
Other Arsenic Hydrides. Diarsine [15942-63-9] AS2H4, occurs as a by-product in the preparation of arsine by treatment of a magnesium aluminum arsenide alloy with dilute sulfuric acid and also may be prepared by passing arsine at low pressure through an ozonizer-type discharge tube (19). Diarsine is fairly stable as a gas but quite unstable (above — 100°C) in condensed phases. The for diarsine is +117 4 kJ/mol (28 1 kcal/mol) and [c.333]
Brassylic Acid. This acid is commercially available from Nippon Mining Company (Tokyo, Japan). It is made by a fermentation process (76). Several years ago, Emery Group, Henkel Corp. (Cincinnati, Ohio) produced brassyUc acid via ozonization of emcic acid primarily for captive use in making dimethyl brassylate and ethylene brassylate. A pilot-scale preparation based on ozonization of emcic acid has been described in which brassyUc acid yields of 72—82% were obtained in purities of 92—95%. Recrystallization from toluene gave purities of 99% (77). [c.63]
Other Derivatives. Various derivatives have appeared on the market or reached the market development stage. A carboxy-terminated polyisobutylene (28) was prepared by ozonization of high mol wt butyl mbbet or poly(isobutylene-ff -pipetylene) [26335-67-1] in the presence of pyridine. The resulting polymers were viscous hquids with viscosity average mol wt about 2,000 to 4,000, and an average functionality of 1.8 COOH groups pet chain. This ptedominandy diacid could be converted to networks by various reactions, eg, with epoxides or aziridine. High mol wt [c.481]
Ozone for laboratory use has always been prepared by the action of the silent electric discharge upon a stream of air or oxygen. Although dielectrics other than glass are nsed in commercial ozonizers, they do not give a percentage of ozone high enough for laboratory use, and practically all laboratory ozonizers employ the Berthelot tube and are modeled after the one originally constructed by Harries. Good ozonizers of this type have been described by Briner, Patry, and de Luserna, and by Church, Whitmore, and McGrew. The ozonizer described above is a modification of the one described by Smith, as improved by Herme, and by Smith and Ul
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lyot and Greenwood. Henne and Perilstein described a modification of their ozonizer in which the inner electrode is a tube filled with mercury the outer electrode is water-cooled. [c.76]
Silent electrical discharge at up to 15 kV may be used to create concentrations of about 5% ozone in an oxygen stream, which may then be reacted with a flammable or combustible substance for chemical synthesis. Laboratory preparations in (nonconductive) glass reactors have resulted in occasional explosions via static discharges in the oxygen enriched atmosphere, possibly exacerbated by residual vapor space ozone. An alternative to predilution with nitrogen, which forms nitrogen oxides in the ozonizer, is to add nitrogen downstream of the ozonizer. Other measures are to operate well below the flashpoint of any flammable liquid, typically at approximately -70°C using dry ice mixtures, and to select a more conductive solvent, as opposed to a hydrocarbon such as heptane. During shutdown of the system, a suitable inert gas such as argon should be used to thoroughly purge the system. Precautions should be taken to minimize the vapor space volume, avoid tightly closed containers that will not contain the pressure from an internal deflagration/detonation, and take appropriate measures for personnel protection if a flammable mixture might occur during operation. The hazards of unstable peroxides and ozonides, plus materials of construction suitable for oxygen service should be separately evaluated. [c.162]
Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen eontaining three oxygen atoms. It oeeurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and is formed in small quantities during eleetrieal diseharges from eleetrieal maehines or when white phosphorus smoulders in air. In the laboratory it is most eonveniently obtained by subjeeting air to eleetrieal diseharges in ozonizers when some of tlie oxygen moleeules dissoeiate into oxygen atoms whieh then eombine with other oxygen moleeules. However, the yield of ozone is only 10% even when pure oxygen is used. It may also be prepared by eleetrolysis of iee-eold dilute sulphurie aeid using a high eurrent density. Here the eoneentration of ozone liberated at the platinum-in-glass anode is about 14%. [c.303]
A typical ozone treatment plant consists of three basic subsystems feedgas preparation ozone generation and ozone/water contacting. Commercially, ozone is generated by producing a high-voltage corona, discharge in a purified oxygen-containing feedgas. The ozone is then contacted with the water or wastewater the treated effluent is discharged and the feedgas is recycled or discharged. [c.485]
See pages that mention the term
Ozone preparation: [c.27] [c.95] [c.293] [c.294] [c.294] [c.294] [c.101] [c.492] [c.494] [c.498] [c.111] [c.113] [c.304] [c.41] [c.75] [c.340] [c.40]
Chemistry of the elements (1998) -- [ c.609 , c.611 ]Energy and Buildings vol:42 issue:12 pages:2376-2385
Abstract:
This paper investigates the airtightness of a wood-frame passive house during the consecutive construction stages. Aim is to investigate whether an acceptable airtightness can be achieved by the external wind barrier only. The wind barrier consists of a promising new type of asphalt impregnated fibreboards. To quantify the different leakage paths, the study applies the reductive sealing technique. In total 12 pressurisation tests have been conducted during the construction process. In addition to these field tests on the entire building, the paper discusses the results from laboratory measurements on specimens of the wind barrier including typical joints, in order to verify the influence of different possible types of local air leakage paths.
