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Welcome to Fluvanna County! Fluvanna County, in central Virginia, is approximately 282 square miles, 180,840 acres. The county is a rural area with the potential for business growth. The estimated population in 2011 was 25,989. Fluvanna County was established in 1777. There are 14 historic sites within the boundaries of Fluvanna County including the Old Stone Jail in historic downtown Palmyra. Fluvanna County just recently added a new high school to accommodate the growth of the community.
We hope that you find the Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office website insightful and useful. This website will identify the various divisions and units within the Sheriff's Office and their purpose.
The men and women of the Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office are committed to serving the citizens of our county in a fair, honest and professional manner. Our goal is to provide the best law enforcement possible to the citizens. | <urn:uuid:6fb01995-824b-4ac2-92b1-e6cace3e8315> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fluvannasheriff.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955105 | 186 | 1.765625 | 2 |
NEW YORK — The U.S. service sector, the nation's predominant employer, expanded in September for a ninth straight month, although the growth has not been consistent enough to dent the high unemployment rate.
The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its service-sector index rose last month to 53.2 from 51.5 in August. The rate hit a high point of 55.4 in March, stayed there in April and May, and has fluctuated since. Readings above 50 signal growth.
Weak consumer spending has kept the service industry, which employs about 83 percent of workers in the private sector, from gaining momentum after the recession ended. Economists say Tuesday's reading was better than expected, but not enough to change their outlook of high unemployment and slow job growth for the rest of the year.
Many expect Friday's employment report to show the jobless rate rose in September to 9.7 percent from 9.6 percent, and that 75,000 private-sector jobs were added. They predict the economy will growth at roughly a 2 percent rate for the rest of the year, not enough to lower unemployment.
“Obviously a rise is better than a fall, but we're still faced with an economy that is growing well below its trend rate and not fast enough to generate the job gains required to drive down the unemployment rate,” Paul Ashworth, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics, said about the service-sector survey.
The service-sector survey, along with a surprise move by the central bank of Japan to slash interest rates to near zero, helped to lift stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 172 points in afternoon trading.
The survey polls about 350 companies in 18 industries, including health care, retail, utilities, education, financial services and shipping. In September, 11 of the industries reported growth. They were led by business management and administrative services, industries that provide information, and professional and scientific services. Three industries shrank and four had the same pace of activity.
There were a few promising signals for winter. A gauge of future business, the new orders index, grew more quickly in September than in August. That suggests demand for services has increased and business activity may grow in the next few months.
And, a measure of how willing employers are to fill vacant positions showed slim growth in September after a pullback in August. Still, that improvement, to 50.2 from 48.2, leaves the measure stuck in the same range it has been for months. It does not suggest employers are ready to hire enough to bring down the employment rate.
“It's still teetering on that threshold between expansion and contraction which continues to show that overall employment is still very weak,” said Wells Fargo economist Anika Khan.
An analysis by Credit Suisse economist Jill Brown of ISM's employment measure in September suggests the economy added about 90,000 jobs in the service sector last month.
Brown predicts businesses and organizations added a net total of 75,000 jobs in September, just slightly more than the 67,000 private-sector jobs gained in August and in line with other economists' forecasts.
Private companies and other organizations would need to consistently add about 125,000 jobs each month to bring down the unemployment rate, Khan said.
Several large U.S. retail chains have said that they plan on hiring more holiday workers this year than they did in 2009, including Macy's Inc., Toys R Us, Pier 1, American Eagle Outfitters and Borders Group Inc. Still, those jobs are temporary, and the amount of new hires may not be enough to bring down the jobless rate. | <urn:uuid:f8bdec5f-3ce5-416f-8307-b4e827d85f28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledoblade.com/Economy/2010/10/05/Service-sector-growth-accelerates-in-September.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969839 | 745 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Thanks for your message. When I was running my recently terminated Internet discussion list, CreationEvolutionDesign I used to `kill two birds with one stone' and copy private messages I received on creation, evolution and design topics to my list, after removing the sender's personal identifying information and replacing his/her name with "AN" (for ANonymous). I had thought that would not work with my blog of the same name that replaced my list, but I have had second thoughts and will give it a try. I imagine that a lot of readers could be interested in basic questions. You are welcome to make comments to the blog post, anonymously if you wish.
On Sat, 6 Aug 2005 14:45:35 +0800, AN wrote:
>My name is AN, I came across your internet article on common ancestory while I was doing a Google search for something else. I was very interested in your views. It's still an open question for me, but I do appreciate the distinction you make between common ancestry and naturalistic evolution. I wonder if there were muliple ancestors, as opposed to a single common ancester, which were the precursors to the Biblical kinds.
And an especial thanks that you can see "the distinction" that I "make between common ancestry and naturalistic evolution." Most (both creationist and evolutionist) in my experience cannot (or will not) see that distinction.
As for "Biblical kinds" , the Bible doesn't means anything scientific by it. The Hebrew word "min" just means kinds, like someone would say in English (e.g. "there are different kinds of trees and flowers in that forest"), without meaning anything about their taxonomic classification:
"min. Kind. The word min occurs in thirty-one passages (chiefly Gen 1, 6, 7; Lev 11; Deut 14), thirty of which belong to Moses' Pentateuch. The other one is Ezk 47:10. The etymology of min cannot be established with certainty. ... Some have argued that when God created min, he thereby fixed the `species.' This is a gratuitous assumption because a link between the word min with the biologist's descriptive term species cannot be substantiated, and because there are as many definitions of species as there are biologists. In light of the distinctions made in Gen 1, such as the distinction between herbs and grasses which are, however, members of the same class (Angiosperms), it is possible that in some cases the biblical term min may indicate a broader group, such as an order. Elsewhere, in Lev 11:14, 15, 16, 19, 22 (four times), min appears consistently as equivalent to nothing broader than genus. However, Lev 11:4 `the falcon after its kind,' and 11:16 `the hawk after its kind,' refer to divisions within the order Falconiformes, yet both have subdivisions called min. Likewise, as Payne points out, the locust, bald locust, cricket*, and grasshopper all belong to the order Orthoptera and the locust, bald locust, and grasshopper belong to the family Acridiidae, but again each has its subdivisions called min (genus?). God created the basic forms of life called min which can be classified according to modern biologists and zoologists as sometimes species, sometimes genus, sometimes family or order." (Kaiser W.C., "min. Kind," in Harris R.L., Archer G.L. & Waltke B.K., eds, "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament," , Moody Press: Chicago IL, 1992, Twelfth Printing, Vol. I, pp.503-504).* This does not make it clear that while they are in the same order (Orthoptera) of insects (class Insecta of phylum Arthropoda) as locusts and grasshoppers, crickets are in a different family (Gryllidae) from them.
AN>I was quite surprised to find that you are a fellow Perth resident. I live in […] and fellowship at [church] in […]. I've been a YECer most of my Christian life until a few years ago when I got involved on the discussions boards at [...]. Needless to say I was greatly challenged and a lot of my thinking changed. I would now describe myself as OEC with ID as a key foundation of my scientific understanding of origins.
OK. I have never been a YEC, even though I was converted to Christ (at age 20) in a fairly conservative evangelical Baptist church. I think there are yecs and there are YECs. The former (yecs) are those who believe the days of Genesis 1 are literal 24-hours as a default position, because they know of little or no scientific evidence to the contrary. That would describe the vast majority of Christians up to the 18th-19th century. The latter (YECs) are those who believe the days of Genesis 1 are literal 24-hours, *despite* knowing the evidence to the contrary.
Denyse O'Leary, of the Post-Darwinist blog makes this point (see tagline quote).
AN>A few months ago I was considering whether I should/could do a science degree so that I could have some credible input into the creation/evolution debate. I was encouraged by the fact that you have done that. I still don't know when or how I will be able to do this, but your example has encouraged my to keep it before God in prayer and to trust him for whatever his will is.
I would heartily recommend creationists doing "a science degree so that [they] ... could have some credible input into the creation/evolution debate." However, it is a big (and expensive) commitment and you probably would need strong motivation to do it. In my case it was a combination of: 1) wanting to know the truth; 2) feeling the need for credibility to write a book on the problems of evolution; 3) a vague idea about getting a job as a science teacher (which I later decided against); 4) not being able to think of anything better to do! and 5) a feeling that that is what God wanted me to do. I nearly forgot 6) an excuse to buy great books!
PS: Again, thanks for your message, but my long-standing policy is not to get involved in extensive private discussions about creation/evolution/design topics as: 1) I don't have the time; and 2) I believe that such discussions should be public. So if you have any follow-up questions, please make them as comments to my blog posts. Thanks.
"Were the famous scientists of long ago young earth creationists? William Provine; a prominent Darwinist, thinks so. In a recent online review, he complained that a National Academy of Sciences publication on how teach evolution is flawed. He questioned the Academy's decision to cite Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton as examples of thinkers whose views on physics and astronomy were vindicated because, as be put it: `Why would the National Academy have chosen this example in a book about evolution when all four were young-earth creationists? 34 Well, prior to about 1750, everyone was, in one sense, a young earth creationist! For example, the Venerable Bede (672?-735) wrote a history of the world, and so did Sir Walter Raleigh. (1554?-1618}. Both men began with `Creation,' the origin of the universe, as described in Genesis 1 and 2. They assumed that Creation took place about 6000 years ago. But the two men could hardly have been more different! Bede was an English monk in the Dark Ages, and Raleigh was a skeptical English adventurer who lived nearly a thousand years later in the Elizabethan Renaissance. Raleigh was rumored to be an atheist, holding forth in taverns, but his religious views had no impact on where he would begin his account of history. Prior to the development of geology as a scientific discipline in the 18th century, there was no widely accepted source of information about cosmic or human origins apart from the Bible. Raleigh would have to either begin with Genesis, or take the risk of resurrecting an account of origins written by a classical Greek philosopher. But the philosophers' accounts were not science-based; they were simply accounts that were not based on a Christian understanding of the universe. So Copernicus and the others were not young earth creationists in the sense that Provine assumes. They accepted a traditional account of origins as an alternative to no account." (O'Leary D., "By Design or by Chance?: The Growing Controversy on the Origins of Life in the Universe," 2004, p.129)
Stephen E. Jones, BSc (Biol). "Problems of Evolution" | <urn:uuid:e96a789d-eb95-461a-9763-d316eeb3fe27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://creationevolutiondesign.blogspot.com/2005/08/common-ancestry-and-common-city.html?showComment=1123787820000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972699 | 1,844 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Posted by GPP on October 30, 2003
In Reply to: Brights posted by Word Camel on October 29, 2003
: Bright is a term coined by Daniel Dennett to describe "... a person with a naturalist as opposed to a supernaturalist world view. We brights don't believe in ghosts or elves or the Easter Bunny -- or God."
: I didn't think it was going to take off as a turn but I'm starting to see it all the time. I couldn't find a working link to the original Op-ed piece in the New York Times where he coined the term, but I'm enclosing a link to a page where the pros and cons are discussed. Additionally here's a link to a site for 'Brights" http://the-brights.net/
Camel, I think you meant to say 'term'. Dennett popularized the term, but did not coin it. "...the coinage is due to Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell of Sacramento, Calif. They have started an Internet group, The Brights, intended to further the influence of "Brights."
Here's a link to Dennett's NYT article: http://www.the-brights.net/dennett_nyt.htm
I think there's much to be fairly said against the term itself, but the posts at the board you pointed to in your post here were mostly just sneering mockery, not "pros and cons". | <urn:uuid:4b6b91e7-7959-4e76-b314-edb4c4ad052a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/25/messages/662.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976307 | 304 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Zvandiri Community Support Groups
Zvandiri Community Support Groups have been operating in 17 communities across Harare and Chitungwiza every month since 2005. They were established with the children, their families, clinics and communities and in particular, the support of the National AIDS Council in Harare Province. On average, 500 children, adolescents and young people attend the groups each month. The children and young adolescents who founded the groups back in 2004 are now leading the groups with support from an adult mentor, or have grown up and ‘graduated out’ of the programme as they head off to employment, university and families of their own.
The Zvandiri support groups provide a constant forum in the lives of the children where they can share, learn, feel loved and supported and have fun each month. Children are referred by clinics, hospitals, schools, churches, families and communities, once they have been told they are living with HIV:
These groups are the ‘core’ of the programme and through skilled, structured training, counselling and a lot of fun, children learn how to cope with the impact of their HIV status.
Zvandiri community support groups are now being scaled up across the country through the Child Protection Fund which is enabling us to train provincial partners in establishing similar groups. Examples include Gweru City Health Department who are rolling out the approach in all their clinics and Hope For Life in Mutare who have been assisted to decentralise their support group in to surrounding communities. | <urn:uuid:5273350f-36fd-4e56-9cc7-6318cb98672f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.africaid-zvandiri.org/community-support-groups/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969596 | 309 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Congratulations! You are
taking a big step. You are ready to quit today. It's exciting. But it can also
be scary. If you're not quite ready yet, but you think
you will be soon, see the section
Thinking About Quitting?
If you've been
planning to quit, you may already know that when you stop smoking, you may not
feel so great at first. Some people feel grouchy and have headaches or
cravings. The good news is that these things are at their worst in the first 2
to 3 weeks after you quit, although they can last longer. And there are things that can help.
decided to quit today but haven't planned ahead, don't
worry. Here are some things to consider to help you succeed:
Using nicotine replacement products
and/or medicine doubles your chances of
quitting.1 When you quit
smoking, your body craves the nicotine that it was used to getting when you
smoked. But the nicotine isn't the harmful part of smoking or chewing. It's all
the other things in tobacco that are bad for you, such as tar and carbon monoxide. Nicotine from medicine is absorbed so slowly and at such low levels that it is rarely addictive.
help you through the stress of losing this part of your life. Your doctor can prescribe medicines that can get you through withdrawal. And he or she can help you plan the best way to use nicotine replacement products. Friends and
family can provide shoulders to lean on, and they can encourage you to stay
smoke-free. They can help distract you when you want to smoke, and they can
understand when you're a bit grouchy.
People who use telephone, group, or one-on-one
counseling are much more likely to stop smoking. Experienced counselors have practical ideas that can help you succeed. Here
are some ways to get support:
- National tobacco quitline: 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669)
- Counseling from a doctor, nurse, or therapist
- Stop-smoking programs, such as the American Lung Association's
Freedom from Smoking program (www.lungusa.org). In
these programs you can:
- Get help deciding which medicines may be
right for you.
- Use message boards, live chat, and email
to talk with counselors and people who have also quit.
- Sign up for
daily email messages.
- Quitting Smoking: Getting Support
Make a plan
If you quit
today but haven't planned ahead, now is a good time to plan your quit strategy.
Think of problems or barriers you have faced. And think of ways to reward
yourself for reaching specific milestones. Write out your
personal action plan(What is a PDF document?).
information, see the
Planning Your Strategy to Quit section of this topic.
Know your reason
You are taking
an important step to improve your life. Make sure that you know your reasons
for quitting smoking. The most common reason to quit is to live longer. It's a
gift you can give yourself and your family. | <urn:uuid:2fe31c37-c6c9-418c-a4f2-7e70184b3737> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-center/quitting-smoking-ready-to-quit-today.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942938 | 665 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Actors, directors and producers in Germany have united to fight broadcaster cuts in the amount TV invests in feature films. Talks are ongoing with Germany’s public and private broadcasters. If nothing’s resolved, Germany’s filmmakers will write a joint letter of complaint.
The percentage of the average film’s budget provided by TV stations has already fallen from 14% in 2007 to 8% last year.
Matthias Schwarz of the German Producers Alliance tells me broadcasters are frightened about their own declining income.
Broadcasters contributed €16 million ($25 million) to features co-funded by state agency the DFFF last year. Public TV injected €11 million, private channels €5 million. In addition, German broadcasters have separate funding arrangements with Germany’s regional film funds.
On top of this, channels must give free advertising away to German films on TV. Private channels contributed €8.5 million worth of spots. Public TV made €3 million worth of ad space available.
It’s long been argued that broadcasters benefit most from film production. A film’s advertising campaign acts as free publicity for when the film’s shown on TV. Most independent producers scrape a living, while TV channels enjoy the benefits of their work on the cheap.
German TV is also trying to spend less on expensive made-for-television drama as well. Like everywhere else, broadcasters know the real money is to be made on glossy “shiny floor shows” such as X Factor. | <urn:uuid:dc37080e-fb18-448c-b226-aea9b8fa82b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/german-tv-slashing-film-investment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953555 | 313 | 1.664063 | 2 |
PASS Policy Statement
NDNU is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act:
A. Section 202 of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act:
“No qualified individual shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities of any public entity, or be subject to discrimination by any such entity.”
B. Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act:
“No otherwise qualified, handicapped individual in the united states shall solely, by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Policy on Providing Services
Accommodation decisions are the product of an interactive process which involves students and their past academic history, parents, pass office, academic advisors, faculty members and, where necessary, outside experts. Students who provide incomplete documentation are offered assistance and guidance, such as referrals for additional testing. Academic accommodations that are judged to have a negative impact on the academic integrity of the educational program (e.g., those that would fundamentally alter the program of study) will not be honored. The final determination for providing appropriate and reasonable accommodations rests with NDNU. The PASS ensures that the ultimate decision conforms with well established practices in the field and pertinent legal precedents.
Eligibility Policy for PASS Services
All students must meet the requirements for admission to NDNU. After being accepted for admission to NDNU, the student should bring or send a copy of their documentation of disability immediately. A student with a disability needs to meet the qualifications set by PASS for learning support and services. | <urn:uuid:00669027-fef3-4119-8e99-c18fbdfe1caa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ndnu.edu/academics/acad-success-center/tutorial-center/passpolicy.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94431 | 359 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
Most Active Stories
Fri May 25, 2012
2012 Olympics: Running down a dream
Nick Stanko is a small guy with a shaved head. He’s an art teacher at Haslett High School, east of Lansing, and he also coaches the track team.
Stanko is hard-core about running. He’s tried out for the Olympic team twice and even the kids on his track team admit he’s a big deal. Senior Ryan Beyea told me he likes to brag to kids at other high schools that he gets to train alongside the legend, Nick Stanko.
In January, Stanko traveled to Texas to compete in the Olympic trials for the marathon and Beyea and some of other kids went down to support their coach.
At the trials, 111 men were running for three spots. So Stanko’s mindset was to go for it, even though had been dealing with some injuries. At first Stanko felt great, but around the half-way mark his body began to cramp and he stopped drinking any liquids.
His wife Theresa and the students noticed something looked, well, wrong. Theresa said she noticed a change in her husband’s stride, plus there was that look on his face—a look she says she had never seen before.
Ryan Beyea says when a runner feels good, their form looks good. But when a runner starts to die, Beyea says they look less relaxed—and that’s what the students noticed with Stanko. Beyea says Stanko’s arms came closer to his chest and his legs and knees were not rising very high.
Theresa Stanko remembers thinking, “I can’t imagine him stopping.” But that’s what happened, at mile 24 of the 26 mile race.
Stanko simply hit the wall. “I mean I thought to myself, ‘I can do this, I’m tough!’” he said, “but I got humbled.”
On the home stretch, Stanko slowly pulled off to the side near a medical tent, saw a cooler full of Gatorades, grabbed a bottle, and drank it down. He walked the remaining two miles to the finish line.
High school senior and track member Ellen Corder says it was sad to see her coach, who she thought was super-human, not finish the race.
"It was almost the pain of yourself not finishing a race, multiplied by ten watching him not finish.” But she says she admires him even more for his positive attitude throughout the race and for his ability to look to the future and move on.
Stanko was in good company that day. He was one of twenty-six marathon runners who did not finish the trials. But Stanko says he’s got a plan that includes running the marathon trials for the next two Olympics. | <urn:uuid:84f40064-f93b-4eb4-ba20-16bd0ef322fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://michiganradio.org/post/2012-olympics-running-down-dream | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985994 | 629 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Leases shall not be acquired or held by one considered a minor under the laws of the State in which the lands are located, but leases may be acquired and held by legal guardians or trustees of minors in their behalf. Such legal guardians or trustees shall be citizens of the United States or otherwise meet the provisions of § 3102.1 of this title.
[48 FR 33662, July 22, 1983, as amended at 53 FR 17353, May 16, 1988]
Title 43 published on 2011-10-01
no entries appear in the Federal Register after this date.
This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part. | <urn:uuid:ffbbb7db-590d-457b-af7b-628029c185ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/43/3102.3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952172 | 151 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Why does Paul Merton dress as the Man from Del Monte whenever he goes abroad? He did it when he went travelling round China, and then again for his India series. Now here he is in California, in a white suit and panama, for Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood (BBC2). He's picking an orange, too – maybe he is the Man from Del Monte. Paul Merton, he says ... yes! I have heard it said that Hollywood is run by juice...
Actually it – the movies – started east of here. In New York. And way further east still, in Europe. We – well the French and the Italians really – were way ahead. But the first world war got in the way of European movie-making. Who knows, otherwise it might have been all about Cricklewood.
But it wasn't. The early movie-makers went to Hollywood, for the light and the space and to escape the New York thugs of the inventor Thomas Edison, who asserted that the movies were his invention.
And Paul's gone there too, to talk us through those early years – of silent heroes and Keystone Kops, Mary Pickford, and the tedious three-hour racist epics of DW Griffiths. He does it very well, with a buff's enthusiasm, but also with the raised eyebrow of a sarky bastard. So the Kinetoscope footage of two men waltzing together "was made before the invention of women". And during my favourite clip, an early film called Rescued from the Eagle's Nest, he says: "Stand amazed as he [the hero] fights a battle to the death with an eagle that's clearly been dead for some time."
There's loads of great footage, the choicest juicy chunks, handpicked by Paul ... stop it! There's also some very interesting stuff about Charlie Chaplin and how he came to direct himself in his own work, and how much better it was when he was directing himself than when other people did it. This becomes more interesting still when you get to the credits: the programme was directed by ... Paul Merton. Is he turning into his hero, as well as the Man from Del Monte? Anyway, I think we say, yes. | <urn:uuid:d81e1825-b52f-47cb-a0de-45a4c6cbfc92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/may/28/tv-review-paul-merton-hollywood | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985629 | 460 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Young draws heavily on psychoanalytic developmental models in Schema Therapy. In particular, he develops a theory of "modes" as central to understanding the development and maintenance of maladaptive personality patterns. This theory, and its clinical applications, will look familiar to those with a psychoanalytic background, particularly those acquainted with Paul Federn’s theory of ego states and with Federn’s student Eric Berne, who developed transactional analysis during the 1950s and 1960s. If this derivation is intriguing, there is at least one potentially disturbing implication in basing an ostensibly empirically supported treatment on earlier, psychoanalytically derived models. Young and colleagues make frequent reference to "offending parents" in the etiology of personality disorders, particularly for borderline personality. Although Young speaks of temperament as creating a vulnerability to developing borderline personality, he and his coauthors come close to making parental neglect and abuse an a priori cause of borderline pathology. One is reminded of Fromm-Reichmann’s unfortunate term "the schizophrenogenic mother." Those steeped in an empirical tradition, and Young is among them, must be vigilant to avoid the excesses of earlier, punitive, and erroneous causal attributions. | <urn:uuid:46afb4f2-6eff-4fc3-b21c-0ad0b196dc37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=176519 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933022 | 252 | 1.5625 | 2 |
MTA officials are doing what they can to protect the train lines in advance of the storm, Metro North President Howard Permut, said Friday morning.
"We are cleaning out drains and removing debris we have it, anything to protect the right of way in advance of the upcoming storm," he said, speaking at a press conference about Metro North's station enhancement program, held in Bedford Hills. "Our plans will become clearer as we continue to monitor the forecast."
Permut said the best way for customers to stay on top of commuter information, service interruptions and changes would be through the MTA website. Customers may also receive information via apps for a variety of hand-held devices at the MTA app page.
Since last year's October snowstorm, the transporation authority has done a lot of work in order to be better prepared for future storms, said Permut.
"Last year we had two huge events during the fall storms—on our Port Jervis line, and here in the Hudson Valley. We have improved drainage and trimmed trees, but all need to do is look around and see how many trees there are to know there will be trees down and flooding and mudslides," he said.
Permut acknowledged MTA staff whom he said worked efficiently last year and will again do so in the coming days to get trains moving quickly again.
"Hundreds of trees down on the Harlem Line during last year's Halloween storm—our work force came out immediately and worked 24-48 hours to clear the right of way for our customers," he said.
Check back with Patch for more on the improvements made to stations throughout New York and Connecticut. | <urn:uuid:ab4695ae-c53e-4df8-9e8f-8ce97627ea1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bedford.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/mta-prepping-for-hurricane-sandy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966491 | 336 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Dealing the Cards
Next comes the deal. As previously mentioned, the dealer will start with the player to his immediate left and work clockwise around the table. Depending on the casino you're playing in, you will either get both cards face down or get both cards face up. Since you are only playing against the dealer, the way in which the cards face doesn't matter. If your cards are dealt face down, you may pick them up and look at them. If they are face up, however, you are not permitted to touch the cards.
The dealer deals himself one card face up. This is called the up card. His other card is dealt face down. This is called the hole card. Blackjack rules regarding hole cards can vary somewhat depending on where you play. At some casinos in Europe, for example, dealers don't draw their second card — the hole card — until all players finish playing their hands. You'll also see this rule on some cruise ships. Play begins after everyone gets his or her cards.
If the dealer is showing an ace or a 10 as the up card, he will act first, because if he holds a blackjack, the hand is over and all the players lose their wagers. If an ace is showing, the dealer will offer players the option to take insurance. Insurance is simply an additional wager on whether you think the dealer has a 10-value card in the hole. If you believe he does, you can take the insurance bet, which allows you to put down another bet of up to half of your original wager.
After everyone weighs in on insurance bets (if an ace is showing) or immediately (if a 10 is showing), the dealer will check his hole card. He does this by moving the corner of the card over the peek window. The cards are designed so that the markings for aces and 10-value cards appear in the corners in a different spot than other cards. He has only to check the mirror under the peek window to look for a marking. (In some casinos, the dealer may actually discreetly turn over the card to see its value.) If the card gives him blackjack (a 10 if he's showing an ace, or an ace if he's showing a 10), the dealer will flip over the hand to show the blackjack. If an ace was showing and any player took insurance, the dealer pays the insurance bets. At that point, the hand is over. If the dealer doesn't have a blackjack, the hand plays out as normal.
These days, most games are multideck, and cards are dealt face up from a shoe. If you should happen across a one- or two-deck game, which are dealt by hand, you'll get your cards face down. These games are becoming increasingly rare, however.
The only exception to this is when a player has a blackjack on the same hand that the dealer shows an ace. In this case, the dealer will offer the player “even money.” This means the dealer pays the player 1:1 (instead of 3:2) — for example, a $10 bet pays $10, for a net win of $20 — before the dealer checks his hole card. This gives the player the option of being certain of winning some money rather than winning none if the dealer does have blackjack.
If the player gambles and doesn't take even money, two things can happen:
The dealer has blackjack. If so, the player's hand is a push, or a tie, and no money is exchanged. The player simply gets his original bet back.
The dealer doesn't have blackjack. The player is then paid off at 3-to-2 odds — for example, a $10 bet wins an additional $15, for a total of $25. | <urn:uuid:10854af9-3a53-439b-949b-bd18b8cf5d83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netplaces.com/blackjack-strategy/lets-play-blackjack/dealing-the-cards.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979628 | 786 | 1.546875 | 2 |
BeschreibungThe purpose of this app is to provide a guide for Otolaryngology residents and physicians to calls encountered after hours. It is perfect for junior level residents looking for an easy to use, readily available reference guide.
This call guide is divided into several categories based on the topic. There are currently 35+ unique emergency room consult topics with the ability to add more.
Once you are under the topic in question, there are 5-6 sections.
1.Background: provides helpful information to better understand the diagnosis.
2.What to do when called: probably the most helpful at saving you time. It provides a list of items to have done over the phone to save time once you arrive at the hospital. It is sometimes questions that need to be asked, orders that need to be performed, or supplies that need to be at the bedside.
3.Signs/Symptoms: lists several common signs/symptoms to help you make the diagnosis.
4.Setup: The first line indicates special items you should have when you evaluate the patient, such as a flexible laryngoscope. The following list includes several specific items either in the history or the physical exam that must be addressed when you evaluate the patient.
5.Finish: provides information regarding disposition. This may be as simple as a follow up time course and recommended discharge medications to indications to go STAT to the operating room.
6.Images: If this button exists on the topic then it will reference either radiographs, drawings, or pictures related to the diagnosis that have been acquired by the author.
Care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this guide. The author is not responsible for errors, omissions, or any adverse consequences that arise from using the information in this guide. As the field of Otolaryngology is always evolving, when in doubt, always seek further guidance from the literature or colleagues as the ultimate party taking responsibility for the care of your patients is you. Download and use of this application indicates that you have read and agree with the disclaimer. | <urn:uuid:a93a077b-942e-4753-a948-418df4591b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.androidpit.de/de/android/market/apps/app/com.otolaryngologycallguide152/Otolaryngology-Call-Guide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93753 | 428 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Starlight by Kreis Magic
Item Number: TA6274
Magician appoints a spectator as an assistant. Another spectator is asked to select a card. Everyone, except the magician and the assistant, see the card and remember it. Let's say that the selection is Seven of Diamonds. The spectator puts the card back in the middle of deck. Magician explains that riffling deck makes the card information rise to the top of deck. He riffles the deck, and then gives the top card to the assistant. Let's say that the top card is King of Clubs. The assistant receives the King of Clubs and looks at it carefully. When magician asks the assistant about the spectator's card, the assistant reveals it correctly - the answer is Seven of Diamonds.You may not realize its true value on the video... Just get one, and you will be surprised! | <urn:uuid:b94f60a9-8cf0-4c4c-9b17-ed7c0c005279> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://themagicwarehouse.com/TA6274/Starlight-by-Kreis-Magic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941836 | 178 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Climate change a money maker: Chandler
NIGEL ADLAM | October 20th, 2011
Peter Chandler has hit out at scientists claiming they are playing the climate change game for financial gain.
THE CLP's Peter Chandler has told Parliament that scientists were "playing the climate change game" to make money.
The Opposition Spokesman for the environment has joined the ranks of climate change sceptics.
"They are the ones who are making a dollar out of governments and businesses around this world."
The former Palmerston City Council worker admitted that he was not a scientist.
But he said that the belief that manmade carbon dioxide was driving the world towards a natural disaster was a "load of crap".
Do you believe in man-made climate change?
The CLP's Dave Tollner, who worked in superannuation before going into politics, is also a climate change sceptic.
NT Environment Centre coordinator Stuart Blanch said the overwhelming majority of the world's leading scientists believed that manmade carbon emissions were causing the planet to heat up dangerously.
"The CLP is deluded when it accords equal measure to the small number of scientists who deny climate change is caused by people and the overwhelming number of the world's best climate scientists who publish peer-reviewed research in internationally respected journals and work for the CSIRO, Meteorology Bureau and NASA."
Read more on this story in tomorrow's NT News. | <urn:uuid:897ed2c5-8308-4f14-90d5-f82688122725> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/10/20/267591_ntnews.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969612 | 292 | 1.65625 | 2 |
On the heels of its tepid IPO, Zynga decided to address analyst and investor concerns that it relies too heavily on Facebook, which will limit its growth. The social network giant and metrics master did this by unveiling plans for its own platform, which aims to create more targeted social communities around its products.
Analysts, however, seemed uncertain about the extent to which this tactic could guarantee success -- because, they said, Zynga would still rely on Facebook's Credits currency. But maybe the reason the company's growth can't seem to stay stable isn't Facebook. Maybe it's the company's games.
To what extent are analysts and investors actually familiar with the intricacies of the company's development and balancing of recent games like Empires and Allies and CastleVille, which see an initial rush of interested users, a steady climb to numeric plentitude and then an inevitable drop-off?
The company has plenty of games that rely on either borrowing or purchasing already-successful game designs. For example, its With Friends brand largely relies on imitating or incorporating popular takes on familiar puzzle games. But very few game companies have thrived without being able to originate their own properties and ideas.
That's where the Ville-alikes should be bolstering the company's brand. But play any Zynga world-builder game for a long period of time and you'll notice distinct common mechanics that encourage an early rush of users quickly -- and that just as easily pushes them away in time. It goes a little something like this:
Step 1. Spoil Them With Early Plentitude. Beginning a new game like Castleville brings such a quick rush of objectives and information it's almost overwhelming. Within five to ten minutes of creating a character, the player has quests from three different characters. Within five to ten minutes, an explosion of celebratory fireworks heralds the player's first gained level. "Doobers" pop out and bounce everywhere -- bright, eye-catching items that provide a weirdly-stimulating sense of tactile interaction and accomplishment, they're key to creating a sense of player reward in all of the company's games.
Quests are basic and can be attained through the expense of just a few energy points. For example, an early quest can be accomplished simply by placing an object in one's inventory; a later-game quest will require a player chop down an entire tree, which can take eight clicks, or eight points of energy. This means that early in the game the player can complete many quests without running out of energy.
As all titles incorporate the ubiquitous dual-currency system, the games also begin with small but serviceable reserves of the paid currency ("Crowns", in CastleVille's case) -- but in a bit of clever trickery, it's never explained to the player that he or she is holding something that is arduously rare to earn in-game. Most players probably spend their real-money currency before they even realize what it is. The net effect of all this introductory plentitude is that players quickly become accustomed to a certain pace of play and ease of gratification that isn't sustainable.
Step 2. Get Friends Involved. "Visiting" is an important mechanic within these games. Inevitably, once the player achieves a core set of early objectives that train them on how to interact with the game, they're given quests that ask them to visit their neighbor's kingdoms, farms, cities, et cetera. As many people begin playing the games because they see their friends doing it, the barrier to entry for adding a fellow player as a "neighbor" is relatively low.
Over time, Zynga has taken pains to reduce the friction involved in visiting or tending fellow players' lands even further. CastleVille gives players separate energy points for each neighbor's kingdom, rather than forcing them to spend the limited daily ration of actions they need for their own kingdom.
In addition to letting players gather potentially-needed items from their friends' lands -- for example, if you harvest your friend's wheat for her, you yourself will get wheat to keep -- visiting also allows players to gain reputation hearts, a third form of currency within the game. Some items can only be bought with reputation hearts. The number of hearts one can carry are limited, encouraging players to frequently spend and re-accumulate them.
There is nothing actually social about visiting. You cannot communicate with your friends, and the impact of their assistance in your kingdom is difficult to observe; your friends may "help you harvest your crops", but of course they are still there for you to take when you return. Both Empires and Allies and CastleVille create visualizations of visitors to your kingdom in different ways, but they tend to hold minimal relevance to what the player on the other end actually wants to do with you.
The primary function of visiting seems to be to create and confirm for players a mental list of who in their social circle is an active player of the game. They quickly learn who their CastleVille friends are -- which is essential to the next mechanic.
Step 3. Force Notifications. Remember the plentitude of the game's initial stages? Very gradually, this begins to expire; quests become longer-term propositions that incorporate more steps and more energy. At first this is still satisfying; now entrenched in the game's reward system, the player enjoys the process of gathering objects or earning pieces toward a goal. But then, little by little, the game starts to offload elements of quest completion onto Facebook's notifications system.
At first it feels optional: Let's say you need five blocks of wood to finish a building. Why bug five friends, or even one, when it'll just take you a couple sessions of play to chop up all those trees? That's fine, until the next building asks you for 15 blocks of wood. You decide to make 10 of them yourself and ask friends for five more. You do this by selecting who to request from a list -- and because you as a human being are aware of how pesky you're being, you prioritize asking your neighbors in the game. Many tasks are "give one, get one," too, so you feel a little better. You know that you're helping your neighbors play.
In time, though, the ratio of things players can earn on their own versus things they should ask friends for becomes steeper. First, players have three choices: Spend money to keep up the pace of gratification, notify friends to keep up the pace of gratification, or earn the needed components through patience and hard work. Later on, tasks require items that can only be got by asking friends or paying, removing the third option entirely.
Gone is the lightweight engagement of early play stages, as players have to balance the discomfort of long-unfinished quests with the discomfort of sending out multiple rounds of notifications per day. Each time a player logs in there is an increasing list of requests sent out from fellow regulars. It doesn't even matter if the player has the requested item in inventory or not; simply clicking "accept" results in friends receiving what they asked for, enforcing the meaninglessness of the exchange system.
The result is a symbiosis of obligation; you clicked, so your friends will click back. What was once visiting neighbors has led to this habitual exchange that dovetails weirdly with the way people use Facebook -- the red number that hovers over the globe icon demands to be addressed, and you must return your CastleVille notifications just as much as you need to check who has commented on your photos or "liked" your status.
Step 4. Force Wall Posts. Many players likely lose engagement as the delayed gratification and social dependency ramps up, but this area is Zynga's real bottleneck. Eventually, quests -- which have gone from things that feel like growth and satisfaction to mindless checkboxes of items to gather -- start to require items that cannot be gained any other way than through wall posts.
Instead of a private notification to a friend, players have no choice but to post an item in their feed letting everyone (unless they've hidden game updates, which most people do) know they need some kind of item or other. Presumably Zynga imagines that a Facebook populated with Wall posts about its games will normalize them or make them look more appealing, but the Wall spam and silly puns are the kind of thing that only the most obsessively-dedicated "social gamer" won't mind.
It's embarrassing, and what's worse, even the game friends that would be liable to click on the Wall post and help out probably have feeds full of real-world friends' updates, are not on Facebook 24 hours a day, and thus will probably miss the request. It gets to where longtime players have two choices: Crank out several Wall posts a day in the hopes of completing a quest, or pay up.
Even if at this stage the player does decide that the time they've spent on the game was enjoyable enough to warrant a few bucks here and there, the experience has completely fragmented. It's become a hollow cycle of completing item lists by sending requests. It's alarming and uncomfortable, and what was once stimulating inevitably becomes empty.
Presumably this is why Zynga wants to build its own network: It thinks that the barrier to growth and engagement with its games is due to players' hesitation to let a game colonize their entire Facebook networking behavior like a virus. On a Zynga-only social network, players don't have to worry about looking stupid, don't have to hesitate to send out rafts of unlimited notifications.
To a point, it's normal for social groups to congregate around specific activities; people make friends through local clubs, rather than forcing the clubs to come to them. But one wonders if perhaps the friction that players of Zynga games feel with their self-consciousness and the limits of Facebook is part of the experience.
The first few miuntes -- even the first few hours -- of a Zynga Ville-style game feel great. The player will spend the rest of their time, and even some of their money, in trying to recapture that ease. It's not unlike the strategies drug pushers use to build their customer bases.
It's important to note that Zynga games ultimately monetize on hooked users, and that engagement of the existing userbase (i.e, how many pay and how much they pay) is more important than volume. In this regard, that the company sees quick drop-offs at its bottlenecks doesn't necessarily inhibit the health of its games so long as it can keep people paying.
But here's the thing: The company may be able to force a core kernel of its audience to open its wallets once the gratification dies off and the bottlenecks force them into joyless repetition. Paying buys a player relief from that friction. But will players pay if Zynga gives them a world of social impunity?
Maybe they'd pay if those games were actually social fun, like some of the brands Zynga has coveted and bought seem to be. There's an idea. | <urn:uuid:5b4df41b-bbf0-41d9-8e11-48ae6a75f6c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gamasutra.com/view/news/168091/Opinion_Four_steps_to_a_bottleneck_or_Zyngas_real_growth_challenge.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968834 | 2,288 | 1.515625 | 2 |
QUOTE(staticFLINT @ May 22 2007, 10:40 AM)
man i havent posted here in years.......
anyways i just did this to my ds lite also, i just stuck a pin under the switch between it and the mother board for a bit of force then just touched the 4 points one by one with the solder pen to melt the solder and they just kinda puppoed right off, it was very easy.
That will really make it much easier,I thought I would have to remove the solder from each point with a solder sucker before removing the switch.
Just another thing,there are two points that are very close to the switch(one above and one under),do the metal casing of the switch need to touch these points(in the original switch it looks like it is touching)? | <urn:uuid:cae0dfbd-26d1-4bcb-b163-63dc9faa38fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.xbox-scene.com/lofiversion/index.php/t604565.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957679 | 169 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Oracle's latest quarterly earnings rose 18 percent as companies splurged on more software and other technology toward the end of the year.
The results announced Tuesday are an improvement from Oracle's previous quarter, when the business software maker's revenue dipped slightly from a year earlier.
The latest quarter spanned September through November.
That makes Oracle the first technology bellwether to provide insights into corporate spending since the Nov. 6 re-election of President Barack Obama and negotiations to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff began to heat up in Washington.
Oracle Corp. said it earned $2.6 billion, or 53 cents per share, in its fiscal second quarter.
That compares with net income of $2.2 billion, or 43 cents per share, a year ago. If not for charges for past acquisitions and certain other costs, Oracle said it would have earned 64 cents per share. On that basis, Oracle topped the average earnings estimate of 61 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.
Revenue increased 3 percent from last year to $9.1 billion about $900 million more than analysts had projected. In a particularly heartening sign, Oracle said sales of new software licenses and subscriptions to its online services climbed 17 percent from last year to outstrip the most optimistic predictions issued by management three months ago.
The flow of new licenses and subscriptions, which represent about a quarter of Oracle's revenue, is closely tracked by investors because they spawn more revenue in the future from upgrades. In the current quarter, which ends in February, Oracle expects software licenses and subscriptions to increase in the range of 3 percent to 13 percent from the previous year.
The company, based in Redwood Shores, Calif., predicted its adjusted earnings in the current quarter will range from 64 cents to 68 cents per share on revenue ranging from $9.1 billion to $9.5 billion.
That would be a 1 percent to 5 percent increase from the prior year. Oracle's stock added 54 cents to $33.42 in extended trading after the numbers came out. If that gain holds in Wednesday's regular trading session, it will mark a new 52-week high for Oracle.
The solid performance by one of the worlds' biggest technology suppliers suggest corporate decision makers aren't yet fretting too much about the economy falling off a fiscal cliff and plunging into a recession.
The fiscal cliff refers to the combination of wide-ranging increases in taxes and wrenching cuts in government spending that will be automatically triggered Jan. 1 unless the Obama administration and Congress can reach an agreement on how to soften the impact.
``As can see in our numbers, folks wanted to spend their budgets, continue to want to spend their budgets,'' Safra Catz, Oracle's chief financial officer, said in a conference call with analysts.
``We are having an absolutely wonderful December so far.'' The specter of higher taxes prompted Oracle to make the unusual decision to bunch the next three quarters of stock dividends into a single payment that will be made before the end of the year.
