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Vaughn G. Rhudy, an English and journalism teacher at Shady Spring High School in Shady Spring, West Virginia and Eric Kincaid, a science teacher at Morgantown High School in Morgantown, West Virginia were recognized during a state Milken National Educator Award Banquet.
“West Virginia teachers are among the best in the nation,” said Board of Education Vice President Barbara Fish. “It is important to recognize and thank teachers for all they do in the classroom and the Milken award does just that.” Dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were created in 1985 to reward, retain and attract the highest caliber professionals to our nation’s schools.
In October, 100 unsuspecting educators across America were surprised with the news of their $25,000 awards– which can be used any way they choose– during emotional all-school assemblies attended by state and local officials, students, peers and community leaders.
“Quality teaching is the basic building block of better schools and student success. Good teachers really do make a difference,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Stewart. “Educators like these give us great hope for the future of American education, and America’s children. We are proud to salute these teachers for their vision and dedication to the profession.”
Recipients will be presented with their $25,000 checks at the Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference, an all-expenses-paid professional development conference being held in Washington D.C. They also join the Milken Educator Network, a coalition of more than 1,700 top educators who have access to a variety of expert resources to help cultivate and expand innovative programs in their classrooms, schools and districts.
Education pioneer and reformer Lowell Milken– the Foundation’s Chairman and Co-Founder– created the awards in 1985 to recognize the efforts of some of our nation’s most outstanding teachers, principals and specialists in K-12 public education. Under his leadership, the Milken National Educator Awards program has become the largest teacher recognition program in the United States.
Educators are recommended for this prestigious honor without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education. Recipients of the Milken Educator Awards are selected on the basis of numerous criteria including:
•Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by outstanding instructional practices in the classroom, school and profession; •Outstanding accomplishment and strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and •Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
For more information about the $25,000 awards, please contact Liza Cordeiro, West Virginia Department of Education at (304) 558-2699. Awards information can also be found on the Foundation website at www.mff.org.
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Spray Foam Insulation within Roofs
Does it work?
1stAssociated can provide help and advice with regard to structural defects reports for things like problems with your roof, insulation, window problems, dampness, lateral dampness, condensation, cracking, movement. We carry out building surveys, structural surveys, property surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, home buyers reports or any other property matters.
Spray foam insulation and what do Surveyors think
As you can see from this article we photographs and also easy to understand sketches in all our survey reports, as the feedback we have from our clients is that the sketches and photos help them understand the reports.
We, of course, like to meet you at the property during the survey and we are more than happy to talk to you about the reports. Please free phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat with one of our surveyors.
Spray foam insulation, has it ruined the house?
We looked at a lovely house today where the people were obviously very house proud. The general care that they had taken in looking after the building was evident throughout, until we extended our ladder up into the loft space (we have one of these extendable ladders that can get almost anywhere which was a fantastic invention). The building survey/structural survey was going so well up to this point when we saw within the roof that spray foam insulation had been used.
Spray Foam not recommended by most Surveyors
As we entered the roof we could see that the whole of the underside of the roof had been sprayed with spray foam insulation. If you haven't seen this before spray foam insulation is frequently advertised in newspapers and magazines and all over the internet. It looks a bit like a Crunchie bar without the chocolate or if you are a keen DIYer its very much like the expanding foam that you use to fill in gaps that's available from B&Q, Wickes or other similar good DIY places, that you spray in to fill any gaps or holes that you have when you have carried out work.
Spray foam, a close up
General view of roof with spray foam everywhere
Spray foam the benefits?
If you read the sales literature from the various spray foam companies they will say spray foam is used for several reasons:
1 The spray on foam salesman's pitch goes something along the lines of that the spray foam stops tiles and slates from slipping and strengthens the roof by holding them in place.
2 Increases the insulation in a roof and protects water tanks and pipes from freezing.
3 It creates a dry, clean, useful loft space.
4 We have heard it claimed to be environmentally friendly.
5 It's quick
We think that these above claims are debatable at best and probably the last claim that it is quick, is a reason why most people use it as they have a fear with a roof leaking or in bad condition that it can;
1 fall off and injure people coming by or fall in and injure them
2 that the roof will leak and damage all of their goods inside
There are lots of manufacturers who deal with the selling of spray foam. If you Google spray foam insulation for houses on the internet you will come across the following companies:
Roofbond
EPS
Sprayseal
Spray Insulation Ltd
Foam Insulation
Isothane Ltd
As well as a number of DIY sites.
So what is the spray foam?
The spray on foam is a rigid foam that is lightweight, normally sprayed on to the underside of the roof approximately 50 to 100 mm thickness.
1 Some manufacturers advise that the spray foam is breathable, some of them say nothing at all about this.
2 Many say it has a British Board of Agrement or BBA approval which means the same thing.
3 Some give guarantees for 25 years or so.
Everyone in the spray foam industry seems to be pushing the benefits of spray foam, however why do many independent surveyors still not like it or recommend it and many surveyors who are valuers will down value a property because it has the insulation.
We have heard that also the National Federation of Roofing Contractors doesn't recommend it. It could be argued that the National Federation of Roofing Contractors are losing out with this technology as it is a competing technology they are losing roof work, however independent surveyors have no reason to recommend it or not recommend it.
They still get paid for their reports either way. Read on to learn more about spray foam problems.
So what are the problems with spray foam insulation?
The main argument against it for many years has been that any dampness getting in or condensation being caused, lead to rotting of roof trusses and battens and purlins.
This could cause problems in a manner of ways:
1 The rain from the outside can get in through a tile or slate that has become displaced (we know that they shouldn't become displaced once you have used this product but they do.)
2 Probably the most important concern is that interstitial condensation occurs.
Interstitial Condensation Defined
This is condensation within a material for example within a roof structure.
Interstitial Condensation is caused by there being a big difference in temperature between the inside and the outside and condensation occurring normally where the insulation meets the roof covering be it of tiles or slates. This condensation therefore then has nowhere to go but into the timber and in due course will cause rot. A roof breathes without spray on foam insulation to some extent and it also allows you to see where any dampness is coming in and repair it in this area.
Other products that say they repair roofs
We have seen a product called Stormflex that's says it does a better job at repairing tiles etc than spray on foam. We have not had experience of this so we can't comment on it.
Building Research Establishment Study on Spray Foam
The Building Research Establishment was a government owned body and is generally considered to be the main research establishment for new products and is commonly known by the name of BRE. If you are interested in visiting they have some buildings that can be walked around. In 2005/2006 studies by the Building Research Establishment and National Physics Labs found that the insulation levels of spray foam couldn't in the sample bring you values below 0.2 as are often claimed or our values of five to six tested in accordance with BS EN ISO 8990. There are values of 1.69 to 1.71 metres squared kilowatts as opposed to five or six. This is very embarrassing for many local authorities that have approved schemes based upon the industries figures. We would comment that you should never believe figures such as this that are industry produced without testing them by an independent basis such as the BRE.
British Standard and testing on Interstitial Condensation
The interstitial condensation is meant to be a problem with this type of foam insulated roofs however we couldn't find any evidence to prove this. The research British Standards did for BSI3788 which requires the taking of monthly values internally and externally and calculating whether there is any condensation on one or more surfaces. This is being done through the year in the winter and summer months. Research carried out by Glasgow Caledonian University 22 July 2009 concluded whilst fine film drops of condensation may be present during some of the time it wouldn't affect the roof timbers and therefore there is no grounds to rejecting insulating roofs on condensation risk. It makes us wonder whether it is more the fact that the water can get through the tiles and sit against the timber that causes future problems. It provides a satisfaction method of achieving the target insulation value of 0.16 watts per metre squared. This in turn doesn't relate back to the BRE's own research showing the products don't reach that thermal efficiency level unless the spray foam is very thick. We seem to recall that 130 mm was recommended.
Consensus of opinion on the internet
If you Google spray foam insulation good or bad you will as well as getting the various companies that install it get a number of DIY websites that come up. Many of them comment to avoid it like the plague for a variety of reasons. Many talk about problems that they have had with not being able to repair their roof when it is leaking. We saw one article where it advised that they had had to reroof in the end and the roofer had said rather than being able to save 70 to75% of the slates they were only able to save 25% of them due to the foam damage which greatly increased the cost.
Dampness is coming through my roof, spray foam is a quick way of fixing it
If you are convinced that dampness is coming through your roof you need to take a second to consider is it really coming through your roof or is it condensation. As a surveyor we would comment that it may well be the second item condensation which you are suffering from.
We find that during the winter months we come across people that have what they believe to be dampness coming through their roof but it is in fact where the warm air from inside the property has arisen into the roof and met the coldness of the tiles or slates. Ironically this often occurs when hiding Christmas presents in the roof or getting Christmas decorations down from the roof or putting them back up in the roof. If you look at the various adverts for spray foam insulation it's very much sold as a quick fix where it is said that it can be fitted in one to two days. There is however the long term to consider as how do you fix roofs in years to come.
Never use spray foam on an old property that is Listed
Older properties have a slightly different construction to modern properties. They often have handmade clay tile roofs that were originally fixed by an oak peg or slates that are nailed. In both cases dampness can get into the clay tiles for example by the tiles being displaced and to the slates by nail fatigue causing the nails to rust and displace. In both cases the quick fix of a spray on foam then looks a good way to resolve the problems, with the sales techniques being that is cures roof leaks, greatly improves insulation which is always a problem when you live in an older property as you suddenly realise how much heat is needed to keep it warm. I think we mentioned earlier that it can cut heat losses by down to 80% which is what the spray foam insulation sales people say and the big problem is when you have got a listed building and the spray foam insulation is used it damages something that simply cannot be replaced. Then you ultimately have to do a proper job on the roof and replace and repair the tiles, you will then find that as they are stuck to the foam insulation many of them are unusable.
Independent Surveyors
If you truly want an independent expert opinion from a surveyor with regard to property problems, everything from roof leaks and cracks in buildings to dampness in buildings can be covered in our defects and engineers reports. We also look at whole buildings via our building surveys and structural surveys. Please contact direct on 0800 298 5424 for a discussion with us.
Commercial Property
If you have problems with your commercial property again we would be more than happy to help whether its freehold or leasehold. In addition if the property is leasehold we get involved in dilapidations claims and you may wish to look at our dilapidations website www.DilapsHelp.com and for disputes please got to our Disputes Help site at www.DisputesHelp.com .
We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).
The contents of the web site are for general information only and are not intended to be relied upon for specific or general decisions. Appropriate independent professional advice should be paid for before making such a decision.
All rights are reserved the contents of the web site is not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or part without the express written
permission of www.1stAssociated.co.uk
Please see following articles which may be of interest to you:
Listed Buildings and Character Properties
Roof Problems and Information
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Global automotive NVH materials market is expected to be value at over USD 10 billion by 2020. Industry growth can be attributed to increased demand for passenger cars and rapidly evolving aftermarket for automobiles. Asia Pacific accounted for over half of the global automotive NVH materials demand.
Increasing investments in automotive production, rising standards of living and greater disposable income among consumers are key growth factors for the industry. Vehicle manufacturers are highly concentrating on cabin sounds, engine vibrations and suspension feedback of vehicles in order to improve the overall ride quality. NVH materials therefore are expected to register gains from this trend over the forecast period.
Full research report on automotive NVH materials market analysis: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/automotive-nvh-materials-market
Customers’ buying decision has also rapidly evolved from solely being influenced by fuel economy of vehicles to ride quality & luxury. Since NVH materials are majorly used to enhance such qualities of vehicles, the industry is expected to benefit from this trend in future.
On the basis of application, the industry is segmented in to absorption and insulation. Absorption has been the dominant segment and accounted for majority of the industry volume in 2014. Traditional materials used for absorption of noise, vibration and harshness in automobiles include thermoplastic polymers, rubbers and engineering plastics.
Rubbers have been used primarily for vibration control and the most commonly used materials include synthetic rubbers, EPDM and NMR. Over the recent past, there has been an evolution in terms of engine performance. Since, increased performance leads to greater vibrations in the engine, thereby requirement for rubbers for vibration absorption shall increase over the forecast horizon.
Get more information on automotive NVH materials market or request for TOC of this research report at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/automotive-nvh-materials-market/request-toc
Besides rubbers have excellent physical properties such as high density, high heat resistance, and weather resistance which makes these combinations an ideal material for NVH in non-under the hood applications. Another NVH material gaining importance in absorption application is polyurethane foam sheet because of similar properties. So it can be inferred that because of the unique physical and chemical properties of rubber and related materials used in absorption application the global industry shall achieve gains in terms of growth.
On the basis of vehicle type the NVH materials market is segmented into passenger cars, buses, heavy commercial vehicles and light commercial vehicles. Passenger cars were the leading segment followed by heavy & light commercial vehicles. One of the major factors contributing towards passenger cars’ growth in the industry is the sheer volume of sales compared to other types of vehicles.
View more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/automotive-and-transportation About Grand View Research
Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
Media Contact
Company Name: Grand View Research, Inc. Contact Person: Sherry James, Corporate Sales Specialist – U.S.A. Email: Send Email Phone: 1-415-349-0058, Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Address:28 2nd Street, Suite 3036 City: San Francisco State: California Country: United States Website: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/automotive-nvh-materials-market
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A new report finds that feelings of apathy among seniors may signal degenerative changes to the brain. Such changes can have a significant impact on an individual’s behavior.
According to researchers at Bethesda, Maryland’s National Institute of Aging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), apathy may be a sign that the brain is undergoing significant changes. Apathy can involve one feeling a lack of emotion or interest in activities that once elicited a great deal of passion. Symptoms may include reticence to socialize or participate in mild or moderate physical activities.
To examine the connection between apathy and brain changes closer, NIH researchers studied a group over 4,354 people whose average age was 76. Study participants underwent an MRI scan and answered a series of questions intended to detect signs of apathy.
The finding: those people who showed signs of apathy had 1.4 per cent less gray matter volume and 1.6 per cent less white matter volume in their brains. That’s significant because learning and memory storage occurs in the brain’s grey matter, while white matter helps with communication.
“Just as signs of memory loss may signal brain changes related to brain disease, apathy may indicate underlying changes,” noted the study’s lead author, Lenore J. Launer.
“The changes are generally thought to reflect neurodegeneration (i.e. dying neurons) in the gray matter and vascular disease — which leads to white and gray matter damage,” Launer said in a recent interview. “These pathologies do increase with age, but the hypothesis is they represent disease processes that can be prevented or reduced.”
Launer went on to say that further research is necessary to show conclusively that apathy is a sign of degenerative changes to the brain. Launer added that, if such findings are confirmed, “identifying people with apathy earlier may be one way to target an at-risk group.”
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Tapping for money is a free video mini-course that Margaret Lynch is offering. The course will help you to clear the subconscious blockages that may hinder the flow of money in your life.
*** If you want follow Margaret Lynch’s free ***mini-course on tapping for moneyreserve your spot now to avoid disappointment.
If you came to this page, chances are you are looking for more money in your life because you fee that your income is not enough. You are probably working hard, or looking for opportunities hard, or for a job, but that has not manifested in your life. According to Margaret Lynch then you may have a blockage that can be overcome with some tapping.Tapping is a technique, also known as EFT or Emotional Freedom technique that taps on the acupuncture points releasing the energy that blocks what you want to achieve in life. Tapping is also used to release fear, anxiety, physical and emotional pain.Margaret Lynch is an expert in EFT, specially when it comes to manifesting money
If you are thinking that tapping for money seems related to the law of attraction, well you are right. Tapping works with energy, and the law of attraction does the same too. remember we are all energy, and our thoughts are energy as well. So by tapping we release the blockages that we may have with regards to money.What is a blockage? Maybe you think you do not have blockages as you really want more money into your life. Blockages as subconscious, and you may not realise you have them. But if you go back in time and remember your childhood, and how your parents treated money, you may realized that they had limiting beliefs about money, scarcity thoughts about money, like “money does not grow on trees”, “you need to work hard for money”, “people that have money are not nice”. Those thoughts are now in your subconscious mind and when you want to create more money these thoughts hinder your progress.
What Margaret Lynch will teach us in the Tapping for money video mini-course is how to tap so that those blockages are lifted up, you release al the negative energy and you create positive energy that will allow you to manifest what you want. The course is free, so I think you should really take advantage of the course, but I really advise you to follow-up on it, as you need to do the tapping and exercises that she tells you. I am following on it, and I have found it very uplifting and after each tapping I feel more energized and feel much better.You can hear more about Margaret Lynch in this video.
A Happier Self is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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The Greenest Way to SeaTac and Beyond
Motorcoach travel is the single most fuel-efficient mode of transportation available in the U.S., according to a 2006 study* and seconded by the White House Conference on Global Climate Change. Green Travel Facts Motorcoaches provide 184 passenger miles per gallon (pmpg), compared with trains (86 pmpg), planes (42 pmpg), transit buses (32 pmpg), and single passenger automobiles (28 pmpg). Motorcoaches produce carbon emissions of only 56 grams per passenger, compared to 371 grams for a passenger car. Motorcoaches use 946 BTUs per passenger mile, compared to 3,890 for planes and 2,134 for trains. Motorcoaches emit the least carbon dioxide per passenger mile when compared to other vehicles. Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by an average of 85% per passenger mile for every person who chooses motorcoach travel instead of driving alone. At Airporter Shuttle alone, we’ve taken over a million cars (and counting) off the roads, and saved over 3 million gallons of gas. We run our fleet on low-sulfur diesel fuel. Our rigorous maintenance schedule keeps our vehicles in top running condition, and we recycle nearly everything we use, including oil, fuel, batteries, filters, antifreeze and scrap metal. “ More Americans are choosing motorcoach travel as congestion worsens, delays and hassles become more prevalent, and environmental stewardship is top of mind.” - Peter J. Pantuso, CEO, American Bus Association " The expanded use of motor coaches in group transportation can help reduce overall carbon emissions and lessen our dependence on fossil fuel." - Patricia Ziska, Vice President, Motor Coach Industries
For more information regarding motorcoach travel, visit the American Bus Association website.
* "2006 Annual Report: Impacts of the Motorcoach Industry on Society and the Economy," produced by Nathan Associates
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Our, neighbors, communities, and the world we live in, mean a great deal to Albertsons – we strive to be a responsible steward of them all. Albertsons provides quality food by supporting sustainable practices for our environment. Where we can, we source products from local growers and providers. As we monitor global food sustainability issues, predominantly in regards to responsible fishing in our oceans, we make assortment decisions in the seafood we offer. Our decisions involve the use of Wild Caught and Farm-Raised seafood.
Wild-caught seafood is caught from wild sources such as oceans, lakes and rivers. Farm-raised seafood, also known as “Aquaculture” is a practice in which farmers raise freshwater and saltwater fish in enclosed, sustainable tanks.
We use the same resources that are available to you – like www.nmfs.noaa.gove/fishwatch and those of our vendor partners to help make responsible choices that are good for our planet’s oceans.
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Compare book pricesat 110 online bookstoresworldwide for the lowest price for new & used textbooks anddiscount books! 1 click to get great deals on cheap books, cheaptextbooks & discount college textbooks on sale.
Molecular Biology of the Parathyroid (Molecular Biology Intelligence Unit)
aintaining extracellular calcium concentrations within a narrow range is critical for the survival of most vertebrates. PTH, together with vitamin D, responds to hypocalcemia to increase extracellu M lar calcium levels, by acting on bone, kidney and intestine. The recent intro duction of PTH as a major therapeutic agent in osteoporosis has directed renewed interest in this important hormone and in the physiology of the parathyroid gland. The parathyroid is unique in that low serum calcium stimulates PTH secretion. As hypocalcemia persists, there is also an increase in PTH synthesis. Chronic hypocalcemia leads to hypertrophy and hyper plasia of the parathyroid gland together with increased production of the hormone. Phosphate is also a key modulator of PTH secretion, gene expres sion and parathyroid cell proliferation. Understanding the biology of the parathyroid as well as the mecha nisms of associated diseases has taken great strides in recent years. This book summarizes the molecular mechanisms involved in the function of the para thyroid gland. The first chapter reviews the development of the parathyroid gland and the genes involved in this process as identified using genetically manipulated mice. Then the biosynthetic pathway of PTH from gene ex pression to its intracellular processing and the sequences in the gene control ling its transcription as well as those regulating mRNA processing, stability and translation are described.
The goal of this website is to help shoppers compare book prices from differentvendors / sellers and find cheap books and cheap college textbooks. Many discountbooks and discount text books are put on sale by discounted book retailers anddiscount bookstores everyday. All you need to do is to search and find them. Thissite also provides many book links to some major bookstores for book details andbook coupons. But be sure not quickly jump into any bookstore site to buy. Alwaysclick "Compare Price" button to compare prices first. You would be happythat how much you would save by doing book price comparison.
Buy Used Books and Used Textbooks
It's becoming more and more popular to buy used books and used textbooks amongcollege students for saving. Different second hand books from different sellersmay have different conditions. Make sure to check used book condition from theseller's description. Also many book marketplaces put books for sale from smallbookstores and individual sellers. Make sure to check store review for seller'sreputation if possible. If you are in a hurry to get a book or textbook for yourclass, you should choose buying new books for prompt shipping.
Buy Books from Foreign Country
Our goal is to quickly find the cheapest books and college textbooks for you,both new and used, from a large number of bookstores worldwide. Currently ourbook search engines fetch book prices from US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia,Netherlands, France, Ireland, Germany, and Japan. More bookstores from other countrieswill be added soon. Before buying from a foreign book store or book shop, be sureto check the shipping options. It's not unusual that shipping could take two tothree weeks and cost could be multiple of a domestic shipping charge.
Please visit Help Page for Questionsregarding ISBN / ISBN-10 / ISBN10, ISBN-13 / ISBN13, EAN / EAN-13, and AmazonASIN
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CategoriesActorBookCareer / jobCartoon / MangaCelebritiesChildren / kidsEQ testsFanFan fictionFunGameHealthIQ testsKnowledgeLanguageMovieMusicPersonalityPlay gamesPurity testsRelationship / LoveSportThink / MemoryTV ShowYouTubeOnly for MenOnly for WomenUser quizzesNew testsCreateDevelop a quizMy testsWrite fanfictionAllTheTests.com-»Knowledge and trivia tests-»Economics quizzes-»MarketingMarketing test 2 review 340 Questions - Developed by:Dan- Developed on:2009-04-01- 88.821 taken - User Rating:3.18of5.0-11VotesChapters 10 and 121A manufacturer of athletic equipment is finding it difficult to compete with cheaper imported merchandise. Which of the following is a potential source of new product ideas?All of the aboveCurrent retailers who carry the manufacturer's equipmentIts foreign competitorsIts employees2Companies that are most likely to succeed in the development and introduction of new products typically:Do all of the aboveUse a company-specific approach that is driven by corporate objectives and strategies with a we--defined new-product strategy at its coreEstablish an environment conducive to achieving new-product objectivesMake the long-term commitment needed to support innovation and new-product developmentCapitalize on experience to achieve and maintain competitive advantage3A global organization that "thinks global, acts local"Does not engage in product line extension in countries where existing products are well-receivedAdheres to a sales orientationGives country managers more autonomy in new-product developmentAdopts a policy of international standardization4The _____ adopt a product because most of their friends have already done so, and their adoption is usually the result of pressure to conform because they rely on group norms.Late MajorityEarly MajorityLaggardsEarly Adopters5_____ is the joint effort of all channel members to create a supply chain that serves customers and creates a competitive advantage.Selective PartneringChannel PartneringFranchising6_____ distribution occurs when a producer selects two or more different channels to distribute the same products to target markets.MultipleSelectiveIntensive7Manufacturers who outsource their transportation function are seeking all the following EXCEPT:Systems for tracing and tracking shipments every step of the wayOn-time delivery and pickup at competitive ratesElectronic communications that reduce delays and errors and provide information with less paperworkReliability with less damageMore carriers and more services from these additional carrier alternatives8Agents and brokers:Do not take title to merchandiseGenerally are on salary with the manufacturerHave a great deal of control and risk invested in the goods9After years of phenomenal growth, many food franchisers are branching out from traditional single-purpose stores. One of these innovators is Taco Bell. Taco Bell, a division of Yum Brands, is selling its Mexican-style fare at kiosks and movable carts in malls, at the corner gasoline station, on supermarket shelves, even in school-lunch programs. In only a few years, it has more than quintupled its points of access. And it has barely begun its expansion. By the end of the decade, it aims to have 200,000 outlets, most will be nontraditional, and their success will depend on location and operating efficiency. In one of many moves to create peak operating efficiency, Taco Bell has hired an outside company to cut and slice the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions it uses in the preparation of food. Taco Bell's new direction produces greater convenience for consumers, heightens competition for some established-brand marketers, and creates a potential nightmare for franchisees.Refer to Taco Bell. Beef producers, vegetable growers, Taco Bell, and consumers are part of a:Logistics systemMarketing channelTransportation channel10What can the marketers of consumer products expect to find when they study and apply the product life cycle theory to their products?All products except those considered faddish go through every stage.Changes in a product can change its life cycle.The lengths of time that products stay in any one stage is standardized for consumer products, but not industrial products.11Which of the following products is most likely to be in the decline stage of its product life cycle?DVDsCD-ROMsAudio Cassette tapesSport drinks12One configuration of a marketing channel entails producers selling to consumers with no intermediaries involved. This is called a(n):Conventional channelDirect channelReciprocal channel13A _____ is a business structure of interdependent organizations that reaches from the point of product origin to the consumer.Marketing channel or Channel of DistributionMarketing mix intermediarySelective distribution channel14In which logistical component of the supply chain will you find electronic data interchange a common feature?Production schedulingTransportationOrder processing15Kiell is the manager of a small, private firm that manufactures cork board. He decided NOT to enter the global market. His decision was probably primarily based upon:Lack of common languages and cultures among global customersUncertainties regarding global logisticsInappropriateness of your gear products overseas16A marketing strategy that entails the creation of marketable new products; the process of converting applications for new technologies into marketable products.Product developmentBrainstormingNew product development17The first filter in the product development process, which eliminates ideas that are inconsistent with the organizations new product strategy or are obviously inappropriate for some other reason.ScreeningBusiness analysisConcept test18A test to evaluate a new product idea, usually before any prototype has been created.Business analysisConcept testScreening19The second stage of the screening process where preliminary figures for demand, cost, sales, and profitability are calculated.Test MarketingDevelopmentBusiness analysis20The limited introduction of a product and a marketing program to determine the reactions of potential customers in a market situation.CommercializationTest marketingSimulated (laboratory) market testing21A consumer who was happy enough with his or her trial experience with a product to use it again.DiffuserAdopterInnovator22A biological metaphor that traces the stages of a products acceptance, from its introduction to its decline.Adaptor life cycleConsumer life cycleProduct life cycle23All parties in the marketing channel that negotiate with one another, buy and sell products, and facilitate the change of ownership between buyer and seller in the course of moving the product from the manufacturer into the hands of the final consumer.Channel MembersChannel SuppliersChannel Receivers24The connected chain of all of the business entities, both internal and external to the company, that perform or support the logistics function.Supply chainDemand ChainChannel Chain25The difference between the amount of product produced and the amount an end user wants to buy.Temporal DiscrepancyDiscrepancy of quantityDiscrepancy of assortment26The lack of all the items a customer needs to receive full satisfaction from a product or products.Discrepancy of AssortmentDiscrepancy of QuantityTemporal Discrepancy27A situation that occurs when a product is produced but a customer is not ready to buy it.Temporal DiscrepancySpatial DiscrepancyDiscrepancy of quantity28The difference between the location of a producer and the location of widely scattered markets.Temporal DiscrepancyDiscrepancy of QuantitySpatial Discrepancy29An institution that buys goods from manufacturers and resells them to businesses, government agencies, and other wholesalers or retailers and that receives and takes title to goods, stores them in its own warehouses, and later ships them.RetailerAgents and BrokersMerchant Wholesalers30A channel intermediary that sells mainly to consumersAgents and brokersMerchant wholesalerRetailers31The process of strategically managing the efficient flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.Transactional functionsLogisticsTransportation assessors32A distribution channel in which producers sell directly to consumersStrategic Channel AllianceSupply chain channelDirect channel33A cooperative agreement between business firms to use the others already established distribution channel.Strategic channel allianceChannel powerDirect channels34A management system that coordinates and integrates all of the activities performed by supply chain members into a seamless process, from the source to the point of consumption, resulting in enhanced customers and economic value.Channel powerIntensive DistributionSupply Chain management35An inventory control system that manages the replenishment of goods from the manufacturer to the final consumer.Materials-Handling systemInventory control systemDistribution Resource Planning36A channel conflict that occurs between different levels in a marketing channel, most typically between the manufacturer and wholesaler or between the manufacturer and retailer.Horizontal ConflictChannel ConflictVertical Conflict37A channel conflict that occurs among channel members on the same level.Channel ConflictHorizontal ConflictVertical Conflict38A situation that occurs when one marketing channel member intentionally affects another members behavior.Channel ConflictChannel ControlVertical Conflict39A method of moving inventory into, within, and out of the warehouse.Materials Handling SystemInventory control systemElectronic Data Interchange40A method of developing and maintaining an adequate assortment of materials or products to meet a manufacturers or a customers demand.OutsourcingInventory Control SystemMaterial-handling systemCommentspage 0 of 0Click here to add a commentYour Name:Please leave empty:Please leave empty:Please leave empty:Message:0comments to display.<>
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How does nuclear energy work? Where does its fuel come from?
Uranium is an ore found in the ground. There is a lot of it in certain areas in Australia, itself possessing only one nuclear reactor for research and medical purposes only.
How does nuclear energy work? Who uses it?
There are a number of countries that have used nuclear energy for power generation for decades, notably France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
These countries, as others have, have developed nuclear weapons too. When you have a nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes, weapons-grade plutonium can also be produced. Therefore opposition to nuclear energy has long been connected to concerns held by the nuclear disarmament movement
How does nuclear energy work? The process
All nuclear reactors now in operation use nuclear fission (link to advantages of nuclear energy). Nuclear fission is the process where the nucleus (hence 'nuclear' energy) of a 'heavy', fissionable atom is split. Enormous amounts of energy are released in this process.
This energy, in the form of heat is transferred to steam turbines to generate electricity. So, apart from the source of energy, a nuclear energy plant is in essence no different from any fossil fuel power plant. Both use the energy source to generate heat to drive turbines that generate electricity. Electricity is then fed into a grid for domestic and industrial use.
An atom’s nucleus can only split if it is ‘fissionable’. Only the nuclear isotopes Uranium 235 (U235), Plutonium 239 and Uranium 238 are of this type. Only U235 occurs naturally. The other isotopes are created in the U235’s fission process.
This transformation occurs as in the fission process neutrons bombard the U235 at high speed and penetrate its atoms. Fission happens when a nucleus absorbs a neutron and splits into two nuclei that now have a different composition.
Uranium as it is found contains only about 0.7% of U235 and much of the rest is uranium 238 with which it is much more difficult to achieve fission. It can be achieved with ‘fast breeder reactors’, which can blast neutrons at speeds high enough to penetrate and spit the U238’s nucleus.
Therefore fast breeder reactors are more efficient users of uranium than the common thermal reactors—in fact 60 times more so—and leave far less radioactive waste. They can reuse the current nuclear waste stockpiles. Such reactors can also use thorium, a far more abundant material than uranium but containing mostly U238. There is now only one fast breeder reactor in service but scientists hope that in about 15 years more will come on stream.
How does nuclear energy work? Its fuel
The uranium is produced into pellets, which are in turn cast into rods. These rods are placed in the reactor core for neutron bombardment.
How does nuclear energy work? Chain reaction.
The common expression a ‘chain reaction’ of events comes from the nuclear fission process. The nuclei of split atoms also release one or two neutrons during fission. These hit other U235 or other isotopes which split in turn, and so on.
How does nuclear energy work? Heat transfer.
But how is the heat from a radioactive nuclear process safely transferred to the steam turbines that make electricity? You were going to ask, weren’t you?
A liquid or gas circulates through the reactor core to transfer the heat from it to the turbines. In some reactors this gas or liquid is also used as a coolant for the reactor core.
How does nuclear energy work and how can a chain reaction be stopped?
When a nuclear chain is uncontrolled it overheats, causes damage to the reactor and radioactivity may spill into the environment. That’s what happened at Chernobyl where there was no separate protective building around the reactor’s housing.
Essentially the chain reaction is slowed, stopped or sped up by addition of rods into the reactor core. These rods absorb neutrons, thereby affecting the nuclear process. These control rods are made of cadmium, hafnium or boron.
To shut a reactor down if this system fails neutron-absorbing fluid can be added. Usually this is water, or heavy water or graphite.
How does nuclear energy work and what if all safeguards fail
Around the reactor core is a strong structure to prevent any intrusion from outside and to prevent any radioactive material escaping into the environment in case of a nuclear accident. Commonly this is a one meter-thick concrete and steel structure
How does nuclear energy work if fuel needs to be replaced?
Nuclear fuel needs to be replaced as the fissionable material is used up. The reactor core, its pressure vessel that contains the fuel rods needs to be opened for this to happen. For most reactors this happens every one to two years. A third or a quarter of the fuel rods are replaced at such times.
How does nuclear energy work? Is it unnatural?
Well, that’s an interesting question. U235 occurs naturally but the technology to release its nuclear energy is highly complex. And plutonium and E238 do not occur naturally.
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The Weight of Water
In the developed world, we seldom bear the weight of water. If we did, it's safe to assume we'd use a lot less than we do. For instance, in North America--that is, Canada and the United States--average use per person inside the home ranges from 225 to 335 liters (about 60 to 90 gallons) a day. The weight of that water? Between 225 and 335 kilograms (about 500 to 740 pounds).
Try lifting a three-gallon jug of water. Be careful, because water weighs a lot. You won't be able to put it on your head, which is the way many people carry water over very long distances.
You're feeling the burden of about 11 liters (three gallons)--or 11 kilograms (25 pounds)--of water. Water experts say that people in some regions may carry nearly four times this weight on their heads to meet the water needs of their families.
Rolling Water
The Q-Drum, made of tough plastic, holds 50 liters (13 gallons) of water--and it rolls! The only extra equipment needed is a piece of rope. Clever ideas like the Q-Drum, shown here in South Africa, simplify people's lives in the short term, but it would take improvements to infrastructure to make permanent change happen.
Long Distance
Distance from a clean water source is a critical factor affecting women's lives; in some places in sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, women can spend between 15 and 17 hours each week collecting water. A decent water supply and good health are tightly linked, and the need to carry water long distances limits the amount women can bring to their families.
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Since its inception over 110 years ago, the Shiloh Baptist Church (New Site) and its predecessor - the Shiloh Baptist Church of Fredericksburg - have played significant roles in providing for the well-being of the greater Fredericksburg community. This spirit of diligently serving the community continues today in the many programs of the church, including the Health Care Ministry (H.C.M.).
During the Civil War, the original Shiloh Church served as a hospital for Union soldiers. The 'wear and tear" of the extensive use of the facility ultimately contributed to the destruction of the back wall of the church. When the church moved to a new location (the present location) on Princess Anne & Wolfe Streets, the church continued its spirit of community service. In addition to serving as a recruiting station for soldiers during the early 1900 s, the building played a pivotal role in the development of educational opportunities for youth in this community as the site of the first school for African-Americans. Continuing in the tradition of providing health care for the community that began with the Civil War Hospital, Shiloh Baptist Church "New Site" now sponsors a very active Health Care Ministry
H.C.M. is an outreach ministry of the church which was formed as an outgrowth of the vision of the pastor of the church, the Rev. Dr. Theodore A. Cunningham, Sr. Dr. Cunningham, also a registered nurse and a former nursing home administrator, explored options for outreach ministries while conducting his doctoral dissertation research. His goal for the church then became the development of a Health Care Outreach Ministry for screening diseases for which African-Americans are at high risk.
The goal of the Health Care Ministry is to educate and inform church members and the community at large about health issues that they are faced with today. The Health Care Ministry provides a forum for local health care providers to bring health information to educate the community. They also discuss prevention and other health issues. It is staffed totally with volunteers and advised by a very capable cadre of health care professionals who are members of the Shiloh "New Site" congregation. The H.C.M. has worked closely with other organizations in the community which address health-related issues, including the Mary Washington Hospital. For example, MWH Associates have provided training and resources for hypertension, blood sugar and diabetes screening.
H.C.M. serves a very important role in the community because it brings high quality health care and education to many who might not otherwise have access in a setting that many of its patrons feel more comfortable than they would be in some of the traditional settings for the provision of health care and education. There are approximately 20 health care providers that participate in the health fairs. These services are in the fields of podiatry, dental care, blood screening, high blood pressure checks, eye examinations, mammograms, diabetes screening, physicals, immunizations and nutrition. These examinations provide immediate feedback to participants. If a health problem is identified, referrals can be made at that time. For example, there were more than 60 blood pressure checks performed at the June health fair at the Hazel Hill Apartment, a subsidized housing project. There were six participates identified at risk, including one individual who was taken to the hospital immediately after being screened. Others were referred to local physicians. Through this screening, they were able to seek medical attention. This is one of the benefits in providing the local health fair the community.
The health fairs are held in communities that do not have convenient access or transportation to local medical facilities. The mobility of the health fair provides the opportunity to directly bring health services to the community. By screening, testing and educating the participates, we have greatly improved the health status of these individuals and the community at large. This is a unique and vital function of the health fair.
A 15-passenger van is available to provide accessibility to the health fair for others who might not have access to transportation to attend H. C. M. programs. Many of the persons participating in H. C. M. activities are individual residents of Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, and a smaller number reside in the outlying areas of King George, Caroline, and Orange Counties.
H. C. M. serves a critical role in the delivery of health and wellness education in the African-American community, one of the most medically under served populations with some of the highest risk for many chronic diseases and health conditions. Many of the seminars and programs address some of the ailments and health conditions that affect African-Americans at much higher rates, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and prostate cancer. Although the activities of the H.C.M. address many of the critical health issues plaguing the African-American community, the membership of the committee is racially mixed and its programs and services are available to all, regardless of race or religion.
Based on the attendance of these events, over 1000 persons have been served through H.C.M. program offerings since 1993. At least 30 people have been identified as having hypertension and at least 12 persons have been identified as diabetics. Most of these persons were not aware that they had the symptoms of these diseases prior to their H. C. M. screenings.
H. C. M. has also been instrumental in the dissemination of health care articles, reports, and brochures. It is the desire of H. C. M. to present all information and services in innovative ways such that as many individuals as possible have access, especially those who normally do not have access. For example members have constructed bulletin boards to creatively present health care issues such as Breast Cancer in such a way that is not uncomfortable or embarrassing. Not only is the information helpful to those who might have the particular illness, but also for others who might come into contact with others who might need to be screened.
We have been contacted by other organizations and churches to serve as consultants or to sponsor health fairs in their communities. The continuing growth of Fredericksburg and the surrounding communities dictates the need for expanding the number and size of the local health fairs. The Health Care Ministry of Shiloh Baptist Church New Site is committed to continue providing these services to Fredericksburg and the surrounding communities. The expansion of this program would also serve to improve the community's general wellness, increase the awareness of health problems in the community and provide health services to individuals with special health needs.
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A blanket of leaves tucks in the garden
Some bagged leaves are keeping dry in our barn for use next season, and some leaves have gone directly into our compost bins. A nice thick blanket of leaves now covers most of our garden beds. They will nourish the soil as they break down over the winter and discourage some of the weeds from popping up in the spring.
Here’s a handy technique we use for keeping the leaves we have rounded up in the garden bed. When we are planting in the spring, we usually put a ring of marigolds around the edge of our large bed, which is a circle 12 feet in diameter. Marigolds are one of Jim’s favorite flowers, and we both like the look of the ring of flowers. They provide a bit of color early in the growing season and develop into a pretty hedge surrounding the vegetables by mid-summer. We have also read that marigolds provide some natural insect repellent due to their not-so-attractive fragrance.
In the fall when we remove the spent plants in the garden bed and compost them ourselves or put them in yard bags, we leave the marigold ring standing. The marigolds serve as a natural fence for keeping the leaves corralled on the bed. In a couple of rains and frosts, the leaves start to mash down enough that they are no longer in danger of blowing away. It’s another sign that the garden is almost ready for a long winter’s nap.
Janice Leach | Contributor
Janice and Jim Leach garden a backyard plot in downtown Ann Arbor and tend the website 20 Minute Garden.
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NY AMAW: On- Camera Audition Class with Jason Buyer!
Only a Few Spots Left!
To enroll in this class email: jason@anthonymeindl.com
NY AMAW: On- Camera Audition Class with Jason Buyer!
Only a Few Spots Left!
To enroll in this class email: jason@anthonymeindl.com
London AMAW: On-Camera Audition Class with Scott Wagstaff!
Only a Few Spots Left!
To enroll in this class email: marla@anthonymeindl.com
Make 2017 Your Best Year Yet! Sign Up for : Voice Body Intensive with Elissa WeinZimmer: AMAW New York
To enroll in this class email: jason@anthonymeindl.com or fill out the contact form to RSVP.
AMAW LA: Audition Drill with Nina Rausch
Prepare yourself to Book The F#@king Job in 2017!
To enroll in this class email: cassie@anthonymeindl.com
Vulnerability leads to greater connection.
Everyone probably knows that because we’ve all had vulnerable moments in life with friends or family or lovers that open us to new levels of honesty or communication or intimacy.
But what if we took the idea of vulnerability out into the world in a bigger way to include the opportunity to connect with strangers and people we couldn’t imagine we have more in common with than not.
It’s happening all the time anyway.
And it occurs through uncertainty.
Our lives are pitched into this existence that is ultimately, uncertain – which can be scary to most of us, and is partly why we like to control.
But the possibilities for love, insight, creativity and adventure really come only in the embracing of the unknown.
We can’t be controlling and powerful at the same time. Empowerment comes from loosening the hold we have on things and letting moments unfold not as we demand them but as they actually are. That’s where the “Ah-ha’s” occur.
Shirley MacLaine calls it “the spontaneity of not knowing.”
In acting, it’s the absolute surrender to the moment and allowing yourself to be available in ways that go beyond your planning or exercising an agenda or playing an idea.
But it’s also a mindful way to open up to the possibilities of life itself. When life throws us into circumstances and experiences that are beyond our control (
like every day!) it’s an opportunity to stay open to those moments and the gifts they want to give us. Embracing them presents experiences to us that are always better and more fulfilling than what we planned.