The results reveal that the external wind barrier has a significant airtightness. Moreover, by sealing only the most critical joints of the outer shell, the overall airtightness of the studied case fulfils the requirements of the passive house standard (less than 0.6 air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 Pa). The results presented in this paper, thus, indicate that the proposed solution may have potential to reduce the labour costs required to reach a sufficient level of airtightness.
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A Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) team gave FASB’s standard on business combinations a mixed review, according to information provided by FAF.
The FAF post-implementation review team performed an in-depth analysis of FASB Statement No. 141 (revised 2007),
Business Combinations (Statement 141R), which is codified in ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations.
Statement 141R’s principles and requirements generally are understandable and can be applied as intended, according to the review report, available at tinyurl.com/k7fcvlm. The review also found that investors generally find the information resulting from application of the standard useful, and that the standard generally resolves some of the issues associated with the purchase method of accounting for business combinations.
But the report said investors question the reliability of reported information for business combinations that:
Include a significant portion of assets and liabilities that are difficult to measure at fair value; Result in a bargain purchase; May in fact be asset purchases (such as single real estate assets or drug compounds); or Involve mutual entities or more than two entities. In certain areas, the standard also is more costly and complex to implement than FASB had anticipated, according to the review, which was undertaken by a FAF team working under the oversight of the FAF board of trustees.
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) also is conducting a post-implementation review of IFRS 3 (revised 2007),
Business Combinations, which was issued concurrently with Statement 141R. The FAF review team’s next task will be reviewing Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements.
FASB is giving consideration to the findings described in the report in other projects that already have begun. The board will wait for the results of the IASB’s review and the Statement No. 157 review before taking any standard-setting action. FASB’s full response is available at tinyurl.com/kzfebyh.
The AICPA Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) expressed significant objections to FASB’s financial instruments impairment proposal.
The high-profile project is designed to address some of the causes of the recent financial crisis and calls for measurement and reporting of expected losses rather than incurred losses.
Although the project began as a convergence effort with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), FASB took a different path from the IASB in developing a current expected credit loss (CECL) method for impairment.
In a comment letter to FASB, FinREC said the proposed CECL model, as well as the current IASB proposal, require significant work to be operational and result in improved, faithful financial reporting. The letter is available at tinyurl.com/n8qrxko. FinREC is a senior committee of the AICPA for financial reporting and is authorized to make statements on behalf of the AICPA on financial reporting matters.
According to FinREC, FASB’s proposed model:
Lacks a strong enough conceptual basis for sound financial reporting; Departs significantly from the incurred loss model; Creates two incompatible loss contingency models; Double-counts expected losses; and Unjustifiably increases the accounting and financial reporting burden for smaller financial institutions and nonfinancial services entities. FinREC encouraged FASB to keep working with the IASB to reach a converged, high-quality model for reporting impairment of financial instruments. FASB voted to indefinitely defer certain disclosures about investments held by a nonpublic employee benefit plan (EBP) in the plan sponsor’s own equity securities. Stakeholders have expressed concerns to FASB that certain disclosure requirements for nonpublic EBPs would reveal sensitive proprietary information of private companies . After the vote, FASB was scheduled to issue an Accounting Standards Update, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Deferral of the Effective Date of Certain Disclosures for Nonpublic Employee Benefit Plans in Update No. 2011-04, reflecting the change. The deferral will be effective upon issuance for all financial statements that have not yet been issued.