The move, announced earlier this month, is designed to ensure that Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who owns a 23.5 percent stake in the company, and his fellow shareholders don't get hit with a higher tax bill on dividend income next year.
The accelerated payment schedule will distribute about $206 million to Ellison, already one of the world's richest people, and will lower his tax bill by tens of millions, if the rates on dividend income rise next year.
Oracle would have fared even better if it could find a way to sell more computer servers and other hardware, something it has been unsuccessfully trying to do since completing its $7.3 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc. in 2010.
The company's hardware revenue plunged 16 percent from last year. In Tuesday's conference call, Ellison said some of the erosion in the hardware division has been by design as Oracle weeds out some of the less profitable equipment. H
e assured analysts that hardware revenue will start increasing in the final quarter of Oracle's fiscal year the period spanning from March through May. Sun's Java programming language already has been paying off for the software side of Oracle's business, according to Ellison.
"Sun has already proven to be the most strategic and profitable acquisition Oracle has ever made,'' he said. | <urn:uuid:efb24306-a768-438e-b695-95449f3f3b7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/business/Oracle-Beats-Street-in-Earnings-Release-184020541.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958233 | 878 | 1.523438 | 2 |
TISHOMINGO, Okla. (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.5-magnitude earthquake struck southern Oklahoma early Monday.
The USGS says the earthquake was centered about 4 miles south-southeast of Tishomingo in Johnston County and about 21 miles northwest of Durant. The earthquake struck around 4:30 a.m. Monday.
Tishomingo is about 100 miles south-southeast of Oklahoma City.
Authorities say there were no reports of injury or damage from the earthquake.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | <urn:uuid:3834aa25-f407-410e-b52b-7fb6396443ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/35-magnitude-quake-strikes-south-Oklahoma-194900091.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952363 | 138 | 1.820313 | 2 |
A Chinese graduate was said to be involved in attacks that were linked to Japan, India and Tibet. Trend Micro released the research paper, which unveiled details on the hacker.
Antivirus provider Trend Micro said that a hacker in China was linked to computer breaches, according to a research paper they released. The attacks targeted Japan, India and Tibet.
Among the hacker's nicknames are dang0102 and scukhr. The hacker is a former graduate student who is said to work for the Internet portal company Tencent. There was also a report that, while not identifying the hacker by name, claimed that he or she wrote articles on computer hacking and defense. The information was found through an e-mail address and an instant messaging service in China, called QQ.
"The LuckyCat campaign attacked a diverse set of targets using a variety of malware, some of which have been linked to other cyber-espionage campaigns," reported Trend Micro in its research paper. The LuckyCat campaign began in June 2011, involving at least 90 attacks across 233 computers.
"The same hacker also published a post on a student BBS of the Sichuan University using the nickname, "suckhr," in 2005 ... He wanted to recruit 2-4 students to a network attack and defense research project at the Information Security Institute of the Sichuan University Institute then," the report added.
The New York Times revealed the name of the former student.
"The New York Times identified the owner of the alias as Gu Kaiyuan, based on online records of his writing. Mr. Gu is now an employee at Tencent, which offers social networking, instant messaging, online gambling and other online features," the newspaper revealed.
Gu has denied any involvement. "The QQ number associated with the hacker-controlled server belongs to my classmate, not me. I have not participated in any hacking," he said.
A researcher who was involved in the investigation at Trend Micro, in an interview on Friday, said that the online aliases were being used by multiple people.
"That's what it seemed like to me based on the posts I saw online. We saw two aliases, 'dang0102' and 'scuhrk,' make separate posts that contained the same QQ number that was used to register a command and control server," Nart Villeneuve of Trend Micro said. He didn't rule out more than one hacker being involved.
Chinese officials did not respond to request for comments.
(reported by Jonathan Charles, edited by Surojit Chatterjee) | <urn:uuid:af80e14a-23db-44e2-b52c-c93cf8c72541> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/322302/20120331/chinese-company-hack-attack-japan-india-tibet.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977346 | 525 | 1.8125 | 2 |
In an interview with the New Statesman, we read:
[Simon Baron-Cohen, Cambridge professor of developmental psychopathology] would have been wary of speaking his mind for fear that demonstrators would churn up the grass of the quad at Trinity College and that his right-thinking colleagues in the social sciences departments would denounce him as some kind of fascist.
Crikey. What’s on his mind, that might have provoked such a reaction?
Baron-Cohen is a greater heretic because he appears to be saying that men and women have different kinds of intelligence. Men are more likely than women to “systemise” the outside world, his argument runs. They are quicker to see patterns, create organisations and make predictions. Women are better at empathising with others, feeling their emotions and producing a sympathetic response. Autism, in his view, is an extreme “male brain”, which allows autistics to pick apart systems while showing little or no understanding of the people around them. He hastily adds that when he talks about “male” and “female” brains, he is talking about averages. Women, like my friend, can have “male” brains and be brilliant financial analysts. Men can have “female” brains and be compassionate social workers. Gender isn’t destiny.
But this isn’t some bloke mouthing off in a pub; research has led him to these views. And if controversial, even iconoclastic views that are well-grounded in evidence can’t flourish in a Temple of Learning, where can they flourish?
Cambridge, UK might just about be hanging on as a place where academic freedom persists (there have been problems even there), but across the pond, in that other Cambridge, things are less rosy. In 2005, the then President of Harvard, Lawrence Summers:
suggested, at a National Bureau of Economics Research (NBER) Conference on Diversifying the Science & Engineering Workforce, the possibility that many factors outside of socialization could explain why there were more men than women in high-end science and engineering positions. He suggested one such possible reason could be men’s higher variance in relevant innate abilities, or innate preference. An attendee made Summers’ remarks public, and an intense response followed in the national news media and on Harvard’s campus.
Summers’ pro-free market stance and scepticism about global warming alarmism had already attracted the disapproval of some of his colleagues. In March 2005 a motion of no confidence in Summers was passed by members of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Summers subsequently resigned, although:
Influential psychologist Steven Pinker defended the legitimacy of Summers’ January remarks. When asked if Summers’ remarks were “within the pale of legitimate academic discourse,” Pinker responded “Good grief, shouldn’t everything be within the pale of legitimate academic discourse, as long as it is presented with some degree of rigor? That’s the difference between a university and a madrassa. [...] There is certainly enough evidence for the hypothesis to be taken seriously.”
Summers had stronger support among Harvard College students than among the college faculty. One poll by the Harvard Crimson indicated that students opposed his resignation by a three-to-one margin, with 57% of responding students opposing his resignation and 19% supporting it.
After the Harvard Corporation accepted Summers’ resignation, hundreds of millions in pledged contributions were canceled by donors who were disappointed by the Harvard Corporation’s failure to stand up to the college faculty. … Summers’ dismissal was viewed by many as an indicator that the humanities faculty at the College had power that was disproportionately large relative to their contributions to the University, and that they would seek to use their entrenched position as tenured faculty to block curricular reforms, championed by Summers, that would place greater emphasis on math and science.
(emphasis added) Baron Cohen wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times, in which he said:
But Mr. Summers was wrong to imply that these differences render any individual woman less capable than any individual man of becoming a top-level scientist.
Which is precisely what Summers, in speaking of “variance”, didn’t say. Shame on Baron Cohen. When they come for him, who will speak out?
Back in Harvard, one assistant professor spoke out stridently. Outspoken, conservative and a global warming sceptic himself, Lubos Motl published an account of the debacle on his blog.
Interestingly enough, the person who moved the motion in the first place, J Lorand Malory, shatters no stereotypes about Harvard’s humanities department:
He’s a student of cross-dressing, a voodoo expert, a director of the ethnic studies department, an adviser to GLQ, a Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, a great admirer of matriarchy, and an apologist for the corrupt and brutal Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida, about whom he’s writing a sympathetic book
Motl knew the vultures were circling him, too. And rumours of his resignation started to circulate. In 2006 his Wikipedia entry – copied at this address, was updated with the line:
Lubos Motl resigned his job under pressure as assistant professor of physics from Harvard in January 2006. He “tagged” Lee Smolin’s and Peter Woit’s books, which criticize string theory as too speculative and untestable, as themselves “crank” and “crackpot” on Amazon.com. Smolin and Woit both hold faculty positions in good universities.
Yup, Motl used that language and more. His Amazon contributions are often rather pithy:
Al Gore’s book, one of the most hysterical books about the climate on the market, follows the template of many fundamentalist believers who were converted to Christianity. For example, he explains that a car accident of his son has played an important role in his beliefs about global warming.
Rumours continued to circulate. In January 2007, Jack Scarfatti, who had adopted an adversarial position with respect to Motl, published a series of emails from Motl that included the following:
Fri, 19 Jan 2007
you were the first external person who has created a very
unpleasant situation for me at Harvard, and this has repeated itself lots
of times and this fucked up job has always been used as a tool to
blackmail me. I don’t want to be blackmailed and manipulated like that all
the time. Best, Lubos
Fri, 19 Jan 2007
I don’t depend on any grant but I just resigned. It’s probably not your
business to ask, is it? Best, Lubos
Motl certainly uses strong, even inappropriate language when talking about other physicists, but that’s not exactly an innovation in the world of academia. There were other campaigns against him. Here’s an example. It ends:
So, my question is – if he’s actually a professor here, isn’t that kind of…unprofessional, to say the least? Is this something his students and the Physics department might want to be aware of? I’d like your input.
Sounds like a fledgling campaign, doesn’t it? The piece is published as harvard=professor-racism.html
So, what was this unprofessional racism?
I agree with you and admire your courage. Many reactions above make it very clear that your courage is highly non-trivial.
Someone said that there was racism because it was assumed that the people couldn’t have been students. I think that it is indeed sensible to think that people who behave a little bit like animals could be someone else than Harvard students, after all. While this assumption may occasionally fail, it is still more reasonable than to assume that someone must be a Harvard student just because he or she is black.
If the party were white and the noise were similar, police would arrive, too. The intercultural foundation would complain that it is a proof of apartheid that the white people were not instantly dismissed from Harvard.
Keep on smiling and writing so well,
And – perhaps the killer:
Show me a single influential scholar in a department of women’s studies who understands the very basic insight about that discipline, namely why virtually all of scholarly feminism is intellectual garbage. Show me a single director of a foundation for diversity who would protect a white person against a black person. Show me a single chair of a deparmental diversity committee who understands that the lack of conservatives at the universities is much more serious a problem that the lack of a certain skin color.
Well, a very great deal of scholarly feminism is intellectual garbage. Black racism against whites goes unremarked, and has become so commonplace it’s hardly worth linking to example – even one of my favourite blogs, Booker Rising, includes casual references to “whitey”. I have an upcoming post on this subject and will say more then. And Motl might have a point about the lack of conservative academics – both he and Summers have been forced to resign from one prestigious university.
What’s going on? Australian reef specialist and – by a remarkable coincidence – climate sceptic Dr Walter Stark has a theory:
The ideal of scientific objectivity has been subverted — even in the world’s most prestigious universities — by the pernicious and pervasive influence of postmodernism
He goes on:
The scientific method has been the most effective means yet developed to understand our world. It has resulted in longer, healthier, safer, more interesting and comfortable human lives than ever before. Essential to this success has been a philosophical approach in which understanding is evidence-based, logically consistent and subject to revision in the light of new evidence or more comprehensive explanation.
In science the highest goal has been a pursuit of truth as determined by reason and empirical evidence. Disregard for truth and false evidence are unacceptable for any reason.
The history of science has been an ongoing account of the discovery of previously unthinkable new under-standings of the world and the abandonment of previously accepted ones. A heliocentric solar system, a multimillion-year-old Earth, evolution, continental drift, relativity, quantum theory — every new perception that challenges established belief always meets strong resistance regardless of the weight of reason and evidence to support it. The core strength of science is that it fosters such challenges and demands their acceptance if they cannot be refuted.
Increasingly, however, the findings of science have begun to impinge upon the established order in the humanities. Postmodernism has been in large part a response to this challenge. It ignores the irrefutable success of science in permitting us to better understand our world; it rejects its authority as being simply a cultural artefact, no more or less valid than any other belief. Truth, facts, reason and objectivity are rejected because in practice the aim does not fully achieve the ideal.
Uncomfortable scientific findings are then “deconstructed” so as to dismiss or reinterpret them as desired. Into the vacuum of ethics and meaning it seeks to fill, this nihilistic pseudo-philosophy then inserts its own agenda, a new edition of the old leftist catechism re-branded as a form of moral righteousness we recognise as political correctness.
A battle for science isn’t just an academic dispute. It’s a battle for rationality, scepticism, freedom of speech and enquiry. It involves, not just scientists, but everyone. A world in which dogma has replaced truth would be… well, exactly the sort of world the reorganised hard left is trying to bring about – a totalitarian nightmare, impoverished, riven with dark age belief systems, in which only the bigoted and violent were safe.
It’s a vision of the future much more terrible than the memory of the socialist past of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
I am writing to Baron Cohen, expressing my distaste at his failure to support a colleague, and his twisting of the man’s words. It’s not much, but I feel I have to do something. We can’t just watch this happen, quietly.
The barbarians are inside the gates. It is time to ask them to leave. | <urn:uuid:1478ecbf-fb02-4bb8-971b-1148fe8bd531> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peterrisdon.com/blog/2007/08/30/intolerance-in-the-academy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96642 | 2,587 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Canada sets priorities for Arctic Council chairmanship
Canada's 2 year chairmanship of the eight-nation Arctic Council set to begin this May will be characterized by a focus on sustainable economic development, shipping pollution regulation and an emphasis on circumpolar communities, all in the service of the well-being and prosperity of the existing northern population, said Leona Aglukkaq.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Aglukkaq, who is also minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and the minister of health, in August to be Canada's lead representative to the council.
Aglukkaq's appointment "reflects the importance Canada attaches to the north, to the Arctic Council," she added. Harper's Conservative Party has been aggressive in its assertion of a prominent Arctic role, with Harper embarking on annual northern tours and promulgating a Northern Strategy in 2007. The country also has under construction a C$720 million heavy icebreaker, the CCGS John G. Diefenbaker, that's expected to enter service in 2017.
"The potential for wealth and job creation in the Arctic is great," Aglukkaq said in Norway. "Canada is determined to see northern communities benefit from the economic boom that is unfolding," she added; Aglukkaq, an Inuk, represents the territory of Nunavut in Parliament.
During the conference, Espen Barthe Eide, the Norwegian minister of foreign affairs, also said that by the time of a May meeting of the council where the rotating chairmanship will transfer to Canada from Sweden, council states should have agreement on the expansion of new observer states.
"My argument for opening up for more observers is that we're happy that people want to join us, because when they join our club, they're not starting another club," Eide said. "That's good, because it gives us some influence on what the topics are when it comes to managing the Arctic," he added.
- go to the 2013 Arctic Frontiers conference webpage
Arctic undergoing widespread and sustained climate changes
Canada makes Northwest Passage sovereignty a priority issue
Interior expedites review of Arctic drilling after rig incident | <urn:uuid:d548165b-2df9-448e-b6e0-d330d4f60aa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fiercehomelandsecurity.com/story/canada-sets-priorities-arctic-council-chairmanship/2013-01-27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956484 | 442 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Camillus, NY -- The Camillus Town Board is not interested in a plan to bury toxin-laden sediments from Onondaga Lake in town.
The board voted 7-0 Tuesday to tell Honeywell International and the state Department of Environmental Conservation that the town opposes the idea.
“Our attorney firmly believes we can tell them ‘no,’” Supervisor Mary Ann Coogan said.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting to show their disapproval. Coogan praised them Wednesday, saying they presented solid information and stuck to the facts.
One of the issues, Coogan said, is that since the lake cleanup started, three subdivisions have sprung up near Allied Wastebed 13 near Airport Road, where the sediments would be treated.
Residents fear that the toxins from the operation could leach into groundwater or become airborne.
Honeywell, the successor company to longtime Onondaga Lake polluter Allied Chemical, has been working for years under DEC supervision to restore the lake.
The plan opposed Tuesday by the town calls for dredging 2.6 million cubic yards of toxic sediment from the lake bottom and piping it to Wastebed 13, one of many where Allied stored refuse from its operations. The sediment would be stored there after it is drained of water. The waste water would be treated at a new plant to be built nearby, then pumped to the Onondaga County Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant for more processing and eventual return to the lake.
The plan is still in the study stages. Construction of the containment area at Wastebed 13 is scheduled to begin next year. | <urn:uuid:9f8bb889-b3c1-4153-952c-fb4fc4034257> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/camillus_board_rejects_honeywe.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954382 | 329 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Digital voice transmission on Ham frequencies?
I know nothing about the digital modes (JT65, BPSK, etc), but I know they
are transmitted like single-side band (½ of AM, LOL!). But, sitting here,
thinking, how about digital FM? As I understand it D-Star transmits FM
with P-25 technology. Could this be adapted to HF frequencies? To me,
it would be of great help to use this on HF as a long-distance Skywarn
Net. Information about the storm(s) could be sent out nd given enough
leeway, save lives.
Lately it seems that a storm will start, go down on the ground for a period
then lift back up to form just a rain cloud, then travel several hundred
miles before reforming in the middle of the night, and drop down again,
suddenly, and without warning and folks are killed. Using long-range FM
Should a tornado or severe storm be in an area, using FM would mean no
QRN or QRM, you'd just need to go to a antenna closer to the ground to
take away possible lightning strikes, LOL!
What is y' all's thoughts on this?
It's good to see that you're thinking! I'm not sure I see how DSTAR on HF would be of help, but I think there are other techniques out there that certainly might.
DSTAR is not P25 over FM. It's GMSK modulation, and doesn't use the P25 codex for the digital audio. You can do DSTAR on HF - you can buy boards to add the DSTAR protocol to your own radio - and it need not be on VHF. Some folks are using the Kenwood TS2000 to do DSTAR on HF.
However, I don't think the currently available hardware will support simultaneous data and voice, and if it did, I think you'd run afoul of FCC regulations. For that matter, I question the legality of GMSK on HF, even though it's only 6 kHz wide.
I've wanted to see a way to easily transmit video of radar displays to the SKYWARN people in the field. A 2.3 GHz. mesh network should make this practical in most flat country. But actually, we're pretty close to having it now. A local AC0ID has a neat Android phone app that shows the radar displays, and overlays APRS information on top of it. As long as your cellphone is working, you can see where you in relation to the cells, and where the other spotters are. It's VERY handy. I'd like to see a way to send that without using the cellphone network. It would also be nice to be able to send live video of suspicious looking things.
EchoLink, IRLP and DSTAR - adding interest to repeaters worldwide 24X7
Digital transmissions are set up to be just about noise free. It doesn't matter if you're using AM, SSB or FM the signals are supposted to be just like they are standing next to you. This hold true as long as the signal has a S/N ratio so it can be decoded. Once a signal falls below the detection threshold you get either beeps and bloops or you get nothing. In our current status you cannot use digital with voice and data on the HF bands. You can on 160 meters and it's still a toss up if you can do that with the new rules concerning the 60 meter band.
There are some folks running experiments with digital of the HF bands and there is a manufacturer that sells a unit the will covert a SSB rig to digital voice.
Hope this helps
I don't know squat about P-25 or D-Star for that matter, I was just
trying to think of a transmission mode that could be used in disaster
IMHO, since the F.C.C. 'stole' the bottom VHF TV channels, they could
allocate, say Channel 2 to send out the NOAA's radar. If you lived
within the recption area, you could see the radar screen without having
to have cable or satellite.
You can already download the NOAA weather radar images.. Of course they arent on the ham bands..
There is some digital voice activity on HF:
I have not used that particular software, but I have received its broadcast counterpart. And I was not too impressed. Lots of dropouts on signal fades. By the time the signal becomes strong enough to eliminate the dropouts, it is probably about strong enough to sound perfectly clear in analog mode anyway.
But as you mentioned, it can be good for transmitting digital images without the degradation that occurs with analog reception. Here is a link to digital SSTV program for HF:
Does require a fairly strong signal for reliable copy though.
One of the things I have been wondering about is what happens when multiple stations transmit at the same time on the same frequency. The doubling on SSB isn't much of a problem and you can usually hear everybody that is transmitting. On digital you would most likely not be able to copy anybody when that happens. I would think the advent of this system would be a jammers delight.
Time will tell.
This can not happen because its against the Part 97 rules, and for good reason. FM is FAR to wide for this. Take 18Mhz for example. You would take out the majority of the band with that single FM transmission. Its just WAY to wide. You will hear at some point some yahoo saying "Part 97 does not restrict FM on HF below 10M". They would be right! But it DOES forbid any signal that wide. Secondly, FM does not propagate the same as SSB, CW, and other Digital modes. You would not get the realistic long-haul communication on FM that you would on these other modes even if you could.
Also there are ways to run digital voice in the bandwidth as allotted using sound card mode digital voice. See the following projects.. | <urn:uuid:9a61db46-8193-4ae6-be47-bf2d2f15d122> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?336809-Digital-voice-transmission-on-Ham-frequencies&p=2488803 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952142 | 1,253 | 1.8125 | 2 |
February 26, 2006
Tonite marks the first post to something called the "k.log". It is a project I have wanted to implement for some time now. It will reinforce daily writing routines as well.
what is it?
a notebook, scanned, and posted on the internet.
Posted by andrew schneider at 12:53 AM
February 25, 2006
Tracking Blobs|MIDTERM WORKSHOP
Assignment: Make a controller.
Make a midterm.
way down in the code: I've been working with various instances of this code that I first pulled from Chris Adamson's QuickTime for Java: A Developer’s Notebook. In starting to modify the code, I quicky realized what a blessing Dano's vxp has been. I am now in the land of a different sort of QuickTime. I am at a point where I need to start from scratch with the Adamson book. Something is not working getting the code to check the sound levels to control the start and stop of capture. It seems like a relatively simple thing. I've been working on it now for three weeks.
Posted by andrew schneider at 03:39 PM
margin of error
Why did you do it.
Why did you do it New York Times? I was reading your daily news, the stuff that's fit to print anyway and you turned on a little tv. Right there. Right next to the article about "Taking Spying to Higher Level, Agencies Look for More Ways to Mine Data." Panasonic's new 'book of toughness' has come out with a tv spot on the internet. Full video quality. Dante's Inferno in Latin, that's a toughbook. Computer's are not books, Panasonic. Stop jump-cutting in the margins of my paper. Well...there's my problem. A screen is not a newspaper.
Posted by andrew schneider at 10:09 AM
February 20, 2006
Last week ended up as a critique week for the generative methods projects. We were to discuss numbers, beautiful math, and geometric construction - Fibonacci series in nature, The Golden Section, however this week has been dedicated to the completion of working proofs of concept.
Posted by andrew schneider at 03:44 PM
February 18, 2006
Lighting, Manual Cameras, IR, Polarization, Retroreflective ir flood lights
Grouping Pixels Points, Rectangles
Posted by andrew schneider at 09:16 PM
February 13, 2006
We begin to look at the methods found in works that are considered to be "Generative". Here we will examine the rules that govern and define these methods.
Sampling, Mapping, and the Manipulation of Attributes.
Apply one or more of the methods
The idea was to map video output brightness and composition to audio coalescence. Sending prerecorded and/or live video input through an upended video monitor and taking in the brightness levels via photo-resistors, the values would be translated through a PIC 18F452 and finally send to a midi-synth and output speakers. This may turn into a midterm project so I'll leave a more detailed desription for a later time.
Using two store-bought wall clocks, I ripped the mechanism from the face of one clock and inverted it onto the other. The hands were also inverted so as not to be able to distinguish one set of hands from the other. The clock now inexorably marches in both directions.
Posted by andrew schneider at 10:45 AM
February 04, 2006
Make an electronic glass.
Reading : Mirror Neurons
>>>me in your life
For the “electronic-glass” project, I am interested in “augmenting reality” by placing something within the “reflected frame” of an individual. Things are not what they seem. The technical aspect seems straight-forward enough. I plan to install the cam-screen set up in an indoor hallway to control my background as well as to limit my depth noise. Background deletion and edge detection could then be used as a way to paint “pre-recorded” pixels on to a buffered image then display it to the screen. This is where I may have trouble wrapping my head around this thing.
For the sake of discussion let’s say that what I am inserting into the scene is a prerecorded loop of myself (in profile with a cupped hand & whispering to the moving objects (people) in the frame.) This means I have two sources -
1. the live video from an external camera with a the same background as source#.2
2. the pre-recorded loop of myself against the same background as source #.1
It is my instinct to segment out just the “me” pixels from the pre-recorded loop of myself and paint those specific pixels at a certain location on the live “buffered image” based on movement within the frame (i.e. a person).
As a proof of concept, perhaps it would make sense to first “paint” a still image onto the live buffered image. let’s start there.
Slight trouble with the code amongst other things slowed the completion of this project for a while. I still have a very strong desire to complete the thing.
In the mean-time, I've toyed around with another 'webcam project' I had in mind - to capture every jump cut on a single television station across a 24 hour period. Here is an excerpt from Fox5 showing just over 600 jump-cuts in just over 30 minutes.
This is simple differencing from one frame to the next: if the percentage of change between two frames is great enough (as in a standard, jarring jump cut) snap a picture.
Posted by andrew schneider at 11:30 AM
February 01, 2006
Extend WebCam class. Make a Camera for taking still photos of a space. What spaces are interesting to capture buildings doorways, skies, rooms, highways, power pants, your neighbors apartments, moutains of afganistan, every possible perspective in the world. How is it triggered, timelapse, sound, movement, physcomp rig, or mouse clicks of unemployed peopler. How are they displayed, a sequence, a blending, acollage of sub images and master images, a panorama, or a cubist assembly of many people's perspectives of the same thing. Where are they published, back in the space, on the web, on a phone or on the wall.
It has been my experience that most instances of interactive video and "webcam" projects deal primarily within the realm of the event: capturing an event / an event triggering and event / an event intitiating the action. In todays media-saturated and hyper-everythinged world blah blah blah it is a rare public event when things become still.
For my first webcam project I have decided to explore the notion of the non-event: stagnation.
Extending the WebCam Class, I came up with the StagnantCam. StagnantCam uses methods implemented in MotionDetectorCam and WebCam. The basic logic used: Measure the percentage of change between the previous frame and this frame. If that percentage of change is below a certain threshold start a timer and begin the process again where we grab a new frame of video and the old "this frame" frame becomes the old frame. If the percentage of change is below a certain threshold keep the timer running. If the timer has timed long enough, take a picture and start over. If the timer has not timed long enough, keep the timer running and start over. If the percentage of change is now above the threshold, reset the timer and start over. This pseudo-code assured "stillness" before the taking of a picture as opposed to other incarnations of the code which would merely take stillness across two frames of video (about 1/15th of a second).
In this way, a picture will only be taken during moments of extreme stillness, stagnation. With moderate fine tuning, the code can be adapted to any environment.
Running the code on the floor of ITP, I've noticed that the camera doesn't neccessarily trip only when there are no individuals in the frame. The camera trips most often when the things in the frame are at lease semi-permanent fixtures in that environment. Where as an individual passing down a hallway at a distance of 100 feet will probably not be captured, an individual who passes down the hallway, stops to get a drink at the drinking fountain, and moves on probably will be captured.
Other ideas for multiple iterations of this project include an interface which fades slowly between the display of the second to last captured frame and the display of the last captured frame.
A link to the StagnantCam code can also be found here.
Posted by andrew schneider at 12:47 PM
Finite State Machines:
A finite state Machine (FSM) is a series of states, input events, output events, and a state transition function.
Build a finite State Machine
Unfortunately, during the final stages of this mock-up, the VCR that I've spent a good portion of the my first year hacking into temporarily died. I say temporarily, as a case of wishful thinking.
Synopsis: the case contains a hacked-into VCR that, when closed, fast-forwards through a physically spliced 30-second loop of video tape containing images of the construction of the World Trade Center. When the case is opened the tape pauses while the rotating play head keeps spinning, eventually leaving subtle wear in the places the loop is paused.
The lid of the case is physically attached by a thin wire to a box housing a monitor on which the images from the tape-loop play. When the case is opened and the loop is paused, the front of the housing cracks open enough for a viewer to peer in. This state-dependence is reversed as the case is closed - the tape-loop begins to play as the housing slowly closes, obscuring the image from the viewer.
I finally settled on the content of the World Trade Center construction on the physical tape-loop as a way to properly tie-in to the tangibility of memory, the effect of media on memory, as well as to give the piece an inherent feeling of inevitability.
I hope to revive the VCR and continue with the piece.
Posted by andrew schneider at 12:44 PM | <urn:uuid:5e669f29-7f4f-4694-9ea3-7253d80c1d52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://itp.nyu.edu/~ajs510/blog/archives/2006/02/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936708 | 2,201 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The British Gas owner last year spent £2.2billion on expanding its exploration and production operations at home and abroad but is looking to add other sources of energy to meet demand.
Yesterday it said that investment in shale gas in the US, which has transformed the American energy market, was a possibility and there was potential for it to export gas from the US later in the decade.
It signalled its intent as it reported group operating profits up by 14 per cent to £2.74billion in 2012 on revenues up 5 per cent at £23.9billion. The shares fell 1¼p to 347¾p.
Centrica was heavily criticised for reporting a steep rise in profits at the domestic business of British Gas but it said significant investment was required to secure supplies for the UK, including shale or liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped from overseas.
During the year it invested £2.7billion on securing supplies, including £2billion in UK and Norwegian North Sea assets. In August it got the go-ahead for the £1.4billion Cygnus project, the largest discovery in the southern North Sea in 25 years, whichwill create 4,000 jobs and produce enough gas to power 1.5 million homes.
However chief executive Sam Laidlaw warned: “The sources of UK gas are changing with North Sea reserves declining and becoming more expensive to develop. This places more reliance on imported pipeline gas and particularly LNG and leaves the UK exposed to global gas prices.”
The sources of UK gas are changing with North Sea reserves declining and becoming more expensive to develop.
It is also working on projects in Trinidad and Tobago, offshore wind farms, and remains a key investor in nuclear power plants.
Profits from the company’s exploration and production division Centrica Energy rose by 20 per cent to £1.2billion last year, while total British Gas profits rose 9 per cent to £1.09billion.
It pledged to double profits in the US where its Direct Energy business, which supplies 3.5 million customers, saw profits rise 6 per cent to £331million.
Shareholders will get a full-year dividend of 16.4p a share, a rise of 6 per cent, while the firm plans to spend £500million on buying its own shares.
BRITISH GAS managing director Phil Bentley confirmed he was stepping down “to pursue his ambition to become a chief executive”. | <urn:uuid:01174c06-dac3-46c7-9b15-7cd4720e3f43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/380721/Centrica-eyes-US-shale-gas-to-bolster-supplies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963475 | 507 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Happy New Year. With 2012 upon us, it’s time to set some goals. Most of us will have the usual: “Get Organized,” “Lose Weight,” “Get in Shape,” etc. I can’t even count the number of times I have had those as my goals.
This year I decided to try something different. I thought I would share some of my goals with you, and perhaps you can modify them to save your family money, too.
GOAL #1: REDUCE THE COST OF ELECTRICITY. TO REACH THIS GOAL, I AM SETTING SEVERAL MINI-GOALS
1) Turn things off when leaving a room.
My family is bad at turning things off when they leave a room. My goal is to make sure all lights and televisions stay off if no one is in that room. I know this is a simple, easy goal but, hey, how many of us keep those New Year’s resolutions? I figured I would start with an easy one and save money at the same time. I’m curious to see just how much this will save.
2) Change the filters regularly.
I am also going to make sure I change my air-conditioning/heating unit filters on a regular basis. This can be easy to forget, and the dust can really cut down on the efficiency of the unit. To help me remember, I’m going to set a reminder on my phone the same day each month. If you aren’t able to set a reminder on your phone, you can use Outlook or you can write it on a traditional calendar.
3) Program the thermostat.
According to an article published in Smart Money in July 2009, adjusting the temperature to allow higher/lower temperatures during the day can cut an average electric bill by $180.
4) Unplug appliances not in use.
This one surprised me. Did you know that cell phone chargers and microwaves still use energy even when they are not in use as long as they are plugged in? The same article from Smart Money states that appliances that are not being used account for 5 percent to 10 percent of residential electricity usage.
They suggest plugging those devices into a power strip that can be turned off when not in use.
5) Switch to fluorescent light bulbs.
These lights may cost more up front but will save you money in the long run. They not only last longer but are more energy efficient. Most of our lights are already fluorescent, and I will be shopping savvy to replace the remaining ones. If you would like more info on the benefit of fluorescent lights, check out this website: www.energystar.com
GOAL #2: TRACK MY SAVINGS DAILY
My next goal is to track everything I spend at the grocery/ drugstores in 2012. I know that I save 80 percent to 90 percent on most of my shopping trips, but I haven’t really kept track of my totals from week to week.
I would estimate I saved $10,000 – $12,000 this past year, but next year I want to be able to take pride in an actual number. After each trip I calculate my savings anyway, so instead of just writing it on the receipt I am going to record it on a spreadsheet.
Perhaps some of you Savvy Shoppers would like to join me and post your totals on the Savvy Shopper Facebook page. (www.facebook.com/savannahsavvyshopper) Documenting our spending/savings will help us develop a budget and encourage us to keep on clipping those coupons. If you are not able to record your receipts on a daily basis, I would suggest you use a different envelope for each month and label it accordingly.
GOAL #3: TRACK MY OUT-OF-POCKET MEDICAL EXPENSES
Each year I sign up for a flexible spending account so I can pay for medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. I never know quite how much to allocate. This year I am going to keep track of all of my expenses in one place, including those out-of-pocket expenses when my FSA is depleted.
GOAL #4: CONTINUE TO USE SWAGBUCKS TO EARN MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR
This year I was able to purchase things from Amazon.com, Xbox live and Lowes courtesy of Swagbucks. I am going to continue to use it on a daily basis and keep on earning those points.
If you haven’t signed up for Swagbucks yet, you can sign up here www.swagbucks.com It’s free and you can earn points in a variety of ways and trade those points in for gift cards. It takes a little while to build up points, but I absolutely love it.
GOAL #5: PURCHASE LITTLE STOCKING STUFFERS ALL YEAR LONG
I decided this one when I was in line at Walmart on Christmas Eve. Yes, the Savvy Shopper didn’t finish her shopping until Christmas Eve. I’m not sure where the time went, but the year just flew by. This year I plan to shop clearance sales all year and find some cool things for my kids’ stockings.
If you have tips or questions for Savvy Shopper Michelle Rubrecht, send them to [email protected] or post them to Facebook at Savannah Savvy Shopper. | <urn:uuid:bf7f5d30-c58e-4085-946e-dd49912f2a59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blufftontoday.com/accent/2012-01-01/plan-year-savings-now | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947142 | 1,155 | 1.773438 | 2 |
JOHN BUSHMAN had been
so absorbed since coming to the backwoods that he had scarcely
thought of the old home and its surroundings. He believed that he
was not forgotten there. He felt confident that he was often carried
to the Great Helper of the needy on the wings of a mother's prayers
and a father's faith. And lie fully believed that in some mysterious
way he was benefited by those prayers.
But he had now been
away from home for seven months, and his life among the forest trees
had been such a busy one, that attention to present duties had so
fully occupied his mind that he may be truly said to have taken no
thought for to-morrow.
But now, as he
journeyed homeward on foot, for this, was before the time of
railroads, he had time to think. His first thoughts were about the
loved ones at home. He had not heard from there since he left them
in the spring. There were no post offices then in the back country.
He would ask himself
many questions as he walked along. "Were they all alive and well or
should he find an empty seat, and if so, whose seat would it be?
Would it be baby Littie's? How sad it would be if the little
prattler should be gone. Or would it be one of the older members of
the family? " Just then a startling thought crossed his mind: "What
if mother should be gone to come back no more?" The very thought
made him almost sick. He felt a sinking at his heart and a dizziness
in his head. He never, till that moment, realized the strength of
his attachment to his mother. But he tried to dismiss such
unpleasant thoughts and think of something not so gloomy.
He wondered if sister
Betsy had accepted the offer of young William Briers to become his
wife. He believed that she was more than half inclined to do so
before he left. But he was not certain, for Bet was such a queer
girl, that no one but mother could ;et anything out of her. He said
to himself, "I do wish she would have him, for Will is a rood
fellow; and I think more of him than any other young man in the
'I'hinking of his
sister and her lover started a new train of ideas. He thought of the
house so recently built, called by the men Sylvan Lodge. Who was to
be its mistress in the days to come?
John Bushman was by
no means what is called a lady's man. He had never shown any
particular partiality to any of the young women of his acquaintance;
and, though he was on good terms with all of their, he would not
acknowledge, even to himself, that he had ever been in love with any
of them. He flattered himself that he had not been touched by any of
the darts from the bow of the sly god. No, no; Cupid had lost his
.arrows if any of them had been shot at him. And he straightened
himself up, and stepped along with the feeling of perfect composure
and complete satisfaction on the score of his being an entirely
unpledged young man. But something told him to look down into his
heart, and when he had done so, he made a discovery that might upset
a man of less self-control than he had.
Down deep in his
heart he saw the picture of a face, not a pretty one, perhaps, but
it was a very attractive oneónot a dashing, saucy, bewitching face,
but a modest, thoughtful, honest one, and, moreover, he seemed to
hear a gentle voice softly whispering, "I am here, John. You fancied
that your heart was unoccupied, but I am here; I found it empty and
crept into it years ago, when we were only children, and I don't
want to be turned out now."
John knew the face.
It was that of an old playmate and school-mate. When he came to
realize the state of the case he was not displeased, though he was
somewhat surprised. He said to himself, "I did not know that the
little witch was there, but when did she get there, and how? I don't
remember ever showing her any more attention than I gave to other
girls, and I am sure that she has not been more friendly to me than
the other young women; in fact, I have thought of late that she
seemed cold and offish. But no matter how she got there, I now see
that she has the strongest hold on my affections, and if I can get
her consent to go with hue to my new country home, little Mary
Myrtle shall be the future mistress of Sylvan Lodge."
Young Bushman was no
blusterer, and there was not a particle of the braggart in his
composition; but when he made up his mind to do a thing, he called
to his assistance a will that was unbending, and an energy that was
most unyielding. So, having settled in his own mind the question as
to who should be the chosen one to brighten his home with her
presence, he resolved to let the matter rest until he could have an
opportunity to mention the thing to the young lady herself, and find
out if her views and feelings harmonized with his.
After three days'
travel, made doubly tiresome by the soreness of blistered feet, he
carne into the neighborhood of home. He looked in the direction of
his father's house and he could see the tops of the chimneys with
the blue smoke curling up towards the calm cerulean sky. He thought
that smoke never seemed so beautiful before. He almost fancied that
it spread itself out like loving arms to encircle him and give him
words of welcome.
The first person that
he met was a blunt old Yorkshireman, who lived on a farm adjoining
When the old man
carne up he took the young man's hand with a grip that fairly made
him wince, as he said, "A Jock, beest this you? How hast thee been
sin' ye left us last spring?"
"I have been well,
Mr. Roanoak," said John, "but how are they at home? Do you know that
I have not heard from home since I went away last April?"
"Well," answered the
Englishman, "your mother be'ant very blissom sin' you went off to
the woods to live on bear's meat. The rest of them are hearty and
After a few more
words with his old friend whom he had known from his boyhood, John
went on to the old home, where so many happy days to him had come
As he came to the
door he listened before going in. He heard his father asking God's
blessing on their food. Thgey were just sitting down to tea.
Presently he heard
his sister say in a bantering sort of way, "Mother, cheer up, for I
believe that John is on the way home. I have felt like it all day."
"I dreamed last
night," said the mother, "that he came home tired and hungry, and
asked me to give him some dinner."
The father spoke and
said: "He will be here before many days. The winter must have set in
back where he is, and he promised to come home before Christmas to
help me butcher the pigs. If he is alive and well he will soon be
here, for John always was a truthful boy.
John could wait no
longer, but giving a rap on the door, he opened it and went in, at
the same time saying, "Mother, where is my plate? I'm as hungry as a
bear in the month of March."
We will gently close
the door and retire, as it is not seemly to intrude upon the privacy
of family reunions.
The people in the
neighborhood were all pleased to see young Bushman looking so strong
and healthy, after his summer in the bush. He was a general favorite
among his acquaintances.
The old people liked
John because they had always found him truthful and honest, even
The young people liked him because he never put on any airs of
superiority, or assumed any authority over them; and he always
showed himself to be the sincere friend of all his young companions
and schoolmates. Their mode of expressing themselves was, "We like
John Bushman, because he always treats us as his equals, and we can
always trust him."
The children liked
him because he always spoke cheerfully and kindly to them, and he
never passed them on the road without letting them know that he saw
them. He seemed to understand the truism that "kind words cost
nothing," and he acted upon it. But when kind words are bestowed
upon children, they are like precious seed scattered on a fertile
soil, they yield a rich harvest in calling out the affections, and
in gaining the confidence of the little ones.
John had to answer a
great many questions in regard to his lonely life among the forest
trees. What degree of success had attended his efforts? Was he going
back in the spring? Was the land and water good? How far off was his
nearest neighbor? What was the soil and timber? What were the
prospects of an early settlement of the country? These and many
other questions he had to answer to the best of his ability, which
he did cheerfully and satisfactorily.
One evening as the
family sat by the large fire that was blazing in the old-fashioned
Dutch fire-place, John told about having killed the wolves; and he
showed them the bounty money that he got for the scalps in the
village of Hamilton, as he was on his way home.
"Are you not afraid,
John, that the wolves will catch you alone sometime without your
pun, and tear you to pieces?" asked his mother.
He answered, "I never
go away from the house without either the gun or the axe in my hand.
Wolves are great cowards, and will very seldom attack a man in day
time. It is only at night, when they can sneak up behind in the
darkness, that they are at all dangerous to human kind."
"What did you do with
the skins of the wolves? Are they good for anything? What color are
they, and how big are they?" asked his sister.
"There Bet," said he,
with a laugh, "that is just like a girl. They want to know
everything at once. Here you have been shooting questions at me so
fast that I had no time to answer one of them; and they come so
swiftly that a fellow has no chance to dodge them. Please hold on a
while, and give me time to think."
"Humph: you think
everything is like shooting since you shot the wolves," shouted
Betsy, "but will the great hunter condescend to answer my girlish
sister mine, if you will hold your tongue and your temper for a few
"Firstly, then, I got
my nearest neighbor, who is something of a tanner, to dress them,
with the hair on, and I spread them on my block seats for cushions;
and they are, in this way, both ornamental and useful.