A lot of times in life we run away from – or hide behind our cell phones (!) – when events occur that make us feel vulnerable in a public way. This is simply life’s way of trying to get us out of our own heads and participate more fully in possibility itself. But generally we stay in our left-brain dialogue that keeps us from actively participating in the world.
You spill your coffee in front of a group of people, but keep your ear-buds in so you can ignore making a connection. You fall down on the sidewalk, but get up and pretend to text someone rather than having a moment with someone who saw you fall. You step into an elevator and immediately face front and look up, rather than noticing something about someone you share the space with, or smiling at a stranger.
These seemingly innocuous events can be amazing opportunities to connect beyond the way we normally allow. We often feel vulnerable or exposed or embarrassed with people and then shut down those feelings because we’ve been taught to ignore them.
But to be vulnerable and then share that vulnerability – which comes in many forms (awkwardness, shyness, joy, flirtation, upset, impatience) with another, leads to authentic empowerment.
You discover you’re not alone. Other people feel the same way. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re doing just fine. It’s okay to make mistakes. And no one is judging you.
In short, you cut yourself slack for being human.
So allow yourself to be just that this week.
Human. And share that with others. What you’ll discover is a greater feeling of connection even if it’s just a fleeting moment with someone you may never meet again.
And isn’t that the part of the wonder and joy of simply being alive?
Once again, the science is in.
Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard who has been doing research since the late ’70’s – has conclusively proven that becoming mindful can change your life.
There are measurable benefits to one’s creativity, competence, psychological well-being and physical health.
All the places where we can get stuck in life (and in our creative work) – worrying about making mistakes and doing things wrong, fear of failure, attaching labels to things, living out of the past, looking at things from a singular perspective – are reduced as we become more mindful.
In other words, getting present to the moment assists us in breaking free from the constraints and restrictions that have been imprisoning us since childhood.
Although her research focuses on mindfulness as a process to actively “notice things” – it produces the same results we are looking to create more of in our work as actors.
It puts you in the present, engages you, actively opens up your listening, makes you sensitive to context, takes the focus off yourself and puts it onto the other, creates dynamic energy and it becomes literally, according to Langer, enlightening.
Study after study with various control groups has shown that people respond to other people and their respective art, music and performance – when the person creating it is more mindful.
This is staggering.
And so simple it’s mind-blowing.
So people will actually respond to you – your acting, your singing, your orchestrations, your art – when you create mindfully. When you become available to the moment,
you become available to other people.
In other words, mindfulness is
visible to other people. You’re leaving an imprint.
You’re going to be much more interesting, attractive and charismatic and simply stand out by becoming present in your auditions, in your work, in the choices you make simply because you’re doing it mindfully.
So you already have an advantage when you actually become present.
It’s not hard to do. It’s the work I’ve been doing with actors for over 15 years. And it comes out of the basic hardwiring of what it means to be human.
Presence is the natural state of who we are beyond the distractions of our mindless chatter of our left-brains. Children naturally notice things. They are naturally released – and present – to the now. They play and are curious and are not bound by neurologically-induced, habituated “rules.”
As we get older, our natural seeker – the present, available, mindful creator – begins to start experiencing things on autopilot. (And one could argue when we’re on autopilot we’re not even really, truly experiencing things at all anymore!) This is because the rules and restrictions placed on us don’t allow us to deviate beyond the “known.” And it also comes from being conditioned into seeing things from a singular, limited-view perspective.
Our access to experience the world from a place of possibility and potential is diminished by seeing the world from a black-and-white absolute.
Becoming mindful re-boots our inner software that’s been put on pause for years.
We can begin to re-awaken to the moment, feel alive again, become empowered and more joyful and create optimally.
Isn’t this what every human being wants more of?
Become mindful and “notice” what will happen.
Love.
What else is there?
Why are we here? Why do we feel compelled to tell stories and reflect back to humanity what it means to be human? Why do we sit in dark theaters with strangers and watch performances that are specific and individual, yet universal at the same time?
Well if it’s not love, then what is it?
It’s not only the driving force behind our expression as artists but ultimately it’s also a powerful, expanding energy that can renew, inspire, and regenerate our enthusiasm for life and for creating.
And love comes in so many forms. Eros. Agape. Brotherly. Friendship. Familial.
We look for it generally in one way – the kind that’s romanticized in movies and
50 Shades of Grey novels – when we don’t realize that real, authentic connection is what we’re after. That’s love.
Connection with others. Connection with self. Connection with the moment and all it has to offer. Connection with the words we get to say as actors and the stories we are blessed to tell.
That’s love.
Filmmaker, John Cassavetes said, “To have a philosophy is to know how to love and to know where to put it.”
A philosophy in creating and how to create, then, is love.
Similarly, Ingmar Bergman (who directed over 60 films) said, “Films aren’t important but people are.”
Meaning, when we come together with people who inspire us and encourage us to become all we can be . . . that’s love. Creating with fellow artists to tell stories we must tell. That’s love. That’s the real reason why we’re doing it.
Sure, success is great. Booking jobs. Making money. Fame.
But what if we started to let acting be an expression of our saying to ourselves and to the world, “How can I love?” “Where can I love?” “Whom can I love?”
To be optimally expressed – to be
free – requires us to shift the paradigms we hold around love. And mostly, the limitations we place around it.
Often we hold onto it, saving it for that “special someone” – scared that if we give it away too soon we won’t have anything left when that perfect time arrives.
The perfect time is always now. Love is the greatest renewable resource on the planet. It will fill you right back up once you start giving it away. To all people. So why do we hold onto it?
Start sharing it. Everywhere.
In an audition room? Learn how to love the opportunity you’ve been given and the chance to show people how much you love to create by doing so. That shift alone will change your work from fear, “Am I doing this right?” to “This is how I choose to do it.”
In your creative work? Be brave to go to the places that counter-intuitively seem to evoke feelings contrary to love – but only by expressing them do we learn how to stop judging ourselves and accept and love all parts.
In your day-to-day life? Start putting down the phone and look people in the eye. Smile. Share a moment – no matter how brief.
When you begin to realize that acting ultimately is about the exploration of self – and therefore the acceptance of self – you’ll fall in love with acting (and perhaps yourself) all over again.
What can be more exciting than telling someone, “Yeah, I’m off to self-study class.”
“You mean scene-study?”
“Nope. Self-study. And what can be greater than that?”
That’s love.
I’m a good kisser. Let’s just start with that.
Yet I recently made out with this guy who told me that I wasn’t kissing “correctly”. Or maybe he didn’t say it quite like that, but by stopping me in the middle of a kiss and instructing me as to where and how I
should proceed, it sure felt like I wasn’t doing it correctly. Oh no he didn’t!? Well, actually, yeah he did.
Once I got through the shame and embarrassment of thinking I was doing something wrong (which took me all the way back to my first kissing experience as a 16-year old and not knowing what I was doing at all!) – I ascertained in the moment that this remark by my future husband (
not!) had more to do with his controlling tendencies than it did my missing his bottom lip.
But it also showed me where I (and all of us) can get stuck.
When life (through people, experiences, rejections, challenges) delivers us a response not to our liking – we often retaliate by meeting such resistance with our own pushback – namely control.
It can show up in lots of ways. Shutting down. Disconnecting. Disengaging. Closing oneself off. Getting angry. Or just becoming a total ass to someone.
It’s normal. It happens. But combatting control
with control never works. It shuts out all possibility for solution and from generating the kind of openings in awareness that we’re looking for in life.
That is; awareness of how to remain open, when what you want to do is really control!
If we could but realize how powerful we truly are when we let go of control, we might just never try to control things again.
We can’t be both controlling and powerful at the same time. They’re antithetical to each other. It’s counter-intuitive because we try to control everything in life. And we often do a great job in the short run. We get our way, we stay in our comfort zone, we micro-manage, we exercise agendas.
Hey, control can be fun!
But in the long run we become set in our ways, unbendable, not open to new adventures and experiences, and ultimately . . . stuck.
When we realize that real empowerment comes from letting go, from allowing something to unfold rather than forcing our agenda, that letting life show us what it wants to reveal rather than our demanding it – life takes on a whole new meaning.
We become freer. Have more fun. Stop stressing the small stuff. Let go of our
Drama Queen tendencies! Live more in the unknown. Experience surprise and awe and wonder.
Remember those qualities? They used to be abundant when we were kids. As we grow older, our ability to see the world that way becomes diminished because control not only shrinks our capacity to see not only other worlds that exist, but also from seeing our world correctly.
It’s still full of surprise and awe and wonder. You just have to give up control to experience it.
How we define our reality is how we’re going to experience our reality.
Einstein said, “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”
So basically, frequency first.
Our energetic frequency is naturally joyful and expansive, but we rarely hook into that state because we let our habituated way of thinking about things drive our natural frequency down. So we get stuck at lower levels of energy and forget we’re these powerful positive forces of nature.
So if we begin to see that the causal nature of our reality is generated by where we spend most of our time frequency-wise — we can work on changing that.
Smile more. Be nicer. Breathe. Accept. Surrender.
Stop beating yourself up. Relax. Enjoy. Laugh.
Every time you want to take the
Brain Drain Train and obsess for hours over something you did (or didn’t) do, what if you just chose to let it go instead.
These acts immediately change our frequency. They move us from energy of resistance and fear and worry to trust and acceptance and love.
When Einstein talks about matching the frequency he means that everything we desire has a frequency set point. We don’t think about it in those terms but all beings – all things in the universe – vibrate at a certain level.
You do on a daily basis. Sometimes you get angry and sometimes you feel bored. These vibratory rates are quite different from when you’re ecstatic or when you’re in joy.
I’m not suggesting by the way – that when we feel something contrary to happiness that we shouldn’t feel it. It’s actually the opposite. Science has also shown that big feeling moves through our body and is released within 90 seconds. So when something happens to us that triggers us, the initial tumult of emotion is over and gone within a minute or two. So feel it and then flush it.
But we instead hold onto it for days . . .
in our heads. We call up our friends and complain. We bitch to our parents. We get upset because of something completely unrelated, that then sets us off again about something that happened a week (or a year) ago. We get stuck in patterns of thought about something and then regenerate the negative associations with it.
This is the kind of frequency we want to work on changing. And it’s possible.
It requires awareness and a bit of work so that you don’t get swallowed down the rabbit hole, but with patience and persistence you will get better at it.
You can calm the mind that creates such turbulence in our hearts. Because isn’t it our thoughts about things that upsets us and not the actual thing?
So work on the frequency first and observe how things slowly start to shift in relation to it. Relationships, opportunities, conversations, possibilities, information. Your actual life itself.
You start to realize you do have a say in your own life. When you start to manage your own frequency you’ll stop expecting it (and your happiness) to be fulfilled by others. And that in itself becomes a more liberating frequency. We let go of expectations and demands.
The only thing making you unhappy are your own thoughts. Change them.
When you do, you’ll see that your frequency — and your world — will change too.
I’m the king of over-share.
I didn’t even know what that word meant a couple months ago, because I realized that ever since I was a kid, I’d express things that most people would think were “private.” But it just felt normal for me to express my truth. And I think if you watch children, they’re naturally inclined to express freely in this way in the moment.
As I got older, I became self-conscious about that part of me that was made fun of for expressing feeling. I began to self-edit and self-criticize this natural part of me that seemed to be so different from what other people said was “normal.”
So I assimilated. Joined the crowd. Tried to fit in.
And in so doing, I began to equate that simply feeling (and sharing feeling) is inherently risky and punishable.
And in a way it is. I was thinking yesterday about the brave souls who lived under Communist rule in the Soviet Union (and other Eastern Bloc countries) during the Cold War. (Although one could argue that it’s still difficult to freely be who you are in many countries in the world today.) What would I have done had I lived during that time as an artist? It was very risky for artists to express freely – which ironically, is the trademark of all great art. I started thinking about the challenges of wanting to write poetry or tell stories or act in plays that expressed a political point of view or personal narrative that wasn’t acceptable by the mandates of the organized State or religion. How brutal it must have been for those artists.
Thankfully, we’re free to express. So let it not be a burden of pain and anxiety. Expressing feeling – even when it’s scary and unfamiliar – is inherently joyful because it’s the natural state of our being.
And thankfully, we’re also given second chances in life. All the time.
So don’t waste opportunities to express how you feel. Do it. Not in ways that feel safe to you. Although feeling vulnerable
is safe – when you’re expressing something that is personal to you, the fear of rejection or disapproval or being negated might make you feel unsafe.
This is because rejections are hard-wired in us thru the millennia as a species originating from tribal culture that in order to survive was all about being part of the pack.
No one wants to be cast out. No one wants to be shunned. No one wants to be alone.
But I’ve discovered that sharing our stories (and the feelings that come with them) – even if in so doing, you momentarily feel as if you’re alone or alienated or out there by yourself – not only liberate us from the judgments we often have about ourselves, but also heal us by the simple act of sharing. They’re not acts of singularity. They’re acts of the collective, because we all come from the same tribe. We collectively need to express in order to heal and learn and grow. By both sharing and receiving.
So do it. Don’t wait for the perfect way to say something or the right occasion or giving yourself a default or an out-clause if you don’t like how — or with whom — it’s being expressed.
The perfection lies in the moment because you’re actually feeling. And the tragedy of life is to let those moments go without fully sharing.
Give it away. And what you’ll discover is that you’re not an over-sharer at all.
You’re simply part of the tribe.
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BCR (show BCR Antibodies) activation is accompanied by asymmetric conformational changes, possibly promoting the binding of Igalpha and Igbeta to differently localized signaling complexes
CD79a (show CD79A Antibodies) myeloid cells showed enhanced ability to promote primary tumor growth and metastasis.
Data indicate that in the absence of
DGKzeta (show DGKZ Antibodies), the threshold for B cell antigen receptor ( BCR (show BCR Antibodies)) signaling, measured as activation of the Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase ( ERK (show EPHB2 Antibodies)) pathway, was markedly reduced in mature follicular B cells.
Data show that the B cell antigen receptor (
BCR (show BCR Antibodies)) and Igalpha may be required for B cell survival because they function as adaptor proteins in a BAFFR (show TNFRSF13C Antibodies) signaling pathway leading to activation of Syk (show SYK Antibodies), indicating crosstalk between the two receptors.
The mouse B cell-specific
mb-1 (show PSMB5 Antibodies) gene encodes an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) protein that may be evolutionarily conserved in diverse species by purifying selection.
endocytosed
BCR (show BCR Antibodies) sequentially regulates MAPK (show MAPK1 Antibodies) and Akt (show AKT1 Antibodies) signaling pathways from intracellular compartments
Arginine 198 in the tail of the Igalpha subunit of the
BCR (show BCR Antibodies) is methylated by the protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (show PRMT1 Antibodies). Methylation negatively regulates the calcium and PI-3 (show PI3 Antibodies) kinase pathways of the BCR (show BCR Antibodies), promoting signals leading to B (show TDO2 Antibodies) cell differentiation.
The direct recruitment of
BLNK (show BLNK Antibodies) to immunoglobulin alpha couples the B-cell antigen receptor to distal signaling pathways
IgA deficiency in lymphotoxin-deficient (LT(-/-)) mice could be fully reversed by reconstitution with LT-expressing bone marrow, despite the absence of both LNs and PPs.
The VHDJH recombination process at the
IgH locus and the survival of pro-B cells that carry these rearrangements do not depend on the expression of Ig-alpha molecules.
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Many workers discover they have a capacity to teach. Some employees will actively pursue opportunities to be trainers within their own company, while others turn to a brand new career with a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
This nationally recognised training qualification is required to be an assessor or trainer at a vocational school or training centre. Some workers start planning for retirement years by obtaining this certificate to enable them some flexibility for part-time employment.
Reasons to obtain a certificate IV in training and assessment 1. A promising job opening states that Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is mandatory. The job opening may mean a boost in pay or greater challenges.
2. An employer may require a worker obtain the certificate in order to move to another role in the company, or make it a prerequisite for employment.
3. To secure a position at a vocational school: The Certificate IV is required and there are no alternatives at this time. Vocational schools may be an attractive position for workers who have spent years in a particular field.
4. To gain employment at a training centre: Many skilled workers have a desire and natural ability to impart knowledge on a job site. Some of these workers may judge employment at a training centre to be an improvement over their current career path.
5. Cross training because they are unable to perform their current job: A worker may be injured and cannot meet the physical demands of a certain job or have a correctable eyesight deficiency that does not allow them to perform certain jobs. In these cases they can turn to a life of instruction that will use their skill, knowledge and experience.
6. To start their own business in a fast growing field. In a broadening economy that calls for more skilled workers there is an increased need for trained personnel. Some people are highly attracted to being their own boss.
The Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification is required to teach at all reputable training provider facilities and vocational schools. It is nationally recognised and conveys a distinct capability on the holder. Remember that someone has to train the people who train others. Employers, company trainers and individuals are advised to seek out only reputable providers, with an established track record.
Related posts:
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What do video games have in common with aquatics? A lot more than you might think, given some of the latest developments in the industry. You could call it techno-tainment.
Experts say they’re seeing increasing interest in interactive attractions that incorporate the use of technologies, including video, infrared and the Internet. The idea is to create a more video game-like experience. A number of operators have developed new partnerships that will bring them directly in line with popular video game systems.
“As technology continues to evolve, it finds a place in the leisure industry,” said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc.in Cincinnati. “There’s no question about that.”
As examples of the trend, Speigel points to the live-action, interactive video game systems MagiQuest, available at numerous Great Wolf Lodgewaterpark resorts, and AquaQuest, designed to be incorporated directly into a waterpark.
AquaQuest combines water effects, wireless technology and waterproof infrared AquaGloves, said Carin Brown president of Aqua Kingdoms, LLC, the Madison-based creator of AquaQuest.
Pirate’s Plunder, an AquaQuest prototype, was introduced this year at the Schlitterbahn Waterparkresort in New Braunfels, Texas.
“Throughout our industry’s history, many parks have strived to incorporate the ‘latest and greatest’ innovations in an effort to entertain park guests,” said Jeffery Siebert, Schlitterbahn’s director of corporate communications and sales. “I’m sure this is a trend that will continue as more and more exciting technologies become available.”
Some operators are moving to attract today’s video-game generation by establishing new partnerships directly with video game companies and media producers.
Last year,Six Flagssigned a deal with Nintendo of America that solidified a marketing agreement allowing Nintendo to showcase one of its new games — Wario Land: Shake It — for the Wii console directly at Six Flags parks. And earlier this year, game producer Ubisoft released its Six Flags Fun Park game, also for the Nintendo Wii. Similarly, Great Wolf Resorts partnered with National Geographic Entertainment, which will sponsor video content for kids at all Great Wolf properties nationwide.
“The potential for the trend is tremendous,” said David J. Sangree, president of Cleveland-based Hotel & Leisure Advisors. “It gives patrons a reason to come back by making it a little more exciting.”
He added that this draw can drive increased admission prices. In some cases, operators also can charge additional fees for specific attractions. For example, at Schlitterbahn, Pirate’s Plunder is an additional $5 per person, and MagiQuest requires the purchase of a game wand.
Sangree noted another reason manufacturers and operators would be wise to embrace the idea of techno-tainment: Raised with cell phones, digital cable and WiFi, today’s kids expect a multisensory environment.
But he was quick to add that one hurdle for aquatics is the logistical challenge of incorporating technological hardware into a water environment.
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Carpentry: More than What Meets the Eye Linda Wise| May 23rd 2012 | Views: loading
From Biblical figures like Noah, historical men like Matthew Banckes, to a more contemporary celebrity like Harrison Ford, carpenters have proven to hold one of the world’s oldest and lasting professions. The demand for skilled handymen and experts in woodworking isn’t known to decline even in the face of recession. The number of homes and structures in need of these experienced individuals are at a constant.
When you hear the word “carpenter,” you probably envision a man holding a hammer and wearing overalls with several pockets. What you may not know is the amount of education and strict standards carpenters must qualify for to be considered as professionals, especially in Canada. In average, a would-be carpenter in Canada needs a minimum of four years and a certain number of hours of on-the-job training and technical instruction. After that, they have to spend additional hours to review and pass an examination that will allow them to be licensed and legally operate anywhere in Canada. If there’s one more thing you must know about carpenters, it’s that they fall in several categories. Here are some types of carpenters you might find interesting:
Cabinet Maker
It is said that a general carpenter who becomes a cabinet maker is like a doctor who becomes a surgeon. Cabinet makers specialize in fine woodworks that involve creating intricate designs and building furniture such as cabinets, storage chests, and wardrobes. They usually work inside their shops and deliver finished products to the customer.
Green Carpenter
Because there’s an increased awareness in the importance of eco-friendly homes and building materials, a specific carpenter Vancouver homeowners can hire to construct their energy-efficient homes are those that employ “green carpentry.” Green carpenters utilize renewable resources, prioritize environmental practices like using energy-saving tools, and find greener alternatives to traditional construction materials. For example, they can recommend installing cellulose insulation rather than asbestos, which takes hundreds of years to decompose.
Scenic Carpenter
A scenic carpenter practices carpentry Vancouver movie and theater lovers rarely notice. Yes, a professional carpenter is behind those sets and stage elements that improve the overall scene in a show. Scenic carpenters incorporate skills in woodworking and welding to create the set pieces according to the technical drawings supplied by designers or directors.
Finish Carpenter
Finish carpenters are also known as a trim carpenter or joiner. A finish carpenter Vancouver residents rely on can perform a wide range of services which include making trim and moldings, staircases, and custom furniture. They supply “finishing touches” on both the interior and exterior of your house. If you want to read more about other kinds of carpenters, you can visit articlesbase.com.
Article Source:
http://www.articleside.com/home-improvement-articles/carpentry-more-than-what-meets-the-eye.htm
Published by Wills Loren on January 9th 2012 | Home Improvement
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Acne And Hygiene Product To Help You Live A Better Lifestyle Acne And Hygiene Products. A Basic Introduction To Fighting Acne
Acne is among the more common diseases of the skin and is prevalent amongst teenagers and grownups. There are numerous products accessible to address acne, a few of which are common to personal hygiene.
The more common of these is soap. Although a lot of soaps, particularly those which are scented, may irritate skin impaired by acne.
Numerous hygiene products have been positioned in the market place which are accommodating in battling acne, and are also economical.
Soaps come in 2 forms, soap bar and liquid soap. Facial soaps and cleansers are products contrived to address problem skin. They incorporate ingredients which promote healing and prevention.
Acne cleansers are typically used to take away excess oil, grime and sweat from the surface of the skin.
Once this happens, it makes assimilation of topical acne treatment easier. Topical products are those applied upon the surface of the skin to fight acne. However, excessive cleansing of such products may dry out and annoy the skin, making acne worse, it is suggested to simply cleanse with such products once or twice a day.
There are different cleansers for different skin types. People with greasy skin ought to use cleansers that rinse off well. This is so the extra oil more common to oily skin will be properly got rid of, leaving the skin smooth. Some bar soaps and liquid cleansers have been particularly developed for this purpose.
For dry skin, the use of hard-milled products and gentle cleansers are advantageous.
You might wish to apply synthetic detergents if you have this skin type. Such cleansers do not necessarily need to be applied often, because they are occasionally stronger than other products. Most people with normal skin may cleanse every day with bar soaps. Synthetic detergents however, react better to hard water.
If you have sensitive skin, you are more likely to react to fragrant products, and those with grains or scrubbing agents. It is advised to stay away from the use of such products. Alternatively, use gentle cleansers and be heedful to how hard you wash. Wipe, do not scrub when removing dirt and oil from your skin.
In that respect there are many gentle cleansers available for use for skin that is easily irritated or aggravated. There are several types of acne cleansers advantageous for daily skincare which are accessible for purchase over-the-counter.
Oil-free and non-cometigenic products are generally best, because these do not clog pores.
There are also cosmetics which have been developed to promote acne healing and daily prevention. Like many cleansers, many of these are oil-free and a few contain a small amount of acne medication.
No matter what type of cleanser you prefer, whether it be soap or a special cleanser especially developed to help fight acne, be heedful in how you apply it. Always follow the instructions on the bottle or box, and make certain not to over wash. You will be on your way to controlling your acne.
About the Author
Copyright Johnny Adams. Acne Treatment Guide. Acne And Hygiene Product - Get Free Advise Here. Do Not Ever Feel The Need To Suffer On Your Own
Views: 132
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“What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you are already a child of nature.” — Pierre Trudeau, P.M.
A wilderness trip in a canoe is a privilege few people experience in their lifetimes. Last year 22,000,000 people reportedly paddled a canoe. Perhaps only a few thousand took a wilderness trip longer than a few weeks. It’s pretty easy to see why: we all have too little vacation and too much to do. The average canoe trip 20 years ago was nine days. Today it’s three. Clearly, our priorities are screwed up.
Should you dream of a wilderness canoe trip, here are a few suggestions. Included is an epic adventure that is well-known to the wilderness paddler, a beautiful and remote yet accessible voyage, and a couple trips suitable for a beginning paddler. All are awesome; some are just more awesome than others. I’ve tried to be fair geographically and spread it out a little.
This 740-mile water trail runs from Old Forge, New York in the Adirondacks to Fort Kent, Maine. It’s a recently completed trail and sets the standard for how things should be done to create such resources. A coalition of public and private stakeholders worked it out and agreed on how to make this trail work from start to finish.
It started when private land owners collaborated with public entities, power companies, and other interested parties to create a continuous trail. It passes through numerous little towns, and includes a wide variety of different waters. Large, clear lakes like Rangeley and Umbagog contain lovely bays and small inlets. Little stretches of mild whitewater run to connect the lakes. There are large rivers like the Androscoggin that run from Maine and into New Hampshire. You’ll experience flat water for long stretches, punctuated by Class II (and a few III) rapids. In other words, a perfect combination.
Bugs can be a problem in wet seasons, but it varies wildly based on your area. Northern Maine in the spring has an almost palpable hum from the mosquitos. Here you’ll want headnets and other bug-proofing materials.
Now this is not strictly a wilderness trip. Because there are some public lands, there are a few old cabins along the shore of some of the lakes, and the rivers have dams that one must carry around. But for a first-time canoe wilderness trip, it’s one of the best places to start.
Periodically you’ll be reminded that you’re in New England, as you pass under covered bridges and near small towns where the steeples of white churches predominate from river level. Reminders that parts of this route are not truly wilderness, but gorgeous just the same.
Several paddlers have “through-paddled” the entire trail. If you’re new to paddling expeditions, this is a good place to cut your teeth.
Skill Level Needed: Alone: Intermediate With a Guide or Group: Beginner Length: 3 to 30 days, depending on the section Resources: Planning information and maps, a list of outfitters and guides, and other useful information can be found at the official website for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail at http://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/ Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park – Minnesota/Ontario Canada
Located on the boundary (get it?) between the United States and Canada in northern Minnesota, this 1.1 million acre wilderness area is a great resource. It butts up against Quetico Provincial Park, separated by as little as a few hundred feet of water. I remember one trip where I told my wife, “I think I’ll swim over to Canada.” And I did.
There are smaller rivers in this classic boreal region, but mostly there are lakes, and lots of them. There are over 600 in Quetico and over 1,000 in the Boundary Waters. Portaging (carrying your canoe and your gear between lakes) is common. Portages are measured by an old surveying measurement called rods. A rod is 16.5 feet, or 320 rods to a mile. Looking at the Boundary Waters maps you’ll see portages between 10 and 550 (ouch). The portages range from a nice, smooth path to a bushwhack through mud, rocks, roots, and combinations thereof.
Black bears are fairly common, as well as moose, and if you’re lucky, even a wolf or two. The Common Loon (the Minnesota state bird) warbles its haunting call at dusk and you know you’ve left civilization behind. During the blueberry season you can pick a full Nalgene bottle in fifteen minutes and eat them just as fast.
Both Quetico and the Boundary Waters are wilderness areas, but that doesn’t mean they’re empty. Thousands of people visit the area every summer, and some brave souls in the spring and autumn. Personally, I love autumn as there are no bugs, fewer people if any, and spectacular colors as the aspens turn and the pines and spruces remain green.
The biggest issue for travelers is the bugs. Biting black flies in early season can make your life miserable without netting and DEET. Same goes for mosquitoes, but as it dries out later in the summer, the bugs diminish. Once we get a good hard frost, it’s awesome. Campsites vary as to their bugginess, and staying in a camp with a breeze helps, of course. Then there’s the occasional leech. They’re harmless but creepy. I’ve seen grown men cry like a baby when they find a leech sucking away. Throw salt or bug spray on them or just grab ’em and yank.
It is easy for beginners in the area to get lost. Once you get into the interior, a lot of branches and peninsulas look exactly the same. Do not rely on a GPS; batteries die and electronics fail. The good news is that there is almost no declination adjustment with a compass, meaning true north and magnetic north are within a few degrees of each other. Learn to use a map and compass.
Skill Level: Beginners are okay with shorter loops and help from an experienced paddler or a reputable paddling shop. Trip Length: Overnighters, to two or three week trips, are possible. Resources: There are numerous outfitters who can set you up from the ground up. A few with which I am familiar are listed below, and I know all of them personally and can vouch for their character. They don’t know I’m doing this.
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters
Mike and Sue Prom www.canoeit.com
Voyageur North
Steve and Lynn O’Kane www.vnorth.com
Another great resource is www.canoecountry.com. Here you can find maps and talk to other paddlers who have experience in BWCA/Quetico and love to share their knowledge. But thar be trolls lurking. Ignore them.
The True North: Nahanni River
This river is a classic canoeing river in one of the most remote areas in Canada in the Northwest Territories, just east of the Yukon. This wild river flows through the Nahanni River National Park Preserve, proposed and championed by Canada’s then Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau.
The Nahanni is an ancient river, cutting a path even when mountains rose and blocked its way. It features abundant rapids and waterfalls, including the famous (to canoeists) Virginia Falls. It also passes through four long, steep canyons, aptly named Canyon One, Canyon Two, etc. The walls of these canyons rise to over 1000 feet tall with little access to shore, making it an expert’s river if paddling in a self-guided group.
Due to the unique nature of the geology of the river, the ecosystems surrounding it are a rare and special once in a lifetime treat. The river’s shores are home to abundant wildlife, including many species of threatened and endangered species. A rare species of orchid lives on the walls near Virginia Falls due to the considerable mist that blankets them. Surrounding the river are also caribou herds, grizzly bears, various alpine sheep and goats, wolves, and other macrofauna.
It is paddled mostly in covered canoes due to the abundant whitewater. Because of its remote nature, access is generally by float plane and resupply is impractical (air drop), which means you are self-contained for one to three weeks. However, traveling by canoe means luxury. You’re not backpacking here, sonny. You sleep on thick, futon-like pads, eat fresh food (the fish are plentiful, and not smart to people yet), and sleep in nice, big tents.
Because of its remote nature, it is an expensive trip, costing several thousands of dollars, even if you guide your own trip. Float planes are expensive, but the payoff is that less than 1,000 people a year visit this gem, so your opportunity for solitude is unparalleled. And kids really like float planes.
Skill Level: Expert, though beginners in good physical shape can do this trip with a guide. Length: One to three weeks, but if you’re going to spend the money to get there and have the time off, go for three if you can.
Guide services are available through Blackfeather Guide Service (www.blackfeather.com). They have been running trips on the Nahanni, and their owner, Wendy Grater is one of the most experienced guides I know. And no, she’s not paying me to say this.
Southern Comfort: The Buffalo National River
What’s a National River? Starting in 1972, the Buffalo River in Northern Arkansas has been protected from development, industrial uses, or any other use that might change or affect the river’s ecosystem. Managed by the National Park Service, the 132-mile Buffalo changes personalities as it travels its course. The upper sections are extremely technical and beautiful whitewater, suitable only for expert paddlers.
The topography is unique due to its location in the southern Ozarks. Hundreds of caves dot the riverway, and waterfalls and springs feed into it. That’s a good thing, as water levels are important in determining the ability to paddle. Low water exposes sand bars and high water can flood the river making it dangerous. This is one place where it’s critical to watch the weather.
Of all the rivers described here, the Buffalo has the most variety in flora and fauna. An elk herd was introduced in 1981, joining the deer, turkey, feral hogs, and a host of other macrofauna. Hundreds of species of wildflowers live along the river, bringing an explosion of color in the spring.
Of all the rivers described here, the Buffalo has the most variety in flora and fauna. An elk herd was introduced in 1981, joining the deer, turkey, feral hogs, and a host of other macrofauna. Hundreds of species of wildflowers live along the river, bringing an explosion of color in the spring.
Camping is available along the riverway, both in established park service campsites and on sand bars. If you need a place to paddle in late spring or early fall, the Buffalo is a great place to get away when other northern paddling destinations are frosty.
Skill Level: Whitewater over Class II requires specific equipment and the skills to use it. The lower sections are suitable for beginning paddlers. Length: You can do different sections in short runs, but the entire river can take six to ten days depending on water levels. Resources:
Here are the outfitters I would recommend:
Buffalo River Canoes, Inc.
HC 73 Box 39 Marble Falls, AR 72648
Silver Hill Canoe
9826 Highway 65 South St. Joe, AR 72675
Buffalo River Float Service
11637 Suite1, Highway 14 South Yellville, AR 72687
You can also email my friend Richard at [email protected]. Seriously. He loves the Buffalo River.
Any of these rivers are within a man’s reach. All that is required is an honest appraisal of your skills, your equipment, and the patience to do your homework. The journey starts with a dream; the important thing is what you do after you wake up.
After all, happiness is a loaded down canoe.
Last updated: March 14, 2016
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Do You Have a Sears Kit Home? Tips for Identifying Sears Catalog Houses
Auburn-Halifax Model Kit Home. (2007 Rosemary Thornton)
Is that good-looking bungalow of yours a Sears Kit Home? How can you find out? What should you look for? And what does it mean to have a Sears Kit Home?
Each month, I receive dozens of emails from people asking these very questions. Here's the short version of things you can look for to decide if your home is a Sears kit home.
Is your home stamped or labeled?
Sears Lumber Identifying Marks. (2007 R.T.)
Sears homes were shipped via boxcar and came with a 75-page instruction book. Each kit contained 10,000–30,000 pieces of house and the framing members were marked to facilitate construction. These many decades later, those same markings can help identify a home as a Sears kit home. The lumber was marked on the tall side of the lumber and can be found 2–10 inches from the end of the framing member. If you can't access attics or basements, you might be able to see marked lumber by opening up the bathtub's plumbing access door. However, not all Sears Homes had marked lumber!
Look for shipping labels. Shipping labels can be found on the back of millwork and mouldings. I've also found these labels in various places in the basement, such as under a staircase. On the shipping label, you might see an address, such as "925 Homan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois." This was Sears headquarters in the early 1900s. Or, it might read, "Sears Roebuck, Chicago, Illinois." Also look for stamps or marks showing that the millwork was shipped from Norwood Sash and Door (in Ohio), which was a supplier of Sears millwork.
Sears Mill Work labels. (2007 Rosemary Thornton)
Use a field guide and city records
Compare the house in question to the photos and floor plan in a field guide to Sears Homes. Pay special attention to the placement of windows and doors, chimneys, bathroom and kitchen vents, etc. The home's footprint should be a perfect match to the Sears Home. Even a few inches off is a deal killer. Individual rooms should also be a spot-on match to the floor plan shown in the field guide. This is a very important point. However, "reversed floor plans" were an option that Sears offered their home buyers, so the home may be a mirror image of the floor plan shown in the field guide.
Visit the courthouse to learn more. From 1911 to 1933, Sears offered home mortgages. Check grantor records from 1915–1940. Sears stopped offering mortgages in 1933, but when a mortgage was paid in full, the mortgage was released, so you're going to look for that document, too. Another thing to look for is original building permits. Some locales retain these aged documents. On the building permit, one line should state "architect's name." This is where the name "Sears Roebuck" may appear.
Evaluating building materials
Sears Porch Column Design. (2007 R.T.)
Plumbing, electrical and heating equipment was not included in the basic kit home but could be purchased separately. This enabled customers to choose "good, better or best" quality. From the late 1920s to 1940, Sears plumbing fixtures sometimes were stamped with an "R" or "SR." On pedestal sinks (bathroom) and kitchen sinks, the mark is on the underside, near the front. On bathtubs, it can be find in the lower corner, on the side furthest from the tub spout.
Another clue suggesting that you may have a Sears Home is the presence of Goodwall Sheet Plaster (sheet rock). Each 4' by 4' sheet bore the stamp "Goodwall" on the backside.
About two dozen of Sears most popular house designs had a unique column arrangement on the front porch (see photo). Five-piece eave brackets (the diagonal support brace between the roof line and the exterior wall) might also be a sign that you have a Sears Home.
Plinth block. (2007 R.T.)
Sears Homes may have square blocks on molding joints at staircase landings and other complex joints. While framing members were pre-cut, some of the moldings and baseboard trim were not pre-cut (due to variances in plaster thickness). To simplify construction, Sears homes often have a block at the point where complex joints meet. This probably made construction much easier for the novice homebuilder.
When was your home built?
If your home was built before 1908 or after 1940, it is not a Sears Home.
Sears kit homes from 1908–1940
In my travels, I've discovered that more than 80% of the people who think they have a Sears Home are wrong. There are many reasons for this, but put simply, there were several other companies selling kit homes on a national level, such as Gordon Van Tine, Aladdin, Lewis Homes, Harris Brothers, Sterling Homes and more. It's likely that the name "Sears kit home" has become a generic label for "kit homes."
What is a kit home? In the early 1900s, many wanna-be homeowners purchased kit homes from mail order catalogs. Shipped by boxcar, each kit contained thousands of house pieces. Framing members were numbered to facilitate construction. Blueprints were drawn with the novice homebuilder in mind, listing each numbered framing member and its precise placement. Kit home manufacturers provided instruction manuals for the builder.
Sears Roebuck promised that "a man of average abilities could assemble a Sears kit home in about 90 days." No detail was overlooked, as both manual and blueprints instructed homeowner as to the correct spacing of the 750 pounds of nails.
Compared to conventional construction, homeowners saved about 30% by building their own home from a kit. About 50% of the kit homes were built by the homeowner and the balance were professionally built. In 1908, Sears estimated that a contractor would charge $450 to build a Sears home.
Sears kits were made with the finest materials, including cypress for all exterior components (window trim, clapboard, fascia and soffit) and first-growth, top-grade southern yellow pine for framing members. Kitchen and bath floors were solid maple (tongue and groove).
Osborn Model Bungalow. (2007 Rosemary Thornton)
Over its 32 years of selling kit homes, Sears offered more than 370 house designs, including bungalows, Colonial and Tudor Revivals, Foursquares, Cape Cods, Prairie style and more. Sears sold about 70,000 kit homes from 1908–1940. Increasingly complex house designs, the Great Depression and federally sponsored mortgage programs (FHA) were the three primary reasons that Sears closed their Modern Homes Department in 1940. The only way to find these homes today is by through architectural surveys because many years ago, Sears destroyed all the sales records (probably during a corporate housecleaning).
Article © 2007, Rosemary Thornton, searshomes.org
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How To Find A Financial Advisor
If you’ve been reading AskMen.com religiously, you’ve probably read about the importance of having a good financial advisor. Sound, professional advice can make the difference between an early retirement and working long past your prime. It can also mean the difference between saving big bucks at tax time or hurting big when the tax man comes calling. Finally, getting professional guidance can mean peace of mind when the bills come or when you’re struggling to make ends meet. Whether you’re building your assets, minimizing your liability or managing your money, a good financial advisor is critical. Here’s how to find the best one for you.
Know when you need adviceFinancial affairs are simply too complicated to go through alone. That doesn’t mean that every guy needs a full-time money manager, but at some point in your life, you will need financial advice. If you’re buying a life insurance policy, you’ll need financial advice. After all, you’re asking the question: How much will my loved ones need in my absence? If you’re planning your estate or opening a retirement plan, you’re in the market for financial advice. Going through life changes, such as marriage, divorce, buying or selling property, the death of a parent, or getting a major inheritance are all situations where a financial advisor can be beneficial.
Unfortunately, there’s no numerical point where having a consultant becomes a “must have.” As a rule of thumb, you need not bother with a financial advisor if your income level is below $100,000. But when precisely you should hire a financial advisor after that depends on how good you are at managing your financial affairs and how much gain a financial advisor can give you compared to his cost. Once you find that you have a high level of income or a surplus of disposable income, it’s probably worth talking to a few financial advisors to see how they can help you manage your money.
Target the right specialistYou have to know what you want. Define your needs beforehand so you can find the perfect person to provide you with the exact help you're looking for. The term “Financial advisor” actually refers to a broad category, so you need to narrow your search by field. While there are specialists who only focus on matters of retirement or insurance, you should find a firm that can help you fit all of your needs.
One stop shopping is important here because someone other than you needs a clear idea of the big picture, although bigger firms might use a team of specialists to help you. But if you’re consulting a financial advisor for a one-time transaction, make sure they have experience in that specialty by looking at their past or current client load.
How to find an advisor that suits your needs and how to check his references...
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In response to my recent post, Angry at Your Inconsiderate Husband or Wife?, I received this from "Sam." I could definitely relate. It
is harder to Assume Love when we're frazzled. I am pretty good at doing this early in the day and in the middle of the day, it's at the end of the day when I'm tired after a long day at work that I find I can't ignore what I believe are inconsiderate acts. I try to tidy the house up before I leave for work and when I arrive home, most of the time I arrive home after Mr. Sam, my tidy home is no longer tidy. There will be socks on the floor, a belt on the dining room table and dishes in the kitchen from his dinner prep. So I spend the first half an hour of arriving at home cleaning up the house that I cleaned up in the a.m. and I really don't do well, because I'm tired, assuming love. Rather I assume he is inconsiderate, he knows the puppy will eat his socks yet he leaves them on the floor, he knows the dish washer is empty b/c he saw me emptying it that a.m. but he can't be bothered to rinse and put the dishes away, he knows it drives me up the wall to have a belt on the dining room table yet he leaves it there to spite me. How to I assume love at the end of a long day?
When we Assume Love, we look for what might cause a good, loving person to do the things that drive us nuts when our spouses do them.
Who leaves dishes on the table, instead of putting them in the dishwasher he saw his wife empty before he left for work? Besides a miserable and uncaring man with no couth, that is?