The indefinite deferral applies to disclosures of certain quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurement for investments held by certain employee benefit plans, according to a FASB news release. The deferral applies specifically to EBPs—other than those plans that are subject to SEC filing requirements—that hold investments in their plan sponsors’ own nonpublic entity equity securities, including equity securities of their nonpublic affiliated entities.
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A team plans to drive a car across the US using just one tank of renewable diesel.In the One Tank Across The USA challenge, the team will pilot a CLP Motorsports Superlite Coupe from Jacksonville, FL to Santa Monica, CA along Interstate 10 using one tank of Neste NEXBTL renewable diesel made from bio-based raw materials. The Superlite Coupe is powered by a modified Volkswagen 1.9-liter TDI engine. Race and stunt driver Tanner Foust will take the wheel for a portion of the 2,400-mile journey, which begins June 21. Read more in the press release below. European automakers are warning the EU that new emissions rules will hurt business.They say that stricter CO2 rules could raise production costs by as much as €2,000 (about $2,250) per vehicle, which would hurt competitiveness. European automakers are asking the EU to balance restrictions with other measures to reduce carbon emissions. "This includes the carbon content of fuels, driver behavior, infrastructure and the potential of intelligent transport systems," says Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, and chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Read more from Reuters. The USDA has announced that it is now accepting applications from states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, for the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership.With $100 million in competitive grants to be matched by states, the USDA hopes to fund the infrastructure for producing clean, homegrown energy. The goal is to double the number of pumps offering higher blends of renewable fuels. The USDA also expects this program to support farmers, grow the clean energy economy, reduce carbon pollution, and reduce dependence on foreign oil. States are allowed to work with private companies on their offers, and states that match grant funds with equal or greater amounts will be more likely to secure the funding. Read more in the press release from the USDA. Across the USA on One Tank of Non-Petroleum Fuel -- made possible by Neste's NEXBTL renewable diesel
HOUSTON, June 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of motorsport enthusiasts will drive from Atlantic Coast of Florida to the Pacific Coast of California on just one tank of renewable fuel in June 21-26, 2015. This is made possible by NEXBTL renewable fuel that is produced from bio-based raw materials by Neste, the world's largest producer of renewable diesel.
"Americans have a long tradition of taking cross-country road trips, sometimes aiming for speed records, sometimes just making a leisurely jaunt. One team is taking a different approach to this long-distance challenge in the middle of June 2015: drive coast-to-coast on one tank of fuel made of completely bio-based raw materials. We believe this may be a first time for this type of trip," said Kaisa Hietala, Executive Vice President, Renewable Products at Neste.
NEXBTL renewable diesel – a high-performing low carbon biofuel
Neste's NEXBTL renewable diesel can replace petroleum diesel on a drop-in basis due to having the same chemical properties as the ultra-low sulfur diesel. It can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional diesel by as much as 90 percent over its lifecycle. NEXBTL is fully compatible with all diesel engines and delivers better performance because it has higher cetane and burns more completely than petroleum diesel. NEXBTL is not the same product as biodiesel (FAME).
Neste provides NEXBTL renewable diesel to U.S. refiners, blenders and fuel distributors. NEXBTL is also available to consumers at retail stations in Northern California.
Race car and stunt driver Tanner Foust joins a team of motorsport enthusiasts
The Guest Champion in Across the USA challenge is Tanner Foust, four-time X Games gold medal winner, three-time U.S. Rallycross champion and two-time Formula Drift champion.
"I'm really excited about the next project I'm doing. It is NEXBTL renewable diesel and we are driving across the entire U.S. on one tank of fuel. It will be an amazing trip," said Foust.
Other drivers are Pat O'Keefe, Vice President of Golden Gate Petroleum and owner of CLP Motorsports; Luke Lonberger, an experienced motorsports driver and General Manager at CLP Motorsports; and Michel von Disterlo, a lead mechanic at CLP Motorsports.