"Your second question
is answered in the first one. "Thirdly, they are gray, with dark
stripes running through them, making them a sort of brindle.
"Fourthly, a wolf is a good bit larger than a fox, and something
smaller than a bear. His skin is just big enough to cover him from
nose to tail. Will that do, Sis?"
"Well," said she, "I
am wonderfully enlightened on the subject. How should I know the
size of a fox or a bear, since I never saw either."
"A full-grown wolf,"
said John, "is as tall as a large dog, but he is not so heavy, nor
so strongly built. He is more like a greyhound than anything else
that I know of, unless it is another wolf. That is all that I can
say about him."
The father here
spoke, saying, "it is time to change the subject for the present. We
will have some more talk about wolves at another time. But I think
it would be well to be on the look-out for a good, strong, resolute
dog for John to take with him to the bush, when he goes back to his
place next spring. He will want a dog to guard his place, as I
intend to give him a yoke of oxen, a cow and half a dozen sheep as
soon as he can get anything to feed them."
"I am very thankful
to you, father," said John, "for your intended gift. And as for
feed, I can get that as soon as it is needed, for I have five or six
acres of splendid beaver-meadow on my lot, and I can cut hay enough
there to keep a number of cattle and sheep."
"Squire Myrtle has
got just the sort of a dog that you ought to have, John;" so said
his younger brother, William.
At the mention of
that name the young man started and his face flushed up for moment.
He soon regained his equilibrium, and no one but his mother noticed
his perturbation. Her sharp eyes saw it, and trifling as the
incident was in itself, she drew her own conclusion from it. She
said to herself, "I have his secret now. There is more than a dog at
Squire Myrtle's that he would like to take with him to the bush."
During the Christmas
week John paid a visit to the homestead of Squire Myrtle. It was one
of the oldest farms in the vicinity of the Short Hills On it was a
very large orchard, mostly of seedling fruit. But the greater part
of it was of a good quality.
The fields were
beautified by numerous second-growth chestnut, shell bark hickory,
and black-walnut trees. But there were two things that Squire Myrtle
especially doted on. These were his horses and his garden. The
latter took up much of his time in summer, and the same may be said
of the horses in winter.
produced better vegetables than did his; and nobody's team stepped
off more lively, nor with longer strides than the Squire's. And, on
a clear, cold night in winter, his sleigh-bells could be heard for
two miles or more, as he drove home from mill or from market.
The young man was
received with a warmth of greeting by Mr. and Mrs. Myrtle that ought
to have convinced him that he was a little more than a merely
After the usual
enquiries as to the health of himself and family at home, he had
many questions to answer about the back country.
What were the
prospects of success in farming and fruit growing? How far from lake
navigation? Were there any churches and schools within reach, etc.,
He told then that his
place was some thirty-five miles from Lake Ontario. The nearest
church or school, so far as he knew, was twenty miles, and the
nearest doctor or magistrate was twenty-five miles from where he had
located. "The soil is, I think, good for grain and the hardier kinds
of fruit. But it has not yet been tested by actual experiment," said
"Dear me, John, you
have gone a long way back. Could you not have found land to settle
on without going so far ?" said Ms. Myrtle.
John answered, "It is
to be sure, a long way back now, but it will not always be so. Some
persons have to be pioneers, and I am willing to take my place among
them. I believe that I can stand the rough and tumble of bush life
as well as others."
"I can remember,"
said the Squire, "when young couples had to come all the way from
Long Point on Lake Erie to get married. There was only one minister
in all this part of the province that was authorized to marry."
"Yes," said his wife,
"and you know what a trip we made on horseback when we got married,
And I can never forget how old Mr. Greenhedge laughed when we told
where we came from and what we wanted. It seems to me that I can see
him yet, as he pronounced the benediction on William Myrtle and
"Mr. and Mrs.
Myrtle," said John, with a shaky voice, "I have an important
question to ask you, and I may as well do it now as to put it off'
till another time. Are you both willing that I should try and
persuade your Mary to go with me to the bush as my wife."
They looked at each
other for a moment. Then Mr. Myrtle said, "John, I know you are
truthful and honest. You may try, and all I say now is, success to
you." He did succeed. After John was gone, Mrs. Myrtle said, "I am
glad of this, for I know she likes him." | <urn:uuid:52d913a6-5cce-4940-88e0-73643a2c2a4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.electricscotland.com/history/forrest/chapter4.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987688 | 3,818 | 1.625 | 2 |
LUMS debates future of education with Russian Deputy Minister of Education
Published 11 October 2012
A recent visit to Moscow provided LUMS with opportunities to build links with government and businesses in Russia. International Programmes Director Dr Radka Newton was invited to take part in a debate with the Russian Deputy Minister of Education, while Louise Briggs, Head of Careers, Alumni and Employer Relations, visited several employers in order to open up opportunities to the new generation of Lancaster graduates in the Russian labour market.
Exposure to global education
Russia has been recognised for its high economic growth and increasing global employment opportunities for many years. The government has implemented numerous positive changes in the education system in Russia and is currently looking to enhance opportunities for Russian nationals to gain exposure to global education.
Dr Radka Newton was invited to Moscow to participate in a debate about a scholarship scheme with the Russian Deputy Minister of Education, Igor Fedyukin, on 1 October 2012. “Russia has a large resource potential and the government is taking the right approach in identifying opportunities to invest in its future leaders,” said Dr Newton.
“The Deputy Minister shared his enthusiasm with a group of global educators and provided details of a new scheme that is currently being finalised by the Russian government. It was a great event and Mr Fedyukin was very open to suggestions from the UK HE sector.”
Russia is planning to send thousands of scholars to top global universities over the next few years. The intention is to provide the scholars with graduate-level education opportunities with a vision to expand the pool of Russian global citizens who will shape the future of the country.
It is hoped that this will address the demand in Russia for educated managers in public administration, health management and economics. The scheme is expected to be officially announced this winter through the communication channels of QS who hosted this debate after the QS Graduate School event in Moscow.
Lancaster has positive experience with Russian scholars who have already made a significant impact in the Russian economy. The LUMS Head of Careers, Alumni and Employer Relations, Louise Briggs, visited Russia with Dr Newton to meet potential employers and build on Lancaster's strong alumni relations in Russia. One of the company visits was hosted by a Plekhanov Academy Scholar, Alexandre Andreev, who graduated from Lancaster in 1996 and currently works for INTEGRA, an Oil and Gas Company with the headquarters in Moscow.
Integra Group: Louise Briggs, Anton Vasiliev, Vice president for Staff motivation and development in INTEGRA Management; Pavel Bogolyubov, Alexander Andreev, GR Director Integra Group
After her visit to Russia Louise Briggs said: “Lancaster University Management School is very fortunate to have alumni like Alexander who are keen to open up opportunities to the new generation of Lancaster graduates in the Russian labour market. We are also very fortunate to work with academics like Pavel Bogolyubov, who has valuable links with Russian employers and who has facilitated links with Uniliver and IBM in Russia. Our alumni base in Russia is growing and it was fantastic to meet the alumni group in Moscow and celebrate the success of our graduates together with our partner institution, the Higher School of Economics with whom we share a few alumni already.”
Lancaster University Management School in Moscow, represented by Louise Briggs, Pavel Bogolyubov and Gor Stepanyan, an MSc Management graduate currently working in KPMG Moscow. | <urn:uuid:c8dffa57-6d04-4650-871e-5856d86bda59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/news/international/26243/future-of-education-russia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968763 | 706 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Solidarity Request: Brazil: Medical Council Of Rio De Janeiro Causes National Outrage
Resolutions prohibit midwives and doulas in hospital birth and doctor support for home births.
Women’s response: “No more violent births to sell c-sections”
A coalition of non-governmental organizations, representatives of social movements and women and men in favour of healthy, humanized birth choices are organizing a protest on Sunday (August 5) in Rio de Janeiro, and other Brazilian cities, against two resolutions released by the Medical Council of Rio de Janeiro (CREMERJ) published July 19.
The first resolution prohibits women in hospitals and maternity wards to have any assistance from university-trained midwives, or from doulas (an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support during and after childbirth). Nurse-midwives, under doctors’ supervision will be tolerated. Non-compliance with the resolution by hospital directors will be considered an ethical violation and punished accordingly.
The second resolution prohibits any doctor to participate in out-of-hospital birth, directly, or previously agreeing to provide second-level care for women transferred from Birth Centres or home births. Punishment can include their medical licence being revoked. It also establishes a mandatory reporting to the Council of any out-of-hospital births, and punishment for non-reporting as an ethical offence.
The caesarean section rate in private hospitals in Rio de Janeiro is over 85% of all births. Given the pressure in hospitals to submit to elective c-sections or to aggressively managed vaginal birth, many women are choosing midwife care, delivery in birth centres, or home births, with support of a variety of on-line networks and resources in favour of informed choice.
Alternative places and providers in childbirth are usually strongly opposed by doctors, but never to the point of calling for them to be outlawed, as in these two resolutions. Last June, women in Brazil took to the streets to protest against the same CREMERJ, that time because of the council’s attempt to punish Jorge Kuhn, an obstetrician from São Paulo who declared in a popular TV show that, in selected cases, home birth can be an acceptable option for women. His opinion was considered an ethical offence by the Rio de Janeiro Medical Council, who reported him to the São Paulo Council. The Home Birth March was organized through web-based social networks, with demonstrations in over 30 different cities across the country, to affirm women’s right to informed choice, bodily integrity and a healthy birth experience.
These two resolutions are considered by activists to be the Council’s reaction to that march. Women have responded that CREMERJ’s new resolutions are illegal, against the best scientific evidence concerning care during childbirth, and a violation of women’s human rights. They are also contrary to the Ministry of Health guidelines for intra-partum care and World Health Organization recommendations.
The Rio de Janeiro Medical Council is strongly against the training and participation in childbirth care of direct-entry midwives and doulas. Midwives and doulas, as well as Birth Centres integrate the Ministry of Health programme for a more humane, safe, woman-centered model of care (Rede Cegonha), and their benefits are based on solid scientific evidence. According to the Cochrane Library, women in midwife-led care have a greater chance of spontaneous vaginal deliveries, less demand for analgesia, a greater sense of control during birth, and better chances to start breastfeeding. Twenty-one clinical trials with more than 15,000 women showed that those receiving continuous support during labour reported greater satisfaction with the experience of childbirth, had a shorter duration of labour and lower risk of caesarean delivery, among other advantages.
According to doctors supporting women’s groups, the resolutions are contrary to the Code of Medical Ethics, which promotes respect for patient autonomy. Despite the fact that, under a doctor’s supervision, the presence of nurse-midwives in hospitals will not be forbidden under the new resolution, the Rio de Janeiro Nursing Council (COREN-RJ) released an official statement repudiating the Medical Council’s resolutions and defending the inclusion of midwives and doulas in a women-centred model of care in any setting (both hospital and out-of-hospital births).
Brazil has occupied a leading position in the world ranking of caesarean rates for several years. C-sections accounted for more than 52% of all births in 2010, exceeding 84% within the private health care system, with several cities reaching an incredible 100% rate (the maximum recommended by WHO is 10-15%). High rates of elective pre-labour c-sections before 39 weeks are associated with poorer outcomes for mothers and infants, such as an increase in prematurity, low birthweight and maternal mortality and morbidity.
The protesters highlight CREMERJ’s conflict of interest in the perpetuation of a violent model of childbirth, trying to usurp the power and right to choose from women, thus violating their reproductive rights. One of the protest’s slogans is “No more violent births just to sell c-sections”. Several studies showed that the alarming rates of caesarean section in Brazilian hospitals cannot be justified by women's demand, since most of them state a preference for normal childbirth.
According to women’s groups and their allied health providers, including doctors, the Medical Council is by contrast selectively tolerant of other serious ethical violations, such as over-estimating risks to babies in vaginal birth to pressure women into “elective” c-sections; the abuse of painful, potentially harmful interventions such as liberal episiotomy, inductions and forceps (again to offer caesareans as “better”, comparatively); the sadly common sexual humiliation of distressed birthing women when they ask for help (using phrase such as “when you made that baby you liked it, now don’t complain”); and other forms of gender-based abuses. Activists also denounce that doctors frequently violate the federal law that ensures women the right to have someone of their own choice accompany them during childbirth, making the birth experience more stressful for women.
Together with public demonstrations, the protesters are organizing legal actions against the Council, gathering media coverage, and demanding a formal and firm reaction from the Ministry of Health and other related institutions.
PLEASE SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION, now with an English version:
Facebook of the Ação contra o Cremerj (Action against Cremerj, Portuguese) | <urn:uuid:05392513-2dbd-423b-b288-090ac6d96f0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://awid.org/Get-Involved/Urgent-Actions3/Solidarity-Request-Brazil-Medical-Council-of-Rio-de-Janeiro-causes-national-outrage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954069 | 1,351 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Consider deep-frying or brining your Thanksgiving turkey
With Thanksgiving just a week away, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to cook that bird. Detailed here are techniques for brining and deep-frying your turkey.
Not remembering to defrost the bird is just about the biggest mistake you can make. Large frozen turkeys need at least five days to defrost in the refrigerator, so today’s a good day to clean the fridge to make room, because you will probably pick up your turkey on Saturday. Frozen turkeys need 24 hours to defrost for each pound. Don’t even consider leaving your turkey out on the counter to defrost. It becomes a breeding ground for the microbes that can cause food poisoning.
Nick Young, a manager at Gander Mountain in Mentor, said if a frozen turkey is dropped into hot oil for deep-frying, it’s likely to explode, spattering hot oil over everyone who is nearby. That’s even worse than food poisoning and certainly not the way you want to begin your turkey day.
In the parking lot behind Mentor Public Library’s main branch, Young recently conducted a workshop on how to deep-fry a turkey. He was set up beneath a canopy in case of rain.
Deep-frying a turkey must be done outdoors, he said. But don’t even think of doing it on your deck, and your garage is not usually a very good place to do it, either. Choose a spot well away from foot traffic and one that can be sheltered by a canopy, especially if snow or rain is likely.
The Gander Mountain where Young works, at 9620 Diamond Center Drive, has the cooker, the oil and everything you need for the deep-frying operation. The cooker is fueled by propane, which you also will need to buy. Employees there can walk you through the process.
Depending on the size of deep fryer — related to the size of the turkey — it will cost you $100 or more to get the equipment and oil you need. You need a deep fryer large enough for the bird and the oil to cover the turkey. Leave enough room at the top so the oil doesn’t come up over the sides of the cooker when you put the turkey in.
Young, who deep-fries turkeys all year round, likes to inject a Cajun or garlic seasoning into the bird after if has been thoroughly rinsed and dried, inside and out. Other recipes call for rubbing a seasoning over the inside and outside of the turkey. One recipe calls for placing a whole onion inside the cavity, but Young didn’t do that. And the recipe that called for the onion failed to say why it was needed.
No matter what technique you use to cook your Thanksgiving turkey, it is important to first defrost it and then remove the giblets and the neck found inside the cavity of the bird. While drying it inside and out, check to see that the passages to the cavity are large enough to allow the circulation of hot oil inside the bird. Some people cook the giblets in water on the stove top for an hour or so, then chop them up to add to gravy Continued...
If you start with a 12- to 14-pound turkey, you will need at least three gallons of oil —usually peanut oil — to cover it. Heat the oil to 350 degrees before immersing the turkey in it. The turkey will be in a rack that allows you to dip it in the oil and fish it back out again.
A thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature is included with most deep fryers, but it’s always a good idea to have an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bird before you end the cooking process. Stick it into the thigh or the thickest part of the breast. Your turkey is done when it reaches 180 degrees.
It will take about 45 minutes to cook that 12- to 14-pound turkey, compared to at least three hours if you roast it in a 350-degree oven. In that shorter time, a properly deep-fried turkey will be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
You’ll be on your own for gravy, since you will not have the drippings needed .
Brining a turkey also saves time over the traditional roast turkey, leaves you with drippings to make gravy and is every bit as moist as a deep-fried turkey, aficionados say. You will be roasting it after it sits covered in brine overnight, so consider that in your timing for the defrosting stage.
The salt in a brine affects the molecular structure of the meat, weakening the structure of the protein. As the proteins change, more water is allowed into the molecules so moisture is locked in during roasting. The changes also mean slightly less time to roast, although not everyone agrees on that point. Use a meat thermometer in the roasting process and know it’s done at 180 degrees.
There are lots of recipes for brine, but all are based on a good amount of salt and liquid. The turkey must be immersed in the liquid and soaked for eight to 15 hours under refrigeration.
That can present a problem because most refrigerators aren’t big enough for a large turkey and several gallons of liquid.
Tom Quick, chef at Match Works Tavern in Mentor, likes to use a clean laundry tub or a cooler with bags of ice to keep the bird at 40 degrees as it brines. Continued...
“I love what the combination of orange, clove and star anise give to this brine,” he says.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the bird once the brining is finished and before roasting begins, or it will likely be too salty.
Here’s his recipe and technique:
TOM QUICK’S TURKEY BRINE
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dry thyme)
1 head garlic cut in half
6 pieces star anise (or substitute 1 tablespoon fennel seed) Continued...
1 cinnamon stick
6 to 12 dry Thai chilies (can substitute 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes)
2 oranges, zest and juice (Grate or peel and chop the washed orange skin, leaving behind the bitter white pith)
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 13 to16 pound turkey, defrosted
1 gallon water
1 gallon ice
Bring water and all other ingredients (except turkey and ice) to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Let cool, then place turkey in a large pot or tub and add ice and simmered liquid. Place in refrigerator for 10 to 24 hours.
When brining is finished, rinse the bird, pat dry and tuck a half cup of butter in small chunks beneath the skin. Rub olive oil over the entire surface. Place on rack in large pan in 400-degree oven. Some cooks like to roast the turkey upside down for the first half hour.
Figure 15 minutes per pound to roast a 15-pound turkey. After roasting at 400 degrees for a half hour, reduce heat to 350 for the next two hours. Then reduce the heat further to 250 for the next hour to hour and a half, using an instant read thermometer to check its internal temperature. When it reaches 180 degrees, remove from the oven and let sit 20 minutes before carving.
Location, ST | website.com
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Follow the contestants in "Lighten Up in 2013" through their six-month weight-loss journey. Forty eight residents will be updating you regularly on their successes and progress as they move through the contest.
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What's happening in pop culture? Find out from those in the know at The News-Herald. | <urn:uuid:ff5bb3e3-d310-4f0d-af0d-18f8b26c1950> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2012/11/13/life/doc50a297efb3b41308627386.txt?viewmode=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935246 | 2,002 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Designation: WHO Representative to India
Education: MSc in Pharmacy, PhD in Pharmacology
Career: Nearly 20 years at WHO; was deputy regional director for Europe before coming to India in 2010
WHO\'s country head Nata Menabde tells Forbes India that governments should take measures to improve access to life-saving drugs, but be sensitive to pharmaceutical industry\'s concerns.
Interests: Plays the piano and guitar. Likes classical music, jazz, water sports, history and Russian literature
Q. What are the top three challenges in healthcare in India?
Communicable diseases remain part of the unfinished agenda for India, particularly those that are affecting mortality and morbidity of mothers and children as well as some of the others that prevent India from reaching its Millennium Development Goals. For children, respiratory diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases and tuberculosis are big challenges.
The [second] is the totally new trend where non-communicable diseases—cardiovascular, cancers, whole group of chronic diseases—are growing very fast among the ageing population, hitting hard the economy, development and future prospects of India.
The third one is the health systems agenda and the changes that are required, particularly, the universal healthcare agenda that is currently being debated.
Q. What do you think of the Controller General of Patents recently issuing a compulsory licence for Bayer's patented cancer drug?
We are supportive of any measures that any government can take to improve access to life-saving drugs. The provision of compulsory licencing which is given in the WTO's TRIPs [Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights] agreement is included in Indian legislation as well, but that provision had never been applied in practice. That is quite sad, because on many occasions such bold actions can make a great difference to people who need these therapies. As a creation of precedent, this is a great achievement for India's public health. Therefore we definitely support movement towards using all the measures available, be it legislative, managerial or political, to address the needs of the people. So, we welcome India's move. It is also a good message to the industry that the India government is now mature enough to consider all the options it has and apply them as appropriate for the needs of its people.
Q. Wouldn't it affect drug research and introduction of new drugs?
It is an issue that deserves careful consideration. Indeed some of the measures that are jurisdictive in nature can discourage availability of newer products, and especially hit new research. We all know that and we at the WHO are sensitive to that. We also know that industry, the pharmaceutical industry in particular, is a partner for us and for governments all over the world because without research and investments by private manufacturers mainly, we won't have access to newer products. At this point of time, the pipeline for new pharmaceutical products is not very large compared to a couple of decades ago when we had a lot innovations. And there are still some diseases, which are un-tackled and are major killers in terms of world numbers but are predominantly in middle income or low income countries. Therefore, if these markets do not purchase these drugs then it is not so interesting for investors to put money to come up with new drugs.
There are a number of these issues where the right balance is very important. I do believe that any government that introduces such measures, which on one hand can negatively influence development of new products, should be really thinking how to open up some other opportunities to balance it so the legitimate interest of any industry to make profit does not become impossible. We are sensitive to those issues.
Q. Does India have enough healthcare regulation?
India has abundant healthcare regulation. Perhaps it does not have all the regulation it needs in all the areas and perhaps it has regulations that it does not need anymore. India needs to have a deep look at regulations in various parts of the health sector and bring them to the level of today's needs. That also includes looking at the private sector service delivery, quality standards, accreditation issues, monitoring, professional standards—these are many issues that require a careful look. India has a lot of good, well-meaning regulations, but lacks enforcement mechanisms, especially because of the political structure of the country where health is the responsibility of the states. It is not always working for the good of the people. I am not promoting centralisation of health regulation but I think much more needs to be done to be sure that there are proper mechanisms for enforcing them. It is a big area and that includes having management information systems, managerial and supervisory capacity and having a sense of accountability in all the players in the system. | <urn:uuid:47a9d147-340f-4d7f-b3ab-8e43db62e147> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ibnlive.in.com/news/compulsory-licencing-of-bayers-cancer-drug-is-a-triumph/257216-55.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96432 | 942 | 1.71875 | 2 |
...it has its own Linux based...
...Anyway, I read that ext3 is only an overlay to the LVM structure...
LVM is the linux logical volume manager. Physical volumes are added to a volume group, and then logical volumes are created from the volume group. Thus it aggregates multiple physical devices (disks or arrays, or any combination thereof), and allows that space to then be divvied up however you want into logical volumes. Those logical volumes are "virtual" but they are still treated as block level devices. That is you specify a size for them, and you can format them NTFS, JHFS+ or in this case one of the linux native filesystems, ext3.
Another feature of LVM is the snapshot, which allows you to create another instance of a volume. The original instance can remain mounted read-write, and continue to be used/modified. The 2nd instance, the snapshot, will be frozen in time and will not be modified at all.
So LVM is a volume manager. And Ext3 is the file system, analogous to NTFS or JHFS+. However, Ext3 is not a file system that I'd expect any Windows or Mac OS based file undelete or recovery program to have any idea what to do with. And in fact it's rather tedious and complicated
to do file recovery on ext3 even within linux natively.
specially since this OS server is shared access, I can't do much as to accessing mounted drives.
Well, there are many ways to go about this: telnet or ssh is included on even 1MB firmware for wireless routers I use, so I'd think your RAID box likely has one or both. But getting ext3grep installed is non-trivial, but possible. That's the best bet. It is possible to take the drives out, installed in a PC, boot the PC from a linux Live CD, manually assemble the RAID, and then use the Live CD's package manager to install the latest and greatest ext3grep (even though it is a LiveCD it uses memory as a virtual disk so you can install software packages booted from a LiveCD, they of course vanish upon reboot or shutdown).
If I can't have a way of undeleting that file, I will be dumping everything off the 4TB and then installing WinHomeServer which I have a copy of..(I was considering FreeNAS).
Then move the content all back on.
I don't understand what this means. Installing these things on what? This Intel box? Do you realize the stock box has 512MB of RAM and no video port? I don't understand what this is about.
Just to be clear, the array is perfectly fine. As I said, I simply deleted a file I want to retrieve. Nothing failed, nothing stopped working.
Yeah I understand. But you seem to think that deleting a file is a simple event, as is undeleting it. File systems are not at all designed with this in mind. Any possible recovery is purely incidental to what they were designed to do, which is actually to reuse freed up disk sectors relatively quickly. It is much more difficult recovery deleted directories than it is recovering deleted files.
There is one other possibility here, which is maybe the logical volume can be exported read-only via iSCSI. And then with the SmallTree free iSCSI initiator (think it's still free), you can then point a conventional file recovery program to that disk and have it start scanning sector by sector for familiar patterns, i.e. images and documents. It will not understand the file system, but such utilities can frequently find files based on their content's pattern. The caveat is files often aren't in one continuous set of sectors, they can strewn all over the disk (fragmentation), so the files may be useless or difficult to get the various pieces located and then concatenate them together.
I hope some details above can help someone see a option.
Do a google search for ext3grep and see if this is way outside your realm of interest level. If it is, you will either need professional data recovery service, or abandon this data. | <urn:uuid:ef9fb711-5957-4e65-8fd0-cf24e9425855> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=69653.0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956744 | 872 | 1.664063 | 2 |
It was 1987, and there I sat, with my son’s teacher, the principal, and a social worker. We were all sitting in chairs designed for third grade bottoms, shuffling papers, and discussing “my son’s” academic failures. I was quickly getting the impression that I had missed the first meeting; the one where all of the decisions had actually been made. This meeting with me was obviously a mere formality.
“Mrs. Robinson, I have really enjoyed having your son in my class,” the teacher explained, “but he didn’t learn anything this year…”
At that moment, their voices began to fade into background chatter, as my mind began to race. Their written plans and stated goals meant nothing, after five years (including kindergarten and a repeat of second grade) this small army of educators had failed to teach him to read and do basic math. All I knew was that, I had to succeed where they had failed.
What I didn’t know then, was that I had history on my side. I was taking back what was rightfully mine; the right and responsibility to educate my child.
It wasn’t until much later that I learned, just a few years earlier the National Commission on Excellence in Education had issued a report calling to attention the “crisis” in American education. The reported stated,
“If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today we might well have viewed it as an act of war.”
In light of that report titled “A Nation At Risk” then President Reagan called for the more parental control, educational savings accounts, tuition tax credits, and abolishing the Department of Education. His initiatives never materialized. Instead the powerful teachers’ unions stood guard and ushered in a firestorm “reforms”; more money and more regulations.
Recent case in point: Central Falls High School was labeled one of six “persistently low performing” districts in Rhode Island. The state Education Commissioner issued all six schools a March deadline to come up with a plan to improve their performance.
The Central Falls Superintendent requested the teachers among other things, to work an extra 25 minutes daily, and accept a formal tutoring schedule. The teachers were offered $30 hourly for some of the extra time, but were expected to donate time as well. The teachers’ union countered with $90 per hour—the school board vetoed the idea and voted to allow 74 high school teachers and a few other union members the opportunity to join the ranks of the unemployed at the end of the semester.
No one lost their job when they failed to teach my son to read, but in essence, I fired the lot of them. When parents, communities, and states take back the responsibilities of education, out of the hands of organized labor—social engineering can be stopped and learning can begin. | <urn:uuid:1e4e05a0-d309-411b-98dc-3e60d5e13207> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/03/04/save-a-school-fire-a-teacher-part-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983878 | 612 | 1.671875 | 2 |
advice for 16 yr old beagle
"Dino" is a 16 yr old 15" tri colour beagle. He has advanced congestive heart failure and takes vetmedin and a diuretic for the fluid in the lungs. My vet has remarked that it is amazing that Dino is still alive - due to his heart.
The other night my kids left some KFC on the coffe table and Dino helped himself. He now has a distended belly, although he is eating and acting normal. I have a vet appt in the morning to assess.
My question is this, what are the risks with giving a dog such as mine anesthetic. What can I expect? Could some one give me some sort of educated guess at the odds on him making it through? I understand the surgury is quite expensive and invasive. | <urn:uuid:3e254b40-d5e7-409d-93bd-a4e9df05712d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pets.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=912415&postcount=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982317 | 171 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Abu Obeida was murdered two days ago in Houston Texas. I lost a friend. Palestine lost one of its best activists ever.
Obeida was a successful Palestinian business man. He organized and funded some very important solidarity activities in the USA and beyond. Obeida was a key element within the American Al-Awada movement. I met Abu twice last year. I learned a lot from the man. I am going to miss him, we are all going to miss this incredible human being. We are all going to pray for Abu.
The US Palestinian Community Network expresses its feelings of great sadness and grief on the loss of the Palestinian community activist and leader Abu Obeida Abdel-Salam Omran, of the village of Burin, who lived in Houston, Texas. He died on Friday, August 13, 2010 of his injuries suffered as a victim of an attempted robbery at his business in Houston. Two thieves attempted to rob his business and then fatally injured Abu Obeida with their car as they fled. Abu Obeida died in the hospital later that night.
Abu Obeida Omran was always ready to serve his people, standing in the forefront of the defense of the Palestinian people’s rights, particularly the Right to Return. He was a leader in defending the civil and political rights of the Palestinian and Arab community in Texas. He was a leading organizer of the Viva Palestina convoy in 2009, which traveled to Gaza to break the siege and worked to support and welcome Palestinian refugees from Iraq arriving in the United States. He played an active role in building Palestinian community organizations, the right of return movement, solidarity movements with the Palestinian people, and cultural groups, including a popular debkeh troupe.
The Palestinian community has today lost a charismatic leader, and the children of Burin in the U.S., and all of the Palestinian community, mourn the loss of Abu Obeida. We pledge to him to continue upon the path of struggle, unity and return, and to fight for the full achievement of all of our national goals.
Today, we send greetings to the people of Burin village, to his wife, his children, his family and his comrades, in Palestine and in the diaspora. Abu Obeida Omran was born on November 13, 1967. He was 42 years old, married with two sons, Abu Obeida and Abu Ali Mustafa, and a daughter, Maryam.
* * * * *
Slain Palestinian remembered for his generosity
Omran was killed in robbery attempt at one of his Houston stores
By JEANNIE KEVER
Aug. 15, 2010, 9:55PM
Abu Obeida Omran moved to the United States in 1990, later becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Abu Obeida Omran was internationally known for his work to create an independent Palestinian state, but the immigrant was equally interested in helping his neighbors in his adopted hometown of Houston.
"He always told me he wanted to find a way to give back to the community," said Massoud Nayeri, a long-time friend who had joined Omran in a campaign to provide school supplies for local children.
Police said Omran, whom they identified as Abo Obyb Abdel-Salaam but was widely known as Abu Obeida, died late Friday when he was run over during an attempted robbery at a convenience store he recently opened in southwest Houston. He was 42.
Curtis Odette Robinson was attempting to shoplift from the store when Omran confronted him and escorted him out, said HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva. The men — joined by alleged getaway driver Albert Lee Hall - began to fight, she said. At some point, Robinson got in the car and hit Omran, Silva added, running over him with both the front and rear tires.
Robinson has been charged with murder. Hall is charged with assault.
A proud citizen
Omran moved to the United States in 1990, later becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Over the years, he helped dozens of Palestinian refugees establish themselves after they arrived here, even as he built his own businesses.
"He went through the struggles of a typical American," said another friend, Mohammed Salhoot. "He went from a parking lot attendant to a gas station attendant. ... He struggled, like any other immigrant, until he succeeded and made his way through."
Omran owned several businesses and had opened the Chevron station where he was fatally attacked just two months ago. Friends said the new store was named Farouk Chevron, in recognition of former gubernatorial candidate Farouk Shami, and featured an appearance at the grand opening in June by Miss USA, Rima Fakih, the first Arab-American to win the title.
Omran and Salhoot had recently formed a development company, JWM Development, through which they hoped to create business opportunities for other Palestinian immigrants.
Salhoot said the company was named for Omran's sons, Abu Obeida, whom Omran jokingly called "John Wayne," and Abu Ali Mustafa.
"He was such a proud Palestinian-American," Salhoot said to explain Omran's likening his older son to the quintessential American actor.
But he never forgot his roots.
Raised $150,000 for Gaza
Omran was a leader in the movement to allow Palestinians to return to their homeland, a subject of ongoing dispute with Israel.
He formed the Houston chapter of Al-Awda, a national group that supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state, and helped organize a convoy to Gaza in 2009, delivering supplies to Palestinian families. He raised about $150,000 for that effort, Salhoot said.
He also took on causes closer to his new home, supporting efforts to preserve and revitalize the neighborhoods surrounding his stores.
Gave to other causes, too
Ester King, a volunteer for the Black Heritage Society, said he met Omran more than a year ago as the society reached out to foreign-born owners of stores in African-American neighborhoods.
Omran donated money to preserve African-American memorabilia, one of the society's projects, King said.
"Sometimes business people are so focused on their own bottom lines that they don't leave a lot of room for social justice," King said. "That was not him."
Salhoot said Omran never spoke of fear about working at the stores he owned.
"I always advised him to watch out, to be careful," said Salhoot, who formerly owned a string of check-cashing stores. "I told him not to carry money in and out of the stores, to hire an armored carrier. Eventually, he probably would have, but when you are a small owner-operator, you do everything."
He said he hoped local political leaders would acknowledge Omran's stature as a community leader by attending the prayer services, set for 9 a.m. today at Masjid Hamza, a mosque at 6233 Tres Lagunas Drive, near Highway 6 and the Westpark Tollway. Burial will follow.
In addition to his sons, Omran is survived by his wife and one daughter, Maryam. | <urn:uuid:eae37a78-1e42-4616-9dd1-b71982226870> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/in-loving-memory-of-abu-obeida.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985972 | 1,510 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Getting any type of mortgage in the existing economic natural environment is challenging. On the other hand, these with undesirable credit score are in an especially restricted spot as the red tape and information of loaning to individuals deemed dangerous makes the method all the a lot more cumbersome. Nevertheless, there are particular loans accessible for all those with bad credit score that present answers and reduction to these who will need it most.
In advance of going mortgage searching for a negative credit individual financial loan, however, you need to educate by yourself about the basic components of these loans, which is what this guide seeks to supply. I will critique the one of a kind elements of these loans, the approval procedure and what you will need to do, the distinct options that you have in terms of payment and curiosity, acquiring the suitable corporation to do enterprise with, and eventually the overall effect that this loan can have on your financial future.
A negative credit score personal loan is not like quite a few of the loans that you are previously familiarized with considering that its really existence is external of the standard sphere of lending. Contrary to practically any other mortgage, private financial loan or anything else, bad credit score loans do payday loans online not usually call for credit score checks simply because they are revenue based. This opens the door for several individuals who would normally be denied.
Approval without Credit Examine
Undesirable credit loans of this form, as I mentioned before, do not demand a credit score check out. Alternatively, lenders will give you funds for a short time period centered on your present source of income as nicely as evidence of identification. Also known as money advance loans, loan providers in this circumstance will want proof of stale employment for at minimum 6 months as well as ID and proof of residence.
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Undesirable credit loans of this naturel are given for shorter phrases than a lot of of the loans that you are utilized to. Instead than several years, reimbursement periods on individual loans like this are measured in days – typically 14-31 days. The function of these loans is to generate a bridge among paychecks for all those in a restricted predicament, which is why proof of cash flow is so significant. The notion is that this income will reimburse the financial loan, plus interest, and let the borrower to pay charges on time. Since of this, many various businesses give these loans online loans instant approval at varying interest rates that have small relation to the normal interest price that you see marketed by financial institutions.
Picking a Loan company
Clearly, due to the fact curiosity charges differ so considerably, who you select to in the long run supply you with a bad credit score mortgage will have to have the finest (or around the very best) interest amount. On the other hand, you will also need to take note of other organization qualifications this kind of as minimum regular income, to make confident that you meet people demands as well.
Serving to Oneself in Two Methods
One of the fantastic advantages of these loans is that they not only provide the cash you need to have when you need it, but they also support you in the extended time period. By responsibly taking these loans and repaying them you can boost your credit score with constructive marks. This will aid you get bigger loans in the potential.
A Wonderful Solution
It is basic to see that using a lousy credit score personalized mortgage can be of immense benefit for you in equally the brief and lengthy terms. If you have the cash flow to qualify and will need the income, negative credit individual loans provide a fantastic solution. | <urn:uuid:75ba2fba-0f1b-4171-9e30-8eea850d2274> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jillianhebert1947.bcz.com/2012/11/02/online-loans-instant-approval-taking-bad-credit-personal-loans-for-short-term-cash-and-long-term-g/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966766 | 729 | 1.671875 | 2 |
A deepening area of low pressure heading across Lake Superior this afternoon will drag a cold front through central New York by later in the day. As that front approaches, there will be an increase in showers over the region. Luckily, by then, temperatures will be well above freezing so there won’t be a threat for mixed precipitation.
Behind the cold front, more seasonable air will filter back into Central New York on a gusty west wind allowing for rain showers to change to snow showers overnight. Any accumulations should be light, though the Tug Hill region may see upwards of 3”+ by morning.
For tomorrow, the cold front is forecast to be well east of the region over the Atlantic Ocean with its associated low pressure center positioned north of Montreal. Consequently, brisk west to west-northwest winds moving over Lake Ontario will help produce flurries and snow showers. Accumulations, generally speaking, should be light if at all.
By in large, relatively quiet weather is on tap for much of the remainder of the week including Valentine’s Day. By Friday, there are indications a cold front may bring a threat for snow showers to the region. Thereafter, the weather becomes fairly uncertain. Going back to last week, computer models were hinting at the threat for a rather significant East Coast storm for the upcoming weekend. However, this scenario was something that was not indicated regularly. Most recently, some computer models have started to indicate this potential. Bottom line: be sure to check back for updates regarding the weekend forecast. | <urn:uuid:7a0fa763-b989-46fc-a0fe-b21f9dec3575> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myabc50.com/news/local/story/Milder-Today-with-Some-Wet-Weather/QrU1bOq_KEqkt5Xr8UT2ng.cspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944494 | 315 | 1.546875 | 2 |
NEWINGTON — The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has announced a third PainCare clinic in the state received a contaminated steroid medication currently at the center of a widespread fungal meningitis outbreak.
On Tuesday, PainCare's Newington location was linked to a Massachusetts pharmacy that shipped the tainted medication to 23 states — thus far resulting in a total of 119 cases and 11 deaths across 10 states. Last week, New Hampshire's Public Health Director Jose Montero announced PainCare's Somersworth and Merrimack locations had also received shipments of the contaminated medication.
In a press release issued Tuesday, the DHHS stated 742 patients have currently been identified as having been possibly exposed to the recalled product in New Hampshire. The Department of Public Health Services was working to ensure all patients were notified by the end of the day Tuesday.
“We continue to work very closely with PainCare, and are assisting with outreach to their patients who may have been exposed to the steroid medication,” Montero said. “Initially, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients who received epidural injections were being contacted. But as the investigation has evolved, patients who received non-epidural site injections are now also being contacted.”
Although 119 cases had been reported throughout 10 states as of Tuesday night, there have been no confirmed cases in New Hampshire. Thirty-nine of the fungal meningitis cases — six of them lethal — have been in Tennessee. Cases have also been reported in Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and, most recently, New Jersey.
The New England Compounding Center, a Framingham, Mass., pharmacy responsible for shipping the contaminated injectable steroid known as methylprednisolone acetate, has since recalled all products and shut down operations.
However, health officials estimate up to 13,000 people may have been exposed to the steroid since May.
There are many different types of meningitis, a general term for an infection or inflammatory process involving the lining of the brain and central nervous system. The cases under investigation have no relation to the much more common forms of bacterial or viral meningitis. Although this particular form of meningitis cannot be passed from person to person, it can be very dangerous, even fatal.
PainCare unknowingly administered the tainted medication to patients. The company quickly pulled the product from shelves after learning of possible health risks.
“We are doing absolutely everything at the moment to comply with the Centers for Disease Control's tight guidelines, “Michael O'Connell, owner and CEO of PainCare LLC said last week. “As of yet, all our diligence has been precautionary only.”
A call to O'Connell's assistant Tuesday night seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.
Symptoms of meningitis include headache, fever, nausea, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to light. The CDC is recommending that patients who feel ill with these symptoms or have either weakness or numbness in any body part or slurred speech contact their healthcare provider immediately.
Also, patients who received injections of the medication to joints should report to their provider if they have symptoms including increased pain, redness, or warmth at the site of the injection. | <urn:uuid:982600ae-42c4-4461-9956-2b65f87669b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121010/GJNEWS_01/121019909/-1/NEWS26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971654 | 672 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Athens Police Department isn't streaming online via our radio directory. Do you know the stream? If so, let us know!
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Athens was no more than a trading settlement on the banks of the Oconee River called Cedar Shoals during the late 1700s. On January 27, 1785, the Georgia General Assembly chartered the University of Georgia as the first chartered state-supported university. The charter was drafted by Abraham Baldwin and existed ... See more
Playlist, tracklist, top songs played coming soon... | <urn:uuid:5a9e2a94-8a90-479e-9c01-bffc7acc8695> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://streema.com/radios/Athens_Police_Department | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96048 | 113 | 1.84375 | 2 |
"Charly" is currently in development by Kaleidoscope Pictures of Pleasant Grove, Utah. The film is based on Jack Weyland's Latter-day Saint novel Charly. This contemporary romantic comedy set in Utah tells the story of Sam, a student at BYU, and his often perplexing, always amusing romance with an enigmatic young convert named Charly.
Weyland's Charly has the distinction of being the best-selling LDS novel in history. Although his place in literature is hotly debated, Weyland is recognized by literary critics for his immeasurable influence on popular Latter-day Saint literature, and he was awarded a special Association for Mormon Letters (AML) award in 1983. Weyland, who points to Neil Simon, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck as his literary influences, is noted for his natural and humorous dialogue.
Weyland has written over 25 books since Charly was first published in 1980, yet it remains his best known work. It filled a niche for accessible contemporary fiction that was largely untapped at that time, and influenced a generation of Latter-day Saint readers and writers.
Noting the significance of the novel, Bryant P. Castleton, citing work by Chrisopher Crowe, wrote (Jack Weyland: Popular Fiction: Contribution to Mormon Literature):
In his own research Professor Crowe has tried to gauge the impact that Jack Weyland has had on the LDS literary community. Though his efforts at obtaining specific sales numbers were unsuccessful, Professor Crowe was able to take available information combined with educated calculations to establish that Weyland's first novel Charlie, which is still in print today, has sold over 250,000 copies. Crowe stated the significance of such a number in pointing out that church membership is at 10 million. Of those 10 million members only 5 million speak English. By just guestimating how many households fall into the 5 million, it is clear to see, as Crowe pointed out, that Jack Weyland has received "universal coverage" within the LDS community.