A loving man who notices nothing before his second cup of coffee soaks in. He would be astounded to learn his wife emptied the dishwasher right in front of him nine hours ago. Accidentally putting dirty dishes in among the clean ones right before dinner is a mistake he has vowed never to repeat. A thoughtful man who figures dinner is coming up, and it would be a lot smarter to clean up once instead of twice. Used dishes hold no creep-out factor for them the way they do for a partner subjected to nightly lectures on the proper way to set a table. You have no idea how disappointed he will be when you not only fail to praise his ingenuity but call it thoughtless. A caring man with a very different sense of timing than yours. When he gets home from work, not rushing is one of his top virtues, one you might appreciate in the bedroom or when he helps the kids with their homework.
What could possibly drive a loving man who craves your respect to leave his socks on the floor as he enters the house and toss his belt on the dining room table when he gets there?
It might be a man whose return home is filled with distractions: kids, phone calls, notes to read, chores to do. Loving men, like the rest, tend to be really bad at multitasking. It could be a man who adores you but feels he's being taken for granted, especially if the socks and belt are ones he wears only for work. Putting these symbols where you cannot miss them is his way of communicating with you. And then there are the loving men who try to break you of your perception of things like dining room tables even as you try to do the same in reverse.
How to change things?
If it seems possible the mess in your house is the act of a loving spouse and not deliberately inconsiderate acts, start by asking for what you want. Hints do not count as asking. And requests get drowned out by even a wee bit of sarcasm or disgust. Check the act for a message, especially if he's just started doing this or your roles have recently been changed by a new job or new responsibilities. If you think it might carry a message, try offering what your spouse is looking for. If you can't tell, ask. If neither of these works on your first attempt, offer to find a Third Alternative together, a solution that makes both of you happy. While you might be certain the only good place for a belt is in the bedroom closet, your real goal is not to be grossed out. You could agree on another place near the door or put hooks in the coat closet. You might throw a plastic tablecloth on the table in the morning and move it and everything on it into a convenient basket when you get home. Or you might stop somewhere on your way home to shake off the day, spend the first five minutes after you get home hugging and kissing your guy or dancing with him, and find that you don't mind the mess or the picking up nearly as much as you do when frazzled.
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Rationale: The most important goal of reading is comprehension.
This can be reached through certain strategies. One
strategy that aims at this is visualization. This lesson is designed to help children learn to visualize as they read. This strategy will ultimately help children to comprehend as they read as well. Materials: History Book: The World and its
People; the US and its Neighbors, poem Water Noises by Elizabeth Roberts
to print on chart paper, Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, drawing paper, crayons and markers Procedures:
1. The lesson will begin with an introduction of visualization. I will say the following, "Has anyone ever pictured something in their head before? (Wait for responses.) That is called visualization. You can visualize at any time, even while you are reading. It can also be thought of as playing a movie in your head. That is what we are going to work on today, visualizing while you read. Let me give you an example of how I visualize. If I read the sentence 'In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.' I would picture a man dressed in a sailor outfit, on a boat, sailing through the ocean. That is just one example of how you can visualize." 2. "Now I would like everyone to close their eyes and listen while I read this poem to you. I want you to try to visualize a picture of the poem in your head. (Read poem to students) Did everyone visualize a picture in their head while I read the poem? Tell me some of the things that you saw while I read the poem. (Wait for responses) Great job! Those are all perfect examples of how you visualize." 3. "Now I want you to read in your history books about Christopher Columbus. Letâs review how to silent read. First you can all read while moving your lips. Now I would like everyone to read silently without moving your lips. I know you can all remember to read silently since we have been practicing this. Now you can start reading. While you are reading I would like for you to visualize a picture of what you think that you are reading. Read a paragraph at a time and then draw what you visualized on your paper. Do this until you are finished reading about Christopher Columbus." 4. "Now we are going to share our visualizations with each other. Letâs come to the circle and show our wonderful pictures to each other." 5. "Now we are going to read another chapter out of Sarah Plain and Tall. Visualize while I am reading. (Read one chapter to the students from the book) Now I would like everyone to take a turn and tell me what you visualized. (Let every child respond) Great job! I think that you all know how to visualize now." 6. For assessment I would have all the students to read a chapter from their history book. I would remind them to visualize while they read so they will be able to understand the story better. I would then give each student some questions on the chapter to see if they really can comprehend the material. I would also discuss with them some of their visualizations. References:
Cole, William. A Book of Nature Poems. Water Noises. The Viking Press, NY, 1969.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. Harper Trophy, NY, 1985.
Murray, Bruce. The Reading Genie Website.
http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/illum/moorerl.html
For more information email me at longlin@auburn.edu.
Click here to return to Challenges.
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Bouncy Balls and Baseball
Bats
Emergent
Literacy Design
by:
Matthew Darby
Rational:
This lesson is designed to
help students with the correspondence b=/b/.
This lesson provides students with the opportunity to learn how
to write
both the uppercase and the lowercase letter b.
Student will also learn words that start with the sound /b/. This lesson allows for students to practice
both using the correspondence in a reading and writing situation. “Studies indicate that reading and writing
are interrelated processes (Doctorow, Wittrock, & Marks, 1978;
Taylor &
Berkowitz, 1980), and growth in one process tends to facilitate growth
in the
other” (Eldredge, 11.)
Materials:
Book:
It’s Not Easy Being Big by
Stephanie St. Piere, Random House Books for Young Readers Have a poster designed with the tongue twister
(Bill’s baseball busted Betty’s bubble) written on it.
Dry erase boards that resemble primary paper
(roof, fence, floor, and basement) for entire class
Dry erase markers for entire class
Erasers or paper towels for entire class
Cards (baseball, basketball, bat, bear, baby,
boy, dog, cat, light, cup, girl, and clock)
Crayons
Coloring sheet with 6 pictures on it (boy,
basketball, boat, girl, lamp, and hat).
Procedure:
Introduce the lesson and why it is important.
Today we will learn about the sound /b/. Does
anybody know what letter makes the sound /b/. The
letter b
makes the sound /b/. Can anybody
tell me a couple words that starts with /b/.
Say to students: What sound do you hear
when you bounce a bouncy ball. When I bounce a bouncy ball I hear /
b/,
/ b/, / b/. Can everybody pretend to bounce a
bouncy
ball? When you say /b/ how does
your lips look? My lips are
pressed together. I bounce my bouncy ball because it is fun. Lets
all bounce our bouncy balls.” Have children pretend to bounce a
bouncy ball. Have students try to say the tongue
twister Billy’s baseball busted Betty’s bubble. First
read the tongue twister to the students B-B-Billy’s b-b-baseball
b-b-busted B-B-Betty’s b-b-bubble. Have students read the tongue
twister with you. Be sure to annunciate the sound /b/.
Have students get ready to write the
letter b. First tell students that this
letter can sometimes be tricky. On your
board model writing the letter b. Start by
telling students to make a bat from the ceiling to the floor. Then tell the students to draw a ball next to
the bat, the top of the ball should be at the fence and the bottom of
the ball should be on the floor. Explain
to the students that when you make the letter b the bat
should hit the
ball. Have the students practice the lower
case b
on their dry erase board. Have them
write the lower case b five times
on their board. Now
students it’s time to practice the uppercase B. Explain
that this is
not complicated. Tell the students that
they need to start this the same way they started the lower case b.
Students need to draw a bat starting at the ceiling going down to the
floor. This time class you need to draw to balls that the bat needs to
hit one on top of the other. Show the
students how to write the uppercase letter B on you dry
erase board. Then have students practice
drawing the
uppercase letter B. Have them write the
letter B
five times.
Now it’s time to play a fun game. Go over all the cards with your students. Tell them the names of the cards (baseball,
basketball, boy, bear, bat, baby, cat, clock, girl, cup, and light.)
After going over the cards tell the students that you are going to hold
up two different cards and that they are going to pick the card that
has the sound /b/.
Hold up two different cards one with the sound /b/
the other with a different correspondent (Ex. card #1 boy; card #2
girl) Ask students to raise their hands if they know which card starts
with the sound /b/.
Story time! We
are going to read the book
It’s Not Easy Being Big. Tell the students to listen very carefully to
the story, and whenever they hear the /b/ sound they
can bounce their
bouncy balls. Remind students as you read
the book that they only need to bounce their balls when they hear the
/b/ sound.
Assessment:
Pass out the coloring sheets and crayons. Tell the student that they are only to color
the pictures that have a picture that starts with the /b/ sound. Ask if the students have any questions about
the coloring worksheet. While students
are working on this coloring sheet, the teacher should walk around the
room
offering assistance to students who need extra help with the sound /b/.
References:
Dakota Farrulla
Bouncy Bouncy Basketball Emergent
Literacy Design.
Eldredge, J. Lloyd.
Teaching
Decoding Why and How. Second Edition.
Pearson
Education
Inc. New Jersey.
1995
Click
here to return to construction
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[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: Rhythm Bill Hartmann writes:
>Dear List,
>This is a question about the ability to perceive irregularity in
>rhythm. It comes from Boogie Bob, Lansing's foremost rhythm and blues
>artist.
Most of the answers to the questions below have been of the "it depends"
variety, but so far no one has mentioned that cultural expectations for
what the music should sound like have a role to play.
Since the question comes from an R&B musician, it would make sense to look
at studies that have been done on the concept of "swing" in jazz, in
which the question is less of inter-onset intervals played by a single
musician than it is, how do all of the parts (bass, drums, piano, soloists)
fit together? Ethnomusicologist Charles Keil has dubbed the term,
"participatory discrepancies," to cover the kinds of real-time rhythmic
and metrical negotiations that musicians do in an ensemble. The Winter
1995 issue of the journal *Ethnomusicology* was devoted to this subject,
including two measurement studies (Vol. 39, No. 1). Jeff Bilmes wrote
a masters' thesis on a related topic at the MIT Media Lab in the early
1990s, and Desain & Honing in the Netherlands have also been working
on expressive timing issues.
>
> What is the JND for perceiving an unequal division of a beat into
> two notes?
>
I wonder how Boogie Bob worded the question. In a musical
situation such as he would find himself in, one part would not be
heard by itself. How many of the studies cited by the list thus
far used a multi-part stimulus, such as an isochronous beat track as
a ground against which to judge the rhythmic figure? What then happens
when the ground is de-isochronized, such as record producers do in the
studio with drum machines by adding a "feel formula" (Progler 1995:23)?
> A quarter note beat could be divided into two eighth notes.
> Theoretically, that would be a 50-50 division.
>
> It could be divided into a dotted quarter and a sixteenth.
> That would be a 75-25 division, clearly different from 50-50.
>
> Can you distinguish between 75-25 and 67-33? How about 75-25
> vs 70-30?
In jazz and pop music, one interesting "emic" boundary would be the
one between what is judged to be even versus long-short, e.g., Latin vs.
swing rhythm in jazz. 50-50 is even, but what about 60-40? Also,
two performances could be judged to use even eighth notes, yet one
judged to be square and one to swing, which I suppose is the difference
between categorization and discrimination.
>Presumably the answer depends somehow on the tempo. How?
David Wessel would be one to ask on this. If I recall a conversation
correctly, he did some work at IRCAM in the 1970s that showed faster tempos
to create a tendency to more even beat subdivisions, regardless of the
intention that might be represented by notation. Progler's measurements
of one drummer's short notes in a long short pattern bear this out. Tempo
is in beats per minute (bpm):
Tempo Short note duration in a long-short pattern
----- -------------------------------------------
60 bpm 20% of beat length
120 25%
240 33%
Music notation in jazz has never settled on how to handle "swing eighths;"
it is not uncommon for an editor to notate almost everything in straight
eighth notes and simply note "Latin" or "swing" at the top of the score.
>Because this is a question about rhythm and not about the perception of tone
>duration, there needs to be a context. Probably it's best to think of a
>regular and indefinite repetition of the two-note sequence in question.
>That establishes the tempo and context.
>Anybody out there with information on this subject?
>Next: how about the ability to reliably PRODUCE such a division?
Progler reports that one musician "hadn't always played what he thought he
had," but cites experiments by Reinholdsson that indicate players can
control what they do in relation to a given beat. If what you're talking
about, though, is the rhythmic equivalent of microtonal composition, I'd
say no, you may be able to devise a notation that differentiates between
75-25 and 70-30, but good luck training performers to play it.
Mark DeWitt
References
Bilmes, Jeffrey A. 1993. *Timing Is of the Essence: Perceptual and
Computational Techniques for Representing, Learning, and Reproducing
Expressive Timing in Percussive Rhythm.* [M.S. thesis]. Cambridge,
MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Desain, Peter and Henkjan Honing. 1992. *Music, Mind, and Machine:
Studies in Computer Music, Music Cognition and Artificial
Intelligence*. Amsterdam: Thesis Publishers, P.O. Box 14791, 1001 LG
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Proegler, J. A. 1995. "Searching for Swing: Participatory
Discrepancies in the Jazz Rhythm Section." *Ethnomusicology*
39/1:21-54.
Reinholdsson, Peter. 1987. "Approaching Jazz Performances
Empirically: Some Reflections on Methods and Problems." In *Action and
Perception in Rhythm and Music*, ed. Alf Gabrielsson, 81-103. Royal
Swedish Academy of Music No. 55. Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of
Music.
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Accommodation in Australia
Students will find that there is a wide array of options for accommodation in Australia. Whether you prefer the luxury of a major hotel chain or the cost savings of an economic hostel, there are options available throughout the country that will perfectly suit your needs. Once you have determined your travel budget, the level of comfort and services you prefer and your destination, finding the right type of lodgings is simple and convenient.
Hostels
Hostels are an ideal option for most students. This affordable choice for accommodation in Australia allows you to travel solo or with friends while staying within even a very tight travel budget. There are hostels located throughout Australia, including some that cater to families. Be aware that some hostels have age limits and, if you plan to travel frequently, consider joining Hostelling International, which is the overall membership organizations for multiple Youth Hostel Associations and includes over 4,000 hostels around the world. Membership provides great discounts that make this option even more cost-effective.
Self-Catering Accommodation
When traveling solo or as a couple, self-catering accommodations might not be a good match for a student budget; however, if you are traveling with your family or with a group of friends, this can be a cost-effective choice that offers more privacy and comfort than other options. Self-catering houses and apartments come equipped with kitchen facilities and many have on-site laundry facilities as well. This allows you to save money by preparing meals, rather than dining out multiple times each day, and is ideal for longer stays away from home.
Fully-Catered Accommodation
Fully-catered apartments and vacation homes, also referred to as serviced apartments and homes, provide the same privacy and convenience of self-catering accommodations with the added benefit of receiving the same services you would receive in a hotel. These fully furnished lodgings have kitchens or kitchenettes, lounge areas and one or more bedrooms. Students can expect to pay a little more than they would for a hotel room in most cases.
Homestays and Farmstays
Some students opt for homestays throughout their studies in Australia; however, even those simply looking for accommodations for a short trip can benefit from this cost-effective option. Staying with an Australian family at their home or on their farm provides a different type of travel experience than that offered by conventional accommodation options, including living like a local during your travels and more fully immersing yourself in the culture. Homestays generally include at least some meals and can often be arranged through your school.
Hotels and Motels
Hotels and motels are popular options for those seeking accommodation in Australia. If you are the type of traveler who likes to know what you can expect in terms of accommodations and services, and who does not mind spending a bit more to ensure your comfort during your stay, then this may be the right option for you. Hotels and motels will cost more than hostels and homestays, but they also offer greater privacy and standardized services. If you plan to travel to one of Australia’s more popular tourist destinations, be sure to reserve a room well in advance to ensure that you have a place to stay upon arrival.
Bed and Breakfasts
If you are looking for cozy, homey Australia accommodation, you may want to consider a bed and breakfast. This option is perfect for a romantic weekend getaway, or simply if you prefer enhanced comfort and the convenience of daily breakfast service. Travelers can expect to pay considerably more when staying in a bed and breakfast when compared to other options for accommodation in Australia; however, they can also expect greater comfort and luxury.
Camping
Camping if the most cost-effective way to travel through Australia and is perfect for those who appreciate sleeping under the stars and getting back to nature. A camping trip is a great way to get out of the city for a few days and recharge your batteries between tests and term papers. Of course, camping does not offer the luxuries of a hotel – or even a hostel – but it does incorporate a completely different experience into your travels. Students who do not own camping gear, or who could not bring it with them from home, can rent camping gear in many areas of Australia or can look online for inexpensive, used gear.
Choosing the right Australia accommodation for your travel needs largely depends on your budget and the level of comfort you prefer. If your travel dates or destination are flexible, you can find great last minute deals on hotel rooms and self-catering accommodations. Whether you choose to stay in a campground or a luxury resort, the most important thing to keep in mind is that taking the opportunity to travel while studying in Australia is an integral part of fully taking advantage of the educational opportunities available in this diverse country.
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OIL LEVEL CHECK
See Figures 1 and 2
The engine oil should be checked on a regular basis, ideally at each fuel stop. When checking the oil level, it is best that the oil be at operating temperature. Checking the level immediately after stopping will give a false reading due to oil left in the upper part of the engine. Be sure that the vehicle is resting on a level surface, allowing time for the oil to drain back into the crankcase.
Open the hood and locate the dipstick. Remove it from the tube (located on right side of the engine compartment). Wipe the dipstick with a clean rag. Insert the dipstick fully into the tube and remove it again. When checking oil level, note the color and smell of the oil. Oil that is black or has a gas smell indicates a need for engine service. Hold the dipstick horizontally and read the oil level. The level should be between the FULL and ADD marks. If the oil level is at or below the ADD mark, oil should be added as necessary. Oil is added through the capped opening on the valve cover(s) on gasoline engines. Refer to the "Engine Oil and Fuel Recommendations" in this Section for the proper viscosity oil to use. Replace the dipstick and check the level after adding oil. Be careful not to overfill the crankcase. Approximately one quart of oil will raise the level from ADD to FULL. OIL AND FILTER CHANGE
See Figures 3 and 4
Engine oil should be changed every 7,500 miles. The oil change and filter replacement interval should be cut in half under conditions such as:
To change the oil, the vehicle should be on a level surface and the engine should be at operating temperature. This is to ensure that the foreign matter will be drained away along with the oil and not left in the engine to form sludge. You should have available a container that will hold a minimum of 8 quarts of liquid, a wrench to fit the old drain plug, a spout for pouring in new oil and a rag or two, which you will always need. If the filter is being replaced, you will also need a band wrench or filter wrench to fit the end of the filter.
When you have finished this job, you will notice that you now possess four or five quarts of dirty oil. The best thing to do with it is to pour it into plastic jugs, such as milk or antifreeze containers. Then, locate a service station where you can pour it into their used oil tank for recycling.
Position the vehicle on a level surface, raise and support the vehicle safely. Slide a drain pan under the oil drain plug. From under the vehicle, loosen, but do not remove the oil drain plug. Cover your hand with a rag or glove and slowly unscrew the drain plug. Remove the plug and let the oil drain into the pan. Do not drop the plug into the drain pan. When all of the oil has drained, clean off the drain plug and reinstall it into pan. Torque the drain plug to 26 ft.lb. (35 Nm). Using an oil filter wrench, loosen the oil filter. Cover your hand with a rag and spin the filter off by hand; turn it slowly. Coat the rubber gasket on a new filter with a light film of clean engine oil. Screw the filter onto the mounting stud and tighten it according to the directions on the filter (usually hand-tight one turn past the point where the gasket contacts the mounting base); DO NOT overtighten the filter. Refill the engine with the specified amount of clean engine oil. Run the engine for several minutes, checking for leaks. Check the level of the oil and add oil if necessary.
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It does seem that your immune system needs some help. Having a cold can itself weaken your body’s defences further and this is why outbreaks of cold sores often coincide with cold or flu infections. It will be rare for the cold sore virus to spread directly to your eyes and the itch is more likely due to another viral or perhaps a bacterial infection. Nevertheless, if the itchiness in your eye worsens or if other symptoms develop in this area, you must see your doctor.
In the short term, you should take Echinacea to improve the symptoms of colds or flu. We would recommend using Echinaforce drops diluted in a small amount of water. Alfred Vogel recommended that you hold the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing. In addition, vitamin C and zinc can often help during this acute period. Your local healthfood store will be able to recommend a good quality brand of vitamins for you. If your cold sores continue to trouble you, you might also wish to try Bio-propolis.
Once the problems resolve, you may wish to have a look at your diet and lifestyle to see if there are any areas that can be improved. For instance, are you under more stress than usual? Is your diet as good as it could be? These are the most common reasons for your immune system to become ‘run-down’. Below are a few links to relevant pages on our website which may help you answer these question
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These symptoms are common in the approach to the menopause, so it would be best to check with your doctor, who can test your hormone levels and that will give you a better idea of what is happening.
However, low iron and low thyroid can often appear at this age and both can cause similar symptoms so I would ask your doctor to test for these as well.
Eileen Durward
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Steve Goldstein: Good evening and welcome to "Horizon." I'm Steve Goldstein, filling in for Ted Simons. Today at the state capitol, a study committee met to examine a new way of funding public education. It will consider funding schools based on how students perform academically. Joining me are two state representatives who serve on the outcome-based education funding study committee. Its co-chairman, Chester Crandell, a Republican from Heber who a former superintendent of the northern Arizona vocational institute of technology. And Democrat Lynne Pancrazi, a retired teacher from Yuma. Welcome to you both.
Chester Crandell: Thank you very much.
Steve Goldstein: Let's talk about why you thought the committee was a good idea.
Chester Crandell: Well, when I first got to state legislature, determined like all legislators that education needed to be reformed and 30 years in the industry of educating kids, I thought we needed to take a look at the funding. We spent time on raising the standards and looking at different ways to assess those standards and do those things, but never really taken a look at how we fund those. And so, our model today is we fund based on seat time. As long as the student is in the seat for 180 days, that's what the districts build their budget on so we do a good job of tracking students to make sure they're in the seat but don't do a good job of determines what the students actually know when they move from one grade level to the other and I use the statistics we have that only 40% of eighth graders in the state of Arizona are reading at grade level. So the idea is to move to a free enterprise model that we pay for a product or something that we want students to be able to do when they graduate.
Steve Goldstein: Representative, any red flags jump out for you?
Lynne Pancrazi: Of course, education is changing and how we deliver education is changing and the requirements and rules and regulations on education are changing and it's moving toward outcome-based which is what a child knows at the end of a grading period -- a grading period or end of a school year and that's the direction that education is taking nationwide. I think we're looking at, is a way that Arizona can move in that direction and kids will still be kids and you're still going to have to teach them and help them learn, but your base pay and then performance on top of that.
Steve Goldstein: Kids are so unique in and of themselves and there's talk of having focused learning. Depending on his other her talents, how difficult or complex does it take to if you go out what a student does need to know when a class is done.
Chester Crandell: That's part of the charge of the committee, to actually decide based on survey or based on talking with business and industry and the state of Arizona, what is it that students should be able to do when they graduate from school. That would make them successful in the jobs and things that are available in the state of Arizona and not only the state of Arizona, I don't think we're much more unique than any other state. If we can be successful as employees in the state of Arizona, we should be pretty -- pretty successful in those kind of jobs in any state we go. I don't think Arizona is that much more unique in the jobs we offer. But we're not getting to that level. If you talk to employers, students are not prepared. They don't read well or cipher well and don't have the math skills to do what they need to do and we need -- I think we need to go back and through survey, or whatever the case may be, the committee needs to decide from the state of Arizona, the business community and that, what is it that students need to be able to do and work backwards from that, as to what price we put in paying that.
Lynne Pancrazi: And my emphasis is on early childhood. I really feel like a child needs to know how to read, write and do math and if you don't learn it in K-3, once they go to fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, they fall farther behind, so my emphasis on this committee is make sure we're looking at K-3 and whether the children are achieving what they need to achieve to be able to learn more. You know, you can't learn if you can't read.
Steve Goldstein: What does the AIMS test fit in on this.
Chester Crandell: Well that’s one of the things we take a look at. There's already a group works together. Arizona accepted the common core standards and became a part and working on an assessment that goes with the common core standards and that's what we need to look at. How, what the state has done, how does that fit into the accountability system and put it into a free enterprise model to be able to pay for that outcome from one grade level to the next and I agree with representative Pancrazi, these basic skills of being able to read, we need to start in the first grade, kindergarten, whatever the case might be but we tail off that, when they're in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth grade and students that may be a little bit behind and never assess it again and, therefore, when they get to be seniors, we're not where we need to be and just using reading at grade level as one of the outcomes, that should be assessed all the way through so that students when they graduate, we know for a fact they are reading at grade level which will open up a whole new world for the students to be successful and become independent learners.
Steve Goldstein: How much does the AIMS test come into play? There are many who don't buy into it.
Lynne Pancrazi: When the AIMS test was put into place and you excelled, you got a full ride scholarship to college and that was an incentive for students to do well on that AIMS test. But you know, teachers can teach to any test you want them to get kids to be able to pass it. But I know in the elementary grades they have dibbles and all of this weekly testing that they do or evaluating they do to make sure that kids are moving in the right direction. To get to where they need to be, which is on grade level. You know? And with this outcome based is looking at education as an investment whereas, right now, we look at education as an expense and that's why I wanted to serve with Chester on this committee, because he and I agree on education as an investment and so that's where I hope we're headed and that's where we're headed, making education an investment for our state and seeing a way we can fund that to make sure every child learns.
Steve Goldstein: Add to that, representative Crandall.
Chester Crandell: She's right, education is an investment and ought to treat it like any other business that we go into. It's an investment, we put money into it, but also pay for the outcome we get. We pay for the product at the end and I think that's the key thing we need to take a look at. Going back to looking at the AIMS test, the AIMS test is written at the sophomore level, of course, we're satisfied with students being at the sophomore level when they get out of school, I think we have some very low expectations of our students being there. Now, you know, the scores and things that are there and how we augment those is something that, you know, a lot of people take a look at and we criticize a lot. I criticize a lot because even though a student excels on the AIMS test in the reading portion of that, you still have students that are going to the university or community college that cannot pass the placement test to be able to enter in and get into the level of classes they should be and then we have remediation to be able to get the students there.
Lynne Pancrazi: Yeah.
Chester Crandell: There's a poor correlation -- there's a poor correlation between what we use as assessment and what's required by the universities and the community colleges to allow our students to be in. And so we need to cross that gap so it's the same.
Lynne Pancrazi: For those listeners that don't understanding, when you go to community college or university, you have to take a placement test before you get to be put in college algebra, before you get put in language arts 101, all of those -- they have a placement test for those if you take the test and don't pass them, you have to take remediation to get to that point. A lot of kids are on scholarship and they use that money for the remediation classes and out of scholarship money when it comes to -- and that's why we're finding a lot of kids are dropping out of the university because they run out of money. By doing this, outcome-based hopefully this will encourage or prevent kids from having to take remediation and the money is drying up -- drawing -- running out. For the community colleges, as far as that money -- we have to do something.
Steve Goldstein: That will have to be the last word. Thank you very much for the great discussion.
Lynne Pancrazi: Thank you.
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201704
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During the two week wait (2ww) you may want to keep busy and stop obsessing. You have done everything trying to get pregnant. You made love regularly, enough and at the right time. But now you are facing the dreaded 2ww.
Many women say that the 2ww feels like it takes forever. Even though their days may be filled with work and other obligations, their mind keeps coming back to wondering and worrying about whether or not they are pregnant.
Here are 50 things to help you stay positive during the 2ww:
Take your daily prenatal vitamins including folic acid Write a daily journal Update your facebook page Don't smoke Don't drink alcohol Set some goals and write them down Make a new budget Write down baby names Make your home green Organize your home Treat yourself to facials and bubble baths Eat healthy - leafy vegetables contain a lot of folic acid Go out and have good food - Once you are pregnant you may not geel like it Drink pineapple juice or fresh pineapple slices - contains selenium which aids with implantation Eat walnuts Use loose clothes: nothing that fits too tight Don't lift anything too heavy Exercise - but in moderation Take long walks Hydrate well - Drink 1 or 2 liters of water each day Enjoy making love - at this point it's for pure fun not baby making If you have to, drink coffee but limit it to 2 cups a day Go out, Try to stay busy so you do not obsess too much Find a good obstetrician Investigate good hospitals Calculate the exact day when your pregnancy test should be positive Watch one DVD a day Send your husband a love letter each day Clean up the refrigerator Get rid of toxic chemicals in your house Take a regular nap - Naps are God's gift to the impatient. Meditate - Do Yoga Spend more time talking to your husband Go out with a girlfriend for some tea Ask your husband to do the vacuuming, dishwasher, laundry, and garbage disposal Practice peeing on a stick - with a Q tip Investigate life insurance Paint your rooms - During pregnancy the smells may drive you crazy Reorganize the kitchen Do some gardening Repot your plants Take the dog for long walks Check the medicine cabinet and throw out old medications Wash the dog Go to a museum - each day a different one Cut coupons Watch for maternity clothes sales Read a good book, or two, or three.. Reorganize your closets
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201704
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February 20, 2003
Under The Knife The Dangers of Heatstrokeclaimed yet another victim in the world of sport, 23-year-old Oriole pitching prospect Steve
Bechler. According to reports, he was a little over halfway through a
run when he stopped and leaned against a fence. He was observed to be pale,
disoriented and complained of nausea. He was taken to the clubhouse by the
Orioles medical staff and subsequently sent by ambulance to a hospital, where
his condition continued to deteriorate and he died the next morning. The
preliminary cause of death was listed as "multiple system organ failure
caused by heatstroke."
Any time a young person dies, it is a tragedy. In Bechler's case, he leaves a young wife expecting their first child in a little over a month.
Steve Bechler wanted to be a professional baseball player because it was what he loved. He had spent five years in the minor leagues, got promoted to the Orioles' roster at the end of the 2002 season, and pitched in the major leagues. That is the dream of any professional baseball player: to make it to the majors. And once a player gets there, he wants to stay there.
Bechler was a promising pitching prospect for the Orioles, but probably would have not been on their roster at the start of the 2003 regular season. He was likely ticketed for Triple-A Ottawa, where he would once again hope to impress the Orioles with his performance. As Spring Training for pitchers and catchers began last week, Bechler had another opportunity to impress those who evaluate talent for the major league team. On Saturday, Mike Hargrove reportedly pulled Bechler out of a run during a "circuit training" drill because he was "laboring and sweating profusely." It is unknown what, if any, treatment he received between that time and when he pulled up during the run on Sunday.
There are a multitude of things that we don't know about Bechler's condition. What we do know is that healthy, young, athletic individuals do not die of natural causes. We know that Bechler passed a pre-participation screening exam, conducted by a licensed physician, prior to beginning Spring Training. We also know that Bechler had undergone an EKG in 1999 that indicated no cardiac pathology.
Why, then, did Bechler die of heatstroke, during a half-mile run, in his first week in Spring Training? An autopsy is currently being conducted which will provide more scientific data, but the entire cause of Bechler's death may never be known.
We do know that Bechler had been battling a weight problem for his entire professional career. His target weight for reporting to Spring Training had been set at 220 pounds; instead, he reported at 242 pounds. Research--and common sense--tells us that the greater the body mass and body surface, the more at risk one becomes for a heat illness. Bechler reportedly took a dietary supplement containing ephedrine in an attempt to lose weight. We know that he had previous heat-related problems, as reported by his parents, but not in his pre-screening. There is also the issue of acclimatization to be considered. Bechler had been in Spring Training in Fort Lauderdale for less than a week. The temperature was 81 degrees and the humidity was 74% when Bechler pulled up during Sunday's half-mile run. One must remember that Bechler was from Oregon, where temperatures and humidity levels during the past several months have been substantially lower than those to which he was exposed in Florida.
Let's examine the risk factors for heatstroke. We spoke with nationally renowned heat illness expert Dr. Douglas Casa of the University of Connecticut. Dr. Casa is the co-author of the National Athletic Trainers Association's Position Statement on Exertional Heat Illness. He detailed many factors that affect heat illness for me. These include overexertion, temperature, humidity, sun exposure, occlusive clothing (it is not unusual for individuals trying to lose weight to exercise while wearing a rubber or plastic jacket), dehydration, lack of acclimatization, concurrent illness such as an upper respiratory infection, and the use of any substance containing ephedrine.
The most important of these, he said, is humidity. "When you're looking at heat load, 70% of it is humidity. It's possible to have a relatively low temperature, but high humidity and be at a significant risk for heat illness." We asked if this put teams training in humid Florida at more of a risk than teams in arid Arizona. "I've never seen any data on that, but it makes sense," he replied.
Heatstroke has been recognized as a true medical emergency. It produces a marked hyperthermia that can cause widespread cellular damage. As stated above, the larger an individual is, the greater his exposure to heat illness will be. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear of heatstroke fatalities at the start of preseason football, in hot, humid areas of the country. Professional football player Korey Stringer suffered a fatal heatstroke during football training camp with the Minnesota Vikings just last year. Normally, an athlete is at risk for the exertional type of heatstroke, where the exogenous heat load (determined by air temperature, humidity and solar radiation) combines with the athlete's metabolism and muscle action to overwhelm the body's thermoregulatory system, creating an uncompensated heat stress. The evaluation at the practice site is usually based on changes in mental status (confusion, disorientation) and a core temperature greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Of these risk factors, the ones that are within the athlete's control are the lack of acclimatization, physical fitness level, overzealous performance (competing above the individual's current level of fitness or ability), dehydration, and the use of substances containing ephedrine.
Acclimatization is the process by which the human body becomes accustomed to physical activity in a new environment, normally one that is hotter and more humid. If the desired level of physical activity is intense, then the acclimatization process can take up to 14 days. The first stage of acclimatization (days one through five) involve improved control of cardiovascular function, including expanded plasma volume, reduced heart rate, and autonomic nervous system habituation, which serves to redirect cardiac output to skin capillary beds and active muscle. In the intermediate stage (days six through eight), the body begins to increase retention of sodium chloride (salt--a factor in retention of electrolyte balance) and a 15-20% reduction in exercising heart rate is accomplished. During the final phase (days nine through 14), the plasma volume expansion begins to decay and is replaced by the longer lasting reduction in skin blood flow that serves to increase central blood volume. Once this has been accomplished, the human body has made the adaptations necessary for healthy performance in the new environment.
Acclimatization should be a scientific process, because we are dealing with the physiology of the human body. Larger athletes--especially those whose cardiovascular fitness level is questionable--and overweight athletes will not acclimatize as rapidly as smaller, more fit individuals. Research has indicated that activity level should be gradually increased during the acclimatization process, limiting strenuous activity to 60-90 minutes per day during the early stages, and that it is best to exercise during the morning or evening hours, when the temperature and humidity are lower than in the heat of mid-day.
Dehydration is another important aspect in heat illness, especially with larger athletes. The key factors are monitoring weight loss, monitoring hydration, and monitoring core body (rectal) temperature. Weight loss is normally monitored by the use of weight charts. The athlete is weighed prior to activity and after activity. The weights are recorded on a chart so that the team physician and certified athletic trainer can determine the athlete's exertion and hydration needs. Loss of as little as 2% of total body weight can lead to premature fatigue and impair mental status; losses greater than 5% can put the athlete at serious risk for heat illness.
Two hours before activity begins, an athlete should drink at least 16 ounces of fluid. During exercise, an athlete should drink at least 10 ounces of fluid every 10 or 20 minutes. After activity, the athlete should drink 24 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight lost through sweat in the activity.
In Bechler's case, it has been reported that the activity consisted of 12-minute circuit exercise bouts with a water break between each bout of exercise. This would seem to be sufficient if he, in fact, drank a sufficient amount of water at each break. Using the accepted medical standards, a man his size should consume approximately 144 ounces of fluid (12+ Cups) during a two-hour period of intense physical activity. This is why water breaks need to be monitored. The thirst reflex cannot be depended upon because it normally leads to ingestion of only 50% of the actual fluid that our body needs during exertional activity.
As to the types of fluids needed for replacement, there are many. Obviously coffee and beer should be avoided because they act as a diuretic, causing additional fluid loss. Water is very good up to the point when the body develops a deficiency in carbohydrate stores and sodium. This author receives no stipend from Gatorade, but has used their product for hydration purposes while working with high school, collegiate and professional athletes with excellent results. Also, their Sports Sciences division is doing some of the top research in the field of hydration and heat injury prevention.
Concurrent illness can play a factor in heat illness. Nobody wants to go on "sick call" because they have slight cold or minor influenza symptoms when they are trying to impress major league administrators (managers, coaches, etc). However, symptoms such as fever and diarrhea can have serious effects on dehydration of the human body and put it at greater risk during physical activity in hot and humid conditions. It should be noted that the southeast United States has recently had a virtual epidemic of these types of influenza symptoms, resulting in some cases of school attendance being 50% or less.
Baseball is sometimes reluctant to let go of some traditions, despite scientific findings. The use of occlusive clothing in the form of "sweat jackets" made of rubber or vinyl has been a mainstay around baseball training camps for years. The idea behind their use is that the athlete will sweat more during activity and therefore lose weight. That much is true. However, the weight being lost is the result of water loss, and that can lead to dehydration. Also, any weight lost in this manner will be regained as soon as the body is rehydrated. Human body heat increases during exercise, but the body is normally able to dissipate heat and cool itself through the process of sweat evaporation. If this heat is trapped under an occlusive garment, then evaporation and normal heat dissipation cannot occur, therefore interfering with the body's thermoregulatory system and putting the athlete at risk for heat illnesses. We truly enjoy going to Florida or Arizona to watch Spring Training, but we cringe every time we see an athlete running in the Florida heat and humidity wearing one of these "sweat jackets."
Preliminary autopsy reports show that Bechler was taking Xenedrine RFA-1, a
thermogenic weight loss product that contains ephedrine. Worse, it appears that
Bechler was taking 50% more than the recommended dose. Ephedrine is commonly
found in supplements that purport to help the user lose weight and/or gain
energy. Creatine is commonly used by athletes who want to increase muscle mass
and strength. The use of these substances is not banned by Major League Baseball
or addressed in the drug testing section of the new CBA. Ephedrine, also
marketed as
The pre-participation physical screening given to Bechler when he reported for
Spring Training will probably come under some scrutiny. It probably should not.
It is easy to say that whatever caused someone's death today should have been
picked up on a physical examination administered a week ago, but that is
certainly not always the case. In this instance, qualified medical personnel
administered the pre-participation screening exam. Usually, this exam consists
of height and weight measurement, body composition measurements, orthopedic
screening for joint conditions, stethoscopic examination of heart and lungs,
general medical screening, and a review of the athlete's medical history.
Athletes who want to make a team or move up in the organization are often
hesitant to mention what they consider to be minor medical problems. In an
interview in the
However, we should learn from tragedy. One of the problems with a
pre-participation screening exam is that it is done "at rest."
Athletes do not perform "at rest." If non-obvious medical conditions
are going to adversely affect the athlete, it is most likely going to occur
during periods of exertion. A stress EKG (treadmill test) would obviously have
given more information regarding the functioning of the athlete's heart and
lungs and about his cardiovascular fitness level. So, why was this not done,
especially with the memory of
The reason most likely is that a large number of athletes were examined in a relatively short period of time. It was reported that Bechler's pre-participation exam lasted 20 minutes. If the stress EKG had been included in the screening exam, the total exam time would probably have been close to one hour per athlete. Despite the added time needed, a more thorough exam would have given the Orioles medical staff a lot more information with which to work. Bechler had an EKG in 1999. We do not have the information as to whether it was a resting or stress EKG, but in either case, it is highly possible that his medical condition has changed in the last four years, especially if he had gained a significant amount of weight during that time. We would think that, given the large monetary investments in professional athletes, it would serve teams' interests to require an annual stress EKG of every player. Professional sports are certainly not alone in this issue. There are high school sport associations in this country that only require one pre-participation screening for an athlete during his/her entire high school career. If one imagines all the changes that can take place during that period of time, then it is extremely easy to understand why some of these young athletes are at extreme risk when competing.
The final issue to be considered in the case of Bechler's death is overzealousness on the part of the athlete. His body had told him the day before when he had to be pulled out of the run that he was not yet fully acclimatized, and that his fitness level was not where it should be for him to be doing the intense physical activity that was part of Spring Training. We have no doubt that Steve pushed himself because he wanted to make the team or at least impress Oriole management so he'd be recalled to the big club later in the year. We don't know if he properly rehydrated himself after the episode on Saturday. We don't know whether in fact he suffered some form of heat illness, such as heat exhaustion on Saturday. But we do know that heat illness can be progressive and that each heat injury episode can damage the body's thermoregulatory system, thus making it more susceptible to subsequent heat illness. We don't know how Bechler felt when he woke up on Sunday morning; maybe he shouldn't have practiced that day, but he wanted to make the team, so there was no way he was going to voluntarily miss a practice. Let's hope that decision is not what caused him to miss the rest of his life.
A key that seems to be missed in all the coverage is how Bechler was treated in the "golden hour" following the onset of heatstroke. We know that his problem was observed immediately--and that within minutes, the medical staff was attending to him and transporting him to the training room. We do not know, however, what steps they followed. According to Dr. Casa, the proper treatment would be to cool the athlete "by any means necessary." The easiest method would be to immerse the athlete in ice water. "Many teams have a simple Rubbermaid tub and ice near the field," said Dr. Casa. "At road races, we've had people literally walk away minutes after treatment." Many trainers, including some we spoke to, worried that an athlete being immersed in cold water would go into shock. Dr. Casa says this should not be a concern. "It's never happened. It's so much more important to cool the athlete as rapidly as possible, but we have no recorded instances of [shock] occurring in this manner."
All of the above is a conjecture based on sports medicine as it is understood today. It has come a long way in the past 20 years thanks to research, but it still has a long way to go before we have all the information available to make athletic competition as safe as possible. There will always be an element of risk because risk is inherent in sport. If we had all the answers right now, it would be too late to help Steve Bechler. With that being said, hopefully we will be able to prevent this tragedy from occurring again. There has reportedly only been one death in major league baseball attributable to heat illness--Bechler's--but that is one too many. Any death is a shame, but it is left to those of us left behind to act. Perhaps baseball will take more notice of educators like Dr. Casa and his work in the field of exertional heat illness as well as taking the simple step of controlling substances such as ephedrine.
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201704
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Once the days start to shorten and the waters start to cool, you have two basic options if you want to catch bass: Fish the flat side of the lake or fish the backs of the coves and the creeks.
If you're on the flat side of the lake, you should be looking for isolated pieces of cover. A stump sitting all by itself on an open flat is a perfect place for a bass to set up a feeding station. The baitfish will be drawn to that stump and will make an easy meal for the bass.
That doesn't mean, however, that the stump must be large or imposing. Get that idea out of your head. A tiny stickup — maybe no more than a quarter of an inch in diameter — is often all it takes to make a feeding spot. For a bass, this time of the year is about eating in anticipation of the coming winter. Nothing else matters.