The Car is a Superlite Coupe powered by Volkswagen engine
The car is a Superlite Coupe (SLC) that is custom-built by CLP Motorsports. It has the aerodynamics necessary for maximum efficiency at speed, which is enhanced by a lightweight aluminum monocoque chassis and fiberglass body. The SLC has all of the handling of a race car, but it is street legal and is powered by a modified Volkswagen 1.9-liter TDI diesel engine.
2,400 miles
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Did you know that regardless of how often or how hard you work out, certain genetic factors will always play a part in determining how your body responds? Depending on your body type -ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph-changing the size or shape of your body may be relatively simple or extremely difficult. To maximize the effects of your workout routine, identify your body type and learn which exercises will be most helpful to you.
The Ectomorph
People with this body type can seemingly eat whatever they want whenever they want, without ever gaining an ounce. For some ectomorphs, gaining weight can be a real challenge. Typical physical characteristics of this body type include low levels of body fat, thin limbs, chest, and abdominal areas, and narrow shoulders and hips. They also commonly have thin faces and high foreheads.
When it comes to training, ectomorphs should focus on a few key tips. First, split-training that engages 1-2 body parts and muscle groups at a time is recommended once per week. The specific workout plan should be changed about once a month, with plenty of rest between routines. The key is to force the body to work hard for a short amount of time, using heavy but simple movements aimed at hitting fibers deep within the muscles.
For best results, the ectomorph should perform 6-8 sets of 5-10 reps per exercise, taking the time to rest for 60 seconds between sets and 5 minutes between each body part. If muscle growth and strength are slow, the ectomorph can attempt to shock their body by performing 10 sets of 10 reps for each exercise aimed at an individual body part. This shocking technique should be used sparingly, however, and no more than once every 8 weeks to avoid overtraining that can lead to slower muscle growth.
The bottom line: Due to having high metabolic rates, ectomorphs require at least 8 hours of sleep per night and more rest days between workouts. Avoid excessive amounts of aerobic exercises, as this, can actually slow the rate of progress. 3 aerobic routines per week are sufficient, and the best types include brisk walking, stationary biking, and treadmill workouts.
The Mesomorph
The mesomorph body type is right in between the thin ectomorphs and the rounder endomorphs. Characterized by having broad shoulders and a narrow waist, it is generally the preferred of the 3 body types. Other physical characteristics of mesomorphs include strong thighs and forearms, long torsos and full chests, and a proportionate shoulder-to-waist ratio. Generally, they have very little body fat and have the highest potential for bodybuilding of all the body types.
An ideal workout routine for a mesomorph should consist of shaping exercises that utilize heavy yet basic movements, alternating between 3-4 weeks of high-intensity training and several weeks of lower impact workouts. Keeping a varied workout routine will both produce great results and prevent the mesomorph from burning out.
8-12 reps of quick and basic movements with heavy weights followed by shaping techniques will produce obvious results for those who fall under the mesomorph category. Routines focusing on the hamstrings, quads, and calves can be performed in reps as low as 6 and as high as 25 though the mesomorph should be sure to avoid overtraining. The key to seeing results is to constantly change up the intensity with different exercises, sets, reps, weights, and periods of rest. Training days should alternate between light, moderate, and high-intensity workouts.
The bottom line: For best results, cardio exercises should be limited to 3 per week, 20-35 minutes per workout. Mesomorphs are genetically blessed, so it is easy to over-train. Recommended exercises include climbing stairs, treadmill, brisk walking, or stationary biking.
The Endomorph
The most challenging body type of them all, endomorphs are quite literally rounder than the rest. Physical characteristics include narrow shoulders and broad hips, with generous amounts of fat spread across the body, including the upper arms and thighs. Thin ankles and wrists magnify larger areas of the body. Endomorphs typically have slow metabolisms and have difficulty losing weight, though gaining weight is not a problem for most. Accumulated fat also makes muscle gain harder to notice.
Endomorphs require more frequent and intense workouts–specifically aerobic exercises–if weight loss is to be achieved and maintained. For each body part, 3-5 exercises should be learned, and 2-3 should be performed during each workout routine. Make sure to let each body part rest 48 hours before the next workout. Whole body workouts are best during the beginning of training, and split-training exercises can be introduced later in the training. The main goal for endomorphs is to raise their metabolic rate while decreasing their amount of body fat. If this is to be done, every
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