"Charly" is scheduled to shoot in summer 2001 pending funding, with an anticipated budget of $800,000.
The director is Adam Anderegg and the producer is Micah Merrill. Anderegg and Merrill, have previously worked together on The Touch (1997), the award-winning short film they made while they were students at Brigham Young University. "The Touch" tells the story of a fictional ancient Hebrew woman named Sarah who was considered unclean and untouchable due to a fatal bleeding condition.
Adam Anderegg graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Fine Arts. Since graduation, he has been working on various film and television projects in Utah, where he resides. He has worked as an assistant editor on CBS' "Touched by an Angel."
It should also be noted that Lance Williams is a co-producer of the movie. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Lance Williams' film company, Focused Light Films, is co-producing "Charly" with Kaleidoscope Pictures, which is Adam Anderegg and Micah Merrill's production company. Tip Boxell, an employee at Focused Light, is an associate producer on "Charly." Herb Christensen is the executive producer.
Meet Sam, the straitlaced computer-science major from Brigham Young University. And then meet Charly, the sparkling, quick-witted girl who steps into his world and turns it upside down. Their courtship is a never-ending round of ups and downs -- literally. On their first date Charly tricks Sam into taking a Ferris wheel ride, then tells the operator they're engaged! All of this seems to be a little more than Sam can cope with. But he gradually comes to appreciated Charly's point of view. From the girl who loves to laugh, he learns to do the same. He finds out for the first time what it's like to be really alive. Charly is a story of joy and spontaneity, learning and loving, and, most of all, growing.
BYU graduates are uniting to produce "Charly," a new independent film based on the novel by Jack Weyland.
"I remember reading 'Charly' in ninth grade, my friends and I loved Jack Weyland's books when we were little," said Sanae Warner a 21-year-old history teaching major from Yokohama, Japan, "It'd be awesome to see it as a movie."
"The story takes place in the context of an LDS person's life," said Micah Merrill, BYU film and screenwriting graduate, and Charly producer. "But primarily it's a love story, a romantic comedy, with drama."
Merrill explained that the script has variations from the book, in order to enhance the story for a broader audience.
"We've changed it a lot from the book and Jack Weyland has approved our script," Merrill said. "We've always made it a policy, even though it's not in our contract, to check any major draft back with Jack."
Finding the right cast to fulfill the film's vision is proving a hard task for the Charly production team.
"We've had at least one hundred people audition over a two-and-a-half week period," said Charly director Adam Anderegg, 1995 BYU film graduate. "This is the hardest process because it's the biggest part of the director's job to get the right people."
BYU music dance theater senior, Jason Celaya, 25, from San Meteo, California, spent over seven hours in the offices of FMG productions in Salt Lake, auditioning for a role in Charly.
Celaya made it through numerous cuts, and was in a group of only a few other males being auditioned for the lead role of Sam. He explained how the music dance theater program has prepared him for the experience.
"We're prepared to audition, not only for film, but for also for theater and dance and anything vocal." Celaya said. "I don't think I would be auditioning if I didn't love the script and the message it's conveying."
Though being a movie star often brings to mind fame and fortune, Tip Boxell, BYU theater and film M.A., and Charly producer, explained that due to their limited production budget the actors' salary had not yet been determined.
"This is a low-budget, independent feature film, we have enough money for all the technical aspects, but we've already promised our investors that they will get paid first," Boxell said.
Boxell said they have earmarked a portion of the profits for the actors. Over the next four years the actors could do very well, even better than if they had a fixed salary.
"But there's got to be that profit - so the actors are taking a risk, they're taking a risk to star," he said.
Boxell explained that the auditioning process was a combination of pain and joy.
"When an audition starts a hundred people come, and they are beautiful people. They are gifted and talented, and it is so much fun to have them come and give you everything they've got," said Boxell.
"They compete and they compete until it gets whittled down to a few, but there can be only one. We're telling wonderful people that we love, that they didn't make it, and that's the painful part. That's the despicable part."
BYU music dance theater graduate, Joy Gardner, 22 from Gainsville, Florida, was one of the few called back for Charly auditions. She, however, is no rookie to the auditioning process. Gardner stared as Laneah in the Legacy Theater film, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepard.
"Being a part of The Testaments was a real gift for me. I felt very much at peace during the auditioning process and was very much guided by the spirit as to the things I should say and do." Gardner said.
"It was a project where you knew that it was in Heavenly Father's hands who they cast, and all you could do was do your best."
Gardner approached her auditions for Charly with the same dedicated attitude.
"It's a wonderful and beautiful script and I'm very happy to have made it this far." she said.
During the casting process the directors and producers tried diligently to find the lead actors, "Charly" and "Sam."
"If we don't find the right people here, we won't shoot the movie, we'll keep searching until we find them," director Anderegg said. "The actors are so important that it'd be a waste of money to film it with the wrong people."
Filming is tentatively planned for 22 days at the end of August. The film is scheduled to be released Spring 2002.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL MEDIA/KALEIDOSCOPE PICTURES "Charly" American International Media and Kaleidoscope Pictures are producing a feature film entitled "Charly." This is a film adaptation of the novel, "Charly" by Jack Weyland, published by Deseret Book. "Charly" is the story of a young LDS man in Salt Lake City who struggles to win the heart of a young woman from a wholly different environment. He must also deal with her death and his questions about eternal life. This is a film that treats LDS subject matter and is focused on the LDS audience. The characters, however, are from a broad social and spiritual spectrum. The film will probably receive an MPAA rating of PG. -- This is a non-SAG, low budget, independent production. Compensation will be professionally acceptable but not in accordance with published rate structures. Principal photography will begin approximately 15 August 2001 and conclude 31 August 2001. There will be additional principal photography in the first two weeks of October, 2001 and also in the last week of November and first week of December, 2001. The theatrical release of the film will be in March or April of 2002. The film will be shot on location in Salt Lake and Utah Valleys. -- Copies of the script will be available at the audition and the three recognized agencies where this notice has been posted. Copies of the casting breakdown are also available. "Sides" will be available at the audition. -- Auditions will be held Wednesday, 25 July, through Friday, 27 July at the offices of FMG Productions, 2065 West Parkway Boulevard, West Valley City, Utah. Simply stated, at approximately 2400 South, turn west off of Redwood Road (which is 1700 West in Salt Lake Valley) onto Parkway Boulevard. Go west about one quarter mile and look left (south). There will be FMG Productions. Auditioners needing help when they are getting close can call 205-3011. Auditioners must bring head shots and resumes. They will fill out casting forms at the audition. Auditioners will perform a reading from the script on camera. -- First and second callbacks will be the following week. Auditioners or their representatives will be contacted to arrange callback appointments as necessary.
Charly: American International Media and Kaleidoscope Pictures are producing a feature film entitled Charly. This is a film adaptation of the novel, Charly, by Jack Weyland. A copy of the script and casting breakdown are available in the TMA Office. Auditions will be held at the offices of FMG Productions, 2065 W. Parkway Blvd., West Valley. Contact Tip Boxell at 685-9523 (or cell # 205- 3011).
Internships available for feature film, Charly. American International Media and Kaleidoscope Pictures will interview interested individuals over the next few weeks. Interns will be integrated as full run-of-show crew. Students will get real experience with professional department heads. Contact Carolyn Hanson for information at 378-4576. Email resumes to [email protected].
REXBURG - Jack Weyland didn't plan on going to a Broadway play 20 years ago. He was just going for a walk.
He didn't plan on rewriting his short story, "Charly," and turning it into a Broadway play until after watching a Neil Simon production.
He didn't plan on all the rejections, or on turning his play back into a novel.
He didn't plan on having a producer, director and screenwriter come to him and ask to make the book into a movie.
Sometimes you can overplan these things.
Sometimes you have to let things just happen.
Like Weyland, who is now watching "Charly," originally published in 1980 with current sales peaking at 250,000, become a movie.
"I hope that it will do well. My dream is to have other books turn into movies," said Weyland, whose full-time career is as a physics instructor at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg.
"Charly," the story of the courtship of two complete opposites, is Weyland's first novel to be transformed into a movie, although he has had short stories, such as "The Phone Call" and "The Award," made into movies.
"The Award" (1985) was released on video and apparently sold to non-Latter-day Saint markets as well as to Church members, while "The Phone Call" was produced by the BYU film school and released to mostly Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints audiences in the early 1970s.
"Charly" is Weyland's most successful book, and he credits its success to the fact that he wrote it the summer after his father died.
"I transferred some of the grief I was feeling into the book," he said. "It just rings so true."
In the book, Charly teaches Sam, a strait-laced computer science major, how to be spontaneous and to laugh. As time goes on, Sam learns to appreciate life the way Charly does.
Taking "Charly" and turning it into a movie began seven years ago when Adam Anderegg, the film's director, asked Janine Gilbert, currently a BYU-Idaho English instructor who lives in Hibbard, to write a quick script of "Charly." It was her first full-length screenplay.
"I think this is her story perhaps more than mine," Weyland said. "She suffered writing the screenplay over and over again. Janine is the most patient person I have ever known as far as screenplay."
Gilbert, who went to film school with Anderegg, traveled to Utah over the weekend to watch the filming, which started Sept. 4 and finished Saturday.
"When I saw the set, I was amazed," she said. "It's looking really good. It's fun to see it come to life. I think it's going to be a great film."
The movie - billed as "Charly Forever" and filmed by Kaleidoscope Pictures - is scheduled to come out in March, said Micah Merrill, the producer. The movie will be released regionally, mostly in Utah - similar to "God's Army," which also played in eastern Idaho. If it does well, it may be distributed more widely.
Heather Beers, who is in a USA network premiere, "Cover Me," will play Charly. Her suitor, Sam, will be played by Jeremy Elliot, who also starred in "The Testament."
"We're trying not to lose what makes this story so important to lots of readers," Merrill said. "We've got a wonderful cast. It just looks incredible. They want to put their heart in it, and I think that's going to show up on the screen."
Even though Weyland hasn't taken part in the production of "Charly," he hopes to someday be a part of the filming of something he's written.
"I've always wanted to do this," he said, laughing. " 'People, people, work with me here!' I just don't know what happens after I say that," said Weyland, who has written five screenplays he's trying to sell.
Today one finds the following text:
A major motion picture coming to theaters in 2002
Charly in the News
2 October 2001 - BYU-Idaho Professor's Love Story Turned into Feature Film - Idaho Falls Post Register
13 August 2001 - Y Grads Create Film Based on Charly - Daily Universe
11 April 2001 - Charly - Adherents.com [Link to the old location of this website's Charly page: http://www.adherents.com/movies/Charly.html]
Charly Official Website - Copyright © 2001 Kaleidoscope Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Anyway, I'm anxiously looking forward to seeing more information on this site. Even if it's not fancy, that's okay. I'd love to see a cast list, the names of the filmmakers, projected release dates... that kind of thing.
There will probably be one or two lines about the story. But we don't really need that, do we? I already know the basic story. I've read the book. We've all read the book. (You have read the book, haven't you??)
A few interesting things one can't help but notice... The site is headlined "Welcome to Jack Weyland's Charly." It isn't "Adam Anderegg's Charly." This is probably a sensible move, as everybody knows who Jack Weyland is, and very few people are familiar (yet) with the film's director, Adam Anderegg.
Now, for Anderegg's next film, we might expect to see it called "Adam Anderegg's [FILL IN THE BLANK]." For example, nobody ever talks about "Shakespeare's Hamlet" when they refer to the 1948 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. They talk about "Laurence Olivier's Hamlet."
So if Anderegg does a great job with "Charly," people will call his next film "Anderegg's Macbeth" or "Anderegg's Beowulf" or "Anderegg's Sam." (I'm just thinking about the future, here.)
The "Charly" feature film is not the first novel written by a Latter-day Saint to be made into a feature film. Novels by many other Latter-day Saints have been made into feature films, including "This Island Earth" (1955) by Raymond F. Jones, "Goldenrod" (1976) by Herbert Harker, and "Windwalker" (1980) by Blaine Yorgason.
Also, a number of novels (or novellas, short stories, etc.) by Latter-day Saints have been made into made-for-television movies, including James C. Christensen's "Voyage of the Unicorn" (2001, based on Voyage of the Basset), Zenna Henderson's "The People" (1972, starring William Shatner), Anne Perry's "The Cater Street Hangman" (1998), Richard M. Siddoway's "The Christmas Wish" (1998), Chris Oyler's "Go Toward the Light" (1988), Richard Paul Evans' "Timepiece" (1996) and "The Christmas Box" (1995), and "The Last Dance" (2000, based on Todd F. Cope's The Shift). Producer Beth Polson is the woman responsible for bringing many of these books to television audiences.
"Only Once" (1998) was based on the novella Greg & Kellie by Douglas and Donlu Thayer. The book is about Latter-day Saint characters and published in the LDS market. Its 56-minute running is technically considered feature length, but "Only Once" was a direct-to-video product, and was not shown in commercial theaters.
"The Other Side of Heaven" is a feature film based on a book written by a Latter-day Saint (John H. Groberg), featuring Latter-day Saint characters. But Groberg's book, In the Eye of the Storm, is a true story -- his memoirs. Although exciting to read, it is not a novel.
There actually have even been novels written by Mormons, about Mormons, which were theatrically screened feature films: "The Great Brain" (1978, starring Jimmy Osmond) was based on the classic children's novel by Mormon/Catholic writer John D. Fitzgerald, about his own childhood growing up in turn-of-the-century Salt Lake City. There is also the great 1940 film "Brigham Young - Frontiersman", which was based on the novel Children of God by Vardis Fisher. Neither Fisher nor Fitzgerald were active church members at the time they wrote these books, however, and both books were published for the national market. Also, note that "Brigham Young: Frontiersman" and "The Great Brain" were based on historical novels.
There have also been a few feature films about Latter-day Saints based on books written by non-LDS authors, such as the 1962 political thriller "Advise and Consent," based on Allen Drury's Pulitzer-winning novel.
"Charly" isn't even the first film based on fiction by Jack Weyland. Two Weyland stories, "The Award" and "The Phone Call" have been made into short films available on video. "Charly" is the first feature film based on Weyland's writing.
So... "Charly" is not the first commercial feature film made by and about Latter-day Saints. "God's Army" holds that distinction. "Brigham City", "The Other Side of Heaven", "The Singles Ward" and "Out of Step" also precede it. "Charly" is not the first feature film based on a novel by a Latter-day Saint author. Nor is it the first feature film based on a novel about Latter-day Saint characters. It is not even the first feature film based on a novel written by a Latter-day Saint about Latter-day Saint characters. But "Charly" is the first feature film about Latter-day Saint characters based on a novel published primarily for the LDS market.
Also, because "Brigham Young: Frontiersman" (1840s), "The Great Brain" (1890s), and "The Other Side of Heaven" (1950s) were all set in the past, "Charly" is the first feature film about contemporary Latter-day Saints adapted from a book written by a Latter-day Saint author.
Alas, "Charly" just barely missed out on being the first Latter-day Saint "romantic comedy" feature film. Kurt Hale's "The Singles Ward" (based on an original screenplay) holds that distinction.
The craft of writing wasn't always an obvious choice for Jack Weyland, despite toying with creative writing as a freshman at Montana State University. In Jack's English class, his instructor asked to speak to Jack privately after class. "He told me he was starting a special section," Jack says. "Instead of meeting four times a week, the new section would only meet once a week. There would be no textbook for the class, no exams, and everyone would get an automatic A. Because I saw it as a way to get out of work, I readily agreed to be in the class. All the time I thought I was ripping off the system, I was learning to read, discuss and write. It was the best class I've ever had, and it is in large part responsible for later developments."
Regrettably, progress wasn't immediate. When told of Jack's desire to write LDS fiction, the instructor commented, "You're not serious, are you?"
Now, when Jack considers the comment, he says, "The instructor could have meant, 'Are you crazy? There is no such a thing as LDS fiction.' because that was nearly the case then. Or he could have meant, `At the present time you're not a very good writer.' Which was true. However he meant it, I took it to suggest that I didn't have what it takes to be a writer, so I dropped the course and gave up on my dream."
Although the tutor's disparaging remark steered Jack away from writing for several years, by the time he had a PhD in Physics, and was teaching at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Jack was ready to follow those writing instincts once more.
Reluctant to undergo further face-to-face discouragement, Jack decided his second attempt at learning the necessary author skills would be through a correspondence course. In order to cover costs, Jack sent his first short story, Punch and Cookies Forever, to the New Era. "They accepted it!" he says. "So I sent in another one. It was also published. Unfortunately, my third attempt was rejected. That's it, I thought. Writing's a tough life. Back to being a physicist. There's no future for me as a writer."
No one could have foreseen the way future events would contradict Jack's opinion, getting him back on track, bringing into focus once more a creative talent that would produce enjoyment and direction for thousands of LDS youth around the world.
In 1972, Jack was called as Bishop of his ward in Rapid City, South Dakota. He recalls, "In my job at the School of Mines, I was paid on a nine-month basis. I was now married with five children. At the end of every school year the problem became - how do we survive the summer? Previously we had left town to do research, but as a bishop that seemed impossible. The driving question was - how else could I earn the money?"
Then came an idea. Jack wrote again to the editor of the New Era, asking if they needed more short stories. "Brian Kelly was most encouraging," Jack says, "so each summer for the next four years I wrote stories. I ended up with a ten year supply!"
Jack's four year calling as Bishop held other blessings. With a responsibility for youth came insights into most of the issues they faced, and he developed a longing to help them in some way. At the same time, his love for, and knowledge of, the Savior grew ever more profound. He also discovered many occasions to learn and teach the value of goal setting.
When his release came, and with it the new calling of early morning seminary teacher, setting goals became a way of life for Jack Weyland, as did getting up at 5 a.m. each day. "The year after that I was called as stake clerk and no longer taught seminary, but as I was already in the habit of rising early, I decided to continue doing so in order to write. I sat at my desk and set myself a goal in May 1979. I wrote down, I will write a novel this summer and will send it to a publisher by October. It was a good goal - measurable, specific, and with a deadline."
That novel was Charly.
Jack's reflections on this period of his life touch him profoundly.
"My experience has taught me this: when we accept a calling, we often think how much of a sacrifice it's going to be and how noble we are to donate our time and talents. But when we do serve the Savior, there is no sacrifice. He blesses us well beyond what we deserve, and when we finish we are more in debt to him than ever before."
From that time onward Jack wrote every summer, most Saturdays, and daily from 5 a.m. until work at 8 a.m. His latest novel, Megan, published by Deseret Book, looks like being another bestseller. It took a year to write, and much delicate handling. "Writing Megan was like walking through a minefield," admits Jack. "The main character is a young woman who has become pregnant just out of high school. The story addresses many of the issues and decisions resulting from Megan's choice."
Jack already has plans for his next book. Charly becoming a movie triggered in him the aspiration to repeat some of the same magic. "Charly has had remarkable longevity, and popularity," he says. "I'd like to create something new that has the same effect on readers."
Over time, Jack Weyland has had an incalculable effect on young people throughout the church and beyond. His purpose has been to help adolescents learn valuable principles from the experience of others. Young and old alike can identify with each story's message. The day Jack decided to resume writing has proved a blessing beyond measure.
It started as a summertime supplement to personal income. Now it has become almost a full profession. It is a career of writing for Jack Weyland.
The newest attraction for this acclaimed author is a big screen adaptation of his first novel, Charly. The screenplay for the movie was written by Janine Gilbert, a professor in the BYU-I English Department.
Charly is the first novel of Weyland's to be turned into a movie. It is to be released in October. The process of turning the novel into a book was an arduous one and began seven years ago.
"The biggest difference between a novel and a movie is point of view," Gilbert said. "Charly is told in first person from Sam's view. In reading, Sam tells the story. In film, you don't have the narrator to tell the story."
The process all began when the director approached Gilbert.
"I was actually approached from the director and producer when they decided to go ahead with the project," Gilbert said.
The director, Adam Andregg, knew Gilbert from previous projects they had worked on together and had attended film school with her. When Andregg heard about the project, he contacted Gilbert to write the script because he liked her writing style, Gilbert said.
The film was not created by a single person, but was done through the efforts of many.
The process of creating a film is more complex than people think and is actually done in three different stages. The first is pre-production. This is when the director makes creative plans and basically decides how the story is going to be told visually, Gilbert said.
The second stage is production. This is when actual filming of the movie is done. Gilbert had a small part in this stage.
"Once or twice, I was called from the set and asked to write new lines because the actors were not comfortable with the [original] lines," Gilbert said.
The third stage is post production. This is when the sequences of the movie are edited together, music or any sound effects are added and basically any final touches are put on the movie, Gilbert said.
"[We] tried to make decisions based on the core of Jack Weyland's story," Gilbert said. "We tried to find out the most important elements about Charly and Sam and stay true to the intents of characters in telling the story."
Weyland was involved in this process.
"We would take drafts for him to read," Gilbert said. "It was a process of approval. We asked what he liked [or if] the changes didn't damage the original story or events. He was very gracious and supportive of the changes we made in taking it to the big screen."
Another difficult thing about this movie was the fact it is a complex novel. Normally in movies, the ending happens after the characters get together. In this case, there is additional story after Charly and Sam are married, which complicates things, Gilbert said.
"The key is we didn't want to lose the characters Jack has written and we wanted the characters to go through the same things as in the novel," Gilbert said.
Janine Gilbert, a professor in the English department, spent seven years turning Charly into a movie script. It is set to premier in October 2002
SALT LAKE CITY, February 28, 2002 - When fledgling author Jack Weyland published his first novel, Charly, overwhelming response shot the book to Deseret Book's top-selling fiction list throughout much of the 1980s. That best-selling novel will soon premiere as a full-length feature film, debuting in Utah theaters fall 2002 and satiating a generation of fans who have followed Weyland's novels for 20 years.
Produced by Focused Light Films and Kaleidoscope Pictures, Jack Weyland's Charly is a modern screen adaptation of the novel, which profiles the oil-and-water relationship of its main characters, Charlene Riley and Sam Roberts. More than a storied romance, Jack Weyland's Charly is a careful examination of the soul's evolution, of joy, of despair and of the enduring, enabling power of love.
"I'm impressed by the screen adaptation, and the film's production quality. The cinematography, direction, acting - it's all top-notch," says Weyland, who is also professor of physics at Brigham Young University Idaho, in Rexburg, Idaho. "It's admittedly a thrill to see the story come to life - especially in a way that's true to the original intent."
The film was shot on location throughout northern Utah in September 2001, under the direction of Adam Anderegg, who makes his feature directorial debut with the film. Anderegg's production experience includes over three years' editing for CBS' Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. The film's lead characters include Heather Beers, whose previous roles include guest starring on USA Network's Cover Me, and several film, television, radio and stage productions. Jeremy Elliott, who played Sam Roberts, was the lead character in Testaments, produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the lead in Out of Step, by Vision Star Entertainment; guest star on Touched by an Angel, CBS; and in many other roles in film, television, radio and theater productions.
According to Focused Light Films supervising producer, Lance Williams, being able to bring Jack Weyland's Charly to the screen is a dream come true. "We considered many diverse projects looking for a voice out there, but Charly is one of those 'once in a lifetime' works that is worthy of putting everything else aside to accomplish," says Williams.
Janine Whetten Gilbert, a professor of English at Brigham Young University Idaho, wrote the screenplay adaptation. Gilbert's skillful interplay of dialog sets a mischievous stage at the outset of the film, when the characters' polar personalities repel - yet intrigue - one another. As their relationship progresses, so does Gilbert's insightful exploration of the film's deeper underpinnings - studying universal themes of fear, faith, weakness and strength.
While true to much of the novel's original elements, the screenplay diverges from the book in some areas: updating and trimming plot; expanding characters, such as Charly's New York boyfriend, Mark Randolph, played by Adam Johnson; and adding characters like Ena Riley, Charly's grandmother, played by Jackie Winterrose-Fullerup [her name is actually Jackie Winterrose-Fullmer].
"As we work through editing, scoring and post-production, we couldn't be more pleased with how the film is coming together," says Micah Merrill, producer with Kaleidoscope Pictures. "It's a privilege to put Jack Weyland's story to film, and news of the movie's already creating a buzz - his novel has been such an enduring favorite, we're getting interest from fans throughout the West."
Set to premiere in Salt Lake City in fall 2002, Jack Weyland's Charly will play in theatres throughout the Wasatch Front, with an expanded national release beginning in Idaho, Arizona and California.
LDS Cinema News
The mini-genre known as "LDS Cinema" marches on with two recent announcements:
* "The Other Side of Heaven," which has grossed more than $1.6 million in regional release, will go national on April 12.
The film -- based on LDS Church official John H. Groberg's experiences as a missionary in Tonga in the 1950s -- will debut in 160 markets nationwide, at between 400 and 1,000 screens, according to Mary Jane Jones, publicist for Excel Entertainment Group.
A TV special on the making of "The Other Side of Heaven" airs tonight at 6:30 on KBYU (Ch. 11).
* A movie version of Jack Weyland's novel Charly, one of Deseret Book's all-time best-selling titles, is scheduled to hit theaters this fall.
Charly is a romantic comedy, first published in 1980. Its protagonists are Sam, an uptight BYU student, and Charlene, a vivacious and fun-loving young woman who teaches Sam "what it's like to be really alive" (a direct quote from Weyland's Web site).
The movie was shot last fall in northern Utah, directed by Adam Anderegg, a BYU graduate who has worked as an editor on "Touched by an Angel." The screenplay was written by Janine Whetten Gilbert, an English professor at BYU-Idaho (where Weyland teaches physics). The stars are Heather Beers, who appeared in the made-in-Utah series "Cover Me," and Jeremy Elliott, who co-starred in the LDS-themed "Out of Step" and the LDS Church-produced "The Testaments." | <urn:uuid:38399852-1774-476b-b3d4-bd81306d5207> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ldsfilm.com/Charly/Charly.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980835 | 7,819 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Mud and Souped-Up Machine Collide at the Swamp Buggy Races
- 6:30 AM
Photos: Sol Neelman/Wired
NAPLES, Florida — Before this town was a vacation spot, there were only swamps, and the men who played in them.
Back in the day, which around here means the 1930s, Collier County was known for farmin’, fishin’ and huntin’ — and the swamp buggies you needed to do those things. Naturally, when you have crazy contraptions with big engines that make a lot of noise, you get guys with a lot of bravado and something to prove. And that, naturally, leads to racing.
Which is why I found myself standing besides an immense hole filled with water for the “World Famous” Swamp Buggy Races. Race organizers consider this “the most bizarre, unique, and exciting event in all of motorsport.”
I think the word they’re looking for is “weird.” That’s the only way to describe the scene, where there is almost as much beer as water and the only thing bigger than the vehicles are the egos of those driving them.
The first races were held in the early 1940s. Things things got the official seal of approval, and a track in a sweet potato patch, in 1949. The earliest buggies were little more than modified trucks with balloon tires and gun racks, but modern machines are custom-built beasts that resemble the bastard love child of a tractor and a speed boat. They chug through the course, kicking up water and raising a racket. Progress can be slow as the vehicles sometimes come almost to a stop as they bog down in the mud.
The “Mile o’ Mud” at the Florida Sports Park is a figure 8, with two patches of boggy earth surrounded by 60-foot lanes. The track is dedicated specifically to swamp buggy racing. Tradition dictates the inclusion of two “sippy holes,” each more than five feet deep, to truly test the fortitude of man (and woman) and machine as both are nearly submerged.
Racers compete for the Budweiser Cup, a few thousand bucks in prize money and bragging rights during a “season” that spans three races. Everyone is gunning for defending champ Lorrie Johns — the second woman to hold the Cup. She put up one hell of a fight but fell to Eddie Chesser in the final race of this month’s first round.
Thousands show up to watch the muddy mayhem. As with the Crash-A-Rama held up the road, Swamp Buggy races feature Floridians at their best — and weirdest. There is carnival fare, cheap suds, lots of Lynyrd Skynyrd and, of course, a Swamp Buggy Queen.
“I’ve always wanted to be this,” the queen, Taylor Trew, said of her coronation. “It’s crazy.”
Sol Neelman photographs the wonderful world of weird sports, from dog surfing to outhouse racing to underwater hockey. His book, "Weird Sports," is available now. If you've got a goofy game or silly sport you think he should cover, drop him a line.
Follow @solneelman on Twitter. | <urn:uuid:85bd951d-b9db-4e96-8524-e7a04a680b9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/11/swamp-buggies/?pid=1091 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964336 | 703 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Angus McKenzie MBE (1933–2005)
He studied electronics and acoustics, and at the same time his passions for music and radio, both amateur and FM, developed. It was early days in the professional recording business, and his first business venture was to start up the famous Olympic Studios—Led Zeppelin, The Who, Small Faces, and the Rolling Stones, among others, recorded there—which began life in West Hampstead in the 1960s before moving to its current home in Barnes in suburban South London. With failing sight, he sold Olympic, moved on, and set up a shop specializing in classical records and select hi-fi. At the same time he began writing for the magazines that were emerging, such as Tape Recorder (which evolved into the professional audio title Studio Sound) and Hi-Fi News, where his regular column on FM radio ran for several decades, and served as a very effective "quality monitor" for the BBC. Among the well-known personalities who entered the audio business as Angus' intern are A-list classical engineer Tony Faulkner and Francis Rumsey of the Audio Engineering Society and the University of Surrey.
Although blindness unquestionably is a serious handicap to any engineer, Angus courageously treated his lack of sight as a challenge. Improved hearing acuity enhanced his work as an audio critic, while he used great ingenuity in adapting his instrumentation to operate by "feel" (analog) and voice synthesis (digital). As the hi-fi business entered the 1970s "boom" years, Angus left retail and brought his audio expertise and engineering know-how to bear on evaluating hi-fi equipment of all kinds. He effectively invented the British magazine Hi-Fi Choice, authoring most of the early titles on receivers, cassette decks, and loudspeakers. He also did a considerable amount of consultancy work, especially for tape manufacturers and the European Consumers Association. Crucially, he developed the methodologies for large-scale group measurement and listening tests, and established the rigorous standards that made the UK hi-fi press respected throughout the world.
His tireless work on behalf of the blind, memorably including an audio tape guide so the unsighted could safely navigate the complexities of the London Underground (subway) network, received due recognition in the accolade of a prestigious MBE (Member of the British Empire) award in 1979.
Angus wasn’t the easiest guy to get on with, as John Atkinson, who was one of his editors at Hi-Fi News, can attest. He could be stubborn, and sometimes arrogant, but was a genuine polymath whose formidable creative intellect always commanded respect, as JA will also attest to. He will be missed by all he encountered across a wide variety of audio and radio fields. | <urn:uuid:4d472983-7c2d-46ea-9505-69816de95b0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stereophile.com/news/011705mckenzie/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970722 | 568 | 1.625 | 2 |
Recruitment and Hiring Assessment
To continue to build the highly talented and diverse workforce envisioned in K-State 2025, we need effective, efficient, timely, and fair recruitment and hiring practices and procedures. During Fall 2011, the university conducted an assessment of its current practices for recruiting and hiring faculty and unclassified professionals. The assessment utilized targeted focus groups to identify strengths, weaknesses, and possible areas of focus for improvement.
Read the compiled results of the eleven focus groups and learn what your colleagues have to say about what works well and what needs to be improved in the recruitment and hiring of unclassified staff.
View the briefing slides provided to the Cabinet, Deans Council, and Faculty Senate Leadership in December 2011.
Jan. 31, 2012: Learn about our next steps. | <urn:uuid:defbfeea-cf5b-428a-ab3e-025ddcbe866b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.k-state.edu/president/initiatives/hiring/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94934 | 158 | 1.703125 | 2 |
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The parents of a gay Minnesota soldier who was killed in Afghanistan are launching a statewide tour by veterans against a gay marriage ban.
Jeff and Lori Wilfahrt's son, Andrew, died in 2011. They planned to appear at a kickoff event Tuesday at the Capitol to talk about how he would have been affected by such a ban.
Rep. Tim Walz, himself a National Guard veteran, is also expected to be there.
A proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot would define marriage as between one man and one woman. Minnesota law already makes gay marriage illegal, but amendment supporters say the law could be overturned.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | <urn:uuid:4c9ad290-280b-43fd-8d85-9d725b5ecd58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kare11.com/rss/article/992496/14/Gay-soldiers-parents-launch-anti-amendment-tour | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97494 | 160 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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As Annan Seeks Help From Iran, Activists Say Syrian Death Toll Exceeds 17,000
Iran must be "part of the solution" to the crisis in Syria, former U.N. Secretary-General Koffi Annan said today in Tehran.
But as Annan spoke, there was new word about how horrible things have gotten in Syria since protests against the regime of President Bashar Assad began in March 2011 and forces loyal to Assad cracked down on his opponents.
According to Thomson/Reuters' AlertNet, "the pro-opposition Observatory said at least 11,897 of [those killed] were 'civilians' — but added it could not determine how many of those might have been fighters who had joined an insurgency led by army defectors."
Annan, the Associated Press reports, "was in Iran in a bid to salvage his faltering peace plan. ... A staunch ally of Syria, Iran has provided Assad with military and political backing for years, and has kept up its strong support for the regime since the Syrian uprising began. ... Annan did not say what kind of involvement he saw for Iran in resolving the crisis, nor did [Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar ] Salehi spell out what Iran was willing to do to help tame the violence. | <urn:uuid:b1cbe9c1-9776-4263-b1e5-7dbb6fc93891> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wamc.org/post/annan-seeks-help-iran-activists-say-syrian-death-toll-exceeds-17000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965462 | 364 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Mark another successful year down for Empty Bowls, one of the biggest United Way of Big Spring and Howard County fundraisers.
With more than 250 people supporting the annual fundraiser, the organization brought in a little more than $6,000 toward the 2013 campaign goal set at $300,000.
“Every year is a success, but this year was just amazing. We changed venues in order to allow more people to experience the event,” United Way Executive Director Sandy Stewart said.
The idea of Empty Bowls — geared around bringing attention to the ever growing hunger problem in the world — was started in Big Spring by Pastor Ken McIntosh.
“A lot of people credit me with bringing this project to Big Spring, but really, I need to share that credit,” McIntosh said. “Stacy Slaton, Howard College art teacher, was already planning in her own mind to do Empty Bowls on campus and I said 'Stacy, let’s do it for the larger community and work together on this.' She has been a partner in this ever since.”
Since its inception, the fundraiser has been held in the fellowship hall of First Christian Church. This year, the United Way board made the decision to change venues because of the ever-growing popularity of the event.
“Each year we seem to have more and more people attending and while that’s a good thing, that meant we needed to find a new place in order to ensure all those attending weren’t crammed together and could enjoy their soups and the event comfortably,” Stewart said. “This truly is a community event and we want to see it continue to grow.”
Members of the community gathered at Howard College and in the Big Spring High School art department, with the help of art teachers Judith Terelesky and Stacy Slaton, to create the bowls used at Empty Bowls.
In addition to several of the chefs participating again, H-E-B has continued its sponsorship support. A new inclusion this year was the Kentwood Elementary School students who created placemats for the event. Kay Smith once again provided the art work used on the flyers, which has included a series of chefs, each year featuring a different chef. Breads were provided by Bill Spiller, Darlene Dabney, Scott MacKenzie and Gayle Pittman and H-E-B Bakery provided the desserts.
Chefs this year included Vicki Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Gayle Pittman, Koila Strickland, Melody Rodgers, Jan Hansen, Jason Brock, Rob Cook, Donna Wright, Walter Brumley, Sylvia Miramontes, Cindy Pittman, Ninfa Rodriguez, Tony Rodriguez and Bill Norris.
The 2013 campaign will continue to take donations until Nov. 30. Those wanting to help should contact Sandy Stewart at 432-267-5201. | <urn:uuid:15daa108-9a41-4bd4-8899-8bbe63d8afd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bigspringherald.com/print/7677?quicktabs_2=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95591 | 600 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Barely a decade ago, Infosys and Bangalore, called India’s Silicon Valley, were synonymous with each other. But in 2012, with SD Shibulal at the helm, the company plans to have more campuses in smaller cities as it is now easier to build operations and keep costs in check by fanning
“We clearly see that the tier-I cities are getting saturated and infrastructure is under pressure,” said Shibulal, chief executive officer and managing director, Infosys. “Our further expansion will be more in the tier-II cities. In fact, around 10 million square-feet area is already under construction across various cities.”
Cheaper availability of land, improved infrastructure, support from local governments and lower costs of living make running and operating a centre much easier in smaller cities. “There are many Indian cities that are fit for us to set up a campus,” said Shibulal.
He also said Infosys is in active talks with various state governments to acquire space. The company recently held talks with the Gujarat government for a centre at Ahmedabad.
A month ago, it acquired around 130 acres of land in Indore. In Kolkata, Infosys is already in talks with the government to set up a campus at Rajarhat.
The company is also expanding its existing small-city-campuses in Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, Mysore and Pune. | <urn:uuid:89aa2b76-0842-48a8-9d72-6b5d97583c15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindustantimes.com/businesssectionpage/sectorsbpos/Infosys-lines-up-smaller-cities-for-expansion/Article1-819473.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969247 | 310 | 1.617188 | 2 |
‘Glorious!’ debuts at Whidbey Playhouse on Friday
February 3, 2009 · 2:58 PM
In 1940’s New York, the singer everyone wanted to see was Florence Foster Jenkins, a soprano whose pitch was far from perfect.
This weekend audiences at Whidbey Playhouse will watch as directors Julia Locke and Sue Riney give homage to this eccentric socialite with the musical comedy, “Glorious!”
In this true life tale, Jenkins screeched her way through performances to an audience who mostly fell apart with laughter.
Jenkins was born in 1868, to wealthy parents Charles and Mary Foster. Throughout her life, they refused to help their daughter become a singer, so upon her father’s death in 1909, Jenkins inherited a sum of money that allowed her to begin a singing career.
Despite her lack of talent, Jenkins had an unshakable confidence. And her inner circle of devoted (and quirky) friends were just as convinced.
Jenkins had an astoundingly successful career, singing to packed hotels and concert halls.
“Audience reaction to Florence Foster Jenkins is not surprising, even today in an age of political correctness,” directors Locke and Riney wrote in the play’s program. “Think of the early rounds of American Idol.”
While many called her deluded, Peter Quilter’s “Glorious!” is also a heartwarming story of a woman who ignored the critics and simply followed her dreams.
“People may say that I cannot sing, but no one can say that I didn’t sing!” Jenkins famously said.
“Glorious!” opens Friday, Feb. 6 at Oak Harbor’s Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd. Tickets are $16. The show continues Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee.
For more information on dates, tickets and times visit www.whidbeyplayhouse.com, or call 679-2237. | <urn:uuid:9794231a-4489-4047-bdd5-236559f87e73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/lifestyle/38919919.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957181 | 453 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Here are some critical, but simple strategies to use when optimizing your or your client’s site in local search results. I (surprisingly) don’t see this discussed very often, which is why I feel it would make a great tip for everyone here at Daily SEO Tip.
While there are great tips for listing your address in Google Places, including what not to do, this focuses more on the organic results side of things.
An important factor in local search is obtaining citations throughout the web. Citations are basically references to your business and address from reputable sources, such as the Yellow Pages. Keep in mind that the point behind this is not to obtain links from these sources (though that can be helpful), but to have them list your address and business name.
Not only do search engines crawl these sites, but many of these sites funnel information to search engines directly, such as Google or Yahoo. Search engines will then review this data and its accuracy when determining your sites relevancy for a local search query. The more often a search engine finds consistent information about your address, the more accurate and relevant it is determined to be.
To accomplish this, you want to have your business listed in as many reputable local business directories as possible. Remember to always keep your address the same when submitting your information; for example, don’t use “street” in one address and “boulevard” in another. Here is a good resource of business directories for local search.
In addition to listing your address on authoritative local directories, you will also need to have your address listed on your site. A good strategy is to have your address listed on every page of your site. The footer or blog sidebars are good places for this, as the information tends to stay the same as users browse your site, and this way you won’t get dinged for anything like keyword stuffing.
Another good strategy is to list the address twice on your site, listing an abbreviated state one time, and the full state name another time. This way search engines won’t confuse the abbreviation with any other common abbreviations, such as CA (California or Canada) OK (Oklahoma or Okay) or MD (Maryland or Doctor)
You should optimize the address you place on your website by letting search engines know that this is an address and not just some random words and letters. This can be accomplished through the use of microformats, which is code you can place within the address. Microformats are the type of code you see within Google’s Rich Snippets feature. By including this code around your address, you’re essentially telling search engines “Hey, this is an address and it’s important!”
Here is some useful information about rich snippets and the microformat code used. For specific information about microformat use with addresses, look within the “Business and Organizations” section. To use this within your address, you would place the code around the information about your business that you have listed on your site.
Here is an example of how the code would be used. You can copy this directly if you wish, and replace the standard information with your specific information.
<span class=”fn org”>Your Business Name Here</span>
<span class=”street-address”>Your Street Address</span>,
<span class=”locality”>City</span>, <span class=”region”>ST</span>.
If you want to get more specific, you can include coordinates:
<span class=”value-title” title=”37.774929″></span>
<span class=”value-title” title=”-122.419416″></span>
Phone: <span class=”tel”>555-555-5555</span>
You can also help your customers (and yourself!) by providing driving directions from nearby cities. With driving directions you are not only providing useful information about how people can find you – but you will also be using local words, locations and phrases that people may query when they are looking for your type of business.
Once you have your address on your site, and your listings have been approved and posted within local search directories, ask your previous customers to give you a review. Remember Google loves freshly updated content. It would also help you out if your customers were to include some of your keywords within their review, you might want to suggest some keywords they can use when describing your services.
Following these steps, along with a local keyword link building strategy, should provide you with a great foundation for local search optimization. However, do not expect this method to deliver you results overnight. While it is simple and pretty quick to put in place, it does rely on how often Google crawls and indexes the information on these sites, as well as how often these sites submit their data to Google. Good luck and happy SEO’ing!
Rebekah May is the founder of Whole SEO, a website and blog focusing on search engine optimization and internet marketing strategies. She is an experienced local search strategist concentrating primarily on Bay Area SEO for small to medium sized businesses.