The backs of the coves and creeks are somewhat different. Often heavy cover is the key to a good bite, and for some reason the bass that migrate into these areas are late-day feeders. By that I mean that the bite is almost always better in the afternoon and evening in these places than it is in the early morning. I'm not sure why, but I've found that to be true everywhere I've fished around the country.
I've often wondered if it has something to do with the plankton and the algae. Maybe it grows or blows into the shallows with the sun and that draws the baitfish into the area. Or it could be that the water is warmer later in the day and that activates everything. Or it could be something we can't even imagine, like the bass migrating out at night and back in during the day.
In the end, the reason for this doesn't matter much to us as anglers. As long as we know where the fish are and when to fish for them, we can catch them if we use the right bait. Why is something to talk about later — like when we're bragging about our great catch over supper at the lodge.
My personal fishing preference is the flat side of the lake. The fish there will bite several Strike King baits. Our Pure Poison swim jig, our top-of-the-line spinnerbaits or our 1.5 and 2.5 square-bill crankbaits are all effective in the fall. I love to pitch one of these baits to isolated pieces of cover and pull them around likely looking spots. It's one of my favorite ways to fish.
But let's not kid ourselves. A jig can be a tremendous flipping or pitching option at this time of the year, too. Normally, I'll lighten up in fall with a 3/8-ounce model. I don't know exactly why, but the slightly smaller bait seems to catch more fish.
At the same time, however, I'm still going with action trailers. I like the Rage Tail Chunk because it has the movement I need to get the bites I want. Another trailer that is just as effective, if not more so, is the Rage Tail Hawg. It's a big, plastic creature bait that fall bass can't resist. It's absolutely one of the most effective fall bass lures I've ever fished with, and I've fished with a lot of them over the years.
Color choice is critical in the fall. My lure colors depend upon the water colors. If the water is dark, I like Texas craw for my jig and black neon for my trailer. If the water's a little clearer — common in many places in the fall — I'll switch my jig to green pumpkin craw and my trailer to watermelon red or green pumpkin.
One final thought: Not all bass move at the same time. Sometimes they seem to move in waves, sometimes as singles. Either way, if you find a good spot, it's likely to be good for a while in September and on into the middle of October. Fish it until it stops producing.
Originally published September 2010
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201704
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Today we will look for the reason behind mutual funds fund managers eagerness in investing in liquid stocks. It is interesting back end process which I thought to share with you.
First let us understand what is liquid stocks? In simple terms to say, liquid stocks are the stocks which have more buyers and sellers. This makes holder of stocks or buyer of stocks to easily either sell or buy it. Now let us understand one more definition called “Impact Cost”. This is not related to the cost what you pay for buying a stock like brokerage, transaction charges or depository charges. But the cost you pay for not finding desired quantity of stocks available in market.
Suppose Mutual Fund company decided to buy 1,00,000 stocks of XYZ company in stock market then usually they will not disclose quantity. Otherwise stock price will raise immediately. Instead what they will do is, look for the ideal price. If currently the best buy (bid) order is at Rs.99 and sell(ask) is at Rs.101. Difference between these two is called bid ask price, which currently is Rs.2. Suppose someone try to buy 100 stocks at 101 and sell immediately at 99 then they will loose Rs.2 for each stock they purchased. Ideal price in above case is considered as Rs.100 which is middle price of best buy and best sell price.
But if mutual fund company not found the desired quantity of 1,00,000 then they need to purchase part by part by considering the ideal price each time. So if the average purchase price of all 1,00,000 raised to Rs.101.50 then the impact cost is calculated as below.
Ideal price (average price between best buy and best sell order) Rs.100 and average price bought is Rs.101.50 Then Impact Cost is
(101.50 – 100)/100 * 100 = 1.50%.
What this 1.50% significe is, mutual fund company paid 1.50% more than the ideal price due to non availability of desired quantity in XYZ stock. If all the 1,00,000 quantity available then the trade might have done at Rs.100 which saved mutual fund company by paying 1.50% more than the ideal price. This additional cost is called Impact Cost.
So more liquid stocks means less Impact Cost where as lesser liquid stocks means higher Impact Cost. This is the main reason why mutual funds always looks for liquid stocks to reduce their Impact Cost.
Impact Cost will play a major role in case of Index Funds. Because Index Funds always replicate the Index which they benchmarked. If they are unable to find the required quantity of Index Stocks then obviously Impact Cost will increase, which will automatically impact on fund performance and deviates more from Index returns.
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201704
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Though we can’t do much to alter the shape and size of our hands or arms, proper care and grooming can keep them attractive. Exercising hands, wrists and fingers kindles blood circulation in those parts and helps maintain their flexibility and suppleness. And as mentioned in the earlier post, it prevents or delays arthritis in your later years. Here are some simple and easy exercises recommended by one of the yoga instructors. Do these in your free time regularly for great looking agile hands.
* Imagine that you have just rinsed your hands in water. Now shake them vigorously to get rid of water. This relaxes the hands and stretches the fingers.
* Clench your fists tightly for a second and then throw open the fingers as wide as possible.
* Put your hands out in front of you, palm down. Press the fingers tightly against each other and then thrust them apart as widely as possible. Do it 6 times,
* Rest each palm on your shoulder and holding thus rotate your arms from the shoulder joint clockwise and anticlockwise 5 times each.
* Place the palms of your hands together, elbows apart as if you were about to pray. Now pressing the hands hard together throw them forward in a rapid jerky movement. Then bring them back to the vertical position again. Keep palms together throughout the whole movement. Repeat it 6 times.
* Hold a pencil between the thumb and first finger of your left hand. Now, without using your right hand twist the pencil between each finger, then back again. Repeat once, then do it with your right hand.
Pic credits:fotosearch.com
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201704
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Letter: Public should be skeptical about transmission line
The proposed Great Northern Transmission Line is in the pre-application stage, and an application to the Minnesota PUC in September 2013 would begin the Certificate of Need. Open houses are being held over the next two weeks. If the developer obtains a Certificate of Need, it would pursue a permit for routing. Phase I would run from the Canadian border to the Blackberry substation east of Grand Rapids, Minn. Phase II, to Duluth, is on hold. It is too early to talk about routes.
Consumers and ratepayers would pay for this high-capacity, high-voltage electrical transmission line. The wasteful development pattern this is part of likely would be a drain on our economy and harmful to the environment.
Developers often lead the public into thinking about routes. This is misleading because the need is what's at issue now and requires public scrutiny.
Developers often ask for public feedback about routes, which require implied choices and approval that divide communities. Route "choice" means, "Would you rather we burned your left hand or right?"
The question is one of need, but Minnesota Power's claim of need is as misleading as the way they handle the public at open houses. If any need exists, then that need should be defined. Minnesota Power hasn't done that. System alternatives to transmission must be considered. What is most cost effective, beneficial, and in the public interest?
Who am I to ask these questions? I am a member of SOUL of Wisconsin, and I've been there. We've participated in transmission proceedings in Wisconsin, and have seen how utilities manipulate information about electric transmission. The public should be skeptical about need -- don't leave it to the Minnesota PUC. Seek out information and become involved.
John Dunn
Mauston, Wis.
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201704
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Affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS University, S.S Nagar, Mysore-570015, India.
Abstract
For many years, improvements have been made in certain attempts for liposomal stability, by several methods, including preparing more stable bi-layers, coating their surface with protecting polymers, and modifying charge. These methods on subjecting to certain changes have led to a novel type of liposomes called proliposomes. Dry, free-flowing particles with a dispersed system that can form a liposomal suspension immediately when in contact with water called Proliposomes. These Proliposomes are as good as or even better than conventional liposomes. Because of their solid properties, the physical stability of liposomes can also be improved upon without influencing their intrinsic characteristics and show more advantages in promoting drug absorption. Therefore, proliposomes would be a potential vehicle to help improve the oral absorption of hydrophobic drugs. The focus of this review is to bring out different aspects related to liposomes, Proliposomes preparation, characterization, entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release, applications and merits.
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201704
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I GUESS THE STORM ISN’T over yet.
Last year, heading out of Natural Products Expo West – a big barometer of the vitality of the entrepreneurial beverage business – it was apparent that the waters were rising. A lockup in lending, declining consumer incomes, and the sheer lack of capital availability meant that investment deals were nowhere on the horizon. A good many emerging companies were battening down the hatches, concentrating on developing sales in core markets and not trying to seek real venture capital or private equity investment.
Money was tight, valuations were down, and the notion of seeking big ducats from investors didn’t seem to fit well with the times.
This year, heading back into Expo West, it seems like there’s some hope that the deal train will start to flow again – money has started to arrive: to small companies like Snow, growing brands like Vita Coco, and in big chunks, like the CCE/Coca-Cola Co., Inc. and PBG/PepsiCo Inc. mergers. As of presstime it even seemed that Jones Soda might finally have found a buyer in the form of the ever-creative Chris Reed.
But even with the worst over, the rain hasn’t stopped. Looking at recent layoffs at a number of innovative brands, including OWater, Steaz, BAWLS and Function – all of which featured veteran leadership and clever marketing approaches – it’s apparent that investors aren’t just sitting on the sidelines. If the sales numbers aren’t there, particularly in relation to the money they’ve put in, investors are starting to look askance at their portfolio companies’ performance.
So what does that mean for retailers and distributors? For evolving brands, supply and support need to remain constant – if not, it’s a warning sign that checks aren’t clearing and resources are stretched thin. But it’s also important to remember that if those companies are getting hurt, getting rid of them might not clear the way for a new generation of new beverages; if experienced operations find their resources stretched thin, the next wave might not be getting any growth capital at all.
One of the main areas of concern, according to one investor, is that consumers – much like investors – are tired of companies that don’t deliver on their potential.
“There are a number of products that just haven’t worked,” he said, “and a lot of retailers and investors are staying away from the next new thing.”
That might be so, but hard times can have negative impacts on brands before they have a chance to catch on. It’s another side to a down economy’s effect on innovation – it doesn’t just stifle new enterprises, it cuts the oxygen to growing ones, as well.
And that means that it might just be better to stick with the slow-growing – or even backsliding – brand while waiting for the next crop to arrive. Call it a double dip, a “V”-shape, a fallback. Whatever you do, though, don’t hang a struggling brand out to dry if it’s still raining – the new seeds might wash away, as well.
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201704
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Hippocampus kenneth paul collins KPCollins at postoffice.worldnet.att.net Thu Oct 17 17:23:28 EST 1996 Ron Blue wrote:
>
> > I for one was very interested to read the post from the hippocampal patient
> > (perhaps sufficiently to postpone my unsubscription from this group for
> > a while!). The emotional affects were interesting -- a classical medial
> > temporal-lobe lesion. (Note for those not familiar with the literature:
> > the emotional effects of such lesions are now thought to be due to
> > amygdala damage during a surgical lesion).
> A recent article in either Science or Nature sorry I don't remember
> which one discussed that there was up to a 10 percent lost in
> hippocampal mass in people who were chronically depressed. One side
> was more involved than the other for the lost. It was speculated
> that GCH caused the deterioration since similar lost was reported
> in Post-tramatic stress syndrome. Ron Blue
...I saw something on this in _Nature_... "depression" constitutes a condition in
which there is increased "randomenss" within neural activation "states"... such
results, for instance, when one experiences the loss of a loved one... the
absence of the familiar stimulation that the loved one constituted "renders
useless" all of the microscopic trophic modifications that developed as a result
of former snesory experience driven by the loved one's presence... when
their familiar sensory correlates no longer exist, these micro mods begin to
dis_integrate, and this allows neural activation states to "go random" a bit...
and since the brain has mechanisms which actively seek to eliminate
such randomness, and since neurons survive as a function of the activation that
they actually experience, as the randomness is eliminated, neurons die off...
...the outward manifestations of "depression" are due to the way our brains are
"engineered" to "quietly mask" the "storm within" so that our behavior will not
provoke others to "move-away-from", or to attack, us... the main thing is the
pyisical restructuring that's going on within the brain as the micro mods that
have been rendered useless are dis_integrating...
...the tissue loss actually forms a "negative image" of the now-rendered-usless
stuff...
...this terribly-costly effect occurs as a function of "learned helplessness"
acquired during prior experience... folks learn to exist "trapped" within the
dynamics of rendering useless... it can be ameliorated through a shared
understanding of the underlying dynamics... such understanding throws open the
jaws of the trap, allowing the individual to escape with =cherished= memories,
all intheir place, their usefulness transformed a bit, but never-the-less,
intact... ken collins
_____________________________________________________
People hate because they fear, and they fear because
they do not understand, and they do not understand
because hating is less work than understanding.
More information about the Neur-scimailing list
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201704
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Comparison of hypertension treatment on and off the worksite.
MedLine Citation:
PMID: 2258864 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A survey was carried out in two plants in Haifa, Israel on the prevalence of treated and controlled hypertension. In both plants hypertension treatment was being carried out by family physicians at regular family clinics. In factory A, after screening, a programme of follow-up and treatment by the plant doctor and nurse was introduced. In factory B all hypertensives continued to be referred to their family physician for treatment and follow-up. One year later all previously detected hypertensives were reassessed. The percentage of treated hypertensives had increased from 70.9% to 100% in factory A, and from 55.0% to 62.1% in factory B. The percentage of controlled hypertensives among those treated had increased from 52.7% to 83.7% in factory A, and from 28.0% to 38.9% in factory B. Thus, the percentage of all hypertensives who were controlled increased from 37.3% to 83.7% in Factory A and from 15.4% to 24.1% in Factory B. The introduction of on-site treatment and follow-up of hypertension by a doctor-nurse team was associated with marked improvement of all aspects of hypertensive care.
Authors:
L Djerassi; D S Silverberg; H Goldblatt; A Goldberg; V Porat
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Publication Detail:
Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article
Journal Detail:
Title: Journal of human hypertension Volume: 4 ISSN: 0950-9240 ISO Abbreviation: J Hum Hypertens Publication Date: 1990 Aug
Date Detail:
Created Date: 1991-01-31 Completed Date: 1991-01-31 Revised Date: 2006-11-15
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID: 8811625 Medline TA: J Hum Hypertens Country: ENGLAND
Other Details:
Languages: eng Pagination: 322-5 Citation Subset: IM
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Medicine, Kupat Holim of the Histadrut Labor Union, Haifa.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Family Practice
Humans
Hypertension / diagnosis, prevention & control, therapy*
Israel
Mass Screening
Occupational Health Services*
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document:The impact of a planned health education approach on the control of hypertension in a high risk popu... Next Document:Hypertension: a survey of 7000 Air France employees.
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201704
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MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crux Biomedical announced that a recently completed pivotal trial of its innovative Crux Vena Cava Filter (VCF) System with bi-directional retrieval was presented at the 2012 Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting (March 24-29, San Francisco). Vena cava filters are designed to trap blood clots that can lead to potentially fatal pulmonary embolisms (PE) among patients at risk. In the study, deployment and retrieval each were achieved with a 98% success rate.
By obstructing the blood flow through the lungs, PE cause difficulty breathing, chest pain and palpitations. Each year in the United States, approximately 600,000 patients develop PE and an estimated 200,000 deaths occur.
The primary means of prevention and therapy of PE is systemic administration of anticoagulant agents, but is contraindicated in many patients. These patients require alternate treatments to reduce the ongoing PE risk, including vena cava filters – small devices that are inserted in the inferior vena cava, the main blood vessel returning blood from the lower part of the body to the heart, to prevent blood clots from reaching the lungs.
The Crux Biomedical VCF was designed to address the limitations of currently available VCFs, including perforation, migration and inability to retrieve. "Crux designed a device that is both more versatile and simple to use," stated Tom Fogarty, M.D., noted cardiovascular surgeon and founder of Crux Biomedical.
“The Crux device demonstrated an excellent safety profile,” stated Robert R. Mendes, M.D., Principal Investigator of the study; Associate Professor of Surgery, University of North Carolina; and Chief of Vascular Surgery, Rex UNC Healthcare. “The clinical study evaluation has demonstrated the Crux VCF System device can be used safely for the prevention of recurrent PE.”
The recently completed pivotal trial, known as the RETRIEVE Clinical Study, was a prospective, single-arm, multinational investigational study to assess the safety, performance, and efficacy of the Crux VCF System as both a retrievable and a permanent device. The trial included 125 patients at high risk for PE and was performed at 22 centers in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Belgium.
In the study, the technical success rate of filter deployment was 98 percent; filter retrieval success was also 98 percent. The average retrieval time was 7 minutes, with the femoral approach used for retrieval in 70% of cases. By the 6-month follow up of the study (CONFIRM), no embolizations, migrations, or fractures were observed.
The presentation at the SIR 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting, titled “The Results of the Crux Vena Cava Filter RETRIEVE Trial” was authored by Robert R. Mendes, M.D., and was presented on Sunday, March 25 at 11:50 am Pacific Time during the IVC Filters Scientific Session in the Moscone Center, Room 122.
The Crux VCF has received CE Mark approval for commercial use in the European Union. The System is being studied in the United States under an approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Study. 510(k) Clearance for commercial distribution in the U.S. is pending.
Crux Biomedical is located in Menlo Park, California and is focused on developing improved therapies for the human vasculature. It is funded by Alloy Ventures, Three Arch Partners, Emergent Medical Partners and Thomas Fogarty, M.D. Additional information is available at www.cruxbiomedical.com.
Contacts
For Crux Biomedical
Ed Stevens, 727-327-3396
estevens3@tampabay.rr.com
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201704
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Find more acupuncture images in the Acupuncture Gallery.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical tradition, believed to date back to around 200BC. The earliest written reference to acupuncture is in the Yellow Emperor's book of medicine, the
Nei Jing.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into different parts of the body. These are believed to influence the
Qi, or 'life force', that runs through invisible channels throughout the body. Acupuncturists must place the needles into specific points, known as acupoints. The acupoints are thought to form patterns in the body like constellations in the night sky.
Drawing on classical Taoist philosophy, acupuncturists believe that illness is caused when the body's
yin and yang elements become imbalanced . The word Yin refers to material substance, while the word Yang signifies formless energy. According to acupuncturists, the body should create a natural balance between both yin and yang, but if an imbalance does occur, acupuncture can help to re-work the balance.
The body's acupoints are said to run along 12 main meridians (channels) known as
cheng ching (regular tracts). The cheng ching lie in tissues beneath the surface of the skin and run between the hands, feet, abdomen and head. Each of the cheng ching connects to 12 organs via an intricate system of lo (small branches) and of ching pieh (cross-channels). Central to the practice is the idea that the natural systems of the external world are reflected in the body's interior. Chinese texts compare this inner system of the body to the connections between oceans, rivers, lakes and canals. While traditional Western conceptions of the body do not directly correspond with the forms of the acupoints and meridians, Western doctors recognise that the manipulation of the larger nerve fibres can be used to block pain.
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201704
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Have you set a resolution to get into the best shape of your life, but can't afford a gym membership, or you simply shy away from a room packed full of treadmills, ellipticals, and free weights? Don't worry—not going to a gym doesn't spell disaster. You can still achieve your goals from the comfort of your own home.
The nice thing about home workouts is that they're high on the convenience factor. Whether you have kids and don't want to hire a sitter, or your schedule is just too hectic and that drive time to and from the gym isn't possible, a home workout solves most dilemmas. Not to mention, it eliminates any excuse for not working out.
Go Big, Stay Home
People often believe that home workouts are only for those who are just starting out, but that's not true.
Here are three at-home workouts designed by IFFB figure pro Jessie Hilgenberg and fitness and bikini model Lais DeLeon. They're broken down by experience level, so whether you're green to weightlifting or consider yourself a seasoned vet, you can get great results—no matter how busy your life.
These workouts require no more than a resistance band, a set of dumbbells, and the occasional pull-up bar. Pressed for time? No problem. They can be done in 30 minutes or less. Just remember to stay accountable.
Because motivation can tend to wane when you're at home and could easily browse the Internet or channel surf, it's important to schedule your home workouts just as you would any other workout session. Make an appointment with yourself—preferably at the same time each day or week to get in the groove and maintain accountability. Once you surpass the three-week hump, you won't even consider skipping your sweat session.
Also remember to add variety to your workout by changing up your exercises or rep schemes. A limited array of equipment might mean you have fewer exercises to choose from, but it doesn't mean you have to do the same workout day in and day out.
Don't fall into the trap of monotony. Instead, focus on introducing bands, dumbbells, and body-training splits into your workout. Try an upper/lower-body plan for a few weeks, then feel free to change to a full-body plan to help shock the muscles and keep them responding. The more variety you can include as you progress, the better.
Be sure to perform a light warm-up before each workout and finish off with some stretching at the end. Don't skip this. What you do today to help increase your flexibly will help improve your performance for tomorrow's workout session!
Beginner At-Home Workout Program
During the initial stages of a beginner workout, focus on getting form down pat. Now is not the time to lift very heavy; it's the time to perfect your exercise execution.
"Keep the weight in your heels during the exercises for the leg and back," advises Hilgenberg. "This will help target your glutes and hamstrings during the leg exercises and keep your posture and form correct."
Jessie also recommends that you alternate between having your toes pointed out, in, and straight ahead during calf exercises. This will help to stress the calves from different angles, sparking greater progress.
Plie Dumbbell Squat
When it comes to training your upper body, form is still essential. "During your biceps curl exercises, keep your upper arms directly by the sides of your torso without squeezing them inward," Jessie says. "This will keep your elbows stable during the exercise."
This program includes three workouts per week, so take at least one day of rest between sessions!
Intermediate At-Home Workout Program
Once you're ready to move to the intermediate level, it's time to elevate the intensity. This program, developed by Lais, has you hitting your body from all angles.
You'll use a band for resistance, adding an extra element of challenge. Bands do a great job at keeping constant tension on the muscle tissues throughout the movement, so this will really help build higher levels of strength.
This routine includes two workouts per week, so hit these sessions at least once each, and up to two times each per week. Your weekly routine could look something like this: lower body, upper body, rest, lower body, upper body, followed by two more rest days.
Push-up Advanced At-Home Workout Program
Once you're ready to move onto advanced workouts, it's time to up the volume. This protocol designed by Jessie has you doing four sets per exercise, allowing you to really stress your muscles to full capacity. You'll also introduce single-leg exercises, which recruit more total core muscle fibers.
"Go slow during the exercises and focus on balance, stability, and using perfect form on the single-leg moves," Hilgenberg advises.
One-arm dumbbell row
Another quick tip Jessie has pertains to that one movement most women have trouble with: pull-ups. For this upper-body killer, she suggests keeping your elbows directly at the sides of your torso. "This will ensure you use more of your back and less of your arms," she explains.
Just like Hilgenberg's first routine, hit these workouts at least once each per week. If you really want to turn up the heat, complete each workout twice per week!
Side lateral raise Efficient At-Home Cardio Workout
No matter your skill level, this AMRAP-style workout (which stands for "as many rounds as possible") will challenge you. Complete each of the following exercises and repeat, resting only when necessary. See how many rounds you can complete in 15 minutes. Don't let the lack of equipment fool you. "It's short but brutal," explains DeLeon. "Try it!"
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201704
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Training
When first getting into bodybuilding, people will often copy the workouts done by pro bodybuilders or do set after set of isolation exercises. In the quest to gain quality muscle, I feel there is a much more efficient way to build your bodybuilding foundation.
Below is a 4-day split, and a variation to its setup, that I feel anyone would benefit from, but especially beginner bodybuilders. Alternate each exercise after each set with a rest of 60-90 seconds in between.
Beginning Bodybuilding Articles: Setup #1:
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
The reasoning behind this program is simple; we are sticking to the main compound lifts. The main goals are to increase strength and muscle mass. The routine is separated into "heavy" and "light" days with Monday and Friday being "heavy" and Tuesday and Friday being "light."
This setup allows you to have more time between your heavy workouts, allowing for better recovery. Alternating between sets, not supersetting, but rather resting between alternating exercises allows each muscle to recover more between sets without wasting time.
Setup #2:
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
The difference between setup #1 and #2 is both squats and deadlifts are done in the 4-6 rep range. Because both squats and deadlifts are such great mass builders, one would benefit from training heavy on both exercises. Workout Nutrition
Dextrose, dextrose, DEXTROSE! NO!!! I do not recommend dextrose to bodybuilders (except for some ectomorphs, aka hardgainers). The reasoning behind this is the large, rapid spike in insulin can lead to fat gain. As bodybuilders, we want to add muscle and lose fat. I do not think one should gain a large amount of fat for the sake of gaining muscle.
Pre-Workout:
Instead, I recommend getting a solid food meal 60-90 minutes pre-workout, consisting of a low-glycemic carb source such as oatmeal and whey protein. 1 Cup Oatmeal 1 Cup Skim Milk 1 Scoop Chocolate SciVation Whey 2 TBSP Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter My Current Pre-workout Meal Is:
I mix all of this together in a bowl (the oatmeal is uncooked) then eat it. It tastes similar to those no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, obviously not as sweet though.
Workout Nutrition:
Next comes what I call "workout nutrition" aka pre/during/post-workout nutrition. Here, again, no dextrose and actually no carbs. The carbs from your last meal with be enough to provide the needed muscle and blood glucose for your workout. Here we opt for whey protein and free-form BCAA.
I recommend 0.5 Scoops Whey per 75 pounds and 1 scoop of Xtend per 20 pounds bodyweight. In order to save money, you can only use Xtend during your workouts and none on off days.
WHEY/XTEND CALCULATOR
My Workout Nutrition Is:
Post-Workout:
Finally we have post-workout nutrition. I recommend waiting 30 minutes after your workout and eating another solid food meal. Finish up whatever Xtend (if any) you have left over. If your main goal is to add mass, this meal should contain protein, carbs, and fat. An Example Meal Would Be:
RELATED VIDEO
Wrapping Things Up
There you have it, a solid routine to get your started and a workout nutrition setup that will enhance recovery and growth. If you have any questions, email me using the e-mail address below.
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201704
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The circumstances surrounding the city of Boulder’s purchase of Valmont Butte are suspect, at best. At worst, fraudulent.
The purchase was supported by information that was either intentionally misleading or woefully incomplete. Not only was the deal brokered by a private third party, which is rare itself, but the full, sordid history of the contaminated property appears to have been hidden from city council, and perhaps certain city staff members.
Piecing together the truth about who knew what, and when, is a challenge, especially considering that the past 12 years have left gaps: faded memories and shoddy record-keeping.
We do know that the Valmont Butte Corporation paid $700,000 for the 103-acre property in 1994, then turned around and sold it to the city six years later for more than $2.5 million.
We have also demonstrated in this series that the condition of the property, as represented to city and state officials by that corporation, turned out to be either inaccurate or based on assumptions that proved false. For one thing, it turned out that there
was groundwater at the site, despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s mishandled attempts to dig monitoring wells in the mid-1980s. And contamination had, indeed, left the property, in the form of polluted tailings pond water being pumped for decades into adjacent Public Service Company lakes (which drain into Boulder Creek), airborne contaminants blown both north and south by the wind and, by all appearances and according to statements by property owners and even a belated confession by a state official, groundwater migrated northward into residential drinking water wells.
Longtime mill operator Tom Hendricks says the Valmont Butte Corporation used a front-loader to cover over a couple of lead pits, of which there seems to be no written record. In fact, it appears that neither the EPA or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment were even aware that Allied Chemical’s Valmont Butte site was not only a fluorspar mill, but also a lead and zinc operation which has, to this day, never been addressed or remediated.
Even one of the city’s own attorneys acknowledges that the Valmont Butte Corporation did not do an adequate job of capping the primary tailings pond at the site.
Still, the Valmont Butte Corp. convinced the CDPHE that it had done enough remediation to warrant the termination of the radioactive materials license that had been active at the property for nearly 30 years.
When the state lifted the radioactive materials license and approved covenants for future use of the property, it cleared the way for city officials to begin coveting the parcel as the future home of a firefighting training center and a biosolids processing facility (a place where the city’s human waste could be converted into agricultural fertilizer).
An apropos use for what has turned out to be a crappy deal, especially for the taxpayers who are left footing the bill for a property where remediation is now costing the city at least as much as the original purchase price.
* * * *
Boulder Weekly asked city council members who were serving at the time of the purchase to reflect on the decision. Their responses ranged from spotty recollections to realizations that buying the property was a mistake, and that the council wasn’t given all of the material it needed to make an informed decision.
Several say they don’t recall much, if any, discussion about the acquisition.
“I would have probably been relying on the agenda packets for information,” says Don Mock, who served on the council in 2000.
If that’s the case, he and other council members who said the same thing didn’t know much about the site’s contamination history. The five-page memo that apparently served as the council’s only background on the property primarily discusses the need for a biosolids treatment facility and new firefighter training center, and the desire to preserve a small portion of Valmont Butte as open space. It goes into detail about why the site would be ideal for the aforementioned purposes, why it was a good deal (75 cents per square foot for the “usable” portion of the property) and how the purchase would be funded.
The only section that even mentions possible contamination simply outlines development restrictions placed on the property by the state and Valmont Butte Corporation, including the need to keep radon gas levels from exceeding EPA guidelines. There is a brief description of the property’s milling history, a passing acknowledgment that there were “tailings containing naturally occurring radioactive materials” and an assertion that the primary tailings pond had been “capped and stabilized.”
No mention of the city dumping truckloads of radium-contaminated soil at the site in 1971. No mention that this act most likely had put the city on the hook for at least a portion of the ultimate cleanup cost of the site, whether it owned the property or not. No mention of contaminated drinking wells north of the property. No mention of millions and possibly billions of gallons of polluted tailings water having been pumped into Public Service Company’s lakes over a 30-year period. Not a word about how the property had missed being added to the EPA’s Superfund National Priority List by less than a point. In fact, the council wasn’t even told that at the time it was asked to buy the property, the Valmont Butte site was listed in the EPA CERCLIS Superfund database, meaning that the agency could reassess the site at any time and demand millions or even tens of millions of dollars worth of remediation.
Surely the council was told at least some of this critical information that was known to staff prior to the purchase. Unfortunately, the city’s records department was unable to find any mention of Valmont Butte during the months leading up to the purchase in any agendas or minutes from council study sessions, advisory groups, boards or commissions.
And the first three of the four audio cassettes used to record the Aug. 15, 2000, city council meeting where the purchase was approved are mysteriously missing from the records department. Not that they would have contained any discussion of the decision, since the Valmont Butte purchase was listed on the “consent agenda,” which is a collection of items that the council votes to approve as a package because they are perceived to be of little or no consequence, requiring only a quick rubber stamp by council.
Finally, a
Boulder Weekly search of the city’s computer files turned up a passing reference to a proposed biosolids composting operation in the April 17, 2000, minutes of the city’s Water Resources Advisory Board. And there was a short discussion of the purchase by the Open Space Board of Trustees at a meeting held six days before the council vote. According to minutes from that meeting, Wally Cameron, real estate manager for Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), didn’t mention contamination at the site. Board member Chris Mueller asked about public use of the area, and Cameron replied that “it does not lend itself to much use, and no trail is planned,” according to the minutes.
Most citizens who spoke during the comment period that followed expressed concerns about the fire/public works uses proposed for the land. One speaker, fourth-generation Valmont resident Leann McGinty, told the board she was “concerned about using Valmont as a dumping ground,” adding that “the water has been contaminated over the years, and is no longer drinkable.”
Cameron assured the speakers that there would be a public process to properly vet the proposed uses.
And that was it. All pertinent information concerning the contamination at Valmont as known at the time and contained in the public records of the county, state and EPA appear to have been withheld from council.
* * * *
Aside from the lack of public discussion about the purchase, and the lack of information provided to council, there are other irregularities about the property’s purchase: City officials didn’t have an appraisal done on the property, and they had a third party, Western Disposal, negotiate the deal with Valmont Butte Corporation.
Former city staff members involved in the transaction say it was common to not have an appraisal done before buying property, because the open space department had an entire division devoted to real estate acquisition and assessing the value of parcels of land.
As for having a third party like Western negotiate the Valmont purchase, former city attorney Joe de Raismes denied that it ever happened.
“That would not be right,” he said.
“Western never helped us with an acquisition in my 24 years as city attorney. They may well have held an option and assigned it to us. But we do not negotiate through private entities. It was not our practice.”
But
Boulder Weekly obtained a copy of an April 6, 2000, letter of intent between the city and Western. It is not an assignment of an option, it is an agreement directing Western to “undertake reasonably diligent efforts to obtain a contract for the purchase of the Valmont Property with Valmont Butte Corporation.” According to the agreement, Western would use 20-35 acres on the east end of the property for its own purposes, including the joint venture with the city to build and operate the biosolids composting facility. The agreement also refers to a 1998 letter of intent between the two parties to acquire a nearby Public Service property.
In yet another curious turn, the city records department was unable to find a copy of that agreement.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect to the April 6, 2000, agreement is that it says if both the Public Service and Valmont properties are contracted for purchase, the city can choose which of the properties it wants.
Western Disposal President Gary Horton tells
Boulder Weekly that he primarily worked with de Raismes on the agreements. In the late 1990s, Horton explains, his company and the city were both looking for land. Western needed open areas to store materials such as downed tree branches, and the city was looking for a new home for Eco-Cycle. He says Western took the lead in pursuing deals for the Public Service and Valmont properties because of a feeling that Western could negotiate a lower purchase price. (After all, Western is a private entity, not a city with a large budget.) According to Horton, the tactic may have saved Boulder some money when it came to Valmont.
“I think we bought that property for a million less than he was asking for,” Horton says, referring to the late Tim Smith of the Valmont Butte Corporation. (His brother, Tony Smith, did not return calls from
Boulder Weekly.)
When it was time to choose between Valmont Butte and the Public Service parcel at 2655 63rd St., the city selected Valmont, and Western took the Public Service land, giving up its claim to the eastern part of the butte. According to Horton, the fact that the city was potentially liable for dumping radioactive soil at Valmont Butte in 1971 was widely known at the time.
“If I knew it, it was pretty common knowledge,” he says.
In fact, the covenants attached to the property in 1999 describe the 1971 dumping, even though it says the pit was placed in the primary tailings pond and capped, one of several inaccuracies in the document.
But the knowledge of that contamination may have played a role in why the city chose the Valmont site. After all, if it was already responsible for some of the pollution, the city “didn’t worsen their position by buying it,” Horton explains, adding that city officials were under the impression that the property had been properly remediated. “They had a letter from the state saying they had done what they needed to do.”
He adds, “About the decision about who got which piece of land, I think the city chose the butte, and they did so because of their previous contributions to the tailings on the site.”
De Raismes has a different version.
He says he had no knowledge of the city’s 1971 contribution to the site’s contamination.
“I don’t personally recall anything about the city dumping radioactive soil,” he tells
Boulder Weekly. “Why would you even have radioactive soil? We don’t have any radioactive things. I don’t know anything about it.”
When informed of Horton’s recollection, de Raismes continues, “That’s his perception. I don’t have that perception, or not, I just don’t know. I don’t actually share Gary’s view about that, but that’s just my personal view.”
When asked about city officials’ knowledge of the extent of contamination at the site, de Raismes says, “I do remember discussion on the necessities of remediation. … I remember that somebody, not me, studied and decided, obviously, in retrospect, in error, that it was not a significant risk because it had already been remediated. Certainly liability was one of the issues considered.”
He says city officials knew that the city would be at least partially liable for cleanup at the site, solely due to the fact that it was buying the property, not because of any past dumping there.
“Everybody knew we would be on the hook for future remediation,” de Raismes says. “That’s just the way the law is. You can’t fix that. When you buy land, you take on a portion of the liability, as a potential liable party. And so, a judgment had to be made about how significant that danger was, compared to our desire for the land.”
He acknowledges, however, that city officials were under the mistaken impression that the primary tailings pond had been properly capped. De Raismes says he recalls discussing “that there was radioactive soil from the mill which was covered over by an impermeable clay cap, and therefore had been found to be fully remediated by the state. Obviously, that was not true, because later this prairie dog infiltration was discovered. I know that the city worked hard at it. Whether they did enough work is easy to question, in hindsight.”
When asked why the city council would be asked to approve the purchase more than a month before an environmental assessment was completed, de Raismes says that more important than the timing of the council vote would have been to ensure that the assessment was done before the closing.
“It would be crazy to do it any other way, frankly,” he says.
According to the city’s own timeline, the purchase of the site was completed on Aug. 28, 13 days after the council’s vote. The county assessor’s office shows deeds for the property dated Sept. 5 and Sept. 6.
The environmental site assessment was not completed until Sept. 18.
* * * *
When asked whether it was common to use a third party like Western to purchase property, former open space director Jim Crain says, “I’m really not going to comment about that particular thing, because I really don’t recall enough about it.”
He also says he doesn’t remember knowing that the property was contaminated, and declines to comment further.
Cameron, the OSMP real estate manager, maintains that city officials did sufficient due diligence before the purchase.
When asked about using Western to negotiate the deal, “we didn’t do that very often,” Cameron acknowledges. “We were worried about what it was worth, as I recall, and one of the best ways to determine the value is if a knowledgeable seller and buyer come together on a price, so that’s why we used Western.”
He adds that there was “nothing under the table or anything like that,” city officials just thought it would be best to use a third party so that they wouldn’t be accused of “sweet-hearting the deal for anybody.”
Cameron adds that city officials thought that the Valmont Butte Corp. had “capped the nasty stuff. What the city could use it for was perfect, as long as we could be convinced that it was no longer a danger. As I recall, we were convinced of that.”
He says he doesn’t recall knowing about the city’s 1971 dumping at the site, either.
“The city attorney’s office was very aware of what was going on there,” Cameron says. “We were under their guidance the whole time, to make sure we did this in a proper manner. Joe de Raismes was very aware of what was occurring there, why we were buying it, what the problems were, and what we had to do to make sure we weren’t buying a problem.
“In my opinion, we did a good job for the city users in getting that property ready to go, and it was unfortunate that it didn’t work out for those purposes,” he adds. “I remember that at the time, we were pretty certain, for what we were going to use it for, it was perfectly OK. … We investigated it, as I recall, and everyone was comfortable that what we were going to use it for was perfectly safe.”
Indeed, maybe if the city had stuck with its original plans, the primary tailings pond would have a semblance of a cap today. Plans called for constructing a building there, with much of the remainder covered in concrete for a driver training area. Some say pavement would have kept water out more effectively than the layer of various-sized rocks currently planned as a prairie dog deterrent.
Longtime Boulder Fire Chief Larry Donner, who was involved in the discussions at the time, still thinks the property would have been well-suited for a fire training center — and that project might have actually saved the city some money.
“My perspective is, had we continued with the original plan, the cost would not have spiraled, and it would’ve been a good location,” he says. “And that didn’t happen. The original plan would’ve addressed the concerns in a less costly manner.”
(The covenants on the property may have precluded the fire training center, since no water infiltration or accumulations were permitted at the site.)
Donner adds that city officials were well aware of all the contamination there, including the city’s own radioactive soils from 1971.
“We had a complete report on what was in there,” he says.
* * * *
Several former city council members contacted by
Boulder Weekly now say they would have voted differently, knowing what they know now.
“I have to say, I don’t believe we were given a lot of the information about the contamination,” says Francoise Poinsatte, who was on council at the time and wonders if she missed the meeting where the deal was discussed.
But according to city records, there wasn’t one.
She says her reaction later was, “Oh my gosh, what did we do?” “I can tell you right now, I would not have voted for that purchase,” Poinsatte says. “I don’t think we had a notion … that it was even contaminated. I don’t think we would have bought something that we thought was going to be a huge headache for us down the line.”
“I really don’t remember that we were told it was a contaminated site,” says longtime council member Lisa Morzel, adding that she probably would have voted against the purchase if she had to do it over again, given the funds that the city is spending on the property. She also says any issues not being addressed by the city’s current remediation plan warrant further attention.
“There are some problems with groundwater contamination, and those do need to be addressed,” says Morzel, a professional geologist. “We’re discouraged to micromanage too much on the city council level. … But it doesn’t matter whose poop it is, it needs to get cleaned up properly. So I think not to do so is not being responsible.
“I think, if the thing is affecting properties off site, that’s a real issue,” she continues. “It’s like if you drop a piece of paper or come across a can, do you pick it up, or do you walk over it?” Former councilmember Rich Lopez explains, “If there’s a claim that the contamination has never left the property, and you subsequently discover that, in fact, it has, and you can trace it, obviously that assertion is not correct. Had we known that at the time, our actions might have been different. … We work with the information we have at the time.”
Some suggest that city staff could have done more homework on the property.
“It’s kind of beyond the purview of council to go do that kind of due diligence, that ‘let-the-buyer-beware’ due diligence,” Poinsatte says, adding that there seemed to be some urgency about jumping on the deal, like “we have to grab it now or somebody else will get it.”
“This is one of those things that’s bothered me over the years, I have to tell you,” she continues. “Like, oh, God, we should have avoided that, and I would accept responsibility. Probably it’s a lesson that you should not get all optimistic, you have to still sit back and ask the right questions.
“It’s pretty obvious this was a case of the city not doing due diligence,” Poinsatte says, calling it a “horrible learning lesson.”
“You rely on your staff to bring forward information that’s accurate,” Lopez adds. “As a council member, you can’t go out there and dig around yourself, because A, you don’t have the knowledge, and B, you wouldn’t know what you were looking at when you saw it. You rely on your staff and the experts to bring forward information with which to make a decision.”
He stopped short of suggesting that city staff didn’t do an adequate job in this case.
“The council relies on staff to gather the information and present it and take questions,” says former councilmember Dan Corson. “Knowing what you know today, it was fraught with problems, and I think that the vote probably would have been different.”
Corson, like the others, was hazy about whether council knew about the 1971 dumping at the site.
“I don’t know what I was aware of,” he says. “I don’t think so, but I can’t tell you. I mean, I would’ve thought that it would’ve prompted questions if we had known it.”
“I’m guessing it didn’t look like a risky purchase,” Lopez says. “It didn’t seem like we were going in and buying a land mine.”
And knowing then what he knows now?
“I think we would’ve probably taken a longer, harder look at it, probably had some hearings and try to determine whether the benefits of acquiring it, albeit with all these risks and concerns, outweighed just passing on it,” Lopez says. “The problem doesn’t go away. If we contributed to the problem, we have an obligation to remediate.”
“l know we had discussions about the contamination history, and there was information presented that suggested it was unlikely to be a significant problem,” says County Commissioner Will Toor, who was Boulder mayor at the time. “Whether the information we got at that time covered everything we needed to know, it would be hard for me to answer without looking at all the information available now and seeing whether there was information that should have been available that we didn’t get. We clearly were not anticipating having to do that type of remediation, and I think if we had understood that we would have to put that type of investment into remediation, we would have been unlikely to acquire the property.”