Latest posts by Ann Smarty (see all)
- What is the Current State with Directories? - April 29, 2013
- Get on Top of Google SERP by Optimizing for Local Search Results - February 9, 2013
- Get Tweets and Likes at Viral Content Buzz - October 12, 2012 | <urn:uuid:d33f80c1-cac0-4f10-8ad3-b161181a72ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailyseotip.com/simple-strategy-for-better-local-search-optimization/954/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934848 | 1,158 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A Croatian novelist and essayist (Have a Nice Day: From the Balkan War to the American Dream, 1995) now living in voluntary exile o’erglances the current literary landscape and does not care for the view.
In these 31 essays (completed between 1996 and 2000), Ugresic looses a variety of arrows from her rhetorical quiver, among them a sharp sense of irony, a keen sense of humor, and an edged contempt for the banality (and pervasiveness) of contemporary American culture. Some of the pieces are crisp and concise (especially early in the volume); others proceed at a more leisurely pace. And she has a number of points she makes repeatedly. Examples: There is no longer a distinction between “high” and “low” literature (only between literature that sells and literature that doesn’t). Writers are no longer a distinct species, not when celebrities (Joan Collins, Monica Lewinsky) and criminals and crackpots can write their ways to the top of the bestseller list. (Ugresic alludes three times to Collins’s oeuvre.) Writing today has become ever more outrageous, violent, sexually explicit (she notes that the Marquis de Sade now seems, by contrast, a writer for children). The earlier pieces provide some nasty fun (Ugresic compares Ivana Trump’s Jolie-esque lips to “fresh hot dogs”), and she imagines how today’s less-than-literate editors might reject book proposals for classic titles—e.g., Madame Bovary (“And forget the suicide at the end! No one would believe that”). Near the close, the essays acquire more gravity. She reminds us more than once how the Serbs destroyed the National Library in Sarajevo and how despots use books both to preach their gospel and crush their opponents. There is a powerful piece about exile and its many meanings (and consequences), and Ugresic concludes with the best essay of all about a carpenter named Roy who helped remodel her Amsterdam apartment and who had also begun writing a novel called The Seventh Screw.
Sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet, always intelligent and graceful. | <urn:uuid:5d2d8793-578e-452d-b0b6-8895e73d1f3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dubravka-ugresic/thank-you-for-not-reading/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944791 | 458 | 1.515625 | 2 |
“The Australian Human Rights Commission does not protect human rights and should be abolished,” Simon Breheny, Director of the Legal Rights Project at free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs will tell the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee today.
Mr Breheny is appearing at the first day of committee hearings into the Gillard government’s exposure draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 in Melbourne today.
He will tell the inquiry that despite the fact that the draft Bill is an attack on fundamental human rights, it is supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“The Australian Human Rights Commission does not defend fundamental rights such as the right to free speech and property. Instead, it selectively defends a human rights agenda determined entirely by the left,” said Mr Breheny.
“The Australian Human Rights Commission’s formal submission to the inquiry recommends that the draft Bill restrict free speech even further than it already does. The Commission has been campaigning for an expansion of anti-discrimination laws despite the impact it would have on freedom of speech. This puts the lie to recent comments of Commission president Gillian Triggs, who – only after widespread public criticism – has finally admitted that the draft Bill might go too far,” said Mr Breheny.
“By supporting the draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, the Australian Human Rights Commission has demonstrated hostility to freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of religion,” said Mr Breheny.
“The Commission is 100% taxpayer-funded yet it actively lobbies government for laws which undermine human rights, rather than defending and protecting them. It should be abolished,” said Mr Breheny.
Mr Breheny will be appearing at the inquiry with Chris Berg, Director of Policy and Tim Wilson, Director of Climate Change Policy and the Intellectual Property and Free Trade Unit. | <urn:uuid:c60389b1-166d-4a30-a55e-f08f2f606274> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freedomwatch.ipa.org.au/australian-human-rights-commission-should-be-abolished/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935029 | 384 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Chairman
Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Co-Chairman
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2010
RECOGNIZING WORLD REFUGEE DAY
WASHINGTON—In recognition of World Refugee Day, leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission today called for increased international efforts to support an estimated 2 million Iraqi refugees displaced in Jordan, Syria and other countries since the war in Iraq began in 2003.
“Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people are children; their desperation grows and their situation becomes more precarious as time passes. Adding to the plight of these children, most have not been to school in more than four years, which is unacceptable” said Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission). “While the United States strongly supports the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the governments of host countries and others in the region to educate refugee children and assist their families, we must continue to press the government of Iraq to do more to support its own people and invest in its future.”
With 50,000 U.S. troops scheduled to redeploy from Iraq by the end of August there has been an added concern about how Iraqis who risked their lives to help the United States mission in Iraq will be treated when U.S. forces leave.
“All of these U.S.-affiliated Iraqis are considered ‘collaborators’ or ‘traitors’ and are targeted for assassination by Al Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist groups – many have already paid the ultimate price for their service,” Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) said. “The United States must immediately develop a plan to assist the thousands of Iraqis who currently work for us and live alongside us as interpreters, engineers and advisors. We have a moral obligation to do so. My amendment to the recently passed Defense Authorization bill would do just that.”
Co-Chairman Hastings introduced the Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act (H.R. 578) to address this crisis by significantly increasing funding to assist displaced Iraqis and help those seeking to immigrate to America.
On June 20, World Refugee Day, people around the world will pause to contemplate the plight and consider strategies to address the suffering of the more than 40 million people who have been displaced from their homes and communities, constantly on the move searching for security and the basic necessities of life.
Media Contact: Neil Simon
# # #
United States of America
Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons | <urn:uuid:dec3fb52-256d-4dfa-9af8-2aa904071d2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csce.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContentRecords.ViewDetail&ContentRecord_id=914&ContentType=P&ContentRecordType=P&UserGroup_id=59®ion_id=59&year=0&month=0&Subaction=ByDate&CFID=937323&CFTOKEN=15887337 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95693 | 562 | 1.835938 | 2 |
There, Specter learned tolerance and tenacity, skills they said he honed as he crossed party lines and served 30 years in the U.S. Senate, longer than anyone from his adopted home state of Pennsylvania. Specter's funeral was held Tuesday, two days after he died at his Philadelphia home following a third bout with cancer. He was 82.
"There are some things that even the most robust human spirit can't conquer," former Gov. Ed Rendell said, choking up, as he spoke at a service that drew Vice President Joe Biden, two other Pennsylvania governors and scores of political luminaries.
"I've never seen as much undaunted courage as Arlen had—both physically and politically. He believed he could change the world, if he just worked hard enough at it," Biden told hundreds of mourners gathered at Har Zion Temple in Narberth, a Philadelphia suburb.
Shanin Specter, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, compared his father to the fictional film character Forrest Gump, given his proximity to so many seminal events in modern American history.
Specter served as counsel to the Warren Commission investigating President John F. Kennedy's assassination. He won his Senate seat in the Reagan landslide of 1980 and, as one of the Senate's sharpest legal minds, took part in 14 Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
He grilled Anita Hill when the law professor raised sexual harassment complaints against Clarence Thomas after he was nominated to the Supreme Court. That cost him some of the support he enjoyed from female voters, but he felt it was the right thing to do, Rendell recalled.
Specter lost his seat in 2010, after crossing party lines to vote for President Barack Obama's stimulus package and later rejoining the Democratic Party.
"In a dark time for our nation, he was willing to lose his seat to cast a decisive vote," said Shanin Specter, whose remarks capped about 90 minutes of tributes.
Specter switched parties twice, but mostly served as a Republican.
"He really set the standard for working across party lines, and we're going to miss that," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat embraced by Specter when he arrived in Washington.
Specter's influence on law, medicine, politics, Judaism and other aspects of life was clear from the diverse, bipartisan and powerful crowd of mourners, including Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, University of Pennsylvania President Amy Guttman, and federal judges whose careers Specter had backed.
U.S. District Judge Jan DuBois, a longtime friend, recalled how Specter approached everything in life "with intensity, determination and grit," managing to teach one last law class on Oct. 4 at Penn, even as the non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed in August advanced.
Specter loved his daily squash game, a martini and steak at dinner, and Frank Sinatra, whose classic "My Way" played as his flag-draped coffin was carried out by pallbearers including Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan and longtime Philadelphia litigator Richard Sprague.
Specter had fought two earlier bouts with Hodgkin lymphoma, and overcame a brain tumor and cardiac arrest following bypass surgery. His greatest legacy, his friends said, may be the $10 million in federal money he steered into cancer research.
Two of Specter's granddaughters also spoke Tuesday, including Silvi Specter, a Penn freshman who drew applause when she said she hopes to follow her grandfather into law and the U.S. Senate—before becoming president.
Specter's survivors also include his wife, Joan, son Steve and three other granddaughters. | <urn:uuid:ceda6bd5-fbef-46f3-bcc1-7945dfe8a748> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yorkdispatch.com/penn/ci_21789929/funeral-specters-roots-fueled-centrism-tenacity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982948 | 753 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Whether you’re carrying a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in loans and credit card debt, making a commitment to get out of debt is a noble goal–unless you’re using the wrong payoff strategy.
Some self-discipline with the budget and a strategic debt payoff plan will put you in a better financial position, but you’ll also need to make wise decisions about how you pay off that debt. Paying off large amounts of debt all in one go or using up a savings fund aren’t always the wisest financial moves.
Here are five dangerous debt payoff strategies to avoid:
1. Paying off credit card debt too fast. If you’re a habitual credit card user and decide to pay off credit card debt in one big swoop, you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of clear credit balances for a while–but could end up racking up more credit card debt in the near future. If your credit card spending is out of control, you’ll need to work on breaking the habit of spending with credit cards altogether. Paying off that credit card debt quickly without making some adjustments to spending habits could lead to another credit card spending “binge.” Wean yourself off credit card spending so that you don’t fall back into old habits.
2. Using emergency funds. Your emergency fund needs to be one of your “no touch” accounts until you’re facing a real emergency. If you use up your emergency funds to pare down that debt load, you’ll have to deal with financial instability when faced with medical bills, a family emergency or another situation that demands some quick cash. Avoid tapping into your reserves just to pay off debt. Even though you would be eliminating a debt load, you won’t have any type of financial cushion to fall back on. Look for ways to earn more money or sell assets so that you have more cash available for your debt payoff strategy.
3. Tapping a home equity line of credit. Borrowing against the equity of your home can give you some extra cash for large purchases and even pay off some debt. However, this strategy can be a bad move in the current economic climate when housing prices continue to drop. When the value of your home drops and you end up having to sell the property, you’ll end up owing more than you bargained for. Avoid tapping into a home equity line of credit unless you’re certain that you will be staying in your home for several years, and that your home has the potential to increase in market value.
4. Withdrawing from a 401(k). You’ve worked hard to build up a healthy balance in your 401(k) account and have been consistent with your contributions. Don’t let all that hard work go to waste by withdrawing early. While withdrawing funds from a 401(k) may seem like a simple way to get a lump sum of cash to put toward a debt repayment plan, you will be paying fees for an early withdrawal and will be clearing out those much-needed savings for retirement. Look for other, less costly ways to pay off debt so you can leave your 401(k) intact for as long as possible.
[See 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid.]
5. Filing for bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy can seem like an easy fix when you’re overwhelmed by your current debt load or can’t seem to put together a workable debt payoff plan. Keep in mind that the effects of filing for bankruptcy can last 10 years and creditors and employers will see the bankruptcy filing listed on your credit report. Potential creditors can turn you down for a new credit line when they see bankruptcy on your record, future landlords might think twice about renting to you, and employers that conduct credit checks will see the bankruptcy filing on your credit report.
It can take years to repair your credit after bankruptcy so you need to do whatever you can to pay off that debt on your own. Working with a debt counselor instead of a bankruptcy attorney can help you get a better perspective on your current financial situation and formulate a debt payoff plan that works. If you pursue a debt relief program, you may be able to settle your debt without going down the bankruptcy route. | <urn:uuid:92fecafc-4bb3-4dc0-82dd-f9792106aa42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2011/09/26/5-dangerous-debt-payoff-strategies?s_cid=related-links:TOP | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946704 | 883 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Will this trial bring justice? Nothing can right the wrongs suffered in Bosnia during the war. Yet some have criticized the ICTY for either going too far or not far enough in seeking just resolution to the Balkan conflict. Despite these criticisms, the court still provides one thing that nothing else can: a voice for the victims. If history is based on who writes it, this trial can offer their account of what really happened.
The indictment is chilling. It describes how in Sarajevo, Karadzic led a four-year campaign of terror to purge the city of non-Serbs. Rocket launches, snipings, and shellings shrank Sarajevo’s population by 64 percent of its prewar size. Casualties approached 75,000, with the city left in ruins. It also points to Karadzic as the mastermind of the infamous Srebrenica massacre of July 1995, where 7,500 Muslim men and boys were systematically marched off and slaughtered.
Aside from former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in 2006 before his trial could end, Karadzic is the highest profile figure to come before the ICTY. Like Mr. Milosevic, Karadzic was a politician rather than a military man. His power came not through rifles, but nationalist rhetoric. And the link between his words and the bloodshed that followed will take center stage in the coming days.
It is here where victims and other witnesses will testify to what they heard Karadzic say and the atrocities that they experienced thereafter. In the eyes of lead prosecutor on the case, Californian Alan Tieger, there is more than ample evidence to tie Karadzic’s words to the brutality carried out on the ground. Mr. Tieger has pointed to the charged parliamentary session of October 1991, where Karadzic presented this threat to the non-Serbs in the room: “The road you have taken will lead you straight to hell. And in that hell, the Muslim nation [of Bosnia] may ultimately disappear.” The ethnic cleansing that took hundreds of thousands of lives began less than four months later. | <urn:uuid:d796dfaf-88ab-43de-be5a-0403e816775a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0303/Karadzic-trial-proud-Serb-defiance-vs.-victims-stories/(page)/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973658 | 447 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Asian stocks to lead the way to year's end, Fed seen pulling back - Reuters Poll. Full Article
Confused while buying stocks? Get buy, sell or hold recommendations from VantageTrade. Full Coverage
ANALYSIS: Aid recipients to IMF: What took you so long?
TOKYO (Reuters) - Graduates of IMF emergency loan programmes accepted the Fund's admission that it miscalculated the cost of austerity with a mix of schadenfreude and frustration that the change came too late to spare them economic pain.
Countries such as Argentina, Indonesia and South Korea, which were required to make deep budget cuts in exchange for tens of billions of dollars in International Monetary Fund aid, said the lending institution was finally learning from mistakes made during financial crises in Asia and Latin America.
"People learn from what happened in the past," said Indonesia's Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan. "Certainly what we went through in 1998 was painful. I lived through that, and hopefully the... difficulties we went through served as lessons."
Indonesia signed a $10 billion IMF loan deal in 1997 as the Asian financial crisis raged, and started an economic programme that called for spending cuts, tax increases, bank closures and tight monetary policy which the IMF predicted would limit the downturn.
Indonesia's economy ended up contracting by 13 percent in 1998, nowhere near the IMF's forecast for 3 percent growth.
Former IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn admitted in 2010 that the lending institution had made "mistakes" in Asia.
Last week, the Fund released research showing that the economic damage from aggressive austerity measures may be as much as three times larger than previously assumed.
"Advice is sometimes difficult - both giving and receiving," current IMF head Christine Lagarde said in a speech at the start of the group's meetings in Tokyo on Friday.
In line with the research, the IMF has softened its earlier advice on austerity in the euro zone crisis, arguing now that forcing Greece and other debt-burdened countries at the centre of the debt storm to reduce their deficits too quickly would be counterproductive.
CUSHIONING THE BLOW
The IMF's research shows a marked difference in how austerity affected advanced countries before and after 2009, when most of the world's major central banks had cut interest rates to near zero to fight the global financial crisis.
Normally, when fiscal policy tightens, central banks can cushion the blow by lowering interest rates. But because rates are now about as low as they can go, monetary policy can do little to offset the budget tightening.
"We are in a period in which many countries are in the liquidity trap," said Olivier Blanchard, the IMF's chief economist. "As we know it doesn't mean they cannot use monetary policy, but monetary policy is much more constrained than in normal times. In this case, you just get the effect of fiscal consolidation without the offset from monetary policy."
In Indonesia back in 1997, the IMF recommended both budget cuts and tight monetary policy, which critics have long argued exacerbated the downturn.
The IMF acknowledged in 1999 that it could have allowed for quicker policy easing when it became apparent that the economy was faring far worse than predicted. But it also blamed the government for not properly implementing the programme.
The IMF's reputation in Asia remains tarnished to this day, and countries in the region have amassed some $6 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in part to ensure they will never again have to seek a bailout.
STRATEGIES "BOUND TO FAIL"
Hernán Lorenzino, Argentina's minister of economy and public finance, said the IMF's admission was a "first step" that should lead it to change tack in Europe, where it has lent to Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
"Once again... the IMF is endorsing policy conditionalities and reform strategies that are bound to fail, worsening recession and unemployment levels in programme countries and leading to unsustainable debt paths and social failure," Lorenzino wrote in his official statement to the IMF.
Argentina borrowed about $23 billion through a series of IMF loans over the past decade, which it has since repaid, and is now a vocal critic of the conditions that the institution places upon loan recipients.
Although Lorenzino cancelled his trip to the Tokyo meeting at the last minute, citing the need to resolve a labour dispute at home, he spoke out against the Fund, saying it "overestimates the impact of its recipes", according to the local Ambito daily.
"It is amazing that their reports use 'fiscal consolidation' as a euphemism for the adjustments," he was quoted as saying at a conference in Buenos Aires. "Continuing to support the financial system over the real economy simply makes workers suffer the consequences of the crisis."
South Korea took out a $21 billion IMF credit line in 1997 and agreed to an economic programme that envisioned its gross domestic product slowing to 3 percent in 1998 from 5.7 percent the year before. The economy actually contracted by nearly 6 percent in 1998.
Chung Duck-koo, who headed the South Korean delegation that negotiated the 1997 bailout, said the Fund misdiagnosed a currency crisis as a fiscal policy problem and prescribed the wrong reforms.
"It was like a fire fighter, having arrived far too late, who turned out to be short of sufficient water and short of the precise assessment of the nature of the fire," he told Reuters. "Therefore, the fire resulted in getting bigger."
At least one country said it has found success in diverging from the IMF's economic recipes.
Bolivian Finance Minister Luis Arce said his government had decided to ignore IMF policies after observing the failure of the fund's policies in other countries.
Arce said his government had reduced extreme poverty to just over 24 percent of the population in 2011 from more than 38 percent in 2005 by pursuing policies contrary to Fund recommendations. Per capita GDP doubled between 2005 and 2011.
"In Bolivia we have achieved better wealth distribution with higher state involvement. We have never had faith in the market and we abandoned a market-based economy in 2006," Arce said, adding that the faith many IMF economists have shown in the "perfect market" was misguided, given the economic crises caused by their policies.
"The directors of the IMF have good intentions but certain departments are absolutely deaf to the changes that should be made within the Fund," Arce continued. "The best thing Lagarde could do is make sure her good intentions make it through to the next level."
(Additional reporting by Choonsik Yoo in SEOUL, James Grubel in CANBERRA and Anna Yukhananov in TOKYO' Editing by Neil Fullick)
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Certificate Programs are primarily business and technical programs for students desiring education beyond high school. These programs provide opportunities for students to prepare themselves for a wide variety of careers. In most cases these programs are planned without regard to transfer schools; however, many courses are transferable to four-year colleges or universities if students change their educational goals.
Certificates of Achievement shall be issued upon request by the Office of Admissions and Records to students who qualify for them by completing one of the occupation-centered curriculums. The student must have a grade of "C" or better in all courses constituting the certificate program.
To earn a certificate, students must complete the number of units required by the division. No certificate shall consist of less than 12 semester units.
To earn a certificate that requires only 12 units, all courses must be completed at Glendale Community College. Students pursuing certificate programs of less than 18 units are not eligible for financial aid.
Note: (ND) - Non-degree certificate: This certificate does not satisfy the major requirements for the Associate in Science degree.
||GCC Catalog 2012-2013
|Important Notice: In the event of a discrepancy between the information presented above and the online and/or print versions of the GCC Catalog, please contact a counselor or the office of Admissions and Records. | <urn:uuid:fecd49c5-ed8b-4412-8666-f5f28fb97d47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://glendale.cc.ca.us/index.aspx?page=2031 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93315 | 270 | 1.71875 | 2 |
was originally an insult for those gnomes
who had gone to live with humans and meant
something on the lines of "servant/pet",
but now has come to mean any gnome
who lives among humans. Obviously
there is great variation between the Daran depending on which
humans they live
Their is no really difference between a traditional Daran and a Gnorian apart from in where they live. Both the Gnorians and the Daran come from the same original tribe which was simply called gnomes (equivalent to the race) but the Daran were assimilated by humans into their cities while the Gnorians live independently.
Picture description. A Daran Gnome in the process of collecting some glowcap mushrooms. Image drawn by Eshóh.
Daran look mostly like any normal
means: They are slightly less than a ped all the way through to one and a half peds.
Their skin tone is very pale and they are not very muscular.
Daran Gnomes also mostly imitate the looks of the
humans with whom they live in the same
town, that's why you'll see many Daran Gnomes wearing beards, and mostly they
also aren't completely bald as Gnorians are for
example. Usually Darans are a very obliging and helpful kind of people, that's
why they are also often called the "friendly
dwarves" by the
Coat of Arms/Sign. Daran don't have an own sign or coat of arms. They take the coat of arms of the people they live among whenever they need to identify themselves with it.
Territory. A small number of Daran can be found in most of the cities of Santharia though some contain larger gnomish populations than others, an example being Cavthan which has a rather huge Daran population.
People. There are three different outlooks that the Daran can take:
In many cities the Daran form their own areas of the city and live in a very similar way to the Gnorians, most of them following the edicts of the Arch-Alchemist and containing Merchant Guild buildings. This often causes problems with the local population as the Daran tend to ignore humans and always deal inside their own community apart from things the gnomes don't make.
Some Daran like those in Cavthan behave in a very similair way to the Gnorians but accept all the humans in the city as honourary gnomes and treat everyone equally. This is probably the best way for humans and gnomes to co-exist.
The final extreme that gnomes can go to is to try and act as much like the people they are living among. They normally still have alchemy as a major part of there occupation but apart from that try to live like humans. The success of this varies with the attitudes of the humans whose city they share.
Normally the gnomish position will lie somewhere between the three and occasionly there will be two different Daran populations in the city one acting like Gnorians and one trying to act like the humans they are among. Normally the ones who try to act like humans are a lot younger.
There is often a great deal of tension between the humans and gnomes, especially if the gnomes are isolating themselves. The humans tend to dislike the fact that the Daran make so much money and live so well through their alchemical expertise especially as the gnomes are notoriously secret about their techniques and will not teach them to anyone. These coupled with the natural human dislike of all things different can lead to huge amounts of racism and there are many reports of gnomes being attacked on the street in some parts of Santharia.
Housing. Again this varies on the type of Daran. Those trying to be like humans will live in human style housing, while the other types of Daran have housing more like the traditional Gnorians.
Clothing. Those gnomes trying to be like humans wear human style clothes, but even some who are acting more like “normal” gnomes are known to wear these types of clothes to fit in on the streets. Those who don’t often give a spark of colour to dull human streets in their bright Gnorian clothing.
Diet. The Daran normally get their food from humans so their location will greatly effect what foods they eat, for example in a fishing village they will eat large amounts of fish. Drinks are different as the gnomish skill at fermenting and distilling alcohol means that they drink more traditional gnomish drinks even if they try to integrate themselves into the community. These drinks often tend to be in high demand among the humans as well.
Weapons. The gnomes who dwell among men, although not normally involved in fighting themselves have used their alchemical knowledge to create weapons of great power. One of these weapons would be the Atch-loch, which sprays burning concoctions straight in front of it for a limited distance but causing huge destruction. Another example would be Gnomish Fire, that is thought of as magical by most, in which a ball of burning concoctions is lobbed at the enemy (normally by a catapult but any other method would do) which is not put out by water but instead burns more fiercely. These inventions have been instrumental in certain sieges like the siege of Milkengrad in 617 b.S.).
Occupations. Gnomes living among humans will either choose a traditional alchemists job like producing glass, making acid weapons or creating medicine. The gnomish alchemists work are always highly prized and the Daran can be very rich. Those acting like humans, if they feel they cannot do an alchemical job, will occasionally do any job they can which a human usually does in the settlement in which they live.
Government. Obviously gnomes who live among humans are subject to their government, although seldom allowed a say in it even if there are democratic institutions. Although under the humans' government control most gnomes will sort things out between themselves and listen to the best alchemist in the city.
Production/Trade. The Daran produce many things related to alchemy for the people among whom they live. These make medicines, cement, dyes, cloth, magical reagents (especially among the Daran who live on the Ximaxian peninsula), salt (mainly in Cavthan), and many alcholic drinks to name just a few of their many products. There is virtually always a large amount of trade going on between the Daran and the humans as the gnomes' alchemical products are highly prized and the Daran need food and housing to live.
Picture description. The gnomish octagon eye-glass. Image drawn by Faugar.
One of their major money earners is the creation of glass vessels,
eye-glasses, mirrors and
stained glass windows. They had used coloured glass in replace of gems, and
this had done very well as a cheap, novelty decoration, however the
dwarves made it quite clear that no-one
was going to push their way into the gem market and destroyed most of the
gnomish workshops that produced fake gems.
At the time the gnomes were in a very weak
position as general gnomish hatred was
growing as the doctors gave preferential treatment to
gnomes during the Plague at
in 602 b.S. so they gave up the decoration business. Although at first no
humans knew how to make glass now some are
cottoning on and this is a further cause for bad
Natural Resources. This all depends on which humans they live among, for example in Cavthan they have access to a large amount of sea water from which they make their salt.
Holidays, Festivals and Observances. The traditional gnomes have the same festivals as the Gnorians, but the gnomes acting human normally follow the same religious festivals as the humans. Of course many celebrate both sets of festivals as it gives them an excuse to have fun.
History. The history of the Daran is always tied up with the humans among who they live.
Information provided by Avis | <urn:uuid:a141ed79-8ad9-4583-a3c4-cd85a7eab4e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.santharia.com/tribes/gnomes/daran.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972589 | 1,694 | 1.773438 | 2 |
"The historic buildings, the lush citrus groves, and the natural open places give Redlands its distinctive character," said Robert Dawes, Redlands Conservancy president. "We believe these should be around for many more generations of Redlanders and visitors to understand and enjoy. That's our mission."
On Feb. 26, the Redlands Conservancy and the Redlands Area Historical Society will repeat the 2012 Historic Preservation Workshop with City Council, city staff, Planning Commission and Historic and Scenic Preservation Commission to further explore the many facets of historic preservation in Redlands - why it's important, what has been accomplished in the past year and where the city wants to go from here.
The community is invited to the workshop, which will be announced formally at a later date.
On March 20, the Conservancy will invite the public to attend the annual membership meeting where members will receive the 2012 Annual Report, elect board members and officers and enjoy a program. Location will be announced later.
Also in March will be the annual Parties for the Necklace kickoff party when Redlanders and visitors will be able to explore the 2013 Parties for the Necklace lineup and be first in line to make their reservations.
April will feature the Spring Trails at 10 series of three trail excursions on Redlands' trails. One of the hikes will take participants to the Conservancy's Mentone property where Conservancy board members recently explored the historic Judson-Brown ditch, built in 1881, according to records. Another hike will take participants to the city's newly acquired open space property in Live Oak Canyon.
For one week in May, the Conservancy and the Redlands Area Historical Society will co-host the third annual Redlands Historic Preservation Week, with several events that will allow Redlanders to explore various issues of historic preservation. Plans so far include a Redlands Forum program on "The Greenest Building," guided tours by the Redlands Area Historical Society, recognition of structures built in 1888 or before, and a walking tour of Redlands' downtown historic buildings.
Details on these and all Redlands Conservancy are in the planning stages and will be available soon. For more information about the Redlands Conservancy, visit redlandsconservancy.org or call 909-389-7810.
SOURCE: Redlands Conservancy | <urn:uuid:5b4b823c-0d66-4b52-a451-c2ab54ccf0f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_22428529/conservancy-lines-up-preservation-events | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943434 | 471 | 1.539063 | 2 |
A new turn in the long road to Lafferty Park
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 9:02 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 9:02 a.m.
The road to Lafferty Ranch, a city-owned parcel of undeveloped land atop Sonoma Mountain, is long, twisting and rough, not unlike the decades-old effort on the part of some Petaluma residents to open the land to the public as a park.
“There's been a lot of twists and turns along the way,” acknowledged Bruce Hagen, who first got involved in advocating for the land to become a park around 1995. He and others, including the Friends of Lafferty Park group, noted environmentalist Bill Kortum and former City Councilmembers Matt Maguire and David Keller took the first step up that path in about a decade when they filed suit last week against neighboring land owners who have historically prevented access to the land.
Lafferty Ranch is a 270-acre swath of oak, wetland and rolling, grassy hills bisected by the tumbling Adobe Creek and located near the top of Sonoma Mountain. It overlooks Petaluma with commanding views that, on a clear day, reach to the Golden Gate Bridge. It's accessible only by the narrow, steep Sonoma Mountain Road and neighbored by private ranchland and estates. Petaluma purchased it in 1959 as a water source, but as time passed, the city transitioned to getting most of its water from the county water agency. In the early 90s, city leaders began to consider other uses for Lafferty, such as opening it for a park. That drew fierce opposition from a coalition of nearby landowners, led by the wealthy, controversial Peter Pfendler, who owned land adjacent to Lafferty. He raised concerns over fires, the degradation of Sonoma Mountain road, and tresspassing, among other things.
For much of the 1990s, debates over the fate of the property flared between park advocates, the city and Sonoma Mountain land owners, making the issue one of the most politically divisive in the city's history. Early on, officials from Petaluma and Sonoma County discussed swapping Lafferty Ranch with another property owned by Pfendler but later discarded the notion, based in part on public outcry. Then, in 1996, several people opposing the land becoming a park were arrested for forging signatures on a ballot initiative supporting the land swap and were convicted of election fraud.
The saga continued into the early 2000s, when the city, having spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on environmental studies and legal fees, largely abandoned the fight.
When Pfendler died of cancer in 2007,some speculated that opening the park would be an easier undertaking. But there were virtually no public developments in the matter until Jan. 31, when lawyers working on a pro bono basis for the Friends of Lafferty Park filed suit in Sonoma County Superior Court.
The suit challenges what many say has been one of the biggest obstacles to opening the land to the public: a longstanding assertion by neighboring property owners that there is no public access to property.
Some neighbors have claimed that the lands adjoining Lafferty block the property's access to Sonoma Mountain Road, which makes a sharp turn just before the Lafferty property.
The turn leaves a 35-foot gap between the road and the gate to the property, which is the only access point. Some neighbors have argued that the land in between the road and the Lafferty fence belongs to them, not the city. Attorneys for Friends of Lafferty are contending that there is a historic easement between the road and the gate that should be honored. They point to a map adopted by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in 1877 as the official road map of the county, which shows Sonoma Mountain road crossing onto the Lafferty property. They argue that the map formalized the road easements depicted on it and that those easements should still be honored today. According to Councilmember and attorney Mike Healy, the argument has merit because of a recent California Appeals Court decision upholding a similar easement. Healy brought that case to the attention of Friends of Lafferty several years ago and has helped them craft their argument.
“My perspective is I have a fiduciary duty as a councilmember to this city-owned property,” he said. If right-of-way to the property is established, he said, it will give the public a chance to view Lafferty Ranch and decide what they want to do with it. “I've always maintained that I want to have the park opened and still be a good neighbor (to the nearby land owners),” he said.
It was the chance of resolving the right-of-way issue, said Hagen, that brought the group's focus back to the site.
“This (suit) is really just a small step,” said Matt Maguire, who was a proponent of opening the park in the 90s, leading marches to Lafferty Ranch so that Petalumans could get to know the property. Maguire said the group wasn't ready to re-engage in the full battle of opening the ranch up as parkland, but that it wanted to take a first step so that the city could do more with the property, like apply for grants for fire supression and erosion control, and possibly bring school groups to tour the property.
The suit names the parties that own the land adjacent to Lafferty, including the Tavernetti-Bettman family and Kimberly Pfendler, the widow of Peter Pfendler. It remains unclear whether Pfendler and the nearby property owners will have the same interest in opposing access to the land now that Peter Pfendler is not there to lead or fund the fight.
Patricia Tuttle Brown, a longtime advocate for opening Lafferty as a park, said that when she heard about the pending legal action, she reached out to the two affected neighbors beforehand. She said Kimberly Pfendler has not responded to her letter yet, while the Tavernetti family returned her call and said they felt the issue had been dead for a long time.
A call and e-mail by the Argus-Courier to Pfendler's business, Pfendler Vineyards, went unreturned, as did a call to Richard Tavernetti.
“We don't wish to get into a big cat fight over this,” Maguire said, “We just want to clear the title up.” However, he added, “All of us believe that Lafferty will be open to the public one day, it's inevitable. I hope it can happen in conjunction with neighbors in a neighborly way. For now, we just want to take this first step.”
Contact Jamie Hansen at [email protected])
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Jeremy Hooper points out something that I’d somehow missed while discussing the religious right’s claim to being the true heirs of Martin Luther King. He quotes a Tweet sent out by Bryan Fischer recently that said, “When it comes to the loss of civil rights, Christian is the new black.” He replies:
Isn’t the religious right always claiming that gay is “chosen” and therefore cannot be analogous to race?…
With the far-right anti-LGBT crowd, the victim meme trumps all. “You’re hijacking the civil rights movement!” they scream at anyone who dare note the obvious overlap between two minority populations’ respective (but also shared) struggles for freedom. However, when that same sort of “hijacking” serves the false narrative of persecution that has become the anti-LGBT crowd’s daily bread and not-as-slick-as-they-think butter, what was once a militant takeover of a past struggle becomes a fair rhetorical tool. Funny how that works (but not funny “ha ha”).
It’s the same inconsistency they show when discussing anti-discrimination law. We can’t prohibit discrimination against gay people because that’s a choice, unlike race. But religion is also a choice and we forbid discrimination on that basis. If they really believed their argument, they’d be trying to have religion removed as a protected category in our anti-discrimination laws. But they aren’t. Because they don’t really believe their argument, they’re just engaged in special pleading. | <urn:uuid:b8513413-b248-412d-a30b-d45fc4aa3fef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/01/28/whos-really-hijacking-the-civil-rights-movement/?wpmp_switcher=desktop | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945498 | 342 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Simply because you cannot address your unearned privilege does not mean that the speaker is a racist. I know that this is a difficult concept for you to understand, but being white means that your body is embedded with certain privileges, and like it or not, you will benefit from. This by the way is anti-racism 101.
When someone takes the time to point out to you the ways in which you are benefiting from being white, the appropriate response is not to start foaming at the mouth screaming racist, or you hate all white people. Even if your allegations of racism were correct, the ability of the person of colour to invoke said racism to make your life more difficult, or gain unfair social advantage is non existent, but then you would recognize that if you were not in denial.
Pointing out the ways in which all white people benefit from racism in our society is not being racist, it is being a realist. Perhaps it would be easier for you to live in denial of your privilege, but for those of us that are daily subject to racism, quite frankly your comfort doesn't amount to a drop of water in a bucket of warm piss.
For people of colour racism translates to poor education, over representation in both the military and the penal system (note: not as lawyers, judges, and officers; those are largely white people) poverty, violence etc and etc. If one group is succeeding and another is suffering in a system that is based on exploitation (read: capitalism) obviously dear WPD, the problem is the systemic inequality.
I'll bet my last pubic hair (yeah they're a valuable thing in the age of the bald muff) that some of you are in denial chiefly because of fear. What you do not realize is that fear in this case in and of itself is yet another expression of your unearned privilege. You have enslaved us, raped us, sodomized us, economically exploited us, systematically undereducated us, perpetuated lies and untruths...and you're the ones that are scared. PHuuleeezze. You certainly don't see black people wearing sheets, burning crosses, homes and lynching but you go ahead and tell me what fear is.
Oh I know, it's because we are just such a violent people. White privilege is necessary because men of colour constantly express violence based in hyper masculinity. I suppose when I look at Jean Claude van Dam movies, Rocky, Rambo, even George fucking Bush in his fighter pilot suit or dressed up in his hunting jacket with a gun none of that is hyper masculine? Nope, it is just the white man making the world safe for the civilized people. I guess we know how Jack Bower keeps his ratings so high on 24, the world constantly needs to be saved and only white people can do it. Does being the living embodiment of Kiplings White Man's Burden weigh you down?
Since whites have caused such a high degree of damage, it is a fair statement to make that they need to clean up their mess; however fixing the quagmire should not mean continuing the war on the brown peoples of this world. Fixing the damage should mean unpacking your knapsack of privilege. It should mean daily performing acts of mitigation to ensure that as much as possible you are reducing the degree to which you benefit from privilege. How about correcting your friends when they use racist language around you? No, I thought not. It is much easier to tell bodies of colour that they are racist when they call you on your privilege. Pssst, I'll share a secret with you, people of colour are aware of how your PC speech goes out the window when you are in a room of all whites.
I am tired of hearing white people claim to feel attacked the minute someone starts talking about privilege. Yeah I know you would like everything to remain status quo, but that means that my humanity and my self worth is degraded. Of course you want people of colour to reassure you, and not critique you because that means that you would get to go ahead and wallow in your privilege like a sow in a pile of mud. The days of sambo shucking and jiving are over, so you will just have to deal with the fact that instead of talking about you behind your back, black people will now call you on your bullshit to your face. You should take heart, because this is a sign of progress, at least we respect you enough to tell you that you are fucking up. | <urn:uuid:2373f45b-a2b3-428a-bccf-e7016343fa5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.womanist-musings.com/2008/11/dear-white-privilege-deniers.html?showComment=1226557200000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973567 | 918 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Apparently these are two famous and physically attractive celebrities who are popular enough that lots of people will wade through lots of words in order to look at pictures of them doing things that celebrities do. Which presumably does not usually include talking about the federal budget.
Kate Upton and Ryan Gosling Explain the [...]
Okay, so yeah. One of these describes a very unpleasant, completely ruined vacation. The other sounds like hell.
Apple’s marketing strategy in the 1980s presented its products as democratic and liberating, but the freedoms the Apple users enjoy include the inability to customize or otherwise access the working interior. Apple users trade freedom for security. In short, expansion slots made standardization impossible (partly because software writers needed consistent underlying hardware to produce widely [...]
Patience and hard work are also attributes of hunters, peasants, and Benedictine monks. What sets scientists apart is their rigorous observation of natural phenomena, allowing patterns to emerge that can be expressed in abstract formulae, which, in turn, can be applied to produce identical results any time they are reapplied in identical conditions. To “do [...]
That’s the kind of a person it takes to be a writer: someone who’s zealous and ready to argue, someone who has Philip Roth tell him, “It’s torture, don’t do it,” and replies, “You had me at ‘torture.’ ” You don’t enter into it because it’s a great lifestyle decision—it isn’t—you do it because, for [...]
My students did well on those questions because we practiced bad writing. My teaching was not evaluated on the basis of how well my students did, but I felt I had a responsibility to prepare them for the examination in a way that could result in their obtaining college credit.
I would like to believe [...]
Pretty awesome, focused use of Inform 7. (I’m generally content just to let my students explore, trusting through experience that they will learn from testing each other’s games and asking me specific questions realated to the stories they are creating, such as, “So how do I make it so you can’t enter the TARDIS without [...]
This didn’t even happen at my table. The note was left for another server, who allowed me to take a picture of it at the end of the night.
Someone had scribbled on the receipt, “I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?”
I assumed the customer’s signature was illegible, but I quickly started [...]
I don’t know what the text I wrote means, I just like it.
Oh, phooey. I tried to save my image with my iPad, but it didn’t work. Well, it was fun anyway.
PULP-O-MIZER: the custom pulp magazine cover generator. | <urn:uuid:b943df68-f168-43ea-bf58-e1ab655072d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jerz.setonhill.edu/rhetoric/page/3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960465 | 611 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Afghan President Hamid Karzai (R) shakes hands with US President Barack Obama after signing a strategic partnership agreement on May 1, 2012 at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. The agreement provides US military and financial support to Afghanistan for 10 years after the 2014 scheduled troop withdraw. (Photo credit MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GettyImages)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have signed an agreement aimed at cementing a lasting U.S. commitment to Afghanistan after the long and unpopular war comes to an end.
Obama says the costs of the Afghan war have been great. He says the deal with Afghanistan allows the U.S. to wind down the war, but still stand by Afghanistan and its people.
The president says the deal will also pave the way for "a future of peace."
Karzai says postwar agreement will seal an "equal partnership" between Afghanistan and the United States.
Obama and Karzai signed the agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul shortly after the U.S. president arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday, slipping into the country under the cover of darkness. | <urn:uuid:cb21be03-e980-4808-864c-d91cc19e84f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/227206/57/Obama-Signs-Agreement-For-US-Afghan-Partnership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94403 | 230 | 1.828125 | 2 |
I love proving the enduring truth that everyone has a story, especially when it comes to older individuals. It’s all too easy to dismiss an old man like Sol Bloom if you only choose to look at his wrinkled features and his stooped posture and don’t take the time or interest to learn something about the life he’s lived. Sol’s lived an unusually full blooded life that, among other things, saw him work as a scientist, soldier, and Zionist in the independence of Palestine. He’s a wonderful racanteur and writer who related his story to me in a series of interviews he gave me at his home and through several written reminiscences he shared. My profile of Sol, who was still going strong when I wrote the piece about three years ago, appeared in the Jewish Press.
©by Leo Adam Biga
Originally appeared in the Jewish Press
|Sol Bloom, center, celebrates as Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, left, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, awards Rabbi Jack Bloom his doctorate.|
Sol Bloom doesn’t believe in accidents. It’s why he’s sure he was destined to make his way to Palestine as a young, idealistic Zionist 62 years ago. Inflamed with passion to help secure a Jewish state, he left America for service in the Haganah militia.
The Omaha resident is equally sure a higher power saved him from almost certain death on at least three occasions; once, when scratched from an armed patrol whose entire ranks were decimated by an Arab ambush in the Judean Valley.
He’s convinced something beyond mere circumstance has guided his five-decade career as a dairy nutritionist, leading him to work with fellow Jews in a field where Jews are a rarity. He’ll tell you his parents’ brave immigrant journey from Romania and a cousin’s pioneer efforts settling Palestine inspired him to beat his own adventurous path — to Israel, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Zambia and the Philippines.
For Bloom, rhyme and reason attend everything.