* * * *
In 2009, when the EPA was attempting to determine who was responsible for contamination at the site, it sent a list of questions to interrogate each party that may have had a hand in polluting the property.
In their response to the EPA, city of Boulder officials opened with a long list of objections, even to the agency’s definition of simple terms like “identify” and “document” that were used in the questionnaire.
Among the questions the EPA asked the city was to “describe all investigations of the Site you undertook prior to acquiring the Site.” As they did with virtually every question, city officials began their response by reiterating their various objections, fighting tooth and nail to avoid liability for the problem they bought. Their response to that question, in part, was, “Without waiving its objections, the City states that a good deal of information about the Site and its history is publicly available and was known to the City prior to its acquisition of the Site.”
So here, when pressed, city staff acknowledge that they did know more than they revealed to council.
Today, perhaps city officials should reassess their denial-based approach and acknowledge that mistakes were made, and that contamination could indeed be spreading off the site today and in the future, as it has in the past.
And perhaps the lesson of Valmont Butte should serve as a model of how
not to acquire public property. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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201704
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In the fights against big tobacco and for public health, medical professionals warned the public that cigarette smokers weren't just hurting themselves when they lit up. Their children and others in their home were exposed to secondhand smoke, which is also associated with negative health consequences.
While it is far less common than cigarette smoking, exposure to asbestos can occur in a similar way. Many cases of mesothelioma occur because a person was previously exposed to asbestos on the job. But if asbestos fibers clung to their clothes, the family members of these workers may have been exposed to asbestos when the worker returned home.
What kinds of jobs were most associated with asbestos exposure? They include:
Construction Mining Shipbuilding Auto repair Insulation specialists Roofing Certain military assignments
Workers with one of these jobs (and a variety of others) likely faced regular exposure to asbestos before the material was banned in the late 1980s. But they may have also brought asbestos home with them on their clothes. A spouse doing laundry could have been exposed to those dangerous fibers, as could children when they hug their parent or engage in other close contact.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma but have never worked in one of the industries listed above, you may be wondering how exposure occurred. An attorney experienced in asbestos injury and litigation may be able to help you determine when and how exposure occurred, including potential secondhand exposure.
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201704
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Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He worked out the structure of proteins and was involved in the race to discover the structure of DNA. That this eminent and visionary chemist failed to spot it has baffled many who've studied his life's work.
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Why Did Linus Pauling Win the Nobel Prize?
Pauling's career was full of accomplishments and achievements, but his most famous work was the series of papers he published with Robert Corey (1897-1971) in 1951 on the structure of proteins. This included the structure of the most important chain - the alpha helix chain. Pauling claims to have worked out the structure whilst nursing a bad cold. Bored of the science fiction and detective stories he was reading whilst holed up in bed, Pauling turned his powerful intellect to the structure of proteins, to try and find out how polypeptide chains are folded.
He took a piece of paper and drew representations of polypeptide chains on it, and then he started to fold the paper along several parallel lines. Finally he found a way of folding such that when you looked at the drawings there was a hydrogen bond formed which held the helical structure together.
Working out the structure of proteins was a pivotal moment in the history of biological sciences. It was the key to understanding biology at the molecular level and a catalyst for researchers wanting to find out the function of proteins in the body. For his work into the nature of the chemical bond, Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his campaigning against nuclear testing.
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Pauling and the Structure of DNA
Pauling, like many scientists in the 1940s and '50s thought that the hereditary information was locked up in proteins and not DNA. Nucleic acids were seen as far too simple. So he went hunting in the wrong place. He later said of his thinking at this time, "I was so pleased with proteins, you know, that I thought that proteins probably are the hereditary material rather than nucleic acids-but that of course nucleic acids played a part. In whatever I wrote about nucleic acids, I mentioned nucleoproteins, and I was thinking more of the protein than of the nucleic acids."
Though Crick and Watson were the eventual winners, there was a large cast of scientific characters involved in the discovery of the structure of the DNA double helix. Pauling was one of them. The methods he employed to work out the structure of proteins - a combination of model making, knowledge of chemistry and modern physics - were adopted by Crick and Watson. The co-discoverers of the structure of DNA were also concerned that Pauling might eventually hit upon the correct structure and this spurred on their research efforts.
In 1953 Pauling published a paper proposing a three-helical structure for DNA. However, it was wrong. He didn't have any decent x-ray images, or accurate data, but pressed on nonetheless with the scant information that he had. Some would say that was a mistake. Crick and Watson had earlier published their own incorrect triple helical model in 1951.
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Pauling's Failure
That Pauling did not work out the correct DNA structure himself is still a cause of some astonishment when put into context of his other achievements. Though this can of course be partly explained by his fixation on proteins. James Watson has another idea as to why Pauling failed in this quest. In a talk to students at the University of Carolina in 2003 he told the audience that it was because he was too smart. In fact so smart that he did not collaborate with others. "Because he was so smart he did not feel the need to talk to anybody, which hampered his ability to figure things out as fast as other scientists who worked together."
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201704
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"Roll of Thunder" is a popular book for teachers in classrooms everywhere due to the highly teachable themes in the book on consistent social issues. Use this guide to create a "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" student page as an accompaniment to other articles in this series.
Universal assessment of student learning at the end of a reading is a tried and true way of observing your students' retention and understanding of the literature. This way of teaching is viable but is not always a good choice for students. Many of them will benefit from checkpoints as read through the literature. This is especially true for readings as profound as this Mildred Taylor title. A good way to provide feedback on students’ comprehension of the book's themes is to assign exercises to complete as they read. Here are a few ideas for composing a
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry student page.
A Family Tree of Characters
Filling the branches of Cassie’s family tree helps readers to keep track of characters in the story and their individual storylines. Place this exercise on a
Roll of Thunder student page for them to fill in each Logan family member’s name and pertinent and intriguing details about the character. As a challenge, encourage learners to list quotes on the tree next to the name of character who said if space is available. If space is limited, leave room at the bottom of the tree.
Puzzling Discrimination
This exercise is all about vocabulary found in the book, particularly terms that support and challenge racism. As you cover this title, make note of terms that support the message Taylor is sending in the book. Some of the terms convey the impact and multiple dimensions of slavery to readers while others relate to readers the pain that where stereotyped against felt from prejudiced people they promote, then and now. Crossword Puzzle Maker.
Name That Boycott
Give students blocks of text that describes notable events in history during which Americans have boycotted in opposition to inequality. These events do not necessarily have to focus on the civil rights of people of African descent; they can surround any instance in history when advocates and oppressors of civil rights met in head on in confrontation. A list of the names of events should accompany the events, with a good helping of curve balls thrown in to keep students on their feet.
Three Offenses and You’re Out!
How many times can one be offended before they snap? For some it only takes one time, but for many people it takes a number of times before they retaliate. In
Roll of Thunder, the Logans, and the other blacks in the county, find themselves faced with adversity at every turn, yet they manage to avoid falling into the pitfalls of racism where the white people of the county want them to land. Make this an exercise where your class must name all of the events in the book in which prejudiced attitudes rear their ugly heads and blacks fail to succumb to the bile they spew. When students have provided notes for these occurrences, then they must furnish instances in which the blacks in the book fought back.
My Life in the 1930s
A report of an interview conducted with a living relative or an ancestor of students paints a picture of life in the 1930s for a lasting impact on students. Readers of all races realize a multitude of gains from this activity by taking the history from their books and relating it to their own lives. If a family member is unavailable, encourage students to interview someone they are close to such as another teacher, a church member, a tutor, family friend, or neighbor. Possibly the teacher can arrange for students to visit nursing home residents who are willing to share their stories. Require learners to present their interview at the end of assignment as an oral report.
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Use the Internet
Incorporate the use of the Internet into instruction for this book to meet your class’s technological needs. Many websites offer free site builders for teachers to use with their classes. Through these resources, you are able to create a “
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry student page" for upload of the exercises from this article. Printed copies of the exercises are also a good to keep on hand for students to use when they cannot access the class website.
Additional free class websites resources:
FreeTechforTeachers.com
EducatorPages
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201704
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The volume of administrative tasks GPs have to carry out on a regular basis is a real problem - but one software system is aiming to alleviate some of that workload.
GPs in England are currently spending around 11% of their time on administrative tasks according to a recent report by the Primary Care Workforce Commission. If half of these jobs were given to other staff, it would free up the equivalent of a whopping 1,400 GPs every year.
While these statistics are quite staggering there are some technological innovations designed to address the issue and free up GPs time to concentrate on the level of care they’re providing.
Going paper free
The Docman programme is an example of electronic document management software. The platform lets users electronically store, capture and track thousands of documents, while helping to coordinate the referral process. The platform also enables healthcare providers to send and receive clinical and non-clinical documentation electronically.
Completing administrative tasks is a massive strain on GPs. However, it’s thought that delivering paper-free care will enable more efficient management of important documentation, so patients’ follow-up care can also then be monitored and effectively managed.
Docman GP offers a complete electronic document management, collaboration and workflow solution, while Docman Hub is an electronic postal service to send information throughout the NHS, enabling users to share records.
The software is used in 120 NHS Trusts, at 6,000 GP practices and by 200,000 users. At the Ash Trees Surgery, Lisa Jones, the Data Team Leader, said “We have saved each of our staff around one hour a day because of the automated workflow processes we have set up across our practice.”
Ultimately, using digital records can enhance efficiency at practices because a patient’s notes will always be available immediately, with all of their clinical information held in one place. Indeed, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously suggested the NHS should be paperless by 2018 as part of the ongoing effort to improve services.
Next week we look at how the implementation of web conferencing could create a more efficient GP practice.
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201704
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You hear a lot about some of the crazy interview questions Google has for all their employees.
But engineers are also a class of their own, and have to prove that they know how to code as well as Google expects them to if they want to work there.
So they have to answer even harder, more computational and logic-based questions. We've found a bunch of interesting ones on Glassdoor.com, a place where you can rate your interviewing experience, and assembled a list.
We've gone through the list with our tech team to try and create a plain English translation for each problem, too.
1. Write an algorithm for integer multiplication
The challenge: This is a more open-ended question designed to coax the engineer to define parameters.
Is the language in Assembly? If so, you have to build basic operations from scratch.
Otherwise, it's easy — just plug the numbers in, since most languages support arithmetic operations.
2. Merge two sorted linked lists
The challenge: Here's the start to a common trend with Google's interview questions: find an efficient way to solve a problem.
When you merge two "linked" lists, there tend to be problems with "conflicts" between the lists (because they have a specific order to them and you are messing with the order).
You have to find an algorithm to quickly eliminate those conflicts.
3. Given a set of intervals (time in seconds) find the set of intervals that overlap Daniel Goodman / Business Insider
The challenge: Google will also ask you to solve a bunch of math problems.
They're designed to challenge engineers to think efficiently for problems, not just know how to code each problem.
This one will ask you to implement a clever math trick.
4. If we had a list of n nodes, what are the maximum number of edges there can be for a directed acyclic graph?
The challenge: This is a variation of the traveling salesman problem, a famous math problem.
It's a math problem that's asking you to stretch your brain, not find a clever trick.
You have to draw lines between nodes, but never have a clear path of returning to the original node regardless of where you're starting.
5. What's the difference between finally, final and finalize in Java?
The challenge: The response from our tech team was "screw Java." In reality, each term has a very specific meaning.
Google is checking if you know the terminology. For example, Finalize has to deal with "garbage collection", while Finally refers to a specific kind of error.
6. Remove duplicate lines from a large text
The challenge: This is essentially question of whether you can estimate if the problem is solvable in a finite period of time.
You can usually attack a problem with brute force, but it could take forever to solve.
7. Given a string, find the minimum window containing a given set of characters
The challenge: There are a bunch of ways to solve this problem, and it all depends on what algorithm you choose.
Google is looking for the engineer to pick the fastest algorithm.
8. Write a program to compute if one string is a rotation of another
The challenge: This is a question of whether you can bend your knowledge of existing tropes in computing.
For example, "strings" usually refer to lines of letters, words or something that is meant to be printed and seen. But they can also refer to matrices (a two-dimensional object) and other kinds of objects.
You have to check if you can rotate them and check them against existing strings.
9. How many balloons fit inside of San Francisco?
The challenge: This is the kind of problem a Google interviewer will ask to check what kind of "boundary conditions" you are setting.
There are a ton of ways to attack this problem, and simplifying it by placing limits on it — like the square mileage of San Francisco — is important when it comes to programs.
10. What is the sticky bit and why is it used?
The challenge: A sticky bit is a system administrator term related to settings and permissions.
Google is testing to see if you know some of the finer points of administration — not just coding.
12. Given a set of intervals, find the interval which has the maximum number of intersections.
The challenge: Now Google is asking you to make sure you know you're checking the right parts of the problem and ignoring the fluff in order to run algorithms more efficiently. 13. Array of 100 integers from 1 to 100, shuffled. One integer is taken out, find that integer.
The challenge: This is a problem that can be solved in a few lines of code using another math trick.
It's testing you to not only know which tricks to use, but how you implement them as code.
14. Judge if a Sudoku solution is right
The challenge: This one is asking you to come up with a way to check a solution arithmetically and quickly with another math trick. 15. Given the daily values of a stock, find how you can lose the most with one buy-sell trading.
The challenge: This one's a doozie and it's asking you to put everything together.
Check boundary conditions (meaning single out stocks that typically have big moves) and then efficiently compute the biggest swing.
The only decent approach we could think of is to calculate it by brute force, going through each stock.
Those are the technical questions...
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Employees who takecan’t be disciplined for work that goes undone while they are out. To avoid confusion, always adjust schedules or find backup to meet inflexible deadlines while the employee who is usually responsible for the work is away.
Recent case: Carlos worked as a project manager for Carestream Health. His team was responsible for meeting strict deadlines, and Carlos managed their work. The company wasn’t entirely satisfied with his leadership and placed him on a performance improvement plan.
Then Carlos developed some medical problems that required time off under the. He took about a month off.
Before going out on leave, his supervisor sat down with Carlos to discuss how Carestream and his team would meet their deadlines in his absence. The team managed to meet most of its deadlines, but was about a week behind on one project.
About eight months after returning, Carlos got areview and was terminated. The review did note that during his FMLA leave, some tasks were reassigned to meet deadlines.
Carlos sued, alleging he was fired in retaliation for taking FMLA leave and that his time off had been counted against him in the review.
The court disagreed, based on the company’s clear records that it worked with Carlos to adjust deadlines for the team and get extra help. Plus, nothing in the review indicated that the one late project was counted against him. (
Gonzalez v. Carestream Health, No. 12-CV-6151, WD NY, 2012)
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201704
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Transition from 2D to 3D1 May, 2004 By: Arnie Williams Lessons learned at PTC and manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand.
In just more than 14 years with PTC, Tom Quaglia has attained the high technical post of principal technical specialist for the company. During his tenure he has visited a large number of PTC customers all across North America, observing the makeup of their engineering departments and the battles they wage when it comes to the 2D and 3D aspects of their design work.
Ingersoll-Rand, a big player in the industrial equipment industry, uses Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire to design its machinery.
In Quaglia's early days with PTC, Pro/ENGINEER was the 3D leader within the companies he visited. Drawing boards, 2D CADAM, and AutoCAD carried the load on the 2D side. There was also a pronounced difference in background and training among members of the design groups. Those who carried out 3D modeling were generally engineers with advanced degrees. They worked alongside colleagues who usually were referred to as drafters and who spent their days translating the 3D work into 2D drawings. The vestiges of this division in job title, training, and responsibility can still be seen at many manufacturing companies.
This split between the 2D and 3D side of design engineering departments was also due to technology barriers, especially on the hardware side. The expense and complexity of the hardware needed for 3D modeling reinforced the division between designer and drafter. The designer's technology toolchest consisted of monumentally expensive mainframe workstations, whereas drafters worked with relatively inexpensive and also memory-poor and speed-deprived hardware. Even though people working in these departments all gradually began to be referred to as designers, the 3D side of the aisle was a technology behemoth, the 2D side a homunculus.
A Decade of Quantum LeapsThe high-tech breakthroughs of the 1990s changed the technology equation forever and set in motion a profound shift in how engineering departments would be organized a decade later. Up against the mainframes, the RISC-based workstations, and the SGI/SUN UNIX platforms-still home to engineering 3D specialists-came a David wielding a slingshot loaded with a Pentium chip. With Windows operating system technology on a Pentium platform, the mainstream user would soon have access to power that rivaled the most expensive mainframes. And software engineers would have a platform on which to develop software that didn't require a Ph.D. in engineering to master.
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire's new user interface and tools help 2D users to learn it quickly.
And so the state of affairs at most manufacturing companies today shows remnants of past history, but also the direction of the future. Few design departments make a clear division-at least in name-between drafters and designers anymore, but a fair amount of 2D work is still being done. While many companies still employ heavyweight hardware and software for 3D modeling, there is a marked movement to mix in more Windows-based platforms with 3D software such as Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, and the like.
There are clear advantages to modeling in 3D first and deriving 2D drawings from the 3D model at the end of the process. With the ability now to generate BOMs (bills of materials) from the 3D model, to subject a model and assembly to FEA (finite-element analysis) and other aspects of analysis early in the design process, and to execute CAM and other manufacturing and prototyping processes directly from a 3D model, why would any company stubbornly cling to the 2D drawing mindset?
Biggest Barrier-Conceptualizing in 3DIn Quaglia's experience, and this seems to hold true as a general rule of thumb, it's easier for people who have never worked in 2D-only mode to quickly get up to speed with 3D modeling. Young engineering students in colleges today, for example, have relatively little resistance to conceptualizing design problems in 3D and relatively little difficulty in learning to use programs such as Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire in short order. As they move into their first jobs in manufacturing, they come in ready to do their work in 3D from the outset.
But for 2D veterans-those more accustomed to working with lines, arcs, circles, extrudes, and entities rather than 3D objects-there is a distinct challenge. Most complain that switching to 3D modeling slows work down. In some companies, the slowdown is so profound that the need to churn out 2D documentation for the shop floor wins out at the end of the day, and designers fall back on their reliable 2D software.
Such was the initial experience of Dave Traver, an experienced design engineer working with Ingersoll-Rand. A nine-year AutoCAD user, Traver honed his 2D drawing skills to a Formula One pace that made him a valuable asset to any department that needed fast drawing documentation. He saw, though, that the future was in 3D, and he wanted to invest the time and training to build up his 3D modeling skills. To get himself started, he volunteered to be a test case for Ingersoll-Rand's custom-engineering department-one of the 2D enclaves in an otherwise largely 3D company. After taking fast-track training and drawing courses in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire through PTC-certified training partners Belcan and Enser, Traver returned to work to use his new skills on production projects. Traver relied on engineering colleagues to help him solve some of the 3D problems that arose, but also had access to a mentor at PTC to reinforce his training and build new skills.
An example of industrial machinery designed with Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire.
Traver notes that it was slow going at first compared with his typical production workflow when he designed solely in 2D. He also struggled with achieving the kind of detail in end-of-the-day drawings he could accomplish in 2D. The initial slowdown, he says, came from having to learn to conceptualize in 3D. For help with that, he relied on PTC's unique Precision Learning and frequently consulted with engineering colleagues and his PTC mentor-which all took time.
Crucial Management SupportAssociated with the mining industry since 1871, Ingersoll-Rand has steadily developed brands in many sectors, including automotive, road development, drilling, portable power, industrial tools, and materials handling. The company has long been heavily weighted toward 3D, standardizing on Pro/ENGINEER historically with Unigraphics in the mix because of acquisitions. More recently, the company recently standardized on Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire for groups such as custom engineering that still use 2D.
From management's perspective, Ingersoll-Rand has compelling reasons to become a fully 3D shop, notes George Ashley, director of engineering technology. When BOMs drive ERPs (enterprise resource planning), as they do at Ingersoll-Rand, there can be a significant disconnect with what engineering is doing when someone works off a serial-process BOM taken by hand from a 2D drawing. Such a disconnect can cost millions of dollars, he says. "We need to have common 3D models for digital mockup, kinematics, engineering analysis, assembly, and integration with the supply chain.
In short, we want to be in the area of product lifecycle management."
The ease of use of desktop products such as Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire will help more mainstream designers come on board, notes Quaglia, but revamping the user interface on these products won't be enough. "Users have to think differently," he says. "There's a different thought process in making sweeps, blends, and extrudes. Users need to learn how to conceptualize objects and then build geometry."
To do all this without giving in to the temptation of falling back on 2D, says Quaglia, management can't waver. "Management has to drive this change for it to be effective." At Ingersoll-Rand and at a growing number of manufacturing companies around the country, management is doing just that.
About the Author: Arnie Williams
AutoCAD Tips!
In her easy-to-follow, friendly style, long-time Cadalyst contributing editor and Autodesk Technical Evangelist
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201704
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The Canadian government has announced that $29 million in funding is available over five years for environmental clean-up projects in the Lake Simcoe and South-Eastern Georgian Bay areas of Central Ontario.
The funds, which come under the Government’s Action Plan for Clean Water, will be allocated by Environment Canada for projects such as reducing phosphorous inputs from urban and rural sources, restoring fish and aquatic wildlife habitat and populations, and addressing near shore toxic and nuisance algae growth.
Projects already under way are not eligible, neither are projects “designed only to beautify an area,” nor projects related to the construction of infrastructure such as roads and brides, sewage treatment plants, and stormwater ponds.
Specifically, proposals are being invited for projects that, for example::
support existing conservation plans and strategies for aquatic habitat protection, restoration, and creation projects in areas of known water quality problems (e.g., as per watershed report cards, management plans, and studies) and habitat degradation; support community stewardship projects to conserve aquatic habitat; support the implementation of Beneficial Management Practices that reduce urban and/or rural non-point sources of nutrients (e.g. surface runoff reduction, erosion control structures, vegetated buffers, cattle exclusion, alternative watering projects and phosphorous/nutrient management planning and recovery projects), assessment studies, and restoration of aquatic habitat impaired by excess phosphorous; support the promotion of septic system inspections, upgrades and replacements in areas of known water quality problems; support the development and implementation of innovative technologies, techniques and demonstration projects that reduce nutrient loading from municipal wastewater and stormwater systems and other point source discharges; support the development of approaches to improve the efficiency and effluent quality of municipal sewage treatment plants and communicate findings to decision makers.
The funds are also intended for:
water quality monitoring to measure phosphorous in the aquatic systems of South-eastern Georgian Bay including nearshore and tributary systems; research and monitoring to assess conditions and causes contributing to increased phosphorous inputs into South-eastern Georgian Bay and nuisance and toxic algae growth to fill information gaps and aid in restoration and protection efforts; and other research and monitoring necessary to guide the development and implementation of measures to reduce phosphorous/nutrient inputs and address low oxygen conditions and toxic/nuisance algae growth.
For more details, click here
www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=85C54DAE-1#Priorities
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201704
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Marijuana will be legal in Canada one day. It may not be for eons – or at least until the federal Liberals or New Democrats gain power, which could be longer than eons. But it’s inevitable.
And it’s probably not surprising that the biggest push for the legalization and regulation of marijuana is coming from British Columbia, where pot plants are as common as the dandelion.
In Vancouver, you can smell pot just about anywhere you go. You’ll be walking past the downtown Vancouver Art Gallery and suddenly be hit with a familiar odour that puts knowing smirks on the faces of those who encounter it. Most cops turn a blind eye to those blowing a stick. If they’d their druthers, they’d pick a troublemaker high on grass over one who’d downed a mickey of vodka any day.
If those who had gathered downtown for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final last June had all been stoned and not smashed on alcohol, the riot would never have happened. Hours after the game, baked-out fans would have been sitting on the ground, legs folded, still talking about what a bummer it was the Canucks lost.
This week, four former B.C. attorneys-general lent their voices to the campaign to legalize marijuana. They followed in the wake of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and three of his predecessors, all of who called for the same thing. Before them, it was an esteemed group of B.C. doctors specializing in drug policy. National associations representing police chiefs, doctors and lawyers have also called for the decriminalization of marijuana.
There’s no shortage of people with deep and distinct knowledge of this issue who’ve witnessed the unmitigated failure of our country’s drug laws and called for a change.
Now, there’re probably many people across Canada, especially in provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, who don’t understand the preoccupation that many people living in Vancouver have with this issue. In some quarters, I’m sure, it’s dismissed as the whimsical obsession of those in Lotusland.
Yes, the same ones living amid a gang war that’s arrived, in some cases, at their front door. Fact is, there isn’t a jurisdiction in the country that can relate to the type of gang violence the drug trade generates on the West Coast.
The federal government believes the answer is to get tougher on criminals. So at the same time as the chorus of those calling for the legalization and regulation of marijuana rises, the Conservatives are proposing we go in precisely the opposite direction, with harsher sentences for drug offences.
That will do nothing to end the violence on the streets of Vancouver and only clog up an already overburdened court system with people who shouldn’t be there.
Of course, it’s easy to say legalize without considering the public policy ramifications. That’s effectively what the federal Liberals did at their last convention. It’s fine for four former attorneys-general to demand that we begin regulating the sale of marijuana without clearly setting out how it might work.
There’s also the not-so-small question of the impact it would have on Canada-U.S. relations and the many practical considerations that flow from it. It doesn’t take a wild imagination to conjure up the image of border custom agents spending 15 minutes per car as their dogs sniff for some of that dreaded Canadian weed. Is that a price we’d be prepared to pay?
How would you regulate the production and sale of marijuana? Would it be sold commercially? What would be the age limit for consumption? What, if anything, could be done to prevent Canada from becoming a marijuana black market for the U.S.?
Although polls suggest Canadians support the idea of legalizing marijuana in general, they’ll want to see a detailed plan before backing the idea unreservedly. That’s where the work needs to be done now by drug reform proponents. There’s plenty of time to do it – the Conservatives will be in power for a while yet.
– Article from The Globe and Mail.
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201704
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By DAN WHEAT
Capital Press
A year ago, New York and Michigan apple growers were reeling from spring freezes that caused their worst crop devastation in decades.
Things look a whole lot better so far this season, with potentially record-large crops, but frosts could still occur for another month.
Last year, early March warmth pushed bud development and then late March and April freezes killed the buds by the millions.
In the fall, New York harvested about half of a normal 30 million boxes of fresh and processing apples. Michigan suffered a nearly 90 percent loss, harvesting 3 million boxes instead of its normal 22 million.
Washington state, with a record-shattering 129.4-million-box fresh crop and additional 26 million boxes going to processing -- a 155.4 million total -- moved into Midwest and East Coast markets to fill market demand normally met by New York and Michigan apples.
So far this year, New York is poised for its largest crop on record with "a textbook perfect season and enormous bud development" caused by last year's freezes, said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple and Cherry Growers Association in Fishers, N.Y.
"Bloom potential is record-breaking" as there's been no frost damage, he said.
With "massive" plantings over the last five years now coming into production, the 29.5-million-box five-year average is probably low, Allen said.
Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee in Lansing, would not speculate on crop size but said weather has been normal after 22 frost-freeze events last April. Trees are still dormant and frost damage can occur into late May, she said.
Last August, the committee issued a news release quoting Michigan State University Extension educator Amy Irish-Brown about the potential for a large crop the year after a freeze because nutrients that would have gone into fruit development go into the following year's buds.
While bud development is 10 days late due to cool weather, this year's crop should be greater than normal, perhaps 30 million boxes not just from the freeze but new plantings in recent years, Irish-Brown now says.
Growers, packers and shippers, seeing value, have invested heavily in recent years in expanding newer, high-density plantings, more wind machines for frost protection and new storage and packing equipment, Smith said.
Crops should increase in two to three years, and some people believe it will reach 30 million to 40 million boxes, she said.
In strategic planning last summer the industry agreed to ramp up exports of fresh apples, she said.
Washington state apples have long dominated domestic and export sales.
The 58th annual Fruit Crop Guesstimate, sponsored by the Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association, will be held June 19 in Grand Rapids. It's the first estimate of apple and other fruit crop sizes.
The Michigan Apple Committee had to make budget cuts after the 2012 crop loss but now has hired two account managers to facilitate 2013 sales. One is Terry Braithwaite, East Wenatchee, Wash., who was formerly marketing director of Chelan Fresh Marketing in Chelan, Wash.
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201704
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One of the most distressing aspects about gun violence in 2015 was that toddlers killed more people in the United States than terrorists.
For the first four months of 2016, the numbers only seem to be getting worse.
After a 2-year-old boy fatally shot his mother in Milwaukee from the back seat of the car as she drove along a highway, the nation is yet again debating over children’s easy access to firearms and adults owning them in the first place.
The Washington Post reports gun-related incidents or deaths from toddlers shooting a weapon happen at an average of more than one incident per week. Since January, at least 23 toddler-involved shootings have been reported. During the same period, 18 such incidents were recorded last year.
Just in the last week of April, the paper notes, there were seven shootings involving children 1-3 years of age behind the trigger.
As if the Post’s tally isn’t damning enough, pro-gun control “Everytown Demands Gun Safety” has far more alarming numbers. There have been at least 77 unintentional shootings involving children so far, resulting in 36 deaths and 41 injuries, according to the group’s research.
The worst is that despite the issue of firearms being under debate since the Sandy Hook tragedy, Congress has not passed a single piece of gun control legislation, as the Huffington Post reported in December. No wonder President Barack Obama has called gun control the biggest frustration of his two terms in office.
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201704
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Travellers to FIFA's World Cup in Brazil now have a guide to which host cities are at highest risk for dengue fever.
Scientists in Spain have found a way to pinpoint the host cities most likely to be dengue hot spots: Natal, Fortaleza and Recife.
They used climate data and combined it with historical disease trends and population patterns to predict that these three northeastern venues will see over 300 cases per 100,000 people.
Dengue fever is on the World Health Organization's "10 most deadly viruses list." Each year, more than 50 million people are affected worldwide.
The fever is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes called
Aeges aegypti. The insects prefer areas of high population density.
The mosquito-borne virus is more common after the rainy season, which in Brazil is March to May. It reproduces in standing water, like malaria, and prefers biting times in the early morning and late afternoon.
Symptoms include fever, headache, rash muscle aches and fatigue.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in June will have hundreds of thousands of people in attendance. Concerns about a dengue outbreak have been voiced — Brazil has seen seven million cases of dengue over the last 13 years, more than anywhere else in the world.
Study author David Harley says this information on high- and medium-risk areas can help local health authorities prepare appropriately and will tell Canadians in which cities they need to be most careful.
And it’s not just Brazil. According to the WHO, cases of dengue have increased worldwide from 122,174 between 1970 to 1979 to 968,564 from 2000 to 2007.
Dr. Jay Keystone, an infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto and author of a recent paper surveying returned travellers from Brazil, says dengue is the most frequent, known cause of fever in returned travellers from Brazil and seen in 45 out of 1,000 ill, returned travellers.
"Dengue is more common than malaria in Brazil. While we should be aware that there may be increasing rates of infection during FIFA, the endemic [already present at a low rate in the population] rate of infection is already a concern."
Keystone says the overall risk of transmission is still low and that the virus is rarely deadly the first time. But if you’ve already had it once, it can make you very sick the second time.
"Only one-third of infected patients get sick. The other two thirds won’t actually have symptoms, so it’s important to take precautions."
While there is ongoing research on vaccines for dengue fever there is nothing definitive yet and prevention is the best treatment.
Use mosquito repellent. Wear loose-fitting clothes. Stay in air conditioned places.
For people who return from the high-risk cities with symptoms, health care authorities may be able to more easily identify what what otherwise look like a regular flu-like illness.
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201704
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GOD'S ECONOMY
A Financial Principle That Really Works
By Ken Hulme
The 700 Club
There are people in this world who are crying out to God for help this very minute. You can end hunger and thirst, bring medical and disaster supplies, provide jobs, and give hope to millions of hurting people. When you join, you help preach the Gospel in 147 countries and territories and 65 languages around the world. Do something that will last for eternity.
Partner Today
Find out more about how CBN partners are making a world of difference...
CBN.com - It’s quiet here this time of the year on the sandy beaches of Topsail Island off the North Carolina coast. CBN partners Richard and Linda Baker especially enjoy walking here—where they have been living and doing business for years.
Linda says, “I love the peace that I feel here; just the breezes and the salty air.”
The Bakers run a successful company called Treasure Realty. The largest part of their business involves selling and renting vacation properties. Hard work, trust in God, and one other important principle guide their lives—and business.
“Giving is essential to the success of Treasure Realty.” Linda explains, “Without giving we wouldn’t be where we are.”
Richard sees the correlation between giving and receiving. “When you tithe and you give, God becomes a partner with you in your labor. And he also says if you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. He said if you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly.”
The Bakers struggled a few years ago—when the bottom fell out of the real estate market. Richard shares the specifics, “The resort business was particularly fragile in those kinds of times. In 2008 my sales dropped 300% off of the high of 2005.”
Linda was concerned. “It was scary because you don’t know what the future’s gonna hold. You don’t know are these employees still gonna be here? Are we gonna shut down the sales office?”
Richard and Linda have always been givers—supporting their church and CBN. And for more than a decade they’ve given extra at the end of each year based on projected sales. But with revenues falling after such a hard year, and the prospect of things getting worse, Richard made what he believed was a prudent financial decision.
Richard remembers, “When we got to the end of the year, we realized that it was going to be another hard year in front of us, no question. So we decided to cut back on our giving.”
But four months later—when Richard was reviewing his tax return, he realized that their income hadn’t dropped as expected! Richard heard from God, “The Lord just gently said, ‘Why did you hold back?’ And I got goose bumps and I called my wife and said ‘Honey, get in here. Bring the checkbook.’”
Richard and Linda sat down and together wrote out checks to CBN and their church.
Just one week later at the rental office... Linda was greeted by a member of the Treasure Realty team. “Isaac comes in and says, ‘I don’t know what’s going on but the phones are ringing off the hook. I don’t understand it.’”
She continues, “And we didn’t even think. We didn’t put the two together until about a week later when he comes in with numbers and shows us that the phone calls and the reservations have doubled from the same week the year before.”
During that meeting, Richard believes he heard the Lord’s speak to him again. “And the Lord whispered in my ear, literally, ‘That was Me.’”
Richard and Linda say they have not struggled again with their giving. In fact, they’ve increased it over the past few years--and the business is growing again.
Richard reports, “Treasure Realty’s sales have been fabulous and rentals have been great and we’re on track to being as good as we were at the very top of the market.”
He goes on to say, “It’s a powerful force, that when you give, it comes back into you. When you give it, it releases Him to bless you.”
Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for the Bakers. It can make a difference in your life too! Join them in partnering with CBN. You will make a difference in lives around the world, through medical missions, food and clothing programs, humanitarian outreaches and so much—all in the name of Jesus. Please join today.
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
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201704
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The ratings classification system used by Canadian broadcasters was developed by the Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT) during the mid-1990s. Canadian French-language broadcasters suggested that they use the ratings of Quebec’s provincial film board, the Régie du cinéma du Québec, because French-Canadian audiences were already familiar with that system. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved that approach in June 1997 and it was implemented by broadcasters in September 1997.
Canadian English-language and third-language conventional and specialty television services use the ratings system devised by AGVOT. Canadian French-language broadcasters use the classification system of the Régie du cinéma du Québec, but they added one additional category (8+). The ratings reflect the generally-accepted states of child development. Nevertheless, caregivers must make their own decisions about what is appropriate for the individual younger members of their households.
Broadcasters themselves rate their programs based on the descriptions set out for each of the classification categories. Canadian French-language conventional and specialty broadcasters use the system of the Régie, but they must still evaluate the programs themselves. They cannot necessarily simply use the Régie’s classification of a particular film or program because consumption of television content is different from paying to see a film or purchasing a copy of a program. For more information about the Régie du cinéma du Québec, visit its website at www.rcq.gouv.qc.ca.
Even if a Canadian channel is airing a foreign-produced program, it must put a Canadian rating on it. Viewers who feel a program has been rated incorrectly can file a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
Programs exempt from classification.
This classification applies to:
Exempt programming does not require an on-screen classification icon and broadcasters are not required to encode a rating into the broadcast signal.
The program is appropriate for viewing, rental or purchase by persons of all ages.
A classification of “Visa général” does not necessarily mean that the program is of interest to children. It only means that its content is not likely to be disturbing to young viewers. However, when a program with a “G” rating might offend the sensibilities of children under eight years of age, the Régie du cinéma adds “Not suitable for young children” to the Visa général classification.
Programs classified as Visa général have only occasional scenes of violence. These are not overly intense and are not condoned. The tone and genre of the program are important elements in the decision-making process: scenes of violence in a comedy or adventure program centring on a hero who is larger than life do not have the same impact on children as those in a more realistic program.
Although there may be some nudity, love scenes remain rather discreet. Depending on the context, some expletives are tolerated.
These programs are suitable for the general public but could contain mild or occasional violence that may disturb young children. Viewing with adult supervision is therefore recommended for young children (age 8 and under) who are less able to distinguish between real and make-believe programming.
The program may be viewed, purchased or rented only by persons 13 years of age or older. Children under 13 may be admitted only if accompanied by an adult.
The Régie classifies in this category programs that require a certain level of judgement. These programs contain passages or sequences that may offend the sensibilities of younger viewers.
Teenage viewers are more aware of the fact that a program is not reality and are therefore better psychologically prepared to follow more complex or dramatic programs. Violence, eroticism, coarse language or horror may be more developed and may constitute a dominant characteristic of the program. However, it is important that the program allow viewers to discern the meaning that should be attributed to the various characters and their actions, because teenagers are not necessarily prepared to face everything. This is why certain themes (drugs, suicide, troubling situations, etc.) and their treatment are carefully examined.
The program may be viewed, purchased or rented only by persons 16 years of age or older.
At the age of 16, young people enter a transition period between the end of adolescence and the beginning adulthood. They are more independent, and have usually attained a certain level of psychological maturity.
Programs with this rating present troubling themes, situations or behaviours and adopt a more direct point of view about things. They may therefore contain scenes where violence, horror and sexuality are more graphic.
The program may be viewed, purchased or rented only by persons 18 years of age or older.
Programs reserved for adults most often deal primarily with the representation of explicit sexual encounters. They may also be extremely violent, showing scenes of hyperrealistic cruelty, torture and horror.
A document was created to assist French-language broadcasters in applying the classification categories to television programming. Click here to access the French Classification & Icon Use Manual (June 1997) (available in French only).
The icons are to be used in the top left-hand corner of the screen, inside the safe zone.
The icons are to be a minimum of 52 scan lines tall. This should be big enough to cover the US rating on any programming which is fed to the Canadian broadcaster with the American icon burned in. However, broadcasters will find there is some degree of inconsistency in the size of US icons. Stations are advised to experiment to ensure their icons are big enough to cover the US rating symbol on shows fed to them from American distributors.
The Canadian icons are to be 100% opaque, in order to fully cover any US rating symbols, therefore they do not require a linear keyer for operational use.
The icons are to be in the colours and style established by the Régie du cinéma du Québec for G, 13+, 16+ and 18+. The 8+ icon is orange and should match the style of the others.
The rating icon is to be keyed over the first 15-16 seconds of the program. It is expected the Americans will have their ratings up for 15 seconds. For programs which run longer than one hour, the icon is to be repeated at the beginning of the second hour. These are minimal use standards; stations may wish to use the icons more frequently on programs with particularly sensitive content.
It is incumbent on Canadian program services to cover any US rating icons on those program categories which must be classified by Canadian broadcasters. Therefore, it a service receives any children’s programs, drama programs, reality-based drama programs or feature films with the US icons burned in, it is required to superimpose a Canadian classification.
On programs such as talk shows, which carry a US rating but which are not required to be classified under Canadian regulations, no Canadian icon is required.
It is suggested that the icon not appear in any advisory which precedes a program, but rather be keyed over the first 15-16 seconds of the actual show, following the advisory.
There is no regulatory requirement to report how a show was rated on the program log which is filed with the CRTC. However, a record of how a program was rated should be retained for a minimum of 30 days in the event of a viewer complaint.
Program services are requested to add the classification information to their program schedules that are filed with the various tv listings services. This will allow the ratings to be included in the various TV guides.
Although the above Technical Specifications and Icon Use Protocols were originally set out in a document for English-language broadcasters, in practice they have also been applied to French-language broadcasters.
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201704
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About Us Programs Policy Priorities Research Library Campaigns News Room Take Action Contact Us
Our future prosperity depends on all of our children having a fair chance to thrive and succeed. Yet each year we lose gifted young people who are born trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, violence, under-funded schools, and inadequate health care options that too often forces them off the ladder of success and into custody of the juvenile justice system - or worse.
Leveling the Playing Field for Children identifies the steps that California lawmakers can take today to ensure that all our children have what they need to realize their potential tomorrow. Recognizing that children don’t come in pieces, the policy agenda highlights policies that support the whole children by lifting children out of poverty, providing quality health care to every child, ensuring educational equity, and transforming the juvenile justice system to focus on prevention and rehabilitation. download now
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201704
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Bill Gates, the wealthiest man in the world, seems to exemplify the phrase "the rich get richer."
As of last Friday, Bill Gates' net worth has officially pierced the $90 billion mark. As a comparison, the second richest man in the world – Amancio Ortega, a Spanish businessman – has a net worth of about $77 billion. Although this is still an obscene amount of money, it's almost comical how Gates is so wealthy that his closest competition still trails him by over ten billion dollars.
Gates' wealth increased by $15 billion since the beginning of the year alone. However, it may surprise many to learn that the reason behind this large leap in wealth has nothing to do with Microsoft.
Like the vast majority of billionaires and other very wealthy people, Gates owns shares and holdings in a number of companies. Two companies that Gates has invested in, Company and Ecolab, a global water, hygiene and energy provider, and the Canadian National Railway, both experienced jumps in the value of their shares recently. These gains pushed Gates' net worth past the $90 billion threshold.
Gates' wealth is so vast, that his net worth is equal to .5 percent of the United States' GDP. For one person to own even half of the percent of the total economic activity of a nation is truly shocking.
However, it should be noted that Gates has taken The Giving Pledge, and is one of the most philanthropic billionaires in the world, in addition to being one of the richest. The pledge, which Gates conceived of alongside fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, states that Gates will give away at least 50% of his wealth during his lifetime or upon his death.
Gates and his wife, Melinda, have been pouring much of their fortune into The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on improving the health and education of people all over the world.