The scientist in him methodically studies things to identify patterns and processes. The believer in him finds the hand of fate or God behind incidents he can’t ascribe to mere chance. He’s always been curious about the grand design at work. An ever inquisitive hunger drives his lifelong search for order, meaning and variation. He appreciates life’s richness. It’s no coincidence then he’s sought out foreign posts and immersed himself in indigenous cultures.
At age 84 he still savors life’s simple wonders, whether a Brahms symphony, a good book, a bountiful crop, a cow producing milk from rough silage, his family, his daily prayers, his research, his travels, his memories. A good batch of fu-fu.
Far from an unexamined life, Bloom’s charted his times in voluminous journals. Both the good and bad. He writes-talks with pride about his parents making a comfortable life for the family in America. He grew up in West New York and Palisade, N.J., a pair of bedroom communities outside New York City.
His reminiscences refer to a “dominant” and “disciplinarian” father pushing him and his two brothers. Despite little formal education Sam Bloom kept a complete set of Harvard classics and a Webster’s unabridged dictionary at home. On Sundays Papa Bloom held court in bed, where he regaled the boys with the florid prose of advertisements. He instilled a love of learning in Sol, Norman and Jack.
The patriarch also made sure his sons were exposed to, as Sol puts it, “the finer things.” He made them take music lessons — Sol plays the fiddle — and attend Jewish school. He took the family to Central Park for band concerts, Second Avenue for vaudeville shows and Yiddish theater productions, Coney Island for the amusement park rides and the Catskills for Borscht Belt retreats.
It was at Esther Manor near Monticello, N.Y., where the family vacationed summers, that Sol, the city boy, got his first exposure to farming. The hotel owner kept dairy cows out back to supply guests with fresh milk and Bloom made it a habit to help bring the herd in from pasture. He didn’t know it then but fattening calves and boosting milk cows’ production would take up a large part of his adult life.
Sol sees divine intervention in the Bloom boys coming from such humble roots to achieve professional heights. Besides his own exploits as an animal nutritionist, Norman became a biochemist and Jack a rabbi and psychologist.
|Sol and Helen Bloom are married at Kibbutz G’vat in 1947 as his cousin, Epharim Katz, next to the rabbi, acts as a witness.|
The stories of old times roll off Bloom’s tongue. The words precise and poetic. The recall uncanny. He expresses disappointment, not regret, about his failed first marriage, ended when his oldest children were already grown. He acknowledges a weakness for the flesh led him to take a mistress in Nigeria and that the romantic in him led to a love affair in Manila with a woman who became his second wife, Erlinda. He and Elinda share a home together in Millard with their son Jesse.
He candidly describes a history of mental illness in his family. His late older brother Norman descended into schizophrenia, believing he was the second coming of Christ. Bloom said his younger brother Jack sought psychiatric help for a time. Their mother received electric shock treatments. Bloom himself has had problems. Jesse now struggles with his own brainstorms.
Then there’s Bloom’s once sturdy body, now severely stooped, wracked by various maladies. It doesn’t stop the former competitive swimmer from taking daily laps in the Jewish Community Center pool.
No hint of judgment or bitterness in Bloom. He accepts what life gives, both the sweet and the sour. He awakes each morning eager to meet the day, ready to make some new connection or association or insight. Whether it’s a laboratory with four walls or the larger lab of living, he approaches life as a much anticipated experiment. Discovery always just around the corner.
His brother Norman would get in manic, obsessive moods trying to prove God’s existence in numerical coincidences. He caught the attention of the late astronomer and popular science writer, Carl Sagan, whose book Broca’s Brain devotes an entire section to Norman’s belief that he was a messenger of God.
Sol isn’t his brother but when considering certain matters, such as the proposition Jews are God’s chosen people, he assumes a slightly messianic manner himself.
Speaking as a scientist, he told a guest at his home: “I don’t know if God actually exists.” However, Bloom suggests Jews’ disproportionate impact on everything from world religion to art to politics to moral tenets is a testament to some divine plan.
“So when I go back to the fact that a good part of the western world goes by Isaac’s basis” for righteous living, “and what the Jews presented to humanity, maybe even though I’m a scientist there’s something in there that is not just completely random,” he said. “The eternal thread of Jewish survival over 3,000 years is a strong thread. That thread’s metaphorically wrapped itself around historical periods and around the throats of Egyptian, Persian, Asyrian, Greek and Roman empires and left them all lifeless — as the Jews moved on small but strong to the present day. It’s a very thin fiber, but it’s so.
“If little people like we have been able to maintain these basic moral foundations to the whole world and still exist when all these empires have gone down, then even though I’m a scientist and I have to go by hypotheses, I don’t think it’s just random. I’ll leave it at that.”
Sol Bloom just leave it at that? Impossible. Invariably, one theory begets another.
“When I lived in the Philippines (1970-’81) Manilla already was a city of 7-8 million. In Israel maybe you had at that time 2 1/2 million. And how many times did you read about that big city of Manilla in the newspaper? Maybe when there’s a typhoon or maybe when they found all those shoes in Imelda’s closet. But how many times was there something to do with that tiny fragment of humanity in Israel?
“Today, you have 6 to 7 billion people on the face of the earth while the whole population of Jews in the world is about 16 million. It works out to be about .018 percent of the total population. And yet there’s always something going on about them. Mexico City alone has 16 million. How often do you hear about Mexico City? But you will hear about the Jews being in this, doing that — out of all proportion to their numbers. That tiny fleck of humanity in six billion.
“Why for such a long time are we always hearing something about them? Isn’t that interesting?”
He’s confident the weight of evidence demonstrates Jews hold a special, even anointed place in the scheme of things. “That’s one of the things that sort of helps me maintain my faith,” he said.
All this musing leads Bloom to his own variation on the law of attraction.
|Helen Bloom, right, is among the crowd of British soldiers in Palestine as partition is announced on Nov. 29, 1947.|
“The first (formal) agricultural experience in my life was with a Jew. I started at 21 with my father’s cousin, Ephraim Katz, in Palestine. And now at this point, 60 years later, I’m working with a fellow by the name of Steven Silver, who owns International Nutrition in Omaha. He’s from the same tribe as I am. Now, imagine this, OK? How many Jews are in American agriculture? Not many. How many are in the professional feed milling business? Even fewer. How many Jews do you find in the feed business in the north central area — Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri? One. Do you follow me?”
For Sol, it’s more than coincidence he and Silver found each other. “Random, or as we say in my Yiddish, betokhn (faith)? Isn’t that interesting?”
Like Bloom’s parents, Katz, the pioneer in the family, was a Romanian emigre. Unlike them Katz felt the call to Palestine strongly enough that he became a settler there, raising a family and farming. Katz, an academic by training but a man of the soil by inclination, appealed to Bloom’s sense of wanderlust and earthiness. Tales of Katz’s contributions to the aspiring nation state fed Bloom’s imagination.
“My cousin in Palestine is growing wheat and has oranges and pears and apples. He’s growing oil seed crops for the factories in Haifa,” is what Bloom recalls thinking about this man he admired. “I mean, at that time Ephraim Katz was the leading light of our entire family. He was the one doing it.
“When he was in Bucharest, Romania he was a professor of English. Because he was a Jew he was still considered an alien and he couldn’t have citizenship, so he left and farmed in Israel, in the northern part of Haifa, near the port. He planted crops. He had wheat, sorghum, citrus.”
There were hardships and tragedies, too.
“In 1929 there were bad riots by the Arabs and they burnt his wheat and cut down all his citrus. His first wife, Sabena, died from typhus. He went into depression.”
The neighborhood where Katz’s place was located was named for Sabena. But Katz and his farm and the settlement that grew up around it survived. He remarried and raised a second family there.
Letters from Katz to Bloom’s father “about all of these adventures in Palestine” were much anticipated. When his father read the letters aloud it sparked in the “impressionable” Sol a burning desire to emulate Cousin Katz and thereby break from the prescribed roles many Jews filled then. Sol’s aptitude for science already had him thinking about medicine. Katz’s example gave him a new motivation.
“Since I was already a socialist — I was going to a Jewish socialist school — I thought, I’m going to break this Jewish commitment to being a merchant. I am going into agriculture. I am going to bring right out from the earth. So that was my raison detre.”
The promise of helping forge a new nation enthralled Bloom. “I was struck by the idealism of these people in Palestine struggling building a new frontier.”
However, at the urging of his parents, who feared for his safety in conflict-strewn Palestine, Bloom enrolled at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. He was still a premed major. America was at war by then and in ‘43 his draft number came up. He wound up in the 99th Infantry Division but when the unit began preparations to join the fight in Europe his poor eyesight and flat feet got him transferred to guard duty at a stateside disciplinary barracks. As it turned out, the 99th’s ranks were decimated in the Battle of the Bulge.
Providential? Sol believes so. “Perhaps something else was meant for me,” he said.
After the war he worked as a counselor at a summer camp, where he met Helen, a nice Jewish girl from the East Bronx. He once again set his sights on Palestine when he learned he could study agriculture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem under the GI Bill of Rights. He went first in 1946 and Helen followed six months later.
Cousin Katz greeted Bloom in Haifa. For Sol, it meant finally meeting the hero whose spirited example led him to make the long voyage. Katz took Sol to the rural compound of houses he’d built and to the fields he’d planted.
“He brought in new ways, new machinery, new breeds from America and he built this pioneer-type house of rough-hewn blocks and iron bars on the windows,” said Bloom, “and that’s where Helen and I were married in 1947.”
The kibbutz Sol and Helen were assigned, Gvat, “was a completely communal settlement. You never saw any money,” he said. “It had begun in 1925 with Jews from Poland and Russia. There were about 400 members and about 300 ‘illegals’ from displaced persons camps (in war-ravaged Europe). Bloom began training at the kibbutz ahead of Helen’s arrival. He worked the corn and wheat fields and the vegetable gardens. He helped harvest the fruit crops. Mucking out the poultry house and cattle pens convinced him cows were preferable to hens.
“The first silage I made was on the kibbutz — a combination of cow pee and citrus rinds-peels. It was a pit silo, layered with silage we packed down with a tractor. If you want it to ferment properly you have to extrude all the oxygen,” he said. “I fed it out (to cattle) and I’m telling you it was nice stuff, but the flies…” Oi vay!
The fertile country impressed Bloom.
“I remember the secretariat showing me the place. They were in a valley with the richest soil in all of Israel,” akin to Iowa’s rich black earth, Bloom said. “When they got there in ‘25 there were some swamps, a few cows. The settlers erected tents. If you ever want to know what Palestine looked like before the Jews started coming back in, get Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad, and you’ll understand the transformation that came about. It’s completely described there. Dismal, desolate.
“By the time I got there they’d built concrete barracks with manicured lawns. It was a mixed farm of dairy, poultry, a vegetable garden, a fruit orchard, a vineyard, forage crops for cattle and sheep, eucalyptus and field crops — sorghum, wheat, corn. They’d done all that in 20 years. It was a lovely place.”
Even then, he said, the region “produced beautiful oranges exported to Europe.”
Bloom reveled in the daily routine of kibbutz life.
“You got up about 5:30. You got your coffee and milk. I would go to work in the vegetable garden. Then about 8 o’clock you’d come into the communal dining hall, with its big bowls of porridge, and there’d be sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetables, thick baked bread. You had a choice of a hard egg or a soft egg.
“After breakfast I’d go back and work. I was called in Hebrew a bakbok — cork. In other words, you’re used wherever you’re needed. I’d come back for lunch — a cold fruit soup made from harvested plums, apples, grapes. It’s hot in the summertime, so we would rest until about 1:30. When the heat would break we’d go back and finish our work. About 4:30 you’d shower and change your clothes. You had a set of khakis to work in and a set of khakis for the evening.
“We stopped working about noon on Friday for the Sabbath, whose observance lasted till Sunday morning. You had two weeks vacation.”
The enterprise of reclaiming an ancestral homeland moved Sol, who witnessed the settlement’s first high school graduation ceremony. He liked being part of a glorious historic tide. He couldn’t help but get caught up in what he called “that sense of purpose of destiny — of recreating something that had been hibernating for 1,800 years.”
“There was something completely mystical about it,” he said. “The land I was working on, the plums I was harvesting, they were planted by Jews, tended by Jews, plucked by Jews. The Jews had been persecuted, separated, driven from place to place for 1,900 years and here they’d gone back to the same place from which they were driven. Here they were graduating their first set of kids back on the lands where ancient Israelis had plowed and enjoyed the fruits of that land. Back in the land of Joshua and the prophets and all the greats of Israel,
“These pilgrims’ kids were training to begin life there again. You have to have a pretty strong memory in order to do that. To have lived a year in that type of community among these people who had settled, built the place, who knew why they were there, what they were doing and where they were going” was everything Bloom had hoped for and more.
He left before Israel’s formation in mid-‘48 but was there when the United Nations declared Palestine would be partitioned to allow a Jewish state amid Arab neighbors. “This was the first time in history a group made the decision that Jews, after being dispersed all over the world in ghettos, would have a place of their own,” he said. Photos he snapped then picture jubilant crowds in Jerusalem. He and Helen joined the celebration. “We danced, we sang, we drank. It was something very uplifting, something quite marvelous.”
Israel’s independence was not won without a fight and Bloom volunteered to do his share there, too. He and other Americans studying abroad joined the Haganah. Unlike most of the green recruits, who lacked any military experience, Bloom was a U.S. Army veteran familiar with weapons. But he’d never seen combat. Outside Jerusalem he went through training with fellow enlisters under the command of Haganah officers. They made simulated night patrols in the hilly terrain.
His training complete, he went on recon missions to gauge the location-strength of guerrilla Arab units. Assigned to a unit guarding the perimeter of a Jewish enclave, he wrote, “we kept guard during cold nights and moved weapons secretly by taxi cab.” He and his mates quartered in residents’ homes, staying out of sight of British peacekeepers and hostile Arab forces by day and manning rooftops at night.
He was selected for a strike force of 35 soldiers tasked with engaging the Arab Legion laying siege to the Jewish settlement of Ramat Rachel. At the last minute, he said, an officer scratched him from the operation due to his marital status. A bachelor friend and fellow American, Moshe Pearlstein, replaced him. Moshe and his comrades were cut down in an ambush. There were no survivors. Bloom’s journal commented:
“I will always remember how formidable — yes, how heroic — the ‘35’ appeared in all their battle gear as they assembled on the edge of Beit Hakarem. They were the Yishuv’s best…” Their loss, he wrote, “was a terrible blow to the Haganah…The sweet soul Moshe became, as far as I know, one of the first Americans to fall in the war of independence for Israel. His sacrifice has given me a long and eventful life.”
His life was spared another time there when a bus he and Helen were on took sniper fire. Only the vehicle’s side armor plating shielded him from the rounds.
With the couple’s parents pressing for their return they came back to the U.S. While studying at Iowa State University Bloom met Israeli emissaries who were visiting American ag colleges “to talk enthusiastic ideas to young Jewish fellows like me” he said. It was a recruitment tour designed to attract Zionists in serving the newly formed Jewish nation. Bloom was ripe for the picking. “I knew one thing — I wanted to study a profession that I could go back to use in Israel.”
He asked the visitors, “What should l study to help the State? Should I become a veterinarian?” “We need nutritionists,” he was told. That’s all he needed to hear. Besides, he said, “I liked very much working with cattle when I was on the kibbutz.” From ‘50 to ‘55 he earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State, his master’s from Penn State and his Ph.D. from ISU. All in dairy applications.
His scientific inquiries in that period proved fruitful. At PSU, he said, “the first feed grade antibiotics were in use. I worked with oromycin — I got beautiful gains. I got the sense of how powerful biological (compounds) are.” Of how 20 grams “of this yellow powder in a ton of feed” could increase milk production. Magic dust. He went back to ISU, he said, “where this line of study was more advanced. I worked with very good people. The work I did gave off papers in three different fields. I was elected to Sigma Xi, a scientific honorary society. I won the Borden Award.”
Longing to apply his expertise in Israel he was frustrated when no position was immediately available. Thus, in ‘56 he followed his nose for adventure to Puerto Rico, where he worked on dairy cattle feeding trials and introduced high molasses rations for swine. When a post finally opened in Israel the next year to conduct a Ford Foundation study at a research station, the Suez Canal crisis erupted. The U.S. government issued stiff warnings to Americans to avoid travel there but a little war wasn’t going to stop Bloom “I went anyway,” he said. “They (the American consulate) called me in and slapped my wrists.”
These were heady times for Bloom.
“It was exciting. In the Suez campaign all the agronomists had gone into the Sinai Peninsula and had just come back, so the first seminars I heard were all about their findings in that area. When I did my research the agronomists there wanted us to use more pasture. We didn’t have that much. Security was a problem.”
The study compared cows feeding in pastures to those feeding off silage in enclosures. The herds “were then hit by foot and mouth disease,” he said, “which cut off some of the work I did over there.”
He was just happy to be back in a flourishing, independent Israel. He was, in many ways, home again.
“There’s a deep Jewish cultural connection,” he said. Not to mention “the beauty of living as part of the majority. There’s a certain sweetness, a certain pleasure in that that even today with our liberal (tolerant) attitudes you don’t quite have here (in the U.S.).”
He and Erlinda traveled to Israel in 2003. He hadn’t been there since 1962 and he marveled at how a once dreary stretch of road outside Tel Aviv “was green all the way to Jerusalem. That is my road. It’s built by Jews.” The whole country’s transformation from dusty outpost to verdant oasis satisfied him. “Israel’s a beautiful place, and it means so much,” he said. “There’s a personal connection.”
|Sol Bloom and his daughter Ruthie play a duet while living in Manila, the Phillipines, in 1979.|
His much-traveled life-career has taken intriguing turns outside Israel. For example, in 1964 he was hired by the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He said it marked “the only time in my life I worked in the medical profession. I worked with many oncologists and cardiologists in helping them design their studies. In the building there were about 30 prima donna medical and biological researchers and I learned how to get things done” in terms of landing research grants.
He did well but was frustrated. “My marriage was on the brink of breaking down,” he said, “and I was looking to get back into my field. The only opportunity I had to get back was in Nigeria as a swine nutritionist” with the U.S. Agency for International Development in 1967. He introduced adaptive feeding-breeding techniques for the swine industry, advised the government and Peace Corps, lectured, conducted feeding trials and penned extension bulletins for livestock producers. Helen did not accompany him.
Nigeria was in the throes of a civil war, making difficult living conditions even harder. Bloom was largely untouched by the conflict. “The only way USAID people felt this war was in the many checkpoints on the roads, the frequent searches of our vehicles and the presence of troops in training,” he wrote.
A memorable experience was leading a convoy of trucks loaded with 15 tons of seed corn across Nigeria to impoverished Biafran farmers. Despite bad roads, devastated villages, chaotic assundry delays, the delivery was made.
Bloom spent four conflicted years there. The affair he carried on with his housekeeper, Rose, came in the wake of “the powerful loneliness” he felt so many miles from home. “Combined with my own mental anxieties,” he wrote, “it endangered my ability to function, and so it was to the journal I turned to record daily activities to maintain sanity and stability.” To numb the pain there was plenty of Star Beer and dancing under the starlight to the sound of talking drums.
|Between marriages to Helen and Linda, there was Rose, in Africa in 1967.|
He took an extended R & R in Spain, where the bull fights both intrigued and repulsed him. Like most in the crowd he rooted for “the majestic creature.”
In 1970 the USAID sent him to Zambia to advise/study the local swine industry. He wrote, “Mind you, you find Jews almost anywhere in the world, but I didn’t expect to find any in Zambia.” But he did in the Shapiro family, who adopted him. “I have found Jews in the most exotic places,” he wrote in his African memoirs.
That same year he began his longest overseas idyll, in the Philippines, where he stayed through 1981. He went in the employ of the USAID but eventually became a free agent. He was a nutrition consultant for swine operations and feed mills, he created and marketed his own Rose-N-Bloom brand livestock feeds with another American expatriate and worked for the American Soybean Association and corporate giants Cynamid and Monsanto.
He became close with an American ranch family, the Murrays. Bloom loved riding out on their high grass tropical range. Pastures gave way to jungle. The ranch was accessible only by boat or plane. Getting the steers to market was a big operation.
The Philippines is also where Bloom met and married Erlinda, “my Oriental package.” They started a family together there.
“I came back from the Philippines in ‘81 — to Richmond, Ind. Erlinda had a cousin living-working there. God took me to a place, the Midwest, with corn, soy, cattle, pigs, where I could begin my work again,” he said,
|Erlinda Bloom, Sol’s second wife, lights the menorah with their children Jesse and Ruth, in the Philipines in 1977. Jesse lives with Sol and Linda today.|
Over the next dozen years his work necessitated more moves. Vigortone Ag Products in Marion, Ohio. Dawes Laboratories in Chicago. At Dawes he developed vitamin-mineral fortifiers for animal industry species. Omaha-based I.M.S. Inc. brought him to Omaha in 1989 as its senior nutritionist.
He stayed here after hooking up with Steve Silver’s Omaha-based International Nutrition in 1990. Meeting up with another Jew in the goy ag field only confirmed Bloom’s belief that far from “purely chance” it was “supposed to happen.” At least he chooses to believe so. The very thought, he said, “is a comfort to me.”
Silver said Bloom brought “a wealth of experience. He worked in helping develop products for use in our overseas markets.” Though mostly retired now, Bloom said, ”I’m still working a little bit. “I’m doing something on the co-product or residue from ethanol production and how to make it more amenable for pigs and poultry and so forth and so on. It’s interesting”
Away from work Bloom enjoys “the little pleasures of the day.” Listening to his beloved Brahms. Praying/socializing at the synagogue. Doing mind exercises.
When reviewing his life, he said, “Sometimes I think, Did I do all these things? It’s hard to imagine.” | <urn:uuid:3415e91f-cac0-4bf6-ba34-614e53903220> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leoadambiga.wordpress.com/tag/israel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977801 | 6,766 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Andy Warhol is one of the most accesible artist of the twentieth century. So, why another Warhol book? He died 25 years ago and created and exhibited his thirtytwo Campbell’s soup cans fifty years ago. And we are still talking about his life, his work, and his wig. The eighty interviews in this book with illustrious artists, designers, and others, each of whom was influenced by Andy Warhol just begin to explain why.
“The criteria for selecting my interviewees were that the person had to have been influenced, affected, or touched by the life and/or work of Andy Warhol. They also had to have had a compelling story that referenced or involved a specific piece of Warhol art, book, film, creative collaboration or an actual meeting/conversation with Warhol,” explains the author Catherine Johnson.
Just some of the luminaries interviewed and featured in Thank You Andy Warhol (Glitterati, ISBN 9780985169602, $50) include Frances Grill, Ivan Karp, Billy Name, Brigid Berlin, Jeffrey Deitch, Danny Fields, Ken Heyman, Bibbe Hansen, George Lois, Gretchen Berg, Vincent Fremont, Bob Colacello, Sylvia Miles, Peter Beard, Christopher Makos, Liza Minnelli, Patrick McDonald, Richard Prince, Kenny Scharf, Vik Muniz, Simon Doonan, Ryan McGinness, Eric Shiner, Kara Walker, and Jamie Warhola.
Their collective descriptions are compelling and paint an incredible picture of both Andy Warhol and the notable interviewees themselves. Each person discusses the profound influence of Andy Warhol on lives and/or work, or both. In addition, each person interviewed cites a piece of Warhol artwork that is personally significant to him or her, whether it be an artwork, book, film, creative collaboration, meeting, or conversation with Warhol, as an addition to the description of how he affected work and lives. Amazingly, only two people referenced the same piece of Warhol art. ❚ | <urn:uuid:c7cd3c8c-c7ae-4239-b85c-ea31874201bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getaddictedto.com/thank-you-andy-warhol/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934662 | 422 | 1.789063 | 2 |
LGBT New Yorkers held a 'Take Back the Night' rally in response to a string of anti-LGBT attacks that have occurred in the last two weeks. The rally, organized by Queer Rising, brought together a diverse range of LGBT and allied people to advocate for LGBT safety.
Local and Regional News
News that originates from and/or specifically impacts a local community, city, state, or region
Latest Update on Local and Regional News
Guest blogger Irene Monroe discusses the murder mayoral candidate Marco McMillian, asking about the state of hate crime laws in Mississippi.
The family of murdered Mississippi mayoral candidate Marco McMillian now believes his death was a hate crime. The family said they had received information from the Coahoma County coroner's office regarding the state of McMillian's body, which led them to believe that "this was not a random act of violence."
GLAAD will be on the ground with thousands of marriage equality supporters to show widespread support for marriage equality. Join us and the United for Marriage coalition in Washington, DC to rally for marriage equality for all loving and committed couples.
Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis, parents of six-year-old Coy Mathis from Fountain, Colorado, have launched a change.org petition asking Coy's school to allow her to go back to using the correct bathroom. Just before Christmas, Coy's school notified her parents that their daughter would no longer be allowed to use the girls' bathroom, because she is transgender.
This week, the Huffington Post published a letter that an 8-year-old Cub Scout named Frank hand-wrote to the Boy Scouts of America, which asked, in part, why they don't stand up for gay people.
Students at the largest multi-denominational seminary in the world are making history by becoming the first evangelical graduate theological school to create an official LGBT student organization. They are now hosting an LGBT film festival featuring several GLAAD-nominated films.
The continued transphobic news coverage by Fox News needs to stop. As the rest of soceity realizes the need for fair and equal treatment of trans people, why haven't the very people that make us aware of this progress?
The Vatican has denied rumors that Pope Benedict XVI's resignation was influenced by a "Gay Lobby" or network of gay bishops. Tim Tebow opted not to visit an anti-LGBT church in Dallas, Texas. A Southern Baptist Church wants to uphold the ban on gay Boy Scouts, but many Jews feel differently.
While the country waits for rulings from the Supreme Court on the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, states are rushing ahead to reform their own regulations on marriage.
Former Baltimore Ravens reserve linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo called on professional athletes Tuesday to stand up for marriage equality because he said it is "the right thing to do."
The state House on Tuesday narrowly approved a bill legalizing gay marriage in Delaware, barely a year after the state began recognizing same-sex civil unions. The measure cleared the House on a 23-to-18 vote and now goes to the Senate, where supporters and opponents expect another close vote.
The Idaho Transportation Department this week agreed to new regulations allowing transgender drivers to change the sex designation on their driver's licenses without a note from a surgeon, after two people complained that previous policy violated their civil rights.
Just now, the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance marriage equality with a vote of 7-4. The bill is identical to one that already passed the House.
Late Monday, the Nevada Senate became the first legislative chamber in the country to vote to overturn a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from marrying.
Eighth-grader Bayli Silberstein left Monday night's Lake County School Board meeting blinking back tears after board members voted 4-1 to table a final vote that could have allowed a proposed gay-straight club to form before the end of the school year.
Rhode Island's long-simmering debate on gay marriage heads to a pivotal vote when a legislative committee decides whether to forward the legislation to the full Senate for a final vote. | <urn:uuid:16463be0-cde9-4e84-ad26-f36c643abc3a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glaad.org/issues/local-regional-news?page=11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956176 | 841 | 1.648438 | 2 |
After the sunshine of ecobuild two weeks ago we had the snow at Leeds for the openBIM conference at Leeds Met’s ThinkBIM conference.
First up was Nick Nisbet from AEC3. Nick was one of the key people that contributed to the UK Government Construction Strategy.
Nick argued that BIM is all about sharing structured information. From one input you can achieve many outputs. If the data is structured, you can use it and analyse it through the supply chain. The case study discussed here was the possibility of automated code checking. Singapore is the example of this in action, Singapore is ranked number 1 out of 212 in terms of places to do business. In terms of construction you can get building regulation approval in not 3 months, or 6 months, but in 30 minutes.
But the main part of Nick’s presentation was about the UK Government initiative. The hypothesis was that the government wants “improvements in cost, value and carbon performance through open sharable asset information”. Nick suggested that the reason the aim was for level-2 BIM was to keep the lawyers at bay. Nick clearly would like level-3 in the not-so-distant future. “Most of the industry will go beyond COBie”, were his thoughts.
Nick talked about the importance of not just the geometry but also of the specification – if you own a building and need to replace a pump – what is its specification?
The importance of the colour code of COBie was discussed – maybe a good topic for a blog post? – the spreadsheet is not colourful without a reason, what do these background colours mean in terms of requirements at the different stages?
Parveen Sharma then presented live on a web stream from India. Parveen has worked on over 240 projects world-wide. Parveen works for Intec Infocom and he explained that the move to BIM was happening in India just like we are seeing here in the UK.
The ability for all the design disciplines to work collaboratively through BIM was demonstrated, then for this data to flow through the project timeline to the construction team.
In terms of the software platforms used in India, it sounded like it’s the same worldwide, Autodesk, Bentley, Graphisoft all mentioned. Made me wonder whether the Indian market would be a good one for NBS, what percentage of jobs are specified to British Standards?
I then had the tough decision of which of four excellent sounding roundtables to join. The first one I picked was hosted by Rob Jackson who was demonstrating “Open BIM” – working to open data standards. One of Rob’s jobs at Bond Bryan was to sort out the best practice way of working with respect to BIM.
Round table #1
Round table #2
Round table #3
The roundtable had a low-level of BIM experience, but Rob was great answering all of the questions from experience of “having done it”. Rob honestly believes that the profitability of his practice has increased – he got some pretty tough questions, but some really good questions on return on investment and who benefits most.
Also, some good discussions on who owns the data that is (a) used to create the designs and (b) then passed on down the supply chain? The openBIM roundtable discussion had gone completely off script - but in a good way. Fascinating to observe a discussion on BIM following questions from someone looking at it from a completely hard-financial return on investment point of view.
One of the most honest benefits that Rob discussed was the ability to show a design early to a client so they can actually articulate why they don’t like it. It’s much cheaper to receive this news early on – especially if it’s easy to take feedback on-board and re-work.
The second session I watched was chaired by Adam Matthews who is leading the Education Work Stream for the UK Gov. What education and training is required to up-skill the industry to deliver the BIM aspects of the construction strategy. Like the previous session, this was broadcast live over the internet – excellent use of technology by the Leeds Met team.
Adam's sketch on the incorrect weighting currently in education
Round table #4
Where does education come from currently? From the vendors, private training providers (PTP), higher education, further education and the institutions themselves. Adam’s team has been leading consultation into this and has found that the balance is far too weighted currently to the software vendors. Equally the education is currently nearly all around technical training – this has to change, we need more education in the strategic and management elements. Adam argued that the balance of all of this has to change.
Looking at the different disciplines, there must be training angled at clients, designers, contractors and facility managers. What documentation is required and how will this flow from brief to design to as built to operation and maintenance? Also, there was a triangle with three notes (1) Demand, (2) Define and then (3) Deliver.
There was a tongue in cheek half way through the session after Adam brings up Leeds, Salford and Newcastle examples – “Is BIM just happening in the north?”. Adam (based in London) was quick to point out that this wasn’t actually the case.
Full credit to Adam for not mentioning “Autodesk” once in the full hour – not sure if I’ll manage the same in my 6min40 seconds Pecha Kucha later in the day (update: I didn’t :) – fail on slide 9).
Whoever invented Pecha Kucha was a genius – five really good ones in thirty minutes. No chance to waffle, no chance to get nervous – just race on through.
First was from Dave Jellings on the open BIM movement, he argued that interoperability was the backbone of BIM and through open data standards the software companies will be able to compete and produce a better experience for the end user. Next up was James Austin from BIM Technologies, James spoke about how BIM is still in its early phases and we have to let the processes naturally evolve – and what we must not do is let complexity get in the end users way – beautifully illustrated with Homer Simpson on his iPad. George from BIM Academy then was next, he demonstrated how IFC had been used as a central source format to produce BIM content in multiple CAD vendor formats. Martin Brown from Fairscape then did a whirlwind 20 slides from his iPad (interoperability!) – I wondered whether maybe 20 seconds is faster in Apple-land though as the slides really did disappear. Finally, I did 20 slides on interoperability focusing a little on our recent TSB research project looking at how IFC can be used as an exchange format to configure concept BIM objects based on technical guidance, financial and environmental cost data and then round trip back into the model.
Then a fast walk down to the train station so I could get off for an Easter break in the sunny Lake District. Unfortunately, the pasty shop was closed in Leeds station – I am sure I heard in the news the other week that you could get a good pasty there?
The now famous pasty shop #pastygate | <urn:uuid:5b847d25-0f8b-45a8-bcd2-51197c97de17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://constructioncode.blogspot.com/2012/04/thinkbim-openbim-conference.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965046 | 1,514 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Somewhere between our in-depth consultants’ guides and our short AnalystNotes that discuss specific aspects of IT careers, there is a need for an up-to-dateoverview of IT career structures. This is it. It has been written with both IT and ITHR managers very much in mind.The key points developed and discussed in this overview are:
Despite a widespread desire to introduce industry-standard professional ITcareer structures, these do not work.
It is nevertheless important that CIOs define the career structure and pathsfor their people. This can help leverage more from employees and retainthose who are most needed, now and in the future.
Most IT career structures are based on the role family model, oftenreferencing Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). Though othermodels are sometimes seen, they are often considered over-complex.
By linking pay, performance management, training and development to aclear statement of requirements enshrined in an IT career structure, CIOscan create a powerful tool for migrating their IT employees towards what isneeded for future success.
Changes in the way systems are used, built, hosted and supported meanthat what is required of IT people is continually changing: IT careerstructures must change to reflect new requirements.
IT career structures are not HR toys, created as a sop to good HR practice.They are levers for change | <urn:uuid:f2ca084e-7ab0-4c9a-b1e6-ca601fd8ea81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bitpipe.com/detail/RES/1319554992_714.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955813 | 284 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Okonomiyaki is the name of a popular Japanese dish made of a fried batter cake and various ingredients such as vegetables, shrimps, kimchi, cheese etc. Yaskawa Electric, a Tokyo-based electronics company, produced an industrial robot that can cook Okonomiyaki.
The company, which is also nominated for Japan’ Robot Award 2008 with its LCD glass substrate processing robot MOTOMAN-CDL 3000D, named the 220kg-robot Motoman SDA10. It stands 135cm tall and features 7 joints in each arm and one in the torso.
The robot also features speech recognition technology to be able to understand orders from customers. It was showcased last week during the International Next – Generation Robot Fair in Osaka.
Via Pink Tentacle | <urn:uuid:d94c6e3a-5162-40b5-ad95-2a37ea206e15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techcrunch.com/2008/12/02/meet-motoman-the-pancake-making-robot-video/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948539 | 160 | 1.84375 | 2 |
By Susan Froyd
By Byron Graham
By Robin Edwards
By Bree Davies
By Josiah M. Hesse
By Bree Davies
By Susan Froyd
By Kate Gibbons
When Dario Fo won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1997, it was a bit of a shock in many quarters. The Italian writer considers himself a jester, and his plays are cheerfully but powerfully anarchic. He mocks authority, turns officialdom on its ear, unearths unpopular truths and speaks consistently for the powerless and the poor. He suffered censorship in Italy for years and was not allowed to enter the United States in the 1970s and '80s, under the provisions of the McLaren Act. Nonetheless, the Denver Center staged a fine production of his play The Accidental Death of an Anarchist in 1984. (Fo was finally allowed a six-day visit in 1986.)
The one-man play A Tale of a Tiger was inspired by a storyteller Fo heard in the Chinese countryside in 1975. This was at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, and I imagine the image of the tiger -- a symbol of grace, power and protection in China -- was used to praise the Chinese revolt. A soldier on Mao Tse Tung's Long March is wounded during an attack by Chiang Kai-shek's army. He is nursed back to health by a tigress. Fo's adaptation is quirky and humorous; the tiger and her cub remain awe-inspiring, but they are also delightfully human. The play's ending is a call to arms against oppression of every kind.
Fo has always allowed theater people to adapt his work to the political and social realities of their own countries. When Israeli actor-director Ami Dayan became interested in A Tale of a Tiger in 1994, he was concerned about its revolutionary ending: Israel's president, Yitzhak Rabin, was engaged in delicate peace negotiations with the Palestinians, and a call for an uprising against him would have been absurd. Accordingly, Dayan and his collaborator Miki Ben Cnaan, revised the play: The soldier, having received his life back from the tiger, faces the challenge of deciding what to do with the rest of that life. He returns to his village and sets up shop as a healer (using the tiger's saliva as a cure-all), suffers a surge of ego during which he fancies himself a guru, and eventually decides to take his healing story on the road -- like the peasant Fo originally heard in China. And, in some ways, like the iconoclastic playwright himself.
Dayan has always been grateful that he made the choice he did: In 1995, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish fanatic who thought all talk of peace was treacherous.
At the Nomad Theatre, Dayan presents both his version of A Tale of a Tigerand, after a ten-minute intermission and a brief discussion, Dario Fo's original ending -- updated with a couple of references to the Bush administration.
You don't need to know any of this to enjoy the production. It functions on a lot of levels, and Dayan is a highly accomplished performer. His movements are sometimes stylized, sometimes naturalistic. He creates an entire folkloric world on stage, becoming a weary, wounded soldier, a roaring tigress, a curious cub. Miki Ben Cnaan's set is inventive, functional and eye-pleasing; an archway becomes a mountain or a cave as needed; leather bags transform into tiger teats and then into white banners. Ran Bagno's music is evocative, too.
This works as a kids' show because of its humor and apparent simplicity, and for adults because they can sense deeper currents. There's warmth and humanity to this production. The tiger becomes a genuine character in her own right. When she insists that the soldier drink her milk, she's both nurturing him and helping herself. She becomes by turn a mother figure, a nagging wife, an aggrieved partner, a heroic fighter for justice. And she's funny. In short -- both as written by Fo and as acted by Dayan -- she's a masterful creation.
I would have expected to prefer Fo's original ending to Dayan's adaptation, because, generally, politics interests me more than self-discovery. But in fact, I found Fo's version somewhat unsatisfactory -- except as a matter of literary and historical interest. This might have been partly because Dayan is out of costume at that point, or because he's summarizing rather than acting the ending out fully. But then again, it may just be that either the words don't quite fit our current situation (despite the urgent need for drastic political change) or that it's a rather thin and didactic piece of writing.
What remains with me about this production is the concept of a human link with something alien, animal and ancient, and the riches that this link uncovers. And the image of the tiger: nurturing and strong, vulnerable and unconquerable, irascible yet overflowing with kindness.
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Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city | <urn:uuid:655e815b-8926-4634-ab10-4fa9d4d2945f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.westword.com/2003-08-07/culture/grabbing-a-folk-tale/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974954 | 1,094 | 1.804688 | 2 |
ZDNet Seems to Say Secure Boot Still Sucks for Open Source
Subject: General Tech, Systems | January 1, 2013 - 12:01 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Secure Boot, uefi
Steven J Vaughan-Nichols of ZDNet published an update on the status of Secure Boot. Fans of Linux and other open-source operating systems have been outspoken against potential attempts by Microsoft to hinder the installation of free software. While the fear is not unfounded, the situation does not feel to be a house of cards in terms of severity.
Even without an immediate doomsday, there still is room for improvement.
The largest complaint is with Windows RT. If a manufacturer makes a device for Windows RT it will pretty much not run any other operating system. Vice versa, if an OEM does not load Windows RT on their device that PC will never have it. Windows on ARM is about as closed of a platform as you can get.
On the actual topic of Secure Boot, distributions of Linux have been able to sign properly as trusted. Unlike the downstream Fedora 18, Ubuntu 12.10, and others: the Linux Foundation is still awaiting a signed bootloader.
Other distributions will need to disable the boot encryption which many thought would forever be the only way to precede. While not worse than what we have been used to without Secure Boot, disabling boot encryption leaves Linux at a disadvantage for preventing rootkits. Somewhat ironic, we are stuck between the fear of being locked out of our device by a single entity and the fear of malice intentions not being locked out. | <urn:uuid:187fb02e-f301-426d-a55a-7ffa3079760c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/ZDNet-Seems-Say-Secure-Boot-Still-Sucks-Open-Source | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93493 | 324 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Our Children Are Everyday Miracles
The parents of Jake Barnett, an autistic college sophomore at the age of 13, can claim that their son is a miracle. He converses. He succeeds. He understands math and advances what every one else understands about math. His story was one of three on 60 Minutes, January 15, 2012.
Jordan Somner’s parents must be just as proud of their miracle daughter, a pageant competitor and Special Olympics volunteer. In 2006, Jordan decided that physically and mentally challenged women, young and older, could and should have their own pageant to prove to themselves and others that they too are truly beautiful. Her story came to the attention of Nickelodeon. Jordan then became a Halo Award honoree, and with the grant money, she intends to spread Miss Amazing pageants across the nation.
My own daughter proved miraculous more than once. One feat that made the local headlines was her performance as goalie against the cross-town rival. She demonstrated grace, talent, and courage during a shoot-out; she even beat the keeper odds, stopping every shot and winning the game for her team. But when a local reporter asked her about her success, she gave the credit to her teammates who had kicked true, landing the ball in the net behind the opposing keeper. My daughter pointed out that had her teammates not made their shots, her achievements in goal would have had little impact. My daughter could have taken credit and strutted like a Rhode Island Red rooster, but she did not, proving her real, abiding character.
I could continue citing examples, plucking names from headlines. Plenty of other Jake Barnetts and Jordan Somners exist across this globe, and each parent of these exceptional children could offer an example of something extraordinary, unique, rare, and wonderful just as I did. They could report a news story that never have made it into print, a human-interest story of unexpected generosity, challenges overcome, smiles brighter than suns, and loyalty beyond measure.
And that, dear readers, is what I want. I want teachers and parents everywhere to tell the stories of our good, decent youth. I want teachers and parents to expect and believe in the miracles within those they guide and love. They must believe that children, like tiny seeds, will struggle toward the light, persevere through the dark, and grow in the warmth of high expectations. Children will flourish and blossom fully when we all believe in miracles, and that, I think, is critically important in any definition of good teaching or good parenting. | <urn:uuid:9f65e1b1-c717-4530-b2ad-d660bd3d146c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enableher.com/2012/01/cgriffin/our-children-are-everyday-miracles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97465 | 518 | 1.84375 | 2 |
4 reasons why you should take risks
Successful business development requires getting out of your comfort zone
- By Bill Scheessele
- Oct 07, 2010
Risking, failing, learning, succeeding — that is a laundry list pondered many times by the founders of companies, such as many of the ones on Washington Technology’s 2010 Fast 50.
For entrepreneurs, the philosophy of risking, failing and learning the way to success is one of the most powerful concepts to embrace.
Have you ever decided to change course because you weren’t satisfied with the results your career delivered, then backed off when the psychological or physical discomfort of the unfamiliar set in? Loosening your hold on the certain or the status quo to strive for something better is risky business. It carries the risk of failure.