Here's hoping that some of that $90 billion goes to something worthwhile.
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201704
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This article originally appeared in the National Journal on March 12, 2013.
In his second inaugural address, President Obama sounded a theme totally absent during his 2012 campaign: “We will respond to the threat of climate change.… Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.”
Never mind that the “overwhelming judgment of science” includes a 17-year period that continues today in which the Earth has not warmed one jot or tittle; that the hurricane that blew Obama back into office for another four years was a rare, yet not unprecedented event, amid one of the longest stretches ever with no category 3 or higher hurricane making landfall in the USA; or that federal land, water, and disease and fire control policies implemented by his fellow progressives have ensured that wildfires are harder to control, while farmers, ranchers and urbanites face increasingly reduced access to water.
The President’s outgoing Energy and Interior Secretaries and EPA Administrator were all highly controversial, divisive figures on the American political scene. The nominees to replace them – Sally Jewell for Interior, Ernest Moniz for Energy, and Gina McCarthy for EPA – are supposedly much more mainstream. That remains to be seen.
The Left has pilloried them for being far too soft on fossil fuels and other environmental bogeymen. The Greens groan and shudder at the very thought that their nominations might signal a forthcoming approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, even though the very Green John Kerry has replaced Hillary Clinton at the State Department, which holds the key to Keystone.
However, they have all been called “team players,” in an administration that has been decidedly anti-hydrocarbon and pro-renewable energy. The press says Moniz is both an architect and a supporter of the President’s “all of the above” energy policy – which to date has meant “all above ground” and “little or no below ground” energy resources. The other nominees have similarly murky track records, and extensive ties to climate alarmist and anti-drilling factions of the environmentalist movement.
So one wonders what the President really expects from his new nominees. To date he has been like a wily poker player, signaling in one direction, then laying down cards no one thought he would dare pull out of his sleeve. After declaring war on coal in his first administration, are we really to believe the new Interior Secretary nominee supports domestic coal mining? Or the Energy Secretary nominee? And surely not the EPA designee? Let’s start with the Jewell nomination, for which hearings are already under way.
Sally Jewell began her career as an engineer with Mobil Oil (now ExxonMobil), then switched to banking (advising on oil and gas asset management), before taking over as head of outdoors giant REI. She is touted as having business experience that is nearly unique in the Obama Cabinet.
However, Jewell is being prodded by the Left to go beyond President Obama’s “weak” position on public lands and follow Bill Clinton’s practice of closing millions of acres from human activity, especially oil and gas and mineral leasing, but even livestock grazing. Moreover, she is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, whose “loyalties lie with those who view the public lands as a playground, not the source of commodities like minerals or meat,” notes
Grist analyst Greg Hanscom.
While Jewell has continued to own fossil fuel (and power) industry stock, some have suggested that she is likely to support a carbon tax, further curbs on coal mining, more restrictions on Arctic oil and gas drilling, and similar initiatives. We think Congress should compel her to answer two big questions:
1) In light of the President’s “all of the above” energy policy and the clear challenge posed by Chinese ownership of most of the world’s supply of rare-earth minerals, how does energy and minerals development fit in with your strategy for managing our nation’s public lands?
2) Given that all federal lands lie within state boundaries – and that the United States is a federal republic, not a pure democracy – what role should states play in developing policies on federal lands within their borders, including decisions to appropriate private or public land within a state’s borders, and add them to an already vast national government managed park, monument, wilderness, refuge and “protected” lands system, so that the federal government can manage still more lands under newly restrictive policies?
Ernest Moniz has a long track record in and out of Washington for championing the idea that revenues from fossil fuels and nuclear energy can help fund the transition to a “clean fuels” economy. He has no prior objection to hydro-fracking or offshore oil drilling per se, and that has made his nomination the target of Leftist venom. For example, Margie Alt of Environment America whines that Moniz has a “history of supporting dirty and dangerous energy sources like gas and nuclear power.”
But the criticism is likely a smokescreen, because Moniz is expected to be another Obama team player. Indeed, many presume that Moniz is being brought onboard to be “good cop” on liquefied natural gas exports, despite testifying in 2011 that the U.S. will soon be a net natural gas importer, even as fracking has substantially increased domestic supplies. Likewise, his criticism of a flawed Cornell University study demonizing shale oil as worse than coal on greenhouse gas emissions makes him the perfect choice for future hand-wringing over some new study claiming that fracking could cause serious new environmental problems. We think the Energy nominee should answer two questions:
1) Given that the Earth has not warmed in the past 17 years, despite increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is it not time to reconsider the wisdom of increasing the costs of energy to American consumers via carbon taxes, cap-and-trade or the EPA’s plans to rigorously regulate CO2?
2) Given the increasing focus on energy efficiency and conservation, what are the best ways to reduce transmission line losses; curtail impacts on agricultural lands, wildlife habitats, and bird and bat species from wind turbines, solar panels and biofuels; and help families and businesses reduce energy use and expenses – without sacrificing employment, living standards or basic freedoms?
Gina McCarthy as new EPA administrator raises quite different concerns. As Marlo Lewis pointed out recently, McCarthy is guilty of lying to Congress during 2011 testimony, when she and other EPA officials denied under oath that motor vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards were in any way “related to” fuel economy standards.
Lewis concluded that this falsehood facilitated an extortion strategy that protected EPA’s efforts to legislate climate policy under the guise of implementing the Clean Air Act. It did this through secret negotiations that resulted in the auto industry to support rules that exceed Congressional intent, have the effect of unconstitutional Executive Branch legislation, and will result in many more serious injuries and deaths due to downsizing of vehicles to meet far tougher mileage standards.
These actions belie suggestions that McCarthy’s state regulatory experience and face-to-face involvement with industry makes her better able than her predecessor to work with the business community – except perhaps with large companies that seek more subsidies, special regulatory arrangements, or regulations that effectively penalize smaller competitors. It is equally unlikely that McCarthy will have “an open mind” regarding the economic consequences of environmental regulations.
As Competitive Enterprise Institute environmental analyst Myron Ebell has observed, McCarthy “has regularly tried to conceal the Obama administration’s economically destructive policies by misleading Congress, the public and industry. She has regularly stonewalled congressional requests for crucial information. And she is up to her ears in the Richard Windsor email scandal,” involving outgoing EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s use of fake email accounts to hide communications from public scrutiny. In sum, says Ebell, McCarthy has “a strained relationship with disclosure and transparency.”
Ms. McCarthy should therefore be required to respond to two important questions. Unless she can give honest, satisfactory, public answers to them, her nomination should be rejected outright.
1) Under what authority does EPA assert the right to twist existing law, to create new laws that exceed clear legislative language, the stated intent of Congress and historical precedent?
2) Under what authority does an EPA official have the right to lie under oath to Congress, thereby implying that Members of Congress are inferior to the Executive Branch and avoiding disciplinary action because of a partisan Justice Department that shields Executive Branch officials from prosecution for such unlawful behavior?
While we see the possibility that Jewell and Moniz will be loyal servants to the Obama Administration, and thus that their personal histories of support for various enterprises will be compromised and reshaped by political considerations determined in the Executive Office Building, we anticipate that both of these nominees will be quickly approved for service.
As for Gina McCarthy, despite her lengthy experience at the state and federal levels, and despite claims that she understands the need for more commonsense regulations, by her own admission she sees herself and the EPA as being above the law and having authority to create what amounts to binding legislation via administrative fiat.
Such attitudes are contrary to the Constitution and legal precedent and dangerous to our system of government. They should not be rewarded by a confirmation that ignores Ms. McCarthy’s past violations of law and grants her additional powers.
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Is this to be our future? Last week’s elections will soon end autocratic rule via executive fiat, the war on coal and hydrocarbons, IRS agents targeting conservative groups, government SWAT teams invading businesses and homes, and numerous other Abuses and Usurpations. But now we’re getting leftist anarchy and riots – with mindless, incoherent radicals smashing Portland storefronts, beating […]
The 2016 election marks a turning around of U.S. energy policy back toward true “all of the above,” with a focus first on using domestic oil, natural gas, and coal resources — and other energy sources — to keep the price of energy low, helping consumers and attracting business development. Exploiting domestic resources also creates jobs — which the American people have demanded.
The election of Donald Trump provides an excellent opportunity to rein in the EPA and other federal regulatory agencies that have joyfully far exceeded their constitutional and statutory mandates and done more to stifle the growth of the U.S. economy than any other arm of government. Cleaning house at the EPA, according to CFACT Senior Policy Analyst Paul Driessen, will by itself do much to jumpstart the U.S. economy.
CFACT energy policy advisor Marita Noon reveals how Hillary Clinton has positioned herself on both sides of the fracking issue — but her campaign for President emphasizes an end to all uses of fossil fuels and a total reliance on so-called “renewable” energy.
While the anti-fracking (well, the anti-fossil-fuel) crowd snarkily sought to blame hydraulic fracturing for the recent Oklahoma earthquake, the truth is that wastewater injection wells are the much more likely culprit — not fracking.
Wealthy anti-fracking zealots created a petition campaign to try to shut down the entire oil and gas industry in Colorado — but say little about the costs of their extreme proposals.
CFACT advisor Marita Noon shares the good news about the Dakota Access Pipeline project which has won federal approval — but the fight is not over, thanks to a small band of activists.
CFACT Senior Policy Advisor Paul Driessen, noting that both major party candidates for President support local control over fracking, suggests that local control should also extend to wind farms, solar arrays, forest management, and other issues that today are rigged in favor of those who shut down or redirect development by fiat.
Climate alarmists cannot separate human influences from natural causes for any recent changes. They do not know how much Earth will warm by 2100. They cannot say at what point further warming will be “dangerous” – or for which plant, wildlife, or human populations. They admit that slashing America’s fossil fuel use will reduce global warming by only a few hundredths of one degree (assuming CO2 drives climate change), especially if most countries continue burning coal, oil and natural gas.
This year, when winter hits, it is expected to be colder-than-normal across the Northwest, Upper Midwest, and Northeast. These conditions create higher cooling and heating demand for natural gas. And that, coinciding with reduced supply, will give a boost to U.S. natural gas prices—rebalancing the market and bringing price recovery.
According to consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, new Obama Interior Department regulations will bring about a 70% decline in energy exploration over the next 20 years and a loss of up to 190,000 jobs. The egghead rules will also likely jeopardize safety at drilling sites, both because rock formations cannot handle the volume of fluids required by the rule and because shifting the primary monitoring responsibility from on-site engineers to onshore electronic observers will delay the discovery of problems and lengthen response times.
Now the President Obama has made good on his promise to bankrupt the U.S. coal industry, he (and his potential successors Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders) are poised to do likewise to the nation’s oil and gas and nuclear power industries. Given that neither solar nor wind power is 24-7 reliable, this will surely lead both to massive financial ruin and intermittent energy availability in many parts of a very crippled U.S. economy. Worst of all — this appears to be their vision, their goal — to bankrupt America and put an end to personal freedom in the process.
There is no shortage of news stories touting the splits within each party. The Democrat divide is, as NBC News sees it, between dreamers and doers—with the International Business Times (IBT) calling it: “a civil war over the party’s ideological future.” The Boston Globe declares that the “party fissures” represent “a national party torn between Clinton’s promised steady hand and Sanders’ more progressive goals.” The Republican […]
The latest anti-fossil missile rolled out for launch in President Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget would add a $10 federal “fee” to the price of every barrel of domestic oil at a time when competing and hostile nations are hell-bent to drive struggling American producers out of business. Included are the Saudis, OPEC, Russia, and Iran, […]
The Luddites are loose! It was not enough for them to waste billions of tax dollars on unsustainable wind and solar projects, but now they want to shut down the only safe, secure, 24/7 sources of energy in the U.S. — oil, natural gas, and coal (and, yes, nuclear power too). The new Stone(d) Age awaits those who empower these de-development radicals who have enjoyed the fruits of innovative technology unleashed by a capitalist society but now want to deprive future generations (and those currently living as well) of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Simply put, it is time to get to work to defeat the enemies of freedom and prosperity who are running the show in Washington, DC. The anti-energy crowd is fighting hard to shut down all coal, oil, and natural gas operations in the U.S. (and worldwide), but that will harm people and the environment. Armed with the facts and common sense, there is work to be done to spread the message.
Washington is trading an end to the 40-year-old oil export ban in exchange for an extension and perpetuation of renewable energy programs and President Obama’s Clean Power Plan
If the “keep it in the ground” movement is successful, government services—including education, first responders, and hospitals and healthcare—must be cut, taxes on everything must go up, and electricity rates will “necessarily skyrocket.” Western civilization is based on successful mining and farming—which the antis want to block.
CFACT energy advisor Marita Noon outlines research being done in Texas on recycling produced water for reuse in hydraulic fracturing operations — a move that, if as successful in field trials as in initial tests, will provde to be highly beneficial on multiple fronts — including the Oklahoma earthquake front.
Most of us feel that time goes by faster as we get older. It does. When you are 5 years old, one year represents 20% of your life. Yet, when you are 50, that same calendar year is only 2% of your life—making that single timeframe much smaller. Those of us involved in fighting the […]
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“Selfish assholes, this neighborhood hates you.”
Those words were written in permanent marker on a reserved parking sign for Critical Solutions International. In an April 7 police report, an employee said someone had vandalized five of the reserved parking signs outside the company's Cumberland Street office.
According to the report, several downtown residents' cars had been booted for parking in the reserved spots on weekends, "thus causing many individuals to become irate." In defense of Critical Solutions International, the employees do need somewhere to park — especially when they work weekends.
In the next few years, parking skirmishes like this one are only going to become more common. With a development boom well underway, city officials estimate that the population on the peninsula, currently about 35,000, will grow by 25,000 in the next 15 years. How are those newcomers going to move around on narrow and already-crowded downtown streets — and where are they going to park? The Historic Charleston Foundation hosted a meeting last week to talk about pressing transportation issues. Here are a few hot spots that were mentioned:
1. Visitor Center parking garage (Meeting and Wragg streets):
PeopleMatter, a software company with an office on King Street, leases spaces in this garage for employee parking, and the company is about to add 50 more employees. Where are they going to park during peak tourist season, when cars already pack the garage to the roof?
2. Burns Alley:
Downtown Charleston has some exceedingly narrow streets that aren't going to get any wider, making it hard to add bike lanes and turn lanes. Even the four-lane streets are only 44 feet wide, meaning skittish drivers going the same direction are often unable (or unwilling) to pass each other.
3. First bike corral (in front of Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St.):
As a general rule, merchants want to keep as much on-street car parking as they can, so eliminating parking spots to create bike lanes is a nonstarter. A study conducted by the Gibbs Planning Group found that each on-street parking spot in a Charleston retail district generates about $250,000 a year in retail revenue. But Blue Bicycle owner Jonathan Sanchez actually pushed for the city to eliminate a parking space in front of his store and turn it into bike parking.
4. Ashley River Bridge:
After protracted debate, the city is closing a lane of car traffic to add a bicycle and pedestrian lane to the eastbound bridge that connects West Ashley to the peninsula. One internal survey at MUSC, a major employer on the peninsula, found that 500 employees saw safe passage over the Ashley as an obstacle for commuting to work on a bike.
5. Intersection of Coming & Calhoun streets:
During fall and spring semesters at the College of Charleston, this intersection is notorious for being clogged with pedestrian traffic. Several years ago, there was some talk about installing diagonal crosswalks to alleviate the congestion, but city planners decided it wasn't an effective solution. "We'll continue to look at other methods of restricting turns at Calhoun and Coming, and some others on St. Philip Street," said Traffic and Transportation Director Hernan Peña.
6. Bridge to Nowhere (Mechanic and Petty streets):
Before the Great Recession, the city used $9.8 million worth of tax increment financing to build this bridge, banking on the arrival of a new development called Magnolia that was supposed to be built on former industrial land at the northern end. The developer never built it, the land lay fallow for years, and the bridge went nowhere. Now a new owner, Mead Westvaco, is trying to develop the property again, leading to renewed talks about improving infrastructure in the area and beautifying the I-26 gateway to the city.
7. Intersection of Mt. Pleasant and Meeting streets:
A recent development plan from the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Chamber of Governments (BCDCOG) proposes building a roundabout at this intersection, making for a more scenic gateway to the city. The plan also calls for increased pedestrian access and mixed-use development in the area. Read more at neckprosperity.org.
8. Lowcountry Lowline:
Some bike advocates are pushing for local governments to purchase an abandoned rail line and convert it into a trail between Mt. Pleasant Street and Woolfe Street. Tom Bradford, who sits on the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline board, says the first order of business is negotiating a purchase price with Norfolk Southern, which still owns the strip of land. Another plan being discussed, but with even fewer details? Light rail service from the suburbs to downtown Charleston, which will divert commuter traffic from I-26.
9. Kitchen 208 (208 King St.):
When Charming Inns opened this restaurant last year, they turned the small private parking lot next door into patio dining. City planners predict that tiny surface lots like these will start to disappear as property values keep rising, meaning we'll have a smaller supply of parking spots at the same time as demand increases. Translation: Parking is about to get more expensive.
Here's a little math, courtesy of Charleston Moves Executive Director Tom Bradford: Assuming a ratio of just one car per two new residents on the peninsula, 12,500 more cars will be hunting for parking spaces within the next 15 years. At an average parking space size of 325 square feet, that means we'll need 70 football fields' worth of new parking by 2030 just for residents — not to mention tourists.
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Question:
From North Carolina, USA:
I have determined that if my seven year old daughter sticks with the same amount of carb each day, I can generally expect a normal reading the next morning. I always count the total carbs for the day after supper which determines the amount of carb she has at bedtime. It ranges 140-160 grams of carb per day -- is that adequate?
When my daughter has 50 grams of carb at supper (which may include macaroni and cheese), I check her two hours later (before bedtime), and her blood sugar will be 100 mg/dl [5.7 mmol/L]. She will have a bedtime snack of 25 grams, and sometimes she wakes up with normal reading, but other times will be over 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L]? Has the macaroni and cheese affected her blood sugar later?
Answer:
First of all, unless you are really measuring out/weighing portions, it is easy to over or underestimate portions. I do not typically require patients to measure out. However, with a dish like macaroni and cheese, or spaghetti, other casseroles, or pizza, it does not take too much of an extra helping to overshoot the carbs slightly. Generally, this is not a real big issue, and the higher glucoses can be accounted for and/or easily addressed with extra insulin, if warranted. I gather that you do not really dose a short-acting insulin (Regular, Humalog, or NovoLog) based on the carbs consumed. You might ask about this.
In addition, despite the frowns I get from some of my dietitian colleagues, not all carbs are created equal. Fifteen grams of carb in rice affects the glucose levels differently (albeit slightly) than 15 grams of carb in a piece of fruit. This could be attributed to the varying glycemic index of foods. Finally, the amount of fat in a food affects the absorption of that food. Macaroni and cheese is a great example, especially if extra cheese is added.
Your daughter's diabetes team (especially the dietitian) should be a helpful resource for you.
DTQ-20030905084422A Original posting 12 Sep 2003 Posted to Meal Planning, Food and Diet
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Last Updated: Tuesday April 06, 2010 15:09:50
This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional. This site is published by T-1 Today, Inc. (d/b/a Children with Diabetes), a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, which is responsible for its contents. Our mission is to provide education and support to families living with type 1 diabetes. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use, Legal Notice, and Privacy Policy. © Children with Diabetes, Inc. 1995-2017. Comments and Feedback.
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US economy grows at 1.7% rate in 2nd quarter
By Martin Crutsinger, AP August 31, 2012, 12:26 pm TWN
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy grew at a tepid 1.7 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, suggesting growth will stay weak in the second half of the year.
Slightly stronger consumer spending and greater exports were the main reasons the Commerce Department reported Wednesday that growth was better than its initial estimate of 1.5 percent. Still, growth has slowed from the 2-percent annual rate in the January-March quarter and the 4.1-percent rate in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Economists expect only modest improvement in the second half of the year. Most believe the economy will keep growing, but at a subpar rate of around 2 percent.
"The economy was sluggish in the second quarter and the slight upward revision ... does nothing to change that picture," said John Ryding, an economist at RDQ Economics, in a note to clients.
A weak economy and high unemployment could hurt President Barack Obama re-election chances in November and bolster Republican challenger Mitt Romney's campaign. Republicans are in Tampa, Florida, this week to formally nominate Romney and have pointed to the dismal growth in making the case to elect their candidate.
The report was the government's second look at gross domestic product for the second quarter. GDP measures the country's total output of goods and services, from the purchase of restaurant meals to construction of highways and bridges. A third and final estimate of second-quarter growth will be released next month.
Growth at or below 2 percent is not enough to lower the unemployment rate, which was 8.3 percent in July. Most expect the unemployment rate to stay above 8 percent for the rest of this year.
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Environmental Programs Topic Listing
What is a CUPA? -
Senate Bill 1082, passed in 1993, created the Unified Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials Management Regulatory Program (Unified Program), which requires the administrative consolidation of six hazardous materials and waste programs under one agency, a Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). The intent has been to simplify the hazardous materials regulatory environment and provide a single point of contact for businesses to address inspection, permitting, billing, and enforcement issues.
As the CUPA, the City of Berkeley Toxics Management Division administers the following six hazardous materials program areas:
Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventories (HMRRP) Program (also known as the Hazardous Materials Business Plan), Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.95, Article 1, with supplemental regulations in California Code of Regulations Title 19, Sections 2620-2732. California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) Program, Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.95, Article 2, with supplemental regulations in California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Sections 2735-2785. Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program, Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.7, with accompanying regulations in the California Code of Regulations, Title 23. Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act Requirement for Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.67, Section 25270-25270.13. Hazardous Waste Generator and Onsite Hazardous Waste Treatment (tiered permitting) Programs, Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.5, with accompanying regulations in the California Code of Regulations, Title 22. Hazardous Materials Management Plans (HMMP) and Hazardous Materials Inventory Statements per California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 27, Division 2, Chapter 4.5.
For more detailed information regarding these programs in the City of Berkeley, please click here.
All of these laws and regulations can be accessed from the following web site: http://calepa.ca.gov/CUPA/LawsRegs/
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Cleanup Program -
The City of Berkeley Toxics Management Division (TMD) has discontinued oversight of soil and groundwater cleanup cases effective July 1, 2013; however, TMD continues to permit underground storage tank removals and environmental drilling.
Regulatory oversight of existing and future leaking petroleum fuel underground tank cases will be by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), in Oakland, California. Existing and future non-fuel contaminated properties will be referred to the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to determine an appropriate agency to conduct regulatory oversight of these cases.
Reports for cleanup cases will no longer be maintained by TMD and will instead be required to be submitted electronically to the CalEPA GeoTracker or EnviroStor databases maintained by State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), respectively. Work is currently in progress to convert all related paper files at the TMD into electronic files. These files will be uploaded to the appropriate database and will be available to the public for review. The City of Berkeley will no longer receive or maintain paper or electronic files for contaminated soil or groundwater cleanup projects. Future discovery of contaminated properties will be forwarded to the attention of the appropriate State agency for regulation and guidance.
Case history and status information, reports, and regulatory directives are maintained for public review at the following websites:
You may contact Cheryl Prowell of the Regional Water Board at cheryl.prowell@waterboards.ca.gov or by calling (510) 622-2408. If you have an underground storage tank cleanup, contact Laurent Meillier of the RWQCB instead by email at laurent.meillier@waterboards.ca.gov or by phone at (510) 622-3277. You may also contact Karen Toth, Unit Chief of DTSC, by calling (510) 540-3834 or via email to ktoth@dtsc.ca.gov.
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Environmental Management Area -
Many areas in the City of Berkeley are known or suspected to have groundwater contamination. These areas are known as Environmental Management Areas (EMA). You can obtain a copy of the EMA map at the Permit Service Center or you can view or download the pdf.
When construction projects are proposed in the EMA, Toxics Management Division (TMD) will review the project description or plans and determine if special requirements should apply. Requirements for certain excavation or dewatering activities can be extensive and costly. Typical conditions are presented below for your consideration before submitting for a permit.
Small Projects - Greater than 300 feet from Contaminated Site or Groundwater: Most small excavation projects, like sewer, gas, and water-line replacements and most foundation work will not encounter groundwater. Should you find groundwater during these types of jobs and notice any unusual odor, discoloration, or oily sheen, contact this office for additional instruction. City codes prohibit the discharge of any contaminated water into the storm drain. Silty water, concrete rinse water, or discolored water may not be discharged into the storm drain. Small volumes of uncontaminated ground water can be discharged into the storm sewer. Large Projects where Dewatering is Anticipated: When large projects require dewatering during the construction phase or after construction, TMD will require certain mitigations. Since de-watering activities can draw in contamination from outside areas, monitoring of the groundwater discharges may be required after the construction. TMD may require dewatering and monitoring plans to ensure the discharge of clean water and the protection of the community from vapors or other health hazards. Additionally, where there is sufficient information indicating soils contamination is present, TMD could require testing of excavation spoils and documentation of proper disposal. REMEMBER: All contaminated groundwater or soils must be managed and disposed of properly. Improper disposal of contaminated water or soils can be a violation of the Federal Clean Water and State Porter Cologne Acts as well as California Hazardous Waste Laws. Fees: TMD's fees are billed at the standard rate of $210.00 per hour, with a half-hour minimum per project.
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Berkeley, Alameda County, and Bay Area Environmental Programs -
The following list contains contact information for the various environmental programs within Berkeley, Alameda County, and the Bay Area.
Berkeley Abandoned Vehicles (510) 981-6300 Asbestos spill on a roadway (510) 981-7460 • After hours, call 9-1-1 Berkeley Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (BCLPPP) (510) 981-5289 BCLPPP website Drug Lab 9-1-1 Endangerment to Public Health or Emergency Response 9-1-1 Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Download HMBP Information & Instructions (PDF) (510) 981-7460 Hazardous Waste Generator Application (510) 981-7460 Illegal Lead Paint Removal (public) (510) 981-5289 Manufactured Nanoscale Materials Click here to download the Disclosure Guidelines (510) 981-7460 Monitoring Well and Soil Boring Permit Download Drilling Permit Drilling Permit Application from this link (510) 981-7460 Pollution of Storm Drains or Stream Systems (510) 981-7460 • After hours, call 9-1-1 Recycling of Oil Products Click here for list of Used Oil Recycling locations (510) 981-7460 Sewer Leaks (510) 981-6300 Toxic Release Complaint Line – non-emergency (8 am – 5 pm) (510 ) 981-7460 Underground Storage Tank (UST) Hazardous Substances Questions (510) 981-7460 UST Removal, Installation, Modification – Permit Service Center (510) 981-7500 Alameda County Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (ACLPPP) (510) 567-8280 Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites: Visit HHW web site from this link (510) 670-6460 Proper Use of Pesticides (510) 670-5232 Safe Disposal of Medication: Click here for the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s website (510) 558-7285 Small Quantity Business Generator Waste Disposal Sites (510) 670-6460 Bay Area Asbestos Concerns (Airborne) (415) 749-5000 Exhaust Fume From Vehicles 800-EXHAUST or 800-394-2878 Illegal Lead Paint Removal (worker safety) - OSHA (510) 622-2916 Odor/Air Pollution Complaints: Click here to go to the BAAQMD home page (800) 334-6367 24-Hour Complaint Hotline for BAAQMD Radioactive Materials Release (415) 744-2000 (EPA 24-hr hotline)
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Lately, I've written a lot about transparency and openness in the workplace; from getting rid of traditional performance reviews in favor of continuous feedback to using software to gauge employee engagement on a monthly or even a weekly basis. The feedback loop has become a superhighway. I've also written about the issues with applicant tracking systems, and how to use marketing automation and CRM-style practices to develop a candidate pipeline. Again, a feedback loop. But there's one place I've noticed these feedback-rich, two-way conversations seem to come screeching to a halt -- the job interview process.
My husband's a programmer. Coder. Developer. Whatever you want to call it. Officially, he's a Java development/engineering manager; he's come up through the ranks over the last 16 years from junior developer to senior developer to engineering manager through a number of industries, companies large and small, startups and big enterprises. He's been looking for a job for the last 12 months, both actively and passively. He's had more interviews than we can count. He's taken more coding tests than a college student. He's been flown to various companies' headquarters for in-person interviews. I know I'm biased, but it really surprises me that he hasn't gotten so much as an offer yet.
(I obviously can't speak from a place of 100 percent objectivity, so you'll just have to trust me when I say he's got the coding chops, the experience and a great reputation from peers and colleagues.)
So, what can he do to get better? Are there new skills or languages he needs to learn? Are unconscious mannerisms or body language sending the wrong message? Is his code not clean enough? Too complex? Not complex enough? He doesn't know, because despite the fact that he asks, repeatedly, for honest, truthful feedback from these companies' HR departments and from recruiters, he's never gotten any that's useful.
One company's only feedback was that he was "too technical." Another's was that he "wasn't technical enough." Another responded that they couldn't give feedback "due to liability concerns," -- and then followed up just hours later with an email asking him to provide them with feedback about the interview process. Most never answered his request.
[ Related story: IT pros happy but open to new career opportunities ]
Just like with performance reviews or with engagement and satisfaction surveys, feedback should be a two-way street. Companies complain about the skills gap, but how can candidates fill the gaps when they're not told what's missing? There should be a more open and honest assessment of where a candidate can improve -- not just "you're not technical enough." In what way? How did my code miss the mark? What else was the company looking for, and how can a candidate be sure not to make the same mistake in the future?
Here's a particularly painful example: One company in particular pulled out every stop imaginable to woo my husband for a position that would be a lateral move for him, but would necessitate a cross-country move. Both of us were invited to visit, put up in a pricey, flashy boutique hotel for a few nights. They rented a car for us, sent lots of information about potential schools for our kid and contact information for real estate agents in the area. He'd already aced three phone interviews and an intensive technical screening by the time we arrived for the on-site interview. He went through nearly six hours of on-site interviews and meetings, only to be summarily dismissed in hour 7 with no explanation and escorted from the building. His attempts to find out why went unanswered.
I understand that many times it's a matter of a cultural fit, a personality fit, or some intangible thing that hiring managers, recruiters and others involved in the interview process have a hard time articulating.
Why not just say that? "I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem like you'd be a good fit personality-wise or within our company culture." It's the job search equivalent of "It's not you, it's me."
A response like that would go a long way toward helping a candidate understand what they can and can't do to make themselves more attractive to hiring companies. If it's within their control -- your JavaScript skills are too rusty, or you need to brush up on your PHP and Python skills -- then that gives them an area to focus on and to improve. Remember, too, that developers talk to each other. My husband's friends and colleagues have a front-row seat to observe this process and to see how he's treated as a candidate, and that affects a company's ability to attract talent in the first place.
One of the first experiences a candidate has with your company happens during the interview process -- don't ignore that. Openness, transparency and a good feedback loop starts from the very first moment a candidate's identified.
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201704
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The UK construction industry's decline continued in August – but the pace slowed significantly on July, figures out today showed.
The construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which is closely watched by policymakers at the Bank of England, hit 49.2 in August.
The seasonally-adjusted Markit/CIPS figure remained below the 50 threshold (any figure above which denotes growth) for the third consecutive month, but was an improvement on July’s 45.9, which marked an 85-month low.
The improvement between August and July failed to match growth in the UK’s manufacturing industry, in which Markit’s PMI jumped to 53.3.
“The downturn in UK construction activity has eased considerably since July, primarily helped by a much slower decline in commercial building,” said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit and author of the Markit/CIPS Construction PMI.
"However, the latest survey indicates only a partial move towards stabilisation, rather than a return to business as usual across the construction sector.
"There were still widespread reports that Brexit uncertainty had dampened demand and slowed progress on planned developments, especially in relation to large projects. As a result, total new order volumes continued to fall during August, which stands in contrast to the three-year run of sustained growth seen prior to May 2016.
"Despite another month of reduced output, the latest figures can be viewed as welcome news overall after a challenging summer for the construction sector. The move towards stabilisation chimes with the more upbeat UK manufacturing PMI data for August, and provides hope that the near-term fallout from Brexit uncertainty will prove less severe than feared."
Chris Williamson, IHS Markit's chief business economist, added:
UK construction activity fell for a third successive month in August as the industry goes through its toughest spell since 2009. While the sector saw a welcome easing in the rate of decline, uncertainty about the impact of Brexit remains widespread and confidence low by historical standards.
The rise in the construction PMI nevertheless adds to the welcome news provided by yesterday’s rebound in the manufacturing PMI to suggest that the risk of imminent recession has fallen considerably.
What you need to know
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201704
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Media Release - City West Water commits to Reconciliation Action Plan
The RAP acknowledges City West Water’s commitment to raising awareness among their staff and stakeholders of the significant contribution and history of the local and broader indigenous culture.
Launched in National Reconciliation Week in June this year, the RAP was developed by City West Water to acknowledge and respect the traditional owners of the land where the organisation works and provides service to their customers and community, and to work with local indigenous communities to create better outcomes for City West Water and the community.
The RAP enables City West Water to respect the history and culture of the indigenous communities within and outside their service area, as much as they are committed to the many other communities which reside within their service area.
City West Water Managing Director Anne Barker said water businesses have a commitment to contribute to the social fabric of the community they serve.
“Water is a large part of people’s health and wellbeing and contributes to the social fabric of communities,” Ms Barker said.
“City West Water is committed to maintaining and supporting our relationships with the local community through the Reconciliation Action Plan, as well as other initiatives such as the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign and Greening the West.”
Demonstrating its commitment to the RAP, City West Water has begun incorporating aspects of the plan into its business practices, and designing projects to factor in cultural heritage.
A multimillion dollar stormwater harvesting project recently commissioned in Keilor took cultural heritage into account as part of the project design. The Green Gully Reserve Stormwater Project, set among an important cultural landscape to the Wurundjeri people in the Maribyrnong Valley, was richly covered in artefacts. Having implemented a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the site, nearly 300 stone tool artefacts were discovered during works on the site, some of which are thought to be over 8000 years old.
As a result, City West Water relocated the proposed site for a storage tank to avoid impacting the area where the artefacts were found. This area of land has now been officially recorded as an Aboriginal Place on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register. The artefacts, a rare find, will be used for educational purposes in future.
City West Water partnered with Reconciliation Australia to produce their Reconciliation Action Plan. \
Examples of the 285 artefacts found, 99% silcrete and 1% quartz. (Image courtesy of AHMS)
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201704
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Off the Top
Credit: NASA Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Top_of_Atmosphere.jpg License: CC BY-NC 3.0
We are losing our atmosphere out to space! But don’t worry; it’s happening very slowly. How does gas escape Earth’s gravitational and magnetic fields?
Amazing But True! Even gas has trouble escaping from Earth’s gravitational field. Tiny amounts of hydrogen and helium escape from the top of the atmosphere. One way to escape is to absorb energy from the sun. Similar processes may have helped Mars to lose its atmosphere billions of years ago. Explore More
With the links below, learn more about atmosphere loss. Then answer the following questions.
Minute Earth, Our Atmosphere is Escaping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ZqMTBwFVs Space.com, Mars Lost Most of Its Atmosphere Billions of Years Ago, Scientists Say: http://www.space.com/22013-mars-atmosphere-curiosity-rover-meteorites.html Why do hydrogen and helium, but not oxygen and nitrogen, escape from the atmosphere? What does a gas molecule need to escape from Earth’s gravity? How does a gas particle escape from Earth’s magnetic field? Mars has a smaller magnetic field that Earth so it can lose gases from the atmosphere. Why? If Mars lost its hydrogen from the top of its atmosphere, why would that make it the dry rocky planet it is today?
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201704
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"Zombie attacks" made the list of disasters people worry about, in a spring survey of 5,835 adults by coupon site Tada.com. But they (and other oddballs including alien invasion and Obamacare) were more of a footnote compared to tornadoes, which 20 percent of people worried about. Hurricanes (14 percent), earthquakes (14 percent), blizzards (12 percent) and floods (12 percent) also made the list of top worries.
Read MorePentagon ready for zombie apocalypse
"The thing about zombies is, they capture people's imagination in a way that actual disasters don't," said Russ Paulsen, executive director of community preparedness and resilience for the American Red Cross. "If thinking about zombies and thinking about it in a lighthearted way encourages people to take reasonable disaster preparedness steps, more power to them."
Given Americans' lack of disaster planning, anything that sparks that interest could make a big difference.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's 2013 Preparedness in America report classified 46 percent of Americans as falling into the "Not On Their Radar" profile. Of those people, just 34 percent were likely to have disaster supplies at home, and 27 percent, a family plan for emergencies.
(FEMA did not respond to requests for comment about the need for zombie preparedness.)
Perhaps scarier—the percentage of people taking the government's recommended preparedness actions in 2012, when the survey was conducted, hasn't budged since FEMA's first survey on the subject in 2007. Overall, 61 percent of Americans said they don't have a family emergency plan, and 48 percent don't have supplies set aside for a disaster. (See chart below for details on how ready Americans think they are for various types of emergency situations.)
Read MoreInsurance gaps that could cost you in a hurricane
"People don't like to think about disasters," said John Caballero, creator of the Apocalypse Survival Guide. "They say, 'That will never happen to me.' "
Planning for zombies is better than planning for nothing at all and has plenty of practical applications.
"I'm tricking people into helping themselves," said Caballero. "If they make a group plan with their friends for a zombie apocalypse, and the next Hurricane Sandy comes in, they could use that plan to stay safe."
For example, the safest place in your home in the event of a zombie attack is probably also the best spot to shelter in the event of a tornado, Paulsen said.
Fleeing hordes of the undead? In the UC Irvine course, one of the more popular class discussions was a practical one for any disaster: Finding safety, said Sarah Eichhorn, associate dean for distance learning. "Where would you go?" she said. "If you had to get out of town, where would be safest?"
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201704
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Introduction to Team Foundation Server
Modern software development uses automated testing to make sure the quality of the final product is high with minimum manual effort. The easiest solution to testing automation is unit testing, where numerous small tests are executed in an automated fashion. When the unit tests are run often enough and they test the application code thoroughly, these tests can become a quality guarantee. The guarantee is that application still works after code modifications.
Microsoft Visual Studio itself contains nice support for different types of tests, especially in the latest 2010 version. Although you can get far with Microsoft Visual Studio alone, the combination of Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server 2010 seems to be the best technology solution Microsoft can give.
Understanding Your Testing Options
Since most developers and testers are already familiar with
Microsoft Visual Studio, the tool itself is a good starting point to explore testing options. If you go to the New Project dialog box in Visual Studio and navigate to the Test template group on the left (see Figure 1), you can see a single icon titled Test Project. Figure 1. Creating a test project starts through the New Project dialog box.
This icon indicates that you will have to start a special testing project in
Microsoft Visual Studio to get access to the different test types Visual Studio supports. Oftentimes, this kind of testing project is simply one of the projects you have in a Visual Studio solution (the .sln file). For instance, if you are writing ASP.NET MVC applications, you usually have a project in your solution that is already a test project and linked to the actual MVC application (Figure 2). Figure 2. A test project is an integral part for ASP.NET MVC applications, for instance.
Whenever you have a testing project in place,
Microsoft Visual Studio allows you to create a wide range of tests, depending on your Visual Studio edition. Visual Studio 2010 comes in three commercial editions: Professional, Premium and Ultimate. The higher you climb in the ladder, the more testing options you have. To add a new test to your test project, simply use the Test/New Test menu command (alternatively, you can use the commands in the project menu or through the "Add New Item" dialog box). Then, simply select the test you want (Figure 3). Figure 3. Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate contains many different testing options.
In the Ultimate edition of
Microsoft Visual Studio, you have a broad selection of testing options from traditional unit tests to testing your database, web applications, user interface, and even load testing.
For instance, you might have an
ASP.NET web application which you want to test. You might then create a coded UI test, which allows you to record the steps when you work with your web browser. Then, you would simply click through the application to record a testing script (Figure 4). Once done, Microsoft Visual Studio will create testing code for you, and your task would be to set the conditions through which you know that you application worked correctly. For instance, a condition might check whether a certain string can be found from the HTML code returned by the server application. Figure 4. Web tests can be created by recording a coded UI test script.
These possibilities are actually part of Visual Studio itself, and do not require Team Foundation Server. What is the role of Team Foundation Server in testing, then? The real power of
TFS starts to show when you want to automate your testing.Let's take a simple example of testing evolution. First, a developer company decides to start using unit tests. In the beginning, the tests are run by hand by the developers themselves. Soon, the number of tests grows, and running them all becomes more and more time-consuming. In the end, the company chooses to automate the testing and run the tests nightly. This way, the developers have a fresh set of testing reports each morning when they come to the office. Automation is the job of TFS. Team Foundation Server and Testing Automation
Team Foundation Server contains a feature called team build, or simply build. If you have been reading the previous parts of the Microsoft ALM series, you know that the build feature allows you to not only automate builds of your code, but also to automatically run your (unit) tests. The builds are managed through the Team Explorer window and the Builds node (Figure 5). You can view and queue builds also through the web access portal.
Figure 5. The TFS build functionality can be accessed directly through Team Explorer.
How, then, would you set up an automated unit test run to happen for instance nightly? The philosophy behind the solution is simple: you need to remember that tests in Visual Studio are stored in projects in a similar fashion than regular code files are stored in application projects are.
In addition to unit tests, you can also command Team Foundation Server to run other tests that do not require user intervention. For instance, web tests and load tests are candidates for testing automation. Conversely, user interface testing must still be done by hand, unless they are what are called coded UI tests.
Team Foundation Server is flexible when it comes to scheduling your tests and builds. In addition to the traditional scheduling like daily or every Thursday, you can also instruct Team Foundation Server to start executing tests whenever new code is checked in (Figure 6). You can also specify a gated check-in policy that mandates that code must build before new code is allowed to be stored in the database.
Figure 6. Builds can be started either manually or automatically after a set trigger. When a Test Fails
Sometimes, not everything goes as planned. This applies to unit tests as well, which can report defects in the tested code. If this happens, what would be a wise way to solve the issue? Perhaps you would log the issue and make sure it gets properly fixed and re-tested. Once again, work items in TFS can prove to be invaluable.
Assume you have a unit test for a calculation method, and the method returns incorrect results. The test summary would indicate that this method failed, and when you view the report, you have the option to create a new work item to record the failure. Since work items can be assigned to someone, you could immediately give the task of fixing the defect to some of the developers in the team. Figure 7 shows an example of unit testing failure. By using the Create Work Item command, you can quickly create a work item that is automatically associated with the test results. When a developer views the work item details, he or she can open the test results and see the technical details about the problem at hand.
Figure 7. After a failed unit test in an automated build, an associated work item can be created.
Since work items can also be associated with
changesets - the actual code files that are in version control - it is easy to keep seamless track of unit test results, work items and even the code associated with the fix. Without such traceability, either much manual documentation work would be needed, or the code fixes would simply be lost in the sea of changes.
Load Testing and Agents
Load testing allows you to simulate a given number of users in a web application or other server-based application. For instance, you could have several client computers sending requests to a web server, and then monitor the performance of the web server and your application.
Load testing helps you find potential bottlenecks (such as inefficient database queries or missing cache hits) in your solution, and gives you an indication of how many users a given software and hardware configuration can sustain. Another possibility is stress testing, in which a high load is placed on an application to see if it fails.
Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate together provide good support for especially web application load testing. The solution consists of one or more client computers running so-called load agents, which a TFS installation commands. When a distributed load testing starts, a test controller communicates the testing parameters to load agents. These load agents will then start sending requests to the server in question. Once the testing has completed, results are collected and shown to the user.
Web application load testing includes many parameters that you can set. For instance, you can specify the number of virtual users, how long a test step is to run, what kind of network connections are available and what browsers are simulated when sending the requests. You can also specify a test mix that allows you to set different probabilities to different test steps. This way, the tests better mimic real users, as they do not mechanically run the same test steps always in the same order (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Load testing allows you to set a test mix useful for example web application testing.
When a test has completed, you can view the results in both numerical and graphical views. Depending on the test type in question, you would either use the Load Test Viewer or the Web Test Viewer. It is also possible to export test results to an Excel worksheet. This gives you even better options in analyzing the data statistically, or comparing the results from one or more test runs to find trends and patterns in the data.
SummaryWhen it comes to application testing, Microsoft Visual Studio 2010and Team Foundation Servertogether form a combination that provides something for everyone. Although some of the testing features are provided by Visual Studio alone, using the automation features that TFSprovides can take the repetitive work away from team members. The better option is to give computers the job they are best at: automation. Unit testing has become a standard quality insurance tool in development projects. Visual Studio provides good functionality to help developers write and run their tests. Although tests can be run manually within Visual Studio, it is more efficient to schedule them to run automatically for example nightly. This can be done though Team Foundation Server's team build functionality. Load testing is the realm of Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate, and is not available in the other editions like Premium or Professional. With load testing, you can simulate different number of users and create a so-called test mix which allows you to mimic real users within your tests. The test results can be viewed directly for example as graphs, and even exported into Excel for more advanced analytics.
The topics discussed in the article gave an overview of the possibilities Team Foundation Server gives to professional testers. This was the fourth part of the Microsoft ALM series, and the fifth part will focus on team build functionality in more detail and introduce a new feature called Lab Management.
Until next time!
Jani JC$rvinen
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201704
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The Dyslexia Project’s mission is to empower children to become all they are capable of being, by helping them to learn to read, using methods based on research by the National Institute of Health.
In addition, we seek to develop awareness of what dyslexia is, how it can be overcome, and why it is important to do so. We also seek to empower dyslexic children by helping them to appreciate their special talents and abilities.
Dyslexics are very noticeable by their strengths. They most likely will be good in one or more of these areas: • Art • Athletics • Music • People skills, very sensitive • Highly intuitive • Mechanical skill, good logic • 3-D visualization • Extremely curious
Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that also impacts directionality and the ability to memorize random facts. Dyslexia is inherited. Warning signs of dyslexia start to appear as early as age 1. A child can be accurately tested for dyslexia as early as age 5. Dyslexia can now be identified by MRI, but is easily identified by a set of signs/symptoms. Nothing else can mimic dyslexia.
Objectives:
We know that our method is not a quick fix (research shows that it takes about 100 hours to bring the student to a level of competence) and we hope to keep the students long enough to bring their skills up to grade level.
• As our students become competent, enthusiastic readers and spellers, we will begin again with more children who need our help.
• We will hold periodic meetings at the local library, to inform parents and the general public about dyslexia and related learning difficulties.
• We will host continuing education courses for the students in our local colleges/universities so they will be competent in recognizing dyslexia, and offering resources to close the gap for children who struggle processing language.
• We will gently and confidently relay 30 years of research to our testing facilities and school facilities in the State of Arkansas about the myths surrounding dyslexia. We will provide information on testing standards that must be followed to accurately diagnose dyslexia, set forth by the International Dyslexia Association. We will also convey the proof of early, specific, systematic, and logical approaches to help those with dyslexia.
• We will help other groups to replicate what we are doing in Conway, so that children in other nearby communities will benefit from what we have learned.
• We will investigate other states that have successful programs set in place for early/accurate screening of children with dyslexia. We will advocate for legislation which provides children to be identified early. We will also advocate for research-proven approaches, as well as accommodations in the classroom, for these children to be offered every opportunity to live up to the potential with which are capable.
• We will eventually close our doors, when the schools in our area finally address the considerable problems faced by children who cannot learn to read by traditional methods.
Signs/symptoms Preschool • Delayed speech • Mixing up sounds and syllables in long words • Chronic ear infections • Severe reactions to childhood illnesses • Constant confusion of left vs. right • Late establishing dominant hand • Difficulty learning to tie shoes • Trouble memorizing alphabet, address, phone number, etc. • Can’t create words that rhyme • A close relative with dyslexia Elementary • Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read) • Letter or number reversals continuing past 1st grade • Extreme difficulty with cursive • Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading: guessing at words, skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of), ignores suffixes, can’t sound out unknown words • Terrible spelling (spelling worse than reading) even high repetition sight words. • Trouble with math: memorizing multiplication tables, memorizing sequence of steps, directionality • Difficulty finding correct word: “whatyamacallits” and “thingies” • Extremely messy bedroom, backpack, and desk • Dreads going to school: complains of stomach aches or headaches, nightmares about school High School • All above symptoms • Limited vocabulary • Extremely poor written expression-large discrepancy between verbal skills and written composition • Unable to master a foreign language • Difficulty reading printed music • May drop out of high school
If a child has 3 or more of the following warning signs, they should be screened/tested for dyslexia.
To schedule a screening please call one of our certified screeners:
Becca Keith 501-472-3042 or Brenda Burgess 501-472-6521 Methods that Won’t help a dyslexic: • Hooked on phonics • Reading recovery • Read naturally • Accelerated reader • Vision therapy • Brain gym or other exercises • Sylvan, score, Kuman centers, other common tutoring facilities • Ron Davis, Gift of Dyslexia • Special diet or medication
This is not my opinion, but based on results. My source on this is Susan Barton, one of the most highly educated people in the country on the subject of dyslexia. This could definitely step on some toes, but this is the truth.
Methods that work: based on Orton-Gillingham way • Slingerland • Alphabetic phonics • Project read • Wilson • Language! • Barton Reading and Spelling System
The method that our tutors will be using the called the Barton Reading and Spelling System. It is an Orton-Gillingham adapted method. This method was developed so that parents could tutor their own children. It is scripted and comes with DVDs that teach each lesson to the tutor before presenting it to the child.
For more information on the Barton System visit www.brightsolutions.us
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201704
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Bamboo Plants - A Detailed Explanation
Bamboos are woody stemmed members of the grass family, Poeceae, which belong to the family Bambusoideae. All members of the subfamily can be distinguished from the other grasses by foliage leaf blades which are attached to their branchlets by slender leaf stalks or petioles. Other grasses like corn and sugar cane have leaves without petioles.
The Culms
Like all grasses the bamboos have stems or culms which are segmented by joints called nodes. Bamboo nodes are always solid but between the nodes, the internodes of the culm are usually hollow. A group of culms growing near one another are usually connected together underground by segmented stems called rhizomes to form a single plant. The roots grow from the nodes of the rhizomes. The rhizomes serve as a storehouse of food for the bamboo plant allowing new culms to grow very rapidly. Each culm grows to its full height in a grand period of growth which usually takes no longer than 2 or 3 months. Thereafter, even though it may live for up to 10 years, the culm does not increase in height or diameter. A plant with small rhizomes can produce only small culms. Under favorable conditions the rhizomes will increase in size and produce larger culms each year until the limit for that particular species is reached. The oldest culms are thus often the smallest and the youngest the largest.
Bamboo Culms or Canes
The Rhizomes
There are two basic types of bamboos, the clumpers and the runners. The culms of a clumping species grow close to one another usually no more than a foot apart. while the culms of a runner are often spaced far apart. up to 10 ft. or more. The spacing of the culms is characteristic of each species and depends on the nature of the rhizomes. McClure first used the terms sympodial and monopodial to describe c1umpers and runners. Sympodial refers to the branching habit of clumping rhizomes: each rhizome typically branches into a pair of rhizomes, each of which branches into a pair again. Monopodial refers to the running rhizome which consists of a main axis from which branches arise one at a time. Later (McClure. 1966) the above two terms were abandoned in favor of pachymorph and leptomorph: the first refers to the short. thick shape of the clumping rhizome while the later describes the long, slender shape of a running rhizome. Both pairs of terms describe some of the features of the two rhizome types but I prefer to use the words clumper and runner. A running bamboo has the capability of spreading rapidly. It can also get nourishment from the ground at some distance from its culms. Under favorable growing conditions the runner planted as an ornamental can become a problem, growing into a lawn. a flower bed or a neighbor's yard. The c1umpers are more well behaved as they can only spread slowly from the edge of the clump. In most cases the clump diameter will be no greater than about 10 or 15 ft. after many years. In most genera of bamboos all of the species are either clumpers or runners. Most clumpers are tropical or subtropical plants that are damaged by temperatures below about 15° F, while most runners can withstand colder temperatures. There are exceptions - the two most hardy species grown in the U.S.
Thamnocalamlls spathaceolls (Fran.) Soder. and Sinarundinaria nitida (Mitf.) Nakai are clumping bamboos The Branches
Almost all bamboos have one or more branches that grow from the culm nodes. In many species the lower nodes of large culms remain branchless. The number of branches , their relative size and their arangement on the culm node is an important characteristic for the identification of the genus and sometimes of the species.
Bamboo Branches
The Leaves
The bamboo leaf complement consists of two parts, the sheath and the blade. The sheath wraps around the stem to which it is attached at the sheath base. The opposite or distal end of the sheath develops into the blade which is often flat and bent away from the sheath and stem. Bamboos have two distinct kinds of leaves. Culm leaves and foliage leaves. Culm leaves are attached at the base of their sheaths directly to culm nodes atthe sheath scar. The culm leaf sheath, which is usually large compared to the blade, serves to protect the new culms as they emerge during the grand period of growth. After the culm grows to its full height the culm leaf dries and often fall soff. On the upper end of the sheath on both sides of the blade are two auricles. The bristle-like hairs which extend from the margins of the auricles are called oral setae. Extending up from the central margin of the sheath is the ligule. The auricles and oral setae may be lacking on some species. Culm leaf blades are larger toward the upper end of the culm. Near the upper tip the leaves are similar to foliage leaves; the blades remain green and persist long after the lower culm leaves have fallen off. The culm leaf sheath is often simply called the culm sheath or the sheath. Foliage leaves grow from branchlets. The blades are generally large compared to the sheaths which wrap tightly around the stems often overlapping the sheath above it. The foliage leaf blade is commonly called simply the leaf. Foliage leaves have ligules and often auricles and oral setae. The foliage leaf blade is always attached to its sheath by a stem or petiole in contrast to the culm leaf blade which is often without a petiole. Foliage leaves drop off after about one year but not until new leaves have grown to replace them so that the bamboos are generally green year round. The leaves that grow from main branches tend to resemble culm leaves while those at the ends of culms and branches are somewhere between the two types. To identify species one should look at culm leaves that grow near the middle of large culms and at foliage leaves that grow from branchlets.
Bamboo Leaves
The flowering of bamboo plants occurs at irregular, often long intervals. Each species has its individual pattern; it may flower continuously. yearly. every few years. or at long intervals up to over 100 years. The flowers may be only a few. cover one or a few culms or cover all culms of the species growing in a wide area. With heavy flowering vegetative growth comes to a virtual standstill that may last from a few months to many years, after which the plant may slowly recover its vegetative growth or it may die. Each flower does not produce a seed and often plants will produce a massive quantity of flowers and little or no fruit. The history of the flowering of
Phylloslachys is given by Adamson et al. (978) for plants grown at the United States Barbour Lathrop Plant Introduction Garden at Savannah, Georgia (hereafter called the Garden). Eighteen different accessions representing 10 different species flowered between 1951 and 1977. Of these, 8 accessions died, 8 recovered and two were still flowering in 1977. During this time all of the accessions of P. niduaria flowered while some accessions of P. bambusoides flowered and some did not. Because of the rarity of flowering in most bamboos, one must often rely on the vegetative characteristics to distinguish species. When a plant does flower it often lacks the vegetative parts such as culm leaves which are critical for identification. In some cases most of the foliage leaves fall off of flowering plants.
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201704
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The U.S. Federal Government has decided that it will switch to a metric-based system of weights and measures. Because the government purchases concrete for many of its construction projects, this switch will certainly impact the concrete industry. One of the most significant effects will be the switch to metric units by the Federal Highway Administration. The United States will be using units belonging to the International System of Units (SI). This is one of several metric systems currently in use in the world. The SI system, as adopted by the United States, is composed of nine base and supplementary units, a large number of derived units, the prefixes that are used with the base units and derived units to indicate powers of ten, and several other units not actually part of SI. Here are several key pointers from contractors who have recently gone through the transition to metric units: * At first, don't try to learn more than you need to do your job. You can learn more later. * Don't attempt to function in a dual-unit environment. Use of dual units prolongs the learning experience. * Try to develop a feel for SI units by using benchmarks that have meaning in you day-to-day activities.
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Asher Levin was sentenced to 18 years in prison for abusing, neglecting and then murdering Katelynn Frazier. Pennee Frazier was sentenced to 10 years in prison for failing to protect the little girl from Levin and two city social workers are being reassigned, receiving a letter of reprimand and spending 15 days on leave without pay for returning Katelynn to the home in which she was killed.
In the final analysis of an independent review of the Frazier case, the findings concluded that Alexandria Department of Social Services erred by returning Katelynn to her mother, Pennee, on Sept. 15, 2000, and by failing to recognize or address adequately the trends of physical neglect that were apparent, at the latest, by the end of October, 2000.
In addition, the report found that Alexandria DSS made some errors of judgment that may have affected the professional delivery of services to the Frazier family, but they did not err in failing to find or initiate a charge of physical abuse because the evidence available and known to them at the time simply was insufficient to support such findings.
"Although physical abuse caused Katelynn’s death, whether Katelynn’s death would have been prevented if Alexandria DSS had not made the aforementioned errors, simply cannot be known,” wrote the independent consultants who reviewed the conduct of Marilyn Mills and Janice Pritchett. Mills was the case worker assigned to supervise Katelynn’s case and Pritchett was Mills’ direct supervisor. Both have been on administrative leave with pay since Aug. 29, 2001.
The report was released on Jan. 22, to the public and to members of City Council who discussed its contents and the disciplinary action that has been recommended by the city’s personnel director, Henry Howard. Howard has recommended that both staff members receive a 15-day unpaid suspension, transfer to another city position in which they are not responsible for any children in the foster care system and a reprimand.
NOT FAR ENOUGH?
“It is unfortunate that any staff member made errors and I do think that those staff members should be disciplined accordingly,” said Councilman Bill Euille. “I’m just not certain that this recommendation goes far enough.”
Mayor Kerry J. Donley is satisfied with the recommended disciplinary action. “The reassignment to another job is very significant and changes the careers of these individuals,” Donley said. “In one case, the staff member has more than 20 years of work in the field of foster care. This is one of the harshest punishments that I have ever seen given to a city employee in my time on Council.”
Like Euille, Councilwoman Claire Eberwein has some concerns about the recommended disciplinary action. “It really boils down, at the most basic level, to a matter of public trust,” Eberwein said. “The criticisms of Department of Human Services in both the final and draft reports from the Child Welfare League are clear. This latest report finds that reunification was in error and that clear evidence of physical neglect was present," said Eberwein.
"The report disputes whether there was clear evidence of continuing physical abuse, but both criminal cases found that there was. The death of this child has provoked changes such as creating a written policy manual, which should have been a given, and having a fresh set of eyes review injuries to children in foster care. It was noted that there is a 'circling of the wagons' mentality at DHS and I do not believe that the recommended personnel actions get to the heart of that.”
FACTUAL DESCREPANCIES
The investigation was conducted by a group of consultants that included former Virginia Deputy Attorney General Ashley L. Taylor, Jr., Esq. and William L. Lukhard, the former commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services. According to information provided by the city manager’s office, the investigative team reviewed 9,100 pages of documents, interviewed more than 30 witnesses and researched the applicable federal and state statutes and standards. However, the report contains discrepancies with what occurred at Levin’s trial.
The report seems to conclude that the bruise observed by Katelynn’s foster mother on the child’s hip on Aug. 11, 2000, and the bruise that was photographed by daycare providers on Katelynn’s back more than one month later were the same bruise. The report also indicates that the bruise on Katelynn’s face that was observed by Mills on Sept. 18, and the bruise that was photographed on Katelynn’s face by daycare providers were the same. Trial testimony indicated that Pennee Frazier described the bruise as “small” while daycare providers photographed a bruise that covered the child’s forehead. The report raises an issue about exactly when photographs were taken that was not disputed by Levin’s attorneys at the trial.
Also, while the report indicates that Childfind staff did not see bruising on Katelynn’s face, it does not say that the worker did observe other bruises on the little girl. The Childfind worker testified at the trial that she reported the bruises to Mills. Further, although the report disputes the evidence of ongoing physical abuse, Pennee Frazier, as part of her guilty plea, said that Katelynn was abused on a weekly basis from the time of her return on Sept. 15, 2000, until her murder on Dec. 27.
“The conclusion was based on a number of factual inaccuracies,” said S. Randolph Sengel, Alexandria’s Commonwealth Attorney. Sengel prosecuted both Pennee Frazier and Levin. “Katelynn’s death was avoidable.”
Eberwein, who received the report late Tuesday night, had not had an opportunity to read it fully. “The report is lengthy and I haven’t finished reading it,” she said. “It relied heavily on interviews, and memories can be faulty after events like this. There are also some internal inconsistencies in logic. However, what was clear from the briefing was that basic common sense did not prevail and that the rehabilitation of the mother took precedence over the safety of the children.”
Euille understands that there are alleged inconsistencies between the report and testimony at trial. “I have not yet had an opportunity to read the entire report,” Euille said. “While we have heard that there are inconsistencies, those of us on Council were not present at the trial. I am satisfied with the independent report and hope that we can put this incident behind us. We have taken steps to implement new procedures that will hopefully prevent a tragedy such as this from ever happening again. It is time to move forward.”
Donley agreed. “I am satisfied with the report,” he said. “These investigators were chosen because of their expertise in this field. We have made many changes in the way that we handle our foster care cases that will hopefully prevent this from ever happening again.”
Mills and Pritchett have seven days in which to protest the personnel action that has been recommended by Howard. After that time, City Manager Philip Sunderland must make a decision whether to accept the recommendations or not.
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ACA Working Parties
The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) operates working parties in critical areas to drive improvements for the construction industry. These working parties bring together industry experts drawn from ACA members, and engage with governments, regulators, industry associations and other entities to tackle issues and pursue outcomes on behalf of industry.
Each working party is mentored by a member of the ACA Board of Directors, and reports to the ACA Board at their quarterly meetings. Membership of the Working Parties is open to all ACA members.
Safety in the construction industry is a high priority for the ACA and its members. This working party pursues improvements in a variety of areas where safety concerns are prevalent.
A range of guides have been produced to assist industry in improving safety on topics such as lead indicators, safety culture, safety in design, electrical safety and leadership capabilities.
The sustainability of the construction industry is critical for the continuing development of Australia. This working party aims to safeguard the future of the industry by adopting a holistic approach to sustainability; incorporating social, environmental,
economic and governance issues.
This working party aims to ensure that a sustainable pipeline of people enter into employment within the Australian construction industry.
The key focus for this working party is the Build Your Career initiative, which showcases the benefits of working in the construction industry to students, parents and careers advisers.
This working party aims to improve the commercial environment within which the Australian construction industry operates.
The use of sustainable procurement models and contract terms in the tendering of major projects are encouraged via this working party, as well as regulatory and legislative reform to ensure the ongoing viability of the industry.
Improvements in industrial relations outcomes for the construction industry are pursued by this working party. It focuses on unlawful action on sites, legislative and regulatory protections, and strives to provide a unified voice for contractors regarding industrial relations issues.
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6 tips to improve software development The dark art of software development, information control: For software development to be successful, the right programmers much be chosen from the beginning and must stay until the end of the testing phase, the most difficult and longest lasting part of the process.
Finishing a program takes much longer than most people expect, and it can take even longer without making smart decisions with the programmers involved. Below, see six tips for working smarter with programmers.
Even after 20 years of programming, I sometimes underestimate time and resources required for developing automation software. For software development to be successful, the right programmers much be chosen from the beginning and must stay until the end of the testing phase, the most difficult and longest lasting part of the process. Software development for automation is a bit like playing golf (although less relaxing). You get 90% of the way to the green in one shot, but it still takes another three shots to get the ball in the hole.
Another similarity with golf is that there is a wide range of abilities. I once came in last in a golf tournament; a hole that might have taken me 10 shots could be completed in 3 by a top pro. With software, the range of abilities is even wider. One reason for this is that seasoned professionals immediately know how to handle most of the things a program requires, whereas beginners require weeks or months to figure them out. In addition, programming for automation is abstract, unforgiving, highly detailed, and often concerns complex logical problems. Not everyone’s brain copes well with these characteristics.
In 2009, I moved to part of the world where many of the houses built in the 1990s had severe structural problems. The repair costs were often close to the value of the property, and some properties were so bad that they had to be demolished. Even some surveyors did not spot the problems. It can be like this with software because software development is a building exercise. If the construction is poor, it can be extremely costly and painful to fix.
Some companies rely on agencies to find suitable programmers. In my experience, there is a tendency to hire programmers at a “standard rate.” Managers (and agencies unfortunately) find programming a “dark art” and find it hard to measure the abilities of individual programmers. Companies put a finger in the air and guesstimate that they need three programmers for 6 months to complete a project. Inexperienced and poor programmers are happy with this situation, but the better programmers are understandably unhappy and will tend to look for other ways to push their careers forward. Thus the pool of programmers gets dumbed down over a period of time. But there are other major downsides of this “bums on seats” mentality. Returning to the golf analogy, a programmer can hit a couple of shots at the start of a project but then move to another contract elsewhere. He may seem to have made a lot of progress, but in reality there is a lot of work still to be done. Programmers who do this never use a putter on the green—they never learn how to complete a project. Instead they leave to someone else the extremely difficult task of completing their program. It is hard for a programmer to come to grips with a part-completed program, and doubly difficult if it has been poorly written.
6 ways to improve software development
1. The final stages of software development, together with the testing phase, take much longer than most people expect. Plan ahead.
2. The best programmers make it look easy but are several times faster than others. This is partly due to experience and partly because they internalize good programming practices. Understand software programming tools and best practices.
3. A poorly constructed program can be a nightmare for everyone involved. Ensure the program has a defined framework. Modular construction helps.
4. The common tendency to treat programmers as a “resource” with a standard rate of pay suits the poorer programmers but drives better programmers to look for opportunities elsewhere. Consider project-based pay.
5. Getting up to speed with someone else’s program is a very demanding task for a programmer, especially if it has been poorly written. Ensure those involved are involved from the start.
6. If you need software to be developed, it is critical that you carefully choose the right programmer(s), and that you make sure they understand what you want at the start. Pay attention to features and scope.
I have come across projects that have been devastated by poor software development. Sadly, I suspect it happens all the time. Two things are critically important: First, carefully choose the right programmers. If you are not sure of their abilities, check them out with a small task. Second, think through what you need in reasonable detail at the start, preferably involving the programmer(s) in your discussions. Their input may be valuable, and it will also help them understand what you want.
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Tim Fellows, Director of LiveWires Autotmation Ltd.; Edited by Anisa Samarxhiu, digital project manager, CFE Media, asamarxhiu(a)cfemedia.com.
Online extra:
Learn more about LiveWires Automation Ltd. http://www.livewires-automation.co.uk/
About the Author
Tim Fellows graduated in 1985 from Cambridge University in the U.K. with an honors degree in physics. He then moved into the instrumentation manufacturing sector and while there, started programming in National Instruments’ LabVIEW in 1994. In 1996 he moved into full-time NI LabVIEW programming and then set up his own programming and systems integration company, LiveWires Automation Ltd., in 1999. Since then he has written more than 100 control and monitoring programs from scratch (and mostly for a fixed price) for a wide range of industries and research organizations. In addition, he has completed or maintained other peoples’ programs numerous times. He has also taught LabVIEW courses for National Instruments. www.ni.com
See related articles linked below
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When I began writing about gardens in the early 1980s, if I was asked to write a feature on visiting them at this time of year, it would almost invariably focus on the autumn foliage colour of specific trees and shrubs: blazing maples at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, perhaps, or the spectacle of Nyssa foliage reflected in the lake at Sheffield Park, East Sussex.
Today, there is so much more on offer for the coming season, reflecting an exciting change that has taken place in our gardens in the past couple of decades: a surge of interest in late-flowering perennials, most of which are looking their best now and will continue through October.
A selection of gardens opening in aid of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) charities in the coming weeks shows off this trend with aplomb, and none more so than Cold Cotes (NGS opening on Saturday, September 28) at Kettlesing, in the North Yorkshire countryside near Harrogate. Garden paths wind between sweeping borders and blocks of herbaceous plants inspired by the work of Piet Oudolf. The presiding genius of this style of garden, he’s had a profound influence on English gardens despite being based in Holland.
The tiny garden at 73, Saxilby Road, Sturton by Stow (opens on Sunday, October 6) in the depths of the Lincolnshire countryside, is a mass of late-flowering perennials, including helenium, grasses and, in particular, asters. The adjacent nursery offers a good selection of them, as well as cuttings from their renowned collection of tender fuchsias. Not far away, at Norwell Nurseries, Norwell (Sunday, October 13) in Nottinghamshire, the autumn speciality is a wonderful collection of chrysanthemums.
Also on October 13, and still with nursery plants in mind, at 8, Gosselin Road, Bengeo, in Hertfordshire, the owners of Daisy Roots have completely re-planned the garden into a winding gravel path flanked by luxuriant borders most artistically arranged, despite quite limited space.
From late summer right through autumn, they showcase a medley of choice herbaceous perennials and grasses. Autumn is also a season for contemplative visits, when, in many places, the exuberant shades of midsummer aren’t jostling for your attention and there is modern design or sculpture to admire.
At Radcot House, near Bampton in Oxfordshire (on Sunday, October 6), the owners have transformed the 2-and-a-half acres surrounding their gabled house. Late-flowering plants are a priority, within a carefully designed garden of many rooms.
And in Herefordshire, at Newport House, Almeley, another notable house is the centerpiece for a garden with ambitious recent development-in particular, the spectacular re-creation of a Victorian kitchen garden within a two-and-a-half-acre walled garden. From Saturday, October 12 to Sunday, October 20 inclusive, the extensive gardens will host an exhibition of modern sculpture. One of England’s most historic landscapes that has seen spectacular recent developments is at Boughton House, Geddington in Northamptonshire (Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 27), including work by Kim Wilkie.
At this time of year, the landscape setting of the château-like house in its parkland setting is reason enough for a visit, but you can also enjoy walks through the woodland wilderness and the jewel-like garden of the Dower House next door, created by a legendary gardening partnership, Sir David Scott and his wife, Valerie Finnis. Last but not least, one of the most flamboyant gardens made anywhere in the past 30 years, East Ruston Old Vicarage in Norfolk, opens for the NGS on Saturday, October 12. At this time of year, the garden’s wonderful views out to the church and lighthouse beside the sea are at their clearest, and in the garden, there is still a dazzling array of plants to enjoy.
Full details, including directions, times of opening and admission prices can be found at www.ngs.org.uk or by telephoning 01483 211535
George Plumptre is Chief Executive of the National Gardens Scheme
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On our FAQ page you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about couples therapy.
What does couples therapy cost?
The fees range from $145 – $250 per 50-minute session, depending upon the therapist’s license and years of experience.
Do you have a sliding scale for fees?
We don’t have a sliding scale, but sometimes we have one intern who charges less. Check “Meet the Marriage Counselors” to see if there is currently an intern on staff. If our costs for therapy are too high for your budget, we encourage you to try our self-development resources. Click Couples Resources.
You can also find low fee therapists at your county’s Family Service or Mental Health Departments. They are listed in the front of your telephone book by county, or you can search online.
Do you take insurance?
Many of our clients submit their statements to their insurance companies for reimbursement. While our billing statements comply with insurance requirements to facilitate your reimbursement, we are not affiliated with any HMOs or PPOs and we do not accept payments from insurance companies. We recommend that you check with your insurance company to see what services your policy covers.
How long will we need to come?
The duration of treatment depends on how long the pattern has been in place, your motivation and your goals. Some couples come for just a few visits for a tune up, while others make a long-term effort. A complimentary telephone consultation with one of our therapists can help answer this question specific to your situation. Contact us and we will help you arrange one.
Should I see a man or a woman?
You might have a preference for working with a man or with a woman, but in fact, male and female therapists are equally prepared to deal with the problems confronting you. If you are unsure, you may request a complimentary telephone consultation with one of our male and one of our female therapists, to see whether you feel more comfortable with either of them. Contact us and we will help you schedule it.
What is a Couples Institute associate’s level of training?
Therapists who work at The Couples Institute have done training with one or both of its founders and directors, Dr. Ellyn Bader and Dr. Peter Pearson. They have also completed post-graduate degrees and they have completed licensing requirements for their specific type of license to practice therapy.
What is the meaning of a Couples Institute Certificate?
A therapist who completes twelve months in the training program, “Developmental Model of Couples Therapy: Integrating Attachment Theory, Differentiation Theory and Neuroscience,” receives a certificate for display. This certificate shows that a professional has completed 36 hours of study over 12 months. A therapist who completes three years in the Advanced Program receives an advanced certificate. This certificate shows that he or she has completed another 36 hours of study over three years. Certification applies solely to that educational process. The Couples Institute cannot endorse the performance of that therapist and is not responsible for the professional conduct of those who earn certification status.
Where are you located?
Our main office is in Menlo Park, and our therapists practice all along the peninsula. They are located from San Jose up to San Francisco. On the horizontal navigation bar, hover over “Meet the Counselors,” and the drop down menu will show you your selection of locations.
What are your hours?
Our therapists work different hours. Some of them are available for evening or weekend appointments as well. If you are in need of a specific time of the day, our office can let you know which therapists on our staff can see you. Call our office at 650-327-5915 or click contact us. There you’ll find a contact form with room for additional notes so you can let us know.
How can I get started?
The quickest ways for you to get started are 1) complete the “contact us” form or 2) call our office at 650-327-5915. Then we’ll arrange for one of the therapists to contact you. Our therapists do their own scheduling, so you can set an appointment with them on the phone at that time.
How do you protect my confidentiality?
All consultations and records are confidential. We do not email, fax or transmit health information by any electronic mode. Further, no one will be advised of your participation in counseling unless you specifically request it, in writing. The law provides certain exclusions for confidentiality in cases of child abuse, adult or domestic abuse, health oversight, judicial or administrative proceedings, threat to health or safety, and worker’s compensation.
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Study your flashcards anywhere!
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60 Cards in this Set Front Back
the entry and multiplication of a pathogen in the tissues of a host?
Infection
if the pathogen can be transmitted from on person to another it is considered?
communicable or contagious
E. coli is commonly found?
colon
What causes gastroenteritis and UTI?
E. coli
Where is S.aureus found?
Skin, hair, anterior nares
S. aureus can cause?
wound infection
pneumonia
food poisoining
cellulitis
where is mycobacterium tuberculosis found?
Lungs
can cause TB
Name 3 common viruses and their location to be found?
Hep A: feces
Hep B: blood and body fluids
HIV: Blood, semen, vaginal secretions
What does Fungi-Aspergillus cause? where is it found?
1.Aspergillosis, pna,sepsis
2. soil, dust, mouth, skin, colon, and genital tract.
What does candida albicans cause? where is it found?
1. Pna, sepsis
2. mouth, colon, skin, genital tract.
What does protozoa-plasmodium flaciparum cause? where is it found?
1. malaria
2. blood
What does organisms require to thrive?
1.food 2. oxygen 3.water(moisture) 4. temp (35 c or 95 f) 5. Ph 5-8 6. light(dark)
Name the 6 links of chain of infection?
1.infectious agent or pathogen
2.reservoir
3.Portal of exit
4.mode of transmission
5.portal of entry
6.susceptible host
What are 6 possible portal of exit?
1.skin/mucous membranes
2.Resp tract
3.UA and GI tract
4. reproductive tract, blood
person to person contact(fecal or oral)?
Direct contact
contact with contaminated inanimate object i.e. needles or sharp object?
Indirect contact
coughing, sneezing, or talking, particles can travel up to 3 feet?
Droplets
Evaporated droplets suspended in air or carried on dust particles?
Air-drople nuclei
contaminated items such as water, blood , drugs, solution,food?
Vehicles
external mechanicaltransfer (flies), internal transmission (flea, mosquito, tick)?
Vector
Organisms can enter the body the same routes they use for exitin i.e. needle stick, catheter?
portal of entry
susceptibility depends on?
degree of resistance to a pathogen
The potential for the microorganism to cause a disease depends on 4 things?
1. # of organisms
2. virulence:ability
3. ability to enter into host
4. susceptibility of the host
what are the normal defenses against infection?
1.skin 5.ua tract
2.mouth 6.Vagina
3.eye
4.resp tract
how does the skin protect against infection?
Fatty acids kill some bacteria, sheds outer layer
How does the mouth protect against infection?
Saliva contains microbial inhibitors
How does the Eye protect against infection?
Blinking reduces entry washes pathogens
How does the respiratory tract protect againgst infection?
Cilia increase airway, traps microbes
How does the Ua tract protect against infection?
washes away organisms
How does the GI tract protect against infection?
decreased pH, prevents retention of bacteria content
How does the vagina protect against infection?
decrease pH, inhibits growth of organisms
Name 7 inadequate primary defenses?
1.broke skin 5.altered
2.trauma tissue peristalsis
3.slow cilia 6.chg pH
4.obstructed ua flow
7. decreased mobility
name 4 inadequate secondary defenses?
1. low Hgb level
2. low WBC count
3. suppression of WBC
4. suppression of inflammatory response
Interval b/w entrance of pathogen into the body and appearance of first symptoms?
Incubation Period
Interval from onset of nonspecific signs and symptoms to more specific symptoms?
Prodromal stage
When a clien manifest signs and symptoms specific to type of infection?
Illness stage
When acute symptoms of infection disappear?
convalescense
A protective vascular reation, that delivers fluid, blood products, and nutrients to interstitial tissues in an area of injury?
Inflammation
What are localized signs and symptoms?
1.swelling
2.redness
3.heat
4.pain or tenderness
5.loss of function in affected body part
What are systemic signs and symptoms?
1.Fever 4.anorexia
2.leukocytosis 5.N/V
3.malaise 6.lymph node
enlargement
What can trigger inflammatory response?
1.Physical agents:extreme temp, trauma, radiation
2.Chemical agents:poison, gastric acid
3. microorganisms
After tissues are injured, what events occur, during the inflammatory response?
1.Vascular response:
2.Cellular response:
3.inflammatory exudates:
4.tissue repair:
Cellular response:
WBC arrive to site, neutrophils/monocytes:ingest/destroy microorganisms=phagocytosis, increase infection=high WBC=leukocytosis
Vascular response:
Local vasodilation
delivery of increase blood and WBC to injured tissues
Inflammatory exudates?
accumulation of fluid(edema and dead tissue cells and WBC
Normal value of WBC?
5000-10,000mm3
> acute infection
< some viral infection
Normal ESR?
Men 15mm/hr
women 20mm/hr
> inflammatory response
Culture or urine and blood?
Normal w/o microorganisms
Culture of gram stains
Normal w/o microorganism
No WBC
Neutrophils?
55%- 70%
> acute supurative infection
< bacterial infection:older adult
Lymphocytes?
20%- 40%
>chronic bacterial infection
<sepsis
Monocytes?
2%- 8%
> With TB, protozoal infections
Eosinophils?
1%- 4%
> parasitic infection
Basophils
.5%-1%
Normal during infection
Results from a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure i.e.UTI after cath insertion
Iatrogenic infection
Clients normal flora becomes altered-fecal material transferred to wound site?
Exogenous infection
Name sites common for nosocomial infection?
UA Tract:unsterile cath insertion
Surgical or Traumatic wounds:No aseptic tech
Respiratory tract:dirty equip
Bloodstream:contaminated IV fluid, site
Name the 6 Standard precautions?
1.Aseptic tech:med/surg
2.Hand Hygiene
3.PPE
4.Isolation
5.Education
Barrier protection from airborne droplets?
private room
neg.pressure airflow
mask or resp protection
Barrier protection from droples larger than 5mm?i.e. sepsis pna mumps
protection from contact?
private room
mask: for drople isolation
-gloves, gowns for contact isolation
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Study your flashcards anywhere!
Download the official Cram app for free >
Shuffle Toggle OnToggle Off Alphabetize Toggle OnToggle Off Front First Toggle OnToggle Off Both Sides Toggle OnToggle Off Read Toggle OnToggle Off How to study your flashcards. Right/Left arrow keys: Navigate between flashcards.right arrow keyleft arrow key Up/Down arrow keys: Flip the card between the front and back.down keyup key H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key A key: Read text to speech.a key
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15 Cards in this Set Front Back
Wednesday Morning 9am 10-4 Maureen Lecture DecisionMaking and Orgainizing Care.
What else could this lecture be called?
Critical care in the nursing practice.
what is critical thinking in nursing?
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critical thinking is a active organized cognitive process. We must incorportate critical thinking into our DECISION MAKING
what seperates the nurse from technical personnel?
critical thinking seperates the nurse from other workers like technical personnel! You can teach a monkey to give out meds! We will use critical thinking before we despense meds! An example of critical thinking
List the 5 steps of the nursing process?
Assessment
Diagnosis
Plan
Implement
Evaluate
How do we prioritize our care as nurses?
Its in Potter Perry Chpt 20 PP376...how to descide what to do first.
1)1st order...immediate threat to survival
2) 2nd order...act. problems client or family ask immmediately
3) urgent care requested ex. post op complications or teaching needs
4) future needs of patient or family
what is the first order priority needs in nursing?
an immediate threat or need
Ex an obstructive airwave
an anxiety attack
Whats 2nd order priority needs?
are actual problems the patient or family have requested
Ex using the bathroom, pain, hungrey
What 3rd order priority need?
relative urgent need that the patient or family doesn't recognize?
Ex. turning a patient to prevent a bedsore
Ex. back from surgery, getting their vitals or watching for side effects from medications
4th order priority needs?
potential problems for the patient in the future.
Ex teaching for self care in the home
Would a test on these priority needs be name these in a list or more likely make us apply this information in a scenario application?
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The test question would be to think out the 4 orders and think out the priorities. Ex for the test would be you have 4 patients and tell us their situations, and which one would I see first and so on!
which has first priority?
requested pain medication
dressing someone for occ. therapy who will be there in 5 minutes?
pain meds is top piority
which is higher priority?
patient 1 is high fall risk and alarm just went off
patient 2 needs a pre op shot
fal patient is priority 1
which patient has the higher priority?
patient 1 complaining of nausia
patient 2 wants to go potty
Maureen said going to the bathroom is higher piority
You have 7 or 8 tasks to perform on same patient. from 7:30 -11:00. Put them in priority.
a physical assessement
a bed bath
a vital signs
oral medications
change linens
b/fast at 8:30
(meds have a 1 hr window)
Maureen put them in this order
1) physical assessment
2) oral meds
3) b/fast at 8
4) bed bath
5) chart physical assessment
6) vital signs
7) oral meds
one more time, the nursing process has 5 parts...
a d p i e
assessment
diagnosis
plan
implement
evaluate
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Promoting Counseling Excellence through Global Networking and Advocacy
Dr. Andrea L. Dixon, CSI President-Elect
Friday, March 22, 2013, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Advocacy for our clients and for the counseling profession is a competency taught in all levels of counselor preparation, encouraged through leadership in CSI chapters, and modeled and mentored by the leaders of our Society. In today’s global society, counseling advocacy must be considered as a global challenge. CSIs Global Network was created as a web-based resource to inform counselors of the status of our profession in countries around the world, and raise awareness of the critical need for counseling advocacy on a global scale. As the network expands, we are challenged to listen, dialog, learn, and grow through experiences and partnerships with counselors around the world.
This year, during our leadership workshop that will be held Friday, March 22nd from 1:00-3:30 PM, we will explore the promotion of counseling excellence through global advocacy. We will begin our workshop by recognizing our 2013-2014 Leadership Fellows and Interns. We will then introduce a panel of a few of the counseling profession’s leaders and scholars who have promoted counseling excellence throughout the world with their research, advocacy, and leadership efforts.
The panelists will include Drs. Carol Bobby, Courtland Lee, and Ted Remley. They will discuss their views on the need for the globalization of the counseling profession, how they have reached across country borders as advocates of the counseling profession, successes and struggles they have experienced in their global advocacy efforts, and how they have engaged others around the world through research, service, advocacy, and leadership. Participants also will have an opportunity to interact with panel members and other CSI leaders during the small group discussions.
Please complete the CSI Leadership Workshop Registration Form to reserve your seat.
Dr. Carol Bobby is the Executive Director of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). She earned her doctorate degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Florida in 1986. Dr. Bobby has worked as both a clinician and an administrator for several counseling organizations. After completing her doctoral degree, she began her tenure as Executive Director of CACREP where she has remained for ten years. Dr. Bobby has also worked in private practice in Virginia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a Nationally Certified Counselor. Dr. Bobby has served the counseling profession in numerous capacities including the most recent as Chair of the Association of Specialized and Processional Accreditors (ASPA), Voting Director of the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education, and as President of Chi Sigma Iota from 1992-1993. She has presented extensively on issues related to standards for accreditation and international education, and has published newsletter articles and had articles printed in referred journals on these topics.