At one time or another, company founders had to face the decision to leave the security of a safe career and start a new business. Maybe industry conditions were much like they are now in government contracting, and the choice to leave wasn’t solely theirs because they were re-engineered out of a job. Instead of jumping to another corporate opportunity, they resolved to take business development to a new level and launch a business of their own.
Taking a risk is the act of letting go — letting go of something you are certain of and reaching for something you are not sure of but believe it is better than what you have now. Every risk situation has an unavoidable loss. Something has to be given up to move forward. Success depends more on your willingness to risk than being concerned about what happens if you fail.
When you are unhappy with where you are, you should be willing to risk — risk getting out of your comfort zone and risk failure. Only by risking failure are you likely to succeed at anything.
Too many people waste their lives thinking their objective is to succeed, when in reality all they are doing is avoiding failure. Further, in their avoidance of failure, they have blocked their deepest creative forces that can make life fulfilling, exciting and meaningful.
In reality, failure is neither good nor bad. It is simply an essential part of the human condition. Failure is universal. As business professionals, we must be willing to learn from our failures. Not all business ventures succeed; there is the concept of successfully failing.
In the act of successfully failing, there are five steps: disbelief, fear, anger, acceptance and learning. Disbelief and fear are natural reactions. Anger can be controlled, focused and transformed into perseverance, passion, conviction and desire. Acceptance is an awakening that allows us to understand that every failure is also an opportunity for a new start and fresh beginning. The learning part of failure is quite obvious. Every failure represents a lesson. Every failure adds another level of wisdom.
The most successful business professionals have failed more than anyone who is a true failure thought possible. In the act of failing successfully, there are many lessons and opportunities. There is a lesson and opportunity to:
- Better understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses.
- Reassess your priorities, your goals and roles.
- Refine your level of thinking.
- Strengthen your gut system.
Success and failure are deeply intertwined. As Colin Powell once said, "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure."
I contend the result of all the turmoil, leaning down, flattening out and re-engineering in the industry will result in new ways of thinking, new processes, new inventions and new technologies all brought about by newly launched companies.
Small business is the engine of economic recovery and growth. And in a few years, some of those firms will wind up on future Fast 50 lists. | <urn:uuid:72fc0053-9260-4186-b41b-944bfac8e31b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2010/10/11/insights-scheessele-risk-taking.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962562 | 769 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Doing Business in Indonesia 2012 surveys 20 cities, finding that starting a business was easiest in Yogyakarta and most difficult in Manado. The study also looks at the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse and finds that the process was most efficient in Balikpapan and least efficient in Gorontalo. Finally, the process of registering property was most efficient in Bandung and least efficient in Batam.
Click on city names for detailed information. Click on column headers to sort data. | <urn:uuid:872297d5-9976-43df-a185-6d1cede52d08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://doingbusiness.org/rankings/Indonesia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933937 | 102 | 1.828125 | 2 |
At 10 AM on Sunday, Nov. 20, community-based peace group Waynepeace successfully completed its first “Occupy Honesdale” action. This action had begun 40 hours before, at 6 PM Friday, Nov. 18, with the setting up of tents and canopies in Honesdale’s Central Park – directly across the street from the local affiliate of investment firm Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. We conducted this action in support of, and in sympathy and solidarity with, the “Occupy Wall Street” gathering in New York City and the many similar “Occupy” protests taking place across the country and around the world.
“Occupy Honesdale” was a legal, permitted action; we had obtained a permit for the encampment, with minimal restrictions, from the Honesdale Borough Council on Monday, Nov. 14. Word was sent out to local activists and the media through email and social media immediately after the approval.
Our intents were simple: in the face of the increasingly violent repression of the “Occupy” encampments in major cities such as New York and Oakland, we wished to let the political and financial “Powers That Be” know that the virus has already spread – that the discontent embodied by those protests is in fact already present everywhere, even in small towns and rural areas like our own. We also wanted to encourage people to discuss the many issues raised by the Occupy movement, and how those issues are affecting their lives and the life of our communities.
Three Waynepeace activists, Kathy Dodge, Chuck Heyn, and Skip Mendler, camped out in the park for two nights. During our time there, we were joined by approximately three dozen local citizens who dropped by to share support, food, music – and most importantly their stories, their wishes, and their concerns about the problems inherent in our current economic and political systems. Our visitors included working people, professionals, academics, farmers, the unemployed, students, and children.
Together, we found much to be concerned about. From a health care worker who spends more time with her paperwork than with her clients, to overworked teachers, to struggling farmers, again and again we heard of hard-working people who are finding it difficult to cope with the physical and mental demands of a system hell-bent on profit. Above and beyond these personal struggles, we view with growing apprehension the emergence of a world order marked by two trends – either of which would be disturbing enough, but which in combination give reason for profound alarm.
On the one hand, we see the insidious but increasingly blatant hand of “corporatocracy” shaping public policy for the benefit of corporations and their wealthiest shareholders and executives – the rule of the so-called “1 Percent.” On the other, we see the increasing scarcity of resources leading to a “leaner, meaner,” and more militarized world of ever-growing inequality and poverty. We fear that democracy cannot survive in a country starkly divided between rich and poor.
But we also found reasons for hope, and examples of successful resistance to the burgeoning power of the “corporate state.” Consumer-based revolts such as the recent Netflix debacle and the backlash against increased debit card fees show that citizens can effectively exert the “power of the purse” when they want to. Events like the delayed DRBC vote about fracking in the Delaware Valley, and the postponement of the Keystone XL pipeline, suggest that political institutions are indeed still sensitive to shows of popular outrage and opposition.
We believe that part of the solution lies in increasing the resilience of our communities – in making them both more interconnected and more individually self-sufficient. We believe that we must develop broader awareness and a greater sense of empathy with others, both close and distant. We must be willing to seek new solutions, and leave behind old and tired debates. The Occupy movement is not just about redefining our institutions, it is about changing the ways we interrelate as human beings, and the ways we make decisions that affect each other. We invite all those who are dissatisfied with “the way things are” to spend the winter re-examining and re-evaluating the “truths” we have always been told – and to meet us in the parks and on the streets when we re-emerge in the Springtime of 2012. We will be posting information on our website, http://www.waynepeace.org, that may be helpful in this process.
We would like to express our gratitude to the many people who helped make this happen – first of all, to the Honesdale Borough Council, for allowing us to move forward; Assistant Borough Secretary Judy Poltanis and Public Works Director Rich Doney were very helpful. Grace Episcopal Church was, as ever, very generous in making its facilities available to the public. We wish to thank Mark Terwilliger, Dennis Keller, and “Banjo” Ron Streczyk for sharing their musical talents with us. We would also like to acknowledge the young men who staged a creative mock “counter-demonstration” Saturday afternoon, and whoever it was that set off some firecrackers in the early hours of Sunday morning – thank you for bothering to take notice. We are grateful to Andrea Heyn, Heidi Schneider, Nancy Dymond, and everyone else who brought food for us to share. Frank PeterSun of All American T Klothing and Kulture shared some of his T-shirts and artwork. And to those who stopped by with concrete offers of assistance and information – we shall move forward. “This is the beginning of the beginning.”
Finally, we wish to dedicate this action to the memory of Fran Hepburn of Callicoon, who passed away recently. Fran was with us from the beginnings of Waynepeace and our sister organization in Sullivan County NY, Sullivan Peace and Justice. She will be missed. | <urn:uuid:b01f94b1-9042-4bb0-9286-4549134531b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waynepeace.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963663 | 1,227 | 1.679688 | 2 |
(CNN) -- For 12 bloody, horrific months, Syrian dissidents and many world leaders have dreamt of one outcome for the Syrian crisis: the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
But who would take over the embattled country remains a mystery -- one that could be fueling the bloodshed that has already killed thousands.
Murhaf Jouejati, a Syrian-born scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said foreign leaders may be reluctant to take stronger action against the regime because no one knows who would come to power.
"I think the international community would like a scenario that would be as clear as possible: Who would they be dealing with? Do they have a vision for the future? Or will it be total chaos?" Jouejati said. "So this uncertainty is prolonging the life of the regime -- uncertainty both shared by Syrians sitting on the fence inside Syria and in the international community."
Exactly who would lead Syria, he said, depends on how al-Assad leaves.
A military coup
As remote as it may seem, al-Assad's downfall could come in the form of an internal coup, said former U.S. ambassador to Syria Edward Djerejian.
"In many ways, this would be the best outcome because there would be regime change," said Djerejian, director of Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.
But staging a military coup with high-level defectors may seem like a pipe dream -- one that could have deadly consequences.
"When generals get together, there are usually other generals looking over their shoulders," Jouejati said, making it difficult to carry out a rebellion among top officers with unanimous support and without retaliation.
In recent weeks, opposition activists have reported dozens of defected soldiers killed at the hands of the regime.
Yet "if the Assad regime collapses violently, it is most likely that elements of the Syrian National Council, along with others, take over as an interim government," Jouejati said.
The Syrian National Council
The Syrian National Council -- an opposition coalition whose leadership resides outside of Syria -- has gained recognition from the United States, France and other countries as a legitimate representative of the Syrian opposition.
Ausama Monajed, adviser to the president of the Syrian National Council, says his group already has a plan for a post-Assad era.
First, a presidential council would be formed in the transition phase to handle all affairs related to sovereignty, he said.
In addition, a transitional unity government would include opposition figures, representatives of revolutionary committees and "members of the regime who have no responsibility in crimes or major corruption," Monajed said.
That transitional government would oversee the organization of elections to designate a Constituent Assembly. The assembly would be tasked with drafting a new constitution, a political party law, and a new election law, and would oversee parliamentary and presidential elections, Monajed said.
But some analysts are skeptical about the Syrian National Council acting as an interim administrator.
"There's a lack of coordination amongst the insiders, and they represent the outsiders, not the insiders," Djerejian said. "It's not a coherent opposition leadership."
The current president of the council, Burhan Ghalioun, is based in Paris. Other leaders are based in the United States, London or elsewhere.
And footage of some protesters in Syria shows demonstrators proclaiming, "Ghalioun, you do not represent us." The SNC has also taken heat from some anti-Assad activists for not pushing harder on the international stage to help arm rebel fighters.
But Monajed disputes the notion that the coalition is full of expatriates.
"The Syrian National Council's majority of members are based inside Syria, but many of those names are not made public for their safety," he said. "The Syrian National Council is a broad-based coalition of political, religious and ethnic blocs added to the majority of grass-roots and revolutionary members from the coordinating committees."
Yet even if the SNC becomes a facilitator while a new government is formed, it's uncertain who would lead that group at the time of an al-Assad ouster; the SNC presidency has a term of three months.
A rebel military leader
Although numerous armed opposition groups emerged after the government's crackdown started, a top military defector from the rebel Higher Military Council announced last week that rebel forces have united under the leadership of the Free Syrian Army.
The FSA, comprised largely of al-Assad soldiers who have defected, is led by Col. Riad al-Asaad. But Jouejati doesn't think the rebel army's commander would be a shoo-in to lead Syria.
"There is the expectation of further defectors of the army -- maybe defectors of a higher rank than Col. Riad al-Asaad," he said.
Al-Asaad is commanding the FSA from Turkey. But Jouejati said there are no big names among rebel ranks inside Syria that are emerging as possible interim leaders.
"The Assad regime has been particularly good at exiling, arresting or even killing charismatic leaders," he said. "So there isn't one obvious leader."
The vice president
Then there's the possibility of Syria's vice president taking power after an al-Assad downfall.
"The opposition, at first, talked about Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa as interim president ... but this is becoming highly unlikely" as the carnage and anger mount in Syria, Jouejati said.
"The vice president has been left in a very weak political position. He has a very small staff, he does not control anything. He does not influence anything in Syrian decision-making," he said. "If the Assad regime collapses, he will collapse."
But Djerejian says the vice president could still come into play, and the al-Assad family could still exert influence.
"If something happens to Bashar al-Assad, and the Baath party and Alawites still remain in power, a vice president might still be in power. The family would still rule," Djerejian said.
Al-Assad's younger brother Maher commands an elite division of the Syrian army and is accused of widespread human rights abuses. His cousin Rami Makhlouf is the richest man in Syria.
The al-Assad family is Alawite, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Syria's Alawite minority has long dominated the Syrian government, despite a Sunni majority in the country.
But "even if someone from the regime takes over power, there is simply no going back to business as usual," Jouejati said. "This revolution has gone on too far, too long, and it has been too bloody. ... So Syria will be opening a new page."
How would al-Assad go?
Getting rid of the current regime means much more than just ousting Bashar al-Assad. It means uprooting 42 years of al-Assad family rule.
Ribal al-Assad, the president's cousin who is now a Syrian opposition activist in London, said Bashar al-Assad is "too scared to step down."
"I think he's very scared of the people around him and the different security apparatus," said Ribal al-Assad, founder and director of The Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria.
"His father built the state. His father rose (through) the ranks of the army. He had all power in his hand," Ribal al-Assad said. "Bashar is different. He inherited that system. He inherited all those people, he doesn't control them."
"It looks like the only way to get rid of that regime," he said, "is you have to pry away people around Bashar."
Another possibility, Djerejian said, is the president could go into exile.
Al-Assad does have options. Tunisia -- the cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings and the first clountry last year to oust its longtime ruler -- has offered asylum to the Syrian president in an attempt to spare further bloodshed.
And a cache of e-mails leaked to CNN indicates the daughter of Qatar's emir has suggested exile in Doha.
But al-Assad leads a dynastic regime that shows no sign of backing down.
"I think they're living in their own world of perception, and there's an aspect of delusion," Djerejian said.
To be objective, he said, the president still has support from the power elite, Alawites and other minorities "that are scared to death if he leaves, there'd be sectarian war. Better to live with the devil we know then than the devil we don't."
Jouejati acknowledges that if dissidents manage to oust the al-Assad regime, "there would be a very rapid mood change" among those proclaiming support for al-Assad.
"(But) most of these people you are not talking about, they are simply very, very fearful of what happens next," he said." They would prefer stability at any price instead of the unknown. I think when the unknown becomes the order of day, the Assad regime is past them, there will be a new mood, and they will smell the smells of freedom." | <urn:uuid:acee0d98-dd3e-4b5b-9b20-d438119b0593> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/26/world/meast/syria-next-leader/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971131 | 1,918 | 1.695313 | 2 |
There's a digital clock mounted above the door of Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser's office counting down the days until the launch of Porsche 918 Spyder. It's a constant reminder of what Walliser and his team have been tasked with. They're reinventing the supercar for the 21st century and we've traveled all the way to the high-security Nardo Test Track for an exclusive ride in the world's first plug-in hybrid supercar.
This is most definitely not a Prius.
Granted, it doesn't look like much right now. The original concept debuted two years ago at the Geneva Motor Expo and stole the show. Within months the Porsche board approved the project for production and engineers have been working overtime ever since.
The 918 prototype you see here was in bits and pieces just a few weeks ago, and it's one of only three in existence. The Porsche team assigned with 918 development arrived in Italy in early January and furiously began testing all the components before slapping together an assortment of chopped and mismatched 911 bodywork to get it ready for the track. And us.
Few outsiders get access to a vehicle this early in the development process – not even a cheap econobox, let alone a next-generation halo vehicle in Frankenstein form. But Porsche wants to show off what it's been up to and give us a taste of how it's reworking the recipe for world-beating performance.
The formula for the 918 starts in stereotypical supercar fashion: mount a race-bred V8 amidships that sends power to the rear wheels. In this case, Porsche pulled a variant of the 4.6-liter V8 originally fitted to the three-time ALMS LMP2 Championship-winning RS Spyder. That engine put out a comparatively paltry 503 horsepower, but fitted to the 918, output is up to 570 hp. That figure is before you account for the 918′s two electric motors, and it's also where the similarities to past supercars ends. Abruptly.
As opposed to most engines, the eight cylinders' exhaust outlets exit in the middle of the V, driving spent hydrocarbons out and over the engine into a muffler fitted atop the engine. That means heat in the engine compartment is kept to a minimum and – in an ingenious bit of form following function – a duo of exhaust outlets protrude upwards like two titanium trumpets signaling to the heavens. And it gets better.
The 918 Spyder is a full parallel hybrid, with a 90 kW electric motor sandwiched between the engine and seven-speed transmission. Easy enough for a Toyota, but Porsche takes things three steps further.
Another 80 kW electric motor is mounted on the front axle, powering the two front wheels and effectively making the 918 all-wheel-drive on-demand. That motor alone is good enough to get the 918 up to speed and driving around town on just electricity for 16 miles, but the combination of the two electric motors – on their own more powerful than the 1974 911 Turbo – and the mid-engine V8 singing at 9,000 rpm brings total output up to 770 hp, with an even more impressive 553 pound-feet of torque available across the rev range.
Flick the steering wheel mounted switch into "Hot Lap" mode and in third gear Porsche claims you'll be thrusted forward with an overboosted total of 700 lb-ft of twist. That's good for a zero to 60 mph run of less than 3 seconds, 124 mph in less than 9 seconds and on to a top speed of 202 mph. And if you've got enough juice from the liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery pack, you can hit 90 mph without using a single drop of fuel.
Topping up that 6.8 kWh battery pack mounted behind the passenger compartment will take around six hours on a traditional 110-volt outlet, but Porsche will supply owners with a quick-charging setup that will reduce that time to 2 hours. Engineers we spoke with also mentioned that they're working on an even more robust charging setup that could bring that time down to 20 minutes, because, in their words, "Porsche wants to do everything faster."
But the enemy of fast is weight. It's something Fisker learned the hard way with its nearly three-ton plug-in hybrid Karma and it's been nothing short of an obsession with the 918′s engineers.
The entire chassis is a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum, including the passenger compartment and associated crash structure, which weighs in at a scant 485 pounds. Carbon fiber construction has come a long way since Porsche's last super car, the Carrera GT, and Porsche illustrates that by pointing out that the passenger tub of the GT took five days to make. Today, they can crank out five 918 tubs a day thanks to new innovations in composites and assembly methods.
All told, the production version will tip the scales at less than 3,700 pounds – not bad for something packing a brace of batteries – but more importantly, nearly 80-percent of the weight is below the centerline of the car, giving the 918 the proper amount of grip to match it's hybrid-electrified go.
All this sounds phenomenal until we realize that due to the lack of bodywork and its associated affect on grip and downforce, today during testing, the engine/motor combo is only configured to output 50-percent of what's available – a mere 400 hp and a redline of only 6,000 rpm. More frustratingly, because of instability at speed, our ride will max out at around 80 mph. But getting up to that speed is the interesting part.
We strap into the carbon fiber bucket seat on the passenger side, a five-point race harness holding us tightly inside the sparse cabin and our posterior a scant 10 inches off the ground.
One of the lead engineers flicks a few toggle switches on a makeshift aluminum panel below the windshield and selects one of five driving modes. The first is "E-Power", the all-electric setting, and a second later he nails the throttle to the floor and we're whisked up to speed in near complete silence. Acceleration is rapid, but far from brutal, with the only noise coming from the massive tires scrubbing the tarmac and wind rushing around the cobbled together body work.
A hundred yards down the track, he bypasses the standard "Hybrid" mode, which blends electric and engine power for optimum efficiency, and sets the system to "Sport Hybrid". The mid-engine V8 bursts to life and it sounds like the Cookie Monster is shouting in our ear through a megaphone. Another matting of the throttle has us maxing out at our engineering-imposed top speed in seconds, at which point our pilot slams on the carbon-ceramic brakes and flips a quick U-turn.
A moment later we're back up to speed and doing a flyby passed the assembled engineers before the driver expertly flicks the wheel left and right a half-dozen times. With the weight so centralized, body roll is completely and utterly nonexistent. The 918 stays perfectly flat with each undulation, the adaptive dampers working in concert with the torque vectoring traction control and rear-wheel steering.
Another U-turn and we're back in the pits, more impressed with the overall balance than the sheer force of the 918. But then again, we're only working at half its potential. Things can only get better once the finalized body work is applied and the engine/motor combo sorted out. But Walliser and his crew have time, as the first of 918 production examples won't go on sale until September 18, 2013.
All images: Porsche
This story originally appeared on Wired: Autopia on March 19, 2012, and was republished with permission.
Email us with the subject line "Syndication" if you would like to see your own story syndicated here on Jalopnik. | <urn:uuid:dc4ceb1a-44e6-4e68-af27-6a38d8ca8cc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jalopnik.com/5894878/a-ride-in-the-worlds-first-plug+in-hybrid-supercar?popular=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948713 | 1,649 | 1.789063 | 2 |
We investigate the properties of tilted fibre gratings written using two techniques namely UV laser with phase mask inscription in hydrogenated fibre and point-by-point femtosecond IR inscription in non-photo-sensitised fibre. The intended application of this work is for laser light delivery from the side of an intravenous optical fibre for cauterising biological tissue in surgical procedures. Consequently, broad bandwidth gratings capable of withstanding temperatures of 100's ºC are required. We have produced phase-mask-inscripted gratings with tilt angles of up to 8o, with an efficient and rapid writing process (exposure times of a few minutes are required). Point-by-point inscripted gratings have also been produced and have the advantage of being highly thermally stable (up to 600ºC) and offer the prospect of suitable bandwidths through careful design of the grating. We will present an investigation of these two grating structures and their reflection and transmission spectra (which characterise their cladding and radiation mode coupling properties and are essential to the design of side-firing fibres). | <urn:uuid:762c527b-4558-4e39-a0f6-3cd7f1ddccc8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:6312?exact=subject%3A%22020599+Optical+Physics+not+elsewhere+classified%22&highlights=false | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94268 | 227 | 1.617188 | 2 |
In her annual report to Congress, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson recently noted that liens used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a tax enforcement strategy were ineffective and potentially did more harm than good to the taxpayer and to the agency itself.
According to Olson, lien filings by the IRS experienced a meteoric 475% increase between 1999 and 2009, jumping from 168,000 in FY 1999 to nearly 966,000 a decade later. On the other hand, over the same period, inflation-adjusted collection revenue fell by 7.4%.
Olson also noted that the automated system the IRS uses to file liens doesn't account for the taxpayer's ability to actually pay down the debt, meaning the liens only have the effect of making the taxpayer less eligible for credit and damaging their already wounded financial viability. By failing to consider the other debts owed by the taxpayer, she noted, the IRS has involuntarily lead many into long-term noncompliance.
"Any taxpayer with these debts will tell you that these creditors don't go away," Olson said. "Taxpayers are placed in the intolerable position of agreeing to pay the IRS more than they can actually afford, given their other debts, and then defaulting on the IRS payment arrangements when they channel payments to unsecured creditors in order to get some peace. Thus, the IRS itself fosters noncompliance by its failure to take a holistic approach to the taxpayer’s debt situation."
Criticism of the agency came quickly from Capitol Hill. "The point of IRS restructuring and the creation of the taxpayer advocate's office itself was to restore taxpayers' rights after the IRS had engaged in heavy-handed enforcement tactics," said Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, whose jurisdiction includes tax policy. "I worry that the IRS is reverting to some old habits to taxpayers' detriment."
Grassley also criticized the gap between the IRS' treatment of larger firms and their treatment of smaller businesses. "There seems to be more interest at the highest levels of Treasury and the IRS in helping big banks than working with small business owners and average taxpayers," he said. "The placement of liens on the little guys shouldn't be automatic and computer-generated while the big banks get the benefit of agency discretion and concern in the executive offices. One, it's unfair, and two, it's bad for the economy. Small businesses create 70% of all net new jobs."
Jacob Barron, NACM staff writer | <urn:uuid:f16c31d2-1c07-4a1f-9883-9deef8439735> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nacm.org/component/content/article/675.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970891 | 510 | 1.6875 | 2 |
In 1967, Ford set out to dominate the SS/E class of NHRA drag racing with the introduction of the '68 Cobra Jet Mustang. It was a simple body in white with a slightly better version of the 428-inch FE, a four-speed, and some factory-installed drag racing goodies like dual-electric fuel pumps and a trunk-mounted battery. In the Apr. '68 issue of Car Craft, Managing Editor John Raffa brought one out to Pomona for some photographs and drag testing. With Don Nicholson at the wheel, the car ran a best time of 11.67 at 119 mph--not bad for an iron-headed FE. Now Ford is at it again.
The idea for another Cobra Jet Mustang was hatched after the introduction of the FR500C, which was built by Ford Racing to compete in the Grand Am Cup. Both the success of the road racing Grand Am car and the popularity of the street-based Mustang made the drag racing version of the car the next logical step. At the time, the Lightning truck and the '03 to '04 Cobra already had supercharged engines, so the guys at Ford Racing were looking toward a similar engine. They also knew about the impending '07 GT500 street car and its supercharged 5.4L, so they waited for a derivative of that engine to become available.
The Cobra Jet starts with the V-6 Mustang interior and the radio and heater controls are d
Between the hatching of the idea in 2005 and the introduction of the GT500 in 2007, there was a lot of buzz about the 40th anniversary of the Cobra Jet in 2008. Ford Racing committed to the Mustang drag car build, and the name Cobra Jet was a perfect fit.
Amazingly, in April 2008, the Cobra Jet plan became a reality at Ford Racing headquarters, and by December of that year, Ford Racing was delivering cars.
The initial build number was set at 50 to fit the NHRA minimum and to keep the car exclusive. To assemble the car, the body, fascia, instrument panel, and major subassemblies from Automotive Alliance Industries (AAI) in Flat Rock, Michigan, were shipped to the Ford Racing assembly facility in Livonia, Michigan. The engine was assembled separately at the Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan, and also shipped to the assembly facility. In Livonia, the rollcage and engine compartment block-off plates were welded in place, then the body was repainted and sent back into a special assembly line composed of four assembly areas to complete the car.
The car was built specifically for the NHRA Stock Eliminator class and cannot be used on the street since it doesn't have a VIN. The horsepower-to-weight rating of 425 hp to 3,240 pounds makes the car fit into the AA/S class. The 50 cars were sold out within three days of the June 2008 official announcement. Because they are off-road only, they were sold through the Ford dealers' parts departments. To get the cars, the dealer had to sign a contract to get them delivered and then sell them individually for $69,995.
At this time, all 50 Cobra Jets are in customer hands and at least four will be at the Winternationals in Pomona, California, for racing. By the end of this year, the plan is to have a Cobra Jet compete in all seven divisions of the NHRA. Check one out in person if you can.
Want To Clone One?
Why don't you buy a Mustang GT and build one yourself? We've seen '05 Mustang GTs for as little as $12,500 on eBay. Let's say you got a car loan for $11K with $1,000 down. That would be about $250 to $300 per month for 60 months. Then you could buy a supercharger from Ford Racing, seat covers, a shifter, and one of those Cobra rear medallions and have your own 550hp Cobra replica for a fraction of the cost of the new stuff--and it would be street legal as well. Ford Racing offers all the parts to get it done, and it's cheaper than building a '66 Chevelle. Just a thought.
The Cobra Jet will be equipped with a six-speed transmission from the GT500. Two will be e
Because the wipers are deleted, a secondary firewall is removed, making more room in the e
This is the standard graphics package. It is essentially a body in white with the Cobra Je | <urn:uuid:97bbff83-82d9-4e37-a7f9-d064e809dfa5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0905_2008_cobra_jet_mustang/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966887 | 927 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Arthur Laffer outlines the unprecedented expansion of the monetary base that the Federal Reserve has engineered:
About eight months ago, starting in early September 2008, the Bernanke Fed did an abrupt about-face and radically increased the monetary base — which is comprised of currency in circulation, member bank reserves held at the Fed, and vault cash — by a little less than $1 trillion. The Fed controls the monetary base 100% and does so by purchasing and selling assets in the open market. By such a radical move, the Fed signaled a 180-degree shift in its focus from an anti-inflation position to an anti-deflation position.
The percentage increase in the monetary base is the largest increase in the past 50 years by a factor of 10 (see chart nearby). It is so far outside the realm of our prior experiential base that historical comparisons are rendered difficult if not meaningless. The currency-in-circulation component of the monetary base — which prior to the expansion had comprised 95% of the monetary base — has risen by a little less than 10%, while bank reserves have increased almost 20-fold. Now the currency-in-circulation component of the monetary base is a smidgen less than 50% of the monetary base. Yikes!
The Fed thinks it can sop up the monetary excess when the time comes to ward off inflation. Laffer explains why it isn’t going to happen and adds: “For me the issue is how to protect assets for my grandchildren.” How about those of us who have to provide for ourselves?
JOHN adds: If banking in general and the Fed’s role in monetary policy are as fuzzy to you as they are to most people, you may find our podcast Ask the Economist illuminating. I’ll give away the ending, though: economist King Baniain thinks it is highly unlikely that the Fed will be able to carry out its metaphorical “sopping up” exercise so as to prevent damaging inflation some time in the next few years. | <urn:uuid:d10cc0ec-11ce-4b34-87d7-48f50bdf32cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/06/the-looming-inflation.php?tsize=large&tsize=small | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958754 | 416 | 1.765625 | 2 |
princessofbalance at 4:32PM, Sept. 24, 2007
how to make a good expressive character
you see what's even more important than your art syle or the cleaniess of your lines is the expressions on a characters face which helps the reader to under stand how the situation has affected them.
use a mirror and copy from your own face and encorporate it u=onto your characters along with the shape of the mouths the highlights in the eyes and how the teeth are shaped.
even the shape of the ears can convey expressions think of characters with long ears that you've seen don't their ears droop when there sad or perk up when they're happy,aroused or eager. look around at your favorite artists works.
also the thickness of your lines helps to make the expressions more original. Also think of ways to convey emotion in a way that is different from anyone else. | <urn:uuid:e157385a-42c6-45b4-99fc-75c91e004a76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drunkduck.com/tutorial/342/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957936 | 187 | 1.726563 | 2 |
To some it will be regarded as tantamount to striking an angel to utter any criticism of Sir Alf Ramsey, manager of England from 1963 to 1974. After all, he did help win the World Cup in 1966 - an event fit to rank with Crecy, Agincourt and Waterloo in some minds. But I always disliked the man, the manager and what he stood for.
There are three counts in my indictment: he was a humourless boor, he was the epitome of negativity and his legend far outstrips his actual achievement. No man without a sense of humour is ever any damn good, and Ramsey raised humourlessness to a fine art. He liked to talk in a clipped, pedantic manner that he presumably mistook for style, but the only amusing thing about him was the way he mangled the English language. 'Inasmuch as' became in Ramseyspeak 'inasmuch that' and he invariably called what everyone else termed the World Cup 'the World Cup competition' as if the final noun conveyed an extra layer of meaning.
As a manager, Ramsey turned football into a negative contest of attrition, predicated on the massed defence. Watch any England game from his era and it always appears that there are at least 22 white shirts clustered around the penalty area. The Ramsey method was simple: defend in such depth that the opposition eventually becomes exhausted or just plain bored, and then one of the mediocre England forwards can slip out and score a single goal. This was why so many of these games ended 1-0, one way or the other. European Nations Cup 1968: England 1 Spain 0; England 0 Yugoslavia 1. World Cup 1970: England 1 Czechoslovakia 0; England 1 Romania 0; England 0 Brazil 1.
To hammer home the point that defence was everything, Ramsey liked to employ a particularly thuggish sort of 'stopper', best typified by midfielder Norbert ('Nobby') Stiles and defender Norman 'Bites Your Legs' Hunter, whose contribution to the beautiful game was to lame the Yugoslavia star Ivica Osim in the 1968 European Championship game. Ramsey, on the whole, had no time for exciting players and was always suspicious of the flamboyant Jimmy Greaves. Thanks to Ramsey the idea caught on that it doesn't matter how excruciatingly tedious a game is as long as you win. The 'professional foul', the offside trap and the whole panoply of teams essentially lacking in skill were part of his legacy. I have long believed that the only way to deal with Ramsey and his negative, defensive heirs is to abolish the absurd offside rule, widen the pitch and widen the goals.
But it is the 1966 'triumph' that seems to me the most unacceptable part of the Ramsey legend. The plain truth is that the 1966 competition was third in banality only to the fiascos of 1990 and 1994 in the entire history of the World Cup. To win the cup a team needs to have at least half a dozen first-class players. Ramsey had but three - Banks, Charlton and Moore - and faced the problem of how to parlay this into a winning combination.
There were in fact four better teams than England in the 1966 finals (Hungary, the Soviet Union, West Germany and Argentina), but the hosts secured a remarkably simple path to the final. England avoided their main rivals in the group stage but then faced a formidable Argentina team, who had qualified with the West Germans, in the quarter-finals. Man for man, the Argentinians were superior to Ramsey's squad and they had in their captain, Antonio Rattin, the finest midfielder in the world at that time. How to sweep away this obstacle? With 10 minutes left in the first half, a German referee sent Rattin off for 'violence of the tongue', even though the referee spoke no Spanish; by this criterion Wayne Rooney would already have been banned for several lifetimes. The 10-man Argentina team struggled on, only to succumb - you've guessed it - 1-0. In a match being played the same day, an English referee sent off two Uruguayans in their match against West Germany, handing the Germans an easy victory.
Coincidence? Many people have thought not. I remember speaking to the great Billy Wright in Bogota in 1970 and he told me that the Rattin dismissal was the most suspicious act he had witnessed in a lifetime of football. The controversy over the final, when England scored a third 'goal' in extra time against Germany, has become a cause célèbre, but video evidence has never established conclusively that it was a goal and more often suggests that it should have been disallowed.
The 1966 World Cup was a murky business that has never been cleared up satisfactorily, but it is on this dubious foundation that Ramsey's reputation as a saviour has been built. Only one World Cup has produced a more obvious example of corruption and that was in 1978, when Peru rolled over and allowed the hosts Argentina to score six goals against them and thus qualify for the final.
It is difficult to see what there is worthwhile about the absurd Ramsey cult that still exerts such a powerful sway. If we are going to accept a humourless, cynical, negative opportunist as one of our sporting heroes, of what calibre will the villains have to be?
· Frank McLynn's latest book is 1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World (Random House) | <urn:uuid:6e473ce4-ef05-4787-89e6-7124286f7402> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2005/oct/02/features.sport12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975077 | 1,117 | 1.625 | 2 |
building Security Into the Cloud
By Samuel Greengard
Over the past few years, businesses have steadily marched into the cloud in pursuit of greater productivity and IT efficiency. Many have discovered that cloud computing unlocks gains that wouldn't have been imaginable only a few years ago.
Yet, for all the progress—nearly 97 percent of organizations use some form of clouds, according to the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA)—huge questions and concerns about securing this data remain.
"Cloud computing and software as a service are rapidly emerging as mission-critical functions," states Jack Sepple, global managing director of cloud computing for consulting firm Accenture. "The technology and tools provide new opportunities for businesses, but also create new concerns and risks related to security."
Although clouds require many of the same protections that IT departments have used over the years—patching, encryption, malware protection, endpoint security and data loss prevention, to name a few—they also need a more "comprehensive and overarching approach," he notes.
Navigating this new cloudscape isn't an option. ODCA predicts that half of all its member firms (mostly larger companies such as BMW, China Unicom, Deutsche Bank and Lockheed Martin) will have 40 percent or more of their IT operations in private clouds by 2015, and a quarter will run more than 40 percent of their operations in public clouds.
Gary Loveland, principal at PwC, says that companies must move beyond a fear of clouds. "We have moved into a new era of computing and the cloud is an important part of the picture," he points out.
Into the Clouds
One thing that makes cloud security so challenging is how rapidly the technology and overall cloud environment is evolving. An infrastructure that's state of the art today may be obsolete several months down the line.
What's more, cloud technology may force an organization to re-examine long-existing policies and strategies. Although much of the fear of clouds is rooted in the fact that the data often resides outside the four walls of the enterprise, there are real-world risks associated with cloud computing.
In reality, cloud security, like all enterprise security, involves more than technology and technical acumen. It encompasses legal issues, regulatory and compliance requirements, and internal training, as well as addressing the persistent threat of outside attack.
As businesses move into clouds, including software as a service and infrastructure as a service, it's crucial to build a broad security framework that unleashes the potential of clouds, while protecting against intrusions, data leakage and other risks.
It's a concept that Clayton Holdings has made a core part of its business and IT practices. The company, which has about 650 employees located in five U.S. offices, provides consulting, loan review and credit risk management services for banks, mortgage lenders, investors and insurers.
"The cloud was a very scary concept to a lot of people working at Clayton Holdings," notes John Cowles, vice president of intelligent business operations. Nevertheless, in September 2008, the company migrated to an Appian business process management (BPM) system running in the cloud. This approach helped the firm gain key functionality quickly, while decreasing its capital investment.
The project was the company's first major foray into cloud computing and, with highly sensitive data such as names, street addresses, loan balances, social security numbers and other details residing in its IT systems, "we had to make sure we didn't wind up in the news," Cowles acknowledges.
In addition to using conventional security tools such as authentication, malware protection and data loss prevention (DLP), Clayton decided not to store any personal identifiable information (PII) in the cloud. Instead, he built a system that could connect any or all data on an on-demand basis once a user is authenticated through the internal network. A system separates PII about customers from their records using an internal ID. Clayton also relies on a VPN to ensure that all communication remains encrypted.
Employees use a special form that retrieves the cloud-based data and generates a full record from the BPM system. "We conducted a detailed analysis up front, and included input from our security and legal teams, so we knew that we had a high comfort level with the cloud," Cowles says.
"It's critical to put the right controls, as well as checks and balances, in place. Yet, it's also important to get past the notion that you don't have control if the data doesn't reside within the systems in your enterprise."
PwC's Loveland says that clouds are just another tool or avenue of IT that must be addressed. "Organizations must dive in with their eyes wide open, take a proactive approach, and understand where data is stored, how it's stored and how it all relates to security and privacy issues," he advises. "It's about knowing what protections the cloud provider offers and what you need to do internally, and then building an infrastructure that minimizes risks."
A basic but often overlooked reality is that all data is not created or valued equally. Consequently, as organizations migrate to the cloud, they must address data classification issues.
According to Accenture, it's crucial to invest time and effort classifying data up front and distinguishing between security and data privacy. Only then can a business fully understand the value of data and how to handle each class. For example, non-regulated and low-sensitivity data can be safely stored in a public cloud without modification, while highly sensitive data may be better stored in private clouds or may require much tighter controls.
A Mix of Public and Private Clouds
Sorting through the dizzying array of issues related to cloud computing is something that Avatar New York has placed on a front burner. The marketing and e-business provider -- which claims clients such as Bergdorf Goodman, Sapporo and Yamaha -- has moved into a mix of public and private clouds to manage complex client projects.
Avatar uses Rackspace to ramp up the number of servers and computing resources as needed and relies on Puppet Labs to handle IT administration in the cloud. "Since we are managing valuable customer information, we have rigorous security requirements," explains Patrick Tully, chief technology officer.
The company also turned to CloudPassage and its Halo cloud protection software to secure its public cloud servers.
"Public clouds are extremely dynamic in nature, with IP addresses and other configuration settings subject to change if the server instance is rebooted," Tully says. "This causes all sorts of problems relating to host-security controls that rely on a static environment to operate."
To be sure, the software makes it easier to add servers and computing bandwidth within minutes, while also ensuring that all are airtight and adhere to compliance requirements before they are exposed to the Internet. The entire process is automated using Puppet scripts. Altogether, Avatar now operates more than 50 servers in the cloud.
Accenture's Sepple says that a cloud environment can actually be safer than servers residing in an enterprise data center. In the end, it's largely about taking a step back and examining best practices involving the cloud.
Once an organization understands its privacy and security risks, classifies data and establishes clearly defined roles surrounding security, other pieces fall into place. At that point, it's essential to find a cloud provider that offers a high level of transparency—including who it might subcontract with and what chain of controls exist—and then put the proper identify and access management pieces in place.
PwC's Loveland says that it's vital to determine the optimal mix of public, private and hybrid clouds, and examine how all types of technology (including mobile technology and social media) affect the cloud,. Mobile device management solutions and other technology management tools become more important in this new order of technology. It's also crucial to educate and train employees.
"Cloud computing is rapidly moving into the mainstream of the enterprise, Loveland points out, "so building the right protections is critical." | <urn:uuid:46ee007f-7d69-470d-8cc7-c61571293265> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baselinemag.com/print/cloud-computing/building-security-into-the-cloud-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958136 | 1,625 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Wales and Northern Ireland rebuke on GCSEs announcement
Wales' education minister and his Northern Irish counterpart have rebuked the UK education secretary about changes to the exam system.
Leighton Andrews and John O'Dowd complained about not being consulted before it emerged the UK government was considering changes to GCSEs.
They wrote to Michael Gove to raise concerns about a lack of prior notice.
The UK education secretary's department said it had to do what was best for English students.
It comes after it emerged that Mr Gove was considering scrapping GCSEs.
Media reports last month revealed a possible return to O-level style exams in England.
The news came as a surprise to the Welsh government which has launched its own review into qualifications.'Mixed messages'
End Quote Leighton Andrews and John O'Dowd Wales and Northern Ireland education ministers
Earlier involvement with us, or our officials, in the policy development process would reduce the risk of misunderstanding”
GCSEs are sat by teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own qualifications systems.
Mr Andrews and Mr O'Dowd wrote to Mr Gove after a meeting last month.
They said it was important that there was communication between the three administrations before any announcements on proposed changes to jointly owned qualifications.
There was a "shared obligation" to avoid causing confusion by sending out "mixed messages", they said.
"Earlier involvement with us, or our officials, in the policy development process would reduce the risk of misunderstanding," they said.
"We believe it would serve our learners and other stakeholders far better if we were to be aware of and sufficiently prepared for announcements which may impact on learners across the three administrations.
"We would, therefore, welcome the opportunity to meet you to discuss how we can put in place the necessary protocols to ensure that we are all aware of each other's intentions and that there is appropriate liaison prior to any future announcements."
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said last month that neither he nor the prime minister knew of the proposal to scrap GCSEs in England until they read it in the papers.
But No 10 sources said the PM did know the details but that they had not been submitted for formal government discussion.
A Department for Education spokesman said: "It's down to the Welsh and Northern Irish administrations to decide how to run their education systems - and down to us to do what is best for English students.
"All the evidence - from parents, the best schools and our leading universities - is that we need reform of GCSEs and A levels so that they are rigorous and match the best in the world.
"We must raise standards and make our qualifications world-class." | <urn:uuid:bed186b7-b0f3-4417-ad51-f3aaf0fbdf32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-19078094 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973097 | 564 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Manning to get day in court
America’s biggest alleged leaker to face first hearing
December 16 has been named as the date for the first hearing in the military trial for PFC Bradley Manning, a mere 18 months after he was first arrested.
The date for the Article 32 hearing for Manning, who was incarcerated on suspicion of being Wikileaks’ source for the “diplomatic cables”, was announced by defence attorney David Coombs in a blog post.
The Article 32 hearing is a military pre-trial, in which the accusations and evidence will be tested to see whether they’re likely to hold up in a full trial. Coombes’ office expects the hearing to last five days, and will be open except when classified information is being discussed.
The US government’s accusations against Manning include “aiding the enemy”, a capital charge for which the government’s lawyers have magnanimously said they won’t seek the death penalty; as well as theft of public property or records; computer fraud; breaches of the Espionage Act; and wrongfully publishing intelligence information on the Internet knowing it would be accessible to the enemy.
The hearing will take place in Fort Meade.
Manning was arrested in Kuwait after ex-hacker Adrian Lamo identified him as the source of the infamous “Wikileaks video”, which showed a helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 targeting unarmed civilians.
Coombes' team says it will not be responding to requests for interviews, given the effort required to prepare for the hearing. ® | <urn:uuid:d69b33d8-e17a-4919-8266-71b6aebb6f1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/21/manning_to_face_article_32_hearing/print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957363 | 330 | 1.554688 | 2 |
KENYA has sent a request to the European Union to review its ban on miraa to avert further losses to local farmers and traders, Trade PS Abdulrazaq Ali has said.
Ali said while the recent ban on the drug in Netherlands has led to massive losses for traders, there is nothing much the government can do other than to simply request for a review on the European policy on miraa or khat use in those countries. Ali said the request was made last week in the face of an impending possible ban from UK.
"These are European regulations all we can do is request for a review," said Ali. "I can't tell you whether we have made any headway."
Last week UK's national broadcaster BBC reported that the country's Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs is to release a report anytime this week on whether khat- as miraa is referred to there- should be banned in the UK.
This, the report said, was due to mounting pressure on the government to follow suit of other European nations to ban the drug which is popular with Somali, Yemeni, African and Middle East Immigrants.
According to the Nyambene Miraa Traders Association, London is Kenya's biggest foreign market for miraa with a volume of over 30 tonnes exported week while Netherlands was the second largest with a volume of between 18 and 20 tonnes per week. Ali was speaking during the opening of the Kenya-South Africa business forum in Nairobi yesterday. | <urn:uuid:80039e52-ec37-4e88-835c-a6e694edc0a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allafrica.com/stories/201301231451.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978172 | 298 | 1.570313 | 2 |
- "Someone...or something...has been biding its time, while the feuding Imperial factions distracted our attention..."
- ―Mon Mothma
It was applied to the collective military campaigns that the reborn Emperor Palpatine launched in an attempt to retake control of the galaxy for the Galactic Empire. These were essentially "wave assaults" from Byss and the rest of the Deep Core.
Initially, the Galactic Empire retreated from the territory gained during the Thrawn Campaign, the Imperial fleets moving to the Deep Core at Emperor Palpatine's secret command. The New Republic Defense Fleet followed the crumbling frontline deep into the Outer Rim Territories, sending more ships rimward to engage the Ciutric Hegemony and the Kaarenth Dissension in Corva sector, leaving Coruscant and the Core Worlds relatively undefended.
The Imperial fleet besieged Metellos and the Kaikielius system, and the New Republic abandoned the capital. The Galactic Empire was restored, and the New Republic became referred to as the Rebel Alliance again overnight.
The Imperial Civil WarEdit
It was not long after the Empire secured the Core that everything started to collapse. Any appearance of Imperial unity vanished, and the Empire fell into a full civil war. Using captured Star Destroyers, the Alliance helped along the anarchy, as entire worlds were destroyed, and warfleets gathered around Imperial worlds such as Gyndine and Aargau. New fortress worlds came into being, and Coruscant was turned into a wasteland.
The reborn Emperor watched, claiming such actions thinned the ranks of the weak and the cowards. In a perverse mirror of the numerous Sith Civil Wars, Palpatine watched his war machine tear itself apart, destroying entire worlds and massacring civilians.
Palpatine retook control of the Empire shortly after capturing Luke Skywalker, sending the Imperial Navy and fleets of World Devastators to attack the Borderland Regions, pushing on Mon Calamari, and intending to split the rebel territory in half. The Battle of Mon Calamari cost the Empire its newest superweapon, and eventually its Emperor, as he fell at the Battle of Da Soocha, where Luke Skywalker defected back to the Alliance. Skywalker then began building his own New Jedi Order to defeat the Emperor and his Dark Side Elite.
Despite these setbacks, the military campaign was taken over by Executor Sedriss QL, who struck at recalcitrant worlds in the Core and the Colonies, attacking numerous worlds in the Slice and the weapon factories at Balmorra. After his ground forces were repulsed at the Battle of Balmorra and Captain Veers was killed in action, the campaign stalled long enough for Sedriss to take a shipment of battle droids from the Balmorran factories as part of a truce. The Emperor returned once again, albeit in a clone weakened by genetic tampering from a traitorous Imperial Ruling Council and the Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax. The Empire was not yet exhausted, however, taking its once-again near-infinite resources and constructing the Galaxy Gun, a massive interstellar-range artillery gun which turned the tide against the rebels, as the Emperor used it to destroy world after world.
With the destruction of the rebel bases on Da Soocha and in Space City thanks to the Galaxy Gun, the Rebel Alliance scattered, vanishing into the galaxy. The Empire, for all senses and purposes, had won, driving the Alliance into complete hiding.
However, in opposition to this military victory was the Emperor's waning health, and he led efforts to capture Anakin Solo to use as a bodily vessel, turning military resources against the Jedi. Taking the Eclipse-class dreadnought Eclipse II to Onderon, the Emperor engaged the Alliance and Jedi. Catastrophe followed, with the Emperor being finally defeated and the Eclipse II launched towards Byss due to the sabotage of the astromech droid R2-D2, where it rammed the Galaxy Gun and caused it to fire a missile into Byss, destroying the throneworld and the Imperial fleet around it. This effectively cut the heart from the Empire both politically and militarily.
The campaign started with the Empire holding half the galaxy at the end of 9 ABY, and saw the Empire lose most of this newly captured territory in the weeks following Grand Admiral Thrawn's death, only to consolidate half of the galaxy again under the clone Emperor. Subsequent to expanding further, the Emperor was finally killed and the Empire abandoned Coruscant and the Core Worlds, splitting yet still consolidating control of a third of the galaxy - more than what the Empire initially held before Grand Admiral Thrawn returned.
The majority of the Imperial fleet retreated into the Deep Core in the aftermath, Blitzer Harrsk and Treuten Teradoc becoming the primary warlords, the Pentastar Alignment remaining a major Imperial power in the Outer Rim, and fortress worlds with little fleet strength holding out throughout Imperial territory. The Empire proper was held by the Imperial Ruling Council under Emperor Carnor Jax, but that didn't last long after Byss's destruction.
The Empire's fleets thereafter, however, were severely decimated, with the most powerful Deep Core warlord, Admiral Teradoc, only fielding seventy Victory-class Star Destroyers. The unification of the Deep Core under Admiral Natasi Daala, which held the majority of the Imperial Fleet, saw less than two hundred Star Destroyers gather under her banner.
The New Republic was similarly decimated in the fighting, barely claiming membership of 11,000 worlds by 16 ABY, and fielding only four fleets as opposed to both sides fielding hundreds of Sector Fleets. During the Shadow Hand Campaign, the Republic retreated into the Outer Rim, placing its main bases inside Hutt Space, the Cron Drift and the Corporate Sector, rather than in territory accessible to or largely a part of the mainstream galaxy. The Republic never saw massive membership until it finally defeated the Empire at the Battle of Anx Minor, forcing it back to only eight sectors.
Operation Shadow Hand was the last major action of a Sith-led Empire, and the following years would see the Empire move further and further away from the Sith, until political relations were non-existent. A portion of the Empire remained under the control of the Sith apprentice Carnor Jax, but his death saw only isolated factions of Sith or Dark Jedi-led Imperials emerge, such as the Empire Reborn and the Disciples of Ragnos. Eventually the relationship soured, and during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the reigning Dark Lady Lumiya attacked the Imperial Remnant in the Battle of Yaga Minor. Eventually, the Second Empire, following the Fel dynasty, would be at war with the Sith by 130 ABY.
- 10 ABY
- 11 ABY
- Dark Empire (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
- Dark Empire II (First identified as Operation Shadow Hand)
- Empire's End
- Crimson Empire 0 (Appears in flashback(s))
- Crimson Empire (Appears in flashback(s))
- Dark Apprentice (Mentioned only)
- Children of the Jedi (Mentioned only)
- Dark Empire endnotes
- Dark Empire Sourcebook (First identified as Shadow Hand Strategy)
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- "ComicScan: Taken By Force" — Star Wars Galaxy 8
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- The Essential Chronology
- The New Essential Chronology
- Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
- Coruscant and the Core Worlds
- Jedi Academy Training Manual
- The Essential Atlas
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
Notes and referencesEdit | <urn:uuid:3a4e9d00-f9c1-4811-b93e-719ab1facf97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Operation_Shadow_Hand | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940563 | 1,599 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Key to Understanding Tahrir Square: Swarm Intelligence
The Arab Revolutions change everything. Or at least: a lot. We have to reconsider the entire picture. It is a geopolitical paradigm shift. But I cannot even start to tackle all this. Let’s start with trying to begin to understand this new form of self organising protest. A while ago I made some notes on ‘swarm intelligence’. I dropped them as misty, premature musings. Now they make sense to me, in a very concrete way. Here my notes (written somewhere end 2009):
Recently intelligent behaviour of swarms (ants, bees, birds, bats and fish, but also mammals) has been studied and this sort of survival of and by big quantities has been called ‘swarm intelligence’. It truly is one of the wonders of nature. Herd mentality is a well known word to point to the same phenomenon but it is old fashioned: the individual is intelligent (at best) but the mass is stupid (by essence). It is a basic ideological presumption of much ethico-political philosophy, from Seneca to the present. Swarm intelligence is a contemporary concept and reverses the logic: the swarm is more intelligent than small groups of intelligent animals. Gnus crossing the river en masse are more successful against crocodiles than the more intelligent but small groups of zebras. A swarm of small birds is swirling so close at such speed that a prey bird can seriously hurt itself if it dives into it. In a similar vein small fish move so fast and close that much bigger predators can’t get a prey as it behaves as mist, as an ever changing cloud. Maybe it is this swarm intelligence that could save us. Maybe this swarm intelligence will somehow help to cross this maelstrom of rapids and heavy waters humanity has ahead; by being such a mass of interconnected creatures. But how can we think that massive anonymity of the human herd -- a herd of say 10 billion people -- as a saving grace?
Well, Tahrir Square gives an idea. Small in comparison with the scale we will need, but huge, gigantic, never seen. Ten of thousands, hundreds of thousands. Nineteen days, nineteens nights. The biggest and longest mass event ever, I think. And, from the side of the masses: peaceful, non-violent. A logistical nightmare turned into a fairy tale. Well, no fairy tale: a miracle (almost biblical, like the miraculous proliferation of breads). Thousands of people to be fed, to be cared for, waste, human waste, wounded people -- a field hospital was installed in a side street -- and urgent and crucial decisions to be made at every moment, all this. . . . Besides the Coptic Christian who laid down his coat so his Muslim co-protestor could kneel and pray, or the guy who united the sign of the cross and the crescent in front of a camera on Aljazeera, or the women chanting and leading the crowds, the children leading the crowds, all this…
This is it! This is the swarm intelligence we will need! Oh God, was I pessimistic when I made my first notes: ‘So far, we see no sign for hope: we use more 24/24 electronic gadgets, more cars, etc. The exponential growth of air travel is expanding our personal ecological footprint at a pace that ridicules all our attempts to sort out garbage or take public transport, etc. etc. No, it will have to come from elsewhere. Slum intelligence as swarm intelligence? Swarm intelligence will be massively important to survive the 21st century’.
But I could not see a light, however hard I tried: ‘But will the quarrel of the villagers, the identity politics of the quarters, and neighbourhoods, the factions and interests, not foreclose this? Individualism has become one of our biggest enemies, at least in ecological terms. 10 billion people deserve a car. And they all have the right to travel by plane, no? Logic, Watson. But this madness needing 10 planets or something like that. Human (post?) history… a tale told by an idiot. Or the birth pangs of transhumanism? Or else, a vibrant planet of slums? The beat, the heat, the creativity of a new young urbanised world population. Maybe. Swarm intelligence it should be. But so far we have not come further than ostrich policy, at best.’
Well, again, Tahrir Square has changed the entire equation. Swarm intelligence was just a metaphor for the power of the interconnected multitude of the Middle East. It is a model for a planetarian multitude to come. A planetarian multitude in the making. It is from the squared circle of Tahrir Square -- how beautiful it was, this circle of tents in the middle of the square -- that we have to build the theorems and stratagems of a future politics; the politics of globalized, and therefore united humanity. After Tahrir Square there is hope again. This can and should be the beginning of a truly new era. It depends on every single one of us if it will come true.
No, it will not be paradise. Just less hellish. If we are able to bring down all tyrants and all tyrannies and the extremisms they breed. This should make fundamentalisms implode. Which will delegitimize neocon Empire even further. As rampant identity politics will wane, so will the legitimacy of the war on terror. Let's cross our fingers. Because, that is just a start, before we can even begin to tackle the Herculean, cosmic tasks ahead: the ecological and demographic challenges. But how to wake up the European youth? How to wake up the American Youth? How strange it is: that wake-up calls in history tend to come on unexpected times and in unforeseen places. I pray that this is not the end. It is just a beginning. This could be truly awesome. But it depends on all of us. On all of us at once. We have to learn to think and move in sync, without leader, without party, without manual. Swarm Intelligence Now!
Lieven De Cauter is a philosopher, writer and activist. He teaches philosophy of culture (in Leuven, Brussels and Rotterdam). He has published several books: on contemporary art, experience and modernity, on Walter Benjamin and more recently on architecture, the city and politics. Beside this he published poems, columns, statements, pamphlets and opinion pieces.
His latest books: The Capsular Civilization. On the City in the Age of Fear (2004) and, as co-editor, Heterotopia and the city (2008); Art and activism in the Age of globalization (2011). He is initiator of the BRussells Tribunal. | <urn:uuid:b6298b38-7126-47cb-9fe4-504996c86422> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fpif.org/blog/the_key_to_understanding_tahrir_square_swarm_intelligence?q=Tag%3Apoverty | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938826 | 1,405 | 1.726563 | 2 |
136 W. Washington Street,
8 people favorited this theater
The revived Indiana Theatre is a former movie palace which opened on June 18, 1927 with 3,313 seats, and it once housed bowling alleys and billiards in its basement and the Indiana Roof Ballroom upon its roof (which had its own entrance at 140 W. Washington Street). At some point during its history, the Indiana Theatre was modified to allow for showings of Cinerama movies.
But by the start of the 1980’s, the theater became the home of the Indiana Repertory Theatre. To accomodate the theater group, the house was split in half, and the balcony was made into a second theater. Thankfully, the alterations did not destroy the theater’s luxurious, upstairs Atmospheric style ballroom.
Also of interest, the theater’s original organ, a 3 manual/18 rank Barton, is now owned by the Central Indiana Theatre Organ Society and was installed in the Warren Center for the Performing Arts in Indianapolis.
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater | <urn:uuid:39d3b3c5-cb99-4285-94a0-70e9de893b5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/705/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964228 | 223 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Home-care workers could soon unionize
By Peter Hirschfeld
Vermont Press Bureau | March 19,2013
MONTPELIER — One of the larger groups of unorganized workers in the state could soon win the power to form a union.
The Vermont Senate last week gave almost unanimous approval to legislation that would grant collective bargaining rights to about 6,000 home-care workers scattered across the state. This small army of low-wage employees is the hidden labor force behind government programs that deliver subsidized care to elderly and disabled residents who need help to stay in their homes.
While their paychecks are funded by the state, these workers function as independent contractors. And any attempts to negotiate new wages collectively would run afoul of federal anti-trust laws.
“Quite frankly these folks are on the bottom of the food chain,” Sen. Ann Cummings, a Washington County Democrat, said last week. “They work very hard, and receive very little in the way of benefits.”
A crowd of home-care workers dressed in blue union T-shirts looked on from the Senate chamber last Thursday as lawmakers there cast a key vote.
Karen Connor is a communications director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, one of two unions seeking to organize the workers. She said many home-care workers make less than $10 an hour and receive no mileage reimbursement, despite the fact that their jobs often require them to use their own vehicles to shuttle patients to doctor’s appointments, grocery trips and other errands.
“We want to make sure they do have some voice when it comes to issues of pay, because right now they have nothing,” Conner said. “There’s no one to speak up for them, or to point out issues or problems, because right now there is no vehicle at all for the state to even hear them.”
Home-care workers, who spend their days inside the residences of the individuals for whom they’re responsible for providing care, don’t have supervisors to whom they can report problems. The terms of their employment are negotiated on a person-by-person basis with patient-clients, who use state stipends to pay for the care provided by their home-care worker.
Matt McDonald, Vermont director for 1199 SEIU Health Care Workers East, the other union vying to represent the workers, said the duties performed by home-care employees — responsibilities can range from helping bathe clients to preparing meals — are often the only thing between patients and a nursing home. He said ensuring the stability of that workforce is an appropriate public investment, given the amount of taxpayer dollars saved as a result of their work.
Exactly how much more Vermont will have to pay if workers earn collective bargaining rights remains unclear. Total payroll for the workforce is an estimated $40 million, so every 1-percent increase in pay would amount to $400,000 annually.
Gov. Peter Shumlin has said the higher wages in increased benefits won’t impact the state budget until fiscal year 2015. He said his administration, which will be responsible for negotiating wages with the new union, hasn’t forecast what the added pressure will be on the human services budget. He said, however, that the workers deserve to be paid more than they’re making now.
The home-care bill is far less controversial in Montpelier than similar legislation that would have extended collective bargaining rights to child care workers. That bill was shot down by a Senate committee last week, and it’s unclear whether the bill will resurface before the session is over.
The home-care bill, which stipulates that workers will not be allowed to strike, looks to have a clear path toward passage in the House, where lawmakers will take it up in the coming weeks. | <urn:uuid:d761e131-01ae-4986-88cb-d32cb8d12b04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rutlandherald.com/article/20130319/NEWS03/703199914/0/LOCAL01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96422 | 792 | 1.523438 | 2 |
It may be one of the technology world's most expensive efforts to give something away: Hewlett-Packard Co. said Friday that it's making its webOS mobile system available as open-source software that anyone can use and modify freely.
HP snagged the intuitive webOS software when it paid $1.8 billion in 2010 for Palm Inc. in what became a failed effort to revive the flailing smartphone pioneer. HP said it still plans to develop and support webOS.
First released on the Palm Pre smartphone in 2009, webOS ultimately ran on several smartphones. In July, HP also used it on its tablet computer, the TouchPad.
The webOS software was marked by its multitasking capabilities and the ability to view open apps as "cards" that you can slide across the screen, tap to enlarge or flick to dismiss. Initially, it was generally well-reviewed by technology critics.
The mobile devices never caught on with consumers, though, many of whom were more enticed by Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad and smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android software. Developers also weren't that interested in creating apps for such a small audience.
HP hopes that by offering it to the open-source community, more mobile apps will be developed. The move could also mean that other consumer-electronics manufacturers would decide to make devices that use the software.
Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett called HP's decision creative. He suspects companies would have been interested in buying webOS from HP, but he's not sure how much they would have wanted to pay for it. This way, HP gets to make a limited investment in webOS' future and keep a hand in mobile software.
"If you decide you can't afford to get in the game fully with both feet, absolutely at least keep your options open," he said.
HP's decision is not unlike what AOL did with the Netscape browser years ago. After losing to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape was released to the open-source community. Its successor, Firefox, is now one of IE's leading rivals.
Google also has seen success letting developers use its open-source Android software.
The future of webOS had been uncertain since August, when HP said it would stop making tablet computers and smartphones - part of a blundered announcement by then-CEO Leo Apotheker, who also said then that HP was looking into putting its PC business up for sale.
In September, Apotheker was fired and replaced by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Whitman said in late October that HP wouldn't be selling off its personal computer business after all, but said then that the future of webOS was still unclear.
Todd Bradley, the head of HP's PC unit, said at the time that it was "fair to say Apple got a great jump-start in the tablet space" and HP was trying to figure out its own best approach. He said HP was focused on building a tablet that uses Microsoft Corp.'s upcoming Windows 8 software.
He added that consumers shouldn't be keeping an eye out for a TouchPad 2, but that the company would "clearly look at what's the right path forward for WebOS." With Friday's announcement, it appears HP believes it has found it.
Shares of HP, which is based in Palo Alto, rose 24 cents to finish trading at $27.90. The stock rose 22 cents to $28.12 in after-hours trading.
The Associated Press | <urn:uuid:03cd2ee9-16b0-4517-be94-3883468501c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/09/hp-to-offer-webos-as-open-source-software/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981115 | 715 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Surely the Christmas season is one of the most joyous times of the year.
So exciting and so singular was the birth of that holy Child that an angel heralded His coming to Bethlehem shepherds, who were tending their flocks by night:
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:9–14.)
It is because of Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son that all men—past, present, and future—can return to live with Him who is the Father of our spirits. But to insure that that can happen, it was first necessary for Jesus to come to earth in the flesh to teach men by His example the correct way to live and then to willingly give up His life and, in some miraculous way, accept the burden for the sins of mankind so that we, too, can be resurrected.
These two gifts—Jesus’ entry into the world and later His atonement and resurrection—make all else possible for us in this life and in the next.
Take a few quiet moments as you consider your Christmas to think about some great gifts of lasting value:
The abiding love for you of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
The love, loyalty, and concern demonstrated daily for you by parents and other members of your family.
The hope of teachers that their counsel to live righteously will be reflected in your life.
The acceptance of true repentance when you have done wrong.
The opportunity to grow spiritually and intellectually as well as physically.
The privilege and inner reward of serving others.
The many prayers of others for your peace, safety, and success.
These are the kinds of gifts that we can have now and forever.
Strive to be more thoughtful and forgiving of others. Learn how to express appreciation to your family, teachers, and all who labor on your behalf. Know that your kindnesses to others are quickly duplicated to create a swelling influence for good. And above all, be prayerful, and delight in doing right, even though some about you may be doing otherwise.
We give you and those around you our love, our blessing, and our sincere wish for a gladsome and memorable Christmastide. | <urn:uuid:12713541-de45-42fc-b1a0-68752dcce421> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/liahona/1983/12/christmas-message-from-the-first-presidency-to-the-children-of-the-world-gifts-that-endure?lang=eng | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953551 | 610 | 1.757813 | 2 |
As discussed in Chapter 3, narrative gaps leave room for transmedia expansion. But fans are often skeptical of endlessly deferred narratives. In his article, “Do you even know where this is going?” Ivan Askwith discusses one of the major debates surrounding Lost –whether or not the writers know where the show is going. Ex-writer David Fury, in an interview with Rolling Stone, confirmed Lost fans’ worst fears when he insisted that Lost had no “master plan.” In response, Lost writer Javier Grillo-Marxauch explained that television narratives are an ongoing, complex process:
The truth about all television shows – arc-dependent or otherwise, is that they are slightly amorphous living beings. They develop over time and things that work or don’t work are used or discarded accordingly…We allow ourselves the freedom to incorporate new ideas that improve and enhance our story.
Grillo-Marxauch points out that the Lost writers plan a road map of the series from the very beginning, but leave many unanswered questions to be addressed later. For example, while the writers knew who the Others were early in the first season (Grillo-Marxauch claimed this was the case), they did not know who would be their leader until Michael Emerson delivered an impressive performance as Ben Linus. Unlike films and novels, television is not the product of a single creative vision and thus certain elements must be left open for future development. Nevertheless, after Twin Peaks and The X-Files, fans worried that they were being duped and misled into following the show’s mysteries without any set resolutions.
Lost, fundamentally, is a show about mystery. Cuse describes Lost’s uniqueness in its ability to maintain the power of the question in the age of the Internet where answers are often readily available:
What we've been able to do, which I think is different than most network shows, is leave certain things ambiguous and open to interpretation. And that allows people to get on the boards and theorize about what's meant by a given story or scene, or move in the show's direction. It allows people to feel participatory about the process.
Askwith points out that unlike Twin Peaks, Lost provides adequate satisfaction by resolving some of the many mysteries, thereby assuring viewers that there are answers to the larger mythology. The promise that ‘everything happens for a reason’ propels casual viewers to tune in each week and assures hard-core fans that it is, in fact, possible to figure everything out. It is a promise based on the logic that not all questions have equal narrative weight. Lost carefully plays with a hierarchy of mysteries made up of four types: endlessly deferred, lingering, implied, and hidden. Some mysteries are meant for all TV viewers, while others can only be detected by “forensic fandom”. I am suggesting that all mysteries can be applied to this hierarchy. Some fans may be more interested in the Others than the secrets of time travel. Though it is impossible to explain what types of mysteries appeal to a particular audience, these categories are useful when deciding how to present the narrative-pay off for a transmedia extension. Before examining this further, I must first provide a description of each type of mystery. It is worth noting that mysteries can move from one category to another—as the television show’s narrative changes, some mysteries are emphasized, while others take a back seat.
The most important and tantalizing questions, as discussed in Chapter 3, are endlessly deferred mysteries, the essential mysteries of a show that are prolonged across seasons. What is the smoke monster and why is it terrorizing the island? What is the Island and why is it important? Who are the Others? Whereas Twin Peaks was tied down by one large-scale mystery, Lost incorporates multiple. Thus, in contrast to Twin Peaks, which collapsed after resolving its endlessly deferred narrative, Lost can afford to answer one or two major enigmas without hurting the show’s appeal.
Lingering mysteries are mysteries that are important and memorable for casual viewers, but do not carry the same narrative weight as endlessly deferred mysteries. Crucially, casual viewers cannot use their imagination to satisfactorily fill in the gaps of lingering mysteries. Traditional television viewers may be distracted by new mysteries and plot lines, but they still expect answers to such questions as, What are the whispers in the jungle? Why do the Others refer to Walt as “special?” Who are Adam and Eve, the two corpses in the cave who had a small bag containing a black and white stone? The producers of Lost have admitted that some lingering mysteries will be left dangling, such as why Libby, Hurley’s romantic interest, was in the same mental institution as him before they met on the island. Carleton Cuse told Lostpedia:
Everything is graded in terms of importance for us, and, as we are doing the last season of the show, it's not going to be sort of a didactic, you know, here's a list of a thousand questions that we're going to answer. That would not make for a very entertaining show…We are focusing on what we consider to be the main questions of the show and the main narrative. It's impossible to tie up every loose end…Libby's story is incredibly tangential to the principle action on the show.
Indeed, not all lingering mysteries can be answered in the television show. But transmedia storytelling can explore tangential stories and provide answers to those fans who really want them. Of course, as I will discuss in 4.3, explicitly answering a lingering mystery in a transmedia extension is risky because casual fans expect such major questions to be addressed solely on the core television show. But because Libby’s mystery is relatively trivial compared to the wealth of other enigmas, one could imagine her back-story presented in at least a web series.
Implied mysteries are less detectable to casual viewers. They are passing references to external people, places, or events, similar to Long’s use of potential migratory cues. The casual viewer often does not think to ask these questions or they can fill in the gaps with their own imagination. Yet hard-core fans of Lost have an interest in these questions. Where did Jack get his tattoos? What do the various elements of the mural in the hatch mean? What do the hieroglyphics represent? Who were the other people on the Flight 815? The latter question exploded on the show midway through season 3. The producers decided to introduce new faces to the Losties crew by introducing the back-story of Nikki and Paulo, two characters on Flight 815 who were not seen in the previous two seasons. As Damon Lindelof said:
For Nikki and Paolo, we kept hearing fans saying, "What's going on with the other 30 people on the island? Why don't they go on any adventures?" And we were like, "That's a good and legitimate gripe, and let's see if we can figure out a way to get some of those guys into the show."
Fans were not receptive to these new, unlikable characters. They complained that Nikki and Paulo jarringly appeared with speaking roles and that they were forced into the show in order to waste time. The producers were dissatisfied with the characters as well, and decided to literally bury Nikki and Paulo alive in “Exposé.” Indeed, sometimes implied mysteries are best left up to the imagination—or, better yet, to transmedia extensions. One might imagine the story of Nikki and Paulo in a videogame or series of mobisodes. That way, Nikki and Paulo’s back-story and island story could have been explored without upsetting the flow of the show. And with the validation effect, fans could have felt rewarded by Nikki and Paulo’s brief appearance, rather than appalled by it.
Finally, hidden mysteries are only noticeable to the hard-core fan who rewinds, re-watches, and freeze frames parts of an episode. These “Easter Egg mysteries” are thus only available through DVDs, DVRs, or the Internet. Often times, they act as clues to larger mysteries, but are mysteries nonetheless in and of themselves. For example, Why does the shark have a Dharma Initiative symbol on it? Why is Henry Gale’s balloon sponsored by Widmore, Mr. Cluck’s Chicken, and Nozz-A-La-Cola? Why does Eko, an ex-drug smuggler from Nigeria, see flashes of his life within the smoke monster before he dies? One of the most notable series of hidden mysteries occurred in “Lockdown.” In the episode, Locke is trapped under the blast door of the hatch when the black lights suddenly come on, revealing an ultra violet map. The contents of the map were illegible to the naked eye, since much of it was scribbled in Latin. But before any television viewer could begin to look at the writings, the lights came back on and the map was gone. Within hours, hard-core Lost fans freeze framed the image and translated the map in its entirety on Lostpedia, revealing the names of the six hatches on the island and their various descriptions. But there were also new mysteries introduced by the map like, Why are some of the writings crossed out? Why are many of the statements and locations on the map speculative? What does the station marked “unknown” do? At the time of this writing, these questions have yet to be answered.
Sometimes fans interpret hidden mysteries even when they are not there. For instance, in “The Economist,” Sayid finds a metal bracelet on Naomi’s body. Many fans speculated that there was a connection between Naomi’s bracelet and the bracelet worn by a women Sayid killed. The producers stepped in, however, and announced that there was no connection: “sometimes a bracelet is just a bracelet.”
This hierarchy of mystery allows different viewers to find an appropriate ‘level of difficulty’ in viewing the show. As Carleton Cuse explains:
I also think that it's rewarding for the audience to not always be frustrated and behind. We have certain mysteries on the show that we hope the audience figures out on their own, and can have the satisfaction of saying "Aha! I knew that! I knew that the guy on the boat was going to be Michael!"…We intentionally mix up the degree of difficulty in solving the puzzle.
By incorporating a hierarchy of mystery, Lost ensures that viewers can determine how deep they want to travel ‘down the rabbit hole.’ It is important, then, that transmedia extensions match the level of difficulty for their intended audience. In general, I would argue that transmedia extensions should primarily address implied and hidden mysteries, since television viewers are not as concerned with these. But transmedia extensions can also provide hints into endlessly deferred or lingering mysteries, allowing fans to construct their own theories and test them when Lost airs. In 4.3, I discuss how Lost’s transmedia extensions should address specific kinds of mysteries.
Askwith, Ivan. “Do you even know where this is going?” Reading Lost.
This excerpt is from an interview with Grillo-Marxauch, who responded vehemently to David Fury’s claims that is no master plan to Lost. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=23814082&postcount=45
Thomas, Rachel. “An Interview with Michael Emerson (Ben Linus/Fake Henry Gale, Lost)” About.com. <http://tvdramas.about.com/od/lost/a/mikeemersonint.htm>
Hoey, Matt. “All who wander are not Lost.” Written By: The Magazine of Writer’s Guild of America, West. September 2006. <http://www.wga.org/writtenby/writtenbysub.aspx?id=2195>
TV 2.0: Reconceptualizing Television as an Engagement Medium
Jason Mittell uses this term to describe the way that Lost encourages a ‘hyper-attentive mode of spectatorship,” where hard-core fans engage with a text as detectives, seeking out clues and assembling evidence. In Mittell, Jason. “Lost in a Great Story.” Reading Lost. Interview with The Ama1. Lostpedia. 17 April 2009. <http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lostpedia_Interview:Carlton_Cuse_%26_Damon_Lindelof>
Transmedia Storytelling: Business, Aesthetics, and Production at the Jim Henson Company.
Murray, Noel. “Lost's Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.” A.V. Club. 22 April 2008. <http://www.avclub.com/articles/losts-damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse,14231/>
Jensen, Jeff. “Lost in Transition.” Entertainment Weekly. 13 April 2007. <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20034817,00.html>
Lostpedia is an online, collaborative encyclopedia for all things Lost.
All these questions were discovered on Lostpedia. <http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Blast_door_map>
Jensen, Jeff. “'Lost': Mind-Blowing Scoop From Its Producers.”
Murray, Noel. “Lost's Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.”
Posted by Aaron Smith on July 5, 2009 | <urn:uuid:6d9f9a7c-0077-4e38-a073-a731a34cc315> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sites.middlebury.edu/mediacp/2009/07/05/the-hierarchy-of-mystery/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94796 | 2,852 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Crafting as a business
Do's and Don'tsWhen you begin to treat your hobby as a craft AND a business you can learn to make what you do fun and profitable!
So, you were at a craft show, thought, "I can do that", and now you are ready to work on doing your first craft show. How do I find a craft show, what are my expenses, how do I charge - a million questions are probably going through your mind. Here's some advice as to what to do and what not to do when doing your first craft show.
DO - Craft shows close to where you live. Look in local papers, chamber of commerce places, or event websites. This will keep expenses low such as gas, time to and from the show, etc.
DO NOT - Go to the first show you see advertised. There are a number of shows out there such as street festivals, high schools, etc. Putting all of your eggs in one basket is not wise because you could miss out on others that may have more advertising which leads to more customers, cheaper space fees, etc.
DO - Know your price range for a show. With this I mean the space fee could be $20 to $500 or more. If you are starting out go small and work your way up. The higher you go when you first start out doing shows can be a big let down if you can't break even. Also, higher priced shows are more for the big league crafters that go from state to state - not all crafters, but most. It is best to get a following doing small shows and then try out for a bigger show.
DO NOT - Change the price of your products from show to show. It will make customers think you are dishonest and possibly think you don't make your own products. Find a happy medium and stick with it - remember you can do sales to help out at shows that are in lower income areas. If you do have a problem pushing your items then I would try lowering the price and see what happens. Another suggestion is to mention that "Due to availability of certain items prices are subject to change."
DO RESEARCH - Like what you are doing here is research in learning about what to expect doing craft show. But more so, go to various crafts shows and see it from the stand point of customers and crafters. How is the flow of traffic? Are crafters or customers complaining? What is the size of spaces at the show and what areas are getting seen more than others? Also if someone is selling similar products you are, check prices and introduce yourself. Some crafters may be iffy in giving you advice due to competition but others can be a wealth of knowledge.
DO NOT - Expect that once you have a space and your craft you need anything else. Your display is the second most important thing next to your craft and should try doing setting up your display before doing the craft show to know what to expect. Just having a table and your items on it is not a display. It is wise to get a table cloth that covers three sides of your table. And the table cloth can be plain or decorative/festive. Having just a table cloth alone will hide your boxes and containers under the table. Also, having height and dimension will get people to see you items - i.e. shelving for on the table or free standing, peg boards, clothing racks (if you sell scarves, clothing, etc.) If your items lay flat on the table upon first look people won't think you are selling anything - just look at your display from a customers point of view. And do not have empty space. If you do, it looks like you aren't well prepared or there isn't enough to keep one's attention. The more you fuss over your items as in restocking, it gives customers a sense of urgency in "ooh what else is she putting out, maybe it is different than what was out already," and that you are busy due to sales.
DO - Wear comfortable clothes and prepare for inclement weather. Some indoor shows are hard to predict whether it will be hot or cold inside (even outside for that matter). Dressing in layers helps. Also with rain (whether it is an outdoor show or indoor show) know the easiest route to your booth and how to shield your items and display from rain and wind. There are numerous times I have seen displays blown over time and time again due to wind and rain damage.
DO NOT - Assume that the promoter knows your needs. In your application make sure you have things noted like the need for electricity, or that you need an extra table, be in a visible area, or not be next to certain types of vendors. If you aren't specific in your application, promoters may not be able to help you.
DO - Give customers space. A lot of customers are there to browse and may or may not want to engage in conversation. However, saying hello to customers or a how are you today opens the window for conversation if the customer has questions.
DO NOT - Crowd your customers. Just think of the one store you get harassed in as soon as you walk through their doors. Allow customers to browse and suggestive sell. If someone likes a certain type of jewelry, say a necklace, show them a matching bracelet or piece "xyz" would compliment their eyes. Also, some customers zone in on one thing and will be oblivious to other items on your display, suggesting that if they like what they are holding, they will definitely like this one and point or pick up the item you think they would like in addition to what they have. Also, keeping some information (personal information) to oneself is good because remember you are there to sell and tying up some peoples time with conversation can discourage other possible sales.
DO - Have business cards! How else can a customer contact you if they want to buy more of your things or have an issue with one of your things? Doing a simple business card on the computer with a word processing software or a desktop publishing program is very cost effective than going to an outside business. And the paper can be pretty cheap depending on how nice you want your cards to be. Sometimes your kids or grandkids can help you with that too. Also having a notepad for people to sign up on a mailing list is really good too. If they are interested in more information this allows you to have the ball in your court with the information verses waiting by the phone hoping they will call you.
DO NOT - Walk around asking questions from other vendors about their sales. This is considered a no no in the show circuit. If vendors at the same show do well and you are not, they will probably not feel right telling you that they are doing well. If they are having a slow day it will only bring down their morale to have to share figures they are not proud of. Either way it is not a good idea and is heavily frowned upon by the show promoters and other vendors.
DO NOT - Have high expectations for your first show. You will get a lot of "How cute", "Isn't that nice", or even "I can do that" and they can just walk away. And you will get sales but comments will for the most part out weigh sales. Some do really well on their first show and others don't. The biggest reason for this is exposure - the more exposure you do the more people will find you and buy time after time. Remember if you break even that is good! Doing more that deserves a big pat on the back. Also the more knowledge going into a craft show the better you will do too.
DO - Have fun! The biggest thing with shows is generally they are a lot of work but a lot of fun too. You get a huge surge of self confidence and ego boost from customers - who doesn't like that?! Also, meeting other crafters is really good especially the advice may have too!
LASTLY - DO NOT - Get discouraged. It may take 2-3 craft shows to get the hang of them - but every craft show is a learning experience. Also, don't get carried away with shopping for yourself - remember you do want to make money and keep some around for reinvesting in your craft as well as walk away with some profit. I have been doing shows for a couple of years now and am finding my niche in what shows are best for me and my products, getting a following, etc. It will come, just stick with it, plan well, and think positive.
By Michelle Sholund | <urn:uuid:51f31d93-57b5-43b1-b302-b19883dd840a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coloradofestivalguide.com/crafting-as-a-business.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968068 | 1,754 | 1.726563 | 2 |
|Top to Bottom: Double Chain (dch); "Foundation Slip Stitch" (fslst); Foundation Single Crochet (fsc)|
Above is a visual comparison of the three slimmest, simplest chainless foundations that I know of. They are all stretchier and easier to work into than foundation chains. (I've omitted fancier decorative ones such as picot foundations.)
What follows is a photo tutorial for making each of them: the classic dch, the dark horse fslst, and the popular fsc. By doing it this way I hope to make it very clear how these three overlap yet differ in a few key ways. It's easy to confuse them as being the same thing. This actually keeps us from recognizing that we have more choices in how we start a new crochet project than we thought!
(Below, the step-by-step photos may look a bit jumbled on some people's screens. To view them enlarged in high resolution, and in their original order with full descriptions, you might prefer to see them in this photo set.)
From my research I found that the top/yellow stitch is traditionally called "Double Chain" (occasionally, Double Foundation Chain, Double Chain Stitch, etc.) and is consistently abbreviated "dch". When I say traditionally, I mean that I found this stitch with this name and abbreviation in over half of the 43 books, dating from the 1800's to 2010. (In the rest of the books, I found no alternative to a foundation chain at all.)
The bottom/blue stitch is much newer than the dch and seems to be gaining widespread acceptance, especially on the internet. I found it in a smattering of books from 2005 to the present; it also appeared online in 1998, thanks to Mary Rhodes. This stitch is by now almost always called "Foundation Single Crochet" and abbreviated "fsc." The ultimate source is Marty Miller's article, "Get in the Loop: Foundation Stitches" in the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine.
The green stitch in the center is my personal favorite of these three choices. I'm not the first to use it, but this exact stitch does not appear in any of the books I have. It simply combines what I think is the best of the dch and the fsc.
I wrestled with what to name it. "Foundation slip stitch" (fslst) has its pros & cons, as do all other names I considered, such as "alt fsc" and "extended slst." I'm going with fslst because in a "family" of foundation stitches like the fsc (and taller versions such as fdc, ftr, and so on), is there a slimmer option than the fsc for times when it's too beefy to substitute for a plain foundation chain, but I still need something stretchy? As you can see in the top photo, the fslst is the slimmest of all. It is without a doubt the one perfect foundation for my Work@Home Vest neckline.
Here are the instructions to go with each step-by-step photo.
To begin the dch, the fslst, and the fsc, chain 2.
For dch (left/yellow): insert hook in ONE top loop of 2nd ch from hook.
For fsc (far right/blue): insert hook in TWO loops of 2nd ch from hook.
Yarn over hook and pull up a loop: 2 loops on hook.
For dch: Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook: first dch stitch made.
For fslst: Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook: first fslst stitch made.
To make the next fslst: insert hook under the TWO strands along the left side (if you're crocheting right handed) of fslst just made, yarn over and pull up a loop.
To make the next fsc: insert hook under TWO strands of the base chain (that you are hopefully pinching with your fingers) of fsc just made, yarn over and pull up a loop.
To complete the dch: Yarn over and pull through BOTH loops on hook. Avoid "yanking" it tight. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for desired number of foundation stitches.
To complete the fslst: Yarn over and pull through BOTH loops on hook. Avoid "yanking" it tight. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for desired number of foundation stitches.
To complete the fsc: Yarn over and pull through ONE loop on hook. Avoid "yanking" it tight. (Pinch this stitch to mark it for yourself that it's where you'll start the next fsc.) Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook to complete the fsc. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for desired number of foundation stitches. | <urn:uuid:0463ace7-a6f1-48de-86cf-baa752317477> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crochetpatterncompanion.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93034 | 1,024 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Subsets and Splits