Dr. Courtland Lee is a Professor in the Counselor Education Program at the University of Maryland. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of five books on multicultural counseling and two books on counseling and social justice as well as numerous book chapters and articles on counseling across cultures. He is the President of the International Association for Counselling and a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the only American to receive this honor. Dr. Lee is also a Fellow and Past President of the American Counseling Association and a past President of Chi Sigma Iota.
Dr. Theodore P. Remley Jr., holds the Batten EndowedChair in Counseling at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he is the Graduate Program Director of the master's and doctoral Counseling Graduate Programs. He holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Florida and a law degree (J.D.) from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He is licensed as a Professional Counselor in Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and is a member of the bar in Virginia and Florida. He is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Louisiana. Dr. Remley has chaired the counselor licensure boards in Virginia and Mississippi, and has served on the board in Washington, D.C., and Louisiana. He has served as a school counselor, college counselor, U. S. Army officer, and has had a private practice in both counseling and law. He is a former Executive Director of the American Counseling Association.
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201704
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OFTEN today we read that a destructive or negative lifestyle has been going on for generations in families. Somehow the cycle must be broken in order for individuals and families to be permanently free of such problems as alcoholism, domestic violence, child abuse, drug addiction. Can we as individuals do anything to strengthen and heal the family unit?
When drug and alcohol problems surfaced in our family, I found myself asking: How can I help? Are our children and grandchildren helpless victims of these tendencies because members of previous generations have suffered from them? The lifestyle and behavior of several family members were disrupting family relationships and causing much anguish and concern. Similar addiction problems in the previous generation hadn't been confronted or corrected. I yearned to find a way to break the cycle now.
As a student of the Bible, I knew the answers would come through prayer. So I prayed! The Bible tells us that God made man is His image and likeness. I reasoned that this perfect likeness of God--you, me, and everyone--can't include addiction or anything ungodlike. The Bible also has something to say on the subject of heredity. In the book of Ezekiel, God asks: ''What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine'' (18:24). I reasoned that we could rely on the Bible promise and claim our freedom from any supposedly inherited propensity to evil. God's law is always supreme and can be trusted. Because God is our Father, I could insist on this heritage of dominion not only for my family but for all the world's families, thus helping to break the cycle of irresponsible thinking and behavior for all mankind.
I also found enlightenment in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. There the Discoverer of Christian Science points out: ''Heredity is not a law. The remote cause or belief of disease is not dangerous because of its priority and the connection of past mortal thoughts with present. The predisposing cause and the exciting cause are mental'' (p. 178). These concepts comforted and calmed me. I was able to replace fearful and anxious thoughts with the grateful recognition that this problem had surfaced only to be healed. My children and grandchildren could only feel the influence of God's law and His plan in their lives.
I kept on praying and began to see changes. Denial that there was a problem was replaced by a desire for help. One of the family members chose to participate in a drug rehabilitation program. The other relied entirely on Christian Science treatment through prayer. Both individuals, however, acknowledge that it was prayer that brought the healing. Deceitful, unreliable behavior was discarded in favor of honesty and responsibility. Forgiveness replaced anger and alienation, and broken family relationships were healed and strengthened. There was a return to the spiritual values that had been learned at an early age in the Christian Science Sunday School. The desire for drugs and alcohol disappeared, and the whole family rejoiced. Our family learned never to give up on a loved one and saw that persistent prayer does heal. These healings took place a number of years ago and have been permanent. The problems have not cropped up in our family again.
In her book The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, Mrs. Eddy writes: ''The cycle of good obliterates the epicycle of evil'' (p. 270). All of us are enfolded in God's cycle of good and have God-given authority to claim this goodness for ourselves and our families. A hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal (No. 135) reminds us that God is the source of all good:
Since Thou, my God and Father,
Dost claim me as Thine own,
I richly shall inherit
All good, from Thee alone.
A negative cycle can be broken, and prayer shows us the way.
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Graduates of the anthropology major are uniquely positioned to become professionals in the areas of social services, health services, education, and public service because they will have been engaged in research collaborations involving local agencies focused on the delivery of these services. Additionally, graduates who desire to continue post- baccalaureate study in anthropology gain field research experience as undergraduates that includes rigorous quantitative and qualitative training, the production of applied products such as data bases and research reports, digital and web-based production and dissemination of ethnographic research, and local ethnographic contacts and collaborators.
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201704
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The song title above has more meaning to many residents of Livermore, California, than just the tune made popular by Debby Boone in the 1970s.
On June 27, my wife Kay and I stood gazing up at a light bulb in a fire station in that city that has set a record unmatched anywhere in the world.
Another tune came to mind, "“This Little Light of Mine, I’'m Gonna Let It Shine,"” which would describe what firefighters in that community have done since 1901. This little bulb has burned almost continually in a fire station in Livermore for 114 years. Then on this one particular day in June, they celebrated the light'’s million hours of service,” which also is the title of a newly-released book by Livermore’'s retired Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bramell.
Thinking back 45 years, I knew a reporter named Mike Dustan and his editor Fred Dickey at the Livermore Herald & News. Mike discovered there was a light in the main fire station in town that had reportedly been burning there since 1901, and after considerable research found the story to be true. It had been donated to the city by the owner of the local power company, Dennis Bernal. They first used it in a hose-cart house, then moved it to the fire station on Second Street, and moved again to the new main station next to city hall in 1906. It stayed there as a night light above the fire trucks until 1976, when a new headquarters was built for the fire department, where it was moved and remains today.
During the 35 years I resided in that community I talked to the fire chiefs about it, and pretty much took it for granted. In 1990, I was looking for a title for my little book on local history and decided on “"Will the Last Person Leaving Livermore Please Unscrew the Bulb in Fire Station One.”" That stirred up some renewed interest in the bulb.
Then in 2001 a group of us decided there should be a celebration for the bulb's 100th birthday. We had no notion that this would generate such excitement. People kidded that watching the bulb glow about 30 feet off the firehouse floor was like watching paint dry.
Dunstan had laid the foundation for its history and even gotten the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’'s Believe It or Not to check out its validity and declare it the world’s longest-burning bulb.
Research has shown it is a 60-watt incandescent bulb manufactured in Shelby, Ohio, using hand-blown glass and a carbon filament. But several scientific studies to date have failed to determine exactly why it has outlasted the average bulb, which will burn about 1,000 to 2,000 hours.
We were pleasantly surprised when nearly 900 people showed up to see it glowing and eat some cake as we all sang "“Happy Birthday”" for its centennial. The website, complete with a webcam focused on it 24 hours a day, had been installed and can still be seen today at www.centennialbulb.org if you are interested. The webmaster, Steve Bunn, has fielded more than 1,000 inquiries and added a hundred of pages of stories, photos and facts. That first party was followed by another on its 110th birthday, and then this year it was determined the bulb had burned for a million hours, thus time for another party. So Kay and I joined several hundred people on a pleasant Saturday in June to pay homage to this incredible little bulb and once again sing "“Happy Birthday."” I imagine some of you had a more exciting summer vacation highlight, but none as quirky as ours.
By the way, I hope to see some of you at the Waterman Lions Club Summerfest &Tractor Show on Saturday, when I will be at a table, selling my second volume of favorite columns, plus offering copies of “"Acres of Change."” Stop by and I will show you a replica of the Livermore light bulb as well.
• •
Barry Schrader can be reached via email at barry815@sbcglobal.net or at P.O. Box 851, DeKalb, IL. 60115. To view the index of 600 local names in his latest book, "“Hybrid Corn & Purebred People, Volume 2,”" go to his website www.dekalbcountylife.com and click on NEW BOOK.
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201704
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How jealous dreams can trigger real rows: Study finds what we think about when we sleep affects how we act when we are awake
If you can’t help snapping at your other half, blame your dreams.
A study found that the content of our dreams spills over into our real-life relationships, triggering rows and doubts in the day to come.
The idea that our waking life influences our dreams has been much studied. But the latest research looks at whether what we think about when asleep affects how we act when we wake up.
A study found that the content of our dreams spills over into our real-life relationships, triggering rows and doubts in the day to come
The researchers from the UK and US, said: ‘These results provide evidence for the first time that specific dream content predicts subsequent behaviour with relationship partners.
‘These results deepen our understanding of dreams, as a previously unstudied factor that contributes to important relationship processes - particularly love/intimacy and conflict.’
The researchers asked 61 men and women to write down details of their dreams as soon as they woke up.
The volunteers, who were all in relationships, filled in the dream diaries immediately on waking.
They also completed personality questionnaires and details of their waking day.
This included how much time they spent with their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife, how much they rowed, and how loving they were.
All together there were 842 dreams to analyse and 87 per cent of participants dreamed of their partner at least once.
When people felt jealous in a dream about their partner, this led to them reporting more arguments and problems in their relationship the next day.
Dreams that involved conflict with a partner also predicted greater real life relationship difficulties in the following days.
And when the dreamer committed infidelity in their sleep this led to a fall in the level of love and intimacy they showed towards their partner in the next few days, the journal Social, Psychological and Personality Science reports.
Importantly, the findings couldn’t be explained away by what the volunteers had done before dreaming – pointing to dreams influencing life rather than the other way round.
The researchers, including a Reading University psychologist, said: ‘When recalling a dream after waking, the content and/or emotions are active in the mind, and once they are active, may influence subsequent behaviour.’
Not all of the findings were negative. For instance, the study also found that people who had more dreams featuring their partner spent more time with them and were closer to them in real life and the authors said dreams can promote bonding, as well as conflict.
They said it was unclear whether dreams tend to alter moods without conscious reflection or whether dreamers intentionally changed their behaviour after considering the implications of their dreams.
But they added that ‘the social effects of dreams can be potent regardless’.
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AN EU agreement to ban the dumping of dead fish back in the sea has been hailed by the Scottish Government.
Measures to prevent discards were agreed in the early hours of this morning by EU fishing ministers in Brussels.
The new rules are now subject to final negotiation with MEPs.
They will be introduced progressively between 2014 and 2019 as part of reforming the common fisheries policy (CFP) and are expected to improve the sustainable management of Scotland's fisheries.
Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said: "This negotiation is a key milestone on the road to a discard-free Europe and delivers a compromise plan which is both realistic and workable.
"No longer will European fishermen be dumping millions of tonnes of fish overboard, which is a waste of a valuable food resource, to the detriment of our stocks and the industry."
Liberal Democrat fisheries spokesman Tavish Scott said: "Now ministers need to do what they are paid for and implement policies which work. Work to end the dumping of marketable fish without destroying the very livelihoods of the fishing communities around Scotland's coast. That is the test of government that fishermen, fishing communities and environmentalists will watch."
Green party fisheries spokeswoman Alison Johnstone said: "While ministers and industry leaders are hailing this agreement, we must be careful not to get carried away.
"Details of exactly how a discards ban will work have yet to be agreed.
"The deal is weaker than the ban MEPs voted for earlier this year so we must be sure any new measures are meaningful.
"The Scottish fleet has made progress using different gear to reduce unwanted catches but the wider issue remains: we continue to allow industrial-scale trawling which doesn't properly distribute the rewards of fishing; and we still need to develop a culture of respect for scientific advice."
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fisherman's Federation, said: "Whilst this agreement is an important first step in ensuring the practical introduction of a discards ban, it should be recognised that huge challenges remain for the industry in its implementation that will require major changes in the way that fishermen operate. The Scottish industry has already made heavy sacrifices in working towards this.
"We note that there has been some criticism from the green lobby on this agreement but the compromises agreed will assist in the practical implementation of the plan, and this should be welcomed."
Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association, said: "It is absolutely essential that the ban is managed across a level playing field, with the regulations being applied uniformly and fairly across the pelagic fleets of all member states and others participating in the fisheries, so that no one country is disadvantaged against any other."
Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson said: "There is still a long way to go before we start celebrating. And before Richard Lochhead gets too excited, he should remember this is only at the first reading.
"There are still some issues that need resolved with discards, such as vessels that are in distant waters not having to sail for four days just to land unwanted catch they're not allowed to throw away."
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Most times young people get drunk, they get into trouble for reasons that are directly related to drinking. They get too drunk, have blackouts or hangovers, drink and drive, or destroy property Youngsters who get stoned are often not causing as much internal or external damage, and are smoking responsbily.
The dangers of alcohol are well known and documented and it has been shown that alcohol is much more dangerous than marijuana. With that said, I do not think people should get high or drunk until they are of a responsible age. But the world isn't perfect, obviously, and this will keep happening.
If you look at it from a criminal stand point, It is not acceptable. I think if it ever gets passed as something for recreational use, it might be considered better. Drinking and driving however, is just awful and should be considered more dangerous than the effects of pot and driving.
It is not better for a teenager to get high instead of drunk. Recreational drugs are for the most part illegal and therefore if a teenager is caught in possession of an illegal drug he or she can face legal troubles. Illegal drugs are also potential more harmful than alcohol because they may contain impurities or simply lead to a chronic addiction which wil destroy their lives.
No, I think that getting drunk will be a lot more healthy for the teen, and that it will not lead them to go do worse drugs on down the road, since alcohol is not really a gate way to any things that are a lot worse on your life.
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Coming Soon: Autonomous Nano Code Generators Surmounting HurdlesAt present, code generators have practical limitations. They lack the following technical requirements: Positional assembly The ability to put code where we want after it has been written and compiled Massive parallelism The ability to work together to solve bigger problems Convergent assembly Little assemblers writing little pieces of code and increasingly bigger and more complex assemblers assembling successfully more complex code
Positional AssemblyBecause reflection attaches code generators into existing applications at large, granular intersections, the code is not fully integrated and may not be integratable after deployment. A better solution would be a trusted generator injecting code precisely where needed. Such an injection could occur at the fragment, statement, algorithm, class, namespace, or assembly level, intertwined or attached to existing code. This is the concept of positional assembly.
Suppose that over a period of time an application keeps raising an exception that is unhandled and crashing as a result. This predicament highlights the need for positional assembly. Theoretically, an autonomously generated try..catch block could be wrapped around the crashing block of code and at a minimum the exception could be written to the event log. Better yet, the problem could be diagnosed at an earlier juncture to prevent the crash-inducing bad input.
Current implementations such as .NET support the isolation of applications by application domain in order to prevent contamination. Sleeves would act like layers around application domains and play the role of boundary entities that can interact at any point in an application domain by injecting generated code and across application domains in order to work in parallel and convergently. Obviously, this capability would be greatly dependent on trust and reliability. Note:An alternate way to think of code is in terms of four states: creation, execution instance, execution overtime, and rest. Think of a sleeve as a fifth dynamic state that can interact with code during any of its other states, including inter-sleeve communications.
Positional assembly also would rely on programming languages and generators supporting the two other concepts as well, massive parallelism and convergent assembly (which were identified by Dr. Ralph Merkle).
Massive ParallelismMassive parallelism is many autonomous nano code generators working together, perhaps like Howard Rheingolds Smart Mobs. Parallelism is presently supported in hardware and software, but it hasnt been applied to code generation.
Like a colony of ants, code generators would assemble for a period of time to accomplish a common goal, with each code generator performing a very simple task.
Convergent AssemblyAll of these small code generators would need to converge and work in orchestrated groups to make small bits of generated code into bigger bits. For small, algorithm-sized problems, a few dozen or maybe as many as a few hundred generators would converge and piece together a solution. As the problem increased in complexity and scale, nano generators would assemble small pieces of code, and molecularor largergenerators would converge to convert the small fragments of code into increasingly larger chunks of the solution. In this way, fragments, algorithms, classes, components, aspects, sub-systems, and possibly whole systems could be generated autonomously.
Getting There from Here Without StumblingImplications, both good and bad, will need to be weighed as this technology matures. Lets take a moment to consider some of these.
Benefits of GeneratorsSeveral benefits of code generators come to mind. An obvious one is that when metacode is correct all subsequently generated code will be correct. For example, if you write a code generator for managing threads in WinForms, then every generated use instance will work correctly. This means that even if a developer hasnt mastered the nuances of Invoke and delegates, he or she can still use multithreaded behaviors. Further, a nano code generator could discover an optimization point and inject the threaded behavior correctly itself.
Some areas are ready to explore code generators right now. Of course, software development would benefit from the availability of more code generators because this would enhance reliability factors. We programmers could also define plug-in points that look like assemblies, permitting us to dynamically add assemblies later. This is how internationalization works. (Internationalization keys off country codes. If a country code changes, the .NET Framework looks for a specific resource assembly.)
Implications of Automated Code GeneratorsIn the face of automated code generators, programmers might worry about their financial future. Dont worry. For the foreseeable future, software will continue to grow in complexity, and code generators more than likely only will alleviate tedium because the easy tasks will be automatable. A bigger concern is how we cope in a world with software with diverging behaviors.
The end result may be many more support people for all of these slightly different variations, as well as developers searching for unique evolutions. Perhaps even a whole cottage industry will crop up where programmers are paid to test and distribute new evolutions. In addition, someone will have to write all of these generators, and the ratio between metacode and generated code is about 10-to-1. (That is, it takes about ten lines of code-generating code to generate one line of code.) This might mean that we will need even more developers than ever to write all of these generators.
Many problems remain to be solved, including diverging evolutions, and security and trust between code generators and applications. The technology isnt quite there yet. But in this world, software could grow in capability, value, and complexity at geometric rates, resulting in some very valuable and interesting derivatives.
Science Fiction Becomes FactLike pieces of a puzzle, the technologies and pragmatic problems involved in designing autonomous nano code generators are slowly taking shape. I think it was Stephen Hawking who said, Yesterdays science fiction is todays science fact.
We already have the science fiction in Michael Crichtons novel
Prey, in which he captures an interesting and perverse scenario based on nanotechnology and intelligent nanomachines, and we have most of the science facts in refactoring, patterns, generics, reflection, code generators, and parallel computing. For science fiction to become science fact, we need the capability to generate code wherever it is neededwe need autonomous code generators. Alan Turing demonstrated that complex machines could be created through lengthy binary decision making, and I dont see any reason why simple binary rules couldnt be used to support autonomy.
Collectively, this means that science fact is hinging on positional assembly capabilities in languages like C# and the ingenuity of programmers like you and I.
About the Author Paul Kimmel has written several books on object-oriented programming and .NET. Look for his upcoming books UML DeMystified from McGraw-Hill/Osborne (Spring 2005) and Expert One-on-One Visual Studio 2005 from Wiley (Fall 2005). Paul is also the founder and chief architect for Software Conceptions, Inc, founded 1990. He is available to help design and build software worldwide. You may contact him for consulting opportunities or technology questions at pkimmel@softconcepts.com.
If you are interested in joining or sponsoring a .NET Users Group, check out www.glugnet.org.Copyright © 2005 by Paul Kimmel. All Rights Reserved.
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After Wednesday night’s smashing debate victory for Romney, we may expect the national and swing state polls to change in the Republican’s direction. But not by as much as they should. These polls are biased in favor of Obama and here’s the data to prove it:
From noted Republican pollster John McLaughlin comes a clear and convincing exposé of the bias of media polls in the swing states of Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.
McLaughlin reviewed exit polls in each state for the past four elections. From this data about who actually voted, he found that the party divisions manifest on election day have little to do with the samples upon which the media is basing its polling. And, coincidentally, it is always the Republican vote that tends to be undercounted.
In Florida, for example, McLaughlin finds that the average of the last four elections produced a turnout of 37% Democrats and 38% Republicans. But here is the partisan distribution of the most recent Florida media polls:
9-26: CBS/NY Times = 36% Dem / 27% Rep
9-23: Wash Post = 35% Dem / 29% Rep
So the media polls reflect a 9 point and six point Democratic edge even though the actual experience of the past four elections has been a 1 point Republican advantage.
Things are no better in Ohio. Here, McLaughlin finds a 2 point Democratic edge in the past four elections (38% Dem, 36% Rep). But the media polls show vastly more Democrats and fewer Republicans in their samples:
9-26: CBS/NY Times = 35% Dem / 26% Rep
9-23: Wash Post = 35% Dem / 27% Rep
9-11: NBC/Wall St Journal = 38% Dem / 28% Rep
Once again, the actual exit poll-measured vote in Ohio shows a 2 point Democratic edge, but the polls reflect Democratic advantages of 9 points, 8 points, and 10 points respectively.
In Virginia, it’s the same story. The last four elections have a combined 1 point Republican edge, 37-36. But the media polls show a big pro-Democratic bias:
10/2: Roanoke College = Democrat 36% / Republican 27%
9/17: CBS/NYTimes = Democrat 35% / Republican 26%
9/16: Washington Post = Democrat 35% / Republican 24%
9/11: NBC/Wall St Journal = Democrat 31% / Republican 26%
So instead of showing a 1 point Republican edge, these media poll samples show Democratic advantages of 9,9,11, and 5.
The correct conclusion to draw from all these polls is that Romney is comfortably ahead in Virginia and Florida while he holds a slight lead in Ohio. And, remember these polls are all pre-debate!
Also, bear in mind that the undecided vote in all of these polls usually goes against the incumbent.
That’s the real story.
Annual ROIs as high as 20% – 30%, even 50% or better!! AND get substantial Tax Benefits on Top!
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201704
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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
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* Prices may differ from that shown
Most people know Lorraine Kelly as a TV presenter, but what they may not know, and in fact, neither did I until recently, is that she has also published some weaning books. I received this weaning book 'Lorraine Kelly's Baby and Toddler Eating Plan' as a gift, alongside the Annabel Karmel weaning guide and used in combination they are both excellent.
This yellow coloured paperback book was obviously published before the Government advice that babies should be weaned from six months, however, there are many that are weaned before this mark, such as my own daughter, and so this was a refreshing book to read to get ideas for her from four months on, although she was around five months when I first started weaning. This book claims to have over '100 healthy, quick and easy recipes' taking your through the baby weaning to toddler meal ideas. Lorraine Kelly is obviously not an expert on the nutritional aspects of food so has enlisted the help of top nutritionist Anita Bean in this book. Chapter 1, which I didn't actually read is completely devoted to balanced diets with lots of information (and diagrams) about food nutrition. Chapters 2 to 6 are then completely devoted to information and recipes for various age groups of children. Chapter 2 takes you through exactly how to being weaning - the equipment you need, the first foods to try, what to do when baby says no to food, as well as suitable and unsuitable foods for babies from four months when some may start weaning. There is also information about allergies, followed by several meal planners taking you over a four week period with a baby as young as four months. Since I was starting my baby still quite young at five months, I didn't really follow this guide, as I just took things at her pace, knowing I had plenty of time to gradually increase the number of meals she would have as well as the types of food. If you start weaning at six months, then these initial guides would probably be very useful. At the end of the chapter, there are pages given entirely to recipes that are suitable for babies from four months. At four months, these aren't really recipes as such, but more puree ideas. I found some of the combinations she suggested to be really good to try. Each recipe is very clearly explained and so far none that I have either ear marked to try or actually tried out have been in any way difficult to follow. There isn't a huge list of ingredients, and to be honest once you get to the six month mark, many of the recipes can be used for a dinner idea for yourself. I made my daughter mediterranean pasta from this book and my daughter loves it. Next time I make it though I am going to make it for my husband and I with the only difference being that I would use normal adult pasta. As well as clear guidelines, following the quantities given, there is information at the bottom of each recipe about how many portions it should take, whether it is freezer friendly, the nutritional benefits of the recipe and the preparation and cooking time. Despite there not being an photographs alongside recipes, these recipes are really really easy to follow, that even if you are a non cook, you could not go wrong with at all. Many of the recipes, even those for younger babies, can be adapted to suit your own meals, meaning you only have one main meal to cook. I end up returning to this book again and again, for ideas for recipes, information about weaning when I want to check something out, and sometimes to look ahead for what to expect. All in all, although you might wonder if this book is a bit gimmicky with a television presenter promoting a weaning book, I assure you it isn't, and is a book that is extremely easy to read, follow and with lots and lots of recipes to try out. All of those recipes that I have tried my daughter has enjoyed which says a lot about the quality of the meal ideas in the book. THis really is a great guide to weaning, and I usually end up consulting it almost every day!
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201704
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This is the first in a two-part series looking at the growing problem of elder abuse in Durham Region as the baby boomer generation approaches old age. Metroland Media Group's Durham Region Division looks at local service gaps and talks to experts about what needs to change.
DURHAM -- Dorothy closes her eyes as she grips the arm of the sofa to demonstrate how her son would shake her by the shoulders.
"It made me dizzy," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
The 81-year-old woman is just over five feet tall, her slight frame drowned in a quilted purple housecoat.
What do you do when your abuser is your primary ca
She suffers from Parkinson's disease and is slowly going deaf. Even with a hearing aid tucked inside each ear, she struggles to catch what is said to her.
Up until about eight months ago, Dorothy -- not her real name -- lived with her son, his second wife and their two children in their 20s.
She moved in after being diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 77. Her trembling hands made it difficult to cook for herself and sometimes she struggled to get out of bed on her own.
"At the beginning everyone said it would be the best thing," she says.
Things were fine for the first year or two.
Stress started to build when her son was abruptly laid off from his manufacturing job and one of the grandchildren had a brush with the law.
At the same time, Dorothy needed more and more help with everyday tasks, such as dressing herself and getting in and out of the bathtub.
She had to be driven to several appointments a week and often couldn't eat the same meals as the rest of the family, because of problems with her teeth.
"They started to get annoyed with me always asking for things," she says?¨ Dorothy says the emotional abuse started first -- there was a lot of yelling. One time her son said she should "hurry up and die."
She vividly recalls the first time things got physical.
There was an argument over whether Dorothy had mentioned an appointment she needed to be driven to. That's when she says her son reached out and shook her so hard that "my head snapped back."
After that Dorothy says there were probably a dozen more times that she was shaken or had her arms grabbed roughly.
It got to the point where she would flinch when her son walked by her.
***
Elder abuse is not a new problem.
The Durham Elder Abuse Network has been around since the late 90s, bringing community partners together to share resources and expertise.
What is new is growing concern about service gaps as the baby boomer demographic approaches old age.
Ontario's population of seniors 65 and older is expected to more than double by 2036 -- and local experts say Durham isn't prepared to handle a spike in elder abuse cases.
"We're decades behind the research and the resources they have for child abuse and for domestic violence," says DEAN chairwoman Jennifer Josephson.
There is a provincial hotline elder abuse victims can call for support, but no central place for Durham residents to report elder abuse and no safe place to house local seniors who want to leave an abusive situation.
Tammy Rankin and Durham Regional Police Sergeant John Keating are on the front lines of what many see as an emerging crisis.
In 2010 Ms. Rankin was hired as the Region of Durham's first-ever elder abuse advisor, while Sgt. Keating became the Durham police senior support co-ordinator about three years ago.
They offer advice and support, make referrals and share their expertise with DEAN members.
The fact that Durham has two dedicated people working on elder abuse puts it far ahead of many other communities -- but it's not enough.
In 2011 Ms. Rankin worked on 278 elder abuse cases, while Sgt. Keating reviewed 187 elder abuse incidents and did 238 phone consultations.
On average it can take an hour or more to return a single phone call. Some situations require 15 to 20 follow-up calls to get all the details.
"We want more people to report elder abuse, but we don't have enough people to handle the calls we have now," Ms. Rankin says.
Studies estimate between four and 10 per cent of Ontario seniors experience abuse.
Elder abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, financial or involve neglect. There is also emerging research on medication abuse -- the misuse or withholding of medication.
Local experts say financial abuse is the most common type of elder abuse seen in Durham.
However, cases of neglect and physical abuse are on the rise as the "sandwich generation" is confronted with caring for aging parents as well as their own children, creating massive stress in some households.
It's difficult for experts to get concrete elder abuse statistics for Durham because of a lack of central reporting -- and because much of it isn't reported at all.
Sgt. Keating says many seniors are hurt by the very people they rely on for care, financial support or shelter, which creates a huge barrier to getting help.
"What do you do when your abuser is your primary caregiver?" he says. "How do you turn in your child, or your grandchild or your spouse?"
***
Dorothy is a real-life example of the challenges local experts talk about.
For the first few months after the abuse started, she didn't want to tell anyone and was adamant about not involving police.
"How could I get (my son) in trouble? He would probably never be able to get a job again," she says.
The other concern was where she would live and who would help care for her if she left her son's home -- both her husband and daughter are dead and other relatives live overseas.
After much soul searching, she chose to confide in her family doctor.
"I was nervous but I just came right out with it. I said, my son is fed up with me and some things have been happening."
With the help of her doctor, Dorothy was able to contact the Senior's Safety Line, then reach out to a friend.
Two months later she was moved into her friend's north Durham home, where the two senior women now pool their resources to pay for personal support workers.
She has cut off contact with her son and his family and doesn't talk to anyone about what happened.
"I feel embarrassed ... that this happened in my family. That's not how I raised my son to be," she says.
It's a common reaction and an important distinction when it comes to the difference between elder abuse and other types of domestic abuse.
"A woman is often angry at the husband or partner who abused them and they can admit the relationship was a mistake, that they chose the wrong person,"Ms. Rankin says."Compare that to an elderly woman who didn't choose her abuser, she gave birth to them."
Teresa Shearer says situations like this underscore the need for seniors to have people they can trust beyond their immediate family or caregivers.
As manager of independent living services at the Oshawa Senior Citizens Centre and a member of DEAN, she has seen seniors who are reluctant to talk to authorities about abuse -- but may be willing to open up to a peer in a casual setting.
"The seniors' centre is a safe, neutral place where seniors can be with their peers and develop a social network," she explains.
The OSCC has a large staff and nearly 500 volunteers who interact with members and keep an eye out for red flags -- whether it's a senior who is often hungry or one who mentions that a family member is angry with them.
"As soon as something doesn't seem right, we dig deeper," Ms. Shearer says. "Of course, sometimes people don't want help. They're adults. They have the right to stay in their situation or take risks, just like we all do."
In Part 2 of this series Metroland Media Group's Durham Region Division looks at the push to create a local shelter for seniors and investigates successful models in other communities.
Reporter Jillian Follert can be found on Twitter @JillianFollert and on Facebook by searching Jillian Follert
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201704
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Not every gardener or landscaper has the time to carry out the time consuming task of lifting and storing bulbs during their dormancy, despite knowing the rewards this practice can offer in terms of prize blooms. Luckily, that doesn’t mean that bulbs are out of the question in your landscape design. In particular, there are some great varieties of Narcissus that naturalize beautifully in the low-maintenance landscape. How will you know which ones to plant?
The answer is surprisingly simple. We have solved your problem with a fantastic Narcissus for Naturalizing Collection that includes all the very best low-maintenance Narcissus varieties you can get. Just plant them and enjoy the gorgeous effect of lovely spring blooms year after year.
These tough varieties come in every shade that you would expect from Narcissus: gold, white, frilly double flowered varieties and beautiful combinations of contrasting colours are all represented in this easy to grow mixture. Adding that special something to a mass planting, flower bed, rockery or border has never been easier. Imagine a carpet of low maintenance colour that appears by itself every spring, just when you’re hungry for a bit of life and color.
It’s a matter of choosing the right varieties and Dutch Grown has already done all the homework for you. Simply get your bulbs in time for autumn planting and let nature do the rest. All these delightfully easy-going bulbs need is a sunny or semi-shaded position and well-drained soil and the Narcissus for Naturalizing Mix settles in comfortably giving you maximum rewards for minimum effort.
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201704
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Welcome to EarthTurns
Douglas Laboratories Opti-EPA Enteric-Coated supplies significant amounts of essential omega-3 fatty acids, derived from marine lipid concentrate. Processed by molecular distillation, OptiEPA is an excellent source of these fatty acids, providing 660 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 340 mg docosahexeanoic acid (DHA) per serving.
The omega-3 fatty acid EPA is the direct precursor for the prostaglandins E1 and E3, whereas DHA is of primary importance for the
structural integrity of neuronal membranes. DHA is essential for brain and visual development and is vital throughout pregnancy to support fetal brain growth and formation of the retina and visual cortex. As the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, adequate amounts of DHA are needed throughout infancy and adulthood for ongoing optimal function. Low levels of DHA may adversely influence behavior and mental performance, and have been correlated with changes in disposition, memory, and vision and other neurological conditions.
Studies have shown that DHA, along with EPA may play an important role in cardiovascular health. One landmark study, the GISSI-Prevenzione Trial, involved over 11,000 people. This was the first large scale trial that showed supplementation of essential fatty acids supporting cardiovascular health. The exact reasons for such dramatic benefits with respect to heart health remains unknown, but may be related in part to the ability of fish oil to support healthy physiological processes. Some researchers believe that the body's response to certain factors, along with a fatty diet, can lead to metabolic risk factors. Studies indicate that EPA and DHA can act as precursors for the prostaglandins E1 and E3, and decrease the formation of prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2. Omega- 3 fatty acids may be able to modify sodium channels by binding to the channel proteins. This could then help support healthy heart rhythms.
Additionally, Opti-EPA is enteric-coated, significantly reducing the "fishy" taste sometimes associated with marine lipid supplements.
Opti-EPA™ enteric-coated softgels may be a useful dietary adjunct for individuals wishing to supplement their diets with the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.
SIDE EFFECTS: No adverse side effects have been reported.
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Ingredients
Other Ingredients: Ultra refined fish oil concentrate (from anchovy and mackerel), gelatin (capsule), glycerin, water, rosemary extract, ascorbyl palmitate, mixed tocopherols, ethylcellulose, coconut oil, ammonium hydroxide, sodium alginate and stearic acid.
No yeast, wheat, gluten, soy protein, milk/dairy, corn, sugar, starch, artificial coloring, preservatives or flavoring. UPC Code 310539022764
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201704
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Click on the Icon above to be Routed to Information About Parking Adjustments due to the Construction of the New Student Center and Parking Deck
State and University Vehicle Users:
The NC Turnpike Authority recently opened the new Triangle Expressway, a toll road that connects the NC 147 and I-40 Interchange to NC 540 near Research Triangle Park and the NC 540 between NC 55 and NC 54. This is the first modern toll road built in North Carolina, and one of the first in the nation to only use electronic toll collection instead of toll booths. This brings a challenge to light that many departments at East Carolina University may not be aware.
According to NC Motor Fleet Management regulations regarding state vehicles, payment of tolls when traveling in the state vehicle is the responsibility of the traveler and, by extension, the agency of the state employee. With the new electronic toll collection system, this creates a small issues as to the process to pay those tolls. The electronic method uses a transponder and account system installed in the vehicle to register when a toll is incurred and bills the account accordingly, much like the EZ-Pass toll system of some other states. However, if the vehicle does not have a transponder, a photo is taken of the license plate of the vehicle and a bill is sent to the vehicle's agency to pay, which may include additional administrative fees as well as processing time.
For many departments at ECU, this situation is inconsequential as the state vehicles assigned to many departments are rarely driven outside of Greenville. Further, it would be unusual for individuals traveling to Raleigh on ECU business to use the road because of its location and area of service. However, the possibility of travel in the Raleigh/RTP area where use of the Triangle Expressway may be desirable does exist.
After considering the cost to purchase vehicle-specific transponders, the administrative cost of maintaining a government account in the new system, and the infrequency of actually using the Expressway, the department should be aware that all charges are the responsibility of the driver and the department, including any fees that may be incurred due to late payment or administrative costs.
For those departments that believe that utilizing the Expressway with their state vehicles would be a common occurrence, please contact the ECU Central Motor Pool at CMP@ecu.edu or 328-6962 to get more information on options that are available.
The current toll cost for traveling the entire Expressway in one direction is $0.45. Thus, unless other expenses are incurred for which reimbursement is being requested, Accounts Payable will not reimburse for the toll charges. The administrative cost of providing a reimbursement solely for the toll cost would be prohibitive.
Debra Garfi
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201704
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Peterborough, N.H. IBM Research is celebrating its 60th anniversary in a year that may prove to be as transformational as 1945 was, for the company and for the world in general. Where the year IBM Corp.'s research arm was founded marked the start of the Cold War and the nuclear-arms race, from now on it may be intangibles such as information, software and intellectual property, delivered via the Internet that will be the center of global struggles for dominance, rather than physical products such as weapons systems, computers, cell phones or automobiles. That is how Paul Horn, the current director IBM Research, sees it.
"If you want to know what the next big thing is in the IT industry, it's not a device which may have a $100 million impact," Horn said. "It's really the ability of IT technology to take inefficiencies out of the global GDP. Without any doubt, in my mind, that is the next big thing." IBM, he said, sees "a huge emerging opportunity in what we call BPTS business process transformational services."
The current worldwide IT market represents about $1.2 trillion, and Horn sees that growing by at least another trillion dollars in the next few years.
Computers are getting better at representing physical systems for the user, translating the representation into bits that are sent via the Internet. And with modern automation, that information can be translated into control data for automated assembly.
That is a model of efficiency, but it is also cause for concern across the corporate culture. Horn worries that the ability of worldwide ad hoc groups of software engineers to organize around open-source, not-for-profit enterprises is posing a challenge to major computer companies that are themselves redefining their business model in terms of delivery of services, rather than products.
"We've got this whole disruption around how you get value out of software," he said. "The open-source worldwide communities are generating software of great power and value, and the whole service business is undergoing tremendous disruption. Software is being delivered as a service, so there isn't a piece of our industry that isn't undergoing radical change."
The disruption of the computer business is being propelled by underlying technology that will be moving ahead on its own momentum. Whether or not they turn a profit, basic innovations in materials and circuits, computer architectures and algorithms will become pivots of future technological advances.
The overall policy at the largest private research organization in the world which employs 2,400 scientists and engineers at nine locations worldwide is to push innovation at all levels, from basic devices through to systems, algorithm design and software.
"There are some very big trends in all pieces of our business that are going to be disruptive technologies," said Horn. He cited "fundamentally new ways that you will have to build semiconductors that are not simple linear extensions of where we are today; fundamentally new compute architectures that are right now on the horizon; [and] compute architectures which are low power, what we would call scaled out vs. scaled up."
"Scaled-out" systems have become a fundamental necessity as ICs begin to run into the physical barrier of power saturation. While there seems to be no limit to the circuit density on chips and advances in packaging amplify that by packing chips ever more densely in systems getting the heat out of a piece of hardware is becoming fundamental.
Focus on science When IBM's initial research lab was built at Columbia University in New York in 1945, the electronic computer was in its infancy. However, IBM was a major corporation, marketing a line of business information-processing machines based on mechanics, rather than electronics.
"IBM has always had an interest in applying information technology to science that goes way back to the origins of the company," said Tom Theis, director of the physical-sciences division of IBM Research. Thomas J. Watson Sr., who formed IBM by merging several other business machine companies, was always interested in doing science as well as business, Theis explained.
"For example, the first PhD employed by the company was an astronomer, who used punched cards to do scientific computation," he said. "Back then, the lead technology developers were experienced machinists. They were from a tradition of artisanship and didn't have the connection to academia that we associate with research today."
But in the post-1945 world, fundamental physical science started replacing the foundation of machining and manufacturing that business machines were based on. The discovery of the transistor at Bell Laboratories in 1947, and the development of the integrated circuit in the '50s at Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor, suddenly shifted the business machine onto a new foundation that was governed by the science of solid-state physics and quantum mechanics.
IBM researchers did fundamental work on magnetic data storage that kicked off the disk drive industry. IBM researcher Bob Dennard invented a solid-state data storage device, the dynamic random-access memory, which Theis called the "most reproduced human-designed object in history."
In 1976, Dennard wrote the first study of how scaling would affect transistor performance. "Bob never thought that gate insulators would get so thin that quantum-mechanical tunneling would put a limit on transistor performance," said Theis.
IBM researchers plunged headlong into the world of atoms during the 1980s. One innovation, the scanning-tunneling microscope, invented at IBM's Zurich research center by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer in 1980, revolutionized physics and won a Nobel Prize for the pair in 1986.
By the 1990s, IBM researchers had produced a demonstration experiment showing the letters "IBM" written in strings of single atoms on a conducting substrate, positioned by atomic-force microscope techniques. The technique has opened up a new world of imaging at the resolution of single atoms, while also creating a new atomic-level fabrication method.
This innovation might be compared with the laser, which was a fundamental development that affected science and technology widely, but did not immediately result in successful products.
Likewise, scanning-probe instruments have been developed for a wide number of research purposes, and might one day result in ultradense data storage devices IBM is working on that angle as well. But there has been no immediate payoff in terms of products, despite the large influence the technique carries in research.
On the other hand, another discovery in basic physics, giant magnetoresistance, very rapidly went into products in the form of magnetic-spin valves for ultrasensistive disk drive read/write heads. By allowing the density of bits on a disk to skyrocket, the innovation resulted in tiny drives that could store gigabytes of data.
"You don't know, in the more exploratory areas, if [a research breakthrough] will ever have an impact on your products," said Horn. "Sometimes you find that it has enormous impact, like the natural-language work we did, which led to a whole series of products, or the work on interfaces to semiconductors that led to the copper back end of the line."
Over the years, Horn said, IBM has found that, for the markets in which it plays, "we get value out of the fundamental work that we [at IBM Research] do. We get a return on it, and so we are not going to stop, because it is helping us grow."
Showcase system The design of IBM Research's showcase system, the Blue Gene supercomputer, was driven by the trade-off between power and performance. Blue Gene/L, with a sustained performance of 136.8 teraflops, topped the list of the world's fastest computers announced last summer. It was developed in a joint project between IBM Research and the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, and is being installed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. The second fastest computer in the world, at 91.29 Tflops, is a privately owned Blue Gene system at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center.
"Frequency is slowing down because of fundamental power limitations. Density continues to increase, but a transistor is not free anymore, like it used to be. When a transistor is there, it is basically dissipating power and you have to take that into account," said Tilak Agerwala, who heads the Systems Division at IBM Research. "The interesting point is that the relationship between performance and power is nonlinear in the following sense: If I reduce power by a factor of 10, I may only reduce performance by a factor of three."
In the Blue Gene project, that insight was combined with a total-systems view of computing, which included a basic scaling capability of the architecture.
"This is a fine example of how you leverage power efficiency, how you leverage intelligent system design, how you look across the entire stack to get something that is fundamentally more cost-effective and has the highest level of performance that has ever been seen," Agerwala said.
But from the larger perspective of commercial and scientific applications, performance is only one parameter. "There are all kinds of new applications that really require very high performance and are data intensive digital media games, content management, financial risk analysis, medical and life sciences," Agerwala said. "These applications have significant performance and data requirements, and yet we are in an environment where we are not going to get that performance just out of the frequency of the basic devices."
Blue Gene is an attempt to address both the diversity of applications and the increasing demand for high-throughput data processing in one architecture. It will compete against many other server and workstation products and, as Horn pointed out, against the ability of software gurus to organize diverse computing resources over the Internet at virtually no cost.
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